2026 Alumni Achievement Award Recipients

Donna J. Petersen C’81 

Dr. Donna J. Petersen C’81 is Professor of Public Health and former Chief Health Officer, Senior Associate Vice President of USF Health, and Dean of the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida (USF). After earning her undergraduate degree in Behavioral Science, she completed master’s and doctoral degrees in maternal and child health at The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. She subsequently served in senior leadership roles at the Minnesota Department of Health and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health before becoming dean at USF.

Donna has held leadership positions on the National Board of Public Health Examiners, the Council on Education for Public Health, the American Public Health Association, and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. Her efforts have helped advance undergraduate education, revolutionize graduate education, and create certification in public health.

In Tampa, Donna was a member of the Hillsborough County Health Care Plan Advisory Board, a public insurance program, and a founding member and Chair of the Board of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, dedicated to dismantling structural and systemic impediments to health. Now a resident of Saint Paul, Minnesota, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and is a Trustee of the Laurel School of Music. She is also active in the League of Women Voters of Saint Paul, working to defend democracy.

Donna has been honored for her work by the American Public Health Association, the Delta Omega National Public Health Honor Society, the National Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition, the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, the federal Bureau of Maternal and Child Health, and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.

In 2011, she received a Distinguished Alumna Award from The Johns Hopkins University, and in 2021, she was presented with the USF President’s Fellow Medallion for her work leading the University’s response to COVID-19. In 2023, she was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Patrick Goodwin C’06

Patrick Goodwin C’06, CSA, began his career in casting after graduating from Drew University in 2006 with a double major in Theatre Arts and Political Science. Over the past two decades at The Telsey Office, he has helped cast an extraordinary range of Broadway productions, from Tony Award-winning musicals and revivals to acclaimed new works. His credits include Kinky Boots, Pippin, Waitress, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, The Cher Show, The Notebook, Redwood, and Floyd Collins, as well as the upcoming production of The Fantasticks.

Patrick’s work extends well beyond Broadway, encompassing film, television, Off-Broadway, and major regional theaters. He has cast projects including The Greatest Showman, Better Nate Than Ever, NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert and Annie Live!, and Mr. Monk’s Last Case. His recent theatrical work includes productions at The Shed, New York City Center Encores!, MCC Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodman Theatre, the Alliance Theatre, and Paper Mill Playhouse. He is currently casting several highly anticipated stage adaptations, including The Princess Bride, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and La La Land.

Patrick’s work has earned him two Emmy Award nominations for Excellence in Casting, for Better Nate Than Ever and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, as well as several Artios Awards for Excellence in Casting. Alongside his professional career, he has spent the past 12 years sharing his expertise with the next generation of theatre artists as a faculty member at Pace University. He is a member of the Casting Society of America, the Television Academy, and Teamsters Local 817.

Daniel J. “D.J.” Wright C’01

Daniel James “D.J.” Wright C’01 graduated from Drew University in 2001 with a major in psychology and minors in philosophy and French, and later graduated summa cum laude from the McAllister Institute of Funeral Service. As owner of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, D.J. has distinguished himself by combining compassionate service with an innovative approach to supporting grieving families. Guided by his vision of “Traditional Values, Modern Concepts, Golden Rule Service,” he was among the first funeral home owners in New Jersey to introduce a support-dog program. The program was inspired by his best friend and chocolate Labrador Retriever, Tammy, who provided love and compassion to all who entered the funeral home. More recently, he acquired The Max Challenge locations in Flemington and Clinton, forming The Max of Hunterdon, and incorporated fitness and nutrition into the funeral home’s aftercare program. Through these initiatives, D.J. has expanded the traditional role of a funeral home while demonstrating a distinctive blend of entrepreneurship, innovation, and community care. 

D.J. is Past-President of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association (NJSFDA), representing funeral directors across the state and New Jersey at the national level through the National Funeral Directors Association. He believes everyone should have some form of Life Celebration and views his role as a “guide” during some of life’s most trying moments. He conducts seminars on a wide array of topics related to the profession, ranging from coping skills to green funerals, for consumers and allied professionals including physicians, attorneys, nurses, and clergy. He is passionate about education and opening dialogue about these often taboo topics.

D.J. also serves in leadership roles with numerous community and charitable organizations. He is a board member of the Hunterdon Medical Center Foundation, Chairman of the Board of the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce, President of Prevention Resources, Inc., Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator for the Township of Raritan, and a Life Member of the Flemington-Raritan First Aid and Rescue Squad, where he continues to serve monthly duty time. He is also a past three-term Chaplain of Rotary International District #7510, a past board member of the Drew University College Alumni Association, and a past President and board member of Volunteer Guardianship One-on-One. He has been honored numerous times by organizations throughout Hunterdon County for his professional contributions and volunteer service.

