Cal U Alumni Association presents Awards of Distinction
California University of Pennsylvania’s Alumni Association recently presented this year’s Awards of Distinction during a luncheon in the Performance Center of the Natali Student Center on the campus. Presented since 1967, the awards honor outstanding alumni and members of the university’s community each year.
Receiving this year’s John R. Gregg Award for Loyalty and Service is Dr. Paul L. Gentile. A 1962 Cal U graduate, Gentile earned his bachelor’s degree in education, his master’s in education at Duquesne University in 1967 and his doctoral degree in higher education administration at the University of Pittsburgh in 1981. Gentile retired in 2004 after 40 years in education. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard, taught industrial arts in the Aliquippa public schools, was a guidance counselor and director of pupil personnel services in the Pine-Richland School District and held a variety of positions at the Community College of Allegheny County.
Gentile served for a time as dean of Workforce Training and Development for the Community College of Allegheny County. In his most recent position, he helped establish the School of Leadership and Professional Advancement at Duquesne University. Additionally, he has been an adjunct faculty member at CCAC and Duquesne University as well as a newspaper columnist and author of a travel book.
Gentile has been a member of Cal U’s alumni board since 1998, serving as president in 2008 and has served on many other community boards.
His wife is Cal alumna Joyce Arnal Gentile, 1963. They have three children: Paul, Brad and Heather.
Cal U professor Dr. Mary Seman is the recipient of the C.B. Wilson Distinguished Faculty Award, given to a faculty member or administrator for distinguished activities to the university and its students.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from Cal U and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Vermont and West Virginia University, respectively, in special education. Seman has taught at Cal U, West Virginia University and Seton Hill College, returning to her alma mater in 1998.
Seman teaches courses in nearly every academic program offered in the department and has served as faculty adviser for 11 years with Cal’s student chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children.
She has served as the special education honorary and student PSEA adviser, does professional community service for local school districts and agencies, and supports university endeavors or projects such as Cal’s National Board Certification, Mission Day, TEEM Day and participated in the initial HQ Teems Grant.
Through a grant in the mid 1980s, Seman and two colleagues created the Center for Academic Research and Enhancement program, a college level support system for secondary learning disabled students in public schools. She has several professional memberships and has received many awards for his efforts.
The W.S. Jackman Award of Distinction is given to a member of the university family who has gained regional, state, national or international recognition for their professions. This year’s recipient of the award is Dr. John Cencich, a legal scientist who specializes in international crime and security, forensic interrogations, and criminal investigative analysis.
A former United Nations war crimes investigator headquartered at The Hague, Netherlands, Cencich led a team of senior police investigators on one of the largest international criminal investigations undertaken in history. These cases involved crimes against all of humanity and resulted in the indictment of a president of a country and the identification of 15 co-perpetrators for their participation in a worldwide criminal enterprise. He previously served for more than 20 years as a police officer and investigator as well as a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, working violent crimes and national security investigations. He also served a special attachment with Scotland Yard in London and is a past member of the Organized Crime Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. For his achievements, Cencich has received more than 50 commendations. He holds a doctorate in juridical science from the University of Notre Dame, and at Cal U, he is a professor of justice studies and interim dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research.
He is also the director of the Institute of Criminological and Forensic Sciences.
Cencich and his wife, Cal U faculty member Andrea, reside in McMurray with their two children, Catalina and Sebastian.
Members of the university’s family who exhibit outstanding success in the field of athletics receive the Michael Duda Award for Athletic Achievement. This year’s recipient is Darcie Vincent, noted for turning stagnant programs into champions at the university.
Under Vincent, Cal women’s basketball program enjoyed unprecedented success from 2000-2008, appearing in eight consecutive PSAC championship games and a host of other earned honors.
Prior to Cal U, Vincent was the head coach of Slippery Rock’s women’s basketball team for four years. Originally from Fairmont, W.Va., Vincent earned her bachelor’s degree in business marketing and master’s degree in business administration from Duquesne University in 1992 and 1994.
She was a three-time all-conference selection and Academic All-American for Duquesne and finished as the team’s career leading scorer with 1,538 points. Vincent was the first female inducted into Duquesne’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
From Cal, Vincent moved to NCAA Division I Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., where she currently resides.
Joan L. Helsel earned this year’s Pavlak/Shutsy Special Service Award, which recognizes dedication and service to the university, as well as hours of work and dedication given to the growth of the alumni association.
Wife of emeritus professor and educational textbook author, Dr. Jay D. Helsel, helped reinstate an active marching band while serving as a secretary with the Intermediate Unit and remained a volunteer for several years.
After her promotion in the IU, she established the Joan L. Helsel Cal U Band Endowed Scholarship Fund.
Originally from Portage, Cambria County, Helsel is a graduate of the former Portage Joint High School where she was a majorette. The Helsels returned to western Pennsylvania in 1961. They reside in Centerville, and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year. Their children are Joy and Jeff, both employees at Cal U.
The Professional Excellence Award, given to those who have earned the highest standard of professional accomplishments and achievements in their chosen profession, was awarded to Joseph M. Grushecky.
The 1971 Cal U graduate earned a special education degree and then started the Brick Alley Band in 1976. By 1979, the high school teacher had turned full-time musician and the rechristened band Iron City Houserockers took center stage until they disbanded in 1984. Grushecky returned to teaching while continuing to write and perform. In the late 1980s, he began recording again. By 1995, he was recording and writing with longtime friend, superstar Bruce Springsteen. The collaborated effort of song “Code of Silence” earned Springsteen a Grammy in 2005. Grushecky released the album “East Carson Street” in 2009.
Off the stage, Grushecky has taught at schools for children with special needs such as Western Center, Wesley Highland and Craig House. He also taught adult GED programs and organizes benefit concerts. Grushecky and his wife, Lee Ann, reside in Pittsburgh. They are the parents of Desiree and Johnny.
Cal U 2006 graduate Thea Kalcevic earned The Young Alumni Award, which seeks to honor a recent graduate who has reached exceptional achievements in their professional and community life.
The Belle Vernon Area High School graduate earned a bachelor’s degree at Cal U in communication students with a concentration in television/radio broadcasting. While at Cal U, she served as an entertainment anchor and master technical director for the university’s television station. She received a Telly Award in 2004 for her achievements with CUTV. During her senior year, she received the school’s Distinguished Service Award for academic achievement and community service.
She was chosen from a writers’ internship for The Late Show with David Letterman in New York City, where she was hired as a corporate staff assistant and then promoted to production associate.
Kalcevic now lives in Astoria, N.Y., and is active with the Susan F. Komen Race for the Cure foundation as well as other fundraisers.
The Meritorious Award was given to Dr. Charles J. Gorman. The award is given for outstanding professional accomplishments and achievements in a specified field of their chosen profession.
Gorman is a 1948 graduate of California Area High School and a 1957 graduate of the university. He earned his master’s degree in education from West Virginia in 1960 and his doctoral degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1967.
He began his education career as an elementary teacher in the Gateway School District and soon became an elementary principal at Gateway and then with the Oakmont School district before joining the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. In June 2006, he was conferred the associate professor of emeritus of administrative and policy students in the School of Education at Pitt. Upon his retirement, Gorman served as a member of Pitt’s Tri-state Area School Study Council, National School Development Council and the U.S. Department of Education’s Design Team among others.
Gorman resides in Allison Park. He and his late wife, Patricia, have two children: Charles and James.