This is Poly

Poly People

Dr. Arthur J. Bellinzoni, Jr. ’53

Dr. Arthur J. Bellinzoni, Jr. ’53

Arthur entered Poly in the fall of 1949 and received the Joseph Dana Allen Award at graduation in 1953. At Princeton, Arthur was a pre-med student, but changed his major, and graduated in 1957 as a religion major and went to Harvard to earn a PhD in History and Philosophy of Religion with a concentration in early Christianity.

Arthur went on to teach religion at Wells College in Aurora, NY for 38 years (1962 to 2000) and also served concurrently as Director of Planned and Leadership Giving for the last 17 of those years. After retirement, Arthur continued to serve as Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives for six years; then for six years on the Wells Board of Trustees, and as Chair of the Planned Giving Advisory Committee. He now serves as an Honorary Trustee. 

Arthur’s 60+ years of volunteer service in Aurora included three years as a Boy Scouts scoutmaster; the Board of Directors of the United Way of Cayuga County; Charter Member and Chair of the Board of Cayuga Community College Foundation, where he initiated an annual giving program; Chair of the Planned and Leadership Giving Committee of the Cayuga Community Hospital; 12 years on the Board of Directors of the Rothko Chapel in Houston; and, since 1996, on the Board of People For the American Way in Washington DC.

Arthur has written, edited, or translated 10 books and multiple articles in religion, including four books written since retirement.

Arthur has played tennis and golf, but his greatest hobby has been to travel, visiting 48 states and 108 countries. Perhaps most happily, for the last 23 plus years Arthur has shared almost everything with his partner Dimitrios Dimopoulos.

Academics

More Poly People

Alumni

Akili Tommasino ’05

Akili Tommasino ’05 studied art history at Harvard and founded the Prep for Prep/Sotheby’s Art Academy in 2017 “to give high school students of color an earlier window into the art world.”

Read More
Alumni

Alexandra Nava-Baltimore ’20

“Being a student at Poly has allowed me to live what I learned. Poly has been my home, my studio, my classroom, and my inspiration.”

Read More
Alumni

Chris Davenport ’91

Chris Davenport ’91 has been a reporter for The Washington Post since 2000 and covers the defense and space industries for the Post‘s financial desk.

Read More
Alumni

Diahann Billings Burford ’90, P’20

Diahann Billings Burford ’90, P’20 was the second girl to serve as president of Poly’s Student Government. “Diahann was a force of nature,” recalled Paul Raso, retired science teacher and former Student Government advisor.

Read More
Alumni

Dr. Neil Schluger ’77

“…I developed a love of learning, even for its own sake, and Paul Raso was one of the teachers who helped to instill that in me.”

Read More
Alumni

Jared Banner ’03

Jared Banner ’03 played four seasons of varsity baseball at Poly. He was named Executive Director, Player Development for the New York Mets in 2018.

Read More
Alumni

Jeanine Smartt Liburd ’88, P’21, ‘24

“I honed my ability to craft my ideas and utilize language to be persuasive and share my perspective.”

Read More
Alumni

Kahaliah Sandy ’21

“Kahaliah has a great ear and confidence to carry out a conversation in Mandarin.”

Read More
Alumni

Emily Giurleo ’13

“I certainly wouldn’t be a software engineer if Ms. Turkenkopf and Ms. Licata hadn’t encouraged my love of math and science.”

Read More
Alumni

Eugenia Xiao ’14

Multi-talented Eugenia Xiao ‘14 earned a BA from Cornell and then a MS in Nursing from Columbia University School of Nursing.

Read More
Alumni

Fiona Greig ’97

“Athletics gave me a natural home.”

Read More
Alumni

Gauri Purohit ’21

“Poly has given me a vast array of opportunities in both academics and the arts, which have allowed me to immerse myself in math courses beyond the standard curriculum and participate in theatre performances.”

Read More
Alumni

Gigi Georges ’84

Gigi Georges ‘84, a recipient of Poly’s Distinguished Achievement Award, has had an extensive career in politics, public service, and academia.

Read More
Alumni

Hallie Stephenson ’20

“My favorite part about going to Poly Prep was that I was able to find such an incredible group of people who wanted to see me succeed and cared about my future.”

Read More
Alumni

Leslie Grinage ’99

“Being in an educational environment such as Poly prepared me well to live in and value a pluralistic society.”

Read More
Alumni

Lola Stephens ’21

“Lola S. ’21 is a top science student, always pushing her own boundaries to understand information and concepts at the deepest levels,”

Read More
Alumni

Max Rose ’04

Alum Max Rose ’04 was elected to represent NY District 11 in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018.

