Denison Magazine 2025 Issue 2

ISSUE 2 | 2025

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D E N IS O N M AG A ZI N E Denison University 100 West College Street Granville, Ohio 43023

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DOANE HALL’S BOLD NEW PURPOSE AS A CATALYST FOR DATA LITERACY P L U S : DENISON’S TAKE ON AI? WORK SMARTER WITH IT.

“A liberal arts background gives data analytics its soul.”

– PRESIDENT ADAM WEINBERG

ISSUE 2 | 2025

Photo: Brooke LaValley

Opening shot Any glimpse of Granville this time of year is gorgeous. This buzzard’s eye view took our breath away.

SEE THE LATEST VIEWS FROM THE HILL:

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ON THE COVER Illustrator Clément Barbé’s visualization of the Doane project depicts a vibrant future on A-Quad.

‘A GAME CHANGER’ Doane is being renovated and expanded into a state-of-the-art campus hub devoted to integrating data across the curriculum.

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AI AT DU

BUILDING COMMUNITY

Students and faculty alike are exploring the possibilities of a technology that, used wisely, can complement teaching and learning.

A new housing development exclusively for Denison employees is rising just north of campus.

#DENISONPROUD ISSUE 2 2025

Because of publishing deadlines, we’re bound to be a bit behind. Please email us with anything we’ve missed at denmag@denison.edu.

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24 34 46 & 60 CLASS NOTES 66 IN MEMORIAM

TASTE OF SUCCESS

NATIONAL CHAMPS

We spill the tea on a pair of enterprising Denison students and their blossoming beverage business.

Denison men’s swimmers and divers proved they are laps ahead of the competition.

DENISON MAGAZINE

SEEING GREEN

Denison’s sustainability efforts are paying dividends, financially and environmentally.

A SPECIAL EVENING

Two alums crossed paths on a historic night honoring American women.

A HOT COMMODITY

Associate professor Erik Klemetti finds himself in demand whenever a volcano erupts.

6 THE COMMENTS SECTION 7 HILLSIDE CHAT President Weinberg on what drives innovation at Denison.

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2025 Alumni Citations

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Retiring athletic director Nan Carney-DeBord ’80 built a legacy by always putting students first.

90 LAST WORD

A friend recalls ‘the gift of Gary.’

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The comments section There’s nothing better than hearing from Denisonians. Send us your thoughts: denmag@denison.edu We may reprint part or all of your letters in this section.

JOURNALISM CURRICULUM

ROOMING W I T H L AY N G

THESE NOTEWORTHY MESSAGES ROLLED IN AFTER ISSUE 1, 2025:

I’m so glad to see that journalism has been added to the Denison curriculum. I have had seven separate careers since leaving school in 1962, but most of the time, 45 years or more, I have been a practicing journalist mostly working as an investigative reporter, editor, and historian. All but one of the books on my resume are investigative histories.

Mark Dowie ’62

I was happy to see your article on Layng Martine Jr. on page 67 of the latest Denisonian.

He and I were roommates in Curtis West 311 our freshman year. He had already moved in when I arrived because he had come to try out for the football team, even though he was not very large.

We had a difference of musical tastes: mine was, and still is, classical and his was mostly for Ray Charles, so I had to occasionally put up with him using my record player to belt out, “Yeah, Yeah, what'd I say?”

Gary Goldberg ’64

S TAT I S T I C S C L A S S M E M O R I E S

When I read about the death of Donald Tritt, I was reminded of the following story. I majored in psychology and remember the first day of the statistics class very well.

It was a class none of us relished taking. Dr. Tritt asked each student to state their name. He started in the front row: "Mark Anthony,” "Roy Rogers," and "Charley Brown" were the first names given. Dr. Tritt assumed they were mocking him, and temporarily walked out of class.

What he didn’t know, and why none of the rest of us thought it was mocking, was that those were the names these men were widely known as on campus.

Dr. Tritt managed to get us all through the statistics class in spite of a bad start.

Kirsten "Kirie" Werrenrath Roth ’63

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HOW ARE WE DOING?

ENJOYING THE LATEST DENISON MAGAZINE? HELP US IMPROVE

BY TAKING OUR SURVEY!

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Focusing On Students Every Day Last fall, U.S. News & World Report named Denison the fourth most innovative liberal arts college in the country.

This was the second year in a row that we had been identified as a top innovator in higher education.

What drives innovation at Denison? It’s simple. This is a college that is always focused on our students and finding new ways to build off what we do well to do it even better.

Our purpose is simple, straightforward, powerful, and important. We provide students with a life-shaping liberal arts experience that launches them quickly and successfully into lives and careers as affordably as possible.

There are three parts to our work: F I R S T, P R OV I D E S T U D E N T S W I T H A L I F E - S H A P I N G L I B E R A L A R T S E D U C AT I O N .

This starts in the classroom with the work done by our faculty and extends to every corner of campus. We focus on helping students become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers who can effectively communicate with others and who have the intellectual humility to navigate and contribute to the world around them.

We also help students develop a set of values and habits, including an insatiable curiosity, empathy, and respect for others. This ethical core guides decision-making, fosters the ability to work with others, and instills a commitment to hard work and to things larger than ourselves.

Relationships and experiences are vital to this work. They happen as students interact with faculty who are worldclass educators and committed mentors. They happen as students study and live with diverse, high-achieving peers who bring out the best in one another. They happen as students immerse themselves across campus through athletics, the arts, student organizations, and other commitments that deepen liberal arts learning.

It also happens as students do things in unique combinations, what we often call the power of “and.”

Students come to Denison because they have multiple passions that would be hard to pursue at colleges that force students to make false choices. You can come to Denison as an athlete and be heavily involved in the arts. You can come to Denison and major in both the humanities and sciences. You can come to Denison to pursue an interest and graduate with a passion you did not have when you arrived. You can (and will) make friends with people who are like you and not like you.

DENISON MAGAZINE

Hillside Chat Adam S. Weinberg, President

T H E S E CO N D A R E A O F F O C U S I S A CO M M I T M E N T T O P R E PA R I N G S T U D E N T S T O L AU N C H S U CC E S S F U L LY I N T O T H E I R LIVES AND CAREERS.

That is why faculty are continually refining the curriculum.

Over the past few years, our faculty have developed new programs, including data analytics, global commerce, journalism, applied math, legal studies, and music theatre.

This is also why we have invested so much time and resources into the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, which Princeton Review ranked the fourth best career services program in the U.S. The Knowlton Center provides integrated programs on a wide range of topics from exploring career paths to resume writing and interview preparation. Students have access to a team of career coaches and career communities. They also benefit from a range of programs that close skill gaps through Denison Edge. And they can experience entrepreneurship and consulting through Red Frame Lab. The Knowlton Center is also working with our Alumni & Family Engagement team to develop a series of new programs to support recent graduates as they make their initial career pivots.

T H E T H I R D I S T O WO R K H A R D T O K E E P T H E CO L L E G E A S A F F O R DA B L E A S P O S S I B L E .

We are one of the few colleges in the country that meets the full demonstrated financial aid need of every student we accept. Financial aid has been, and will continue to be, our highest fundraising priority. Applications continue to be strong at Denison. We are able to accept only about 20% of the students who apply. When we accept a student, and they decide to come, they are a Denisonian.

Our commitment is to keep a Denison education as affordable as we can.

The articles in this edition of Denison Magazine take a look at a wide range of things we are doing across the college to deepen our work with students and support the faculty and staff who make this work possible. I hope you enjoy it.

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We help students develop a set of values and habits, including an insatiable curiosity, empathy, and respect for others.

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#DENISONPROUD ISSUE 2 2025

New data science center is a game changer DONORS HAVE COMMITTED $30 MILLION TO THE FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND CENTER THAT WILL INTEGRATE THE LIBERAL ARTS AND DATA SCIENCE.

DENISON MAGAZINE

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n a January afternoon two weeks into the Spring 2025 semester, a group of Denison donors, administrators, and faculty gathered outside Doane Hall for a groundbreaking celebration.

Students passed by on the Academic Quad, taking little notice.

This was a Friday, after all, and their minds may have been on upcoming festivities of their own. It was understandable if they didn’t yet “see” the profound change manifesting inside Doane and behind the construction fencing that went up over winter break.

BY THEO DO R E DEC K E R

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million, the renovation and expan- T H E B I R T H O F A N I D E A sion of one of the most prominent Once completed, the renovated the and historic buildings on campus po- building will stand as a monument to sitions Denison to be the first liberal Denison’s across-the-board commitarts college with a state-of-the-art ment to fully preparing students for campus hub devoted to integrating a successful launch into their lives data across a liberal arts curriculum. and careers, whatever discipline they The center will house the com- choose to pursue. puter science and data analytics Denison has long seen the value in departments and host courses such teaching the kinds of critical thinkas applied mathematics, digital hu- ing skills — algorithmic thinking, manities, financial economics, and statistical reasoning, data analysis data for political research.

— associated with emerging technolAs envisioned, it will reach far ogies, computer science professor beyond those two core departments Matt Kretchmar said. to bring students of all majors and “We were one of the very first faculty of all disciplines under one liberal arts colleges to offer a comroof, giving them the technolog- puter science degree, way back in the ical tools and teaching the skills ’70s,” he said.

TH E Y ’ LL S E E IT S O O N E N O U G H . necessary to not only navigate In 2016, Denison became one In fall 2024, Denison began con- but thrive in a world increasingly of the first liberal arts colleges in struction to renovate and expand driven by data. the nation to launch a data anaDoane Hall. The visionary center “This is a game changer,” President lytics major. of learning, which will open in fall Adam Weinberg said at the Jan. 31, The move was a strategic response 2026, will further cement the col- 2025, groundbreaking. “This build- to a world teeming with data and lege’s reputation as an innovator in ing is a catalyst for everything that the increasing need for professionthe liberal arts and data science. is going to go on across the college. als who have the skillset to make With the generosity of donors Every student will pass through this meaningful sense of it. Today, data who have already committed $30 building in different ways.” analytics and computer science are

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among Denison’s fastest-growing “A liberal arts background gives data majors, and graduates of the pro- analytics its soul.” grams are finding themselves in Professor Dan Homan, the direchigh demand. tor of the data analytics program, “We’re leading in this area in the put it this way: “We’re trying to liberal arts space,” Provost Kim grow the culture that understanding Coplin said. “People are following data is about more than just building our lead.” technical expertise.”

The vision for the major was to Associate professor Sarah Supp explore data science beyond the said Denison challenges all students, straight and narrow path followed regardless of major, to think about by many other schools. data analytics not just as a method Denison saw the power in in- or a means to an end but as a holistic troducing data analytics across pursuit of knowledge. its curriculum, teaching students “The data analytics we teach is not not only how to mine it but what it only to produce software engineers meant, how to use it to solve myriad or large language model coders or problems, and how to talk meaning- statisticians but really to allow our fully about it with others. students to make those connections “Every single profession that our much more broadly,” she said. students will go into in the future “What makes data analytics at is going to depend upon technolo- Denison so attractive is our focus gy, data, and artificial intelligence,” on problem-solving,” data analytWeinberg said. ics associate professor Anthony “Data has to be interpreted by lib- Bonifonte said. eral arts graduates who know how “We ask: What kinds of problems to ask the right questions, tell sto- exist in the world? How can our ries that others can understand and students solve them, and how does engage with, and ensure that our data help inform their solutions in work has an ethical core,” he said. making a better society?”

DENISON MAGAZINE

F I N D I N G VA L U E I N T H E V E R S AT I L I T Y

What does that look like?

Consider the recent research by one of Bonifonte’s recent students, Jacob Eppley ’25, a mathematics and data analytics double major.

“The data analytics program was the main thing that brought me to Denison,” Eppley said. With graduation drawing near, he said, “It exceeded my expectations in a lot of ways.

“Data is everywhere, and I enjoyed how much freedom there was in the program,” Eppley said. “You can take it in any direction you want, and being able to pursue other degrees and concentrations really supports that.”

Community service is important to Eppley, and with Bonifonte’s guidance they hit upon a project that would combine data analysis with community service by assisting Together We Grow Community Gardens in nearby Newark, Ohio.

Eppley combed through available data of all kinds — population, assorted socioeconomic indicators, DENISONMAGAZINE.COM

“A liberal arts background gives data analytics its soul.”

PRESIDENT ADAM WEINBERG

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proximity to grocery stores and existing community gardens — to pinpoint areas of Licking County most in need of a community garden.

“We plotted all of the variables together on a map, stacked on top of each other,” he said.

He identified several potential locations for new gardens and sat down with staff of the small nonprofit to choose the one that worked best within their operational constraints.

“We combined the data side of what we found with the practical, logistical side of what they can handle,” he said.

“Based on our results, they’re in the process of opening a new garden that will be usable this summer.”

Eppley also demonstrated how his methods could be used to find garden sites in all of Ohio’s 88 counties. His research was published in the Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning & CommunityBased Research.

“It gave me a good perspective of knowing what I want to do,” he said.

Max Wisnefski ’24 majored in data analytics at Denison, with minors in computer science and philosophy. He also has a deep appreciation of the performing arts, as reflected by his senior year research.

Wisnefski web-scraped 40 years of data to analyze the changing

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relationship between Tony Award outcomes and the financial success and longevity of Broadway productions.

“Having the opportunity to combine two seemingly disparate passions of mine was just really enjoyable,” he said.

Wisnefski was always good with numbers but arrived at Denison undecided on a major. When it came to data analytics, “I didn’t know that was a thing” but he figured he’d give it a shot when encouraged by Bonifonte.

“That feels very unique to Denison, this try-a-little-of-everything approach,” Wisnefski said. “That’s really valuable.”

He now works for a Columbus business, on behind-the-scenes software, coding, and related IT issues.

“It feels like a good place to launch,” he said.

“I really value the versatility of Denison’s data analytics program,” he said. “The topics students pursue end up running the gamut from economics to health care to ecology.”

A NEW HUB

At the groundbreaking, Weinberg and Lee Sachs ’85, chair of Denison’s Board of Trustees, said the $30 million already raised by donors again highlights Denison’s deep and devoted network of alumni and friends.

“This structure will stand as a testament to the dedication, commitment, leadership, and philanthropy of some of the individuals gathered here today,” Sachs said. “And we are still not done. This is just the first milestone in our fundraising efforts.”

P U R P O S E - B U I LT

The project will include a significant renovation of the existing, 21,750-square-foot Doane Hall and the addition of a 15,700-squarefoot new wing.

In addition to anchoring the computer science and data analytics departments, the new building will give students and faculty from all academic departments access to the

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Denison students are known for their entrepreneurial spirit and combining their passions in unexpected ways. This new building will invite more students to do that with data.

PROFESSOR DAN HOMAN, DIRECTOR OF THE DATA ANALYTICS PROGRAM

specialized learning spaces and technology housed within.

The center will be the hub for programs related to data science — competitions in data analytics, workshops for humanities faculty to explore data visualization, guest speakers outlining the future uses of data, regional business leaders convening to hear student presentations, and virtual conferences in data science and the liberal arts.

It will include office and research space and multi-purpose classrooms, including some specially designed for teaching coding and analytics. There will be presentation spaces, conference rooms, and a host of specialized labs serving DENISON MAGAZINE

robotics, virtual reality, and data Homan said the center’s common visualization. areas, with ample windows and a “It gives our faculty what they’ve wealth of natural light, will foster needed and deserved for a long time, collaboration and innovation so they can continue to do the incred- among the faculty and students. ible work they’re doing, changing the “Denison has always had a highly lives of our students,” Weinberg said. engaged student body,” Homan said.

The center also will foster connec- “They are known for their entrepretions within the booming technology neurial spirit and combining their corridor emerging in central Ohio, passions in unexpected ways. I’m where companies such as Amazon hoping this new building will invite and Intel are investing billions within more students to do that with data.” a short drive of Granville.

“We’re all very excited to have “These purpose-built facilities aim dedicated space, a home for data to enhance learning, foster trans- analytics, and a place that I hope formative experiences, and adapt to will allow more students to disfuture technological advancements,” cover what we’re about, whether Coplin said. “It’s already been a factor they choose to be majors or not,” in terms of recruiting faculty.”

Supp said.

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HIGHLIGHTED AT GROUNDBREAKING WERE GIFTS INCLUDING: SHERMAN FAIRCHILD FOUNDATION

BOB KING & EMMY HAUSER KING ’63

ARTHUR ’80 & CARRIE STEINMETZ

LISA WOLFF BRICKMAN ’83 & DANIEL BRICKMAN ’80

A $15 million commitment from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, which supports a variety of higher education initiatives. The foundation has a history of generosity toward Denison, including a $10 million grant toward global programs and career preparation.

Denisonians Wally Burke ’71 (also a Denison life trustee) and President Emeritus Dale Knobel are esteemed leaders of the foundation.

A $5 million commitment from Bob King and Emmy Hauser King ’63. The Kings have been passionate champions of Denison’s innovative career services initiatives.

They see this project as “a natural evolution of the groundbreaking work Denison has done to blend the liberal arts with career preparation.” Bob King has built several successful businesses that apply technology to education, including Collegis Education, Deltak, and Rasmussen College. They have dedicated themselves to opening doors to education.

A $5 million commitment from Arthur ’80 and Carrie Steinmetz, who are inspired by their belief that “data science skills in a liberal arts context give students powerful tools that set them up well for career success.” Art, a former chairman, CEO, and president of OppenheimerFunds, is a Denison trustee with a bachelor of arts in Russian language and Slavic studies.

A $3 million gift from Lisa Wolff Brickman ’83 and Daniel Brickman ’80. With careers in marketing and finance, the Brickmans understand the importance of equipping graduates with both a broad grounding in the liberal arts and leading-edge training in fields like data science.

Dan, also a university trustee, has seen firsthand the transformative impact of this combination in the professional world.

LISA K ATZ MATHIAS ’85 & ROBERT MATHIAS ’86

ASHLEY EDWARDS BRADLEY ’93 & THOMAS BRADLEY ’91

THE TRUMBULL FAMILY

CORRINE BRENNER DIMITRUK ’01 & MICHAEL DIMITRUK ’00

A $1 million contribution from Lisa Katz Mathias ’85 and Robert Mathias ’86, who were inspired

by Denison’s commitment to a rigorous and relevant curriculum.

Rob, a double major in economics and English, credits his Denison experience with helping him build a successful career in investment management. The Mathias’ gift reflects their belief in the power of combining scientific inquiry with creative thinking, a hallmark of Denison’s innovative approach.

A generous leadership gift from Ashley Edwards Bradley ’93 and Thomas Bradley ’91. As a Denison trustee and successful entrepreneur, Ashley embodies the versatility a liberal arts education provides. She and her husband, Tom, an executive in private equity, recognize the value of building a purpose-driven facility for data science that will equip Denison students to navigate a complex world.

A $250,000 gift was made by the Trumbull family. The Trumbull family has deep roots at Denison, including Scott ’70, his wife Margy, and their three children, Matthew ’99 and his wife Heather, Benjamin ’03 and his wife Katherine, and Will ’05 and his wife Dana ’04.

Scott served on Denison’s Board of Trustees for 26 years, and the family has provided philanthropic support for many of Denison’s strategic priorities, including financial aid and the development of the Trumbull Aquatics Center.

Corrine Brenner Dimitruk ’01 and Michael Dimitruk ’00 contributed $100,000 to the project. From the Bay Area, they are proud alums and passionate supporters.

Michael, a second-generation Denisonian, is also a member of Denison’s Board of Advisors.

Their contribution underscores their commitment to innovation in the liberal arts and reflects their deep connection to the university that shaped their journeys.

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#DENISONPROUD ISSUE 2 2025

A MELDING OF PAST AND FUTURE

The renovation also will restore an arrival point at the top of Presidents’ Drive based on the original 19th-century design, an approach to campus that was lost in the mid-1960s.

The addition will extend to the northeast at an angle from the existing building, and a grand exterior staircase to the Academic Quad that once filled much of what is now a sloping lawn will be rebuilt to the north of the addition.

While the interior of Doane will be modernized, the historic building’s exterior and ornate finishings will remain intact.

“We felt that the design was symbolically representative of data analytics at a liberal arts college, a meld of old and new,” Bonifonte said.

Kretchmar, a computer science professor at Denison since 1999, is excited by that too, what the reimagined Doane represents.

“This building is an outgrowth of our efforts to put Denison on the map of cutting-edge pedagogy in the liberal arts,” he said. “It’s about equipping our students to think critically and act critically in the modern world. Among the traditional liberal

arts skills, which are still enormously valuable, to function in the modern world now you need to be able to make and listen to statistical arguments, sift through a data set and find the story that the data is telling, and think algorithmically and computationally.

“This project is a statement about Denison,” Kretchmar said. “About the importance of developing these skills across all students. I think we’re creating the future here.”

At the groundbreaking, Weinberg spoke of that same excitement, and how the new building underscores Denison’s strong liberal arts roots while connecting them to a future brimming with educational possibilities.

“I love that this building will be the first thing prospective students and families see when arriving on campus,” he said. “They’re going to come up Presidents’ Drive, and they’re going to be struck by this beautiful building, and they’re going to say, ‘What is that?’

“And when they find out what it is, it will send a message about a liberal arts college that is leaning into data science and career exploration.”

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AI AT DENISON : SHAPING MINDS, NOT REPLACING THEM

BY TOM REED PHOTOS BY: Brooke LaValley

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ISSUE 2 2025

world. AI should be a complement to and not a replacement for the critical thinking and intellectual curiosity that have always defined Denison. There are times when AI can accelerate and

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rofessor Matt Kretchmar arrived at Denison in 1999, two years after IBM’s Deep Blue became

the first computer system to defeat a reigning world chess champion . Kretchmar, who

teaches mathematics and computer science, specializes in artificial intelligence, which powered Deep Blue.

Consumers have welcomed AI-driven digital assistants like Siri and appreciated the convenience of Roombas and their lawn-mowing cousins that trim the Denison intramural fields.

But it wasn’t until recently the public grasped the enormous capabilities of a technology that had been building momentum since the 1950s. The commercial release of

generative AI, a subset of artificial intelligence that creates new content like text, images, video, and code based on patterns it learns from massive datasets, has everyone’s attention.

Businesses of all sizes see the opportunity advanced automation presents, and its potential to eliminate jobs but create new ones for AI-savvy job candidates.

deepen learning and times when the best learning happens without it.”

Ethical and moral questions surround artificial intelligence, but faculty members tout the benefits for Denison students. Lori Robbins, an instructional technologist and AI lead, draws a parallel to the day she and her husband rode up Presidents’ Drive — one on a standard bike, the other on an electric bike.

“I was huffing and puffing, and my husband was going up effortlessly,” Robbins recalled. “AI is like using an eBike. You’re still in control, and you still have to pedal and watch out for cars, but it will help you get up hills easier.”

BY TOM REED WE ASKED AN AI LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL TO HIGHLIGHT THE MOST COMPELLING OR CRUCIAL POINTS IN TOM’S ARTICLE.

Those sections are in this font style.

photos by brooke lavalley

IN T H E C L A S S R O O M For decades, the majority of work with artificial intelligence on college campuses was done in math, computer science, and data analytics departments.

But as AI advances across society, Denison is readying students from all academic backgrounds. The World

Economic Forum estimates that 70 percent of skills used in most jobs will change by 2030, with AI serving as the catalyst.

Faculty members have integrated AI strategies into: anthropology, communication, digital humanities, education, modern languages, politics and public affairs, queer studies, and English, among other programs.

In the past year, Robbins has seen a dramatic increase in faculty requests for in-class tutorials on AI research and prompting. Sometimes, these are tied to assignments.

The responsibility of educating students about the technology falls to colleges and universities, and Denison faculty members like Kretchmar understand the importance of the task.

“This will probably be the most definitive change I’ll have to make as an educator,” Kretchmar said. “It will force me to rethink fundamentally not just how I teach, but what I teach and what’s relevant for our students.”

In a recent survey of first-year Denison students, 90 percent said they wanted to learn more about generative AI.

The renovation and expansion of Doane Hall as a new data science center demonstrates Denison’s commitment to meet the challenge.

“Our mission hasn’t changed,” said Liv Gjestvang, vice president and chief information officer. “We are commit-

ted to cultivating independent thinkers, ethical leaders, and engaged citizens who graduate from Denison ready to navigate and lead in a modern DENISON MAGAZINE

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CAREER WORKSHOPS As a computer science major, Andrew McCutchan ’26 is familiar with artificial intelligence, but until recently rarely used it to create resumes and write cover letters.

He’s discovered many companies looking to hire

interns and full-time employees filter candidates through applicant tracking systems (ATS).

It means some qualified students might never have their credentials read by a human if they lack specific keywords that satisfy the AI-powered

Associate professor Melissa Huerta utilized AI to transform a Spanish class project, requiring her students to create a Spanish-speaking character. Students used the technology throughout the process to brainstorm backstories and generate visuals and narratives.

Associate professor Malliga Och asked students in her politics and public affairs class to use an AI chatbot to generate essays on course material and evaluate them for accuracy, depth, nuance, and supporting evidence.

Students still needed to incorporate class readings and notes in the assignment.

“Part of the exercise is to show them the limitations of AI,” Och said. “They can’t just copy and paste and expect to get an excellent grade.

They have to actually work with the output.”

Math and computer science professor Kretchmar and associate professor of philosophy Mark Moeller collaborated to teach a new course, “AI Basics and Big Questions,” drawing students from across the academic spectrum.

The goal was to teach students how this disruptive technology is changing the world, and delve into the ethical questions involved with it.

“I’ve found myself talking a lot about the class to my friends and family because it’s both incredibly interesting and lays a great foundation as to how we should understand AI both functionally and ethically,” Alexandra Redrick ’25 said.

“I’ve also found myself using what I’m learning in class to kick start a lot of conversations for fun.”

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gatekeepers.

That’s why McCutchan was one of many Denison students — and several alums — to sign up for a four-week series called “TrAIlblazing Careers: Get Ready for What’s Next.” Students attended four workshops in the Spring 2025 semester that were presented by the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, Denison Edge, and Information Technology Services (ITS).

They learned how to use generative AI tools, heard from employers searching for AI-savvy job candidates, and were taught about future job markets.

