VIRTUAL REUNION

We are glad to acknowledge the accomplishments of our alumni. If you were a Psychology Major at Queens College, please send your news to Robert Lanson. Be sure to say whether you wish your e-mail address available to your fellow alumni.

Sheila Biennenfeld (BA, 1972) went to graduate school at Michigan State, earning a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (1982). She is currently professor and chair of the Psychology department at San Jose State University, San Jose, CA.

Rita Dave (BA, 1988) is an attorney in private practice in Lake Success. She is making her first run for the school board. Dave and her husband, Marlon, have a child in the district public schools. In addition to her BA from Queens College, she has a JD degree from New York Law School. She won an award for pro bono work in human rights and civil rights in New York City from Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-Brooklyn).

William Discipio (MS, 1993) was elected president of the Division of Psychologists in the Public Sector of the New York Stste Psychological Association for 2004. Dr. DiScipio is a spokesman for psychologists working primarily with underprivileged patients who generally receive treatment in public hospitals and community mental health centers. Dr. Di Scipio has a Ph.D. from Maudsley Hospital at the University of London and is affiliated with Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Michael C. Giordano (BA, 1978) provides counsel to insurance and reinsurance companies and other financial institutions on a variety of matters including regulated business transactions, regulatory compliance, privacy matters, licensing, strategic business planning, and development of regulatory and legislative policies. He also specializes in the laws, regulations, customs and practices applicable to the surplus lines insurance industry. He acts as U.S. representative for several surplus lines insurance companies and has worked extensively with the London insurance markets. He also represents insurers before state insurance regulators, including numerous compliance and market conduct matters. Prior to joining Fulbright & Jaworski, he was a counsel at Byran Cave. He was a partner and head of the regulatory practice at a New York-based law firm. He is an active member of the American Bar Association (Torts and Insurance Practice Section) and the New York State Bar Association. He is active in the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices (NAPSLO) where he has been a member of the Legislative Committee and served as Chair of the Federal Legislation Subcommittee (1992 and 1993). After receiving his BA from Queens, he received an MBA from St. John's University in1983 and a JD from Brooklyn Law School in 1987.

Bobby Newman (BA, 1990; PhD, 1996)was New York State's first Board Certified Behavior Analyst and is a Licensed Psychologist. Bobby is the first author on eleven books regarding Applied Behavior Analysis, the philosophy of behaviorism, the autism spectrum disorders, sport, and utopian literature. He has published over two dozen articles in professional journals, as well as numerous popular magazine articles and has hosted two series of radio call-in shows. A popular speaker, Bobby also provides direct treatment, staff training and consultation around the world. He has lectured and provided clinical services in Australia, Japan, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Canada, as well as around the United States. Bobby has been honored for this work by several parents and professional groups. He is the director of Room to Grow. Bobby is also a certified personal trainer and marathoner and is an Ambassador for the Great Sportsmanship Programme. Bobby teaches non-violent crisis intervention philosophy and techniques for agencies and families. Bobby has served as the Director of the SUNY Stony Brook BCBA program, as well as holding numerous offices within the New York State Assocation for Behavior Analysis.

Donna Geils Orander (BA, 1978) was appointed president of the WNBA. Ms. Orender was an All-American basketball player at Queens College and played professionally for the New York Stars, New Jersey Gems, and Chicago Hustle of the Women’s Basketball League (WBL) where she was an All-Star. From 1988 to 2005, she was associated with the PGA TOUR where she oversaw worldwide management of PGA TOUR television and production, advertising, brand management and integration. She was also responsible for the PGA TOUR new media and internet business. Orender currently resides in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. She is married to M.G. Orender, Honorary President of the PGA of America and owner/partner in Hampton Golf, Inc. She has twin boys, Jacob and Zachary and two stepchildren, Morgan and Colleen.

Kenneth F. Reeve (BA, 1986; PhD, 1998) is currently the Chairperson of the Psychology Department at Caldwell College in New Jersey. In addition to overseeing both the undergraduate and Masters programs at Caldwell, Ken teaches classes in research design, behavior analysis, development, and developmental disabilities. After receiving his BA from Queens College in 1986, he entered the Learning Processes Doctoral program where he became interested in research in both infant development and human conceptual behavior. He has remained active in these research areas and continues to present and publish his findings. An adjunct lecturer at Queens College for 10 years, Ken still occasionally teaches a psychology class at Queens College.

