Clark University Alumni spring magazine 2014 by Clark University

INSIDE: THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT | TOWERING AMBITIONS

CLARK

ALUMNI MAGAZINE

an ounce of

prevention A bold new partnership with Worcester puts Clark University on the cutting edge of public health

SPRING 2014

The motto “Challenge Convention. Change Our World.” has been an ideal of a Clark education since I was there in the ’60s. Clark encouraged me to find answers for myself — to be an investigator.

C H A N G E

O U R

W O R L D.

Rodney and his wife, Shirley, have named Clark as a beneficiary of their estate. To begin discussing your philanthropic vision for Clark, please call 508-793-7593 or visit clarku.giftplans.org

Today, Clark continues to encourage students always to be questioning. As head of the school at Wilbraham & Monson Academy, it’s been fantastic working with Clark over the years. I can often look at my own student body and recognize two or three students who would really thrive at my alma mater. For example, this year, we will be sending a young man from Somalia to Clark. He has the hope and the desire that, through his university experience and education, he will be able to return to Somalia and make an impact in his country. Clark is going to play a big role in making that happen. After all Clark has done for my students, and for my wife and me, we felt we really needed to give back. The more people give, the more Clark can continue to be an immense benefit to the world.

“ T H E W AY W E T H I N K A N D L O O K AT T H E W O R L D H A S A L O T T O D O W I T H C L A R K .” — RODNEY LABRECQUE ’69, M.A. ’72 & SHIRLEY HANSON LABRECQUE ’69

IN THIS ISSUE

SPRING 2014

Features

The kids are all right (their parents, too)

COVER STORY:

An ounce of prevention A bold new partnership with Worcester puts Clark University on the cutting edge of public health

By Jim Keogh

His research on “emerging adulthood” has made Psychology

On the air

Professor Jeffrey Jensen Arnett

Clark radio stations traditionally

lives, loves and ambitions of 18- to

supplied the campus soundtrack,

29-year-olds. It’s also convinced

until a group of students brought

him that this oft-maligned

a bigger vision to WCUW and

generation is getting a bum rap

an international expert on the

made it the voice of the city

By Anne Gibson, Ph.D. ’95

By Jim Keogh

Towering ambitions Scott Rechler ’89 is a major force in the competitive world of Manhattan real estate, but among his greatest achievements is helping One World Trade Center rise from the ashes of Ground Zero

By Melissa Lynch ’95

spring 2014

STAY CONNECTED TO CLARK THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

TWITTER

CLARK VOICES

CLARK NEWS

YOUTUBE CHANNEL LINKEDIN

FLICKR

VISIT CLARKCONNECT.CLARKU.EDU, THE ONLINE COMMUNITY FOR CLARK ALUMNI, FAMILY AND FRIENDS

1 clark alumni magazine

FACEBOOK

SPRING 2014 fall 2013

In This Issue In This Issue

™

Departments Departments

06 06 Your Turn

Your RecallingTurn Jim Karanas’ amazing life cycle

08 Red Square 08

™

Class Notes

Executive Editor Paula DavidEditor Executive Paula David

Editor in Chief Editor in Chief Jim Keogh Jim Keogh

Assistant Editor

Assistant Editor ’95 Melissa A. Lynch Melissa Lynch ’95

Remembering some groovy

Marriages, births, awards,

Clark concerts

promotions, new jobs, old friends,

Design Kaajal Asher Kaajal Asher

and well-deserved retirements

Editorial Staff

60 lEEP 56Pioneers

Creative ServicesManager Manager Creative Services

Humans of Clark; Chip Mannarino’s

Red legacy Square of light; Richard Blanco packs the house; Kosher dining returns Amanda Mundt’s legacy of caring; The Bickman gets buff; Oscar winner brings star power to Clark; From Art to Zen

Engaged and Empowering Fluney Hutchinson, M.A. ‘87, Ph.D. ‘89, rallies the Jamaican economy

Sports Sports Super Seven; Where is she ... club Clark basketball coaches joinnow an elite

Class Notes From farm boy to flyboy; Fifty is nifty; It’s a Clark world, after all

Advancing Clark

LEEP Pioneers learn, labor

and deliver Grants energize physics research; Biology’s big numbers; Welcome to the new trustees

Their Other Lives The umpire strikes back

62 LEEP 62

CoverTrachtenberg illustration: Richard Mia Prof. remembered as

teacher, coach, advocate

Cover photo: Bill Cramer

Lori Lori Fearebay Fearebay

Vice ofUniversity Advancement and Alumni Affairs Vice President President of Advancement C. C.Andrew Andrew McGadney McGadney

Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations Director Alumni Affairs Aixa Kidd Kidd Aixa

Contributing Photographers Contributing Photographers

Kevin Anderson, Louie’08, Despres, Steven King Bill Cramer, George Charles Allen Edward A. Carreón, Steven King, David Lewinski, Liz Mattarazzo, Jasper Muse ’13, Contributing Illustrators Richard Orr Sports, Jane Salerno Kelsey McDaniel ’16, Richard Mia, Deirdre Ni Chonaill, Martin O’Neill, Illustrator John Ritter Contributing

Sarah Hanson CLARK alumni magazine is printed by Universal|Wilde, which CLARK is printed by Universal Wilde, and recyclesalumni 100% ofmagazine excess papers generated in the printing which recycles 100% of excess papers generated in the printing finishing of this product and uses soy-based inks. This issue is and finishing of this product and uses soy-based inks. This issue onon Utopia U2:XG, anan FSC®-certified paper, with electricity isprinted printed Utopia U2:XG, FSC®-certified paper, with elecin the in form renewable energyenergy (wind, hydro biogas), and tricity theofform of renewable (wind,and hydro and biogas), and includes a minimum of 30% post-consumer recovered includes a minimum of 30% post-consumer recovered fiber.fiber.

Pioneering spirit advancing Clark

64 I Witness 63

Virginia Vaughan’s well-versed career

Caroline’s Kenya

Their Other lives makes the ultimate gift

alumni News

Editorial Staff Kevin Anderson, Angela Bazydlo, Anne Gibson, Ph.D. ’95, Kevin Anderson, Angela Bazydlo, Dan Deutsch ’13, M.S.P.C. ’14, Wendy Linden, Jane Salerno Anne Gibson, Ph.D. ’95, Wendy Linden, Jane Salerno

Clark students show their

Terry Malone ‘01, M.S.P.C. ‘09,

Design

CLARK CLARKalumni alumnimagazine magazineisisprinted printedtwice twiceaayear, year,in inthe thefall falland and spring, and is distributed to members of the Clark community, spring, and is distributed to members of the Clark community, including alumni, parents and friends. including alumni, parents and friends.

The magazine can be viewed online at: clarku.edu/clarkmagazine The magazine can be viewed online at: clarku.edu/clarkmagazine

Address correspondence to: jkeogh@clarku.edu Address correspondence to: jkeogh@clarku.edu

or mail to: Jim Keogh or mailUniversity to: Clark Jim Keogh and Communications Department Marketing Clark University 950 Main St. Worcester, MACommunications 01610 Marketing and 950 Main St. Letters to theMA editor are welcome. Worcester 01610

Letters to the editor are welcome.

are central to Clark’s mission and identity as a research university. Most of you are familiar with our distinguished history in these areas, from Albert Michelson to Robert Goddard, G. Stanley Hall and many other intellectual giants and pioneers. Today, Clark is forging a new model that is a powerful synthesis of research, community partnerships and undergraduate and graduate education. Our vision is of Clark as a university of consequence where research excellence empowers action on critical human concerns, and students pursue their passions with a purpose in the world. I’d like to share with you some of the distinctive features of the scholarship and creative work underway at Clark that embody this vision, and that are such a remarkable aspect of our university today. Clark’s research programs are distinguished by their focus on addressing issues critical to societies, seeking answers to fundamental questions that often extend across disciplines, and recasting conventional questions in new and exciting ways. This approach is reflected across the breadth of the institution, in every academic department and in cross-disciplinary research centers such as the Higgins School of Humanities and the George Perkins Marsh Institute. In the sciences, research is supported by our Ph.D. programs in biology, chemistry, and physics, and by cuttingedge facilities and instrumentation. Research excellence is demonstrated by levels of research publication, grants to our faculty, and prestigious fellowships. It’s rare for a school of Clark’s intimate size to have such a deep, rich, and enduring research pedigree. Of particular note is Clark’s growing reputation for and expertise in useinspired research. Alongside basic research and scholarship sparked by curiosity around new ideas and perspectives, our faculty and students engage in research that is deeply embedded in the context of current problems and is often carried out in close collaboration with practitioners and policy makers. Such engaged scholarship is exemplified by the work of faculty in the Hiatt School for Urban Education at Clark, who are shaping new approaches to achieving inclusive excellence in American urban schools, and by scholarship within our newest research center, the Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise, on ways to promote economic growth, education, and health and well-being within mid-sized cities. ESEARCH AND CREATIVE WORK

Sincerely,

DAVID P. ANGEL

President

3 clark alumni magazine

Dear alumni, family and friends,

Clark is focused on research that connects — discipline to discipline, research to application, student to faculty and peers, and university to community. In the belief that the best way to solve problems is through collaboration among diverse teams, Clark has created communities of effective practice, a model that comprises multigenerational groups of students, faculty, researchers, and practitioners from a variety of fields. I remember well my own experience in this regard. Early in my career as a geographer at Clark I had the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary scholarship with two other members of our faculty, one of whom was trained as an environmental chemist and the other a philosopher who wrote and taught on environmental ethics. We came together with researchers in Poland to do important work on how to improve workplace safety and environmental protection in countries entering the market economy. Such innovative collaborations can lead to unconventional solutions to difficult problems, and are a hallmark of Clark University. Clark’s status as a leading research university with the intimacy of a liberal arts college affords remarkable opportunities for student learning. Our students do much more than assist at various steps in the research process — they are involved at a fundamental level, working closely with professors, peers and practitioners on design and implementation. All Clark students — both undergraduate and graduate — have ample opportunities to establish close connections with some of the world’s top scholars, researchers and practitioners. In psychology, these research communities link faculty with Ph.D. students and undergraduates working on such topics as men’s mental health, emerging adulthood, early childhood development, and many more. In the sciences, undergraduate and graduate students have access to state-of-the-art research equipment — without having to wait in a long line to use it. Fellowship support, much of it funded through generous gifts from alumni and friends, allows students to continue their work as research assistants in laboratories over the summer. And the accelerated degree program allows many of our most talented students in the sciences to complete a research-based master’s degree in five years, positioning them for great success in career and graduate school. Research also informs Clark University’s leadership in advancing liberal education in this country, and establishing partnerships in our neighborhood and communities around the world. Work in the learning sciences and in educational development enables Clark to make great strides in understanding how students learn, and to assess ways to intentionally and effectively cultivate leadership, creativity and innovation among our students as they carry this learning out into the world. In this way, research, teaching and student learning come together as one Clark. Fiat Lux. Thank you for your interest, commitment and support.

spring 2014

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Fighter. Teacher. Clarkie.

JIM KEOGH Editor in Chief

eaders of this magazine will remember the story from last spring’s issue about Asian Studies Professor Norman Apter, who at the time of the writing was waging a valiant war against late-stage melanoma. He’d endured multiple surgeries, radiation treatments, experimental protocols and trial drugs so new they didn’t even have names. Through it all he maintained an astounding equilibrium that seemed to fuel his ability to handle the next challenge — and there was always a next challenge. We were saddened to learn of Professor Apter’s death on Feb. 8. It was not unexpected — after a brief rally last year, Norm had declined dramatically. But his passing was still a shock for a lot of reasons — because he was only 40 years old; because he’d just earned his Ph.D. from UCLA; because his passion for research and teaching seemed impregnable, even from cancer. Norm was diagnosed just prior to launching his Clark career in September 2011. He’d put off having a suspicious mole on his leg checked out because he was between teaching jobs and had no health coverage. Once he landed the Clark position and his health plan was in place, he consulted a doctor and learned the news that quickly morphed from bad to tragic. When I approached him about doing a story in the magazine describing his experience, he never hesitated (indeed, I’d been the reluctant one). We sat for three lengthy interviews in his office, hours of conversation in which Norm spoke calmly and candidly about his tenuous situation — never with self-pity and never without hope. He told me: “When I was feeling healthy I never asked, ‘Why not me?’ when other people had a disease. It makes no sense to ask the ‘Why me?’ question now.” We also laughed a lot during those sessions, especially when discussing his love for the jazz of Thelonius Monk, the books of Hunter S. Thompson, and how he was refusing to sit through movies that didn’t grab him right away because time was too precious. He brought to the classroom more than his prodigious expertise in Chinese history. In the throes of his cancer Norm lectured in baggy athletic pants and shirts to hide the tubes draining lymphatic fluid from his body. He taught sitting down when he was too exhausted to stand. He taught from a wheelchair, and via Skype when the disease made his physical presence impossible. As his colleague and mentor Paul Ropp noted, “He felt so strongly that he was put here to teach students about China that he insisted on trying to do that as long as humanly possible.” I hope his students absorbed the lesson. It is with the legacy of Norm Apter in mind that I point to the cover story in this issue detailing the recent creation of a unique health partnership between Clark University and the city of Worcester. The partnership is expected to improve outcomes among the most vulnerable populations while giving Clark students a valuable opportunity to work in the community alongside Division of Public Health professionals. It’s long been known that early education, screenings and intervention are key to preventing serious illness later in life, enhancing and lengthening the lives of individuals and their families. Clark has now taken a lead role in protecting the health of the city it calls home.

More than

skin

deep Professor Norm Apter received a devastating diagnosis just as he was about to launch his Clark teaching career. Returning to the classroom has been the fight of his life.

spring 2014

by jim keogh photography by steven king

clark alumni magazine

// P lease email me at jkeogh@clarku.edu with your comments, suggestions, letters to the editor and, most importantly, your story ideas. All are welcome.

Who says you can’t turn high risk into great art ?

“If a play makes me scared or unsure or has me thinking I’ll never be able to pull it off, that’s the one I’ll take on.”

GIVE TODAY clarkconnect.clarku.edu/WhoSaysYouCant

spring 2012

Help empower Clark University’s new generation of risk-takers.

5 clark alumni magazine

When theater audiences settle into their seats for a Company One production, they can expect something raw and risky and just this side of impossible. Summer L. Williams ’01, M.A.Ed. ’02, a co-founder of the award-winning Boston troupe, directs plays that lead audiences to the creative precipice and dares them to jump.

YOUR TURN

Bottis, Collins were role models The spring 2013 issue of CLARK alumni magazine included profiles of two longstanding staff members, Paul Bottis ’84 and Jim Collins, men who were important influences on my experience at Clark and in my career. My first job interview was conducted by Paul when I applied for a position on the summer paint crew. Over the course of 18 months, I worked in every Clark property — painted floors, walls and ceilings, sanded sheetrock joint compound, and learned to replace and glaze window glass. I learned important skills that I can I apply in my own home. But more importantly, I developed a sense of physical competence where I discovered I could do things, I could create something new and

work with my hands as well as my mind. The college environment tends to focus on intellectual development; recognizing that I was capable in multiple arenas was important to my development. Jim Collins treated me as a peer while I was a senior and member of the University Budget Oversight Committee created by Student Council. By 1982, the cost of attending Clark had, in the opinion of students, skyrocketed (how poorly we predicted the future costs of higher education) and this committee was created to recommend cost-saving measures and review elements of the University budget. Jim took our concerns seriously, gave us access to information that most

private colleges hold close, and respected our suggestions. Although our suggestions were minimal, I felt my opinion was valued. As a student affairs administrator and now as a teacher of future student affairs practitioners, I attempt to replicate what I experienced with Jim and Paul. They made the effort to know my name and know things about me. They were present and available on campus. They took time to understand students and their needs. They respected students. They cared. Clark University and I are better because of their influence. Denise L. Davidson ’83 Lewisburg, Pa.

In August, Meryl Berkowitz Hutzler ’92 and her family were returning home to Baltimore after a trip to New Hampshire when they visited Clark. “We toured the campus and hit all of my old dorms and off-campus apartments,” she writes. Meryl’s husband, Gil, snapped the photo of her and their boys, Henry, 13, Jake, 8, Phillip, 11, and Joe, 5, outside of Wright Hall, where, Meryl says, “I made some great friends from the third floor that first spring 2014

year who I still keep in touch with today.”

clark alumni magazine

Correction In memory of teammate Amanda Mundt ’14, the Clark field hockey team wore bracelets this past season bearing the Creole inscription “nou tout se youn” (“We are all one”). The fourth word was misspelled as “you” in the spring magazine.

Clark Newsmakers

Remembering the amazing life cycle of Jim Karanas Jim Karanas ’75 died unexpectedly on August 25, 2013. At Clark from 1971 to 1975, he was an avid athlete on both the crew and cross-country teams. Long before Clark had a weight room or a strength program, Jim trained with the late, beloved Richard Kendrick. He was Kendrick’s first student. Jim started teaching in a local fitness club in the 1980s and turned himself into the quintessential fitness instructor. He truly connected with people. He offered more than a workout in his classes — incorporating physiology, philosophy, and inspiration. Jim’s love for training and athletics was unparalleled, and he shared it with enthusiasm. He even briefly taught a fitness class for kids, and 30 or 40 adult club members would gather around to watch that amazing spectacle. Jim’s primary fitness gift was his ability to create programs. When aerobics competition was at its peak, Jim created Competitive Aerobics Training Camp. The most successful coach in the sport, he coached his athletes to a total of 78 medals, including world and national championships. He created Spin Camp and turned it into Performance Max, a progressive, periodized program of indoor cycling and rowing. Jim shaped the philosophy behind the Kranking® program, created by Johnny G (the legendary creator of Spinning®). He emphasized the benefits of the Krankcycle for challenged athletes and developed the concept of “inclusive fitness.” Jim brought his profound love of cycling to his work for Indoor Cycling Group, creating a national and international team of trainers. He traveled the world, changing the fitness industry with his expertise and his teaching skill. Jim coached people to “go beyond self-imposed limitations.” He encouraged hundreds of students to begin riding outdoors, or to try distances and challenges they might never have tackled. Countless “Jim disciples” say they never ride without hearing his voice in their minds, and that he changed their lives. He turned numerous cycling students into instructors through inspiration. At Clark back in 1975, Jim said his favorite thing about fitness was that “you can’t fake it.” His teaching was never gimmicky; industry fads were of no interest to him. The classes he taught came from his experience and his heart. They were authentic, and so was he. The phrase “bigger than life” is apt. Jim was everyone’s most unforgettable character. An internet search readily reveals his worldwide influence. The number of people Jim helped and touched is shown in how many love him and will always remember him. Fitness is not a high-prestige profession. But there’s no doubt that Jim Karanas embodied what Oliver Wendell Holmes meant when he said, “Every calling is great when greatly pursued.” Joan Kent ’73, M.S., Ph.D. San Mateo, Calif.

HE CLARK COMMUNITY continues its worthy — and newsworthy —

activities, with members regularly featured or mentioned in media reports around the world. Visit the Clark News Hub (news.clarku.

edu) for a complete online archive with summaries and links. Here is a recent sampling:

The Atlantic: Wendy Grolnick (psychology) discusses how competitive parenting can be contagious in “Why Back-to-School Night Made Me Feel Like a Bad Mom.” The Chronicle of Higher Ed: A feature about college career centers mentions Clark’s LEEP educational model, “meant to integrate the wealth of intellectual and academic resources already present at the university …” NPR: Debórah Dwork (history/Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies) is interviewed about a memorial in Israel to honor gays and lesbians persecuted by the Nazis. The story is in The Huffington Post, U.S. News, Chicago Sun-Times, and others. Bloomberg Businessweek: John O’Brien (Mosakowski Institute), former president of UMass Memorial Health Care, gives his perspective on the costs of medical devices. Foreign Policy in Focus: “While feigning outrage at worker abuse in Bangladesh, the U.S. government has been quietly supporting the same sweatshop factories used by Wal-Mart and the Gap,” writes Robert J.S. Ross (sociology) in his editorial, “Tax Dollars for Sweatshops.” Yahoo! Finance: Clark University is included in “Top Private College Values in New England, 2014,” by the editors of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. National Journal: “Getting Primaried: The Changing Politics of Congressional Primary Challenges,” by Robert Boatright (political science), is among the editors’ list of best political books of 2013. Times of Israel: Sara E. Brown (Stern Family Fellow doctoral student/ Strassler Center) authors a blog: “The new age of Rwandan genocide commemoration.” The Christian Science Monitor: Bill Lynn (Marsh Institute), an expert on ethics and predator management, comments in “Meat-eaters versus carnivores: Is your diet killing wolves?” Entrepreneur: John C. Brown (economics/Mosakowski Institute) contributes to “Will Obamacare Still Spur Entrepreneurship? Economists Weigh In.” The article also ran in Yahoo! Finance TIME magazine: About the Detroit bankruptcy, comments by Gary Chaison (GSOM) include: “What affected yesterday’s manufacturing workers is now affecting policemen and firefighters. Nobody is safe.” CNBC: Christopher Williams (geography) talks about dry conditions in the West in “Remember the last drought? 2013’s could be worse.” California Science and Technology News: An excavation project codirected by Rhys Townsend (art history) is featured in “More Archeological Treasures Found in Southern Turkey.” The Boston Globe: Men’s basketball standout Nicholas DaPrato (’14) is featured as a “go-to player” and NEWMAC Player of the Week, following a 27-point performance.

RED

SQUARE

News from the Campus

spring 2014

clark alumni magazine

They’re only human … and Clarkies AKE A PAIR OF TALENTED STUDENTS with cameras, unleash them

on campus, and the result is Humans of Clark, a photography project that promotes connection and community. Sophomores Nainika Grover, of Brookline, Mass., and Jonathan Edelman, of Leawood, Kan., are sharing snapshots of students and other members of the Clark community, along with quotes from spontaneous conversations, on a Facebook page that aims to “portray the characters and personalities of Clark University.”

“We wanted to adapt this here because we wanted the community to be able to know the various faces and stories of Clark,” Grover said. “A lot of the time we only recognize students by face, but we never know their stories.” Since Sept. 8, Grover and Edelman have published more than 120 photographs (and counting) accompanied by personal reflections ranging from the whimsical to the sentimental to the profound. Political Science Professor Ora Szekely’s photo

Humans of Clark was inspired by Brandon Stanton’s popular photo series, Humans of New York (HoNY), which has shared stories of strangers living in New York City with nearly one million followers on Facebook and Tumblr. Each image is accompanied by a brief caption or a few poignant words or sentences about the subject. Grover and Edelman discovered a mutual affinity for HoNY and decided to apply the formula at Clark, believing their project had the potential to bring the campus closer together.

includes a comment about the compassion she experienced while in Jordan during the 9/11 attacks. A lighthearted entry features a student who writes about wearing her St. Louis Cardinals’ jersey in Red Sox Nation. Another photo highlights a cancer survivor who feels “born again” after being released from the hospital. The Humans of Clark page (facebook.com/humansofclark) has garnered more than 1,600 likes, and it is believed to have been viewed in more than 20 countries and in 18 languages.

