Centralight Winter 2016

Central Michigan University Alumni Magazine

Winter 2016

Season Meet some of CMU’s biggest fans, who’ve made it their mission to support the institution they love

centralight Winter 2016

On the cover It’s hard to be frustrated by snow when it makes the campus look so beautiful!

Wherever life has taken you, we hope your hearts are warmed by your memories of CMU this season.

PHOTO BY STEVE

JESSMORE ’81

27 Features 6

Intergenerational bonding

GrandparentsU celebrates its 10th year in 2017. Each summer, the program welcomes grandparents and grandchildren to campus to experience CMU life.

10

Central supporters

Meet some alumni and friends who’ve made sustaining Central Michigan University part of their personal mission.

27

Going green

Learn about CMU’s campuswide sustainability efforts that have saved the university nearly $11 million since 2008.

40

Do you remember?

Since its inception in 1996, Leadership Safari has welcomed more than 24,000 students.

Executive Editor and Executive Director of Alumni Relations Marcie Otteman Grawburg, ’87 Editor

Betsy Miner-Swartz, ’86 Managing Editor

Robin Miner-Swartz Graphic Designer Amy Gouin

22

Photographer

Steve Jessmore, ’81

Departments 4 CMU Today A new CMU College of Medicine study is targeting diseased cells in the lungs – with no side effects.

18 Hidden Central Sometimes wayfinding signs can be hidden in plain sight.

22 Big Picture Coach John Bonamego was the perfect cheerleader to get the Leadership Safari students fired up this fall.

34 Alumni news Renowned bass trombonist Randall Hawes has been named a distinguished faculty member of the Cleveland Institute of Music.

38 In Memory

6

Writers

18

Cynthia Drake, M.A. ’08 Terri Finch Hamilton, ’83 Todd Schulz, ‘92 Andy Sneddon Research Associate Bryan Whitledge Editorial Assistants Vicki Begres, ’89 Lori Conroy Communications Committee Rebeca Barrios, chair, ’00, MBA ’02 Tom Worobec, ’93 Kevin Campbell, ’74, M.A. ’76 Lynn Garrett, ’97 Bob Van Deventer, ’74 Nicole Yelland, ’05 Vice President for Advancement Robert Martin Associate Vice President of University Communications Sherry Knight, ’86 For advertising information Call Cindy Jacobs, ’93 (800) 358-6903

Stay connected Send change of address information to: Alumni Relations Carlin Alumni House Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 Phone: (800) 358-6903 Fax: (989) 774-7159 Email: alumni@cmich.edu Web: cmich.edu/alumni/Centralight

Body contains 30% post-consumer waste

Centralight is published four times each year by the Central Michigan University Office of Alumni Relations. It is printed by Quad/Graphics, Midland, and entered at the Midland Post Office under nonprofit mailing. CMU, an AA/EO institution, provides equal opportunity to all persons, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities (see cmich. edu/ocrie). Copies of Centralight are distributed to alumni and friends of the university who are paid Gold Members or donors to CMU. A virtual edition of the magazine is available free online at alumni.cmich.edu/centralight.

UComm 9674–25,000+ (12/16)

centralight Winter ’16

1

CMU, an AA/EO institution, provides equal opportunity to all persons, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities (see cmich.edu/ocrie). UComm 9229

Sustaining CMU

By Marcie Otteman Grawburg, ’87, executive director of alumni relations Welcome to the annual giving edition of Centralight magazine.

Each year, we look forward to telling stories about how your support keeps the university you love at its best.

In this issue, we feature stories about just a few of our alumni and supporters who have given in a multitude of ways through the years to help make CMU what it is today.

Giving time to support CMU’s students, staff, faculty and boards is inspiring.

Sharing your talents to help teach and motivate and make the university better is invaluable. And contributing financially to sustain and grow programs, buildings, athletics and more is crucial.

We also talk about sustainability on campus – all the things the university is doing to lessen our environmental impact and be good stewards of our planet. CMU is at the cutting edge of the trends in sustainability, and the buildings on campus reflect the energy savings and efficiencies that have been put in place to help us achieve a smaller carbon footprint.

We’re celebrating some anniversaries as well, sustaining our commitment to students with 20 years of Leadership Safari and 10 years of GrandparentsU, bringing young people to campus for exciting leadership and learning opportunities.

In this season of reflection and giving, I encourage you to consider what sustains you and how you might help us continue to sustain CMU for future generations of students and alumni. And I thank you for your commitment to upholding your alma mater!

Calendar December 17 Winter commencement, Mount Pleasant campus 23-Jan. 2 CMU semester break

January 21 CMU night at the Detroit Pistons, Auburn Hills 21-22 Skiable Feast, Treetops Resort, Gaylord

February 5 Alumni reception, Westin, Cape Coral, Florida

March 16 Alumni golf outing, The Villages, Florida

May 6 Spring commencement, Mount Pleasant campus This is a small sampling of the many alumni events. Please visit alumni.cmich.edu for a comprehensive list.

Forever maroon and gold,

Biosciences Building

centralight Winter ’16

3

CMU Today Vintage snapshots are transformed to create a fictional historical narrative of the LGBTQ community CMU faculty member’s project renowned worldwide Using vintage snapshots from the 1920s to the 1950s, Kris Sanford is creating an imagined history of same-sex relationships.

His award-winning collection, titled “Through the Lens of Desire,” was recently on display at the 10th annual GETXOPHOTO festival in Getxo, Spain.

“Growing up queer, I searched for a history that spoke to me,” says Sanford, an assistant professor of art and design at CMU. “In my family history, there were no couples that mirrored my own intimate relationships.”

Dr. Neeraj Vij (right) discusses the nanodelivery process with CMU postdoctoral researcher Manish Bodas.

Sanford finds photographs at antique stores, flea markets and even family photo albums and transforms them through selective cropping and implied narratives.

Targeting diseased cells in the lungs

“I look for pictures with a specific, intimate gesture that tell a story,” Sanford says. “When I crop the photos, the figures become anonymous, and I’m able to create my interpretation of a gay and lesbian history.” ​

CMU researcher uses nanodelivery for no side effects Like a cyclist weaves in and around stalled rush-hour traffic, nanodelivery carries drugs through the body directly to their destination cells without getting lost along the way. ​

View more photos from the collection here: krissanford.com/through-the-lens-of-desire •

In a new study, a CMU College of Medicine researcher used nanodelivery for the first time to target drugs at diseased cells in the lungs without harming healthy cells around them. This method could treat patients with cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and lung cancer without the side effects.

“If we can treat this, we can improve quality of life for these people and control the symptoms of these diseases more effectively,” says Dr. Neeraj Vij, associate professor of molecular and cell biology.

“We are very excited as it has potential for further development.” •

Studying a child’s world CMU has mid-Michigan’s only play therapy graduate course Toys line the walls and shelves of CMU’s play therapy training program – the only one of its kind in mid-Michigan.

The clinic, staffed by graduate students in the professional counseling program, serves children, adolescents and adults.

It has a dual purpose as a training facility, providing CMU students an opportunity to advance counseling skills by working directly with clients.

“Play is a child’s language,” says Darlene Chen, assistant professor of counseling and a registered play therapist. “Play therapy can address a lot of concerns such as anxiety, depression and behavioral issues.”

The College of Education and Human Services program provides crucial experience for students.

Darlene Chen observes a session of play therapy as CMU student Zoe Lincoln works with a child.

44

centralight Winter ’16

“Depending on their interests, they have the potential to go into a private practice, work with community agencies, or join the staff at hospitals or schools,” Chen says. •

CMU Today

The changing faces of CMU’s student body University passes 20 percent minority goal four years ahead of schedule Central Michigan University’s incoming freshman class looks much Steven Johnson, vice president for enrollment and student services, different than 10 years ago. That’s because 22 percent of CMU says expanded strategic efforts have helped diversify the student freshmen are minorities – an increase of 15 percent since then. body.

The university has been working toward a goal of 20 percent of CMU’s freshman class being multicultural by 2020.

“Surpassing this goal – four years ahead of schedule – is a testament to the involvement and perseverance of our faculty and staff,” President George E. Ross says.

“As a major, national university, we wanted our student body to better reflect the population of our state,” Johnson says. “An enhanced focus on recruitment and increased outreach to high schools and urban communities with large numbers of historically underrepresented students have made a significant impact.” •

CMU students and alumnus launch statewide nonprofit to benefit kids Pack Your Back provides school supplies to hundreds When CMU student Galen Miller ​helped his fraternity with a water drive for Flint residents last spring, he was moved by the broad needs of the community’s youth.

The city’s ongoing struggles with lead-contaminated water led them to discuss ways they could help families and make a difference for children beyond donating bottled water. Helping students succeed and providing school supplies rose to the top of the list.

Pack Your Back​ was born, and in its first

six months, the nonprofit organization collected supplies to fill more than 500 backpacks for Flint students.

“We began to think about how we could incorporate school supplies and childhood development,” says Miller, a CMU sophomore from Bad Axe.​ T​ he students developed partnerships with nonprofits, companies and other organizations to establish 20 collection sites across the state, and supplies were donated by people, businesses and corporate sponsors, including Field Notes.

