Meet the Changemaker: Gerard "Jerry" Capraro '66

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Meet the Changemaker: Gerard "Jerry" Capraro '66

“I came to Utica on a scholarship, and I know what a difference that made for me. I hope future students can have that same experience.”

Gerard “Jerry” Capraro has never been afraid of change.

Indeed, his long and storied career is testament to the power of pursuing new ideas when the opportunity arises.

Like in 1984, when, after an 18-year career at the Air Force Research Lab in Rome, NY, he and a friend left to open an office for Kaman Sciences, a scientific research firm, in his hometown of Utica, NY.

Or when, a short time later, Capraro parlayed his role as the company’s principal scientist into a faculty position at Syracuse University, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in probability theory, statistics, and information systems.

It happened again in 1993, when Capraro left Kaman and founded Capraro Technologies, Inc., a Utica-based company specializing in research and development for the military, software development, and IT and cybersecurity services.

Then in 2022, Capraro made another big move: He sold his eponymous company to a leading emergency management and disaster recovery firm, Rising Phoenix Holdings Corporation (also headquartered in Utica), on whose leadership team he now actively serves as Chief Scientist.

Through it all, giving back to his alma mater has always been a priority. As a member of Utica’s Heritage Society, Capraro, also a University Trustee, hopes to bolster Utica’s cybersecurity and computer science programs — and support the institution.

“I came to Utica on a scholarship, and I know what a difference that made for me,” he says. “I hope future students can have that same experience.”

With his commitment to philanthropy through planned giving, Capraro doesn’t just embrace change — he makes it.