Carthaginian Magazine Winter 2023

cover story:

Breakthrough Ideas

Building on the success of ScienceWorks, the new entrepreneurship program hinges on teams with complementary skills.

Healing Vessels

Vascular tissue made by the company Juliana Blum ’98 co-founded is helping patients in Ukraine recover from traumatic wounds.

Game Day All-Stars

The competitors aren’t the only Firebirds keeping the crowd energized at home games.

An Urban Legend

Education professor Siovahn Williams draws on her passion and experience in urban classrooms to lead a unique Carthage program.

On Campus

Designed for student-athletes of color, the Carthage-Bound Football Camp eased the transition to college.

Faculty/Staff Notes

Professor Thomas Carr carries the banner for science in the debate over ownership of dinosaur fossils.

Fine Arts

See the Christmas Festival like never before, thanks to our photographers’ unprecedented access.

Athletics

Catch up with the 2022 Carthage Athletic Hall of Fame inductees. Class Notes

Four alumni received Beacon Awards in distinct new categories.

Jazz great Duke Ellington once gave a memorable performance at Carthage.

THE CARTHAGINIAN

Volume 102, Number 1

The Carthaginian is the official magazine of Carthage College, which is raising expectations for a private college experience. Carthage blends the best liberal arts traditions with desirable degree programs, transformative learning opportunities, personal attention from distinguished faculty, and a focus on career development, which makes its graduates competitive in the workforce. Founded in 1847, Carthage is located on an idyllic shore of Lake Michigan in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in the thriving corridor between Milwaukee and Chicago. For more information, visit: carthage.edu

Carthaginian Editorial Team

Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications Elizabeth Young

Managing Editor Mike Moore

Design/Art Direction Steve Janiak Kim King ’06

Photographers/Illustrators

Steve Janiak

Casey Aicher ’22 Alexis Greve ’24 Mike Gryniewicz Cameron Krueger ’23 Hannah Lizano ’23 Kayleigh Wieska ’26

Contributing Writers

Mike Moore

Chair of the Board of Trustees Jeff Hamar ’80 President John R. Swallow

Vice President for Advancement Bridget Haggerty

Ann Wagner Bundgaard Jacqueline Kenny Amber Morgan Angie Peterson For More Information

The Carthaginian Office of Marketing and Communications 2001 Alford Park Drive Kenosha, WI 53140 262-551-6021 • editor@carthage.edu Update Address/Mailing Preferences carthage.edu/mycontactinfo 800-551-1518 • alumnioffice@carthage.edu

A history of embodying entrepreneurship

In last winter’s edition of The Carthaginian, celebrating Carthage’s 175th year, I reflected on how this institution’s deep founding purpose — to enlighten the people of the American frontier — has remained true even as we have adapted our education for the needs of society in each generation.

In the last issue, I explored a more specific sort of purpose: how Carthage guides each student’s life journey. I reflected on how Carthage endeavors to form our students into the practical heroes of their communities: their workplaces, their families, and their places of worship.

In this issue, The Carthaginian focuses on entrepreneurship. Given Carthage’s emphasis on developing practical heroes, it should come as no surprise that many Carthaginians are full-on entrepreneurs, or that many others put entrepreneurial skills to use within their organizations.

Today, through the generous support of the Hedberg Distinguished Professorship, Carthage is developing its program in entrepreneurship from one that was focused mainly on the sciences to a new, broader form suited to this generation and our collective aspirations.

All of which leads to a natural question: Can we teach entrepreneurship if we do not exemplify it? My answer is an emphatic “no.” If we are truly to teach entrepreneurship well, Carthage must be a laboratory for it — a fertile environment for entrepreneurial activity. We should see that entrepreneurial spirit in department after department.

As practical heroes ourselves, we ought to be finding ways to bring together resources and new ideas to achieve ever greater impact.

And, in doing so, we must refuse to be held back by needless red tape, outdated procedure, or an unwillingness to reimagine our work to solve the problems of today.

And all of that leads to some natural questions. How entrepreneurial is Carthage now? And how entrepreneurial has it been over time?

It is easy to answer the second question. Some 60 years ago this fall, Carthage celebrated its grand opening in Kenosha. The significance was so great that the Kenosha News ran a 64-page supplement that day.

Surely, much had to do with the launch of a new, four-year institution of higher education in Kenosha. But I surmise that it was about more than that: It was the launch

of an entrepreneurial institution that would provide education, wherever and whenever made sense, to the sons and daughters of families in the region.

And, sure enough, “The Miracle of Carthage” tells precisely that story. Yes, that fall in 1962, Carthage opened with 300 full-time day students, but also 100 night students, 50 more in classes in North Chicago, and still 18 more in Milwaukee — military personnel needing college credit. That’s entrepreneurial, especially in the first year of Carthage’s work in Kenosha.

And lately Carthage is becoming more entrepreneurial, step by step. Over the last several years, we have added four varsity sports, undergraduate majors from collaborative piano to data science to engineering, and master’s degrees in areas from music theatre vocal pedagogy to sports management.

Inspired by our predecessors from 1962, we will not stop educating as many people in as many ways as possible.

John R. Swallow

Entrance ramp to college life

They’re among the first newcomers to arrive on campus each year, but the transition to college can be intimidating for student-athletes — particularly students of color.

Based on initial feedback, a new Carthage College pre-orientation program is shrinking that fear down to size and helping those newcomers navigate the college experience with confidence.

Last fall, the Office of Equity and Inclusion held the first Carthage-Bound Football Camp for team members from historically underrepresented racial minorities. The five-day program introduced 26 new Firebirds to some of the people, places, and programs they’ll rely on most during their studies here.

In surveys taken at the end of the camp, about 95% of participants indicated it’s worth continuing. Based on the successful debut, the program could be scaled to include more students in the future.

“Many football players come to Carthage far from their home communities and families, and the challenge of finding resources on an unfamiliar college campus while juggling classes and hours of practice every day resulted in retention struggles,” said Michele Hancock, vice president of college culture for inclusion. “Building a sense of community and belonging while introducing students to campus supports from day one will help these young men to be successful.”

The camp grew out of the College’s participation in Moon Shot for Equity, an initiative to wipe out race- and income-based disparities in graduation rates by 2030. Research shows that students who feel like they belong are more likely to stay enrolled.

Alongside faculty and staff volunteers, 18 student workers led Carthage-Bound discussions and ice-breakers that helped the student-athletes set goals and identify the many places on campus they can turn to for support. The camp set the stage for New Student Orientation.

Defensive lineman JJ Fletcher ’26 of Chicago liked that the program was tailored to “my African American brothers and me.” He took away a bunch of useful tips, from how to make a positive first impression on professors to ways to manage his time.

“I didn’t know how I was going to adjust to college, and I can say I’ve had a great start so far,” said JJ, who plans to

major in criminal justice while playing for the Firebirds. “Carthage is already a family-oriented college, and with Carthage-Bound I feel like I’m a part of this school.”

The program helped freshman Koen Abreu ’26 find his bearings at the College. The defensive back from Mililani, Hawaii, plans to major in finance and accounting.

“The sessions I attended helped greatly with my knowledge of Carthage and the many resources they give to every student,” Koen said. The sessions particularly sharpened his “understanding and ability to help others with the many apps we use for homework and scheduling.”

As a “football mom,” chemistry professor Christine Blaine connected easily with the new Firebirds. She’s eager to join the cheering section at home games and, farther down the line, at graduation.

“The students were engaged, funny, reflective, and asked excellent questions,” she said. “I found the entire experience uplifting, and I remember driving home that night thinking how I look forward to watching these students grow.”

A glimpse of what’s happening in the Carthage community

In one of the skill-building activities at the Carthage-Bound Football Camp, student-athletes built marshmallow towers to practice delegating.

4 career pointers from the Aspire Conference

A ton of valuable professional and personal guidance was dispensed at the 2022 Aspire Conference, which took place on campus Oct. 6-8. The conference has been an important element of Carthage’s career development sequence, The Aspire Program.

In addition to the large group presentations, almost 30 active alumni returned to Carthage to advise students at the Firebirds in Your Field breakout sessions and a Meet Your Mentor reception. Total attendance at the three-day event approached 600, including a few seniors who have made it to every Aspire Conference since the launch in 2019.

Here are four pieces of advice that emerged from the fall gathering:

say yes as often as possible. Kicking off the conference, Joanna Baumann ’07 explained in a talk aptly titled “The Power

of Yes!” how that mantra keeps opening doors in her career. She’s the vice president of marketing and partnerships at iHeartRadio in Las Vegas, co-host of the city’s No. 1 radio show, and a commercial voiceover artist.

In search of warmer winters, Ms. Baumann blanketed Vegas employers with her resume and took a position with a prepaid wireless company — a job she couldn’t remember applying for. She jumps at new opportunities, learning that even the duds can be valuable.

Like an unfulfilling stint at a dated hotel that convinced iHeartRadio execs she could confront a challenge.

take control of your story. Podcaster and award-winning journalist Tommy Tomlinson knows how to tell compelling stories in different formats. During a three-day visit to Carthage, he led (with

Aspire Center staff member Holly Hess) a conference session laying out “How to Infuse Your Story Through Interviews.”

Demonstrating with stick figure drawings, Mr. Tomlinson noted that a good story always contains a) a sympathetic character who b) overcomes some obstacle to c) reach their ultimate goal. Drawing a parallel to the hiring process, Ms. Hess encouraged attendees to refine their own narratives — complete with illustrations — until they’re confident enough to crush that next job interview.

be nice to everyone. The operative word there is everyone, as Joanna Baumann emphasized in a session titled “Creating Your Brand and Knowing How to Use It.” In other words, not just the higherups. That fits with Ms. Baumann’s insistence on growing into “the best version of yourself.”

Besides her own employer, the Carthage alumna draws inspiration from a Vegas neighbor: online retailer Zappos. There, she said, hiring managers provide shuttle transportation to bring candidates in for job interviews — to be hospitable, sure, but also to monitor how well candidates treat the bus drivers.

take full advantage of online career tools. Conference presenter Jamie Ryan, an enterprise account director for LinkedIn, offered tips to get the most out of the popular networking site. Like incorporating industry-specific keywords into your profile headline and summary to catch the attention of employers’ automated applicant tracking systems. And like paying attention to 2nd and 3rd connections, the friends and colleagues of people you know.

Aspire Center staffers also reminded students to use the College’s robust employment platform, Handshake. Alumni are welcome to search for jobs and internships on the site, as well as to post their oganizations’ openings. Create your account at carthage.joinhandshake.com.

Kickoff speaker Joanna Baumann ’07 (center) demonstrated “The Power of Yes!” to students attending the 2022 Aspire Conference.

PLEDGED

to make education more accessible with the Carthage Commitment. Beginning this fall, incoming students from Wisconsin households with annual income below $65,000 can enroll with no direct out-of-pocket tuition costs. After federal and state grants and the Stafford Loan are applied, the College will cover the remainder of eligible students’ tuition. Learn more: carthage.edu/commitment

HOSTED

a two-day symposium in September that marked the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Sponsored by Trustee Patrick Anderson ’85 in collaboration with the Lincoln Forum, the event featured presentations by prominent scholars of Abraham Lincoln, an early trustee of the College.

