Trends: Spring 2008 (Volume 4, Issue 2)

Tech’s new baseball coach:

Kip McWilliams Faculty spotlight:

Steve Dusseau Freshman Colin Clemens is...

Volume 4 / Issue 2 The Magazine for Students, Alumni & Friends of Indiana Tech

The Sundance Kid

Indiana Tech Grads “Propel” the USAF to the Future

Letter from the President Hello again!

I’ve spent a great deal of time lately thinking and talking about the value of creativity. My responsibility as president of this university is to lead it toward higher levels of excellence, and I believe that the way to do that is through creative approaches to continuous improvement.

As you read this issue of Trends consider the creativity occurring on our campuses, the new ideas being generated. Continuous improvement and creative consideration of our infinite potential to excel are everywhere.

New academic programs and updates to older ones, additional athletic teams, another residence hall, expanded activities – these are all the result of creatively answering the question of how we can make this university even better.

As I ponder the best ways to foster creativity, there is one thing of which I am absolutely certain: It can come from anyone, and it should come from everyone. Faculty, staff, students, and not least of all alumni have a stake in the future of Indiana Tech.

We want to hear your ideas. One way to let your thoughts be known is participating in the readership survey contained in this issue. Let us know whether you like what you’re reading or want something different.

Don’t stop with just commenting on Trends. Call or write us with your vision for the future of Indiana Tech. Your idea could inspire another exciting change in your university.

Dr. Arthur E. Snyder, President

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Departments

2 Letter from the President

4 Tech Happenings

18 Alumni Updates & In Memoriam

19 Faculty & Staff News

Features

6

6 The Sundance Kid

See how Colin Clemens, a Warsaw, Ind. native and Tech student, ended up as a star of the Sundance Film Festival.

8 Indiana Tech Grads “Propel” the USAF to the Future

8

Dr. Bill Borger, Dr. Phil Kessel, and Dr. Nick Kuprowicz are keeping the Air Force on the leading edge of aerospace technology.

12 Lessons for Life: Dr. Steve Dusseau Meet one of Tech’s champions of relationship-based education.

12

14 Kip McWilliams: Proud to be a Warrior

McWilliams brought a tidal wave of energy to the baseball team. Read about his tactics for taking the team to another NAIA World Series.

Trends volume four, issue two. © 2008 Indiana Institute of Technology Arthur E. Snyder, Ed.D., President

Trends is published quarterly for students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Indiana Tech by the university’s Creative Services Department.

Janet Schutte, Marketing Director Jeffrey Melton, Marketing Specialist Drew Kora, Graphic Designer Nathan Davidhizar Marketing Intern

14

Please send comments, news, and feature story ideas to: Indiana Tech attn: Creative Services 1600 E. Washington Blvd.

Fort Wayne, IN 46803 (260) 422-5561, extension 2250 e-mail: JLSchutte@indianatech.edu

For alumni news, please send to the address at the left, attention Alumni Office, or call: (260) 422-5561, extension 2219 e-mail: alumni@indianatech.edu.

The editors reserve the right to edit articles for length and clarity.

Articles may be reproduced with permission and proper attribution.

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tech happenings

Evans-Kimmell Hall Will Be Ready for 2008 With enrollment steadily climbing, the Indiana Tech Board of Trustees approved construction of a new residence hall to house about 60 students. The facility will open in August 2008, and the university will begin accepting room reservations in January.

The new residence hall will be named Evans-Kimmell Hall to honor the parents of Dr. Michael Evans, an Indiana Tech trustee. Evans’ father, Robley Evans, was an Indiana Tech graduate.

The 24,000-square-foot residence hall,

which has an estimated cost of about $3.4 million, will be built on Washington Boulevard next to the university’s baseball field. This location allows for construction of another residence hall in the same area in the future.

The new facility will have 16 suites, each with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchenette, and a living room. One of the suites will be an alumni suite for visiting graduates who like to spend the night on campus.

In addition to the suites, the hall will have a community area on the first floor

Cross Country Teams Race to Nationals In their first season, Indiana Tech’s cross country teams have already made their mark in the community and nationally. The women’s team qualified for the National Championship by winning the Region VIII meet, while the men’s team earned an at-large bid via their final season #23 national ranking. The NAIA National Championship was held at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wis. The Warrior women earned a 9th place finish behind lead runner Kara Van Horn, who finished the course with a time of 18:30. The other Warrior times included Leah Blakemore’s 18:46, Alyssa Webb’s 18:58, Felicia Mondry’s 19:08, Mika Davis’ 19:43, Brittney Howland’s

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with gathering spaces including a big screen television, recreational game tables, a fireplace, an island dining area, and a full kitchen available for use on request. The building also will have laundry facilities on each floor; cable TV; and WiFi Internet access.

