Verovino, a craft wine shop based out of Ventura, CA, describes themselves as a “farmers’ market for wine and olive oil serving consumers & businesses across the US.” They take pride in knowing exactly where their products come from - the farmers, the sustainable practices used to produce them, and the quality craftsmanship that makes their premium products unique.

Sheila Donohue ‘87, Verovino’s Founder, CEO, and Sommelier, has transformed her passion for authenticity and delicious products into a thriving business. But her commitment doesn’t end there - she has also tied this passion into support for her alma mater, Manhattan University. After hosting wine tastings at Reunion Weekends over the past several years, Sheila has maintained a strong connection to the university, which continues this holiday season.

Just in time for Christmas, Verovino presents a series of Jasper wines, a portion of proceeds from which go to benefitting Manhattan University.

Check out Verovino’s products and shop your choice of Jasper’s Gris Pinot Grigio, Jaspers Cab Cabernet Sauvignon, or the Go Jaspers! Wine Gift Basket, which contains both delicious varieties!

Check out the Jaspers Wine Shop now! Use discount code VEROJASPER at checkout!

CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE JASPERS WINE SHOP!

Jaspers enjoying Verovino Craft Wines at past Reunion Weekends. 

Jeanette Settembre ‘13 is excited to announce her debut novel, Little Red Flags, coming out May 5, 2026! A recipient of the James Patterson  Scholarship, Settembre credits the opportunities this scholarship afforded her - along with the support she received at Manhattan University and the strength of its alumni network - for helping her become the person she is today. Little Red Flags, published by Regalo Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster, and is available for preorder now! 

Read a brief summary about the book, as written on Simon & Schuster:

“Sex. Crime. Obsession. Free fall. A thrilling summer romance in the Hamptons takes a harrowing turn when a New York City food writer lets chemistry eclipse her judgment.

Mia De Luce is a successful, twenty-five-year-old food writer with zest and appetite. She’s built her dream life in Manhattan while working at her family’s red sauce restaurant. But she’s missing one thing—love.

Then, one thrilling weekend away in the Hamptons, she is seduced by a charismatic and attractive stranger named Ben Cohen. Caught up in the whirlwind romance, Mia ignores the little red flags she and others see—like Ben’s adrenaline-seeking tendencies and reckless attitude. She turns a blind eye because, for the first time, she feels truly seen by someone.

But a single event shatters their all-consuming chemistry and forces Mia to live a double life. One as a food writer, savoring caviar bumps and champagne at the world’s best restaurants…and one in secret, filled with shame and deception. 

Can Mia confront the truth about herself, Ben, and their relationship? Or, will she lose herself forever to Ben’s world and his toxic manipulation, destroying the enviable life she built for herself in New York City?”

Pat Carlucci ‘73 published his second book on baseball in November of  2025! He is excited to announce that all profits of the book will be donated to charities, including the American Red Cross. 

A brief summary of Baseball in Paradise: A Century of Spring Training Bradenton, Florida: 

takes both approaches. First, frenetic forces pull the author into a bar which Babe Ruth once owned—this quickly spurs him on toward the discovery of a beach cottage which Warren Spahn sold to his Milwaukee Braves teammate, Eddie Mathews. Adventures like these (which inspired the author to write this book) are set against the idyllic backdrop of an island paradise—a paradise which is almost as enticing as an afternoon at Fenway or Wrigley. After this sprint of discovery and joy, we sink into a one-hundred-year timeline of baseball history, diligently researched and stocked with hundreds of statistics. Famous tales are interwoven with lesser-known backstories, such as Joe DiMaggio coaching Reggie Jackson while both were with the Athletics, and the career chronicle of the pitching coach of Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine. Baseball is a paradise, and this book serves as your tour guide. Adventure calls, curiosity beckons—it’s time to step up to the plate and let the journey begin.

MORE ABOUT PAT AND HIS NEW BOOK CAN BE READ FROM THE ANNA MARIA ISLAND SUN VOL. 26 NO. 4, LINKED HERE!