Chip Mannarino’s legacy of light Joseph “Chip” Mannarino ’79 spent his

Luke, Karen, Heidi and Caitlin Mannarino with Chip’s plaque at the opening of the Sustainability Hub. Also present, but not pictured, was Heather Mannarino ’17.

to attend admitted students day last spring, but that visit to campus is what made Heather decide to attend her parents’ alma mater. “She wasn’t sure before her visit, but she fell in love with the campus.” Karen, like Chip, is pleased with the way Clark has progressed since her own days as a student. “It’s important to let young people know they can have an impact,” she says. “Clark has a great message — you can truly change the world.”

MISSING YEARBOOKS

lark University Archives is seeking help to fill a gap in its collection of Clark yearbooks. According to archivist Fordyce Williams, the books for 1906 and 1907 are missing. Williams is unsure how the yearbooks are titled since the 1905 version is called “The Pioneer” and the 1908 volume is “The Pasticcio.” Perhaps a member of the Clark community has one of these historical yearbooks in a personal collection and would be willing to give it to the University. If so, contact Williams at 508-793-7206, or fwilliams@clarku.edu.

spring 2014

project. Shortly after graduating and joining the energy industry he was a technical consultant for the University when its cogeneration plant was brought online. He later consulted with Clark on a number of projects, including the construction and subsequent LEED certification of the Lasry Center for Biosciences and Blackstone Hall, leaving his mark to ensure the campus remained sustainable for present and future Clarkies — like Heather. “Her father was so happy she chose Clark,” Karen says. Chip was unable

9 clark alumni magazine

life dedicated to energy conservation, first as a Clark student and then, for 26 years, as a senior technical consultant for National Grid. His work was honored when the utility company opened its Sustainability Hub on Main Street last fall in space donated by the University, and staffed by Clark students. Mannarino, who died on July 31, 2013, while awaiting a heart transplant, is memorialized in the Hub with a plaque acknowledging his life as a loving husband and father and his passion for energy sustainability. His wife, Karen Mannarino ’78, and their four children — including Heather, a member of the class of 2017 — attended the Hub’s grand opening in October. “It was a great day,” Karen says of the opening. Chip was involved in the initial planning of the Hub, and was pleased that National Grid and Clark were collaborating. “He loved that Clark was such a green school ... he thought that’s the direction every college should be heading. He was a proud alumnus.” In his undergraduate days, Chip — a biology major — worked on various campus energy conservation initiatives, including the statewide “energy phone”

RED

SQUARE FROM THE PODIUM New Century education Nationally

known

Presumption of guilt

Pathological politics

and

In the Nov. 14 President’s Lecture,

The media’s “savage portrayals” of

Political gridlock in Washington

Ladson-Billings

Jane Mendillo reflected on a

men of color have a disreputable

is nothing new, but polarization

delivered the Lee Gurel ’48 Lecture

personal journey that started with

place in American culture, and

between the two major parties has

on Education with a resounding

a Yale English degree and brought

were never more evident than in

become so acute that it has led to

call to action for teachers to fully

her to oversight of the investment

the coverage of the 1989 rape and

historic dysfunction on Capitol Hill,

engage

educator

Gloria

author

Taking the lead

portfolio for Harvard University,

beating of a white jogger in Central

renowned researcher and political

diverse,

whose approximately $30 billion

Park, which led to the arrest and

scientist Sarah Binder, Ph.D., told

technologically savvy, and resistant

in value makes it the largest

incarceration of four black teens

the audience at the Harrington

to traditional methods of imparting

university

and a Hispanic teen. Years later

Lecture.

and absorbing information. She

world. The president and CEO of

they

when

“congressional pathologies” that

insisted that many teachers are

Harvard Management Company

another man confessed to the

contribute to perpetual stalemate,

failing to connect with so-called

offered her insights on effective

attack. In a presentation hosted by

among them the single-minded

New Century Students, and need

leadership, including building a

the Higgins School of Humanities,

goal to get re-elected, which leaves

to bridge the learning gap by

strong

professor

Natalie

lawmakers catering to their local

incorporating hip-hop and other

high standards and ethics, and

Byfield, a former New York Daily

constituencies — at the expense

cultural touch points of a younger

planning for the long term. A

News reporter who covered the

of passing legislation that would

generation. “It’s important to know

Red Sox fan, she confessed to

“Central Park Five” case, recalled

serve the national interest but

where the students are, so that we

admiration

John

the manipulations and injustices

may be unpopular at home. “They

can do a better job of understanding

Farrell, who, despite establishing

used to convict the innocent men,

like to take credit for the good

them and assisting them in the

a climate of excellence that

and the racially coded language

stuff, and avoid the blame for the

classroom and beyond,” Ladson-

allowed his team to win the World

employed by the media and public

bad,” Binder said. “Nobody wants

Billings said.

Series, deflected all the credit to

to associate them with the crime.

their fingerprints on ugly or tough

that

classroom are

populations

culturally

endowment

foundation,

for

the

maintaining

manager

his players. Said Mendillo, “He

were

exonerated

and

author

Binder

cited

several

solutions.”

spring 2014

was the essence of a leader.”

clark alumni magazine

William E. Brennan III, who is pursuing his master’s in accounting at the Graduate School of Management, had quite the surprise for his girlfriend, Carolyn N. Marano, during the Aug. 21 taping of the game show “The Price is Right.” During a commercial break, host Drew Carey called the couple to the stage, where William, who’d prearranged this moment with the show’s producers, dropped to one knee, presented the stunned Carolyn with an engagement ring, and popped the big question while the audience awaited her response. Fortunately, her answer was right: she said yes.

CANDLES FOR MANDELA

he Dec. 5 death of Nelson Mandela resonated throughout the Clark community and had particular significance for about 25 members of the University’s chapter of The ONE Campaign. The Clark contingent was one of only 10 college chapters in the nation to be awarded a private screening of the film, “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” which recalled the early life and activism of the former South African president and anti-apartheid champion. By sheer coincidence the screening was held the day Mandela died. Co-founded by U2 frontman Bono, the ONE Campaign is an advocacy organization aimed at fighting extreme poverty, especially in Africa. “We’re trying to get people around the world to raise their voices,” Madeleine Friga ’15, told a Worcester Telegram & Gazette reporter, following the screening at a theater in Millbury, Mass. The students held a candlelight vigil outside the theater after the screening.

spring 2014

Richard Blanco smiled, gestured to the standing-room-only crowd, and remarked that it was the first time he’d ever witnessed a “poetry stampede.” Indeed, the prospect of hearing Blanco, who had read his original poem at President Barack Obama’s 2013 inauguration ceremony, reflect on his life and work, drew such an overwhelming crowd on Jan. 20 that the venue needed to be relocated from Razzo Hall to Jefferson 320. The announcement triggered the “stampede,” which in fact was an orderly, gentle (these were poetry lovers, after all) migration of an estimated 400 people across campus to the new location. Blanco’s appearance was part of Clark University’s celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. From the podium, Blanco offered a thoughtful, poignant, and often funny account of a personal journey that, he noted, harkens to Clark’s mission of challenging convention. He cited his seemingly counterintuitive vocations

of poet and engineer, and his search for identity in the United States as the son of Cuban immigrants as clear examples of his own passage through a sometimes untraditional life. Coming of age in Miami, he said, was “like growing up between two imaginary worlds,” a kind of cultural purgatory for a boy trapped between the Cuban culture of the 1950s and ’60s, and shiny American sitcoms like “The Brady Bunch.” Through his poetry he recounted his family’s wagering on the Miss America contest, his grandmother’s admonitions about what it takes to be a man, his love for his ailing father and the depth of appreciation for his mother that a son develops only after he passes through the fog of childhood. Blanco built his presentation toward a reconstruction of Inauguration Day, Jan. 21, 2013, when he read his poem, “One Today.” It was a historic occasion. Blanco was the first Latino poet, the first openly gay man, the first immigrant and the youngest person bestowed the honor of addressing the American people in verse at a presidential inauguration. “As an immigrant, there’s always a little piece of you that says ‘I’m not American,’” he told the Clark audience. “Sitting there waiting to be called up to read the poem, there was an overwhelming, powerful transformation that happened at that moment. And the greatest gift the inauguration gave me, is that it gave me a home.” Listen to Richard Blanco read his poetry at clarku.edu/blanco.

11 clark alumni magazine

Richard Blanco packs the house (twice)

RED

SQUARE Kosher dining returns

spring 2014

clark alumni magazine

lark University Dining Services operates with a sort of culinary conscientiousness that means its food is not only flavorful and nutritious, but locally sourced whenever possible, and varied enough to satisfy individual dietary needs. This past fall, the menu was expanded to include kosher dining. David Coyne, director of Clark Hillel, the student group that celebrates Jewish culture, notes that for years he has spoken with prospective students who found Clark to be the perfect fit academically and socially, but who chose not to enroll because of the lack of kosher offerings. “Their parents would have a simple question for me: How’s my son or daughter going to eat?” Coyne says. With President David Angel’s support, Coyne, Heather Vaillette, Sodexo general manager of Clark Dining Services, her team, and business Chef Silvia Avinoam at the kosher station. manager Paul Wykes spent several years planning the reintroduction of kosher dining at Clark. (Kosher food had been available at Dana Commons years ago, but was discontinued.) Also assisting were Bernie Rotman, chair of Hillel’s advisory committee, and Rabbi Yaakov Blotner of the Worcester Vaad, the local kosher supervising authority, who continues to monitor the program. The kosher kitchen is run by Silvia Avinoam, a talented cook and native of Israel who, as a “mashgiach,” is certified to oversee a kosher establishment. “Silvia does a wonderful job preparing the meals,” said Brittany Klug ’16, who ate a vegetarian diet her first year at Clark. She said the addition of a kosher menu “has weighed on my decision to stay here. I think this has made Clark a more inclusive school.”

The power of failure Everyone fails at something. The sharpest mind fumbles for an answer; the greatest athlete stumbles in a race. Failure is as inevitable as the dawn and as inescapable as gray hair. How do we deal with the very real fact that sometimes we come up short? Can present failures supply the fuel for future accomplishments? What about failures from which there seems no recovery — do they also teach us something? Or is failure so unpleasant a topic that it should be consigned to hushed tones, if spoken of at all? The Higgins School of Humanities chose to be bold, by fashioning its Spring Dialogue Symposium around the theme “Embracing Failure.” “The theme is offered as an exploration, not a wallow,” noted Higgins School of Humanities Director Amy G. Richter. “[Y]ou will be surprised by failure’s fullness — its malleability, beauty and power as well as its consequences, real and imagined.” The symposium brought in esteemed speakers like MIT economics professor Daron Acemoglu and historian Scott A. Sandage to examine failure in a variety of contexts, from nations whose failed economic and social structures keep their people mired in poverty to the consideration of failure as a pathway to learning in the classroom.

View from the Summit

ighty-seven high school students from across Massachusetts attended the first annual Youth Summit on Race, Class and Education, organized by Clark’s Jacob Hiatt Center for Urban Education in early December. For six hours, the students learned how race and class shape the educational experiences of young people across the nation. The program involved activists, educators, and scholars who approached the topic through interactive activities, performances and panels that encouraged reflection. Lulama Moyo ’16 performed “Clicking Tongues,” a spoken word poem about ignorance, intolerance and empowerment. Moyo studies international development and social change and communications. Originally from Zimbabwe, she moved to New England

when she was a preteen and experienced a great deal of adversity as one of the few young people of color growing up in rural Maine. Master of arts in teaching candidates Brady Burton, Natasha Cochran, and Noah Campbell led an activity that focused on race and class in the news, and participated in discussions alongside professors from the Education Department. Nationally known scholar Gloria LadsonBillings, author of “Beyond the Big House: African American Educators on Teacher Education,” also addressed attendees. The highlight of the Summit was a panel discussion, “Looking Back and Moving Forward,” featuring award-winning radio DJ,

poet and writer Alysia Cosby; professor and curriculum developer Andrew Habana Hafner, Ed.D.; and youth activist, DJ, and lecturer Carlos REC McBride. The panelists shared details of their personal struggles with race, class and self-identity and gave advice on how to develop confidence and learn to appreciate who you are. Were they successful? Seems so. A student from Renaissance High School in Springfield wrote, “The three speakers in the educator panel were inspirational and real. [Cosby] delved into issues of race and diversity and self-identity in a way that let me know she really got it. She has the same thoughts and struggles I do.”

The Dial, the eminent literary magazine, was published in February. Dempsey is also the author of “Murphy’s American Dream,” “Zakary’s Zombies” and “The Court Poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer.” He teaches literature and writing at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Okey Ndibe, Ph.D., of West Hartford, Conn., an editor and novelist (“Foreign Gods, Inc.,” “Arrows of Rain”), was born in Nigeria and is the founding editor of the magazine, African Commentary. An outspoken critic of corruption in Nigeria, Ndibe has been named an enemy of the state by the Nigerian government and is frequently detained by state security services on his return trips there. He teaches at Brown University. “These distinguished authors are reflective of the scholarship and creativity for which both Worcester and Clark University are known,” said Demetri Kyriakis ’83, president of the Friends.

13 clark alumni magazine

A love of ideas and words — and even the paper they’re written on — was the more-than-appropriate theme for The Friends of the Robert Hutchings Goddard Memorial Library Author Dinner, April 29, at the Higgins University Center. Three area authors from the realms of fiction and nonfiction were scheduled to speak. Nicholas Basbanes, of North Grafton, Mass., is the author of “On Paper,” “A Gentle Madness,” and six other works of nonfiction having to do with books and book collecting. An award-winning investigative reporter in the early 1970s and the literary editor of the Worcester Sunday Telegram from 1978 to 1991, Basbanes is a past president of The Friends of the Goddard Library. James Dempsey, M.A. ’78, of Hopkinton, Mass., is a retired columnist for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. His biography of Worcester-born Scofield Thayer, a noted art collector and editor of

spring 2014

A book lovers’ bash

an ounce of prevention A BOLD NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH WORCESTER PUTS CLARK UNIVERSITY ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

By Jim Keogh

Illustration by Richard Mia N HEALTH CARE CIRCLES, John O’Brien is known as a “turnaround guy.” He takes something that’s struggling and makes it succeed, or he takes something that’s already working and makes it work better. ¶ O’Brien has been the CEO of two hospital systems, served as the commissioner of public health for the city of Cambridge, Mass., and spearheaded the creation of the Cambridge Health Alliance, a coalition of hospitals, clinics and specialty centers that has been hailed as a national model for integrated health care networks. ¶ Every step of the way he has strategized, innovated, expanded and enhanced facilities, services, accessibility and employee rolls. He has been lauded as an industry leader, earned national awards, and he and the Cambridge health system were profiled by Tom Brokaw on the NBC Nightly News. His rolodex is a Who’s Who of health and government at the highest levels.

espite the impressive career trajectory, O’Brien remains conscious of the example set by his mother, who as a widow with 10 children struggled to keep the family afloat on her salary as a secretary at MIT. Times were lean, yet she never failed to show a kindness to someone in worse circumstances or give food from her table to others. “My mother instilled in all of us a sense of giving back; that to whom much is given, much is expected,” O’Brien says. As such, he is a man with feet planted firmly in two worlds, balancing the successful management of sprawling institutions with improving the delivery of health services to the most vulnerable populations — a voice in the executive suite and an advocate in the street. When a state or city law was proposed that he deemed harmful to the poor in Massachusetts, O’Brien never hesitated to “fight it to the death,” raising hell at press

and Worcester officials in February signed an agreement to create the Academic Health Department, partnering Clark students and faculty with the city’s Division of Public Health to launch a full-on offensive against some of the most pernicious health issues plaguing the city, from poor nutrition to untreated mental illness, to violence and injury. The goal is to foster healthy behaviors that will curtail more serious illnesses later on — in effect improving lives, cutting treatment costs and preserving communities. “If you look at the data, health is defined as the complete physical, social, emotional and economic well-being of an individual. Genes and biology only account for a portion of it; a lot involves social determinants and behavior,” O’Brien says. “The greatest predictor of poor health is poverty and whether you have a health insurance card in your wallet. Health is quality housing, it’s the

apply for a National Institutes of Health grant they may have otherwise passed on. It’s a lot easier to pull people into the future than kick them out of the present.” Says Mosakowski Institute Director Jim Gomes: “John is that rare person who combines the ability to envision a major change, has a detailed understanding of what needs be done, and possesses leadership qualities to bring together people to make his vision a reality. The world needs more John O’Briens, and we are so fortunate to have him at Clark.”



Marianne Sarkis, professor in the department of International Development, Community, and Environment, has long immersed her students in the Worcester community to do research on issues like infant mortality and the impact of prostitution on neighborhoods. While the experience

spring 2014

The greatest predictor of poor health is poverty, and whether you have a health insurance card in your wallet. What we need are interventions, and we need to engage the community. We need transformation.

clark alumni magazine

conferences and taking his case straight to the policymakers. Last year, after retiring as CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care, one of the largest health systems in the Northeast, O’Brien joined the Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise at Clark University as the Jane ’75 and William ’76 Mosakowski Distinguished Professor of Higher Education. He’s now putting his turnaround talents to work for the city of Worcester. Following months of negotiations and planning, and with the assistance of faculty and the blessing of the administration, he has launched a unique town-gown collaboration that is positioning Clark as a player in the evolving field of public health. University

quality of public education, it’s healthy eating and increased physical activity. What we need are interventions, and we need to engage the community. We need transformation.” O’Brien has recruited UMass Medical School as a partner, giving students access to its doctors, researchers and resources. Other Worcester-area universities and colleges also will participate in varying capacities, but Clark will be the lead institution. “I’m trying to tug at the self-interests of various stakeholders, because it’s a challenging time economically for health care systems and universities,” he says. “So I see, for instance, the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences at UMass being able to take advantage of our GIS mapping abilities to

has been productive, she found that Clark was often bumping into other colleges and universities doing their own projects, which was fomenting “research fatigue” among over-studied residents. “This agreement will formalize things, make it seem less ad hoc. We were doing all this work, but there was no centralization, no coordination,” Sarkis says. Students now have the added advantage of doing meaningful internships and capstone projects with the Division of Public Health while getting properly trained in community-based public health research. In return, Worcester residents will be active participants in their own health care, she says, rather than regarding themselves as subjects inside a “living lab.”

Brown, the Jane ’75 and William ’76 Mosakowski Distinguished Faculty Research Fellow, said that at its fundamental level the partnership allows students to apply quantitative skills to concrete situations. “In my mind, this is real Mosakowski Institute research, where we’re doing highquality assessments to determine the impact of interventions,” he says. “This is an opportunity for us as researchers, and for the city, to get more bang for the buck.” Last year, Worcester announced its Community Health Improvement Plan, a roadmap to making Worcester “the healthiest city in New England by 2020,” particularly by improving outcomes among residents gripped by the twin demons of substandard living conditions and lack of access to consistent, high-quality care.

It was a daring, ambitious, and daunting claim that would require community collaboration — with hospitals, health centers and academia — to have any chance of succeeding. Brindisi believes he’s found the perfect partner in Clark. “Clark students want to dive in and do tangible work, and the faculty members are just as engaged,” he says. “We have a natural connection to Clark.” He recalls accompanying John O’Brien to an elementary school where the thenCEO of UMass Memorial motioned to a kindergarten student and said, “If we don’t take care of that child today, we’ll be bearing the costs of caring for him as an adult.” Says Brindisi, “Everything is pointing in one direction: prevention.”

17 clark alumni magazine

“It is an exploitive process,” Sarkis explains. “We’re getting all this information from the residents, but the feedback was not getting back to them. By having the DPH involved, there is more of a feedback loop, and more benefit to the community. Now the community will influence policy, programming and outreach.” When O’Brien and Worcester Public Health Director Derek Brindisi, M.P.A. ’03, opened a dialogue about forming a partnership, Sarkis and fellow IDCE professors Laurie Ross ’91, M.A. ’95, and Ellen Foley brainstormed with O’Brien about maximizing the benefits of this pioneering arrangement for both the city and Clark. Professors from other disciplines, like John Brown and Jacqueline Geoghegan from Economics, and Yelena Ogneva-Himmelberger from IDCE, added crucial perspectives.

spring 2014

John O'Brien, Distinguished Professor of Higher Education at the Mosakowski Institute, has spearheaded the creation of the Academic Health Department.

Look at everything Clark already does in the areas of GIS, urban planning and global health. When John O’Brien said ‘Let’s do this,’ I knew it would be successful. GIS, urban planning and global health. Their programs touch on everything we’re doing in public health. When John O’Brien said ‘Let’s do this,’ I knew it would be successful.”

 Academic Health Departments are not new — O’Brien points to a successful longstanding example in Knox County, Tenn. — but they are relatively rare nationwide. An AHD represents a formal affiliation between an academic institution and a state or local health department, pooling the intellectual capital of the former with resources of the latter to deliver essential public health services. The Clark-Worcester tandem is an even more uncommon version in that

spring 2014

The Community Health Improvement Plan pinpoints five priorities: healthy eating/ active living; behavioral health; primary care/ wellness; violence/injury prevention; and health equity/disparities. Brindisi anticipates Clark’s intellectual resources and boots-on-theground work ethic will make the University a valuable ally for administering, documenting and evaluating the programs his department is rolling out. For instance, he can envision students being deployed to identify so-called “food deserts” in urban neighborhoods, or tapping faculty expertise to increase the city’s chances of landing federal grants. “People may say, ‘Why Clark?’ I say, look at everything Clark already does in the areas of

clark alumni magazine

18 Worcester Public Health Director Derek Brindisi, M.P.A. ’03, says Worcester has found the perfect partner in Clark.

it doesn’t involve a university with its own school of public health, as is typical in these partnerships, and instead weaves together resources from various institutions and the city and puts them into practice in an innovative way. An Academic Health Department can be invaluable for a city like Worcester, which has only 18 employees in its health department compared to 1,100 in Boston, O’Brien says. “Cambridge, which is smaller than Worcester, dwarfs this place [in number of staff],” he marvels. “Worcester has all kinds of initiatives going, but it doesn’t have the manpower to follow through. What we will be able to do for Worcester, I believe, will be a real differentiating thing for Clark University and for the city.” The Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise was established in 2008 around the mission of conducting research that will catalyze social change in a variety of areas, including education, mid-sized cities, the environment, and health and wellness. William Mosakowski ’76, who, with his wife Jane Mosakowski ’75, is the institute’s benefactor, views the Academic Health Department as “a move in the right direction” toward fulfilling that early vision. “What’s very interesting here is the opportunity to have the institute do the testing on health care policy reforms, public health initiatives and even behavioral reactions at the local level, with broader applications regionally and nationally,” Mosakowski says. “Plenty of research is being conducted in many universities and institutes, but little of it moves from lab to practice — we wanted to be able to have a mechanism to do that. It’s not an easy translation, and it takes time, but under Jim Gomes’ leadership, and with the addition of John O’Brien, a lot of progress is being made.”

strengthen the sustainability of a health care-medical complex that for too long has viewed treating catastrophic bodily failures as its primary mission, he insists. O’Brien, Mosakowski and others interviewed for this story agree that no one can accurately predict how the health care system will reinvent itself in the coming years. The path is long, O’Brien acknowledges, but he was involved in the reform movement in Massachusetts and he’s optimistic that the nation will see dividends from widespread change. “Seven or eight years ago I attended a lunch with [then-Federal Reserve chairman] Alan Greenspan, and he said then that reform was coming because the system was unsustainable,” O’Brien says. “People have said we have the greatest health care system in the world, and it is if you’re affluent, you’re literate and your doctor can help you navigate it. Very few people I know in health care don’t think we can’t do it better and cheaper.”