Employers seek workers with digital, data, and AI training, and, according to the 2024 World Trend Index

Annual Report, 66 percent of leaders said they would not hire someone without AI skills.

“Every single profession that our students will go into in the future is going to depend upon technology, data, large data sets, and artificial intelligence,” President Adam Weinberg said. “And students who don’t have that proficiency are going to be irrelevant.”

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are less than four years old, but employers see the benefits of harnessing their efficiency.

It’s why ITS and the Knowlton Center designed the monthlong workshop series that offered students AI certificates they could include on their resumes.

“At the beginning of this school year, we saw AI skills mentioned in more job descriptions,” said Melanie Murphy, director of career communities and coaching at the Knowlton Center. “Students and alums were showing us the applications. Some of them wanted students to write a cover letter using AI and tell them how they prompted it.”

One workshop featured eight stations where students learned about generative AI training tools such as Jobscan, which analyzes resumes against a specific job posting to see how well it performs when scanned by ATS, and Big Interview, a platform providing mock interviews and AI-generated feedback. These tools come with a fee, but Denison students can access them for free by logging in through their Knowlton Center accounts. Alumni may do

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WE ASKED AI (CHATGPT LLM) TO EXPLAIN ITSELF: W H AT I S A I ?

the same after connecting with a Knowlton career coach.

McCutchan used Jobscan and Big Interview, while also doing a mock interview with Murphy, on the way to landing an internship as a software engineer at Kimball Midwest.

Taylor Shook ’20, who recently returned to central Ohio with her husband after living in North Carolina, attended the workshops. She works in marketing, and sees the value in learning new technology in a competitive job market.

“I started using the best practices I learned right away,” Shook said. “I have effectively doubled my hourly rate as a freelancer by leveraging AI-powered tools to boost output, and it’s all thanks to the Denison program.”

FA C U LT Y S E S S IO N S Several years ago, math professor Lew Ludwig and his wife were vacationing in New Zealand when they came across the Pelorus River, the setting for the barrel-riding scene in The Hobbit.

They figured the water was deep and chilly, and they could see jagged rocks peeking out from its surface. It didn’t stop the couple from stripping to their undergarments and jumping in the river.

Ludwig, director of the Center for Learning and Teaching, likens the experience to what his academic colleagues are confronting with artificial intelligence’s presence in higher education. Many Denison facul-

ty members understand they must plunge into AI-driven waters to see where the current takes them.

W H AT I S G E N E R AT I V E A I ?

AI is the simulation of human intelligence in machines, enabling them to perform tasks like learning, problem-solving, and decision-making.

AI that creates content like text, images, music, and code based on learned patterns.

HOW DOES AI WORK?

It uses a deep learning model (GPT) trained on vast text data to generate human-like responses.

AI uses algorithms and models (like neural networks) to analyze data, learn patterns, and make predictions or generate responses.

W H AT A R E T H E M A IN T YPES OF AI?

Narrow AI (task-specific, like Siri) and General AI (hypothetical AI with human-like intelligence).

W H AT I S M A C H IN E L E A R NIN G ?

A subset of AI where computers learn from data without being explicitly programmed.

HOW DOES C H AT G P T W O R K ?

A R E A I - G E N E R AT E D TEXTS RELIABLE?

AI can provide useful insights but may sometimes generate inaccurate or biased information.

W IL L A I TA K E O V E R J O B S ?

AI will automate some jobs but also create new roles requiring human oversight and creativity.

W H AT I S D E E P L E A R N IN G ?

A type of machine learning that uses neural networks to analyze complex patterns in large datasets.

T H E Y D O N ’ T H AV E T O D O I T A L O N E The Center for Learning and Teaching has offered group sessions to faculty to discuss everything from ethics to literacy to crafting AI-assisted assignments.

Ludwig wants colleagues to see how “AI plus me is better than just me.”

“There is a real hunger for trying to have broader conversations about AI and how to move forward,” Ludwig said. “I do think that people are start-

ing to realize that this endeavor we do in academia has to change.”

The bi-weekly sessions, conducted in a hybrid format, are not lectures, but conversations using a book, Teaching With AI, as a guide. Faculty members share their experiences, discuss the implications of AI in education, and explore practical applications in the liberal arts.

Associate professor of English Regina Martin, who led two separate workshops on teaching writing in the age of generative AI, has found the sessions illuminating.

Martin is focused on ensuring students do their own work, and showing how generative DENISON MAGAZINE

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university hosted technology leaders from 34 liberal arts colleges nationwide to devel-

op meaningful, sustainable, and ethical strategies for AI use on our campuses. The group will convene again this summer.

ITS also launched a staff AI certificate program with more than 115 participants in the first year.

They are learning about the principles behind AI and machine-learning platforms and exploring effective, ethical ways to accelerate their work with these tools.

Knowlton Center and Denison Edge are scheduling in-person and virtual programs related to AI. The career workshops, which introduced AI-driven tools and featured guest speakers from the corporate world during the 2025 spring semester, will return in the fall.

Seniors can attend boot camp workshops designed to prepare them for AI-focused questions in internship and job interviews. There are also plans for seminars to teach students to become polished “prompt engineers,” teaching them how to ask AI chatbots detailed questions to unlock the best answers for research and ensure they know how to critique the accuracy and value of what the large learning models produce.

In the classroom, math professor Ludwig will

AI tools can help in the process of producing original material. She includes an AI policy statement on every assignment as well as a table that identifies what students learn if they use AI for some tasks versus what they learn if they don’t use it.

The genie is not going back in the bottle, so it’s up to Martin and colleagues to create a culture of openness and honesty that develops students’ cognitive AI skills.

“Since we’re still in the phase of experimentation, just having a space to share our own experiments is super helpful,” she said. teach “AI and the Liberal Arts: Navigating New Frontiers.” The course will examine how AI reshapes PLANS FOR THE FUTURE traditional academic inquiry and expands possibilities The new data science center, which opens in the expand- with liberal arts disciplines through a blend of interactive ed and renovated Doane Hall in August 2026, will allow sessions, hands-on experience with technologies, and the university to build on the AI foundation it has laid. collaborative projects.

“This means making sure that all students Dension’s Educational Technology team is joining graduate with digital literacy, an understand- departmental meetings throughout 2025 to discuss the ing of artificial intelligence, and the capacity ideas, questions, and concerns faculty have about the role to apply their critical and creative thinking of AI in learning. in a technology-driven world,” said Liv Gjestvang.

“Everybody needs to have some level of unDenison aims to be a leader in promoting artifi- derstanding of how AI works and how it’s going cial intelligence in higher education. Last year, the to affect us,” said Kretchmar. “We’re trying to prepare students for their careers and their lives. This is going to influence every aspect of their world.”

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Highlights from The Hill Commencement speaker

Reese House dedication

Dee Dee Bridgewater, legendary jazz vocalist, multi-talented artist, and producer, was selected to deliver the keynote address at Denison University’s 184th Commencement Ceremony on May 17. Over the course of an illustrious career spanning more than four decades, Bridgewater has established herself as one of the most iconic voices in jazz, earning numer-

Denison has renamed an administrative building, formerly known as Beth Eden, to Reese House in recognition of a transformative $7 million gift supporting student scholarships from David E. Reese ’62 and his wife, Weezie. The name honors David’s father, Everett “Ev” David Reese, a former president, CEO, and chair of Park National Bank and a former longtime Denison Board of Trustees member. In 2023, Reese House underwent a

Service leadership

ous accolades, including three Grammys and a Tony. This was Bridgewater’s third to visit The Hill. She has twice been a featured guest of the Vail Series.

A special conversation

Viola Day ’26 is one of only 13 Ohio college students to receive this year’s Charles J. Ping Award, recognizing her efforts to serve people experiencing food and housing insecurity. Day majors in biology, minors in chemistry and theatre, and is on the pre-med track at Denison.

She has racked up more than 950 hours of community service. The Ping Award is given by the Community Campus Coalition, which provides statewide leadership to strengthen Ohio colleges and universities’ capacity to educate students for civic and social responsibility and to improve community life.

meticulous restoration and expansion, nearly tripling the 120-year-old structure’s original footprint while preserving its historic character. Today, Reese House serves as the home for the President’s Office, provost’s office, finance and management, business services, and registrar, blending its rich history with a modern purpose.

Simply the best

Denison welcomed actress, dancer, and singer Rita Moreno for a conversation with Brad Frenette, assistant professor of music theatre, in a sold-out Swasey Chapel on March 6. Moreno, a winner of four of the most prestigious awards in show business — an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmys, and a Grammy — spoke of her more than 80-year career and life in Hollywood, including more than 40 feature films. The event was part of the Vail Series, in collaboration with Arts ReMix. DENISON MAGAZINE

Granville offers one of the nation’s 10 best small town food scenes for 2025, according to USA Today readers and expert panelists. The announcement noted area breweries, wineries, and restaurants “where libations are paired with great food.” Aladdin Restaurant, Mai Chau Kitchen, Ray Ray’s Hog Pit, SeekNo-Further Cider Company, Station, The Granville Inn, and Three Tigers Brewing Company are a sample of local and student favorites. The village ranked fourth on a USA Today list of best small college towns for 2024.

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60 UNITS TOTAL

Building a sense of community IN A TIGHT GRANVILLE HOUSING MARKET, DENISON IS PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON AN EMPLOYEE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ADJACENT TO CAMPUS.

29 HOMES IN THE 1ST PHASE

OPENING SPRING 2025

BY THEODORE DECKER PHOTOS BY: Brooke LaValley

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Professor May Mei remembers what it was like to relocate from Orange County, California, to Granville.

“I moved across the country in a sedan,” said Mei, Denison’s mathematics department chair and current faculty chair. “I came with no furniture. First priority was to get a mattress from a place that did same-day delivery.”

She was fortunate to move into a Denison-owned home on Prospect Street.

“When you start a faculty job, you may be moving across the country to someplace where you don’t know anyone or the area,” she said. “Having a landing pad is just one fewer thing to worry about.”

At times throughout its history, Denison has offered faculty and staff housing of various sorts, but nothing quite as ambitious as the project rising northwest of campus on New Burg Street.

Later this summer, the college will open the first of two planned phases in a townhome-style faculty and staff community. The 31-acre parcel, long owned by Denison, has been designed to accommodate about 60 units total.

The first phase includes 29 units and will be finished in spring 2025.

“We’re on track to be done with Phase 1 by the end of May,” said Drew Mascioli, Denison’s manager of capital construction and planning.

The development is geared toward providing new hires with an affordable, well-built housing option replete with community greenspaces and linked to campus by a halfmile walking path.

The first tenants are expected to have moved in before classes start in Fall 2025.

David English, Denison’s CFO and vice president for finance and management, said planning for the project began in earnest around 2019 to address the rising prices and low availability in the Granville housing market.

“We were hearing from more faculty chairs saying they had some people turn down offers because they couldn’t find an affordable place in the Granville area and they didn’t want to live 30 miles away from campus,” English said.

“We wanted to make these nice places for people to live, at reasonable rents,” English said. “We’re not targeting a

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profit margin on these. Our goal is to have employees who are happy to live in them, and for us to just break even.”

The idea is that new hires could stay in the townhomes for up to four years, giving them ample time to become settled in the community and find permanent housing.

The staggered turnover should free up units on a steady basis for newer arrivals.

“We wanted to be very supportive of our faculty during that early career stage,” Provost Kim Coplin said.

“This is truly a talent-acquisition and retention project,” Mascioli said.

The 1- and 2-bedroom units were designed with a mix of higher-end touches, such as crown molding, large windows, electric fireplaces, and cathedral ceilings.

“We’re not building this as inexpensively as we could have, because we want it to reflect well on Granville and Denison,” English said.

Front porches and common greenspaces were included throughout to foster a sense of community.

“We’re hoping people will sit on their front porches or go out on the common green and meet their neighbors,” English said.

The development is geared toward new faculty, but Denison will consider interest from other employees as well.

“We’ll see how quickly they rent up,” English said.

He said the development underscores Denison’s commitment to forging bonds among employees and with students. “This project is reflective of the strong financial position we’re in, and the success we’ve had that allows us to double-down on making sure that we’re reinforcing mentorship opportunities for our faculty and staff,” English said.

“Denison is about mentoring relationships, and that requires individual time,” he said. “Logically, you’re going to have more time to interact with other people on campus, including students, if you live close to campus.”

Mei cherishes her connections with students — “I think it’s the highest honor to be invited to one of my students’ events,” she said — and values the bonds that come with living close to campus.

The new development should help new employees build those bonds from the start, she said.

“It facilitates connections to the other humans there,” she said. “It facilitates connections to the place. Anything that brings people together and keeps them near campus, I am for.”

DENISON MAGAZINE

“You may be moving across the country to someplace where you don’t know anyone or the area. Having a landing pad is just one fewer thing to worry about.”

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IN 2025, DENISON PLANS TO INSTALL 5.4 MW (20 ACRES) OF SOLAR ARRAYS

Denison answers the question: How do you save money and the planet?

WHILE DENISON IS ONE OF ONLY ABOUT 75 INSTITUTIONS NATIONWIDE THAT FUNDS 100% OF EVERY STUDENT’S DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED, RISING COSTS MAKE MEETING THAT COMMITMENT

ALONG WITH EXISTING ARRAYS, 50% OF CAMPUS WILL BE SOLAR POWERED

ENERGY-RELATED EMISSIONS WILL BE REDUCED BY 23%

BY GINNY SHARKEY

24

MORE DIFFICULT EACH YEAR. Increasing energy costs are a potential budget-buster.

Some sources project energy costs in Ohio rising 10-15% for residents and as much as 29% for businesses in 2025.

Denison is implementing approaches to keep tuition costs in check by “future-proofing” these expenditures — while putting a lid on greenhouse gas emissions.

“It’s a win-win for the college,” says Jeremy King, director of sustainability and campus improvement.

“Increasing our on-campus solar power will help us contain our electricity costs and get us much closer to meeting our net-zero carbon goal.”

BUILDING ON STRENGTHS IN SOLAR

Currently, 10% of Denison’s electricity is sourced through solar panels. Utilities provide the remaining 90% from coal, natural gas, and a mix of renewable energy

sources, rendering the college vulnerable to fluctuating energy costs and adding to its carbon footprint.

Seeking to both control costs and meet its commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2045, the college hired Ever-Green Energy, a consultant in the sector. After a months-long analysis of campus energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, Ever-Green Energy provided a review of possible solutions and options.

This year Denison is poised to install an additional 5.4 MW (20 acres) of solar arrays on vacant land behind the Homestead. When combined with already existing arrays, solar power will provide nearly 50% of the college’s electricity and reduce its energy-related emissions by 23%.

Denison relies on various solar panel installations across campus. Many are on rooftops, and an array situated behind the recycling center is accessible for educational use. Larger arrays can be challenging to install. The bigger the installation, the more maintenance questions to answer. An especially vexing one: How do you keep surrounding vegetation below the height of the panels?

Denison has been an innovator in solving these issues.

The college was the first in Ohio — and in a five-state area

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— to create a pollinator habitat around a large solar array sited in the Biological Reserve. The habitat is mown just once a year for maintenance. It has become a blueprint for low-maintenance and sustainable solar installations.

King has a new idea for the array behind the Homestead.

He’s in discussions with a local sheep farmer to explore using the grazing ovines to maintain the landscape. King says it’s another potential win-win for the college.

“We save our facility crews from a big headache and keep our emissions in check. The sheep will keep the grass down without harming the infrastructure, and the farmer feeds his animals,” he says. “The panels are even tall enough to provide shelter.”

E N E R G Y DATA I M P R OV E S E F F I C I E N C Y

Solar power is only one tool to reduce energy costs in Denison’s workshop. In 2011, the college established a green revolving fund, allocating $1 million from its operating budget for projects that increased energy efficiency and water conservation on campus. The money saved by these efficiencies was put back into the fund to make further sustainability improvements.

Since this initial allocation, Denison has invested over $5 million in more than 200 projects across campus, significantly reducing its energy costs and carbon footprint.

Though most significant sources of energy-efficient “low-hanging fruit,” such as lighting upgrades to LEDs, have been harvested, the revolving fund’s effects live on.

The fund helped create a culture around energy efficiency that is now firmly embedded in campus operations. All new buildings, renovations, and ongoing facilities updates are evaluated through an energy efficiency lens.

One example: energy and water monitors have been collecting data on campus buildings for more than a decade, yet the college wasn’t able to fully take advantage of this resource until 2023 when James Gallick was onboarded as Denison’s new senior automation engineer.

With a background in mechanical engineering and an MBA, Gallick develops, designs, and configures campus energy systems to operate at their highest efficiency. His efforts save money while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

“It’s important to do both,” says King. “We help our students afford Denison’s life-changing education today while working to improve tomorrow’s environment.”

DENISON MAGAZINE

BUILDING ON A LEGACY OF GREEN ENERGY In the early 1980s, a couple of small solar arrays were added to the Denison Homestead to pump drinking water and power lights and a refrigerator for the students living there.

In 2007, a 6.44kW array was installed on the roof of Doane Library — one of the first to be installed at a college in Ohio.

In 2014, a 7.84kW solar array was added to the roof of the Polly Anderson Field Station at the Biological Reserve that powers the facility.

In 2017, a 2.3 MW solar array in the Bio Reserve was installed ­— our largest to date. The 6,750 panels provide about 10% of campus electricial needs.

In 2025, a 5.4 MW solar array will be added northwest of campus. All in, solar power will provide nearly 50% of Denison’s electricity.

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THE TASTE F

SUCCESS TRUC HOANG ’26 AND CHARLIE KUCHLER ’26 COME FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES, BUT THEY SHARE A PASSION FOR DELIVERING SMILES TO THEIR TRUCHA CUSTOMERS.

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Kuchler and Hoang met with Rick Coplin, an associate director of Red Frame Lab, which helps students explore and develop their entrepreneurial skills.

Coplin enrolled them in Red Startup, a program designed to turn ideas into prototypes within ruc Hoang ’26 cannot wait for her parents, who a semester, and connectlive in Vietnam, to experience the sweet-tasting ed them with mentors joy in a cup she’s delivered to Denison. and campus food service Hoang, along with co-founder Charlie Kuchler ’26, are providers. the entrepreneurs behind TruCha, the student-owned and “Red Frame has been an -operated business that’s been nurtured by Red Frame Lab essential part of our success,” and adored by a boba tea-loving campus.

Kuchler says. “We spend a lot TruCha has become one of Denison’s most successful of time brainstorming there — I student-driven enterprises. Since opening on the third don’t think you can find another place floor of Slayter Hall in March 2023 — known on campus on campus that radiates with such energy.” as The Nest — TruCha has served more than 10,000 cups Coplin lauds the initiative taken by Hoang and of the drink and expanded operations to three days a week, Kuchler, who cleared potential hurdles with alacrity, creating 20 part-time student jobs. allowing them to open TruCha within two Hoang admits her parents struggle to months. They completed a food safety visualize that level of prosperity. program, started a grassroots mar“My mom still thinks I operketing campaign, and set up an ate this out of my dorm room,” Instagram account. They also Hoang says. “I hope she can see founded a limited liability comit someday.” pany using their own money for start-up costs, equipment, ‘MIND -BOGGLING’ and products.

S U CC E S S The university’s food serSometimes, the best busivice provider granted Hoang ness ideas are born out of access to the Curtis Hall kitchfrustration. en to make batches of Kuchler, a Houston native, bubble tea and arrived on campus in 2022 and toppings for taste quickly discovered there was no place tests. Kuchler and in Granville, Ohio, serving boba, which Hoang distributed consists of tea mixed with combinations of milk, free samples to about fruit flavoring, ice, and, typically, tapioca balls.

200 students outside Slayter, soThe gregarious Texan, who majors in global commerce liciting feedback. and “minors in boba,” spoke to fellow students who shared Nothing could have prehis cravings. They had neither the time nor, in some cases, pared them for the crush of the vehicle to drive off campus in search of it. students who stood outside The So when Kuchler attended a Red Frame Lab gathering Nest, waiting for them to open in February 2023 and heard a visiting entrepreneur ask if the doors on their launch date students had an idea for a business, he immediately raised ­— March 24, 2023. his hand. Kuchler wanted to open an on-campus boba “Those first few openings were shop. Hoang, also in attendance, reached out to Kuchler mind-boggling,” Kuchler recalls. after the seminar.

“It far, far exceeded the way I imagined “Ideas started flying as soon as we met,” Kuchler says. it was going to happen,” Hoang says. “I was “Truc is such a go-getter. She was setting dates right away.” shocked to see a line all the way to the back wall.”

Growing up in Vietnam, Hoang was quite familiar with boba tea, which originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and spread across Asia before becoming popular in America.

T

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BY TOM REED PHOTOS BY: Brooke LaValley

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‘A M A Z I N G T E A M ’

“I was shocked to see a line all the way to the back wall.”

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Kuchler and Hoang come from different cultures and hiring staff, scheduling shifts, and offering constructive are worlds apart in their thinking. Kuchler knew he wanted criticism to student employees. to be an entrepreneur before ever setting foot on campus.

TruCha’s menu offers eight options in a rainbow of flaHoang arrived as a computer science and mathematics vors as well as four toppings. An added bonus is the delight double major. customers derive from jamming the wide straws through Each plays a vital role in the success of TruCha, which the thin layer of plastic atop the cups. is a combination of their first names.

“You gotta stab it,” says Professor May Mei, chair of “They are a pretty amazing team because they’re so dif- mathematics and TruCha fan. “Whenever I bring someferent,” Coplin says. “Charlie is the visionary, and Truc is one new, I tell them they have to drive the straw in with the operator, and those roles are absolutely essential in the conviction.” growth of any company.”

Significant decisions are on the horizon for the co-foundHoang became so invested in the business that she ers. Do they want to expand the business to other college changed majors, switching to economics and global com- campuses? Do they want to retain a piece of TruCha at merce and retaining computer science and mathematics as Denison after graduation and allow other students to gain minors. While studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea, she valuable experience running the shop? immersed herself in the city’s vibrant coffee house scene, Questions aside, they agree on the primary objective: paying attention to the atmosphere and operations in each delivering a tasty product and customer satisfaction. shop and bringing the best bits back to The Hill.

“We want to bring smiles to people’s faces,” Hoang says.

Heeding her mother’s advice, Hoang remains focused on “We want to give students something they can enjoy while her academics, but she and Kuchler acknowledge running sitting around sipping with friends.” a business is an education in itself. They are in charge of monitoring profit-and-loss statements, ordering products,

#DENISONPROUD ISSUE 2 2025

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D

A winning pair teams up again FORMER BIG RED SWIMMERS AARON COLE AND THOMAS RICHNER HAVE CREATED AN ANIMATED SHORT FILM ABOUT COMPETITION THAT TRANSCENDS SPORTS.

BY TOM REED

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enison swimming legend Aaron Cole ’00 has a story to tell, one in which he rises to the top of his sport before plunging to great depths, shackled to a malaise he can’t explain.

Cole knew there was only one person with the athletic background and artistic expertise to bring his story to life.

It was an old Denison mentor.

The last time Cole and Thomas Richner ’97 had teamed up in 1997, the Big Red won the NCAC championship, ending Kenyon College’s 43-year conference domination.

Three years ago, they reunited to create a short animated movie that explores themes that transcend sports.

One, released in 2024, is an unflinching look at an elite athlete’s struggle with his transition to everyday life.

It’s the tale of Cole, bullied as a teenager, who finds his strength and belonging through swimming at Denison but years later must pull himself out of a dark place mentally with the help of others.

“Writing this has been very therapeutic,” says Cole, who’s worked for Edward Jones, a leading financial services firm, since graduation. “So has working on this project with Tom.” Most people with a story idea for an animated film would have no clue where to pitch it. Cole needed only to pick up his phone and ring his college teammate. Richner is best known as an acclaimed storyboard artist on The Simpsons. He also owns Cap City Studio, an animation production company based in Columbus, Ohio.

The teammates began discussing the movie shortly after Cole’s life-changing conversation with another former Denison swimmer in 2021.

“This person was struggling post-graduation,” recalls Cole, a three-time NCAA champion. “The alum said, ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever feel as good as I did in college.’ The themes the person was discussing hit me like a ton of bricks.

There had been this big hole in my life, one that I wasn’t fully acknowledging until that eye-opening moment.”

On the surface, Cole was a successful professional in a lucrative field. Below it, he was struggling, unable to recapture the excitement of a big meet and the thrill of knowing nobody could beat him. The pool had become his sanctuary after years of physical torment growing up in Texas. Cole had been hospitalized once for injuries he sustained at the hands of bullies.

“Swimming was my escape,” he says. “I poured time and energy and passion into it.”

Richner was one of the first students Cole met at Denison. Cole saw the senior as a mentor, an athlete driven like himself. Cole and Richner both became 28-time AllAmericans, meaning they finished in the top eight of every NCAA final race they swam.

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James Schuller

AARON COLE WAS A THREE-TIME NCAA CHAMPION

Unlike Cole, Richner continued to swim after leaving “The response was tremendous,” coach Gregg Parini says.

The Hill. He earned his master’s degree in animation at “It’s a piece that goes beyond the sporting world. It’s about UCLA and was so creatively invested in his work on The shedding old skin and discovering new possibilities.”

Simpsons that it took his mind off no longer competing Richner and Cole have been pleasantly surprised by at the highest level. However, he related to the void in his the response from viewers outside the athletic arena. The friend’s life. film’s themes are relatable to people going through life “You don’t always find the camaraderie, mentorship, and transitions. The movie will be released to the public online rush of adrenaline in the workplace that you did swimming later in 2025. on a team like ours,” Richner says.

Cole has returned to competitive swimming, and next Cole wrote the script and serves as the executive pro- fall his son, Asher, will be a first-year on the Denison men’s ducer. Richner is the director, production coordinator, and team. Richner’s oldest daughter, Lauren ’25, is a senior on editor. He assembled a talented group of artists to work the women’s team. on the project.

