  | Selected alumni profiles. Ken Talbot ’52Robert G. Stevens ’75Marcel Dufresne ’72Cynthia Booth Hamburger ’81John Roderick MacDonald ’85 | |||||||||||
Class Acts Profiles
Ken Talbot ’52 A Life of Adventure and Travel When sitting in Ken Talbot’s study in Ridgewood, N.J., two things immediately strike you. The room has a distinctly masculine appearance—dark wood, a fireplace, comfortable furniture, books, and pictures of planes and naval carriers. But there also seem to be a surprising number of penguins. This actually makes perfect sense. Talbot was part of Operation Deepfreeze, Admiral Richard E. Byrd’s last trip to Antarctica in 1955-56. “When I was in Antarctica, these little guys were everywhere.” reminisced Talbot. “As we were carting supplies inland to set up the base camp, the penguins would come in gangs. Later on people just starting giving me penguins, which is okay because I love them.” Talbot has had a truly remarkable life of adventure and travel. He learned to fly at age 15. “I went on a Boy Scout trip and a Piper J3 landed within 20 feet of me. The pilot asked if anyone wanted a ride and you bet, I went.” He later got his seaplane rating, mowing lawns to earn the money. After earning his B.S. in Business Administration at URI (where he helped to start the Flying Club), Talbot joined the Navy. He was the disbursing officer on the U.S.S. Randolph, where an atomic bomb was housed directly below his sleeping quarters. Later he was transferred to the U.S.S. Edisto, one of two icebreakers used during Operation Deepfreeze. “When I reported to relieve the supply officer, he said, ‘my God, I’m glad you’re here.’” chuckled Talbot. “See, an ice breaker has no keel and it rolls up to a 45 degree angle. But I only got seasick once.” Talbot is the founder and president of KST International, Inc., a dominant force in the international electronics industry for over 25 years. His work has taken him around the world six times, four times with his wife. “The funny thing is, I’m a nervous flier,” he laughed. —Jennifer Sherwood ’89
Robert G. Stevens ’75 Business and Buddhism Bob Stevens is the antithesis of a stereotypical New Yorker. In a city known for frenetic activity, Stevens is an oasis of calm. What’s his secret? For many years now, he has been a Buddhist and a practitioner of meditation. He is a board member of the New York Shambhala Center, which was founded by a Tibetan Buddhist scholar and meditation master. Not only is Stevens a Buddhist, he is also successfully navigating the corporate world. These two things might seem incompatible, but Stevens is living proof that integrity and business can coexist. Until recently, he was the executive vice president of Bluefly.com, an Internet retail site that offers designer products at a significant discount. “My time with Bluefly.com was great. We worked for a year to craft a set of values for the company. We debated them and actually used them,” said Stevens. The values were Excellence, Fun, Integrity, Innovation, Respect, and Teamwork. “This really energized the company,” noted Stevens. It’s not surprising that Stevens would be involved in a company that balances business and ideals. After completing a B.A. in Economics at URI, he eventually made his way to New York City. A paper he wrote earned him a Lawrence A. Wien Fellowship for Corporate Social Responsibility, which paid for his M.B.A at Columbia Business School. Stevens recently started his own consulting company called Growth Insight, Inc. “Bluefly.com was a fabulous experience, but I’m having so much fun being on my own.” Has he ever introduced Buddhist principles or meditation to his clients? “I once lead a strategic planning session for a small group. It was a driven, Type A, intellectual audience. I had them do several meditation exercises. They loved it.” With recent attention on corporate excess and deceit, it’s good to know that Stevens is helping business people to quiet the mind and reconnect with their innate sense of self. —Jennifer Sherwood ’89
Marcel Dufresne ’72 The Write Stuff As a senior journalism major with a class assignment to cover presidential candidate George McGovern in 1972’s New Hampshire primary, Marcel Dufresne jockeyed for the candidate’s attention alongside veteran journalists and filed stories daily to The Good 5¢. Cigar. The professionals around him fed information to America’s major newspapers. Dufresne excels at showing students the ropes. Students in his investigative and computer-assisted reporting class benefit not only from his 16 years of reporting experience, but also from hands-on projects. An assignment about campus crime turned into an award-winning 11-part series published in newspapers throughout Connecticut. For this project, students analyzed crime report databases and police budget spreadsheets. If these techniques seem high-tech in an industry still reliant on in-person interviews, then credit Dufresne’s determination to