MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE
V O L U M E 29 | N U M B E R 1 | W I N T E R 2014
The Center for Science and Business Celebrataing a new era of academic cooperation, innovation S T O R Y O N PA G E 1 4
Monmouth College Magazine Volume 29 | Number 1 | Winter 2014 EDITORIAL BOARD Timothy Keefauver ’80 Vice President for Strategic Planning Jeffrey D. Rankin Director of College Communications Barry J. McNamara Associate Director of College Communications Hannah Maher Director of Alumni Engagement Monmouth College Magazine is published by the Office of Development and College Relations for alumni and friends of Monmouth College. All opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial staff or the college. We welcome letters about the college or the magazine. Letters will be printed on a space-available basis and may be edited for length, style and clarity. Send letters, queries or submissions to: Monmouth College Magazine, 700 East Broadway, Monmouth IL 61462-1998, or email jeffr@monmouthcollege.edu. EDITOR Jeffrey D. Rankin ASSOCIATE EDITOR Barry J. McNamara ART DIRECTOR Nancy Loch BOARD OF TRUSTEES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE William Goldsborough ’65, Charman William Trubeck ’68, Vice Chairman Gerald Marxman ’56, Treasurer Robert Ardell ’67 David Bowers ’60 (Emeritus) Peter Bunce (Emeritus) Karen Barrett Chism ’65 Nancy Speer Engquist ’74 Mark Kopinski ’79 Safford Peacock (Emeritus) Stanley Pepper ’76 Roger Rasmusen ’56 (Emeritus) Jack Schultz Nancy Snowden Mark Taylor ’78 Ralph Velazquez ’79 Richard Yahnke ’66 ALUMNI BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Jeff Miller ’84, President Neil Dahlstrom ’98, Vice President Jerri Picha ’75, Secretary CONTACT US Magazine Editor 309-457-2314 jrankin@monmouthcollege.edu eNewsletter Editor 309-457-2117 mcnamara@monmouthcollege.edu www.monmouthcollege.edu/alumni/pipeline Alumni Programs 309-457-2316 alumni@monmouthcollege.edu Athletics 309-457-2322 dnolan@monmouthcollege.edu Admissions 309-457-2322 admissions@monmouthcollege.edu Give to Monmouth College 1-888-827-8268 www.monmouthcollege.edu/give MONMOUTH COLLEGE ADMITS STUDENTS OF ANY RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, NATIONAL OR ETHNIC ORIGIN TO ALL RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES, PROGRAMS, AND ACTIVITIES GENERALLY ACCORDED OR MADE AVAILABLE TO MONMOUTH STUDENTS. MONMOUTH COLLEGE DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, RELIGION, COLOR, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, ANCESTRY, DISABILIT Y, AGE, MILITARY SERVICE, MARITAL STATUS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR OTHER FACTORS AS PROHIBITED BY LAW IN ADMINISTRATION OF ITS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, ADMISSIONS POLICIES, SCHOLARSHIPS AND LOANS, ATHLETICS AND OTHER SCHOOL-ADMINISTERED PROGRAMS.
campus news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 commencement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 clan notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
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‘Fulfilling the Promise’ At Homecoming gala, President Ditzler announces $75 million capital campaign
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Enrollment nears peak Near-record number of first-time freshmen matriculate at Monmouth
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Fighting hunger ‘not impossible’ So says Roger Thurow, keynote speaker at Monmouth’s Midwest Matters symposium
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Learning to learn Eight students describe the ways they’ve grown in and out of Monmouth’s classrooms
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A big splash Water polo team captures club championship months before program elevated to varsity status
ON THE COVER: Accentuated by a formal garden, the north facade of the Center for Science and Business opens onto a welcoming grassy park. COVER INSET: A bronze medallion, specially struck to commemorate the dedication of the new academic building. LEFT: The Monmouth College Chorale, directed by assistant professor of music Tim Pahel, performs at the dedication of the Center for Science and Business. COVER AND OPENING SPREAD PHOTOS BY KENT KRIEGSHAUSER
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In our race toward excellence, time to pass the baton Dear Friends, One of the most valuable services a college president can render is to choose the right time to step aside. I am convinced that the end of this academic year will be the right time for me to relinquish this job that I have loved so thoroughly for the past nine years. I am confident that I have given Monmouth my best ideas and my finest efforts. I am honored that the community has accepted and then improved on many of those ideas. I believe that many of the projects we have launched will continue to grow and thrive. As much as I would enjoy staying and watching that process, I am convinced that colleges benefit from regular renewal of senior leadership. I am fortunate to have been part of a remarkable 30-year period in which Monmouth has reestablished itself as an exceptional college. There is still work to be done; in fact, there is still much work to be done. But the dedicated leadership of our talented faculty and staff has brought this college to the strongest position of my presidency. It has been a joy along the way to become acquainted with so many alumni, parents, students and friends who cherish this institution and support its noble work. I fully expect the coming months to be packed with action. We will carry forward the Fulfilling the Promise capital campaign. We will hire the first team of faculty for our innovative Triads initiative to work on the problem of food security. We will seek to improve on this year’s near-record admissions numbers. We will continue to publicize the good work of the college and will look forward to watching the world learn of Monmouth’s unique characteristics. I have enjoyed every day at Monmouth College. Carrying on the work of those who went before has been a sacred trust. I will always cherish that opportunity. When I begin the next stop along my academic journey as president of Albion College, my work there will be informed and enriched by my experiences at Monmouth. Now, let’s get back to work. There is much to do before I must say goodbye on June 30.
Mauri A. Ditzler President
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monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
College grew under Ditzler’s leadership AFTER NINE YEARS AT THE HELM, MAURI DITZLER has announced he will
step down as president at the end of the current academic year to pursue a new challenge as president of Albion College in Albion, Michigan. A private liberal arts college, Albion has an enrollment of 1,350 and an endowment of more than $160 million. He will begin his duties there July 1, 2014. Since coming to Monmouth in 2005 from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind., where he had served as dean, Ditzler has spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at improving the college’s academic environment and fiscal stability. Among them are:
• Achieving record-setting enrollment • Leading a strategic planning process that resulted in increased focus on academics In his familiar fashion, President Ditzler waves to spectators while traveling by foot in the 2013 Homecoming parade.
• Developing a campus master plan and a business plan • Overseeing construction of the $40 million Center for Science • • • • •
and Business Building two new residence halls and enhanced athletic facilities Renewing the college’s focus on exploring vocation Increasing endowment market value 54 percent during the economic downturn Developing a new model for faculty hiring called “Triads” Implementing the largest capital campaign in the college’s history
Although a key initial objective for Ditzler’s Monmouth presidency had been to construct a new science building, he does not consider the completion of the $40 million Center for Science and Business to be his most significant achievement. “My biggest accomplishment I probably won’t know for 10 years,” he observed, “but I believe it will have to do with the intellectual culture on campus. I am most proud that while I was here there was the emergence of a new academic focus, coupled with a belief among the student body that we could change the world.” Beginning his tenure shortly after Monmouth’s adoption of a new curriculum, Ditzler said some of his greatest satisfaction came from suggesting ideas to faculty for enhancing the academic structure. “The faculty were monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
so creative—crafting suggestions into wonderful ideas that I couldn’t have imagined,” he said. In addition to switching from a 5-5 to a 4-4 academic calendar, under which each course is more rigorous and requires more time and effort from students, he praised the faculty for its strong commitment to undergraduate research. “The creation of the SOFIA (Summer Opportunities for Intellectual Activities) program, faculty-student research trips throughout the world, and new student intellectual ventures such as the Midwest Journal of Undergraduate Research are just a few of the initiatives that have made me extremely proud. Ditzler believes that a second highlight of his presidency is a renewed focus on exploring vocation, or a calling in life. “It is an
idea that was embraced by our Presbyterian founders, and it is an idea that is gaining new traction in the 21st century,” he said. “The current generation of students is more idealistic than previous ones. Today’s young people are not just thinking about the fastest route to a high-paying job; they are thinking about how they can change the world.” He is particularly excited about a recent grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) that will help Monmouth students better explore their talents and career options. Ditzler, who values innovation in education, is also proud of the Midwest Matters project that Monmouth College launched in 2009. “The rich resources of the Midwest region hold great promise for the future of mankind,” he said, “and it is important that we not only acknowledge that fact but embrace it.” Bill Goldsborough ’65, chairman of the board of trustees, said Ditzler is leaving the college “in excellent shape. After last year’s strong freshman class, our admissions team is continuing to build on that success, with additional year over year improvement in applications and admits. Our academic, residential housing and athletic facilities are in great shape, and the curb appeal of our campus has never been greater.” campus news
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Trubeck’s $2 million gift supports CSB GARDEN, VETERANS MEMORIAL GREAT ROOM ARE NAMED
dent of the fraternity as well as VP of the student association. He also participated in the Knox-Monmouth ROTC, and it wasn’t long WILLIAM L. TRUBECK ’68 of before he put that experience to Long Lake, Minn., has made a $2 work, leading nearly 300 men as a million gift to Monmouth College company commander with the to support its new Center for Sci11th Armed Cavalry Regiment ence and Business. during the Vietnam War. In honor A chief financial officer for sevof the many soldiers who gradueral major corporations, Trubeck ated from Monmouth, Trubeck has requested that the Great has served as a trustee on MC’s Room in the Center for Science board since 2002 and as vice chairand Business be named the “Vetman since 2008. erans Memorial Great Room.” “I love this place,” said Trubeck. Trubeck’s late wife, Judy Wil“I received a great education, and Members of the Trubeck family gathered for the dedication of the Judith Williams Trubeck Memorial Fountain and Garden in May. liams Trubeck, was a 1969 graduate. I’m investing to make sure that Pictured are William L. Trubeck ’68, Elizabeth Trubeck, Wiliam A. The fountain and garden of the type of education is still available Trubeck, David Adolphson ’70 and Priscilla Trubeck Adolphson ’70. new building is dedicated to her at an ever-increasing level of value.” Involvement in extracurricular activities was a highlight of Trubeck’s memory. His sisters, Priscilla Trubeck Adolphson ’70 and Barbara Monmouth experience. “I remember living in the old TKE house, great Trubeck Clark ’66, also married Monmouth students–David Adolphson parties and great friendships,” said Trubeck, who served as vice presi- ’67 and Larry Clark ’65, respectively.
PHOTO BY KENT KRIEGSHAUSER
CHISMS GIVE $1 MILLION TO MC TO SUPPORT ACADEMICS
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campus news
STAN ’63 and KAREN BARRETT CHISM ’65 of Palo Alto, Calif., have made three recent gifts to their alma mater, totaling more than $1 million. The largest gift, in the form of charitable remainder unitrust, supports the sciences in the new Center for Science and Business. A wing of the building, devoted primarily to their undergraduate major of biology, has been named in their honor. The major gift follows years of active financial support of Monmouth’s academic programs, inspired by the visible impact their support has had on students. “We rarely see the impact of our gifts to larger institutions and organizations, due to their bureaucratic structures,” observed Stan. “However, at Monmouth we can make a difference and that gratifies us.” A recent gift to Monmouth College of $50,000, presented in conjunction with Stan’s 50th class reunion, will fund a new academic initiative, the Off-Campus Learning Experience Program (OCLEP). In May, four faculty members will lead an interdisciplinary OCLEP trip to Cuba. Comprising the team will be Marlo Belschner (English), Tim Gaster (modern foreign languages), James Godde (biology) and Dan Ott (religious studies). The gift continues a tradition by the Chisms to fund unique academic activities that bring faculty and students together for joint intellec-
tual discovery, mirroring their own experience at Monmouth College. “Our goal is to create opportunities for students and faculty to jointly learn about people, culture, arts and sciences, and all important matters,” said Stan. “We want to support the close bonding that we had with many faculty members at Monmouth.”
BUSBY’S GIFT NETS STEINWAY FOR MUSIC DEPARTMENT
JOYCE BUSBY ’47 is pictured in Dahl Chapel in September with associate professor of music Ian Moschenross, who gave the debut recital on the college’s new Steinway piano. Busby’s $80,000 gift to her alma mater secured the world-class instrument, MC’s first new Steinway since around the time that Busby’s father, Leland Busby, was a Monmouth College student in the 1920s.
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
$75 million capital campaign addresses academic excellence THE LARGEST CAPITAL CAMPAIGN IN MONMOUTH COLLEGE HISTORY
was formally announced by President Mauri Ditzler at the annual homecoming gala. Titled Fulfilling the Promise, the $75 million campaign will enhance academic excellence by targeting four guiding principles contained in the college’s strategic plan:
• Complex Problem Solving ($42 million) • Active Learning ($12 million) • Discerning a Purpose ($7 million) • Civic Engagement ($5 million) Funding will also be designated for:
• Endowed Scholarships ($4 million) • Annual Fund ($5 million) President Ditzler formally announces details of the capital cmpaign to a gathering of alumni and friends at the President’s Homecoming Gala.
“Now is a critical moment for Monmouth College,” Ditzler told the gathered audience, as well as 500 distant viewers watching via a live web stream. “While the current economic, political, and cultural climate is exerting great pressure on private, residential liberal arts colleges, Monmouth is positioned to begin reaping the benefits of three decades of strategic planning and execution. Our recent upturn in the size, quality and revenue per student of the entering class confirms that we are on the right track.” Ditzler said that as the campaign enters its public phase, it is nearly 77 percent complete, with $57.8 million in gifts already pledged or received. The largest portion funded the construction of the recently completed Center for Science and Business, which cost an estimated $40 million. The campaign will establish several endowed funds to promote academic excellence, including: faculty innovation and development, undergraduate research, student travel, study abroad and community service projects. New endowed faculty positions will also be funded, as will programs in debate and civil discourse, entrepreneurship, career and leadership development, and religious leadership.
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
Other key components will include the establishment of a civic engagement center to coordinate and promote student volunteerism, the construction of additional Greek life residence housing, and the renovation of Marshall Hall to house the recently established Lux Center for Church and Religious Leadership. “Twenty years ago, the board of trustees made a strategic decision to construct a model campus for Monmouth College as a prelude to constructing a model academic program,” Ditzler said. “After an investment of $120 million, we now have that excellent campus and are well positioned to focus our energies on academic excellence.” The capital campaign is the fifth in the college’s history and the most ambitious, with a goal higher than the last two campaigns (in 1991 and 2003) combined. Serving as campaign chair is Frederick W. Wackerle ’61 of Tucson, Ariz. and Chicago, Ill., a retired executive search consultant. Bonnie Bondurant Shaddock ’54 of Laguna Woods, Calif., who also spoke at the event, and Walter S. Huff Jr. ’56 of Sandy Springs, Ga., are the honorary campaign co-chairs. Directing the campaign is Mary E. Stahl ’87, a senior development officer for the college. Ditzler also announced that the board of trustees had earlier in the day voted to establish a pilot program for academic enhancement called Triads for Excellence (page 9). In its first year, the program will hire three new faculty members in separate disciplines, who, in addition to their departmental responsibilities, will work together as a team to create a new distinctive academic program.The initial triad will study issues related to food security. Detailed information about Monmouth College’s capital campaign is available online at http://campaign.monmouthcollege.edu.
campus news
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QUITE A CLASS: ’17 STEPS UP Monmouth College nearly matched its all-time new student enrollment record with a class that is also high in quality. The number of first-time freshmen enrolled for the fall semester is 392, just one shy of Monmouth’s record of 393. Including 45 transfer students, the college welcomed 437 new students, making a strong run at the record of 443. The entering freshman class has 49 more students than a year ago and 51 more students than 2011. “This was one of the best years for college admissions at Monmouth in a number of years on all measures,” reported Tim Keefauver ’80, MC’s vice president for enrollment management. “This includes size of class, academic preparedness, percent of out-of-state students, number and breadth of international students and the countries they represent, and gradepoint average.” Keefauver noted that because scholarships and financial aid play a significant role in the recruiting effort, new initiatives by the office of financial aid that helped explain to parents the affordability of a Monmouth education were also a contributing factor. One scholarship competition, in particular, proved to be highly successful, both in terms of the Class of 2017’s large numbers, as well as its strong academic profile, which was the
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campus news
best in four years. Three students received $25,000+ scholarships in Monmouth’s Midwest Scholar Award competition, while more than half of the other 200 students who came to campus to compete for the prestigious prize received other scholarships and ultimately chose Monmouth, too. “I am majoring in chemistry, and the new science building clinched my decision,” said scholarship competitor Ian Salveson ’17, a first-time freshman who attended St. Charles (Ill.) East High School. Not only is Salveson in the first class of students to study in the new $40 million Center for Science and Business for all four years, but he is also part of the first-ever varsity water polo team, a factor he said also influenced his decision. “I actually had an athletic scholarship to another school, but I like the small-town feel of Monmouth,” added Salveson. “Nationally, college recruiting has gone
through a rapid metamorphosis in the last few years, and we needed to add those best practices,” said Keefauver. “We decided to undergo a multi-year project to strategically reform the processes, procedures and marketing related to recruiting, and it is paying off.” Keefauver noted that broader participation by the college community as a whole contributed substantially to bringing stronger students to campus. “The faculty were more heavily involved in recruiting, both in-person and on the phone. I particularly like this since it is the faculty who make the largest difference in our students’ lives once they begin their college years.” Keefauver said graduates also needed to be credited for their efforts. “We saw an increase in alumni referring students to the college, for which we are grateful. These alums are able to tell a personal story about the value of the total Monmouth experience.”
—Barry McNamara
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
WHEN THE 2012-13 fiscal year ended on June 30, Monmouth College officially closed the books on a record year for its Annual Fund. The $1,529,506 raised were nearly $200,000 more than the school’s previous best. “The Annual Fund provides dollars that can be used now to give Monmouth College the discretionary ability to meet institutional needs, act on new initiatives throughout the year and ensure the excellence of every aspect of the college,” said director of alumni engagement Hannah Maher. The Annual Fund bridges the gap between tuition and fees paid by students and the
students,” said Maher. The fund has also allowed students to travel on Alternative Spring Break trips and be exposed to guest lectures on a variety of subjects. It also provides many of the “nuts and bolts” staples of the college’s existence, such as the cost of utilities and helping with campus maintenance and renovation. Tuition continues to be the driving force behind the college’s operating budget, but the Annual Fund plays a major role. Besides covering roughly four percent of the budget, it also allows the college to minimize its use of endowment funds.
