Oct. 19, 2009
PITTSBURGH - The Pitt Varsity Letter Club will honor six former letterwinners as 2009 "Awardees of Distinction" during the club's 49th Annual Awards Dinner on Friday, Oct. 23, in Alumni Hall's Connolly Ballroom.
The awards honor varsity letterwinners who have distinguished themselves in their professions and communities and who, by their accomplishments, have enhanced the value of Pitt's intercollegiate athletic programs. To be eligible, a nominee must have earned a varsity letter in intercollegiate athletics at Pitt 25 or more years ago.
The following individuals are the 2009 Awardees of Distinction winners:
JOE CARROLL, Football
During his tenure at Pitt, Dr. Joseph W. Carroll earned three varsity letters with the Panthers football team. An active student, Joe was also a member of both the Intramural Basketball team, and the Black Action Society (BAS). Following his Pitt career, Carroll continued to play football professionally including stints with the Oakland Raiders (1972-1974), the Houston Texans/Shreveport Steamer (1974) and the Green Bay Packers (1975).
Carroll has earned three degrees from the University of Pittsburgh: a bachelor's degree in English composition with a minor in Spanish in 1972; a master's in education in 1974 and a doctorate in higher education administration in 1978. His career in the education field has covered a wide array of positions including teaching positions in the Wilkinsburg School District, the Pittsburgh Public School System and at Point Park University as a second language teacher. He eventually returned to Wilkinsburg to serve as an assistant principal. He has also acted as the principal at both East Allegheny Jr./Sr. High School and Clairton High School. Joe currently holds the position of Superintendent of the Penn Hills School District in Pittsburgh.
A member of the Board of Directors for the Phase IV Learning Institution, Dr. Carroll has also been involved with St. James A.M.E since 1985. He has served on the Advisory Board of the Pennnsylvania Human Relations Commission, the Campfire Boys and Girls Board of Directors (1990-1999) and as president of the Upper Ohio Valley Chapter of NFLPA from 1988-2001.
Dr. Carroll and his wife Diane, a Pittsburgh Public Schools administrator, reside in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The couple has three children: Alysha, a web designer/graphic artist for Frameworks Information Technology in downtown Pittsburgh; Brian, head coach of the Luxembourg professional basketball team, Basket Esch; and Matthew, an editorial clerk of audio recordings of books at the Carnegie Library branch for the blind and physically handicapped.
MERLE DeLUCA, Football
A U.S. Army veteran and former Pitt Panther, Merle DeLuca was a three-year varsity football letterman at Pitt. He earned All-East Team honors in 1952.
DeLuca received his bachelor's degree in education in 1953. He went on to join the U.S. Army, 3rd armored division, where he played for and coached the Army football team at Ft. Knox.
Currently, DeLuca serves as C.E.O. of C.M. Eichenlaub Co. His company engineers, designs, and furnishes seating for many athletics venues including the Philadelphia Eagles' Lincoln Financial Field, the Palumbo Center at Duquesne University and the Petersen Events Center at the University of Pittsburgh among others.
DeLuca serves as a teacher, trustee and deacon for Hebron United Presbyterian Church. He was a representative for the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association's Scholarship Fund Committee and served on the Board of Directors for the Beulah Road Land Co. for 16 years.
DeLuca and his wife Catherine maintain a residence in Murrysville, Pa. They have two children, Cyndi and Sharon.
JERRY DeMURO, Swimming & Diving
Born in Philadelphia, Pa., Gerard J. DeMuro was a four-year letterman for the University of Pittsburgh men's swimming team. DeMuro's career as an outstanding swimmer included his invitation and participation in the 1976 U.S. Olympic team trials. A six-time Eastern Intercollegiate champion, he was twice voted the Most Outstanding Performer at the conference's championships. DeMuro was undefeated in intercollegiate competition over the last three years of his career and was named Pitt's Most Valuable Swimmer during each of those three years. In 1977, DeMuro was named to the NCAA Division I All America Team and received the Blue and Gold Award for outstanding academic and athletic achievement.
DeMuro graduated from Pitt in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in communication science. He went on to receive his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1986.
He began his career with the Department of Defense as an Acquisition Official. He then went on to work for GTE Government Systems, rising within the company to become Vice President and General Manager of the Communications Systems Division. Currently, DeMuro holds the position of Corporate Vice President and Executive Vice President of the Information Systems and Technology Group for General Dynamics Corporation.
