Alum Romney Cirillo Makes a Splash with Aquarium Donation to DU
A fascination with fish tanks earned Romney Cirillo ’08 the nickname “the aquarium guy” during his time at Dominican University.
“I tried to push the envelope and see how big of a tank I could bring in the dorms,” Cirillo joked. “My senior year, I think I had a 55-gallon aquarium in our suite.”
What began as a hobby inspired by his uncle’s love of aquariums became a profession for Cirillo before he ßäßä°®ĘÓƵd DU with a business degree.
Something Fishy, Cirillo’s aquatic system design and installation company serving the Chicago area, has since grown and evolved into Aquatic Intelligence, as it is now known. The company’s key focus is using aquariums to improve mental health in adults and children.
Last fall, Cirillo returned to Dominican University with a new gift for the school: a 450 gallon freshwater aquarium. Containing varied species of fish, plant life and rocks that are native to the Congo Basin in Central Africa, the aquarium was installed in the Rebecca Crown Library’s Contemplation Space, a room used by students for quiet study and for special university events.
For Cirillo, the aquarium’s purpose goes beyond aesthetics.
“An aquarium gives everyone an opportunity to escape, to take a moment and reflect, or just find a distraction that so many of us need during difficult days,” he said.
It is with this idea in mind that Cirillo established the Mobile Aquatic Therapy (MAT) program, which brings aquariums on wheels to hospital patients for therapeutic purposes, to help them relax and take their minds off their illness.
The aquarium at Dominican isn’t mobile, but it’s meant to serve a similar purpose, according to Cirillo.
“When people sit down in front of it and just take 10 to 15 minutes out of their busy schedule, that is when we really start to see the transformation and the feelings that come from it,” he said. “It’s subtle. It’s working in the background.”
Romney also hopes the Contemplation Space tank will have future, academic-related uses for students.
Dr. Mark Carbonara, assistant vice president of advancement at Dominican University, credited Cirillo for growing his company from a dorm room passion project into a “successful, multifaceted business venture.” He also echoed Cirillo’s hope that the aquarium will encourage all members of the university community to take a moment to relax and practice mindfulness as they go about their busy days.
“We are proud of our alumnae/i such as Romney for continuing to give back to Dominican and for supporting our students’ mental and emotional well-being,” Carbonara said.