Monmouth College Annual Fund had record year in 2012-13, raising more than $1.5 million actual, total cost of a Monmouth education. By providing financial support for such items as academic programs, the library, equipment acquisition, scholarships, faculty development, student organizations, athletics and the fine arts, the Annual Fund touches nearly every aspect of the Monmouth experience. “We have been overjoyed by the recordbreaking support we received this year and are even more excited for what this means for our
MC receives share of $3.1 million state grant MONMOUTH College is one of and replacement of winthree western Illinois liberal dows in an older residence arts institutions that will share hall. The momentum crein $3.1 million in state grants, ated by the grant, Ditzler Gov. Pat Quinn announced in said, was also instrumental August. in helping Monmouth comThe grants, which will also plete its most ambitious go to Augustana and Knox Colconstruction project ever, leges, are part of $90 million set the Center for Science and aside this fiscal year in the IlliBusiness. nois Jobs Now! capital conDitzler concluded his struction program to address remarks by thanking State the critical needs of the state’s Sen. John Sullivan (D-Rushprivate colleges and universiville) for his continuing ties. The announcement was support of higher educapart of Gov. Quinn’s agenda to tion in Illinois. “Not only improve higher education in did Sen. Sullivan work hard Illinois while creating thou- President Ditzler thanks Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (left) for his support of capital to ensure Monmouth was funding to higher education at an announcement ceremony in Rock Island, Ill. sands of construction jobs. included in the capital projMonmouth College’s share, ect appropriations,” he said, which totals nearly $930,000, represents the third installment of a $3.1 “but he has also been a champion for preserving MAP grant funding, million grant announced in 2009 to assist with several campus building which is critical to providing access to higher education for most projects. Illinoisans.” “Monmouth College has recently invested more than $40 million in So far under the Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, priinfrastructure projects designed to enhance its academic and student vate colleges and universities have received $200 million to address their life programs,” President Mauri Ditzler said. “The Illinois Jobs Now! grant capital needs. has been a boon not only to the college but will create many jobs for a Funding for the higher education portion of the six-year $31 billion number of construction companies and suppliers in the area.” capital program is separate from the general revenue fund. Financed by Speaking at the announcement ceremony at Augustana College, 20-year bonds supported by the closing of loopholes in existing proDitzler said that the investment in jobs and education provided by the grams, video gaming terminals, motor vehicle fees and sales taxes on capital bill is a worthwhile use of the hard-earned resources of the peo- candy, beverages and grooming products, the program is administered ple of Illinois. “Investment of state funds in private organizations can by the Independent Colleges Capital Program (ICCAP). It uses a distribuleverage significant gifts, which pay off many times over in new con- tion formula based entirely on fall 2008 student enrollment numbers. struction jobs and the purchase of materials from Illinois suppliers,” he Grant funds are distributed as proceeds of Build Illinois bond sales said. “Ultimately, the investment leads to a better educational experi- become available to the Illinois Board of Higher Education. ence for students from Monmouth and other private Illinois colleges.” The Illinois Jobs Now! program is the largest capital construction proMonmouth College projects assisted by the capital funding have gram in Illinois history, and is one of the largest such programs in the included construction of a new Greek life residence hall, the installation nation. It is expected to support more than 439,000 jobs over the next of a chiller plant and cooling tower, construction of a new parking lot six years.
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
campus news
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“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” ROGER THUROW didn’t cite that Chinese proverb during his keynote address at Monmouth College’s Midwest Matters symposium on global hunger during Homecoming weekend, but that was a central theme as he talked about the smallholder farmers he’s met since he first began writing in earnest about the issue a decade ago. “One place, one story stopped me cold,” the former Wall Street Journal reporter told the audience of students, faculty, trustees and community members in Dahl Chapel. The place was Ethiopia in 2003, where 14 million people were dramatically affected by famine. “There, for the first time as a journalist, I looked into the hearts and eyes of the hungry,” he said. One particular boy, Hagirso, “had no hint of playfulness in his eyes. His eyes were empty. The father spoke of guilt. ‘What have I done to cause this?’ “My career changed at that moment.” Thurow, who is now senior fellow on global agriculture and food policy for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, went on to co-author Enough: Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty with Scott Kilman and also wrote The Last Hunger Season: A Year in an African Farm Community on the Brink of Change. As he conducts follow-up reporting, he sees the situations of those smallholder families improving. That is because the world mentality is shifting from supplying emergency relief to taking the time to teach the farmers how to create a better harvest, and how to sell their goods. Thurow expressed confidence that world hunger can be beaten.
MC hosts global hunger symposium Roger Thurow makes a point during his keynote address at Monmouth’s global hunger symposium. TOP: Thurow is seated in the center of the panel, flanked immediately by MC graduates Danielle Nierenberg ’95 and Dennis Plummer ’73. PHOTOS BY KENT KRIEGSHAUSER
“I want to share with you the words of a wise man, which were spoken shortly before the students in this auditorium were born,” said Thurow, who then read the quotation, “It always seems impossible, until it’s done.” The speaker? Nelson Mandela, who was still in the midst of a 27-year prison sentence, in a nation rocked by apartheid. Within a few short years, Mandela was free, and South Africa’s elections of 1994 officially ended apartheid—the impossible had been accomplished. “How have we brought hunger into the 21st century?” Thurow asked, the passion in his voice rising. “Monmouth College can be the place that poses answers to this issuethrough civil discourse.” One member of the MC community, 1995 graduate DANIELLE NIERENBERG , is working hard on the answer and, during her rebuttal time as a member of the symposium’s panel, she agreed with Thurow. “The way things are is not the way they need to continue to be,” said Nierenberg, co-founder of a food think tank called Food Tank, who recently spent two years traveling to more than 35 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America, collecting thoughts on what’s working to help alleviate hunger and poverty, while also protecting the environment. “I want to reiterate Roger’s point that change is happening all over, and we need to keep supplying that change,” she said. Another Monmouth graduate is also working on a solution. After a 28-year career at Monsanto, DENNIS PLUMMER ’73 is the co-founder and executive vice president of Arvegenix LLC., which is developing the oilseed field pennycress, a crop that grows after corn in the fall and produces “oils with desirable properties.”
—Barry McNamara
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campus news
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
MC launches innovative
‘Triads’program
Initial project to focus on food security DRAWING INSPIRATION from its strategic location in one of the world’s most fertile agricultural regions, Monmouth College has announced the launching of a major initiative to address the issue of food security.
The initiative, which was approved and funded by the board of trustees at its fall meeting, will be the initial project in a new model for integrated learning titled “Triads for Excellence.” Under the novel program, a team of three new faculty members representing different disciplines will be hired each year to engage in academic research and discussion on an important emerging issue. This spring, the first faculty triad will be hired. Each assigned to an individual academic department (in this year’s case, the departments of biology, political economy and commerce, and anthropology/sociology), the three educators will spend a portion of their time helping students think about how to ensure adequate food production, availability, safety and nutrition. The study of food security will encompass a wide range of issues, from the ethics of genetic engineering to the logistics of marketing and transportation. All students, regardless of major or class year, will be eligible to participate in the food security initiative. By taking a series of specific courses in the sciences, social sciences or humanities, worked out in consultation with their academic adviser, they will be able to note on their résumé or curriculum vitae that food security courses and research experiences were a focal point of their studies. More than a dozen food security-related courses, ranging from environmental studies
to history, are currently being offered and more will be developed in the coming months. “The Triads concept is a revolutionary and powerful approach to integrated learning,” said President Mauri Ditzler. “Focusing Triads on important issues responds to a generation of students who are attracted to causes rather than bodies of knowledge. It clarifies the question of what kind of things can be done with a liberal arts degree.” Ditzler, who began his career teaching analytical chemistry, proposed the Triads name, basing it on the term given by 19th-century scientists to describe groupings of three or more elements that had similar chemical properties but dramatically different physical properties. These elemental triads, he explained, were instrumental in the discovery of the periodic trends that ultimately produced the Periodic Table of the Elements. According to David Timmerman, dean of the faculty, the Triads program will have three primary goals:
the topic, he was contacted by Carol Geary Schneider, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, who told him that blog was making the rounds at AAC&U headquarters and that there was a belief that Monmouth College may have defined the direction of liberal arts education for the 21st century. “They are picking up on the idea that we are using an interdisciplinary approach to focus liberal arts students on the important issues of the day,” Ditzler said.
• Conduct and publish original research and scholarship; • Utilize the most current knowledge and most powerful research approaches in each of the participating disciplines while crossing disciplinary boundaries and mixing disciplinary knowledge and approaches; and • Develop passion and skill within students who take courses within the Triad and work with faculty members on original research, analysis and scholarship. The Triads concept is already gaining national attention. Following publication of a Huffington Post blog by President Ditzler on
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
A brochure describing Monmouth College’s first Triad project on food security introduces the innovative concept to prospective and current students.
campus news
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new farm 2020 vision becoming a reality
THE GROWTH OF Monmouth College’s together. The Monmouth farm will be Educational Garden since its inception an extension and expansion of the in 2010 has been rapid, both from an acagarden project, providing the similar demic and organic standpoint. Now, experiences but on an even larger thanks to a gift of six acres of scale and to an even greater depth.” farmland just east of campus, In creating a “new agrarian busiit is expanding into a microness model for people interested in farm. A vision for the expansmall-scale agriculture,” Terrill did his sion was developed as an homework—lots of it. He looked at honors program project this other college farms, ranging from very spring by Will Terrill ’14 (left), small to 500 acres and pored over who has been an active memnumerous books while preparing his ber of the theme house that tends the 71-page final paper. The farm’s small current garden. He summarized that resize will actually be an advantage, Tersearch in a talk titled “The Monmouth rill said, forcing the students to think College New Farm Plan: A Comprehensive critically while using systematic probVision.” lem solving, looking to renew Presented to an overflow crowd in the resources and practice conservation Barnes Electronic Classroom, Terrill’s at every turn. plan offers “exciting possibilities of susTerrill’s paper covered such topics tainable agricultural development,” as land rotation, income, work force according to MC faculty member Craig and infrastructure. Highlights of his Watson. proposed timeline included raising One might even call Terrill’s look into chickens by 2015, hiring a part-time the future a “2020 vision,” as that’s how director by 2016 and having the far out he took the timeline—a timeline director go full-time in 2019. The 2020 that begins this year with the first crop vision is to have a farmhouse conbeing sold. structed and students living on the farm. Located east of North 12th Street, the “In the evolving scheme of things, “Student work in the Educational Garden on farm is approximately three blocks from the mini-farm imagines a model of our campus exemplifies the best virtues of the campus. It sits on land donated by the bio-intensive agriculture reflecting liberal arts approach to education,” said dean late Scott Klukos, a longtime Warren of the faculty DAVID TIMMERMAN . “They are best principles and practice of a reviCounty circuit judge and friend of the focused on a good much bigger than themtalized, holistic, family-based homecollege. Funding for the project includes selves, in this case, in environmentally susstead in the Middle West,” said tainable agricultural practices. In addition, one of MC’s Presidential Portfolio grants, Watson, who oversaw Terrill’s Honors students and professors work together, both as well as a Cargill Grant and assistance Program research and has been a drivfully engaged in complex problem solving and from the Environmental Protection the bringing together of multiple disciplines ing force behind the project. Agency. for the task. It is fully integrated learning.” —Barry McNamara Terrill, who has been involved with the educational garden since his freshman year, said, “I’ve grown to love everything about gardening,” including the ABOVE: George Burnette ’13 and Allison work, the food and the citizenship. The farm, he noted, will take all of Razo ’15 get their hands (and feet) dirty at that to another level. the farm. P H O T O B Y G E O R G E H A R T M A N N . “The garden has given me a great opportunity to couple my academic RIGHT: “Raw honey has some really cool propactivities with hands-on practical experience,” said Terrill, who interned erties,” said George Burnette, who started a this summer at Barefoot Gardens in Macomb, Ill., before spending the small honeybee co-op along with faculty memfall semester studying abroad in Pune, India. In his absence, he learned ber Craig Vivian (right). “Some of our honey that he was named MC’s Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of has different tastes due to different flowers, so Illinois. “The garden unites a variety of disciplines and unites people it tastes like cinnamon or mint, and sometimes from the community and college that might not otherwise work just pure sugar.”
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campus news
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
(left) has been awarded a $228,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the generation of X-rays from lightning. By studying the rays, Fasano and his students hope to learn more about the production and characteristics of lightning strikes and contribute to the growing field of atmospheric electricity and atmospheric particle acceleration. PHYSICS PROFESSOR CHRISTOPHER FASANO
Fasano’s research, which involves MC students as well as area physics teachers and students, focuses upon naturally occurring lightning strikes in western Illinois and eastern Iowa. “People think that we have lightning figured out,” said Fasano following a presentation by his students on their initial research at a meeting last year of the American Physical Society (APS). “But no, we don’t have it all figured out … This is like the Wild West. It’s wide open.” Or, as Fasano worded it in his grant proposal: “Lightning—the massive dielectric breakdown of the atmosphere that occurs during thunderstorms—is a dramatic process that demands study and explanation. … Understanding lightning is considered one of the great unsolved problems of atmospheric physics.” Using funds from the grant, Fasano and his students are building and deploying 10 detection packages at area schools. Each package includes a lightning detector, an X-ray detector and an array of sensors that will measure parameters like pressure, temperature and electric field strength. The packages will be placed on rooftops, and measurements will be taken during storms of the barometric pressure, temperature and relative humidity, among other things. “Our goal is to measure the energy spectrum of natural lightning while recording data on electric field strength and meteorological data,” said Fasano. “This approach allows us to take data for extended periods of time at many locations. By having many detectors that run continuously, we are hoping to be able to accumulate enough data to begin to understand how particles are accelerated in the atmosphere.” He added, “This project really has large potential for future projects. While we are studying the lightning, we might also be able to discover something new about thunderstorm development. We’ll learn a lot from doing this.”
MC secures NSF grant to study
monmouth | winter 2014
campus news
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CAMPUS NEWS
Gift helps chaplain Ott be ‘all about the Lux’ THANKS TO an anonymous
enesi of G
s 1:3–‘Let ther e
b
‘L
ux
e lig ut gift, the Rev. Dr. Teri Ott is ht.’ to h Monmouth College g i r hoping to shine more light es Religious m into the world.& Spiritual Life co Ott, who has served as ,’… college chaplain since 2011, said the $100,000 gift, which will span four years at $25,000 per year, will be used to create the “Lux Center.” Initially, the name will be abstract, but in time the college plans to convert Marshall Hall into an actual facility called the Lux Center, which will be the new home of the chaplain’s office. “When I returned to Monmouth Ott delivers the call to worship at the 2013 baccalaureate service. to serve as chaplain, the words ‘Sit Lux’ (Lux is Latin for ‘light’) on the That passion is the driving force gift increases that budget to arch of Dahl Chapel really jumped behind the mission of the Lux $35,000 and, said Ott, “It will mean out at me,” said Ott, who served as Center: “to nurture and equip stu- that everything we’re doing can be a chaplain intern in 1996-97. “It dents to be servant leaders who picked up a notch. We can morph occurred to me that no one on are spiritually enlightened, glob- into so much more.” campus was really doing anything ally engaged, socially responsible Her office’s main facets—or, as with the ‘Lux,’ but it comes right and vocationally driven so they she referred to them, the “four arms” out of Genesis 1:3—‘Let there be can meet the unique challenges of of the Lux Center—are church and light.’ So I’ve been all about the church and religious leadership in religious leadership; theological explanation of vocation; faith and ‘Lux’ ever since. One of my pas- the 21st century.” sions is about raising leaders for Ott has been working toward the liberal arts; and service to the the church—the kind of leaders that lofty goal since taking the church. who will spread that light as they chaplaincy, but doing so on a bud“This gift has allowed us to get of just $10,000 per year. The expand our vision,” she said. “We move on from Monmouth.”
can bring in more speakers, have more programming and send more students to conferences. For example, we were able to send four students to the Presbyterian Youth Triennium (in July at Purdue University).” With the increased programming, students will also be able to do such things as serve as Lux Leadership interns, learn more about how religious studies intersects with other academic disciplines and better discern what they’re led to do in their life in regard to vocation. Although an actual Lux Center is still in the future, one new facility arrived this fall–Presbyterian House, which houses four students at 815 E. Broadway. “I’m really excited about how all this fits into the college’s larger goals of citizenship and civic engagement, and raising leaders for the world,” said Ott.
THEATRE TO OPEN NEW BLACK BOX
Monmouth College theatre faculty Emily Rollie, Doug Rankin (center) and Bill Wallace welcome Homecoming visitors to a construction tour of the new theatre.
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THE NEWEST OFF-CAMPUS EXPERIENCE at Monmouth College will be close to home, thanks to a partnership between the college, the City of Monmouth, and the firm FrantzHobart, which specializes in historic restoration and luxury loft apartments. The vacant building at 230 South Main St. that formerly housed the Martha Brown Ltd. department store has been converted to a new MC theatre space. The college’s former blackbox theatre, known as the WIT, closed at the end of the academic year. The theatre had been located in the Haldeman-Thiessen Science Center, which is being mothballed due to the completion of the Center for Science and Business. “This is a pretty major project, and it should result in a pretty nice space,” said theatre professor Doug Rankin ’79. “It is going to be a good-sized black box theatre and will be flexible to different spaces, as black box theatres are. It will be almost twice the size of the WIT.” The theatre is part of a downtown renovation project that has the City of Monmouth’s director of community development, Paul Schuytema, excited. “Bringing a true college presence downtown had been a goal of both the college and the city for years,” said Schuytema. “The relocation of the WIT Theatre is a great first step and is a key cultural component in the city’s downtown revitalization strategic plan. The publicprivate approach is the perfect way to make this happen.”
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
PEOPLE
Watson, Godde receive MC’s Hatch Awards ENGLISH professor CRAIG WATSON (left) received the Hatch Award for Distinguished Teaching at the 2013 President’s Homecoming Gala, while biology professor JAMES GODDE (bottom) was presented a Hatch Academic Excellence Award for scholarship during Scholars Day activities. “Craig has inspired generations of students to appreciate the marvelous varieties of literature’s language, to fathom its insights into the human condition, and to become effective and accomplished writers themselves,” said dean of the faculty David Timmerman. Godde recently published a theoretical paper postulating a new evolutionary tree for early life (bacteria). Within MC’s science faculty, he is one of the most active at publishing and involving students in research. He has taken students on research trips to Southeast Asia, the American West and Isle Royale National Park.
Ditzler elected to NCAA post President MAURI DITZLER was elected as NCAA Division III Presidents Council. “I am delighted by the opportunity to be even more involved with the important work of the NCAA,” said Ditzler, who directed an extensive renovation of the college’s football and outdoor track facilities, which were formally dedicated in 2009 as April Zorn Memorial Stadium. “The link between college presidents and the NCAA is a strong one. The more I learn about the association, the more I am convinced that it is sensitive and responsive to the desire of presidents to tie intercollegiate athletics to education and character development. I think that some of the best thinking about athletics is being done at the member institutions of the Midwest Conference. I look forward to the opportunity to share those ideas with a broader audience as a member of the council.”
Faculty promotions announced at commencement AT MONMOUTH’S COMMENCEMENT ceremony in May, six graduates expressed gratitude on stage to professors who had received promotions and/or tenure. One of them, Kim Kleczewski, said of psychology professor Joan Wertz, “(She) has been unafraid to dish out tough love to keep me on track, and she always provides me just enough of a push in the right direction to help me achieve my goals.” Also promoted to full professor were Judi Kessler (sociology and anthropology), Anne Mamary (philosophy and religious studies) and Craig Vivian (educational studies). Awarded tenure and promotions to associate professor were Wendine Bolon (political economy and commerce) and Logan Mayfield (mathematics and computer science).