Each year, the nonprofit will choose a new community to receive supplies collected throughout the year.

Learn more about the program here: packyourback.org •

Pack Your Back was founded by CMU students and one alumnus in March. centralight Winter ’16

5

2008

MESNER

2009

2013

PHOTO BY EMILY

2015

muesuM eht tuo kcehc leahciM nosdnarg dna ,76’ ,nedliS divaD .y rotsiH larutaN dna larutluC fo

GrandparentsU

celebrates 10 years of intergenerational bonding

BY CYNTHIA J. DRAKE, M.A. ’08

centralight Winter ’16

7

HUGES PHOTO BY BRIANNA

Christina Hayward and her mother, Susan, moved her into Cobb Hall to start her freshman year this fall. Christina is an alum of GrandparentsU. At top right, Christina is a member of the Marching Chips Color Guard. Christina’s grandma Sarah Elden is shown below right with Christina’s sister in 2016.

Christina Hayward was 12 Sanders, who oversees the the year her grandmother took her to GrandparentsU at CMU, where a rock-climbing wall awaited them.

“I remember looking at it, and I’d never climbed that high before, and my grandma asked me, ‘Do you want to do it?’”

They climbed it together.

That three-day summer camp with her grandma, Sarah Elden, brought them closer, says Hayward, now a freshman at Central.

GrandparentsU celebrates its 10th year in 2017. The camp is packed with courses and events for grandparents and their grandkids, ages 8 to 12.

Many grandparents are alumni, but it’s not required. Last summer, nearly 300 participated and a waiting list isn’t unheard of, says Annie Sanders, associate director of alumni relations.

“The best part for me is watching the grandparents and children interact,” says 8

centralight Winter ’16

program. “The event provides a unique opportunity for the one-on-one time for these families that they may not normally get.

“It’s fun for grandparents to show their grandchildren where they spent their time while on campus.”

Courses designed to stimulate young minds Participants choose to attend five courses from a menu of nearly 50 topics, including hands-on programs in science, journalism, business and more.

Alumna RuthAnn Albus, ’71, calls it “the highlight of my year.” She’s taken her 11-yearold grandson, Robby Fitzgibbon, for four years. “You have the time of your life with your grandkids. You don’t have any distractions,” she says.

Albus has enjoyed everything from trying on Medieval costumes and holding Civil War-era weapons to watching

2016

exploding laboratory experiments and creating a company with a brand and a tagline for a marketing class.

Wayne Korson, ’67, and his wife, Vicki, have attended for the past five years with their grandsons Jack, 13, and T.J., 11.

“We’ve met the football coach, we’ve done the Medieval Times, ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ at the library,” she says. “One of the most amazing things to me is how much time the professors put into the classes to make them interesting for the kids.”

“We have wonderful memories over the past few years,” says Vicki Korson. “Spending the time with the grandchildren is extraordinary in the classrooms, sleeping and eating in the dorms, and evenings in the Student Activity Center. They still tease me about falling on the bowling lanes – my nickname is ‘Slippery Shoes.’” •

A real campus experience The kids stay with their grandparents in the residence halls and eat at the residential restaurants, which was fun for 12-year-old Hayward, whose mother and uncle also attended CMU. “I remember the first night in the dorms. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s like a hotel room,’” she says. “Everything’s so nice, and the food is great. I was really excited that I was on a college campus. I was like an adult.”

> The next GrandparentsU is June 20-22, 2017 > Registration opens in January > Go to cmich.edu/alumni/ engage/GrandparentsU for information > Early registration is encouraged because slots fill up quickly

A friendly reminder that CMU always is behind you CMU, an AA/EO institution, provides equal opportunity to all persons, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities (see cmich.edu/ocrie) UComm 9182

Order your CMU license plate today cmich.edu/alumni centralight Winter ’16

9

Philanthropy comes in many forms from generous donors

Central

supporters

Winston Churchill famously said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

The Chippewas you’ll meet in these pages take that dictum to heart.

Whether it’s their time, their talent or their treasure – and sometimes a combination of two or all three – they are invested in making Central Michigan University a better place for students and making those students better prepared to take on the world. >

‘I know what I give is appreciated’

John Kulhavi

ALUM’S LOVE FOR CMU IS EVIDENT ACROSS CAMPUS When John Kulhavi was a CMU student, he worked three to five jobs to pay for school and lived on $10 a week.

Half of his budget went to a woman who rented him an old Army cot on her porch.

He ate a lot of hot dogs and boxes of macaroni and cheese – “I could buy them for 19 cents,” he recalls.

Now the successful head of a wealth management team at Merrill Lynch, Kulhavi, ’65, has transformed CMU’s campus in dozens of ways through his generosity.

You can see how the money he’s given has helped in the neuroscience program, ROTC, athletics and more.

A residence hall in the Towers bears his name. And the university’s 5,300-seat signature events center is now called the John G. Kulhavi Events Center because he led its $21 million fundraising campaign.

10

centralight winter Winter ’16

“People ask me all the time, ‘What do you have to do to get your name on a building?’ “ Kulhavi says. “If you hang around here long enough, they’ll name a building after you.”

He’s modest.

“I love the university,” Kulhavi says simply.

Bob Martin, CMU’s vice president for advancement, says he wishes he could clone Kulhavi: “He’s one of the most giving people I’ve ever met.”

When university officials try to honor him for his generosity, Kulhavi humbly brushes it off, Martin says. No fuss, he insists.

And when he hears a program is struggling, he helps.

A retired Army brigadier general, Kulhavi gives generously to CMU’s ROTC program, where he began his military career. He flew helicopters in Vietnam and earned the Purple Heart, among other prestigious awards.

‘It just makes sense to me to give the time that I can give to help students’ Laura Gonzales could have used a few successful Latino role models when she was an undergrad at CMU in the 1970s.

“He takes his giving very seriously,” Martin says. “And he encourages others to give.

He tells people to give from their heart, not their heads.”

Kulhavi has a folder stuffed with messages from ROTC students thanking him for their scholarships.

“I know what I give is appreciated,” he says.

While his influence on campus is obvious, he says his proudest contribution is the ROTC monument in front of Finch Fieldhouse. It replaced a much smaller one.

“The kids in ROTC are going on to serve their country,” he says. “They deserve some recognition.”

Kulhavi gives just as generously of his time and talent.

He’s been on the CMU Advancement Board since 1997 and is a former Board of Trustees member and chair. He’s also served on countless committees and won several alumni awards.

“We talk often about Central’s core values – respect, integrity, honesty,” says CMU President George E. Ross. “It’s how John lives his life.”

“It would have been nice to get to know some of those alumni who had gone before and were out in the work world,” she says. “It shows students examples of success.”

Gonzales, ’79, M.A. ’89, made that a personal mission when she became president of the CMU Latino Alumni Chapter in 2005, and she hasn’t lost sight of it since.

For more than a decade, she’s coordinated the chapter’s efforts to build and strengthen relationships between Latino alumni and CMU and with each other.

She also serves on the CMU Alumni Board of Directors.

Gonzales spent most of her career working in higher education administration, including as director of multicultural student services at CMU, so she knows what students need.

“It just makes sense to me to give the time that I can give to help students,” she says.

Her proudest contribution: An annual career information session during Hispanic

Heritage Month on campus. The event invites Latino alumni to return to campus and talk to students about their careers and their experiences at Central.

Gonzales is a connecter: This fall, she spoke with the students involved in Empowered Latino Union, a CMU registered student organization, about the alumni chapter and is working to support their efforts to educate the university about Latino heritage and culture.

CMU Latino Alumni Chapter also connects and supports CMU socially. Members attend the annual ¡Fiesta Tigres!

Celebration at Comerica Park and often go to women’s basketball games to support head coach Sue Guevara.

“I see it as the chapter benefiting people through making connections,” Gonzales says. “But most important in my mind is supporting the current Latino students at CMU.” For more information or to join the chapter, email Gonzales at lauragonzales534@gmail.com or visit the CMU Latino Alumni Chapter Facebook page. >

By Cynthia Drake, M.A. ‘08

Laura Gonzales with Julian Vasquez, ’85

Jeff Seeley, ’82, says Kulhavi is as generous a friend as he is a donor. Kulhavi often invites friends to his northern Michigan cabin, where they can ride his tilt-a-whirl.

“It was his favorite ride as a kid, so he bought one,” Seeley says. “He absolutely loves to have fun. More than anything, John wants people to have a smile on their face. And his love of CMU goes truly to the core.”

“I’ve been very blessed in my life,” Kulhavi says. “If every person with any measure of success gave back, it would be a much better world.” >

By Terri Finch Hamilton, ’83

centralight Winter ’16

11

‘We want to provide a meaningful experience for students’ TRIO OF ALUMS PASS ON THEIR LOVE FOR THEIR PROFESSION When you do a 15-week physical therapy internship at i’move in Spring Lake, you learn about being human.

That’s because the three CMU alumni who supervise interns believe building relationships with patients is as important as helping them heal after rotator cuff surgery.

Every CMU intern at the clinic leaves knowing that, too.

