Donor Profiles

Lifting Students to Their Full Potential

A key contributor to Manhattan University for nearly 40 years and a leading supporter of its capital campaigns, Thomas D. O’Malley ’63, former CEO of PBF Energy, recalls that as a commuter student and off-campus resident in the 1960s, he had to work a number of jobs to pay for his Manhattan education. 

“I am amused that the library is named after me and my wife, Mary Alice, because I believe I seldom visited the facility while I was a student at Manhattan,” O’Malley observes. “Why was that? I was working: I drove a school bus for Riverdale Country School, drove taxis, delivered liquor and, among other jobs, worked for Playbill magazine.”

O’Malley believes his experience was far from uncommon at Manhattan. “I didn’t feel that multitasking was unusual,” he says. “I think Manhattan is special because it educates people who had to, and have to, hustle.”

O’Malley is a trustee emeritus, former chair of the University’s board of trustees and the most generous benefactor in Manhattan’s 171-year history. Over the years, he has had many opportunities to interact with current students. “In my last tenure as board chair,” he says, “I often visited the library. It has become quite a place for people to study and socialize. I enjoyed chatting with students there. They had no idea who
I was.” 

Today’s students, O’Malley notes, are quite similar to those he met in his own undergraduate years. “I was struck by the fact that 60 years after I attended, we’re still attracting people who know how to hustle and have extraordinary personalities,” he says, adding, “there is one big improvement — I went to a men’s university, and the addition of ladies at Manhattan has certainly enhanced the educational experience.” 

These are among the reasons O’Malley has continued to support the University through his extremely generous gifts as well as his dedicated service on the board. “I’m very familiar with the university education system in the Northeast,” says O’Malley. “Manhattan occupies a unique position in the sense that it offers an extremely high-quality education to a population that reflects the diversity of New York. Perhaps more importantly, it educates so many people who do not come from families with extraordinary financial capability. The University has this unique ability to educate people and lift them up to their full potential.”

His support has gone far beyond the new buildings he has spearheaded. He has created scholarship opportunities and enhanced technology throughout the campus, especially in the O’Malley School of Business. He credits much of his own business success to his Manhattan education. “Not only did I learn how to learn,” he reflects. “I learned how to manage my time, how to multitask, how to fit into many different environments in the countries I have lived and worked in.” 

O’Malley began his career working in the mailroom of Philips Brothers, a large trading organization. Twenty-two years later, he was running the largest oil trading company in the world, which through mergers had become part of Solomon Brothers, the legendary Wall Street investment bank. In addition to running the energy division, O’Malley was vice chairman of Solomon Brothers itself. When he retired from the company in 1986, he started a new career in the oil refining business. 

His first venture, Tosco Corporation, was built from a small single refinery operation into the largest independent refining company in the United States — also the third-largest gasoline retailer in the country. After Tosco merged with Phillips Petroleum, O’Malley became a director and vice chair of the board of the merged organization. He subsequently went on to run two additional refining companies, the last of which was PBF, from which he retired as chairman in 2016.

In all of his leadership positions, O’Malley emphasized the values for which Manhattan is so well known. “Manhattan is a school where ethical behavior is not a three-credit course, but rather a school where the entire experience has an ethical base,” he says. “I think what they taught me was to be tough, to be hard, but to do it right.”

 O’Malley has been married to his wife Mary Alice for 60 years; they have four children and 12 grandchildren. A Staten Island native whose parents could not afford to pay for his college, he wants the Jaspers of today and tomorrow to have the same opportunities he enjoyed at Manhattan. 

“I wound up doing well,” he says. “I traveled the world, did a lot of interesting things and had a fabulous career. Manhattan still offers young men and women an educational experience that can allow them to achieve great success in whatever they choose to do. It’s truly the Harvard of the Bronx.” 

“The Right Time to Give Something Back”

More than six decades have passed since Cornelius J. Higgins ’62 earned his degree in civil engineering at Manhattan University. Through the years, he has distinguished himself as a patriot, an engineer, a business leader and a dedicated supporter of his alma mater.

Today, Higgins’ generosity has helped to ensure the extraordinary success of Invest in the Vision: The Campaign for Manhattan, while providing new generations of Jaspers with an impressive and long-awaited new academic facility — the Patricia and Cornelius J. Higgins ’62 Engineering and Science Center.