DeMuro is a member of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association serving on the International Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Finance Committee, and Governance Committee. He is also a member of the Association of the United States Army.
DeMuro has devoted his time to various activities such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Taunton, Mass., as well as various associations for children with special needs, including the New England Center for Children and the Grafton School.
DeMuro and his wife Kathy reside in Great Falls, Va., and have been married for 28 years. They have two children, Jerry and Rachel.
WAYNE DiBARTOLA, Football
Dr. Wayne J. DiBartola, Jr. came to the University of Pittsburgh in 1977 for two reasons: "to carry the football for one of the most storied football programs in the country and to be a dentist." DiBartola went on to accomplish both feats.
He left Pitt having earning four varsity letters from 1977-81 and received his bachelor's degree in environmental engineering in 1980. Following his Pitt career, he turned down NFL contract offers with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles to continue his education in Dentistry.
Upon completing Dental School in 1985, DiBartola opened his first practice in Bridgeville, just outside of Pittsburgh. Since then, he has continued his education in dentistry receiving numerous certifications including an anesthesia permit to provide sedation for his patients. His practice has continued to advance over the years, including relocation to a larger facility in Bridgeville.
DiBartola continues to give back to the community by coaching various youth teams throughout the Pittsburgh area. He became a member of Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Pittsburgh in 1987 and was named Big Brother of the Year in 1995. DiBartola continues to participate in Donated Dental Services for the Handicapped, off-site oral health presentations for preschools, and hosts a career shadow day for high school students interested in dental careers.
DiBartola and his wife Christine have five children: Danielle, Wayne III, Santino, McClain, and Zalie.
CATHY GORDON, Volleyball
A two-year volleyball letterwinner, Cathy Gordon earned three Pitt degrees: an undergraduate degree in CGS, master's degree in GSPIA and law degree. She helped the Panthers to the Big East Championship in 1984, was named to the Big East all-tournament Team and various other All-Tournament squads.
While pursuing her graduate studies at Pitt, Gordon served as the graduate assistant strength coach under Warren Sipp. She also served as Pitt's graduate assistant women's volleyball coach as recruiting coordinator.
Upon graduating, Gordon worked in civil defense litigation for 20 years, representing clients in state and federal courts in various jurisdictions around the country. She has served as both trial and appellate counsel, representing her clients before the United States Supreme Court, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, both Minnesota and Wisconsin Supreme Courts, and other appellate courts around the country. Gordon has been named a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.
She currently serves as a partner at Swartz Campbell, LLC, a position she's held for the past five years.
Gordon is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, and the Pennsylvania Defense Institute. She worked as an active member and officer on the Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA) Young Lawyers Council from 1995-99 and was a board member for the Orr Compassionate Care Center from 1998-2002.
Gordon has been actively involved in the community, volunteering as a Child Advocate for the Juvenile Court dependency proceedings, KD & You and the Law, and the VIP Elder Law Program. Gordon is also an Elder at the United Presbyterian Church and a member of the worship band "In the Light."
Gordon currently resides in Tarentum, Pa., with her husband Michael and their three children: Alexa, Trevor, and Marley. She is also a former president of the Varsity Letter Club.
JERRY MINSINGER, Baseball
Three-time varsity baseball letterman Jerry Lee Minsinger graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1975. He then returned to Pitt to earn his master's in education in 1978 and finally his doctorate in educational administration in 1986.
Minsinger began his professional role in education as a teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools while also coaching boys basketball. Minsinger became Dean of Students for the Pittsburgh Public Schools and later a principal in the School District of Pittsburgh. He currently serves as principal of the Pittsburgh Gifted Center.
Minsinger has served as a lecturer at Duquesne University and as a board member and President of Brashear Association. Currently, he co-chairs the Pittsburgh Public Schools annual Think-A-Thon at Brashear High School.
Minsinger's involvement in the community includes working as a church council member and Sunday school teacher, coach for the Westwood/Oakwood Athletic Association, and participation in the Advanced Leadership Academy for the University of Pittsburgh.
His professional memberships include Phi Delta Kappa, the Pittsburgh Administrators Association, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the Pennsylvania Association of School Principals among others.
Minsinger, his wife Debra, and their two children, Jacob and Chelsea, reside in Pittsburgh, Pa.
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