Butler Magazine Spring 2023

22 MAKING THE CUT

Jon Vore is set to jump from the infield to the operating room

Butler interns help Seven Corners stay ahead of 24 SCORING 4,000 MILES FROM HOME

Aliya Diagne leaves her country for the Butler experience

26 HINK—THE INSIDE STORY

An interview with the “heart” of a mascot

28 CLOSE TO HOME

B Jack and Betty Krebs—a fixture in the stands

30 SPEAKING UP AND STANDING OUT

Butler helped Mary Shaw find her voiceing

33 ANSWERING THE CALL

Butler’s athletic arenas find a new purpose in WWII

Butler student-atheletes pictured on opposite page from left to right:

FROM THE PRESIDENT

The Butler Bulldogs’ historic Men’s Basketball Final Four® tournament runs in 2010 and 2011 helped solidify Butler University as a household name. A particular spotlight was placed upon the University when the 2010 championship game was held in Indianapolis. The media told its stories right from our campus, portraying Butler as a true Cinderella story, playing a historic game in its own backyard. The nation was captivated and Butler made its mark. Besides the “David and Goliath in the heart of basketball country” portrayal, an aspect of the story that resonated with many Butler fans—aside from our team’s grit and love for the game—was the widely reported story of the Butler players’ commitment to their studies. Indeed, on the morning of the championship game, members of our Men’s Basketball Team were in class, completing homework, and taking tests before riding the bus from campus to Lucas Oil Stadium. Even in the wake of a national championship game, these young men prioritized being students first and athletes second.

As a side note, a few years later Coach Brad Stevens shared with me that while he insisted the team attend class, he observed that very few other Butler students seemed to be in class that day! I am sure it was difficult for all Butler students, including members of the team, to concentrate on academics in the midst of the excitement and the energy level on campus that day. Perhaps faculty and alumni from 2010 can help set the record straight about what they were doing that April day in 2010.

Dial the clock forward to this fall when the NCAA recognized Butler student-athletes for achieving a 93 percent graduation rate for the second year in a row, which is above the national average. Even more notable, 11 Butler programs—Men’s Basketball, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, and Men’s and Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field—posted perfect 100 percent graduation success rates last year.

I am so proud of our student-athletes in every sport for continually excelling in the classroom and the community, on top of managing a busy schedule filled with early morning practices, travel, and team obligations.

In this issue, you’ll explore some of the stories and the people that have shaped Butler’s athletics department and, in turn, how Butler athletics has shaped them, too. As we sit on the precipice of some exciting plans for Butler Athletics, I hope these stories remind you of the reason we are committed to supporting a vibrant, competitive future for our student-athletes.

Go Dawgs, Jim Danko

CCOM WELCOMES NEW DEAN

Joseph M. Valenzano III has joined Butler as Dean of the College of Communication. He replaces Brooke Barnett, who was elevated to the role of Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. Valenzano comes to Butler from the University of Dayton, where he most recently served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication.

In his new role, Valenzano will provide strategic and visionary leadership across the diverse set of professional-, social science-, and humanitiesbased programs represented in the College of Communication and chart a bold path forward to ensure the College’s growth and long-term success.

“[Dr. Valenzano] is an entrepreneurial leader with a demonstrated track record in program development, faculty recruitment, enrollment growth, and fundraising. I look forward to his contributions at Butler,” Provost Barnett says. Valenzano earned his BA in Psychology and Political Science from Providence College, his MA in Communication from the University of Maine, and PhD in Public Communication from Georgia State University. He joined the University of Dayton after serving five years as a Basic Course Director at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where his program was awarded a Basic Course Program of Excellence by the National Communication Association. He won the award a second time at the University of Dayton, making him the only person to have won the award at two different institutions.

“I am honored and excited to join Butler University and CCOM,” Valenzano says. “This is an exciting time for the College, and I look forward to contributing to Butler’s long history of student-centered innovation in educational excellence. I am eager to get to work with the terrific faculty, staff, students, alumni, and University leadership at Butler to develop and execute a shared vision that highlights CCOM as a premier College of Communication.”

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE

By Katie Grieze

Each graduation day, Sonya Hopkins feels a sense of accomplishment with each student-athlete who walks across the stage. Butler University’s Associate Athletic Director of Academics knows how challenging it can be to balance training with coursework, so every successful year keeps her coming back for more.

“It’s the fuel to my fire,” she says.

Hopkins has been providing academic support to Butler student-athletes since 2006. She was a team of one for most of those 16 years, but the program has recently grown to include three other advisors. In addition to facilitating peer tutoring, study tables, and development programs, most of their time is spent working one-on-one with athletes.

“We refer to it as academic coaching,” she says. “We talk about managing their time across all the different things they need to do throughout their days—from training, to travel, to classes. We focus on helping them plan out their weeks and making sure each student is progressing toward their degree.”

Butler’s more than 500 student-athletes demonstrate the academic excellence that is common across the University. Athletics teams earn an average combined GPA of 3.4, and several teams have received BIG EAST awards for having the

highest collective GPAs in their conferences. The NCAA also recognizes Bulldogs by awarding Public Recognition Awards to multiple teams each year, honoring programs that rank in the top 10 percent of their sports for academic achievement. Butler’s women’s golf and women’s tennis teams have earned the award every year since the program began.

“What we like to pride ourselves on is exactly what Butler has built its foundation on,” Hopkins says. “When our students get here, we walk with them, talk with them, and work with them until they leave. Our goal is that if they come here, we watch them leave with a degree in their hands.”

Hopkins finds that academic support services can be especially beneficial for first-generation students who may not have other role models to help them navigate college. She says the most challenging part about participating in athletics is balancing demands, so she mentors students about how they can isolate enough time to write papers, study for exams, or meet with groups in addition to competing in their sport.

“Being a student-athlete is a grind,” says Hopkins, who coached collegiate volleyball for more than 20 years prior to her role at Butler. “But we make sure they know they are supported and that they take advantage of that whenever they need it.”

LEADING

Involving students in athletic programs has never been more important. Not only do sports bring a sense of teamwork and strengthen work ethic in participants, but these activities also lead to improvements in physical, mental, and emotional health.

Despite these clear benefits, school athletic programs have seen decreased participation and interest in recent years. According to a survey by the Aspen Institute and Utah State University, nearly 3 in 10 students who were athletes pre-pandemic are no longer interested in playing organized sports.

There is plenty of speculation around what caused this shift. Hyper-competitive youth leagues, digital distractions, and sky-rocketing costs to participate are named as key contributors to this issue.

So what will it take to reinvigorate these programs for young athletes? For those within Butler’s College of Education, the answer is clear—to have strong and successful sport programs, there must be a knowledgeable and dedicated coach leading the way.

The College of Education is addressing this head on, and its recently-revamped Sport Coaching minor is a significant part of this. Available to all Butler students, this program focuses on providing future educators with the knowledge they need to properly lead athletic programs.

“Anybody can be a coach, but not everyone can be a good coach,” Associate Professor Lisa Farley notes. “We’re trying to help our students develop strong coaching skills so that they can impact people for a lifetime.”

This minor, created six years ago by Farley, Associate Professor Mindy Welch ’79, and faculty members Art Furman and Amy (Vonderheide) Bultinck ’99, MS ’17, was completely revised two years ago with input from Assistant Professor Fritz Ettl. The 21 credit-hour Sport Coaching minor now focuses on helping students develop crucial coaching and teaching skills and values, and it also has a significant emphasis on hands-on learning.

“Students need to have really meaningful experiences, so we wanted them to go through this minor being athlete- and youth-facing,” Ettl says. “They need to have

Photography by Miss Cara Photography

Butler’s College of Education provides students with tools to promote collaboration on the athletic field, in the classroom, and everywhere in between. By Hailey Radakovitz ’21

the WAY

real opportunities to coach, so the experiential part was extremely important to incorporate.”

Students who pursue this minor also have the opportunity to go global and put their skills to use around the world. The recently-added Global Sport Coaching course provides students with several opportunities to broaden their knowledge of coaching in different environments, such as attending the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin this summer. With plans to expand and offer new experiences abroad in the future, students in this minor will have several ways to apply their coursework in a real-world context.