Higgins offers a straightforward reason for his remarkable commitment to Manhattan. “Your undergraduate institution tends to be the most formative for you,” he says. “It probably has the greatest influence on what you do after that, your future education as well as your career. That is really where your heart is.”

A former Manhattan University trustee, Higgins joined his wife, Patricia, in making a $5 million leadership gift in support of the center. Located at Manhattan’s south campus, it comprises 35,000 square feet and features sophisticated laboratories, classrooms and collaborative spaces for students and faculty. Higgins, who served as chief of the geotechnical analysis division of the civil engineering research facility at the University of New Mexico, understands the importance of facilities that support the University’s widely acclaimed engineering and sciences programs.

His wife also has dedicated much of her career to educating students in the sciences. She served on the faculty of the College of Nursing of the University of New Mexico from 1980 to her retirement in 2000, rising from visiting instructor to full professor. Speaking of their mutual support for Manhattan, she notes, “Neil and I are both the first generation in our families to go to college. We strongly believe we needed to do this.”

As an undergraduate at Manhattan, Higgins chose ROTC rather than physical education classes, an option the University offered at the time. He joined the U.S. Air Force as a civil engineering officer, with tours in Albuquerque, Taiwan and Vietnam. During that time, he earned an M.S. from the Air Force Institute of Technology. Following his military service, Higgins entered the defense analysis industry, serving as an assistant division manager for Mechanics Research Inc., and later as vice president of Civil/Nuclear Systems Corp.

At the University of New Mexico — where he earned a Ph.D. and an M.B.A. — Higgins conducted research funded by a National Science Foundation research grant. He and a friend from the Air Force went on to form Applied Research Associates Inc., a national engineering and science firm headquartered in Albuquerque. Higgins served as principal and chief executive officer from 1979 until his retirement in 2010. Currently he is chairman emeritus.

A registered professional engineer and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Higgins also earned a master’s degree in liberal arts from St. John’s College in 2007.

Reflecting on his career, Higgins believes his support for Manhattan is a logical response to the education he received at the Riverdale campus. “God has blessed Patricia and me,” he says. “We felt it was the right time to give something back.”

Creating a Legacy at the Riverdale Campus

Michael Kakos ’58 and his wife, Aimee, have extended an extraordinary level of generous support to Manhattan University for decades.

Most recently, they strengthened Invest in the Vision: the Campaign for Manhattan with a $15 million gift to expand student scholarships and grants, promote innovative teaching and research, enhance study abroad and diversify learning opportunities within the School of Science. In profound appreciation, the University has named the division the Aimee and Michael Kakos ’58 School of Arts and Sciences in their honor.

“Aimee and I are incredibly proud to support my alma mater,” says Kakos. “Our gift will help to nurture the next generation of innovators, giving them the tools and opportunities to make a profound difference in the world. The experiences I had on this campus truly shaped me as a person and set me on the path toward a successful career. Aimee and I are incredibly grateful to give back to our beloved Manhattan University community.”

The couple, who also support Aimee Kakos’ alma mater, Pennsylvania State University, have funded other major initiatives at Manhattan over the years, including the Michael ’58 and Aimee Rusinko Kakos Study Abroad Scholarship, the Michael J. and Aimee Rusinko Kakos Endowed Scholarship for Cardinal Hayes High School graduates, the Kakos Center for Scientific Computing, the Michael J. and Aimee Rusinko Kakos Endowed Chair in Science and a named site in the Raymond W. Kelly ’63 Student Commons.

Reflecting on his Manhattan education, Kakos says he and his wife want to provide Jaspers with access to the same quality education for years to come. “Manhattan has been the educational love of my life,” Kakos says. “My college education is the most valuable thing I own. We are proud that the Aimee and Michael Kakos ’58 School of Arts and Sciences is my and Aimee’s legacy at the Riverdale campus.”

After graduating from Manhattan in 1958 with a degree in chemistry, Kakos earned his master’s degree in chemistry on a fellowship to Niagara University. Receiving a second master’s degree — in industrial engineering — at the Stevens Institute of Technology, he began his remarkable career in materials research, working in metals, ceramics and then plastics at Celanese Corporation.

