SHU Honors Michelle Loris with Highest Alumni Award
Eleven other alumni honored for exemplary lives, careers, leadership and accomplishments
Michelle Loris, Sacred Heart University professor and associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, received SHU’s highest honor at the recent Distinguished Alumni Awards. Along with the award, she received a further honor: in acknowledgment of her philanthropy and longtime commitment to SHU, the forum in the Frank and Marisa Martire Center for the Liberal Arts is now known as the Dr. Michelle C. Loris ’70 Forum.
The annual award ceremony celebrates alumni’s exemplary service and achievement. They are recognized for various reasons, including contributions and service to the community, personifying SHU’s mission and values and being influencers or leaders in their professions. Eleven alumni in all were honored.
“Michelle has had a long love affair with Sacred Heart University,” said SHU President John J. Petillo, who presented Loris with her award. “She graduated from the University in 1970 with a BA in English and went on to earn a doctorate in American literature from Fordham University and later a doctorate in clinical psychology from Antioch New England University. But by 1973, she was back at Sacred Heart and has been here ever since.”
He said that, in Loris’ long tenure at SHU, she has served with distinction in many roles. Since 2010, she has led the development of the University’s Human Journey seminars, which define SHU’s core curriculum. Loris, who also chairs the Catholic studies department, has organized two national conferences. She also manages the general studies major, advises students and she originated and contributed to the development of the initiative, “Pioneer Journey: A Transformative Education for the University.”
“Michelle is beloved by students and colleagues alike for her willingness to ask the tough and uncomfortable questions and join in the discussion afterwards,” Petillo said. He added that he could go on talking about Loris’ illustrious career for several more hours.
Paul J. Sutera, senior vice president of University advancement, said Loris is an incredible SHU graduate who gives her all to the University.
“I have only been at Sacred Heart University for nine months and yet, her presence is second to none,” Sutera said. “Michelle has been a great ambassador to all in the SHU community. The SHU Pioneer’s journey has five pillars—integrity, knowledge, faith, service and community—which she represents, and lives, quite well. When we talk about time, talent and treasure, Michelle and her spouse, Victoria, are investing in all three with incredible generosity in each of the categories.”
Ten other alumni honored
“The purpose of the Distinguished Alumni Awards program is to recognize exemplary influence of SHU alumni in the global community,” said Todd Gibbs, executive director for alumni engagement & events. “Recipients personify the values of a Sacred Heart education and have been selected based on exceptional contributions to their chosen professions, outstanding leadership in their communities, and/or altruistic service to others. We are proud to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of the 2022 honorees.”
Nancy Sidoti ’87 received the Distinguished Faculty & Staff Service Award for her extraordinary contributions to the University community as an educator and administrator. Sidoti is the former dean of SHU’s University College and, prior to that, she was assistant registrar and an admissions coordinator.
Kaitlin Clark ’08 received the Distinguished Volunteer Service Award for her significant contributions to the community. After receiving the nurse leadership award during her capping and pinning ceremony at SHU, she began her career as a nurse in an intensive care unit, where she was named critical nurse of the year. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she lived in a hotel for six weeks to ensure she could continue to work and take care of her patients. As former president of SHU’s Habitat for Humanity chapter, Clark still volunteers for the nonprofit organization each Wednesday.
Michelle Sanchez ’98 and Michael Fazzino ’10 received the Rising Alumni Award, which honors mid-career alumni who are leaders in their professions and champions for equality. Sanchez is a nurse who has been recognized for setting the standard of excellence for inpatient care. She is the program manager for the Beacon Award for Excellence through the Association of Critical Care Nurses. Fazzino is the principal content acquisition manager at Amazon Studios, responsible for much of Prime Video’s worldwide licensing of global library content for negotiating deals with major Hollywood studios. He’s helped thousands of independent filmmakers find distribution opportunities for their work.
John Faliveno II ’96 and Christy Ashley ’97 received the 25th Reunion Outstanding Alumni Award, which recognizes alumni in their class reunion year whose lives have been exemplary. Faliveno is head of U.S. hospital sales for Merck, where he’s worked for more than 15 years. He served as director of commercial operations, national sales director and product marketing manager. Ashley is the associate dean of undergraduate programs and an associate professor of marketing at the University of Rhode Island (URI). She teaches courses in social media for marketing and marketing strategy for undergraduates. She also teaches in the doctorate programs at URI.
John Quinn ’70, Kathryn Katz ’71 and Anthony Renzoni ’72 received the 50th Reunion Outstanding Alumni Award, which recognizes alumni in their class reunion year whose lives have been exemplary. Quinn is a former, four-term member of Connecticut’s House of Representatives from Fairfield’s 132nd District. He is also a retired president and CEO of VNA Health Systems and the Visiting Nurse Association of South Central Connecticut. Katz was director of public health for Connecticare, as well as a social worker and agency director, having served as executive director of the Connecticut chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Renzoni had a 38-year career in federal government, most notably as the Social Security Administration’s district manager in Fairfield County. He also wrote weekly columns for the Connecticut Post and published several books, including his most recent Connecticut Softball Legend Joan Joyce.
Sharon Kyc ’01 received the Pioneer Award, which is rooted in SHU’s mission to educate the whole person while preparing students to lead and serve in the world today. Kyc started her career helping people with disabilities access their benefits with the Social Security Administration. When she went through a health scare, she was inspired to become a nurse providing essential home care services to a vulnerable population during the pandemic. She credits SHU with helping her build a values-based foundation and a drive to “pay it forward.”