“We’re asking students to make Indiana Tech their home for four years, and we owe them the best accommodations we can provide,” President Arthur E. Snyder said.

“This new residence hall was designed with an eye on both function and comfort.”

20:08, and Kim Matusik’s 20:32. Van Horn was named to the Champions of Character list.

For the men’s team, Camron Walter led the Warriors to the finish line with a time of 25:18 and a 20th place finish to earn NAIA All-American Honors. Other times for the Warriors included Loren Spirito’s 26:22, John Wainright’s 26:32, Matt Ditzler’s 26:51, Dan Neidlinger’s 26:56, Jordan Mitchell’s 27:16, and Jonathan Jiminez’s 27:27. Combining the top five finishes for the Warriors landed them a 20th place team finish. In other awards, Ditzler also was recognized as a Champion of Character.

Indiana Tech’s runners, all freshmen, gained experience and knowledge on what it takes to compete at the national level and will look to improve on this year’s phenomenal season in years to come.

Introducing…

Maximus!

After gathering more than 100 suggested names for our mascot, the options in the Warrior Name Game were narrowed to five: William, Warrior Joe, Walter, Maximus, and Cassius. With hundreds of votes cast, the clear winner was Maximus!

The mascot’s name was announced at halftime of the men’s basketball game on December 8.

Forbes Named as Commencement Speaker Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine as well as chairman and CEO of Forbes Inc., will be the guest speaker at Indiana Tech’s 2008 Commencement on May 17.

“We are very pleased that Mr. Forbes has accepted our invitation to speak at Commencement,” said Indiana Tech President Arthur E. Snyder. “His experiences and perspectives should give our graduates plenty of food for thought as they pursue their own successes.”

This year’s Commencement will be at 11 a.m. Saturday May 17, at the Allen County

War Memorial Coliseum. For directions to the Coliseum and other information, visit www.IndianaTech.edu/graduation.

After the ceremony, Forbes will meet with students enrolled in the university’s new Master of Science in Organizational Leadership.

In addition to his responsibilities at Forbes Inc., Forbes serves on the boards of The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the Heritage Foundation and The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. He is on the Board of Overseers of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Cen-

ter and on the Board of Visitors for the School of Public Policy of Pepperdine University. He served on the Board of Trustees of Princeton University for ten years.

In 1996 and 2000, Forbes ran for the Republican presidential nomination. He also is the author of two books, “Flat Tax Revolution: Using a Postcard to Abolish the IRS” and “A New Birth to Freedom.”

Forbes earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton University. While at Princeton, he founded Business Today, which grew into the nation’s largest magazine published by students for students.

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S u n da nc e the

Warrior Gets a Taste of Celebrity Life Amid Documentary Buzz

C

olin Clemens’ recent life story sounds like a movie plot: small town kid gets the chance of a lifetime and it turns out better than

he ever imagined. In reality, Clemens’ life—one year of it—is a movie plot. The Indiana Tech basketball player was one of the Warsaw High School students whose senior year was captured in the documentary

“American Teen.”

Filmmaker Nanette Burstein sought a Midwestern community with only one high school as the setting for her film. Warsaw was one of 10 possible locations where she conducted open casting calls to unearth compelling stories for the documentary.

“Warsaw’s not the most exciting place, and it was the coolest thing to do,” Clemens said in explaining why he went to the casting call.

“It’s not often that you a get a chance to do a movie.”

Several film critics have compared the documentary to John Hughes’ classic 1980s teen films such as “The Breakfast Club.” The four main characters seem to fit the typical stereotypes: the popular girl, Megan; the artsy girl, Hannah; the loner, Jake; and the jock, Clemens.

Out of 900 documentaries submitted for the Sundance Film Festival, “American Teen” was one of only 16 selected for inclusion and Burstein won the festival’s documentary directing award.

Burstein filmed the students almost daily from August 2005 to June 2006. Clemens said cameras were on him some days more than others, and the students formed good relationships with the director and would let her know

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if they were planning to do anything that might be significant.

“Any kind of dramatic moments, anything big they wanted to film,” he explained. “Like if I knew I was going to be talking to a basketball coach.”

While the film was being made, Clemens had no idea the future it would have.

“The last month of school everyone was getting kind of played out,” he said of life in front of the cameras. “I didn’t really think it was going to be such a big deal. Who wants to watch Warsaw?”

Paramount Vantage is banking on lots of moviegoers wanting to watch Warsaw. The distributor bought the rights to the film after the tremendous reaction it received at Sundance and will release the film in theaters nationwide.

