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Andrew C. Ciofalo, founder of Loyola University Maryland journalism program, dies in Russia

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Andrew C. Ciofalo, founder of Loyola University Maryland journalism program, dies in Russia


Andrew C. Ciofalo, a veteran newspaperman who established the journalism program at Loyola University Maryland and also directed an American study-abroad education company, died March 7 of undetermined causes at Moscow City Hospital No. 67. He was 89.

The former Towson resident had lived in Russia for the last five years with his wife of many years, Dr. Olga Timofeeva, a neuroscientist.

“Professor Ciofalo helped to inspire my passion for journalism. He encouraged me to take on leadership roles in our college newspaper and he taught me the importance of an independent press that holds people and institutions in power to account,” wrote Trif Alatzas, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Baltimore Sun, in an email.

Kevin M. Atticks, Maryland secretary of agriculture, had also been a student of Professor Ciofalo.

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“He was a rare combination of practitioner and visionary,” Mr. Atticks wrote in an email. “His friendship, humor and mentorship was omnipresent, and his lifelong commitment to experimental education ran deep.”

Andrew Carmine Ciofalo, son of Andrew C. Ciofalo Sr., a tile mason and artisan, and his wife, Frances, a retail manager, was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and was a graduate of Salesian High School on Staten Island.

Professor Ciafalo earned a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Brooklyn College and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

He began his newspaper career in 1955 as an editorial assistant for the New York Daily News, and after graduating from Columbia, was named managing editor of Manhattan East, a New York city weekly community newspaper. He had been a contributor to the old Brooklyn Eagle.

From 1962 to 1969, he had been an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia Journalism; an editorial consultant to Circus Magazine; a senior writer for Custom Book Publishers; a managing editor of Clyde Magazine, a general men’s magazine; and a radio news writer for the old New York Herald Tribune.

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Professor Ciafalo was a lecturer in journalism at Brooklyn College from 1962 to 1972 and director of development at the New York Institute of Technology.

From 1970 to 1976, he was director of college relations and development at Bronx Community College. While there, he established a university housing initiative, the University Heights Development Corp., that renovated off-campus dormitories as senior citizen housing.

In 1981, he served as an editor and writer for McGraw Hill, where he wrote a newsletter, “This Month In Telecommunications.”

Professor Ciofalo was hired in 1983 by Loyola where he established what is now its Communication Department.

“Andy Ciofalo was an energetic and innovative member of the Communication Department faculty at Loyola, where he founded the journalism and editing track,” wrote John E. McIntyre, former copy desk chief and assistant managing editor at The Sun, in an email.

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“He was intimately involved in the creation of the book editing track and establishment of the student-run publisher Apprentice House Press,” wrote Mr. McIntyre, who was an adjunct professor for more than 20 years at Loyola where he taught editing. “I was invited twice to participate in his summer program in Cagli in Italy’s Marche. Over four weeks undergraduates did interviews, wrote stories, took photographs and created online content. He was a huge encourager of students and faculty.”

Professor Ciofalo had a knack for recruiting students.

“Andy single-handedly altered the trajectory of my life and career,” Mr. Atticks wrote. “Toward the end of my freshman year, I was leaving a music class contemplating a music major when the elevator door opened and there was Andy.

“After a quick two-flight conversation, Andy had convinced me to give journalism and publishing a try. It worked. Now 30 years later, I’m leading the very publishing house Andy envisioned, Apprentice House Press, that would provide book industry experience for our students, and have built a career founded on communication.”

Professor Andrew C. Ciofalo had a knack for recruiting students to the journalism program at Loyola Maryland University.

“He leaves a legacy of teaching so many aspiring journalists over the years and I feel fortunate that our paths crossed,” Mr. Alatzas wrote.

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In 2002, he founded the Cagli Program in International Reporting, and since 2005, Professor Ciofalo had been president of the Institute for Education in International Media — ieiMedia LLC — which operates the Cagli Program as an independent entity, and includes partnerships with Marquette University, Temple University and Gonzaga University.

The institute also includes experimental projects in Italy, Northern Ireland, China, Spain, Israel and Turkey, in partnership with San Francisco State University, Iowa State University, James Madison University, University of Jamestown, Cal State University Fullerton, Guangxi Normal University and Hebrew University.

After 30 years at Loyola, he retired in 2013, and moved to Venice, Florida.

Reflecting on his tenure in a Sun op-ed piece in 2023, Professor Ciofalo wrote:

“Would I do anything different today? Of course I would. I would work with students to engage intellectually with the issues facing journalism now. Never has the threat been so terminal,” he wrote.

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“But also there never have been more platforms to which we must adapt without losing the meaning of journalism for our society. We are living in a selfie world where ego supersedes the truth of objectivity. Even more challenging, a mind-altered society cannot distinguish between the real world and fantasy. If there is an audience out there, we have to find it — and nurture it.”

When he wasn’t writing, teaching or lecturing, Professor Ciofalo enjoyed traveling. He was also a frequent contributor to The Sun and other newspapers.

“He loved Italy and cooking and eating, and was also a great cook himself,” said his daughter, Terri Ciofalo, of Champaign, Illinois. “He was also a baritone tenor and enjoyed singing.”

Last month, in a blog post, Professor Ciofalo contemplated the lede, or opening paragraph, of his obituary, and had written several suggested entries.

His headline was “Old and Productive — Gone today,” and he had written:

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“Prof. Emeritus Andrew Ciofalo, who actively ran his American study-abroad education company well into his 90’s, died today at age 98 while living obscurely on financial fumes in Moscow, Russia.”

