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8 The College of New Jersey Magazine P R A I R I E We caught wind of two alumni who participated in athletic feats of endurance this fall. Thomas Ruggia '98, CEO of Samsara Vision and TCNJ Foundation board member, completed the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Heather Fehn '94, MA '96, the college's chief of staff to the president, finished the Berlin (Germany) Marathon, which is considered one of the six major world marathon races. "To race at Kona was an honor and a privilege," says Ruggia, who has been racing Ironman triathlons the past eight years. "It is truly an opportunity of a lifetime for triathletes." Ruggia is no stranger to physical toughness. "It's been in my blood since my TCNJ football days," he says. He has a streak of more than 1,030 consecutive training days under his belt, includ- ing the day after his Kona race. (It's no wonder he wears through so many pairs of sneakers. See the chart on the right.) Fehn was a marathon newbie, but her experience in Berlin has inspired her. "The support from the various communities of Berlin was unreal," she says. "There was everything from government-sponsored entertainment to random citizens with tambourines and trumpets cheering all along the way." Next up? She earned a lottery slot for the Chicago Marathon in October 2023. "I've got my eye on some of the other major races too," she says. — Kara Pothier Two for the road From TCNJ to the state's top teacher Christine Girtain '94 leads the way in science education. When Christine Girtain '94 won the 2022–23 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year she felt it validated the hard work she's put into her 30-year career as a science teacher in the Toms River Regional School District. In her role as director of authentic science research at both Toms River High School North and South, Girtain has led an innovative science inquiry program in which students take a three-year course and conduct inde- pendent research for college credit. Student projects cover topics as varied as the effects of fruit seed extracts on bacteria to how mites could cause the collapse of bee colonies. Girtain is also a proponent of international science education and has partnered her stu- dents with peers in Israel, Belize and Nigeria to work collaboratively on STEM activities. "Making connections with aca- demic leaders globally allows me to grow as an educator," Girtain says. "In turn, my students work with diverse teams in other parts of the # of miles raced # of air miles traveled to get to race # of months of training Chip time Race highlights Type of running shoe # of running shoes worn-out in training Following in footsteps