Five decades of science, service, and hoops: Thomas Sarro honored for golden milestone
Photos by Lee Ferris
In 1975, the world was listening to disco, watching Jaws in theaters, and welcoming a young biology professor named Thomas Sarro to Mount Saint Mary College.
Five decades later, Sarro is still shaping minds and defining what it means to be a Knight.
At the recent Service Awards ceremony, the Mount community honored Sarro for an incredible 50 years of service, making him the longest-serving employee celebrated this year. Only seven years of service separate him and James Finn Cotter, legendary professor of English, who is the longest-serving professor the college has ever known.
“Tom truly represents what it means to be a great teacher,” said Tim Heil ’78. “He always displayed empathy and caring for his students and gave his all to see that they lived up to their fullest potential.”
Linda Dobias Dombroski ’81, Administrative Nursing Supervisor at Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital, added that it was a “privilege and honor” to be his student.
While thousands of Nursing and Natural Science majors know him as the professor who guided them through the complexities of biology, Sarro’s history at the Mount has a sporty side: he helped build the Athletics Department from scratch. Alongside Chemistry professor William Lahar, he launched the Men’s Basketball program in the late ’70s, coordinating intramurals before the campus even had a gym facility. His dedication to student-athletes, both as an assistant coach and an academic advisor, earned him a spot in the Mount’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.
To cement this golden legacy, the college announces the Dr. Thomas Sarro Endowed Scholarship. Made possible by the generosity of Sarro and his wife, Kitty, the fund will support alumni from San Miguel Academy and sophomore Nursing students. To support the scholarship, visit www.msmc.edu/Sarro or contact Nikki Khurana-Baugh at 845-569-3216 or at Nikki.Khurana-Baugh@msmc.edu.
Whether he is tracking Peregrine Falcons at the Mohonk Preserve or mentoring the next generation of doctors and nurses, Sarro remains a staple of the Mount community. Here’s to 50 years of excellence!