Cole speaks publicly about his trials and finds solace in Although Denison is never identified in the film, the helping others work through issues. scene of Cole arriving in front of Swasey Chapel is unmisThe climax of One features Cole underwater, trapped in takable — as is the purple-clad opponent in the big race, a chains, feeling a hand on his shoulder that prompts him nod to rival Kenyon. to drag his mental weight to the surface. Richner hopes Seventeen film festivals, including in Hollywood and one takeaway for viewers will be that everyone deals with Italy, have included the short in their showcases, earning adversity, and they don’t have to go it alone. the filmmakers numerous awards. The most emotion- “We all suffer losses,” he says, “and you have to figure al night came at Big Red Weekend in 2024 as Denison out a healthy way to fill those voids.” swimmers, their families, and others at the university watched the film.

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“It’s a piece that goes beyond the sporting world.”

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F ROM

Swasey Chapel TO T H E

National Cathedral — THE REV. RANDY HOLLERITH ’86

HAD ECLECTIC INTERESTS ON THE HILL, AND WHAT HE LEARNED HERE HAS SERVED HIM WELL AS DEAN OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST CATHEDRALS.

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W

hen his Denison friends see The Rev. Randy speak of their Denison days and having Dave Woodyard Hollerith ’86 on television, as he was while ’54 as their religion professor. officiating the state funeral of former Hollerith admits there was a steep learning curve in President Jimmy Carter in 2025, they send him messages. joining the National Cathedral, with its myriad responThey are enormously proud of Hollerith, who followed sibilities. On some days, 30 busloads of people tour the his calling after leaving The Hill and became dean of the grounds.

National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., in 2016. But old “It took me a long time to adjust because the cathedral college buddies being what they are, there’s often levity is not only a big church with a congregation,” he says, attached to the well-wishes. “but it has so many different constituencies who claim a “They will text me all the time and take potshots,” piece of it.”

Hollerith says. “They joke with me and ask, ‘Why didn’t Under his leadership, the National Cathedral’s finances you wear your Grateful Dead T-shirt?’” have stabilized, resulting in growing budgets that have Turns out a love of Denison, religion, and Jerry Garcia seen operating surpluses for eight consecutive years. They runs in the family. just completed a five-year campaign that raised more than “I was the original Deadhead,” says his brother, Herman $180 million.

“Holly” Hollerith IV ’78, a retired bishop of the Episcopal Hollerith overhauled the cathedral’s video infrastrucDiocese of Southern Virginia. “Randy stole all my albums.” ture and while the pandemic shuttered its doors for 18 Randy Hollerith’s interests at Denison were as eclectic as months, digital services beamed across the globe helped the stylings of his favorite jam band. He played rugby and to double its donor base. The Easter services in 2020 were football for one season. He pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon. viewed by about 50,000 people, including worshipers from He majored in philosophy and religion, thinking he might every continent. become an attorney or psychologist.

“Apparently, we had one guy from an Antarctica scientific While Hollerith didn’t consider the ministry until his station tuning in,” Hollerith says. junior or senior year, what he learned at Denison has served Among its many functions, the cathedral holds state fuhim well as head of one of the world’s largest cathedrals. nerals and inaugural prayer services. These are high-profile “Denison taught me how to think critically,” Hollerith events that take fastidious planning. Hollerith has presidsays. “It taught me that it was OK to be open to new ideas, ed over state funerals for Presidents Carter and George to explore different possibilities, to question, to argue. H.W. Bush, as well as political digniEverything about my intellectual formation really hap- taries like Secretary of State Madeleine pened in my four years at Denison.”

Albright and Sens. John McCain and Randy Hollerith and his older brother come from John Warner. a family of engineers. His great-grandfather, Herman “We think it’s part of our mission to Hollerith, invented the punch-card tabulating machine, create a space where the nation can both marking the start of mechanized binary code and semi- mourn and celebrate,” Hollerith says. automatic data processing.

“A funeral is a great example where you The Hollerith brothers chose a different path, one that have left and right, Republican and Randy did not take until his gap year between Denison Democrat, coming together.” and Yale Divinity School. He recalls having a “wrestling The intersection of religion, culture, match with God” as he pondered his choices. and politics in Washington can be a “I applied to Yale Divinity School and I deferred for a noisy one. Denison philosophy profesyear,” Hollerith says. “I worked in an acute care psychiatric sor emeritus Steve Vogel, who taught hospital for adolescents and was thinking about becoming Hollerith, says he’s impressed with a clinical psychologist. It was an incredibly powerful expe- how his former student has navigated rience, but I knew at the end of that year that mental health the confluence when asked to explain for mental health’s sake without the faith component was the cathedral’s position or his own on not enough for me. I was being called into ministry.” hot-button issues.

He met his wife, Melissa, at divinity school, and their In polarizing times, Hollerith says wedding party included Denison groomsmen. Hollerith the cathedral’s primary function is to led Episcopal congregations in Savannah, Georgia, and promote civility and what he calls “a Richmond, Virginia, before being named the 11th dean of better way.” the National Cathedral. His wife is a priest and chaplain “It’s finding a better way to live toat St. Albans School in Washington. gether, a better way to talk to each other, As chance would have it, Hollerith isn’t the only a better way to listen to each other, a Denisonian at the cathedral. Kelly Brown Douglas ’79 better way to disagree,” he says. serves as the canon theologian, and they occasionally

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“It taught me that it was OK to be open to new ideas, to explore different possibilities, to question, to argue.”

Photos prov ided by: R ev. R a ndy Holler ith ’86

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Denisonians shine at national awards gala for women SUSAN WHITING ’78 AND LISA STEWART MCKNIGHT ’90 CROSS PATHS ON A HISTORIC NIGHT HOSTED BY THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM.

Photo by Cindy Ord/ Getty Images for National Women’s History Museum

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When the National Women’s History Museum honored trailblazing women at its annual awards gala in Washington, D.C., on March 20, two trailblazing Denison women were front and center.

Susan Whiting ’78 is chair of the board of the innovative, virtual-first museum dedicated to revealing and celebrating women’s contributions to society.

Lisa Stewart McKnight ’90, executive vice president and chief brand officer of Mattel, accepted the inaugural Evelyn Y. Davis Women Making History Corporate Changemaker Award on behalf of her employer.

The award, the museum said, was in recognition of “the societal impact of its brands like Barbie on generations of girls, and its purpose to empower generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.”

The gala was not McKnight and Whiting’s first meeting.

They previously connected on The Hill at the 2024 Remix + Women, a two-day summit designed to strengthen bonds between Denison alums and students.

Whiting had no idea, though, that Mattel would choose McKnight to accept the award at the gala.

“It’s a wonderful piece of serendipity,” said Whiting, a member of the Denison board of trustees.

Since 2012, the National Women’s History Museum has honored literary giant Maya Angelou, acclaimed actresses Viola Davis and Rita Moreno, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta.

Inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Sara Blakely, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” educator and activist Opal Lee, and Shirley Welsh Ryan, an advocate for transformative research and education, were honored alongside Mattel at the recent gala.

Hollywood icon Meryl Streep served as the gala’s honorary chair, and CBS News award-winning journalist Norah O’Donnell hosted the evening.

“We are incredibly proud to be celebrating this incomparable group of honorees at our gala,” Whiting said.

Mattel has a long legacy — the company celebrates its LISA STEWART MCKNIGHT ’90 (LEFT) AND SUSAN WHITING ’78 (RIGHT) 80th anniversary this year — of encouraging children to think big and inspiring girls to see themselves in Barbie and brands such as Monster High and American Girl, B Y T H E O D O R E D E C K E R McKnight said. Barbie was created by Ruth Handler, who #DENISONPROUD ISSUE 2 2025

founded Mattel with her husband, Elliot, and businessman Harold “Matt” Matson.

“Ruth was a pioneer for women’s equality and challenging gender norms,” McKnight said.

She said the award reflects Mattel’s commitment to initiatives like the Barbie Dream Gap Project, founded to challenge gender stereotypes and help undo the biases that hold girls back from reaching their full potential.

Whiting spent her career at Nielsen, where she became a leader in the field of television research and audience measurement.

She and McKnight said Denison gave them the groundwork to succeed professionally.

“Denison allows you to push your intellectual curiosity,” McKnight said. “You become a curious and critical thinker.”

Whiting said she learned the value of intellectual dexterity on The Hill.

“Everything changed across the course of my career,” she said. “You have to keep learning.”

After retiring from Nielsen, Whiting wanted to remain active in education and mentoring.

Whiting, whose namesake and descendant is Susan B. Anthony, also has had an abiding interest in women’s history. The museum has proven a perfect fit.

“There really was no major national museum focusing on women’s history,” she said. “Often, women were treated as a footnote, and yet they aren’t at all. We need everyone to complete our history.”

Big Red Weekend is your chance to relive the magic of Denison — crisp fall air, vibrant campus energy, and unforgettable moments with friends old and new. Reconnect with a favorite professor, cheer on Big Red teams as they battle for victory, and immerse yourself in the latest inspiring performance.

Whether you’re reminiscing at your favorite campus spot or discovering something new, this is your weekend Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for National Women’s History Museum

to celebrate, reconnect, and make more Denison memories. We can’t wait to welcome you back!

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CAITLIN HODSON ’12 WOWED DENISON PROFESSORS WITH THE RANGE AND MATURITY OF HER WRITING. AS EVIDENCED BY HER WORK , SHE REMAINS A KID AT HEART.

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here’s no ground as fertile as a child’s imagination. Friends and family of Caitlin Hodson ’12 saw her mind forever churning out colorful tales while growing up in Buffalo, New York.

It wasn’t enough to watch her favorite television shows like Rugrats, Arthur, and Recess. Hodson’s creativity needed to be fed, and she nourished it in the backyards and living rooms of her neighborhood.

She wrote musicals and performed them with her sisters and friends. When Hodson was 13, her parents, who supported her artistic flair, bought her a digital video camera that opened another avenue to her theater of dreams.

“My friends and I were making movies in every genre, and I was editing them,” she recalls. “They were so bad, but it’s about learning from your mistakes and making as much stuff as possible.”

Hodson now fuels the imagination of the current generation of kids as a story editor and writer for the popular Netflix series Gabby’s Dollhouse. She broke into the ultra-competitive business of children’s television more than a decade ago thanks to her writing skills, work ethic, personality, and the training she received at Denison as a cinema and English major.

Her television credits include work on Team Butterbean’s Cafe, Bubble Guppies, Blue’s Clues & You!, Octonauts, and Gabby’s Dollhouse, which features a cat-loving girl who shrinks herself into her dollhouse for magical adventures.

“I feel lucky having the chance to work in an industry that had such a big role in shaping my childhood,” says Hodson, a writer at Dreamworks.

She chose Denison on the reputation of its cinema department, which immerses students in every facet of filmmaking. Her two most notable projects, Empty

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Spaces, and Michael, Darling, were short films exploring Joe Rudge ’96, a prominent music supervisor whom she adult themes that are galaxies apart from the animated met during one of her internships, connected Hodson with world she now occupies.

Claire Curley ’96, a Nickelodeon executive at the time.

Jonathan Walley, chair of the Denison cinema depart- “I was 22 years old and had no idea what I was doing,” ment, said the contrasting works demonstrate her range Hodson says. “I pitched my idea to Claire on the fly. She and maturity as a writer. said it wasn’t right for her but added, ‘You’re a good writer, “Caitlin is one of my favorite students in my 20 years and we will get you a job at Nickelodeon.’ That was the at Denison,” Walley says. “She took advantage of every turning point. I would not have my job without that opportunity she had here. She’s an interesting combina- Denison connection.” tion of a quirky, funny personality, which feeds into the Hodson loves collaboration, or as she terms it, “getting fact she does a lot of writing for younger audiences while into the room” with other creative people. In 2014, as also being this really smart artist who’s driven and very an executive assistant, she made quite an impression on serious about her work.”

“Team Umizoomi” executive producer Jennifer Twomey.

The department invited Hodson to return to campus When the show ended, Twomey promised they would in 2017 to speak to students. While touring the Cinema work together again.

House, she saw something she had written on a wall “She said, ‘and the next time, you’ll be a writer,’” Hodson years earlier: recalls. “That’s the first time anyone said that to me, and “In times of desperation, remember film is fun.”

I believed her.”

The quote felt especially apt right after graduation, when Years later, Twomey created Gabby’s Dollhouse and Hodson relocated to New York and worked a series of brought Hodson aboard as a writer. unpaid internships. They were steps in the right direction, Beyond her responsibilities to the show, Hodson is yes, but they weren’t going to pay the rent. She credits her writing her first children’s novel. She’s also helped a good parents, Jeremy and Eileen Hodson, for their encourage- friend develop a pilot for a comedy series. ment and support.

The breadth of her work dovetails with the advice she And her love of children’s television never abated. A would give Denison students looking to find their way documentary she had watched at Denison on Pixar fanned into the business. the desire to work in animation, where there are no limita- “It’s important to always be creative with whatever you tions to the fantastical quality of characters and storylines. are doing, and to network with as many people as possible,” Hodson developed an idea for an animated series but she says. “It didn’t happen for me right away, but you keep found no one willing to listen to her pitch. Just as she working at it. Now, I get to be creative every day with brilwas ready to move from New York, the Denison alumni liant people. It’s become the career I’ve always wanted.” network delivered a breakthrough.

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“My friends and I were making movies ... They were so bad, but it’s about learning from your mistakes and making as much stuff as possible.”

BY TOM REED

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Timeless/ Eterna DENISON’S STUDENT DA N C E R S S H OWC A S E D T H E I R M A N Y TA L E N T S I N T H E FA L L 2 0 2 4 C O N C E R T,

TIMELESS/ETERNA .

TA K E N T O G E T H E R , T H E I N D I V I D UA L P I E C E S C H O R E O G R A P H E D BY D E N I S O N FAC U LT Y A N D A GUEST ARTIST WERE “A B O U T T I M E A N D T H E L AC K T H E R E O F, ” S A I D L I L A S AU E R ’ 2 7.

Photos by: Brooke LaValley

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2025 Alumni Citations THE 2025 RECIPIENTS OF THE PRESTIGIOUS ALUMNI CITATION, THE HIGHEST HONOR THE UNIVERSIT Y BESTOWS UPON ITS GRADUATES, REPRESENT DENISON’S ALUMNI COMMUNITY FROM THE CLASSES OF 1954 TO 2010.

They represent a wide range of fields, including higher education, government, television production, technology, and entrepreneurship, and have made a lasting impact on their respective industries and beyond.

Established in 1949, the Alumni Citation celebrates the outstanding achievements of alums who have demonstrated exceptional professional success, meaningful contributions to

SUSAN JONES JD ’75 Carving out a trailblazing career in law, Jones has spent the past two decades as a managed care attorney for Hospital Corporation of America. She previously served as senior vice president and general counsel at Access Health Systems, Inc., an international health care organization; director of law for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County; general counsel to the Tennessee Board of Regents; and assistant attorney general for the State of Tennessee.

Her legal background is diverse and includes health care, public finance, business, and real estate. Beyond her career, Jones is deeply involved in her community. She is the founding president of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s Metropolitan Nashville chapter. She was honored to have the Susan Short Jones Emerging Leader Awards established by the chapter to recognize young Black women leaders in middle Tennessee.

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their communities, and dedicated service to Denison University. In its 76-year history, 584 individuals have received this recognition.

Denison will celebrate these distinguished recipients during the Reunion Weekend in June.

We congratulate the 2025 Alumni Citation recipients for their remarkable contributions and unwavering commitment to excellence.

ROBERT E. LEVINE ’00 As an accomplished w r iter a nd pro ducer, Levine has written for some of television’s most exciting series including Jericho, Harper’s Island, Human Target, and Touch. He co-created the hit pirate drama Black Sails, which aired for four seasons on Starz.

He more recently developed a Cleopatra series for Amazon, adapted Gone Baby Gone for 20th Century Fox, and co-created the FX series The Old Man, starring Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow.

At Denison, Levine earned a reputation for leadership, receiving honors such as Phi Beta Kappa and the President’s Medalist Award.

LAFORCE J. BAKER ’10 Baker is the entrepreneu r ia l force behind Baker Enterprises Retail, where he’s making an impact by advising national retailers on how to grow profitably and ethically while doing real estate development. Before founding his firm, Baker was the vice president of community impact at World Business Chicago, leading the retail strategy for the city and growing minority-owned small businesses.

He also founded Moon Meals, a plantbased food brand that became a top seller in national grocery chains such as Whole Foods and Kroger. With a background in marketing for companies like Kraft-Heinz, Conagra, and Nestlé, Baker helped catapult the Moon Meals brand to new heights. His work has been featured in Forbes, Crain’s Chicago Business, and Black Enterprise.

Baker continues to serve Denison as a frequent guest speaker for students and young alums and has served on the alumni council.

ROBERT S. “ROB” MATTEUCCI ’75 After an impactful career leading major companies like Procter & Gamble and Evenf lo, Matteucci has traded boardrooms for community service. He recently retired from teaching global business at the University of Arizona, where he brought a real-world perspective to the classroom from his experience working in Latin America and managing global teams. Now focused on giving back, Matteucci advises the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund and volunteers with youth organizations. He is a longtime supporter of Denison, serving on the President’s Leadership Council and the Global Engagement Initiative.

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JANET S. CROWN ’85 A n accompl ished entrepreneur and philanthropist, Crown started her career at Creative Artists Agency in the commercial and sponsorship division. Afterward, she assumed the role of vice president of client services at Focus Media.

For 16 years, she ran Burn 60 Fitness Studios, a business she founded in Southern California. In 2019, Crown and her husband opened Brewery X in Anaheim, California Crown is a founding member of The Painted Turtle Camp, Project Blue LA, The Healthy Room Project, and The Watts Rams.

Her service continues as a board member for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Aspen Art Museum, the Lollipop Theater Network, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and as a lifetime trustee at Denison University.

PATRICIA I. MOYNIHAN ’89 Moynihan’s thrilling 28-year career with the CI A inspired a spy novel, and her work in the agency’s top leadership roles is highlighted in the New York Times bestselling book The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women in the CIA. Moynihan’s expertise in counterintelligence and Russian operations led her to serve in high-stakes locations such as Moscow, Ukraine, and Karachi, and she played a key role in capturing terrorists and exposing traitors. Retiring as the civilian equivalent of a four-star general, she shares her experience by training the Intelligence Community and U.S. Special Operations Forces. Moynihan serves her community as president of the McLean, Virginia Volunteer Fire Department. She stays connected to Denison by mentoring students, speaking at events, and participating in alumni activities.

MATTHEW J. GILLIN ’89

JULIA B. “JULIE” HOUPT ’75

From co-founding a game-changing customer engagement company to leading a fintech startup that transformed electronic payments, Gillin has a knack for turning big ideas into reality. As co-founder and chairman of Relay Network, he invented the concept of the “Customer Feed.”

Today, Relay’s platform is utilized by more than 70 million consumers. Before Relay, Gillin co-founded Ecount, where he pioneered the f irst P2P payment product and the first virtual payment card. Over a 10-year period, Ecount became the global leader in corporate prepaid cards and was eventually sold to Citi. Widely regarded as an innovator, Gillin holds multiple patents and is a two-time winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Outside of work, Gillin serves as a mentor, advisor, and board member emeritus for SpeakUp!, a non-profit dedicated to helping today’s youth navigate life.

Houpt ded icated much of her career to Denison, retiring in 2020 as vice president emerita of Institutional Advancement af ter raising more than $600 million for the college. She played a key role in major campaigns, helping fund important campus developments like the Burton D. Morgan Center, Mitchell Athletic Center, and Michael D. Eisner Center for the Performing Arts.

Houpt also worked in major gift fundraising at the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford, after starting her career as a litigator. She continues to be active in philanthropic and non-prof it communities, serving on the boards of The Kendal Corporation and the Granville Community Foundation, and volunteering for A Call to College in Newark, Ohio.

STEPHEN B. “SKIP” NORDHOFF ’89

JAMES G. “JIM” REYNOLDS, JR. ’90

Nordhoff was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and served 28 years of active and reserve duty. He flew CH-53D helicopters, deploying to the Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Red Seas, and later served three deployments after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He retired as a colonel in 2017, earning numerous awards, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Combat Action Ribbon. In his civilian career, Nordhoff has served to support higher education and health care institutions, including Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital. He is the senior director of development and alumni engagement at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. Active in Denison’s alumni efforts, he has held leadership positions in reunion committees and served on the Alumni Council. Nordhoff was a standout athlete in track and field at Denison and earned multiple honors as a pole vaulter.

M a k i n g l i fe t i me memories and positive experiences for kids is the mission of Unrivaled Sports, where Reynolds leads the football and lacrosse divisions. His dynamic and expansive career includes 18 years at footwear and apparel giant Nike in various leadership roles including leading global sales for the brand and general manager of several countries around the world.

Outside the corporate world, Reynolds serves on the boards of the Providence Portland Medical Foundation and as a member of the Denison Board of Advisors.

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Alumni Citations Cont.

NAMRATA SANDHU ’05 Driven by her passion for sustainability, Sandhu is the founder and CEO of Vaayu, the world’s first automated software that helps the retail industry track and reduce carbon and environmental impact in real time. Vaayu has garnered numerous accolades, including being named one of TIME’s 2022 Best Inventions and Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies.

Recognized as a Sustainability Trailblazer by Reuters in 2023, she is a sought-after speaker and consultant on sustainable practices. Sandhu also serves on the board of Nia — The Power of Choice and previously worked with the United Nations Forum on Forests.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INNOVATION & DISRUPTION

DAVID O. WOODYARD ’54 Wo o d y a r d dedicated his career to studying and teaching the correlations between religion, society, and personal growth. His work as a religion professor at Denison for 65 years reflected his deep belief in the power of faith to shape both individuals and communities. He was passionate about guiding students to explore how they can use their education to make a difference in the world. In recent years, he collaborated with an economics colleague to co-author a book that examines the intersection of religion, economics, and ecology to create a more sustainable future. Beyond the classroom, Woodyard stayed closely connected to Denison, giving his time to the Reunion Gift Committee and many student organizations. He created the David O. & Joanne A. Woodyard Charitable Remainder Unitrust to make a lasting impact on future generations.

DENISONIANS CONSIDERING A SIDE HUSTLE CORPORATE LEADERS NAVIGATING UNPRECEDENTED CHANGE AND DISRUPTION IN THE WORKPLACE All will fit right in at ReMix. Join us for dynamic keynotes and workshops that will challenge your thinking. You will connect with fellow alums, expand your professional network, and leave campus inspired and energized to take on what’s next.

BY GINNY SHARKEY

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SEASONED ENTREPRENEURS

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The Denison Annual Fund supports students and programs all across campus. Charitable gifts help provide everything from essential classroom materials to scholarships and innovative learning opportunities. Every gift matters and every donor makes an impact!

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henever a Denison alum moves to a Gary Fleisner ’13, associate director of regional new city, chances are someone has and lifelong engagement, said every city is different. put out a Big Red welcome mat for “Our core volunteers have boots on the ground and them, thanks to the launch of the understand their city’s culture,” he said. “They are regional network program. the regional experts and know what works best.”

“We want to extend the magic of connections and Hope Cherubini ’21 knows from experience relationship-building that happens on campus and just how important these connections in a new help our alumni engage with other Denisonians in city can be. The Denver native took a new position their communities,” said Sallie Sistare, associate vice with a national employee wellness company in president of institutional advancement.

Boston, relocating there in the fall of 2023. “When Regional networks are set up in 10 cities across I took a leap and moved, I was hoping to lean on the country, with more in the works. Local Denison Denison,” she said. residents — alums, students, parents, newcomers, Fleisner tapped her to be part of the Beantown long-timers, and everyone in between — are invited. regional team, and she “went for it,” becoming the young alumni representative on her committee.

She helped plan the Welcome to the City event (at a Red Sox game, naturally). They also put together a summer event in Charlestown and a service event in the spring.

The Boston Big Red team includes Denison alums that span decades, from the ’80s into the early 2000s.

Cherubini has enjoyed getting to know everyone.

“I’ve learned their stories,” she said. “We always make time to catch up with each other.”

These relationships have enhanced her experience.

Cherubini, who had “never lived on water,” now loves her new hometown on the East Coast.

“Boston is a beautiful city with so much history and many things to do,” she said. “Being part of this network made me even more comfortable here. It’s a great fit for me.”

Each volunteer committee plans their region’s On the West Coast, Danny Pritz ’11 welcomes new Denison Everywhere event, which becomes a spring- Denisonians to his city, San Francisco. board for additional gatherings spread throughout They held their own Welcome to the City event the year. “Our regional networks support our grad- at a Giants game. Pritz’s group takes advantage of uates’ personal and professional networks,” said San Francisco’s park culture for their summer event.

Sistare. “They help our alums build social networks “We just take a blanket, a picnic and hang and make connections that help advance their pro- out at Golden Gate Park on a beautiful day,” he fessional success, too.” said. “Just a nice, casual park hang to kick off our As fall colors begin to glow, special Welcome to alumni network.” the City opportunities introduce recent grads and “It’s super simple to meet some new people and see Denisonians new to the area to in-the-know local your friends from different age groups, careers, and alums who answer questions, help them to establish interests,” he said. “You learn something in every local networks, understand area job markets, and interaction, and this opens up so many opportunisometimes even help locate housing. ties and connections.”

In Cincinnati, Andrew Hesch ’16 said he’s seen By way of contrast, Pritz said that his wife, Amy, the program in action, and it’s working. “I think we a University of Illinois graduate, rarely sees anyone made some headway connecting a couple of recent from her college. “She says there’s something special grads with local networks,” he said. “They appreciate about Denison that keeps people connected long it so much they’ve even brought non-Denison people after you graduate.” to our events.”

“This is super-unique to Denison — there’s a sort Hesch has benefited too. “I shared that I was inter- of huge, overwhelming feeling,” he said. “We have ested in joining a nonprofit’s board, and two alumni so much in common. It’s like we’re a family. And offered conversations regarding opportunities they we’re always asking, ‘What can I do to help you?’” were familiar with.”

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FA ST FAC TS A BOU T DE N I SON ’S R E GIONA L N ET WOR K S Currently, regional networks are in 10 cities: Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Soon launching in Indianapolis and Los Angeles, too!

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Committees plan four events each year: Denison Everywhere in January, a service opportunity in April, a casual summer event, and a Welcome to the City event in the fall.

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Each volunteer group consists of between four and 12 Denisonians. Committee positions include: chair, vicechair, communications lead, and young alumni coordinator.