Physical therapists Dave Van Andel, ’97, and Marty Sytsema, ’97, own the physical therapy and athletic performance training clinic just east of Grand Haven. Mike Braid, ’85, is the director of athletic training.

They regularly recruit interns from CMU’s physical therapy and athletic training programs as a way to give back to the university that trained them.

“What I try to pass on is a love for the profession,” Van Andel says. “We want to provide a meaningful experience for students.

“We remind them to think about why they got into this profession,” he says. “That it’s about more than ‘how much did you bill for that visit?’ and ‘what exercises did you have that patient do?’ Are you treating your patient like a whole person, or are you just treating a condition?”

At staff lunches, they discuss articles about new developments in physical therapy and break for Q&A sessions so interns can ask questions.

The stream of interns – and their often challenging questions – keeps the veterans sharp, Van Andel says.

“When you teach, you learn,” he says. “If we don’t have the youth of our profession come in, we lose freshness, like a stream with no water running through it.”

Braid has been supervising CMU interns since 1994, first at the former Hackley Hospital in Muskegon, then at i’move when he joined the group in 2008.

“My internship was one of the most valuable parts of my education,” Braid says.

“It puts you in a safe environment where you can use your skills and start to develop some confidence.”

He wants to give students that same kind of opportunity.

“Every student we’ve had from Central has been good,” he says. “There’s a pride factor in saying, ‘That’s where I went to school.’”

Some of them are so good they never leave. Six former CMU interns are on staff.

“Sometimes we just can’t let them go,” Van Andel says with a laugh.

Sytsema is always thinking about what skills he can share with the interns.

“Could I write a check to CMU? Yes,” he says. “But lots of people can write a check.

I’m really good at teaching. I love that I can make an individual impact; I can shape somebody who will go on to love their profession. Maybe someday, in turn, they’ll share what they learned from me.” >

By Terri Finch Hamilton, ‘83

12

centralight winter ’16

Stacy Baker

‘It feels good to give back’ ALUM INVESTS TIME IN GROWING BUSINESS STUDENTS Stacy Baker willingly tosses herself into one of the most stress-filled competitions on campus, year after year.

She’s a volunteer coach for CMU’s annual Enterprise Resource Planning Simulation Invitational Competition, lending hours of her time and expertise in the weeks leading up to the high-energy event.

ERPsim, for short, tests College of Business Administration students in teamwork, classroom knowledge and critical thinking.

Each 20-minute round of the frantic game simulates multiple quarters in the life of a business. Students work in small groups to generate the highest net income for their hypothetical business using SAP – a technology tool that helps top businesses around the world run more efficiently and maintain a competitive edge.

Students take this competition sweatypalmed seriously.

“The students energize me,” says Baker, ‘92.

“There’s a lot of intensity and excitement.”

She brings a lot of SAP expertise as executive director of IT business technology for Consumers Energy, one of the nation’s largest utilities.

“I stress the importance of them working as a team,” says Baker, who lives in Grass Lake, near Jackson. “I’m mostly a cheerleader and a guide. When they’re struggling, I ask them questions to help them solve problems themselves, rather than give them the answers.”

She laughs. “Sometimes, I don’t know the answers.”

She’s doing something right. Four years ago, her CMU team went on to become world champions.

While she coaches her students to win, Baker has another motive: “Some of them might be a good fit at Consumers Energy.”

Sometimes, they just need to talk.

“I was the first person in my family to go to college, so I didn’t have someone to talk to about how it all works,” Baker says.

“Sometimes I can connect with students who don’t have that person in their life, either. I can be that person who answers the questions they don’t want to ask anyone else.”

Beyond ERPsim, Baker talks to students at CMU’s spring SAP certification course, called Terp 10. She also presents each fall to the SAP student user group about how Consumers Energy uses SAP. In all, she gives Central about 20 volunteer hours each year.

“I have this pride about being an alumna of CMU,” Baker says. “It feels good to give back.” >

By Terri Finch Hamilton, ‘83

centralight winter ’16

13

‘We wanted to give something back’ When Jim Cronin returns to CMU to meet up with his old fraternity buddies, he feels rejuvenated.

learned, developed, grew, then launched our lives,” Stuart says. “We started talking about how we could give back.”

“I’m in a 77-year-old body, but it’s like I’m 20 again,” says Cronin, ’61.

They all contributed to pay for a motivational speaker series, bringing dynamic presenters to campus.

Back in the 1950s and ‘60s, the Phi Sigma Epsilon brothers mixed plenty of service in with their fun.

During Greek Week they painted houses on the Isabella Indian Reservation. They donated to the March of Dimes and sponsored blood drives.

“Through all of that, we carved relationships,” says Bob Stuart, ’61, M.A. ’64.

“We formed a pretty tight bond. That’s worth perpetuating.”

So the Phi Sigma Epsilons are at it again.

The fraternity brothers, who went to CMU between 1955 and 1965, gave $100,000 to the John G. Kulhavi Events Center.

“You have to give back if you’ve had some success in life,” Cronin says. “My experience in the fraternity at Central framed the rest of my life. Much of who I am today is because of those experiences.”

When the Phi Sig brothers graduated, they launched careers and raised families.

“But we kept a bit of a flame – a pilot light – burning,” Stuart says. “We came back for homecoming, played golf, had dinner together. It was an opportunity to renew.

We did that year after year.”

In 1994, they started getting together every three years in Charlevoix, too, to laugh and remember.

“We realized we wouldn’t be there, enjoying ourselves together, if we hadn’t all gone to Central – a place where we

Then, in 2011, they learned about CMU’s fundraising campaign to raise $21 million for an improved and bigger campus events center. The university wanted to transform the facility into a regional center for culture, athletics and entertainment.

Alumnus pays it forward with his time, talent

The Phi Sigs liked it.

“The event center influences everybody,” Stuart says. “Every student will come in touch with it.”

So far, about 60 of the fraternity brothers have given, some donating in memory of other members who have died.

“We’re a band of brothers,” says Bob Beaumont, ’58, M.A. ’63. “It makes sense that we do this together.”

Their names will be included on one of the center’s seven towering pillars.

“One motivation for doing this is that our fraternity no longer exists,” Stuart says. “We thought, ‘Hey, maybe we ought to make a footnote in Central’s history that we did exist, and it made an impact on us.”

Phi Sigma Epsilon was a social fraternity from 1910 to 1985, until its merger with the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. The new organization kept the Phi Sigma Kappa name.

“We wanted to give something back to the institution that we loved,” Stuart says, “from the fraternity that we loved.” >

By Terri Finch Hamilton, ‘83

Terry Pordon still remembers the words of the guest speaker who visited his CMU accounting class nearly 30 years ago.

“We were just moving into the computer world,” he recalls. “I remember him saying, ‘These are just methods to get to an answer. The skill you need to learn is thinking.’ I thought that was a pretty important thing to hear.”

Fast forward to the same classrooms where he listened to accountants from the “real world” years ago, and Pordon is passing along that same wisdom.

“SAP, PowerPoint presentations – they’re just tools,” he says. “It’s all about hearing, listening, thinking.”

Pordon, ’91, is director of domestic compliance for FCA US (formerly Chrysler) and is primarily responsible for domestic tax planning and forecasting, tax structuring, cash planning, and statutory compliance activities.

He takes the time to visit CMU often to speak to advanced accounting students,

Phi Sigma Epsilon 1999 reunion 14

centralight winter ’16

An impact beyond giving DOUG ILES WAS A GENEROUS DONOR, DEDICATED BOARD MEMBER AND ENTHUSIASTIC MENTOR Doug Iles made such a generous donation to CMU’s College of Medicine that the medical resource library at the university’s Saginaw campus will soon be named after him and his family.

Terry Pordon sharing stories, tips and advice gleaned from 25 years of tax experience working in both public accounting and the manufacturing industry.

“I’m not one of those people who can have a building named after him,” Pordon says. “Probably not even a flower garden.

“This is a way for me to give back.”

In addition to speaking to several accounting classes, Pordon also talks to the Student Accounting Society and CMU’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honor organization for accounting, finance and information systems students.

He’s also on CMU’s Accounting Advisory Board, which meets twice a year to talk about the state of the School of Accounting and how to make it even better.

“It’s kind of a pay-it-forward thing,” Pordon says. “CMU provided the foundation for me to do what I’m doing.” >

By Terri Finch Hamilton, ‘83

Doug Iles (center) vacationed with his family in Turks and Caicos.

Ross. “I’d say, ‘You’re here all the time, man.’

When he talked about his students, you could see the excitement in his face.”

Iles died suddenly in May at his cottage, at age 56, leaving a legacy of giving that spans the campus, from Grawn Hall to the bigger, better events center and the College of Business Administration. Iles loved and generously supported the CMU College of Medicine and was its fundraising chair.

Iles often stayed after class to talk to students, says Iles’ oldest son, Ryan, ’11.

“The amount he gave, for a young man, was inspirational,” says Bob Martin, CMU’s vice president for advancement.

Many of those students attended Iles’ funeral.

But the difference Iles made on campus went far beyond monetary giving. A financial planner, he used his expertise as managing director of investments for Merrill Lynch as chair of the CMU Development Board’s investment committee, guiding the university’s investments.

