Most Distinguished Alumnus: Linda Caldwell Epps, M.A.E. '88
For her dedication to higher education and service to the community of Newark, N.J., Seton Hall University is proud to present Linda Caldwell Epps with its highest alumni honor, Most Distinguished Alumnus.
Capping a distinguished career, Caldwell Epps today serves as president and CEO of the New Jersey Historical Society, which is the state’s oldest continuous cultural institution. But for more than 30 years, she worked at Bloomfield College in a number of positions, including vice president for Student Affairs and vice president for College Relations. More recently, Caldwell Epps was vice president for Institutional Relations at NJN, New Jersey’s Public Television and Radio stations, before assuming her position at the Historical Society in 2005.
She has also served as a consultant on issues of diversity and equity in higher education to several institutions of higher learning. Among these were Keene State College in New Hampshire, Mount Union College in Ohio and the College of Saint Elizabeth in New Jersey. In addition, she consulted to the American Association of Colleges and University’s Ford Foundation-funded initiative called “American Commitments: Diversity, Democracy, and Liberal Learning.”
A native of Elizabeth, N.J., Caldwell Epps holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in American Studies from Douglass College of Rutgers University and Seton Hall University, respectively. She is working towards her Doctor of Letters at Drew University.
Over the years, she has dedicated her time to work on behalf of various educational, cultural and religious organizations. Among her civic roles, she has been a board member of the Advocates for New Jersey History, chairman of governance of the New Jersey Black Heritage and Cultural Initiative and board member of the Jewish Museum of New Jersey. Caldwell Epps, her husband Mark Epps Jr., and her two sons, Mark and Bryan, are members of Bethany Baptist Church in Newark.
Alumni Service Award: Mark Lo Giudice '81
In recognition of his longstanding work with the Alumni Association Board of Directors, Seton Hall University is honored to present Mark Lo Giudice with the 2008 Alumni Association Board Service Award.
A 1981 graduate of the Stillman School of Business, Lo Giudice has forged his career in the field of corporate human resources. His gained his early experience at Towers Perrin, one of the world’s largest management and human resource consulting firms, where he served as a principal for the firm’s specialty call center business. While at Towers, Lo Giudice ran every aspect of a Fortune 500 client’s call center operations. Among other responsibilities, he oversaw all call center issues for this global concern – developing new business strategies, managing the operation’s budget and directing a supervisory staff of 20, who managed as many as 400 customer service representatives.
Today, Lo Giudice is vice president of his own company, Peloton Consulting, LLC, which specializes in call center strategy and operations. His primary role is in business development for Peloton, which offers services related to staffing issues, training systems, scheduling and business development.
Lo Giudice served as an Alumni Board member for 10 years. During his tenure, he held the increasingly responsible positions of secretary, president-elect (vice president) and president. Under Lo Giudice’s leadership, the board redefined how it recruited its members, and it rewrote the board’s constitution. He was also a member of several key committees, including the Many Are One committee and the Seton Hall Alumni Recruitment Program (SHARP) committee.
Still an active participant in the Seton Hall community, Lo Giudice is a member of the University Advisory Council. He can also be seen at Pirate Blue events, the Many Are One alumni awards gala and at most SHARP events throughout the year.
Humanitarian Award: Robin Cunningham ’78/M.A. ’84/Ed.S. ’94
For her commitment to mentoring students and her dedication to Seton Hall, the University is privileged to present Robin Cunningham with the 2008 Many Are One Humanitarian Award.
Beloved by several generations of Seton Hall sports players, Cunningham served as the school’s director of Academic Support Services for student-athletes between 1982 and 2003. Her outstanding work has been recognized both locally and nationally. She was honored in 1991 with the Outstanding Adviser Award presented by the National Association for Academic Advisers. She also received a Distinguished Service Award in 1994 from the Ernst and Young Law Symposium at Seton Hall University School of Law, and received the President’s Award for Outstanding Service to Students in 1996. In 2002, Cunningham received the Most Valuable Person (MVP) Award for her service to the Seton Hall men’s basketball team. And, in 2005, Cunningham was honored as the University’s Woman of the Year.
Today, Cunningham divides her time as an adviser in Freshman Studies and director of the Seton Summer Scholars’ program, which is in its second year, and provides life skills workshops for student-athletes. These activities provide Cunningham with the opportunity to mentor students on the tools and strategies they need to be successful not only during their university stay but throughout life.
Cunningham also volunteers with Team Walker, a non-profit organization that creates safe and constructive programs for inner city youth today. Team Walker was founded by Jerry Walker ’03, a student-athlete whom Cunningham mentored while he was playing men’s basketball at Seton Hall.
Originally from Westfield, N.J., Cunningham graduated from Seton Hall in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in English. In 1984, she earned her master’s degree in Student Personnel Services, and she received her Ed.S. (Educational Specialist) degree in 1996. She resides today in North Plainfield, N.J.
