Adelphi University will hold its ninth annual President’s Gala, an evening to benefit student scholarships, on March 28, at the Garden City Hotel. The event will honor three alumni for their commitment to the community and to the university.
Horace G. McDonell Jr., retired chairperson and CEO of Perkin Elmer Corporation, will be honored for his Lifetime Service to Adelphi.
McDonell received his B.A. in physics from Adelphi University in 1952.
Soon after receiving his B.A., McDonell joined the Perkin-Elmer Corporation, a leader in the fields of analytical instruments, fine optics and electro-optical systems, where he served for 38 years, retiring as chair and CEO. In addition to his service as a member of Adelphi’s Board of Trustees, he served on the boards of other nonprofit organizations including Danbury Hospital, Datahr Rehabilitation Institute and the American Electronics Association, where he also served as chairperson. In recognition of his numerous contributions to the university, the scientific community, and the community at large, Adelphi awarded McDonell an honorary doctorate in May 2002.
Doreen Downs Miller, director of Parenting Matters, LLC, will be honored as the 2009 Outstanding Alumna. Miller has more than 10 years of experience designing and delivering parent-education programs for parents of infants through teens. She is also a consultant to numerous projects dedicated to strengthening families and improving the quality of care and education for children. Miller is formerly affiliated with the California Parenting Institute and the New York University Child Study Center as a parent-educator, as well as the New York University Steinhardt School of Education, as an instructor.
In September 2005, Adelphi received a gift of $250,000 from the Doreen Downs Miller Foundation to support the construction of the University’s Alice Brown Early Learning Center, and to establish an interdisciplinary Institute for Parenting. In 2008, her foundation provided another very generous grant to support the expansion of the Institute, in which Miller plays an integral role.
JoAnn C. O’Hagen, market manager and president for JP Morgan Chase Bank, NA Long Island/Queens Middle Market, will be recognized as the 2009 Outstanding Long Island Executive. O’Hagen, who assumed her leadership role in 2005, has 35 years of banking experience.
Prior to her current position, she was part of the Merger Integration Team during the initial stages of the JPMorgan Chase/Bank One merger. Currently, she serves on the board of the Long Island Association and as a member of the Long Island Alliance Workforce Development Committee.
She is also a member of both the Regional Plan Association Long Island Committee and the President’s Advisory Council at Adelphi University. O’Hagen holds a B.A. degree in history from Emmanuel College and a M.S. degree, with Honors, in banking and money management from Adelphi University.
For more information or for tickets, contact Jaime Farrell, assistant director of annual giving, at 516-877-4689 or farrell@adelphi.edu.