Under a second headline, “He Coulda Been Somebody,” he had written: “The prideful young man who was once called ‘the best writer’ in his Columbia graduate journalism class by the revered Prof. Larry Pinkham, died today at age 98 in Moscow, Russia — never having lived up to those expectations. But Prof. Andrew Ciofalo did pivot into an innovative career in journalism education where he helped others fulfill his faded dream.”

Plans for services to be held in the chapel on the Loyola campus are incomplete.

In addition to his wife, Dr. Timofeeva, and daughter, he is survived by a son, David Andrew Ciofalo of Roland Park; a stepdaughter, Jennifer Lynn Tosh of Roland Park; a brother, Thomas Ciofalo of Ramsey, New Jersey; and four grandchildren. Earlier marriages to Linda Stivak and Judith Dobler, ended in divorce.



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Maryland

UConn transfer Amari DeBerry commits to Maryland women’s basketball

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UConn transfer Amari DeBerry commits to Maryland women’s basketball


Maryland women’s basketball continued to bolster its roster Sunday when UConn forward Amari DeBerry announced her commitment to the Terps.

DeBerry’s decision to join the Terps had been highly anticipated since she entered the portal on April 8, and the 6-foot-6 forward now becomes the fifth transfer that head coach Brenda Frese has landed this cycle. Frese has one scholarship spot to work with.

The rising senior played sparingly during three seasons with the Huskies. This past year, DeBerry scored just 22 total points while averaging less than five minutes per game — the lowest amount of playing time of her career.

The Williamsville, New York native was one of the most highly-touted prospects in the country coming out of high school, ranked the No. 15 recruit in the 2021 class. However, early injuries heavily limited her role as she began to fall out of favor with Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma.

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DeBerry also has international experience, having won gold at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup and 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.

She is the third forward addition made by Frese this offseason, who often saw her team struggle in the paint and on the boards against top teams over the past two years.

Maryland’s front court for next season is currently composed of DeBerry, Allie Kubek, Emma Chardon — who is recovering from a torn ACL — Mayé Touré and freshman Breanna Williams.





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$70 million flows to a beefed up Annapolis lobbying corps – Maryland Matters

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$70 million flows to a beefed up Annapolis lobbying corps – Maryland Matters


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Maryland out slugs Illinois, sets up deciding game three – WMUC Sports

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Maryland out slugs Illinois, sets up deciding game three – WMUC Sports


Devin Russell watched as the ball he just hit sailed toward the left field foul pole. The ball curved about 20 feet from the pole landing in foul territory and causing Russell to head back to the plate. A couple of pitches later Russell looked up again, this time paying witness to a go-ahead two-run home run.

“It’s never a good feeling when you hit a foul ball home run because you feel really good seeing it go and then it’s just a long strike and then usually in baseball when you hit a foul ball home run you don’t hit a home run in the same at-bat,” Russell said postgame. “Yeah I got lucky and I got a good pitch to hit.”

Maryland (27-17, 7-10 Big Ten) scored eight runs in the first three innings to help beat Illinois (25-14, 11-3 Big Ten) in the second game of the weekend series, 9-8.  

Russell’s fifth home run of the season put Maryland ahead, 7-5, after the Illini tied the game in the top of the third. Russell finished the game batting one for four with the two RBIs and registering one of Maryland’s seven hits with two outs.

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The Terps two-out hitting was a common occurrence in the first third of the game. The Terps scored two of their four first inning runs with two outs to go along with Russell’s two RBI. Kevin Keister and Michael Iannazzo came up with the two-out RBIs with a double and single respectively. 

Eddie Hacopian added to the two-out RBI category with a RBI double to left center in the bottom of the seventh breaking a scoreless three-inning stretch for Maryland. Eddie is four for nine this series.  

Maryland’s offense finished the game with 11 hits, four walks, and four hit-by-pitches. Five of the hits were for extra bases. Maryland only struck out five times which is a big improvement for a team which came into the weekend second in the Big Ten in strikeouts. 

“When you’re putting pressure on teams and you’re not punching in those situations and, you know, balls are going to be put in play, you know, if you’re striking out a lot and not having a good approach and, you know, you’re not going to have those chances,” head coach Matt Swope said. 

The starting pitching for both sides in this game wasn’t ideal as both head coaches pulled their starters before the fourth inning. Illinois starter, Cooper Omans, made it through only an inning giving up five earned runs. Maryland’s starter, Omar Melendez, lasted only two and two thirds innings giving up the same amount of earned runs. 

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The two performances strayed from the norm for both pitchers, especially coming off impressive performances their last time out. Omans threw seven innings of one run ball against Northwestern in his prior start and in Melendez’s first Saturday start as a Terp he pitched six innings allowing two earned runs. 

Due to the lack of success of the starters, the game quickly turned into a battle of the bullpens and Swope’s first move was to bring out former Friday starter Kenny Lippman. Lippman pitched well, giving up only one run in his four and a third innings pitched. Lippman struck out five hitters and walked only one, holding Illinois scoreless for three innings.

“Testament to him he’s been pretty good the last couple outings so he did a great job kind of stabilizing the wild first three and four innings right there,” Swope said. 

Logan Berrier took over for Lippman in the eighth and struggled to put away the Illinois lineup. Berrier gave up two hits and walked two in the top of the eighth allowing the Illini to cut Maryland’s, 9-6 lead, down to one.

Berrier stayed on to pitch the ninth and allowed the lead-off hitter to reach base via a base hit. The next batter laid down a sacrifice bunt moving the runner into scoring position, but it didn’t matter. Berrier struck out the remaining two hitters to end the game. 

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Maryland’s pitching allowed 15 hits — only three for extra bases — and four walks while striking out eight batters. Maryland’s arms continued to struggle against Camden Janik who is now five for eight this series. 

Maryland will have a chance to win the weekend series on Sunday in the series rubber match. The Terps are 3-0 on Sunday at home this season.       



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