Burstein invited Clemens and the other teens to the Sundance Festival, which Clemens deemed “a pretty great experience.” The students saw the completed film for the first time the night before it premiered at the festival.

“It’s pretty surreal, knowing it made it, watching it, “Clemens said. “It’s surprisingly accurate.

Nanette had so much film—over 1,000 hours— and it could have been twisted. But, I can say at least my own story is pretty accurate.”

kid

Tech student Colin Clemens (the tall guy in sunglasses) poses for a photo with his co-stars during the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.

The film generated a lot of buzz at the festival, and the theater was packed for the first public screening.

“There were about 500 people in the audience, and when things good or bad happened the crowd would react,” Clemens said. “It was neat to see, but weird to think “The last month of school someone cares about my life everyone was getting that much.”

While at Sundance, Clemens kind of played out,” he and his cast mates had the opsaid of life in front of the portunity to mingle with celebcameras. “I didn’t really rities and get a taste of fame. think it was going to be Meeting Rachel Dratch, one of such a big deal. Who his favorites from “Saturday wants to watch Warsaw?” Night Live,” was a highlight for Clemens. Other stars included Matthew Perry, Jack Black, Robert Redford, Paris Hilton, and Josh Hartnett (“every girl’s dream,” according to Clemens).

Although Clemens is studying business administration at Tech, he says he’s always wanted to be an actor and this experience has helped him make some connections.

“I’ve wanted to act my whole life,” he says.

“This gets my name out there.”

The deal with Paramount Vantage could get

his name even further out there, with talk of a press tour that could include high profile appearances such as “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

For now, Clemens is still a student-athlete.

One of the storylines in the film is the pressure on Clemens to earn an athletic scholarship.

Much is made of his father saying he’d have to join the military if he didn’t.

“The Army thing started out as a joke, but it came to be reality when money got tighter,” Clemens said. “My grades were decent, but I had a better chance at a basketball scholarship.”

He was considering other colleges such as Manchester College, Huntington University, DePauw University, and University of Evansville.

He hadn’t met any Indiana Tech coaches until he played in the Nancy Rehm All-Star Classic on campus. Now as a sophomore he’s a forward on the varsity team for the Warriors. His best game of the season so far was vs. McKendree University when he had 15 points and 4 rebounds.

Clemens says most of his friends didn’t know about the film until the film festival. Now Sundance seems to be just the beginning.

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Indiana Tech Grads “Propel” the USAF to the Future Trends alumni spotlight is on Dr. Bill Borger, Dr. Phil Kessel, and Dr. Nick Kuprowicz

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T

hree graduates of Indiana Tech’s engineering program are at the forefront of propulsion and power research and

development, assuring that the U.S. Air Force maintains its superiority in aircraft and in space. Dr. Bill Borger, BSEE ’71, Dr.

Phil Kessel, BSAeE ’54 and Dr. Nick Kuprowicz, BSME ’94 are assigned to the Propulsion Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with an extensive rocket and space propulsion site at Edwards AFB, Calif., the Directorate conducts research and development in all aspects of military aviation and space propulsion, aircraft electrical power, and fuels for all propulsion systems. Each of our highlighted graduates plays an important role in the lab, and each one got his start and impetus to succeed at Indiana Tech.

Dr. Phil Kessel. technical advisor to the Directorate’s Space and Missile Propulsion Division.

Dr. Bill Borger chose Indiana Tech almost by accident. After graduating from high school in 1967, he professes that his ambition was to be a “draftsman.” When he applied for that position at a local manufacturing firm, the head of personnel at the firm noted, “I won’t hire you; you are too good in math and science, and you need to go to engineering school.” The head of personnel at the manufacturing firm connected him to Tech, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Borger credits Indiana Tech with grounding him extremely well in the fundamentals of math and science. “They worked us hard, and many that started as freshman were not there for graduation.”

Obviously, Borger did graduate and has come a considerable distance since that time. He is now the Director of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate. As leader of the laboratory and its 1000-plus personnel, he is responsible for the execution of an annual research budget of $400 million.

Research and development is accomplished internally at the Wright Patterson facilities, but also with universities and industry. Investments are made in turbine engines, scramjet engines, fuels and power systems at the Wright Patterson site. Rocket engines for space access and space propulsion systems research and development are directed from the Edwards Research Site located in California’s Mojave Desert. This research produces propulsion and power systems which not only are transitioned into Air Force aircraft, space and missile systems but also are transferred to commercial aviation and energy systems. For example, practically every propulsion technology embodied in commercial airline engines has been the result of R&D conducted by the Propulsion Directorate over the years. The Directorate is also a leader in alternative jet fuels development; this is a growing research area due to the significant increases in the price of crude.