Read More
Alumni

Nyla Welch ’20

With an exceptional talent for language, Nyla has traveled abroad through Poly’s Academic Travel program twice, to Martinique and France.

Read More
Alumni

Rowan McAllister ’15

“Art was always my favorite class, but I’ve found I use my math and engineering skills almost as much…to really connect all the dots of my education.”

Read More
Alumni

Ryantony Exuma ’22

“Just like stringing notes together to create music, in French class, Ryantony strings together words, manipulates syntax, and applies grammar to express himself in such a thoughtful and euphonious manner…”

Read More
Alumni

Samantha Chan ’21

“Poly encourages students to seek help from teachers, lead meaningful conversations in class, and voice their opinions at community forums.”

Read More
Alumni

Sonja Lindberg ’16

“I worked more and harder than I ever had in English classes. After a few weeks, I came to love it.

Read More
Alumni

Tess Sutter ’21

“Tess’ work ethic, values, and ability to be a consummate teammate while striving for excellence have been recognized by her teachers, coaches, and peers.”

Read More
Alumni

Wendy Haft ’84

Wendy has coached every sport from basketball to tennis, but focused on softball. In 2015, she returned to Poly to present the Yale Cup at our end-of-year Athletics Awards Ceremony.

Read More
Alumni

Will Hochman ’10

“I felt like maybe I could become who I imagined myself to be.”

Read More
Alumni

Nick Storz ’17

Poly Blue Devils pitcher Nick Storz ’17, who was listed among the Baseball America 2017 Top 100 Draft Prospects, chose to play for LSU, where he is an imposing presence on the mound.

Alumni

Ira Feldman ’75

Sustainability must encompass environmental protection, economic development, and social justice. Educating the next generation of environmental advocates is a priority for Feldman.

Read More
Alumni

Peter Taubman ’65

Esteemed educator, Dr. Peter Taubman has dedicated his life to teaching. During his tenure at Poly, he helped launch the Anti-Bias Coalition and served as coordinator for the Center for the Study of Diversity and Teaching.

Read More
Alumni

Michael Terrin ’66

Eminent physician Dr. Michael Terrin ’66, MDCM, MPH is an internist with subspecialty certification in pulmonary medicine, and an MPH in epidemiology.

Read More
Alumni

Elizabeth Somers ’91

With an extensive background in biology and drug development, Elizabeth Somers ’91 heads the Infectious Disease, Global Project and Alliance Management area at Merck.

Read More
Alumni

Nnamdi Orakwue ’91

Nnamdi Orakwue ‘91 is a Harvard graduate who has become a successful business leader and strategist in the technology investment space.

Read More
Alumni

Qadir Forbes ’11

“I love the Poly community and have been in service to Poly since my days as a student.”

Read More
Alumni

Dr. Robert Minutello ’87

An active interventional cardiologist, Dr. Minutello has performed cardiac procedures in over 10,000 patients during the course of his career. 

Read More
Alumni

Ella Schwartz ’92

Ella Schwartz ’92 has been a cybersecurity warrior for more than 20 years as well as the author of several nonfiction children’s books.

Read More
Alumni

Ed Schoenfeld ’67

Ed Schoenfeld ’67 was a charismatic NYC restaurateur who became an unlikely, but highly regarded culinary ambassador for Chinese cuisine.

Read More
Alumni

Beatrice Larkin ’23

“The rigor of the courses keeps us on our toes, which helps us prepare for the future.”

Read More
Alumni

Shaza Mousa ’23

“Shaza has an incredible and zany imagination and she is fierce on the page. Her talent as a writer is undeniable.” 

Read More
Alumni

Atiya Pope ’23

“The thing that makes Poly students special is that we’re all rooting for one another.”

Read More
Alumni

Marcus Whitney ’93

Marcus is a software developer, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist with a track record of success in all areas.

Read More
Alumni

Angela Yee ’93

Media personality Angela Yee has her finger on the pulse of hip-hop, culture, business, and community. 

Read More
Alumni

Michael Cacace ’98

You”ll find Michael  “front of the house” hosting at his family’s landmark restaurant, Michael’s of Brooklyn. Ask about their famous sauce!

Read More
Alumni

Otis Pearsall ’49

Thanks to his passion for historic preservation, his efforts led to the monumental New York City Landmarks Law and Brooklyn Heights as the first historic district.

Read More
Alumni

Stellene Volandes ’89

An avid participant in the arts while at Poly, Stellene is an accomplished writer and the editor-in-chief of Town & Country.

Read More
Alumni

Dan Fogler ’94

Dan Fogler is an American actor, comedian, and writer who won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

Read More
Alumni

David Koven ’69

David devoted most of his career to community development work, specializing in affordable housing development and in 2024, he earned Poly’s Alumni School Service Award.

Read More
Close