Kakos earned several foreign and domestic patents before moving to the sales side of the industry. Traveling the globe, he settled in London for decades. In 1987, he founded Resin Express, a company that distributed engineering thermoplastic raw materials for major worldwide producers and suppliers. Aimee joined Resin in 1989 and rose through the ranks to company director.

Kakos sold the company in 1997. Since then, he and Aimee have dedicated a great deal of time to philanthropy as well as travel. “We have been pleased to support many of the fine institutions we have been fortunate to encounter during our lifetime,” Kakos says. “But Manhattan is in the forefront because we know how it’s impacted our lives. May all of its future students be inspired by the dedicated administration, faculty and staff of this great institution.”

Zero Gravity, Easter Island, Sunken Subs — Exploring “Weird Things” for Science

For the mechanical engineers who design automated systems that power our nation’s industries, long hours and bleary eyes often seem to come with the territory. Yet most of them will never find themselves floating upside-down in an airplane at 32,000 feet.

Then there is Frederick Best ’68, Ph.D., who endured weightlessness during 4,000 zero-gravity parabolas in the 1980s and ’90s. An associate professor of nuclear engineering at Texas A&M University, he was conducting research on campus in the NASA Center for Space Power, eventually becoming its director.

At the time, Best was developing a new method for separating liquids from gas in zero gravity. This technology is vital for life support and other systems in space. “With zero gravity,” he says, “to study anything, you need the right conditions.” So he took to the skies in a NASA airplane capable of parabolic flight, performing high-altitude maneuvers that briefly create weightlessness.

“It’s strange,” the retired naval officer reflects. “You’re floating, but your body thinks it’s falling — you start flailing around.” Pausing, he adds, “I’ve done some weird things for science.”

A former naval officer who served on a nuclear submarine during the Vietnam War, Best recently retired after 30 years in academia. But he still pursues demanding projects. Traveling to Easter Island, he works with a group of archaeologists to learn how its mammoth stone statues can be moved without breaking. He also is helping other retired naval officers to determine why the USS Thresher, a U.S. submarine, imploded and sank in 1963.

Even as a child, Best was drawn to engineering and the sciences. “I knew what I wanted to do when I was five,” he says. Growing up in Queens, New York, he spent hours building treehouses and other structures with books, sofa cushions, any material at hand. He also loved reading, which his parents encouraged. “Neither had advanced schooling,” he says, “but they always emphasized studying and hard work.”

Best chose Manhattan after four years at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, in Brooklyn, New York. “They were the Christian Brothers,” he notes, “so everyone knew about Manhattan.” After the long trek back from campus, he spent evenings studying. His two younger sisters joked about the way he hunched over his books. Pursuing the nuclear power option in mechanical engineering, Best worked with the Leo Hall reactor — the only one in New York City. The concentration still draws students, though the reactor was dismantled in 1997.

Graduating in 1968, Best entered the master’s program in nuclear engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). With the nation at war in Vietnam, he enlisted in the Navy. Best was in boot camp when he completed his thesis. He went on to Officer Candidate School, ultimately joining the elite few in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program.

Best spent six years on active duty aboard the USS Barb SSN-596, a nuclear submarine deployed from Pearl Harbor, and served as an instruction director at nuclear power school. Trained in thermodynamics and nuclear power, he stood watch as officer of the deck as well as engineering officer of the watch, where he was responsible for the smooth operation of all propulsion systems. “It was like living in a power plant,” he recalls.

He left active service in 1975 but remained in the reserves for 20 more years, retiring as a captain. He also returned to MIT for his doctoral degree. Two fellow Jaspers were in the program, as was Best’s future wife. He taught at MIT before accepting a full-time position at Texas A&M University: “I was the only engineering professor who’d operated a power nuclear reactor.” He also helped convince NASA to open its commercial space center program at the university, which is two hours from the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Today, along with traveling, Best is branching into other areas of endeavor. For example, he is writing a novel about a World War II submarine. He also is an active supporter of Manhattan University, having made a $50,000 gift to the Fund for Manhattan and the School of Engineering. “I had great professors,” he says, “and an excellent education in engineering systems. That’s worth supporting.”

