The Wagner College Alumni Association Board of Directors has elected new board members and officers for the 2026–27 academic year.
The board is pleased to announce the following three alumni selected to join the board, with their respective profiles provided further below for reference:
Arno Rafael Minkkinen ’67
Ann Taranto Giordano ’69 M’70
Lauretta Zitano ’81 M’86
The board also elected its executive committee:
Jiannetto-Alesi ’96, President
Dawn Farina ’06, Vice President
Dennis Ritell ’06 M’07, Corresponding Secretary
For a complete membership listing of the Wagner College Alumni Association Board of Directors, please visit this link on our website.
Arno Rafael Minkkinen ’67
A
rno Rafael Minkkinen attended Wagner College from 1963 to 1967, initially studying philosophy and religion before an English Literature course with Professor Thomas Kendris shifted his focus toward writing. While at Wagner, he wrote poems and short stories for Nimbus, the college’s literary magazine, and served as its editor during his junior year. He was also a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. During his senior year, he met Sandra Hughes ’68, whom he followed to Bregenz for the second semester. The couple has been married for nearly 57 years and lives in Andover, Mass.
After graduating from Wagner in 1967, Minkkinen began his career as a copywriter on Madison Avenue, working with clients including Peugeot automobiles, Austrian Airlines, J&B Scotch and Minolta Cameras. A headline he created for Minolta inspired him to pursue photography. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design, studying with photographer Harry Callahan, and went on to teach photography in Finland and the United States.
Minkkinen served as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aalto University and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he is now professor emeritus. His photography has been featured in more than 100 solo exhibitions and seven monographs, with work included in more than 75 museum and institutional collections worldwide. His honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Pro Finlandia Medal, the William Klein Lifetime Achievement Prize and recognition as Finlandia Foundation National’s Artist of the Year for 2026–27.
As a member of the Wagner College Alumni Association Board of Directors, Minkkinen hopes to support alumni-driven programs that celebrate Wagner’s liberal arts and humanities traditions.
Ann Taranto Giordano ’69 M’70
Ann Taranto Giordano earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1969 and her master’s degree in 1970 from Wagner College. While at Wagner, she played on the women’s basketball team and was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She remained at Wagner as a Graduate Assistant while completing her graduate studies and married her husband, Mike.
After receiving her master’s degree, Giordano taught mathematics and science at the high school level. She also served as an assistant basketball coach, helped with the softball team and gave tennis lessons. In 1979, she transitioned into financial software consulting, helping companies with the installation and setup of accounting systems. Though retired, she continues to assist in the management of multiple family businesses.
Giordano has maintained a strong connection to Wagner College through alumni leadership and philanthropy. During her previous service on the Alumni Association Board, she initiated the Alumni Development Fund, allowing the board to support events and initiatives through dedicated funding. She also helped raise $100,000 for the Barney Taranto Scholarship at Wagner College with her siblings following the passing of her father. In addition, she was instrumental in raising $100,000 for the Alpha Delta Pi scholarship at Wagner.
Giordano continues her service to Wagner as president of the Wagner College Guild. She is excited to return to the Alumni Association Board and work with alumni across generations to support the Wagner community.
Lauretta Zitano ’81 M’86
Lauretta Zitano earned a Bachelor of Science degree in bacteriology in 1981 and a Master of Business Administration degree in 1986, both from Wagner College. She also completed additional graduate-level coursework in microbiology, biochemistry, and biochemical engineering and technology at Wagner College, Rutgers University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
For more than 40 years, Zitano has worked in the pharmaceutical industry at Merck, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline and BeOne Medicines. Her career has included roles in basic research, regulatory affairs, quality assurance and legal departments. In clinical research quality assurance roles, she has traveled extensively to medical facilities and institutions around the world, reviewing and evaluating clinical research practices in oncology, neuroscience, vaccine and infectious disease therapeutic areas on behalf of patients and research sponsors.
Zitano participates in and volunteers for several organizations throughout New York and New Jersey, including the Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, New York Road Runners, the Jersey Shore Running Club, the Joan Dancy ALS Foundation, the World Police and Fire Games and the Wagner College Hardwood Club. She also serves as secretary of the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame and remains active in professional organizations focused on global clinical research practices and regulatory intelligence.
Her connection to Wagner began with her mother, Dr. Vincenza Mattiace, who was a professor in the college’s Language Department until her passing in 1961. Inspired by her mother’s legacy, Zitano remains deeply connected to Wagner through her support of athletics, especially the Hardwood Club, as well as theater and musical productions, Career Conversations, Alpha Delta Pi, Tau Kappa Epsilon and many alumni relationships.
