Class Notes

Keith J. Koster BS ’09, Commander of The American Legion Department of NY

Name: Keith Koster

Class Year(s): 2009

Note: Keith J. Koster BS ’09 was elected Commander of The American Legion Department of New York at the 106th Annual Department Convention, held July 17-19, 2024, at the Niagara Falls Convention Center. While in office he has completed travel to all 62 counties in New York State, sharing the message, Be The One, an effort to reduce veteran suicide through education and breaking the stigma associated with suicide. Through effort to educate, they are hoping that veterans will - win the war within, when struggling with mental health issues. While traveling the state, Keith also promotes, The American Legion grassroots efforts through legislative programs. Keith recently returned from the Washington D.C. Conference held February 22-26, 2025.

Submitted on: February 28, 2025

Megan Charland, executive director, Strand Center for the Arts

Name: Megan Charland

Class Year(s): 2008

Note: The Board of Trustees of the Strand Center for the Arts (Plattsburgh, NY) has announced the appointment of Megan Charland BFA ’08 to the position of executive director of the organization. Charland has been with the SCA as the artistic programming director since 2022 and has been instrumental in strengthening the SCA’s connection to the community and advancing its mission. Charland is a 2008 graduate of the College of Art and Design (formerly CIAS) where she earned her BFA with a major in fine art photography and minor in art history. Charland went on to graduate from Visual Studies Workshop in 2013 with a MFA in visual studies and has spent nearly 18 years working in the visual arts field with a focus in community arts. To learn more: Megan Charland appointed as Strand’s executive director: https://suncommunitynews.com/news/115017/megan-charland-appointed-as-strands-executive-director/. The Art of Leadership: https://www.calameo.com/read/000257732c187e340daed.

Submitted on: February 26, 2025

Name: Erin Maher-Moran

Class Year(s): 98, 04

Note: Erin (Maher) Moran BFA ’98 had quite a year in 2024. She was named Higher Ed AV Media’s AV Professional of the Year: https://higheredav.com/2024-higher-ed-av-awards-winners/ and also took over as Chair of the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA). She was also selected by EdTech Magazine as one of the 30 Higher Ed IT Influencers to Follow in 2024: https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2024/09/30-higher-ed-it-influencers-follow-2024. Erin capped off the year by finishing her master’s degree in Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. This is shaping up to be another great year for Erin since she has been called one of the Top 50 voices to follow in higher education for 2025 by: vevox.com https://www.vevox.com/blog/top-50-voices-to-follow-in-higher-education-for-2025.

Submitted on: February 26, 2025

Name: Helaina & Sean Kolonay

Class Year(s): 2014

Note: Helaina (Hummel) Kolonay BS ’14, MS ’16 and Sean Kolonay BFA ’14 welcomed their son, Quintin in January 2024.

Submitted on: January 22, 2025

Eric Rakov BFA ’96 with one of his award winning collages

Name: Eric Rakov

Class Year(s): 1996

Note: St. Augustine’s Butterfield Garage Art Gallery will present work from Eric Rakov BFA ’96, their February 2025 featured artist. His exhibit opens on the first Friday Artwalk, February 7 from 5-9 p.m. Eric will give a short artist talk at 6 p.m. to share his journey and discuss his technique. Eric Rakov is an award-winning collage artist who primarily uses recycled magazines as his palette to create vibrant impressionistic artwork. He applies the media in a painterly style, building colors in layers, creating dark shadows and bright highlights. Eric’s subjects range from tabletop still-life scenes to vignettes from his international travels.

Submitted on: January 12, 2025

Kelly Cheatle BFA ’99 speaking at a post-2024 election organizing meeting

Name: Kelly Cheatle

Class Year(s): 1999

Note: Kelly Cheatle BFA ’99 is excited to announce her candidacy for Rochester City Council in 2025! With over two decades of experience as artistic director at Airigami (www.airigami.com), Kelly has led large-scale community artistic installations worldwide, showcasing the power of collaborative creation. The foundation of her skills was formed as a graphic design undergrad at RIT, giving her a unique perspective as an artist and problem-solver. After years of advocating for equitable arts funding and leading a successful David vs. Goliath campaign to prevent the privatization of public space in downtown Rochester, Kelly is ready to bring her collaborative approach to local government. Supporters can follow and support her campaign by visiting her official website: www.VoteforKelly.com.

Submitted on: January 10, 2025

Outside St. Alphonsus Church, Tupper Lake, NY

Name: Branden Jaquays

Class Year(s): 95, 12

Note: Branden Jaquays BFA ’12 became a NYS licensed Funeral Director, Fall 2024, and works at Frary Funeral Home in Tupper Lake, NY.

Submitted on: January 1, 2025

Name: Mehwish Nasir

Class Year(s): 2008, 2010

Note: Mehwish Nasir MBA ’10 was recognized for Expertise in Business Technology and Consulting on July 15, 2024. (Ref: https://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/513832/mehwish-nasir-mba-recognized-for-expertise-in-business-technology-and-consulting). Mehwish, an executive board member at OPEN (Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs) Global (San Jose, CA) is a Pakistani Canadian American and a former Fulbright Scholar (2008-2010) to the U.S.A. Mehwish was inducted as Marquis Who’s Who-Honored Listee in America (2024-2025); and as Marquis Who’s Who of Professional Women, Professional Women Honoree (October 2024) and Honoree, Distinguished Worldwide Humanitarian (August 2024). Ref: https://whoswhoofprofessionalwomen.com/mehwish-nasir/ and https://worldwidehumanitarian.com/2024/08/28/mehwish-nasir/

Submitted on: January 1, 2025

Name: Taylor Rakocy

Class Year(s): 2018

Note: Conor McKaig BS ’19 and Taylor Rakocy BFA ’18 met at RIT in April 2016 and were married in Rochester in April 2024. They were surrounded by incredible friends from school as they celebrated their long awaited union at the Harro East Ballroom.

Submitted on: December 29, 2024

Name: Thomas Harvey

Class Year(s): 1975, 1987

Note: Tom Harvey BS ’87 won a Best of Category award and a Best of Show 1st Runner-Up award at the 2023 Image City Photography Gallery Exhibit titled, Photographers Journey. The photo was of a young Orthodox Jewish boy walking two Cheder in the Ultra-Orthodox section of Jerusalem. The photo was taken on Tom’s 2022 tour of Israel.

Submitted on: December 10, 2024