prepare his students for the real world. “Computer-assisted reporting has been evolving for the last 15 to 20 years at most big papers.” Through success in teaching students traditional and newer reporting methods and ongoing freelance work for numerous publications, including the Columbia Journalism Review, Dufresne has earned national respect. The Society of Professional Journalists honored him with the national Distinguished Teaching in Journalism Award for 2002, recognizing his outstanding teaching ability and contributions to journalism education. In reflecting upon how his URI experiences led to this noteworthy accomplishment, Dufresne sees a direct correlation: “URI’s journalism program was unique—a small program in a large university. The professors instilled the intrinsic value of journalism—Wilbur Doctor, especially. He was a terrific role model.” —Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ‘92
Cynthia Booth Hamburger ’81 Sitting on Top of the (Technology) World Like many college seniors, Cynthia Hamburger, who earned a Bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics, couldn’t map out her career precisely. Although she met classmate Robert, her soon-to-be husband, and was recruited into General Electric, there were still unknowns in her future. “The only thing I knew for sure is that I was determined not be a CIO,” says Hamburger. Nineteen years later, Hamburger serves as senior vice president and CIO for D&B (formerly Dun & Bradstreet), the leading provider of global business information and technology solutions. She is at the “pinnacle of her career” with responsibility for worldwide technology. She is also member of the company’s Leadership Team. Why the sudden change of heart? The CIO’s position was the next logical step for Hamburger, whose background includes executive positions at Credit Suisse First Boston and Fidelity Capital Markets, a Fidelity Investments Company. “D&B is a company focused on customers, shareholders, and people. It needed a CIO who thinks in terms of business, not technology. While I have a technology background, it’s comprehensive and not machine-focused. I sold technology as a product, worked as a consultant, and understand P&L’s.” With hundreds reporting to her, Hamburger directs not only D&B’s technology decisions but also guides many team members’ career paths. “As a leader, I believe one of my obligations is to be a role model for others at D&B. I spend a significant amount of time mentoring high-potential professionals.” In assisting others with leadership skills development, Hamburger provides them with growth opportunities similar to those URI afforded her. “As general manager of the Student Video Center, where I oversaw technicians and a $100,000 budget, I gained leadership experience. That position, together with Career Services, through its organization and resume preparation assistance, catapulted me and launched my career.” —Maria V. Caliri ’86, M.B.A. ’92
John Roderick MacDonald ’85 Counting in German Rod MacDonald is living a musician’s dream. As the principal trumpet of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, he has a regular gig with one of Europe’s finest orchestras. He is also the principal trumpet of the Leipzig Opera House and of Leipzig’s famous St. Thomas Church. He plays throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States receiving rave reviews for his delicate tone and playful virtuosity. And in his “spare time” he also conducts. This isn’t exactly the career you might envision for someone who earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. So, how did MacDonald end up as a premier trumpeter living in Europe? A native Rhode Islander, MacDonald began playing trumpet when he was in junior high school. In 1982, he was awarded the Leonard Bernstein Scholarship at the Tanglewood Music Center. However, when it came time for college, he chose to major in engineering. As he said, he felt that he could always branch out from there. After he completed his degree, he did actually work as an engineer for three years. But music still called. He auditioned for and was accepted into the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music. Shortly after completing his Master of Music, he was recommended to audition for Maestro Kurt Masur, then the conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Only the best students of the top conservatories were invited to audition. MacDonald beat out everyone. “When I was offered the job, my only question was, ‘can I live off of what I’ll be making?’ Masur assured me I could, so I left for Germany,” said MacDonald. However, he didn’t speak German. “You learn to count quickly,” he laughed. “German numbering can be difficult, and I needed to know my measure numbers.” If you would like to hear MacDonald, his most recent CD, Kantaten und Konzerte, can be ordered through his Web site www.rodmacdonald.com. —Jennifer Sherwood ’89 |
 |
