Quinnipiac University honors Southbury resident at Distinguished Alumni Awards Luncheon Nov. 16

Quinnipiac University honored eight of its top graduates, including David B. Rusate of Southbury, at the Distinguished Alumni Awards Luncheon, which took place from 12:30-2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Burt Kahn Court in the Athletics and Recreation Center on the university’s Mount Carmel Campus.

The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented biennially to alumni who: display outstanding leadership and achievement in their professions or careers, which enhances Quinnipiac’s reputation; continually serve their local and global community and Quinnipiac through their personal and professional participation in various civic and local affairs; act as a conduit for alumni who are looking to re-connect or further develop their relationship with the institution; and display a continuous philanthropic loyalty and bond with Quinnipiac.

Rusate graduated from Quinnipiac in 1979 with a degree in international finance. He spent the first eight years of his career with Union Carbide in various international treasury assignments. He was stationed in Hong Kong and Singapore from 1986 through 1990 as the area finance manager for Union Carbide. In November 1992, he joined the General Electric Company. Rusate has responsibility for foreign exchange and commodity risk management at GE. In addition, he is the global treasurer of GE's largest business, Power & Water.

In addition to Rusate, this year’s other Distinguished Alumni Award honorees were: Stella (Boni) Cretella, of West Haven; Joel D. Moore, of Ringoes, N.J.; Pamela (Dispoto) Moore, of Ringoes, N.J.; Joseph Natarelli, of Madison; and Clifford W. Spelke, of Roslyn Heights, N.Y. Robert P. Mitchell, of Cambridge, Mass., received the Service to Quinnipiac Award, and Bobak “Bobby” Emamian, of New York, N.Y. and formerly of Cheshire, was recognized with the Recent Alumni Award.

“We are extremely proud of this outstanding group of honorees who embody the ideals of the Quinnipiac Alumni Association,” said Donald Weinbach, vice president for development and alumni affairs. “Publicly honoring their personal and professional accomplishments, as well as their dedication to Quinnipiac, was a highlight of Homecoming 2013.”

Quinnipiac is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution located 90 minutes north of New York City and two hours from Boston. The university enrolls 6,500 full-time undergraduate and 2,500 graduate students in 58 undergraduate and more than 20 graduate programs of study in its School of Business and Engineering, School of Communications, School of Education, School of Health Sciences, School of Law, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, School of Nursing and College of Arts and Sciences. Quinnipiac consistently ranks among the top regional universities in the North in U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges issue. The 2014 issue of U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges named Quinnipiac as the top up-and-coming school with master’s programs in the Northern Region. Quinnipiac also is recognized in Princeton Review’s “The Best 377 Colleges.” The Chronicle of Higher Education has named Quinnipiac among the “Great Colleges to Work For.” For more information, please visit www.quinnipiac.edu. Connect with Quinnipiac on Facebook at www.facebook.com/quinnipiacuniversity and follow Quinnipiac on Twitter @QuinnipiacU.