No matter where in the world students end up, one thing is always certain. “The best coaches are the ones that create the best overall experiences for athletes,” Ettl says. Rather than focusing solely on performance and winning, the minor emphasizes the importance of life lessons and skills that coaches can bring to young athletes.

The Sport Coaching minor is a concentration within the College of Education’s Youth and Community Development major. With a curriculum that is focused on creating well-informed and forward-thinking educators, this major prepares students for any setting they may find themselves

in, whether that be on a sports field, inside a classroom, or in a non-traditional learning environment.

“Students have said that they love the educational model that we have [in this major],” Farley says. “In their future career, they won’t always need a teaching license. Several of the students in this program have gone on to do exactly what they wanted to do after graduating, whether that’s attending graduate school, coaching, or getting a job in a non-traditional setting.”

There are endless possibilities for students who graduate from this program, and there are several unique career paths to explore. “The Youth and Community Development major gives them the option to do so,” Farley says. “The sky is the limit.”

The best coaches are the ones that create the best overall experiences for athletes.”

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“One of the reasons I wanted to win that so desperately is because I wanted Title IX not to get weakened… I wanted to change the hearts and minds of the country to believe in Title IX, to believe that women deserve equality.”

—Billie Jean King on her 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match against Bobby Riggs Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2022

TITLE IX PIONEERS

50 years of promoting equity in women’s athletics

by Cindy Dashnaw Jackson

The words “played Butler men’s varsity tennis” aren’t a mistake on the resume of Suzanne (Yerdon) Lewandowski ’76. The former top high school player had no other choice: Butler University didn’t have a women’s tennis team yet.

Mary Jo (Vidal) DeWolf ’75 played every women’s sport Butler offered: basketball, volleyball, and field hockey. Players shared uniforms, had no locker rooms, brought equipment from home, and provided their own transportation.

Judy Horst ’62 says, “We had no women’s golf team. I was it.” And Barbara (Rice) Greenburg ’64 faced the limits placed on women as both a Butler player and coach.

“The [men’s and women’s] coaches’ responsibilities were so unequal,” Greenburg says. “As a coach, I made the schedule, I made all the travel arrangements, and I got the officials to the game—no one ever assigned officials to any of my games.”

Today, thanks to a landmark federal law called Title IX* , women’s sports have come much closer to matching those of men. Butler offers nearly a dozen with dedicated budgets, facilities, equipment, and coaches, and women athletes are regularly awarded letters and inducted into the Butler Athletic Hall of Fame.

To mark the law’s 50th anniversary and honor those fighting for equity in athletics, Butler Magazine talked to these athletes about how the law affected their college sports experience.

Adjusting to Title IX

Lewandowski had intended only to practice with the men’s tennis team but thinks she remembers the coach asking her to compete.

“I just went with the flow. It was fun riding to meets in the van with the guys,” she says. “After an article about me came out in The Butler Collegian, I had my 15 minutes of fame, but there really wasn’t much fanfare.”

‘Riding to meets in the van’ was a novelty for female athletes before Title IX. In fact, “I always wanted to coach long enough to go with my team on a commercial vehicle, but I never made it,” Greenburg says. When she finally got a team vehicle, “It had been a hearse. We named it the Blue Goose. We were finally traveling together, and that added to our spunk!”

The Blue Goose didn’t make things equal, though. When an axle broke, the team had to sit until Greenburg’s husband could get there with his station wagon. In another incident, they’d pulled off the road with a flat tire; a vehicle filled with male Butler players slowed down—and then passed on by.

“We found out later they’d said, ‘Let the [derogatory term] change their own tire,’” Greenburg says. “We got an apology. And had a discussion about Title IX.”

The year without Butler women’s sports

Then came the year that the Butler women boycotted sports.

“The other coaches and I decided we wouldn’t coach anymore because we were getting almost no money and had full teaching loads. So when teams from other schools came to Butler, we wouldn’t play them,” Greenburg says.

It was DeWolf’s senior year, 1974–1975.

“We thought we were headed to field hockey practice one day and instead found out the women’s coaches were talking about not playing,” she says. “Butler hadn’t started to come into compliance with Title IX yet, and they thought the only way we could make an impact was to cancel all women’s games that year.”

*On October 29, 2002, Title IX was renamed after the legislation’s major author as the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.

Sue (Yerdon) Lewandowski ’76, now and then

Barb (Rice) Greenburg ’64, now and then (front row, left)

Judy Horst ’62, now and then (on right)

Mary Jo (Vidal) DeWolf ’75, now and then (top row, left)

The players agreed, electing DeWolf to be their spokesperson. Instead of being angry, visiting teams’ players and coaches supported Butler.

“We were absolutely right in saying ‘this is wrong,’” Greenburg says. “It was a big deal because other schools got involved. So they changed it.”

Greenburg credits Xandra Hamilton ’58, MS ’60, the women’s Athletic Director, for moving Butler in the right direction.

“Xandra did more to get things for girls than anyone. She wanted girls to play on the big floor for basketball and volleyball. She was a fighter for women and the things that got changed.”

Women’s sports move toward parity Change took time. When Greenburg retired in 1994, her softball recruiting budget was still just $300, and she was the last person at Butler to both teach PE and coach full-time. Four years later, Greenburg became one of the first three women inducted into the Butler Athletic Hall of Fame, receiving a Special Service Award for 30 years of coaching. Sisters Barbara Skinner ’82 and Elizabeth “Liz” Skinner Spencer ’82 were the other two inductees. Women like DeWolf have begun receiving the varsity letters they’d earned so long ago.

“It’s wonderful what Title IX has brought to women’s sport and young girls,” Lewandowski says. “Hard work in grade school and high school can be rewarded with scholarships and sponsorships. What was once impossible is now possible!”

DeWolf had a full-circle moment around the time she received her letter.

“A student in the high school class I teach had received a Butler basketball scholarship. She was being honored at a game in her senior year, so I went. They had cheerleaders! They had the band playing at a girls’ game! They had a crowd, and I started crying. My thought was, ‘Oh my, it was worth it. We changed so much for them.”

“It’s wonderful what Title IX has brought to women’s sports and young girls. Hard work in grade school and high school can be rewarded with scholarships and sponsorships. What was once impossible is now possible!”

–Suzanne (Yerdon) Lewandowski ’76

By Emily Schlorf ’21

Over his 16 years at Butler, Head Coach of Track and Field and Cross Country Matt Roe has been integral to Butler’s success—namely by leading his teams to 106 conference individual and relay titles, 68 school records in track and field, producing 39 All Americans, and capturing 14 conference team titles. He’s been named Conference Coach of the Year 13 times and was a finalist for Women’s Division 1 National Coach of the Year in 2013.

Achieving these accolades is anything but easy—especially when competing against other Division 1 schools sprinting toward the same goals. To Roe, it’s a lot like climbing Mount Everest.

“We’re trying to constantly climb that mountain; but if we stay at it, we get to this higher elevation, we adapt to that elevation, and we leverage that adaptation to be able to climb higher,” Roe says. “What we’re trying to do is stay as high up on the mountain as possible and have that be our normal.”

Roe sees Division 1 schools as existing on a spectrum. On one end are elite (and often rigorous) academic institutions, and on the other end, “sports factories,” or schools with ultra-intense athletics. Butler is somewhere in the middle, which allows Roe’s runners to be both students and athletes.

“We’re really elite on the athletic side [but] you can do it all here … An unseen part of our success is our ability to balance both,” Roe says. “That’s one of the things I love most about coaching at Butler, that we’re getting engaged, intelligent, driven people who can go anywhere from Butler without any of the residual challenges that you’d have on both sides of the bell curve. That’s really the secret sauce.”

That sauce is something special. Semester after semester, the track and field and cross country teams are recognized for having some of the highest (and often the best) GPAs out of all Butler athletic programs. Nationally, Butler’s track and field’s combined GPAs were 10th highest and cross country’s eighth last year.

Another ingredient in that recipe is Butler’s uncommon combination of Division 1 athletics and a small student population. A school where you’re not just a face in the crowd is especially comforting to the handful of Roe’s athletes who come from other countries.