Gladfelter retires after 22 years as college’s CFO DONALD GLADFELTER , MC’s vice president for finance and business, has announced his pending retirement after 36 years, 22 of them as its chief financial officer. A 1977 honors graduate of Monmouth with a degree in business administration, Gladfelter began working as an assistant in the business office while still a student, and was appointed controller nine months after graduation. He was promoted to director of finance and business in 1981, a position which was elevated to the vice-presidential level in 1995. During his tenure, Gladfelter presided over an endowment that grew from less than $4 million to more than $80 million, and campus construction projects totaling more than $120 million. Prior to the recently completed $40 million Center for Science and Business, he oversaw new construction of Glennie Gymnasium, Wells Theater, three new residence halls, Peacock Memorial Athletic Park, Huff Athletic Center, April Zorn Memorial Stadium, the tennis complex and the Alpha Xi Delta fraternity house. He also supervised major renovations that included Wallace Hall, McMichael Academic Hall, McMichael Residence Hall, Poling Hall, Hewes Library, Dahl Chapel and Auditorium, the Mellinger Center and Quinby House. The former Equipco building on North Sixth St. was also purchased and converted to administrative and warehouse space. The size of the campus more than doubled, with much of the current western half having been acquired and developed under his supervision. In addition to heading the business office, supervising the physical plant and managing the college’s investments, Gladfelter’s responsibilities have also included the challenging job of overseeing the office of financial aid. President Mauri Ditzler noted that this unusually diverse combination of management skills has been instrumental in helping MC recover from a dwindling enrollment in the early 1990s.
Sienkewicz overseeing new CAMWS headquarters MONMOUTH COLLEGE IS THE NEW headquarters of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS), an organization for classics teachers at all levels, undergraduate and graduate students, and anyone else who enjoys learning about the world of classical antiquity. Previously located at St. Olaf College, the office is now managed by TOM SIENKEWICZ , Capron Professor of Classics, who has been appointed to a five-year term as secretary-treasurer of CAMWS and business manager of The Classical Journal. “Serving as CAMWS secretary-treasurer is a great responsibility and sacred trust,” said Sienkewicz, who received the 2012 Hatch Award for Distinguished Teaching. “I am honored to serve the classical profession in this way and bring national—even international—attention to Monmouth College.”
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
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Chairman of the Board Bill Goldsborough ’65 (left) and President Ditzler are all smiles as the ribbon-cutting ceremony officially ends a two-year, $40 million construction project for the Center for Science and Business. PHOTOS BY KENT KRIEGSHAUSER
OPEN FOR
BUSINESS
& SCIENCE NEW ACADEMIC BUILDING CELEBRATES INTEGRATED LEARNING WHEN MONMOUTH COLLEGE selected a keynote speaker for the dedication of its $40 million Center for Science and Business, it would have been hard to find a more perfect choice than WGN Radio’s Orion Samuelson (left). On a day that officially ushered in “a new academic era” at Monmouth, Samuelson represented several of the college’s ideals, including a career spent at the junction of science and business and solid Midwest roots. The title of his recent autobiography, You Can’t Dream Big Enough, mirrors the college’s “audacious dreams” behind constructing the new facility, and Samuelson’s smooth, listener-friendly voice was also a plus. Before Samuelson took the podium, Dean David Timmerman offered welcoming remarks. “Isn’t it wonderful?” Timmerman asked the overflow crowd, many of whom had toured the four-story building in the two hours leading up the May 10 ceremony. They responded in applause and Timmerman went on to call the building “a game-changer” for the college. Other platform speakers were associate professor of chemistry Audra Sostarecz; President Ditzler; psychology and business double major
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Donasia Rasheed ’14; and board chairman William Goldsborough ’65. Psychology professor Jane Jakoubek delivered the invocation and the Rev. Dr. Teri Ott, MC’s chaplain, closed the ceremony with a benediction.
In his remarks, Samuelson spoke of three of his personal heroes—Dr. Norman Borlaug, Harold Brock and Abraham Lincoln. Borlaug, the recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize, made contributions to the “green revolution” that “saved a billion lives,” and Brock designed two iconic tractors while working for Ford and John Deere. Lincoln, he said, was “the best friend that farmers ever had in the White House,” and he cited several bills that the president signed, including one for the land-grant university system. The research conducted in those university labs, said Samuelson, “has saved billions of lives.” Ditzler opened his remarks by calling attention to the banner hanging on the building’s entrance that reads “A new academic era for Monmouth College.” “I like the sense of excitement that accompanies this bold proclamation,” he said. “It reflects our audacious dreams. For Monmouth College, good enough isn’t good enough. Whatever we have done before, no matter how good, we want to do better tomorrow.”
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“Green” technology:
Distinctive Features:
Benefits to Faculty and Students:
• Designd and built in accordance with recommendations from U.S. Green Building Council
• Dedicated lab space for individual student research
• Teaching labs for introductory science, ecology, chemistry and physics courses
• Learning spaces dedicated to crossdisciplinary student collaboration in projects based on quantitative-modeling research and analysis
• Upper-division lab space for molecular biology, biochemistry, animal studies and aquatics
• Roof membrane reflects sun’s rays away from building • Storm water retained in underground storage system to avoid water run-off • Drinking fountains have water bottle-filling dispenser to minimize use of disposable plastic bottles • Coils recover and recycle “waste heat” from building exhaust system • Public electric car-charging station in parking lot
• Two-story atrium designed to promote student interaction with each other and with faculty • Student lounges and socializing spaces, including a café for informal study
• Anatomy and physiology lab for health fitness and cadaver studies • Nuclear lab, nutrition/food chemistry lab • Computer laboratories for mathematics and economics, all fully equipped with presentation technology • High-speed imaging lab
• Distance-learning capability
• Roof top astronomic observatory
• Largest building on campus, at 138,000 square feet
• Behavioral psychology research and observation rooms
Construction Facts:
• Moot board room with elevated seating for lectures
2,611 light fixtures 86 miles of wire (454,000 ft.) 10.2 miles of pipe (53,911 feet) 20 months under construction 120 daily workers (on average) 15 trades represented
• Machine shop for specialized physics research projects • Parallel, high-performance and networking computer labs • Advanced audiovisual “smart” projectors and document cameras • Three 50-seat lecture halls, 50 faculty and staff offices, 14 seminar and breakout rooms, 100-seat demonstration auditorium with cameras to record experiments
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Donors to new building are side-by-side again, just like their Monmouth student days SIDE-BY-SIDE CLASSROOMS IN
the college’s new Center for Science and Business Center were donated by 1955 graduates Richard Ameen ( far left) and Alan Larson (left), who started first grade together at Monmouth’s Garfield School in 1939. Neither knew the other was a room donor until the building’s dedication in May. As childhood chums, they had graduated from Monmouth High School and entered Monmouth College in the fall of 1951. Following their time on campus, they entered graduate school at the University of Illinois, rooming together while Ameen studied mathematics and Larson studied physics. Their first jobs were in southern California in the U.S. space program. Larson worked for General Dynamics/Astronautics in San Diego, while Ameen worked for TRW in L.A. Over the next several years, Christmas greetings were exchanged, but that practice eventually faded away and they lost track of each other. After five years as manager of data processing at the Iowa Department of Education and 15 years in other supervisory positions for the State of Iowa, Ameen served as a contracted consultant for the Iowa Department of Transportation, where he developed their online Driver’s License Issuance Program. He resides in Nevada, Iowa. Larson retired after 30 years as a professor and associate director of mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, where he lives with his wife, Sally Smith Larson ’56.
The atrium-like Veterans Great Room, designed as a common office and meeting space at the center of the building, also serves as an elegant venue for dinners and receptions.
LEFT: Photo murals, featuring archival images of Monmouth’s business and science heritage, adorn the main entrance lobby. BELOW: Members of the campus and local community enter the Center for Science and Business for the first time, eager to get a look at the sparkling new facility.
At their 55th Monmouth High School reunion in 2011, Ameen and Larson met once again and reminisced about their earlier years together, but Ameen was unable to attend the dedication ceremony for the Center for Science and Business. Larson, however, was delighted to find Ameen’s name as the donor of Room 177, a psychology classroom next to Room 178, a nuclear research lab that Larson had donated It touches both men that adjacent donor wall plaques will symbolize, for many years, their special relationship, which dates back more than 70 years.
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monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
It’s time to
add your brick. Honor your place in Monmouth College history by adding your own 4 x 4-inch or 8 x 8-inch brick to the pavement near the Center for Science and Business.
Intimate lounge areas with sweeping views of campus are located throughout the Center for Science and Business. Building architects Sean Thompson (left) and Tom Krejci of the award-winning firm Burt, Hill enjoy one of them during the open house.
NEW BUILDING continued from page 15
Ditzler also announced that each of the academic levels of the building has been named. He became emotional as he announced the namesake of the third level, the late Richard “Doc” Kieft, who taught chemistry at Monmouth for 31 years and was a leading proponent of the building. “The last time I spoke with Doc, I promised him that this building would be built and that his legacy would live within it,” said Ditzler, while fighting back emotions. “So I am pleased to announce that the third floor of this building will be known as Kieft Hall.” Other floors of the building are named for two alumni—former chairman of the board David Byrnes ’72, who with his wife, Libby, provided one of the first major gifts, and board member Gerald Marxman ’56. “Conventional wisdom was that this project was too big for Monmouth,” said Ditzler. “Doubters said we could never raise $40 million for a single project. David and Libby Byrnes were among the first to say, ‘Yes, you can.’” Marxman, a rocket scientist who went on to be a successful entrepreneur, was praised for building a better world through his “keen understanding of science and his business acumen” as well as for his generosity to his alma mater. Ditzler also lauded former board chairman Peter Bunce, who has a plaza outside the building named in his honor. “No single individual played a bigger role in creating the beauty that surrounds us than Peter Bunce,” said Ditzler. “For more than three decades, Peter has reminded us that
www.monmouthcollege.edu/ alumni/support/brick
it’s not the right time to build if we can’t build it right. With creativity and generosity, he has brought us to this remarkable day.” Goldsborough, who with his wife, Beverly, issued a challenge grant that raised the final dollars necessary for construction to begin, called the dedication festivities “a red letter day” for Monmouth. He also said the college had gotten a good value for its investment and, in particular, praised President Ditzler and 1976 MC graduate Stan Pepper, the longtime leader of Pepper Construction and a member of the college’s board. At the conclusion of Goldsborough’s remarks, a student from each of the academic disciplines that are represented in the building was asked to come forward and place soil in a container. The symbolic ceremony was part of a new tradition at the college—a tradition that had been started by the Class of 2015 two years earlier, when their matriculation ceremony came hours after the cornerstone ceremony for the Center for Science and Business. Students in those disciplines—accounting, biology, business, chemistry, mathematics and computer science, physics and psychology—will benefit from a facility with many new features. They include a nutrition laboratory, a cadaver room, a nuclear lab and an undergraduate counseling lab. Also among the many new features are accounting breakout rooms to facilitate the college’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, a moot board room and a food dispensing area.
—Barry McNamara
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
A ccording
to some scientists ,
the process of learning begins in the womb when a fetus begins to take cues from its mother’s voice, her diet and even her emotions. After birth, parental involvement plays a crucial role in developing a child’s appetite for learning, providing preparation for when teachers take over the primary responsibility for instilling knowledge.
Learning to
Stories by Barry McNamara
No matter how gifted the student or dedicated the teacher, however, inevitable roadblocks to learning pop up along the way. A confident student in high school can quickly become a frustrated student in college, when immersed in new surroundings and weighed down with new responsibilities. How well a student responds to these challenges can make the difference between moving successfully to a career or grad school, or floundering, losing interest and perhaps dropping out. The key to success in school and in life, say experts, is learning to learn. While it is a lifelong process, learning to learn often does not begin in earnest until college when, under the guidance of a caring faculty and academic support staff, a student takes stock of a lifetime of accumulated skills and begins putting the pieces together. How are our students learning to learn? We asked veteran faculty members to recommend students who have blossomed during their college years. Here are the stories of eight of those students:
Dan Asbell BRIMFIELD, ILL. ACCOUNTING/BUSINESS A DOUBLE MAJOR IN accounting and business, Dan Asbell ’13 is quite all right with Monmouth College’s distinction as a liberal arts school. The May graduate said that although he specialized in those subjects, what made his time at Monmouth special was the opportunity to get involved in a variety of learning activities. “Coming out of high school, I wasn’t intimidated by Monmouth being a liberal arts school,” Asbell said. “It’s one of the things I’ve really liked about going to college here. I’m not great at any one thing, but my experience here has helped me be decent at a wide range of things.” That applies to multiple academic disciplines, as well as extracurricular activities. One class that had particular impact was “Building Communities,” a Citizenship course taught by Dean David Timmerman. “There were lots of productive conversations and discussions about trying to make a difference,” said Asbell. “I learned a lot from that class.”
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
Of course, he also learned in his major, and Asbell says he was pleasantly surprised by Monmouth’s accounting curriculum, especially as he reached the upperclass courses. “I thought I would need to learn a plethora of formulas and facts, and that was scary to think about,” recalled Asbell, when asked about deciding to major in accounting during his senior year of high school. “There’s been some of that, of course, but when I became a junior, there were less quizzes and tests, and my performance in class was based more on my ability to figure things out. “What the major has really done is taught me how to learn. I’m confident that whatever job I get into, they’ll have to teach me some elements of the job, but I’ll learn faster thanks to the education I’ve received and what I’ve learned here.” As for what lies ahead, Asbell appreciates the fact that his liberal arts education has not restricted him to one career path. “I could get into business, finance or sales, in addition to accounting,” he said. “I’m open to any of those.” learning to learn
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Ashley Atwell WALNUT, ILL. EDUCATION STUDIES/HISTORY WHEN SHE EVENTUALLY LANDS HER DREAM JOB as an elementary school teacher, Ashley Atwell ’14 knows that making connections with her students will be a top priority. Fortunately, Atwell has made several meaningful connections as a Monmouth student, and she’s confident they will help her become a better teacher. When it comes to defining the liberal arts education offered at Monmouth, Atwell said it’s about “making connections between different disciplines.” “In an education class, we might be talking about something historical,” she said. “Then I can go to a history class, and relate that discussion to what we’re learning there. “It’s about looking at other people’s connections to an idea and combining it all together to get a deeper understanding. At Monmouth College, you’re constantly exposed to other outlooks and ideas from faculty and other students. It impacts you in ways you don’t expect.” That exposure is elevated in the college’s integrated studies classes, said Atwell, who appreciates being able to make connections with a diverse group of classmates. “I really noticed an ‘aha’ moment in my Reflection class this year, ‘Beyond Belief ’ (taught by biology professor Ken Cramer),” said Atwell. “It was about science vs. religion. By our junior years, we have started to get specialized in a discipline, and the
Reflections course brings together students from several disciplines. We’re all open to discussion, and everyone has a different spin on each issue. I really like that approach of bringing students together like that every year. It helps us think about things in new, different ways, as opposed to just being around students from our own discipline.” Those moments when a light goes on are exactly what drove Atwell into the field of educational studies, she said. “I want to be an elementary school teacher, particularly the first- or second-grade level, because I love seeing that ‘aha’ moment of kids really getting it.” As a future teacher, Atwell pays close attention to how students learn. An eye-opening course, she said, has been “Educational Theories of Learning,” taught by associate professor of educational studies Craig Vivian. “Early on, some of our courses were about how to teach this or how to teach that, but Professor Vivian’s class makes you learn why, and it makes you rethink a lot of ideas and concepts,” said Atwell. “I think it ties into the whole idea of ‘learning to learn’ very much. It’s really made me think a lot about homework and assignments.” That connection between what she’s learned and how she’ll teach is just one more connection that Atwell has made at Monmouth.
Pat Corrigan PEORIA, ILL. CHEMISTRY/BIOCHEMISTRY IT’S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY Pat Corrigan ’13 paid a little extra attention to the details as he listened to one of his chemistry professors speak during class. One day, in the not too distant future, Corrigan hopes to be the one lecturing and leading experiments. “I want to be a professor eventually,” he said. “I’m going to grad school at Penn State University.” Corrigan was helped in that process by a Penn State graduate, associate professor of chemistry Audra Sostarecz. It was not the first time that Monmouth’s talented chemistry staff had made an impact on his college experience. “All the professors have helped me along the way,” Corrigan said. “They’ve helped me make business contacts and other contacts. I’ve worked with pretty much everyone in the department. Laura Moore is my adviser. I worked with Eric Todd on my polymer research, and I worked with Brad Sturgeon on an electroplating project.” Polymer research was Corrigan’s primary focus, an activity he plans to continue to pursue at Penn State. “Polymers are pretty much everywhere,” he said. “They’re in rubbers and plastics. A lot of the science with polymers is fine tuning them to get the properties desired for what they’re being used for.” Another goal of polymer research is to make products as inexpensively as possible. Along those lines, Corrigan focused on converting sugars and mint oil into polymeric structures. That economic principle touches on the discipline integration
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behind the college’s new Center for Science and Business, a concept that Corrigan fully understands. “Absolutely, I do,” he said. “The more I talk to chemists in the field, the more I hear about how important it is to work with a business sense. The cost of a process definitely plays into whether or not it can be produced. And also, if your science isn’t funded, you can’t do your research.” Corrigan enjoyed all his chemistry classes, but he pointed to organic chemistry as one that, “early on, gave me a way to think about things differently and solve problems.” In general, he added, he had to “carry out reactions in his research. I have to think about what was going on in those reactions. I needed to step away from the beaker and figure out the environment that the research was being conducted in, making sure that the project would go well.” As a senior at Peoria (Ill.) Notre Dame High School, Corrigan knew chemistry was his desired path in college, but he didn’t know exactly where to go. Although his parents—Robert Corrigan ’80 and Mary Alexander Corrigan ’82—graduated from Monmouth, it wasn’t their influence that ultimately convinced him to attend their alma mater. “I would definitely say that I have become a better student. A lot of that is due to Monmouth’s nurturing environment. I’m also a better leader, and I work with people better. I’ve grown up a lot since I’ve been here.” monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
Sara Frakes CARTHAGE, ILL. PSYCHOLOGY WHEN SARA FRAKES ’14 IS ASKED ABOUT her Monmouth College experience, the theme of breaking out of her comfort zone comes up more than once. “I didn’t expect to go abroad when I first thought about being in college, but I’m so glad I did,” said Frakes, who was a Fulbright International Summer Institute participant in Bulgaria in 2012. “I was exposed to so many different people that I wouldn’t have ever met. There were professors from Bulgaria and Pakistan, and students from all over—Russia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan.” Frakes was encouraged to go on the trip by her parents. “I’m a first-generation college student. My parents had to make a lot of sacrifices to get me to college. They helped me see what an opportunity it would be to have study-abroad experience like Bulgaria. I would never have the opportunity to do something like that otherwise.” Although she was very satisfied with her time abroad, Frakes explained that students don’t have to leave the U.S. to break out of their comfort zone. “The way I define liberal arts is that it encourages you to go out on a limb and try new things and take classes that might be out of your comfort level,” she said. Part of Frakes’ immersion in liberal arts has come as the publication editor for the college’s Midwest Journal of Undergraduate Research. Frakes reads student essays from peer institutions in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) on topics representing disciplines across the curriculum.
In the classroom, one of her favorite liberal arts experiences was the course “Race and Ethnicity,” which she said tied in well with her two weeks in Bulgaria. “The class covered how different ethnic groups come to the United States, and how we try to assimilate them and get them to conform, but their cultures still exist.” While in high school, Frakes originally planned to visit another ACM school in Illinois, but she was encouraged by one of her teachers, MC graduate Pat Raftis ’05, to consider Monmouth. She enjoyed her time on campus so much that she canceled her other visit and “knew Monmouth would be where I was going.” Frakes came to campus as a political science major, but she switched her focus after having a good experience in the entrylevel psychology course. She plans to get a master’s degree in college student personnel, then pursue a Ph.D. in educational leadership, with the goal of helping college students focus on academic success. Although she hasn’t taken those graduate courses yet, Frakes was asked what advice she could currently share about succeeding academically. “It’s important to find the time to sit down and make yourself do work,” she replied. “You have to keep yourself motivated in whatever way you can.” And, she might have added, don’t be afraid to go out on a limb when choosing classes or extracurricular activities.