MINTED

a new tradition that celebrates the senior class and their mentors. At the first Coin Ceremony in September, students in the Class of 2023 received a commemorative bronze coin to present to a faculty or staff member who’s been an especially positive influence.

BROKE GROUND

on a new building near the corner of 17th Street and Sheridan Road that will house the facilities management staff and equipment, as well as the campus mailroom. The project will free up space in Lentz Hall to accommodate Carthage’s growing engineering program.

WELCOMED

an impressive assortment of speakers, including:

Rev. Michael Calabria, a Franciscan friar who directs the Center for Arabic and Islamic Studies at St. Bonaventure University.

Charles Clark, a threetime NCAA track and field champion who’s gone on to become a motivational speaker.

Molly Fletcher, a leadership trainer and former trail-blazing sports agent who visited as part of the Spotlight on Sports series.

Travis Hessman, a digital manufacturing expert whose insights into Industry 4.0 enlightened the Carthage Business and Professional Coalition.

Over the course of the fall 2022 semester, Carthage:

Keynote Speaker Edna Medford with President Swallow

School of Business and Economics goes live

1 in 4 Carthage students major in these academic areas

This spring, Carthage will officially celebrate the opening of its distinctive School of Business and Economics, which encompasses several of the College’s most popular degree programs.

The celebration will take place on campus Wednesday, April 5, featuring keynote speaker Kunal Kapoor. He’s the CEO of Morningstar, a highly influential Chicago-based company that provides tools and services for investors.

“Growing from data analyst to CEO in 20 years at Morningstar with expertise in strategic planning, product development and innovation, Kunal Kapoor’s rise mirrors an exciting vision we have for the new school,” said Professor Jim Padilla, dean of the new Carthage business school.

“Kunal’s success and achievements represent what is possible with a business-focused liberal arts degree.”

Prof. Padilla arrived last summer to direct the business school’s launch after leading a similar program at Loras College. Along with a teaching background in sports management, law, and ethics, he brings more than two decades of executive-level experience in specialized insurance.

About one-fourth of Carthage’s undergraduate students major in accounting, economics, finance, management, or marketing, and the graduate business program offers parallel tracks in sports management and business design and innovation. The new School of Business and Economics brings distinguished faculty from those thriving departments together under a single umbrella.

This new structure promises to foster greater collaboration, expand hands-on learning, and pave the way for new programs and partnerships in emerging fields. Input from prominent alumni and regional employers will continually inform the curriculum.

Craig Leipold, majority owner of the Minnesota Wild NHL franchise, calls the business school’s formation “a winning move.” He’s seen Carthage thrive from two vantage points: as a parent and as chair of the Sports Management Advisory Council.

“Carthage faculty members are some of the most dynamic experts in their fields. They’re building courses that not only teach students the fundamentals of business, but also how to think innovatively and solve real-world problems,” said Mr. Leipold. “Those skills make Carthage students more attractive to employers and successful in life.”

School of Business and Economics Grand Opening Celebration

Kunal Kapoor

CEO of Morningstar since 2017, will be the speaker for the School of Business and Economics Launch Event. Since joining the firm in 1997, Mr. Kapoor has led the development of many innovative services and products. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Monmouth (Illinois) College and a master’s from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. He served on the board of PitchBook, known for its private equity and venture capital database, and continues to serve as a trustee for The Nature Conservancy in Illinois.

,

Jim Padilla

Illinois campus: Gone but not forgotten

Commemorating a critical segment in its history, Carthage installed a historical marker at the College’s previous location in Carthage, Illinois.

The Office of Advancement partnered with the Illinois State Historical Society to create the lasting tribute in conjunction with the 175 Years of Carthage anniversary celebration. A dedication ceremony took place in October at the site where the College stood from 1870 to 1964.

“Our campus was a compact community that allowed for creativity and vibrancy that impacted student, faculty, staff, and community lives,” said

Dennis Magnuson ’63, who helped make the marker possible. “May this historic marker now indicate to others that, yes, there was a vibrant learning community here for almost a century.”

Located near the Iowa border in western Illinois, the city of Carthage has about 2,500 residents. The Legacy Theater and Carthage Veterinary Service also assisted with the project.

“This is a very important moment,” said President John Swallow. “This place occupies over half of our history. When I read the history of Carthage, I see that the values that it now stands by were created here.”

Giving to the Carthage Fund supports financial aid, new programs, and facilities.

Your gifts lead the way to fulfill our promise to students today and secure futures for those who follow.

With more resources, imagine how far our Carthage community could go.

Select “Carthage Fund” in the Designation field: carthage.edu/give-today

Dinosaur expert wants fossil auctions to go extinct

When science and status symbols butt heads, Carthage biology professor Thomas Carr chooses a clear side.

For years, the renowned vertebrate paleontologist has voiced his opposition to auctions that put dinosaur fossils in the hands of wealthy collectors — and out of the reach of scientists. Interviewed by reporters from The New York Times, National Geographic, and other major outlets in 2022, Prof. Carr became a leading voice in the debate. Several well-preserved specimens went up for bid over the past several months. Hector the Deinonychus. Shen the T. rex. A yet-to-be-named Gorgosaurus. In each case, the fossils sold to private bidders for millions of dollars.

Unlike in some countries, there’s no U.S. law preventing the sale of fossils found on private land. But critics say the bidding wars prevent museums from acquiring specimens, leaving researchers with minimal to no access to them.

“A secure, permanent collection ensures that the observations that a scientist makes of a fossil can be tested and replicated — and a commercially held fossil has no such assurance,” Prof. Carr told the Daily Mail in October.

He serves as the senior scientific advisor to the Dinosaur Discovery Museum in Kenosha, which houses the Carthage Institute of Paleontology. Fossils collected during the institute’s periodic digs in Montana are prepared and curated in the CIP lab.

Cynthia Allen, associate professor of exercise and sport science, wrote a research article titled “Connectedness to nature and improved health outcomes” that was published in the July/ August edition of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal.

Anthony Barnhart, professor of psychological science, co-organized the Science of Magic Association conference in July. There, he presented his newest research, “Tactical Blinking in Magicians: A tool for self- and other-deception,” which appeared in the 2022 edition of Psychology of Consciousness.

Maggie Burk, assistant professor of music, composed “Set Me as a Seal,” a choral piece that was published by the Hal Leonard Corporation. It’s set to premiere at the American Choral Directors Association national conference in February.

Leslie Cameron, professor of psychological science, gave a keynote address at an international

seminar in Paris to show how introductory psychology courses can correct students’ misconceptions about the field. She also wrote a new book, “Illustrating Concepts and Phenomena in Psychology: A Teacher-Friendly Compendium of Examples.”

Thomas Carr, director of the Carthage Institute of Paleontology, led a four-week expedition in Montana last summer with students, alumni, and community volunteers. They uncovered hundreds of dinosaur fossils, including ankle and skull bones from a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex. Participants also covered a 5-foot-long Triceratops skull with a protective jacket to preserve it until the next dig in 2024.

Tracy Gartner, professor of environmental science and biology, co-authored a successful proposal for a new ecological research network. Funded by a nearly $500,000 grant through the National Science Foundation, the network will help college instructors to learn about macrosystems

ecology and to design inclusive experiments for their students.

Andrea Henle, associate professor of biology, was selected to participate in the NASA STAR program. Space bioscience training allows participants to form new research collaborations and identify funding opportunities. She also received a grant from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium to develop a research project for students that examines the formation of ocular melanoma and the migration of cancer cells in simulated microgravity.

Katherine Hilson, assistant professor of sociology, presented her research at annual meetings of both the Association of Black Sociologists (Chicago) and the American Society of Criminology (Atlanta) last fall. The presentations drew from a paper she drafted, titled “Black Feminist Abolition: Understanding the Paradoxical Tensions for Black Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence.”

PASTOR’S MESSAGE

Edward Kawakami, director of orchestral activities, spent three weeks last summer teaching music and conducting for students in Iraqi Kurdistan and Lebanon with YES Academy. Sponsored by nonprofit American Voices, the academy supports youths worldwide who lack exposure to the arts and formal training in various art forms.

Katharine Keenan, senior director of foundation and corporate relations, wrote “Belfast Imaginary: Art and Urban Reinvention,” a newly published book that distilled 10 years of ethnographic research on murals, festivals, and parades in the Northern Ireland city.

Ryan Miller, associate professor of art, completed an augmented reality mural by the front entrance to the Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago. Measuring 25 by 36 feet, the mural provides visitors an interactive experience. Using their cell phones, they can activate animations and audio recordings of notable Chicago artists. Prof. Miller coordinated the project with fellow contributors to the “Bad at Sports” art podcast.

Debra Minsky-Kelly, clinical assistant professor of social work, presented at the National Association of Social Workers’ state conference on Oct. 20 with Courtney Polanski ’23, Savannah Bezotte ’23, and Ashley Cedeno ’19. Their presentation stemmed from a partnership between Carthage social work faculty and public libraries in Racine and Kenosha. Along with Rebecca Hornung, associate professor of social work, she also co-wrote “Structural Whiteness in Mental Health” in the International Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics.

Colleen Palmer, assistant professor of communication and digital media, earned second place at the International Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Conference for her Crisis Communication Exchange program. Her “Great Idea for Teaching” was published in the Journal of Public Relations Education.

Encouraging news on several fronts

Today’s Carthage students land right around the midpoint of Generation Z, and we are continually learning how campus ministry can best serve them.

This academic year is going strong in the Center for Faith and Spirituality. Students are showing up for programs, and our student staff is doing good work. We also have a new staff member who has brought a stronger focus to our work regarding vocation.

Our strongest program continues to be Interfaith Lunch on Thursdays. When it started in 2014-15, the program would bring in about 12 to 15 students each week. So far in 2022-23, we’ve had as many as 40.

They come to hear other Carthaginians and guests share their worldview, like faculty members who talked about spiritual atheism and hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Or like fellow students who described how they’re giving the Jewish Student Union new life or how they’ve made the Quaker tradition their own.

Interfaith work has grabbed the attention of our students. We are already getting excited about 2024-25, when we can celebrate the 10-year anniversary of this program.

Our student staff is one of the joys of my call here at Carthage. Although our 17 student workers have just a few hours a week to plan and run weekly or monthly programs, they reach more students than those of us on the professional staff could reach on our own.

We get to help these student staff members grow and reflect on who they are, what type of work they enjoy, and what type of work they would like to avoid. It is an honor to be part of their Carthage experience, and to give them some of the skills they will need to build a full life in the future.

Some are with us for four years, and some are only with us for two or three semesters.

However long they are with us, we hope they learn more about themselves and feel more prepared for life in the “real world.”

Finally, our newest professional staff member, Holly Hess — whose title is Purposeful Life and Leadership Coordinator — has helped us fine-tune our focus on vocation, which highlights the College’s Lutheran roots. This position, shared with the Aspire Center (our career development office), is the product of a wonderful collaboration.

The self-reflection program we piloted last spring went so well that we did it again in fall. Each day, participating students receive a question that prompts them to reflect on one of six areas: experience, values, growth, reality, faith, and nature. Each week, they have the option to meet in a small group to discuss their responses. This program has helped many to find a sense of belonging with fellow students they probably wouldn’t have met otherwise.

