This year’s EPIC 3X Reunion 2022 festivities more than made up for a few ‘skipped’ years due to COVID pandemic restrictions, and included an Awards Program for the official presentation of the D-E Distinguished Alumni Award to three years worth of alumni honorees and also the induction of several individuals and teams into the Athletic Hall of Fame. An afternoon ceremony in Hajjar Auditorium, kicked-off by Interim Head of School Pat Boig and James Liu ’87, Chair of the Alumni Relations Committee, included special pre-recorded videotaped introductions.* See Editor’s Note at the end.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS 2022
The terrific trio of brothers Rob Shafir ’76, Mark Shafir ’74 and Jerry Shafir ESB ’70 kicked-off the Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) presentations. Introductions for all three Shafirs were graciously provided by fellow alumnus Stephen (“Steve”) Abrams ESB ’70.
Robert “Rob” Scott Shafir ’76
Prior to his retirement Rob Shafir was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of Sculptor Capital Management, formerly known as Och-Ziff Capital Management Group. Before joining Sculptor Capital in 2018, he served in various capacities at Credit Suisse Group from 2007 to 2016. Before his departure in 2016, he held the position of Chairman and CEO of Credit Suisse Americas and Co-Head of Private Banking & Wealth Management, which included oversight of Asset Management. He was a member of the Executive Board of Credit Suisse Group and Credit Suisse.
Rob also worked at Lehman Brothers for 17 years, serving in various senior roles. He was a 22member of their Executive Board and also Head of Global Equities where he played a key role in building Lehman’s equities business into a global, institutionally-focused franchise. He spent the first 6 years of his career at Morgan Stanley in the fixed income division. Rob has a B.A. in Economics from Lafayette College and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.
Karen Orzolek ’96
Unable to attend the ceremony in person,the next set of DAA awardees, Karen Orzolek ’96 and Daniel Fish ’80, were recognized virtually via pre-recorded video. Both were introduced with thoughtful candor thanks to remarks provided (also by pre- recorded video) from Greg Cummings, former D-E Performing Arts Director.
Karen O is a vocalist, songwriter, artist and the iconic frontwoman of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In addition to four albums with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and a solo album, Crush Songs, O has contributed to soundtracks for Where The Wild Things
Are and Her—for which she was nominated for an Oscar; staged an experimental opera, “Stop the Virgens,” at New York’s legendary St. Ann’s Warehouse; collaborated with fashion house KENZO and such iconic artists as David Lynch and Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross; and headlined festivals worldwide. Last year O released her latest project, a full length album with Danger Mouse entitled Lux Prima, which was released to widespread critical acclaim and earned a Grammy nomination for the single “Woman”. The pair also worked to bring their album to life with an immersive multimedia experience “An Encounter with Lux Prima” that premiered at Los Angeles’ Marciano Art Foundation.
Mark Gregory Shafir ’74
Mark Shafir is the co-head of global mergers & acquisitions at Citi. He has thirty-four years of experience advising clients and leading top M&A teams. Prior to joining Citi in 2008, he was head of global M&A at Lehman Brothers. Mark is on the Board of Governors of Multiplying Good, the largest and most prestigious platform for public service in America, and frequently appears on CNBC and Bloomberg television on M&A matters.
Mark holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, and was a Marshall Scholar at Kings College, Cambridge. He is a trustee of The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
Alicia Jacobsen Menendez ’01
Alicia Jacobsen Menendez is an American television commentator, host, and writer. Born in Union City, New Jersey, Alicia has been a vocal social advocate, American television commentator, and writer for the past 15 years. Author of The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed as You Are, Alicia has championed women’s rights and immigration reform. Her senior thesis on women’s social capital from Harvard College received national recognition from The New York Times. Alicia would continue to embrace the spotlight, becoming host and producer for The Huffington Post and later, PBS and MSNBC.
Alicia also served as Senior Advisor at NDN, a center-left think tank and advocacy organization in Washington, DC and is a veteran of Rock the Vote and Democracia USA. Alicia continues her advocacy as a host for both American Voices on weekends on MSNBC and Bustle’s Latina to Latina podcast.
Alumna Alicia Jacobsen Menendez ’01 was the final awardee to be recognized in the DAA portion of the Awards Program. Alicia was introduced by Debbie Murphy Rivera ’11, D-E Director of Student Activities.
Jeremiah (“Jerry’) Andrew Shafir ESB ’70
A lifelong entrepreneur and humanist, Jeremiah “Jerry” Andrew Shafir has done it all. After graduating from the Englewood School for Boys in 1970, Jerry would attend Yale University, Boston University School of Law, and finally Harvard School of Business. Finding that law school was not where he belonged, Jerry refined his knack for business and the food industry, eventually becoming the founder of Kettle Cuisine, a fresh soup provider serving local restaurants and evenually stocking grocery store shelves. Kettle Cuisine would find great success in his 25-year tenure as CEO, leading the way for affordable and quality food for families across the country. Having retired in 2013, Jerry spends his time between Fort Myers, Florida and Newport, Connecticut.
Daniel Robert Fish ’80
Unable to attend the ceremony in person,the next set of DAA awardees, Karen Orzolek ’96 and Daniel Fish ’80, were recognized virtually via pre-recorded video. Both were introduced with thoughtful candor thanks to remarks provided (also by pre- recorded video) from Greg Cummings, former D-E Performing Arts Director.