Simone Padron-Glass GLENVIEW, ILL. HISTORY/PHYSICAL EDUCATION SIMONE PADRON-GLASS ’13 did not get to enjoy the entire four-year MC experience, but she was not shortchanged in making academic discoveries and learning about herself. “Monmouth has become a second home to me,” said Padron-Glass, a fifth-year senior who transferred from Lincoln College in 2010. “I’ve gone from not knowing anyone to making great friends. I really cherish the relationships I’ve formed with some of my professors. Fred Witzig (history), Trudi Peterson (communication studies) and Annika Hagley (political science) have all been my mentors. “Working with (my mentors) has really opened my eyes. I know I can always do more, and I can always learn more, and they’ve helped me to see that I’m just as good as anyone else. There are just so many good people here.” Padron-Glass said she took advantage of MCs support system. “Everywhere I go, there are people who care about you and want to help you,” she said. “And it makes you want to help them and be a part of something special. I love the family feeling at Monmouth.” Padron-Glass said one of her MC friends who graduated before her told her, “I have a feeling that I don’t want to leave here.” “I think that says something about this place,” she said. “It strives for community.”
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
Padron-Glass was asked what “liberal arts” means to her. “To me, it means a diverse education. We don’t just learn through reading and writing, but also movies, like the history through film class that Professor (Bill) Urban teaches. That’s a great class for a visual learner like me. I like the way the history classes I’ve taken really focus in on the specifics of a subject, like the South before the Civil War, and I’ve enjoyed the political science course, ‘Political Geography.’ Our professors can make a whole course out of those specifics, like pirates, and they have such knowledge of their field that a semester’s not even enough to cover it all.” Padron-Glass majored in history and physical education, and the latter discipline might come into play if she is able to achieve her short-range career goal—being an adventure tour guide. “I’d like to guide backpack tours of Europe, or maybe biking trips in Washington, D.C.—something along those lines,” she said. Padron-Glass added plenty of courses in women’s studies, and she’s had a lifelong connection to the discipline, being named for one of the founders of the feminist movement, Simone de Beauvoir. “I never thought to take it that seriously, but through Trudi Peterson, I’ve learned to tie how I was brought up into what it means to be a woman today,” she said. learning to learn
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Meg Grzenia LAKE IN THE HILLS, ILL. COMMUNICATION STUDIES WHEN MEG GRZENIA ’13 sat down to be interviewed for the “Learning to Learn” series, she was a willing subject. Grzenia understood the procedure, as she plans to use her communication studies major to get into the business of interviewing others. “The goal? Well, I would really like to get into journalism or internal communications at a company, getting involved with management strategies,” she said. “Or maybe public relations. I’ve got it in my head that I’ve love to give a TED Talk (podcasts on technology, entertainment and design devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading”), and I’d also like to write a book on communication strategies.” When Grzenia enters the workforce, she will already have some valuable experience. On campus, she wrote for the student newspaper and served as the social media executive for WMCR, working behind the scenes to help drive the radio station’s content and provide audience members the type of programming they wanted to hear. Grzenia was homeschooled all the way through high school, so when it came time to pick a college, she initially opted to stay in her area, attending McHenry County College and earning her associate’s degree. She then followed her sister, Mary Grzenia ’12, to Monmouth. Grzenia, who got her “gen eds out of the way” at McHenry, enjoyed focusing on courses in her major—and journalism minor—at Monmouth, as well as integrated studies courses. “I really enjoyed a Reflections class that I took with Carolyn Suda called ‘Sacred Voices,’” she said. “One of the books we read
was The Pianist, about a Jewish Pole during World War II. He really struck a chord with me, in part because of the great connection he had with music.” Grzenia related the story of how the title character was hiding in an abandoned apartment to escape the Holocaust. When he overheard a couple arguing about the correct way to play a piano, all he yearned for was the “normalcy” to be able to just touch a piano again. “In contrast, I can play anywhere I want to,” said Grzenia. “I feel I really connected with him.” Grzenia has taken advantage of a music opportunity offered to her on campus, auditioning for and earning a spot with The Sassy Lassies, a 17-member women’s a cappella group. Grzenia credited her experience in another integrated studies course, “Local Heroes,” for gaining valuable insight into human relations. “That was pretty difficult for some of us,” she said. “We had to take ourselves out of our Monmouth College bubble and get into the community. We were working with the local Latino community, so we also had to get away from stereotypical thoughts. In order to collect some of the objects we needed for our upcoming exhibit, we really had to establish a rapport with them, and that was a rewarding part of the class.” Concluded Grzenia, “I love learning. I know that sounds geeky and nerdy, but our communication department really values that— to never stop asking questions. Randy Pausch said ‘Never lose that childlike wonder.’ You never know where it will take you.”
Jake Nysather STERLING, ILL. CHEMISTRY/BIOCHEMISTRY WHEN IT COMES TO DETERMINING just how much a Monmouth student learns in four years, there’s not a precise measuring system. Graduates, for example, don’t go back and take the same ACT test they did in high school to see how many points higher they score. So it’s hard to quantify exactly how much Jake Nysather ’13, who graduated in May with degrees chemistry and biochemistry major, learned since he first set foot on campus in the fall of 2009. What can be measured, however, is his progression as a Fighting Scot athlete. Nysather was a run-of-the-mill track athlete at Newman High School in Sterling, Ill., throwing the shot put 36 feet and the discus 120 feet. He was so average, in fact, that he was not recruited to compete in track in college. But under the expert guidance of Monmouth’s track coaches— including this year’s national assistant coach of the year, Brian Woodard ’97—Nysather has blossomed. Despite the fact that the college shot put is four pounds heavier than what he threw in high
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school, Nysather now heaves it 45 feet, and he throws the onepound-heavier discus 130 feet. But it’s in his signature event, the hammer throw, where Nysather has really come on strong. Since the hammer is not a high school event, he didn’t launch his first one until he arrived on campus, and the result was quite underwhelming—90 feet. Undeterred by that low mark and by a broken ankle that sidelined him just as his freshman season was getting started, Nysather rebounded to become the second-best hammer thrower in school history, trailing only All-American Zach Wilson ’08. Nysather’s best throw was 171 feet, 8 inches, putting him second on the Scots’ honor roll in the event. “You have to really take care of your body,” replied Nysather, when asked what he learned to help him improve so much during his Monmouth career. “I’ve also spent a lot of time studying the great ones—shot putters like Reese Hoffa and Christian Cantwell— to see what they do. And then I watch film of myself and look to modify what I’m doing and improve. Being able to make big monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
Mike Olszewski BRIMFIELD, ILL. COMMUNICATION STUDIES AS MIKE OLSZEWSKI ’14 ANSWERED questions during an interview for his “Learning to Learn” profile, he came across as articulate, confident and professional. That’s a far cry, he said, from his first days on campus. “I was a long-haired, shy freshman, I was just trying out this new thing called ‘college.’ It’s been scary at times, but it’s been a thrill. College has helped me become mature and organized—I’ve become an adult. I can see my future ahead of me, and I’m grasping it.” That grasp is thanks in part to a decision he made early on. “I wanted to become an art teacher,” he said of his initial plans. “(Communication studies professor) Trudi Peterson got me to switch. I really enjoyed her ‘Interpersonal Communication’ class.” Olszewski said he loves that he is working with trained professionals in the communication studies department, such as Joe Angotti, former executive producer of NBC Nightly News. “I’ve learned as much as I can from each and every one of them, and I have a great rapport with them, both in class or just talking to them,” said Olszewski, whose goal is to get into broadcast news and reporting. When asked about other courses in the department, Olszewski recalled “Communication Criticism,” taught by Kate Zittlow Rogness. “There was a lot of discussion and applying and analyzing various critical perspectives and methods,” he said. For the course, he wrote a 25-page paper titled “The Narrative Paradigm: The Rolling Stones You Can’t Always Get What You Want—A Strategic Rhetoric of Whiteness.” The paper was accepted by the Undergraduate Communication Research Conference in
St. Paul, Minn., where Olszewski presented his analysis. Olszewski also enjoyed “Multi-Media Production” and his classes in journalism. “I’m not as bad of a writer as I thought I was,” he said, crediting Angotti for getting him out of his comfort zone, so much so, in fact, that he will be the sports editor of The Courier, MC’s student newspaper, next fall. His work in journalism, he said, has helped him with critical thinking by “asking questions of the people who are asking the questions.” Olszewski still stays involved with art, adding it as a minor, along with journalism. “Working in the art studio helps me get my mind away from stress,” he said. So does his principal extracurricular activity—regularly competing among the top five members of the Fighting Scots men’s golf team. In addition to his major and his extracurricular activities, Olszewski said he appreciates being exposed to all that Monmouth has to offer academically. “I enjoy the liberal arts exposure, the critical thinking, the wellrounded education,” he said. “My Reflections class was ‘Beyond Belief.’ The professor, Ken Cramer, did a good job of staying in the middle. He let us decide and weigh the arguments between science and religion. I never would have thought of taking a course like this when I went to college.” That’s just one of the many transformations Olszewski has experienced in his first three years at Monmouth.
NYSATHER continued throws is about hitting positions in my progression. I’m a rotational thrower, and it gets really technical.” Being technical and precise carries over to the classroom, where Nysather was a three-time Academic All-Midwest Conference honoree. He plans to attend medical school at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., with the goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. “It will take four years of school, then three years as a fellow and five years of residency” before the end result is achieved—doctor of osteopathic medicine. “I knew I wanted to go med school,” Nysather said of his pre-
college plans. “I came in taking all the general science classes, and while I was taking chemistry, it really clicked.” Some of his research was conducted on peroxidase enzymes, under the guidance of assistant professor Brad Sturgeon. He also did investigative work on platelet-rich plasma treatment as part of a group project, and enjoyed his Citizenship class, “Green Initiatives.” While studying sustainability, he was part of a group that worked on “do-it-yourself ” soap and detergent. “A lot of doors have opened for me at Monmouth—a lot of opportunities. That definitely includes athletics, my fraternity and my major. The further I’ve gone, the more doors have opened.”
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As the final two graduates to walk across the Wallace Hall stage and receive their diplomas from President Ditzler, twin sisters Sarah Zaubi (left) and Megan Zaubi put a spirited exclamation point on the proceedings. OPPOSITE, TOP: The joyous atmosphere of commencement lingered even after the ceremony came to a close, as graduates like Evan Banks (center) were embraced by beaming family members.
PHOTO BY JEFF RANKIN
OPPOSITE, INSET: Prior to delivering the commencement address, former U.S. senator and Florida governor Bob Graham (left) visits with longtime acquaintance Bill Trubeck ’68 (right), vice chairman of the board of trustees.
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‘THE HAPPIEST CLASS’ By Barry McNamara
Constant bright sunshine helped make the college’s 156th annual commencement exercises pleasant, and so did a cheerful graduating class, which President Ditzler called “the happiest class to come across this stage in years.” It was also one of the larger classes, topping by about two dozen the number of graduates from a year ago. BEING PASSIONATE ABOUT A PROFESSION and sharing gratitude were two of the recurring messages from speakers as 270 graduates received their diplomas during a chilly, breezy Mother’s Day commencement ceremony. The keynote speaker, former Florida governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham, passed on some of the same advice that this year’s recipient of MC’s Pre-College Teacher of the Year Award, Buffalo Grove High School science teacher Kevin Trow ’02, had offered moments earlier. “Let passion be your guide,” Graham told the graduates of Monmouth, which he called “one of the most historic and prestigious liberal arts colleges” in the U.S. “Don’t let dollars get in the way of what you believe is your true calling.” Graham also told the graduates that life is like a pyramid. In the beginning, people start at the bottom of the pyramid and have a wide base, representing a wide range of possibilities. As they continue to grow older, their options taper, much like a pyramid. “A goal in life is to keep your pyramid as wide as possible for as long as possible,” said Graham, who closed his remarks by saying “Graduates of Monmouth College, you are special. You are exceptional. Continue to grow your specialness, and share it with the world.”
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The senior class presented a gift of more than $10,000 to go toward new carillon and stadium seat in memory of Tommy Hoerr, a member of the Class of 2013 who was killed in 2012 in an accident. LEFT: Alex Brooks proudly crosses the Wallace Hall stage.
HAPPIEST CLASS continued from page 25 Other graduates who spoke during the two-hour ceremony were Daniel Reid, who delivered the invocation; Kathryn Shipp, who made welcoming remarks; Michelle Hutchison, who delivered the student address; and Kayla Corzine, president of the Class of 2013. MC’s summa cum laude graduates were Alex Brooks, Margaret Grzenia and Kayte LaFollett. As he closed the ceremony, Ditzler told the graduates, “It is time to burst with joy into the bright future you’re creating for us.” On Saturday, the college held its traditional baccalaureate service, with a theme of water. Included in the program was a soulful rendition of the Negro spiritual “Wade in the Water” by the Monmouth College Chorale. The speaker was Dr. Rodger Nishioka, who holds the Benton Family chair in Christian education as an associate professor at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga. Known as one of the most sought-after and inspiring preachers in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Nishioka
did not disappoint. He told the story of two 2007 graduates from Emory University, which is located 15 minutes from his home in Atlanta. Although they were both just 22 years old at the time, they made a tremendous difference in the world. One of the graduates, Elizabeth Scholtys, formed a foundation to help the street children she met during a semester abroad in Pune, India. The other, Robbie Brown, received a $20,000 McMullen Prize check at the 2007 graduation ceremony, but turned it over minutes later to assist Scholtys’ foundation. Nishioka put that story beside Moses striking a rock and providing water for his people, as chronicled in the Book of Exodus. “We’re looking for people who have the courage to strike a rock because we need the water,” Nishioka told the graduates. “To change the world, all you have to do is start with one life.” The students who followed Nishioka to the podium prayed to “be water for a thirsty world.” The annual commencement concert, also a success, included a rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Trow is first MC grad to receive Teacher of the Year honor
PHOTO BY NANCY LOCH
KEVIN TROW ’02 was recognized at Commencement as the first-ever Monmouth College graduate to receive the pre-college teacher honor. In his nomination of Trow, graduating senior Roy Sye wrote, “He incorporates ‘real world’ scenarios within each problem, allowing students not only to reflect on the material but also apply it to their lives. Mr. Trow is clearly a person dedicated to exemplary and balanced education.” Trow shared things he has learned with the class, including the fact that today’s graduates are much more fortunate than he was when it came to the geography of Monmouth’s campus. “When I was a student at Monmouth, there were no steps on the Wallace Hall hill. I learned the laws of physics on that single, steep slope. It was man vs. gravity, and gravity usually won.” Trow said his biggest lesson was to “be passionate,” and he asked students to consider the fact that they would be working for the next 40 years, so they should aspire for it to be in an area about which they’re truly passionate. Sye said that Trow was the reason he chose Monmouth.
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Kevin Trow (left) was nominated for MC’s Pre-College Teacher of the Year Award by his former student at Buffalo Grove High School, Roy Sye.
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
SCOTLIGHT
Shields putting MC experiences to use in post-grad adventures By Barry McNamara
WHEN HE LEFT ILLINOIS for California
in October, CONNOR SHIELDS ’13 was embarking on his third major adventure since he graduated in May. An art major with a minor in philosophy, Shields became an accomplished horticulturist during his college career as a key player in the development of MC’s Educational Garden and micro-farm. He also participated in an entrepreneurial tea venture, so it is perhaps not surprising that gardening, farming and tea have been central to his postgraduate adventures. The diversity of Shields’s experiences at Monmouth might earn him the title of poster child for the college’s new strategic plan, which emphasizes active learning beyond the major, the integration of business with science, and the pursuit of a meaningful vocation or lifelong purpose. “After graduation, I went back to Naperville for a couple days, then I took historic Route 66 to New Mexico,” said Shields. Shields was headed for the Fa Yun Buddhist Monastery in Taos, N.M., (pictured right) where he spent three months studying Mahayana Buddhism and working as the its gardener. The opportunity came his way through the college’s alumni network. “They are so focused and have such incredibly strong mental power,” Shields said of the monks. “They have the sheer will to relentlessly study the teachings of Buddha. They are so calm and so unattached to the dregs of everyday life.” Shields planted trees, flowers and shrubs, and built new beds. “I’m proud of the work I did,” he said. “It’s already an extremely beautiful place. I helped make it a little more beautiful.” Faculty member Craig Watson, who often worked side-by-side with Shields in the garden, can speak to his dedication to the project. “Connor was a founding member of the Educational Garden and Garden House, and as such worked hard and steadily to put both the project and the residential experience on good footings,” he said. “I think
monmouth | winter 2014
of him as a one-person R&D wing, specializing in creative chaos. He was not only the new projects maven, but the camera’s favored color commentator when the garden attracted regional and national attention. We miss him, his adventurousness and his ebullience.”
The diversity of Shields’s experiences at Monmouth might earn him the title of poster child for the college’s new strategic plan, which emphasizes active learning beyond the major, the integration of business with science, and the pursuit of a meaningful vocation or lifelong purpose. CONNOR SHIELDS ’13
Shields was exposed to another branch of Buddhism when he left the monastery in mid-August and lived and worked on an organic farm, growing fruit trees and vegetable crops in exchange for room and board. “They practiced Tibetan Buddhism, which is a much different practice,” he noted. “It was good to be able to commune with them. I drank a lot of tea and exposed them to the teas from David Lee Hoffman.” Shields met Hoffman through Monmouth’s tea project, when the “tea guru” spent three days on campus. That time with Hoffman has led to Shields’ next adventure, which will be a six-month internship at Hoffman’s company, The Phoenix Collection, in Lagunitas, Calif. “If it goes well, I could work for him after the internship, or I might find another adventure,” said Shields. A talented sculptor and painter, Shields is not currently creating any works of art, at least not in the traditional sense. But these adventures have certainly had a creative aspect to them, he said. “One of the things I was able to think about is making every moment an artistic expression. It’s an aspirational endeavor. So I’m taking these philosophical practices and trying to live with intention and create beauty for myself and those around me.”
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Members of the 50-year class enjoying the Rhubarb Fest included, from left, Jean Rasmusen Droste, Shirley Service Culbert, Ann Stewart Cragg, Donna Mae Bullard Colado, Carol Clark Dotseth, Mary Bullard ’60 and Daryl Gillespie Beadle.
For the second consecutive year, Golden Scots had the opportunity to attend the nearby Aledo Rhubarb Festival, where the menu of available delicacies was not limited to rhubarb.
Sixty years after their graduation, former Monmoutharea students reminisce about their college days. FROM LEFT ARE 1953 grads Lois Myers Keating, Joyce Keating Allison, Ray Brooks, Marjorie Munson Wunder and Joyce Hennenfent Walton.
Stan Chism ’63, an accomplished amateur photographer, exhibited a collection of powerful images he shot during a visit to Cuba. Judy Sluka Butcher, Laura “Lolly” Turner Hoffman and Ann Mack Collier, all members of the Class of 1963, share a laugh at the 50-year banquet.
Alumni relive the “daily chapel” experience while paying tribute to departed classmates at a special memorial service.
