Reunion Awards Recipients | Salve Regina University

Dr. Louise Ciallella ’74

Distinguished Alumni Award

Dr. Louise Ciallella earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Salve Regina. During her time at Salve, she had a work-study job with the late Dr. William Burrell and had a fantastic mentor, the late Dr. Heriberto Vázquez, who opened his home so that she could converse in Spanish regularly with his wife and sister-in-law.

Ciallella studied abroad during her junior year in Madrid, fell in love with Spain and returned after graduation to get an M.A. in Spanish from New York University. After working in international publishing, she was offered a job teaching English as a foreign language at Brown University and discovered she loved to teach.

At the age of 41, she decided to get her doctorate. Seven years later, Ciallella obtained her Ph.D. in Spanish literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison while working as a teaching assistant and then a lecturer. Against all odds, she obtained a tenure-track position in Spanish literature at Northern Illinois University (NIU), where she also taught Spanish business communications.

It was a perfect fit for Ciallella because, like many of her students, she was a first-generation college student born into an immigrant family. Her goal was to empower her students in any way possible, and she enjoys keeping in touch with them and seeing them succeed in their professions and life in general. In all, she taught university-level Spanish for close to 25 years. She retired from NIU with emerita status in 2015.

Gregg Catlow '02, '09 (M)

Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award

Gregg Catlow earned his bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from Salve Regina. He attended the Rhode Island Municipal Police Academy and joined the Smithfield Police Department as a patrol officer. In addition to his patrol duties, Catlow became a firearms instructor, showing his early dedication to community service. This volunteer service has remained a pillar of his career, training both police officers and the community in important subjects like police and school response to active threats and human trafficking awareness.

Catlow spent more than 10 years of his career in the detective division, where he served first as a detective and then as a detective sergeant. He returned to Salve Regina and received his master’s degree in administration of justice and homeland security in 2009. Catlow is a certified BCI detective through the Rhode Island Crime Lab and a member of the Rhode Island Criminalist Association. As the department's juvenile officer, he handled Family Court prosecution matters and served on Rhode Island's first Cold Case Task Force. Catlow worked extensively with the Human Trafficking Task Force on many cases, and as a result was awarded the 2020 Crime Victim Service Award.

In 2020, Catlow was promoted to lieutenant and served as a patrol shift commander. Currently, he is the executive lieutenant overseeing the patrol division. He serves on the Rhode Island Office of Child Advocate's Child Fatality Review Panel. This summer, he is scheduled to attend the Police Executive Research Forum's Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston University.

Catlow lives in Smithfield with his wife Karen, a lieutenant with the Jamestown Police Department, and their son Ethan.

Tiesha Nieves Sinouthasy ’09

Alumni Achievement Award

Tiesha Nieves Sinouthasy earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from Salve Regina. Her passion for empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities began through her volunteer work with Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for friendships and leadership development among individuals with and without disabilities.

Sinouthasy worked for two Medicaid programs for children with special needs in Rhode Island. Before that, she established diverse partnerships and outreach efforts as an AmeriCorps member and on behalf of national nonprofit organizations, including the YMCA, City Year and Year Up. In addition, Sinouthasy’s role at the Swearer Center at Brown University involved supporting 100 community partners to gain capacity-building support from 450 undergraduate students.

She is the founder of Peace of Mind Nannies, a nanny and babysitting agency that provides childcare services for all children and young adults, including those with disabilities. The launch of Peace of Mind Nannies combines Sinouthasy’s professional experience in nonprofit and higher education with over 10 years of experience as a childcare provider through babysitting agencies and privately as a nanny.

Sinouthasy is an appointee to the East Providence Affirmative Action Committee and serves as an advisory board member for the Center for Women and Enterprise Rhode Island (CWE RI). She was recently recognized with the 2024 Rising Star Award for CWE RI.

Pegi Bano ’14, ’17 (MBA)

Outstanding Young Alumni Award

Pegi Bano earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Salve Regina. She was actively involved with Sigma Beta Delta (national business honor society), Alpha Mu Alpha (national marketing honor society) and the Pell Honors Program. Her commitment to learning and growth continued after graduation, as she embarked on a successful career as a regional marketing supervisor at McDonald's Corporation, overseeing marketing activities in New England.

Bano's commitment to giving back extends beyond her professional accomplishments to her active involvement with Salve’s Young Alumni Committee. She continues to strengthen the alumni bond, support the University’s initiatives and contribute to the Salve community’s growth and success.

As a Boston-based marketing and sales professional, Bano specializes in brand management, media planning and advertising launches. Her expertise has been instrumental in her current role as a national account manager at OUTFRONT Media, the largest outdoor media company in the country. In five years, Bano has managed high-profile out-of-home advertising campaigns for a diverse range of clients, including Apple, Disney and Amazon.

Bano is an active member of the Valedictorian Project and mentors former high-achieving Boston Public High School students in their transition from high school as they navigate higher education. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and exploring different countries, spending time with her niece and trying out new restaurants.

Dr. Helen Dorflinger Ryan '69

Salve Regina Mission Award

Dr. Helen Ryan received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Salve Regina, started her nursing career at hospitals in Connecticut and Missouri and soon began teaching at the college level. This led to her becoming principal of Hilton Head Island High School in South Carolina. Ryan concluded her career by working alongside her late husband Don in their health benefits management company, CareCore National, in the role of community outreach manager. While at CareCore, she was honored by her local community for her program that provided employees with paid vacation days to volunteer for area nonprofits.

Ryan is most proud of her work as a leading force to establish a Catholic secondary school in the Lowcountry. Opened in 2013, the John Paul II Catholic School’s mission is to educate students of all faiths in a caring, Christ-centered environment. Students are prepared to be scholars with a soul through the traditions of the Catholic faith and the intentional commitment to the school's core values of service, high expectations, innovation, excellence, leadership and discipleship. Ryan continues to serve the school and its students as a leadership volunteer.

Her accomplishments have been acknowledged by organizations such as Who’s Who in American Nursing and Who’s Who in American Teachers. Ryan has been honored with several awards, including woman of the year by the Boys and Girls Club of Bluffton (South Carolina) in 2012, volunteer of the year by the Arts Center for Coastal Carolina in 2011, citizen of the month by the Hilton Head Island Town Council in 2011 and woman of the year by the Chamber of Commerce in 2007.

Ryan continuously champions Salve Regina and recently established a foundational endowment to enable the critical transformational work of the Salve Compass program while serving on the Board of Trustees.

Anthony Cerino, Jr. '14, ’15 (MBA)

Exceptional Volunteer Award

Tony Cerino earned his bachelor’s degree in financial management from Salve Regina. During his senior year, he interned for The Hilton Group at UBS Financial Services. After completing his MBA at Salve in 2015, he began working full-time as a wealth strategy associate with The Hilton Group.

Cerino regularly volunteers as a panelist for Salve Regina's capstone Business Planning presentations. He also lends his expertise to the Sophomore Studio weekend, where he engages in fireside chats. Cerino’s strong connections with professors and faculty in Salve's Department of Business and Economics allow him to assist students in securing internships and gaining valuable business knowledge and experience, preparing them for life after college.

As a financial advisor and certified financial planner with The Hilton Group, Cerino plays a crucial role in the group's mission. The Hilton Group is dedicated to assisting affluent investors in making informed financial decisions, allowing them to focus on their passions. Cerino and his team achieve this by employing a consultative process to understand the client's financial situation and challenges. They then collaborate with the client's other trusted advisors to develop tailored solutions, enabling the client to achieve their financial and life goals.