Campus ministry is definitely different from when I started here at Carthage in 2014. Back then, I had never heard the term “interfaith.” There was a small student staff, but no focus on staff development. And, while we had a third part-timer in the office, the position had a different emphasis.

Students aren’t really interested in the way things used to be, but they are still spiritually and religiously curious. They still long for community and belonging. Hopefully we are providing the outlet they need. At least for now, it seems we are doing something right.

Blessings on a new year of ministry and growth.

Rev. Kara Baylor Campus Pastor

Share in the Wonder Share in the Wonder

Continuing an annual community tradition, Carthage held the 2022 Christmas Festival on Dec. 2-4. Photos depict the public performances, as well as a full dress rehearsal where our photographers were given unprecedented access.

THE 12 MONTHS of Christmas Festival

Did you know planning for the 2023 event is already underway? The candles from the last Service of Light are barely extinguished before preparations begin anew. Here’s a rough timeline:

JANUARY Reserve A. F. Siebert Chapel for performance dates APRIL Relay theme to campus community SEPTEMBER Hold auditions Finalize music Begin rehearsals OCTOBER Open ticket sales Send festival program to printer NOVEMBER Compile script that coordinates lighting, sound, and video Load in Isabelle and William Wittig Nativity Star and Jim and LaRue Unglaube Advent Wreath

DECEMBER Put on full dress rehearsal for faculty/staff Wow audience with performance! (Repeat two times.) Replay live stream on Christmas Day

Still humming at 40, Treble Choir celebrates

The Carthage Treble Choir turned 40 and showed no signs of slowing down. Celebrating the anniversary at the 2022 Homecoming concert, alumni joined choir director Peter Dennee for several selections. The returning performers included Laura Kaeppeler ’10, a former Miss America.

Previously known as the Women’s Ensemble, the choir is open to any student who demonstrates the appropriate vocal range. Since its inception in 1982, the Treble Choir has premiered more than a dozen new choral works by notable 21st century composers. The group gravitates to pieces composed by women.

Events marking the 40th anniversary will continue into 2023, starting in J-Term with a Treble Choir performance tour to four European countries: the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, and Slovenia. One of the selections the singers will perform is “The Storm Is Passing Over” by the Rev. Charles Albert Tindley, an early 20th century gospel hymn that’s become an annual staple for the Carthage ensemble.

Laura Kaeppeler '10 (foreground), a Carthage music alumna and former Miss America, was a featured guest performer at the 2022 Homecoming Concert.

Hall of Fame adds a baker’s dozen

As part of Homecoming weekend, Carthage inducted 13 standout alumni into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 23.

4x100 Relay (2003) Women’s Track and Field

The team won the 4x100-meter relay at the 2003 NCAA Division III outdoor championship in 46.55 seconds, the seventh-fastest ever in that distance at the time. The individual relay members went on to earn 43 combined All-America honors.

NOW: Shea’na Grigsby ‘06 lives in Minneapolis while working as senior director of partner operations for NCSA College Recruiting. She was previously inducted as an individual in 2011.

Caretha (Carroll) James ‘05 lives in Chicago and teaches pre-kindergarten in the public school system. She is studying toward a master’s degree in early childhood education at National Louis University.

Latrice M. (Powell) Rone ‘03 of Berkeley, Illinois, is a member/student engagement coordinator with the American Society of Safety Professionals. Closing in on their 15th anniversary, she and her husband have three daughters.

Alie “Muffy” (Israel) Thomas ‘05 lives in Atlanta, where she’s a middle school counselor at Whitefield Academy. Previously inducted as an individual in 2011, Ms. Thomas is married with two daughters.

Karen Chin ’16 Women’s Volleyball

Coaches voted Karen Chin as an All-American in 2014 (second team) and 2015 (first team). She remains Carthage’s career leader in assists with 5,233. Ms. Chin shared the conference Player of the Year award in 2014 and won it outright in 2015.

NOW: After graduating, she started Karen Chin Photography as a side gig and now runs the business full time. From her base in Mundelein, Illinois, Ms. Chin’s goal is to do a photo shoot in all 50 U.S. states. “I love the variety of shoots I get asked to do,” she says, “along with all the hats a business owner wears.”

Nick Colletti ’77 Baseball

A three-time all-conference honoree, Nick Colletti is 12th at Carthage in career batting average (.368), seventh in career triples (8), and seventh for triples in a single season (5).

NOW: In a 30-year career as a physical therapist and personal trainer, Mr. Colletti worked with high school, college, and professional athletes. He’s been active in Special Olympics and helped raise funds for cystic fibrosis research. He has lived in southeastern Florida since 1989.

Randy Converse ’74 Football

The late Randy Converse ‘74 was a two-time allconference first-team selection as a defensive end. He was the team’s defensive MVP in 1973, when

he totaled 57 tackles and earned NAIA all-district honors. Mr. Converse also competed in track and field, winning the 1973 CCIW shot put title.

NOW: Mr. Converse was honored posthumously. His brother Terry ’75, a previous Hall of Fame inductee, accepted on his behalf.

Jackie Dernek ’05 Women’s Soccer

Still the program’s career leader for goals (65) and game-winning goals (21), Jackie Dernek twice made the all-CCIW second team with Carthage.

NOW: She lives in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Although it took “a long time to figure out my niche,” Ms. Dernek found the right fit in counseling. Her position with ABG Wellness Group affords the flexibility to be “both a thoughtful and engaged therapist but also an all-in, full-time mom” to two kids. And, naturally, she’s an experienced youth soccer coach.

Evan Jones ’11 Football

Evan Jones completed his career as the program’s all-time leader in passing yards (9,406), total yards (9,424), and touchdown passes (82). In 2010, he was voted the Art Keller Offensive Player of the Year award in the CCIW and the Wisconsin Private College Player of the Year.

Jeff Lotz Jr. ’13

Men’s Tennis

Jeff Lotz Jr. compiled 90 career wins in singles and, along with Daneric Hazelman ’12, holds Carthage records for doubles wins in a career (57) and season (34 in 2011-12, when he was an AllAmerican). Mr. Lotz made the all-CCIW first team three times (Player of the Year in 2011-12).

McKenzie Parks ’16 Women’s Golf

When she graduated, McKenzie Parks held every Carthage individual scoring record. Seven years later, she maintains the program’s lowest career average (78.84) and lowest NCAA championship score (318 in 2015, when she placed 10th). Ms. Parks is the team’s only All-America selection.

NOW: She works as a digital marketing and sales specialist at Mativ, a global manufacturer of

specialty materials. Residing in the golf-friendly climate of Jacksonville, Florida, Ms. Parks got married on Dec. 2.

Greg Raimondi ’12 Men’s Track and Field

Three times, Greg Raimondi won or shared MVP honors at the CCIW meet. After winning 2012 conference titles in four events, he placed third in the hammer throw at the NCAA outdoor championship to secure a place on the All-America team.

NOW: Entering his seventh season as an assistant coach at Carthage, Mr. Raimondi took on an additional role as director of strength and conditioning for several sports. More than 20 throwers have qualified for the NCAA championships under his guidance, bringing him several regional coaching awards.

Kevin Sullivan ’00 Baseball

As a senior, Kevin Sullivan was the CCIW Co-Player of the Year and a third-team All-American. He still ranks in the top five at Carthage for career batting average, hits, RBIs, and doubles. His 16-game hitting streak to start the 1998 season is second in program history.

NOW: After a nine-year playing career in the minor leagues, Mr. Sullivan co-founded the Elite Sports Performance baseball and softball academy in suburban Chicago. Also an assistant coach with the Benedictine University baseball team, he lives in Joliet, Illinois, with his wife and two daughters.

The nomination window for the 2023 Hall of Fame class is open until May 29. Alumni are eligible for induction five years after graduation, while coaches and staff are eligible after 10 years of service or five years after leaving the College. Find a link to the nomination form at: carthage.edu/hall-of-fame

Those accepting awards at the induction ceremony included (from left) Greg Raimondi, McKenzie Parks, Karen Chin, Caretha James, Jackie Dernek, Jeff Lotz Jr., Terry Converse (on behalf of the late Randy Converse), Shea'na Grigsby, and Kevin Sullivan.

game day

ATHLETIC TRAINERS

Five full-timers (head trainer Jake Dinauer ’00, M.Ed. ’02; Haley McClain, M.Ed. ’21; Samantha Saalfeld; Taylor DeGroot; and Cullen Murray) and graduate assistant Brody Ilstrup ’21 divvy up coverage of home events.

Most football fans notice trainers during games, assessing and caring for injuries, but their duties (treatment, taping, muscle stimulation, etc.) begin 2 1/2 hours before kickoff.

The Firebirds salute all of the (somewhat) behind-the-scenes staff members and volunteers who keep game day running smoothly.

SPIRIT TEAM

The Spirit Team consists of 23 dancers, 16 cheerleaders, 2 baton twirlers, 2 flag spinners, and the mascot Ember. They fire up the crowd from the sidelines and perform during halftime at select home games. The team also competes as a club sport, led by longtime director Amy Malczewski (who also works in the Aspire Center), coach Hannah Carls, and assistants Emily Barrera ’19 and Stephanie Van Wieringen ’18.

PEP BAND

Participation in Pep Band has held steady at 60 to 70 members over the past several years. Directed by Professor Jim Ripley, the peppy performers can be heard at all Carthage home football games and 10 basketball games (men’s and women’s) each year. Their signature tune? “Hey! Baby!”, a classic hit from the early 1960s that’s had people in the stands singing along for more than 20 years.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

Most Carthage sports are assigned a “helper” team that assists paid staff with game day operations. For example, men’s lacrosse players have duties at football games, like queuing up video board graphics and music during breaks in the action — tasks that the staff from Library and Information Services handles at Tarble Arena events.

LIVE STREAMING

For fans who can’t make it in person, webcasting producer John Voynovich ’10, M.Ed. ’13 and a crew of 25 students stream live events in 16 varsity sports. Football requires the biggest commitment, with up to seven camera operators. John Weiser, the longtime radio voice of Carthage Athletics, and others provide commentary. In 2021-22, the crew’s efforts drew almost 75,000 views.

In the booth at Art Keller Field

All Sports Recovery room opens

Women’s Volleyball Tied for the top spot

A newly renovated space in Tarble Arena opened last fall as the N.E.S.T., a recovery room for all Firebird student-athletes. The name stands for Nutrition, Exercise Science, and Treatment.

Gifts from Carthage trustees Tom Kieso ’73 and Steven Hopp supported the new facility, one of the few dedicated recovery spaces in NCAA Division III athletic programs. The N.E.S.T. features zero-gravity chairs, massage guns, and nutritional snacks.

“I love stopping in the N.E.S.T. after a hard workout or practice,” said Zach Bulthuis ’23 of the men’s volleyball team. “It’s the perfect way to wind down and prepare for the next event on the calendar.”

Women’s Tennis Freshman sweeps awards

Finishing 6-2 in conference matches, the Firebirds earned a piece of the CCIW regular season title. The team went 21-9 overall, placing four student-athletes on the all-conference team.