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monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
President Mauri Ditzler discusses the planning process that went into the design of the Center for Science and Business.
Passengers on the guided bus tour of Monmouth were able to see many historical sites, including former residences of several prominent alumni.
Golden Scots Weekend 2013 brought throngs of enthusiastic alumni back to campus, primarily representing the decades of the 1950s and ’60s. The Golden Anniversary Class of 1963 (left) was particularly well represented and enjoyed a weekend full of lectures, outings, gatherings and food. 1963 classmates Dave Arnold, left, and Larry Gibb are all smiles at the Golden Scots banquet.
Warm, sunny weather provided the ideal atmosphere for a tour of the college’s educational garden.
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
golden scots celebration
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Water Polo’s Big Year Men win national title, sport elevated to varsity status
Monmouth’s men won the 2012 National Club Water Polo title, but the high water mark for the sport came a few months later, when it was announced that
water polo would be elevated to varsity status, making Monmouth one of just a handful of schools nationwide to offer the sport to both men and women.
After years of competing in the sport at the club level, Monmouth has joined the varsity ranks as a member of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA). The governing body is also its own conference, providing a unique opportunity for the Scots. “There aren’t many Division III teams in the entire nation,” explained Alex de la Pena, former head of MC’s aquatics sports. “Before, if any high school polo player wanted to continue the sport in college, for the most part, they had to go to the East or West Coast. With Monmouth’s addition of the sport, they can play college ball much closer to home.”
The Fighting Scots’ first varsity season is now in the books on the men’s side, and it ended with a 5–9 record. Raheem Brown ’16 scored a team-high 64 goals and Tony Marino ’14 added 35.
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monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
PHOTO BY MIKE ROEMER
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
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RIGHT ON TRACK MORE BIG STRIDES
National title for Wilson Two Scots rose to the top possible position. James Wilson ’14 soared a school-record 24'2-¼ to win the NCAA indoor high jump title. His winning leap was just shy of his new school record of 24'3.
Top honor for Woodard Brian Woodard ’97 was recognized as the National Assistant Coach of the
Year, one year after claiming the top assisant honor in the Midwest Region.
10 All Americans By all measurable standards, the Fighting Scots track teams had another outstanding year. Once again, the fact that they again swept the four Midwest Conference team championships— a high point for most athletic squads—was well down the list.
The throwers who Woodard worked with throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons combined to bring home six of Monmouth’s 10 All-American honors. The Scots scored especially well at the national indoor meet, where four All-American honors resulted in enough points for a fifth-place finish on the women’s side. In the men’s indoor competition, Wilson added to his 10 points in the long jump with a fifth-place finish in the 4400, elevating the Scots to sixth in the nation. He was joined on the relay squad by Kiante Green ’14, Raimius Foulkes ’15 and Garrett Daniel ’14. Thrower Allison Devor ’13 capped her brilliant career with four more AllAmerican honors, bringing home a second- and a seventh-place finish from both the indoor and outdoor meets. Indoors, her weight throw of 60'8-¾ was second only to the winning mark of 62'0-¼. Outdoors, her schoolrecord hammer throw of 190'10 missed the first-place mark by a mere two inches. Devor’s seventh-place finishes came in the shot put. Thrower, Raven Robinson ’14, scored at both meets, placing third in the shot put (a school-record 47'6-¼) and sixth in the hammer.
Pupil and teacher Allison Devor ’13 and Brian Woodard take a moment to relax and watch the action during a meet at the college’s April Zorn Memorial Stadium. Devor capped her Fighting Scot career with eight All-American honors, while Woodard was recognized as the National Assistant Coach of the Year.
TOP: James Wilson ’14 shows the form that won him the national long jump title at the NCAA indoor meet.
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High jumper Emily Tysma ’14 rounded out the All-American performers, clearing 5'7-¾ to place second indoors and 5'7 to take fifth outdoors. En route to four more MWC team titles, six athletes were named Most Outstanding Perfomers. Wilson was both the field and track MOP at the indoor meet, joined by Green, Jake Barr ’13, Kyle Mengarelli ’13 and Devor. Outdoor MOPs were Mengarelli, Devor and Tysma. monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
SPRING SPORTS REVIEW: Men’s tennis nets three MWC champions, golfers place second MEN’S GOLF: Coach Dave Ragone’s team finally hurdled Carroll after placing second to the Pioneers at the past two MWC Championships, but this time it was St. Norbert that prevented a Monmouth title, as the Green Knights topped the runner-up Fighting Scots by five strokes at the rain-shortened event. Three Scots earned All-MWC honors, led by Britt Bothast ’13, who placed third. Ryan Suttles ’14 and Cory Fell ’13 also finished in the top 10. It was the second all-conference honor for Bothast and Fell. Bothast was Monmouth’s top golfer during the season, posting a 77.7 average. The Scots’ low team round was a 299. MEN’S TENNIS: Denied a shot at a Midwest Conference team title by a 5–3 loss to Lawrence in the semi-finals, coach Chad Braun’s team did the next best thing—capture three championships during singles and doubles to place third place in the league. Partners David Johnson ’14 (above left) and David Stewart ’14 (above right) captured the
No. 1 doubles crown, capping an 18–3 season, and “The Davids” also were strong in singles, winning the titles at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Johnson wound up 15–6 in singles play for the year while Stewart was 15–5. Both players now have two career MWC singles titles. With one season left, Stewart and Johnson rank 3–4 in overall tennis victories at Monmouth with 110 and 109, respectively. They will likely finish 1–2 or, fittingly, tied for the all-time mark.
SOFTBALL: Monmouth came home from a season-opening trip to Florida with a 7–2
record and posted a solid 3–2 mark at the MWC’s Crossover Classic. But, unfortunately, a 1–9 finish, including 1–3 in divisional games, kept the Fighting Scots out of postseason action for the first time since 2007. During a season when home runs were a big part of the Scots’ story— they belted a record 25—their leading slugger, Emily Watkins ’16, was their lone All-MWC player. She had team highs of seven homers and a .353 average. First baseman Sommer Foster ’14 also had seven homers, hit .330, and had a team-best 23 RBIs.
BASEBALL: A series of narrow defeats kept coach Roger Sander’s squad from getting on any kind of winning streaks during the season, and the Scots eventually finished with a record of 8–25. Second baseman Ryan Crandall ’14 was a bright spot, earning first team All-Region honors to go with his selection to the South Division’s first team. Crandall hit a robust .414, and also led the team in doubles, triples, homers, RBI, runs and steals.
FALL SPORTS REVIEW: Football goes 5-4 in MWC; women’s soccer takes second FOOTBALL: There is often a fine line between winning and losing in football, and the Fighting Scots learned that painfully several times throughout a 5–5 season. The Scots, who finished sixth in the Midwest Conference, lost four of those games by a total of 15 points, including two when they held a halftime lead. While the Scots did not have the type of team success to which they are accustomed, one player posted a trifecta of records, establishing game, season and career rushing marks. That was Trey Yocum ’14, whose 247 yards in a season-ending 37–10 win over Knox pushed his season yardage to 1,590 and his career total to 4,573. His record game total came earlier in the fall, when he racked up 277 yards in a 31–7 victory over Lawrence. Yocum earned first team All-MWC honors, as did wide receiver Austin Peterson ’14 (774 yards, 8 TDs), offensive lineman A.J. Ulrich ’14, defensive lineman Jack Porter ’15 (12 tackles for loss) and punter Brik Wedekind ’14 (41.2 avg.). Making the second team was special monmouth | winter 2014
teamer C.J. Shields ’15, while offensive lineman Kyle Vestal ’15 and defensive back Jacob Wilson ’15 (41 tackles, 4 INTs) received honorable mention.
WOMEN’S SOCCER: The best season in team history ended with the Scots one game shy of their first-ever NCAA tournament. Monmouth got off to a strong start in league action and eventually settled for a secondplace finish in the league at 7–1–2. In the MWC tourney semi-final, Lauren Kellen ’15 scored two goals and Andrea Correa ’17 netted the game winner with 9:27 remaining to lift the Scots to a 3–2 victory over Lake Forest. The Scots then ended their record 12–5–2 season with a 2–0 loss to St. Norbert in the championship game. Goalkeeper Samantha Barranco ’14 earned her fourth straight first team All-MWC honor, and she was joined on the first team by Kellen and stopper Lauren Towler ’16. Kellen scored a record 23 goals, including two in a regular season win over St. Norbert and three hat tricks.
Sweeper Denise Nelson ’14 made the second team and set career records for games and minutes played.
WOMEN’S GOLF: Coach Molly McNamara’s squad seemed to make a run at the record book every week en route to the lowest average team score entering the MWC Championships. But a challenging Aldeen Golf Course got in the way of a team title, and the Scots settled for a fourthplace finish, two strokes behind third-place St. Norbert and 29 off champion Grinnell’s pace. Hannah Long ’16 made a bid for MWC medalist honors, tying for the individual lead after each of the first rounds before settling for runner-up and the Scots’ first all-conference honor since 2009. Long, however, remained in first place in the record books thanks to a round of 77 during the regular season, which lowered the 18-hole mark she set as a freshman. The round keyed a team score of 341—just two strokes off the record—and placed Monmouth first in a 10-team field at Benedictine. continued on next page sports
33
Mitch Tanney hired by Bears, joins brother Alex in NFL By Dan Nolan
Alex Tanney’s Browns played Mitch Tanney’s Bears at FirstEnergy Stadium on Dec. 15 in Cleveland. The Bears rallied for a 38-31 win. PHOTO COURTESY OF CLEVELAND BROWNS
MITCH TANNEY’ S ABILITIES OFF THE FIELD—rather
than what the former Monmouth College quarterback displayed in action—were the deciding factors in him landing a job in July with the Chicago Bears. Tanney (above right) who graduated summa cum laude in 2006 with degrees in math and Spanish, was hired to fill the Bears’ newly-created position of director of analytics. He is in charge of analyzing and breaking down data to give the Bears the best options in each situation for every player. In other words, Tanney is compiling the equivalent of baseball’s sabermetrics. While he’ll never take a snap, Tanney is calling the signals to some degree on Sunday afternoons. The Bears use Tanney’s reports for individual game situations, scouting and player development. When contacted midway through his first NFL season, Tanney said his comfort level was growing “but there is always more to learn. Each week represents a new opportunity to contribute and improve from the prior week. … If there’s one thing I’ve realized in my short time with the team is that the difference between winning and losing in the NFL is
FALL SPORTS continued from page 33 VOLLEYBALL: Coach Kari Shimmin’s squad was young in the front row, and several rookie spikers gained valuable experience during a 10–18 campaign that included a 5–5 mark in the MWC, good for sixth place. Four of the Scots’ five players with tripledigit kills were freshmen, including leader Lorin Pedersoli (206). Veteran Karrah Kuykendall ’14 was next on the team with 147 kills and she was also second in blocks (47), seven behind the leader, Paige Rus ’17. The team’s other hard-hitting freshmen were Hayle Hintz and Alexa Piekarski. While the hitters were mostly new, the setter was as experienced as they come. Mollie Murdock ’14 earned her fourth straight All-MWC honor and broke the career record for assists with 3,718.
34
sports
extremely small. Every person plays a role, and it takes a sustained effort from the entire organization throughout the week in order to win on Sunday. Like my colleagues, I’m simply trying to do my job to the best of my ability in an effort to help us win on Sunday.” The older brother of recent Monmouth standout ALEX TANNEY (above left), Mitch led the Fighting Scots to a Midwest Conference title and their first NCAA playoff appearance in 2005. His academic and athletic background made him uniquely qualified for the position. “There are very few people who have a competitive football background like Mitch does at a key decision-making position as well as the math background he has and the experience in this field,” said Bears general manager Phil Emery when Tanney was hired. After playing for various arena league teams following his career at Monmouth, Tanney earned his MBA from the University of Iowa and had been the manager of football products and sports analytics for STATS LLC.
CROSS COUNTRY: Kyra Kimber ’15 and Alyssa Edwards ’14 earned All-MWC honors as the Scots women placed seventh at the league meet. Kimber’s time of 23:05 was good for fourth at the race, while Edwards placed 12th in 23:47 to receive an all-conference medal for the fourth straight season. Two weeks later, Kimber notched her first-ever All-Region honor, placing 20th in 22:25 at the Midwest Regional. On the men’s side, the Scots slipped to an 11th-place finish in the league.
MEN’S SOCCER: First-year coach Kooten Johnson got the most out of his team, which was playing its best soccer at the end of the year. Proof came on the scoreboard in the season finale, when the Scots knocked off a playoff-bound Knox squad by a 2–0 score to complete a 5–12–1 season.
In MWC games, Monmouth went 3–7, placing eighth in the league. Goalie Matt Schmidt ’14 posted shutouts against Cornell, Beloit and Knox to help the Scots post a 4–3 mark down the stretch. Those strong performances helped earn Schmidt first team all-conference honors. Chizobam Nkemeh ’16 and Isaac Hernandez ’14 combined for 14 goals and 33 points, while Max Daniels ’16 and Brad Dulee ’17 combined for 11 assists. Hernandez was named second team All-MWC.
WOMEN’S TENNIS: First-year coach Brian Jordan ’09 has big plans for the Scots, and he saw steady progress from his squad, which he took over only days before the start of the season. Monmouth posted its best result against Ripon, with Katy Tolsky winning in both singles and doubles. The Scots placed 11th at the MWC Championships.
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
HIROYUKI FUJITA ’92 PRESIDENT AND CEO QUALITY ELECTRODYNAMICS (QED)
Fujita’s ‘equation of life’ By Barry McNamara DURING HIS WHITEMAN Lecture in March, Hiroyuki Fujita ’92 not only shared the experi-
ences that have made him a fast-rising entrepreneur; the founder, president and CEO of Quality Electrodynamics (QED) in Cleveland, Ohio, also revealed his “equation of life.” Speaking to a large Dahl Chapel audience of students, faculty members, college staff and local business leaders, Fujita said his equation considers ability, effort and attitude. He gives ability and effort possible scores of 0 to 100, but considers attitude the most important and gives it a larger range—from minus 100 to 100. He then multiplies the scores to reach an outcome.
“This means that an ordinary person who makes a great effort with a positive attitude can outperform a genius with a negative attitude. ... I asked the students, ‘What is the most important thing?’ One of them replied, ‘Attitude,’ and that’s exactly what I was looking for.”
“This means that an ordinary person who makes a great effort with a positive attitude can outperform a genius with a negative attitude,” said Fujita. “I was very happy yesterday when I was speaking to one of the college’s business classes. I asked the students, ‘What is the most important thing?’ One of them replied, ‘Attitude,’ and that’s exactly what I was looking for.” During his lecture, which was titled “A Passion for Success: The QED Story,” attitude also appeared in another list of valuable qualities. “How can we be united in business?” read one of Fujita’s final slides. The answers included ethical leadership, the purpose and impact of the company, and teamwork. Rounding out the list were being optimistic with a positive attitude and determination, which he summarized with the quotation, “End with a period, not a comma.” Fujita spoke for several minutes attempting to answer the question some audience members might have been wondering—“What is this guy making?” The answer is a key device to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) process. QED’s customers are among the largest companies in the world, including Toshiba and Siemens. Fujita said he branched out on his own rather than stay at an established job he had at GE because “I knew we could do more and improve the device, providing clearer pictures. The speed of change is not that fast at a big company.”
PHOTO BY GEORGE HARTMANN
Fujita’s instincts were correct, and his company has increased its revenue 3,350 percent since it was started in 2006. His pool of employees has grown from seven to 130. QED has emerged as one of the most promising and fastest-growing companies in America. The White House took notice, inviting Fujita to be a guest of President Obama and the First Lady at the 2012 State of the Union Address. At the beginning of his lecture, he told the crowd, “I am overwhelmed today. I never imagined a day when I would come back like this. It is very special to me and to my family. I am immensely honored to speak with you.”
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
campus news
35
Clan Notes 1949
Richard Mings of Roseville, Ill., received a Distinguished Service Award from the Monmouth-Roseville school district for his service as a teacher, coach and sports official.
1950
Stew Brown of Nathrop, Colo., received the Cornerstone Award for longterm volunteerism, generosity, dedication and support of the local community from the Heart of the Rockies Chamber of Commerce. He is a retired YMCA camp director.
1952
Emma Jean Thompson Carner, of Kirkwood, Ill., and her husband celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Feb. 14, 2013. They have four children, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
1953
Susan Barrett Boelke of Monroe, Wis., reports she has accomplished all of her bucket lists. She and her husband, Gerald Boelke ’51, recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
reunion 1954 60-year Golden Scots ’14 reunion 1959 55-year Golden Scots ’14
1963 David Bates of Pagosa Springs, Colo.,
is a sales representative for Trinity/HPSI. Following his retirement from the Boy Scouts of America, he and his wife gave leadership to the publication of The Philmont Guide, which describes flora, fauna, geology, weather, astronomy and cultural history.
Ken Bowdish of Harvard, Ill., reports that he still flies his USAF T-34A and enjoys formation flying and aerobatics and air shows. Chick Hattman of Ocean View, N.J., is the vice president of Sheltered Cove Marina, a 250-ship marina 20 miles north of Atlantic City.
Karin Loya of Laurel, Md., retired earlier this year from Science Applications International Corporation. She also worked for NASA, including the Cosmic Background Explorer project, for which two of her colleagues shared the 2006 Nobel Prize for physics.
reunion 1964 50-year Golden Scots ’14
1967 Lois Helble of Oneida, Ill., celebrated
her 90th birthday on March 30. She has two children, four grandchildren and one greatgrandchild.
Leon Kraut of Freeport, Ill., retired from the Boy Scouts of America in 2011 and now tutors in the Freeport school district. Eugene Turner was awarded a Boyd Professorship, the highest honor awarded a faculty member by Louisiana State University. Turner is a renowned coastal scientist and an expert on both the northern Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone and the ongoing impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
1968 Nancy Campbell Haynor of Glencoe, Ill., is the owner of Haynor Educational Services.
Barbara Annis Simons of Abington, Pa., received her M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary a few years ago and is now serving as chaplain of Meadowood Senior Living. Ann Berne Ward lives in the United Kingdom and has begun a second career studying life drawing and portraiture.
reunion 1969 45-year Golden Scots ’14
1970 Michael McMulley of Cranbury, N.J.,
is nearing the end of a three-decade career at Johnson & Johnson, where he has most recently served as assistant general counsel.
1972 Patricia Lydiard Barga of Castle Rock, Lon Helton of Nashville, Tenn., was named the Country Music Association’s National Radio Personality of the Year for the sixth time, the most by any radio host. Karen Krueger of Arlington, Va., is “no longer wandering the globe” as part of her career, but she is still employed by the Department of the State.
reunion 1974 40-year Homecoming ’14 Michael Wolfe of Raleigh, N.C., is a selfemployed programmer.
36
clan notes
the Acadiana Sportsmen’s League for his dedication to Louisiana’s wildlife resources for more than 30 years. Love serves as the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ coastal and non-game resources division administrator.
1976
Colo., is the billing and insurance manager at Saddle Rock Pediatric Dentistry.
The Monmouth Area Alumni Association held a Duo Days dinner in February for members of Kappa Kappa Gamma and Pi Beta Phi.
