Dr. Michael Gallichio ‘88 and his wife Kathleen illustrate how much they value education in every aspect of their lives, through their work, their leisure time, and not least of all, through their actions. As an Associate Professor of Surgery at Albany Medical Center, Michael specializes in kidney transplantation, and his wife Kathleen is a Clinical Nurse Specialist for the Cardiac Surgery and Intensive Care Units at St. Peter's Hospital.

While they do not have children themselves, they do have several godchildren who keep them busy, and because they believe that education is what opens the door to opportunity, Michael and Kathleen will be sure that all of their godchildren receive a college education.

Prior to moving back to the Capital Region last year, they lived in Birmingham, Alabama where Michael was an Assistant Professor of Surgery at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the division of transplantation. Both big sports fans, Michael and Kathleen still hold season tickets to UAB basketball and baseball games and fly down to attend games whenever they can. While at UAB, they established an endowed scholarship as away of giving back to the institution that they felt had been so good to them. They feel the same way about Rensselaer.

They continue to be avid hockey fans and season ticket holders. They attend almost every game, where section 7 becomes a family affair with Kathy's mother and father joining them to cheer on the Engineers. In addition, after being consistent Rensselaer Annual Fund donors for several years, Michael and Kathy quadrupled their annual giving last year, which placed them in the Patroon Society.

Make your gift now to the Rensselaer Annual Fund.