Iles was recognized several times as one of the top financial advisers in the country. He left CMU just short of his graduation when he received a job offer from Merrill Lynch and then finished his degree in 2006.

“I’ve worked with a lot of financial professionals, and he was one of the best ever,” Martin says. “He was smart as hell and caring. That’s a very good package.”

Students in CMU’s College of Business Administration knew Iles as the adjunct professor who drove in from Saginaw twice a week after work to teach personal financial planning.

“Any time I was out walking near Grawn Hall, I saw Doug,” says CMU President George E.

“The relationships he built with students meant a lot to him,” Ryan says. “A lot of them called him, even after graduation, for career advice. He would often stay up late, talking to students on the phone.”

Year after year, Ryan and his siblings, Kristen and Jeffrey, watched as their dad generously donated – to a new score board for Ryan’s school swim team, to area nonprofits and to CMU. Every Christmas, they adopted a needy family.

“Mom would go overboard with the gifts,” Ryan says of Sandy Iles, Doug’s wife of 34 years.

“He just loved to help others,” Ryan says.

“He always said, ‘You don’t do it for the acknowledgment.’”

Jeff Seeley, ’82, knew Iles since they were in seventh grade in Saginaw. They re-established their friendship on the CMU Development Board, which Seeley chairs.

Above all else, Seeley says, Doug loved his wife and kids.

“His giving was about teaching his children that it’s important to give back,” Seeley says. “He felt that was an important part of his legacy – to show young people how to be good people.” >

By Terri Finch Hamilton, ‘83

Iles is pictured on a visit to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with a group of CMU finance students. centralight winter ’16

15

Combined, these couples represent more than 75 years of giving to Central Michigan University

FLEMINGS’ PHILANTHROPY BENEFITS ACADEMICS, SPORTS

Couple invests in CMU students

When Rich Fleming interviewed for a teaching job at Central Michigan University in 1982, he immediately felt a good vibe.

STAN AND RENÉ SHINGLES AREN’T ALUMNI, BUT THEY BLEED MAROON AND GOLD JUST THE SAME

‘We got naturally involved’

Fleming liked the campus. And he liked the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

But he wasn’t sure his wife, Diane, would share his enthusiasm and embrace a move north from Memphis.

“He called and said, ‘I’m worried you might not like it,’ ” Diane remembers. “I asked why, and he told me Mount Pleasant was a small community. We’ve never found it to be small.”

Indeed, the Flemings have built a big world at Central over the past 34 years.

Thanks to decades of forging friendships, their life is filled with everything from football to fiction writing to philanthropy – much of which is directed back to the school they love.

Rich taught for 25 years as a CMU math professor, serving 15 years as department chair, before retiring in 2007.

Diane worked nearly 30 years in the school’s Scholarships and Financial Aid office, where she started as a receptionist and retired as the associate director of financial aid in 2012.

They each continue to serve in a variety of civic and church roles and remain fixtures in the stands at Chippewa sporting events.

“I have never regretted moving here,” says Diane, who earned a bachelor’s in political science from CMU in 1992. “Some people say there’s nothing to do, but I can’t find time to do it all. You choose to be a part of a community or not. For us, it didn’t seem Diane and Rich Fleming

like a choice. We got naturally involved, and it’s really been great.”

The Flemings have financially supported CMU athletics, public broadcasting and the Charles V. Park Library – which recently ordered “Wetzel,” the historical fiction novel Rich penned in 2015.

In 2007, the couple helped establish the Fleming Lecture Series to bring worldrenowned mathematicians to campus each year. The series has included several winners of the Fields Medal, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in mathematics.

“It’s been wonderful, especially for graduate students,” says Rich, who earned the Distinguished Service Award from the Michigan Section of the Mathematical Association of America in 2009. “These speakers come in and talk with students and really connect with them.”

A lifelong sports fan, Rich is a member of the selection committee for CMU’s Marcy Weston Hall of Fame, helping to choose the athletes enshrined each fall.

Diane jokes that attending games is part of the couple’s marriage contract, and they’ve more than fulfilled it, rooting on the Chippewas in football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, gymnastics, track and just about any other contest.

In 2012, they were invited to travel on the plane with the Chippewas for a football game at Iowa, where Rich was raised.

“We won that game, and I’ve tried telling them to take me every time – but they haven’t done it again,” he recalls with a laugh. >

By Todd Schulz, ‘92

Stan and René Shingles have earned five academic degrees between them. Though none of those diplomas comes from Central Michigan University, there’s no questioning the couple’s devotion to the campus community where they’ve forged their careers for more than 25 years.

“Although I am not an alum, I bleed a little maroon – probably a lot,” René says.

“Central Michigan is a special place, and it has been truly an honor and privilege to be a part of this community and to carry on the legacy of the programs we’re involved with.”

René is the chair of CMU’s School of Rehabilitation and Medical Sciences and the director of the athletic training program, which offered the nation’s first major in sports medicine. A licensed and certified athletic trainer who holds a doctorate degree, René has served in her current role about 10 years.

Stan is assistant vice president for university recreation, which includes operating the Student Activity Center.

Together, they fund the Shingles Family Scholarship, which helps three students every year – two who are studying athletic training in René’s program and one student from university recreation. Perhaps more importantly, the Shingles both recruit and mentor CMU students, helping them thrive at the university.

“René and I have very good lives, and to whom much is given, much is expected,” says Stan, who also has chaired CMU’s United Way campaign. “People think giving is always about your treasure. But it’s as much about giving your time and talent as anything.”

Over the years, the Shingles – whose son, Lamar, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CMU – have connected with hundreds of students through their respective academic programs, their fraternity and sorority affiliations, and their close association with the university’s athletic programs.

‘We wouldn’t be where we are today without Central’ COUPLE SUPPORTS CMU’S LIBRARY, BAND AND SPORTS FROM AFAR

René and Stan Shingles Stan worked for nearly 20 years as part of the school’s radio team, broadcasting football and basketball games. That helped them build special relationships with many student-athletes, leaving their office doors open to anyone in need.

Along the way, they’ve formed lifelong bonds with students they now consider family, including former CMU women’s basketball player Vershaun Jones.

“She is the daughter of my heart,” René says. “We could talk about anything – good, bad and ugly. She knew she could come into my office and close the door, and whether we were laughing or crying, that space was sacred for us. We just connected, and we still are to this day.”

For the past seven years, the Shingles have hosted a Labor Day cookout for Central students from the Chicago area, where Stan was raised. The event has grown from six students the first year to 60 in 2016.

Fall Saturdays in DeLand, Florida, aren’t quite the same as crisp afternoons in the stands at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Gary, from Kalamazoo, and Karen, raised in the Saginaw area, started dating at CMU in the early 1970s.

But alumni Gary and Karen Aalbregtse don’t let 1,200 miles stop them from rooting for CMU’s football team. They fly the CMU flag – “nobody down here knows what the heck it is,” Gary says – and fire up digitally streamed broadcasts of the gridiron matchups.

“We met at a church coffee house on University Ave.,” she remembers. “My roommate dragged me there.”

That’s how they were able to see CMU’s comeback upset of Oklahoma State in September.

Well, they watched most of it.

“With about 10 seconds left, I said, ‘Aw, this is no good,’ and I turned it off,” Gary says with a laugh. “About 10 minutes later, Karen came in and said Central won. Say what? I shouldn’t have given up on them.”

Fantastic football finishes aside, the couple has never given up on CMU. In fact, they’ve given back to the university for more than 20 years, donating money to everything from the Charles V. Park Library to band uniforms to the athletic department.

“It’s always felt like the right thing to do,” Karen says. “We talk a lot about CMU sports around here, but that’s not the only reason we’ve given. We both got a great education, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without Central.”

Gary graduated in 1972 with a major in speech and minors in education and political science – and promptly embarked on a successful career in food service sales, first in Michigan and later in Florida.

Karen took a break from school when the couple was married and began a 40-plusyear career in health care. She returned to college in the mid-1980s and earned her degree in administration from Central Michigan in 1994.

Early in their married life, work commitments kept the couple from returning to campus. But they made the trip to Mount Pleasant for homecoming in 1979 to meet friends for the game, and they continued the tradition every year until moving to Florida in 1999.

Gary and Karen were regulars in the stands for football games throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

“We started going to the games again, and I said, ‘I love this,’ ” Gary remembers. “We joined the Chippewa Club, bought season tickets and got to know the people.”

Both Stan and René have considered opportunities at other universities during their careers. But their roots simply run too deep at CMU, and they plan to continue giving back, grooming a new generation of Chippewas.

They continue to fly the CMU flag in Florida.

“I did not get to the place I am today without those who mentored me,” René says. “From my undergraduate to my master’s and doctorate education, there were people who took me under their wing at each stage. So I want to give back in that way.” >

By Todd Schulz, ‘92

Today, Gary and Karen, gold members in the CMU Alumni Association, are retired from their careers. Still, Gary stays busy as a high school substitute teacher.