Groups meet monthly.

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THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU IN THE REGIONAL NETWORK. JUST SCAN THIS QR CODE TO LEARN MORE.

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OPEN

A love of lava and a way with words ERIK KLEMETTI HAS BECOME A TRUSTED SOURCE

FOR JOURNALISTS LOOKING TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS. hen a volcano thr eatens to blow its top, journalists seeking reliable insights call upon a baseball-loving former DJ to explain the science behind eruptions.

Denison associate professor Erik K lemetti, an Ear t h scientist and volcanologist, is in demand because of h i s ex per t i s e a nd abi l it y to communicate. On his social media accounts, he keeps followers informed about volcanoes, earthquakes, and whatever other curveballs Mother Nature serves up.

Klemetti has been featured by news outlets worldwide, penned guest columns for national publications, and appeared on CNN, NPR, and PBS. He also writes the Rocky Planet blog for the Discover Magazine website.

If you ask nicely, he’ll even wax poetic about 1990s volcano-themed movies.

“Scientists are people, too,” says Klemetti, the Earth and environmental sciences department chair. “Sometimes, I think that gets lost in the conversation.”

Klemetti teaches courses on the rocks, minerals, and magmatic processes that lead to volcanic eruptions. His classes are more conversations than lectures, with no pop culture reference left unexamined.

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He’s blown up tubs filled with rubber ducks to illustrate what happens when gases and magma erupt in a volcano.

He’s held tournaments called the Mineral Cup, where students pick a mineral and go head-to-head, touting why their entry is the best in the field.

“Dr. Klemetti has a really unique ability to make the mundane seem like the most interesting thing in the world,” says Caroline Lopez ’25, winner of the inaugural Mineral Cup. FINDING HIS NICHE

How does a kid who grew up in Westminster, Massachusetts, become a volcanologist? It helps to have a gripping backstory.

His mother, Marta, is a native of Pereira, Colombia, a coffee-rich region near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano that erupted in 1985, killing more than 20,000 people. A 9-year-old Klemetti visited the site a year after the tragedy.

“It was like nothing I’ve ever seen,” he says. “It was like someone poured concrete over a huge area.”

The death toll might have been significantly less had the government heeded warnings from scientists who had detected volcanic activity months earlier.

Klemetti gravitated to science from an early age, but his decision to focus on the study of volcanoes didn’t occur until college. He earned degrees in geology and history

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GEOSCIENCES ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Erik Klemetti Klemetti joined

at Williams College and received his doctorate in geology from Oregon State University.

In his spare time, the music-loving Klemetti worked as a DJ at radio stations. (He’s the only professor on campus with a picture of punk rocker Henry Rollins on his office door.) Klemetti might have pursued a career in the industry if not for two red flags.

“I realized that when I went to radio music conferences, I didn’t like anybody,” he says. “And with my own special flavor of neurodivergence, I don’t like going to shows in clubs because they are too crowded and dark and loud.”

At Oregon State, Klemetti concentrated his scholarship on volcanoes, a decision sealed when a faculty member offered him the chance to study them in Chile.

Klemetti is proud of his South American heritage — a Colombian flag adorns an office wall. He’s also done research in the North American Cascade Range and New Zealand.

“Volcanoes spend most of their life not erupting,” Klemetti says. “But there’s a lot we can learn from the crystals that form in magma outside volcanoes after eruptions. It can tell us all the events inside that volcano for hundreds of thousands of years.”

EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION

Klemetti is a longtime fan of the Boston Red Sox and baseball analytics. When written well, data-driven stories are a perfect marriage of words and statistics that illuminate trends within his favorite sport. Too often, however, they can be stilted and make eyes glaze over.

DENISON MAGAZINE

HE SEES PARALLELS WITH SCIENCE WRITING.

In 2009, he began blogging about volcanoes and science to educate the public, dispelling misinformation, and spreading scientific understanding beyond the classroom. His catalog of work caught the attention of journalists looking for experts when volcanic eruptions appeared imminent.

“It’s one thing to do science,” Klemetti says. “It is another to write about science in a way that is compelling, understandable, and relatable to the public.”

His writing style is conversational and at times humorous while retaining the scientific rigor of a journal publication.

He’s written about what would happen if you fell into a lava lake. Spoiler alert: Chances of survival are not good.

“What I love about Erik is the way he connects topics,” says Sarah Hume ’22. “He digs deep, literally and metaphorically, with geology and why you should care about it.”

Klemetti sparked Hume’s interest in journalism, and while at Denison, she wrote a story about how strip mining marred the central Ohio landscape and endangered the health of workers.

Klemetti created the course “Science Writing For Everyone,” which emphasizes storytelling for scientists looking to publicize their work and teaches storytellers how to write about science with more expertise.

“If you can speak clearly to everybody about scientific research, hopefully you can communicate clearly to experts as well,” he says.

That’s Klemetti’s goal every time a journalist rings his office.

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Denison in 2009.

His research focuses on volcanology, igneous petrology, and geochemistry.

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UNIQUELY SUITED FOR THE HILL SAM CULYER ’24 BECAME KNOWN AMONG HIS PEERS AS A PARTICULARLY DAPPER DENISONIAN.

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am Culyer’s first clue that something was up came as he crossed the Denison campus one day, back when he was still a student.

“Someone tried to take a picture of me when I was walking, and I thought, ‘That’s weird,’” he says.

Weird maybe, but also harmless, and he didn’t dwell on it. The little mystery was forgotten until a friend who was more active on social media let Culyer know that he had become something of a campus celebrity.

His fellow students, it seemed, had given him a nickname.

“You’re ‘Suit Kid,’” she told him.

Culyer, you see, wears suits. Only suits.

“I don’t own any other clothes, so it’s difficult to wear anything else,” he says.

At latest count he owns 36 suits, including tuxedos. His favorite is a blue three-piece suit his father gave him upon graduation.

Wear a nice suit every day to class and you’re bound to be noticed, as Culyer was. There was even some lamentation on social media when it was announced that Suit Kid had graduated early, in three years, and would not be back for his fourth year.

Then, shortly after that, came another social media announcement: “Suit Kid is back! He’s working at the library!”

Culyer grew up in northern Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. His mother teaches at a Montessori school, and his father runs a business that helps people find living arrangements for aging family members.

“I’m proud of both my parents,” Culyer says. “They’re good people.”

He says he wanted to dress well even when very young, but he started wearing suits on a daily basis around the eighth grade. He developed a taste for nice things, but he says it is only partly about the things themselves.

“It turned into a self-improvement project,” he says. “How can I be a better person? In some ways, it taught me confidence. I would like to know exactly what to do, in a gentlemanly fashion, in every situation.”

So he learned about not only men’s formal wear, but etiquette and manners. How to set a table. How to wear a pocket watch. How to greet someone,

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shake their hand, and carry on a conversation. As a teen, he started working at a fine dining restaurant and devoted himself to learning as much as possible about wine.

He loves to write, and Denison was recommended to him by an administrator at his high school. He visited campus, talked with creative writing faculty, and was sold.

“After three years here, I can say that my writing is infinitely better,” he says.

He had a short story published in the Allegheny Review, and he wrote not one, not two, but three novels as a student — he finished a fourth since graduation.

Culyer viewed his return to Denison as a “betweener situation,” one in which he could write, save some money, and chart his next steps while spending a little more time at a place that came to mean much to him. When not at the library as circulation supervisor, you could find him working at the Village Wine Co. He planned this as a gap year of sorts, and Culyer says a Denison professor made it possible: Fred Porcheddu-Engel ’87, chair of the English department and Culyer’s landlord. He and his husband, Vince, offered Culyer a room at an annual rent that was impossible to resist.

One dollar.

“His dollar is still on a magnetized clip on the side of the refrigerator,” Porcheddu-Engel says. “Actually, he did something to the dishwasher and we had to fix it, so I punished him by doubling his rent. So now there are two dollar bills on the side of the fridge.”

Porcheddu-Engel is among Denison’s most memorable professors and has inspired generations of Denisonians since he began teaching on The Hill in 1992. But his room-and-board offer to Culyer was a first.

“It’s not every day that I’m OK with somebody coming to live in my house,” he says. “He’s the only one.”

Porcheddu-Engel calls Culyer “one of the most naturally curious people that I have ever known.”

“He is the most well-read and knowledgeable — about arts, music, high culture, and pop culture — of just about any Denison student I have ever met,” he says. “Sometimes I think he’s read almost as much as I have, and I’ve never encountered that before. I can make obscure references to 19th-century literature, and he picks them up.”

“He is fascinating, and he is fascinated,” Porcheddu-Engel says. “That’s rare, and it’s just wonderful.”

Culyer’s time in Granville concludes in May. He is returning to Cincinnati to finish revisions on his latest novel and consider future prospects.

He is ready to shed his “Suit Kid” moniker, but he cherishes Denison and its role in his personal growth. His professors challenged him and revealed a larger world of possibilities.

“The opportunities to be a polymath here are endless,” Culyer says.

“Denison taught me that you can do that in the modern age. There is no shortage of things to try.”

Porcheddu-Engel suspects that Culyer’s peers picked up on, and appreciated, his positivity and sincerity when they gave him his nickname.

“This is not a mask he puts on,” Porcheddu-Engel says. “This is who he is. There is an elegance to him that people respond to.”

He doesn’t know what the future holds for his former student, but he can’t wait to find out.

“There are lots of things that he could do, like so many Denison graduates,” Porcheddu-Engel says. “He’ll be where he decides he wants to go. Denison is a place where your individuality can blossom. He is living proof of that.”

By Theodor e Deck er DENISON MAGAZINE

Photos: Brook e LaVa lley

DENISONMAGAZINE.COM

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BIG RED SPORTS

BY TOM REED

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WINTER HIGHLIGHTS

THE MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING TEAM WINNING ITS SIXTH NCAA TITLE IN PROGRAM HISTORY GENERATED THE BIGGEST HEADLINES, BUT THERE WAS MUCH TO CELEBRATE WITH DENISON ATHLETICS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS.

W OME N’ S S W IMMING & DI V ING Emily Harris ’26 led the Big Red to a strong four-day performance in the NCAA Championships. She was Denison’s top scorer, placing top-seven in five events, including third in the 200-yard butterfly and 400 individual medley. Quinn Brown ’26 posted four top-six finishes and Drue Thielking ’26 contributed three top-five finishes.

Coach Gregg Parini was satisfied with the team’s overall showing, and thrilled for Avery Vogen ’25, who produced three top-five finishes in her first NCAA meet.

ME N ’ S B A S K E T B A L L The Big Red delivered the most successful season in the program’s 125-year history, winning both the regular season and conference titles.

Denison qualified for the NCAA tournament for just the fourth time and first since 2016.

“The two things that come to my mind are just being really proud and really grateful that these guys stuck together

and stuck with the process and stuck to their vision and their goals,” coach Chris Sullivan said.

The 24 wins were the most in program history, and Denison’s 12-game win streak eclipsed the previous mark of 11 straight wins set in 1913-14. Earning all-NCAC honors were: Ricky Radtke ’25 (first team), Trevor Reed ’27 (second team), and Darren Rubin ’25 (third team).

Aidan King ’26 was named most valuable player of the conference tournament.

W O M E N ’ S B A S K E T B A L L The Big Red won 15 games, finished tied for third in the NCAC, and qualified for the conference tournament as the third seed.

Point guard Abby Cooch ’27 earned her second consecutive first-team, all-NCAC nod. Abigail Westmeyer ’25 was a second-team selection. Assistant coach Olivia Woolam was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association “Thirty Under 30” program in her second year at Denison.

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W O M E N ’ S F E N C I N G The best season in the program’s six-year history included its first title at the Eastern Women’s Fencing Conference Championship. Because the NCAA does not yet conduct a Division III tournament, the EWFC is the benchmark for small school programs.

“This has been a goal since the program started,” coach Peter Grandbois said. “We have been moving up the ranks every year so it was wonderful we could take home the trophy.”

The school also hosted the NCAA Midwest Regional tournament for the first time. Four Denison fencers earned all-regional honors: Corvus Endo ’27, Delaney Brown ’26, Velma Hall ‘26, and Maggie Zhu ’26.

W OME N ’ S IND O OR T R A C K & F IE L D Denison finished fourth in the conference meet. Sydney Flores ’26 and Mariel Drost ’27 won the shot put and weight throw, respectively.

ME N ’ S IND O OR T R A C K & F IE L D The Big Red finished third at the conference meet with Chris Slater ’25 winning field athlete of the year honors. Slater (weight throw) and Ari Skolnik ’25 (60-meter hurdles) earned second-team all-American honors at the NCAA Division III meet.

DENISON MAGAZINE

ME N’ S SQU A SH The Big Red won the Division Team Championships Conroy Cup. Six players earned Liberty League all-conference recognition. Juan Felipe Hernandez ’26 and Lucas Piller ’25 were named to the first team. Hernandez compiled a 15-2 record when competing in the No. 1 position. Charlie Fenwick ’27 and Tarun Mammen ’25 were second-team selections and Jackson Bragman ’27 and Alex DeLuca ’28 received honorable mentions.

W O M E N ’ S S Q U A S H Charlotte Jones ’28 was named Liberty League player of the year, registering an 11-2 record when competing in the No. 1 position. Michael MacDonald earned conference coach of the year honors, leading the Big Red to a 13-7 overall mark and their best-ever No. 23 national ranking.

Men’s basketball delivered the most successful season in the program’s 125-year history, winning both the regular season and conference titles.

Joining Jones on the all-conference first team were Amelia Keng ’28 and Antionette Ramsey ’25. There were four second-teamers: Lane Harding ’26, Tess Lanza ’28, Maddie Ruggie ’28, and Charlotte Sigg ’25. Virginia Lawrence ’25 received an honorable mention.

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Denison’s sixth NCAA men’s title is a triumph of team culture

DENISON SWIMMERS AND DIVERS DOMINATED A NATIONAL FIELD WITH AN AWESOME DISPL AY OF TEAM DEPTH . WOMEN ’S SQUAD DELIVERED AN IMPRESSIVE FOURTH - PL ACE FINISH .

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It mattered little to them that they hadn’t “I thought our women performed really well,” said won an individual event or relay. If anything, men’s and women’s coach Gregg Parini, who’s it showcased Denison’s stunning pool of won a combined eight NCAA titles since 2001. depth and team culture. The Big Red tallied Two days after the meet, Parini was still buzzing 463.5 points — 140 points clear of runner-up with pride as he discussed the wholesale Emory University — to collect their first title contributions of his athletes, assistants, and since 2019. support staff. What coach shouts out the “I wouldn’t have traded that trophy for any team’s yoga instructor? That’s the kind of individual first-place finish,” Patrick Daly ’25 said. program Parini has built on The Hill.

ver four nights and 20 events, no member of the Denison men’s swimming and diving team set foot “Nothing compares to standing up there with While it marks the first time Denison has won atop the medals stand — until it came time for all your boys around you,” Jack Hill ’27 added. a national title without having an individual or possibly the greatest group photo of their lives. relay champion, the Big Red rarely have relied The trophy presentation culminated an on star power in pursuit of team glory.

Jubilant swimmers, divers, coaches, and outstanding four days at the NCAA meet support staff crowded onto the podium inside as the Denison women’s team, led by Emily “These are team efforts, and this year’s men’s the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, Harris ’26, finished in fourth place. The Big team has personified that as much as any team North Carolina, to celebrate the program’s Red women have been a model of consistency I’ve ever coached,” Parini said. “It underscores sixth NCAA Division III title. Tyler Distenfeld with top-four finishes in the past three years, the culture we have created.” ’25 and Gavin Jones ’25 did well not to fall off including a 2023 championship.

The men’s team qualified 19 athletes for the the back of the medals stand as teammates NCAA meet, with all but one scoring points. held the first-place trophy aloft.

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Gregg Parini was named Division III Coach of the Year by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America. He’s earned the honor 13 times — eight with the men’s team and five with the women’s team.

Distenfeld was so sick in the run up to the conference championships that he didn’t tally a single point. He needed to swim in a last-chance meet at Kenyon to earn NCAA qualifying times in the 1650- and 500-yard freestyle events.

“I wouldn’t have traded that trophy for any individual first-place finish.”

Daly poured through data from last year’s NCAA meet and told the group they statistically had the best field of returning athletes in individual events. The key would be improved performances in the relays.

Parini has become iconic in his profession by getting athletes to commit to a team-first mentality. In January, he switched up the annual post-holiday training routine. Instead of high-intensity, high-volume workouts, they focused on quality over quantity. The Big Red rocketed to the top of the national rankings and carried it through to an NCAA title.

The senior delivered for his teammates by Message received. All five Denison relays finishing second in the 1650 and sixth in the 500 finished in the top five with a pair of runnerat Greensboro. The 1650 was a prime example up showings in the 400 and 800 events. of how Denison dominated the meet without Meanwhile, Daly placed second in both the “Fatigue is the enemy when it comes to having to touch the wall first. While Distenfeld 200 individual medley and 200 breaststroke. performance — it erodes confidence,” Parini was runner-up, George Goins ’28 came in third, said. “Peak performance is an alignment of “We not only had great leaders, but great followed by Lucas Conrads ’25 in fifth. mind, body, and spirit.” listeners, guys who were willing to follow and Parini praised the leadership of Daly and buy in,” the coach said.

The Big Red peaked in Greensboro. You can Jones, who swam in the 2024 U.S. Olympic see it in the faces of those swimmers and When Parini got into coaching, his father told qualifiers. After the Big Red finished sixth in divers crowded into a celebratory photo that him, “Expect a bumpy ride if you hitch your last year’s NCAA meet, the two seniors spoke will last a lifetime. wagon to the whims of 18-to-22-year-olds.” to teammates about the importance of buying Translation: College athletes have so much into the message and arriving back at Denison going on in their lives away from the pool. in peak condition.

BY TOM REED

DENISON MAGAZINE

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T HE L E A DE R W HO GAV E A L L DE NISON AT HL E T IC S A LIF T Athletic director Nan Carney-DeBord ’80 is retiring after 14 years of distinguished service.

These are stories that encapsulate her energy, ingenuity, and generosity.

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efore she joined the field hockey team, before she designed the Title IX mural in Mitchell Center, before she even committed to Denison, Kate Hinshaw ’24 was a prospective student who desperately needed a ride to the airport.

Carney-DeBord, who played field hockey and basketball at Denison, returned to her alma mater in 2011. Weinberg, a college hockey player, arrived two years later. Together they have guided Denison through an era of athletic achievement and expansion.

It was fall of 2019, and Hinshaw was making her second campus visit to meet members of the field hockey team and watch them play. Everything went swimmingly until she tried summoning an Uber at halftime of the Sunday morning game.

Eight of the Big Red’s 20 NCAC all-sports trophies have been won on Carney-DeBord’s watch. The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have combined to capture six NCAA titles in that span, and during the 2023-24 school year, the Big Red qualified 10 teams for NCAA tournaments.

Hinshaw grew increasingly anxious as she realized she might miss her flight home. Fortunately, a player’s parent introduced her to athletic director Nan Carney-DeBord ’80, who offered a surprising solution.

Weinberg cites three Carney-DeBord qualities that enabled the Big Red to thrive: She made good coaching hires, built a strong culture within the athletic department, and cared about the student experience.

“I’ll just drive you myself,” said the administrator who oversees 26 varsity sports, serves as an associate vice president, and a professor of health, exercise, and sport studies (HESS).

“We do athletics the way it was meant to be done at the collegiate level,” Weinberg said. “This is Nan’s legacy.”

As Carney-DeBord prepares to retire from Denison after 14 years, stories of her generosity, energy, and ingenuity abound. She changed cultures and put student-athletes first, making the Big Red the envy of the North Coast Athletic Conference.

In 2023, women’s basketball coach Maureen Hirt sat in her office, processing devastating news from her doctors. An X-ray had revealed a softball-sized mass in her chest.

“Our department has shown exponential growth with Nan at the helm,” swimming and diving coach Gregg Parini said. “It parallels and reflects the growth of the university under President Adam Weinberg. Managing growth isn’t easy, and she’s done a great job of it.”

And often with memorable personal touches — like the time she drove a stranger to the airport.

“The whole ride, Nan asked me about myself and my interests and made a really good case as to why the liberal arts and Division III athletic experience is so incredible,” Hinshaw recalled. “It was this random act of kindness that spoke to her character, selflessness, and her dedication to Denison.”

T WO O F A K I N D The first time Weinberg accompanied Carney-DeBord to an NCAA Convention, it felt as if they were walking through Mitchell Center corridors.

On the national stage, the president heard stories about Carney-DeBord just like those shared by Big Red coaches and athletes. There was admiration for the way she impacted lives as a legendary women’s basketball coach at Ohio Wesleyan University and respect for the work she was doing at Denison.

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‘ YO U ’ V E G O T T H I S ’

“I wouldn’t have been able to get through this without Nan.”

After calling her partner and mother, Hirt broke the news to the woman who had hired her.

“I wouldn’t have been able to get through this without Nan,” said Hirt, diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare cancer that affects the lymphatic system.

“She kept saying, ‘You’ve got this,’ and, ‘we’ll do whatever’s necessary to support you.’”

Carney-DeBord was among the reasons Hirt accepted the Denison job after associate director of athletics Sara Lee retired from coaching. Hirt, who played at Kenyon College and previously coached at Oberlin College, had watched from afar as Carney-DeBord transformed the Big Red athletic department.

MAUREEN HIRT HAS COACHED THE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM FOR THREE SEASONS.

She added women’s fencing and men’s and women’s squash to the varsity sports lineup. She made coaches for men’s and women’s golf full-time positions and secured funding to expand coaching staff across the board.

BY TOM REED

DENISONMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOS BY: Brooke LaValley

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Hirt knew she could rely on the experience of Lee and Carney-DeBord in difficult times but never imagined it would come while spending 18 days in the hospital.

The athletic director ensured first-year assistant Olivia Woolam had everything she required to navigate the season’s opening weeks. The Big Red, rallying behind their ailing coach, jumped to a 4-1 start.

Carney-DeBord sent text messages and handwritten notes of encouragement to “Coach Mo” as she endured energy-sapping cancer treatments. She even employed the department’s “mascot,” Bernice, a large stuffed bear Carney-DeBord had won in an auction.

Bernice was passed around to different Big Red teams with instructions to dress her up in sports gear and film her performing athletic feats.

“I saw Bernice pole vaulting and wearing swimming goggles as she stood on the blocks,” Hirt said. “It put a smile on my face during some tough times.”

The Big Red women’s basketball team evolved into the feel-good story of the year as Hirt returned to the bench after Thanksgiving and led it to a 20-win season.

She’s back to full strength and fulfilling the potential Carney-DeBord saw in her three years ago.

“Anytime I have a top recruit on campus, I make sure she meets Nan,” Hirt said. “She embodies everything that’s great about Denison.”

C O L O R F U L C H A R AC T E R The red pantsuit Carney-DeBord wears to special events has become her signature look. Athletes love the bold fashion statement, one symbolizing an administrator who bleeds school colors.

She got the idea from Board of Trustees member Abigail Pringle ’96, president of Wendy’s national division.

“Anytime I have a top recruit on campus, I make sure she meets Nan. She embodies everything that’s great about Denison.”

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“We were at a meeting and Abigail was wearing a red suit and I said, ‘Wow, you really flash in that suit,’” the athletic director recalled. “And Abigail looked at me and said, ‘You need to get one.’”

Carney-DeBord has a nickname every bit as colorful as the pantsuit. A colleague in athletic administration dubbed her “The Hummingbird” because she’s forever in motion.

She golfs. She skis cross-country. She takes part in foulshooting contests with current players to promote the men’s and women’s programs on social media.

“Enthusiasm is a contagion that fuels me,” Carney-DeBord said. “I get a lot of my fuel from the students and coaches.

I like to surround myself with high-energy people who want to find ways to improve Denison.”

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Through department-wide initiatives, Carney-DeBord placed an emphasis on development and leadership for both coaches and athletes. She championed a plan to wed data analytics and sports science to help keep Denison athletes healthier. A tireless fundraiser, she also oversaw the expansion and renovation of the Mitchell Center, the building of Kienzle-Hylbert Stadium for the lacrosse and soccer teams, and significant upgrades to the softball and baseball fields. ‘ O H M Y G O D , I T ’ S YO U ’ Carney-DeBord heard the rumors. A docent leading campus tours was telling prospective students how the athletic director once offered a field hockey recruit a ride to the airport in her hour of need.

One day outside Mitchell Center, she spotted the docent and overheard the story.

“Oh my God, it’s you,” Carney-DeBord said to Hinshaw.

Nan and Kate have been on a first-name basis ever since.

Hinshaw blossomed into a starter on the field hockey team. She helped found “Uncut on The Hill,” a digital journalism platform for Denison athletes to share their stories through podcasts and articles.

When Carney-DeBord formed a committee to find ways to promote the 50th anniversary of Title IX at Denison, she included Hinshaw, who contacted more than 100 former Big Red female athletes for her research.

She digitally designed the Title IX mural that was unveiled at Big Red Weekend 2022 and subsequently was inspired to create a video about trailblazing women in sports for her senior exhibition for studio art.

“Nan started tearing up watching the video,” said Hinshaw, now a financial risk consultant for Ernst & Young.

The spring of 2025 represents the final ride for an iconic athletic director who has delivered an unrivaled period of sustained success. And the story of how she and Hinshaw met on that Sunday morning reveals exactly how CarneyDeBord did it.

“I never wanted to be the administrator who sat behind a computer all day,” Carney-DeBord said. “The best way to serve student-athletes and coaches is to be present in their world. I had the pleasure of doing it for 14 years at Denison and I loved every minute of it. ”

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BY TOM REED PHOTOS BY B R O O K E L AVA L L E Y

DENISON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HOME GAMES FEATURE EPIC LOCKER ROOM DANCE PARTIES WITH A UNIQUE PROP. THE FUNLOVING ENVIRONMENT BONDS TEAMMATES.

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he most exclusive dance club in central Ohio is at full volume 20 minutes before tipoff of a Denison women’s basketball game.

Point guard Abby Cooch ‘27, who controls the on-court rhythm of the offense, performs a similar duty in the Big Red locker room.