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▲ Above: Dr. Nick Kuprowicz admires some of his handiwork. He and his team help develop the engines that keep the Air Force’s jets on the leading edge of technology. ► Dr. Bill Borger originally planned to be a draftsman.

Instead, he ended up heading up a $400 million/year research laboratory for the Air Force.

10 TRENDS Summer 2007

Dr. Phil Kessel also found Tech via a referral.

“I chose to attend Indiana Tech on the GI Bill on the recommendation of a friend who was in the Army with me on Eniwetok. It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Looking back on his Indiana Tech education, Kessel says, “The main things that Indiana Tech did for me were to reinforce the basic training that I had gotten at Brooklyn Tech and to give me an appetite to understand more about the theoretical basis for the design of propulsion systems.”

More than 50 years have passed since commencement for Kessel, and now he is the technical advisor to the Directorate’s Space and Missile Propulsion Division. This division occupies about 65 square miles of territory in California’s Mojave Desert—a site chosen as far more appropriate than Dayton, Ohio, for demonstrating large, advanced space launch and ICBM propulsion concepts. There Kessel provides technical guidance and leadership for the research, development and demonstration of all rocket propulsion technology for the Air Force. This encompasses an extremely broad range of propulsion types which range from large, solid or liquid-fueled space launch motors and engines, to spacecraft

station keeping and maneuvering units. He is responsible for the technical quality and relevance of the division portfolio of $100 million per year.

The propulsion systems resulting from these efforts contribute to increased payload to orbit, increased reliability, and reduced overall costs of launch systems and spacecraft that are used to perform missions critical to the Air Force and to our national defense.

The most recent Tech grad in the trio also had a recommendation from a friend. Dr. Nick Kuprowicz relates: “I was looking for an undergraduate college that was small, private, and affordable.

Tech was recommended by a friend of the family, and our introductory visit (including an impromptu meeting with the college president) went very well. The personalization, overall tuition costs and favorable faculty/student ratios, strongly influenced my decision to attend.”

As for the influence of his Indiana Tech experience, he says, “My experience at Indiana Tech provided a rock solid foundation for growth. The sheer number of technology development efforts I am involved in and my varying roles amongst them require me to dynamically change my

thinking pattern. The ability to do that was definitely primed at Tech. Finally, the quality and rigor of the mechanical engineering program at Tech, in conjunction with the other factors I have mentioned, contributed to my successful completion of a mechanical engineering Ph.D. The ability to do that while working here full time is perhaps the ultimate benefit of my foundational Tech experience.”

Kuprowicz works in the Engine Integration and Assessment Branch of the Turbine Engine Division. Essentially, this is the branch of the turbine engine division that conceives and plans for future engine development programs to satisfy

and exceed the requirements for future air combat systems. There he leads the development and application of all modeling and simulation tools within the branch. By modeling the structure and dynamics of complex turbine engines, he is able to predict the effect of design on engine operation without having to resort to “build and test” which is prohibitively expensive. To understand how sophisticated this technology can be, Kuprowicz was able to demonstrate a modeling approach capable of predicting jet fuel thermal-oxidative stability. In modern jet engines, fuel is used as a cooling fluid before being fed to the engine itself. This

can lead to thermal decomposition of the fuel in various ways resulting in serious degradation of engine performance. By predicting the fuel’s behavior through computer simulation, costly modifications and fixes can be avoided while aircraft and engine operability are optimized.

Indiana Tech is proud of these three graduates. Not only were they fundamentally grounded in engineering principles, each was inspired to continue on with their formal education. It is not surprising that all three are in positions of influence as they lead USAF propulsion R&D and contribute to the dominance of the USAF and the security of the nation.

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Lessons for Life Dr. Steve Dusseau, professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering, never thought he would end up teaching. “I thought I would always be in industry, but my passion for teaching and developing relationships with students overtook that,” he says.

Beginnings “I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Michigan Tech,” Dusseau says. Upon graduating in 1989, he moved to Missouri to work in the steel industry. “I focused on the quality field, which was just starting to bloom nationwide. There was lots of travel.”

While working full time, he took evening classes to earn his MBA in 1993. “I was also thinking about the impact I wanted to make and had a desire to work with college age students and young married couples.” So, he considered becoming a teacher and looked at doctorate programs. He decided on The University of Missouri-Rolla where he earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Management, again emphasizing quality. “About halfway into the program, I started getting offers.”