Within the fog of uncertainty about health care’s future lies an unassailable truth: career prospects in the health sector will continue to grow. O’Brien is bullish on the prospect of Clark students receiving the kind of experiential learning through the Academic Health Department that will gain them a foothold in an evolving economy where health spending now is nearly a fifth of the national GDP. He foresees the day when Clark has a formalized curriculum that will channel students into health fields. “Ten thousand people in this country are turning sixty-five years of age every day, and that will continue for another fifteen years,” O’Brien says. “Young people today might not know it now, but they’ll be ending up in health-related careers. I’m hoping this will whet Clark students’ appetites for that challenge and those opportunities. This is a changing time, but it’s also an exciting time.”

19 clark alumni magazine

Mosakowski, founder and chief executive officer of Public Consulting Group, Inc., has worked with O’Brien on health care-related matters for many years, dating back to O’Brien’s tenure at Cambridge City Hospital, where he was named CEO at the age of thirty-five. “The reason John is viewed as a change agent is that he’s able to put together the pieces and pull together the constituencies so that change not only occurs, but it sticks.” O’Brien is adamant that public health is a critical frontier in the reform discussion. The headlines have fixed on the troubled rollout of the Affordable Care Act, but the hidden story is how increased prevention and early intervention will boost positive health outcomes and contain costs. Attacking the problem of dust mites, which exacerbate asthma, or finding ways to get nutritious foods to families to fight childhood obesity before it blossoms into heart disease, will

spring 2014

Professor Marianne Sarkis welcomes a more organized approach to public-health research in the city.

To your

health

From front-line physicians to policy influencers, Clark University alumni are richly represented in the field of public health. We caught up with several alumni to get their thoughts about the changes, challenges and opportunities they’re seeing on the job.

spring 2014

DR. LEWIS GOLDFRANK ’63, DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, BELLEVUE HOSPITAL CENTER, NEW YORK, N.Y.

clark alumni magazine

Dr. Lewis Goldfrank doesn’t like the word “accident.” As director of emergency medical services at Bellevue Hospital since 1979, he knows that with proper prevention strategies and education, far fewer people would end up in his ER and instead be living healthier, happier lives. In the past he has fought for the placement of seatbelts in taxicabs, the elimination of lead paint in homes, the use of helmets for bikers, and the placement of protective guards in windows to prevent children from falling to their deaths. These days, in collaboration with the state of New York, faculty in his department are leading a study of pedestrians and bicyclists injured or killed in crosswalks or in the streets. “Things sometimes float to the surface, and sometimes they recede because of public attention,” Goldfrank notes, “but the way public health works is you do the basics forever.” It’s crucial to improve people’s health literacy and numeracy, he says — getting them to learn about risk and the nuts and bolts of prevention as early as possible. That means putting doctors, nurses and college students into the schools to educate on such topics as proper nutrition, dental care and tobacco avoidance. By way of illustration he cites a chilling New England Journal of Medicine article that maintains, for many, obesity is determined

within the first years of life. Overweight 5-year-olds were four times more likely as normal weight children to become obese. “Once a child is overweight you can’t retrieve that; they’re overweight the rest of their lives,” he says. “You’ve got to help people early on because, by the time they come into your office at age 15 or 20, the die has been cast.” Goldfrank lauds Clark’s formation of the Academic Health Department, likening it to the pioneering University Park Partnership with the Worcester Public Schools — a committed, proactive effort to work with and for the community in which Clark is both resident and contributor. JOHN AUERBACH ’72, DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE ON URBAN HEALTH RESEARCH, NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Optimism. That’s the word that emerges frequently in a conversation with John Auerbach when he speaks about the future of health care. He was on the phone recently from Washington, D.C., where he was attending a conference that featured a groundbreaking meeting between leaders from clinical medicine and from public health, both looking at potential areas of compromise and collaboration as they work through the shifting sands of health care reform. “There’s been an effort in the last few years to strengthen the partnership between the people who work on the public health

side and those who work on the clinical side, to see if it’s possible to develop a new model of care where there’s a greater emphasis on connecting patients to the non-clinical services in their communities that might be useful for promoting good health,” he says. The former commissioner of health for Boston and later for Massachusetts, Auerbach was on the ground floor of the successful statewide health care reform legislation passed by then-governor Mitt Romney and implemented by Governor Deval Patrick. He says that, while red states and blue states may be at odds over the best strategy for federal reforms, he sees general agreement “that expanding access is a good thing; that people’s health improves when they see clinicians, and there needs to be a consolidated effort to improve quality of care and control costs. “There are bumps in the road, but I’m optimistic the rest of the country will see what we’ve seen in Massachusetts.” DR. STEPHANIE BAILEY ’72, DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES, TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY

Effecting change in public health is an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, process, involving long-held behaviors that are often rooted in cultural mores, political expediency and a societal preference for the quick fix over gradual improvement, says Dr. Stephanie Bailey. “Why is prevention so hard?” she asks. “It’s because the culture and experiences we grew up with lead to beliefs, which lead to actions, which lead to results. We as a society

“Health is more than the absence of disease,” says Miranda Katsoyannis. “Every part of life must be focused on creating health.” In her position at the CDC, Katsoyannis knows that protecting and preserving the wellness of communities involves numerous factors, including access to care and the promotion of healthy behaviors. As a liaison between the CDC and Capitol Hill, she is a translator of sorts, helping Washington’s congressional

MARIA FERNANDES ’05, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS SPECIALIST, BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Negotiating her way through the thicket of state government to achieve healthier communities has become a way of life for Maria Fernandes. She has worked with legislators, the governor’s office and state agencies to enact policies that counteract widespread

childhood obesity and instances of concussions among young athletes. She now has her eyes set on improving dental health among children, reinstituting recess and supervised physical activity in the schools, and getting parents to buckle up their kids in cars. Fernandes (below) is proud of the progress made. For instance, junk food has virtually been eliminated from the schools, and a bill passed in 2010 mandates training for coaches and other adults to spot concussions and initiate proper procedures to ensure an athlete does not return to the field until he or she has been medically cleared. She acknowledges that change is difficult. Despite the uptick in nutritional foods at schools, many inner-city children still live in “food deserts,” areas served largely by bodegas and convenience stores that lack fresh produce. Even if healthier options are available, they can be unobtainable. “Clinicians are hearing from parents that they would love to institute healthy eating in their homes, but they can’t afford to,” Fernandes says. “The gallon of soda is cheaper than the vegetables.” Like Dr. Stephanie Bailey, Fernandes sees resistance to change shaped by ingrained cultural behaviors. She points to the pushback from the Hispanic and African-American communities on instituting a “primary” seat belt law, which allows a person to be cited for not wearing a seat belt absent any other infractions. The fear, she says, is that police will profile and harass young men of color. “We haven’t been able to disconnect the law from the fear of racial profiling, but the National Highway Safety Association studies show that blacks and Latinos wear seat belts at lower rates than whites, and that passage of a seat belt law does not increase harassment,” she says. “We understand the deeply rooted conflict between the community of color and law enforcement, but we’re in the business of health equity and, if the law passes, those who stand to benefit most are African-Americans and Latinos.”

spring 2014

MIRANDA KATSOYANNIS ’78, SENIOR PROGRAM ANALYST, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

leaders understand complex public health issues that are informed by hard science, with the goal of shaping effective policy. Getting there isn’t always easy. “Scientists aren’t necessarily concerned with what’s happening in Washington, so it’s our job to take what they’re doing and bring it to the policymakers so they can better assess and review the work,” she says. The CDC touches numerous disciplines, ranging from epidemiology to nutrition to emergency medical services, and is often a voice on such national issues as gun violence and the growing epidemic of prescription drug overdoses. The agency’s best work is often its quietest, like the viral outbreaks that don’t occur because of CDC research and intervention in all 50 states (and in more than 50 countries) — supporting local health departments with the tools, education and funding to protect their populations. “The outbreaks you never hear about are our biggest success,” she says. “Bad things didn’t happen, the nation went about its business, and you weren’t affected.” When the Affordable Care Act was passed, Katsoyannis and the CDC worked to ensure prevention was made a priority, and explained to representatives and senators how their constituents will benefit. As for Clark’s partnership with Worcester? “The CDC has another partner in arms,” she says.

21 clark alumni magazine

always focus on the actions — to change the law to do something now. But that does not change the behavior that will create a culture where health is the default, which takes a lot more effort.” She notes that dramatic treatment measures such as bariatric surgery and medication “cocktails” have in many cases supplanted healthy preventive behaviors for obesity and AIDS/HIV respectively. Bailey (at right) is the former chief for public health practice at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and for 12 years was the director of public health for the city of Nashville, where her department took chances and made inroads. She cites a particularly innovative initiative which virtually eliminated syphilis in Nashville after the city had been ranked number one in the nation for the disease. Communities, she says, “should own their own health rather than be dictated to from the top down.” Bailey will be launching an Academic Health Department linking Tennessee State University’s resources with the needs of the Nashville community, similar to the ClarkWorcester partnership. She describes Clark’s move as “very opportunistic, given the health care conversation going on. The health departments are not going to be the leaders; you’ve got to go outside the government. So when I hear about Clark doing this, I say, Yeah! I’m excited,” adding with a laugh, “I want to come out there and run it.”

clark alumni magazine

fall 2013

CLARK RADIO STATIONS TRADITIONALLY SUPPLIED THE CAMPUS SOUNDTRACK, UNTIL A GROUP OF STUDENTS BROUGHT A BIGGER VISION TO WCUW AND MADE IT THE VOICE OF THE CITY

ON THE BY ANNE GIBSON, PH.D. ’95

spring 2014

Illustration by Martin O’Neill

clark alumni magazine

N OCTOBER 19, 2013, Clarkies from across the country descended on the nondescript yellow building on the corner of Hawthorne and Main streets that houses WCUW-FM (91.3) to celebrate a cultural milestone. Forty years earlier, the radio station born on the Clark University campus and shepherded to maturity by generations of students was granted a noncommercial, educational FM license. The reunion brought together alumni who had once sat behind the microphone and delivered the news of Worcester and the world. They’d hosted forums for citizens to speak their minds, and opened the airwaves to Hispanic voices. They’d spun records — the real kind, big and vinyl — introducing unknown musicians to ears that were ready for something fresh. Bruce Springsteen was just a scruffy kid from New Jersey, but his music found a home at WCUW. The station served as as a training ground-cum launch pad into media careers for many Clarkies, and its origins can be traced to the fertile intellectual soil of Clark University, the radio mania of the 1920s, and a humble physicist who became one of the most influential people in history. The Radio Club at Clark was initiated through the Physics Department possibly as early as 1914 to experiment with the budding technology that would eventually allow people in isolated rural areas or urban hubs to listen to concerts from Chicago, election results, or speeches by the president in real time. In 1921 the club broadcast the first Radio Glee Club Concert in New England. Received in towns surrounding Worcester, the program also included an address by physics professor and club adviser Robert Goddard, A.M. 1910, Ph.D. 1911, on “The Significance of Radiophone Development.” Goddard knew something about significant developments: he would go on to invent modern-day rocketry and usher in the Space Age. The radio waves he used to control rockets could also transmit information. An unidentified Radio Club member reflected on the potentially transformative power of the new medium in a broadcast to amateur radio operators in Worcester: “With the radiophone, there is an uncanny feeling when the speaker realizes that he cannot guess as to

the size or even the location of his audience, and that a million might easily be listening to what he has to say. It gives one the feeling of having command of a new power.” Like Goddard’s rockets, audio broadcasting at Clark underwent several incarnations over the decades. University archives contain a number of applications for experimental, limited commercial, and amateur radio licenses during the 1920s and early 1930s, approved by two predecessors of today’s Federal Communications Commission — the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Navy Radio Service and later the Federal Radio Commission. Included were two successive three-month licenses for call sign WCUW, issued in 1925. Another Clark call sign, WCN, licensed on March 21, 1922, is one of only five collegiate stations included in a list of the first 100 radio stations in the United States published at oldradio.com. With its music programs, weather, and market reports, WCN’s impact on local listeners was unquestionable. That same year, one Worcester resident, a disabled veteran, sent a neatly typed letter to the Radio Club: “Just a few lines to inform you that your daily concerts by radio are very pleasing to me,” he wrote. “[I] have to stay around the house, and your concerts surely make the time fly.” Another man told how his mother “always thought that radio was not good, but now she has changed her mind” after listening to the Clark station. While the Radio Club, mentored at various times by Goddard and physics professor Percy M. Roope, appears to have disbanded and ceased broadcasting in the early 1930s, interest in a campus radio station experienced a brief revival following World War II. Early in 1952, The Scarlet announced the formation of the Clark University Radio Broadcasting Association Club and campus radio station WCUR. From 7 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, in a studio in Jonas Clark Hall, students played records donated by Worcester radio stations. As an AM carrier-current station, its signal was transmitted to staff and students via the electrical wiring of campus buildings.

spring 2014

THE RADIOPHONE GIVES ONE THE FEELING OF HAVING COMMAND OF A NEW POWER.

clark alumni magazine

By April 1954, the station had changed its name to WCUB, acquired its own stationery and was making plans to boost its power and extend transmission to the fraternity houses. Despite this optimism, one year later The Scarlet announced the shutdown of WCUB due to “insufferable technical difficulties.” Apparently, an electronics field expert, after surveying the station’s set-up, determined the station was “violating no less than fifteen regulations of the Federal Communications Commission.” The expense of correcting the violations required funds that WCUB didn’t have, and a decision was made to disband the station.

music. That was the impetus.” But he also envisioned a nonprofit station for and about the local community. Levin characterizes his years at WCUW as a time of “a huge re-evaluation of social and political structure. There was the sense that my generation was going to change things.” He found his roadmap for change in “Sex and Broadcasting: A Handbook on Starting a Radio Station for the Community,” published in 1972. Levin describes the book as “a combination of diatribe about the broadcasting industry, political rabble-rousing, and instructions about how to get a license.” “Basically,” he says, “I followed the instructions.”

In a conversation with Dean of Students William Topkin, Levin broached his idea of a station that, while physically located on the Clark campus, would serve the city. Topkin and President Mortimer Appley supported his vision. According to Levin, that enlightened attitude on the part of Clark’s administration was unique. “Clark could have done what every other college in the country did, which is say, ‘You want to do this, that’s fine. But you’re going to do it our way,’” Levin says. “[Clark’s administration] understood there was a need to let the station become what it was going to become.”

25 clark alumni magazine

Barely a decade later, in 1964, Clarkies initiated oncampus broadcasts again, this time from the fourth floor of Estabrook Hall, using the call sign WCUW. The station was essentially free of administrative control, and there was no lack of student interest. “What was really amazing about the station was that every year you’d see a whole new cast of characters,” remembers Ken David ’67, who responded to a notice on the Student Union bulletin board looking for students to start a campus radio station. “It was such an exciting concept at the time, and so many kids wanted to be involved, that we literally had to take turns. The station would be on maybe 10 hours a day all through the week, and everyone wanted to be on the air or to run the control board, or they wanted to be an engineer.” During a visit to local CBS affiliate WNEB to scrounge equipment, David was asked by the program director to read aloud some wire copy. He did, and was told, “Kid, you’ve got a job.” David was hired part time, and postgraduation became operations manager and program director at local station WSRS. Student enthusiasm was such that by the early 1970s, WCUW had transformed itself into a station with a mission. What with the Civil Rights movement and Black Power; women’s liberation, the Pill, and Roe v. Wade; the Vietnam War and the War on Poverty; the country in general — and its college students in particular — was in ferment. Under the leadership of John Levin ’72, in 1973 WCUW applied for an FCC license and transitioned to FM status — along with permission to broadcast off-campus. “People didn’t want to listen to AM anymore,” Levin explains. “They wanted to listen to FM, to good-sounding

spring 2014

Back on the air

spring 2014

A broadcasting bullhorn

clark alumni magazine

Walter Henritze ’74 uses the word “radical” to describe the change in the station after its switch to FM. “There was a huge ferment in media at the time, and a movement across the country to put the community on the air,” he says. “That was really the driving force at WCUW-FM — to give voice to those who had none. We had community coordinators and the benefit of the radio bullhorn. You could get on the air and ask for volunteers, and people would come out of the woodwork.” For Harriet Baskas ’77, who worked as a community organizer for the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group during her college summers, the opportunity to take part in WCUW’s rebirth as an FM community station struck a chord. “It was a college station, but the goal was to get local people involved,” she says. “WCUW not only got me connected with people on the campus, but in the community.” Baskas, who would go on to help establish community stations in Washington state and is now a writer and awardwinning radio producer based in Seattle, remembers during orientation weekend hearing about a radio station in the basement of Sanford Hall. “I was one of those high school kids who stayed up all night listening to FM radio when it was just starting to be a cool thing. I wanted to check the station out,” she recalls. “And the fact that it was in the basement of the freshmen boys’ dormitory was a bonus!” Baskas would volunteer at WCUW throughout her four years at Clark, and continued to work at the station for a time after graduation. She describes “passionate discussions, arguments that people would have over how this radio station was to grow.” Baskas also organized a national community-radio conference that was hosted on the Clark campus, and she became a driving force in providing content targeted to a female audience. “As alternative as the station was,” she recalls, “women’s programming was the way for girls to get involved.” Other public affairs programs covered a wide range of topics, like the effect of oil spills on the state’s marine environment, child pornography and prison reform; the latter issues were explored on a 13-week series titled “Behind the Badge.” Worcester City Council and School Committee meetings also were broadcast regularly.

One of the most significant of WCUW’s efforts was the introduction in 1977 of public affairs programming for Worcester’s Hispanic community. According to Levin, the Worcester Telegram funded a Spanish-language teletype machine at the urging of then Clark Trustee Alice C. Higgins. WCUW also carried the United Press International news dispatches from South America. In time, the station was broadcasting about 20 hours of Hispanic programming each week. Levin, who ran the station for several years after graduating, recalls how Spanish filled the air in the neighborhood around Clark. “I remember driving down Main Street in the summer with the windows of my Chevy Nova rolled down, and I could hear WCUW from Webster Square all the way to downtown because it was just pouring out of people’s houses during the Spanish-language programming. It was a simple connect-the-dots in terms of the audience, but nobody else was doing it.”

Farewell to the comfort zone Musically, WCUW-FM has long offered its listeners a healthy dose of the unexpected — everything from punk rock to Polish folk tunes. Jazz enthusiast Alan West ’74, now director of administration at WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston, got his start in radio deejaying at WCUW. Prompted to join by a friend who worked at the station, West recognized an opportunity to sink himself into music “in a deeper way,” and came to value the creative freedom that WCUW afforded. He sought to create

CLARK COULD HAVE SAID, ‘YOU’RE GOING TO DO IT OUR WAY.' [BUT] THE ADMINISTRATION UNDERSTOOD THERE WAS A NEED TO LET THE STATION BECOME WHAT IT WAS GOING TO BECOME. programs that required the listener to expand his or her musical comfort zone, or abandon it altogether. West created two shows, “Music of the Whole Earth” and “Creative Lineage,” the latter a history of improvised jazz.

He also started the WCUW jazz festival, an annual event from 1978 to 1990 that sponsored concerts by cuttingedge instrumentalists such as percussionist Max Roach, saxophonist Evan Parker, and vibraphonist Walt Dickerson. (Many of the festival recordings have been archived and can be heard online at jazzhistorydatabase.com.) “[Volunteering at WCUW] almost became an ethnomusicology course for me,” he says. “I would spend

together a weekly half-hour program called “Worcester Outlook,” which consisted of interviews and stories about what was going on in the city. He also started a program called “The Conservative Outlook,” providing a forum for emerging conservative figures, one of whom was Ed King, later governor of Massachusetts. “We were very much inspired by the community radio movement of the early 1970s, and by the Pacifica radio stations, which began in the 40s,” Reynolds says. “Those stations were designed to provide access to the airways to people who didn’t have access before. Our whole working philosophy was that people in the community should be able to use the airways to talk about issues that were important to them. A lot of us were very idealistic about that.”

Pictured on page 22 are some of the attendees at the WCUW 40th reunion: (front) John McAvoy ’78 and Neil Glassman ’75, (middle) Carol Marie Kowalski ’81 and Ivan Lipton ’78, (back) Peter Sohn ’77, Stanley Sakellson ’78, Leland Stein ’78, Walter Henritze ’74 and David Goldberg ’78. Special thanks to Clark archivist Fordyce Williams for her assistance with this story.

27 clark alumni magazine

sometimes as long as forty hours preparing for a onehour show, just pulling together as much music as I could, whether lullabies from around the world or harvest songs. It took a lot of research.” Ross Reynolds ’75, currently senior host/producer for “The Conversation” at Seattle’s KUOW, was also drawn to WCUW by his interest in music, and joined the station the summer before his senior year. He hosted a 6 to 9 a.m. show five days a week called “The Alternative Alarm Clock,” and relished the opportunity programming gave him to learn and experiment. Reynolds grew to realize that the station’s music programmers were a special breed. “We had a music director pushing us to stay away from what was safe and what was commercial and check out some of the new music that was going on. There was a lot of interesting music coming down the pike; at the radio station we were very much on top of that.” Reynolds’ volunteer status at WCUW segued into a paid position as the station’s public affairs director, putting

As WCUW flourished, the station outgrew its quarters in the basement of Sanford Hall. In 1980 it relocated offcampus to its Main Street location, and Clark student participation in the station declined to the occasional internship. While WCUW continues in the same spirit to serve the neighborhood and city, the current campus-based station, ROCU (Radio of Clark University), harnesses the 21st century’s broadcast marvel — online streaming. Reynolds and Baskas (now husband and wife), along with West, Levin, Henritze and other former volunteers and employees gathered to celebrate WCUW’s 40th anniversary as an FM station the weekend of October 1920. “As we went around the room that Sunday morning at the reunion,” Reynolds recalls, “people were talking about what a great opportunity the radio station had afforded them, the kind of freedom and the ability to experiment and make their own rules. Even people who didn’t go on in radio talked about how it had influenced their careers. There was a lot of heart in that room. It was a real important time for all of us.” For Levin, “the connection between what Clark facilitated at WCUW and what Clark is doing now is an important thing. The vision of the administration at that time was the kind of vision that keeps the University unique. When Clark adopted its slogan Challenge Convention, Change Our World, I thought, ‘That’s the Clark I know. That DNA persists.’”

spring 2014

The beat goes on

kids are

the

all right BY JIM KEOGH

HIS RESEARCH ON “EMERGING ADULTHOOD” HAS MADE PROFESSOR JEFFREY JENSEN ARNETT AN INTERNATIONAL EXPERT ON THE LIVES, LOVES AND AMBITIONS OF 18- TO 29-YEAR-OLDS. IT HAS ALSO CONVINCED HIM THAT THIS OFT-MALIGNED GENERATION IS GETTING A BUM RAP

(their parents, too)

PHOTO BY STEVEN KING

Two magazine covers, appearing more than five years apart, make Jeffrey Jensen Arnett alternately cringe and smile.

spring 2014

clark alumni magazine

he first, from the Jan. 24, 2005, TIME magazine, shows a man in his twenties, dressed in business-casual attire, sitting in a sandbox and looking wistfully into the distance. The accompanying headline reads: “Meet the Twixters, young adults who live off their parents, bounce from job to job and hop from mate to mate. They’re not lazy … THEY JUST WON’T GROW UP.” That’s the cringe-worthy one. Then there’s the Aug. 18, 2010, cover of The New York Times Sunday Magazine, which featured photographs of young adults in a number of poses and situations — serious, playful, contemplative — with the headline, “What Is It About 20-Somethings?” When the Sunday Magazine story, researched and written by Robin Marantz Henig, was published online, “I began reading it with a lot of anxiety,” recalls Arnett, a Clark University psychology research professor. “How many chances do you have for national media? This might be the last opportunity to get my work into the public eye in the right way — in a credible way. As I read, my smile got bigger and bigger, and by the end I was ecstatic and grateful. She nailed it; she really got it right.” “It” is Arnett’s research into the phenomenon he calls “emerging adulthood,” which covers roughly the ages of 18 to 29 and is defined by five characteristics: identity exploration, personal instability, self-focus, a feeling of “in-between,” and, perhaps surprisingly given the sensation of being unmoored that can occur within that age span, what Arnett describes as “a sense of the possibilities,” essentially an overriding optimism that belies their uncertainty. Henig’s piece was shaped around Arnett’s contention that emerging adulthood is in fact a new life stage, as distinct and tangible as adolescence, which was legitimized as a life stage at the turn of the last century thanks to the research and advocacy of Clark’s first president and renowned psychologist G. Stanley Hall.