“We’ll always be proud Chippewas,” Gary said. •

By Todd Schulz, ‘92

Gary and Karen Aalbregtse centralight winter ’16

17

Hidden Central

18

centralight Winter ’16

In plain sight Motorists on Mission Street are now greeted by two beautiful, monument gateway signs welcoming visitors to CMU. The signs, built this summer, bookend the north and south ends of campus and bear the university’s seal and name.

This fall, CMU added more signs and maps for pedestrians to make it easier to navigate through the 480-acre campus.

The initiative will continue over the next few years.

PHOTO BY STEVE JESSMORE, ’81

centralight Winter ’16

19

CMUBOO

For all your holiday needs

CMU Bookstore Winter Hours Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Photos by

Ashley Co

OKSTORE.COM

rey

989-774-7493 800-283-0234 Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest

CMU is an AA/EO institution, providing equal opportunity to all persons, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities (see cmich.edu/ocrie). Ucomm 9677

CMU welcomed 2,134 new students to campus this fall, marking Leadership Safari’s 20th anniversary. The students gathered in Finch Fieldhouse and were pumped up by a visit from CMU Football Head Coach John Bonamego. Read more about Leadership Safari’s anniversary on Page 40.

PHOTO BY STEVE JESSMORE, ’81

22

centralight Winter ’16

centralight Winter ’16

23

PHOTO BY BEN

JARED

if you

24

centralight Winter ’16

What would you do

weren’ t afraid?’

ENBERG AWARD WINNER HAS TRAVELED A LONG ROAD BACK TO THE SOCCER FIELD “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”

Those eight words are senior soccer player Christie Chiesa’s mantra. They were written in the journal of her late best friend and teammate, Josie Seebeck, who was killed in an August 2013 car crash on the eve of their sophomore season at CMU. “I think about her every single day, multiple times a day,” Chiesa says.

“We were like sisters.”

Chiesa was driving when their car was clipped and rolled. She suffered a bruised lung and a brain hemorrhage. She was able to return to the classroom, but missed the entire 2013 soccer season. Seebeck, riding in the backseat, was killed. Another teammate, Maddy Bunnell, suffered a concussion.

This fall, Chiesa earned the Enberg Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, presented annually to a senior Chippewa who has performed with distinction in his or her sport and is a team leader.

Chiesa is an exercise science major who carries a 4.0 GPA. She was the community service chair for the National Society of Leadership and Success and is immersed in a research project on the effects of

BY ANDY SNEDDON

interval training. Among her many endeavors was a medical mission trip with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students to Argentina.

Chiesa says the accident could have shaped her for the worst. Instead, she made sure it shaped her for the better – the way Josie would’ve wanted.

That’s the kind of work she and Seebeck used to talk about doing together, and it’s the work Chiesa hopes to make her career.

“She was as gritty as they come … and that was something we’ve instilled in our team that has made us so successful, particularly this year,” Chiesa says.

She says the support she received at CMU and from “the three Fs” – faith, family and friends – made all the difference in her road back. “I can honestly say that without those three, it would have been a completely different picture.”

Chiesa returned to soccer in the spring of 2014, healthy enough to play and with a grateful attitude.

“Just putting my cleats on for the first practice and passing the ball and having my team around me,” she says. “It just felt like a piece of me was back.”

“I think the piece I’ve learned from Christie is you have to play the cards that you’re dealt,” CMU women’s soccer coach Peter McGahey says. “You learn from the circumstances that life presents, and you have to draw on your own courage.”

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

“It’s kind of guided my life because

sometimes I live a little more on the safe side. It kind of reminds me to live life to its fullest,” Chiesa says. “It’s just keeping her with me, and every time we go out on the field, it’s with the same grit, passion, perspective on what’s important.

“That’s keeping her alive.”

The scholar-athlete award is named for CMU alum and sports broadcasting legend Dick Enberg, long a champion of academic achievement among studentathletes. •

centralight Winter Winter’16 ’16 centralight

25

Sustainability IS CENTRAL PHOTOS BY STEVE JESSMORE, ’81

Going green saves green CMU in 2008 established a Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee charged with creating a university culture of sustainability, with a strong focus on student and faculty involvement.

Since then, campuswide initiatives to conserve energy and water and to recycle and reuse materials haven’t only saved the planet’s resources, they’ve also saved CMU a lot of money – nearly $11 million.

26

centralight Winter ’16

EHS Building The Education and Human Services Building (above and at lower left), built in 2009, earned LEED Gold Certification, the second-highest level of achievement for green buildings. EHS has solar panels to generate sustainable energy, a sedum-planted roof to help manage storm water and reduce heating and cooling costs, and a permeable-surface parking lot with rain gardens to capture runoff and treat storm water.

Above left, the massive Biosciences Building is seen under construction last summer. The new facility, completed in the fall, offers a high-tech environment featuring innovative design and space for students and faculty to delve into hands-on learning.

Read more about CMU’s largest-ever building project on the next page. >

centralight Winter ’16

27

28

centralight Winter ’16

Green is gold

Biosciences Building CMU’s Biosciences Building will welcome students and faculty for classes and research in January. The $95 million, four-story, 169,000-square-foot building is the largest capital project in CMU’s history.

It was built with the university’s sustainability efforts in mind. Many of the materials were locally sourced, and more than three quarters of the leftover construction materials were recycled.

The building features specially glazed glass windows to reduce energy consumption for air conditioning, sensors to control lights and A/C equipment, a vegetative roof to reduce heat absorption, and low-flow plumbing to reduce water usage.

CMU has applied for LEED Gold certification for the building. >

centralight Winter ’16

29

Reduce, reuse, recycle

30

Growing and composting

Recycling

At top, CMU’s Campus Grow community garden offers 60 individual garden plots to students, faculty, staff and the community. Above, a zero-waste composting program has been established at the four residential restaurants, University Center operations and Java City Coffee Shops. All food waste is hauled 40 miles northeast to Morgan Composting in Sears for processing into usable compost.

Hundreds of recycling locations exist around campus, collecting everything from paper products and plastics to CDs and toner cartridges.

In 2014 alone, the university recycled more than 200 tons of materials and diverted another 711 tons from landfills. In 2015, CMU was recognized by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Governor’s Recycling Council with the Excellence in Recycling Award. >

centralight Winter ’16

Grawn Hall renovation To create design harmony between the new and existing architecture in the Grawn Hall renovation project, all the existing windows in the original and 1960s portions of the building were replaced to match those in the new additions. The new windows are more energy efficient and help the building meet the LEED design criteria. •

CMU has been recognized by the Princeton Review as one of 353 green colleges and universities out of more than 2,000 institutions evaluated

centralight Winter ’16

31

Alumni News

ALUMNI Our annual recognition of time, talent and treasure Each year, CMU recognizes alumni and friends who have made significant contributions of their time, talent or financial resources to help advance and bring positive recognition to Central Michigan University. Six alumni and one foundation were honored in September at the annual CMU Alumni Awards Ceremony.

Distinguished Alumni Award: Dr. Michael DeGagné​, ’87 Michael DeGagné is president and vice chancellor of Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario. With 25 years of experience as a leader in the public sector, his career includes work with the federal government in management of aboriginal programs. He served as the founding executive director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, a Canadian organization that addresses the legacy of Indian Residential Schools.

3232

centralight Winter winter ’10 ’16

Alumni News Alumni Service Recognition Award John Kaczynski, ’03, M.P.A ’08 John Kaczynski is a member of CMU’s Young Alumni Board. He’s an active fundraiser for the university, and he cofounded the Capital City Chip Crew, a club for young alumni in Lansing.

Kaczynski, director of governmental affairs at Saginaw Valley State University, also volunteers on numerous boards at Central, including the CMU Public Administration Advisory Board, helps develop endowments and mentors Model UN students.

Heather Jensen, ’92, M.A. ’00 Heather Jensen, a fifth-grade teacher at Hillside Elementary School in Harrison, is passionate about literacy. She’s in a pioneering role for her region with the Michigan Reading Association, and she volunteers on the Great Lakes Great Books Award committee. Jensen also helped administrators secure $100,000 in professional development and technology grants for her school.

Dick Enberg CMU Alumni Commitment Award Michael Franckowiak, ’75, and Gay Ebers-Franckowiak​​, ’75 Michael Franckowiak and Gay Ebers-Franckowiak were recognized for their annual involvement, volunteer work and financial support of CMU. Their support has breathed life into the Grawn Renovation Fund, the North End Zone Project, Football Championship Fund, the Events Center, Athletic Facility Program and the Biological Station on Beaver Island. They also are members of the Friends of the Biological Station, helping students and faculty members study and conduct research on Beaver Island.​

Honorary Alumni Award: Barry Waters As director of the CMU Bookstore, Barry Waters has overseen consistent revenue growth during the past 12 years. He is an annual contributor to the CMU Athletics Department, and he supports the university’s sports teams, the CMU Alumni Association and student events and publications.

Foundation Partner Alumni Award The Charles J. Strosacker Foundation The Charles J. Strosacker Foundation, a privately run family foundation in Midland, supports education, social and human services, sports and recreation, community development, and the performing arts. For more than two decades, the foundation has supported a variety of projects and programs at CMU with gifts totaling more than $1.2 million. The award was accepted by Bobbie Arnold, the foundation’s president, and her daughter, Kim Baczewski, a foundation trustee. •

centralight Winter winter ’16 ’10

33

Alumni News Renowned bass trombonist joins Cleveland Institute of Music faculty Randall Hawes, renowned bass trombonist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, has been named a distinguished faculty member of the Cleveland Institute of Music.