Kevin Campbell, Ph.D. ‘73 has been named a recipient of the 2025 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize, an accolade awarded annually by Columbia University for outstanding work in medical science. Dr. Campbell will share this honor with fellow researchers Louis Kunkel, Ph.D., and Eric Olson, Ph.D., in recognition for their groundbreaking discoveries regarding the biological causes of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Their incredible research and breakthroughs provide a foundation for revolutionary treatments for DMD and other muscular disorders. 

Dr. Campbell received his Bachelor of Science from Manhattan University in 1973. He currently serves as the director of the Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center, as well as a professor and chair of molecular physiology and biophysics at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. 

As a faculty member and researcher at the University of Iowa for over forty years, Dr. Campbell has pioneered reseLarch on muscular dystrophies. His discoveries have paved the way for successful gene therapies and helped advance clinical treatments for patients affected by these degenerative diseases. 

Discover more in the articles linked below!

Article Links

Campbell earns Horwitz Prize for muscular dystrophy discoveries 2025 Horwitz Prize Awarded for Muscular Dystrophy Research

At 91, Dr. Art De Simone, M.D. (or “Dr. D” as he is known by friends) is retiring from his position as Medical Director of Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative (BVMI), a clinic which provides free healthcare to the working uninsured in Bergen County, NJ. He will be passing the torch and the title of Medical Director to fellow Manhattan University alumna Karen Latimer, M.D. ‘95.

Dr. Latimer, who has volunteered at BVMI for a decade, reflects on her time working with Dr. De Simone and the true commitment he has to his career as a medical professional, describing him as: “...one of the wisest, most patient, most compassionate physicians I've had the honor to meet.”

After graduating from Manhattan University with a Bachelor of Science in 1956, Dr. De Simone went on to earn his M.D. from Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1960. He completed his residency at Georgetown University Hospital, followed by a fellowship at Columbia. In 1964, he joined the Army and was deployed the following year to South Vietnam, serving as a physician with the Third Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H.) in Bien Hoa during the height of the Vietnam War.

From 1966 to 1991, he worked in private practice. He continued to give back to the community by taking on teaching roles at both NYU and Columbia as an Instructor of Medicine. He served as an Attending Physician at several hospitals. He also held many leadership roles including Medical Director at Valley Health Services, as well as at Bergen Regional Medical Center.

Since 2008, he’s been with BVMI, serving in many capacities, including healthcare provider, mentor, and passionate advocate for access to healthcare. Beyond the impressive resume, what really stands out is his compassion, patience, and the genuine kindness he shows to everyone he meets. He’s someone who found his true calling in medicine, and his decades-long commitment to care continues to inspire the many doctors and nurses who've had the privilege to work alongside him. We wish Dr. De Simone the best of luck in retirement, thank him for his admirable service to the community, and are proud to call him a Jasper.

As the nation marks the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a Brooklyn family honors the memory of Jimmy Quinn - a 23 year old Manhattan University graduate who died while working as a young finance professional in the North Tower. Known for his passion and living life to the fullest, Jimmy had recently passed his Series 7 exam before the attacks. His brother, Joe Quinn, a West Point graduate and Iraq veteran, remembers that day vividly and continues to honor Jimmy’s legacy through his work supporting veterans, his involvement with the Museum Visionary Network Leadership Council at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and through attending Mets games with his family.

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Manhattan University is proud to announce that recent graduate Maya Evans Harger ’25 has been accepted into the Peace Corps. Harger departed for Costa Rica on July 12, 2025, where she will begin training as a Youth in Development volunteer.

A Severna Park, Maryland native, Harger earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and International Studies at Manhattan. She says her decision to serve stemmed from a passion for language, cultural immersion, and community engagement.

“I was motivated to join the Peace Corps to deepen my understanding of language and fully immerse myself in a different culture,” Harger said. “Most importantly, I hoped to make a meaningful difference by contributing my skills and working collaboratively with others toward sustainable change.”

In her role, Harger will work with parents, teachers, and local leaders in Costa Rica to support young people in becoming healthy, productive, and active citizens.

Harger is a graduate of Severna Park High School and the daughter of Aaron and Terri Ann Harger. She joins the 121 Maryland residents currently serving in the Peace Corps, adding to the more than 6,700 from the state who have served since the organization’s founding in 1961.