On Sunday, April 30, with the spirit of Ag Field Day at Rutgers Day still permeating the George H. Cook campus, the Cook Community Alumni Association (CCAA) held its annual Distinguished Alumni Awards luncheon at Neilson Dining Hall.
Alumni, students, faculty, staff and their guests joined past honorees to induct the 2023 class into the fold. The event was emceed by retired dean Lee Schneider CAES’70, GSNB’72, GSED’88. Lee co-chairs the Awards Committee with Linda Madison CC’80, GSED’94, ‘02. After opening remarks from CCAA president Amanda Dougherty CC’08, GSED’09 and SEBS executive dean Laura Lawson, guests were invited to partake in a delicious buffet lunch prepared by Rutgers Dining Services.
After lunch, prior awardees were called forward to help honor this year’s recipients. Remarks from the 2023 honorees discussed how their experiences on the Cook campus, such as co-op internships, helped them find their careers and paths in life. Fondly remembering the school as a welcoming space, they were able to be themselves, explore their interests and grow in their leadership capacity, ultimately helping them to achieve success in life.
George H. Cook Award winners include undergraduate alumni being recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in professional or volunteer work. The Dennis M. Fenton Award is presented to graduate alumni, who have demonstrated a significant impact in their field. Dennis Fenton earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology from Rutgers in 1977.
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
George Hammell Cook Distinguished Alumni Award
Vincent Caputo CC’89, GSNB’96
Vincent Caputo was appointed superintendent of schools in the Metuchen School District in December 2011 and began his tenure on January 3, 2012. He successfully led his district through the challenges of COVID. Other professional accomplishments include the implementation of a districtwide Mental Health Initiative, a successful $80 million referendum to improve student learning outcomes, including full day kindergarten, and expansion of learning spaces. Edgar Middle School was named a National Blue Ribbon School and Moss Elementary was named a State School of Character.
Prior to serving in Metuchen, Vincent worked for the Clark School District as the assistant superintendent/director of Curriculum and Instruction. He also served as the supervisor of Math and Science and assistant principal in the Cranford School District. He began his career in education in the Secaucus School District, where he taught high school science and coached softball and basketball.
Vincent earned his B.S. in biochemistry from Cook College in 1989 and his M.S. in food science in 1996. In addition, he earned his M.A. from Montclair State University in administration and supervision and his doctorate from St. Peter’s University in educational leadership. He currently serves as an adjunct professor in Educational Leadership at St. Peter’s University.
Remaining active in the educational community and at Rutgers, Vincent participates annually in the Knight of Networking and serves as a mentor with R Scarlet Knight Network. He continues to teach and mentor new leaders through his work with NJASCD, NJPSA, and NJASA. He lives in Cranford with his wife and two children.
David Singer CC’01
David is an attorney and principal of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C. He is a member of the firm’s Environmental Practice Group. His practice focuses on environmental transactions, litigation and compliance matters, the sale and purchase of commercial real estate, land use, and general civil litigation.
David has spent most of his life in New Jersey, including attending Cook College, Rutgers University for his undergraduate degree earned in 2001. While at Rutgers University, he was an active leader in his community by serving as chair of the Student Affairs Committee of the Rutgers University Senate and accompanying the president of Rutgers University to Washington, D.C., to lobby for increased student aid.
While attending Vermont Law School, the nation’s top institution for environmental law, David was a member and co-chair of the Vermont Law School ABA Negotiations competition board, a member of the Environmental Moot Court Board, and a Dean’s Fellow. He clerked for both the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region III.
David, who was inducted as a Loyal Son of Rutgers in 2013, continues his active involvement with Rutgers University by serving in various leadership roles, including as a Board member and past president of the Cook Community Alumni Association and board member of the Rutgers Alumni Association. David also assists students through Rutgers Student Legal Services.
David worked with the University Foundation to establish the CCAA Endowed Scholarship. He worked with Helyar House to incorporate their alumni group and fund under the CCAA umbrella to help strengthen both organizations. David developed stronger ties between the CCAA and the Rutgers Gardens, which included funding for gardens interns, and also increased the CCAA’s philanthropy by obtaining board support to provide funding to complete the permanent structure for the Cook Farm Market at Rutgers Gardens. This infrastructure improvement provides a weather barrier, which allows the facility more time to provide a source of fresh produce for the surrounding community, and a venue for small vendors.