With cellphone in hand, the sophomore runs her teammates through portions of five songs that blast from the speakers to get them hyped for their Feb. 12, 2025, game at Livingston Gym. What makes the scene memorable is not just the players’ dance moves and the joy they experience in the moment.

It’s the euphoric environment accented by one of the most unique props found in any college locker room.

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As teammates groove in a circle and belt out lyrics to Katy Perry’s “Roar,” they are bathed in shards of red and white reflective light from a disco ball suspended from the ceiling.

Purchased a decade ago at the request of players, it has become a glittery sphere of influence for a program that recognizes its bonding powers.

While many athletic teams crank up music and dance off pre-game jitters, few do it with more style and swagger than these Big Red belles of the (disco) ball.

“It’s something I look forward to,” guard Molly Fisher ’25 says. “When we’re at home, it’s disco ball, dance party, let’s get it.”

locker room, but I thought it was a cool ritual.

We point it out to every recruit and parent.”

The tradition started under associate athletic director Sara Lee, who coached Big Red basketball for 33 years. After the locker room was renovated and expanded in the 2010s, players lobbied the coach for a disco ball. Lee recalls buying one for about $50. Workers from Facilities Services mounted it.

“The disco ball just added to the locker room vibe, and it made people smile,” Lee says.

The pre-game dances, which also occur at road games sans disco ball, foster an atmosphere of unity and acceptance. Nobody expects teammates to move like Beyonce or Charli D’Amelio when they step to the middle of the circle. It’s a judgment-free zone.

Some players are less inhibited than others.

Abigail Westmeyer ’25 and Anelly Mad-toingue ’28 probably could match Taylor Swift step for step.

The Big Red doesn’t have a designated team DJ, but Cooch, who’s often the first player in the locker room on game nights and likes to connect her phone to the sound system, seldom disappoints with her bumping beats.

Cooch says there’s no set playlist, and requests are welcome. The one song that rarely falls out of the rotation is “Calabria 2008” by Enur.

“Abby is very good,” Fisher says. “She knows which songs people like and which songs get the energy up. You’ll see her smirk right before she hits play on the next song, and then everyone starts cheering.”

Unlike Big Red football players, who touch the Woody Hayes rock before games, it’s a Denison Few students on campus know about the tradition not visible to fans. Even the coaches “I’m very awkward when it comes to dancing,” tradition, but tales of game-night dance parties exit the locker room before the house lights dim, guard Sydney Wood ’25 says. “But I’ve come to are spreading around the North Coast Athletic the mirrored orb spins, and the sounds of Soulja embrace the disco ball. Everyone cheers for each Conference.

Boy’s “Crank That” echo down the hall. other and we take advantage of those moments “I have a friend at Depauw University,” Wood together to get hyped before the game.”

“I was kind of amazed when I learned about it,” says. “When I was committing to Denison, she says coach Maureen Hirt, in her third year at said, ‘I’ve heard you got a disco ball there.’”

Denison. “I’ve never heard of a disco ball in a DENISON MAGAZINE

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40 years of celebrating excellence

SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1985 UNDER PRESIDENT ANDREW DEROCCO, DENISON HAS SET A SPECIAL HOUR OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO HONOR STUDENT AND FACULTY ACHIEVEMENT. It’s standing room only in Swasey Chapel as faculty in regalia and members of the Board of Trustees and Advisory Council process, followed by hordes of students swarming the pews in anticipation of the surprises to come.

Everyone looks forward to learning who will be the winners of the Teaching Excellence Awards and President’s Medals, which recognize academic achievement, in addition to “some combination of the following: service to the community, contribution to the arts, enlargement of the community’s global perspective, athletic fitness and achievement, leadership ability and contribution to community discourse.”

BY GINNY SHARKEY

During the convocation, President Adam Weinberg noted two members of the inaugural class of President’s Medalists were represented that day: Lee Sachs ’85, chair of the Board of Trustees, and Provost Kim Coplin ’85.

PHOTOS BY: Brooke LaValley

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Noah Chartier ’25 (below), is one of 10 President’s Medalists this year, in part for his contributions “to the learning environment … and lowering people’s inhibitions to the point that no one feels strange in their nerdiest, most academically authentic selves.” He’s also the son of President’s Medalist Tanya Harmon Chartier ‘93, and a third-generation Denisonian.

Associate Professor of Languages Hanada Al-Masri received the Brickman Teaching Excellence Award “For her inventive integration of leading-edge technology into her instruction, her creative infusion of cultural studies into linguistic skill development, and her leadership.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS YEAR’S AWARD CEREMONIES AND SEE THE FULL FLICKR ALBUM

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ClassNotes 1960s

1960 June Miller White, of Clearwater, Florida, retired from teaching mathematics at St. Petersburg College.

1964 Bob Jeanne, of Madison, Wisconsin, retired f rom teaching entomolog y at t he Universit y of Wisconsin–Madison.

YOUR CLASSMATES WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! EMAIL

classnotes@denison.edu

“We laughed, cried, cringed at some (okay, a lot) of our behaviors, raised a toast to so many of our classmates...”

1966 David Lindemer, of Venice, Florida, worked 15 years in HR management with two national companies, after serving in the U.S. Army and earning his MBA. He then established a management search firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan, retiring in 2008. David writes, “After single-parenting two daughters for 22 years, I married Sue. We relocated to Venice, Florida, in 2022.”

1968 Sandy Rapp, of Boynton Beach, Florida, is a songwriter, activist, and author of God’s Country: A Case Against Theocracy, published by The Haworth Press in 1991. Her best known song is “Remember Rose: Song for Choice,” which features a guest vocal by the late Congresswoman Bella Abzug (D-NY), and recounts the first back-street abortion fatality of the 1977 Medicaid-Abortion cutoff. Rapp is also known for “Everyone Was At Stonewall” a gay history written for police sensitivity training, which won Stonewall Society’s Pride Song of 2004.

1970s

1971 Richard Bodorff, of Easton, Maryland, received the J. Howard Anthony Community Service Award from the Rotary Club of Easton, Maryland. It is the highest honor given by the club, which recognized him as “a man who has genuinely lived a life of ‘Service above Self.’” He was also selected to receive the Chairman’s Award from the Broadcasters Foundation of America in recognition of his contributions to the foundation and the broadcast industry. The award will be conferred in April in Las Vegas at the annual convention of the National Association of Broadcasters.

1972 Carol Dilts Balulescu, of Shirley, Massachusetts, writes that six members of the class of 1972 recently gathered in Pittsburgh for a long-overdue reunion. Becki Booher, Carol Dilts Balulescu, Louise Davis Teel, Andy McMakin Ray Smith, Sherry Wiltman Murray, and Susan Tucker Sabo spent five days in November reliving their junior year spent as suitemates in Shaw Hall. She writes, “We laughed, cried, cringed at some (okay, a lot) of our behaviors, raised a toast to so many of our classmates, and provided therapy to each other for past and current emotional and political traumas. We also listened to stories of multiple career changes (Becki), miles hiked on the Appalachian Trail (Andy), countless trips to Disney (Dilts), and shared photos of children and grandchildren, among other highlights of our lives since graduation.”

The friends agreed to get together monthly via Zoom and invited classmates to reach out if interested in joining.

“The time passed too quickly, and it was hard to say goodbye to the friends and memories.”

After reading an article in Denison Magazine about James Quarles, Bill Kemper, of Albany, Oregon, reached out to him to see if he would speak to the Academy for Lifelong Learning in Corvallis, Oregon. Quarles agreed and spoke in October. Kemper writes that this was the second class for the Academy of Lifelong Learning that he hosted due to reading an article in Denison Magazine. “Denison has played a significant role in my life: married to Marc Slaughter Kemper ’72 (53 years), son of Denison alumni, and many other connections.”

1974 Chris Cross, of Littleton, Colorado, published his first book, Beat the Drum for Justice, a historical fiction novel on racial injustice in America, reconstruction, postreconstruction, that takes place in Ohio.

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#DENISONPROUD ISSUE 1 2025

2 0 2 6 SAV E T H E DAT E J U N E 11–13 A 50th Reunion celebration for the Class of 1976

J U N E 12–14 Celebrating the Classes of

1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1986, 1997, 1996, 1995, 2001, 2016, and 2021

J U N E 13 –14 DENISON FOREVER an invitation for all members of post-50th classes to return to The Hill.

Additional exciting details to be shared later this summer!

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1980s

&

1983 Jim Henricks, of Mundelein, Illinois, and Craig Stillwagon, of Charleston, South Carolina, played golf at a Waterville Golf Links event in County Kerry, Ireland.

Jim writes, “Although we didn’t win the event, the club was depleted of most of the Guinness and Jameson they had on site.” Craig and Jim usually meet annually with Keith Turco, of Westchester, New York, and Dan Paro, of Bethesda, Maryland, each year to play golf and euchre, and laugh hard.

Class Notes 1974 -1986

In February, Jim Hartenstein, of Miami, writes that he and a group of Sigma Chi friends, including John Fergus ’74, Bill Lutz ’74, Phil Moshier ’74, Jay Tuke ’75, Geoff Eagleson ’74, Dave Tomick ’74, and Jim Hartenstein ’74 spent time together in Naples, Florida. They met at the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club for a great lunch and they all agreed to make it the venue for all future events.

1975 Ken Arlen, of Evanston, Illinois, and owner of Arlen Music Productions, was selected as a 2025 Chicago Titan 100 honoree and celebrated at a ceremony in Februar y. The Tita n 10 0 program recognizes Chicago’s Top 10 0 most accomplished business leaders in their industry, d e mon s t r at i n g e xc e pt ion a l leadership, vision, and passion.

1985 Rick Sheldon, of Shelton, Connecticut, reunited with Jim Shaler, Will Mann, and Tom McNeeley for a gentlemen’s weekend on Kelm Pond in Warrensburg, New York.

A portrait of Eric Brown, of Columbus, Ohio, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, was unveiled at a ceremony in February.

Former Gov. Ted Strickland was in attendance along with Eric’s family, including his wife and two daughters.

1978 David Rositano, of Lorain, Ohio, retired from his dental practice after 40 years of dentistry. David was recently inducted into the Lorain City Schools Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.

1979 Mike Boeschenstein, of Beachwood, Ohio, retired from Hines, Cleveland, Ohio.

Howard Fencl, of Rocky River, Ohio, writes that he’s finally following up on a 1978 J-Term project. He’s learning to read Middle Egyptian hieroglyphs, studying funerary texts under American Egyptologist Dr. Colleen Darnell.

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1986 Jim Shaler shared an update about the Lake Placid Summit Lacrosse Tournament in Lake Placid, New York, in August 2024. The tournament, founded 35 years ago, has featured Denison alumni teams for each of the last 34 years. “We had the good fortune to win the 45-plus championship this year, defeating a strong New Jersey team in the finals 7-6,” he wrote. Steve Garnett ‘97 played with a shredded quad. His son Booth (who was serving as a water boy, goalie warmer upper, and motivational

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fist pounder for the tourney) screamed from the sideline, “Pass the ball, DAD!” Amos Crowley ’94 fielded the ball just short of midfield with five seconds to go, and heaved the ball toward the goal as time expired, scoring on a 69-yard shot. Amos, Jim said, claims he called “upper left” as he delivered the winning shot.

1987 Dave Leonard, of West Hurley, New York, was hired to be the DJ at a wedding in the Hudson Valley mountains of Big Indian, New York, when one of the groomsmen noticed the Denison sticker in the back window of his truck and advised that the bride and groom had met at Denison. He writes, “Total shock to everyone and it set the tone for the rest of the wedding and it was a true celebration!”

1989 After 30 years away from acting, Sam Lunay, of Arnold, Maryland, decided to return to the profession and was recently featured on the cover of the winter 2025 edition of American Theatre Magazine for his work in Mosaic Theatre’s Eureka Day. Michael Tierney, of Berwyn, Pennsylvania, is CEO of Berwyn Group in Radnor, Pennsylvania.

1990s

1990 Cathy Crof t Schieffelin, of New Orleans, completed her debut novel, The Call, forthcoming from Atmosphere Press. The Call unfolds as both medical mystery and slow-burn romance, entwined in international intrigue and past trauma. Cathy’s short stories and micro-fiction have been published in Adanna Literary Journal, Halfway Down the Stairs, FNS Quarterly Newsletter, and Microfiction Monday Magazine.

1993 Elizabeth Clark Thasiah, of Ventura, California, celebrated her one-year anniversary as vice president of programs and grantmaking at the Santa Barbara Foundation, a community foundation that creates meaningful change for the California Central Coast region through inclusive collaboration, philanthropic advising, strategic grantmaking, and strengthening regional nonprofits. Each year the foundation provides approximately $30 million in grants.

1995 Megan Walrod, of Ubud, Bali, published her debut novel, It’s Always Been Me. Inspi red by Me ga n’s ow n jou r ne y and infused with magical realism and Celtic myth, the book explores reclaiming power from codependent relationships a n d e m br a c i n g o n e ’s truest, boldest self. “My mission,” she shares, “is to inspire women to break free from society’s expectations and prioritize their dreams.”

& Class Notes 1 987-1 998

1996 Amy Ard, of Atlanta, was selected as a 2024 Inspire Change Changemaker for her work at Motherhood Beyond Bars, a nonprofit she founded in 2018. The Inspire Change Changemaker Award recognizes an individual in each NFL team market making a difference in their community with their social justice work, either individually or as part of a community organization.

She represented the Atlanta Falcons at the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

1998 Rev. Dr. Colin Bossen, of First Unitarian Universalist Church in Houston, is the first and founding digital fellow at Harris Manchester College, Oxford University.

Shannon McCarthy, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, is the vice president of marketing for three businesses: Timberline Construction, Timberline Communications Inc., and Tenney Mountain Resor t, located in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

1994 Kristina White Phillips, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, provides bespoke interior design services to the tri-state area and beyond. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Veranda, Architectural Digest, and other publications. Her extensive travels and multinational upbringing influence all of her designs, and she credits Denison with her ability to effectively communicate and find a connection with her clients.

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& Class Notes 2 000 -2 010

2000s

2000 Tom Bridge, of Washington, D.C., was named chief technology officer of IMP Productions in Washington, D.C., owner of the 9:30 Club, Anthem, and Atlantis, and operator of Lincoln Theatre and Merriweather Post Pavilion. IMP is the preeminent independent concert promoter in the U.S., and operates venues recognized by Billboard, Rolling Stone, and Pollstar.

Joe Dumesnil, of Kailua, Hawaii, is managing director and partner at Overland Oil and Gas in Denver, Colorado.

Kurtz Miller, of Dayton, Ohio, is senior curriculum coordinator at Dayton Public Schools.

2003 After 15 years in college athletics external operations, Leslie Masterpaul has accepted the position of director of marketing and communications with Julie Billiart Schools in the Cleveland area.

Lauren Saks ‘10 was hired as fiddle player for Grammynominated country singer and former The Voice coach, Blake Shelton.

Blake Skogland, of Washington, D.C., was named director of the Office of Construction Standards and Guidance at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

2004 Vanessa Miller, of Portland, Oregon, writes that after 16 storied years at Wieden+Kennedy Portland, she’s accepted a role as managing director at Leo Burnett in Chicago. She joins fellow Denisonians and Leo executive team members Ashley Geisheker ’10 and Peter Loftus ’10.

Derek Mong, of West Lafayette, Indiana, has written a new poetry book, When the Earth Flies into the Sun, published by Saturnalia Books. Derek’s poems, essays, and translations have appeared in the LA Times, Boston Globe, Blackbird, Pleiades, and the New England Review.

He chairs the English department at Wabash College.

2005 Boa rd-cer t if ied nu rse pract it ioner Tina Andrews Parks, of Riverview, Florida, has launched a telemedicine women’s health practice in Florida and Ohio, specializing in hormone replacement therapy, in 2023. In collaboration with the Happy Hormone Cottage, Tina serves women of all ages, experiencing peri/menopause, menstrual irregularities, infertility, thyroid disorders, and more.

2006 Jessamyn Modrak Schindel, of Silver Spring, Maryland, writes that she and Liz Hollick O’Neill, played on the women’s lacrosse team at Denison and for the past three years have been teaching on the same fifth grade team together at The Key School in Annapolis, Maryland.

Lou Sorgi, of Beverly, Massachusetts, was promoted to partner at the international law firm, Proskauer.

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2008 Births: Mary Kidney and Chris Nelson, Glenview, Illinois, a daughter, Virginia Jane, Oct. 25, 2024.

Illustrator and author Jessie Kanelos Weiner, of Vincennes, France, has published a new book, Thinking in Watercolor: A Daily Practice to Unlock Your Creativity & Discover Your Inner Artist, with Artisan Books. It merges 30 days of watercolor techniques and how to adapt them to a reader’s personal experiences.

Amanda Styles, of Arlington, Tennessee, recently became the deputy sector commander for the U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Lower Mississippi, in Memphis, Tennessee.

As second in command she is the senior advisor of an operational unit conducting Coast Guard missions on 2,200 miles of inland waterways spanning six states and seven commercial ports.

2009 Jill Carr, of Oakland, California, writes that she and Ashley Hawn recently launched a mobile application for iOS, Labour the App, for couples who are or are trying to become pregnant. Labour is an app for both partners from planning through early postpartum, giving equal access to information, including calendars, content, checklists by phase, and curated products. Jill writes, “When my husband and I decided to become parents I realized that in a partnership where we are equal partners, the division of labor for conception and pregnancy was anything but. I noticed there wasn’t an easy way for partners to be involved in the process so Ashley and I set out to build something that shares the effort and excitement of becoming parents.”

Caiti Schroering, of Charlotte, North Carolina, has written a new book, Global Solidarities Against Water Grabbing: Without Water, We Have Nothing, published by Manchester University Press in September 2024.

2010s

2010 Births: K r ist y Barngrover Clear, of Columbus, Ohio, a boy, Rowan Joseph, Dec. 5, 2024.

Zach Huttie, of Louisville, Kentucky, is an admissions counselor at University of Louisville J.B. Speed School of Engineering.

Lauren Saks, of Madison, Tennessee, was hired as fiddle player for Grammy-nominated country singer and former The Voice coach, Blake Shelton. She also joined the band

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of former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, Adam Wainwright.

Lauren has recently performed at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, as well as on television shows Jimmy Kimmel Live and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

2017 Marriages: Katy Harmon-King and Matt Harmon ‘16, of Chicago, tied the knot on Sept. 22, 2024, in Asheville, North Carolina.

2011 Marriages: Becky Graebner, of Milwaukee, married fiancé, Greg Sitter, on April 5, 2025, at the Milwaukee Historical Society. Becky writes, “I look forward to bringing Greg to campus for the first time in June. I can’t wait to show him all the magical places around campus and Granville.”

& Class Notes 201 1 -2024

2014 Births: Jennifer Gore McCann, of Delaware, Ohio, writes that after a four-year infertility journey, her son, Myles, was born on Oct. 18, 2024.

2015 Marriages: Eric Evans and Jennifer Nguyen of Pittsburgh, tied the knot on June 15, 2024, in a ceremony on Cape Cod. Jenn and Eric celebrated with fourteen Denison alumni from four class years.

Chartae’ Anderson, of Baltimore, is senior instructional technologist at The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

2018 Jane Bright recently received her Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Arizona and is now a visiting assistant professor in physics at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.

2020s

2020 Nathaniel Beach, of Arlington, Virginia, is a counselor at Dezenhall Resources, specializing in public affairs, crisis communications, and political engagement.

Adriana Culotta, of Paris, France, is project coordinator at Sciences Po in France.

2016 Births: Stephanie A ntonetti Bailey and Edward Bailey ‘17, of Kailua, Hawaii, a girl, Caroline Genevieve, Oct. 17, 2024.

Lucy Itzkoff Smith and William Smith, of Royal Oak, Michigan, a daughter, Parker, Sept. 6, 2024.

Hannah Cain, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, graduated with a master’s degree in education policy and analysis at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and started a role as an associate consultant at a K-12 education consulting firm, District Management Group. Hannah works with public school districts across the U.S. to leverage different management techniques and education best practices to improve student outcomes.

Meghan Pearce and Will Lull ’17, are engaged. Meghan is the senior legislative assistant for international trade at Steptoe LLP, and Will is the manager of credit investments at HASI. DENISON MAGAZINE

2021 Benny Mandelbrot is an account strategist for Google in Chicago, Illinois.

Your classmates want to hear from you! classnotes@denison.edu

Writer and film director, Josh Poe, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, and his team premiered their first feature film, House of Tears, a horror film, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in front of a sold-out audience.

2024 Henry Gamble, of Wooster, Ohio, writes that he, Meredith Ehlers ’22, and Jacob Cropp ’23 are serving together as Peace Corps volunteers, teaching English in rural areas of Cambodia.

Sarah Wuellner, of Leesburg, Ohio, was accepted into the Disney College Program, working at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, from January to June 2025.

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Obituaries 1940

Janie Krieg Drake, 106, of Granville, Ohio, Oct. 13, 2024. In her 106 years, she lived a full life as a mother, grandmother, teacher, and active church and community volunteer. She was born in Newark, Ohio, and at Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She met her husband, Norman K. Drake, while he was in officer’s training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and she was attending Traphagan School of Design in New York City. They were married in 1942 and traveled across the country several times to places where Norman, a captain in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, was stationed during World War II. They had three children, and she served as a Brownie Scout leader and Cub Scout den mother. In Austin, Texas, she volunteered at the Westminster Presbyterian Church nursery. When the family moved to Granville, Ohio, she helped finance her children’s college educations by teaching kindergarten in the Granville school district.

She later attended Ohio State University and taught at the Starlight School for developmentally disabled children. After her retirement, she joined the board of what is now The Arc of Licking County. She hosted many Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas gatherings at her home on North Pearl Street, and her grandchildren loved days spent baking cookies, overnights in her guest room, and fun at her Hemlock Hollow log cabin. She received the Granville Rotary Club’s Service Above Self award in 1987 and was an active member of The First Presbyterian Church in Granville for over 60 years, where she sang in the choir, served as a deacon and an elder, led the church’s Presbyterian Women’s Circle, and co-chaired the church’s capital campaign when she was in her 80s.

She was one of the first residents to move into Kendal (now Otterbein) when it opened in 2004, where she knew every resident by name and served as resident council president in the community’s early days. She was preceded in death by her husband, Norman, and two brothers. She is survived by her daughter, Barbara Ziemann; sons, Laurence and Robert Drake; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

1944

Claire Thomassen Burkelman, 102, of Canfield, Ohio, Sept. 24, 2024. She lived a full 102 years. She ballooned over Africa, rafted New Zealand whitewater, swam a volcanic crater in Antarctica, and at age 73, camped in Tibet at 17,000 feet.

At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi and graduated with a focus in psychology and music. During a summer break from college, she supported the WWII

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effort by working in an aircraft factory. Upon graduation, she worked for the New York Telephone Co. and married Jack Prior, caring for their three sons after his death. She was an accomplished pianist and organist, sang in the chorale society, and played handbells in her church choir.

When her sons were young, she volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America as a Cub Scout pack leader. Later in life, she became a world traveler, visiting over 100 countries with a passion to learn as much as she could about their customs and people. She instilled this love of travel in her grandchildren, taking each of them on a trip of their choosing. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Jack W. Prior in 1965, Roy K. Wolke in 1973, and Charles Burkelman in 2012. She is survived by three sons, Thomas W. Prior, Donald H. Prior, and James E. Prior; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Bobbie Hayne Holaday, 102, of Phoenix, Jan. 25, 2025.

At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. Tai Shigaki, 102, of Evanston, Illinois, May 30, 2024. She was preceded in death by her husband, Spencer Parsons, and was a cherished friend to many.

1946

Ellen Kroehle Coy, 100, of Barrington, Illinois, Oct. 13, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She loved playing cards, working on puzzles, and sending handwritten notes on special occasions. She would cheer family wins with “hip, hip, hooray,” and answer “love you, Grandma,” with “love you more.” She was a talented artist who enjoyed painting, crafting, gardening, quilting, and photography. In her 80s, she and her companion, Bob Waltz, traveled in their RV, photographing nature. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Richard Coy; brothers, Tom and Vernon Kroehle; and son, James R. Coy, II. She is survived by her son, Dale L. Coy; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

1947

Ruth Harris Cassaday, 97, of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, May 17, 2023.

At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega. She was a respected and successful educator with the Mount Vernon City Schools for 40 years as a teacher, principal, school board member, and president. After retiring from education, she pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. She then tutored nursing students and worked with hospice. She enjoyed traveling, especially cruising, as well as entertaining; homegrown tomatoes; and activities at the Smyrna Yacht Club. She was an avid player of bridge and canasta. She was a member of the Mount Vernon Country Club, a charter member of Town and Country Garden Club, Delta Kappa Gamma, Hospice of Knox County and First Presbyterian Church. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Bill Wiley and Charles Cassaday; son, Dave Wiley; sisters, Ann Wilson

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and Marjorie Miller; brother, Don Harris; and special friend, Walter Sapp. She is survived by her children, Ann Busick, Bob, and Don; a sister, Marilyn Parker; 11 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.

1948

Barbara Brown Fox, 98, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Jan. 15, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta and met her husband, Ralph Fox ’48. They travelled the world, visiting 138 countries. She was an avid player of tennis and bridge, winning several trophies playing duplicate.

She was a member of the Lauderdale Yacht Club and the P.E.O. Sisterhood. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Fox; son, David Fox; and sister, Alice Taylor. She is survived by her children, Marcia Cason and Kent Fox; sister, Cathy Smith; three grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Margery Lawrence Hetherington, 98, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, Dec. 22, 2024. She grew up in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago and as a girl loved spending time at her family’s vacation cabin on the family farm near Sycamore, Illinois. As a teen during WWII, she volunteered at the USO to help entertain the troops who were stationed in Chicago. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She worked as a fifth-grade teacher for the Arlington Heights school system and treated her students to an annual bus field trip to the Lawrence family farm. She met and married John Hetherington, who came from a family of renowned designers from her childhood neighborhood. They had three children and instilled in them a love of the arts. She also cherished ice skating, sailing, and skiing, not just for recreation and exercise but as another opportunity to engage with family and friends. She volunteered in communities around the region, leading story hour at the Clarendon Hills Public Library and weaving on a loom at the Graue Mill Museum. She was an active member of the local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter and the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Hetherington, and a sister, Betsy Sherman. She is survived by her children, Robin Finlay, John Hetherington, and Laurel Wimpffen;

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Janet Freeman PRO FE S S O R E M E R ITA gisela goppel

Arthur Wilson, 97, of Munroe Falls, Ohio, Jan. 4, 2023.

