By Amelia Kibbe
Editor-in-Chief
As part of the academic section of the university’s opening ceremonies, university officials honored one of Bonaventure’s longest-standing professors, Patrick Panzarella, Ph. D.
Over the summer, anonymous donors gave a $600,000 gift to establish a professorship in Panzarella’s honor. On Sunday, Sister Margaret Carney, O.S.F, university president, presented Panzarella with a plaque in recognition of his years of service.
Panzarella, raised in Rhode Island, began teaching English at St. Bonaventure in 1965. Early in his first year he also became the men’s tennis coach, he said.
As tennis coach, Panzarella led the team from being Division I in name only to being a competitive team. In 1974, he founded the women’s tennis team.
For his efforts and successes with both the men’s and the women’s teams, university athletic officials inducted Panzarella into the university’s hall of fame in 2003. At the time of his induction, Panzarella was the longest-standing coach of any sport in school history.
Along with coaching tennis, Panzarella has taught more than 20 different English courses, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. He served as the chairman of the department for six years.
In addition, he has, among other things, served on the alumni reunion committee, the campus ministry council, the faculty senate, the university athletic board and the honor council.
He founded and has directed the university’s study abroad summer program in Italy. He has taken more than 360 students to the city of Perugia since the program’s beginning.
However, as sophomore English major Sara Bermingham said, Panzarella always finds time to work with each of his students.
“English Literature with Dr. Panzarella was one of my favorite classes I took last year mainly because of his teaching style,” she said. “He teaches with a lot of passion and it shows, which is why I enjoyed his class so much. Dr. Panzarella is a wonderful professor and I have been urging my friends to take a class with him because he is such a knowledgeable person and one of the nicest professors on campus.”
At the ceremony Sunday, different friends and colleagues, including professors Bob Donius and Lauren Matz, talked about their experiences with Panzarella.
“He made it [teaching] look easy and fun,” said Lauren Matz, Ph. D, a colleague of Panzarella’s for almost 30 years. “I see that this is one of the great gifts that he has brought to the university. His readiness, some would say his gladness, to learn so that he can teach others…I have always been amazed by his unbelievably high energy… Congratulations, Dr. Panzarella on completing your first 50 years here…”
For a full feature story written by Amelia Kibbe on Panzarella and his time at St. Bonaventure, visit the university’s website and select the story about Panzarella under the “news” heading, and then select “click here” at the bottom of the page.
kibbeaa13@bonaventure.edu
