Beyond The Brown & Gold

Claudia Abate '93 joins the Beyond the Brown & Gold to share her incredibly unique journey from Glassboro to working for the United Nations. Abate's desire to work for the United Nations began at a young age and eventually developed into a reality.

During this episode, she talks about how her worldly experiences at the UN led her to meeting presidents and notable political figures along the way. 

Abate is a respected and trust...

Ahead of Valentine's Day, Beyond The Brown & Gold gets you in the mood for love. Listen to the 2026 edition of Prof Sweethearts stories from Rowan alumni across generations, featuring tales of longtime commitments and surprising challenges.

Part 2 of these heartfelt love stories includes: 

• Lisa (Williams) ’83 & Kevin Crichton ’84
• Kelly (Fitzpatrick) ’00 & Wayne Trojanowski ’00
• Sydnee (Gould) ’20 & Ben Afflitto ...

Ahead of Valentine's Day, Beyond The Brown & Gold gets you in the mood for love. Listen to the 2026 edition of Prof Sweethearts stories from Rowan alumni across generations, featuring tales of longtime commitments and surprising challenges.

Part 1 of these heartfelt love stories includes: 

• Colleen (Kulik) ’03 & Tom Marroletti ’04
• Diane (Lisa) ’69, M’80 & John Mazzei ’69, M’75
• Aaliyah Wi...

Dr. Hettie Williams '94, an associate professor, author, and podcaster, discusses her journey on a new episode of Beyond the Brown & Gold. The MLK Unsung Hero Award winner details her journey from Glassboro State College to a tenured position at Monmouth University. She shares memories of influential mentors, her research on African-American history and how programs like EOF/MAP and AmeriCorps shaped her path.

The conversation ...

Jon J. Vogel '11 is an entrepreneur, marketer, philanthropist, and educator who earned his BS in Entrepreneurship from Rowan University and an MBA in Marketing from Drexel University. He is the co-founder and principal of 215 Marketing, an award-winning Philadelphia-based marketing agency recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies in America (2023), Adweek’s Top 50 Fastest Growing Agencies in the World ...

Dr. Laura Grossi's path to becoming a forensic evaluator at a state psychiatric hospital was not a straight path. Her varied educational background, which included psychology, led her into the world of law & justice. Grossi's job includes performing forensic evaluations to assess competency of people to stand trial and evaluations to see if defendants qualify for the insanity defense. 

The newest Beyond the Brown & Gold epi...

Rasheed J. Daniel '00 is the CEO and founder of TeamSheed Productions, an independent Black-owned company dedicated to advancing inclusion in the television industry. Daniel is the guest on a new episode of Beyond the Brown & Gold. 

He recounts his fun days at Rowan University; how Dr. William H. Myers impacted his life in Glassboro; and how he got started in the television industry. Also, he covers the challenges of creating r...

Meet Josh Schneider M’18, a podcaster, advocate, and proud College of Education alumnus. While pursuing his master’s degree at Rowan University, Josh began to experience vision loss: an event that would reshape his path and inspire his life’s mission. Josh shares his story of navigating his vision loss to discovering the world of blind hockey. Hear how his experiences led to co-founding The Dented Puck Foundation and supporting the...

Chris D'Angelo '07, M'10, Rowan University's Director of Alumni Engagement, joins the latest edition of Beyond the Brown & Gold. Family has always been a big part of Chris's Rowan story. Whether it was following the footsteps of his twin sister or building a family environment in Rowan's Alumni Engagement office, D'Angelo's passion for his position started long before becoming a Rowan University employee. 

D'Angelo discusses th...

Devón Coles '21 stops by Beyond the Brown & Gold to share his experiences as a Rowan University online student. Coles gained his Law & Justice degree from Rowan University and parlayed that into a career as a probation office. His talents are not limited to one kind of court. Also, Coles trains basketball players and currently has a business that develops the next generation of hoops talent. 

Coles offers wisdom regarding t...

Danielle Roberts '11 is known as the Anti-Career Coach. Her professional experiences led her to thinking about how people work and workplace culture. As a TEDx speaker with a vast knowledge of social media platforms, she continues to help shape the future and humanize workplaces everywhere. 

Roberts joins the Beyond the Brown & Gold crew to share her experiences at Rowan University as a student and former employee. Elsewhere, R...

Joe Marakowski '18 works in government as a logistics management specialist but that is not his claim to fame. Marakowski created and donated a scholarship, published a book, and even started his own business. Known as "Joey Cannoli in the wedding entertainment, Marakowski parlayed his love of fun and food into a side business that allows people to share in his love of cannoli. 

Before his business took off, Marakowski spent time a...

Brian Kulak '98, M'12 turned an educational concept into a new book and he shares his wisdom a new episode of Beyond the Brown & Gold. Following his days at Rowan University, Kulak embarked on a career in education. As a teacher, he wanted to connect with students and developed "The Hot Seat" - a thought-provoking concept that allowed his students to freely share their thoughts. 

Kulak explains how The Hot Seat (also the title ...

Long daily commutes from the Jersey Shore to New York City didn't stop Jon Lavengetto '14 on a path towards working in sports. Currently, his hard work and dedication landed him a position as the senior content manager for the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans. The newest episode of Beyond the Brown & Gold finds Lavengetto talking about his work in The Big Easy and his days at Rowan University in the Radio, Television...

Troi Barnes '17 currently serves as the director of media relations at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the nation's premier legal organization. Also, she Is a part of the Rowan University Black Alumni Network.

A new episode of Beyond The Brown & Gold highlights her time at Rowan University and what the Glassboro means to her family - including why it has a special meaning to her parents. Also, Barnes describes her time and influ...

Acclaimed financial advisor and best-selling personal finance author Ric Edelman ’80 hosted the country’s longest-running personal finance radio show, The Ric Edelman Show, and subsequent podcast, The Truth About Your Future with Ric Edelman. Jean Edelman ’81 is an author and host of the Self-Care with Jean podcast. They continue to build a legacy at Rowan University and beyond.

The latest edition of Beyond the Brown & Gold wel...

Steve Feinberg '90 is a seasoned music industry professional with a remarkable career spanning over 24 years. His journey in the arts started when he relocated from Philadelphia to New York, where he became an integral part of the entertainment landscape. A new episode of Beyond the Brown & Gold catches up with Feinberg and his amazing run in the entertainment industry and how he landed back at Rowan University to further devel...

Chrissy Buteas '04 made the most of her time at Rowan University. Buteas won a national championship as a member of Rowan University's field hockey team. Her success extended past the field as she explained in a new episode of Beyond the Brown & Gold.

Buteas, the President & CEO of the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ), joined the podcast to discuss her career in government; how she arrived at her chosen career pat...

Karl Jurman ’78 and Mary (D’Arcy) Jurman ’77 joined Beyond the Brown & Gold to share their experiences at then-Glassboro State College and more. These Prof Sweethearts detail the story about how they met; and how the arts has played an important part in their lives. Plus, hear from Karl Jurman '78 on life working on Broadway and his vast experiences as a music director. Mary Jurman covers her work in voice performance and the p...