Gaspin picks a winner: "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"

Copyright © 2004 NBC, Inc. All rights reserved.

Jeff Gaspin '82, president of Bravo television network and executive VP of alternative programming for NBC, was featured in Broadcasting and Cable in an article written by Allison Romano, "Deal Positions Gaspin for Move Up," and in TelevisionWeek in an article by James Hibberd, "Bravo's Gaspin Talks Content: Net President Discusses What's Ahead." Both articles focus on the success of Bravo's hit series, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," a "quirky gay-themed makeover show" that was hand picked by Gaspin when he first came on board at the network in December 2002.

"'Queer Eye' looked like a show that could stand out and be different, it seemed like the first of its kind," said Gaspin in the TelevisionWeek interview. "That started to build the idea of the brand for Bravo-sort of a cutting-edge, groundbreaking basic cable service. It gave us a concept that would get us attention. And I wanted to get attention. I wanted people talking about the channel."

"Queer Eye's" success is a coup for Gaspin. As the TelevisionWeek article notes, "Since the debut of the groundbreaking 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' in July, Bravo has become one of the most buzzed-about networks on cable. Week after week, Bravo has shattered its own rating records while its median viewer age dropped from 50.8 to 45.3."

The effect has raised rating across the board for the network. "Movies that had been on the network many times prior are getting much better ratings," said Gaspin. "'Inside the Actors Studio' has seen some of its highest ratings ever. It's the halo effect."

Gaspin, who is "best known as a programmer," according to the Broadcasting and Cable article, began at NBC in 1984 as administrator of pricing and planning. He went on to become director, and then VP, of programming development for NBC News. He left the network from 1996-2001 for a stint as EVP of programming and production at VH1, where he introduced the hit show, "Behind the Music." Now, he has high hopes for Bravo's new shows, "Celebrity Poker Showdown," a celebrity-reality show, and "Significant Others," an improvised comedy about couples in and out of marriage counseling.

Gaspin lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Karen, their two sons, Max and Ben, and their daughter, Samantha.

One, Two . . . Seven Games and You're Out

Stein holding up the sports section of the Oct. 22, 2003 New York Times, which contains the article for which he was interviewed.

Ben Stein '90, science writer at the American Institute of Physics (AIP), was quoted in a story by Kenneth Chang in the New York Times, "A 7-Game World Series Is Unusually Common." Stein had written an article for the AIP's website, "Are 7-game World Series more common than expected?" As the New York Times noted, the article offered a surprising statistic: " . . . in the past 50 World Series, nearly half -- 48 percent -- have stretched to the maximum seven games."

Stein's article, written in October 2003, speculated about whether the Florida Marlins and the New York Yankees would go to seven games. "Surprisingly . . . World Series have historically gone to Game 7 much more frequently than simple probability would suggest," he wrote. "But our national pastime is more than math: The mismatch between baseball history and elementary probability illustrates the game's richness and subtlety--as well as the limitless potential of statistics to provide insights into the nuances of the game."

As Stein noted in a later email, "Of course, the World Series only ended up going to 6 games this year." Time to recalculate?

To see Stein's original article, in which he spells out the basic math used to arrive at this statistic, and the variables that help to explain it, click here http://www.aip.org/isns/reports/2003/080.html.

Woman Achievers of the Year

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) selected Helen Eisenfeld '76, director of cost control and electric transportation in NYPA's energy services, research and technology unit, as its Woman Achiever of the Year for 2003.

"Eisenfeld's outstanding efforts guiding NYPA's energy efficiency programs make a critical contribution to strengthening New York's electric system by helping our customers utilize smart, clean energy technologies that save energy, money and the environment," said Eugene W. Zeltmann, president and chief executive officer, NYPA.

Eisenfeld's understanding of NYPA's business needs earned her a promotion last year to her current position -- to promote electric drive transportation throughout New York State. Among the initiatives developed under her leadership include beginning a NYPA partnership with DaimlerChrysler to donate 300 electric vehicles (EVs) to NYPA customers and state university of New York campuses (including x EVs for the Binghamton campus); instituting a new program to help finance the purchase of EVs for municipal and rural electric cooperative customers, and directing efforts to procure and demonstrate other hybrid-electric buses in downtown New York City and Lake Placid.

