| December 17, 2008 | Vol 10. No. 5 |
The NetGazette features profiles of new and current faculty, staff and administrators. If you have an idea for a Canisius profile, please send an E-mail to Kristin Etu, '91, NetGazette editor, at etuk@canisius.edu
Rev. John P. Bucki, S. J., director of campus ministry
Ask Rev. John P. Bucki, S.J., how to maintain a healthy religious life and he’ll reply with a simple, one-word answer: “relationships.” As director of the Office of Campus Ministry, Father Bucki oversees Canisius’ Masses, retreats, and service and justice-related programs. He says this about the way he dedicates the majority of his time: “I just try to connect with students, get to know them, relate to them and be a positive presence for them on campus.”
As a result, Father Bucki can be found at any number of student-related activities throughout the week, from athletic games to student club events. By his choice, Father Bucki lives in the Delavan Townhouse complex.
“It’s just another way I can make myself available to students,” says Father Bucki.
He even reaches out to students via the Internet. Father Bucki is a member of the social network Web site, Facebook, on which he communicates with nearly 1,500 friends. He uses Facebook to promote campus ministry activities, post pictures of events and to gauge student sentiment. “You can really get a sense of what students think and talk about on Facebook,” he says.
Father Bucki came to Canisius in 2001 from St. Francis Xavier Parish in New York City, where he served as parochial vicar, and directed the parish outreach and food programs. The South Buffalo native, whose interest in religious life began in grade school, was happy to return to his roots when the opportunity arose. He notes, however, that it was the energy on campus that convinced him Canisius was the right place for his next ministry. “In Jesuit jargon, I felt a spiritual consolation about coming here.”Since his arrival, the Office of Campus Ministry has expanded significantly. It now offers nine different retreat opportunities for students, faculty and staff. The number of service trips available and the number of students who take advantage of those opportunities also grows steadily each year. Canisius has community partners in Mexico, Jamaica, El Salvador and India, as well as New Orleans and West Virginia. But the winter service trip to New York City is perhaps closest to Father Bucki’s heart.
During his 12 years at St. Xavier, Father Bucki became a beloved member of the community. When he left in 2000 to take a one-year sabbatical, he pledged to return with student volunteers. Father Bucki made good on that promise when he initiated Canisius’ first urban service trip to New York City in 2001. It’s now among campus ministry’s most successful service trips.
“I get excited when I see the students become excited about meeting different people and seeing different people do good work for the poor.”
It’s Father Bucki’s hope that these new-found relationships will inspire students to continue to live healthy religious lives long after they’ve left Canisius.
Matthew C. Reitnour, MS ’04, director of athletic communications
Matthew C. Reitnour, ’04, director of athletic communications, loves his job. In fact, he says that if he won the Mega Millions lottery today, he’d still come to work tomorrow.
“I have always lived and breathed sports,” says Reitnour, who travels with both the men’s basketball and women’s softball teams. “As a kid growing up in Pennsylvania, I played baseball, football and basketball. After dinner, my dad and I would sit down and watch whatever game was on television.”
Reitnour, of course, favors his hometown teams: the Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles and Flyers.
It wasn’t until Reitnour was an undergraduate student at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA that he became interested in athletic communications. Although Reitnour initially thought he would work in broadcasting, it was during a stint as a work study in the college’s sports information office that he realized he could simultaneously work with the media and a sports team. Initially recruited to play football at Canisius College, Reitnour first worked as a graduate assistant in the college’s Office of Athletic Communications and gradually worked his way up to director, a position he has held since 2006. He earned his master’s degree in sport administration from Canisius in 2004.
Reitnour says that one of the most rewarding parts of his job is spreading the word about Canisius College.
“When I travel with men’s basketball and we walk through an airport, people just stop and look, because many of the players are more than six feet tall,” says Reitnour. “So it is the perfect opportunity to tell them all about Canisius College.”
Not surprising, in his leisure time, Reitnour watches sports, reads about sports, and plays a sport (golf). Although he roots for his hometown teams, Reitnour is now a season ticket holder for the Buffalo Sabres. He recently became engaged, and it’s no coincidence that Reitnour’s fiancée, who works in sports marketing, is also an avid sports fan.