Anthony V. Nicola C’91

Anthony V. Nicola C’91 discovered his passion for scientific research at Drew University. His experiences as a Drew Scholar and biology major helped shape his career as a virologist and educator. He remains deeply grateful for the liberal arts education he received at Drew, which taught him to think critically, communicate effectively, and approach complex problems from multiple perspectives. Those skills continue to guide his work as a scientist and mentor.

Just as important as his education were the friendships he formed at Drew. Anthony’s closest and oldest friends are people he met as a student, and those lifelong connections remain among the most meaningful parts of his Drew experience.

After earning his B.A. in Biology from Drew in 1991, Anthony completed a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and pursued postdoctoral training at Yale University School of Medicine. He joined Washington State University, where he is now Professor of Virology and Associate Dean for Graduate Education. His research focuses on how herpesviruses enter cells and cause infection, work that has been supported by the National Institutes of Health for more than 25 years. He is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and an internationally recognized leader in virology.

Throughout his career, Anthony has been committed not only to scientific discovery but also to mentorship, inclusion, and expanding opportunities for the next generation of scientists. He has trained and supported undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career scientists, helping them build successful careers in research, medicine, education, and public service. He believes science is strengthened by diverse perspectives and that education should prepare students to think broadly, ask difficult questions, and engage thoughtfully with the world.

Anthony lives in Pullman, Washington, with his husband, Joseph, a sociologist. Together, they remain enthusiastic advocates for the value of education, scholarship, and lifelong learning. Outside the laboratory, Anthony enjoys cooking, fitness, and spending time with friends.

Kathleen A. Hallissey C’86

As a first-generation college student, Kathleen A. Hallissey C’86 found both new opportunities and an invaluable network of ongoing support at Drew. She is particularly proud of being part of the team that made soccer a varsity sport for women at Drew. After graduating, she spent two years at a nonprofit helping women access reproductive health care. In 1990, she earned a Master of Public Administration degree from UMass Amherst and began her federal government career in Washington, D.C., through the Presidential Management Internship Program.

Kathy spent eight years in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, focusing on policy related to child welfare, child care, adoption, and other child-related programs, specifically Head Start and Early Head Start, in communities across the country. Her work centered on ensuring that every child and their family could access high-quality programs that would help set them up to succeed in school.

Kathy joined the Cleveland Foundation in 2005 and rose through the ranks. In 2010, she was part of the team that began an initiative called ENCORE, which finds volunteer and paid placements for retirees seeking a renewed sense of purpose. Her passion for children and youth also placed her at the heart of programs in her Cleveland neighborhood and church. In that spirit, she helped create the Public Service Fellowship program, which placed recent college graduates at public or nonprofit sites to gain meaningful experience and jump-start their careers. Some alumnae of the program stayed in Cleveland, while others spread across the country, including to New Jersey and New York. Equally important is her role in supporting a coalition that funds a multimillion-dollar project to expand access to high-quality preschool for every Cleveland child.

Today, Kathy is Vice President, Grantmaking at the Cleveland Foundation, focused on ensuring a vibrant Northeast Ohio where no Clevelander is left behind. She is married to the Rev. Douglas C. Horner, and together they are the proud parents of Julia and Lydia, who is also an alumna of Drew University.

Robert J. Duffy Jr. C’86

Robert J. Duffy Jr. C’86 has been a dedicated volunteer and advocate for Drew University for many years. Since 2013, he has served first as Co-Chair and then as Chair of the Boston Alumni Chapter, helping foster meaningful connections among Drew graduates throughout New England. Bob and his wife, Tara, whom he met while they were students at Drew, have also opened their home to host Drew admissions receptions and alumni social events, creating opportunities for prospective students, alumni, and families to connect with the University in a welcoming setting. Bob has further encouraged alumni engagement by personally subsidizing Young Alumni attendance at chapter events, making it easier for recent graduates to remain involved with Drew.

From 2016 to 2022, Bob served on the College Alumni Board, where he chaired the Communications Committee. He has also volunteered as both an Admissions Volunteer and a Career Center Volunteer, supporting prospective students, mentoring alumni, and strengthening the Drew community.

Beyond Drew, Bob is actively involved with the Duffy Health Center on Cape Cod, continuing his family’s longstanding commitment to improving the health and well-being of vulnerable community members through service and philanthropy.

