Beyond The Brown & Gold

Steve Calabro '80 on Working in the Casino Business

Steve Calabro '80 traded in the chilly weather of New Jersey for the sunny skies and warm weather of Florida. However, his passion and career path did not change. Calabro has been a part of the casino and entertainment industry since the 80s. These days, Calabro is an executive vice president and General Manager at Hialeah Park Casino in Florida. 
A new episode of Beyond the Brown & Gold catches up with Calabro, who discusses his time in the Atlantic City casino scene; attending then-Glassboro State College including a stint at WGLS-FM (Rowan University's campus radio station); and more. 
Also, he talks about working with entertainers in the music business as a part of his work in the casino field and working with Donald Trump. 

Claudia Abate '93 on Working for the United Nations & World Travel

Claudia Abate '93 joins the Beyond the Brown & Gold to share her incredibly unique journey from Glassboro to working for the United Nations. Abate's desire to work for the United Nations began at a young age and eventually developed into a reality.
During this episode, she talks about how her worldly experiences at the UN led her to meeting presidents and notable political figures along the way. 
Abate is a respected and trusted advisor to Heads of State, Heads of Government, and Sovereigns. Her expertise and recognition encompasses working with philanthropists, governments, the United Nations, and non-profit organizations. Her work has been honored with a nomination for the Seoul Peace Prize. Today, the Foundation for Post Conflict Development is a leading organization for advocacy, education, and project delivery in fragile and conflict-affected countries. 
Learn about her incredible career on a new episode of Beyond the Brown & Gold. 

Prof Sweethearts 2026 Edition - Part 2

Ahead of Valentine's Day, Beyond The Brown & Gold gets you in the mood for love. Listen to the 2026 edition of Prof Sweethearts stories from Rowan alumni across generations, featuring tales of longtime commitments and surprising challenges.
Part 2 of these heartfelt love stories includes: 
Lisa (Williams) ’83 & Kevin Crichton ’84
Kelly (Fitzpatrick) ’00 & Wayne Trojanowski ’00
Sydnee (Gould) ’20 & Ben Afflitto ’22
Steph (Taraschi) ’10 & Erika Knorr ’12

Prof Sweethearts 2026 Edition - Part 1

Ahead of Valentine's Day, Beyond The Brown & Gold gets you in the mood for love. Listen to the 2026 edition of Prof Sweethearts stories from Rowan alumni across generations, featuring tales of longtime commitments and surprising challenges.
Part 1 of these heartfelt love stories includes: 
Colleen (Kulik) ’03 & Tom Marroletti ’04
Diane (Lisa) ’69, M’80 & John Mazzei ’69, M’75
Aaliyah Wiggins ’22 & Lesego Harrison ’23

Dr. Hettie Williams '94 on AI, African-American History, & Student Anxiety

Dr. Hettie Williams '94, an associate professor, author, and podcaster, discusses her journey on a new episode of Beyond the Brown & Gold. The MLK Unsung Hero Award winner details her journey from Glassboro State College to a tenured position at Monmouth University. She shares memories of influential mentors, her research on African-American history and how programs like EOF/MAP and AmeriCorps shaped her path.
The conversation covers her books (including The Georgia of the North), her podcasts, her popular course on the History of Love and Marriage, and how she approaches teaching today amid student anxiety and new tools like AI.
For more on Dr. Williams, head here

Jon Vogel '11 on Becoming an Entrepreneur, Rowan Alumni Board, & Connecting With Students

Jon J. Vogel '11 is an entrepreneur, marketer, philanthropist, and educator who earned his BS in Entrepreneurship from Rowan University and an MBA in Marketing from Drexel University. He is the co-founder and principal of 215 Marketing, an award-winning Philadelphia-based marketing agency recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies in America (2023), Adweek’s Top 50 Fastest Growing Agencies in the World (2025), and the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Fast 50 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the Greater Philadelphia region (2025). Together with its sister agency, Units Franchise Marketing, 215 Marketing has also been a back-to-back winner of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Franchise Suppliers.
Vogel joined Beyond the Brown & Gold to discuss his days at Rowan University and his rise in the entrepreneurship world. He shared methods on connecting with students, lessons in marketing, why Disney World is one of his favorite places, and much more. 

Dr. Laura Grossi '11 on Forensic Psychology & How to Pursue A Mental Health Career

Dr. Laura Grossi's path to becoming a forensic evaluator at a state psychiatric hospital was not a straight path. Her varied educational background, which included psychology, led her into the world of law & justice. Grossi's job includes performing forensic evaluations to assess competency of people to stand trial and evaluations to see if defendants qualify for the insanity defense. 
The newest Beyond the Brown & Gold episode takes a deep dive into Grossi's unique profession and how her time at Rowan University led her to such a unique and distinguished career. 

Rasheed Daniel '00 on Creating a TV Production, Relationship Building, & Being a Dad

Rasheed J. Daniel '00 is the CEO and founder of TeamSheed Productions, an independent Black-owned company dedicated to advancing inclusion in the television industry. Daniel is the guest on a new episode of Beyond the Brown & Gold. 
He recounts his fun days at Rowan University; how Dr. William H. Myers impacted his life in Glassboro; and how he got started in the television industry. Also, he covers the challenges of creating reality television, what he tries to teach his children, and much more. 
As a part of TeamSheed Productions, Daniel co-created a new music competition series called Deb's House, which he also details in the show.