“One of my goals is that when [international students] come here, when they’re done, they’re running at the elite level internationally,” Roe says. “From there, that’s usually the point where they say, ‘okay that’s what I’m looking for,’ and we’ll say ‘and by the way, the faculty-to-student ratio is 11:1, there’s a 99 percent placement rate,’ and all the things that come into that make them feel more comfortable about choosing Butler.”

When scouting for the next perfect addition to the team, whether from near or far, Roe knows he has to hone in on what makes Butler special, especially when competing against those elite schools.

“We lead with ‘This is where we’re going to help you as a person, and this is where we’re going to guide you along the way,” Roe says. “It’s still going to be difficult, … but what about an environment where everyone’s rooting for you and trying to help you get there?”

Perhaps it’s this mindset that’s to thank for the teams’ success on and off the field. By teaching his runners the value of working through the pain to become stronger, he sets them up for success in the future. And coming from what he describes as a service-driven family, this is where Roe’s North Star shines brightest.

“The satisfaction that comes from facing something really difficult cannot be understated… there’s such an empowerment to that,” Roe says. “That’s my service. I try to use running and competition as a metaphor and opportunity for people to look and become stronger inward so that they can be stronger outward.”

ELEVATION

“One of the things I love most about coaching here is that we’re getting engaged, intelligent, driven people who can go anywhere from Butler .”

Growing

ALUMNI PROFILES

Thank you to our credit union partner, Elements Financial, for their support.

Gifts

By Marc D. Allan MFA ’18

It started with $100. Kent ’94 and Brittney (Howard) ’94 Greer loved their years at Butler, and it felt wrong not to give to the place that had molded them both and provided a backdrop for the beginning of their relationship. He first spotted her at Atherton Union (where he proclaimed to buddies, “I’m marrying that woman”).

“Everyone at Butler went out of their way to help you, whether it was professors, teaching assistants, or even the people in the cafeteria,” Kent says. “It felt like an extension of being at home. Professors cared about your well-being. The professors who knew that you cared made the experience better because they were open to teaching you and pushing you.”

After stints in Columbus, Ohio, and then Chicago’s northern suburbs, they found their way back to Indianapolis and donated that first $100 to the University in the early 2000s. Occasional Butler basketball tickets led to the purchase of season tickets. From there, they participated in the Hinkle renovation and Lacy School of Business fundraising campaigns.

“We were seeing the growth of the University,” Kent says. “We thought, ‘We had so much fun while we were there. Let’s be part of the growth as well.’”

He joined the Central Indiana Alumni Association board, then the Alumni Board of Directors. And he and Brittney established what has become The Family Reunion, a massive annual Homecoming tailgate party outside the Sellick Bowl where the Greers buy and cook the food and students can meet alumni and network or just have a meal together.

“We want students to have a place to come see alumni who love the University,” Kent says.

For the Greers, what started with a $100 alumni gift has grown into “if there’s a need, let’s talk about where the need is or what project the campus is working on.”

And now for their next project: tackling student debt. They’re working with friends to endow a scholarship fund for talented students who otherwise couldn’t afford Butler. While Kent came to Butler on a football scholarship and Brittney had received a partial academic scholarship, she graduated with a huge loan to pay off and knows what a burden that can be.

“Even if it’s one or two students that we can help to alleviate that burden, that’s the ‘why’ behind why we want to do this.”

We were seeing the growth of the University... we thought, ‘We had so much fun while we were there. Let’s be part of the growth as well.’”

–Kent Greer ’94

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IT’S WHAT

Thad Matta ’90 grew up watching his father, Jim, a high school athletic director and coach, explain Xs and Os and discuss training philosophies. “I was raised in a gymnasium,” Matta says. “I was the little kid sitting in the locker room after a win or after a loss listening to the coaches.”

Matta began his college career at Southern Illinois University but soon realized it wasn’t the right fit. He and his father then drove two hours southeast from his hometown of Hoopeston, Illinois, to Hinkle Fieldhouse, and quickly felt at home inside Butler’s historic arena.

“I walked around the corner, looked in the gym and thought, ‘I’m coming here. This is it for me,’” Matta says. “From that moment on, I was infatuated with Hinkle Fieldhouse.”

He majored in Physical Education and suited up for the Bulldogs from 1987–1990, starting his final two seasons and becoming a captain as a senior.

The seemingly insignificant moments stand out. He reminisces about the bus rides after a big win, going to the library with a study group, and the friends he made along the way—many of whom he remains in touch with today.

his daughters, Ali ’21 and Emily ’22, who both chose to attend Butler. “It’s funny because we didn’t make them go to Butler or anything like that. It’s neat—the experiences that they’ve had here, the thought of them following in their parents’ footsteps. I use the word special a lot here, but it’s just a neat experience for all of us,” Matta says.

In 2021, Matta became the Associate Athletic Director for

By Andrew Mentock

“Several times a week, I call a Butler classmate regarding real estate, finances, taxes, or health,” Matta says. “It’s all guys I went to school with who went on to become a success in some form of life. That is, in the end, why you go to college: to build those relationships.”

Following college, where he met his future wife Barbara (Britton) ’93, he embarked on a decade-long career as a collegiate assistant coach, which included stints with the Bulldogs from 1991–1994 and 1997–2000 under then Head Coach and now Athletic Director Barry Collier ’76.

Basketball Administration at Indiana University. Then, the following spring, when Collier offered him the chance to return to Butler as the Men’s Basketball Coach, Matta jumped.

As the first year of his mission to rebuild the Butler program wraps up, Matta marvels at the love and support fans and alumni show the program.

Alpha Chapter, 1924

“I was here at that stage of my life in college and right out of college,” Matta says. “I had the good fortune to meet great people, from the Butler grads I lived with to the guys I was in a running club with who all lived around here. Our daughters were both born here.”

In 2000, he became Butler’s Head Coach and led the Bulldogs to the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (now Horizon League) tournament and a regular season championship. Matta then spent three seasons at Xavier before taking over at Ohio State.

From 2004–2017, he lifted the Buckeyes to heights the program hadn’t ascended in decades. Today, with 337 victories, Matta is the winningest coach in Ohio State men’s basketball history. He led the Buckeyes to Final Fours® in the 2007 and 2012 NCAA Tournaments and won 15 total Conference championships during his tenure as Head Coach.

Matta began a four-year hiatus in 2017, and the family returned to the Indianapolis area.

He purchased Butler Men’s Basketball season tickets and enjoyed the fan experience. It allowed him to stay close to the game he loved without the stress he and his family endured for 17 years. He was able to spend more time with

“When I played here, if we had 2,000 people in attendance, it was a huge game, and back then, Hinkle sat 14,000,” he says. “Now, the brand of the University has grown. The two Final Fours in the Horizon League were Cinderella stories that gave Butler basketball and the whole University a name.”

The fundamental traits that first attracted Matta to the school remain. “I don’t think this place is just a factory for student-athletes,” Matta says. “I love the holistic approach that the entire University has, what its core values stand for, and what a liberal arts education can do for a student. I believe in it. I believe in everything that Butler stands for.”

That makes the University an easy sell. Matta offers prospective recruits the chance to earn the same education and college experience that transformed his life.

“I lived it,” Matta says. “Anything that I’ve asked our players to do, I’ve done myself here, which goes a long way as a coach.”

He looks forward to future seasons coaching in front of a packed Hinkle Fieldhouse, knowing he’s representing his alma mater and giving back to a community that’s already endowed him and his family with so much.

“I’ve had the privilege to coach in damn near every college venue in the country,” Matta says. “This place just means the most to me.”

Matta in his playing days

INSPIRED TO GIVE

By Jennifer Gunnels

Kurt Mahrdt grew up a few blocks from Butler’s campus and attended elementary school at 49th and Boulevard, across the street from Hinkle Fieldhouse. Beginning around the fourth grade, Mahrdt recalls using Butler’s athletics facilities to play basketball, football, and baseball with his neighborhood friends after school. Tony Hinkle was often nearby, overseeing practice for one of the varsity teams he coached.