He was an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was an engineer and vice president of the Spohn Corp. for more than 38 years. He served on many industry boards in the Akron area, was a member of First United Methodist Church in Cuyahoga Falls and Masonic Lodge #680. He was preceded in death by wife, Betty; daughter, Sandra Lambacher; and his twin sister, Betty Jo Ryan. He is survived by his children, Susan McCausland, Jennie Lambacher, James Wilson, and Allen Lambacher; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

I N MEMO RIAM

Professor Emerita Janet Freeman, whose love of teaching and admiration for the arts were constants in her life, died Feb. 19, 2025, at 96.

Freeman served as chair of the English department and taught Victorianera literature for 15 years until she retired from Denison in 1995. A theater maven who enjoyed a good plot twist, Freeman treated family and friends to surprising second and third career acts.

After retirement, she moved to Iowa and spent 25 more years in the classroom, educating students at a community college and later at a private elementary school. Into her 90s, Freeman even taught English courses at an Iowa City public library.

“It goes to show you how much she loved literature and teaching,” Denison English professor emerita Sandy Runzo says. “She was a wonderful professor with so much enthusiasm. Janet was always intellectually and socially active.”

Freeman opened her home to Denison faculty members, hosting numerous potluck dinners. English professor Fred Porcheddu-Engel ’87 recalls the joy of spending time at Freeman’s house with colleagues.

“These were real potlucks, mind you, with real random chance on the dishes,” he says. “Only a closely knit department can survive the party foul of three different pasta salads. The tables always groaned bountifully, and the liquor flowed, and the stories unrolled.”

When Porcheddu-Engel was diagnosed HIV positive in 1993, it was Freeman who helped navigate the fear and uncertainty. They went on long walks together and she shared her stories as a breast cancer survivor.

“She told me not to disconnect from people as a coping mechanism for knowledge of mortality,” Porcheddu-Engel recalls.

Sweater vests and long skirts were Freeman’s favorite teaching garb. She was feisty, determined, and possessed a wry wit. She cherished her time at Denison, after also teaching at Grinnell College and Cornell College in Iowa.

Her daughter, professor Emily Freeman Brown, a conductor and director of orchestral activities at Bowling Green State University, remembers Freeman encouraging her four girls to appreciate nature and education, although not in that order. She and her husband, Merle Brown, who also taught English at Denison, raised two future professors, an attorney, and a psychiatrist.

Freeman conducted seminars on Charlotte Brontë, and her scholarly work addressed the perception of 19th-century novels by modern readers.

She was a bonafide Anglophile, accompanying faculty members and students on many trips to England. Her idea of bliss was a week spent attending theater productions in London.

On campus, she was a passionate supporter of the Vail Series and all artistic endeavors.

“Janet pretty much went to every Denison production,” Runzo says. “She would say many of the shows were as good as the professional productions she saw.”

– TOM REED

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& Obituaries 1949 –1951

two grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a sister, Alice Lund; brother, Larry; and many nieces and nephews.

1949

Marilyn Wicks Contrada 97, of Mill Creek, Washington, Oct. 17, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. Early in her career, she taught middle school in the Chicago Public Schools. She continued in various educational roles throughout her life. She adored cats and was particularly fond of chatty Siamese. She even penned a short story about one of her favorites. She spent most of her life in Toledo, where she raised three children, but upon moving to Naples, Florida, took wholeheartedly to walking its beautiful beaches. She is survived by two sons and two grandchildren.

Jean Myers McNeil, 97, of Scottsdale, Arizona, Dec. 4, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi and met her husband, Frederic W. McNeil ’49. He became a pastor, and she served alongside him at churches in Michigan, New York, and Indiana. They retired to Traverse City, Michigan, and both loved the lakes of northern Michigan and upstate New York. But she never lost her love for her hometown Detroit. She rooted for the Tigers and Pistons and always kept up to date on her city’s latest news. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frederic McNeil, and her daughter, Mary Lynne Haglund. She is survived by her children, Kathleen Strausburg, Scott McNeil, Joan Cordle, and Janice Gillespie; 12 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Mary Lou Wood Ricker, 97, of Brownsburg, Indiana, Jan. 5, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma.

After graduation, she received her master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University, then began teaching in the campus school at the State University of New York Oswego. She was married to Warren J. Ricker for more than 50 years. They lived in Fanwood, New Jersey, for 18 years before relocating to Lighthouse Point, Florida, for the next 40. She served as senior warden at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, on the executive board for the Southeast Diocese of Florida, Stephens Ministry, and diocesan president of the Episcopal Church Women, an organization representing some 80 parishes. She was an avid needlepointer, bridge player, and world traveler. She was preceded in death by her husband, Warren Ricker.

She is survived by sons, Thomas and Peter Ricker, and six grandchildren.

Taffy Valassis, 97, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Oct. 31, 2024. She was born in Athens, Greece, and moved to Elyria, Ohio. After college she worked for her father at the Blue Bird Restaurant in Elyria, followed by several years of employment at various Elyria banks. She moved to Denver in 1958 and was employed by Frontier Airlines.

Her Greek cookies were met with high demand at

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Christmas. She traveled the world with friends and, later in life, with her beloved companion of almost 40 years, Frank Sims. He preceded her in death, as did brothers, Ted and Tom Valassis; and sister, Lula Polezoes. She is survived by many nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Sara Brown Witt, 97, of Hilliard, Ohio, Sept. 10, 2024.

Born at home on the family farm outside Mechanicsburg, she was the daughter of the late John T. Brown, an Ohio lieutenant governor and director of agriculture, and Mary F. Brown, the director of nurses at the Ohio Sanitarium.

At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi. Her early passions included basketball and softball, the violin, and summers at the Ohio State Fair. She became a nurse and carried this care for others into all aspects of her life by baking them pecan pies, writing personal letters, hosting overnight guests, and visiting shut-ins. She was preceded in death by her husband of 39 years, Dale V. Witt, and her sister, Margaret Lois Brown Maier. She is survived by four children, Gregory, David, Randall, and Brent; 18 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

1950

Barb Sivey Brown, 95, of Utica, Michigan, Dec. 2, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. After raising her children, she completed her master’s degree at the University of Michigan. She was a reference librarian for many years and later a board member for the Clinton Macomb Public Library. She was preceded in death by her husband of 73 years, Leland Brown ‘50. She is survived by four children and six grandchildren.

Barbara Zeller Hadden, 96, of Cincinnati, Dec. 23, 2024. At Denison, she studied theater alongside Hal Holbrook ’48. She moved to Cincinnati in 1951 and worked in sales at RCA, where she met her husband, Alfred Fritz. She later worked at Woodward High School and became a race relations volunteer in North Avondale and Paddock Hills. In 1974, she took a position at the Hamilton County Health Department. She went to Washington, D.C., and lobbied to override the president’s veto of the children’s nutrition bill.

She stayed to see the bill pass, providing funding for the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutritional program. For guiding the Hamilton County WIC program to success, Cincinnati City Mayor Roxanne Qualls declared Friday, October 7, 1994, “Barbara Hadden Day.” She married Richard R. Hadden in 1983 and served as sidekick in his career aspirations, including Not Your Mothers Gourmet Foods, LLC., Babbaricci Chocolatier & Cafe, and Hadden Personal Chef Gourmet Service. The couple loved to host and entertain. She was a committed church volunteer and affectionately known as the “Matron Saint of St. John’s” by her church members. She was preceded in death by her son, Phillip S. Fritz; and her husband, Richard R.

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Hadden. She is survived by her son, David Fritz; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; stepdaughters, Alex Hadden-Boyd and Louise Hadden; stepson, Jeremy Hadden; and many other loving family members.

Joseph Marks, 94, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, May 23, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of the American Commons Club. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ramonda June Marks.

Betty Jo McGuire McKinney, 95, of Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 20, 2024. At Denison, she majored in English, minored in drama, belonged to Delta Delta Delta, and met the love of her life, James A. McKinney ’50. Together, they raised three children. Sailing was a passion for both, and they shared many years plying the unpredictable waters of Lake Erie and the oceans off Vero Beach, Florida, the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, and the San Juan Islands of Washington State. She was a fierce tennis competitor at Scioto Country Club and later at the Moorings Yacht Club when they moved to Florida for 25 years. The family went snow skiing in Michigan, Colorado, and Utah, and water skiing on the Scioto River and Lake Erie. She loved to write poems to commemorate many of her family’s and friends’ adventures. She was preceded in death by her husband; and her brother, Donald McGuire. She is survived by her children, Chris McKinney, Jim McKinney, and Cyndy McKinney Diolazo; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Ginnie Marlow Miller, 93, of Bernville, Pennsylvania, Oct. 16, 2022. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She enjoyed singing in her church choirs.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 42 years, Robert H. Miller; and siblings, Jeannette Marlow ’43 and Neil Marlow. She is survived by her three children, Nancy H. Fisher, Kristin Del Sordo, and Robert A. Miller; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Lloyd “Sam” Robinson, 98, of Arcata, California, Dec. 13, 2024. He was an excellent student and a standout athlete at Bellaire High School in Ohio, where he captained the Bellaire Big Reds football team and earned the nickname “Crazy Legs.” He also ran track, including sprints, relays, and hurdles. At a track meet during his sophomore year, Olympic legend Jesse Owens praised his running abilities, a memory he cherished throughout his life. After graduating high school in 1944, he served in the U.S. Army infantry during World War II. He fought in Germany and was assigned to a machine gun squad that advanced rapidly to cut off enemy forces. In April 1944, he was wounded in action and was awarded the Purple Heart. Following the war, he enrolled at Denison. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi, edited the campus literary magazine, and was recognized for his contributions to journalism DENISON MAGAZINE

and writing. He worked for DuPont, Hallmark Cards, and Allstate Insurance, where he stayed for 37 years in Menlo Park, California. He volunteered at the Stanford Blood Bank, the VA hospital in Palo Alto, and the local police department. With his wife, Joan, he traveled to all the continents except Antarctica. He read voraciously, mowed his lawn, and walked daily well into his late 90s.

He is survived by his wife, Joan Robinson; his children, Breck and Amy; and three grandchildren.

1951

David Hart, 97, of Laconia, New Hampshire, Dec. 9, 2024. He served in the U.S. Army from 1946 to 1947 and then went on to Denison, where he was a member of the American Commons Club and met his future wife, Lee Sharp ’50.

He earned a master’s degree in education from Columbia University. He taught history and social studies in the public schools of Sherburne, New York, and West Hartford, Connecticut, before becoming a reinsurance underwriter and manager with the Travelers Insurance Co. in Hartford. For 29 years, he organized a crew of bakers who produced over 400 loaves of cheddar cheese bread for his church’s annual fall craft fair. He and his boys were avid hikers, and he continued to hike and backpack solo in New Hampshire and Maine into his 70s. In 1997, he and his wife became permanent residents of the Taylor Community in Laconia, he spent 10 years researching and writing the history of the community to honor its 100th anniversary. He was preceded in death by his wife. He is survived by his son, Bruce; daughter, Carol Hart; son, Edward; honorary son, Ron Brown; two granddaughters; and one great-grandchild.

Dick Keitz, 95, of Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 30, 2025. He was captain of his high school football team and went on to play for the Big Red under a young coach named Woody Hayes. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi. After Denison, he worked for 40 years in the claims division of Nationwide Insurance Co. He served as president of the Columbus Claims Club. He was a perpetual student of history and loved reading and strategic card games. He was a prolific golfer who made a hole-in-one at age 88. He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Shirley Jane Thomas Keitz; son, Dale; daughter, Nan; and four grandchildren.

Mary Langan Snowden, 95, of Quincy, Illinois, Jan. 23, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi and earned her degree in mathematics. She earned her master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois, and went on to teach math at Quincy Senior High School and Quincy College before working as an office manager at Roy Bennett Furniture for more than 40 years. She married Howard Snowden in 1952. She was an avid golfer and league bowler, and a big fan of Illini and Chicago sports, especially the Cubs. She often visited her son, Sam, in Chicago, where they enjoyed DENISONMAGAZINE.COM

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& Obituaries 1952–1953

attending opera performances and Cubs games in equal measure. She was preceded in death by a son, James Snowden. She is survived by her son, Sam Snowden; and her sister, Janet Langan.

Dorry Heller Thomson, 95, of Spokane, Washington, Nov. 21, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi.

1952

Ken Clarke, 94, of Lancaster, Ohio, July 28, 2023. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Sue Foltz Dickes, 93, of Marathon, Florida, Sept. 6, 2024.

At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

She married Tom R. Dickes on June 28, 1952. He preceded her in death in 2020. She always wore her hair in a classic bun and looked stunning in hats; both became her trademarks. She was active in a range of community groups and in the family business, Christy-Foltz, Inc., for many years as an officer and director. She was always at the side

IN MEMOR I A M

gisela goppel

Donald L. Bryant Jr., ’64 CH A M P I O N OF THE ARTS

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One art history class helped change the life of Donald L. Bryant Jr., ’64 — ­ and by extension the life of Denison’s thriving Arts Quad.

While Bryant majored in economics and founded a successful wealth management firm, the class sparked a passion to support art and he became one of the world’s top collectors. When his alma mater was searching for a lead donor to renovate and expand Cleveland Hall, transforming it into a vibrant home for art programs, Bryant stepped forward.

The generous benefactor, who fought back tears at the dedication of the Bryant Arts Center, died March 1, 2025, at 82.

“Philanthropy is such an important part of being an American,” Bryant said at the 2009 dedication.

“I appreciate the opportunity to be involved here at Denison to make a small difference.”

After graduating from Denison, Bryant earned a law degree at Washington University and, in 1967, started the St. Louis-based Bryant Group. He raised three children, Derek, Christina, and Justin.

Bryant was an excellent golfer and his love of wine led him to found the Bryant Family Vineyard in Napa Valley, California. But in addition to his family and work, his appreciation for art helped shape his life. He served as a trustee for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London and the St. Louis Art Museum.

In 1993, he took a yearlong sabbatical, moving his family to London, where he studied privately with a consultant from Tate Gallery. His 4,000-square-foot

of her husband, Tom R. Dickes. They traveled Alaska by motorhome and the world by boat, a trip of more than 33,000 nautical miles. She documented these and other adventures in handwritten journals. She was preceded in death by her husband, Tom R. Dickes. She is survived by a son, Geoff Dickes; daughter, Kim Dickes Kenney ’80; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Ellie Haider Miller, 93, of Winchester, Virginia, Dec. 20, 2024. Some of her happiest youthful memories were summers spent on Cape Cod, where she worked at a hotel and savored nights with friends at Sad Sack’s Snack Shack. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega.

She married West Point graduate Lt. Eugene Soja, and they spent three years in postwar Germany. She would recall the constant blaring of fog horns on the return trip to the United States, fog that would lead to the sinking of the luxury liner Andrea Doria that same month in 1956. The couple divorced 20 years later, and in 1978 she married Stauffer Miller, a West Virginia veterinarian

duplex in New York doubled as an art museum in which Bryant and his wife Bettina, a performing artist, film producer and art curator, entertained guests.

After purchasing the New York home, he asked acclaimed architect John H. Beyer ’54 to renovate the property to showcase his collection. The Denison duo combined again to make the Bryant Art Center a reality.

“John said your department respects the past, but has an eye to the future,” recalled Ron Abram, a professor of visual arts and queer studies. “We want to design a building that reflects that.”

Abram, who served as visual arts chair at the time, developed a friendship with Bryant. When professors took art students to New York, Bryant occasionally invited them to his home to tour his priceless collection.

The professor was thrilled to hear Bryant’s vision for the campus art center, which includes studios for painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking and photography.

Julie Houpt, vice president emerita for Institutional Advancement, said Bryant was excited to nurture the talents of aspiring Denison artists.

In 2014, he received an alumni citation, the highest honor the college bestows on its graduates.

“Don’s vision and generosity sparked the revitalization of the Fine Arts Campus and will impact Denisonians for generations to come,” Houpt said.

– TOM REED

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who shared her affinity for birds. She wrote a weekly bird column, “As the Crow Flies,” for local newspapers and traveled the world with Miller to see birds. She was a lifelong educator, teaching math and English at a private girl’s academy for many years. After earning a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from West Virginia University, she founded The Banner School, a private school in Frederick, Maryland. After retiring from The Banner School, she founded Sage Education Enterprises as a vehicle for publishing books and information on education. She is survived by her husband, Stauffer Miller, and three children, Michael, Constance ’77, and Thomas.

Christine Parker, 93, of Flushing, New York, Jan. 31, 2025. Born in Vienna, Austria, her family, fearing Nazi persecution, moved to New York in 1938. After college, she traveled overseas and worked for Radio Free Europe.

She met her husband, Dean Ammer, while playing cards.

She raised a family while also beginning a career as a writer. Over five decades, she authored three dozen reference books and served as a National Writers’ Union representative. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dean Ammer. She is survived by her daughter, Karen Ammer; her son, John Ammer; her grandchildren; and extended family.

Betty Kurtz Saunders, 93, of Glenview, Illinois, Aug. 30, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma.

The daughter of an agronomist and a local radio singer in upstate New York, she was ever their child, a blend of measured deliberation, discipline, quick wit, and whimsy. She survived polio at a young age and went on to become an accomplished athlete in water ballet, tennis, and field hockey. She married and raised a family in Racine, Wisconsin, for many years before moving to Mercer Island, Washington. She was active in her community wherever she went. The extended family gatherings on Sanibel Island, Florida, were among her most cherished memories. She was an avid tennis player into her 70s, played bridge and excelled at needlepoint well into her 80s, and read voraciously right until the end of her life. She loved the Northwoods of Wisconsin, a good cookie, and a nice crisp glass of chardonnay. She wrote the best cards for all occasions and never forgot to call you on your birthday. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard “Dick” Saunders. She is survived by her children, Laura Saunders Bernhardt and Patricia Saunders Garfield; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

George VanDyne, 95, of Sun City Center, Florida, of Oct. 4, 2024.

George Weber, 94, of Culver, Oregon, Dec. 6, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. From a Denison family, he was the son of Spencer Weber ’17; the nephew DENISON MAGAZINE

of Elizabeth Weber ’23 and Herschel H. Bowyer ’20; the brother of William S. Weber ’49; and cousin of four other Denisonians.

1953

John Grant, 94, of Peru, New York, Oct. 30, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Delta Upsilon. After college he served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955, then embarked on a career as an insurance sales representative for Blue Cross and Blue Shield. He was passionate about restoring and building wooden boats, sailboat racing on Lake Champlain, skiing, golfing, and fishing. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Nancy Paine Grant, the mother of his children; and his second wife, Dorothy Larabee Grant.

He is survived by his children, Susan Kirdahy and John Grant; his stepchildren, Maura Ryan and Andy Ryan; four grandchildren; and a step-grandson.

George Heaton, 92, of Phoenix, May 4, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. Bill Isaly, 93, of Palm Harbor, Florida, Feb. 3, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. John Halisey “Spike” Kennedy, 94, of Portland, Oregon, Nov. 5, 2024. The son of a local doctor, he developed his lifelong passion for trains while growing up in Newark, Ohio. He was a graduate of Deerfield Academy. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and met the love of his life, Barbara June Spiegel ’54. He graduated from Ohio State University’s College of Medicine, where he earned two medical degrees, in internal medicine and physical and rehabilitative medicine. In 1970, he relocated his young family from Ohio to Portland, Oregon, to head the newly created Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon (RIO) at Good Samaritan Hospital, an epic, cross-country trip in the family station wagon that is still talked about by the Kennedy children. In Oregon they converted a historic barn into a cherished family home. Kennedy established one of the nation’s first centers dedicated to advancing patient care and recovery. His love for locomotives started in childhood when he began collecting Lionel trains. In Ohio, he traveled by private railcar with friends and family to attend Ohio State vs. Michigan football games. His hobby took him around the world. He achieved his lifelong dream of traveling on every passenger rail line in North America and on the Orient Express. He always wore his train pin hat and suspenders and often shared these adventures with his grandchildren. He set up his Lionel trains every Christmas, and as the years passed, he dedicated an entire room in the family’s Portland home to his extensive train collection. He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara; brother, William Jr. ’47, and sister, Barcy. He is survived by children, J. Halisey “Hal” Kennedy III, Lori Kennedy, Sean Kennedy, and Tara Kennedy Barton; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

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& Obituaries 1953–1955

Florida Fisher Parker ’53 was a member of the Shepardson Club and was one of the first Black female graduates at Denison.

Florida Fisher Parker, 93, of Olney, Maryland, Feb. 11, 2025. She was named for her paternal grandmother, Florida Neely Fisher, who was born into slavery in 1860.

Her father, a minister, and her mother, a teacher at Virginia Union University, instilled in her a drive for education with excellence. She was a member of the Shepardson Club and was one of the first Black female graduates at Denison. The Florida Fisher Scholarship, awarded to a Black female student in the top 3% of her class, was established in her honor. It was later expanded to become the Hla/Fisher Scholarship. After college, she returned to Durham, North Carolina, to begin a career in teaching. She was the editor of the Durham Classroom Teachers Association newsletter and served in a number of roles at White Rock Baptist Church, even filling in when needed at the piano or organ. In one of Durham’s largest weddings at White Rock Baptist Church, she and U.S. Army Capt. Herbert Gerald Parker were married in front of over 2,000 guests. The couple had two daughters, Christie Lynne and Patricia Ann, who lived only one day. The family was stationed across the U.S. and around the world, including at Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; and Taipei, Taiwan. While Capt. Parker served as the military attaché to Chiang Kei-Shek, the general who led the Republic of China from 1928 until his death in 1975, his wife taught at the Taipei American School in Tien Mu. Back in Greensboro, North Carolina, during her husband’s tenure as professor of military science at North Carolina A&T University, she was the first Black teacher at the newly built Mendenhall Junior High School. While stationed at Fort Gordon, she and her husband started their over 50-year tradition of attending the Masters golf tournament every April. She was an accomplished baker, specializing in rum cakes and doll cakes for brides to be, photography, and genealogy. When she learned that her husband’s side of the family included noted historian and minister Miles Mark Fisher, she started her journey of genealogical discovery. She traced her maternal lineage back eight generations to the Sultan and Sultaness of Morocco. At every family gathering, she typically could be found with a notebook collecting updated family details. She was preceded in death by her husband, Col. (Ret.) Herbert Gerald Parker; her daughter, Patricia Ann Parker, and grandson, Matthew Warren Smith. She is survived by her daughter, Christie Parker Smith; brothers, Dr. Miles Mark Fisher, IV, and Christopher Tennant Fisher; and a host of nieces and nephews.

1954

Nancy Eshelman Brickman, 92, of Scottsdale, Arizona, Feb. 7, 2025.

Born in Circleville, Ohio, she retained a fondness for her smalltown roots and the culture of farming communities. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta at Denison, and she made lifelong friends through the sorority and many campus activities, including student

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government. It was through student government that she met the love of her life and her partner of 70 years, Charles Brickman ’54. They raised their family of four in the Chicago suburbs and have remained loyal and generous stewards of Denison through the years. She was a leader in the redesign and beautification of the interior public spaces of Monomoy Place, the former home of Denison’s presidents. She served many other charitable endeavors, co-authoring a cookbook to raise money for the local health center and volunteering at an arboretum.

She spent summers in northern Michigan, and one of her greatest passions and legacies was raising money to protect and preserve the unique dunes and grasslands along Lake Michigan as a founding board member of the Grand Traverse Land Conservancy. She was preceded in death by her younger sister, Sally Baird ’57, and younger brother, John Eshelman ’61. She is survived by her husband, Denison life trustee Chuck Brickman ’54; her children, Bradley Brickman ’78, Denison trustee Daniel Brickman ’80, Lizanne Phalen ’82, and Andrew Brickman; 11 grandchildren, three of whom attended Denison; and one great-grandchild.

Dorothy Davidson Foulds, 92, of Mill Valley, California, Sept. 17, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She taught elementary school for Saginaw Public Schools for many years, retiring in 1995. She enjoyed playing weekly bridge games with lifelong friends.

Some of her fondest memories were of spending time in northern Michigan and with her family, especially her grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard A. Foulds. She is survived by her children, Leslie Miekley and Kurt Foulds; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Tim Healy, 93, of Girard, Pennsylvania, Dec. 9, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Kappa Sigma. He joined the U.S. Air Force, studied Russian for a year at the Army Language School, and spent 18 months in Turkey. He was active at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Fairview, Pennsylvania, as a lector, eucharistic minister, and acolyte for morning mass and funerals. He was involved with the Irish Cultural Society of Erie from its inception, and when it came to sports, he was, of course, all about the University of Notre Dame. He tried to make a football game there every year, and he loved attending the pep rallies and listening to the marching band perform on the steps of Bond Hall. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Sue Healy; sister, Jean Ann Thorton; and brother Michael T. Healy. He is survived by his son, Patrick T. Healy; daughter, Kathleen McGarrey; three grandchildren; and extended family and friends.

Joyce Staley Newcomb, 92, of Charlotte, North Carolina, Jan. 26, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She spent most of her life in the Oakwood

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suburb of Dayton, Ohio. In 1998, she married the love of her life, William Newcomb, and they were blessed with 17 years together at the end of their lives. She was a committed teacher and active member of the community in organizations that benefited children and women. She summered at her family’s cottage on White Lake at Sylvan Beach, Michigan; her favorite bumper sticker read, “If Heaven isn’t like White Lake, I’m not going.” She was preceded in death by her husband, William Newcomb.

She is survived by her brother, Robert Staley; sons, Kirk Jeffery and Eric Nichols; daughters, Julia Jeffery Lund and Jennifer Nichols Day; seven grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and one great-great granddaughter.

