The President and Board of Trustees of Canisius High School are proud to announce the 2023 inductees to the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Honor:

Dr. John M. Canty ’72 – Medicine

A cardiologist by trade, the SUNY Distinguished Professor of Medicine currently serves as the Director of the Center for Research in Cardiovascular Medicine at the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine. Dr. Canty is also a professor of Biomedical Engineering at UB and is on staff at the Buffalo VA Medical Center. His clinical areas of expertise are in diagnosing and caring for patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure. A UB Distinguished Alumni, his work as a research scientist has been published over 150 times.

Hon. John M. Curran ’77 – Law

Judge Curran began his legal career as a commercial litigation attorney before being appointed the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. He served as the Orchard Park Town Justice. In 2004, he was elected to the New York State Supreme Court. In 2016, he was appointed to the Fourth Appellate Division. He has served on the Orchard Park Town Board, the Canisius High School Board of Trustees and is a UB Law School Distinguished Alumni.

Mr. Walter L. Rooth ’60 – Law/Civic Leadership

As a lawyer, Rooth began his career as the Hamburg Town Attorney before being elected Hamburg Town Judge where he served the citizens of Hamburg for 35 years. During his tenure he oversaw the implementation of a Court Domestic Violence Counselor and Alcohol Counselor. He created a Scared Straight Program and counseling and community service programs for Hamburg youth. Outside of the courtroom, his work as a youth baseball coach and executive earned him the Town Service to Youth Award.

Dr. Eric F. Spina ’79 – Education

Spina, the President of Dayton University, began his career as a mechanical and aerospace engineer working on grants from The National Science Foundation, NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency. Spina’s administrative experience includes Syracuse University Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science as well as Vice Chancellor and Provost of SU. Under his guidance, Dayton has set records for size, academic quality and racial and socioeconomic diversity. He holds two U.S. Patents and his work has been honored by NASA and the National Science Foundation.

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The Distinguished Alumni Hall of Honor, Athletic Hall of Fame honorees and John Barnes Award winner will be inducted as part of a gala event on Saturday, Nov. 18. More details to come.