Aversanos celebrate legacy of love in Lecture Hall 7

​Paul Aversano ’93 remembers everything about the day he met Sylvia (Crecco) Aversano ’93. They were both students in Finance 311, which was taught by Upinder Dhillon before he became dean of the School of Management.

“I was sitting in the back of the room with my Zeta Beta Tau brothers,” Paul Aversano says. “Professor Dhillon was calling out names and handing assignments back. He called out ‘Sylvia Crecco,’ and the name caught my attention. I saw a pretty woman with a sorority sweatshirt stand up.”

Because the Lecture Hall played a part in joining the Aversano and Crecco families, it’s only fitting that a portion of the building bears their names.

Last fall, in recognition of a gift the couple made to Binghamton University, Lecture Hall 7 was dedicated as the Aversano and Crecco Families Lecture Hall. A plaque outside the room bears the names of Paul’s and Sylvia’s parents. The Aversanos revealed this to their parents and about 20 other relatives as a surprise during a dedication ceremony at Homecoming.

“Sylvia and I feel strongly that our parents were the ones who really enabled [our success],” Paul Aversano says. “It’s not about putting our names on this. It’s about honoring the University and our parents.”

Their gift will help modernize the Lecture Hall by supporting the installation of a digital 4K projection system: It’s a high-end tool that enables multimedia instruction. In addition, the Aversanos’ gift provides immediate-use programming funds for Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD).

“We’ve always been passionate about helping children with special needs,” Paul Aversano says. The Aversanos volunteer for several New York-based organizations that benefit underprivileged or disabled kids. “When we learned [SSD] went from serving 400 students to 800 without an increase in funding, we thought this would be an area where we could make a real impact.

“It’s no longer acceptable to just do well,” he says. “You have to do well while doing good. Sylvia and I hope our gift will raise awareness of SSD and inspire other alumni to give.”