“I am so proud of this team and our staff and how the Firebirds have persevered through injuries, illness, and handling being such a young team,” said head coach Leanne Ulmer.

Women’s Wrestling CCIW sponsors sport

In her first season, Xingchen Liu ’26 of Hefei, China, won two of the top individual awards given out by the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

Honored as both Student-Athlete of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in the conference, Liu went 12-2 in singles (8-0 against CCIW opponents) and paired with Giana Apostoli ’23 to go 6-2 in the No. 1 doubles flight.

The CCIW became the first NCAA Division III conference to sponsor women’s wrestling in 2021-22.

“As women’s wrestling and conference affiliations continue to grow, constructive rivalries become more established and this helps the fan base grow too,” said Firebirds head coach Jake Calhoun. “It’s an incredibly fun time to be part of the wrestling community while it grows to new heights.”

Carthage had competed independently as a member of the Women’s Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Coalition. An NCAA committee has endorsed it as a potential future championship-level sport.

Vessels of healing

Ukraine surgeons repair wounds using vascular tissue made by alumna’s firm

The ring tone rose above the sounds of the Atlantic Ocean waves.

While Juliana Blum ’98 stepped away to answer the phone during a relaxing family beach day in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the vascular surgeon on the other end of the call was trying frantically to save lives and limbs 5,000 miles away in battlescarred Ukraine.

He knew about some promising clinical trials that Humacyte, a biotech firm co-founded by Ms. Blum, had been conducting just across the border in Poland. The surgeon wondered if the company’s bioengineered tissue could be used to treat wounded Ukrainian soldiers and civilians during the Russian onslaught. Similar requests came from others in the region.

The investigational Human Acellular Vessels (HAV) are designed as an “off-the-shelf” surgical alternative to traditional vascular grafts. Early results suggest they could be more durable than a vein taken from another part of the patient’s body and less prone to infection than implanted synthetic grafts.

Starting with vascular cells from a proprietary cell bank, Humacyte researchers grow new tissue in the lab in a matter of weeks. Each HAV comes packaged in a sterile tube about the length of a windshield wiper, and its temperature is carefully controlled during transport.

Before taking that call, Ms. Blum had a different timeline in mind: two years to market. In the snail-paced U.S. medical approval process, that’s just around the corner. To the pleading surgeons, that

Juliana Blum ’98

was an eternity they couldn’t afford.

So the future arrived early.

Long hours were a tiny price for the Humacyte staff to pay, compared to the constant bombardment their collaborators endured in the war zone. A Ukraine-based regulatory specialist tirelessly coordinated with officials in her country by day and their U.S. counterparts at night, translating as needed.

After securing emergency approval for humanitarian use on both ends, the company shipped out the first HAV batch in May. Doctors were trained remotely via Zoom.

“It was humbling in ways that are hard to describe,” says Ms. Blum, the company’s executive vice president for corporate development. “This is why we do what we do.”

Four months later, two of those Ukrainian surgeons shared preliminary findings with peers from across Europe who attended a medical conference in Rome. The news was encouraging.

They described patients who recovered fully thanks to implanted HAV after suffering severe shoulder and leg injuries in explosions. Another person who’d been shot in the thigh avoided amputation.

As of mid-November, at least nine Ukrainian patients who received the innovative treatment were recuperating or fully recovered from traumatic wounds associated with the ongoing confict and invasion of Russian forces.

“While we continue to face this crisis in our country,” explained Dr. Vasil Shaprynskyi, “partnerships with groups like Humacyte allow us to overcome many limitations in wartime medical care that we previously experienced.”

gritty, not abrasive

The HAV can be grown in a matter of weeks, a stark contrast to the ongoing odyssey the product has taken from concept to reality. It’s been 18 years since Ms. Blum (then a postdoctoral researcher) teamed with Duke University colleagues — led by Dr. Laura Niklason, a pioneer in regenerative medicine — to form Humacyte.

Still entrenched in Durham, North Carolina, the company today employs 160 workers. It went public a couple of years ago.

“I’ve learned a tremendous amount about what it means to bring a novel idea to market,” says Ms. Blum.

It took a surplus of confidence to stay on course. When the Carthage alumna returned to campus to accept a Beacon Award in 2014, she could easily pinpoint the source of hers.

Humacyte’s surgical collaborators in Ukraine welcomed their first shipment of the Human Acellular Vessels.

“My husband said, ‘You really can’t get lost here, can you?’ And he was right,” recalls Ms. Blum, who serves on the Alumni Council. “You were accountable, and you grew through that accountability.”

Her workplace sets a similar tone. Backstabbers need not apply.

“The culture of Carthage is very much the culture we try to instill at Humacyte: a mix of being driven and committed while also having respect and integrity,” she says. “We look for others who fit, and not everybody does.”

Bitten by the research bug at Carthage, Ms. Blum was a sort of “beta tester” for a program that has since blossomed into the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience. She shelved a plan for medical school, opting instead to develop innovative treatments and therapies.

trudging ahead

Of course, no startup allows you to wear just one hat. Especially early on at Humacyte, Ms. Blum bounced from scientist to business developer to communicator.

“It’s been great to show my daughter what women can do in the science and engineering world,” she says.

Volunteering with Women in Bio, a professional organization with an entrepreneurial focus, Ms. Blum tries to map out a smoother route for others following in her footsteps.

Heading into an uncharted corner of the market, the Carthaginian learned as she went. Like how to steer through a regulatory maze.

The founders hoped to go big right

away with the company, making vessels for coronary bypasses, and started looking ahead to clinical trials. Reluctant to put heart patients in the hands of the new kids on the biomedical block, peers and advisors — including the Food and Drug Administration — advised the firm to take baby steps first.

Unfazed, the team pivoted to other vascular applications that could be tested in humans without endangering their lives: hemodialysis (a blood-cleansing procedure), peripheral arterial replacements, and traumatic injury repair.

Ms. Blum learned about scale, too. Odd as it sounds to talk about bodily tissue in manufacturing terms, the company had to learn how to ramp up production. Now, Humacyte can grow up to 200 of the vessels per batch in a facility that’s capable of producing about 40,000 annually.

Company leaders expect FDA approval of the product for use in vascular trauma in 2024. Through a variety of approved trials, doctors have already used the HAV in more than 500 patients worldwide.

It’s still on the table as a possible coronary bypass alternative farther down the line. And Ms. Blum sees plenty of other potential applications for the proprietary bioengineering platform — even managing Type 1 diabetes without insulin.

She can only marvel at the courage and dedication of the team’s medical partners in Ukraine, where patients aren’t the only ones whose lives are at stake. Far from the missile strikes, this forward-thinking Carthaginian is just grateful to contribute to the healing process.

Removed from its packaging, this HAV measures 6.6 millimeters in diameter.

“The culture of Carthage is very much the culture we try to instill at Humacyte: a mix of being driven and committed while also having respect and integrity.”

be a connector for Carthage students

join the aspire network to help students and fellow alumni unlock new doors in their lives and professions. Using our customizable web-based platform, you can specify the type and frequency of guidance you’re willing to provide.

One-to-One Mentoring: Get matched with a Carthage student based on interests and goals. This program guides you to develop an authentic, supportive relationship.

Flash Mentoring: Can’t commit long term? Help others in a pinch by responding to discussion questions or quickly reviewing a resume.

Additional Options: Set profile preferences to fit your schedule and expertise. Consider leading a workshop or inviting students to visit your workplace.

Alumni Directory: Search the directory to expand your professional network and reconnect with Carthage classmates.

a major impact

Whether it’s by connecting individual students to professional opportunities or by financially supporting the College’s experiential learning funds, Carthaginians continue to step forward. See how much recent internships meant to these seniors:

“This internship has been a huge opportunity for me to grow personally, professionally, creatively, and emotionally. I have a better idea of my goals and my direction in my professional development, and I feel more independent than ever.”

ANDREW COLLETTI ’23 Sales Intern – HARIBO

“Due to various financial issues, I found myself wondering if taking on an internship with a nonprofit organization would be suitable. This gift not only helped me stay financially afloat, but I created long-lasting memories at the agency.”

LUISA NAVA ’23

Adult and Children’s Domestic Violence Intern – Turning Point Inc.

“Working alongside police officers allowed me to gain knowledge that cannot be obtained in a classroom setting. In addition to learning the specialized skills of law enforcement, I obtained transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, and computer proficiency.”

ULISES HERNANDEZ ’23 Intern – Kenosha Police Department

To sign up for the Aspire Network, scan the QR code or visit aspirenetwork.carthage.edu

Professor Siovahn Williams, director of the Urban Teacher Preparation Program at Carthage, spends time at field sites like this one: 21st Century Preparatory School in Racine.

Carthage students who do their fieldwork at the charter school receive expert coaching from experienced teachers like Samantha Nelson (left) and Amy Baer (above).

Urban legends in the making

At home in city classrooms, Siovahn Williams equips teachers to connect on a deeper level

Sure, as one of two Black students in her entire elementary school class, Siovahn Williams saw the systemic roadblocks. She simply plowed through them.

“Education was one thing people couldn’t take from you as a Black female in a very segregated city,” the Carthage education professor explains. “My way of fighting back was to get smarter. I couldn’t let others think we were undeserving of an education.”

That’s one way to do it. These days, Prof. Williams is cultivating a better way — one that’s designed to remove those barriers altogether.

An approach that works at a suburban school might flop in the heart of the city. The conditions are different. The demographics are different.

Mindful of those differences, Carthage’s Urban Teacher Preparation Program insists on delivering an education that’s tailored to kids’ unique gifts. Prof. Williams directs this distinctive offering, which changes the way teachers are taught.

“Urban education has become a passion of mine,” she says. “I saw the need up close.”

In a family filled with military and law enforcement personnel, the young Chicago girl had standing orders to persevere in school.

On paper, her dogged effort in school seemed to pay off right away. A bachelor’s degree in business and communications led to a decent-paying position at a real estate investment trust.

While muddling through that day job, however, the young professional caught herself daydreaming about a side gig. She lived for those evenings and weekends, running an after-school program for city kids in the Chicago Park District.

There, success stories were always celebrated — never taken for granted — like the one that still makes Prof. Williams beam when she retells it. Jailed for a gang-related offense, that particular student came straight to her upon his release, determined to complete his GED. He followed through.

“I found that I really thrived when I was working with students,” Prof. Williams recalls. “When I wasn’t there, they were looking for me. It became a very safe place for them.”

So she channeled that energy into a new career.

There in the Windy City, Prof. Williams took her first official steps into the educational field, substitute teaching and managing a college preparatory program for disadvantaged students. After moving north to Kenosha, she earned a teaching license and master’s degree through an accelerated certification program that resembled the one she now oversees at Carthage.

In all, she devoted 20 years to K-12 schools. But there’s a limit to how much one motivated educator can accomplish that way.

Soon after launching the urban teaching program at Carthage in 2016, retired Kenosha Unified district superintendent Michele Hancock recruited Prof. Williams to manage it. When the founder moved into an Executive Staff role overseeing the College’s equity and inclusion initiatives in 2021, Prof. Williams was promoted to UTPP director.