1975 Robert Love was recently honored by
Paula Emons-Fuessele of Washington, Ill., has a podcast called “The Knitting Pipeline,” which has developed a worldwide audience. Her knitting expertise is interspersed with observations of the wildlife she observes in her wooded yard.
Sue Ranney of Eagle, Idaho, was recently profiled as an aviation pioneer in an article that described her career as a pilot for corporate jets. At the time of the article, Ranney had logged more than 13,000 hours of flying time since learning to fly near her hometown of Monmouth in 1972.
1978 Holly Beck Riordan of Naperville, Ill.,
is a licensed clinical social worker in the Plainfield school district. She is in the process of completing her master’s degree in educational leadership.
reunion 1979 35-year Homecoming ’14 reunion 1984 30-year Homecoming ’14 Thomas Schoenig has been named regional chief information officer at Adventist Midwest Health in Hinsdale, Ill. Schoenig joined the organization after having served as chief information officer for a community hospital in Casper, Wyo.
1985 Tricia Fogarty Dabney designs interi-
ors for beach houses and condos, based out of her 52-acre ranch in Driftwood, Texas.
Doug Gibb of Galesburg, Ill., received the Thomas B. Herring Community Service Award for his involvement as the co-founder of a children’s grief camp.
1986
Ron Spaulding of Warren, N.J., has been appointed senior vice president of sales for Capitol Music Group. Michael Stokes, who is in his 22nd year of coaching at Prospect High School in Mt. Prospect, Ill., was inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame. His cross country teams have eight top 10 finishes in the state, including a runner-up finish in 1994, and he has coached three state champions in track—two individuals and a relay. His 4800 squads have qualified for state for ten straight years, earning nine medals.
reunion 1989 25-year Homecoming ’14
1990 Sylvia Zethmayr Shults of Pekin, Ill.,
got 2013 off to a strong start with the release of two books—a romance novel titled Double Double Love & Trouble and a collection of true ghost stories titled Fractured Spirits: Hauntings at the Peoria State Hospital.
continued on page 38
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
SCOTLIGHT
PHOTO BY GEORGE HARTMANN
Watts ’65 used MC education as ladder to success not to take the one Monmouth College science class that would best match her future career path—microbiology. But during a recent presentation at her alma mater titled “The Odyssey of a Liberal Arts Graduate,” the Distinguished Alumni Visitor discussed many other classes that influenced her life, even some in P.E. “We were required to take two years of physical education, which I wasn’t that pleased about as a science major,” she said. “One of the classes was called ‘Basic Movements,’ and one of the things we learned was how to get in and out of a car in high heels. But we also learned how to relax and how to overcome stress. Some of the principles I learned in that class really did affect how I’ve lived my life.” Another pesky requirement that eventually paid big dividends for Watts was speech. “I’m so happy I had that class,” she said, reporting that she’s given public talks on five continents. She also appreciated a writing and literature requirement, as she’s a member of three book clubs, has authored more than 400 manuscripts, book chapters and abstracts, and edited a scientific journal for 10 years. Watts still found the time to take plenty of science courses—so many, in fact, that her father discouraged her from taking the microbiology class, insisting that she continue to branch out. It wasn’t the first time she took his advice, as her very presence at Monmouth was influenced by his experiences. monmouth | winter 2014
“It was just ingrained in us that we would go to college,” Watts said. “My father always said that I could get a college education or he would give me $10 and a ladder.” The latter option, she explained, would help her escape from her bedroom and elope. Watts earned her doctorate in biochemistry from Indiana University. She considered becoming a college professor, but her husband, Dan, was working in the pharmaceutical area. “It made sense for me to stay in that area, and I did, for 35 years,” she said.
“I was the head of drug discovery teams looking for new antibiotics to counteract antibiotic resistance. I helped bring billion-dollar drugs to market that were used widely and effectively.” In her closing remarks, Watts listed more than a dozen faculty and staff who played a major role in her development. She concluded, “This has been a real joy to be back, and the campus looks marvelous. I’ve seen a lot of campuses that have not worn well. With all the buildings that were named for people from my era, like Cleland, Liedman and Haldeman-Thiessen, it’s made me feel that this is a place I’m still connected to.” It was Haldeman’s famous words, after all, that helped start her odyssey in the first place. “One of my major motivations was the plaque in the science building with Dr. Haldeman’s quote: ‘The bachelor’s degree is not enough.’” —Barry McNamara
PHOTOS BY KENT KRIEGSHAUSER
IN AN IRONIC TWIST, Karen Bush Watts ’65 opted
KAREN BUSH WATTS ’65 HEAD OF ANTIMICROBIAL DRUG DISCOVERY RESEARCH (RETIRED) JOHNSON & JOHNSON
clan notes
37
CLAN NOTES continued from page 36
1992 Hiroyuki Fujita, president and CEO of
Quality Electrodynamics, was appointed to the 2013 Manufacturing Council, which was announced in March by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank. The council helps to ensure that there is regular communication between the U.S. government and the manufacturing sector.
Jennifer Berry Peck of Montgomery, Ill., is an analyst at Ball Horticultural Co.
2000 Jennifer Rennison Freeman was pro-
moted to assistant principal at Chillicothe (Ill.) Elementary Center. She had taught special education in the district for the previous 12 years.
Josh Shevokas of Union Grove, Wis., received a nursing degree in 2009 and is now a clinical services supervisor RN at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Ken Williamson is manager of a Lowe’s Home Improvement in Houston, Texas.
reunion 1994 20-year Homecoming ’14
2001 Trent Cox has been hired as a business
Erin Alden Davis of Elmwood, Ill., is now a stay-at-home mom after retiring from her phone center manager position when she donated a kidney to her husband in 2012.
2002 Adam West of Sandwich, Ill., is dean
1995 Andrew Young has lived in Victoria, Texas, since 2001 and has been co-owner of Podiatry Associates since 2004.
banking officer at F&M Bank in Galesburg, Ill. of students at Metea Valley High School in Aurora, Ill.
2003
Toby Lannholm has been hired as branch supervisor of Heartland Bank and
1996
Trina Madole Metz of Genoa City, Wis., has begun a new position as assistant principal at Woodland Middle School in Gurnee, Ill.
1998 Carey Carrier Gill of Carterville, Ill., an associate attorney with the Carbondale law firm of Barrett, Twomey, Broom, Hughes & Hoke, has been elected to the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association. She is a frequent lecturer and author on estate planning and living trusts.
Joel Hagaman of Fort Smith, Ark., teaches psychology at the University of the Ozarks. He received his Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of Arkansas in 2008. Eric Hanson has moved from Monmouth to Indianola, Iowa, to become its city manager. Hanson’s five-year stint as Monmouth’s city administrator was marked by $25 million in capital work. Angie Hendrickson of Monmouth is an RN and case manager for Bridgeway, Inc. She received her degree to be an RN in 2010.
reunion 1999 15-year Homecoming ’14 Amanda Colgan Johnson of Kewanee, Ill., was a Wall of Fame inductee at her high school alma mater in Galva, Ill. After teaching at Galva the past 13 years, she is beginning a new position as a middle school physical education teacher in Kewanee.
38
clan notes
Ashley Lawrence Waterman of Glen Ellyn, Ill., is a legal assistant at Lavelle Law, Ltd.
reunion 2009 5-year Homecoming ’14 Noelle Shafer Bourne of Springfield, Ill., is a membership specialist for the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois. Josh Downey of McHenry, Ill., has gone into business selling Chicago Johnny’s, his own brand of giardiniera, which is a “mix of pickled vegetables that adds a kick to virtually any meal.” Downey says his product is “bold, smoky and earthy.” More information is available at www.chicagojohnnys.com. Aaron Thiel has taken the position of head golf professional at Swan Creek Golf Club in Avon, Ill.
2010
Writing under the name J.E. Horn, Josh Hornaday of Libertyville, Ill., has written The Meth Conspiracy, a book that combines the serious issue of methamphetamine addiction with the genres of science fiction and fantasy. Available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble, the book has received several favorable reviews, including “gripping fantasy page-turner” and “a must read.”
1997
Sarah Sherry lives in Springfield, Ill., where she is a program systems analyst at the Department of Defense.
Makenzie Balagna has become the first female firefighter on the Farmington (Ill.) Fire Department.
Tony Wash ’02 of Algonquin, Ill., and his
special effects team at Scotchworthy Productions created this theatre prop for last year’s Crimson Masque production of The Bacchae. Fortunately, actor Patrick Le Blanc ’13 is showing no ill effects from his onstage decapitation. Trust Company in Bloomington, Ill., where it has it headquarters. He previously served in the same role at one of the bank’s branches in Peoria, Ill.
reunion 2004 10-year Homecoming ’14
2005
Kristen Jurgensen McNally of Lompoc, Calif., is an historical interpreter for California state park system.
2006
Nicole Kaczmarek Loy of Yorkville, Ill., completed her master’s degree in reading (K-12) from Concordia University in 2012.
2008 Tomas Alvarez of Willowbrook, Ill., is
an architectural technician at Rada Architects in Chicago. He received a master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2011.
Alison Coulter Lafever of Illinois City, Ill., is a first grade teacher in the United school district. Ben Sauer of Chicago, Ill., is an associate at Jenner & Block, LLP.
Kurt Carlson has been awarded a Fulbright in music, which he will begin after completing his master’s degree in music history at Butler University. Through the University of Vienna, Carlson will conduct research on 18th-century composer Paul Wranitzky and the First Viennese School. Following the year abroad, Carlson will attend Florida State University for his Ph.D. Another music graduate following the Butler to Florida State path is Brian Wilcoxon ’07. Josh Kotecki of Mitchell, S.D., is an assistant football coach at Dakota Wesleyan University.
2011
Amanda Rush of Villa Park, Ill., was on campus last fall as a Women in Science Visitor. She is a consultant for Sogeti USA, specializing in the development of mobile applications. Lauren Wells of Gurnee, Ill., has launched a wedding and event planning business, L. Rae Events. Will Zimmerman returned to campus to speak to the “Midwest Entrepreneurs” class in February. Right around the time of his graduation, he became the owner of Modern Grain Systems, a company based in Avon, Ill., that builds grain bins and elevators.
2012
Shane Haak of Harvard, Ill., is the head wrestling coach at Woodstock North High School, where he also serves as an assistant football coach. David Milroy of Toulon, Ill., has been hired as a fourth-grade teacher in the United school district, and he also serves as an assistant football coach for the Red Storm.
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
SCOTLIGHT
A serendipitous education for visionary cancer scientist By Barry McNamara
“IT’S A FUNNY STORY,” replied MARK GOODMAN ’69, when asked
how he came to be a student at Monmouth College in 1965.
Goodman was a typical student at Thomas including David Dunham, Berwyn Jones, Jefferson High School in Elizabeth, N.J., Robert Meyer and Kevin Weidenbaum. thinking about the next step in his education. Radiopharmaceuticals are tracers used “My Uncle Mo was a high school chemistry in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. teacher,” said Goodman. “I asked him about Goodman’s research has resulted in the possible colleges I could attend, and he translation of the first reported synthetic recommended Monmouth.” Goodman did amino alicyclic acid radiolabeled with the some quick research on the school, turning PET radioelement fluorine-18 for imaging to a Dell Publishing Co. college guide. both intracranial tumors and prostate can“They said some very lovely things about cer in patients. Monmouth,” he said of the publishers. “It allows you to administer it like a magic “They gave it a glowing recommendation.” bullet,” Goodman explained. “It hones in on So in August of 1965, he took off from a particular site where the number of proNewark Airport on his first airplane ride. teins on the surface of a tumor cell is The 17-year-old freshman had never visited upgraded. The imaging can detect the locacampus before starting classes. tion of cancer cells. What you want to see “I found out after the fact that my Uncle is if the lesion is an inflammation, or is it Mo had meant the Monmouth in New Jer- cancer. If it’s cancer, you try to treat it. It sey,” laughed Goodman, who told that story works for brain, lung and breast cancer, in on campus as part of MC’s Alumni Distin- addition to the prostate.” guished Visitor program. He had recently Through the tracers, “You can been in the news for receiving the Paul C. Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achieve- visualize the cancer,” Goodman ment in Basic Science applied to Nuclear said. “Is it there? Is it localized? Medicine. A member of the Winship Cancer Has it spread? That’s the signaInstitute of Emory University, where he is a professor and chair of imaging science, Good- ture research I’ve conducted.” During his time on campus, Goodman man was described as “a visionary in the field was invited to speak to several science of nuclear and molecular imaging.” The Aebersold Award was not the first for classes. His message, he said, was that Goodman’s mantle. In 2010, he received the “science is an attractive major in terms of Society of Nuclear Medicine’s Michael J. careers that you can utilize after graduaWelch Award for making an outstanding tion. My advice to students is to go as far as contribution to the field of radiopharma- you can go in your chosen field. Don’t limit your horizons—get the highest degree ceutical sciences. At first interested in a 3-2 chemical engi- you’re capable of achieving. You never know neering program, Goodman soon changed what kind of opportunities will come your his focus to chemistry because “physics way. The opportunities in the sciences are didn’t excite me.” He caught the depart- endless. You need to have knowledge to be ment in a period of transition, as legendary able to make a difference. “You can go to an outstanding liberal professor Garrett Thiessen passed away after Goodman’s sophomore year. Some of arts college like Monmouth and be just as his other influences in the department successful as those who attended larger were only on campus for a short time, colleges and universities.”
monmouth | winter 2014
MARK GOODMAN ’69 CHAIR, IMAGING SCIENCE EMORY UNIVERSITY
clan notes
39
Weddings Births 1998 Jamie and Brad Mandeville a son, Flynn Douglas December 28, 2011
2001 Keri Kling Cruz and Rolly a son, Caleb October 19, 2012
Diane Serven Shepherd and Ben
a daughter, Mackenzie Elizabeth February 5, 2013 ABOVE: Noelle Shafer and Matt Bourne BELOW: Ashley Lawrence and Mark Waterman
2002 Carla Wilki Bell and Kyle ’01 a son, Caiden Phoenix March 31, 2013
Meghan Roese Jackson and Luke
2000 Stefanie Riemer and Butch Mills
a daughter, Kinley Roese August 10, 2012
2004 Dede Santiago-Rice and Jason Grice
Rebecca and Adam West a daughter, Abigail Lynne September 22, 2012
April 13, 2013
September 14, 2012
2006 Olivia Heaton and Chris Logan October 27, 2012
Kaitlin Horst and Gene Seaman
September 29, 2012
2007 Janet Kajor and Clinton McKay December 21, 2012
Christina Moll and Jeffery Bryant
October 13, 2012 Sarah Zaleski and Kevin Degarmo June 22, 2013
2008 Rachel Atherton and Jacob Hillinger October 20, 2012
Ashley Lawrence and Mark Waterman
September 2, 2011
2009 Noelle Shafer and Matt Bourne
September 22, 2012 Kathryn Fetters and Noah Emery June 15, 2013 Sally Hayes and Will Hart December 31, 2012 Lindsay Johnson and Seth Cocquit June 9, 2012 Courteney Manley and Josh Kotecki July 7, 2012
2012 Jessica Bingham and Jacob Ott ’11 June 22, 2013
Mary Weber and Chad Kamm March 23, 2013 Brittany Van Duyne and James Allen August 16, 2012
2003 Molly Larcombe McCarthy and Justin a daughter, Ainsley Quinn February 25, 2013
2004 Elizabeth Kline Elsbree and Branndon a daughter, Amelia Grace November 9, 2012
2005 Amanda Todd Andrews and Jerry a son, Landon Robert December 21, 2012
A
Emily Mitsdarffer Meyer and Josh ’08
B
2006 Laura Haumiller Gaskill and Nathan ’04 a son, Ryne Josiah November 6, 2012
Lori Larcombe Lee and Alex ’05
a son, Gavin Alexander November 16, 2012
Nicole Kaczmarck Loy and Shane
E
Kristen Hotz Robinson and Jason ’03
a daughter, Josephine Lynn May 6, 2011
2007 Amanda Havens Pilger and Joe ’08 a son, Owen Christopher July 25, 2012
F
G
a
Andrea Emery Stevenson and Scott ’05
a son, William Brady August 19, 2013
Annie Shortridge Walljasper and Chris ’08
2008 Brittney Coombs Allen and Jeffrey a daughter, Ella May March 19, 2013
2009 Kari Sippel Ray and Sheridan
a son, Simon Christopher June 2, 2012
2010 Kim Hickey Hill and Seth a daughter, Aubree October 1, 2012
Kelly Sheets and Will Zimmerman ’11
a son, Easton Lucas December 13, 2012
clan notes
D
a daughter, Ava Carolyn May 2, 2011
a daughter, Lucille Kathleen September 30, 2012
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C
a daughter, Mercy-Julia Eugenia February 11, 2013
A) Ava Carolyn Loy, B) Cousins Ainsley Quinn McCarthy and Gavin Alexander Lee, C) Owen Christopher Pilger, D) Josephine Lynn Robinson, E) Kinley Roese Jackson, F) Caleb Cruz, G) Mercy-Julia Eugenia Meyer
BIRTHS: FACULTY-STAFF Sue Clark, annual giving coordinator, and Alex
a daughter, Josie February 20, 2013 Sean Schumm, assistant professor of kinesiology, and Kira a son, Jackson George April 4, 2013 Audra Sostarecz, associate professor of chemistry and Michael Sostarecz, associate professor of mathematics and computer science a son, Elliott Arthur May 21, 2013
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
DEATHS
In memoriam: Barnes ’36 part of historic MC family PAUL BARNES , 98, of Milwaukee, Wis., whose family ties to Monmouth College date to the Civil War, died Dec. 29, 2012. OTHER BARNES FAMILY MEMBERS WHO
attended Monmouth included his grandfather, James Barnes, who left the college to serve in the Civil War; his first wife, Elisabeth McClenahan Barnes ’36; his mother, Hope Andrew Barnes; and his father, Wallace Barnes, who was involved in the famous theft of a Civil War cannon in 1903. Barnes made his own history at the college, majoring in mathematics and competing in football, swimming and track. A member of the Octopus Club, he later served his
1936
alma mater on the board of trustees from 1957 to 1966. A gift Barnes made to MC in 2003 funded the 48-seat Barnes Electronic Classroom, which was a highlight of the Hewes Library renovation. After graduating from Monmouth, Barnes completed his J.D. at the University of Chicago Law School. The day after Pearl Harbor was attacked, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as an officer aboard a battleship in the Pacific through the end of World War II. Barnes spent his entire professional career at the Foley & Lardner law firm, retiring in 1985. “Paul Barnes was a distinguished man from a distinguished Monmouth College family,” said campus historian Jeff Rankin.
Pauline Brown West, 98, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, died April 7, 2013. She majored in elementary education and taught for a brief time before working in the credit department of the Waterloo, Iowa, JC Penney for 39 years. She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years and by a brother, Richard Brown ’45.
1939 Anna Young Caldwell, 95, of Marion,
1937
died Jan. 10, 2013. A member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, she graduated with a degree in music, which remained an important part of her life. First, she went to New York City as a member of the trio “April, May and June.” She also taught, sang and directed choirs throughout Iowa and, for two years, in Oregon.
Mary Turnbull Mengler of Corvallis, Ore., died Feb. 14, 2013. She studied home economics and was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington and received a master’s degree in nutrition from Iowa State University. She taught at the junior and senior high level in Everett, Wash., and joined the home economics faculty at Oregon State College in 1948. She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years.