“I have great memories of those times,” Mahrdt says. “Tony Hinkle would wave to us and say, ‘Hi, boys!’ and we respected him greatly. He was a fine man, I think the greatest college coach ever, being head coach of football, basketball, baseball, and the Athletic Director, too. So I’ve been a big Butler fan about as long as I can remember.”

Growing up in the shadow of Hinkle Fieldhouse and attending summer classes at Butler in 1955 left a strong impression on Mahrdt’s life. His wife, Linda, also took undergraduate classes at Butler, majoring in History. Together, they have been basketball season ticket holders for many years, and their affection for Athletics has led to their philanthropic support of the University more broadly. Along with a major gift to support the renovation of Hinkle Fieldhouse in 2012, the Mahrdts contributed significantly to the construction of a new facility for the Andre B. Lacy School of Business. They are one of 13 Founders Circle donor families who provided leadership support for the construction of what is now Dugan Hall.

“I’ve always liked Butler, and it wasn’t just Athletics. Butler is Indianapolis to me. So I felt it was important to back what Butler was doing—expanding, renovating, greatly enhancing the scholastics. I am not a Butler grad, and Andre Lacy was not

either, but his great gift to the School of Business inspired me and I’m sure many others. I feel like I was fortunate enough to be able to make these contributions, and I wanted to give back to Indianapolis.”

Mahrdt earned his Economics degree from DePauw in 1956 and a few years later went back to graduate school at the University of Florida majoring in real estate. He returned to Indiana to begin his real estate career with F.C. Tucker Co., and later began his own commercial real estate development company called Mahrdt Properties, Inc. He is still working, along with several family members who have joined the business.

“It’s still something that I love to do,” Mahrdt says.

The Mahrdts, who will celebrate their 43rd wedding anniversary later this year, recently made a gift to establish the Kurt and Linda Mahrdt Men’s Basketball Manager Endowed Scholarship. Kurt served as a basketball manager his first year at DePauw and says he knows how hard the managers work to support the team.

“I thought they were deserving and needed a little recognition for what they do,” Mahrdt says.

The scholarship will be awarded for the first time during the 2023–2024 academic year, giving the Mahrdts another student to root for in addition to the active roster when the new season gets underway next fall. Though the Mahrdts now spend their winters in Florida, Kurt travels back to the familiar neighborhood of his childhood to watch home games in person.

“I hate to miss a game,” Mahrdt says. “Watching it on TV is all right, but there’s just nothing like the atmosphere in Hinkle Fieldhouse. It’s a special place.”

POSITIVE REFLECTIONS.

By Jennifer Gunnels

More than a year has passed since Xan Korman died, but his legacy at Butler University is still just getting started. Korman was a rising junior and a promising photographer who loved covering the Butler Men’s Basketball team when he was gravely injured in a drive-by shooting in his home state of Maryland. He passed away a few days later on August 19, 2021. Recently, his parents, Carolyn and Steve, established the Xan Korman Legacy Project’s Endowed Scholarship Fund in his honor to support Butler students who share Xan’s passions. The scholarship will be awarded to students who are credentialed to provide coverage of the men’s basketball team, with preference for a student interested in photography.

“We are hoping that there is a student who shares Xan’s passions of photography and basketball that will learn a little bit about Xan and what he stood for, about his selflessness, his compassion, his generosity, his enthusiasm, and that learning a little bit about Xan will have an impact on them,” Carolyn says.

As an endowed fund, the scholarship will exist in perpetuity at Butler, ensuring that Korman’s legacy will benefit future aspiring photographers at Butler for generations to come.

Korman’s parents say Butler was always high on the list of colleges he was interested in attending, but it was during a basketball game in Hinkle Fieldhouse on a campus visit when Xan first sensed that Butler felt like home.

“We were sitting in Hinkle watching the game and at some point he just leaned over and said, ‘I think I like it here,’” Carolyn says.

Korman enrolled at Butler as a Lacy School of Business student majoring in Entrepreneurship, but it was his work as a photographer for The Butler Collegian where his true passion began to surface.

By the spring of his sophomore year, a conversation with Butler Academic Advisor and Student Development

Specialist Jen Mann helped Xan chart out a new path forward through a change in his major to Creative Media and Entertainment in the College of Communication.

“Xan’s passion for media was way deeper than just a few pictures and videos,” says Chuck Harris, one of Korman’s closest friends and a guard on the men’s basketball team during Korman’s time at Butler. “He felt that it was what he was meant to do.”

Since Xan’s death, Carolyn and Steve have been focused on creating something positive out of the tragedy. The Xan Korman Legacy Project was established at the Greater Washington Community Foundation and the Kormans are directing memorial gifts to the fund to support causes Xan cared about including photography, racial justice, organ donation, and anti-gun violence. The fifth and pillar cause is the Xan Korman Legacy Project’s Endowed Scholarship at Butler.

Steve and Carolyn maintain contact with many of Xan’s Butler friends, including members of the men’s basketball team. They say it is bittersweet to watch his classmates preparing to graduate, but they are grateful to still be part of the Butler family where Xan found so much joy.

“The love we’ve been shown by so many people who came into his life, it keeps us going,” Steve says. “He was so passionate about the program and the school. We’re just trying to share his legacy and keep his name and the things he stood for alive.”

Contributions can be made to the Xan Korman Legacy Project’s Endowed Scholarship Fund at Butler by selecting “Other Designation” on the Butler giving form at butler.edu/gifts.

ALL GOOD DAWGS

By John Dedman ’03

The landscape of college athletics has changed dramatically over the last few years as a series of state laws throughout the country and adjusted NCAA by-laws now allow for studentathletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness (NIL).

A group of Butler alumni set out to find a way for both Bulldog student-athletes and non-profit organizations with strong ties to the community to simultaneously benefit from this changing landscape. That’s how and why All Good Dawgs Inc. was formed.

The creation of the 501(c) (3) organization and the fundraising has been guided by this group of Butler alumni, who have paired their respective professional expertise with their shared love of supporting their alma mater and the community at large. This group includes Mark McFatridge ’90, MBA ’00, Mark Schabel ’92, Rick Donovan ’90, Mark Minner ’12, Matt Howard ’11, Christina Fugate ’04, Jill Robisch ’02, Chris Miskel ’96, Krissi Edgington ’05, and Joe Gentry ’86. Tax-deductible donations are used to compensate studentathletes for work performed on behalf of All Good Dawgs Inc. (AGD) partner non-profit organizations. Contracts are signed detailing the work to be completed on behalf of the non-profit organization providing marketing support they may not otherwise be able to afford.

Partnerships in the first year have benefited organizations such as Project 44, which was established in honor of the late Andrew Smith ’13 with a mission to grow the number

of individuals registered in the national bone marrow donation database. Other partnerships have created additional awareness for Indianapolis-based nonprofits such as Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and the MLK Center, as well as national outlets with strong local chapters such as the Alzheimer’s Association, A Kid Again, and the Ronald McDonald House.

“To be able to have the opportunity to help kids and give back to the community is something I’ve always loved to do, and I appreciate All Good Dawgs for making it happen,” said Butler basketball student-athlete John-Michael Mulloy in September when the first year of partnerships were announced. Mulloy has provided promotional support to the Little Wish Foundation as part of his contract with All Good Dawgs.

The college athletics landscape is changing, but support for Butler student-athletes remains true; those alumni and friends of the University now have another avenue to showcase that support through All Good Dawgs.

Those interested in supporting Butler student-athletes and area non-profit organizations through their taxdeductible support of All Good Dawgs can learn more at AllGoodDawgs.org.

theaking Cut.

Photo by Jeff Haynes

By Larry Clow

The road to medical school for senior Jon Vore began with a concussion. A multi-sport athlete in high school, Vore took a hard hit on the field. One of the unexpected side-effects: a new fascination with medicine.

“I’d always been interested in science, but now I was curious about why I felt the way I did. I got hit in the head, so I’d ask, ‘Why is that causing me to throw up?’” Vore recalls. A sports medicine doctor in his hometown of Fishers, Indiana, explained the ins and outs of concussions, and Vore was hooked. “That was the spark. I thought that maybe medicine was the path for me.”