As of last fall, 21 students were enrolled in the program, pairing an urban education minor with either the elementary or secondary

education track. The UTPP also has a staff of nine student employees who assist with promotion and events.

To build trust with students, urban teacher candidates typically complete all of their fieldwork in the same school.

“This is designed to give candidates early, prolonged opportunities to learn about themselves and the specific skills they need to teach marginalized students,” says Prof. Williams. “We have to meet the students where they are, and the only way is to immerse in that community.”

Diving in right away as freshmen, UTPP candidates observe classes but also design and carry out a community-oriented event. They gradually take on more responsibility, as experienced master teachers provide practical guidance.

“That’s what I was missing in graduate school: I didn’t have a mentor to make mistakes with,” says Prof. Williams, who earned a doctorate in January from Northcentral University.

Among other things, the program equips future educators with culturally relevant teaching strategies. That’s critical, considering the racial and ethnic makeup of the schools they’re bound to work in.

Working with kids in the assigned classroom quickly debunks any stereotypes that the teacher candidates carry in.

“Once you love your students, you’re able to teach,” says Prof. Williams. “And then the light bulb goes on.”

A concern everywhere, the rate of teacher turnover is especially jarring in urban schools. Hurting the students who crave stability and burning out educators, it’s an unsustainable trend.

“The number of teachers who exit college with all that it takes to survive and thrive in urban education is scary and a bit depressing,” says Thomas Tuttle, an experienced principal in the Kenosha and Racine school districts. It takes “the right heart and grit,” he explains, but also the right preparation.

Sidik Fofana (third from right), an acclaimed writer and high school English teacher from New York, met with UTPP students and faculty during a four-day visit last April.

Mr. Tuttle and other administrators view Carthage as a ray of light. That explains how the UTPP maintains a 100 percent placement rate for jobs or graduate school.

When Cassandra (Millard) Schmaling ’21 enrolled, she sought out a familiar face. Before Prof. Williams joined the College full-time, she taught at Mrs. Schmaling’s middle school.

“She’s very authentic as a professor,” the UTPP alumna says. “She has a lot of research-based material, but she also brings in a lot of her own experiences.”

Now a first-grade teacher at Kenosha’s Grewenow Elementary School, Mrs. Schmaling draws on the wisdom she gained at Carthage about everything from classroom management to parental engagement.

“It’s helped me immensely,” she gushes. “The more experiences we get (in college), the more we have in our teachers’ toolbelt when we’re on our own.”

Impressed that the program aligns with its mission, the William & Sheila Konar Foundation provided a $150,000 grant that funds UTPP expansion through 2024.

Next in Prof. Williams’ action plan? Bring more racial and ethnic diversity to the profession. While public schools in cities primarily serve students of color, more than two-thirds of urban teachers nationwide are white.

On that front, Carthage has a few oars in the water.

Twice a year, faculty and students host Educators Rising events for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are considering careers in teaching. It recently expanded to districts in northern Illinois.

Dual credit partnerships with local districts that offer education pathways let high school students in Kenosha and nearby Racine gain early Carthage credits.

A new Pathway to College initiative reaches students even earlier. Faculty and teacher candidates welcomed a few dozen middle schoolers to campus last summer for an overnight camp.

The Accelerated Certification for Teachers program, which Prof.

Williams directs, follows a “grow your own” model by recruiting career-changers and recent graduates from other disciplines to teach locally.

Diversity breeds more diversity, so the only nudge some students need is visible proof that a career path is open to them. Along with Prof. Williams, three other local African American educators teach classes in Carthage’s urban teaching curriculum.

Taking up the mantle for the region, the College will convene its first Urban Education Summit in January. Gathering targeted educators from southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois, the two-day event will feature workshops, award presentations, and a gala.

The need is too great for anyone who cracks the code to keep it to themselves.

Learn more about the UTPP at: carthage.edu/urban-teacher-prep

The UTPP maintains a 100 percent placement rate for jobs or graduate school.

Carthage students Katie Drummond ‘23, middle, and Essence Christian ‘25, right, helped Prof. Williams manage the annual Educators Rising event for local high school juniors and seniors last spring.

Research

flight photos by Steve Boxall, Zero Gravity

Professor Kevin Crosby is using Carthage's space sciences program as the model for entrepreneurial studies across the College. Here, he looks on as Amanda Strebe '23 and Carissa Kiehl '25 test an experiment on a parabolic flight last May.

Hearing the term “entrepreneur,” your mind probably pulls up a picture of someone like Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, or Henry Ford.

A visionary individual can certainly set the tone, but lone wolves don’t survive very long in the modern world. The successful ones tend to travel in packs.

It makes sense, then, for Carthage’s freshly reimagined entrepreneurship program to emphasize teamwork.

“That’s the way most innovation clusters work,” notes Kevin Crosby, the new Hedberg Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies. “You bring people from diverse backgrounds together.”

Last fall, Prof. Crosby invited teams of two or more faculty colleagues to apply for exclusive grant funding. Introducing those Faculty Innovation Grants was the first step in his plan to spread entrepreneurial spirit to every academic corner at the College.

He made the criteria purposely broad: Pick a problem in the community and lay out an innovative plan to solve it. The ideas could be money-making ventures or not — the real gold here is a solution that makes a dent.

Recipients will be notified in January, kicking off six months of planning and prototyping. Students can be included in teams at this stage, but they’ll be more heavily involved in projects that make the second cut next fall.

rooted in science

Influenced by lessons from his own well-rounded career, the late Donald D. Hedberg ’50 provided the vision for entrepreneurial studies at Carthage and backed it with a $1.25 million gift. Besides the professorship, the endowment will fund the grants and future student programming.

The first Hedberg appointee, Professor Douglas Arion, created the groundbreaking ScienceWorks program in 1994. For more than two decades, he taught students in the natural sciences how to monetize their best ideas.

Kevin Crosby

Prof. Arion retired in 2020, and his successor intends to build on that blueprint.

Global tech entrepreneur Matija Maretic ’99, one of the program’s notable alumni, still raves about ScienceWorks. Calling it more useful than any class, he essentially replicated the two-year sequence at his own company.

Going through the program in the late 1990s, the self-proclaimed “science geek” got a much-needed crash course in soft skills, public speaking, and professional etiquette. Although Prof. Arion dismissed a lot of his business proposals as impractical, Mr. Maretic appreciated the blunt assessment.

“He’d say ‘That’s a great idea, Matija, but you’re never going to make money with it,’” the alumnus vividly recalls. “You don’t need someone to keep telling you you’re doing a good job.”

Still, one particular team project tested the headstrong student’s patience.

“Doug matched me with the last guy I wanted to work with,” Mr. Maretic says. “I was furious.”

Storming into the professor’s office later, he complained … to no avail. Fully aware of the students’ rift, Prof. Arion explained that employees in the real world rarely get to hand-pick their favorite collaborators.

After completing a year of compulsory military service in his native Croatia and cutting his teeth in the banking industry, Mr. Maretic used those entrepreneurial instincts to split off on his own. In 2004, he founded Marvelsoft, which earned its stripes by developing advanced trading tools.

Still CEO of the privately held company, he has seen annual revenue grow 20 to 25 percent in the past five years. He’s based in Hong Kong, where the alumnus will soon be granted permanent residency.

Almost 25 years after devising his final ScienceWorks project, an upscale “campsite” on the Croatian side of the Gulf of Venice, Mr. Maretic is ready to follow through on it. With the land and permits in hand, he and his brother are designing a luxury resort with 20 to 30 villas.

no silos in space

Likewise, the new Hedberg professor owes a debt to ScienceWorks. Not long after Prof. Crosby joined the Carthage faculty in 1998, Prof. Arion let him

Matija Maretic ’99, who minored in entrepreneurial studies at Carthage, is CEO of Marvelsoft.

As part of an Embedded Teacher Program, Prof. Crosby assists Texas middle school teacher Laura Tomlin with an experiment aboard Zero Gravity Corporation’s aircraft in May.

teach a course on commercial technology.

Rather than purely academic exercises, students collaborated with “real world” clients.

“That’s where I saw the impact of having students connect to external stakeholders,” says Prof. Crosby. “That experience has shaped my entire career.”

Partnering with NASA and commercial aerospace firms, he’s built a nationally recognized space sciences program at Carthage that gives students unmatched research opportunities. Over the past nine years, Prof. Crosby has been awarded almost $15 million in grants and contracts.

He continues to direct that program alongside his new role. In fact, it’ll serve as the template for entrepreneurial studies College-wide.

Atmospheric puns aside, the leap from space to the earthbound majors isn’t as big as you’d think. The research is “fundamentally interdisciplinary,” according to the professor, in that we’ll need much more than technical expertise to prepare for sustained life away from Earth.

Knowing that stressful situations and loneliness inevitably await, there are sociological and psychological components to consider. And, since space travel ain’t cheap, someone has to keep an eye on the financial constraints.

“We tend to think about majors and disciplines, but in the real world nobody cares what your major is,” Prof. Crosby says. “Those silos disappear almost instantly when you leave campus.”

Besides, you don’t have to pilot the lunar lander to enjoy the fruits of all that research. He can recite a long list of everyday staples born from space experiments: phone cameras, enriched baby formula, water filtration systems, and so on.

Could a certain Kenosha institution add to that list?

Carthage became the first Wisconsin school to take part in NASA’s T2U initiative, which makes more than 1,200 of the agency’s patents available to young innovators. Focusing on the technologies most ripe for commercialization, T2U spawns some successful startups.

Diving in first, an enterprising group zeroed in on NASA’s patented fiber optic sensing system. Since last summer, they’ve been scrutinizing it for any insights that might advance the College’s ongoing microgravity research.

Sure, faculty can impart practical lessons like how to write a business plan, but Prof. Crosby recognizes the true innovation takes place organically.

“We can’t teach them how to be creative,” he says. “That emerges from being in a sort of crucible of curious people.”

mpg branches out

Modal Propellant Gauging, an emerging technology that Professor Kevin Crosby and the Carthage Microgravity Team have been developing since 2011, remains an important piece of NASA’s plans for a return to space. But a couple of other powerful partners are looking into it, too.

AIRBUS

Aircraft maker Airbus has enlisted Carthage’s help as it designs a line of zero-emission planes that would run on clean-burning hydrogen rather than jet fuel.

SPACE FORCE

Carthage and an aerospace startup co-founded by Isa Fritz ’10 received a $250,000 grant to study whether the U.S. Space Force could use MPG to refuel and repair satellites in flight.

In collaboration with NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the Carthage Microgravity Team conducts ongoing PROTO (Propellant Refueling and on-Orbit Transfer Operations) research.

INNOVATIVE fIREbIRDs

FIND THEIR

Meet just a few of Carthage’s entrepreneurial alumni:

Isa Fritz ’10

Aerospace Executive

Finding a true fit in the startup realm, Isa Fritz co-founded Seattle company GeoJump in 2021 and will become CEO of its still-to-benamed successor. With a fleet of tugboat-like spacecraft and related services, it delivers customer satellites and payloads into geosynchronous orbit and beyond with sights on exploring the inner solar system.