1938
Gwen Anschutz Gasaway, 95, of Winston-Salem, N.C., died Sept. 29, 2012. She studied elementary education and taught for three years in the Jo Daviess County public schools. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Gasaway ’38. Henry Kubik, 95, of Black Mountain, N.C., died Feb. 11, 2013. He majored in speech/ communications/theater arts and held a teaching position at MC while still a student. After graduating, he studied at Harvard Law School. Kubik was a Naval aviator and flight instructor during World War II and worked for Piper Aircraft before and after the war. He had a 50-year career in financial planning, and also studied, taught and performed cello and was a member of the Kubik Ensemble. Dubbed something akin to a “Renaissance man,” he also was instrumental in the formation of the Orlando (Fla.) Science Center, where he lived from 1947 to 1970. Kubik gifted a cello to the college in 2005. He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years and by a brother, Gail Kubik ’36.
Iowa, died Oct. 3, 2012. She graduated with a degree in sociology and was a member of Kappa Delta. She taught school and was an early childhood education specialist. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Caldwell ’40, and a brother, Ross Young ’41.
1940 Hila Reeve Cox, 93, of Iowa City, Iowa,
Phyllisee Foust Jackson, 93, of Largo, Fla., died Aug. 29, 2012. After receiving a degree in languages from Monmouth, she earned a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gordon Jackson ’40. James Owen, 94 of Vancouver, Wash., died May 27. 2013. He majored in chemistry and was a member of the swim team. Owen served two years with the 4th Marine Division during World War II and served another 19 with the Naval reserves. He received his M.D. degree from Washington University in St. Louis and was a respected and admired surgeon in Vancouver, retiring after 30 years. Preceding him in death were his parents, who both attended Monmouth more than a century ago, and four siblings who graduated from MC—John Owen ’35, Charles Owen ’36, Richard Owen ’46 and Margaret Owen deVitalis ’48.
Rita Johnson Schneider, 95, of East Troy, Wis., died Jan. 13, 2013. She majored in English and was a member of Kappa Delta.
1941 Vincent Beckett of Spartanburg, S.C.,
died Nov. 28, 2011 He majored in English and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon.
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During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was part of the Aleutian Campaign in Alaska. Survivors include a sister, Louis Beckett ’43.
Robert Cleland, 93, of Mena, Ariz., died May 28, 2013. He majored in English and was a member of Octopus Club and the football, track and basketball teams. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II aboard the U.S.S. Nicholson. After earning his Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Florida, Cleland was a clinical psychologist for the VA in Houston, Texas from 1958—1982. Survivors include his wife of 70 years, Gwendolyn Anderson Cleland ’45. He was preceded in death by his father, former faculty member John Cleland; his stepmother, professor emirita Eva Cleland; and a brother, John Cleland ’43. Pauline Van Eaton, 93, of Rock Island, Ill., died Jan. 10, 2013. She majored in English at Monmouth, received a master’s degree from Western Illinois University and retired as an English teacher and librarian at Rock Island High School.
1942
Beryl Barkman, 95, of Burlington, N.C., died Aug. 30, 2012. He majored in accounting and was a member of the football and track teams. Barkman was decorated for his naval service during World War II as the gunnery officer on a destroyer. He received four post-graduate degrees, including a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. Both in the U.S. and abroad, he taught college and university classes too numerous to list, retiring at age 85 from the University of Massachusetts. Survivors include his wife of 69 years, Mary Norris Barkman ’42. John Fidler of Danville, Calif., died Sept. 9, 2012. After interrupting his education to
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DEATHS continued from page 41 serve in World War II, he graduated with a degree in mathematics and was a member of the swim team and Alpha Tau Omega. He was preceded in death by three sisters— Leone Fidler Smith ’33, Merle Fidler Nicols ’36 and Marjorie Fidler Quick ’44.
Marjorie Stormont Work Lunan, 91, of Portland, Ore., died Jan. 31, 2013. She majored in speech/communications/theater arts and was a member of Crimson Masque and Kappa Kappa Gamma. She worked at McGraw-Hill for a number of years and was a professional singer, performing on television, in Carnegie Hall and on a Mister Rogers album as Mother Giraffe. She later returned to Monmouth and was assistant dean of students in the 1970s. In her later years, she was a strong voice of support for the lesbian and gay community in Portland. Ethel Selig Wolf, 92, of Lake Forest, Ill., died Jan. 7, 2013. She was a member of Kappa Delta.
1943 Polly Martin Johnson, 91, of Monmouth
died March 22, 2013. She attended MC for two years, studying English and joining Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years.
Everett McCleary of Palm Harbor, Fla., died Jan. 19, 2013. He majored in physics and was a member of the Octopus Club. After graduation, he entered the U.S. Navy as an electronics/radar technician and served in the China theater until 1946. He then went to work for General Electric, retiring in 1981. He was preceded in death by a brother, Harold McCleary ’37. Theodore Person, 93, of Lititz, Penn., died June 14, 2013. He majored in biology and earned his M.D. from Indiana University School of Medicine. During World War II, he served in the chemical warfare division of the Army/Air Force in China, Burma and India. The majority of his 40-year medical career was spent in private practice in Veedersburg, Ind. Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Claribel Gerhart Person ’45. Doris Greene Winship, 91, or Morton, Ill., died June 3, 2013. A member of Alpha Xi Delta, she graduated with an English degree and was a grade school teacher in Peoria, Ill., for 30 years.
1944
Doris Pierson Palmer, 90, of Bozeman, Mont., died Feb. 4, 2013. She majored in history and became a teacher, later receiving a master’s degree. She taught in Germany for one year, and also in Media, Ill., where she met her husband of 61 years,
James Palmer ’50, who also recently passed away. The couple started a veterinary practice in Roseville, Ill., and also lived in three foreign countries, Hawaii, and Washington, D.C., in addition to Bozeman. Other survivors include sisters Marie Pierson Anderson ’40 and Eloise Pierson Hamilton ’54. James Pollock, 91, of Washington, Iowa, died April 14, 2013. He graduated with a degree in philosophy and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, the track team and the Octopus Club. He received four postgraduate degrees, including a master’s of divinity degree from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. One of Pollock’s other postgraduate degrees was in Arabic and Islamic studies, and he spent the bulk of his career at the University of Indiana, serving as their Near East librarian for 26 years. He also served as a missionary in Egypt for 10 years and lived and worked in Lebanon. Survivors include his wife of 67 years.
1945 Phyllis Feddersen of Hayward, Calif.,
died Oct. 15, 2012. She majored in chemistry and was a member of Kappa Delta.
Ben Greenwell, 88, of Marietta, Ga., died Dec. 16, 2012. A chemistry major, he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon. He served in the U.S. Navy for two years during World War II, then received his master’s degree and Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Illinois. Greenwell spent most of his career in research and development, and the R&D team he led at Rowell Laboratories produced Chenix, the first U.S.-approved drug for dissolution of gallstones. Greenwell retired in 1989. Velma Anderson Lambert of West Liberty, Iowa, died March 31, 2013. She attended Monmouth for one year and completed her studies at Western Illinois State Technical College. She taught for more than 30 years in the Westmer school district northwest of Monmouth. James Wasson, 89, of Naperville, Ill., died June 11, 2013. A World War II veteran, he was a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves until 1962. A business major at Monmouth, he eventually completed his degree at Northwestern University in 1953. A real estate and finance specialist, he also headed a consulting group. He retired in 1991 as vice president at the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. Survivors include his wife of 67 years and a grandson, Matthew Wasson ’02.
1946 Florence Danielson Dunning of Madi-
son, Wis., died Sept. 26, 2012. She studied history and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma before completing her degree at the
University of Minnesota. She was a teacher, then followed her husband’s career in education, including 40 years in Ann Arbor, Mich., where she was an active member of the university community and civic organizations.
Ruth Franco of Winnetka, Ill., died Jan. 22, 2013. She graduated with a degree in English and was a member of Kappa Delta. Hugh Nesbitt, 94, of Aledo, Ill., died June 10, 2013. After serving in World War II, he completed his Monmouth degree in physics while serving as a member of the swim team, Tau Kappa Epsilon and the Octopus Club. A career farmer, he was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years. Survivors include a brother, Stuart Nesbit ’43, a daughter, Barbara Nesbitt ’67, and a granddaughter, Kristan Sedam Creek ’97.
1947
Mary “Sandy” Rawlings, 88, of Pueblo, Colo., died May 9, 2013. She completed her degree at Colorado College.
Blake Turner, 91, of Palm Coast, Fla., died Feb. 14, 2013. He majored in history and participated in four varsity sports. Turner served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and later received a master’s degree from George Washington University. He was an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and, later in his career, was hired by the Veterans Administration Headquarters to be its national director of investigation. Survivors include his wife of 70 years.
1948 Leon Moburg of Redlands, Calif., died
April 14, 2013. The internationally-known ceramicist got his start at MC, where he studied art and was a member of Crimson Masque. He had previously served during World War II in the U.S. Navy. He completed his undergraduate degree at Wesleyan College of Fine Arts and his MFA at Southern Illinois University. Moburg taught at the University of Redlands from 1959 to 1992.
Grace Quon Tong, 90, of El Cerrito, Calif., died Sept. 8, 2012. She graduated with a degree in music and was an elementary school teacher. Survivors include her husband of 55 years.
1949
Robert “Buck” Buchanan, 85, of Lahaina, Hawaii, died Dec. 26. 2012. Born in Ethiopia, he graduated with a philosophy degree, after serving in the Navy during World War II. Buchanan received a law degree from the University of Colorado and was a gas and oil attorney. His affiliation with the consortium THUMS (Texaco, Humble, Union and Mobil) as one of its founders earned him maverick status. He retired to Hawaii in the late 1980s and, at 6-foot-4, was
WE WELCOME NEWS AND PHOTOS related to your career, awards, reunions or travel with your MC friends. We also welcome announcements and photos of alumni weddings, civil unions and births, as well as alumni obituaries. Digital photos should have a minimum resolution of 300 pixels per inch. Please include a photo caption with full names that clearly match faces, class years, date and location. Submit your news online at monmouthcollege. edu/alumni/updates, by e-mail to alumni@monmouthcollege.edu, or by mail to Monmouth College Magazine, Attn: Alumni Programs, 700 East Broadway, Monmouth IL 61462-1998. We reserve the right to reject images for any reason, especially those with low resolution and those that require purchase from a photo gallery website. Submissions will be published at the discretion of the editors on a space-available basis.
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monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
called a “civic giant (who) was truly a largerthan-life figure, and his influence on the island will be felt in many quarters for years to come.”
Thomas Hern, 87, of Staunton, Va., died March 30, 2013. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon. He was an engineer at Westvaco. George Lauterbach of Rockland, Maine, died Feb. 12, 2013. He majored in chemistry and went on to receive his master’s and Ph.D. from Bradley University and Purdue University, respectively. He was a long-time research chemist and was also a chemistry professor. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Joan Reiecke Lauterbach ’50. Audrey Lathem L’Hommedieu, 85, of Mission, Texas, died Nov. 28, 2012. She graduated with an English degree and taught elementary school in Savanna, Ill. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years. Virgil Murk, 89, of Huntley, Ill, died Nov. 7, 2012. He served in World War II, then started his studies in sociology before earning a master’s degree in social work at Denver University. After earning a second degree from Syracuse University, he settled in Elgin, where he was a social worker and
supervisor for 30 years. Survivors include his wife of 62 years.
Joan Heinrichs Sibbers of Seattle, Wash., died Nov. 14, 2012. She graduated with a degree in English and was a member of Kappa Delta. Charles Stratemeyer, 88, of Hatboro, Pa., died March 2, 2012. He majored in government after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
1950
George DeForrest Bailey, 84, of Quincy, Ill., died Jan. 22, 2013. He served in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953, stationed in Germany. He worked at Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company, at Motorola and at Merkels, retiring in 1985. Survivors include his wife of 58 years. Marilyn Langford Barry, 83, of Naples, Maine, died Jan. 17, 2013. She taught elementary school in rural Knoxville, Ill., before moving to Massachusetts to raise her family. Jane Dykhuizen Carpenter, 83, of Richmond, Va., died June 2, 2013. She majored in biology and was a member of Kappa Delta. A teacher, she was also the wife of a pastor and did mission work with him in Ecuador. Frances Cortelyou Lindberg, 96, of Gainesville, Fla., died Oct. 2, 2012. During World War II, she served stateside as a nurse in
New York City. After completing her degree at Monmouth, she also served stateside during the Korean War.
Joan May McGaughey of Oro Valley, Ariz., died Sept. 29, 2012. A member of Alpha XI Delta, she graduated with a degree in psychology, then received a degree in occupational therapy from Milwaukee Downer College. She was a retired occupational therapist. James Palmer, 86, of Bozeman, Mont., died April 22, 2103. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, then started his college career at Monmouth, studying biology, before completing undergraduate and doctoral degrees at the University of Illinois in veterinary medicine. Palmer had a private veterinary practice in Roseville, Ill., was a state veterinarian in Hawaii and worked for the U.S. Department in Agriculture in Bozeman and several foreign countries. He was preceded in death by his wife, Doris Pierson Palmer ’44. Harry Radmacher, 84, of Monmouth, died Dec. 25, 2012. He retired from Radmacher Plumbing and Heating in 1984. Survivors include his wife, Clarice Sands Radmacher ’56. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Mary Radmacher ’38 and Camille Radmacher ’39.
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In memoriam: Loya ’40 was a living repository of Monmouth College history By Jeff Rankin When EILEEN SANDBERG LOYA ’40 died peacefully in her sleep on Feb. 5, 2013, five months shy of her 100th birthday, she took with her an encyclopedic memory of Monmouth College’s institutional history, gleaned from having faithfully and expertly served as assistant to five presidents. She also graced the campus community with her more than seven decades of service as a faculty spouse, active alumna and mother of three Monmouth graduates.
Mrs. Loya was without a doubt one of the most remarkable people I had the pleasure of knowing; as MC legends go, I put her on a par with the likes of Gracie Peterson, Sam Thompson and Bobby Woll. Following the death in 1989 of her beloved husband, longtime music professor Heimo “Hal” Loya, Eileen continued to live in the comfortable retirement home the couple had built in the Brewery Hill subdivision of Monmouth. It was only recently that her increasing difficulty in walking forced her into a nursing home. While Mrs. Loya’s pride in her alma mater was boundless, her greatest pride was in her family. Her eldest son, Mervyn Loya ’62, is
a retired director of career services at the University of Oregon School of Law. Daughter Karin Loya ’63 recently retired as program manager for the science and support division of a major defense company. Son Alan Loya ’66, now retired, taught sociology for several years before putting his experience to practical use as a probation/parole officer for the state of Missouri. Mrs. Loya was a living repository of Monmouth College history— having lived much of that history— and she loved to tell its tales, such as the time in the president’s office when she took an unexpected phone call from an attorney seeking a suitable recipient for a $1 million gift, which ultimately became
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the naming gift for Hewes Library. When the college presented her with the Distinguished Service Award in 1976, Mrs. Loya’s longtime associate David Fleming ’46 summed up her contributions by noting, “Her skillful touch could be found in everything from making travel arrangements to coordinating social events to aiding in the development of the agenda for meetings of the College Senate. No matter how important or how mundane the task at hand, Mrs. Loya’s criterion for its accomplishment was simply this: Nothing less than perfection is acceptable.” In my mind, having had Eileen Loya as a friend was nothing less than perfection.
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In Memoriam: Potter ’61 taught philosophy for 45 years NELSON POTTER, 73, of Lincoln, Neb., died May 12, 2013. He graduated summa cum laude from Monmouth with degrees in philosophy and English, was in several musical ensembles and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. A WOODROW WILSON Fellow and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Potter received a Ph.D. in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University in 1969. Potter began teaching philosophy at the University of Nebraska in 1965. He directed the university’s Centennial
DEATHS continued from page 43 Lois Wittberger Stevens, 84, of Freeport, Ill., died Jan. 4, 2013. She majored in English and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma before beginning a 31-year teaching career. Barbara Smith Walker, 84, of Vandalia, Ohio, died Dec. 31, 2012. She graduated with a sociology degree and was a member of the Dolphin swim club and Alpha Xi Delta. She taught in Illinois and Virginia and lived in three other states, as well as Paris, France. Survivors include her husband of 61 years, Robert Walker ’51.
1951 Joyce Beaumont Brace, 83, of Pasa-
dena, Calif., died March 29, 2013. She majored in music and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She spent more than 40 years in education, retiring in 1997 after receiving the Educator of the Year Award for the Southern California region. The Rev. Merle Strohbehn, 86, of Stillwater, Minn., died Dec. 28, 2012. After serving in the U.S. Navy for two years, he majored in religious studies at MC, then received his master of divinity degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Strohbehn retired in 1990 after 36 years as a pastor, the last 25 at Stillwater Presbyterian Church. Post-retirement, he was an interim pastor at five churches. Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Harriett Strohbehn, who was an MC nurse in 1950-51.
1952
Ginger Horner Bernklau of Littleton, Colo., died March 4, 2013. She graduated with a degree in Spanish and was a member of Kappa Delta. Evelyn “Dolly” Howell Ford, 83, of Carman, Ill., died June 22, 2013. She majored in physical education and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta. She taught P.E. and math for the Stronghurst/Southern school district for 25 years and was also a successful coach. Survivors include her husband, Robert Ford ’52, daughters Kathleen Ford Vitali ’76, Kristeen Ford Peterson ’81 and Kelly Ford ’85, and a granddaughter, Samantha Bundy ’12. Barbara Schultz Hirakami of Kaneohe, Hawaii, died Nov. 13, 2012. She majored in English and was retired from the Hawaii Department of Education.
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clan notes
Education Program from 1974 to 1976 and chaired the philosophy department from 1980 to 1985. During his 45 years on the faculty, he specialized in ethics, aesthetics and Immanuel Kant and served as president of the North American Kant Society
Willard Roper Jr., 84, of Havana, Ill., died Sept. 17, 2012. He graduated with a degree in biology and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Roper spent the majority of his 42-year teaching career at Havana High School. Survivors include a sister, Sarah Roper Garber ’47, and his wife of 54 years. Joyce Hansen Scholten, 82, of Elk Grove Village, Ill., died May 21, 2013. She studied elementary education and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Survivors include her spouse of 62 years, Richard Scholten ’51, and a son, Scott Scholten ’08.
1953
Doris Dittrich Evans, 80, of Eagle, Wis., died Nov. 1, 2011. She studied English and was a member of Pi Beta Phi. Survivors include her husband of 57 years, William Evans ’53.
1954
Donald Robeson, 80, of Monmouth, died April 14, 2013. He majored in business administration and was a member of Theta Chi. He served in the U.S. Army in Germany during the Korean War. Robeson was a successful farmer. Two sisters—Ellen Robeson Killey ’49 and Patricia Robeson Ackerman ’52—preceded him in death. Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Jeanne Gittings Robeson ’60, and a sister, Shirley Robeson Moore ’47.
1955
Roland Best, 79, of Decatur, Ill., died Feb. 16, 2013. He majored in chemistry and did graduate work at the University of Iowa. A U.S. Army veteran, he spent the bulk of his 43-year professional career at Staley Manufacturing in Decatur (now Tate and Lyle North American). Survivors include his wife of 55 years. Edith Lambers Winter, 79, of Saugatuck, Mich., died May 1, 2013. She graduated with a degree in music and was a member of the synchronized swim team and Pi Beta Phi. Winter graduated from Western Theological Seminary and was the senior pastor at First Congregational Church in Grand Junction, Mich., for 25 years. She was preceded in death by a sister, Catherine Lambers Humes ’51. Survivors include her husband of 52 years.