Vore will take the next step on that path when he begins his first semester at the Indiana University School of Medicine this fall. It’s a personal milestone that Vore says wouldn’t have been possible without his experience as a studentathlete at Butler.

“Athletics is one of the best teachers, in terms of how to prepare for life in general—not only learning how to work hard and prepare for something, but learning how to deal with failure,” says Vore, a pitcher with Butler Baseball.

aking

“If I lose a game on a Thursday night but have to take a Chemistry exam the next morning, I’ve got to stay focused. It’s about switching to the right mindset.”

Vore’s journey to medical school hasn’t been easy. Along with the challenges that come with a rigorous academic program, he has also had to juggle a busy travel schedule with the baseball team and the numerous commitments that come with being a student-athlete. It wasn’t uncommon to find Vore up late and studying while his teammates slept during long bus rides, or see him hurry off to a hotel conference room to take an exam the morning before an important game.

“I watched a lot of lectures online and studied on bus rides and planes,” he says. “My professors have been really understanding about my time commitment outside the classroom. That flexibility really helped me.”

The academic support he’s received as a student-athlete has also been vital. It’s about more than just having coaches proctor exams while on the road, according to Vore, though that’s important. “At every meeting with our coaching staff, they cover what you do on the field, but also how you’re doing in the classroom and in your life. They focus on the whole person,” he says.

Vore points to his work as President of Butler’s StudentAthlete Advisory Council (SAAC) as instrumental in developing leadership skills. It’s a position that enabled him to represent Butler in the BIG EAST and NCAA’s respective student-athlete advisory councils.

He has also worked closely with Sonya Hopkins, Associate Athletics Director for Academics, to develop an academic plan that would get him into medical school, and the baseball team’s coaching staff have also helped keep him focused.

“Jon is exceptional—he does it all,” says Hopkins. “I’m amazed by students who are able to balance writing papers, working hard in practice, and scoring higher than average on an exam they had to take early because they were going to be traveling to compete against a Conference foe. And that’s Jon.”

Vore chose Butler because he knew that the University would enable him to achieve his dream of attending medical school and play baseball at a high level. What’s been most surprising, though, is how many unique opportunities his twin pursuits have opened up. An elbow injury impacted his ability to play baseball—but the surgery to repair it had a surprise silver lining.

“Baseball has given me so much access to different parts of medicine. I was able to shadow the surgeon who performed my surgery, and I watched him perform the same procedure I had on someone else,” he says.

For Vore, success is all about having the right mindset— taking all the challenges in the classroom and on the field in stride and focusing on the big picture. It takes a team effort to make that mindset possible, though, and as Vore looks ahead to a career in medicine, he’s grateful for everyone who has helped him along the way.

“The people are the best part of Butler for me. I’ll always remember fun times with my teammates on the road, or grinding through difficult workouts,” he says. “I think it’s the people who make Butler what it is, who make people so happy to be here.”

By Katrina Youngs

In high school, Butler senior and Germany native Aliya Diagne knew she wanted to pursue both of her passions in college—soccer and academics. “As a college student in Germany, you can only play soccer as a hobby,” she says. Not willing to sacrifice one passion for another, Diagne was willing to travel thousands of miles to the United States for college.

It was during a university showcase her junior year of high school that Diagne met with coaches from Butler’s Women’s Soccer Team. She was instantly intrigued. Shortly after their conversation, the coaches invited her to visit campus. This would be Diagne’s first trip to America.

“While facing this life change was scary, I knew it was the direction I wanted to take. Butler was known for their soccer program and well-established academics. Finding a top-notch soccer program and top-notch university was important to me, and I was able to find that at Butler.”

That visit to Butler turned into an acceptance and in August 2019, Diagne was officially a first-year student. Although thousands of miles away from her home in Germany, Diagne credits her coaches and teammates with helping her acclimate to campus.

“Everything was so new to me; I felt like I didn’t have time to think about being so far away from home. My coaches and teammates quickly became my family, which helped me to not feel so homesick.”

“There were also many international students on my team— from Australia, England, Canada, and Israel. We shared a bond about our different cultures, which also made my transition from Germany a little easier.”

In addition to having support from her soccer family, Diagne credits the connections made with professors as just as important to her Butler experience.

“When I was researching how to make the most of the college experience, one of the things I kept reading was the importance of developing relationships with your professors,” she says. “The smaller classes allowed me to do that.”

Diagne, who is a double-major in Finance and STS (Science, Technology, and Society), credits STS Professor Carol Reeves with boosting her confidence with the English language. “My sophomore year I took a course with Dr. Reeves. The course was discussion-based and she wanted all her students to participate in the discussion. At the time, I was extremely insecure about my English. One day after class, I told her I was from Germany and that I wasn’t comfortable speaking English. She then helped me with my English writing and speaking skills. She really pushed me to be more confident in myself.”

Like all student-athletes, there are multiple commitments to juggle. For Diagne, these have resulted in new transferrable skills she will continue to use once she graduates.

“Being a student-athlete has taught me the importance of time management. From balancing my double majors, soccer practice, and internships, I have learned to prioritize my time more efficiently. Additionally, my coaches and teammates provide me with the support I need if I’m ever feeling stressed with my commitments. Our coaches care about us as people, not just as soccer players.”

The Inside HINK—

By Nancy Lyzun

One of Butler’s great mysteries is, just who is bringing that eight-foot-tall “Hink” suit to life?

A beloved fixture at Butler’s many sporting and special events around campus, the costumed “Butler Bulldog” first appeared over 60 years ago. It was criminal activity that brought to light the need for a name change.

In summer 2008, the Butler Bulldog costume was stolen. In news reports that followed, readers worried that Butler Blue II, the live mascot, was the object of the theft. To avoid future confusion, a contest was held in which fans and the campus community could vote on a new name. On January 22, 2009, the contest-winning “Hink” was announced, as submitted by Chuck Schisla ’60 in honor of the famed coach Paul D. “Tony” Hinkle.

So, what is it like inside this larger-than-life local celebrity? Butler Magazine spoke with two of the students who have spent their college years helping Hink build school spirit and pride.

Senior Theatre major and Education minor Trevor Pletcher, now retired from the suit he’d worn since 2018, recalls his reasons for first trying out. “The theatre skills I had learned and hoped to strengthen in college—performance ability and the non-verbals—plus the opportunity to do something I enjoyed while supporting Butler” motivated him to answer the call-out notice.

Another student who answered the call-out is junior “Jordan Smith” (an alias, as the role calls for anonymity for all current Hinks). This is Smith’s third year in the suit, and is

also a legacy mascot, with a sibling filling the role several years ago.

Smith describes the purpose of Hink as “bringing joy and happy energy.” Reactions, or perhaps overreactions, are the keys to success. “That’s what Hink does—he reacts. Emotions need to be readable by the audience.”

“When I’m in costume, I’m definitely over-the-top,” Smith says. “We all have our own styles. But I’m more dance heavy.”

The three to four students who share the role at one time typically attend about 25 events a year each.

It’s not easy work, however. It takes a lot of energy.

“In a typical basketball game, I burn around 1,400 calories,” says Smith. Pletcher adds that the heat inside the costume can be a challenge. “You’re breathing a lot of the same air, and the stairs in Hinkle are not the easiest to navigate in size 20 shoes.”

But several breaks and plenty of water help offset the temperature inside the 15-pound suit. “When you take the helmet off, you can cool off pretty quickly,” Smith adds.

It’s all worth it, both students say.

“When I go out there, I go to have fun and to entertain people and bring some joy. The community at Butler is always really cool to connect with,” Smith says.

And Pletcher adds, “Having that one-on-one, even in just split moments, is a great thing. There’s a different kind of magic in mascots.”

There’s a different kind of magic in mascots.”

Story

“Hink” in the eighties

Close to

to home.

By Marc Allan MFA ’18

Jack Krebs ’63 chose to attend Butler for many reasons—a desire to play for Tony Hinkle, the location (Indianapolis, close to home), and the fraternity system among them. And because of the experience he had at Butler—getting to play for Hinkle, being close to his family and their insurance business, becoming a Phi Delt, learning in classes—he has continued to support his alma mater for 50 years.