Bob graduated from Drew in 1986 with a major in political science and graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 1989. He is the Director of Commercial Property Leasing and Corporate Counsel for Duffy Properties in Waltham, Massachusetts.

James Valente C’06

James Valente C’06 returned to Vermont after graduating from Drew to begin a four-year clerkship that allowed him to become a lawyer without going to law school – the only thing about him that might be described as “proto-Kim Kardashian.” Admitted to practice in 2011, James became managing partner of Costello Valente Group (CVG) in 2014. During this period, James and his wife, Jayinee Adhvaryu C’07, had two daughters, foster-parented a teenage boy, and served as home-care providers for two adults with disabilities.

CVG is one of Vermont’s ten largest firms, which would make it one of the 6,000 largest firms in New Jersey. James handles trial and appellate work in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York, while also devoting significant time to pro bono representation.His work has included  representing indigent and marginalized clients in homicide trials, pursuing a class action to obtain hepatitis C treatment for incarcerated people, litigating civil rights cases arising from police brutality, and engaging in constitutional advocacy related to free speech, firearms, parental rights, and public education funding. He also defended not one but two dogs facing euthanasia. Both were allowed to live.

James has devoted considerable time to what he describes as  a variety of “less exciting” endeavors in the community. He chaired the Planning Commission and Development Review Board in Brattleboro for a decade. After serving at the town and county levels for the Democratic Party, he became vice chair of the state committee and a member of the Democratic National Committee in 2016. He served as Chair of the Board of the Asian American Cultural Center of Vermont; a Board Member of 802 Credit Union, which serves more than 40,000 members; and county fundraiser for the Vermont Bar Foundation. Within the legal profession, James has served onthe Board of Managers of the Vermont Bar Association, chaired its Young Lawyers Division, and represented Vermont as one of the state’s three delegates to the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates, the organization’s national governing body.

James lives in Sea Cliff, Long Island, with his wife and two daughters. The eldest, a high school senior, is making this her college visit and is not at all embarrassed to be mentioned.

Michael A. Collina C’16

Michael A. Collina C’16 graduated magna cum laude from Drew in 2016 with a degree in English Literature. While at Drew, Michael served on the Editorial Board of the Drew Review and as president of Sigma Tau Delta. As a participant in both the London Semester and the New York Semester on Media and Communications, Michael has also spoken to subsequent Drew classes about his experience in the audiobook industry and the power of storytelling to celebrate the wide spectrum of human experiences and identities.

After graduating from Drew, Michael began his career as a freelance video editor and summer college mentor before joining Audible to curate the content catalog for the Audible Romance Package. Starting as a content associate and working his way up to editorial manager, senior editor, and now director, he spends his days interviewing authors, reviewing audiobooks, and identifying the best listens for Audible customers. Over the past nine years, Michael has interviewed Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart; Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Doris Kearns Goodwin and Andrea Long Chu; PEN/Hemingway Award winner Torrey Peters; Lambda Literary Award winners André Aciman and Bill Konigsberg; and Golden Globe-, Tony-, and Emmy Award-winning actress Mary-Louise Parker.

Working with a wide range of authors, narrators, and publishers, Michael prides himself on championing diversity, inclusion, and belonging on a global scale. One of his proudest accomplishments has been leading the expansion of Audible’s Hear My Story program, growing the reach of inclusive content collections across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Michael currently serves as Director of Editorial Operations and is responsible for the editorial team’s planning, scheduling, and reporting on campaigns that foster content discovery and engagement for Audible listeners. Through all of his work, Michael is proud to champion the power of the spoken word and celebrate the real-world impact of literature, audiobooks, and storytelling.

Bryana Debra De Veaux C’16

Bryana Debra De Veaux C’16 received her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and sustainability from Drew University in December 2016. As an undergraduate, she founded Drew’s inaugural Waste Audit Day.

Bryana serves as Director of Legislative Affairs at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), where she is responsible for developing and implementing the Department’s legislative initiatives and priorities. She leads DEP’s legislative team in responding to pending legislation and oversees intergovernmental relations with the State Legislature and Congressional delegation. She serves as principal advisor to the Acting Commissioner and other senior DEP staff and as a point of contact for lobbyists, the regulated community, and advocates.

Before joining DEP, Bryana worked as a policy analyst for the New Jersey General Assembly Majority Office, developing and analyzing legislation. She also assisted in drafting legislation as a committee aide to the Assembly Higher Education Committee and the Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee.

In 2025, Bryana was named one of Insider NJ’s Most Powerful Women.