By Hannah Joseph | September 13, 2021
On Sept. 7 the University at Albany installed a new memorial honoring the alumni lost during the terror attack on the World Trade Center. The memorial bench, located behind the Boor Sculpture Studio on the walking path to ETEC, was designed by UAlbany Alum Dan Girou. The official unveiling occurred at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11, marking the 20th anniversary of that tragic day.
Along with Girou, former students Conner Dunleavy (2017), Michael Longo (2015), Lee Stanton (2014), and Edward McGlone (2011) worked for seven years to plan and organize the memorial for their fellow fallen alumni.
“This is the smallest thing we could do to honor such a horrible loss of life in our campus community,” said Stanton.
The memorial was paid for by the Senior Class of 2017, who voted before graduation to make the memorial their senior gift. $15,000 was raised to build, design, and install the new bench.
The bench was made to model the two twin towers on one side. A granite bench seat connects the towers to a pentagonal-shaped base, representing the Pentagon. The top of the bench seat is inscribed with a special dedication to the UAlbany alumni lost in the terror attacks.
With the installation of the new memorial, its sponsors hope it serves to not only honor those lost, but also remind generations to come of the significance of that day for our country. Stanton stated, “We talk about the term ‘never forget.’ That’s what this bench represents. Twenty years from now, students who did not live through 9/11 will be able to take a moment to pause and reflect on the significance of that day. We’re bridging gaps forever.”
The Albany Student Press would like to honor and remember the following alumni:
Jon L. Albert ’77 – B.S. Mathematics
Shawn Bowman ’94 – B.S. Business Administration, ’96 – MBA
Mark A. Brisman ’89 – B.S. Accounting
Elizabeth Darling ’96 – B.A. Sociology
Jeffrey L. Fox ’82 – B.S. Accounting
Clyde Frazier ’88 – B.A. Africana Studies
Taimour Khan ’94 – B.A. Economics
John P. Lozowsky ’86-87 - General Studies
Michael Lynch ’90 – B.A. Political Science
Joseph Maffeo ’94 – B.A. Geographical Information and Spatial Analysis
Scott M. McGovern ’87 – B.S. Business Administration
Stephen Vincent Mulderry ’92 – B.A. Rhetoric & Communications
John A. Reo ’00 – B.A. Economics
Brooke David Rosenbaum ’91 – B.A. Psychology
Karen H. Schmidt ’80 – B.S. Interdisciplinary
See-wong Shum ’90 - MBA
James G. Smith ’79 – B.S. Business Administration
Michael T. Wholey ’88 – B.A. Political Science
Michael Wittenstein ’89 – B.S. Business Administration