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Veritas Award 2001

Excellence in Business and Volunteerism

Marilyn P. Bastardi ‘66

As Director of Administrative and Marketing Services for Communication Technology Corporations, Marilyn is responsible  for office management and organizations, writing of trade contracts for the company’s educational and healthcare facilities projects, and marketing support. Her work includes conducting the design and production of the company’s corporate brochure, as well as its website development.

Prior to joining Construction Technology Corporation in 1998, Marilyn gained 17 years of diverse administrative and management experience as owner and President of Sir Speedy Printing Center of Parsippany, New Jersey.  She directed the operations of the business, including promotion, finance, marketing and customer relations. Her center won the Rookie of the Year Award (highest volume of all new centers) and 12 Century Club Awards (top ten percent in worldwide sales) from Sir Speedy Inc, the franchisor.

With a Bachelor of Arts degree from Caldwell College and a teaching certificate from the State of New Jersey, Marilyn taught sixth grade from 1966 to 1968 and worked part time as a Learning Disabilities Tutor from 1973 until 1977 for the Wayne Board of Education, New Jersey.

Marilyn has been honored on numerous occasions, including membership in Delta Epsilon Sigma, a national English honor society; listings in Who’s Who Among American Women, Who’s Who in Finance and Industry, Who’s Who in the East; and the 1991 Caldwell College Alumna of the Year Award.

Presently, Marilyn serves on the Advisory Board at Birth Haven, a home for indigent, pregnant women, the Caldwell College Gals and Veritas Committees; as a Eucharistic Minister at Holly Manor Nursing Home, Mendham, (under the direction of Saint Joseph Church Caring Ministry, also in Mendham).  In addition, she is a member of the Saint Joseph Church spiritual book club.

Previously, Marilyn was President of G.A.T.E Ways, a gifted and talented education organization; a gifted education advisor for the Hanover Township Board of Education; Vice President of the Caldwell College Alumni Board; a member of the Delbarton Mothers Guild; and Committee Chairperson for the American Association of University Women, Parsippany  Chapter.

Marilyn has been married to Anthony Bastardi since 1968 and is the mother of four children: Noelle, Anthony, Matthew, and Christian and has a granddaughter, Caroline.

Excellence in Counseling for Women in Science

Kathleen A. Bott Fleming ‘88

Kathleen Bott, a summa cum laude graduate of Caldwell College, is the Director of the Lore-El Center for Women in Engineering and Science at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey.  Lore-El is a nationally recognized program designed to increase the presence of women in the engineering and science professions through innovative programs at the pre-college, undergraduate and national levels.

Kathleen began her career at Stevens in 1991 as Assistant Director of Women’s Programs.  She was promoted to Associate Director of Pre-College Programs in 1996 and Director of the Center in 1999.  During her time at Stevens, she has conducted career awareness programs for nearly 4,000 pre-college students.  Her retention programs for undergraduate women have contributed to 91% retention rate for freshmen and sophomores, one of the highest retention rates for female engineering students across the country.

In her role as Director of the Center, Kathleen was responsible for creating and directing mentoring programs, a professional development seminar series, supervising the Lore-El Residential Program, corporate fundraising, academic and career advising and overseeing the day-to-day operations at the Center.

Kathleen is also a published author and has participated in television, radio and newsprint interviews.  Recently, she authored congressional testimony on ‘Best Practices’ for Women in Engineering and Science Programs.  In 1998, she accompanied the Executive Director of Lore-El to the White House when the Center was honored by President Clinton and received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.  She is also co-author on the chapter on “Developing Pre-College Programs in Increasing Access for Women in Engineering and Science” and has published many articles in trade magazines and other publications.

Throughout her career, Kathleen has volunteered at numerous hospitals, including St. Barnabas Hospital’s Pediatric Burn Unit, the Mental Health Association of Passaic County, Overbrook Hospital, Kessler Institute and Hudson Cradles.  More recently, she volunteered at the YMCA of Hudson County to support their program for battered women and the elderly.

In 1994, Kathleen earned a master’s degree in Psychology from Montclair State University, New Jersey, and from 1996-1997, Kathleen returned to Caldwell College as an Adjunct Professor in the Psychology Department.  She is married to Matthew Fleming.

Excellence in Music

Dorothy C. Cacchio ‘61

As Adjunct Professor of Music at Caldwell since 1995 and founder, director and member of the Silver Starlite Orchestra since 1980, Dorothy (Dot) Cacchio has built a respected and illustrious career as an educator, performer and accomplished musician.

In addition to her own performances on clarinet, alto sax, soprano sax and flute, Dot has directed band and theater productions for college and high school students.  The Silver Starlite Orchestra plays regularly at the 94th Bomb Group Restaurant, Fairfield, New Jersey. Dot also plays the saxophone for the Blue Skies Orchestra and has performed for the College’s concert series.  Dot currently enjoys a steady gig with some of her favorite musicians in the Starlite Quartet at the Sycamore Grill, Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania.

Dot is responsible for developing the wind and jazz ensemble at Caldwell College.  During her tenure at Caldwell, she established a college musical theater where she trained and coordinated all business, publicity and management operations of 60 students for 4 major musical productions.  She also initiated and implemented a children’s musical theater with Sister Maryann O’Connor, O.P., which provided a service for the College and community attracted audiences of 2,000 children and adults.

Dot organized the North Jersey Repertory Theatre, a theatre for adults, where she produced and directed productions of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and The Fantastika.  Dot’s talent has also extended to stage direction for musical productions of Man of La Mancha, Bells are Ringing, The King and I, Oliver, The Sound of Music, Annie, and The Wizard of Oz.  Most recently, she performed Guys and Dolls with the Jefferson Community Players.

She directed a choir of 25 voices to sing at Sunday Services for St. Virgil’s Church, Morris Plains, New Jersey and has served as Music Conductor of the Florham Park Players for productions of Oliver and South Pacific. As a pit performer, Dot has played over sixty different musical theatre productions in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area.

Her professional memberships include the New Jersey Music Association, Women Band Directors of America, New Jersey Education Association and the Morris County Education Association.  She is certified in first aid, CPR and as a Water Safety Instructor.

After completing a B.A. in Music from Caldwell College, Dot earned her M.A. in Music Education (conducting) from Trenton State College, New Jersey.  In addition to her love of music, Dot enjoys outdoor sports, travel, lectures, reading and time with her cat, Rusty. A trip to Germany, with Carol, to see the Berlin Philharmonic in 2004 tops the list of exciting things in her life.