Terry Twitchell-DiCastro CC’92
Terry is proud to have received her degree from Cook College in environmental communications and has spent the last 30 years creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences for students around the globe.
After being selected to participate in the Disney College Program her senior year at Cook, Terry quickly discovered the career path for her. It was in this Cook Co-op program that Terry received her world class customer service and leadership training that would shape the work she would do throughout her career.
After graduating from Cook in 1992, Terry spent almost a decade as a Disney cast member in Orlando, Florida where she was given the opportunity to contribute in a variety of diverse travel industry roles. Terry is most proud of the role she played in the development and growth of the Disney Youth Programs. She was selected as part of a pilot team assembled to create and expand many of the learning experiences for students in the Disney parks. It was in this role Terry would bring her passion for travel and learning together to make an impact on thousands of students from around the globe.
A successful tenure at Disney led Terry to an opportunity at WorldStrides, the leader in educational travel. She spent the next 20 years working in a variety of leadership roles creating life-changing travel experiences for over 400,000 students a year. During her time at WorldStrides, Terry was instrumental in the development of experiential science programs in Costa Rica, Iceland, Hawaii, Alaska, the Galapagos Islands, California, Boston, and the Florida Keys.
Terry now works exclusively for Bob Rogers Travel specializing in student and youth Performing Arts Travel, which has allowed her to incorporate her love for the arts into her passion for educational travel.
Terry is passionate about making a difference and is someone who has poured her heart into making life-changing moments happen for students. Terry’s mission has always been to give students the opportunity to learn outside the classroom allowing them to see themselves and the world in new ways. Terry credits much of her success to the various people and programs at Cook and Rutgers that exposed her to the idea of nontraditional learning.
Dennis M. Fenton Graduate Alumni Award
Brian Schilling CC’92, GSNB’94, ‘09
Brian is director of Rutgers Cooperative Extension and senior associate director of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES). He provides executive leadership in advancement of Rutgers University’s cooperative extension mission to improve the lives of New Jersey residents and their communities through the delivery of science-based educational outreach within the state’s 21 counties.
Brian holds an academic appointment as extension specialist of Agricultural Policy in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), Rutgers University. During his 29 years at the school and NJAES, much of Brian’s research has been focused on New Jersey farm viability, farmland preservation, and agricultural economic development at the urban-rural fringe. Throughout his career, Brian has worked closely with the agricultural and food industries and has served on many industry and government task forces and working groups. He currently serves as past chair of the Association of Northeast Extension Directors. He is a past president of the New Jersey Agricultural Society and serves on the State Agriculture Development Committee. He holds a B.S. from Cook College in 1992 in resource management, an M.S. in agricultural economics in 1994, and Ph.D. in planning and public policy in 2009, all from Rutgers University.
Paul Wichansky CC’93, GSNB’99, ‘08
Paul is a leading motivational speaker, author, and disability advocate who has shared his story with over a million young people, parents, educators, and other professionals over the past 40 plus years. His programs inspire confidence, personal growth, and opportunity as he recalls anecdotes and insights that have motivated him to triumph over cerebral palsy and hearing loss. Starting his speaking career at age 10, his experiences harness the power of love, perseverance, and a “never say never” attitude.
Doctors told his parents that their toddler would never walk. Paul never gave up on his dream. He learned to walk and has achieved goals others have thought impossible. He credits his parents and sister and their love and support, as well as all the friends he has made on his journey.
Paul graduated from Cook College in 1993 majoring in meteorology. He continued to study meteorology at the Graduate School of New Brunswick and earned his M.S. in 1999 and Ph.D. in 2008.
His book, Yes I Can, published in 2022, is filled with wonderful, uplifting messages about building self-confidence, realizing potential, and changing the world for the better. He has inspired countless others to adopt his positive attitude to transform challenges into opportunities to harness untapped potential.
If you are interested in nominating a fellow alumnus(a) for one of these awards, instructions can be found on the CCAA website.