Thankful for a Life-Changing Experience

Reflecting on the years since his Manhattan University graduation, Peter A. Torrente ’88 is convinced that two of the most significant events in his adult life took shape during his undergraduate years at the Riverdale campus. 

“I walked away with a lot more than a degree,” he says. “Manhattan’s where I met my wife, Patti, and my best man. In a sense, I even began my career at Manhattan.”

Peter is an audit partner at the New York office of KPMG, where he serves as the U.S. sector leader for Banking and Capital Markets, and is responsible for the firm’s growth strategy for the sector. He joined the company as a staff auditor shortly after earning his degree from the O’Malley School of Business, where he majored in accounting. He became a partner in 1999 and has been there ever since. 

Working his way up through the company’s ranks, Peter earned recognition throughout the industry for ably leading teams that conduct complex audits of major financial services companies. A licensed certified public accountant, he has served on KPMG’s board of directors and worked at its U.S. and overseas offices, moving his family first to London and then to Frankfurt. “It was an exciting change for lifelong New Yorkers,” he says. “Our kids — Peter Jr. and Emily — even acquired British accents.”

Peter traces his nearly 40 years of success at KPMG to an on-campus interview he had as a senior. “I remember thinking, ‘a job interview on campus — this is great,’” he says. The interview was with another Manhattan alumnus, the late John Azzariti ’73. “John shared his experiences at KPMG, and it sounded like a great place to work,” Peter recalls. “That’s exactly what it has been.”

Another life-changing moment was the day he met his future wife, Patricia Pajer. A psychology major, she happened to enroll in a business law class that Peter was taking. She, too, is a member of the class of 1988 — as is James Suppa, who served as best man at their wedding. Patti went on to St. John’s University’s School of Law, earning her J.D. degree in 1991.

Born in the Bronx, Peter grew up in Mahopac, New York. He always had an aptitude for math. “At 13,” he says, “I had my own business — a paper route. I liked the billing aspect of it.” His uncle and an older cousin both were Jaspers, and Peter followed them to Riverdale. Like them, he was drawn by Manhattan’s reputation. “Besides,” he says, “my family has a lot of history in the Bronx.”

Peter lived on the top floor of De La Salle Hall, which was student housing at the time. “My business classes were downstairs,” he says, “so I hardly had to leave the building.” Today, as a generous supporter of the De La Salle Hall/Third-Floor Restoration Fund, Peter has helped to refurbish the iconic structure for new generations. He also is a steady contributor to the Fund for Manhattan and the De La Salle Medal Dinner, in addition to serving on the advisory board of the O’Malley School.

Peter thanks another fellow Jasper at KPMG, Manhattan trustee Michael Regan ’63, for initially suggesting he join the advisors. In addition, Peter’s fellow KPMG partners — including Azzariti — raised funds for an annual scholarship in the O’Malley School. “Manhattan was a life-changing experience, for all of us,” he says. “It means a great deal to help make sure future students have the same opportunities we did.”

Embracing the Challenges of New Directions

Building a career can seem like any significant journey, says Anne Marie Api ’80, Ph.D.: the path we believe we are taking may suddenly branch out, twisting and turning into unexpected — and often unsought — directions. “What you really need,” she observes, “is a solid foundation that prepares you for whatever field you’re in.”

Anne Marie speaks from personal experience. As a biochemistry major at Manhattan, she was passionate about laboratory research. Shortly after earning her bachelor’s degree in 1980, she secured a position as a biologist in the toxicology department at Unilever, a leading producer of cosmetic and household goods. Two years later, she became a senior research biologist. 

“What appealed to me,” she says, “was the chance to evaluate the safety of such a wide variety of products — especially fragrances.” 

Her direction, she believed, was clear. Anne Marie went on to earn an M.S. in toxicology from St. John’s University and a Ph.D. in the discipline at Aston University. In 1984, she joined the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials Inc. (RIFM). To Anne Marie, it was a natural move: RIFM, she says, is a small company that produces vast amounts of research and data on the safety of ingredients used in fragrances. 

