There’s a reason each graduation ceremony at Gannon is celebrated with plenty of pomp and circumstance: earning that diploma is a major accomplishment. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, less than 30 percent of the U.S. population holds a college degree, meaning that Gannon graduates already have a head start among their peers when leaving campus.

But what happens after that long-awaited walk across the commencement stage? From the marketing major who is now a Harvard Medical School dean to the earth science graduate who is managing global sustainability issues for H.J. Heinz Co., Gannon Magazine caught up with 25 alumni who say completing their Gannon studies was just the beginning.

Carla (Miller) Noziglia ’63VMC
Medical Technology/Biology

My first career of nine years was as a medical technologist; my second career of nearly 40 years has been in forensic science, working as forensic laboratory director. I earned a master’s degree in administration from Lindenwood University in St. Louis, Mo., in 1984 and have extensive training, both formal and on-the-job, in serology/DNA, alcohol, drugs, hair and fiber analysis, fingerprinting and management. Currently, I am senior forensic advisor in Tanzania, East Africa, as a subcontractor for the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistant Program. I was the first woman president of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, sat on the board of directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and have received all three of the AAFS Criminalistic Sections awards.

Michael Weber ’71
Political Science

I’m the president of Smith Provision Co. Inc., a manufacturer of premium meat products, including wieners, hams, deli meats, sausages, bacon and ox roast. Under my leadership, Smith’s has transitioned from a local brand of hot dogs to a regionally recognized provider of premium quality meat products, serving western Pennsylvania, western New York and eastern Ohio. We are proud to be the official hot dog and deli meat of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Pitt Panthers, Erie teams like the SeaWolves, BayHawks and Otters, but most importantly—we’re proud to be the hot dog served at all Gannon Knights games.

Stay tuned to Edge for more ways to use your Gannon degree!