CARTHAGE TAUGHT HER …

how to apply the scientific principles that physics majors at other schools only read about. Conducting practical aerospace research with the first Carthage Microgravity Team, she learned how to divide an intimidatingly large project into smaller pieces. Looking back, the alumna recognizes that “building from scratch and learning along the way absolutely launched my career.”

After earning a master’s degree, Ms. Fritz worked at aerospace giant SSL for six years — long enough for the inquisitive professional to crave a more panoramic view of the industry. Startups provided that window, as she helped multiple fledgling space firms get off the ground before creating her own. Her current company’s first client is a big one: the U.S. Space Force.

Ty Dawkins ’05 and Quincy Dawkins ’12

CEO (Ty) and CFO (Quincy) of Get Lost VIP Travel

Burned out from 20+ years in the corporate world, Tyisha “Ty” (Winston) Dawkins and her husband, Quincy, found themselves taking trips just to “get lost.” That inspired the name for the boutique travel agency they launched in 2016 as a side hustle. Last spring, the high school sweethearts ditched the grind for good and made Get Lost VIP Travel their full-time focus.

CARTHAGE TAUGHT THEM …

to appreciate other cultures and religions, a cosmopolitan outlook that paid off in their respective business fields and opened a gateway to a passion for travel. Ty, who already had a foot in the door at SC Johnson while taking evening classes at Carthage, went on to a successful IT career with that company and BP. Quincy returned to school after making his mark in finance.

Specializing in luxury accommodations, the firm’s first niche was wellness retreats. Get Lost later expanded to corporate and entertainment travel, with clientele including the cast and crew on several BET movies. The couple recently settled in Panama and incorporated there.

Mike Michie ’88

President/CEO of Pacific Sands Inc.

After working as a field sales representative for DuPont, Mike Michie saw untapped potential in a small California company. He and a business partner bought it in 2004 and moved it to Wisconsin (ultimately Kenosha). After losing money for many years, Pacific Sands’ biodegradable, eco-friendly cleaning products now bring in millions each year.

CARTHAGE TAUGHT HIM …

how to do “pretty much anything” he wanted in life, supplementing his speech communication and theatre major with universal skills like critical thinking and written communication. Fifty-three times and counting, the theatre buff has joined faculty and students on Carthage’s annual trip to the Stratford Festival in Ontario — a tradition his dad, the late English professor Don Michie, helped start.

Narrowly focused on hot tub chemicals at first, Pacific Sands now produces a range of cleaning products under its own brands (Eco-One and Natural Choices) and retailers’ private lines. Learning that customers often equate “green” with “doesn’t work,” the company instead played up the products’ effectiveness.

Shining examples of alumni achievement

Carthage renewed a long-standing tradition, presenting Beacon Awards to four alumni last fall. The Alumni Council created the award to recognize those who provide a ray of light to their communities.

In 2022, the College introduced four award categories to recognize alumni whose lives exemplify the collective values of the entire Carthage community: personal achievement, professional achievement, service and leadership, and achievement by young alumni. The ceremony is now held biennially.

Meet the newest recipients: BEACON AWARD FOR PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT Sandy Meneley ’68

Now in her 70s, Sandy Meneley has transformed herself into an elite endurance athlete.

Not long after graduating, she started running competitively while teaching physical education, coaching, and raising three children with her Carthage sweetheart, Fuzz. Those early 5K and 10K races gave way to marathons and then to even more demanding athletic events.

Once she retired from education in 2002, Ms. Meneley dove into triathlons. At the world championship in Kona, Hawaii — an Ironman race that combines a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile run — she finished fourth in the women’s 60-64 age group.

Nose and eye surgery reduced her tolerance for swimming, so she’s been competing in more duathlons (running and biking) in recent years. The 1968 Carthage alumna has ranked first nationally in her age group every year since 2013.

(From left) Carthage alumni Sarah Ott ‘08, Jacquelyn Drummer ‘71, Zachary Butera ‘16, and Sandy Meneley ‘68 received Beacon Awards in a Sept. 24 ceremony.

BEACON AWARD FOR PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Jacquelyn Drummer ’71

Educational professional Jacquelyn (Tetting) Drummer has become wellrespected for her work with talented and gifted children in Wisconsin.

“The brighter the child, the more trouble our public education system has in serving them,” she says.

To fill that gap, Ms. Drummer has taught at colleges and universities (including Carthage), led workshops for more than 200 schools and agencies, and served on the board at the Wisconsin Association for the Talented & Gifted. In high demand as “a teacher’s teacher,” she continues to coach and consult.

Finally, she works with local, state, and national legislators, or increased public funding and legislation that supports appropriate and challenging educational programming for talented and gifted children. She’s watched her former students win Emmys, write books, and lead in the corporate world.

“You find in life that, when you give, you somehow receive too,” Ms. Drummer says.

BEACON AWARD FOR SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP

Sarah Ott ’08

Sarah Ott serves as chief strategy officer for the city of Davenport, Iowa, where she spearheads a movement that has brought hope to a city besieged by gun violence.

Employing a strategy known as Group Violence Intervention, she led a coalition of community leaders, police, mental health professionals, social service agencies, juvenile detention centers, and public schools. Recognizing that most gun violence stems from a small segment of the population, coalition members have worked directly with 30 to 40 high-risk residents to offer them a path away from crime.

As their messaging states: “We’ll help you if you let us; we’ll stop you if you make us.”

BEACON AWARD FOR YOUNG ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT Zachary Butera ’16

Pivoting away from his original pre-med aspirations, Zachary Butera has forged his own path in gaming and technology.

After a gap year, Mr. Butera moved to Atlanta and accepted a job with Microsoft, where he helped put on more than 400 live gaming tournaments for kids and young adults. Later, as a brand marketing manager with computer hardware and electronics maker ASUS North America, he found another way to improve the patient experience — donating hundreds of monitors toward portable gaming kiosks that nonprofit Gamers Outreach brings to children’s hospitals.

Now based in California, Mr. Butera works as a strategic partner manager at YouTube, helping social and video influencers to grow their businesses on the platform. He also continues to support gaming tournaments across the country.

To see past recipients, or to nominate someone for a 2024 Beacon Award, go to: carthage.edu/beacon

In addition to decreasing violent crime in Davenport, Ms. Ott notes that the intervention strategy has accomplished other big things: namely, building stronger community partnerships and increasing trust and transparency between law enforcement and the public.

Recognizing alumni whose actions illuminate those around them

homecoming 2022

Carthaginians of all ages celebrated Homecoming and Family Weekend on Sept. 23-25. Events included the traditional parade, football game (with pregame tailgate party), and concert, as well as the Firebird 5K, a tent party at the president’s home, and several reunions.

A display in Hedberg Library showcased memorabilia from the College’s former campus in Carthage, Illinois. The collection featured a variety of items donated by alumni.

After creating the Ember Ale to celebrate the Firebirds’ mascot, Public Craft Brewing Co. president Matt Geary ’99 added to that Carthage-inspired drink lineup with Fired Up (hard seltzer) and Torch Light (lite beer).

CLASS NOTES

1958

Carol (Fagerlin) Bucholz –Tacoma, Washington, surpassed 30 years as a pianist, organist, and keyboard player at Zion Lutheran Church, a Missouri Synod congregation — and 72 years in churches overall. In addition, her Carol’s Typing Service reached 50 years in business, as Ms. Bucholz continues to produce wills, resumes, letters, business plans, invoices, and books as needed. She has three great-grandchildren and is attempting to read all of the C.S. Lewis books she can find.

1965

Dr. Mel Balk – Chester, New Hampshire, was recognized for mentoring hundreds of young veterinarians as the executive director of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. The college recently named the annual Mel Balk Mentorship Award in his honor.

1971

1979

Rev. Christopher Miller –Rochester, Minnesota, published “It Takes All Kinds to be in the Great Cloud of Witnesses,” his second book of funeral sermons, tributes, and stories from many contributors. It follows his first book, “Saints I Have Known and Buried.”

1975

Tim Diemer – Elkhart, Indiana, welcomed his second grandchild, Rowan Leroy Hirsch, on Feb. 28.

1978

Dr. Gregory Pierangeli –Racine, Wisconsin, accepted a position as the clinical field director for Wisconsin at MyEyeDr. He will oversee the state’s 16 clinics and assist others as the retailer expands.

Craig Gaitan – Wheaton, Illinois, retired with more than 40 years in the financial services industry. He plans to spend more time with his family and enjoy woodworking, volunteering, and traveling.

1985

Jeffrey Cousins – Brooklyn, New York, announced the publication of his sci-fi adventure book, “The Right Thing to Do,” in which a captured alien reveals that humans are just robots created by aliens. The news prompts humans to consider a variety of questions: What happens to our values? Should human laws remain? Should we still have compassion for one another?

1987

Scott Lundgren – Phoenix, became the director of anesthesia services and medical director of Integrated Orthopedic Surgical Services, a new orthopedic outpatient surgery center. He lives with his wife, Connie, and their dog, Nugget.

the local Palm Beach State College campus. He previously worked with Amazon, leading a workforce development initiative for adult learners near Seattle, but his comprehensive background in higher education spans more than 30 years.

1989

Richard J. Nickels – Nashville, Tennessee, joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in July as a partner in two of the law firm’s practice areas: trust and estates and tax. Since 2016, he has earned recognition in corporate law through the “Best Lawyers” publication.

Julie Rhodes – Oak Harbor, Washington, retired in June as assistant superintendent of recreation and safety coordinator with Woodridge (Illinois) Park District, concluding a 31-year career in parks and recreation. Ms. Rhodes looks forward to new adventures in the Pacific Northwest and the rest of the world.

Tracy Pellett – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, took office Sept. 16 as provost of

1992

Katherine (Sebastian) Ehlert – Mount Prospect, Illinois, graduated from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in May with a Master of Divinity. She was ordained and installed as the pastor at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Arlington Heights, Illinois, on Aug. 18.

1995

Julie (Terhark) Elginer – Calabasas, California, received the 2021-22 Outstanding Community Educator award from the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She developed a 10-session mini-course that helps practicing physicians to learn transferable skills and advocate for the populations they serve.

1997

Michael Carmody – Arlington, Texas, became vice president of robots as a service (RaaS) for Tompkins Robotics, a global provider in the robotic automation of distribution and fulfillment operations. He brings nearly 25 years of supply chain expertise across North America.

1998

Rev. Eric L. Bodenstab – Kent, Ohio, was installed July 10 as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church. He previously served in several congregations throughout the Midwest.

One of Carthage’s most accomplished and entrepreneurial alumni was the late A.W. “Tom” Clausen. He served as president and CEO of Bank of America in the 1970s and ’80s and as president of the World Bank from 1981 to 1986.

My sophomore year roommate, John Lothman ‘08, and I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Clausen at a reception in 2006. It’s not every day that you come across someone who has successfully led a Fortune 100 company or the World Bank, so, when you meet someone who has held both job titles, it leaves an impression.

In our brief conversation, Mr. Clausen shared that, while he received a degree in mathematics, he was mostly self-taught in business and economics by routinely reading The Wall Street Journal. His remarkable career was both a testament to his entrepreneurial spirit and what he called “the secure foundation of a liberal arts education” provided by Carthage.