Starting as an assistant, she soon was supervising teams of scientists. “Our responsibility,” she explains, “is to make sure the levels of a chemical used in a fragrance are the minimum needed to have their effect.” That, she adds, was “how I thought I’d spend my entire career — managing research.” 

Last year, her path veered slightly. RIFM’s president announced his retirement and encouraged Anne Marie to take his place. “I was honored,” she said. “But this would mean leading the entire institute, and all of its activities. At first, I didn’t think it was the role for me — I was happy in research.” The former president’s confidence, however, soon convinced her to accept the challenge.

Today, Anne Marie combines the comprehensive scientific background she acquired at Manhattan with the knowledge and skills she added on the job and in graduate school. “That’s what Manhattan gives students,” she says, “an excellent baseline for everything they’re going to do later.” Recognizing this, she often enlists the University’s current students to serve as interns. “They’re always well-trained, conscientious, hardworking — I make sure to recruit them,” she says. 

Anne Marie is helping today’s young Jaspers in other ways as well. For example, she and her sister-in-law, Joanne Api, have made a significant gift to the University in memory of Anne Marie’s brother, Joseph P. Api ’82. An accountant at IBM, Joseph was a 58-year-old husband and father when he lost his life to COVID-19 in 2020. “We wanted to do something that would be meaningful to him,” recalls Ann Marie. “This definitely was it.” 

Anne Marie and Joseph grew up in the Allerton Avenue section of the Bronx. Their mother, Rose, raised them by herself. “Even so,” says Anne Marie, “she made sure she sent us to Catholic schools: St. Catherine’s Academy for me, Mount St. Michael for Joseph.” When Anne Marie enrolled at Manhattan, she took public transportation to campus — a 40-minute commute. When Joseph followed her to the College, they traveled in his car. 

Joseph “absolutely loved Manhattan College,” Anne Marie says. As an undergraduate, he joined a wide variety of clubs and activities. After earning his bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish, Joseph returned to campus for a master’s in finance. “It’s hard to overstate how important Manhattan was to him,” says Anne Marie. “To both of us.” 

Aiming to Improve Lives

Pharmaceutical companies offer hope to millions of people through the life-saving medications, vaccines and other treatments they create. Before regulatory authorities can approve them, however, scores of researchers devise complex tests to measure the safety and efficacy of their products. 

Roy Helmy ’99, Ph.D., heads an interdisciplinary team that develops and tests innovative new medications for diabetes, cancer, respiratory illnesses and many other conditions. He serves as associate vice president for PDMB Regulated Bioanalytics Small Molecule, Vaccine and Biologics at Merck, one of the world’s top science and technology companies. “Our aim,” he says, “is improving lives.”

Roy explains that every medication created by Merck is subject to rigorous procedures that measure its safety and efficacy — analyzing, for example, the right concentration needed to mitigate, eliminate or help prevent an illness; the length of time a medication remains in bodily fluids and tissues; and the percentages of subjects tested who evince positive results from a particular medicine or vaccine.  

At Merck, Roy’s team conducts the tests, summarizes the results and submits them to the FDA. Other scientists must be able to recreate and measure the experiments on which their findings are based. “It really takes an army,” he observes. “I have scientists and engineers from a lot of disciplines, all working together. That’s what makes my job interesting.”

Roy says he applies the knowledge and skills he gained as a biochemistry major at Manhattan University. “To do this,” he says, “you need a thorough grounding in fundamental science and lab work. That’s what we learned — the essential science of protocols and procedures, running experiments and recording data.” 

Roy grew up in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn. Like many Jaspers, he was a first-generation college student. His father owned a grocery store; his mother became a nurse after attending college later in life. At Xaverian High School, Roy’s teachers encouraged his fascination with chemistry.  “They really shepherded you along,” he says.

Counselors at Xaverian urged Roy to apply to Manhattan. “Listen to the Brothers,” his mother advised. He did. Roy lived on campus for a semester but mostly commuted by car from Brooklyn, always leaving early to drop his mother off at work. Despite long days packed with lab work, he became active in the biochemistry and chemistry club. He divided his summers between on-campus research and helping at his father’s shop. 