1956 Marcelyn Clements Henrikson, 79, of
Elgin, Ill., died May 11, 2013. She graduated with a degree in English and was a member
from 1997 to 2000. A former member of the Monmouth College Board of Trustees, Potter was the son of former major league pitcher Nels Potter, who won 92 career games and pitched in the 1944 and 1948 World Series.
of Kappa Kappa Gamma. A teacher, she was also a leader in developing after-school tutoring programs. Survivors include her husband of 56 years. Eunice Richmond, 78, of Dunlap, Ill., died Jan. 15, 2013. She was a home economics teacher, worked for the Home Extension Service and retired from the state of Illinois as a senior citizen ombudsman.
1957
Arlene Goodenough Morrison, 77, of Park Falls, Wis., died Jan. 15, 2013. She studied business and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta.
Georgia Werts Ramey, 77, of Albuquerque, N.M., died June 6, 2013. A member of Pi Beta Phi, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of New Mexico. She worked at Lovelace Clinic for more than 30 years in clinical and diagnostic technology. Isabelle Muranyi Rohlfs of Northridge, Calif., died April 23, 2013. While majoring in religious studies, she was a member of Crimson Masque and Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles for 32 years. Survivors include her husband of 55 years, James Rohlfs ’56.
1958 Martha Smith Bandy, 76, of Washing-
ton, Iowa, died June 1, 2013. She studied business at MC, completing her degree at the University of Northern Iowa. She taught at Washington Junior High for 25 years. Survivors include her husband of 53 years. David Brown of Lake Ozark, Mo., died Jan. 13, 2013. He majored in chemistry and was a member of the baseball team and Theta Chi. He retired in 1992 from Mallinckrodt Group in St. Louis, where he worked for 34 years.
Roscoe McPherren, 76, of Bloomington, Ill., died Aug. 27, 2012. He graduated with a degree in history and was active in politics, serving as chairman of the McLean County Board from 1980 to 1984. He worked as a field representative for the Illinois State Lottery, retiring in 2002.
1959
Robert Wetzel of Edwardsville, Ill., died Jan. 21, 2013. He majored in business administration and was a member of the tennis and basketball teams and Alpha Tau
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Omega. Wetzel worked his way up from assistant cashier to president of the Bank of Edwardsville, and by the time he retired in 2004, the bank’s assets had grown from $80 million to more than $1 billion. “Because of his presence and through his efforts, Edwardsville is a much better place,” said the city’s mayor, Gary Niebur. “He helped build this community, and at the same time he helped individuals and businesses grow and prosper.” Wetzel also served in the National Guard for six years, earning the rank of staff sergeant. In 2002, he received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, which had been given to fewer than 1,500 individuals at the time since its creation four decades earlier. Two years later, he received Monmouth’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. Survivors include his wife, Carol Kemmerer Wetzel ’60.
1960
Won Moo Hurh, 80, of Macomb, Ill., died April 12, 2013. Hurh came to Monmouth after serving on the front lines as a second lieutenant in the Army of the Republic of Korea during the Korean War. He wrote about his experiences in his recently-released book, I Will Shoot Them from My Loving Heart. After graduating from Monmouth with a degree in economics, he furthered his studies at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, receiving a Ph.D. in sociology and ethnology. From 1965 to 1969, he was a professor of sociology at Monmouth, eventually settling at Western Illinois University, where he taught for 29 years as one of America’s leading scholars of Korean-American immigration. Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Gloria Hurh, who also taught at MC.
and Northern Illinois University. McKeown was a librarian at the Warren Country Library in Monmouth, Western Illinois Library System and the Galesburg Public Library.
1962 John Whipple, 71, of Scottsdale, Ariz.,
died Jan. 20, 2011. He graduated with a degree in history and was a member of the cross country team and Sigma Phi Epsilon. Whipple was a schoolteacher in three states, including 23 years in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
1963
William Hemphill, 70, of Arlington, Va., died Nov. 10, 2012. Among his many activities as a student was membership in Crimson Masque and Tau Kappa Epsilon. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in history from MC, Hemphill earned a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University. After retiring from the International Monetary Fund, he taught at Georgetown University and George Washington University. Hemphill, who followed his parents to Monmouth, is survived by brothers John Hemphill ’58 and James Hemphill ’65. Phyllis Baker Linder, 85, of Galesburg, Ill., died April 13, 2013. She majored in elemen-
Judith Mohler Pioch, 74, of Elburn, Ill., died May 13, 2013. She studied elementary education and was a member of Kappa Delta. Later in life, she completed an undergraduate degree in early childhood development at Northeastern Illinois University, and she worked with developmentally disabled children. Survivors include her husband of 54 years, Albert Pioch ’58. Gretchen Cook Street, 73, of Houston, Texas, died Sept. 9, 2011. She majored in psychology and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. After raising her two daughters, she worked as a legal secretary for Exxon Corporation.
1961
Charlene Baldwin, 72, of Biggsville, Ill., died Sept. 12, 2012. She graduated with a degree in biology. She worked in a doctor’s office in Kirkwood for 12 years, then continued employment in the health care field with various agencies and nursing homes. Paul Dutton, 73, of Hanover Park, Ill., died Dec. 3, 2012. He worked for Far-mall for 19 years before moving to the Chicago area, where he was the operating manager for Madden Communication, retiring in 2004. Lynn McKeown, 73, of Galesburg, Ill., died Jan. 31, 2013. He majored in English and then received graduate degrees in library science from the University of Minnesota
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tary education and was a second grade teacher in Knoxville, Ill., for 35 years. Survivors include a brother, Robert Baker ’65. She was preceded in death by a sister, Joan Baker Watson ’64, and by her husband of 64 years.
1965
William Hanford of Glen Echo, Md., died Oct. 26, 2012. He was a CATA major and a member of Crimson Masque. After graduating from Vanderbilt Law School, Hanford he joined the patent litigation firm Pennie Edmonds in New York City, focusing on making rural water safe to drink in Africa, Asia and South America. Survivors include his wife of nearly 50 years, Mona Hanford, who was on the MC faculty in the 1960s.
1966 Jane Eidt Graham, 69, of Mesa, Ariz.,
died May 27, 2013. A retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, she was in ROTC at Monmouth, graduating with a degree in government. During the Vietnam War, she served as a logistics officer in Thailand. Graham earned a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma and had a second career as a tax accountant.
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In Memoriam: Beloved Coach Ole led Fighting Scots wrestling program to great heights MIKE “OLE” OLSON, who coached seven sports at Monmouth College before his retirement in 2005, passed away July 12, 2013, at the age of 76 after a long battle with cancer. OLSON, WIDELY KNOWN AS “Coach Ole,” began his Monmouth career in 1990 as an assistant football coach and head wrestling coach. Two wrestlers—John Chapman in 1991 and Scott Bayer in 1998—earned All-American honors under his tutelage. In 1997, Olson implemented his “Operation Pin and Win” strategy, earning the Fighting Scots their only team conference title in the history of the wrestling program. Olson also broke new ground in women’s sports at Monmouth, serving as the first coach of the women’s golf program when the college added that sport in 1999 and guiding the team to a third place finish at the conference tournament. The following spring, Olson took the reins of the men’s program for one season. He also assisted the men’s and women’s soccer programs. In 2001, Olson again answered the call, serving as the head softball coach for a team that set numerous team records while qualifying for the fourteam Midwest Conference Tournament. The squad won a record 21 games.
Away from the field, the community-minded Olson served the college as the director of wellness and was instrumental in beginning the Red Cross Blood Drop Challenge with Knox College in an effort to raise blood donations for the local Red Cross Chapter. During his 41-year coaching career that spanned six institutions from the Midwest to the East Coast, Olson produced 61 All-Americans and eight national champions. His ability on the mats resulted in his induction into four Halls of Fame. His first came in 1984 when he was inducted into the NAIA Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. Induction into the Halls at UNC-Pembroke, Jamestown and Upper Iowa followed. A celebration of life, which attracted many of Olson’s former team members, was held at the family home across the street from campus, where his wife, Barb Olson, resides. Barb has been a member of the campus food service staff for the past 18 years.
clan notes
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DEATHS continued from page 45
1967 Robert Pogue, 68, of Stronghurst, Ill.,
died April 9, 2013. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Illinois and also graduated from the university’s school of medicine. After eight years as an ER physician in Rockford, Ill., he moved to Stronghurst in 1981 and established a family practice, serving as the community’s only physician for the past 32 years. Survivors include siblings Charles Pogue ’61 and Nancy Pogue ’69.
1968
Mary Martineau Basombrio of Portland, Ore., died July 19, 2012. She completed her degree in sociology at Lakeland College, earned two master’s degrees and received her Ph.D. in international relations from Temple University.
1969
Donald Cleland, 66, of Valparaiso, Ind., died Nov. 16, 2012. He graduated with a degree in physical education and was a member of the football team. He then taught at Calumet High School in Gary, Ind. Gretchen van Horn, 65, of Southampton, Pa., died Dec. 11, 2012, due to complications from chemotherapy. She graduated with a degree in speech and was a member of Pi Beta Phi and Student Senate. She operated her own clothing company, Gretchen Inc., in Kansas City for 26 years. She then moved to Pennsylvania and worked as an enrollment coordinator and school secretary for 11 years.
1971 James Feister, 64, of Lake Forest, Ill.,
died March 24, 2013. He majored in art and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He
spent a large part of his career in film and photography, starting his own company, Windy Cine Productions, producing commercials and corporate videos. Feister was also an instructor at Columbia College and Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, and was co-owner of Lake Shore Computers.
Harlan Naylor, 63, of Burlington, Iowa, died Oct. 8, 2012. He majored in history and is survived by a brother, Timothy Naylor ’72. Horace Wallace of Elliott City, Md., died Feb. 8, 2013. He majored in history and received three graduate degrees in theology, most recently in 2005. He was a retired pastor of Epworth United Methodist Chapel Church in Baltimore.
1972
Alfred Flesh, 63, of Ft. Myers, Fla., died Nov. 19, 2012. He graduated with a degree in government and was president of the student association. Flesh was one of the founders and partners of Southwest Custom Electronics, retiring in 2012. Carmen Audet Harris, 57, of Lisbon, Maine, died Nov. 29, 2012. She majored in psychology and was a veteran of the U.S. Army. Hank Stern, 66, of Bartlesville, Okla., died May 7, 2013. He majored in government but was known in Monmouth for his four decades at the Italian Village.
1974 Jillane Allison, 60, of Carbondale, Ill.,
died Dec. 31, 2012. After graduating with a degree in English, she received a master’s degree in English and creative writing from the University of Illinois-Chicago. She was employed at UIC and as a teacher in Florida
before working as an administrative assistant at Southern Illinois University.
Karen Weatherly Fletcher, 60, of Willis, Texas, died Sept. 27, 2012. She had worked for the past 11 years at Cashner Funeral Home.
1975
James Major of West Des Moines, Iowa, died May 24, 2013. He majored in business and was a member of the men’s soccer team. A car salesman, he was very active with the Iowa Shrine Bowl.
1976 Hugo Avalos of Chicago, Ill., died Oct.
27, 2012. He studied biology and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon.
1979 Mark Steinke, 57, of Milwaukee, Wis.,
died Oct. 11, 2012. He majored in topical studies and was involved with the campus radio station.
1988 David Ramey, 46, of Palm Coast, Fla., died Dec. 9, 2012, of an apparent heart attack. He majored in business administration and was a involved with ROTC and Sigma Phi Epsilon. Ramey was an investigator with Florida’s Department of Children and Families. Survivors include his wife, Janice Cone Ramey ’89.
1998
Troy Elbert, 37, of Freeport, Ill., died March 29. 2013. He owned a food business and enjoyed cooking and smoking meats.
1999
Melissa Vosburg, 35, of Altamonte Springs, Fla., died Feb. 16, 2013. She spent the last two months of her life battling brain cancer. At Monmouth, she was a bagpiper and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. A lifelong educator, she had two master’s degrees from Aurora University.
Word has also been received of the following deaths: Donna Breuer, 89, of Monmouth, a former MC custodian, died May 29, 2013. Walter Dunham, 88, of Nashville, Tenn., a former trustee, died May 24, 2013. The award-winning author of 24 books on Tennessee history, he served as state historian there for 11 years.
James Ebersole, college physician from 1958 to 1973, died Sept. 16, 2012. He also served as a physician in the Monmouth community for many years and was a co-founder of the Warren Achievement School. Colleen Hazen, 55, of Kenosha, Wis., died unexpectedly in March 2013. She was the wife of the late MC faculty member, the Rev. Jerry Hazen, and mother of Thomas Hazen ’01. Frances Stauffer, 86, of Quincy, Ill., a faculty secretary for a number of years, died Dec. 10, 2012. Prior to joining MC’s staff, she was a high school teacher. “Frances was the first in a long streak of great secretaries who served multiple departments in Wallace Hall,” recalled history professor Bill Urban. “She was super-efficient, with a wry sense of humor, and independent-minded.” Lyman Williams, 79, of Traverse City, Mich., (pictured at left) died July 22, 2013. He taught geology at Monmouth from 1963 to 1983, receiving the Distinguished Service Award his final year. Williams learned to play the bagpipes while serving as the Pipe Band’s faculty adviser, and they became a passion in his life. “No one looked more handsome in kilt and dress attire,” read a line from his obituary.
1940 Katherine Burrill Brown, 94, of Chicago, Ill., died Jan. 5, 2012. 1956 Charles Orndoff, 83, of Burlington, Iowa, died Jan. 17, 2013. 1964 Melissa Menhall Hogan, 63, of Buffalo, N.Y. 1968 Mary Martineau Basombrio of Portland, Ore., died July 19, 2012. 1970 Cornelius Smith, 63, of Deep River, Conn., died Oct. 17, 2011. 1972 Edward Bilek of Berwyn, Ill., died Nov. 21, 2011. 1973 Paul Mourning of Rushville, Ill., died Dec. 4, 2009.
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clan notes
monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
Inspire Our Next Gener ation of Leaders. reate a better tomorrow by including Monmouth College in your will today. Whether it is unrestricted, in support of a specific program, or endows a scholarship, your estate gift will help guide students to discover meaningful careers and purpose in life while inspiring them to lead and serve. For information about making a planned Mary E. Stahl ’87 gift to Monmouth College, please contact: Director of Individual and Planned Giving
309-457-2151 O F F I C E 309-536-1678 M O B I L E mstahl@monmouthcollege.edu
Plan to attend the 2014 Monmouth College
honoring the 50th Anniversary
Class of 1964
with milestone reunions for the Class of 1954 Class of 1959 Class of 1969
air conditioned ON-CAMPUS HO USING CAMPUS PROGR ESSIVE DINNER PRESIDENT’S CA BINET q & a PANEL DISCUSSI ON: INTERNAT IONAL focus presentations by john Cour son ¹64 & john alexande r ’64 ESTATE-PLANNIN G SEMINAR EDUCATIONAL GARDEN TOUR GOLDEN SCOTS CELEBRATION DI McMICHAEL HE RITAGE SOCIET NNER Y/ 1853 SOCIETY BREAKFAST ALUMNI CHOIR memorial chap el service REVISIT MAPL E CITY SITES morning walk s / evening so cials campus tours open houses class photos reunion dinner s
June 5–8, 2014 All alumni celebrating 45 or more years since graduation are welcome!
THE LAST WORD by Jill Kuebrich
Our son, ANDREW KUEBRICH , was a 2009 graduate of Monmouth College with degrees in international business and economics. In the very early morning hours of Jan. 25, 2012, our phone rang and we learned the heart-wrenching news that our 24-year-old son had been killed while bicycling along the coast of Taiwan. Andrew was the youngest of our three sons and a true light in our life. We would learn after his death the positive effect he had on countless other people’s lives. Many of Andrew’s friends and co-workers wrote to us and told us story after story of his encouragement, contagious energy, humor and kindness. Ever since Andrew was a teenager he had a list of all the items he wanted to accomplish in his life, adding a new item whenever he checked one off. When he did one of the items he would add the date and his thoughts about the experience.
A Purposeful Life After we returned from Taiwan and found the list of 152 items in Andrew’s journal, I decided to name one item a day on our Facebook group page “Remembering Andrew Kuebrich.” We would try to accomplish the items together and finish his list for him. I never imagined the response I would get from doing this and was overwhelmed as people joined in and were inspired. At last count we have 647 members from 10 countries and 28 states and YES, together we finished the list for our dear Andrew!
A few of the list items are: #1 Sky dive, #7 Meet Meb (Olympic marathoner), #13 Make a million dollars just to give it away, #24 Have at least 2 children, #36 Mow lawn in cut offs, #49 Milk a cow, #73 Give at least $2000 to Monmouth College, #74 See Professor McMillan’s sheep, #75 Make a huge difference in at least 3 people’s lives, #127 Donate money and put my name on something, #142 Make someone cry out of joy and #148 Bike trip around Taiwan. So many wonderful memorials to Andrew have come out of this project like annual scholarships at both Monmouth College and Plano High School, an annual blood drive, a Relay for Life team RunAndyRoo and the Andrew Kuebrich Hero 5K held in Plano with proceeds going to the high school scholarship. We have been so deeply touched by the pure outpouring of each person who has reached out to us. Monmouth College gave Andrew so many wonderful memories and experiences that helped make him into the man we all loved Jill Kuebrich and so much and deeply admired and miss every day. her husband, Matt (pictured above In Andrew’s journal he wrote, “I feel like most people wander aimlessly with Andrew at his MC graduation), live in Plano, Ill., where they continue to honor their through life like a zombie and never break through and experience it. I am son’s memory through special events and Andrew Kuebrich and this is my journey...” Here is hoping that each one of social media. you live a life full of purpose, love and full of joy!
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monmouth college magazine | winter 2014
THE MAGIC IS IN THE VISIT. Only through a campus visit can a prospective student gain a true understanding of the Monmouth College experience. Refer a future Scot!
Bring her with you on your next campus visit. Encourage her to attend an Open House. Share her name with Admissions.
To refer a prospective student, visit: www.monmouthcollege.edu/alumni/referral or call the Office of Admissions: 1-800-747-2687
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Unlimited Possibilities. Nick Olson’s optimism is contagious. His determination to make a difference in the world is surpassed only by his excitement for learning. A physics major with a chemistry minor, Nick is the recipient of a Midwest Scholarship, a highly competitive award supported by the Annual Fund that provides full tuition to a handful Monmouth’s brightest students. “The desire to learn and to explore,” he says, “is one of the most precious gifts that man was blessed with.” Support from the Annual Fund allowed Nick to remain on campus last summer to conduct research with physics faculty studying superconductivity and with chemistry faculty studying free radicals. From that experience, he is considering pursuing a Ph.D. in nuclear or material science, but he hasn’t ruled out other possibilities, which at this point in his life he considers unlimited. Opportunities for supporting students like Nick are also unlimited. You can direct your Annual Fund gift to any area of your choosing, from student scholarships, to faculty development, to the academic department of your choice.
The MonMouTh College
A N N UA L FU ND
Give online at www.monmouthcollege.edu/give or call 309-457-2323
Nicholas Olson ’14