Mr. Clausen certainly stands out in the pantheon of Carthage alumni, but a quick scroll through LinkedIn today reveals a seemingly never-ending stream of impressive career updates. Carthaginians are thinkers and doers, coming up with the next big idea and rolling up their sleeves to get the job done.

That brings me back to John Lothman, himself an entrepreneur. At Carthage, he majored in international political economy and economics, was a Lincoln Scholar, and served as captain of the men’s volleyball team. These days, he is a devoted family man, a senior manager running a national practice

at EY (Ernst & Young), and a small business entrepreneur.

In 2014, John, his wife, Mollie, and brotherin-law Jeff Hirleman acquired McLain’s Bakery, which has a rich and cherished history in Kansas City dating back to 1945. The bakery has been popular for generations, thanks in part to its delicious “cupcookie,” a mouth-watering pecan sandie thumbprint cookie topped with a dollop of icing.

But John and family haven’t simply settled for what’s tried and true – they have creatively reimagined the bakery’s brand, expanded its offerings, and branched out in exciting new directions. They launched a sister concept, McLain’s Market, which now boasts four different locations in Kansas. More recently, they launched a coffee-roasting company called Sway Coffee Roasters.

Their enterprises have quickly grown in popularity and now employ more than 250 people, all of whom are focused on “making life’s moments sweeter.” Like so many other alumni reinvesting in their local communities, from afar I have genuinely admired the entrepreneurial work undertaken by John, Mollie, and Jeff.

Take this opportunity to check in on your former roommates. Treat yourself to a delicious cookie and a cup of fair-trade coffee. And, most importantly, chase that wild idea.

Aaron Tinjum ’09 is president of the Alumni Council. He can be reached at atinjum@ carthage.edu.

The banker, the baker, the barrier-breaker

Kurt O’Connor – Bloomington, Illinois, moved to Heartland Bank and Trust Company as operational risk director. He draws from 11 years of experience in the financial services industry. Born and raised in the community, Mr. O’Connor also serves on the board of the Bloomington Normal Baseball Association.

1999

Tabitha L. Atwell – St. Charles, Missouri, joined Danna McKitrick law firm in St. Louis. Her legal practice focuses on elder law, estate and tax planning, probate, and trust administration.

2001

Lisa (Schreiner) Truax –Pickwick, Minnesota, exhibited her sculpture collection “Demulcent Terrain” in June and July at MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. As described on the center’s website, Ms. Truax uses “memories and materials collected along the Mississippi River and surrounding landscapes” to create “ceramic sculptures that are visual abstractions of land, bodies of water, geology, and topography.”

2002

Bryan Boatright – St. Marys, Ohio, was named interim co-vice president for academic affairs at the University of Mount Union in July. He has been the university’s assistant vice president for academic affairs and registrar since 2016. Mr. Boatright finished the 2021-22 academic year as an ACE (American Council on Education) fellow at Mars Hill University in North Carolina.

Jeffrey Weiss, M.Ed. ’04

– Kenosha, took office Oct. 1 as superintendent of the Kenosha Unified School Board. He has worked in education since 1994 and previously led districts in Richmond and South Milwaukee.

2007

Logan McCoy – Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, has been promoted to president of CCB Technology, a managed IT services firm based in Racine. He has worked for the company for 15 years.

2008

Jason Olchawa – Yorkville, Illinois, and his wife, Kate (Styczynski), welcomed their first child, Whitney Rose, on Jan. 18 and celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary on May 13. They met at Carthage in 2005.

2009

Kevin Burrow – Kenosha, and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed son Benedict Joseph Augustine Burrow on April 27. He weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces, and measured 20 inches at birth. Last year, Kevin also accepted a position as director of music and organist at St. Elizabeth and St. James Catholic churches in Kenosha.

2004

Amber (Lamers) Torres –Union Grove, Wisconsin, started work as superintendent of the Union Grove Elementary School District in July. She had been a principal at schools in Kenosha and Racine counties for several years.

Danielle (Sass) Hilbrich ’08 and Andrew Hilbrich ’06 – Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, celebrated the birth of their second daughter, Adelyn, on June 23, 2021. She weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and measured 20 inches.

Eric Stibbe – Beloit, Wisconsin, and his wife, Dolly, welcomed their second child, Oliver, on May 18. The couple reports that he’s deeply loved by big brother Jonah.

Chris Vipond – Libertyville, Illinois, rejoined Libertyville School District 70 as director of technology. This is his second stint with the district, following six years as its technology literacy coach.

Tyler Wollberg – Kenosha, took over in July as head coach for men’s and women’s golf at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

2010

Allison

(Schwartz) Strickland

– North Liberty, Iowa, was one of 15 business founders selected for the 2022 Collegiate Accelerator cohort with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. She’s the founder of ATStudy Buddy, which helps athletic training students prepare for the certification exam.

2011

Tommy Novak ’11, M.M. ’20 – Chicago, portrayed Avram the bookseller in “Fiddler on the Roof” at Lyric Opera of Chicago in September and October.

Dr. Michelle Pelka – Los Angeles, was inducted into the Elgin (Illinois) Sports Hall of Fame. After a standout high school swimming career, she earned All-America honors 15 times at Carthage.

2015

Steve Hobe – Hickory Hills, Illinois, performed in “Ernani” as a member of the paid ensemble from Sept. 9 to Oct. 1 at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

IN MEMORIAM

1938

Edna (Fisher) Gross Harlingen, Texas May 24, 2022

1947

Lovina Hermanek Newbury Park, Calif. Oct. 23, 2022

1951 Jackie (Hanson) Dodson La Grange Park, Ill. Oct. 10, 2022

1952 Rusty Dowell Barrington, Ill. Aug. 4, 2022

Robert Feiden West Des Moines, Iowa Aug. 26, 2022

1953 Chauncey Mickelson Beloit, Wis. July 8, 2022

Maude (Bannkratze) Piller Lexington, Va. Jan. 24, 2022

1954 Bill Lane Canton, Ill. June 23, 2022

1955 Daniel Califf Piqua, Ohio Aug. 25, 2022

Luisa Euwema St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Aug. 5, 2022

1956 Linda (McCree) Hallberg Columbus, Ohio Feb. 23, 2022

Ken Schrader Galesburg, Ill. May 15, 2022

1957 Harold Hockman Oakridge, Ore. March 29, 2022

1958

Audrey (Lutz) Glossop St. Louis June 30, 2022

Judith (Gorsky) Simko Minneapolis June 13, 2022

1960

Mary Jo (Bickford) Bressler Palm Harbor, Fla. June 21, 2022

1962

Charles Shumate Gosport, Ind. May 25, 2022

1963

Richard Ferrara Hollywood, Fla. Sept. 27, 2022

1965

Peter Greenlimb Inverness, Ill. July 13, 2022

Betty (Eichfeld) Lamb Sparta, Wis. May 9, 2022

1966

Gary Meneley Riverview, Fla. July 10, 2022

1967

Nancy (Johnson) Tredrea Port Byron, Ill. Sept. 20, 2022

1969

Bobbi (Fletcher) Finley Brandon, Fla. Oct. 13, 2022

Jerry Schultz Reynoldsburg, Ohio Aug. 22, 2022

1971

Cindy (Osgood) Geib Land O’ Lakes, Wis. Sept. 23, 2022

1972

Deborah (Knowlan) Worthington Roseville, Minn. May 7, 2022

1973

Alan Brumbaugh Greensboro, Ga. Oct. 7, 2022

Alan Wetzel Machesney Park, Ill. April 10, 2022

1975 Jack Armstrong Ipswich, Mass. June 6, 2022

David Mullikin Kankakee, Ill. June 26, 2022

1979 Jon Ryberg Cherry Valley, Ill. May 13, 2022

Clifton Walker Pontiac, Mich. Sept. 4, 2022

1982

Elizabeth Haebig (M.Ed.) Kenosha July 29, 2022

1983

Rev. Daniel Bell Grand Rapids, Mich. May 13, 2022

1985 Kelly Cavitt New Smyrna Beach, Fla. March 29, 2022

Micheal “Mac” McBride Lake Geneva, Wis. Aug. 12, 2022

1989 Judith Green Lindenhurst, Ill. July 27, 2022

1990 Dick Zuehlsdorf Waterford, Wis. Aug. 8, 2022

1991 Randall Anderson Milwaukee June 11, 2022

Craig Baker Chicago May 27, 2022

1992

Frida Henderson Round Lake, Ill. April 1, 2022

Frances Kroll Kenosha June 14, 2022

1995

Sandy (Poquette) Grasser Kenosha May 7, 2022

1997 Deborah Call Elcho, Wis. Sept. 20, 2022

2004 Randy Kessenich Kenosha June 18, 2022

2017 Oksana Pfaffle Arlington, Wis. March 28, 2022

friends of carthage Milt Ancevic Delavan, Wis. Sept. 24, 2022

Jim Klauser Pewaukee, Wis. March 15, 2022

Julia Randall Augusta, Ill. June 28, 2022

Charles Reynolds Toledo, Ohio Aug. 17, 2022

Robert Rosen Wauwatosa, Wis. July 30, 2022

Marianne Unger Salem Lakes, Wis. May 8, 2022

Marion Youngquist Aurora, Ill. Jan. 3, 2022

CLASS NOTES IN MEMORIAM

Clayton Diskerud

Professor Emeritus Clayton Diskerud ’59, whose impact on the College extended far beyond the classroom, died Oct. 22 at home in Waverly, Minnesota. He was 85.

He taught in and directed a variety of academic programs at Carthage for 36 years, retiring in 1998 as professor emeritus of social science and criminal justice. As an early champion for inclusive education, Prof. Diskerud stepped forward as a trusted sounding board for Black students.

Outside of teaching, he wrote a popular newspaper column for many years. Ostensibly focused on fishing and hunting, “Clayton’s Corner” appealed to a wider audience.

Always an active Carthaginian, Prof. Diskerud led social and educational events at the summer Alumni College. He and his wife, Shirley (Eller) Diskerud ’59, gave toward academics, athletics, and financial aid. A scholarship for criminal justice majors is named in their honor.

He is also survived by two children, including alumnus Bill Diskerud ’84.

Kaylie (McCormick) Merrill – Grand Ridge, Illinois, graduated from Alverno College in Milwaukee on May 21 with a degree as an educational specialist. Next year, she will begin work as an elementary school psychologist in upstate New York, where she resides with her husband, Sam.

Fletcher Paulsen – Racine, Wisconsin, was inducted into the Central DeWitt (Iowa) Community Schools Hall of Fame in September. Mr. Paulsen is a music teacher at The Prairie School in Racine.

2017

Jilian Novak and Matthew Van Dyck – Naperville, Illinois, celebrated their wedding engagement last Feb. 6 in Sedona, Arizona. They plan to marry early this year on their 12-year “anniversary.”

Penny Seymoure

Professor Emerita Penny Seymoure, whose broad life experience and joyful attitude endeared her to colleagues and students, passed away Dec. 4. Her death came a few weeks before her 30th wedding anniversary with Carthage political science professor Jeffrey Roberg.

Making a mid-career shift into higher education after working in data processing and law enforcement, Prof. Seymoure joined the Carthage faculty in 2000. She taught psychological science and neuroscience, directing the latter program for nine years, and retired with emerita status in 2015.

