(L-R:) CUNY Trustee Kathleen Pesile, Stamos Zades, Rose Volpe

Memories of the College of Staten Island’s predecessor institutions, Richmond College and Staten Island Community College, were in the air recently at the CSI Alumni Association’s Early Years Alumni event at the Campus Center Green Dolphin Lounge, recognizing graduates of 1958 to 1976.

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The well-attended event, which honored Professor and Dean Emeritus Dr. Stamos Zades, opened with light fare and refreshments, allowing attendees to mingle and reminisce, as well as view a special display of photos from both institutions, created by the Archives and Special Collections, College of Staten Island Library.

After greetings from CSI Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Affairs Barbara Eshoo and CUNY Trustee Kathleen Pesile ’73, College President Dr. Tomás D. Morales spoke to the guests, reviewing the history of Richmond College and SICC, and how they merged to become CSI. In addition, he shared some of the College’s recent accomplishments with the gathered alumni, such as the recent completion of the College’s Strategic Planning process, CSI’s first Goldwater Scholar, and the naming of CSI Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Michal Kruk to Thomson-Reuters’s list of the Top 100 Chemists, 2000-2010.

The President and Trustee Pesile then presented a framed photo montage of SICC images to Dr. Zades to thank him for his years of dedication to the College. In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Zades discussed how much his years at SICC, and later, CSI, meant to him.

Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Affairs Dr. Ken Boyden, then thanked the Alumni Association and the Special Collections and Archives for their contributions to the event, and invited alumni up to the lectern to share memories of their respective institutions. Quite a few alumni accepted his offer, telling stories of happy days at Richmond College and SICC.

Attendees spent the remaining time discussing their college days and catching up on more recent events.

This gathering also marks the beginning of an Early Years chapter of the CSIAA with the hope that these alumni will continue to return to campus and bring their fellow alumni with them.