“Randy Hawes is one of this generation’s finest trombone players,” says Michael Sachs, head of the brass division at CIM and principal trumpet of the Cleveland Orchestra. “To gain a great bass trombone player and pedagogue like this, complementing our current trombone faculty, provides a tremendous opportunity for all of our brass students to learn from one of the best out there.”

Anjanette Haggard, ’16, with Rep. Dan Kildee, ’08

New alum gives back through GEAR UP program Just a few months before receiving her degree in psychology, Anjanette Haggard, ’16, represented the state of Michigan at the GEAR UP Alumni Leadership Academy in Washington, D.C. GEAR UP – Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs – is a competitive grant program of the U.S. Department of Education. It increases the number of lowincome students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

In addition to his tenure with the DSO, Hawes, ’80, has been a member of the World Orchestra for Peace since 1995 and the Saito-Kinen Orchestra at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival since 2011. Hawes has performed with many of the world’s major orchestras including the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Pittsburgh Symphony. His distinguished teaching career includes faculty appointments in the United States as well as master class and guest artist appearances in Japan, Europe and throughout the United States.

Hawes is a frequent campus visitor, performer and guest teacher. •

MUSIC PUBLISHERS

Haggard visited Congress, including time for a photo with fellow Flint native and Chippewa, Rep. Dan Kildee. She also learned more about First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher Initiative, which encourages students to take charge of their futures by completing their education beyond high school.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ENCORE

Haggard started her GEAR UP journey as a seventh-grader in Flint.

Now, as a GEAR UP alumni leader, she will share her story with other students on the path to postsecondary education. •

Cox Enterprises names Eric Terry vice president of talent acquisition Cox Enterprises, a communications, media and automotive services company based in Atlanta, named Eric Terry vice president of Cox Talent Acquisition.

Terry, M.S. ’05, has more than 20 years of human resources experience across a variety of industries. He oversees the company’s talent acquisition strategy and organization, which recruits on behalf of all Cox Enterprises businesses. The company’s primary divisions focus on broadband communications, media and automotive services. His team is responsible for recruiting technology and marketing programs and identifying and participating in strategic career fairs and industry conferences.

Terry previously served as global head of talent acquisition for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. •

3434

centralight Winter winter ’10 ’16

Bob Froehlich appointed chair of Active Allocator board Bob Froehlich, an expert on global financial markets, economies and economic trends, has been appointed the board chair of Active Allocator Inc. Active Allocator owns and operates ActiveAllocator.com, a portal that integrates traditional, illiquid and alternative investments in performing strategic asset allocation, portfolio construction and manager selection for financial advisers.

In his 40-year career, Froehlich, M.A. ’78, has chaired investment strategy committees for multiple global asset management organizations and was named to three different all-American institutional research teams. His experience has gained him international acclaim, and he has provided investment advice and given talks in more than 100 countries. •

Alumni News Former football player helps athletes heal Leython Williams didn’t want to go to University Liggett School, a private school in Grosse Pointe Woods. But his parents told him the school would make him a better person, so he reluctantly enrolled, graduated in 2003 and earned a football scholarship to CMU. “I ended up really enjoying high school, and it turned out the education I received at Liggett helped me a lot during my time at Central Michigan,” Williams, ’08, told the Grosse Pointe News.

HISTORICAL LIBRARY

Today, he’s a licensed physical therapist and facility manager for Athletico Physical Therapy in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLARKE

“It took a lot of hard work to be a student-athlete in college and then get good grades in graduate school,” Williams told the News. “I’m glad my parents supported me through this lengthy process.”

Erik Nilsson, ’06, visits Tibetan children benefiting from his nonprofit organization, StepUp!

Former China Daily intern receives Friendship Award China’s top honor recognizes journalism grad Erik Nilsson has won the 2016 China Friendship Award, the highest honor bestowed upon foreign experts for their contributions to China’s economic and social development.

Nilsson, assistant director of China Daily Features, interned at the paper while he was a student at CMU and was offered a full-time position after he graduated in 2006. During the past decade, he’s become one of its most senior foreign staff members.

Williams played two and a half years of football as a Chippewa before injuries ended his playing career. He earned a bachelor’s degree in health fitness and rehabilitative sciences and headed to Illinois for graduate school.

Williams says he chose physical therapy because the profession combines his love of athletics and his ability to help people heal from injuries. • Source: Bob St. John, Grosse Pointe News

“Working at China Daily is not just a job, it is a lifestyle,” Nilsson says. “It is a way of life devoted to not only reporting the country’s challenges but also solutions.”

Nilsson says he never imagined when he arrived in China a decade ago, without knowing a word of the language or social system, that he would not only win this top award but be its youngest recipient. “During the award ceremony, I felt small among giants,” he says.

The CMU-China Daily Exchange Program was established in 1999 by former China Daily chief copy editor and Central Michigan University journalism faculty member, Dr. Jiafei Yin. For the past 17 years, the program has sent 15 students to China for a study-abroad program to work as interns at the world-renowned, English-language China Daily.

While living and working in China, Nilsson also has started his own nonprofit organization, StepUp!, focusing on education in Tibetan nomadic areas. Since its inception five years ago, the organization has provided electricity, computers, libraries, clothes, food and medicine to at least 10,000 children. • centralight Winter winter ’16 ’10

35

excel?

Where will you

Health care

Business administration

Government

Education Leadership

When your goals are high, CMU has the degrees and certificate programs to help you reach them.

Main campus, over 35 satellite locations and online

cmich.edu/Global 36

CMU is an AA/EO institution, providing equal opportunity to all persons, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities (see cmich.edu/ocrie). 45709 10/16

centralight Winter ’16

Information technology

Human resources

Project management Non-profit

Alumni News Young Alumni board President Michael Zeig, ’08 East Lansing Vice president Scott Hillman, ’10 Chicago Past president Ashleigh (Klipper) Laabs, ’07 Royal Oak Directors Cyril Agley, ’09 Grosse Pointe Michael Decker, ’07 Beverly Hills Morgan (Curtis) Hales, ’06, M.A. ’11 Clare Eric Johnson, ’11 Mount Pleasant Danielle Leone, ’10 St. Clair Shores James (J.J.) Lewis, ’06 Thousand Oaks, California Jaime R. Leyrer, ’10, M.P.A. ’12 Saginaw Jennifer Lopez, ’10 Royal Oak Gregory Marx, ’08 Troy Brittany Mouzourakis, ’11 Dearborn Heights Jason Nichol, ’12 Lansing Kelly Pageau, ’08 Chicago

John Reineke, ’09 Oxford, Ohio Michelle (Curtis) Rush, ’07 St. Joseph Christine Simon, ’13 Lansing Jeffrey Stoutenburg, ’10, M.P.A. ’13 Midland Michael Wiese, ’09 Grand Rapids Young Alumni regional fellows California San Francisco Bay Courtney Duvendack, ’10 court.duvendack@gmail.com Chicago Spencer Long, ’08, M.A. ’10 spencer.long@gmail.com Florida Miami Adam Romano, ’13 aromano734@gmail.com Orlando Raychel Cesaro, ’05 rcesaro@holocaustedu.org Mara Shorr, ’05 marashorr@thebestmbs.com Michigan Holland Briana Hartline, ’09 bhartline@sentinel.com Metro Detroit Emily Lamoreaux, ’07 emily.lamoreaux@gmail.com

Mid-Michigan Megan Lawless, ’08 adelm1me@cmich.edu NYC/New Jersey/ Philadelphia Michael Waas, ’05, M.A. ’07 michael@terracycle.com Ohio/Oxford Tylere Presley, ’12 tylere.presley@betathetapi.org Texas Austin Dan Rathke, ’07 rathk1dj@gmail.com Washington, D.C. Colleen Scheidel, ’10 schei1ce@cmich.edu

Alumni board President Ryan A. Fewins-Bliss, ’02, M.A. ’04 Bath Vice president Brian Jones, ’90, MBA ’94 Midland Past president Jan (Keegan) Hagland, ’77 Berkley Directors Rebeca Reyes Barrios, ’00, MBA ’02 Canton Carrie Baumgardner, ’99, M.A. ’02 Lansing

Lisa A. (Laitinen) Bottomley, ’97 Kentwood Lynn Garrett, ’97 Detroit Jacalyn (Beckers) Goforth, ’82 Beverly Hills Laura Gonzales, ’79, M.A. ’89 Mount Pleasant Bret Hyble, ’82, M.A. ’86 Mount Pleasant Linda (Scharich) Leahy, ’82 Midland Scott Nadeau, ’89 Dexter Thomas C. Olver, ’98 Mount Pleasant Frederick Puffenberger, ’95 Mount Pleasant Kandra (Kerridge) Robbins, ’90 Portland Whitney Robinson, ’03 West Bloomfield Darryl Shelton, ’85 Grand Rapids Nathan Tallman, ’07, M.A. ’09 Auburn Hills Amy P. (Rousseau) Uebbing, ’86 Rochester Robert VanDeventer, ’74 Saginaw Bradley Wahr, ’03 Mount Pleasant Thomas L. Worobec, ’93 Dearborn Heights Nicole (Williams) Yelland, ’05 Clarkston

centralight Winter winter ’16 ’10

37

In Memory Jean K. (Lawless) Wernette, ’38, Grand Rapids, Mich., died July 24, 2016, age 100.

