The Oswego Alumni Podcast

From SUNY Oswego to the FDNY, Marty’s story is one of leadership, resilience, humor, and heart. In the newest episode of the Oswego Alumni Podcast, Marty Currid, Class of 2001, reflects on his journey from student life at Oswego to serving as an FDNY Battalion Chief in New York City. Along the way, he shares unforgettable stories from the firehouse, lessons learned through decades of public servic...

Valentine’s Day may be over… but this Oswego love story was simply too good not to share. 💚💛 In this episode of the Oswego Alumni Podcast , host Dee Perkins sits down with husband-and-wife alumni Rita Torsney-Sullivan ’09 and Pat Baker ’08 — educators, parents, entrepreneurs, and proud Oswego graduates whose paths nearly didn’t cross at all. From a chance meeting in a residence hall watching hoc...

In this episode, we’re joined by  Sandra Michaca ’12 , founder of  The Michaca Law Firm , where she specializes in  immigration law —one of the most complex and consequential areas of legal practice today. Sandra reflects on her Oswego journey, from arriving on campus drawn by  Lake Ontario , to diving into leadership through  ALANA , the  Student Association Supreme Court , and multiple student o...

Lou Borrelli Class of 1977 has been at the forefront of media, cable, and connectivity for more than four decades — helping build Marcus Cable, shaping broadband strategy at AOL, leading NEP Broadcasting for events like the Super Bowl, Oscars, Grammys, and Monday Night Football , and now serving as CEO of the National Content & Technology Cooperative , representing more than 700 operators acro...

🎙️ New Episode: Meet Lex Barker '03 - From Lakers Student-Athlete to Great Lakes Project Manager From Lakers track athlete to managing an $82 million breakwater repair on the very waterfront where he went to college—Lex Barker's journey is one of unexpected turns, alumni connections, and coming full circle. In this episode, Lex '03 shares how a double major in Business Administration a...

In this episode of the Oswego Alumni Podcast, we sit down with Justin Dobrow ’17 — newly promoted Director of Partner Solutions at NBCUniversal’s Peacock and President of the Oswego Alumni Association Board of Directors. Justin shares his journey from running WTOP-10 as a student, to interning at Late Night with Seth Meyers, to helping launch Peacock during the pandemic. He also reflects on meetin...

We were deeply saddened to hear of the recent passing of Tim Mollen, Class of ’91. In this episode, we revisit our conversation with Tim, whose openness about the highs and lows of life as a working actor, and his decision to pause his career to care for his parents, left a lasting impact. His compassion—especially in sharing the challenges of supporting his mother through dementia—offers a perspe...

🌟 Oswego Alumni Podcast – New Episode!  🌟 From the Bronx to SUNY Oswego to producing some of today’s biggest events, Cruz Alvarado ’12  has built an inspiring journey of leadership, creativity, and community. 🎤 ✨In this episode, Cruz reflects on her time at Oswego as a philosophy major and campus leader, and how those experiences gave her the skills to thrive in education, corporate retail, an...

In this episode of  The Oswego Alumni Podcast , host  Dee Perkins  sits down with SUNY Oswego alumnus and adjunct professor Chris Hoch who shares his unique journey from attending elementary school on campus to building a successful career in risk management—and then returning to the classroom to teach the next generation. And stick around for the popular discussion about whether it is pronounced...

In this inspiring episode of  The Oswego Alumni Podcast , host  Dee Perkins  sits down with  Kate Wilcox-Rodwell , a SUNY Oswego alum who left a successful marketing career to pursue a bold dream: restoring her 9,600-square-foot childhood home into a stunning event venue and business — now known as  The Hillcrest Estate  in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Kate shares her journey from corporat...

🎙️ In this powerful and emotional episode, host Dee Perkins (1985) talks with Jim Grismer (Class of 1989), a retired New York City firefighter whose life journey from SUNY Oswego to Ground Zero—and beyond—is a testament to service, legacy, and lasting friendships. Jim opens up about his family's deep firefighting roots, his personal experience with 9/11—including losing close friends and colle...

Ever wondered what it takes to turn a struggling campus café into a thriving student-run business? ☕📈 In this episode, we sit down with Bradley Zieman, the first-ever CEO of Rich N Pour Café, to hear how he, a team of amazing students and an Assistant Dean of the Business School helped transform a floundering coffee shop into a successful operation at SUNY Oswego’s School of Business. From rebra...