Relationship-based education “Our small class sizes allow us to teach students not only the academic side, but also life lessons they will need,” Dusseau says. “I am able to know more than just a student’s name. I genuinely care about the students. When things are good, I celebrate with them. When things are difficult or painful, I cry with them,” he says.

The first day of class, Dusseau sits on the floor to demonstrate a point.

“While other professors may act like the students are lucky to be there, I don’t,” he says. “Just because time and experience haven’t made us equal doesn’t mean I’m better than them. I don’t talk down to them.

Humility can make or break them in life, and that generally isn’t taught as a life lesson.”

Dusseau chose Indiana Tech because its smaller size would enable him “One of the reasons I got into teaching was to bring dimensions of to build relationships with students. “At the time, Indiana Tech was thought at a time when students are open to consider and explore,” also looking to start its IME program,” he says. By 1998, he was vice Dusseau says. In addition, he and his wife, Barb, host Bible study president of academics and dean of engineering. During this time, sessions every Wednesday in their home. “It started with two students he worked to launch several new degree programs, including the MBA in the spring of 1996, and the number has gone as high as 65.” Now and MSE. In 2003, he went back to the classroom to teach full time. they see from 45 to 50 each week, with students coming from all of the college campuses in the area. “It’s non-denominational and indeOn teaching pendent of their college study, so students can consider things they Dusseau still does some consulting work and tries to bring real world may not pick up in the classroom,” he says. They also host four to six issues into the classroom and engage students in solving problems. events a year, including Super Bowl and “Dumb and Dumber” parties.

He presents students with actual datasets from area companies to pose the same tough questions they would face every day on the job.

Family Steve and Barb Dusseau have four children: 14-year old Hannah, “In one task, students pretend they are a quality engineer and have 13-year old Grace, 12-year old Joseph and 11-year old Emma. to train others in the company on how to use quality tools and “They’re each in a sport, and I rotate coaching one of them a year. develop a virtual tutorial using Microsoft PowerPoint, other software Right now it’s fifth grade girls’ basketball for Emma at Lakewood and the Internet. They are basically creating a virtual, turnkey tutorial. Park Christian School.”

By showing they can teach it, they’re showing me they know it,” he says. In another task, they have to analyze a dataset for reliability The Dusseaus are also involved at Wallen Baptist Church, where modeling—but the data is incomplete. “Students need to learn to Steve is an elder and teaches a Sunday School class. He and his wife deliver anyway, even when the data to be analyzed is inadequate.” lead a group for young married couples. He is also on the Board at Lakewood Park Christian School.

New directions Dusseau is piloting a project this semester where students go to Favorites local companies and present their services. “They have to do a cold Vacation Spot: “There’s so many. The Grand Canyon was really call and offer to collect data and do real time data capture and great a few years ago.” analysis. This gives them the experience companies are looking for: Food: “Pizza with bacon and mushrooms. No onions—they’re vile.” critical thinking, problem solving, communication skills and the ability to wrap technology through it all. It gets them out of the TV Series: “Little House on the Prairie” classroom and into businesses.”

Role Model: “Jesus”

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Thrilled to be a Warrior Meet Warrior Baseball’s New Coach

T

here’s no doubt about it—Kip McWilliams is

thrilled

to

be

the

new

baseball

coach for Indiana Tech. Smiling from ear

to ear, he’s quick to point out that he’s always wanted to be a baseball coach, and he knows the Warriors are poised to go all the way to the NAIA World Series. They just need some strong leadership—which he is more than capable of providing.

“The Warriors have a fantastic record,” McWilliams states.

“They’ve been to the NAIA championships six times in the past ten years—that’s not easy to accomplish. A real baseball fan should be thrilled to be here at Tech coaching this team. I know I am.”

Though this is McWilliams’ first position as head coach of a collegiate level baseball team, his experience in coaching and playing baseball and other sports goes back several years. In his hometown of Bloomington, Ind., he played high school baseball and football. Looking at his record as a football player, where he earned All-State recognition, you might assume he was destined for a career as a linebacker. McWilliams, however, had his heart set on America’s favorite pastime.

“I was probably better at football than baseball,” he admits, “but I really love the sport of baseball—it’s the greatest game ever invented—and I really wanted to coach.”

After graduating high school, McWilliams played two seasons of football and baseball while attending Franklin College. Then he transferred to IUPUI, where he studied physical education. At IUPUI he was the assistant baseball coach in charge of the catchers and recruiting. After graduation, McWilliams spent eight seasons assistant coaching for Marian College, where the team won five conference titles and made six regional appearances.