Ray W. Haack, ’41, St. Joseph, Mich., died July 6, 2016, age 96.

Catherine I. (Castanier) Piotrowski, ’42, Standish, Mich., died Aug. 2, 2016, age 99.

Dorothy M. (Johnston) Meyer, ’45, Jackson, Mich., died July 23, 2016, age 92.

Mary F. (Fica) Kwiatkowski, ’45, Dearborn, Mich., died Oct. 5, 2016, age 92.

Robert H. Mark, ’47, M.A. ’63, Farmington, Mich., died July 2, 2015, age 95.

Georgina E. (Jones) Holdorf, ’48, Elk Rapids, Mich., died Oct. 9, 2016, age 96.

William J. Lewis, ’48, Salem, N.H., died June 30, 2016, age 90.

Charles A. Deibel, ’50, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Aug. 12, 2016, age 88.

Byron K. Love, ’50, Clarkston, Mich., died Feb. 12, 2015, age 86.

Joyce E. (Foss) Sheets, ’50, Clinton, Mich., died July 9, 2016, age 87.

Kai L. Erickson, ’51, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Aug. 10, 2016, age 87.

Ervin P. McDonald, ’51, Chelsea, Mich., died July 14, 2016, age 88.

Thomas D. Weede, ’52, Roscommon, Mich., died July 30, 2016, age 86.

Martha E. (McLouth) Fuce, ’53, Stony Lake, Mich., died Aug. 7, 2016, age 85.

Constantine A. Paulos, ’53, Cadillac, Mich., died Sept. 22, 2016, age 89.

Arthur H. Rice, ’53, Lansing, Mich., died July 15, 2016, age 85.

Joyce J. (Benjamin) Scott, ’53, Whitehall, Mich., died Sept. 17, 2016, age 86.

Marilyn J. (Jones) Kevern, ’55, Caro, Mich., died Aug. 23, 2016, age 83.

Evelyn R. Lang, ’55, Marion, Ind., died Aug. 12, 2016, age 91.

Fanny P. (VanSickle) Roloff, ’55, M.A. ’65, Canton, Ohio, died Sept.

12, 2016, age 90.

Marjorie A. (Prior) Brieden, ’58, Port Huron, Mich., died July 23, 2016, age 90.

38

centralight Winter ’16

Elmer J. Faust, ’58, Middleville, Mich., died July 1, 2016, age 88.

Deo K. Freeman, M.S. ’58, M.A. ’64, Midland, Mich., died Oct. 13, 2016, age 80.

Sarah V. (Warren) Gawne, ’58, M.A. ’69, Midland, Mich., died Sept. 3, 2016, age 98.

Carole J. (Hungerford) Blum, ’59, Romeo, Mich., died Oct. 1, 2016, age 78.

James E. Thompson, ’59, Flint, Mich., died Feb. 5, 2016, age 87.

Phyllis L. (Hokkanen) Kruse, ’61, M.A. ’65, L’Anse, Mich., died July 26, 2016, age 77.

Livingston Doering, ’61, Port Huron, Mich., died July 15, 2016, age 77.

Betty Lou (Buzzell) Deighton, ’63, The Villages, Fla., died Aug. 6, 2016, age 74.

Helen M. (Johnson) Haaksma, ’63, Grand Haven, Mich., died July 9, 2016, age 74.

Margery M. (Gill) Henderson, ’63, Dallas, Texas, died Aug. 2, 2016, age 75.

William L. Kreifeldt, ’63, M.A. ’71, Salt Lake City, Utah, died July 21, 2016, age 74.

Lyra-Leah (Burns) Revesz, ’63, M.A.H. ’95, Pleasant Ridge, Mich., died Sept. 27, 2016, age 76.

Calvin J. Titus, ’64, Cassopolis, Mich., died July 10, 2016, age 75.

Carole A. (Meisch) Eimers, ’65, M.A. ’70, Steamboat Springs, Colo., died July 24, 2016, age 73.

Gavan D. Woods, ’65, Grand Rapids, Mich., died July 4, 2016, age 75.

Stephen I. Frank, ’66, M.A. ’69, St. Joseph, Minn., died June 22, 2016, age 73.

Donna L. (Luptowski) Johnson, ’66, Saginaw, Mich., died Sept. 18, 2016, age 82.

Frank J. LaRue, ’66, Metamora, Ill., died April 21, 2016, age 79.

Elaine M. (Hartley) Slates, ’66, Bay City, Mich., died May 1, 2015, age 85.

Jill A. Babcock, ’67, Lyons, Colo., died Aug. 31, 2016, age 72.

David D. Lange, ’67, Lancaster, S.C., died June 30, 2016, age 72.

Albert F. Lueck, MBA ’67, Midland, Mich., died July 4, 2016, age 82.

Max R. Wiley, ’67, MBA ’68, Aurora, Colo., died Aug. 9, 2016, age 72.

Richard T. Boruta, ’69, Allouez, Mich., died July 6, 2016, age 70.

Gordon W. Bridgland, ’69, Royal Oak, Mich., died Sept. 23, 2016, age 70.

Jeffrey L. Hildinger, ’69, Roseville, Mich., died Dec. 18, 2015, age 68.

Louis R. Lint, ’69, Muskegon, Mich., died July 27, 2016, age 70.

Susan K. (Knief) Otto, ’69, Saginaw, Mich., died Oct. 1, 2016, age 72.

Douglas A. Adams, MBA ’70, New Carlisle, Ind., died Aug. 5, 2016, age 77.

Dennis J. Babechenko, ’70, Midland, Mich., died Sept. 6, 2016, age 69.

Ralph O. Conklin, Ed.S. ’70, Berkley, Mich., died March 13, 2016.

Shirlie J. (Nickless) McEvers, ’70, Traverse City, Mich., died Sept. 22, 2016.

Marjorie C. (Cornett) Threlkeld, ’70, Bradenton, Fla., died July 6, 2016, age 97.

Clara F. (Hoyer) Weller, ’70, M.A. ’76, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Sept. 13, 2016, age 99.

Gerald J. Burgeson, MBA ’71, Metamora, Mich., died Sept. 12, 2016, age 72.

John A. Fraker, ’71, Charlotte, N.C., died July 25, 2016, age 69.

Ned F. Wernette, ’71, Lake, Mich., died June 13, 2016, age 67.

Grant W. Daniels, ’72, Perrinton, Mich., died Aug. 30, 2016, age 67.

Lois A. (Barnard) Lemcke, ’72, M.A. ’75, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Sept. 22, 2016, age 67.

Patricia S. (Rouse) Tinkham, ’72, Shelby, Mich., died July 16, 2015, age 65.

Robert J. Beaver, ’73, Bay City, Mich., died Aug. 24, 2016, age 72.

Mary F. Both, ’73, Battle Creek, Mich., died July 26, 2016, age 65.

Robert W. Graham, ’73, Ithaca, Mich., died Sept. 3, 2016, age 66.

Joanne P. Gwizdala, M.A. ’73, Adrian, Mich., died Aug. 19, 2016, age 89.

Debra L. DeBois, ’74, Tawas City, Mich., died Sept. 30, 2016, age 64.

Joan A. (Bailey) Baughman, ’75, Blue Lake, Mich., died Aug. 5, 2016, age 86.

Raphael T. Dwyer, ’75, Durand, Mich., died July 17, 2016, age 66.

Cynthia (Van Eck) Fetters, ’75, Fennville, Mich., died July 25, 2016, age 63.

James W. Purcell, M.A. ’75, Columbus, Ohio, died Sept. 28, 2016, age 64.

William J. Teeples, ’75, Knightdale, N.C., died July 22, 2016, age 66.

J. Michael Thompson, ’75, M.A. ’76, Mattawan, Mich., died Aug. 22, 2016, age 71.

Robert D. Wyns, M.A. ’75, Alpena, Mich., died Aug. 24, 2016, age 79.

Dianne M. DeYoung, ’76, Walled Lake, Mich., died Aug. 9, 2016, age 66.

Robert A. Goodbary, M.A. ’76, Edmond, Okla., died Sept. 26, 2016, age 73.

George L. Kekuna, M.A. ’76, Mililani, Hawaii, died June 9, 2016, age 84.

Millard A. Palmer, M.A. ’76, Fairfax, Va., died Feb. 24, 2016, age 90.

Earl W. Weeks, M.A. ’76, Columbus, Miss., died July 29, 2016, age 68.

Judith K. (Prieskorn) Berlin, ’77, Battle Creek, Mich., died Sept. 29, 2016, age 61.

Shawn D. McCormick, M.A. ’77, Las Vegas, Nev., died June 20, 2016, age 68.

