Alfred University Prof. Alexis Clare discovered no matter how far she may travel, she never really leaves AU behind.

Clare, a professor of glass science in the Inamori School of Engineering, and husband Blake Mayo were on an Alaskan cruise earlier in June, joining about 2,000 other people from all over the world on the ship. “One day someone saw Blake’s Alfred Station Fire Department shirt, and said ‘Alfred Station?’”

It was AU alumna and former Alumni Council member Cynthia “Punkie” (Butts) Sinesiou. She and Craig, also a 1968 alum, now make their home near Cuba, NY, and both taught in the Olean, NY, city schools. Their daughter Megan is an AU alumna, too, class of ‘97.

And just to add to it: Punkie is the sister of one of Alix’s faculty colleagues: Dr. Becky Prophet ‘70, who lives in Alfred with husband Craig ‘68. Alix also knows a brother, Dennis Butts ‘72, who lives in Corning.

But the Alfred coincidences didn’t end there. Alix and Blake were in Ketchikan, AK, a community “not much bigger than Alfred,” Alix recounted. “A lady shopkeeper saw my Alfred University sweatshirt and told me her husband was a graduate of AU!

 (Editor’s note: We’re still trying to figure out who the alumnus might be.  If it’s you, or you know who it is, let us know!)

“You might go halfway across the world, but Alfred follows you,” Alix concluded.

Tags: Alaska, Alfred University alumni, Dr. Alexis Clare, Dr. Becky Prophet

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