With Arnett’s research figuring prominently, Henig helped open up a debate about why young people are apparently taking longer than past generations to hit the traditional markers for adulthood, like establishing a career, finding a life partner, having children, and breaking financial ties with their parents. Arnett sees this time lag as a natural extension of an evolving culture that places less emphasis on marrying early and starting a family, and of an economy where the traditional manufacturing jobs that buoyed the fortunes of many young people are disappearing. New employment paradigms requiring more education and training than ever before have left young people taking until at least their late twenties to settle into long-term jobs. Critics dismiss these delays as merely a “failure to launch,” an unwillingness, or fear, to move on with life and a desire to remain bubble-wrapped in a sort of perpetual adolescence. The perception prevailed in the 2005 TIME story, which Arnett, who was quoted in the piece, derides as “hostile, derogatory and appalling.” In the teeth of perpetual skepticism, he now finds himself championing a group that doesn’t have many natural allies. 

Arnett picked up the emerging adulthood thread in the early 1990s while teaching at the University of Missouri. “It was such a big idea, and it was just lying there. I wondered how it was that everybody was walking by it and not picking it up?” he recalls. “It never made sense to think of young adulthood as age 18 to 40 or 45, as we’d always done in psychology. By the early ’90s, when I started doing my research, it made even less sense than ever because people were marrying later, pursuing education longer, and having fewer children.” In 2000 Arnett published his first paper explicitly using the term “emerging adulthood” and says the concept was immediately embraced by scholars. The paper has been cited more than 4,000 times, he notes.

In 2004 Arnett published “Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens through the Twenties,” where he fleshed out his findings and affirmed his contention that a new life stage was hiding in plain sight (the book is being reissued this spring with new chapters, including one about social media use). “I expected more opposition than I got initially; every new idea has opponents who are thinking in old ways,” he says. The main objection was that his research pool wasn’t heterogeneous enough and didn’t take into account social and economic disparities. Arnett counters that he was careful not just to study college students, and interviewed a rich diversity of respondents. He conducted several hundred interviews for the book. Arnett’s overarching findings are that emerging adults defy the stereotypes so often promulgated in the popular media: the overeducated barista serving lattes; the basement slacker leeching off the good graces of mom and dad; the commitment-phobe consigned to eternal singlehood. The truth, he says, is far more nuanced and, since it fails to fit into a convenient narrative, often goes underreported. Emerging adults are, indeed, searching for their niches — professionally, romantically, even spiritually — but they are far less inclined to compromise and won’t be rushed. They are compelled to follow through on certain experiences, like travel or volunteer work, before settling down. “I think the claim that they’re selfish isn’t true,” Arnett says. “They are focused on self-development, but I’ve found that they are remarkably generous-hearted in terms of wanting to do some good in the world. It’s not a matter of never wanting to grow up; it’s a matter of doing some things you’re never going to have the chance to do again.”

SOCIAL OR ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA?

“I RELY A LOT ON THE SUPPORT I GET FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY THROUGH EMAIL, TEXTING, AND SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES.” % Agree

Source: Clark University Poll of Emerging Adults; Clark University Poll of Parents of Emerging Adults

PARENTS MISS THEIR BFFS

31 Infographics by Deirdre Ni Chonaill and Kelsey McDaniel '16

clark alumni magazine

Despite being buffeted by a creaky economy that in many cases is forcing young adults to delay or change career plans, they remain optimistic about the future. Arnett says he was struck by this, noting that the positive outlook cuts across social and ethnic groups. Last year, Arnett published “When Will My GrownUp Kid Grow Up?” which addressed the hopes and concerns of parents of emerging adults (the paperback is being released this spring with the new title “Getting to 30”). His research shows that, contrary to popular notions, most parents are not hostile to the idea of their adult children moving home for a time as they find their way, and in fact, they are remarkably welcoming. The idea that parents are fed up with their grown children’s

spring 2014



THE KEY TO BECOMING AN ADULT

Accepting responsibility for yourself

Becoming financially independent

Finishing education

Getting married

Source: Clark University Poll of Emerging Adults; Clark University Poll of Parents of Emerging Adults

THE FUTURE: (SURPRISINGLY) HIGH HOPES “I BELIEVE THAT, OVERALL, MY LIFE WILL BE BETTER THAN MY PARENTS’ LIVES HAVE BEEN.” “AT THIS TIME IN MY LIFE, IT STILL SEEMS LIKE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.”

spring 2014

“I AM CONFIDENT THAT EVENTUALLY I WILL GET WHAT I WANT OUT OF LIFE.”

clark alumni magazine

failure to break away, he says, was branded in the hit HBO series “Girls” in which the parents of Hannah, the show’s lead character, cut her off financially, forcing her to fend for herself as a writer in New York City. “Both parents and emerging adults are very similar in how they view adulthood,” Arnett says. “Accepting responsibility for yourself is viewed as the most important component, and that includes reaching financial independence. But when an emerging adult moves home, it’s almost always out of necessity. I’ve found that emerging adults would rather live independently, even if that means living at a lower standard of living, rather than come home.” Arnett’s findings are backed by two Clark Universitycommissioned polls: 2012’s “Clark Poll of Emerging Adults,” and last year’s “Clark Poll of Parents of Emerging Adults.” The polls, which have earned national coverage in outlets like USA Today and The Wall Street Journal, identify sources of conflict and agreement between grown children and their parents, and they have produced a compelling result: 77 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds polled believe they will have better lives than their parents, and 69 percent of parents agree. And despite the unstable economy and the difficult job market, nearly 90 percent of emerging adults polled said they are confident they will eventually get what they want out of life. “You would think the parents would be pessimistic even if the kids were not, but both groups believe that the kids are going to have a good life,” Arnett says. “I think the reason is that when you’re young, nobody knows how your story is going to turn out, and nobody, neither the parents nor the kids, believes that it’s going to turn out badly. You can understand that, while the story is still being written, these young adults would be aiming high and having high hopes, and their parents who love them deeply share high hopes for them.” 

The New York Times Sunday Magazine cover story spurred widespread interest in Jeffrey Arnett’s research on emerging adults. His inbox was immediately flooded with emails, many from people thanking him for his insights, others asking him to “fix” their grown children, and some declaring that these young adults are coddled whiners. He is now regarded as an international expert on a group often painted with a wider brush as “millennials,” and he is frequently sought out by major media for his views. From the Associated Press to Le Monde in France, Arnett’s expert comments have accompanied countless news stories about the concerns and aspirations of emerging

HELLO, IT'S ME

of parents are in contact with their grown kids almost every day Moms likely to be in touch Dads likely to be in touch

terms “established adulthood,” the ages from 25 to 39 when life courses have been channeled in specific directions. This spring, Clark has commissioned a third poll to determine this group’s attitudes toward many of the same issues examined in the first two surveys. Taken in their entirety, the three polls provide a research continuum, comparing and contrasting the respondents’ views on comparable topics from ages 18 through about 65. “This period of established adulthood is just as interesting and unexplored as emerging adulthood once was,” Arnett says. “The thirties are an intense decade of life. Often you commit to a partner, have a child, and begin making your way along a career path all at once, so there’s a collision of goals and responsibilities. These are things that are happening for almost everybody, but the research has been on isolated areas like marriage satisfaction, career development and transition to parenthood. Nobody’s brought it together and looked at what the whole human being is like in this decade. “I’m having the same feeling I had twenty years ago,” he adds. “It should be interesting to see if this will be as enlightening to people as emerging adulthood has been.” To view the results of the Clark University Poll of Emerging Adults and the Clark University Poll of Parents of Emerging Adults, visit clarku.edu/clarkpoll.

spring 2014

Source: Clark University Poll of Parents of Emerging Adults

33 clark alumni magazine

adults. His research has been featured prominently in such media outlets as the “Today” show, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star, Daily Mail (U.K.), The Huffington Post, and Congressional Quarterly. Some of the coverage has been in-depth and even scientific; some has taken a more sensationalistic approach, exploiting generational complaints and tropes about emerging adults as narcissistic freeloaders. Arnett always endeavors to correct the harsher positions. In one live interview on a morning TV news broadcast in Chicago, he deflected a barrage of stereotypical statements and questions from no fewer than four news people at once, including the network’s weather man. “People are generally favorable,” Arnett says. “I’ve often had people come up to me after a speaking engagement and say, ‘Thank you for explaining where I’m at in life. I feel a lot more normal now.’ Time and again, parents have said, ‘Thank you for helping me understand my kids; they make a lot more sense to me now.’” The attention also has its downside. Arnett recalls a man from Oregon who called him at midnight seeking help with his personal problems. Another woman took umbrage when he wouldn’t counsel her. “Just because I was quoted in a newspaper doesn’t mean I’m Oprah,” he says. “My response [to the Oregon man] was that I don’t even know you, I can’t fix you. I suggested he find a therapist in his area who can help him.” Arnett is unafraid to battle what he refers to as “the last acceptable prejudice in America.” As he sees it, the culture has become more intolerant over the last half century of biases based on ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender, yet there are few qualms about branding young adults as perpetual slackers. When a Boston Globe column in November accused emerging adults of being “a generation of idle trophy kids” he fired off a letter to the editor defending them, something he’s done time and again in print and in person throughout his career. “For some reason, it’s still acceptable to dump on kids,” he laments. “There’s a real contempt for them as a group, and I’ve puzzled over why.” Arnett says young adults may need to organize to battle the misperceptions, create their own version of a civil rights or a gay rights movement, so to speak. “It’s unfortunate, especially at a time of life when most of them are already struggling. I don’t think it helps anybody to be scorned and ridiculed.” Arnett is now turning his attention to what he

SCOTT RECHLER ’89 IS A MAJOR FORCE IN THE COMPETITIVE WORLD OF MANHATTAN REAL ESTATE, BUT AMONG HIS GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IS HELPING ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER RISE FROM THE ASHES OF GROUND ZERO

BY MELISSA LYNCH ’95

ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN RITTER

T O W E R I N G

A M B I T I O N S

spring 2014

COTT RECHLER ’89 has made his career buying and developing Manhattan office towers and sprawling suburban office parks. But it was the signature brick building on the Clark University campus that helped set him on his path.

clark alumni magazine

Growing up in New York, he had wanted to attend the sort of leafy New England college whose personality was entwined with a deep, colorful history. When he visited Clark and saw Jonas Clark Hall, Rechler immediately thought that this was a place where the famed movie archeology professor-swashbuckler Indiana Jones would be comfortable teaching. He was smitten. “They told me that the school was renowned for its geography program,” he recalls. “At that point I didn’t really know what it meant, but it sounded adventurous.” The early career plan was to become a lawyer; at least that was his mother’s hope. But Scott was leaning toward joining the family’s real estate business. The night before his Clark graduation, at dinner with his family, he handed back the deposit check his mother had written reserving his seat in law school. She was less than thrilled. “It took me a couple of years to get the relationship back on track, but now it’s perfect,” Rechler laughs. It turns out he made the right decision. Today, Rechler is chairman and chief executive officer of RXR Realty LLC, the largest purchaser of commercial real estate in New York City since the financial crisis, with $7 billion in assets and more than 17 million square feet of property. He is also vice chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, appointed in 2011 by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. In that role, Rechler is overseeing the completion of the World Trade Center development, including One World Trade Center, the tower that rises above the Manhattan skyline at Ground Zero. On May

10, 2013, he was featured on NBC’s “Today” show, atop the building as the final spire was put into place, capping a process of many years, many emotions, and many challenges.

 Real estate is in Scott Rechler’s blood. His grandfather founded Reckson Associates, which built the first planned industrial park in New York City and another on Long Island. His father and uncle joined the business in 1968, and made Reckson the largest owner of office parks and industrial buildings on Long Island. Rechler worked for the family business while he earned his master’s degree in finance, with a focus on real estate, from the New York University School of Finance. “It was the right move for me,” he says. “It was a dynamic time in the early ’90s, a sort of crisis in the real estate business. If I had gone to law school I would have missed some of that crisis. It gave me a real-life Ph.D. in real estate along with opportunities to grow that I otherwise would not have had. “There was a recession that was taking down a lot of companies, which created interesting opportunities. We came out of that relatively strong and decided to go public to expand throughout the New York region.” The $300 million IPO in 1995 helped Reckson become one of the largest developers in the tri-state area of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, and the largest in New York City. “New York City was the big prize for us,” Rechler says. “We initially expanded around the city, first going to Westchester, then to New Jersey, then to Connecticut. We spent literally two years trying to find our way

into the city. Ultimately, there was a public company that had 2.5 million square feet of New York City assets, and they were in trouble; so we went to their board, and ended up buying the company for a billion dollars. “It was a very big deal for our company at the time,” he recalls, “but talk about getting hit with tough timing.” The 1998 Russian financial crisis began, “and the whole market shut down. So here we are betting our company on completing this transaction, right in the middle of a crisis that we had to persevere through. But we got through it and we were off to the races.” Rechler’s father and uncle left the business in 2003, and in 2007 Scott made the tough decision to sell. Real estate values were soaring, fueled by highly leveraged buyers who assumed rents would continue to climb. Starting in 2003, Rechler sold suburban assets and increased Reckson’s presence in the strong NYC market. Reckson stock rose from $22 per share in 2003 to $45 in 2006, and Rechler saw a coming market “dislocation” that would cause real estate values to crash from their speculative highs. “We decided it was a better time to be a seller than a buyer, and come back into the market when things got better,” he says. It was also a unique time in the market, when a number of buyers could afford to pay cash for the $6.5 billion company. The sale was not without its critics. Rechler recalls that the Sunday before kicking off the sales process, one of his partners came to the family’s house to discuss the details. His then-10-year-old son, Elijah, overheard the conversation. Later that night, he confronted his father. “I was barbecuing, and he came over and said, ‘Dad, are you out of your mind? You can’t sell our family business.’ “So here I am, already emotional, trying not to let him see the tears coming down my face as I tried to explain to him that it was the right thing to do.” It didn’t end there. Just before the deal closed, it hit a snag that was pounced on by the media. “We were at my daughter’s bat mitzvah

and my son said, ‘Dad, I told you, it’s a really bad idea to sell the company.’ My goal, ever since then, has been to prove him wrong.” Despite his son’s concerns, the sale worked in Rechler’s favor. “We sold on January 25, and it was basically two weeks before the market peaked — then spiraled down to new lows as the country navigated through the Great Recession.” Timing, he notes, is critical. “In my view, you have got to be leading the market when you enter and when you exit,” Rechler says. “We might buy something for what people think is a lot, but you need to have conviction in your belief that the market is improving and rents will go up … you have to be ahead of it or you are too late to be a buyer.”



“There was a lot of mess that had to be cleaned up, a lot of restructuring that had to be done. And now, I’m proud to say we’re ahead of schedule, and we’re going to come in on or below budget.” The entire site will include a park, the museum and memorial, five skyscrapers (including One World Trade Center), a transportation hub, retail space and a performing arts center. Rechler was proud to lead the “topping out” of One World Trade Center in May 2013. The spire officially made it the United States’ tallest building, at a symbolic 1,776 feet. He also escorted President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama around the site when they came for a tour in 2012. He notes that rebuilding Ground Zero is one of the most complex construction projects ever undertaken. Live subway stations and rail lines have been moved around during construction. The project is “multi-governmental” — owned by a two-state agency, on New York City land. The emotions and concerns of 9/11 victims’ families, as well as survivors, were also taken into

account during the decision-making process. “What’s amazing is that this is not a job to the construction workers, it’s a mission,” Rechler says. “People view it as their patriotic duty to rebuild this, and they work with a different degree of intensity to get it done.” That intensity was illustrated after Hurricane Sandy flooded the site with more than 150 million gallons of water in November 2012. Workers spent the night pumping out the water and trying to salvage what they could — even though many of them had their own homes damaged in the storm. “It was truly inspiring,” Rechler says. The superstorm was a case where Rechler’s relationship with the governor came in handy. Gas was needed at the site so the water could be pumped out, but the trucks couldn’t reach Ground Zero. A call to Cuomo resulted in a National Guard escort. Five pumps worked 24 hours a day, and construction resumed a week later. (Rechler was dealing with flooding in one of his own properties as well. The Starrett-Lehigh building, which encompasses

spring 2014

Scott Rechler works closely with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

37 clark alumni magazine

Rechler has been friendly with Andrew Cuomo since 2002, when Cuomo ran unsuccessfully for governor of New York. “It was a good experience, going through that with him, but it was a little premature for him at the time,” he says. Cuomo won the governor’s job in 2010, and in June 2011 he asked his friend to take on the role of vice chairman of the Port Authority. “I was hesitant,” Rechler says. “It’s a pretty intense undertaking and very politically charged — especially around the rebuilding of the World Trade Center, which was what he wanted me to focus on initially. I took that on after some thought and it’s been a lifechanging experience.” In 2011, Cuomo and Rechler visited the World Trade Center site together. “He said, ‘Right now this project is viewed as a symbol of government waste and mismanagement. Your job is to make this a symbol of national pride and government effectiveness.’ “When I got there, there was no schedule of when it would be completed, no budget as to what the final cost would be. There were disputes between multiple agencies and government bodies, including the 9/11 Memorial Museum — which stopped all work on the museum.

an entire city block next to the Hudson River in lower Manhattan, saw its basement flooded with 2.5 million gallons of water. A team of 50 people pumped out the basement, reworked the electrical system, and did whatever the tenants — including Martha Stewart and Tommy Hilfiger — needed. The building was one of the first to reopen after the storm.) The 9/11 museum is expected to open by June 2014, and the first tenant at One World Trade Center, the publisher Condé Naste, should be moved in by the end of the year. “It’s going to be a transformative experience with the museum, memorial, a park-like feel, and the amount of activity churning around there,” Rechler says.

office building, with ‘Rock Center’ legacy-type finishings.” Refurbishing grand old buildings comes with great responsibility, Rechler adds. “You feel like you’re restoring something historic to the city, for the city.”

 Scott Rechler is clear about why he chose to enroll at Clark University. “I wanted a small school with faculty who were willing to dedicate their time, and where any individual could be as active or inactive as they want to be. You could make a difference, delve into things. That was appealing to me.”

spring 2014



clark alumni magazine

RXR Realty’s properties all sit within 50 miles of New York City. “Everything we do is tied to the health of our communities,” Rechler says. “The better our communities do, the better we do; the better we do, the better our communities do.” Not all buildings are right for every market. Some, like the Starrett-Lehigh building, have big floor plates, high ceilings, and a lot of natural light. Others are skyscrapers located next to Grand Central Station, with elegant lobbies and a boutique-type feel. And in the suburbs, RXR may site a cluster of office parks by transit hubs. “We’re constantly tweaking our strategy,” Rechler says. Last year, RXR hired Seth Pinsky, former president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, to head its emerging submarket strategy. These are submarkets with “great potential” — parts of cities that had been vibrant at one time but that fell into decay and need economic revitalization. “These markets usually have had substantial public investment already, in transportation and parks, for example,” Rechler says. “We come in and invest the needed private capital to take the community to the next level.” RXR is also working to transform iconic buildings in New York City, starting with 75 Rockefeller Center. “Over the years it’s been totally neglected,” Rechler says. “We’re going to gut the entire building, leave the landmark façade, and rebuild the interior as a modern

THE GOVERNOR SAID, ‘YOUR JOB IS TO MAKE THIS [TOWER] A SYMBOL OF NATIONAL PRIDE AND GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS.’

Rechler was one of those active students. As a sophomore, he was elected president of the Student Council. During his tenure, he created a “diversity chair” so at least one seat of student governance would be filled by a person of color. “Even though it was controversial, we were able to build consensus and move things forward for the better,” he says. He’s stayed in touch with two of his Student Council colleagues: Jason Barnett ’90, who is vice chairman and general counsel for RXR Realty, and Jill Kaplan ’88, publisher of Crain’s Business New York.

Rechler majored in government and economics, which were in line with his original law school plans. “I always had an interest in economics, politics, and public policy, and the combination came together, driven by professors and classes I was taking, which were compelling.” He recalls class dinners at government Professor Knud Rasmussen’s house, where students were encouraged to debate the issues of the day. “A lot of people were scared of him,” Rechler laughs. “He was a tough guy. I was always interested in current events, and we’d have debates about what was happening in the world.” Rechler now uses his arsenal of skills as a leader in the heady, high-stakes world of New York real estate. His company has been buying buildings that attract tenants who are driving their markets in media, technology and creative innovation. It helps that, thanks to the efforts of former mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, crime in the city is at its lowest level, and tourism is at an all-time record high. “It’s kicking at all cylinders now — the key is to watch where that growth is going,” Rechler says. “We’ve been continuing to expand and modify our strategy to take advantage of that.” With all of Rechler’s deal-making, he still believes his most important one occurred at Clark University in 1989 when he convinced classmate Debby Feldstein to go on a date with him. Scott and Debby were married a few years later and have a 20-year-old daughter, Gabrielle, and 17-year-old son, Elijah. “Everything else in life pales when compared to my family,” Rechler says. “Nothing is more important and rewarding to me.” Rechler will share his secrets for success on May 16 as the featured speaker at the Alumni Dinner during Reunion Weekend 2014. “I’ll likely focus on the importance of holistic learning and being a better all-around citizen — that everyone can make a difference and make the world a better place,” he says. It’s a message that undoubtedly will reflect the intellectual and adventurous spirit of Clark University that he envisioned when he first set eyes on Jonas Clark Hall.