Prof. Seymoure visited more than 40 countries and lived in Argentina for extended periods. For her work on behalf of the Mbya Guarani indigenous populations, she received an award from the Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies.

Married in Moscow in 1992, she and Prof. Roberg went on to share their adventurous spirit with Carthage students. The couple led multiple J-Term study tours to Cuba and accompanied the Model United Nations team to international competitions.

Dr. Kristen Wheeler –Vernon Hills, Illinois, completed a doctorate in clinical psychology at Adler University in Chicago. Dr. Wheeler is working to become a licensed psychologist in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, working with the Cherokee Nation and its tribal courts.

Matt Thome – Dallas, graduated from Ohio University’s Master of Sports Administration program in May. Immediately after graduation, he joined Southwest Airlines as a CX strategy consultant, overseeing customer experience initiatives in the airport and in-flight divisions.

2018

Austin Nelson Jr. –Bolingbrook, Illinois, and Raven Dockery (M.M. ’20) of Milwaukee performed in “Dreamgirls” last fall at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Illinois.

2016

Kaitlyn (Brahm) and Ryan Miller – West Allis, Wisconsin, married on July 8. The couple originally met and started dating at Carthage.

2019

2021

Faelan O’Shaughnessy

– Crystal Lake, Illinois, won the Bressman Law Traumatic Brain Injury Scholarship, supporting her doctoral studies at The Ohio State University. Ms. O’Shaughnessy, who endured a grueling recovery after a car accident in high school, is on track to graduate with a Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree in 2024.

Lance Unland ’19 and Blaire Barnett ’18 – Kenosha, married on May 21.

2020

Isabella Norante – Wind Lake, Wisconsin, joined Ampersand as a copywriter and content marketer. The strategic marketing, advertising, and growth agency is based in Pewaukee.

Benjamin Rietz – Naperville, Illinois, was sworn in as an officer with the La Grange (Illinois) Police Department in September.

Leo Stern – Milwaukee, recently joined the University of North Alabama athletic staff as director of sports performance. He plans to continue his graduate studies at the school.

2022

Adrianna Jones, M.M. –Alton, Illinois, pitched in as an actor, assistant director, and vocalist in 3 Purple Coats Productions’ “The Real Land of Oz” last summer.

Shae Taylor – Milwaukee, joined Plunkett Raysich Architects as a marketing coordinator in the firm’s Milwaukee office, bringing graphic design experience to PRA’s client relations department.

Katrina Seabright – Antioch, Illinois, made her debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago in “Don Carlos” last November.

CLASS NOTES IN MEMORIAM

Glenn Madrigrano Sr.

Third-generation Kenosha businessman Glenn Madrigrano, who gave extensively to Carthage Athletics and other educational priorities over the past three decades, passed away at 72 on July 17.

He and his wife, Barbara, provided the $250,000 lead gift that spurred the College to proceed with renovations to its varsity softball field. A baseball endowment is also named in the couple’s honor.

As president of C.J.W. Inc., the beer distributor his grandfather started, Mr. Madrigrano guided the company from a 15 percent market share to 75 percent. Part of an extended family filled with Carthaginians, he is survived by two children including alumnus Glenn Jr.

Thomas Signorile

Known as a creative and goal-oriented student with a strong interest in medical research, Thomas Signorile ’26 of Highland Park, Illinois, passed away unexpectedly Nov. 11.

The soft-spoken yet sociable freshman majored in mathematics and chemistry. He traveled with a contingent of Carthage students and faculty to an undergraduate research conference in DePere, Wisconsin, and competed on the College’s team in the “Jeopardy” style Face Off! math competition.

Dennis Unterholzner

Academic librarian Dennis Unterholzner, whose career at Carthage stretched from 1975 to 2009, passed away May 29. The Monticello, Wisconsin, resident was 77.

Prof. Unterholzner served as the library’s head of public services, helping Carthage adapt to students’ changing information needs. That included a technological shift (from traditional reference materials to webbased sources) and a physical move (from Ruthrauff Library to the current Hedberg Library).

Granted status as a professor emeritus upon his retirement, he remained active in the profession as president of the Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians.

LEADERS IN PHILANTHROPY The humble advocate

Sheb Muhammad ’98, M.Ed. ’09, has made a mark at Carthage far beyond his years as a student.

After graduating from high school in Chicago, Sheb made his way to Carthage to obtain a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and studio art. If you ask him about his most memorable moments as an undergraduate, one of many highlights was his involvement in the Black Student Union.

Although Sheb’s network reached beyond the group, it was important for him to find an affinity with those of a similar background. The friendships formed in the BSU, along with support from the student life staff, provided the sense of belonging that allowed him to find his place and complete his degree at Carthage.

Looking back, he sees Carthage as a microcosm of America. Students can stretch outside of their comfort zone academically, spiritually, and socially.

“If you can’t make it here,” he says, “good luck in the real world.”

With his infectious positivity, Sheb certainly made it. He later returned to Carthage to earn a Master of Education with a concentration in administration.

Sheb cares deeply about increasing access to a Carthage education. To pay it forward, he made a commitment to the Wiggan-Kenniebrew Funds. Named in honor of the College’s first Black female and male graduates, Lorraine A. Wiggan ’46 and Alonzo H. Kenniebrew ’54, the funds support students of color.

That aligns with Sheb’s approach to teaching, volunteerism, and leadership. He is co-chair of the Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Fund scholarship committee, which awards full and partial scholarships to Kenosha-area students enrolling at Carthage and other institutions. As executive director of 21st Century Preparatory School in Racine, he partners with local colleges and universities to enrich middle school learning experiences.

Lastly, as a member of the Alumni Council, Wiggan-Kenniebrew Black Alumni Network, and Alford Park Loyalty Society (which recognizes donors for loyal giving), Sheb emboldens others to leave their mark at Carthage beyond graduation.

“It’s not about ‘Look what I’ve done,’” he says. “It’s about helping others, no matter their circumstances. Let us help those who come behind us so they don’t have to struggle.”

Leadership Giving Society members give $1,000 or more cumulatively to any area of the College in a fiscal year, which runs from July 1 through June 30. Tiers recognize higher levels of giving, and graduated giving levels are available for recent alumni. Membership is renewable annually.

Enduring Gift Society members have cumulative lifetime giving totaling $100,000 or more (exclusive of estate commitments). Tiers recognize higher levels of giving. Membership is lifetime.

Alford Park Loyalty Society members have contributed any amount to the College for three or more consecutive fiscal years (July 1 through June 30). Tiers recognize greater consecutive years of giving. Membership is renewable annually.

Denhart Society members have made Carthage a part of their legacy through estate commitments and planned gifts. Membership is lifetime.

To learn more about our philanthropic societies and see online donor honor rolls, please visit: carthage.edu/leaders-in-philanthropy

SPREADING THE WORD Class Notes Submission Form

Deadline for the next issue is March 15, 2023

Name (first/maiden/current last name) Class Year

Professional Title Employer Email

Other News (attach additional sheets as necessary)

Besides family updates, here are some other examples of news for alumni to share:

• Job changes, promotions, or retirements

• Awards and other milestones (professional or recreational)

• Publications, studio recordings, art exhibitions, etc.

• New service projects, civic appointments, etc.

• Third-generation (or more) Carthage students

Street Address City State ZIP Mobile/Home Phone Business Phone

Marriage Announcement

Name (first/maiden/current last name) Class Year

Spouse’s Name (first/maiden/current last name) Class Year

Date of Marriage City and State of Current Residence Birth/Adoption

Announcement

Parent’s Name (first/maiden/current last name) Class Year

Parent’s Name (first/maiden/current last name) Class Year

Daughter’s Name (first/middle/last) Son’s Name (first/middle/last)

Date of Birth Place of Birth

Death Announcement

Name of Deceased (first/maiden/last name) Class Year

City and State of Residence Date of Death

Survivor (first/maiden/current last name) Relationship Class Year

Survivor (first/maiden/current last name) Relationship Class Year Or tear off

Submit online carthage.edu/classnotes

form along the perforated edge and mail to: Carthage College, Office of Alumni and Family Engagement, 2001 Alford Park Drive, Kenosha WI 53140.

Photos are welcome! (Please send non-returnable photos.)

When Duke Ellington came to campus

The date was April 15, 1958. As the clock moved closer to 8 p.m., almost all the seats in the auditorium of the chapel music hall were taken. But the Tau Sigma Chi fraternity guys were getting nervous.

As the clock struck 8, some of the “Turtles” broke out in a cold sweat. Where was the band?

At 8:05, the bus rolled onto campus. Duke Ellington entered the hall followed by 15 musicians and two vocalists, apologized for being late, and began the concert. One of the sponsors learned later that the bus driver had taken a wrong turn and drove 30 miles out of the way. Perhaps poor lighting and two-lane roads were to blame.

Never mind; the audience was treated to a fabulous concert of American jazz by one of the most famous exponents of that art form. How was it that the internationally famous Ellington band came to play on the Carthage campus, then in western Illinois?

Don Piehl ’61 came from Chicago and was familiar with the Playboy Jazz Festival. He and some other enterprising Tau Sigma Chi members initiated the idea of having a jazz concert on the College campus. Though admitting today that some of the details are a bit foggy, he recalled that Richard Dokmo and the late Clayton Diskerud, both ’59, were also involved in the planning.

Mr. Piehl remembers calling the booking agency to secure the band, but he doesn’t remember the upfront cost. The Ellington web archive states that Carthage had to guarantee $1,250. Tickets sold for $2.25, and local papers promoted the concert. The Hancock County Journal and Carthage Republican

wrote that ticket sales were not certain until the day before the event.

Their review on April 17 headlined the success of the concert: “Duke’s Sweet Thunder Wows Jazz Cats.” The article opened with: “American jazz, Duke Ellington style, was served sweet, hot, cool and loud to a full house audience that lapped it up like a kitten with a dish of cream.”

Although many in the audience were college and high school students, there was a “a heavy assortment” of folks from the 35 to 45 age group. The latter fans had grown up on Ellington’s music from the 1930s and ’40s.

Despite the longevity of his fame, Mr. Ellington

In the photo at left, jazz great Duke Ellington talks with Professor Lyle Atkins ‘29 during the band’s visit to Carthage in 1958. The picture ran in the Hancock County Journal and Carthage Republican. The Crimson Rambler (the College’s yearbook) captured other images of the performance, including one below that shows other members of his orchestra.

was still touring the country in the 1950s. Before coming to Carthage, he played Carnegie Hall on April 6, 1958. Then he performed at Highland Park High School, just north of Chicago, on April 13 and appeared in Carthage, Illinois, two days later. The very next night, he played for a dance at the Electric Park Ballroom in Waterloo, Iowa.

Thanks to those enterprising jazz fans who belonged to Tau Sigma Chi, Carthage enjoyed its first big name entertainer in years — and the trend continued. Mr. Piehl remembers that, during the succeeding years of his college career, they brought in popular jazz artists Count Basie, Woody Herman, and George Shearing.

Explore the rich history of Carthage at carthage.edu/archives

PAGE FROM THE PAST A slice of Carthage history from the Staubitz Archives