Piano donated to the University of Scranton

The Steinway piano that belonged to and was beloved by the late Professor Delia Sumrall, D.B.A., was purchased from her estate, fully restored, and donated to the University of Scranton by her friend and colleague Satya Chattopadhyay, Ph.D., his wife Basundhara, and their two daughters Sudakshina and Kanak.

The piano has been dedicated and placed in the university’s Madonna Della Strada Chapel and is serving the university community through its use at liturgies there.

Dr. Sumrall joined the University of Scranton faculty in 1992. After nearly 23 years of service as an associate professor of marketing in the Kania School of Management, she retired in 2015 as the chair of the Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department. Her tenure as chair ushered in a time of significant growth for the department.

The dedication plaque on the piano reads, “This piano has been donated by the Chattopadhyay family in loving memory, honor, and celebration of Professor Delia Sumrall, D.B.A. in recognition of her decades of service to The University of Scranton – Wherever we go, whatever we do, with each note of music, we carry sweet memories of you.” The Chattopadhyay family trusts the donation of the piano will carry on Dr. Sumrall’s legacy and continue leaving a positive impact on the University community for years to come as she did through her career.

A close friend of the Chattopadhyays, Cheryl Y. Boga, conductor and director of Performance Music at the University, facilitated the direction of the donation to the chapel.