CLARKWORK

BEING OF SERVICE IN GUATEMALA A group of Clark University student-athletes spent their holiday break participating in the Clark Athletics Service Learning Trip to Guatemala, where they conducted research on ecotourism and led sports development activities for area children. The nine-day international service trip was the brainchild of former men’s tennis captain Harris Rollinger ’13, M.P.A. ’14, who received funding and support from the University, Clark Athletics and Seven Hills Global Outreach, a Worcester-based nonprofit organization. Rollinger used funds from the Thomas M. Dolan ’62 Outstanding Service Award he received last fall to start what he hopes will become an annual opportunity to allow Clark athletes to practice firsthand the University’s mission of global citizenship. Accompanying Rollinger on the trip were Aaron Segura ’14, Rachel Spera ’14, Jenna Zarou ’14, Rose Koerner ’14, Liz Gomes ’15, Courtney Pharr ’17, Spencer Brightman ’14, Robert Holden ’17, and Dennis O’Brien ’15. Clark graduate student and former studentathlete Hana Chamoun ’13, M.P.A. ’14, helped lead the group. Visit clarku.edu/guatemala to watch a brief video about the trip.

spring 2014

FOSTERING HEALTHY MILITARY MARRIAGES James V. Córdova, professor of psychology and director of clinical training and The Marriage Checkup Project at Clark University, was awarded a $56,156 grant from the Department of Defense’s Defense Health Program to support his project, “Disseminating the Marriage Checkup in Air Force primary care settings.” Córdova is working with the U.S. Air Force Department of Aeromedical Research, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, WrightPatterson AFB, to develop the Marriage Checkup for use in primary care settings for active duty Air Force personnel and their partners. He will pilot the adapted Marriage Checkup at two separate Air Force bases and, if implementation proves feasible, apply for additional funding to run a full-scale randomized clinical trial. Professor Córdova’s book, “The Marriage Checkup: A Scientific Program for Sustaining and Strengthening Marital Health,” is designed to help couples assess the strengths and weaknesses of their relationships and to develop strategies for improving marriages.

‘EVERYDAY’ SCIENCE GETS ITS DUE A $250,000 National Science Foundation grant will be used to develop “From the Lab to the Neighborhood: An Interactive Living Exhibit for Advancing STEM Engagement with Urban Systems in Science Museums” at the EcoTarium in Worcester. The exhibit focuses on the science that people encounter in their everyday lives, but rarely stop to consider. The grant was awarded to a team of researchers, with Clark University as a partner. Co-principal investigator Colin Polsky, associate professor of geography, will provide technical assistance and engage Clark students in some of the prototyping activities. “From the Lab to the Neighborhood” is seen as a pilot for a national model to bring urban ecology research to science museums across the country. “This exciting award serves as another illustration of how Clark University’s LEEP program can create 21st-century learning opportunities for undergraduate students,” said Polsky. “[S]tudents will develop valuable team-building, communication, and projectmanagement skills. The goal is to develop students’ abilities to manage complexity and uncertainty alongside their knowledge of urban ecology.”

39 clark alumni magazine

‘DON’T BITE YOUR TONGUE’ A new series of “Don’t Bite Your Tongue” dinners brought Clark University students face-to-face in their residence halls for challenging discussions on topics often kept “off the table.” The dinners allowed for open conversations on potentially contentious issues, such as politics, religion, and race. Barbara Bigelow, professor of management at the Graduate School of Management, introduced the dinners to the community last fall. They are co-sponsored by the Difficult Dialogues Initiative of the Higgins School of Humanities, the Dean of Students Office, and Residential Life and Housing. Bigelow received startup help from former associate dean of students Jason Zelesky, professor of education Eric DeMeulenaere, and professor of history Amy Richter (also the director of the Higgins School of Humanities). The program was implemented with the assistance of Dean of Students Denise Darrigrand, Residential Life and Housing Director Kevin Forti, and Residential Life and Housing staff Maria Cerce, Maxie Holman, DaVaughn Vincent-Bryan, Alex Villagomez, and Sarah Bergeron. “Whenever I go to a Don’t Bite Your Tongue event, I’m surprised,” said Marian Crockett ’16, a resident adviser. “Listening to others and being involved in the talk afterward gave me a better understanding of my own thoughts for each of the topics.”

By Kevin Anderson SPORTS

spring 2014

Clark basketball coaches join an elite club

clark alumni magazine

Clark has made seven trips to the NCAA basketball alumnae game, in front of more Exactly two weeks apart, men’s and women’s basketball coaches Paul W. Phillips and Pat Tournament under Glispin’s watch and has than 100 current and former players. “Coaching is a pretty challenging profession Glispin reached historic milestones that few won 20 or more games 11 times. Her impact has been felt by so many that and it takes a lot of energy,” Glispin said. in collegiate coaching can claim. On Jan. 29, in a thrilling 72-71 win over the Board of Trustees gave the go-ahead to “But the thing is, the energy multiplies league rival Babson College, Phillips not Clark Hall of Famer and University trustee because the energy comes from the players. only won his 400th career game at the college Elyse Darefsky ’79 to present Glispin with That’s what kept me going. I’ve really enjoyed level, but also became Clark University’s all- a plaque declaring her an honorary alumna working with the students of Clark. It’s been time leader in men’s basketball wins with during a halftime ceremony at the women’s a wonderful experience.” 234. That total surpassed the legendary Wally Halas ’73, M.P.A. ’93, who amassed 233 victories during his ten years on the Clark sidelines. “I’m thrilled to get 400 because it puts me in the company with Wally Halas,” said Phillips. “But it is more about this team. You always want the kids to get the glory.” Becoming an all-time leader in wins is something with which Phillips is familiar. Before arriving at Clark, he led nearby Anna Maria College to 166 wins from 1986 to 1996, and that victory total still tops the charts there nearly 20 years later. One of the most well-known collegiate COACH PAT GLISPIN, WITH TRUSTEE AND FORMER CLARK BASKETBALL coaches in New England, Phillips has led PLAYER ELYSE DAREFSKY ’79, IS HONORED AS AN HONORARY ALUMNA. Clark to the NCAA Tournament on five separate occasions and has twice been named league coach of the year. Glispin, meanwhile, locked up her 500th career win with a 54-51 come-from-behind triumph over Wellesley on Feb. 12. All of her victories have come on the Clark sidelines — a place she has been for 30 seasons, beginning with a 72-48 win at Fitchburg State on Nov. 20, 1984. “I just think this is about the players and coaches who have been a part of this with me,” said Glispin. “It belongs to them and COACH PAUL PHILLIPS WITH HIS PLAYERS AND COACHES AFTER EARNING HIS 400TH the tradition of Clark women’s CAREER VICTORY. basketball.”

Catching up with Lauren Blake ’10 Two-sport star Lauren Blake ’10 was the epitome of excellence, whether collecting 207 career hits on the softball diamond or scoring 38 career field hockey goals. The Oakland, Maine, native has moved across the country, where she is pursuing a career in the insurance industry and harboring a passion to coach.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN? Since I moved to Denver I’m trying to explore the area. I went to a few Broncos games this year and I’ve been trying to visit microbreweries as much as possible. It’s such a unique area that it’s difficult to stay indoors. I’m hoping to do a lot of hiking this summer and eventually, once I get my feet under me, I’d love to get back into coaching. IF YOU HAD TO DECIDE, WHICH SPORT WOULD YOU SAY WAS YOUR FAVORITE AND WHY? Before I came to Clark, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to play field hockey. I had always had an amazing connection with softball and I didn’t know that I would have the opportunity to continue playing both after high school. When I met Coach [Linda] Wage I knew that I had a unique opportunity to continue two of my passions. That being said, softball has

always been my number one; I have always felt so comfortable on a softball field. Once I graduated, I even went on to coach for a travel softball program in Connecticut, which was one of the best opportunities I’ve ever had. I would tell my girls that softball required an extreme amount of preparation and repetition, but what makes you great is when you can find a way to balance feeling confident, focused and relaxed. When I described that feeling to some of the players, I realized it was what I should be striving for in my life as a whole. Softball showed me how it felt to be the person I want to be off the field as well.

YOU ONLY PLAYED THREE SEASONS OF FIELD HOCKEY BECAUSE YOU WENT ABROAD IN THE FALL OF 2008. DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS ABOUT THAT DECISION? That was one of the toughest decisions I had to make in college, but going to Africa is

something that I will never regret. Studying abroad allowed me to take a breath and really take in everything around me. Before Africa, I had never been off the East Coast. This experience opened me up to try new things and take risks that I’d never known I wanted to take. I met some amazing people who allowed me see the world in a new light.

YOU SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME WITH COACH LINDA WAGE. WHAT DID SHE TEACH YOU THAT STAYS WITH YOU TODAY? Linda Wage taught me what it meant to be a leader. Being a leader doesn’t mean you hold a special title like captain or MVP. It means that you are there for people no matter what.

41 clark alumni magazine

WHAT WAS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING A PART OF TWO TEAMS? My favorite part about being on two teams was that I constantly had a support system and group to keep me motivated. There was never an “off” season so I never had a lot of time to get into too much trouble.

spring 2014

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THESE DAYS? Living in Denver and trying to be outdoors as much as possible. I just started working for Cigna in Denver. I’m a sales and marketing associate and really beginning to learn about the health insurance industry.

CLARK CHAPTERS

Turning the pages Clark University professors produced a wide array of books in the last year, tackling topics ranging from the harsh realities of prostitution in 18th-century Paris to the joys and challenges of interracial adoption. A sampling of recent offerings:

spring 2014

clark alumni magazine

42 5

1 2 3 4 5

DREAM NATION: PUERTO RICAN CULTURE AND THE FICTIONS OF INDEPENDENCE // Maria Acosta Cruz, Associate Professor of Foreign Languages and Literatures Bringing together texts from Puerto Rican literature, history, and popular culture, the book shows how imaginings of national independence have served many competing purposes. They have given authority to the island’s literary and artistic establishment but have also been a badge of countercultural cool. These ideas have been fueled both by nostalgia for an imagined past and by yearning for a better future.

GETTING PRIMARIED: THE CHANGING POLITICS OF CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY CHALLENGES // Robert G. Boatright, Associate Professor of Political Science Making several key contributions to congressional scholarship, this volume presents a history of congressional primary challenges over the past forty years, measuring the frequency of competitive challenges and distinguishing among types of challenges. It provides a correction to accounts of the link between primary competition and political polarization, and offers a new theoretical understanding of the role of interest groups in congressional elections.

THE INTERRACIAL ADOPTION OPTION: CREATING A FAMILY ACROSS RACE // Fern L. Johnson, Professor of English; and Marlene G. Fine The “Interracial Adoption Option” is a personal guide to interracial adoption that draws on the lives and experiences of the authors, a white couple, who adopted two African-American children. Starting from their decision to adopt, the book describes the situations and decisions that followed as a result of their first child’s racial background. The authors combine their personal experiences with practical advice, and tackle difficult questions.

EROTIC EXCHANGES: THE WORLD OF ELITE PROSTITUTION IN EIGHTEENTHCENTURY PARIS // Nina Kushner, Associate Professor of History This book reveals the complex world of elite prostitution in 18th-century Paris by focusing on the professional mistresses who dominated it. These dames entretenues exchanged sex, company, and sometimes even love for being “kept.” Most of these women entered the profession unwillingly, either because they were desperate and could find no other means of support, or because they were sold by family members to brothels or to particular men.

WOMEN AT WAR, WOMEN BUILDING PEACE // Kristen Williams, Professor of Political Science; with Joyce Kaufman During times of civil conflict and war, why do some women turn to militant action while others seek peaceful resolutions? And why does the answer matter? Tackling these questions in this provocative analysis, the book explores the full range of women’s responses to armed struggles.

ALUMNI NEWS LETTER TO ALUMNI:

SHAKÉ SULIKYAN ’01

Alumni Association President sulikyan@alumni.clarku.edu

P.S. My column in the Fall 2013 issue of the magazine included the wrong employment information for Patricia DeGroat Brissette ’68. Since 2005, Pat has been an independent IS consultant. My sincere apologies to Pat for the error.

43 clark alumni magazine

Sincerely,

spring 2014

n 2013, I had the privilege of hosting one of the 109 students selected to be LEEP Project Pioneers. The students — whose work and research spanned the breadth of Clark’s academic areas — spent the second half of 2013 connecting their academic learning with real-world applications. Diane Boodrookas ’14 worked with me on a project focused on engaging and serving Clark’s young alumni. Diane developed a survey that was sent to alumni from the classes of 2003 to 2013. Her project culminated with a report outlining specific recommendations about how Clark can most efficiently and effectively serve this alumni group. We have begun incorporating some of the recommendations and look forward to using the report to create more targeted programs that will assist our youngest alumni as they launch and advance their professional and personal lives. To read an executive summary of Diane’s LEEP project, visit clarkconnect.clarku.edu/recent-grad-survey. Serving as a LEEP Project host gave me a new appreciation for Clark and the wonderful students who are following in our footsteps. I was impressed by Diane’s passion, professionalism and drive. She was a joy to work with and provided me and Clark the bandwidth we needed to address and rethink our engagement efforts both for young alumni and the wider alumni community. The Alumni Association Executive Board meeting found the survey results to be so informative that we decided to modify the survey and send it out to the entire alumni community. Please take the time to tell us your preferences for programming and to volunteer to share your expertise with fellow Clarkies. Through LEEP, current Clarkies are working on projects and programs that have real-life impact. Please consider supporting them with a gift to the Clark Fund. Whether it’s $10 (the equivalent of two cups of Starbucks coffee), $50 or $2,000, your investment assists the students who are challenging convention and changing our world. Collectively, our gifts help current students pursue their passions. This is my last column as Alumni Association president. I will conclude my term in May, passing the baton to Leo Velasquez ’86 during Alumni Weekend/Reunion 2014. Leo is going to be a powerful and passionate voice representing the alumni body; we are lucky to have him in this important role. I hope you will be able to join me in Worcester, May 15-18, for Alumni Weekend/Reunion 2014. Whether you live three miles, 30 miles or 3,000 miles away from campus, as I now do, Alumni Weekend/Reunion is the perfect time to reconnect with and rediscover Clark. Having recently returned to my home state of California, I look forward to continuing my service to Clark from afar. I am excited to connect with Clarkies on the West Coast and invite you to reach out to me if you are, or plan to be, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hope to see you in Worcester for Alumni Weekend/Reunion 2014, or in the Bay Area.

CLASS NOTES

1956

recently completed 10th school, in Kounfouna, and

molecular biology, making her the second woman

RONALD BRUST writes of his Class of 1956 class-

breaking ground on school number 11 in Kongoliko.

faculty member at the university, and later became

mate and lifelong friend Burton Weisman, who died

The schools are built in underserved rural areas in the

the second woman to be named a full professor

on Feb. 1, 2012: “Service to one’s country, especially

Sikasso region, and provide education in communi-

there. From 1989 to 1995, she served as head of the

a distinguished one, must be recognized.” He recalls

ties that, in many cases, have no schools at all, or are

Management Department, and she held the Harry G.

that Burt, a Webster, Mass., native who’d lived in

holding classes in temporary shelters or crumbling

Stoddard Professorship in Management from 1991

Vienna, Va., since 1971, attended Officer Candidate

mud-brick buildings. Judy writes that a three-room

to 1996. Vassallo is the author of numerous articles,

School and received a commission in the Navy. Burt

school, plus office and storage rooms, latrines, and

two books, and one monograph, and is the co-holder

served from 1957 to 1983, holding a number of

furniture, can be built for about $30,000.

of two patents. In 1981, she was named American

assignments, including service on five ships in the Pacific Fleet and two assignments on the staff of the

Business Woman of the Year by the American Business Women’s Association, and in 2008, she

Chief of Naval Operations. He also served in Naples,

1967

Italy, and as the U.S. Naval Attache to the former

The Worcester Polytechnic Institute Alumni

Yugoslavia and to Romania. Among his awards

Association bestowed upon HELEN VASSALLO,

received the Women of Consequence Award from the Office of the City Manager of Worcester.

was the Defense Superior Service Medal. After

PH.D. ’67, a professor in the School of Business,

retirement, Burt worked at the Defense Intelligence

the Goat’s Head Award for Lifetime Commitment

Agency in the Joint Military Attache School through

to WPI. The award, which takes its name from the

BRUCE WYMAN has been appointed to a four-year

1994 and was a docent at the National Museum of

university’s beloved goat mascot, recognizes Vassallo

term on the Virginia Board of Dentistry by Governor

Natural History. He was an avid trout fisherman who

for her positive influence on countless WPI students

Bob McDonnell. He recently retired from private

served as a certified stream monitor, helping keep

and alumni, many of whom consider her a pivotal

practice of periodontics and is also currently

track of the health of a stream in Reston, Va. An

influence. Vassallo arrived at WPI in 1967 to teach

clinical assistant professor of periodontics, Division

1969

admirer of the life of Winston Churchill, Burt served for years on the executive board of the Washington Society of Churchill. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Doris Weisman, daughter Cara Breuer, son Daniel Weisman, stepsister Irene Sherman, and numerous relatives and friends. Burt is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

1959 WILLIAM F. ROGERS retired last year after working

for the Central Intelligence Agency for 51 years; 32 of these were spent as a staff employee, mostly in Washington, D.C., and the next 19 were as an independent contractor traveling overseas for the agency. “My education at Clark in political geography was vital to my work, analyzing why countries go to war over such things as economic resources, ethnic and religious problems and territorial administration, among others,” he notes.

1965 JUDY LORIMER ’65, director of the Build a School

in Africa Project (BuildaSchoolinAfrica.org.), has just returned from Mali, West Africa, after visiting the

JAMES SALO ’02, M.A. ’03, SAMANTHA MEYER ’08, AND GEORGE KEPPLER ’08 COMPLETED THE CHICAGO MARATHON IN THE FALL. FOUR FELLOW CLARKIES CHEERED THEM ON DURING A “CLARKIE/BOSTON STRONG” EVENT. PICTURED (LEFT TO RIGHT) ARE COREY SIMON ’06, M.A. ’08, HARRISON MACKLER ’07, ROBIN COHEN ’06, M.P.A. ’07, AND ALAN DURAND ’04.

(CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) FLIBOTTE-LONG WEDDING // P. 52; THE GITELMAN WILLOUGHBY BAT MITZVAH // P. 46; DEZAN-GRAY MARRIAGE // P. 51.

of Postgraduate Periodontal Prosthetics, at the

1976

TINA VERNA SANCHEZ is the citizenship legal

University of Maryland School of Dentistry in

LUCILLE M. JEROME, LICSW, retired from her

coordinator for the Center for New Americans

Baltimore.

position as director of social services at D’Youville

in Northampton, Mass. She graduated from

Life and Wellness Community in Lowell, Mass., in

Northeastern Law School in 1981. Tina is married

2012, after more than 10 years. During its annual

and has a daughter, Isabella, who is a senior at

meeting in 2011, the Nursing Home Committee

Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.

PAUL KLEMOW, of Lake Worth, Fla., writes, “So

honored her with an award for her work in the field

many Clark grads from my class are retiring — I

of aging from 1978 to 2011. She continues to host

can’t. Must work to cover huge gambling debts and

the D’Youville cable TV program “For the Young at

over-the-top lifestyle down here in South Florida.

Heart,” which is taped at DATV and broadcast on

HELEN KOTILAINEN, M.A. ’78, has been named

(Sorry! A feeble attempt at humor — I will be nor-

community cable TV channels in Lowell and the

director of quality management of Network Health,

mal even if it makes me uncomfortable.) I practice

Merrimack Valley area. She also continues to facili-

a nonprofit health plan in Massachusetts. Prior to

law as a solo. Divorced with two grown children

tate elder care workshops. Having traveled to Egypt

joining Network Health, Helen served as direc-

who only infrequently ask for money. Would love to

and Tanzania, Lucille plans more trips in retirement.

tor of quality and data integration at the Central

hear from any classmates from 1970 to 1975 who

Children and grandchildren are a particular joy as

Massachusetts Independent Physician Association in

still remember me. Google me and the e-portals of

are renewed interests in poetry and contra dancing.

Worcester, director of quality services at Lawrence

1978

BART LLOYD has been general counsel for

at Great Brook Valley Health Center in Worcester,

Preservation of Affordable Housing — a housing

and quality improvement coordinator for the

nonprofit in Boston — for 10 years. He is spending

patient care assessment department of Emerson

GAYLE L. GIFFORD is a contributor to two new

this year on sabbatical, working at a charter school in

Hospital in Concord, Mass. She is certified as a

books from the In the Trenches series for nonprofits

Chicago. His account of traveling to Virginia to work

medical technologist by the American Society for

published by Charity Channel Press. Her article,

as an outside advocate in the 2012 election appears

Clinical Pathology, as a clinical laboratory scientist

“You’re Not the Boss of Me: The Board Chair

in the July/August issue of Rhode Island Bar Journal.

by the National Certification Agency for Medical

1975

and CEO Relationship,” appears in “You and Your Nonprofit Board: Advice and Practical Tips

Laboratory Personnel, and in infection control. Helen has published on a variety of topics relating

from the Field’s Top Practitioners, Researchers

1977

and Provocateurs.” “The Work We Do For Love”

E. RENEE TRUVILLION KISSI, NADINE POWELL

at the University of Massachusetts Medical School,

appears in “The Nonprofit Consulting Playbook:

BURNSIDE ’75 and FERN UNDERDUE ’76 attended

Northeastern University, Worcester State University

Winning Strategies from 25 Leaders in the Field.”

the Arena Stage production of “One Night With

and Assumption College.

Her consulting firm Cause & Effect Inc. (ceffect.

Janis Joplin” in Washington, D.C., in July.

com) celebrated 17 years in business this spring.

to quality improvement, and has been an instructor

DIANE E. SCHLESSEL writes, “Hello! I am alive

and barely living in Pennsylvania. My life has seen

spring 2014

General Hospital, director of quality improvement

personal access shall appear magically.”

45 clark alumni magazine

1974

CLASS NOTES

quite turbulent times, mixed with many blessings.

1980

’80, Matt Kramer ’81, and Gail Kramer. Back row,

After suffering through various episodes, I met my

MARK DESROSIERS is currently serving as

from left: Russell “Rusty” Greaves ’83, Matt Ruffing,

husband and had a child. We traveled and lived in

the president of the Connecticut State Dental

Mark Rosenbaum ’85, Lynn O’Leske Ruffing ’81,

Cairo. We returned to the U.S.A. for more turbulent

Association. He and his wife recently moved to

David Willoughby, Karen Kramer. Not pictured, but in

times. I managed to write and illustrate my book,

Columbia, Conn., and he is happy to report that he

attendance, were Miriam Kramer, Shira Rosenbaum,

‘Ms. Plant and Friends’ by Evelyn Lotfy. I have two

recently passed his endodontic boards and is now

and Michael Richards ’80. (Photo on pg. 45)

master’s degrees, in early education PreK-3 and in

board certified.

special education K-12. I am a certified teacher.” HEIDI N. GITELMAN and David Willoughby are

1981

proud to announce that their daughter, Stella Gertie

JEFFREY M. SIEGEL was named general counsel

Gitelman Willoughby of Cambridge, Mass., was

and chief security officer at United Bank. United Bank

BRIAN C. DEAN lived in southern California for 12

called to read Torah as a Bat Mitzvah at historic Vilna

has been doing business in the greater Springfield,

years, moving back to the New York area in 2007. He

Shul in Boston. In attendance were five Clarkies,

Mass., area since 1882 and is one of the largest

writes, “We are now empty-nesters living in subur-

spouses and children. Stella, a classical composer,

publicly traded banks headquartered in New England.

ban N.J. Madeleine is a junior at Tulane and Connor

recently received the ASCAP Morton Gould Award

is a freshman at SMU. They have abandoned their

for Young Composers for “Prayers, for the Hebrew

parents in the frigid Northeast for life in Dixie.”