You’ll find Krebs and his wife, Betty—longtime members of the Bulldog Club philanthropic society to support Butler University athletics—sitting behind the announcers at men’s basketball games and in the stands at women’s basketball,

But asked to compare his teams with today’s studentathletes, he says: “We couldn’t compete against them. Basketball is so physical. It wasn’t as physical back then. It takes bigger, stronger athletes to play the game than it did when I was playing. You wouldn’t have been able to play the schedules you do now because of the wear and tear on your body. They’re working hard against each other.”

Krebs grew up in Shelbyville, Indiana, and became interested in Butler from watching Tony Hinkle and Tom Carnegie on TV doing the Indiana high school basketball tournament broadcasts.

He says he learned a lot from the legendary coach over the years, including how to play his position. Krebs played quarterback in high school, but Hinkle moved him to defensive end.

“Shultz hit ’em low and I’d jump on top of them,” he says, laughing. “But probably the most amazing thing I did was play for him as an end at the weight that I was, and the inexperience that I had. He taught fundamentals that were very good.”

He also learned humility, both from watching Hinkle manicure the baseball field (“He wasn’t too good to do maintenance.”) and by getting pulled off the football field when he’d miss an assignment. That lesson made its way into the classroom.

“I was a good student in high school, but it came naturally,” Krebs says. “I didn’t have to study. All of a sudden, I had to study at Butler.”

volleyball, and football games. They’re also frequently at away games, often traveling with their friends Jerry ’61 and Patsy Shultz. (Jerry Shultz was inducted into the Butler Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.)

“I love going to Butler,” says Betty Krebs, who did not attend the University. “Hinkle Fieldhouse is my happy place. I enjoy watching the students and the band and I like everything about Butler. That’s why we go.”

Krebs—a five-time inductee into the Butler Athletic Hall of Fame—was part of teams that had enormous success, including the undefeated 1959 and 1961 football teams and the 1962 basketball team that made the NCAA tournament. He also made it to two NCAA national track meets.

Krebs says he also learned a lot from Galvin Walker, the longtime track and field coach. Walker had a movie projector in the dressing room and would play film loops of Olympic champions. Krebs watched those regularly to learn their form and technique for the high jump, broad jump, and hurdles.

“Galvin was a hidden gem at Butler University,” Krebs says.

Krebs says the collection of lessons and experiences he had at Butler helped propel him to a successful career, first as an accountant, then in the family insurance business. Butler provided an excellent education inside and outside the classroom, he says, and that’s why he keeps coming back.

“I can’t imagine having a better experience—through school and even after school,” he says. “That’s what I enjoy going back to.”

Krebs clearing the crossbar in the high jump—from the 1963 Drift

SPEAKING UP STANDING OUT

By Rachel Stotts

Mary Majewski Shaw ’93 knew she had to pay for college herself. Her parents had made that clear. Growing up in South Bend, Indiana—in the shadows of the University of Notre Dame—the three-sport athlete dreamed of playing basketball for the Fighting Irish. She was offered the opportunity to walk on, but when Butler coaches saw her play, she traded the double domes of the Joyce Center for the Hinkle arches and a full athletic scholarship.

Shaw found herself intimidated as one of five freshmen coming in on the heels of five seniors who had just graduated. Though she started every game, her coach continued to tell her she needed to “talk more.”

“Each player had to memorize a quote every week,” she recalls. “I always chose the shortest, easiest one,” she laughs. “One was, ‘Communication is the key to success.’ I have found that to be true throughout my life.”

Shaw quickly learned that to really be comfortable both on and off the court, she had to learn to communicate, to speak up for herself.

Sometimes this meant going straight to the top. When she found out that the men’s basketball team had their books paid for and the women were still paying for their own books, it was suggested she go see President Geoffrey Bannister. After a meeting with him, the women’s books were taken care of.

Her persistence paid off in the classroom, too. “I was sort of an oddball at Butler. I came from a farming community and was sort of a tomboy,” Shaw says. “But I was tenacious. I learned that to be a student-athlete, I had to be more organized. I had to think of those two-hour bus rides to and from games as a study hall.”

Shaw’s communication and work ethic have served her professionally as well. She founded Indianapolis-based Your Image Works (YIW) in 1998, a promotional product company, and in 2015 established AP Properties, a property management business.

Her Butler connections run deep, she says, thanks to the networking and relationship-building skills she began developing in college—from pick-up games with faculty

and staff at Hinkle (with the likes of Bob Bennett and Brad Stevens), to rubbing elbows with student interns and alumni in the Wildman Room before Butler games. She has hosted dinners in her home for the volleyball and women’s basketball teams and even supported and accompanied the volleyball team on a trip to Brazil.

“Networking is so key,” Shaw says, and offers advice to current student-athletes to take advantage of the alumni network and local business owners who are willing to offer internships and mentoring. She recognizes that as an athlete it may seem like you’re giving a lot of yourself to the University, but she flips that on its head and asserts, “The more you give, the more you get back.”

BASKETBALL ACCOLADES:

Shaw started every game of her Butler career and was elected captain three of her four years. She was the first player in Butler Women’s Basketball history to lead the Bulldogs in assists per game for four consecutive seasons. She achieved a number of milestones during her basketball career at Butler, including 332 career steals (the second-highest total in Butler and Horizon League history), the all-time record for minutes played, and being one of the top-10 players on Butler’s all-time list for three-point field goal shooting. She was inducted into Butler’s Hall of Fame in 2006 in recognition of her achievements.

COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Shaw served as a volunteer steering committee member for the Central Indiana Butler Community from 2010 to 2020, with seven of those years as vice president. She was a vital player in developing the annual Bulldog Crawl. She was also a member of the B Association for 12 years. She has served on Butler’s Board of Visitors and as an advisor to the Butler Giving Circle. She is also a board member for Aspire House Brand.

“This, for our university, for our families, for our coaches, for the other 14 guys, for the people in Indianapolis, for the people who have been following us all year, this is just something completely special.”

—Ronald Nored ’12 On the eve of the Bulldogs’ appearance in the NCAA Final Four (Press Conference), April 4, 2010

ANSWERING the Call

From the Butler Archives

“The arrival of the United States Navy Signal School on the campus last spring was the first step toward the revolutionizing of the campus and making the student body acutely war conscious. Over five hundred sailors were stationed in what was once the scene of Butler athletic events, the fieldhouse. Sleeping quarters were constructed in what used to be the gym, the track was covered with asphalt to serve as a place for drilling, and a new and modern kitchen and mess hall were installed…The familiar football field was converted into a signal practice training field. The telephone poles became masts bearing pulleys and gaily colored signal flags. The field itself became a drilling ground for training the men.”1

“As the war effort became the victory effort… the Fieldhouse and stadium again became the center of Butler athletics with Tony Hinkle’s return from the Navy at the end of 1945. Directors hurried reconversion of the Fieldhouse to prepare for the return of the State High School Athletic Association boys’ basketball tournament in March 1946.”2

1. The Drift, 1943

2. Waller, George. Butler University A Sesquicentennial History, pp 360–361

GALA students explore the Amazon

CLASS ACTS

the ’60s

Willard Mays ’69 was elected to the Executive Committee of the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging, which he formerly chaired, and includes over 80 national organizations, governmental agencies, and state coalitions. He was named a Legacy Advisor to the American Society on Aging.

the ’70s

Cassandra Crowley MA ’77 retired from her position as Artistic and Executive Director of the Canton Ballet after 42 years at the helm.

David Head ’70, MS ’75 spent summer 2022 volunteering as an English teacher at a Summer Language Institute in Klaipeda, Lithuania, where he taught international students from Asian and European countries, including many Ukrainian refugees.

the ’80s

Bill Acklin ’82 retired from Roche Diagnostics after 41 years, his entire career. He and his wife, Charisse, have lived in Houston and Switzerland and have now settled in Indianapolis.

Ralph Blessing ’82 received a USA patent for a new baby product that encourages healthier, more active/fun ‘tummy time’ during a baby’s critical early pre-crawling stage development. The brand is called Tummy Turtles and Friends and is made here in Indianapolis.

