Three Inducted Into Science Stairway of Fame

Rider University’s science departments inducted three successful alumni into the Science Stairway of Fame on June 11 during Reunion Weekend activities on the Lawrenceville campus. The 2011 honorees are Dr. E. Bruce DiDonato ’76, Dr. Maureen G. Maguire ’75 and Dr. Robert A. Sikorski ’79.

The Science Stairway of Fame, located in the research wing of the Science and Technology Center, honors individuals who were exemplary students and have achieved significant professional success in their chosen careers following graduation. The honorees are also loyal and generous supporters of Rider’s science programs. 

“Since leaving Rider, they have built amazing and successful careers in business, academia and medicine.  Today’s honorees provide important and varied role models for our students who will walk past their plaques each day,” said Dr. Laura Hyatt, associate dean for science. “Bruce, Maureen and Bob’s careers exemplify the importance of Rider’s commitment to integrative, lifelong learning.”

The induction ceremony took place at an afternoon reception inside the Science and Technology Center and featured the unveiling of plaques bearing likenesses of the honorees. Current and former faculty and staff members celebrated the achievements of the honored guests and their families.

“We look for alumni who have been high achievers in the science world, who have been recognized as such by peers in their field, and who represent Rider’s dedication to developing well-rounded people who continually nurture the community around them,” explained Dr. Patricia Mosto, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Education, and Sciences, in her remarks to the honorees. “The individual faculty mentoring that I understand each of you received is the hallmark of our university – taking each student as an individual and helping them to reach their full potential.”

Dr. Mary Leck, professor emerita of Biology, recognized DiDonato’s achievements in the field of optometry. As an undergraduate, DiDonato conducted research on mammalian pigment cells in epidermal-dermal skin recombinations with Dr. Tom Mayer, a developmental biologist. That experience prepared him for his doctorate work at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, where he was awarded the Leslie Mintz Foundation Scholarship for two years.  He worked at the Navy Medical Center and the Eye Institute of Philadelphia.

DiDonato is the founder and current president of the Campus Eye Group & Laser Center in Hamilton, N.J. Bruce is optometry board certified in the treatment and management of ocular disease and has extensive interest in the treatment of glaucoma and patient care in outpatient ophthalmic ambulatory surgical centers in New Jersey. An avid sportsman, DiDonato is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Museum of Fly Fishing. He also serves as both a member of the Science Advisory Board and the University’s Board of Trustees. 

DiDonato said he was prepared to succeed in graduate school because of the challenging curriculum in Rider’s science programs.

“I felt I was better prepared than my classmates,” he said.

Dr. John Sheats, professor emeritus of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, presented Maguire and her achievements in ophthalmology and clinical research. During her time at Rider, Maguire was an Andrew J. Rider Scholar, led the Math Club, and graduated summa cum laude as math-major valedictorian of the class of 1975.  She completed her graduate training at The Johns Hopkins University in 1983, earning a Ph.D. in Biostatistics. She is currently the Carolyn F. Jones Professor of Ophthalmology and vice chair for clinical research in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Maguire has served on and chaired several data and safety monitoring committees and is on the editorial board of the journals Ophthalmology and Cornea. She has more than 125 publications in the areas of ophthalmology and clinical research. She has also participated in the design and implementation of many NIH studies through the National Eye Institute.

Maguire also said her undergraduate experience prepared her for graduate training.

“Everything that I learned at Rider, helped me in my career,” she said.

Dr. Jonathan Yavelow, professor of Biology, recognized Sikorski. As an undergraduate, Sikorski pitched for the Broncs baseball team while working with Dr. Leroy Oddis, a vertebrate physiologist, and Mayer. He completed his M.D. at the Downstate College of Medicine of the State University of New York in 1983, and later his residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1987. Sikorski is a board-certified anesthesiologist and is currently an attending physician at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, where he directs the shock trauma operating rooms, perfusion and blood salvage services and the echocardiography laboratory. In his spare time, he is also a volunteer coach for a variety of youth hockey organizations. As an active member of our Science Advisory Board, Sikorski also generously offers a variety of shadowing and internship experiences for our students interested in medicine.

Sikorski said he felt a sense of family as an undergraduate at Rider and was inspired to give back to his community because of the support he received.

“That sense of giving at the University has been so important in my life and continues for me,” he said.