Bill Ryno, 92, of Glenview, Illinois, Oct. 30, 2024. At Denison, he played baseball and was a member of Beta Theta Pi. He was an Eagle Scout as a youth and a scoutmaster as an adult. He worked in life insurance, eventually merging his business with several other life insurance brokerage agencies and selling to a national firm. As president of the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Life Underwriters, he ran an annual charity fundraiser called Hike for Hearts that raised over $250,000 for the Chicago Heart Association. He was active in civic affairs, coaching Little League baseball, youth hockey, and basketball.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, Kimberlee. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughter, Karole; stepson, Nicholas Stell ’01; many grandchildren; and other relatives.

Dorothy Dennett Speidel, 92, of Evanston, Illinois, Dec. 26, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega and met her future husband, Richard Speidel ’54. They married in 1954. After she raised their two children, she became determined to work in higher education. She worked as an administrative officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later, after moving home to Evanston, in development at both DePaul University and Northwestern University. She retired from NU as the deputy director of planned and major gifts. She remained active with Denison, first as chair of national planned giving and then as 50th reunion gift co-chair. She spent 15 years on the board of The Hadley School for the Blind in Winnetka, Illinois, and in 2008, the Chicago Council on Planned Giving honored her with the Russell V. Kohr Award as a respected leader in her field. In 2010, she was presented the Benjamin Franklin Award from the Chicago Association of Fundraising Professionals, recognizing her as a philanthropic community role model. She served as a docent at Northwestern’s Block Museum of Art and was active with the League of Women Voters. Her second marriage was to Irving Diamond in 1989, and she loved traveling to Italy with him to see her step-grandchildren. The couple also toured the southwestern U.S., Europe, Turkey, China, and Egypt. She is survived by her daughter, RaeAnn Speidel; son, Scott Speidel ’86; three grandchildren; and many nephews, step-grandchildren, and extended family.

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1955

Rosemary Coates Crawford, 91, of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Sept. 6, 2024.

At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dick Crawford, and brother, David Coates. She is survived by her children, Jill Nelson, David Crawford, and Robert Crawford; four grandchildren; and three nieces.

Jim Degnan, 91, of Plano, Texas, Jan. 25, 2025. He was a consummate gentleman, businessman, veteran, jazz pianist, pilot, and penny-pincher. He was a sailor, barbershop singer, world traveler, civic volunteer, Irish reveler, cyclist, runner, short-cut handyman, and cancer survivor. He lived his life all-out. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. A year after graduation, he was drafted by the U.S. Army and while his troop ship was enroute to Germany, he formed a performance troupe to entertain those onboard. Thanks to the inf luence of a general’s daughter, who was a passenger, his military assignment as a radio operator was significantly redirected. Though he reported to his station in Würzburg, Germany, he spent most of his military service performing at Army bases across Europe with the members of his troupe. He began his career at RCA and Bendix corporations following his Army service. He eventually became an independent manufacturer’s representative for the budding semiconductor chip industry, carrying lines of clean room equipment. Inspired by his uncle, Paul Berno, who gave him his first private plane ride in 1955, he decided to become an airplane pilot and licensed instructor. He served on the City of Dallas Board of Adjustments and held a board position at the Dallas Arboretum. He was involved in a host of civic affairs throughout his life, which included f lying patients to Houston for cancer treatment and dispatching aid missions following Hurricane Katrina. He also formed a jam band at the Plano Senior Center called the Honey-Doo’s. The band kept growing in membership, eventually becoming the Kings of Swing dance band.

He is survived by his wife, Antoinette Dorriere Degnan; daughters Mary Degnan, Catharine Lysinger, and Julia Degnan; son, James M. Degnan IV; stepson, Marc Faletti; seven grandchildren; a sister, and Constance Degnan von Bernthal.

Charlene Corder Fittro, 91, of Washington Court House, Ohio, Jan. 30, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi. She married Roger Bernard, with whom she had four children, Stephanie, Stacie, Russell, and Charles. The couple later divorced, and she married Bob Fittro in 1984. She taught for 31 years, and for 10 years she was arts and crafts director for Camp Dovetail, a camp for special needs children. She was a lifelong singer who wrote three Christmas cantatas and many sacred and children’s songs for which her friend, Ellen Gilbert, wrote accompaniments, and the pair won the DENISONMAGAZINE.COM

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Sacred Music Division of the Ohio Chautauqua Music Competition. She and Bob, who preceded her in death, had five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Barbara Shrader Heamon, 91, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Nov. 3, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega and met her future husband, John Heamon ’55. He preceded her in death in 1998, and she was lucky enough to have a second chance at love when she reconnected with a high school friend, Robert Hess, at a reunion several years later. They had 20 years together before his death in 2019. She was an expert seamstress, potter, master gardener, painter, tennis and bridge player. She is survived by her three children, Julia Sturm, Michael Heamon, and Whitney Heamon; two grandchildren; and her brother, James Shrader.

Lynn Williams Wood, 91, of Alpharetta, Georgia, Sept.

11, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega.

She was a born teacher who would remind her daughters as they headed out the door, “Remember who you are.” She made thousands of beaded bracelets to hand out to students, but they came with a cost: To receive one, they had to share something positive about themselves.

She volunteered for 45 years at Rush University Medical Center. She was preceded in death by her husband, Peter Hubert Wood; and sisters, Karen Vratimos and Noel Purcel. She is survived by her four daughters, Jennifer Fithian, Elizabeth Wood, Margaret Whiting, and Charlotte Muzik; her sister, Gwain Griffin; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

1956

Martha Wood Kaye, 91, of Encinitas, California, Feb. 18, 2025. Her passions took her from the outdoors to the halls of city government. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In 1957, she and her husband, Peter, built a glass and cedar home on Ocean View Avenue designed

by Lloyd Ruocco, one of California’s great mid-century architects. She was an amateur sculptor, studied modern art, and collected paintings by Richard Allen Morris and Mac McClain at the now defunct La Jolla Museum School. Her record collection ranged from Oscar Peterson to Itzhak Perlman to works of the experimental composer and instrument-maker Harry Partch, whom she befriended. In the kitchen, her farmers market-to-table cooking was itself a work of art. In the mid-1980s, she was a driving force behind the founding of the Del Mar Farmers Market, the second-oldest farmers market in San Diego County. In 1989, inspired by a former prime minister of New Zealand, she successfully lobbied the Del Mar City Council to establish the city as a nuclear-free zone. With longtime friend Ann Silber, she helped establish a low-cost dental clinic at St. Leo Mission Church in Solana Beach. As a member of the San Diego County chapter of the Sierra Club, she enjoyed weekly hikes in

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the mountains and made several backpacking trips to the Sierras with a women’s group. She climbed Mount Whitney, California’s tallest. She traveled to Mexico, Central and South America, Greece, New Zealand, Sweden, Russia, Europe, and Canada. She was preceded in death by her husband, Peter Kaye; brother, Bradford Voight; and sister, Joan Kay. She is survived by a brother, Leonard Wood; three sons, Loren, Terry, and Adam; five grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Charles Walton, 89, of Troy, Ohio, April 25, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. He served in the U.S. Army, retired from Hobart Corp., and spent many years refereeing high school, junior high, and peewee football. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Suzanne Walton; son, Doug Walton; daughter, Sally; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Janet Snyder Webb, 90, of Middleburg, Florida, Aug. 28, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She loved to needlepoint, read, travel, and spend time with her church family at All Angels Episcopal Church. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Dave Griffiths and Patterson Webb; and sister, Gayle McCreery.

She is survived by her children, Mark Webb, Kevin Webb, Elizabeth Pate, Brian Webb, Mark McCreery, and Janet Griffiths; many grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.

James White, 88, of Carmichael, California, Sept. 30, 2022. At Denison, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha.

1957

Evelyn Dodge Barringer, 88, of Pearl River, New York, Jan. 10, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She was a dedicated homemaker, finding joy in caring for her husband of 68 years, William Barringer ’56, and their four daughters. She taught Sunday school, led a youth group with her husband and others, and was a member of the Workers Together group and Ladies Bible Study at Grace Chapel in Tenafly, New Jersey. She also served as a Girl Scout leader, enjoyed cooking, sewing, gardening, and travel, having visited and camped through most of the 50 states. She is survived by her husband; children, Laura Musclow, Donna Barringer, Mary Hastings and Judy Barringer; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Joanne McMath Bath, 89, of Dunn, North Carolina, Jan. 22, 2025. She began violin lessons at the age of nine, and at Denison received her degree in violin performance.

She was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She attended the Conservatoire Americain in Fountainbleau, France, and earned a master’s degree in violin from the University of Michigan, where she met her future husband, Charles Frederick Bath. A renowned violinist, teacher, and adjudicator, she was one of the first violin teachers in the

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1958

Charles Crampton, 87, of Pepin, Wisconsin, Sept. 19, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He went on to law school at the University of Michigan and served in the U.S. Air Force JAG Corps from 1962 to 1965. After retiring from his career as a lawyer for a local power company, he poured his heart and soul into The Project of the Quad Cities, assisting over 140 AIDS patients from 1986-2011. He loved caring for his many dogs, tending to his riverfront property, and watching the river roll by.

He lived a somewhat solitary life, but he enjoyed visiting friends and neighbors up and down the river valley. He is survived by his nieces and nephews from the Rosene/ Foy, Wolny, and Crampton families; their children and grandchildren; and his many dear friends and neighbors.

Robert Nelson Ludwig, 88, of Clearwater, Florida, Dec. 10, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He went on to medical school at Ohio State University, served in the U.S. Air Force, and became the first gastroenterologist in Columbus, Ohio. He was deeply involved in various professional boards and organizations. His diverse interests included a love of horse racing, and with his close friend, Woody, developed Rob N’ Wood Stable. They raced thoroughbreds at Beulah Park in the late 1970s. In the early 2000s, he turned his attention to horsepower of another kind: classic car collecting and restoration. He purchased and restored a 1965 Ford Mustang, a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, and his pride and joy, a 1946 Chrysler Town and Country “Woodie,” a restoration documented in Cars and Parts magazine.

He showed the vehicle across the United States and won many accolades, including an award for best Chrysler in the country. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sally Ludwig, and brother, Bernard Ludwig. He is survived by his four children, Amy Loehnis, Lisa Prestifilippo, Daniel Ludwig, and Michael Ludwig; 11 grandchildren; and his sister, Barbara Talbot.

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William C. Dennis gisela goppel

U.S. to adopt the teaching ideas of Shinichi Suzuki of Japan. She joined the East Carolina University School of Music faculty in 1993 and served until her retirement in 2021 as the Hardy Distinguished Professor of Suzuki Pedagogy. She served on the board of directors of the Suzuki Association of the Americas from 1991-1995. She received numerous awards and distinctions throughout her career, including the North Carolina Governor’s Award in Music in 1996. She was honored in 2016 with a celebration for her musical service to the Greenville community. She and her husband performed for 60 years as the Bath Duo. He preceded her in death. She is survived by her children, Pamela, Patricia, Stephen, and Andrea; 13 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and brother, Howard Potts.

FO R M E R H I S TO RY PRO FE S S O R

IN MEMO RIAM

Former history professor William C. Dennis, whose spirit of adventure saw him climb mountains from an early age and rappel from the top of Fellows Hall to the delight of students, died Nov. 10, 2023, at 82.

Dennis spent 16 years on campus, engaging students in colonial American history, sparking thoughtful political debate, and recruiting faculty, alumni, and students for his mountain-climbing trips. He was beloved by students and remained close friends with some after leaving Denison in 1984.

“Bill lit a fire in them,” says former psychology professor Allen Parchem.

“I think that’s his greatest Denison legacy.”

A Richmond, Indiana native, Dennis studied history at Earlham College before earning his doctorate in American history at Yale University. On his drives from Indiana, to Connecticut, he occasionally stopped in Granville, Ohio, convinced he would teach at Denison. When a position in the history department opened, he neither called ahead nor sent an application.

“Bill drove to Denison and said, ‘I want the job,’” recalls Amy Gordon, an emerita professor of history, who arrived on campus in 1968, the same year as Dennis.

Dennis had little use for textbooks. He obtained copies of historical documents and letters exchanged between Founding Fathers to ensure his students were getting accurate accounts.

The son of U.S. Congressman David Dennis, he enjoyed talking politics.

A conservative at heart, Dennis was a deep thinker, who challenged his liberal colleagues, but never in a disrespectful manner. He later served in the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Reagan administration, and worked 16 years for the Liberty Fund, a non-profit organization that promoted libertarian ideals.

His other passion was climbing. He demonstrated his superior skill on campus by rappelling from his fourth-floor Fellows Hall office window.

“My dad was a humble guy, but when it came to feats like that he enjoyed being a bit of a showman,” his son, Will, recalls.

Dennis gained publicity in the 1970s when a team of Denison professors and alumni scaled Mount Denison, the tallest peak in Alaska’s Katmai National Monument, and named in honor of the university by 1909 graduate Kirtley Mather. The first climb fell short due to inclement weather, but Dennis became the first man ever to reach Mount Denison’s summit 10 months later in 1978.

Dennis owned property in Montana and kept logs of his long hikes. For more than a decade, he walked at least two miles a day, a streak that appeared over when hospitalized for a broken rib and punctured lung.

“He wouldn’t be denied,” his daughter, Jesse, says. “He just did laps around the hospital corridors with nurses at his side.”

– TOM REED

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& Obituaries 1959 –1960

1959

Sally Doolittle Bartmes, 87, of Cumming, Georgia, Nov. 29, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Pi Beta Phi.

Eleanor Carse Beatty, 87, North Royalton, Ohio, Dec. 21, 2024. She joined an older brother, David Carse ’56, at Denison, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.

Following graduation she moved to San Francisco, where she worked at Pacific Bell for a time before returning to the Midwest to pursue a teaching career. She moved to Mansfield, Ohio, after her father’s death to be close to her mother, and she began working for the Mansfield City Schools. She would eventually retire from Mansfield Senior High School after a long career as a French and English teacher. During this time, she also reconnected with a neighbor from her childhood, Robert Beatty Jr. They married in 1967 and had two sons, James and Samuel. Following her retirement, she was active in the Mansfield Women’s Club, serving in various roles, including president. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Beatty Jr., and her brothers, James Carse Jr. and David Carse ’56. She is survived by her sons and four grandchildren.

Gordon Garrett, 87, of Sarasota, Florida, Dec. 31, 2024.

He was four years old when he became one of the first, and youngest, residents of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, home of the Manhattan Project. Going from zero inhabitants to 70,000 in under a year, it became a community of agile minds and can-do attitudes. He was one of them, sneaking under the fences encircling this top-secret city until a guard on horseback put an end to such escapades.

In high school, he approached the city newspaper and latched on to a job as a local sports reporter. Unhappy that there was no tennis team, he was told by the principal to start one. He did, and enlisted other high schools as competition. At Denison, he was a member of Delta Upsilon and ROTC, and he entered the U.S. Air Force after graduation. He left the military as a captain and after serving at the lead base during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He built a career in marketing, holding leading roles at a number of companies well-known to consumers.

He retired early but then returned to work as the first professional leader of the Lions Club Eye Foundation.

He also helped establish working relationships with both the Special Olympics and Remote Area Medical, organizations he would support for the rest of his life.

Although he had been advised at an early age to give up the clarinet, he developed a lifelong interest in live jazz.

He led The Sarasota Jazz Club for eight years and supported jazz groups at the local high schools and an annual competition between them. He was also credited with starting jazz cruises for Sarasota Jazz Club members. He was an excellent tennis player who attended 29 straight US Opens. He traveled to every continent and over 100 countries. He was fortunate to have found love twice, first

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with wife, Penny, who preceded him in death in 2010, and then with his wife, Sue. She survives him, as do two sons, Tim and Greg; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; his brother, David; and Sue’s daughters, Cindy and Elizabeth.

Mary Hawker Hurt, 87, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Oct. 22, 2024. At Denison, she was a French major and a member of Chi Omega. After Denison, she was a flight attendant for United Airlines until she married her husband of 63 years. She continued to work, while raising three sons, until her retirement. During retirement she stayed busy, obtaining her CDL so she could transport elderly residents around town. She used her sewing skills to make memorial teddy bears out of fabric provided by individuals who had just lost a loved one. The first bear was always free, with additional bears at a nominal cost, a practice that earned her a “pay-it-forward” award from a local news station. She was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Rachel Ellen Hurt. She is survived by her husband, Albert Hurt; three sons, John, Scott, and Andrew; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; brother, Leslie Hawker; and sister, Virginia Shafer.

Denny Robertson, 87, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Oct. 11, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. He went on to receive his MBA from the University of Michigan and his law degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He spent most of his career in the food service business, beginning with executive positions with Szabo Food Service. His favorite years included those when he and his wife, Sally, moved to Arrowhead at Vail, Colorado, where they volunteered at Beaver Creek Mountain. He gave tours of the mountain with the same sense of pride that he might have while showing a friend around his new house. He is survived by his wife of almost 63 years, Sally; their children, Scott, Alex, and Tracy Scott; two grandchildren; brother, Ken Robertson; and other loving family.

1960

Kirk Brandon, 85, of Fisherville, Kentucky, July 30, 2024. He graduated from Kentucky Military Institute before attending Denison, where he studied psychology, was a member of Sigma Chi, and played as a running back for the football team. He was scouted by the Baltimore Colts but went to graduate school instead. After a long career in the field of medical business management and writing for publications such as Medical Economics, he retired to his home state of Kentucky. He was a lifelong football fan and a student of history. He is survived by his wife, Linda McLallen Brandon; sons Michael, David, and Noah Brandon; stepson, Philip Wakeman; four grandchildren; and a wealth of friends and family.

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Doug Dudley, 87, of Helena, Montana, Jan. 31, 2025. He grew up around the entertainment industry, often accompanying his mother, an actress and radio personality, to her recording sessions in their early Chicago days. When she remarried to Jimmy Randall, the eventual “Voice of the Cleveland Indians” and a National Baseball Hall of Fame broadcaster, the family home in Bay Village, Ohio, became a frequent gathering place for Indians team get-togethers and cookouts. As a boy, he boxed, ran track, played football, and speed-skated. He played halfback and cornerback for Denison football and was a member of Beta Theta Pi before transferring to Northwestern University to study journalism and acting. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was a DJ for Armed Forces Radio in France. He produced training films and Army news pieces and in 1963, covered President John F. Kennedy’s famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. He acted as well, earning the U.S. Army Oscar for his lead role in the stage production of The Mousetrap. Following his Army service, he became a television journalist but kept at acting, with many roles in plays and other stage performances over the years. After moving to Los Angeles, he landed a recurring role on the daytime TV drama, Days of Our Lives. He went to seminary, earned his master’s degree, and became a reverend, leading to a life of ministry. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Rita. He is survived by his son, Christopher Sean Dudley; daughter, Heather Ann Dudley; four grandchildren; and sister Barbara Wolf.

James Gallant, 86, of Atlanta, Sept. 25, 2024. He became a published writer while at Denison, with his work selected for Riverside Poetry 4. After Denison, he received his master’s degree in English from the University of Minnesota and taught English for many years at Mount Union College in Ohio and the University of Evansville in Indiana. He was a writer of essays, two novels, and a collection of short stories. His first novel, The Big Bust at Tyrone’s Rooming House: A Novel of Atlanta was published in 2003, and his second, Whatever Happened to Ohio?, in 2018. He was a regular contributor to the Fortnightly Review, which in 2018 published his book, Verisimilitudes: Essays and Approximations. His last book, La Leona and other Guitar Stories won the 2019 Nicholas Schaffner Award for Music in Literature. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Christine Gallant ’62, an English professor emerita of Georgia State University, and their daughter, Sarah Gallant.

Nancy Gibson Lardner, 86, of St. Augustine, Florida, Dec. 7, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She married Peter Lardner ’60. They remained close friends despite the dissolution of their marriage in 1998.

She was a beloved piano teacher and the owner of The Music Studio on Anastasia Island for 40 years. Her dedication to music education left a lasting impact on the St. Augustine community, with multiple generations of DENISON MAGAZINE

students benefiting from her encouragement to “practice, practice, practice.” She was preceded in death by her former husband, Peter Lardner ’60. She is survived by her two sons, Eric Lardner and David Lardner; and two grandchildren.

Bob Mennel, 86, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Dec. 26, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Kappa Sigma. After graduation he served in the Pacific with the U.S. Marine Corps from 1960 to 1963. He earned his Ph.D. in history from Ohio State University in 1968, the year he was hired as a professor of history at the University of New Hampshire. He taught there for 35 years, and his lasting legacy to UNH is the honors program that he established in 1985 and directed for 20 years. He liked to help students move past their failures because he related to the power of second chances. He had nearly failed to graduate from Denison and had to take a summer course at OSU; that course was taught by professor Robert Bremner, who became his Ph.D. advisor and lifelong mentor. His dissertation led to his first book, Thorns and Thistles: Juvenile Delinquents in the United States, 1825-1940. He also assisted Bremner as a co-editor of the multi-volume Children and Youth in America: A Documentary History. He co-edited a volume of the correspondence of U.S. Supreme Court Justices Felix Frankfurter and Oliver Wendell Holmes. In retirement, he found a trove of diaries and letters in the old Nova Scotia house that he and Bremner co-owned. These became the basis of Testimonies and Secrets: The Story of a Nova Scotia Family, 1844-1977, which tells a social history of Nova Scotia through the lives of three generations of one family.

He lent his research expertise to the preservation of his church’s records and artifacts. He had two children, Tim and Tina, from his first marriage, to Gisela Gebhart. In 1988, he married Susan Pearson Noard, who also had two children, Annie and Gabe, from her first marriage.

He was preceded in death by a son, Timothy Mennel; his grandson, Luke Howe; and his sister, Jane M. Roberts. He is survived by his wife, Susan; four children, Timothy Mennel, Christina Schneider, Annemarie Rainboth, and Gabriel Noard; and five grandchildren.

Faythe Duffy Turner, 86, of Concord, Massachusetts, Sept. 6, 2024. She loved music from an early age. She played the accordion, sang in the church choir, and played the trumpet in her high school marching band.

She later played for more than 20 years with the Amherst Community Band and several other local ensembles. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and met Frederick Turner ’59. They married and had three children. She went on to earn her master’s degree in education from the University of Rhode Island and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her devotion to literature, and in particular Puerto Rican poetry, was demonstrated in the anthology, DENISONMAGAZINE.COM

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Puerto Rican Writers at Home in the USA. Her career in academia included teaching positions at Nichols College and a long tenure at Greenfield Community College. She was deeply committed to civic engagement. She held a position in Town Meeting in Amherst and was chair of the Sister City Committee between La Paz Centro, Nicaragua, and Amherst. She helped register voters and oversee the polls in Amherst during elections. Her community service extended to Meals on Wheels, delivering meals for many years throughout Amherst until the onset of the Covid pandemic. She is survived by her children, Alexandra, Jessica, and Charles; and five grandchildren.

1961

Judy Hauser Adams, 85, of Lebanon, Ohio, Jan. 14, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and the Women’s Judicial Council. She was a docent at the Cincinnati Art Museum for many years, chaired the Women’s Committee there, and was awarded honorary membership on the board of trustees. She was also a member of the board of trustees of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, a longtime trustee of the Northern Kentucky Heritage League, and a guide at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington. She was the provisional chairman and community vice-president of the Junior League of Cincinnati, a longtime trustee at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s division of adolescent medicine, and a member of the Western Shaker Singers. She is survived by her husband, James R. Adams ’60; children, Wesley Howell Adams, Jennifer Emily Adams, and James William Adams; seven grandchildren; sister, Emily Hauser King ’63; and brother, David Wesley Hauser ’68.

Anne Lugar Johnson, 85, of Pasadena, California, Oct. 22, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta.

She was always proud of her association with Denison, having followed in the footsteps of alumni who were dear to her, including her brother, Richard G. Lugar ’54, and his future wife, Charlene Smeltzer ’54.

Alan Larimer, 85, of Newark, Ohio, Feb. 2, 2025. He was a man of many passions and little pretension, content to work in his garden in overalls and chambray shirt, and answering inquiries of what he did for a living with, “I fix bones.” After Denison, he completed his medical education at Duke and Dartmouth, then served in the U.S. Navy, where he trained as a flight surgeon in Pensacola, Florida. He reached the rank of lieutenant commander before returning to civilian life to complete his medical residency in Philadelphia and work as an orthopedic surgeon. He had an easy-going bedside manner and eventually transitioned to locum tenens work, finding great joy in traveling to wherever he might be needed most.

He met his wife of eight years, JoAnne Geiger, at her bookstore, Readers’ Garden, and together they enjoyed

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reading, cooking, and traveling. He took great pleasure in finding scholarly articles tailored to each of his children’s interests, always eager to share knowledge and foster meaningful conversations. He had an insatiable curiosity and a love for collecting books and films in various formats, spending many hours curating his collections and savoring the thrill of finding a new and rare title. His quest for knowledge continued into his last few months, as he took Community Scholar classes at Denison. His rescued Rhodesian Ridgeback, Valley, stood guard at his side right until the end. He is survived by his wife, JoAnne Geiger; daughters, Celine Larimer, Meredith Larimer, and Adrienne Larimer; three grandchildren; siblings, Enid Roehrner ’66, and James Larimer ’69; and many loving cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Mary Weiland Zepernick, 85, of South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, Dec. 18, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was a lifelong advocate for peace and justice. She wrote a weekly column for the Cape Cod Times, and her activism included serving on a national committee for the collective, Programs on Corporations, Law & Democracy. She worked for single-payer healthcare with the Cape Care Coalition, served as board president for the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and on the local town committee to preserve the Yarmouth Indian Memorial.

The Clothesline Project, a visible display for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, began in her living room.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred Zepernick.

She is survived by her sister, Nan Hammond; stepdaughter, Evelyn Zepernick; and stepson, Rusty Zepernick.

1962

Bob Austin, 84, of Olympia Fields, Illinois, Sept. 25, 2024. The son of Richard B. Austin ’23 and Edith C. Austin ’28, at Denison he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta, played on the golf team, and sat on the Judicial Council. He received his law degree from the University of Chicago and worked for 40 years as an attorney for Lord, Bissell & Brook, and Anderson Rasor & Partners, primarily focusing on medical malpractice defense. He was preceded in death by his wife of 37 years, Lois Austin. He is survived by his children, Michael Austin and Carrie Eberspecher; and two grandchildren.