The NYPA donated 313 silent, clean, bubble-shaped electric vehicles (EVs) to universities across the state, including 10 to Binghamton University: eight two-seat and two four-seat electric vehicles. EVs can run for 35 miles on a six- to eight-hour charge. They plug into standard 110-volt wall outlets for charging. The vehicles are valued at $7,000 to $9,000 each.

This is the second year in a row that an alumna from Binghamton University received this honor: Janis Archer '75, director of product design and delivery, was NYPA's 2002 Woman Achiever of the Year.

Focus on Technology at SUNY Farmingdale

Jonathan Gibralter '78, president of SUNY Farmingdale, was featured in the Long Island Business News in an article about the changes he has implemented to "transform the one-time agricultural college into a tech and science powerhouse." Under his tenure, Farmingdale has expanded its aviation education program, launched the college's first bachelor's degree in bioscience, and provided more on-site education for local firms.

Gibralter's goals include boosting enrollment in the school of engineering technologies by 20 percent and building a $20 million, 50,000 square foot incubator that will serve as the home to biotech start ups. The incubator project will be built with state construction funds, and classrooms and labs financed through partnerships with companies housed on campus, such as OSI Pharmaceuticals. In addition, Gibralter has enlisted Dover Technologies, Universal Instruments and other companies to help finance a $1.5 million electronics lab.

Helping Citizens Confront Social Challenges

Donald A. Stenta '88, associate director, John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy at Ohio State University, was profiled in a Q&A article in Business First of Columbus, "Forty Under 40: Donald A. Stenta." In his job Stenta is "responsible for the supervision of student programs and events, budgeting, long-term planning and service-learning initiatives in an organization focused on engaging and training citizens and conducting policy research," he notes in the article.

Stenta goes on to say that passion for his work has inspired him to engage with others, serve the community, and work in dynamic educational settings. "The main benefit for working with nonprofits is examining the social issues that challenge us as a society today, and developing strategies to confront these issues by involving members of the community," he said.

In response to the question, "What makes you cringe when you think back on the 1980s?" Stenta said, " . . . a Flock of Seagulls hairstyles, rubber bracelets and Coca-Cola polo shirts."

Stenta and his partner, Scott, live in Columbus, OH.

"Touring Yonkers with Caruso"

Mario Caruso '92, principal city planner with the City of Yonkers, was featured in an article about a series of guided tours of historic Yonkers he introduced last June in the Journal News, "Touring Yonkers with Caruso." As the article notes, Yonkers, New York's fourth largest city, was established more than 350 years ago. "I just felt there was so much history and architecture in Yonkers that wasn't known or appreciated," Caruso said in the article. In all, Caruso developed and hosted six tours, June 14-Oct. 25, which he offered through his start-up company, Heritage Tours by MC Plans "Yonkers Four Quadrants of History;" "Hudson Riverfront;" "Historic Downtown;" "Historic Churches;" "Campuses and Estates;" and "Show Business."

Caruso studied geography and urban planning at Binghamton, and went on to earn his master's in urban planning at Hunter College. He joined the Yonkers city government as a planner in 1994, and was named principal planner in 2001.

A Youth Center That Works

Film maker Joanne Kennedy-Torma '99 was featured in an article by Alexis Scarpinato in the Post Standard of Syracuse, "Teens Focus on Town Shop: Meeting Place the Subject of Documentary." Kennedy-Torma, a former assistant producer of animation at Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles, grew up in Camillus in the early 1990s. She wanted to give something back to the Camillus Town Shop, a youth center that played an important role in her life. So, over the summer, she enlisted the Town Shop teens as the directors, editors, camera operators and interviewers for a documentary about the place that will be used as a promotional video and as "a happy memory for many people," Kennedy-Torma said.

" The documentary gives a history and community perspective on the youth center that has been a place for teens to socialize for over 30 years," the article notes. "Located in an old building on Main Street in the village, the youth center has been run by David and Cheryl Vermilya since it began 32 years ago."

Thomas Torma, Kennedy-Torma's husband, teaches Shakespeare at LeMoyne College and co-produced the film.