From bagging groceries in Buffalo to managing her own Wegmans store in Rochester, Chrissy Kreber has held almost every position at Wegmans. A former Student Association president, and die-hard Buffalo Bills fan, she believes Wegmans’ family-first culture is the key to its success and her 20+ year career with the company. Chrissy's role as store manager not only gives her a wide view of all of the...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jen Knapp, Dean of the School of Communication, Media, and the Arts (SCMA), to dive into the exciting updates at SUNY Oswego. From the $80M renovation of Hewitt Hall to the vision of an "Arts Corridor," Dr. Knapp shares the plans, progress, and purpose behind this transformative project. We explore the innovative spaces coming to life: state-of-the-a...

Join host Dee Perkins on the Oswego Alumni Podcast as she chats with today’s inspiring guest, Tim Mollen. Tim began acting at the age of 5 playing Groucho Marx, then went on to graduate from Oswego with a double major in Theatre and Communication Studies. He was a founder of the Oswego improv troupe "The Shaun Cassidy Fan Club" which led to confusion when people asked about his love of "The Hardy...

Join Brett and Jon, co-founders of Talent Partners, as they share the journey that led their staffing agency to earn a spot on Inc. magazine’s list of the fastest-growing private companies. With a shared vision and complementary skills—Brett’s physics background and Jon’s expertise in business—they bring unique insights to their success story. In this episode, they discuss the challenges and rewar...

In this episode of the Oswego Alumni Podcast, host Dee McGowan Perkins Class of 1985, sits down with Mike Frazer, Class of 1979, a legendary radio disc jockey who has spent over 34 years at 94.5 3WS in Pittsburgh. Join us as we uncover Mike's journey from Oswego to becoming a fixture in Pittsburgh radio. In this engaging conversation, we explore Mike's decision to attend Oswego, his early...

In our latest episode, join host Dee McGowan Perkins '85 as she sits down with a remarkable entrepreneur and Oswego alum, Nick Moore, Class of 2010. Nick's journey began with the bold decision to start his own insurance agency immediately after graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing. Since then, he's garnered multiple industry awards and recently relocated his agency...

In this episode of the Oswego Alumni Podcast join host Dee McGowan Perkins '85 as she sits down with Coach Jason Leone, a powerhouse figure in Division III basketball. Jason is the 17th basketball coach to direct Oswego's program. During his time at Oswego, Coach Leone has crafted a legacy of success, boasting the most wins in any eight-year period in program history and holding the top sp...

In this episode of the Oswego Alumni Podcast hosted by Dee Perkins Class of 1985, Derrick Salisbury (Class of 1990) talks about his 35+ years in the business of producing some of the biggest sporting events around the world. Derrick started in Orlando helping to bring the World Cup to Florida and then went on to be a part of eleven Olympic & Paralympic. He served as FIFA Venue Manager for FIFA...

In our latest episode of the Oswego Alumni Podcast, our host,  Dee McGowan Perkins '85  speaks with  Donna Goldsmith '82 .   Named by Forbes as Second Most Powerful Woman in Sports, Donna served as a top-tier executive for some of the biggest sports brands in the world -- from the NBA, WWE, and Tough Mudder, and was General Manager of the 2014 Super Bowl.  Tune in as Donna shares experienc...

In this episode of the Oswego Alumni Podcast hosted by Dee Perkins Class of 1985, Derrick Salisbury (Class of 1990) talks about his 35+ years in the business of producing some of the biggest sporting events around the world. Derrick started in Orlando helping to bring the World Cup to Florida and then went on to be a part of eleven Olympic & Paralympic. He served as FIFA Venue Manager for FIFA...

In this episode of the Oswego Alumni podcast, hosted by   Dee McGowan Perkins '85 , our featured guest,  Greg Stumpf '86,  talks about celebrating almost 40 years in the business of meteorology. A part-time storm chaser and full-time researcher, Greg is the developer of a new tool that will keep people updated on the track of dangerous tornados on a minute-by-minute basis. Greg not only ta...

In our latest episode of the Oswego Alumni Podcast, our host,  Dee McGowan Perkins '85 , speaks with current students  Natalie Barden '24  and  Jolie Santiago '24  about the details of the first-of-its-kind WTOP broadcast that has everyone talking. The very first all women's WTOP broadcast of the Oswego Lakers Men's Hockey team came together in February, and not only did the st...

Our host,  Dee McGowan Perkins '85  speaks with  Lori Jung '02 , a Brooklyn-based veteran consumer and lifestyle publicist, and co-owner of  Hudson West PR , a full-service public relations, branding and marketing firm.  Lori shares how her career has led her across the country from NYC to Arizona, and back again, the unusual place where she met her business partner, and her pet peeves, in...