The Holts make service to Villanova a multigeneration tradition
It’s difficult to talk about Tom Holt Jr. ’85 VSB and the Holt family tradition he started at Villanova without going back 90 years into Holt family history. Read more...
Final installment of a five-part series on the Villanova University Alumni Association’s platform for alumni engagement
A: ALWAYS A WILDCAT: Wherever Villanova’s alumni are around the world, they are always connected to the University. Read more...
Thousands of proud Villanovans, families and friends gathered for Reunion Weekend 2017, June 8–11, with nearly 40 events across campus.
Highlights included the family picnic, president’s lunch, alumni Mass, and Supernova dinner and dance.
Additional special events and parties honored the classes of 1967 and 1992 as those Wildcat alumni marked their 50th and 25th reunions, respectively, and shared memories of their undergraduate experiences.
Reunion 2018 will be held May 31–June 3 and honor class years ending in “3” or “8.”
After a 27-year career in the insurance industry, Brian Muscarella saw his life change dramatically when a spinal stroke rendered him paralyzed in 2011.
Since that day, Muscarella, managing director at NYLEX Benefits, has dedicated his life to helping others with disabilities, frequently speaking at schools, organizations and rehabilitation centers in the Charlotte, N.C., area, as well as at Villanova.
President of the Villanova University Club of Charlotte, Muscarella has been on the club’s Leadership Council since 2004 and received the VUAA Leadership Award in 2013. The club received the Rev. Ray Jackson Community Service Award in 2014. He lives in Charlotte with his wife, daughters and granddaughter.
As a student, Jon Williams was a standout goaltender for Men’s Soccer, recognized as a Big East All-Academic All-Star. As an alumnus, he has been a strong supporter of Villanova, serving as president emeritus and co-founder of the Villanova University Club of North Central Jersey.
Senior Director of Brokerage Services at Cushman & Wakefield in Morristown, N.J., Williams remains involved with the Soccer program.
Williams has also consistently been a top producer at his company and is a part of the Rising Leadership Council, which helps Cushman & Wakefield leadership create many of the company’s most important initiatives and policies.
Patricia “Patti” May is director of Perioperative Nursing as a consultant with Surgical Directions, based in Chicago, and has more than 30 years of experience in perioperative services.
Members of the President’s Club, May and her husband, David ’75 COE, have been active alumni in Colorado since the 1980s. They have hosted the Colorado New Student Send-Off for the past 15 years.
Along with their three daughters, Meaghan May Hildreth ’08 COE; Kaitlyn May Rolston ’10 CON, ’14 MSN; and Erinn May ’13 CLAS, the Mays were the host for the Class Gift Match, pledging to donate for each senior who made a gift of any size to Villanova.
Christine Kraninger married her husband, Dan Kraninger ’93 CLAS, in 1996. As Dan was starting a financial services company, the Kraningers founded the Villanova University Club of Fairfield and Westchester and welcomed three children.
Through the growing Villanova Club and her family, Christine discovered her true passion: supporting her children and working with local nonprofit organizations.
She is proud that her eldest son, Ben, is now a freshman at Villanova. He is the third generation in her family to attend Villanova. Her father, Armando Cuesta ’64 COE, started the tradition when he attended the University as a refugee after an Augustinian priest gave him safe passage from Cuba.
At special ceremonies, the Villanova University Alumni Association honored a pair of Villanovans for their service to and representation of the University.
Catherine Keating ’84 CLAS received the 2017 St. Thomas of Villanova Alumni Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the VUAA. It is presented annually to alumni who have an outstanding record of service and who best symbolize the spirit and legacy of St. Thomas of Villanova.
Keating has served as president and CEO of Commonfund since 2015. She has been named one of the “Most Powerful Women in Finance” and one of the “Most Powerful Women in Banking” by American Banker.
Keating served for 11 years on the Villanova Board of Trustees, including two years as chair. In addition to her undergraduate degree from Villanova, Keating earned a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law.
The VUAA Young Alumni Medal was awarded to Beth Awalt ’10 CLAS for reaching a significant level of professional achievement and for modeling the quality and caliber of today’s Villanova students.
A leader in the community, Awalt co-founded the Starfish Foundation, a nonprofit that provides educational support for students in Ecuador through scholarship, tutoring and leadership development. Since its founding five years ago, the Starfish Foundation has grown from serving 28 students with five volunteers to supporting more than 120 students annually.
