July 16, 2007 

NYIT Inducts Four in to Athletics Hall of Fame at Ninth Annual Awards Banquet

Old Westbury, N.Y., July 16, 2007: The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) Department of Athletics has inducted four new members to its Athletics Hall of Fame. Bob Costello (baseball, B.F.A.’84) of Dix Hills, N.Y.; Scott Hutchinson (lacrosse, B.S.’97) of New York City; Jim McGowan (football, B.S. ’74) of Bayshore, N.Y.; and Gail Wasmus (volleyball coach and athletics administrator, M.P.S. ’80) of Huntington, N.Y., were honored on June 21 at the ninth annual awards banquet, held at the Chateau Briand in Carle Place, N.Y.

“We are extremely excited to have such a great class of honorees who continue to leave their footprints in the world of sports through coaching and administrative work,” said Clyde M. Doughty Jr., NYIT’s director of athletics.

NYIT presented the Dr. William T. “Buck” Lai Wonderful Life Achievement Award to Donna Lopiano, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the Women’s Sports Foundation. The award is given to individuals who have dedicated themselves to establishing high standards in education, with an emphasis on athletic achievement. The award is named in honor of the late Buck Lai, who was NYIT’s athletics director from 1984-1988.

“The most meaningful part of receiving such an honor is the nature of the organization honoring you,” said Lopiano. “NYIT is special because it is one of a handful of colleges that has found a balance between academic and athletic excellence and student development. I have the utmost respect for Clyde and the coaching staff. This honor is very humbling.”

Established in 1998, NYIT’s Athletics Hall of Fame honors outstanding performances by NYIT alumni athletes on the fields of play, as well as those who have distinguished themselves as model coaches and administrators. To date, 62 members and one team have been inducted into NYIT’s Hall of Fame, representing athletes, coaches and administrators from 13 intercollegiate sports. In 2006, NYIT began presenting the Wonderful Life Achievement Award to a deserving individual who embodies the spirit and enthusiasm that Buck demonstrated during his 41 years of intercollegiate athletic and collegiate administration. A committee of athletic administrators and former athletes select the honorees for induction.

About NYIT

NYIT is the college of choice for more than 14,000 students enrolled in more than 100 specialized courses of study leading to undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in academic areas such as architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions, behavioral, and life sciences; management; and osteopathic medicine. As a private, nonprofit, independent institution of higher learning, NYIT embraces an educational philosophy of career-oriented professional education for all qualified students and supports applications-oriented research to benefit the greater global community. Students attend classes at NYIT’s campuses in Manhattan and Long Island, as well as online and in a number of programs throughout the world. To date, more than 73,000 alumni have earned degrees at NYIT. For more information, visit www.nyit.edu.

Contact: mediarelations@nyit.edu