Sharon A. Reeve (MA, 1998; PhD, 2001) is currently a full-time faculty member of the Education and Psychology departments at Caldwell College in New Jersey where she is also the coordinator of both the Graduate Applied Behavior Analysis Program and the Special Education Teaching Certification Program. Dr. Reeve is a nationally Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has served as both a director and as a staff /parent trainer of several schools and agencies for children with autism, both in New Jersey and New York over the past ten years. In addition, Dr. Reeve maintains a private practice for children with autism and serves as a consultant for early intervention agencies and school districts. She regularly publishes and presents at professional conferences in behavior analysis and autism.

Mark S. Reich (BA,1997) is an associate in the Garden City office of Nelson Peabody. He handles insurance coverage litigation, with a concentration on trademark and advertising injury, insurance/reinsurance, environmental liability and construction defects. He received a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.

Amy Reichstein (BA, 1994) is currently enrolled in her fourth year at the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program (Psy.D.) at Long Island University, C.W.Post campus.Her specialty areas are Family Violence, HIV/AIDS and she has spent the past summer working with a professor at UCLA conducting research on Hate Crimes. She has been actively involved with advocacy initiatives in the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students and the New York State Psychological Association’s Organization of Future Psychologists.

Anthony H. Risser (BA, 1979) is a clinical neuropsychologist with expertise in diagnostic assessment and has been providing consulting services since 1988 in a number of medical and rehabilitation settings. He is the Director of Scientific Affairs for PRA International - a global contract research organization that performs clinical trials for pharmaceutical and biotechnology client companies. He has co-authored several books, including "Assessment of Aphasia" (2003, Oxford University Press) and "Developmental Neuropsychology" (1995, Oxford University Press). He was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Houston and has also been involved as a consultant providing healthcare-related content on the Internet. He has a neuropsychology website entitled "BrainBlog" that he invites you to visit at http://neuropsychological.blogspot.com.

David Ruben (BA,1997; MA, 2000) is currently employed as a Forensic Case Manager for St. Christopher-Ottilie Site Location Pathways Program Group Residence for hard-to-place adolescent males ranging between 15 and 21 years of age. Responsibilities include interfacing with criminal justice, mental health, social welfare, and the Board of Education. The goal is successful service provision for these "at-risk" adolescent minorities which will effect positive transitioning to a variety of independent living settings. David is enrolled in the MSW/Doctoral Program at the N.Y.U. Ehrenkranz School of Social Work.

Roberta Russell (BA, 1964; known in 1964 as Roberta Ottenstein) is the co-author of R.D. Laing & Me: Lessons in Love with R.D. Laing, Hillgarth Press, 1992, Shinyosha (in Japanese, 1994) Ediciones de la Flor (in Spanish, 1995) Editora Siciliano (in Portuguese, 1997) and the author of Report on Effective Psychotherapy: Legislative Testimony (Hillgarth Press, 1981, with 1994 Update) and has been a frequent contributor to Psychologie Heute (Germany). She has written articles in, Japan Times (Japan), The Psychologist (U.K.), Human Potential Magazine (U.K.), Changes (U.K.), Clinical Psychology Forum (U.K.), Psychoanalytic Studies (U.K.) and numerous other publications. She was the author of “Lifetalk with Roberta Russell,” a weekly column appearing in The Adirondack Daily Enterprise and The Lake Placid News. She was a board member of the European Association of Humanistic Psychology (Geneva, Switzerland), the Education and Accreditation Committee of the National Accreditation Association and American Examining Board of Psychoanalysis, Inc. and of Women Business Owners of New York. She has been the host of a New York City cable television show called Lifetalk which featured interviews with movers and shakers in controversial areas of psychology, nutrition, medicine, environment, and population growth. Roberta Russell, sports nutritionist, is also the happy loser of 65 pounds. In the course of maintaining her trim figure she has also founded and facilitated The New York Calorie and Exercise Logging Group (www.permanentweightloss.org). Ms. Russell has lectured at Oxford University (U.K.), Yale University, The New School for Social Research, New York University, North Country Community College, The University of Glasgow (Scotland), Sophia University of Rome and the Third Italian Congress of Humanistic Psychology, University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) and in universities across New Zealand and Australia. She was also a featured speaker at the International Conference on Psychotherapy of the Future, in Spain and the Healthier Living Show in Australia, the Australian Psychological Society and the New York Public Library. Ms. Russell is the originator of Mutual Alliance Therapy Workshops which have been commended by a 1994 Social Innovations Award (U.K.). She has conducted workshops internationally for business organizations, universities and individuals.

Roseann Sciancalepore (BA, 1998) attended Hofstra’s School-Community Psy.D. Program. She earned her M.S. and doctorate in School-Community Psychology. Since September 1998, she has been working at Queensborough Counseling Center.

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