In Memoriam

Remembering recently deceased members of our cherished GSE community

Faculty

Lorna Peterson

 July 22, 1956—November 11, 2024 

GSE mourns the passing of Lorna Peterson, associate professor emeritus in the Department of Information Science, who died on Nov. 11, 2024, at the age of 68. A dedicated educator, researcher and advocate, Peterson left a lasting mark on the field of library and information science, as well as the Buffalo community.

Peterson joined UB’s information and library science program in 1990, became a full-time faculty member the following year and was promoted to associate professor in 1998. She retired in December 2014, concluding a career defined by her unwavering commitment to equity, diversity and social justice in library systems.

Throughout her career, Peterson conducted research that illuminated critical issues of racial and social diversity in library and information science education and practice. She developed courses on multiculturalism in libraries, tasked her students with establishing library services in underserved communities and compiled extensive bibliographies on pressing social issues.

Her leadership extended beyond UB—she was an active member of the American Library Association. She served as president of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) from 2010 to 2011. In recognition of her impact, ALISE honored her with the Service Award in 2013.

Peterson’s influence also reached beyond academia. She spearheaded a national campaign to save the library school at Clark Atlanta University, a historically Black institution that had long been a training ground for Black library leaders.

Her impact lives on in the work of her students, the institutions she helped shape and the communities she uplifted.

Lorna Peterson.

Alumni

1940s

  • Ruth D. Bennett, AAS ’43, Adv. Cert. ’43 | 11/04/2024
  • Betty-Jane A. Fenwick, EdM ’48 | 03/28/2025

1950s

  • Helene D. Ageloff, BEd ’56 | 12/31/2024
  • Dr. Fred Bigelsen, BA ’56 | 01/30/2025
  • Raymond R. Chamberlin, EdM ’56, BEd ’54 | 12/28/2024
  • Mary Voelcker Doino, EdM ’56 | 12/02/2024
  • Donna W. Farley, EdM ’59, BS ’92 | 11/27/2024
  • Jane L. Ward, BEd ’50 | 11/24/2024

1960s

  • Enid G. Edelman, BEd ’62 | 02/12/2025
  • Chris G. Frauenhofer, EdM ’63 | 01/21/2025
  • Adele Gan, BEd ’66 | 03/25/2025
  • Joanne M. Herman, EdM ’65 | 11/19/2024
  • Lucy F. Kemp, BEd ’64 | 12/06/2024
  • Sandra G. Kurtzman, BEd ’60 | 04/03/2025
  • Harry J. Kushner, BEd ’60 | 01/23/2025
  • Alan D. Marcy, BEd ’64 | 01/18/2025
  • Alan J. Rizzuto, MS ’67, BA ’65 | 12/20/2024
  • Frank X. Vogel, Jr., EdM ’66 | 11/30/2024

1970s

  • Robert W. Arnold, EdM ’70 | 05/24/2024
  • Joseph F. Argenio, EdM ’76, BA ’65 | 12/22/2024
  • Dr. Willis Beardsley, EdD ’77 | 01/26/2025
  • Dr. Jerry L. Bream, EdD ’79, EdM ’72 | 03/05/2025
  • David A. Butry, MS ’72 | 11/03/2024
  • Karen M. Daly, EdM ’72 | 02/26/2025
  • Carol I. Donley, EdM ’72 | 03/20/2025
  • John J. Grandits, EdM ’73, MS ’68 | 11/01/2024
  • Violette B. Janofsky, EdM ’76, BA ’70 | 01/08/2025
  • Rowena J. Jones, EdM ’72 | 03/22/2025
  • Paul E. Kosek, EdM ’76 | 02/07/2025
  • Sally A. Loree, MLS ’78 | 01/31/2024
  • Maria G. Malaniak, EdM ’76, BA ’70 | 10/27/2024
  • Mary G. McGarva, EdM ’71 | 10/23/2024
  • Peter A. Mirando, EdM ’79, BA ’73 | 03/23/2025
  • Reverend Marguerite R. Ogden, EdM ’70 | 12/23/2024
  • Jeanne M. Roma, EdM ’77 | 02/25/2025
  • Colette G. Romano, EdM ’74 | 01/31/2025
  • Vernon C. Saeger, MS ’71, BA ’69 | 11/11/2024
  • Jeanette K. Schonfeld, EdM ’73 | 11/03/2024
  • Max Sloan, EdM ’73, BA ’70 | 03/16/2025
  • Glenna Sternin, EdM ’76 | 10/23/2024
  • Janet M. Taylor, MLS ’75 | 03/14/2025
  • Darlene M. Vallas, EdM ’71 | 12/18/2024
  • Laura L. Wright, EdM ’75 | 01/19/2025

1980s

  • Miriam H. Brown, MLS ’85, BA ’53 | 01/28/2025
  • Dr. Wayne S. Cook, PhD ’85 | 01/12/2025
  • Dr. Fay T. Friedman, PhD ’81 | 01/24/2025
  • Dr. Peter P. Olevnik, PhD ’86 | 12/03/2024
  • Roberta H. Reddin, MS ’86 | 10/17/2024
  • Patricia E. Tanner, EdM ’88 | 11/11/2024

1990s

  • Elizabeth A. Fernandez, EdM ’94 | 10/27/2024
  • Elizabeth G. Hales, MLS ’99 | 03/08/2025
  • Patricia W. Hatt, EdM ’92, BS ’75 | 01/31/2025
  • Margaret P. Joseph, MLS ’92 | 11/14/2024
  • Kathleen A. Milliman, EdM ’98 | 02/21/2025
  • Julie Ann Zulewski, EdM ’93 | 11/18/2024

2000s

  • Sarah M. Dovi, MLS ’05 | 11/16/2024
  • Terence A. Duran, EdM ’03, Adv. Cert. ’03 | 11/22/2024