Roy always intended to go to graduate school — and ultimately did, earning his Ph.D. at Seton Hall University in 2005. But in his senior year, one of his chemistry professors, Jianwei Fan, Ph.D., suggested that he and his classmates hone their interviewing skills. She prepared them to answer questions for a job fair in New Jersey, even driving them to and from the site. Roy spoke with several prospective employers before leaving his résumé. Merck called him a few days later. “I graduated on a Sunday in May,” he says, “and began work the next day.” 

Today, Roy lives in New Jersey with his wife, Margarita, and two daughters, Stephanie and Sophie. Having recently celebrated his 25th anniversary at Merck, he thanks his Manhattan professors for his science acumen and career. In appreciation, he has made a significant gift pledge to the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences. He also serves on the school’s advisory board. “So many people helped me early on,” Roy says, “that I’m glad to be able to give back in some way.”  

Looking Out for the Next Generation

When Kaitlyn Von Runnen ’19 and Anthony DePinho ’19 exchanged wedding vows this fall, the couple’s joyful witnesses included family, friends and a significant number of their fellow Jaspers. “Yes, there were a lot of them,” says Von Runnen. “I’d say about 50% of the room had Manhattan connections.” 

According to DePinho, the many ties he and Von Runnen formed as undergraduates remain strong. “We made so many friends at Manhattan,” he says. “Those relationships stay pretty close” — the strongest, of course, being the bond the newlyweds formed at the Riverdale campus.

Von Runnen and DePinho met as freshmen participating in the College’s L.O.V.E. (Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience) program. Rooted in Catholic social teaching, the initiative provides students with a social justice immersion experience through service activities nationwide. For Von Runnen and DePinho, who also engaged in community service before Manhattan, L.O.V.E. was an opportunity to continue assisting those in need.

Their friendship began with an initial trip to New Orleans, where they helped to restore homes that had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina several years earlier. After returning to campus, Von Runnen and DePinho continued to participate in service activities, joining the L.O.V.E. program’s board as well as Campus Ministry & Social Action. They began dating as sophomores. 

In addition to service, they both excelled academically: Von Runnen was inducted into Kappa Delta Pi, the Education honor society, and Pen and Sword, the highest honor for Manhattan students. DePinho is a member of the mathematics honor society, Pi Mu Epsilon, as well as Pen and Sword.

“We had so much in common,” says Von Runnen. “So did everyone we met. Manhattan gave us opportunities to explore our interests with like-minded classmates—and each other.”

In addition to forging lasting relationships at the University, Von Runnen and DePinho also prepared for meaningful careers. Today, Von Runnen is a special education teacher at P.S. 86 – Kingsbridge Heights in the Bronx, a 10-minute drive from the Riverdale campus. She thanks Peter McCarthy, Ph.D., one of her education professors, for initially putting her in contact with the principal. 

“There are a number of Jaspers teaching there,” says Von Runnen. “That’s one thing about Manhattan — it has an excellent reputation with schools all over the city and surrounding areas.” Von Runnen also includes Ruth Zealand, Ph.D., and Lisa Rizopoulos, Ph.D., among the professors who were special influences. 

DePinho is a senior planning analyst in Commodity Forecasting at Con Edison, a utility company that provides electric, gas and steam services in New York City’s five boroughs and the immediate suburbs. DePinho majored in mathematics at Manhattan. “I had fantastic professors, and I’m very grateful to all of them,” he says. At Con Edison, DePinho adds, there also is “a strong Jasper showing” among his fellow employees. 

It was the University’s reputation for service and academic excellence that drew Von Runnen and DePinho to the Riverdale campus. Von Runnen was a parishioner at Saint Frances de Chantal Church in Wantagh, New York; DePinho attended Don Bosco Prep, in Ramsey, New Jersey. For DePinho, however, Manhattan held a special allure — his father, mother, sisters and “a number of aunts and uncles” also are Jaspers.

Appreciating the powerful role Manhattan has played in their lives, Von Runnen and DePinho celebrated Reunion Weekend this year as members of their Fifth Anniversary Committee. “It was a lot of fun to get together on campus with everyone,” says Von Runnen. “And we also strongly believe in giving back to Manhattan, which has done so much for us.”

“It’s a sign of our gratitude,” DePinho added. “We both want to help the University with the resources to give the next generation the same kind of experience that we had. It really does change lives.”