By By Kayla Walker and Brian Bohl
In addition to welcoming alumni back to the home of the Pride last weekend, the University honored eight alumni and friends.
The annual awards dinner was held Friday at the Garden City Hotel.
The awards were designed to celebrate the contributions and personal and professional accomplishments of the University’s alumni, family and friends.
Amy and Horace Hagedorn received the Honorary Alumni award for their philanthropic ventures and generosity to the University. They contributed to the renovation of the former federal courthouse, now Hagedorn Hall, which houses the School of Education and Allied Human Services.
Robert Salvatico, ’95, received the Young Alumnus Award, which recognizes alumni who have achieved significant accomplishments in their professional lives or service to the University or the Alumni Organization within 10 years of graduating.
Anyone can nominate an alumni or benefactor for an award. The Alumni Organization Board then sifts through nominees and approves them.
The candidates that make it through the first process are then sent to President Stuart Rabinowitz and then the nominations are sent to the University’s Board of Trustees.
If a nominee makes it through the process and is approved by the entire board, they become honorees.
“Those honored represent the highest caliber of career achievement and contribution to the Hofstra community among our alumni,” Margaret Shields, from the office of Alumni Relations, said.
There were four alumni honored with the Award for Alumni Achievement: Senator Norman Coleman, ’71, Martin Greenberg, founder and chairman of the board of Sterling Commodities Corporation, ’70, Dr. Donna Mendes, the first African-American female vascular surgeon certified by the American Board of Surgery, ’73 and Dr. Elaine Sherman, full professor of marketing and international business at the University, ’78.
The evening culminated in honoring Philip Rosenthal, ’81, with the 46 Alumnus of the Year Award for his work as the co-creator and executive producer of the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
Rosenthal has kept a close relationship with the school, supporting the drama department by funding scholarships.
He joked that his introduction into the performing arts as a freshman was a reality check.
“I was a theater major, and from the first day the school did a very good job of telling us young actors ‘you’re never going to make it,'” he said. “I think this was a mandate from the parents to make us change our majors.”
Mendes, who was honored for her breakthrough in the medical field, said the honor capped her successful year.
“It feels great coming back here,” Mendes said. “This is the perfect end to a wonderful year for me.”
Mendes currently works as the director of vascular surgery at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center and is an assistant clinical professor of surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
“The measure of success is in the accomplishments of our graduates and their continuing affection and connection to their alma mater,” Rabinowitz said. “The best assessment of the quality of Hofstra can be found in the achievements and professional stature of those they have educated.”
Rosenthal capped the evening by offering this final perspective about his time spent at Hofstra.
“Hofstra certainly prepared me for my very satisfying life in the arts,” he said.” As much as I wanted to get off easy, the school forced me to learn acting, play announcing, speech, direction, and all other types of things. I’m [a] very lucky person.”