Book of Numbers,” which she performed during the

1979

1982

service. Front row, from left: Emily Rosenbaum, Ben

LAUREN BETH GASH was recently appointed

Ruffing, Stella Gitelman Willoughby, Heidi Gitelman

a commissioner on the Illinois Human Rights

RECALLING THE JOURNEY FROM FARM BOY TO FLYBOY

lbert Southwick ’41, M.A. ’49, grew up on a farm, flew bombers

is good when you’re 93, but not so good when you’re 23 and pulling out

during World War II, and was the chief editorial writer for the

of a 300 mile-per-hour dive,” he quips.) Instead, he flew bombers in the

Worcester Telegram & Gazette during some of the city’s most

Aleutians, covering the North Pacific Fleet and earning the rank of Aviation

turbulent times. His experiences are captured in

Pilot First Class.

four recently published volumes. Two include his

In retirement, Southwick continues to write

correspondence with family and friends during the

a popular weekly column for the Telegram &

war; a third, “Selected Writings: Volume I,” gathers

Gazette that tells the story of Worcester’s rich

some of his weekly columns as well as speeches and

history, often connecting past events to the city’s

essays from the past ten years.

current aspirations (Clark periodically finds its

Another book, “Down on the Farm, Volume I

way into his columns). He is a well-known figure

(1956-1958)” recalls the hardscrabble life and simple

in Worcester County, revered for the scope of

beauties of the family homestead, Maple Hill Farm

his knowledge, his story-telling ability, and his

in Leicester, Mass., in the late 1950s. Al grew up on

talent for making history accessible, perhaps

the farm and still lives on a piece of it with his wife,

an offshoot of his family’s Quaker roots, which

Betty, though the amenities during his childhood did

emphasize the use of “plain speech.”

not include electricity. To prepare his World War II books, Southwick’s daughter, Martha Jean Southwick, a music teacher at

“Most people won’t read history except in anecdotal form,” he notes. “I try to make it interesting.”

the University of Vienna, transcribed hundreds of her

His books have drawn crowds at local signings,

father’s handwritten letters — more than 250 of them

and more volumes are in the works. He will be sign-

have since been donated to the Worcester Historical

ing his books in the Goddard Library at this year’s

Museum.

reunion, on Saturday, May 17, from 12 to 2 p.m.

“My daughter transcribed them in Vienna, my son

Southwick’s Clark connections run deeper than

formatted them in Leicester, and the books were

most. His maternal grandfather, Stephen C. Earle,

published in Leipzig, Germany,” Southwick says with a laugh. “That’s how

is the architect who designed the campus’ signature structure, Jonas Clark

it’s done now.”

Hall (then known as the Main Building). In the Spring 2012 alumni magazine,

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, young Al

Southwick penned the feature story “Jonas & Stanley,” which chronicled

raced to enlist. His goal was to fly fighter planes for the Navy, but low blood

the clashing visions and tumultuous relationship of founder Jonas Clark and

pressure caused him to black out during maneuvers. (“Low blood pressure

first president G. Stanley Hall as they launched Clark University.

Commission. An attorney (Georgetown University Law Center, 1987, where she was associate editor of the American Criminal Law Review), Lauren served four terms in the Illinois House of Representatives, and served as chair of the Judiciary Committee and vice chair of the Elections and Campaign Reform Committee. She currently chairs a large Democratic organization, is a State Central Committeewoman, and was elected a member of the Electoral College on behalf of her former legislative colleague and friend Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012. Previously, she worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and has served on the staffs of U.S. senators Alan Dixon and Paul Simon. Lauren has remained active as a longtime Clark University Alumni Admissions interviewer, frequent college fair representative, and a member of the Chicago Alumni Council. She is a lifelong community organizer who has founded and/or served on numerous not-for-profit boards, including the Anti-Defamation League, the PTA, and the League of Women Voters. She is a former volunteer attorney at Prairie State Legal Services. Lauren lives in Highland Park, Ill., and is married with two adult children.

1985 Classmates (pictured at right), BOB ROSS, ADRIENNE DESJARDIN HINDLEY, KEN STUART

and SCOTT HINDLEY gathered to celebrate Scott’s

(FROM TOP) THE BLANK-KAKAMAVICH WEDDING // P. 50; HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

50th birthday in the fall. Later in the spring, in

SCOTT HINDLEY // P. 47.

Trumbull, Conn., a group of Clarkies attended the 50th birthday for RISA KRIM SORGE (photo on pg. 50). From left: Bob Ross, Adrienne, Risa, JOANNE HIRSH DERWALLIS and Scott, all class of ’85.

Adrienne and Scott are looking forward to their son Peter’s graduation from Clark in May and cel-

ALLISON and JOHN INSALL welcomed fellow

1989

ebrated son Alex’s graduation from WPI last spring

alumni from the class of 1987 for a barbecue on

JEFFREY H. GETZIN has published two novellas,

with a master’s in mechanical engineering.

July 27, 2013. Front row, from left: Paul Soler-Sala,

“Shara and the Haunted Village” and “A Lesson for

John Insall. Back row, from left: Allison Modi Insall,

the Cyclops.” His next novel, “The Return of the

Carl Nilson, Lisa Stern Burch, George Caccavaro,

King,” is expected to be released in early 2014.

Sexter Lewis ’89. (Photo on pg. 52)

performed at the Theatre @ Boston Court in Pasadena, Calif., won two L.A. Stage Alliance

1991 KAREN LAGANELLI, M.H.A. ’91, has been named

Ovation Awards and the GLAAD Award for

1988

Outstanding Los Angeles Theatre. In addition,

CURTIS D. HOLDER ’88, PH.D. ’00, has been

Central Massachusetts. She served as executive

Theatre Forum magazine published the play, in

promoted to full professor in the Department

director of Holy Trinity Nursing and Rehabilitation

its entirety, in a recent issue. In March 2013, his

of Geography and Environmental Studies at the

Center from 1995 to 2013. There, she oversaw

play “Robyn Is Happy” had its world premiere

University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. During

the operations of the HTNRC, Holy Trinity Hospice

at the B Street Theatre in Sacramento, Calif.

the spring and summer semesters of 2014 he will

and the Ichabod Washburn Hospice Residence.

Michael is currently developing a TV pilot with

be on sabbatical leave and will serve as a Peace

Ms. Laganelli received her master of health

Tagline Pictures, as well as writing a holiday play

Corps Response Volunteer in El Salvador.

administration from Clark University/University of

the executive director of The Family Services of

that will be performed at the Guthrie Theatre in

Massachusetts Medical Center. She lives in Holden

Minneapolis this year. michaelelyanow.com

with her husband Frank. (Photo on pg. 50)

spring 2014

MICHAEL ELYANOW’s play “The Children,”

Andy Liverant, Cindy Ellin Spelman, and Melissa

47 clark alumni magazine

1987

CLASS NOTES

CLARK ALUMNI BANDS THE GSPOTS (TERRI DELETETSKY ’07, M.A.T. ’08, KATE DAWSEY ’10, M.A.T. ’11, SASHA GREENBERG ’09, M.A. ’10, AND MARK DUHAIME ’09, M.A.T. ’10) AND MIDWESTERN EXPOSURE (JEFF GOLDMAN ’07, M.S.P.C. ’08, CAM CLARK ’07, AND FORREST WRIGHT ’07) HAVE COME TOGETHER TO CREATE AN ANNUAL “ROCK FOR A CAUSE” EVENT IN BOSTON. THE DEC. 21, 2013, CONCERT AT THE CANTAB LOUNGE IN CAMBRIDGE, MASS., RAISED MONEY FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE IMPACTED THE LIVES OF SO MANY. PROCEEDS WENT TO WORCESTER’S FRIENDLY HOUSE (VIA MAGEN BLAKE ’09) AND ON CALL AFRICA: IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN RURAL ZAMBIA (VIA ELLYN LAMBECK ’07). MORE THAN 20 CLARK ALUMNI ATTENDED THE EVENT.

DAVID RACHLEFF ’91, SHARON SPERLING SILBER

ceremony in Seekonk, Mass. Shirzadi was

necessary to navigate and create positive change

’92 and STEVEN SINGER ’91 met for a post-Thanks-

recognized as co-founder of PROJECT GOAL, an

in this global world). rootsandwingstraining.com

giving reunion in New York City last fall. David lives

organization that provides academic, soccer and

in San Francisco, while Sharon and Steven live in

life skills to inner-city children. His organization has

New York with their spouses and children. (Photo

helped more than 700 children and their families,

on pg. 52)

and has raised more than $4 million for scholar-

MARTIN BALGACH authored a poetry chapbook,

ships and assistance for at-risk children. Prior to

“Too Much Breath,” which will be published in

JO ANNE SHATKIN, M.A. ’91, PH.D. ’94, a research

his involvement with PROJECT GOAL, Shirzadi

early 2014 by Main Street Rag. More information

fellow of Clark’s George Perkins Marsh Institute,

served as assistant coach, general manager

about the book and his writing may be found at

announces the launch of her independent

and director of operations for the Rhode Island

martinbalgach.com.

consulting practice, Vireo Advisors, LLC in Boston,

Stingrays from 1995-’99. He also served two

dedicated to raising the bar on sustainability in

stints working for the Kraft family and the New

AVIVA SHUTTER BELHUMEUR ’96 is proud to

innovation. Jo Anne is author of “Nanotechnology

England Revolution, first as an intern during the

announce the birth of her son, Moses.

Health and Environmental Risks, Second Edition”

team’s inaugural year, 1995-1996, and then as

(CRC Press, 2012).

director of Latino and Cape Verdean Marketing and Community Relations from 2001 to 2002. Darius

1992

1997

was a three-year starter at Clark University from

JENNIFER A. DEFRONZO is happy to report that

1991 to 1993. He lives in Providence, R.I.

after 11 years of practice as a civil litigator in

PETER BALESANO is senior director for busi-

ness development with BNY Mellon Wealth

1996

Worcester at Milton, Laurence & Dixon, LLP, she turned in her briefcase and began her third act at

Management, the global leader in investment

1995

management and investment services. Based in

TABITHA J. MAY-TOLUB ’95 launched a new

Friends Engagement. She writes, “When not at

Westborough, Mass., Peter was previously a city

business on Dec. 2, 2013. Roots & Wings provides

work, I’m usually chasing my sons, now 8 and 6,

executive at Bank of America Private Bank. (Photo

training and consultation for youths and the adults

who are definitely faster than I am.”

on pg. 49)

who care about them in the areas of leadership,

Clark — as an associate director of Alumni and

communication and identity development. R&W

BRYAN TAMBURRO, vice president of global

believes there are two things that we all need in

project execution at Pittsburgh-based International

order to become amazing human beings: Roots

Electric Power, was named one of the “40

DARIUS SHIRZADI was inducted into the New

(identity and confidence in knowing who we are

Under 40” rising professionals in the western

England Soccer Hall of Fame at a Nov. 24, 2013,

and where we come from) and Wings (the skills

Pennsylvania region by Pittsburgh Business Times

1994

Fast Tracker. Bryan’s degree in international rela-

2000

Adam Sachs ’99, Schuyler Doten ’01, Geoffrey

tions has served him well — International Electric

MICHAEL MILLER was promoted in May 2013 to

Pereira ’01, and Chris Quintal ’02. (Photo on pg. 50)

Power develops power and energy sectors in

vice president of environmental health & safety for

emerging markets and developing countries. Bryan

Dean Foods Company. Dean Foods is the largest

also co-owns a consulting company for business

producer of fluid dairy products in the United

2001

opportunities between Pakistan and Pittsburgh.

States. Michael manages a direct team of 15 and

ROBERT H. PIETRZAK ’01, and ELIZABETH K.

1998

has functional responsibility for more than 60

DEVYLDER ’01 announce the birth of their daughter,

environmental and safety professionals. He resides

Katelyn Alice Pietrzak, on Dec. 4, 2013, at Yale New

in Rockwall, Texas, near Dallas.

Haven Children’s Hospital in New Haven, Conn.

KATE CLARK has been named a Health and Aging

Policy Fellow. She is planner for policy & program de-

RON SAYKIN and Tara Zenack were married on July

MAGGIE LISH SCHIFFER accepted a new manage-

velopment at The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging,

6, 2013, in Boston. Ron’s groomsmen included

ment position at Morgan Stanley, where she

the area agency on aging for Philadelphia. The Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program provides professionals with the experience and skills necessary to shape a healthy and productive future for older Americans. Prior to moving to Philadelphia, Kate initiated and managed the City of Syracuse’s first

IT’S A CLARK WORLD, AFTER ALL

public art program; directed the City of New York’s Historical Signs Program; and published a paper as a Fulbright Scholar on public-private partnerships and public space management. She has an M.P.A. from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. JOSHUA G. SCHIFFER was made partner at

ChancoSchiffer P.C. in December 2013. The firm continues to achieve significant success in both criminal

onathan Rochlin ’87 and Gary Rosen ’85, P ’13, grew up in neighboring New Jersey towns

(Old Tappan and Harrington Park, respectively).

They attended the same Hebrew school, were bar mitzvahed by the same rabbi, graduated from the same high school, and both majored in government at Clark University (even down to a semester studying in

defense and catastrophic personal Injury cases.

Washington, D.C.). After graduation they each went on

1999

in 2012.

to successful careers in financial advising. But they didn’t meet until Rochlin joined Rosen’s firm

STEFANIA T. CAMPBELL and GREGORY P.

Jonathan Rochlin (l.) and Gary Rosen.

“We both said, ‘I know you’ — at pretty much the same time,” Rochlin recalls. Since that

CAMPBELL ’97, M.A.ED. ’98, are thrilled to announce

day, they’ve been “digging away,” and have discovered just how close their paths came to

that on April 18, 2013, Calliope Viola Campbell was

actually crossing.

born. “We are overjoyed with this new addition to

While they know they studied with the same professors, they’re not sure if they took any classes together. They did play on rival intramural softball teams, though; Rosen’s team was memorably called

our family!”

“Nine Guys Named Murray,” because that’s what the players called each other on the field. During a recent meeting, Rochlin turned to him and said, “You were Murray, weren’t you?” After graduating, Rosen worked for his family’s auto dealerships, venturing into the financial world in 1994. Rochlin began working at Bear Stearns in July 1987. He eventually earned an M.B.A. from New York University and became a financial adviser eight years ago. He was recruited to Rosen’s expanding Wells Fargo team by another partner, so the two didn’t meet until after they became business partners. (Even their parents knew each other first — they attend the same temple in New

Rosen also has been involved with the Alumni and Parent Admissions Program, and learned recently that three of the prospective students he interviewed have graduated from the University. “Some of my enthusiasm might have rubbed off,” he acknowledges. Rochlin says that whenever one Clarkie meets another there’s an instant kinship. Visiting his daughter at camp, he spotted a young man wearing a Clark shirt. They struck up a conversation, and PETER BALESANO ’92 NAMED SENIOR DIRECTOR // P. 48.

now the younger Clarkie seeks Rochlin out to chat. Rochlin still marvels that he and Rosen never met on campus, since Clark is a place “where everyone knows everybody else.” They continue to swap stories and learn about a common history they never realized they shared.

49 clark alumni magazine

Both men retain close ties to Clark — Rosen especially, as his son is a member of the class of 2013 and is now pursuing a master’s in accounting through the Graduate School of Management.

spring 2014

Jersey and run into each other in Florida.)

CLASS NOTES

supervises a team responsible for more than $2

Ala., studying for a master’s in emergency man-

For three years, ETEL CAPACCHIONE ’04, M.A.

billion in assets.

agement. Last November, he started with Texas

’08, has worked at Dynamy Youth Academy,

Division of Emergency Management as an assis-

a college-access and leadership program for

tant recovery officer, where he has responsibilities

underserved youth in the Worcester Public

in individual assistance and public assistance.

Schools. “Our program is unique in its approach,

2002 HARRIS O. DANIELS ’02, M.A.T. ’03, was

in that we use an experiential learning philosophy

promoted to the position of community educa-

DAVID SHAPIRO ’03, M.P.A. ’08, and Deidre

to build leadership skills for our youth,” she

tion coordinator at Kids Smiles, a community

Mamos Shapiro were married on Dec. 28, 2013, at

writes. Etel notes that the program has always

nonprofit dental clinic in West Philadelphia that

the Beechwood Hotel in Worcester. In attendance

attracted Clark students either as staff, interns,

provides dental services and oral health and

were: (standing) Aaron Cohen ’03, William W.

or volunteers, including Sarah Kilroy, M.A. ’06,

nutrition education to children and their families

Bennett II, Jeff Shapiro ’03, M.P.A. ’04, Amy

Patricia Mallios ’05, M.A. ’06, David Dissanayake

in clinics and schools throughout southeastern

Levine ’09, M.S.P.C. ’10, Geo Poor ’04, David and

’11, Julia Hubbell ’11, M.A. ’12, Sydney Oldberg

Pennsylvania.

Deirdre, Erin Klarsfeld ’06, Jarad Goldberg ’05,

’11, M.A. ’13, and Lorena Sterjanaj ’13. Etel is

Jon Papazian ’03 and Hans Mayer ’03; (seated)

also a board member of the YWCA of Central

Lily Goldman ’03, Joanna Winkler Shapiro ’04,

Massachusetts, and co-leader of the Diversity

M.A. ’05, Johanna Rothenberg Vulih ’11, and Elena

Awareness Council at Y.O.U. Inc.

2003 LESLEY A. MATHEWS of Gaithersburg, Md., mar-

Morgenlender Batchelder ’04, M.A.Ed. ’05. (Photo

ried Dr. Nicholas B. Griner, also of Gaithersburg, at

on pg. 52)

2005

the Colonial Inn in Gardner, Mass., on June 21, 2013. Clarkies in attendance included Sarah Montigny

KELLI BLANK ’05, M.P.A. ’06, married Joseph

Valois ’03, Jeff Valois ’11, Kathleen Peterson ’03,

2004

Yakamavich on Oct. 6, 2013, in Uxbridge, Mass.

Kathleen Carneiro ’03, and Amelia Dietsche ’04.

ANNA K. SCHWARTZ married Sarah E. Holmes on

Clarkies in attendance included (from left) Anna

Lesley and Nick are both scientists at the National

Dec. 31, 2013, in Portland, Maine. Their marriage

Lawless ’05, Susan Munroe ’05, Cara Wood ’05,

Institutes of Health in Maryland.

is legally recognized in their home state of Maine

M.S.P.C. ’06, Dianne Crooker ’05, Melissa Davis

and federally.

’05, M.P.A. ’06, Kate Jordan ’04, M.A.T. ’05,

GEOFF J. PHILLIPS is a full-time graduate student

Joseph and Kelli, Sarah Wilkinson ’04, M.A.Ed.

at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville,

’05, Kate Rafey ’08, M.P.A. ’09, Michelle Powers

(CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) KAREN LAGANELLI, M.H.A. ’91, NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR // P. 47; RISA KRIM SORGE ’85 CELEBRATES HER 50TH // P. 47; SAYKIN-ZENACK WEDDING WEDDING // P. 49.

STAY

connected Alumni are always encouraged to send us their news for Class Notes. If you’ve got something you’d like to share with fellow alumni, visit the Clark Connect site (clarkconnect.clarku.edu), which gives alumni more news and stories, as well as personal and professional networking opportunities. There, you will find a Class Notes link to submit your information. You can also mail your item to: Clark University 950 Main St. Worcester, MA 01610 Attn: Alumni Affairs Please let us know what you’re up to!

BREAKING THE PATTERNS OF ABUSE

r. Jennie DiBartolomeo, Ed.D. ’85, has seen some of the worst of human behavior, and has devoted her career to reversing some of its most

dangerous manifestations. DiBartolomeo is a nationally certified clinical forensic counselor in New Hampshire, with a private practice in which she provides court-ordered screenings, assessments, and evaluations of men and women who commit domestic violence and other criminal offenses. She also is an adjunct faculty member at the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council, where she provides education and training to law enforcement. DiBartolomeo recently published “Mission Statement for Batterer Intervention Program Providers and Students: A Workbook on Education Lessons and Exercises for Men Enrolled in a Batterer Intervention Program.” Through this tool, DiBartolomeo is training fellow educators to learn more about domestic violence within intimate relationships, the perils of controlling thinking, and “how to help male batterers change their

’05, Rob FayMcKinstry ’04, Dan Amstutz ’05, M.P.A. ’06, Jared Fijalkowski ’04, Emily Baskin ’06, M.A.T. ’07, and Jennifer MacDonald ’04. (Photo on pg. 47)

2006 REBECCA DEZAN ’06, M.A. ’07, and ASHLEY

belief systems and abusive behaviors into respectful thinking and behaviors.” While the book’s language incorporates elements of DiBartolomeo’s professional experiences with students, she has also made it accessible to the general public so the reader can learn how to identify a batterer’s patterns. Within her private practice, DiBartolomeo provides programs in batterer intervention, anger management and violence intervention. One of the most important pieces of knowledge she’s gained over the years is that “intimate partner violence is a learned behavior rather than a cause of a mental disability or a psychiatric disorder.” With that in mind, she wanted to make sure the book serves as the basis for an education intervention independent of therapy.

GRAY ’09, M.A.T. ’10, celebrated their marriage

DiBartolomeo credits Dr. David Zern, professor of education and chair of her doctoral committee at

on June 29, 2013, in West Berlin, Vt., at a farm

Clark, for providing her with unique insights that helped her shape her career. “The importance of his

near their home. Rebecca is in her second year

instruction, role-modeling, and support are reflected in my current line of work where perseverance,

of teaching at an alternative high school. Ashley

faith, careful study, and competence are applied in the education of batterers and other offenders,”

teaches middle school Spanish and both women

she says. “My hope is that through education on intimate partner violence that we, as a society, can

coach the sports they played while at Clark and

establish and restore respect, love, and trust within the home and promote equality for women in

for their local high school. Many Clarkies attended

intimate relationships.” — Daniel Deutsch ’13, M.S.P.C. ’14

the Gray-Dezan wedding. Pictured are (back, from left): Jayna Turcheck, Steven Fischer ’95, M.A. ’08,

’06, Julia Bowker ’05, Jennifer Phaiah ’09, Zohar

2007

note were Laura’s aunt and uncle, Carol Strauss-

Tobi ’07; (middle, from left) Laura Suroviak ’01,

RACHEL (SCHOPPE) ROGERS and her husband,

Sotiropoulos ’72, M.A. ’75, and Ted Sotiropoulos

Sara Kilroy, M.A ’06, Jessa Loomis ’06, M.A.T. ’07,

J.D., welcomed Cecilia Natalie Rogers on Aug. 26,

’72, who met at Clark. (Pictured) Back row, from

Robin Barron ’09, M.A.T. ’10, Erica Getto ’09, M.A.