During his years at Marian, McWilliams also coached numerous summer teams, such as the Indy Bulldogs, whom he led to the National Amateur Baseball Federation World Series in 2002. Also on McWilliams coaching résumé are four seasons with the Lids Indiana Bulls. Lids is a summer travelling baseball organization for teenage players. The Lids are recognized as one of the best base-

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McWilliams gives the team a pep-talk before practice.

ball organizations in the country since sevenough during practice.” eral major league players had their start McWilliams and his assistant coaches on Lids teams. Coaching for the Bulls gave take personal responsibility for the team’s McWilliams the opportunity to work with performance. If the team doesn’t do well many gifted young athletes. in a game, he thinks carefully about how With all this experience behind him, how the coaches can mold their practices to does McWilliams plan to get the Warriors better prepare the team. to another NAIA championship? His an“Sometimes it is the coach’s fault when swer might surprise you: “I have two rules: the players don’t perform well. After all, Be a gentleman at all times and don’t let it’s our responsibility to keep practices your teammates down.” interesting, especially when we’re cooped McWilliams explains, “If you’re on this up in the field house all winter.” team then you represent the team at all McWilliams means what he says. Obtimes—in school, at the mall, wherever— serving baseball practice in Warrior Fieldespecially if house is like watching a you’re wear- “Practice is my time, but the well-oiled machine. The ing your Tech place is bustling with acgame is the team’s time. If baseball Ttivity as the team coma coach is in the dugout yellshirts or hats. pletes McWilliams’ “baseing at his team then he hasn’t ball olympics,” short drills How my playprepared well enough...” ers behave is that keep the energy leva reflection els high and the players of our team and this school. That’s why I on their toes. Gentlemanly as the team only recruit kids who really want to play may be, there’s no mistaking the passion for Tech and are willing to work hard at in their eyes and a healthy aggression in their goals.” each pitch and swing. These Warriors are Gentlemanly conduct seems to be a determined to make their opponents fight hallmark for McWilliams’ coaching. He’s for every home run, every strikeout. They’ll tough on his players and expects a lot out duke it out to the bitter end. That’s exactly of them, but you won’t find him barking how McWilliams wants them to be. orders at them from the dugout during a “It’s never over,” he explains, “Even if game. “Practice is my time, but the game we’re down a few runs and there’s only is the team’s time. If a coach is in the dugan inning left it’s not over. They (the opout yelling and screaming during a game ponent) need to strike us out three times, then he hasn’t prepared his team well and we need to strike them out three

times. It’s that simple.” With a grin on his face and a gleam in his eye he adds, “A lot can happen in that amount of time—that’s when baseball history is made.”

As another practice gets under way, McWilliams calls his team together for a pep talk. He reminds them that only 16 practices are left before their first game. They need to focus on just one thing: Idaho. The team comes together and shouts “Idaho” in unison before they begin their pitching, batting, and catching drills.

Why Idaho? Because a little town on the West side of the state called Lewiston will host the NAIA World Series, that’s why.

McWilliams will do everything in his power to get the Warriors there for another shot at a championship.

Kip’s Favorites: Food: Chicken Major League Team: The Cubs ...Will They Ever make it to the World Series?: “OH YEAH!” Pastime (other than baseball): Golf Vacation: The Bahamas...after the Warriors win the NAIA series

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alumni news

► Robert Wise, BSME 1961, is retired but still consulting. He has his state PE license and had based his career in thermodynamics, heat transfer and internal fluid flow. He has two sons, Robert and Michael. Wise resides in Cypress, Cal. and his e-mail address is rawi3@earthlink.net. ► Allen Fenderson, BSPHY 1967, is an adjunct instructor at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Mich. He lives in Westland, Mich., and his e-mail address is afenders@comcast. net. Fenderson spoke on the topic of “Software lessons Learned The Hard Way” at an SAE speaking engagement in 2001.

On Jan. 22, 2008 Fenderson welcomed a new grandson to the family.

► Robert A. Finlay, BSEE 1984, passed the FE Exam on his first attempt and is now able to take the second and final part of the Professional Engineering licensing exam. ► Michael Gibson, BSACC 1987, is retired and resides in Fort Wayne, Ind. His e-mail address is michaelgibso8573@aol.com. ► Kathy (Doyle) Butts, BSCIS 1993, is a senior business consultant at Lawson Software. She currently resides in Auburn, N.H., and her e-mail address is katdoyle77@hotmail.com. Butts has a 2year-old son named Jimmy and 9-monthold son named Conor.

► Donald Bubna, BSAE 1971, is an aeronautical engineer senior staff member at Lockheed Martin. He resides in Marietta, Ga., and his e-mail address is donald.t.bubna@lmco.com.

in memoriam

► Steve McCuen, BSEE 1977, now resides in Rockwall, Texas.