“We go to Sabres’ games for our date night,” says Reitnour. “Believe me, it’s key that she’s likes sports as much as I do or I think things might not have worked out!”
Colleen A. O’Hara, administrative associate, Department of Biology
Colleen O'Hara, administrative associate for biology, works at her computer in the department office in Heath Science room 306.
Colleen A. O’Hara embraces all that Canisius College has to offer.
An administrative associate for the Department of Biology, O’Hara relishes the challenge to manage the needs of nearly 30 professors, not to mention the countless students who walk through the department’s door each day. She feels fortunate, she says, to work “with such fantastic people” but also “for the many opportunities Canisius has provided.”
O’Hara is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree; something she put off to raise her three children. She will graduate in May 2009 with a degree in psychology and plans to pursue a master’s degree in counseling.
During her six-year tenure at Canisius, O’Hara fulfilled another aspiration: She learned to swim. “It’s something I always wanted to do and so when a few of the women within the department, who swim regularly at the Koessler, invited me to come along, I couldn’t say no.” Now, O’Hara swims every Tuesday and Thursday at the Koessler.
O’Hara is a also member of Canisius’ neighbor community: she lives in the Parkside District. Since she’s less than a mile from campus, O’Hara often walks or rides her bike to work. Her proximity to campus also enables her to take advantage of the college’s many evening performances and lectures. “Canisius has really become so much a part of my life and the community in which I live,” she says.
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| (left to right) Colleen O'Hara, Dewey Bulltail of the Crow Nation, and Pat Deganis, financial aid associate at the Crow Fair event in Montana, August 2008 |
“I walked away from both experiences with a complete understanding of what it is like to live on an Indian reservation,” she says. “It was a tremendous learning experience.”
It was also an ideal opportunity for O’Hara to fulfill her personal love of travel. An avid cyclist, she has biked through Hungary and Nova Scotia. She exclaims, “There’s no better way to tour a country.” Next on her agenda is a trip to Ireland, the birthplace of her parents.
“I’m the type of person who likes to have something to look forward to,” says O’Hara. “I’m just so lucky to work at a place that provides so many opportunities to do just that.”
Welcome New Faculty
The NetGazette continues to welcome new faculty members who joined the Canisius community this fall.
| Assistant Professor of Sociology Melissa A. Menasco, PhD, previously was project director/senior postdoctoral associate at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She holds PhD and master’s degrees in sociology from the University at Buffalo and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of California. |  | |
| Przemyslaw J. Moskal, is a new assistant professor of digital media arts in the Department of Communication. Prior to Canisius, he was adjunct professor of media, communication and technology at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Moskal holds a master of professional studies in interactive telecommunications program (ITP) and a bachelor’s degree in psychology. |  | |
| John E. Nagel, visiting assistant professor of economics and finance, has nearly three decades of experience in the accounting and finance field, including as vice president of finance and group controller for Steuben Foods and corporate controller for Sorrento Lactalis, Inc. He holds an MBA and master’s and bachelor’s degree in economics from the University at Buffalo. Nagel also previously served as an assistant professor of economics and finance at Canisius from 1978-1981. |  | |
| Prior to Canisius, Assistant Professor of Education James N. Oigara, EdD, was assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Monmouth University. He holds an EdD in educational theory and practice from The State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton, a master’s degree in geography and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and geography from Moi University (Kenya). |  | |
| Nancy M. Rourke, PhD, assistant professor of religious studies, holds a PhD in theology, a master of sacred theology in ethics and master of divinity degree from the Boston University School of Theology and a bachelor’s degree in English and Russian Literature from Union College. Prior to Canisius, she worked as an assistant at St. John’s University and an adjunct professor of philosophy at Adirondack Community College. |  | |
| Christopher D. Sams, PhD is a new assistant professor of modern languages. He holds a PhD in Hispanic languages and a master’s degree in romance linguistics from the State of New York (SUNY) at University at Buffalo. In addition, Sams earned a master’s degree in linguistics from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and linguistics from Youngstown State University. |  |