BUFFALO, NY - The Canisius Alumni Association conferred LaSalle Medals upon Deborah C. Leous ’79, MBA ’82 and Paul M. Hassett Jr. ’62, during commencement ceremonies in May. The LaSalle Medal is presented to alumni who have made substantial contributions to advance the interests of Canisius.
From class reunion committees to Canisius Fund call nights and service on the Boards of Trustees and Regents, Leous is steadfast in her dedication to alma mater. She currently mentors undergraduate accounting students, as a member of the Council on Accountancy, and similarly guides graduate students via her role on the MBA Mentoring Committee. Leous is also chair of the Business Advisory Council, which ensures that Canisius students graduate with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful.
Leous is chief financial officer for Florida’s Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. She holds bachelor’s degrees in accounting and French from Canisius, as well as an MBA.
Paul Hassett is equally loyal to alma mater, despite his busy law career as senior managing partner at Brown & Kelly LLP.
Hassett is chair of the Pre-Law Advisory Council, and facilitates law-related internship opportunities for students. He is also a generous contributor to the Hassett Family Endowment. The endowment funds the Contemporary Writers Series and its annual Hassett Reading, which brings world-renowned Irish and Irish-American writers to campus.
Hassett previously served on the Board of Regents, his class reunion committee and as a Canisius Fund volunteer.
In accepting the LaSalle Medal, Hassett remarked, “I’ve never done anything for Canisius with the expectation of receiving an award. Everything I’ve done and continue to do is to my way of paying back Canisius for all it’s done for me and my family.”
He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Canisius and a juris doctorate from Georgetown Law School.
