Riverside resident Dr. Michelangelo Sabatino has been appointed interim dean of the Illinois Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture for a one-year term.
Sabatino, who is also a member of the Riverside Historical Commission, has served as the director of the Ph.D. program for the College of Architecture and is both and architect and historian whose research, according to his website, “broadly addresses intersections between culture, technology, and design in the built environment.”
He earned his professional degree in architecture at the Universita IUVA di Venezia and a doctorate in art and architectural history at the University of Toronto. He’s also pursued a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University and has taught at Yale and the University of Houston.
One of his most recent local endeavors was serving as curator for “Picturing Riverside,” a permanent exhibit in the Riverside Train Station that illustrates the history of the village via images representing various time periods. The exhibit was created in collaboration with the historical commission and Sabatino’s doctoral students at IIT.
On stage
Riverside resident Gonzo Schexnayder plays the part of Lenny Ganz in the Theatre of Western Springs’ upcoming production of Neil Simon’s farce Rumors from June 1-11 at the theater, 4384 Hampton Ave. in Western Springs. Brookfield resident Pat Politano is a member of the set decoration crew for the show.
For show times and ticket information call 708-246-3380 or visit online at www.theatrewesternsprings.com.
How does your garden grow?
The Brookfield Beautification Commission recognized its first Brookfield garden of 2017, choosing the three-season garden of Stella Quirk, who lives in the 8500 block of Washington Avenue.
The Beautification Commission’s Garden recognition Program draws attention to outstanding village gardens that are visible to the public. There are just five gardens – one a month from May to September — recognized each year, and all of which will be featured online at brookfieldil.gov/local-government/beautification-committee.
On campus
Riverside resident Dovas Lietuvninkas of the Eastman School of Music has received a Fulbright study/research grant and will spend the 2017-18 school year in Lithuania. He will study with Laurynas Lape, co-principal trumpet of the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and will study traditional Lithuanian folk music and instruments with folk musician Saulius Petreikis, trumpet player and multi-instrumentalist.
At Eastman, Lietuvninkas, who graduated from Riverside-Brookfield High School in 2012, was a double major in music education and trumpet performance. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2016.
Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) student Sean DeMuro spent the winter 2017 semester in China as part of a study abroad group. A Riverside resident, DeMuro is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business, majoring in finance.
Three local students attending the University of Illinois at Chicago, Barbara Pacourek of Brookfield, Seung Eun Lee of North Riverside and Deborah Jensen of Riverside, recently were initiated into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, a selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.
Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership.
Taylor M. Sweeney, of North Riverside, was awarded her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Lubar School of Business during commencement ceremonies at the school on May 21.
Brookfield resident Samantha Lenz graduated with a B.A. degree in political science from McKendree University (Lebanon, Illinois) during commencement exercises on May 13.
Olivia L. Lauritsen and Hannah G. Claywell, both of Riverside, were awarded Bachelor of Arts degrees from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, during the school’s commencement exercises on May 7. Lauritsen’s degree was in art education. Claywell’s degree was in Spanish and psychology.
Riverside residents Gregory J. Bernasek and Colleen E. Mandell have been named to the 2017 spring semester dean’s list at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, by attaining a grade-point average of at least 3.5 on a 4-point scale.
Jacqueline Skokna, of Brookfield, made the dean’s list for the 2017 spring semester at Belmont College in Nashville, Tennessee, by attaining a GPA of at least 3.5.
Sara Sifferman, of Riverside was named to the president’s list at Triton College for the 2016 fall semester by attaining a GPA of 3.88.
Brookfield students showed themselves to be budding playwrights, directors and performers at the “Tens by Teens” festival at Lyons Township High School in early May.
The festival featured short plays written, directed and performed by LTHS theater students. Three of the plays were written by Brookfield residents, including seniors Grace Barone (“Blood Lust”), George Kennett (“Action Hero”) and Connor Trimborn (“Stars Are Out Tonight”), and Trimborn (“Twilight Zone”) and Brookfield junior Justin Monarrez (“For Now”) directed plays. Barone, meanwhile, performed in the play “Beyond Pluto.”
Brookfield resident Albert Ferastrau, a sophomore at Lyons Township High School, was part of a team of LTTV students who earned a silver award in the “7-day Challenge” at the annual Midwest media Educators High School Video Festival. The contest required students to submit work created during a seven-day time period, including writing the script, rehearsing, costume/set design, shooting, editing, sound design and output.
Lyons Township High School Latin students from Brookfield — Elizabeth Lemerand, a freshman, and Bianca Mendez, a sophomore – earned recognition for their efforts on the national Latin exam. Lemerand earned magna cum laude on the Latin I exam, while Mendez earned magna cum laude on the Latin II exam.
Riverside School District 96 has announced the winners of its 2017 Young Authors program. Those earning recognition from the district include the following: Kindergarten, Penelope Black (Hollywood); First grade, Ethan Avilla (Central), Shane Anderson (Hollywood) and Mykhaib Lyons Rurka (Central); Second grade, Avery Charlotte Blair (Hollywood), Jack Streeter (Central) and Charlotte Textrum (Hollywood); Third grade, Alexandra Salas (Ames), Harry Sramek (Ames) and Robert Sanabria (Central); Fourth grade, Ben Lupfer (Blythe Park), Vincent Dockendorf (Central), Marina Anani Garza (Central) and Luna McNally (Central); and Fifth grade, Makoto Scheuermann (Hollywood), Gabriel Garza (Ames), Meg Carlson (Ames) and Ian Dimaano (Central).