► Anthony Caterino, BSCIS 1993, is the senior programmer analyst for Adesa, Inc. He resides in McCordsville, Ind., and his e-mail address is acaterino@insightbb.com.

► Jose R. Figueroa, BSBA 1995, is a business analyst at Global Payments in Niles, Ill. He lives in Chicago and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in intercultural studies at Moody Graduate School. Figueroa’s e-mail address is djfigueroa@sbcglobal.net. ► Edward Vinarcik, MBA 2002, worked as a lean design and development engineer for Bosch in Northeast Indiana.

After visiting and adopting a child from China, Vinarcik and his wife pursued an international position from Bosch. He now works as a section manager in a metallurgy lab and carbine design group in Hangzhou, China. Before he transferred over seas, Vinarcik began earning his Ph.D. in engineering management from the University of Missouri-Rolla. Although he has had to postpone his Ph.D., he plans on returning and earning it in the future.

We have learned of the deaths of the following alumni & friends:

Sigmund A. Biener Melbourne Beach, FL BSEETGR ’57

Frank L. Juarez Avenel, NJ BSEE ’52

Harry T. Ponting, Sr. Onancock, VA BSME ’52

William C. Clas Georgetown, TX BSME ’50

Fran N. Lare Hoagland, IN BSME ’79

Don L. Rockenfelder Uhrichsville, OH BSME ’40

Frank J. Dolgos Norwich, NY BSCE ’50

Donald R. Millard Edgerton, WI BSCE ’60

Lawrence A. VanFossen Brooksville, FL BSEE ’53

John D. Gerber Sistersville, WV BSAEE ’47

Orville Musclow Rochester, NY BSME ’50

Roland Vayer Feeding Hills, MA BSEE ’50

James W. Greenawalt Amsterdam, OH BSANE ’50

Edward Pasko BSEE 1954 Orlando, FL

Aloysius Warth Hartville, OH BSDR ’47

16 TRENDS Summer 2007

► Rodney R. Groce, MBA 2003, is an accountant for Defense Finance & Accounting Service located in Indianapolis, Ind. His e-mail address is rodney.groce@dfas.mil. ► Thomas Smead, BA 2002, MBA 2005, is the technical services manager of the Magnet Wire Division at Superior Essex in Fort Wayne, Ind. He also lives in Fort Wayne, Ind., and his e-mail address is thomas_smead@ superioressex.com. ► Viola Moore, BSBA 2004, is an MIS assistant at Edgewater Systems. She resides in Gary, Ind., and her e-mail address is vmoore@edgewatersystems.org. ► Jerry Papke, BSIME 2005, is a logistics planning analyst at Volt/CAT. ► Michael Pratt, BSBM 2005, is a project director in accounting/finance at Princeton One in Indianapolis, Ind. His e-mail address is Michael.Pratt@ princetonone.com. ► Doug Swain, BSBA 2005, works on the help desk at Fastenal located in Indianapolis, Ind. He resides in Brownsburg, Ind. and his e-mail address is bballguy3434@yahoo.com. ► Robert G. White, MBA 2006, is the area manager at Direct Line Communications in Fort Wayne, Ind. ► Matt Langham, BS 2007, is a financial advisor at American General Securities, Inc. located in Defiance, Ohio. ► Tim Novinger, BSIT 2007, is a web developer for The Nichols Company located in Fort Wayne, Ind. Novinger has previous web developing experience with Westlake Design in Indianapolis and JH Specialty in Fort Wayne.

Attention Alums: We want to hear from you!

We want to get to know you better.

Whether you’re an alum from Tech’s golden years or a recent grad, we’re interested in your story.

• Have an interesting story to tell?

• Did you invent something?

• Start your own business?

• Have a cool hobby?

• Travel the world in a hot air balloon?

Anything goes, even if it’s not directly related to Indiana Tech. You might have big news to tell or just a small story to share—either way, we want to hear it.

E-mail: mystory@indianatech.edu Mail: Indiana Tech attn: Creative Services—Trends 1600 East Washington Blvd.

Fort Wayne, IN 46803 Online: www.indianatech.edu/AlumniAndFriends (follow the link to “Alumni Update”)

TRENDS Summer 2007 17

faculty & staff news

University Welcomes New Staff Indiana Tech is pleased to announce several additions and promotions to the university staff: Shankar R. Atre, associate professor of electrical engineering Ellen Brown, admissions representative, College of Professional Studies-South Bend Christa A. Dillman, part-time business office assistant

Doris Foss, administrative assistant to the deans Vicki Goltz, operations coordinator, College of Professional Studies-Fort Wayne

Peterson is Coach of the Year Coach Brad Peterson was named WHAC Cross Country Coach of the Year after the Lady Warriors won the conference meet in October.