2013, at 3:53 a.m. She was 6 pounds, 11 ounces

left: Hannah Tipton ’10, Alexander Rancourt-Walker

’10, Janna Glucksman ’05, Shaliva Gaynor ’98,

and 20 inches.

’10, M.S.P.C. ’11, Walter Strauss ’74, Kerri O’Connell ’10, Brittany Smith ’10, M.A.T. ’11, Ted Sotiropoulos

Evan Wilson ’06, M.A. ’07, Bronwyn Williams ’06, Molly Schremmer ’09, Elisa Ramos ’08, M.A. ’10,

DAVID B. GLICK and Carly Goldman Glick were

’72, Carol Strauss-Sotiropoulos ’72, M.A. ’75, Chase

Professor Anne Geller, Professor Gino DiIorio ’83;

married in Novi, Mich. Clarkies in attendance includ-

Roberge ’07, Anthony Chromey ’06, Brian Hersey

(front, from left) Sean Hurley ’06, M.A. ’07, Fauna

ed Robin Cohen ’06, M.P.A. ’07, Robert Keeley ’06,

’07, Nick Voyiatzis ’07, Rachel McCafferty ’10, M.A.T.

Shaw Hurley ’06, M.A. ’08, Ashley and Rebecca,

Dr. Harrison Edward Mackler ’07, J. Conor Sullivan

’11, and Stamos Karvouniaris ’10. Front row, from

Elizabeth Fox ’09, Willa Deitch ’09, M.A.T. ’10, and

’06, Jessica Wilkinson ’06, and Forrest Wright ’07.

left: Maya Minter ’10, M.A.T. ’11, Hallie Craddock ’10, M.A.T. ’11, Kami Lemke ’10, Laura and Patrick,

Faye Conte ’06. (Photo on pg. 45) PATRICK SHEA ’07, M.S.P.C. ’08, married LAURA

Hannah Wineburgh ’11, Emily Zoback ’08, M.P.A. ’09,

STRAUSS ’10 on Aug. 24, 2013, in Harvard, Mass.,

Sasha Gerhardson ’10, and Boyd Zapatka ’10, M.A.

with 22 Clarkies in attendance. Of particular

’12. (Photo on pg. 52)

51 clark alumni magazine

’10, Amy Levine ’09, M.S.P.C. ’10, Erin Klarsfield

spring 2014

Christopher Patterson M.A. ’08, Marissa Millman

CLASS NOTES

(CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) BARBECUE AT THE INSALLS’ // P. 47; SHAPIRO-MAMOS NUPTIALS // P. 50; BIG CLARK PRESENCE AT THE SHEA-STRAUSS WEDDING // P. 51; A NEW YORK CITY REUNION // P. 48.

2009

Ten years later, Armen is not only conversation-

her hometown of Providence, she remains active

CHRISTOPHER J. DEPROFIO married CHELSEA

ally fluent in French, Armenian, Spanish and

in the arts community, volunteering as an artist

WAKEMAN ’09 on March 30, 2013, in Salem,

Haitian Creole, but is earning an M.S. in Teaching

mentor and continuing her own studio practice in

Mass. In attendance were Jess Aker ’08, Tim

English to Speakers of Other Languages at LIU

contemporary fine art photography. She can be

Beck ’10, Patrick Byers ’09, Madeline DeDe-

Brooklyn. He is also the recipient of a Fulbright

reached at adrienneadeyemi@gmail.com.

Panken ’12, Michael Epstein ’10, M.B.A. ’11,

English Teaching Fellowship in Brazil for 2014-

Nick Foresti ’10, M.B.A. ’11, Leah Hetzell ’08,

2015. Armen previously taught English in a

Sarah Kalogeros ’09, M.A.T. ’10, Becca Mael ’10,

primary school for the French Board of Education

LONG ’09 on Sept. 14, 2013, in Newton, Mass.

Bridget Mathis ’08, Laura McNaughton ’81, Peter

in Martinique in 2012. He has also taught yoga

Their wedding was Clark-themed; the hall was

Murray ’09, M.A.T. '10, James Perry 09, M.B.A.

and tai chi to students in New York City and

filled with red, white and black decorations and

’11, and Katelyn Schoonmaker ’10.

spearheaded a community garden project in

the tables, instead of numbers, were given Clark

Jerusalem. He earned a degree in international

building names. Greg is a FIX account manager at

development and social change at Clark.

Charles River Development, a financial software

KATE H. LIEBOWITZ ’09, M.A.T. ’10, and ADAM LIEBOWITZ ’07 were married in Winchester,

Conn., on Oct. 13, 2013. Clarkies in attendance

BRITTANY FLIBOTTE ’10, M.B.A. ’12, married GREG

company based in Burlington, Mass. Brittany is a client project analyst at Charles River Development.

were Russ Grossman ’08, M.P.A. ’11, Amy

2010

Grossman ’11, Ryanne Niederwerfer ’09, M.A.

ADRIENNE A. ADEYEMI ’10, M.P.A. ’11, worked as

Reed Powell ’10, M.B.A. ’13, Erin Peete ’12, M.B.A.

’11, Jason Berkowitz ’08, Johanna Rothenberg

the public engagement coordinator at the Rhode

’13, Lauren King ’10, Brendan Solecki ’10, M.B.A.

Vulih ’11, Pete Stein ’07, Jackie Johnson ’10 and

Island School of Design and as business/adminis-

’11, Jess Mirkin ’10, Laura Hedden ’11, Matt

Kevin McGerigle ’11.

trative support for a number of small arts/theater

Tillo ’09 , M.B.A. ’11, Chelsea Proulx ’10,

nonprofit organizations in Providence, R.I. She

M.B.A. ’11, Brittany, Jon Merritt ’10, M.B.A.

ARMEN KASSABIAN still remembers the advice

most recently became the development associate

’11, Greg, Carley Corkum ’10, M.P.A. ’11, Melissa

a middle school teacher gave him: “I think it

for stewardship and operations at Moses Brown

Traft ’11, M.B.A. ’12, M.B.A. ’11, Joanna Clark ’10,

would be best if you didn’t study a foreign

School, where she plans to launch her career as

M.S.P.C. ’11, Steve DeMartino ’10, and Marie

language. It may be too overwhelming for you.”

a development professional. Currently residing in

Sirois ’11, M.P.A. ’12. (Photo on pg. 45)

In attendance at their wedding were: (from left)

NANCY M. WATERMAN, M.A. ’52

YVONNE M. LAVIGNE LAGACE ’71

Pensacola, Fla., 6/13/2013

Lancaster, N.H., 9/14/2013

Oxford, Mass., 8/19/2013

ALBERT HADDAD ’39

EDWARD S. BILZERIAN ’55

GARY S. BUNTING ’73

Paxton, Mass., 10/1/2013

Worcester, Mass., 11/29/2013

Wethersfield, Conn., 8/4/2013

ROBERT N. HENNESSY ’40

MICHAEL E. SOMERS, M.A. ’55, PH.D. ’67

SUSAN S. SHAW CLARK ’73, P ’07

Westborough, Mass., 7/26/2013

Stratford, Conn., 8/10/2013

Ashfield, Mass., 12/22/2013

GUSTAF COONTZ ’41

RICHARD W. CLINEDINST ’57

JAMES KARANAS ’75

Worcester, Mass., 7/31/2013

Basking Ridge, N.J., 8/3/2013

Lafayette, Calif., 8/25/13

VIRGINIA S. SHEAHAN HART ’45

STEPHEN H. GENS ’57

TAMARA G. WALKER ’75

Alexandria, Va., 11/8/2013

Amarillo, Texas, 7/31/2013

Worcester, Mass., 9/19/2013

CHRIS ARGYRIS ’47

JOSEPH E. NAPOLITANO ’57

FRANCES A. SLOWASKI ’76

Dedham, Mass., 11/16/2013

Silver Spring, Md., 9/23/2013

Worcester, Mass., 9/6/2013

DONALD F. ANDERSON ’48

PHILIP E. WALKER ’58

MICHAEL E. LISIESKI ’76

Fort Myers, Fla., 8/20/2013

Worcester, Mass., 11/11/2013

Medford, Mass., 11/4/2013

GRANT H. GRAY, ’48

ROSALIND F. BARKER KLEM ’59

ROBERT D. KILINSKI ’78

Cumberland, R.I., 10/29/2013

Bridgeport, Conn., 9/26/2013

Auburn, Mass., 10/13/2013

INA C. COHEN MASON ’48

PETER F. VOGEL ’59

JEAN F. PERKINS ’78

Glenview, Ill., 1/1/2014

Teaneck, N.J., 10/31/2013

Worcester, Mass., 12/12/2013

RICHARD J. ALTOBELLI ’49

THOMAS P. WALKER ’60

PAUL A. SPIERS, M.A. ’78, PH.D. ’89

West Boylston, Mass., 11/16/2013

Kenai, Alaska, 9/23/2013

Danvers, Mass., 9/11/2013

RICHARD R. BRODEUR ’50

LOUIS P. GRILLO ’60

JOSEPH F. MANNARINO ’79, P ’17

Putnam, Conn., 7/17/2013

Worcester, Mass., 9/30/2013

Westborough, Mass., 7/30/2013

JAMES A. KELLY ’50

ROBERT F. VITARELLI ’62

THOMAS M. ASHE, M.B.A. ’84

Pueblo, Colo., 8/9/2013

Brooklyn, N.Y., 9/19/2013

Miami, Fla., 10/15/2013

MARY D. DEANE HORAN ’50

ARTHUR T. INNAMORATI ’63

CHARLOTTE J. MEGARRY ’84

Whitinsville, Mass., 11/3/2013

Lancaster, Mass., 3/21/2014

Oakham, Mass., 9/7/2013

WARREN K. HECKMAN ’50, M.A. ’54

MARIE CIAMPA GOSNELL , M.A.ED. ’66

MARY E. REARDON ’87

Mansfield, Mass., 7/29/2013

Winchester, Mass., 10/12/2013

Worcester, Mass., 7/20/2013

MARY L. VANDERSEA ’51

MELVIN D. HOFFMAN ’67

GORDON N. SHAYLER, M.B.A. ’91

Whitinsville, Mass., 7/31/2013

Worcester, Mass., 9/19/2013

Sterling, Mass., 9/26/2013

RUSSELL W. HOHNE ’51

MICHELE M. HILDEN WILLARD, M.A. ’67, PH.D. ’70

GARY R. BIARDI ’94

Marietta, Ohio, 10/11/2013

Easthampton, Mass., 11/23/2013

WILLIAM O’CONNELL, M.A. ’68

CHARLENE A. SANGENARIO DUMAIS ’02

Bradenton, Fla., 7/25/2013

Boylston, Mass., 11/4/2013

KENNETH J. MOYNIHAN, M.A. ’69, PH.D. ’73

MATTHEW C. GRADY ’04

Paxton, Mass., 1/10/2014

Northborough, Mass., 8/24/2013

West Boylston, Mass., 8/11/2013 DOMINIC A. MANDUCA ’51

Worcester, Mass., 10/20/2013 DAVID R. HOLM ’51

Worcester, Mass., 11/4/2013 LOUISE D. PONTY KOENIG ’52

Brunswick, N.Y., 12/11/2013

JAMES C. BLAIR ’70

Billerica, Mass., 10/17/2013

53 clark alumni magazine

WALTER H. HODGE ’34, D.SC. ’90

spring 2014

PASSINGS

spring 2014

IN MEMORIAM

clark alumni magazine

JIM ALLARD, longtime director of the Clark University jazz ensembles, died on Feb. 10, 2014. According to Professor Benjamin Korstvedt, director of the Music Program in the Visual and Performing Arts Department, Allard was working at Worcester Academy when he suffered a heart attack. He passed away at a Worcester hospital. “It was a total shock,” Korstvedt said. “He was a vigorous, dynamic kind of guy.” Allard, an accomplished jazz saxophonist, was well known in the Worcester community. Along with his work at Clark and Worcester Academy, he taught at the Joy of Music Program. Korstvedt said Allard was an extremely humble teacher. “It was never about him — it was about the music and his students,” he explained. “His mission was to enable young people to play jazz in different combos and settings. He got students to do better than they ever thought they could do.” At Clark, Allard had directed the jazz combos and ensembles since 1999. Allard was not your typical jazz musician, Korstvedt said. He didn’t speak in jazz lingo, and didn’t really dress the part — but his music more than made up for any lack of “hipster” vibe. Allard’s CD “The Wait” is available on iTunes, Amazon.com and CD Baby. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette noted Allard “is a musical chameleon, jumping from jazz style to jazz style with seeming ease.” “As an educator, Jim had a passion for helping students to learn music in an enjoyable and meaningful way,” said Matt Malsky, George N. and Selma U. Jeppson Professor of Music and V&PA chair at Clark University. Malsky said that Allard frequently invited his student ensembles to perform and record with him in the Worcester community. “He was a dedicated musician and teacher," he said. “Everyone who knew him will miss him tremendously.”

JOHN “KAZ” KAZMIERCZAK, a member of the Clark University Police Department for

38 years, died on Sept. 8, 2013. He spent 32 years of his time at Clark as a sergeant. Kazmierczak was “the no-nonsense hammer,” Clark Univeristy Police Chief Stephen Goulet said. “He would never sugar-coat anything. He was always there, and he’d always back you up. He was a mentor to the less-experienced guys. Kaz was very much old-school.” When Kazmierczak arrived at Clark in 1976, “security” was still the predominant description of the job, says University Police Sergeant Fred Haddad, who joined the department a few years after Kazmierczak. “Kaz helped turn things around to ‘police,’” Haddad says. “If anything was said about ‘security,’ he would make the correction very quickly — to students, to professors, to parents, to the president.” Goulet recalled a brawl in the mid-1980s involving guests of Clark students that officers had to break up. “One of the alcohol-induced comments was ‘Get the police here, they’ll sort it out.’ John went right up to him and in no uncertain terms said, ‘We ARE the police.’” Kazmierczak, Goulet says, was quick to bark — but was also “quick to heart.” He didn’t advertise that fact, but he would not hesitate to go into the chief’s office, shut the door, and talk about finding a way to help someone. In the department and on campus, Kazmierczak was well known for having his uniform perfectly pressed and his hair impeccably groomed. “He was like a movie star to us,” Goulet says. Kazmierczak took his job seriously. He originated, maintained, and helped grow the department’s Crime Prevention Team, which provided outreach to students. He also spearheaded a survey about lighting on the main campus. There were no pole lights on campus when Kaz joined the department, Haddad said, but he took the survey to the administration and showed just how dark the campus was at night. The lights were duly installed.

JEAN PERKINS ’78, former librarian at the Robert H. Goddard Library, died on Dec. 8, 2013. She served as the University’s liaison to

the Friends of the Goddard Library for more than 10 years. She held a number of positions in community organizations including member of the Board of Elm Park Center for Early Childhood Development and moderator of the First Baptist Church. Her daughter, B.J. Perkins, is the director of the Jeanne X. Kasperson Research Library at Clark University.

RUTH H. JACOBS, former professor and chair of the Clark University Sociology Department, died on Sept. 5, 2013, in Cambridge, Mass. She earned her bachelor’s degree at 40 and her master’s and doctorate at 45 (one of her books is titled “Life After Youth: Female, 40, What Next?”). After retiring from Clark in 1987, she continued to teach at Regis College and the Springfield College School of Human Services, promoting education for older people.

GUSTAF COONTZ ’41, former trustee and past president of the Clark University Alumni Association, died on July 31, 2013, in Worcester. Following his graduation from Clark, he joined the U.S. Army and served as first lieutenant during WWII. He was with the first Allied troops to enter and liberate Dachau. Later in his life, he was a Worcester City Councilor.

J. GERALD PHILLIPS, music instructor at Clark University from 1966 to 1976, died on Aug. 19, 2013, in Leominster, Mass. He helped found the Trivium School in Lancaster, and during summers he worked with the Von Trapp Family Singers in Stowe, Vt. He composed several Roman Catholic Mass settings, including one of the first in English.

WILLIAM CVARACEUS, former professor of education at Clark University, died on Oct. 17, 2013, in Rockville, Md. He was 101. He helped pioneer the study of juvenile delinquency and was invited as a guest lecturer and expert consultant by UNESCO, the NEA, and several foreign governments, as well as many colleges and universities around the U.S.

ADVANCING CLARK

Clark welcomes four new trustees to the board

KEVIN CHERRY ’81 Kevin Cherry is the chief financial officer of the South End Community Health Center in Boston. Prior to that, he was an education manager at the Public Consulting Group, Inc. Among his various community activities, he serves on the boards of trustees of Boston College High School and the John Shelburne Community Center, and on the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee.

DANIEL HIRSCH ’77 Daniel Hirsch is chief operating officer and general counsel at Potomac River Capital, LLC, an investment adviser based in Washington, D.C. Prior to his current position, he served as a chief counsel for PNC Capital Advisors, a partner in the Investment Group of Ropes & Gray, a managing director of Deutsche Asset Management and BT Alex Brown, and as a member of the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Hirsch serves on the boards of directors of the Washington Jewish Community Center and the United Jewish Endowment Fund of Washington, D.C., and is a member of the audit committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science Global Endowment Fund. He is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, American Bar Association, and the Association of Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni. He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1981. PAUL SALTZMAN ’82 Paul Saltzman is president of The Clearing House Association and executive vice president and general counsel for The Clearing House Payments Company in New York. He has 25 years of experience in financial services, industry association management, and emerging technology development. Saltzman serves on the board of advisors of the Center for Finance, Law & Policy at Boston University, the University of North Carolina Banking Law Institute Advisory Committee, and the Muhlenberg College Parents Advisory Council. He is a member of the New York City, New York State, and American Bar Associations, and serves on the American Bar Association Banking Law Committee. In addition, Saltzman is a member of the Clark University LEEP Advisory Committee. He received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 1985.

spring 2014

ANDREW BRANDMAN ’91 Andrew Brandman is the executive vice president and chief administrative officer for CIT in New York. He previously served as executive vice president and chief administrative officer at NYSE Euronext, and as a director at Credit Suisse First Boston’s Infrastructure group; chief of staff for the Global Fixed Income and Treasury Division at Banco Santander Central Hispano, and held several positions at Union Bank of Switzerland. Brandman serves on the board of Volunteers of America - Greater New York and is a member of the board of governors for Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn.

A member of the Clark University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Boston College High School Hall of Fame, and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, Cherry serves as co-chair of the Clark Athletics Advisory Board.

55 clark alumni magazine

HE CLARK UNIVERSITY Board of Trustees welcomed four new members last November: Andrew T. Brandman, of New York, N.Y.; Kevin D. Cherry, of Roxbury, Mass.; Daniel O. Hirsch, of Chevy Chase, Md.; and Paul Saltzman, of Scarsdale, N.Y. All received their undergraduate degrees from Clark. Brandman, Hirsch, and Saltzman are term trustees who were elected by the board; Cherry was elected by the membership of the Clark University Alumni Association. All will serve through June 30, 2019. “Our Board of Trustees plays a critical role in advancing the mission of Clark as an exceptional liberal arts research university,” Clark University President David P. Angel said. “We welcome each of our new trustees as ambassadors of higher education. They bring a unique set of academic, work, and life experiences and insights that will enable them to engage with and guide us in providing our students with an outstanding education.”

spring 2014 clark alumni magazine

56 Arshad Kudrolli conducts an experiment with a laser.

By Jane Salerno

ADVANCING CLARK

Physics research energized by major grants hydraulic fracturing methods, Kudrolli said, as well as a host of problems involving mud-cake formation in bore-wells and turbidity currents on continental shelves. • A Department of Energy grant of $210,920 supports fundamental research to understand, predict, and ultimately control matter and energy at the electronic, atomic, and molecular levels, in order to provide the foundations for new energy technologies and to support DOE missions in energy, environment, and national security. • In the area of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), Kudrolli is co-principal investigator on a National Science Foundation Science Learning Grant providing $1.1 million in support of the Clark Science-Math Teaching and Education Partnership (C-STEP), an extensive new project to further teaching excellence in science and math. C-STEP, led by Clark in partnership with the Worcester Public Schools, integrates the expertise of the University’s mathematics and science faculty, urban teacher educators, and teachers. Kudrolli will help identify and move undergraduates into internships and summer placements that channel them toward teaching physics, while raising awareness about physics education. A significant two-year scholarship tuition opportunity also is available to eligible students interested in teaching science. The grant project spans five years (Sept. 2013 to Sept. 2018), and will involve approximately 25 Clark students from several disciplines. Thomas Del Prete, director of the Adam Institute for Urban Teaching and School Practice at Clark, is principal investigator of the NSF award. Clark’s Hiatt Center for Urban Education, directed by Katerine Bielaczyc, will coordinate evaluation of the C-STEP program. Along with Kudrolli, other co-principal investigators of the C-STEP program are Professor Natalia Sternberg, chair of the Math/Computer Science Department; Associate Professor Deborah Robertson of Biology; and Associate Professor Luis Smith of Chemistry. All of these grants have a focus on supporting students who are using complex instruments in the lab, including state-of-theart fluorescent liquid refractive index matching and micro X-ray computer tomography techniques, Kudrolli noted. Even a high school student has been active in the NSF-funded project, he added. Chelsey Pan, a student at the University Park Campus School, does research on fluid dynamics through a sand bed with the Kudrolli team at Clark, funded in part through an endowment by Professor Emeritus of Physics Roy Andersen.

spring 2014

Arshad Kudrolli continues to bridge the divide between knowledge and practice.

