Writer-in-Residence Andrea Hollander retiring by Samantha Jones, ’14, Communications Assistant
In 1990, Dr. Virginia Wray told Andrea Hollander
of Lyon College’s need for a professor for an evening program, lamenting Hollander’s lacking a master’s degree. To Wray’s surprise, Hollander did, in fact, have a master’s degree—in Comparative Literature, no less. Hollander has been teaching at Lyon ever since, and will retire in May.
Dr. Tebbetts commented on Hollander’s work,
calling her “a vital member of the English faculty” and a “wonderful teacher.”
“She’s a wonderful poet whose work, recognized at the highest levels, has brought national attention to the quality of Lyon’s educational program,” he said. He recounted how Hollander has helped many Lyon Hollander started in the spring of 1991, teaching students gain admission into nationally recognized Western Literature and Speech. The master’s of fine arts programs, following year, she took over for Dr. noting how Hollander “has been Terrell Tebbetts during his yearlong a wonderful friend of students, of “She’s a wonderful poet sabbatical, becoming a visiting colleagues, and of the College.” whose work, recognized assistant professor of English. A few of her students inquired about at the highest levels, has Hollander recounted the creative writing, and Hollander brought national attention time she won the Nicholas Roerich agreed to teach a self-designed Poetry Prize in 1993; she was flown to the quality of Lyon’s course on the subject. The class met to New York City to give a poetry regularly twice a week, and it went educational program.” reading. One of the Board of over well with students and staff. Trustees members at the time, Doyle Later that year, Hollander was “Rog” Rogers Jr., offered to fly six of named writer-in-residence, allowing her to nurture Hollander’s colleagues to New York to hear her speak. the Visiting Writers Program she had founded. In “That was just great fun,” Hollander said. “Lyon really addition, she used an endowment in creative writing feels like home to me.” to initiate a fellowship program that brought award“I like this school,” she continued. “I have great winning writers to Lyon to teach. colleagues. I have good students.” She credited Seeing the limited funds for the creative writing Lyon with “giving [her] a life,” having published all program, Hollander went part-time in 1999. This her books while teaching at Lyon. She has already allowed her to take one semester off, a sabbatical accepted visiting writer jobs at other schools, hoping in which she could spend her time writing. “I love to continue teaching after retiring from Lyon. She will teaching,” Hollander said, “but I don’t get to write reside in Portland, Ore., where her son also lives. much when I teach.” 10
The Lyon College
Piper
Victoria (Wyatt) Queen, ’93, was honored last October by the Springfield Business Journal of Springfield, Mo., as one of 20 women selected as the Most Influential Women of 2012. After graduating with one of the last classes of Arkansas College, Queen went on to work at Lyon for 10 years as the director of hospitality. After Lyon, she still worked in higher education. Queen was teaching at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield when she first formulated the idea for Victory Trade School (VTS). The school’s website explains that VTS, where Queen currently serves as president, is an institution that focuses on providing “accredited education in culinary arts and discipleship program for nontraditional students.” VTS also provides several different programs, scholarships, and volunteer opportunities for its students to “gain the skills necessary to make a living,” as well as “life skills necessary to enter society as productive citizens.” According to Brian Brown’s article in the Springfield Business Journal, Queen is a nontraditional student herself, currently working on her doctorate of philosophy in higher education through Saint Louis University. The article also explains that Queen credits her time working at Lyon College for the “team approach to leadership” she now utilizes at VTS. Queen has two children, son Kris and daughter Kelley. In 2005, she married Alan Queen. Her daughter, Kelley Wyatt, is currently a senior at Lyon College. Karen Culp, ’94, reports that she has accepted a position teaching 7th-grade English and social studies at Jarrett Middle School in Springfield, Mo. Gregory Tebbetts, ’96, and his wife Stacy announce the birth of their son, Louis Christopher Tebbetts, on Jan. 16, 2013. He weighed 5 lbs., 12 oz. and was 17.5 inches long. Johnathan Horton, ’98, was named as one of the two best bankruptcy lawyers in Little Rock by Soiree magazine, which polled lawyers and readers. Mikhail “Misha” Kouliavtsev, ’98, married Sarah Gabriella Cummings, now Sarah Kouliavtsev, on Oct. 27, 2012. Misha is teaching economics at Stephen F. Austin State University. Heather Adams Ward, ’98, writes, “I have officially been hired as a full-time second-grade teacher in the Conway School District, effective immediately.”
Katie (Hecox) Biron, ’99, and Jonathan Biron, ’99, write, “Jonathan recently accepted a position at Microsoft as an OSHA Compliance Officer. He finds it a very interesting and challenging position. He works at Microsoft corporate headquarters in Redmond, WA. We recently moved to Redmond as the 4-hour daily commute was a killer! Katie is a stay-at-home mom to our two little girls. Emma is 4 years old and Charlotte is 2. They keep us busy and entertained. There is never a dull moment around here!” Leah (Vest) DiPietro, ’99, has accepted a position as the Coordinator for the College of Engineering at Wichita State University’s Office of Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning. Lori (Carter) Laman, ’99, was inducted into the Cave City Hall of Fame on Dec. 18, 2012. She is expecting her second child in May 2013. Jerra (Quinton) Baker, ’00, writes, “On Nov. 3, 2012, I married PS1 John E. Baker, a classmate of mine from high school with whom I reconnected after 15+ years. John left his post at the Naval Ceremonial Guard in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 1, just before the wedding. After some training in San Antonio, a honeymoon in the Caribbean in mid-December, the holidays, and a deployment to the Persian Gulf through April 2013, John and I will make Washington state our home for the next three years while he is stationed aboard the USS John C. Stennis. I will continue my work as executive director of the Trail of Tears Association, working remotely from the Pacific Northwest. We both are thrilled to be starting this new chapter in our lives!” Edward Brock, ’00, writes, “The last six months have been very exciting. I have recently finished my MBA and have been promoted to President of Citizens State Bank in Bald Knob, Ark. My oldest stepdaughter has also recently become engaged and will get married in June 2012. Life is good!” Jon Orsborn, ’01, has accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Robin (Burleson) Ruetenik, ’01, writes “In early September I moved back over the Mississippi River from Rock Island, Illinois, to Davenport, Iowa, and bought my first house. As if that weren’t enough for big life events, on Sept. 27, I married Tadd Ruetenik, a philosophy professor here at St. Ambrose UniversiSpring 2013
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