Alice D. (Rasegan) Reams Sheffer, M.A. ’77, Big Rapids, Mich., died Sept. 9, 2016, age 73.

Robert D. Frazier, M.A. ’78, Fayetteville, Ga., died July 20, 2016, age 77.

James H. Kelley, M.A. ’78, Lakeland, Fla., died June 21, 2016, age 74.

Mary K. (Kelly) Schulte, ’78, Ludington, Mich., died Oct. 3, 2016, age 61.

Robert D. Henderson, M.A. ’79, Titusville, Fla., died May 10, 2016, age 87.

Jay B. Nichols, M.A. ’79, Greenville, N.C., died Sept. 11, 2016, age 81.

Phillip O. Peters, M.A. ’79, St. Augustine, Fla., died Feb. 17, 2013, age 70.

James C. Peltier, M.S.A. ’03, Piqua, Ohio, died July 26, 2016, age 67.

Joanna D. Marcuz, Au.D. ’05, Eureka, Calif., died Sept. 7, 2016, age 45.

Christopher P. Mingus, ’06, Lansing, Mich., died July 6, 2014, age 33.

Thomas J. Walsh, ’09, Shelby, Mich., died April 12, 2016, age 54.

Thomas A. Anderman, ’11, Lake, Mich., died Sept. 19, 2016, age 30.

Sharlett (Fletcher) Ferrante, ’12, Harrison, Mich., died Aug. 15, 2016, age 64.

David P. Sinclair, M.A. ’13, Saginaw, Mich., died Sept. 9, 2016, age 59.

Craig M. Moir, ’16, Winona, Minn., died Aug. 12, 2016, age 30.

JESSMORE

Barbara L. Dammons, M.S.A. ’90, Springfield, Ohio, died Sept.

25, 2016, age 60.

Norman F. Kent, ’91, Highland, Mich., died July 13, 2015, age 78.

Ronald L. Souva, ’91, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Aug. 18, 2016, age 49.

William F. Wilson, M.S.A. ’91, Macomb, Mich., died March 11, 2016, age 67.

Lynn M. (Corrigan) Kordash, M.S.A. ’92, Toledo, Ohio, died July 14, 2016, age 63.

Lynette J. (Raatz) Pierson, M.A. ’93, Manistee, Mich., died Sept.

30, 2016, age 72.

Tyrone L. Bland, M.S.A. ’94, Washington, D.C., died July 1, 2016, age 58.

John L. Carr, M.S.A. ’94, Royal Oak, Mich., died Oct. 27, 2015, age 87.

Jason E. Endsley, ’94, Grand Haven, Mich., died Sept. 27, 2016, age 45.

Laura J. (Hall) Solomon, M.A. ’94, Holland, Mich., died Aug. 28, 2016, age 66.

Elizabeth A. (Minarik) Kirby, ’95, Elsie, Mich., died July 18, 2016, age 72.

Cindy S. Nichol, ’95, Posen, Mich., died Aug. 20, 2016, age 45.

Jennifer (Haines) Lockwood, ’97, Juneau, Alaska, died Aug. 30, 2016, age 46.

Julie A. (Bristle) McRobert, ’97, Tecumseh, Mich., died Sept. 26, 2016, age 41.

Nya S. Flomo, M.S.A. ’99, Greensboro, N.C., died June 21, 2016, age 59.

Richard J. Krueger, ’99, M.A. ’11, Mount Pleasant, died Sept. 5, 2016, age 42.

Charlotte A. Leslie, M.S.A. ’99, Dayton, Ohio, died Aug. 1, 2016, age 60.

Todd D. Betts, M.S.A. ’01, Westlake Village, Calif., died Aug. 30, 2016, age 41.

Lisa K. (Walter) Houghton, ’02, Las Vegas, Nev., died Oct. 9, 2016, age 54.

Monica A. (Harris) Weisul, M.S.A. ’02, Missoula, Mont., died Sept. 5, 2016, age 58.

PHOTO BY STEVE

Richard A. Smith, M.A. ’79, Gallatin, Tenn., died July 16, 2016, age 82.

Glenn F. Hall, ’80, Standish, Mich., died Aug. 18, 2016, age 65.

Laura A. Pechacek, ’81, Norman, Okla., died July 18, 2016, age 57.

William H. Murphy II, M.A. ’82, Jamestown, R.I., died Sept. 5, 2016, age 66.

Thomas F. Schneider, M.A. ’82, Oakland County, Mich., died in February 2016.

Jeri L. Spindler, ’82, Warren, Mich., died May 15, 2016, age 56.

Glenn W. Beers, M.A. ’83, Owosso, Mich., died Aug. 1, 2016, age 77.

John D. Callender, M.A. ’83, Chestertown, M.D., died July 28, 2016, age 71.

Kathleen L. Rhoades, ’83, Muskegon, Mich., died July 30, 2016, age 58.

James W. Grantz, ’84, Shelby, Mich., died Sept. 29, 2016, age 54.

Thomas E. Northrup, ’84, Delton, Mich., died Aug. 1, 2016, age 54.

John B. Frink, ’85, Owosso, Mich., died Sept. 27, 2016, age 54.

Michael K. Haataja, ’85, Nashville, Tenn., died May 27, 2016, age 59.

Carole F. (Fowlkes) Tripp, ’85, Richmond, Va., died Oct. 4, 2016, age 79.

Marilyn J. (Shafer) Finch, M.A. ’86, Crystal, Mich., died Sept. 7, 2016, age 81.

Patrick J. Foldie, ’86, Bay City, Mich., died April 11, 2015, age 54.

Michael J. Ayers, ’88, Grand Ledge, Mich., died Aug. 4, 2016, age 51.

Sterling J. (Hake) Braun, ’88, Kalamazoo, Mich., died Oct. 2, 2016, age 62.

Lori J. Denter, ’89, Hemlock, Mich., died July 8, 2015, age 53.

Leslie S. Schnoll, MBA ’89, Phoenix, Ariz., died July 4, 2015, age 66.

Pamela D. (Dyson) Zinner, ’89, Monroe, Mich., died Sept. 19, 2016, age 61.

Michael A. Abeln, M.S.A. ’90, St. Louis, Mo., died June 16, 2016, age 62.

Faculty John G. Nee, Canadian Lakes, Mich., died Sept. 2, 2016, age 77.

Lois A. Lemcke, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Sept. 22, 2016, age 67.

Staff Clint W. Snyder, Midland, Mich., died July 12, 2016, age 52.

Elton L. Goffnett, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died July 22, 2016, age 88.

Richard E. Jackson, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died April 26, 2016, age 85.

Ned F. Wernette, Lake, Mich., died June 13, 2016, age 67.

Ervin P. McDonald, Chelsea, Mich., died July 14, 2016, age 88.

Stanley Parmely, Shepherd, Mich., died Jan. 15, 2004, age 88.

Do you remember?

1996

2009 2011

2002

016

SA

6

centralight Winter ’16

RY

199

-2

40

20 years of Leadership Safari

MICHIGAN UNIVER AL SIT R NT

Y

CE

2006

• 20TH ANNIV

ER

With more than 24,000 participants in 20 years, CMU’s Leadership Safari has evolved into an integral experience for incoming students. The five-day postorientation program is an opportunity for students to build leadership skills and take advantage of other opportunities at CMU. Since its inception in 1996, the program has grown from 65 participants its first year to a record 2,134 students this year.

Leadership Safari is designed for new students, including transfers and those commuting or living off campus. •

Scholarship supports transfer students Recognizing the financial needs and burdens of today’s students is what motivated Robert, ’73, and Diane (Carstens), ’74, ’75, ’84, Tomczak to develop the Robert and Diane Tomczak Endowed Scholarship.

“CMU provided us with a sense of direction about what we wanted to do with our careers and lives,” Robert says. “It will be nice to know that through this scholarship, future students will have the same opportunities we had.”

Robert, ’73, and Diane (Carstens), ’74, ’75, ’84, Tomczak

The scholarship will be funded through a bequest with CMU as the beneficiary and will be available for Delta College transfer students interested in studying applied sciences or business. Robert received an associate degree from Delta before transferring to CMU and studying in the College of Business. Diane taught writing at Delta College for several years.

“I saw many hardworking students stop short of receiving a college education due to financial constraints,” Diane says. “Both of us see the need for good students to have the opportunity to go beyond a two-year school and complete their education.”

Give today for the future

Like Diane and Robert, you can help students in an incredibly special way. To learn more about this and additional ways you can give to Central Michigan University, contact: Ted Tolcher, Assistant Vice President Advancement 989-774-1441 ted.tolcher@cmich.edu CMU is an AA/EO institution, providing equal opportunity to all persons, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities (see cmich.edu/ocrie). UComm 9060

giftplanning.cmich.edu centralight Winter ’16

41

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID MIDLAND MI PERMIT NO. 260

centralight

Carlin Alumni House Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI 48859

Join us this holiday season by making a tax-deductible, year-end gift in support of more than 450 CMU student-athletes.

TO MAKE YOUR GIFT OR FOR MORE INFORMATION

chippewafund.com • 989-774-6680