57 clark alumni magazine

environment for research funding, important work conducted in Clark University Professor Arshad Kudrolli’s physics laboratory has attracted major research grants. Kudrolli, the Jan and Larry Landry University Professor in the Department of Physics, and members of the Complex Matter and Nonlinear Physics Laboratory at Clark are working on hydrocarbon behavior (erosion, fluidity, granular flow, etc.), as well as science education. The research holds implications for environmental conservation, the oil extraction and processing industry, and others. “Important discoveries of conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas in the past five to ten years are giving rise to a need for new fundamental research that leads to a deeper understanding of grain-fluid interactions,” Kudrolli said. “We are pleased with the support for basic physics research that has implications ranging from recovery to remediation. This is especially notable due to the tough funding climate we’re in.” “Arshad’s work combines significant research activity with exceptional learning experiences for students at all levels — high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral,” said Nancy Budwig, associate provost and dean of research at Clark. “He not only has drawn support from prestigious national funding institutions, but continues to bridge the divide between knowledge and practice.” Following are brief descriptions of the current grants: • Kudrolli’s “Particle Sedimentation in Clay Suspensions” research received a New Directions Award of $100,000 from the Petroleum Research Fund, an endowed fund managed by the American Chemical Society that supports fundamental research directly related to petroleum or fossil fuels at nonprofit institutions in the United States and other countries. ACSPetroleum Research Fund grants are intended as seed money, to enable an investigator to initiate a new research direction. This research holds implications for oil extraction and remediation efforts from the Alberta oil sands region in western Canada, which already supplies gas to the mid-western United States and will be distributed further by the Keystone Pipeline project. The laboratory project will address fundamental questions about sedimentation rates of sand in clay suspension and water recovery in tailing ponds. • A National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems grant of $306,684 supports Kudrolli’s investigation into how particles in fluid are deposited or eroded under various flow conditions. This fundamental research is important to understanding new ESPITE A DIFFICULT

By Jane Salerno

ADVANCING CLARK

Bob Ross embodies the scholar-activist

of his formal retirement celebration last December, sociology Professor Robert J.S. Ross published a letter to the editor of The New York Times about taxes and sweatshops and penned a Huffington Post column on yet another factory fire in Bangladesh. Earlier in the year he’d placed an op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel challenging American clothing retailers to “put up or shut up.” That flurry of public commentary is a small reflection of Ross’ decades of scholarship, teaching, and outspoken agency on such issues as social justice, political accountability, free speech, fair labor, and civil liberties. Ross’ civil libertarian leanings can be traced to his upbringing in the Bronx, near Yankee Stadium, and the influence of his hard-working mother, a schoolteacher, and father who was a garment worker. But the tumultuous ’60s were where Ross earned his activist stripes. As an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, he became a founding member of the famously radical Students for a Democratic Society, for which he was vice president from 1961-’62. He is featured in “Rebels with a Cause,” a documentary “about the hopes, rebellions, and repression of the 1960s as told by members” of SDS. Ross went on to the University of Chicago for his master’s degree and later a Ph.D. (He was also suspended twice for participating in Vietnam War demonstrations.) Following a decidedly left fork on his academic path, he arrived at Clark in 1972. “I thought that academia was a politically relevant place to be,” he says. “Clark wanted me because I was a scholar-activist — because of my commitment and involvement in social justice.” Not all was smooth sailing, however. For years he confronted a conservative administration, which balked at granting Ross tenure. A petition campaign garnered signatures from a wide majority of the campus population and, with key collegial support, he gained tenure. “My relationship with that cadre of students is a high point of my career,” Ross recalls. “A lot of them became lifelong friends.” Since the mid-’90s, Ross has been at the forefront of scholarly research into the resurgence of sweatshop conditions and global impact of the U.S. apparel industry, becoming a go-to expert and frequent lecturer on practices, labor rights and international trade. Beyond teaching and lecturing on the subject, Ross served as vice president of the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium. His academic work around this issue culminated in the publication of his seminal book, “Slaves to Fashion: Poverty and Abuse in the New Sweatshops,” in 2004. Among the Clark high points Ross cites are his two terms as the elected chair of the Faculty Assembly. “I deeply believe in democracy, and faculty members are offered the unique opportunity to be selfgoverning. So, to participate and help lead that was a deeply gratifying task to me.” Ross directed Clark’s International Studies Stream and helped to establish the program in Urban Development and Social Change. He

spring 2014

ITHIN DAYS

clark alumni magazine

also has been a consultant to Boston’s economic development agency, the Massachusetts Department of Welfare, and a speechwriter and policy adviser in the Massachusetts State Senate. At his retirement send-off, Ross, 71, said, “This is a workplace where the producers were largely self-governing; where the community regularly expects civil debate over major issues; where global citizenship has been an everyday assumption. I am so fond of it that I am not in fact completely leaving. I’ll teach a very little, write a lot and make use of the grand title of Research Professor and drop in to see you between ski trips.” At the time of this writing, Ross was, in fact, vacationing on the slopes in southern France. Still, from there, he managed to submit a letter to the editor — this one to The Boston Globe, chiding the federal government for not complying with global labor standards. His work continues. “People often remark when they learn I have been at Clark for so many years, that ‘you must love it.’ For many years my response was, ‘Well, it’s not a marriage, it’s a job.’ “But in the last few years I have tended to say I like it more and more. Perhaps that is just egocentric; it has become more like what I wanted it to be all along. Globally aware, community committed, invested in experiential education, proud of its egalitarian values. What’s not to love?” Ensuring his Clark legacy, alumni, colleagues, friends and family have created a permanent endowment for the Robert J. S. Ross Social Justice Fund. The endowment will support stipends for undergraduate social justice internships with an organization or other entity whose principal mission is to promote social, economic or environmental justice. To contribute, contact Carol Allen Scannell, University Advancement, at CAllenScannell@clarku.edu.

By Jim Keogh

ADVANCING CLARK

Biology goes to the head of the class

the Biology Department. The opening of the Lasry Biosciences Center in 2005 was a major first step in attracting students, and establishing 600-plus first-year students have done this year, what would be research opportunities has become incredibly valuable, she says. your response? “We’ve worked very hard to connect our current students who are Grab breakfast at Annie’s? Watch the “Breaking Bad” finale? engaged in research with prospective students,” Foster says, “and now Look for a new roommate? the program is selling itself. Biology has established its reputation, and Try this one: enroll in a biology course. prospective students and their parents come in, they’ve heard about it, It’s true. Biology’s popularity has exploded to such a degree that more and they ask the right questions.” than 200 first-year students have taken a course in the subject during The department cultivates a continuum among students, Foster says, the 2013-14 school year. Lab sizes are bumped up, undergraduate and in which sophomores and juniors mentor younger students, and Ph.D. graduate students alike are doing meaningful research, and professors are candidates mentor master’s students. (The labs have become invaluable seeing not only unrivaled numbers but also students who are entering training grounds for student teaching and lab assistants.) with a more sophisticated knowledge of the material. “I have students Themes are woven through the curriculum. For instance, Foster who could probably step in and lecture for me if they had to,” quips and Baker’s research on the threespine biology Professor John Baker. stickleback — which has sent students Professor Justin Thackeray says his to Alaska and Newfoundland to do genetics course typically ran between evolutionary and genetic studies on 50 and 60 students for about a decade, these unique fish — is integrated into yet this year attracted more than 90 the Introductory Biology course, but students. The Introductory Biology will continue to have impact further course has twice the number of down the road. students it had when he began teaching “The idea is to provide development at Clark in 1996. “We have a wide trajectories for students so they’ll range of ability and exposure among develop vocabularies around a students. Some have just finished AP problem,” Foster says. “What we’re bio; others haven’t taken biology since finding particularly nice is that their sophomore year in high school. It students will get great interactions runs the range,” he says. Biology Professor Todd Livdahl (l.) with Matt Warndorf ’12. among different themes, extending Baker says the surge can partly knowledge from one to the other in interesting ways.” be explained by the growing interest in STEM (science, technology, The mushrooming participation in the life sciences is not without its engineering and math) courses that are being viewed by many as challenges. Foster points to the shortage of lab and classroom space, gateways to durable careers, as well as essential for keeping the United which forces the department to conduct some musical chairs-like States competitive with other nations. maneuvers to ensure everyone can be accommodated. Clark, she says, “This is not just important for those who will major in a STEM has some decisions to make regarding how it wants to approach the discipline; we want every citizen to be literate in STEM areas,” says STEM disciplines, especially given the national initiative to expand Baker, who specializes in environmental science. “If you don’t have an education in math and science. enlightened, concerned, supportive citizenry that actually understands “It’s becoming important to do that in a careful way,” she says. “Clark why STEM should be pushed, you’ll get no funding, no public interest, has been historically viewed as a university of social sciences, so part of and no advances. It really starts with educating everyone outside the our challenge was to make ourselves visible. We’ve clearly done that, and sciences on the importance of having strong science education.” now that a third of the entering class is taking biology, we need some Baker says the students enrolling in biology courses in recent years are serious discussion about the next steps.” exhibiting intense interest in the topics he covers. He recalls a lecture he The Clark biology program has tremendous postgraduate staying delivered last semester on how stream systems have been so dramatically power, she adds. Clark biology alums find jobs in medicine, industry altered over time that they can’t be reclaimed. “The students peppered and academics. And one statistic makes her particularly proud. me with questions,” he says. “The last two years, the lectures have been much more interactive.” “We have the complete list of graduates from the accelerated master’s The rise in numbers illustrates the concerted effort Clark has made program over the last five years, and everyone we know of is still to recruit undergraduates into the sciences, says Susan Foster, chair of in science.”

spring 2014

F YOU WERE ASKED to name something that one-third of Clark’s

clark alumni magazine

THEIR OTHER LIVES

By Wendy Linden

The umpire strikes back

spring 2014

clark alumni magazine

ASEBALL IS THE PERFECT antidote to academia. So insists Jay Elliott, Clark University English professor and Massachusetts certified baseball umpire. “My colleagues ask me, ‘Shouldn’t you be writing or spending your summer doing research?’ But being a baseball umpire is the perfect escape for three reasons,” Elliott says, with a smile. “First, you can’t infer anything. You call it as you see it. In academia, you infer everything. Second, you have to make quick decisions. Quick decisions never happen in academia. And third, I’m always right!” Elliott, a Northern California native, became interested in baseball growing up as a San Francisco Giants fan, attending games at Candlestick Park and playing on his high school baseball team. But he really caught the bug when he moved to Cambridge, Mass., in the summer of 1967, and the Boston Red Sox did the impossible by making it to the World Series on the shoulders of their star left fielder Carl Yastrzemski after a long stretch of terrible seasons. “That was the summer of Yaz’s Triple Crown, and you could get bleacher seats at Fenway Park for five dollars,” he recalls. Once his son starting playing Little League in the late 1990s, Elliott developed a keen interest in baseball rules. He umpired some pick-up games, then took the required courses and exam to become a certified, or “patched,” umpire in his home district of Hampshire/Franklin, Massachusetts. Today he typically umps 30 to 40 games from April through the end of August for high schools and summer leagues. Elliott loves to tell “umpire legends” about his hobby. One story, which he claims is “indeed very close to fact,” goes like this: “I was the home plate ump at a Babe Ruth game and there was this very loud, leathery-lunged fellow yelling at virtually every pitch. ‘That was a strike!’ ‘You can’t see the ball!’ ‘Give the kid a break!’ This fellow was really riding me. So in the fourth inning I decided to do something about it. I stood up, walked into the stands in my full umpire regalia — my mask in one hand and the counter in the other — and sat next to the offender. I didn’t say anything, but he was giving me the evil eye. “The players took the field, and the batter and pitcher were wondering what to do, so I yelled from the stands, ‘Play ball! Batter up!’ The pitcher lobbed one in, and the batter watched it bounce.

I said, ‘STRIKE!’ Then he threw a harder pitch and the batter took it. I yelled, ‘STRIKE TWO!’ Then Leather Lungs looked at me and said, ‘What do you mean strike? You can’t call pitches from here.’ I looked at him and said, ‘Exactly’ — and walked back to the field. Didn’t hear a peep from him the rest of the game.” Despite the humor, Elliott takes his umpiring seriously. For him, the key to being an effective arbiter is consistency. “Within each game, I pride myself on keeping a consistent and demonstrative strike zone. I get a real rush when I know I have called a fair game.” As chair of Clark’s English Department, Elliott doesn’t have time to umpire this spring, but he can’t wait to get back to it in limited fashion later in the season, and then full bore next year. He has filled the void by marrying his academic world with his passion for baseball — among the English electives Elliott teaches at Clark is a course for first-year students called The Literature of Baseball. “How could I resist?” he laughs. To hear Jay Elliott discuss his adventures in umpiring, visit clarku.edu/umpire.

Give v Save W I T H A P P R E C I AT E D

STOCK GIFTS TO CLARK. In considering how to invest in Clark University, remember there are other options besides sending a check or making a gift online. Gifts of publicly traded securities that have appreciated in value, and that you have held for at least one year, allow you to claim a charitable deduction for the full market value of the securities on the date the gift is made. You can also avoid capital gains taxes when you gift the securities directly. Because special considerations may apply to these kinds of gifts, consult your tax adviser to determine your best course of action. For more information about making a gift to Clark, please contact Andy McGadney, Vice President for University Advancement, at (508) 793 7512 or cmcgadney@clarku.edu.

LEEP

Clark students show their Pioneering spirit

spring 2014

THAN 100 Clark University students took on the LEEP (Liberal Education and Effective Practice) Project Pioneer challenge last summer, and found themselves in Italy, Honduras, Sierra Leone, Washington, D.C., and Worcester — managing budgets, restoring art, and even working on high-level innovations of such sensitivity that participation required a nondisclosure agreement. This meaningful work and research allowed the students to transform abstract principles into concrete work experiences. With the help of faculty, staff and alumni mentors, they learned how to collaborate and be creative, to find solutions within unpredictable situations, and to accept victory and failure with equal grace. Here is a sampling of this year’s Pioneers:

clark alumni magazine

ORE

ART AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL Ananya Sikand ’14 paints with beeswax, creates textiles from onion bags, and, thanks to her LEEP project, can add restoring century-old furniture and wallpaper to her eclectic skill set. A studio art and art history major, Sikand wanted to see if she could understand the theoretical aspects and handwork that go into conserving and restoring art. Since the only class she could find on the topic was in Siena, Italy, she spent last year’s spring semester there under the tutelage of art restorer Filippo Manganelli. When he offered her an apprenticeship to help restore 1920s-era walnut furniture and wallpaper in the Castello di San Leonino, a familyowned castle outside Siena, Sikand applied

to be a LEEP Pioneer to help fund her extended stay. “I had to learn to appreciate art at the molecular level,” says Sikand. In addition to the physical demands of the job, like eye strain, Sikand was required to master new equipment, understand proper ventilation techniques and chemical combinations — despite the fact she claims not to have a facility for chemistry — and had to methodically document every step in the process so there is a historical record for future restorers. “You have to be mindful of the delicate balance between restoring the pieces and preserving the integrity of their original age,” says Sikand. For example, instead of reimagining the castle’s wallpaper, it’s necessary “to remove yourself as an artist. Your vision doesn’t exist in restoration.” Sikand and Manganelli had to locate an exact match for the castle wallpaper (miraculously, they did), meticulously remove the damaged pieces, and match the patterns exactly so the finished wall would look historically accurate. “The LEEP concept of ‘effective practice’ makes so much sense to me now,” she says. “I could never have predicted all the skills and patience I would need for this highly

detailed work.” Sikand also reflected on these unexpected outcomes in a daily journal she wrote under the guidance of her LEEP mentor, Elli Crocker, associate professor of studio art. “My LEEP project was an excellent way for me to explore whether or not art restoration was for me, and gave me firsthand experience on what it is like to be a professional in this field,” says Sikand. “It was gratifying to work on bringing these century-old pieces back to their former glory.” View Ananya’s before-and-after restoration photos at clarku.edu/sienacastle.

KEEPING COMPANY SECRETS Neil Orzechowski ’15 had the time of his life as a LEEP Project Pioneer. He just can’t talk about it. Orzechowski spent last summer working at Axispoint Inc., a New York-based company that is on the cutting edge of developing complex software applications and information technology solutions for large organizations. The company’s client list reads like a Who’s Who of corporations, entertainment companies, nonprofits, health care organizations and government entities. “I had to sign a nondisclosure agreement since the project I was working on was proprietary,” says Orzechowski. He can only reveal that he worked on a four-person team developing a large-scale Web application for computers, tablets and mobile devices that challenged him to combine his knowledge of JAVA — a programming language he learned at Clark — with other unfamiliar open-source languages he mastered on the job. Orzechowski’s experience was made possible thanks to Clark alumnus Dan DiSano ’90, president and chief executive officer of Axispoint. “From day one, I wasn’t just another intern; I was treated like an employee,” says

SITES IN THE CITY If you’re interested in where a new retail center could benefit the economy of a major U.S. city, Asniya Iqbal ’14 knows best. This Clark senior spent the summer of 2013 analyzing the economic drivers for the top 50 densely populated urban areas in America. Her involvement was fostered by First Washington Realty CEO and Clark alumnus William Wolfe ’74, who opened his company’s doors to her through Clark’s LEEP Pioneer program. With the inclusion of her faculty mentor, John Brown, professor of economics, this alumnus-student-faculty collaboration provided Asniya the opportunity to take on challenges, discover exciting new information in a vast data landscape, and bring value to a national company. Her research helped inform First Washington’s investment decisions in the development and management of retail properties throughout the United States. “Bill Wolfe wanted me to get the most out of this experience,” Asniya says. “He assured me that while I will have roadblocks, through responsibility and determination, I will find ways to get by them. It was an inspiring message.” Iqbal, an economics/biochemistry major, welcomed the chance to study cities throughout the country that were humming economically thanks to investments in technology, health care, education and energy.

“I’d learned a lot about urban economics, and this opportunity to apply what I’d learned by implementing it through my internship was incredibly valuable,” Iqbal says. Her research required her to identify certain population thresholds, median household incomes and other factors to begin determining whether a shopping complex or other type of development might thrive in which cities. Using everything from statistics software to GIS mapping techniques, Iqbal studied fifty MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Areas) to give First Washington key information as the company was considering its strategies. Iqbal embraced the responsibility handed to her and enjoyed working alongside members of the First Washington team. She says Wolfe was interested in knowing what she was doing and wanted to be sure her tasks matched her goals for the internship.

“That was very helpful,” she says. “Working with a Clark alum allowed me to see where his career has taken him, and gave me confidence that I can get there, too. Alumni have so much insight to offer you, and it has more impact coming from them than someone else because they’re Clarkies.”

spring 2014

real-world experience started with an interview with DiSano, a move to New York City (and into his Axispoint office), and access to the “fastest laptop I have ever used in my life.” Orzechowski, who is a computer science major, math minor with a concentration in computational science, says he was ready for the challenge because Clark and Axispoint share similar cultures. “At Clark, my professors are always available for help as my mentors. I felt the same thing at Axispoint with everyone from my team members to President DiSano, who makes me proud to be a Clarkie,” Orzechowski says. “I think he should be a poster child for Clark students. He’s one of the most personable people I’ve ever met, and just look at what he’s achieved professionally.” Orzechowski says his time at Axispoint has changed his outlook about getting a job in software development from I think I can to I know I can. “My LEEP Project not only gave me relevant job experience in software development,” he says, “but also confidence in my ability to apply everything I have learned and will continue to learn at Clark.” Including discretion.

Neil and other LEEP Pioneers discuss their experiences at clarku.edu/axispoint.

63 clark alumni magazine

Orzechowski. “The team architect gave me the same responsibilities as everyone else. It was a little scary at first, but it really transformed the words ‘effective practice’ into a whole new definition for me.” His

By Kristin Sherwood ’10 I WITNESS

Caroline’s Kenya

spring 2014

clark alumni magazine

BOUNCE AROUND IN the

back seat of the sedan, my window cranked down as far as it will go. I marvel at the wide-open land, the acacia trees stretching out their branches, and especially the ostriches, who wander among the traditional huts of mud and cow dung. My destination is Kailer, an Ilchamus village in the Rift Valley of Kenya and home of my former classmate, Caroline Lentupuru, IDSC ’10. A cousin of the better-known Maasai, the Ilchamus are among the smallest and least powerful of the 42 Kenyan tribes. I have come to see how Caroline and the women’s group she co-founded have been improving lives in this marginalized community. Caroline’s property is teeming with biodiversity. While the land will dry up once the rainy season ends, her garden may not: she shows me the foot-deep furrows surrounding each terrace, used to collect scarce rainwater and irrigate the plants. The Ilchamus have traditionally grown vegetables only on farmland far from their homes, and fruits not at all. With these drought-resistant gardens, families can increase their consumption of nutritious food, earn money by selling their surplus, and avoid walking long distances to the fields. There is a price, of course: neighbors must pitch in to dig the furrows, and owners need to purchase seeds and fences to keep out the livestock. Seeing the benefits, however, Caroline not only built a garden herself, but also obtained a grant to bring them to 15 needy households in other villages. The next day we rent a 4x4 better suited to the muddy roads to visit Kiserian, a neighboring village where the bulk of the projects are located. I had previously raised a few funds for the group, and Caroline proudly shows me the result: three bullet-proof latrines beside the community hall. We see, too, the one-room nursery school, humbly furnished with a few benches and a couple of papers hanging on the aluminum wall. Though modest, it was the need for this school that had inspired the women to pool their money and form their association 17 years ago. Since then — with Caroline’s help obtaining grants — they have started advocacy clubs to encourage girls to stay in school, funded scholarships, taught nutrition programs, and purchased water tanks and donkeys for women in need. Outside the village, one of the women places a log across a muddy stream and we cross to peer at two long wooden boxes hanging from the trees. It is an apiary, or bee yard — the group’s small source of income. Caroline picks up two bucketfuls of raw honey and puts them in back of the truck, explaining that the women will process them together at their next meeting. Traditionally, Ilchamus women

Caroline Lentupuru, IDSC '10, at left, with Ilchamus women.

have not owned property, so the venture is intended not only to raise money but also to teach the community that women can do business. Back at Caroline’s homestead, she and the women busy themselves washing a blanket, cooking flatbread, and preparing vegetables for dinner. She helps me “shower,” heating a bucket of water from her rainfed tank over the fire, silencing my protests at using the water up by explaining that it is still the rainy season. Though she has recently been appointed Minister of the Environment for Baringo County — the first of her tribespeople to become a high government official — Caroline has not let the position change the way she relates to others, nor her commitment to serve her community. She tells me of her hopes for the future: expanding the rain-fed gardens to more schools and homesteads, teaching farmers how to graft seedlings, building a water tank for the community hall in Kailer, providing more scholarships, introducing solar cookers. I have no doubt the list will grow. The rains have started as we depart from Kailer. Our sedan makes it through the mud, but the hired 4x4 does not. Crickets chirp loudly as we wait for help, streaks of lightning illuminating the sky. A group of barefoot men passes by, returning from watching the news in one of the few buildings with electricity. They see the problem and pull the truck free. The solidarity strikes me. It is the same solidarity that inspired the Ilchamus women to band together to bring so many benefits to their community. I leave refreshed and inspired, happy to have witnessed a small piece of how my hosts are changing their world. To learn more about Caroline’s work, please visit clarku.edu/Kenya.

MAKE THE MOsT OF YOUR CLARK LEGACY.

4 WAYs 1. B e I n f o r m e d Connect with the Clark alumni community through the ClarkConnect website, daily online news feeds, the @Clark e-newsletter, CLARK alumni magazine, and more.

2. g e t I n v o lv e d Join your class reunion committee. Take part in your regional alumni community. Meet with prospective students in your area. Let us know about LEEP internship opportunities at your workplace, and more.

3. g I v e B a c k Alumni participation rates in giving help Clark earn support for academic programs from corporations and foundations. Donor participation also impacts Clark’s national rankings.

4. s tay p r o u d Show your pride anytime, anywhere. Submit a class note for CLARK alumni magazine. Attend University events, or go to a regional alumni event. Buy Clark gear — t-shirts, hats, stickers, mugs — and showcase them. You never know where you’ll meet a fellow Clarkie.

clarkconnect.clarku.edu

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID WORCESTER MA PERMIT NO. 1886

cHallenGe cOnVenTiOn. cHanGe Our WOrld.

University Advancement 950 Main Street Worcester MA 01610-1477

Keynote Speaker: Scott rechler ’89, chief executive Officer and chairman of rXr realty llc, a multibillion-dollar private real estate company, as well as Vice chair of the new York/new Jersey Port authority.

#clarkreunion2014

a l u m n i w e e k e n d m ay 1 5 - 1 8

mark your calendars The weekend will be here before you know it. 1 - 8 0 0 -7 9 3 - 6 2 4 6

It’s a Great Weekend to be a Clarkie!

alumni@clarku.edu