Kevin Ault ’84, was recently appointed professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Western Michigan Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Ute Finch ’86 celebrated her movie debut in a scene with John Travolta in the film Paradise City. The movie premiered on the island of Maui where it was filmed and is now streaming on various platforms such as Amazon Prime, Google, and Apple TV.

Leah Brandon ’86 is currently the Associate Director of The School at Jacob’s Pillow. She partners in the strategic planning and leadership of The School, focusing on operations, marketing, and recruitment, including a new initiative, the Pillow 360 Intensives with partner organizations and universities around the world.

the ’90s

Leslie (Filter) Sutherlin ’91 is now Director of the Aurora Public Library District. She is also current Past President of the Indiana Library Federation.

Todd McDorman ’92 was named Dean of the College at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. A Professor of Rhetoric at Wabash since 1998, Todd is now serving as the College’s Chief Academic Officer.

Brady Ballentine ’93 recently accepted the role of Chief Information Officer at BCforward, an Indianapolis-based global consulting and workforce fulfillment firm.

Cassandra Hernández Hutzler ’93 was recently promoted to Managing Director of the New York Office of Heritage Auctions.

the ’00s

Kristen Rampe ’00 was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by AccountingToday, and her firm, Rosenberg Associates, was named one of the Top 10 Most Recommended Consultants by CPA Practice Advisor in 2022.

Lennea (Mull) Coombs ’02 was named as a Clinical Director for Physician Assistant (PA) specialty within the Office of Advanced Practice at Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Kentucky and was also accepted into the next cohort for the Norton Provider Leadership Academy.

Ronald Gilliam ’03 started a new role as SVP, IT Chief of Staff at iQor, an award-winning BPO company.

Kinsey Arnett ’04 was promoted to partner at Faegre Drinker. Joey Wohlhieter ’05, MS ’22 has joined the news and media team at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Justin Nichols ’06 was promoted to Director of Event Operations at Conrad Indianapolis.

Bryan Howard ’07 has been promoted to Vice President, Administration & Technology at U.S. Granules Corporation in Plymouth, Indiana. He has been with the company since 2010.

Jennifer Nuest ’07 accepted the role of Senior Vice President, Transportation Practice Leader at Amwins. She is the first dedicated national industry practice leader at Amwins.

Eric Breitenbach ’08 was recently recognized as a top 50 financial advisor in the south Florida market. Eric serves clients in Illinois, Indiana, and Florida.

EveMarie Bessenbach ’09 has been named the first Director of Development and Communications for Hendricks Live! a new performing arts center under construction in Plainfield, Indiana.

Katherine (Van Wyk) Planas ’09 accepted the position of Director of Development at the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland.

the ’10s

Brett Reardon ’11 and his advising colleagues in O’Neill’s Undergraduate Programs Office were recently honored with an Outstanding Advising Program Certificate of Merit Award by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).

Michael Van De Voort ’13 was named the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Illinois Association of School Business Professionals.

Luke Bunting ’14 received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in May, 2022, where he served as Editorin-Chief of the Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy. He currently serves as a Law Clerk for Judge Eleni M. Roumel of the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Luke Wortley MFA ’15 will be releasing his debut full-length poetry collection entitled SHARED BLOOD, forthcoming September 2023 from Gnashing Teeth Publishing.

Laura (Luther) Welch ’16 has been promoted to supervisor and site lead aerospace engineer for the US Navy’s F/A-18 E/F & EA-18G structures branch at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Washington at the age of 29.

the ’20s

Gwen Spencer ’20 received her Associate of the Society of Actuaries designation and accepted a new position as Senior Associate at Fortitude Re.

With just 70 Butler alumni spread across the state of Maine, it may be surprising to find a good number of them in one location. But this has been the case at the home games of the Maine Celtics G-League basketball team. With former Bulldog Kamar Baldwin ’20 joining the team and Alex Barlow ’15 in his first year as Head Coach, the season has provided regular opportunities for a community of alumni (and former Butler athletes) to reunite. Pictured are Kamar Baldwin ’20 (MBB) and Michelle Weaver ’19 (WBB) with their daughter Kaylin; Emily (Newell) Keller ’11 (Collegian Sports Editor) holding son Manuel; and Alex ’15 (MBB) and Belle (Obert) ’16 (WBB & Volleyball) Barlow holding son Colton.

WEDDINGS

Amy (Hughes) Muck PharmD ’06 and Ben Muck on August 4, 2022 (1)

Rebecca Wright ’07 and Tyler Purkey on June 25, 2022. Candace Jones ’10 and Lindsay Nelson-Jones on May 20, 2022 (2).

Jack Dillon ’13 and Maddie (Brogan) Dillon ’16 on December 31, 2021 (3)

Steven Johnson ’13 and Sarah Rooksberry ’15, MPAS ’16 on November 2, 2022 (4)

Emily (Delaney) Watt ’13 and Nick Watt ’14 on June 25, 2022 (5)

Brianna (Patton) Dettman PharmD ’14 and William Dettman on March 20, 2022 (6)

Patrick Wright ’15 and Sarah (Grant) Wright ’18 on October 15, 2022 (7).

Kailey Meadows Colee PharmD ’16 and Jacob Colee on October 30, 2021 (8)

Ally Bican PharmD ’17 and Joey Dickerhoof on October 21, 2022 (9).

Sarah (Lowry) Kain PharmD ’17 and Richard Kain on November 7, 2020 (10)

Olivia Murfield ’17 and Zak Morgan on September 17, 2022 (11)

Craig Cwynar ’18, MPACC ’19 and Julia Telari ’19 on December 10, 2022. (12)

Taylor (Watkins) Dattolo ’18 and Ottavio Dattolo ’18 on June 24, 2022 (13)

Cody Owen ’18 and Sydney (Buck) Owen ’18 on June 4, 2022 (14)

Emilie (Sgutt) Mueller PharmD ’19 and Matthew Mueller ’19 on June 11, 2022 (15).

NEW ARRIVALS

Drew Autajay ’99 and Sarah Autajay welcomed Madelyn Rose Autajay in July 2022 (1).

Ellie (Webster) Bright ’07 and Johnny Bright welcomed Esther Marian and Agnes Marian Bright in August 2022 (2).

Emily (Abbott) Davis ’08 and Renaldo Davis welcomed Augustus Miles Ren in October 2022 (3)

Johanna (Marvin) Kitchell ’08, MM ’22 and Joe Kitchell welcomed Noah in July 2021 (4)

Emily (Reeser) Kusz ’08 and Robbie Kusz ’09 welcomed Ethan Kusz in July (5)

Luke Johnson ’09 and Jennifer (Macke) Johnson PharmD ’12 welcomed Gavin Ritter in August 2022 (6)

Graham Summers ’09 and Riley (Hoffman) Summers ’15, MPAS ’16 welcomed Henry Summers in October (7).

Stephanie (Joyce) DeMarco ’10 and Michael DeMarco PharmD ’12 welcomed Madeline in October 2022.

Michael Strauss ’14, MPACC ’15 and Lauren (Need) Strauss PharmD ’16 welcomed Riley Strauss in December (8).

Jasmine (Coatie) Peoples PharmD ’17 and Jeron Peoples welcomed Kai Marcel Peoples in August 2022 (9)

Megan (McCambridge) Verce ’17, MPAS ’18 and Landon Verce welcomed Hadley Makenna Verce in September 2022 (10).

Taylor (Skala) Sares MPAS ’18 and Chris Sares welcomed Leah Stephanie in November 2022 (11). In the Winter 2022 Butler Magazine New Arrivals section, we incorrectly listed the birth announcement for Johanna (Marvin) Kitchell ’08. Butler University wishes to apologize for this error. The correct submission is included in this list.

INCLUDE YOUR NEWS IN THE NEXT CLASS ACTS

Your fellow alumni are interested in your professional accomplishments, including a job change, a promotion, or retirement; community and volunteer activities; a recent marriage or addition to your family; or any other news you would like to share.

Submit your update via the QR code or contact alumni@butler.edu with questions.

Due to space limitations, submitted photographs and/or Class Acts may not always be published.