Karma Hamm, associate admissions representative, College of Professional Studies-Indianapolis Sheila Johnson, associate admissions representative, College of Professional Studies-Indianapolis James Lipocky, women’s soccer coach

“Winning this award is a tribute to the young ladies and how hard they have worked, and a tribute to our entire coaching staff,” Peterson said. “I have high expectations, and they have been on the same page with me every step of the way in our first year as a program. To win conference in our first year as a program with all freshmen is a tremendous feeling. I feel very fortunate to be able to coach such a good group of young ladies that are so coachable. It is scary what we can do over the next few years with these ladies leading the way.”

Trustee Joins FW Parks Board Indiana Tech trustee and alumna Cheri Becker was named by Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry to the Board of Park Commissioners and will begin her four-year term this month.

“The Mayor’s appointment of Cheri to the Park Board is a selection of quality and commitment,” said Al Moll, Director of Parks and Recreation. “Cheri’s vast experience in the business and non-profit worlds will be a huge asset to the board. And as a bonus for our department -- she also brings a creative mind to this important role.” Becker is the executive director of Invent Tomorrow and has a long history of community service. In addition to being on the Indiana Tech Board of Trustees, she currently serves as the Board President for the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, as a Board Member of the Indiana High Speed Rail Initiative, and on the Steering Committee for the YWCA Circle of Women.

18 TRENDS Summer 2007

Cindy Meyers, administrative assistant, CPS operations Jeannette Philpot, part-time administrative assistant, College of Professional Studies-Warsaw Shantae Richmond, administrative assistant, College of Professional Studies-South Bend Yvonne Sly, student life assistant David Thoms, database administrator Ginny Spencer, distance education specialist Ben Smith, overseeing athletic eligibility in the registrar’s office and phone center manager for traditional student admissions,

from the archives

Remember Cow Magnets?

This classic issue of Tech Times takes us back to the early ’80s when consumers were feeling the pinch of high prices at the pump. (Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?)

Rumor had it that a farmer in Oregon increased his vehicle’s gas mileage by 3 to 5 miles per gallon by putting a cow magnet (a magnet put in a cow’s stomach to reduce the risk of hardware disease) near the carburetor. The news spread and the fad caught on—”cow magnet madness” swept through the Midwest.

Determined to find the truth, Indiana Tech’s Professor of Engineering Robert Marshall began an investigation into whether the cow magnets had any effect on gas mileage. The study began in the fall of 1980 gaining the interest of Fort Wayne’s

newschannel 33, as reported by the issue of Tech Times pictured here.

Five months later, the March issue of Tech Times reported the results of Professor Marshall’s tests. What did he find? No gains in gas mileage at all. In fact, in some tests mileage was actually lower with a cow magnet. Marshall suggested that if anyone saw improved fuel economy with a cow magnet it was because they “were subconsciously driving more conservatively.”

The lesson from all this? No gimmicks will improve your gas mileage. Marshall’s observations were true then and now—the best way to get better gas mileage is to avoid heavy acceleration and slow down.

TRENDS Summer 2007 19

March 18: Fort Wayne Area Alumni Lunch Bunch Don Hall’s Triangle Park Grill 3010 Trier Road 11:30am—1:00pm

Alumni Events

Mark Your Calendars!

We have some great alumni events planned for this spring & summer.

April 15: Fort Wayne Area Alumni Lunch Bunch Enjoy lunch with students followed by a tour of campus Andorfer Commons Cafeteria Indiana Tech 11:30am—1:00pm March 29: Alumni Reception (Indianapolis, IN) The Columbia Club 121 Monument Circle 6:00pm—8:00pm Free

June 4: 2nd Annual Alumni & Friends Beer Tasting Enjoy a German buffet, samples of six different brews, live entertainment and admittance to Indiana Tech’s VIP room!

Mad Anthony Brewing Co. 2002 Broadway Fort Wayne, IN 46802 5:30pm—7:30pm $15/ person *For every ticket sold, Mad Anthony Brewing Co. will donate $5 back to Indiana Tech.

June 5: Alumni Dinner (Cleveland, OH) Carrie Cerino’s 8922 Ridge Road North Royalton, OH 44133 6:00pm Free

May 10: Indy 500 Alumni Event Join alumni for “Pole Day” at the Indianapolis Speedway Hospitality suite, refreshments, behind the scenes garage passes and more!

8:30am—6:00pm $40/person

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