Daniel Fish is a New York- based director who makes work across the boundaries of theater, film, and opera. He draws on a broad range of forms and subject matter including plays, film scripts, contemporary fiction, essays and found audio. His 2019 production of OKLAHOMA! transferred to Broadway from St. Ann’s Warehouse and won the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. Other recent work includes WHITE NOISE, inspired by the novel by Don DeLillo (Ruhrfestspiele Recklingshausen, Theater Freiburg, and Skirball NYU), Michael Gordon’s opera, ACQUANETTA (Prototype Festival/Bard Summerscape), Don’t Look Back (The Chocolate Factory), Who Left This Fork Here (Baryshnikov Arts Center, Onassis Center), Ted Hearne’s The Source (BAM NEXT WAVE, L.A Opera, San Francisco Opera), and ETERNAL, a video installation. His work has been seen at theaters and festivals throughout the U.S. and Europe including, The Walker Arts Center, PuSH, Teatro Nacional D. Maria, Lisbon/ Estoril Film Festival, Vooruit, Festival TransAmériques, Noorderzon Festival, The Chocolate Factory, The Public Theater’s Under The Radar, Opera Philadelphia/Curtis Opera Theater, American Repertory Theater, Richard B. Fisher Center at Bard College, Yale Repertory Theater, McCarter Theater, Signature Theater, The Shakespeare Theater Company, Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, Staatstheater Braunschweig, and The Royal Shakespeare Company. Residencies and commissions include The MacDowell Colony, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Mass MOCA, The Chocolate Factory, LMCC/ Governor’s Island.
Daniel is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Department of Performance Studies and has taught at The Juilliard School, Bard College, Princeton University, and The Department of Design for Stage and Film at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He is the recipient of the 2017 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts for the Theater.
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME (AHF)
RECIPIENTS 2022
Dr. Rose Byron McSween ’80
Rose played and was captain her senior year of the D-E field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse teams. In her senior year at D-E, Rose dominated the girls lacrosse team’s offense scoring 37 goals and leading the team in assists. Out of 9 games played, Rose scored 5 games in which she scored 5 goals each. Rose went on to play D1 women’s lacrosse for Dartmouth College. In 1984, she was named Women’s Lacrosse All-Time All-Ivy League. Rose continued her education after Dartmouth College, and earned a Master of Business Administration in 1997 from NYU Stern School of Business. She earned another master’s in educational administration, Leadership and Technology in 2008 from NYU Steinhardt School. Rose received her doctoral degree in educational leadership and administration from Fordham University in 2018.
She served as the Executive Director of Development and Campaign Manager at Fordham Gabelli School of Business and as an adjunct professor of finance at Fordham This past year, she was appointed Chief Advancement Officer at Newark Academy in Livingston, NJ.
Luke V. Rigolosi M.D. ’91
The next AHF honoree, Luke V. Rigolosi M.D. ’91 was then proudly introduced by his sister Laura Rigolosi Ibarguen ’93, P ’23; ’26.
Luke Rigolosi lettered in soccer, lacrosse and wrestling while a student at D-E. He was awarded The Foote Memorial Trophy in 1991, The Eastwood Memorial Scholarship in 1990 and The Masters Trophy in 1987. In 1989, while playing for Boys’ Varsity Soccer, he was 2nd team all prep state and 2nd team all-conference, and the Bulldogs finished as state co-champions. In 1990, while Luke played soccer for D-E he was 1st team All Prep State, 1st Team All-Conference, and served as Team Captain. In 1991, Luke was on the D-E ’s boys lacrosse team and he was 2nd team all- state, 1st team all prep state, 1st team All-Conference. Luke was captain of the lacrosse team for both his junior and senior seasons. Last, but not least as a member of D-E’s wrestling team, Luke placed third in the prep school State tournament.
Luke holds a BS in Biology from Brown University, and is a graduate of New Jersey Medical School, part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He trained in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation, also at UMDNJ. Luke is an interventional Pain Physician. He is also a founder, a director, and currently a member of the Executive Committee of OrthoNY in Albany, NY. Athletic Hall of Fame honoree, Dr. Rose Byron McSween ’80 was introduced by Jo Ann “ Josie” Harper, former Dartmouth Lacrosse Coach and Athletic Director.
Dr. Paul Vessa ’76
Paul Vessa lettered in Football, Wrestling, Track, and Baseball while a student-athlete at D-E. He was the recipient of the D-E Luke Ward Trophy in 1975 and 1976. He was a captain of the football, wrestling and track teams his senior year.
After D-E, Paul continued his education and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Lafayette College. He attended Rutgers Medical School and he spent his residency at University Hospital in Newark, NJ. He was chosen for a combined fellowship at St. Mary’s Spine Institute at Stanford University and at the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center. Paul is an American Board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon at the New Jersey Spine Institute.
1984 & 1985 BOYS’ LACROSSE TEAMS
The recognition of D-E’s 1985 and 1984 Boys Lacrosse Teams concluded the AHF and final portion of the Reunion Awards Program when they were honored with introductory remarks from Nathaniel Zinsser, Former D-E Coach and Faculty member.
The 1984 Boys’ Lacrosse Team was coached by the late Coach Robert Sutherland and Coach Nathaniel “Nate” Zinsser and achieved an overall record of 12- 4. This team won the Garden State Prep Tournament Championship in 1984.
The D-E 1985 Boys’ Lacrosse Team may have the best record in the school’s Boys Lacrosse Team history. The team won the Garden State Prep championship for a second year in a row and their overall record was 18-1. The team was coached by the late Robert Sutherland and Nate Zinsser, and C. Christian Schmid. Three players of this team, Anton Schermer ’85, Mike Malhame ’88, and Chris Garbaccio ’84 are already inducted into D-E’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
*Editor’s Note: For the video recording of the entire Awards Program, a Reunion Awards Program PDF to download/ view, and many more photos,
please visit www.d-e.org/alumni.