IN MEMORIAM

Ruby (Bingman) Hiatt

Marguerite (Travis) Deckert

A’Lelia Osili ’44

Mary Emily (Spilman) Davisson ’45

Harmon Baldwin ’46, MS ’50

Betty Busch-Benz

Helen (Strong) Mills ’46, MS ’64

Georgia Pitcher ’48, MS ’52

Wayne Andrews ’50

Phyllis (Koehler) Bottles ’50

Joan (Leatherman) Gerzon ’50

Marjorie (North) Paullin ’50

Sharon (Collins) Reynolds ’50

Bonnie (Hardin) Kirkman ’51

Paul O’Connell ’51

Barbara (Elliott) Palmer ’51

James Roberts

Richard Stevenson ’51

Wallace White

Kathleen (Ryan) Comerford

Curtis Dankert ’53

Robert Perry

Myrna (Kaplan) Fang ’54, MS ’56

Virginia Kingsbury ’54

Alec Langford ’54

Jane (Knoebel) McClinton ’54

Helen (Howell) Cross ’55, MS ’65

Jane (Hungate) Paulton ’55

Marilyn (Boyle) Clark ’56

Mary (Bloemker) Wagoner ’56

Logan Hall, Jr. ’57

Margaret (Murello) La Grotto MS ’57

Paul Rosner ’57

Nancy (Hammer) Toombs ’57

Rex Athan ’58

Graydon Haskett ’58

Jane (Fager) Kraus ’58

Donald Lindemann ’58

Frederick Miller ’58

Marilyn (Hughes) Sandberg ’58

Toni Aberson ’59, MA ’86

Wilma (Winter) Masters ’59

Harold McCarty ’59

Paul Basham ’60

Emmett Dorsey

Jack King MA ’60

Beverly (Dickerson) Steckley MS ’60

Robert Beckley ’61

James Burge ’61

Donald Glenn ’61

Donald Haffner ’61

Allan Harvey

Paul Ketner ’61

Erik Krumkalns MS ’61

Margaret Whitenton ’61

Bernard Wurger ’61

Thomas Barnes MS ’62

Sue (Webb) Cardwell MS ’62, EdS ’65

Barbara (Ritter) Arnold ’64

Becky Bodnar ’64

Helen (Williams) Straubinger ’64

Lawrence Greenwald ’65

Jo Anne Kenney-Salb ’65, MS ’68

William Boyle ’66

David Fyffe ’66

Nancy (Gillis) Hepburn ’66

Susan (Weaver) Pleasant ’66

Cheryl (Phillips) Shipp ’66, MS ’70, MA ’82

Judith Woolsey

Lucreda (Williams) Hutton ’67

Judy (Erskine) Lawton ’67

James Poradek ’67

Loretta (Kellams) Gibbens MS ’68

Jack Walter MS ’68

John Cleveland ’69

Richard Holmes MBA ’69

Carleen (Schopp) Rose ’69

Ira Jaffee ’70

Gil Squiller ’70

Martha Brindle MS ’71

Joanne (Hardy) Loefgren MS ’71

John Nichols ’71

Dennis Overly MBA ’71

Larry Sanner MA ’71

Ruth Stage MS ’71

Larry States ’71

Linda (Porter) Stroup ’71

James Johnson ’72, MS ’76

Virginia (Rustia) Paraiso ’72

Harmon Stockhoff MS ’72

Carol (Rinehart) Chambers MS ’73

Louise Haugh MS ’73

Christena Jones

Thomas Kizer ’73

Susan Lange MS ’73

Marcia McDonough MS ’73

Gracia (Hanna) Robertson ’73

Dessie Arnold ’74

Charles Brown ’74

Maria (Josefa) Crowe MS ’74

Martha (Overby) Kissling MA ’74

Jeanne (Hawkins) VanTyle ’74, MS ’80

Karen (Allen) Keene ’75, MA ’78

William Roos MBA ’75

Dawnie (Noble) Barnhouse ’76, MM ’80

Ronald Stewart MS ’77

Beth Ann Thomas ’77

Karen (Meredith) Love ’78

Linda McCord-Hoff MS ’78

James Parks ’78

Susan (Sexson) Rossell ’78

Linda (Vawter) Potter MM ’79

Cynthia (Baldwin) Robertson MA ’81

David MacKenzie MBA ’82

Malinda Pernell

Lou Rodgers MS ’82

Harriet Hays MS ’84

Jean Keedy MS ’84

Shawn (Lee) Depasse

Timothy Haseley ’85

Richard Mahoney MBA ’85

Robert Brower MS ’86

Gail (Siefker) Hayes ’86

Helen (Curry) Holland MS ’86

Timothy Howard ’86

William Doss

James Braswell ’88

Helen Raab ’89

Jeffrey Lowe MBA ’90

Linda Davis MS ’91

Kevin Keltner

Andrea Props ’94

Janice Suverkrop MM ’94

Verl Wisehart MS ’94

Matthew Cole ’95

Duc Nguyen ’98

Jodi Sowers MM ’98

Tamika Black MS ’99

Chance Bunger MBA ’02

Dreana Sparks

Johanna Mader MFA ’16

Faculty Emeriti

Monique Hyde

Bernard Wurger ’61

Jeanne (Hawkins) VanTyle ’74, MS ’80

Trustee Emeritus

John Johnson

Former Butler University President John “Jack” Johnson passed away on January 18 in his adopted home state of Arizona at the age of 98. First serving Butler as Vice President for Financial Development from 1964–1966, Jack returned to serve as Butler’s President from 1978–1988. Following his retirement on December 31, 1988, Jack received the first Trustee Medal of Distinction for his contribution to the long-term development of Butler. Jack and his late wife, Jane, remained engaged with Butler well into his retirement years; The Scotlyn Fund scholarship they established in 1987 to support students with financial need is just one example of how his legacy will live on at Butler.

BLUE’S VIEWS

A lot more goes into being a mascot than what is shown on your screen. The same is true for our student-athletes.

As they don their Butler-branded jersey and step onto the big stage, it can be easy to forget that beneath those moisture-wicking uniforms are students; students who are striving to become the best versions of themselves while balancing the rigors of training as a D-1 athlete.

I am one lucky dog who spends extra time on and off the court with these students. I get to know their personalities, their interests, and what drives them. From the stories passed down from Blues I through III, it is those things, not necessarily what happens on the court or field, that makes a Butler Bulldog. While breaking records and scoring game wins are great, it’s when you combine those with off-the-court accolades that I think you get a better picture of who these student-athletes are.

Some of my fondest memories are the times I shared a row of seats with one of our players on the bus, or breaking into a hotel conference-room-turned-studyroom to give them a much-needed study break, or waving to them from the Bluemobile as I passed them on their way to class.

When the bittersweet day arrives for these students to graduate, it’ll be those memories that live between my floppy ears.

SPRING 2023

PRESIDENT, BUTLER UNIVERSITY

James M. Danko

VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING & BRAND MANAGEMENT

Sherry Wallace EDITOR

Nancy Lyzun

EDITORIAL TEAM

Kristi Lafree

Rachel Stotts

Courtney Tuell ’99

ART AND DESIGN TEAM

David Downham

Phil Eichacker (Art Director)

Alisha Luckenbill

UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER

Zach Bolinger

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Marc Allan MFA ’18

Larry Clow

John Dedman ’03

Katie Grieze

Jennifer Gunnels

Cindy Dashnaw Jackson

Andrew Mentock

Hailey Radakovitz ’21

Emily Schlorf ’21

Rachel Stotts

Katie Palmer Wharton ’14

Katrina Youngs and Butler Blue IV

CLASS ACTS

Office of Butler Community Engagement ClassActs@butler.edu

Butler Magazine is published for alumni, parents, supporters, and friends of Butler University. Share Butler Magazine story ideas and comments via email at butlermagazine@butler.edu or by phone at 317-940-9946.

“We may have a fine football team…we may have a basketball team that can defeat its opponents; we may have a track team that establishes new records, and if we fail in the main purpose of the institution, the purpose of exposing young people to knowledge and giving them an interest in knowledge, all these other things are of no avail.”

—Butler President Robert J. Aley Founders’ Day Banquet, 1928