Julie Everitt, 84, of Rochester, New York, Jan. 2, 2025.

She graduated with highest honors at Denison and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She went on to receive her master’s degree in political science from Syracuse University, and devoted her professional life to improving the lives of low-income families and advocating for affordable housing. She structured and oversaw the development of vacant lots and buildings across Rochester, including the historical Susan B. Anthony school building and the redevelopment of the Marketview Heights

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neighborhood. Over the years she developed rental townhouses on many vacant parcels, believing that all families needed adequate living spaces and outdoor yards.

She encouraged the creation of more playgrounds and gardens on vacant land. Through the years she worked with the Rochester Housing Authority, The Urban League, the Wilson Commencement Park, Home Rochester, the Housing Council, Ibero, the YMCA, and Sojourner House. She co-founded Housing Opportunities, and with its eventual merger with Pathstone Corporation created even more affordable housing. She was recognized for these accomplishments with many awards, including the City of Rochester’s Finest Citizen Award. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Harris. She is survived by her sisters, Molly and Margaret; her niece and nephew, Betsy House and Rhett Speros; and her stepson, Chris Harris.

James Hogsett, 84, of Peninsula, Ohio, Dec. 5, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of the American Commons Club. He served in the National Guard for five years, worked for BF Goodrich for 27 years, and then the IRS before retiring in 2004. He was a member of Redeemer Church, the National Association of Accountants, and the Ohio Spoonpluggers Club. He loved fishing, gardening, science, history, classical music, and Chubby Checker. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Nancy and Patricia. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Janet; their daughter, Lisa Carlisle; son, Brian Hogsett; two grandchildren; and sister, Pamela Palmisano.

Peter Knight, 84, of Schenectady, New York, Oct. 18, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta.

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He was in management at Sears Roebuck Co., Atlantic Richfield, Procter & Gamble, and Normanskill Dairy. Later in his career, he became an entrepreneur and opened several successful businesses, including convenience stores, pizza parlors, and a nightclub. He loved motorcycles and traveled across the U.S. several times. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joan E. Marcy. He is survived by his sons, Peter A. Knight, Jr. and Timothy J. Knight; and four grandchildren.

1963

Barbara Ellis Arena, 83, of Bonsall, California, Jan. 23, 2025. At Denison she majored in history and was a member of Alpha Phi. She went on to serve her country by working for the Central Intelligence Agency, where she met the love of her life and husband of 57 years, Dominick Arena. She was an avid reader, Scrabble player, and birdwatcher. She served as president of the Bonsall Women’s Club. She is survived by her three children, Larry Anthony Arena, Amy Elizabeth Arena, and Catherine Ann Arena-Mueller; and six grandchildren.

DENISON MAGAZINE

John Morrisson, 83, of Lorain, Ohio, Feb. 11, 2025. He grew up in Lorain and met his wife of 61 years, Patricia Cook Morrisson, when they were teenagers. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He went on to receive his law degree from Case Western Reserve University, and he worked for many years as an attorney for the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office. He also had a private practice in estate law. He and Pat enjoyed travel, especially with their close friends. But he didn’t have to travel far to find beauty; he always took the opportunity to soak up the local views of Lake Erie. He loved watching football, reading, attending University Club and Fellowship Supper Club meetings, and finishing most dinners with “just a small serving” of ice cream.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Patty Morrisson.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Cook Morrisson; son, Skip Morrisson; daughters, Margee Dresing and Cindy Morrisson; and five grandchildren.

Susan Brundige Scott, 83, of Torrance, California, Nov. 36, 2024. She hailed from a Denison family. She was the daughter of Betty Marquardt Brundige ’37 and Robert Brundige ’36, and the sister of Nancy Brundige Dankof ’73, and Barbara Brundige Decker ’74. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta.

1964

Rodger Halstead, 82, of Santa Barbara, California, Oct. 26, 2024. He majored in political science at Denison and was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. After graduation, he moved to California to be a part of STEP (Stanford Teachers Education Program) at Stanford University, where he earned a master’s degree in education. In 1967, he took a permanent teaching job at Homestead High School and taught social studies there for 33 years. In 1988, he was the subject of a documentary focusing on how he taught students, Preparing for the 21st Century: The Challenge of Critical Thinking.

He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Ann Halstead; daughters, Christy Halstead and Cindy Luenberger; stepdaughter, JoLynn Khododi; stepson, Dave Dostal; and six grandchildren.

Lee Casey Mehnert, 82, of Bonita Springs, Florida, Dec. 21, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and met her husband, Tom Mehnert ’64.

They were married in 1965 and moved to Cincinnati in 1967. Beginning in 1999, they split their time between Cincinnati and Bonita Springs, becoming permanent Florida residents in 2021. She was a Brownie leader and PTA president and was involved with the Junior League of Cincinnati, the Taft Museum of Art, and the League Club of Naples, Florida. She loved dinner parties, Friday morning symphonies, and reunions with members of her Kappa Kappa Gamma pledge class. She enjoyed tennis but only tolerated golf; she often remarked that one of the happiest days of her life came when she gave her golf clubs DENISONMAGAZINE.COM

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to her granddaughter. She is survived by her husband, Tom; children, Jennifer Nugent, Thomas Mehnert, Jr., and Margaret Head ’94; four grandchildren; and sister, Carolyn Schwartz.

John Osmond, 82, of Jupiter, Florida, Sept. 20, 2024.

He was the son of John D. Osmond, Jr., ’35 and Jean Lindstrom Osmond ’35. At Denison he was a member of Sigma Chi. He received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University. An avid sailor, upon finishing his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston he sailed into Hyannis Harbor on his Swan-36 for an interview with Cape Cod Radiology and never left. He was a beloved member of the Cape Cod Hospital staff, serving as chief of staff from 1988 to 1990. And he kept sailing. He first participated in the Hyannis to Nantucket Figawi Race in the race’s second year in 1974.

He went on to race in the annual Memorial Day event for 45 years, became involved in its planning and execution, and sat on the Figawi Board of Governors for 50 years. He served on race committees and as a national judge at multiple regattas and venues worldwide. He was chairman of the Offshore Committee of the United States Sailing Association and the deputy chairman of the International Offshore Racing Council at ISAF (now World Sailing).

He competed in 15 Newport Bermuda Races and was a regular crew member aboard Bill Koch’s Matador, which won the Maxi Yacht World Championship in 1990.

With his wife, Ellyn, he traveled the world for sailing adventures, visiting South America, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia.

He is survived by his wife, Ellyn Coyle Osmond; two daughters, Courtenay Anne Cruger and Vanessa Cruger; and two granddaughters. He is also survived by his sister, Jean Schneider Montgomery ’66; and brothers, Charles Osmond ’75 and Mark Osmond.

Tom Ross, 82, of Fort Myers, Florida, Jan. 7, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. He spent 33 years with Leo Burnett Advertising, starting in the mail room shortly after graduation from Denison and retiring as executive vice president and one of its owners.

For decades, he was in charge of worldwide advertising for accounts such as Heinz, Kraft, Keebler, and McDonald’s.

He retired in 1997 but continued consulting and public speaking. In 2003, he decided to go back to work full-time as CEO and partner in his brother’s software company, Alert Management Systems in Colorado Springs. He served in the Illinois National Guard. He was a devout Christian who studied the Bible and numerous secondary sources, served on church boards, recruited clergy and led fund-raising efforts to build and expand an Episcopal church. He is survived by his wife, Mary Jean Ross; son, John Thompson Ross III; daughter, Heather Jean Freund; three grandchildren; and three brothers, Harold Ross ’67, Richard Ross ’71, and Robert Ross.

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1965

Les Overlock, 81, of Benicia, California, Aug. 18, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. He served in the U.S. Air Force.

He was an artist who worked in charcoal, watercolors, acrylics, clay, collage, ink printing, and clay printing.

He was known to be a gifter, even on his own birthday.

He taught art and other subjects for many years in the Benicia school district and after retirement started teaching at the VA hospital in Martinez, California.

He had the patience of a saint, a valuable quality when teaching teenagers, and he had a taste for apricot jam.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce Overlock; sons, Sean Overlock and Jeffrey Overlock; several grandchildren, and loving family and friends.

Chuck Burch, 80, of Grand Junction, Colorado, Oct. 17, 2024. He was a man of science who enjoyed exploring new possibilities with a keen intellect and an analytic perspective. He received his degree in physics from Denison and was a member of the American Commons Club. He earned his master’s degree in physics at Dartmouth College. His first job was with Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, where he met and married Judith Goodwin, his wife of 55 years. Shortly after, he took a job teaching physics at the Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.

After 14 years there he embarked on a mid-life career change, receiving his master’s degree in geophysics from Penn State University. He then took a job as a seismic processor with Conoco in Ponca City, Oklahoma, a job he held for 19 years. In the two years it took to decide where to spend his retirement, he wrote conservation articles for the Newkirk, Oklahoma, newspaper. He and Judy settled in Grand Junction, where he enjoyed writing, furniture making, wood turning, and physics studies. He volunteered with the physics department at Colorado Mesa University, building electronic equipment for lab experiments and giving an occasional seminar. His library included master works of philosophy, science texts, and the complete writings of Mark Twain. He is survived by his wife, Judy, and niece, Lauren Swing.

Mike Clark, 81, of Boca Raton, Florida, Oct. 20, 2024.

At Denison, he was a member of Delta Upsilon and met his wife, Mary Ann Clark ’67. He went on to study business at the University of Michigan and entered the U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. The couple were stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, where he served on a guided missile destroyer. Following his military service, he worked for IBM in Boca Raton, Florida, before taking over the family lumber business in Kansas City, Missouri in 1981. He is survived by his wife; son, Jay Clark ’00; and granddaughter, Hailey.

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Michael Glaser, 81, of Hillsborough, North Carolina, Jan. 24, 2025. A poet and professor emeritus at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, he was named the poet laureate of Maryland from 2004 to 2009. At Denison, he was a member of the American Commons Club. He went on to receive his master’s degree and doctorate at Kent State University, and he was among those to witness the May 4, 1970, shooting by the Ohio National Guard that claimed the lives of four students and shook the world. His poetry collections include A Lover’s Eye (1989) and Being a Father (2004) as well as several chapbooks. His honors include the Columbia Merit Award for service to poetry and the Homer Dodge Endowed Award for Excellence in Teaching. He sat on the board of the Maryland Humanities Council and taught as a poet-in-the-schools through the Maryland State Arts Council for more than 20 years. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Glaser; and children, Eva Glaser, Amira Glaswer, Joshua Glaser, Daniel Glaser, and Brian Glaser.

Liz Hunt Hooker, 81, of Wooster, Ohio, Nov. 30, 2024.

She was raised on a farm in Adams Mills, Ohio. She earned her degree in speech from Denison and was a member of Chi Omega. She also met her future husband of 55 years, Robert L. Hooker ’65. She earned her master’s degree in speech pathology and audiology from Case Western Reserve University and worked as a teacher and audiologist for the Summit Speech School, the first preschool nursery for hearing-impaired children in New Jersey. Upon returning to Ohio, she studied communication disorders and conducted research on aphasia at Ohio State University. She was an ordered elder and deacon at First Presbyterian Church and during more than 50 years of membership, she taught Sunday School and served on nearly every committee. In honor of her service, she received an Honorary Life Membership Award from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She was a staunch advocate of the liberal arts, and was a volunteer at The College of Wooster for more than 30 years, providing social, academic and financial support to students, especially women and international students. She was civic-minded and active in many organizations in Wooster. She was preceded in death by her husband; and a grandson, James Hamilton Perkins. She is survived by her children, Mary Catharine Stockton and Scott Hunt Hooker; and five grandchildren.

Susan Coburn Schmidt, 81, of Loveland, Ohio, Jan. 14, 2025. She graduated from Denison with a major in art history and a minor in French. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She started the Spirit Wings liturgical dance group at Hyde Park Methodist Church in 1975 and led the group for 20 years. She participated in several mission trips with church groups and frequently volunteered at the Beechwood Home nursing DENISON MAGAZINE

facility. She and her husband of 54 years, Jack Schmidt, owned a home on Sanibel Island, where they wintered and she served as a docent at the Sanibel Historical Village. They endowed a scholarship at Ohio University for students studying economics. She was preceded in death by her husband, John E. “Jack” Schmidt. She is survived by sons, Neil C. Schmidt and John C. Schmidt; and three grandchildren.

1967

Peter Coburn, 80, of Hingham, Massachusetts, Feb. 17, 2025. After Denison, he earned his master’s degree at Stanford University. He taught American history and Latin American history at Massasoit Community College in Brockton, Massachusetts, for nearly 50 years. He traveled the world, often for birdwatching tours. He loved dogs, especially Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and had three over the years. He was an avid stamp collector and enjoyed sailing in the Hingham Bay area. He is survived by a daughter, Leah McGuill; a sister, Thais Coburn McCaffrey; two nieces and a nephew.

Nancy Dring, 77, of Houston, Dec. 11, 2022.

Mike Duffy, 79, of Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, Dec. 16, 2024. The longtime television critic for the Detroit Free Press, he was widely known across the Motor City as “Captain Video” and was one of the city’s most beloved media personalities. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta and met his future wife, Jane Guest ’67. He earned a law degree at the University of Iowa but decided he was not meant to be a lawyer. He went into journalism instead, brief ly working at The Times Herald in Port Huron, Michigan, before joining the Free Press as a features reporter. His insightful reviews and passion for storytelling resonated with readers, making him a beloved figure in Detroit. Among the television shows that passed his muster were The Sopranos, Hill Street Blues, Twin Peaks, and Cheers. But don’t get him started on the scourge of reality television or the pestilence known as T.J. Hooker.

He was an unparalleled Ohio State Buckeyes fan, and his enthusiasm was contagious; game days were always a spirited affair. He had a vast collection of records and relished live music, especially at the clubs in his hometown, Detroit. He danced with abandon. His extensive collection of rock ‘n’ roll and sports teams’ t-shirts illustrated his eclectic taste and was his way of striking up conversations with fellow fans. He was known to be hilarious in his writing, but he always took his job, and his readers, seriously. The Free Press reported that when he and the newspaper’s theater critic left the features section for the last time in 2007, it was to a standing ovation. He is survived by his wife, Jane Duffy; son, Christopher; daughter, Elizabeth; and siblings, Christine Garber and Lawrence Duffy.

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& Obituaries 1967–1969

Phil Grout, 79, of Finksburg, Maryland, Jan. 12, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Chi. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and learned to be a photojournalist while in Vietnam. His work around the world was recognized

by The Associated Press, Publishers Weekly, The New York Times, the Maryland Delaware DC Press Association, and various arts organizations. He published several book-length photo essays and shared his passion for photography with his students at McDaniel College. He was awarded The Common Ground On The Hill Visual Arts Award of Excellence in The Traditional Arts in July 2023. He was preceded in death by his siblings, Jim, Ellen, and David. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary Lou Grout, and many extended family and friends.

Dave Hoffman, 77, of Honolulu, April 1, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. He continued his education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, then went on to the Judge Advocate General’s School at the University of Virginia. He became a lawyer first with the U.S. Air Force, then the U.S. Coast Guard, while stationed in Honolulu, his home for more than 50 years. He retired from the Coast Guard with the rank of captain. In civilian life, he became corporate counsel for energy companies Tesoro and Pacific Resources, specializing in maritime and environmental laws throughout the Pacific basin. An outdoor enthusiast, he became an accomplished golfer, boater, scuba diver, and paddler, competing in several canoe and kayak national championships through his senior years. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Lark Honey Moon; daughters, Christiana Hoffman Inesi and Cordes Hoffman Tarantino; two grandchildren; sisters, Christiana Hoffman Hirshberg and Frances Hoffman Puntereri; nine nieces and nephews; and his children’s mother, Jeanne Swickard Hoffman.

David Schaffer, 79, of Tuskegee, Alabama, Aug. 8, 2024.

Told in elementary school that he wasn’t college material, he set about proving that wrong, ultimately earning the nickname “Tri-Doctor.” He receivedg his DVM from Tuskegee University in Alabama in 1971, his Ph.D. in pharmacology from Loyola University in Chicago in 1980, and his DO from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in 1993. That last was followed by his internship at the Medical Center in Columbus, Georgia, and his residency training in psychiatry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

He practiced psychiatry in Montgomery, Alabama, for more than 20 years. At Denison, he was a member of the American Commons Club. He enjoyed reading about people, music, politics, medical information, and psychiatric diagnoses. He loved The Beatles and Rodriguez, a musician from Detroit, Michigan, as well as Carl Sandburg and, given his Dayton, Ohio, roots, the Wright Brothers. He was preceded in death by his wife,

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Caroline Brunsman Schaffer. He is survived by his sister, Carol Schaffer Hasbrouck; and six nieces and nephews.

1968

Jim Barber, 78, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Aug. 7, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Delta Upsilon. He served in the Naval Air Force Reserves and the Wyoming Air National Guard. He had a successful dental practice in Cheyenne for over 20 years. He then moved to Wisconsin to practice dentistry at a Chippewa reservation. He returned to Cheyenne in retirement. He was preceded in death by his brother, David Barber. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Carol Barber; his children, Michael Barber, Emily Barber, and Theresa Barber; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and sister, Bonnie.

Karen Alexander Doub, 78, of Marblehead, Massachusetts, Sept. 15, 2024. She was born in Marblehead, but her family moved away from town when she was six months old, leaving her forever unsure if she was considered a true “Header.” Her father’s career with companies like DuPont and B.F. Goodrich pulled the family to different homes in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Ohio, where her parents often hosted company parties. During these, she was all but guaranteed to be stationed late into the night on the stairs, reporting to her siblings on the festivities below. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. After graduation she moved to Boston and met her husband when they both worked at IBM. They moved to Marblehead and stayed to raise their family.

In 1977, she founded a clothing store named Irresistibles, growing the company with her husband, and eventually her daughter, to include store locations up and down the East Coast. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, John; children, John and Kelsey; five grandchildren; sisters, Nancy Morrison and Janet Alexander; and brother, John Alexander.

Peter Edwards, 78, of North Conway, New Hampshire, Oct. 22, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Army and served until 1974. After the Army he spent a year in Alta, Utah, doing one of the things he loved most, skiing.

He came back East and worked at the Federal Reserve in Boston, Massachusetts, then moved to the Bank of Boston as vice president of loan reviews. In 1991, he opened Zeb’s General Store with his longtime friend, Dave Peterson, in North Conway, New Hampshire, growing the business from just two employees and 600 square feet of retail space into a well-known shopping destination for visitors to the Mount Washington Valley.

He was a huge booster for the Mount Washington Valley community, helping a variety of organizations, businesses, the MWV Chamber of Commerce, and North Conway Village Association, and donating more than

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$350,000 through the Zeb’s Charitable Fund to local charities, especially those that improved the welfare of local children. He was always up for an adventure. In 1980, he biked 4,000 miles across the country with his good friend, Dave Gotthelf, and recorded the trip in a detailed journal. He spent his free time skiing with friends in Alta and Driggs, Idaho, accumulating over 1 million vertical feet while heli-skiing. Outside of ski season, he enjoyed spending time on the water, including multiple cruises along the Atlantic coast and in the Bahamas. His favorite place in the world was always Boothbay Harbor, Maine, where he had spent summers since he was a teenager. He imparted his sense of adventure on his grandsons, building elaborate play spaces for them in his home garage, designing pirate-themed treasure hunts, and including a corresponding children’s book featuring them as the main characters. He is survived by his brother, Dave; two children, Christina and Julie; and two grandchildren.

Howard Grubbs, 78, of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, Nov. 10, 2024. At Denison, he played varsity lacrosse and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. After college, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving in White Sands, New Mexico, at the U.S. Military Academy, and in Korea.

He enrolled in the University of South Carolina School of Law in the fall of 1974, where he was a member of The Order of Wig and Robe and the International Moot Court before earning his law degree in 1977. He met his future wife, Mary Jo Leary, on a blind date. After graduation, he became an associate at McKay, Sherill, Walker & Townsend, then a partner at McKay, McKay, Grubbs & Nunn, before leaving South Carolina to join Womble, Carlyle Sandridge & Rice in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. There he established the firm’s environmental law practice and undertook various leadership roles during his 30-year career. He was a nationally recognized speaker and writer. A lifelong avid runner, he completed more than 60 marathons, including the famous Boston Marathon in under three hours, Grandfather Mountain (20 times), and the Bataan Memorial Death March. He also competed in half-marathons, scores of 10K and 5K races, an untold number of 17-mile trail runs, and 20 runnings of The Bear, a grueling five-mile run to the top of Grandfather Mountain. He was also a founding team member of Howard’s Misty Mountaineers in the Blue Ridge Relay, completing the 208-mile race more than 15 times. He had the skill to speak to anyone and everyone, and he enjoyed the little things in life — grilling on his Big Green Egg, watching his beloved Steelers, or strolling around Misty Mountain with a glass of pinot noir. He is survived by his wife, Mary Jo; daughter, Margaret “Meg” Elizabeth Molony; a grandson; sister, Valerie Jean Peters; brother, Kenneth Lee Grubbs; and hundreds of friends from his law practice and his running days.

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Charles Hankey, 77, of Brecksville, Ohio, Aug. 17, 2024.

He spoke several languages, was a fine pianist, and competed on television’s Jeopardy! He served in the Peace Corps in Thailand and Turkey, worked as a customs inspector in San Francisco, and was at the forefront of a pioneering generation of computer programmers and software designers. He published a novel, Headhunter Jazz, in 2022, that reflected his wit and his love of American history and patriotism. At Denison, he was a member of Delta Upsilon. He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Denise Hankey; her daughters, Lisa Brandon and Robyn Steely; a granddaughter, Lisa Brandon; and his sister, Cheryl Parker.

Nedra Veatch Marks, 78, of Voorhees, New Jersey, Jan. 1, 2025. After graduating from Denison with degrees in studio art and biology, she applied her artistry and expertise by contributing illustrations to several medical publications. While she later dedicated herself to her family as a homemaker, she continued to nurture her creative spirit through her artwork. She was preceded in death by her sister, Cynthia Thomas. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Harold Marks; her sons, Hal and Jason Marks; and four grandchildren.

Frank Massey, 78, of Portland, Oregon, Sept. 3, 2024.

He spent his early youth in Central and South America, where his father worked for the U.S. State Department after World War II. Back in the States as an older boy, he helped stock, wrap, and display toys at the family toy store. At Denison, he was a member of Kappa Sigma. After graduation, he served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army. He earned his MBA at Northwestern University. He spent nearly 40 years in various senior leadership roles in sales and marketing, working for key brands in the housewares and commercial agriculture industries. He was preceded in death by brothers, John Massey and George B. Massey III. He is survived by his wife, Kathie; children, Thomas Massey and Emily Leach; and four grandchildren.

1969

Barbara Hall Manierre, 77, of Walla Walla, Washington, Dec. 16, 2024.

Hailing from a long line of Denisonians, she graduated with a degree in psychology. Her parents, Betty Craig Hall ’42 and James Hall ’41, went to college on The Hill as did an aunt, Helen Craig ’34, and three cousins, Doug Freedman ’92, Katherine Fitzpatrick ’92, and Marie Sydnor ’37. In San Francisco, Manierre attended Hastings Law School, where she served as an editor of the law journal and supported herself with legal-related parttime jobs. She practiced law for 10 years and later worked as a college advisor. She is survived by her husband, Bill; their daughters, Lauren Paland and Sam Kofler; and their extended families.

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& Obituaries 1969 –1975

David Liddell, 77, of North Palm Beach, Florida, Dec.12, 2024. He loved nature and animals, and while at Denison furthered research on Tamias striatus ohioensis, the Ohio eastern chipmunk. He majored in biology and was a member of Kappa Sigma. He loved fishing innumerable rivers, streams, and lakes, and hunting pheasants with the help of two generations of beloved Labrador retrievers.

His long golf drives were the envy of friends and his lone hole-in-one a personal thrill. His love of sport paired nicely with his career in sporting goods sales. He was an avid supporter of the conservation organizations Ducks Unlimited and Trout Unlimited and served as a volunteer sea turtle nest monitor together with his father for Palm Beach County Florida from 2002-2006. He is survived by his wife, Terry; his brother, Spencer; and extended family.

Peter Harrison, 77, of Key Biscayne, Florida, Sept. 18, 2024. At Denison, he earned a degree in economics and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. After getting his MBA at the University of Miami, he opened the Cushman and Wakefield office in Miami in 1979 and played a major role in Miami’s transformation to a global city. His love for Miami, his humility, integrity, and honesty were renowned. He was an active board member on Miami’s Lighthouse for the Blind for many years and recently served as the board’s treasurer. He enjoyed fishing, boating, and traveling. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; his two children, Peter and Amy Harrison Pisano; his grandchildren; and siblings, Maurice Harrison and Michael Harrison.

1970

Karen Baker Kirkup, 76, of Osprey, Florida, Jan. 14, 2025. At Denison, she earned a degree in English literature and was a member of Alpha Phi. While getting her master’s in educational policy at the University of Wisconsin, Kirkup met her husband. After raising two children, she began a long career in education, teaching at colleges in Florida.

Among her greatest interests were Bible study and helping the less fortunate. She is survived by her brother, Eric; husband, Benjamin; her sons, Benjamin and George; and their extended families.

1971

David L. Roth, 75, of Overland Park, Kansas, Sept. 11, 2024. Decades after graduating from Denison with a degree in political science, he still loved to talk politics. He followed local and national elections with great interest and could recite all the U.S. Presidents in order. He worked for many years in Florida at Commerce Clearing House, where he was part of a team that reviewed and transcribed legal judgements that were published and sold to legal firms throughout the United States. In 2005, he worked for Conagra Brands in the pizza production division until he retired in 2013. He was a big fan of sports and food, a supporter of Tampa pro teams, and a faithful attendee

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at the Roth family shrimp boils in Jacksonville, Florida.

Preceding him in death was his wife, Mary. He is survived by three stepchildren, two brothers, two cats, and extended family.

1972

Robert Harmon, 75, of Winter Haven, Florida, Oct. 26, 2024. A teller of tall tales and a lover of good chardonnay, he battled Parkinson’s disease for 18 years. He lived to make people laugh and help others. At Denison, he earned a degree in English literature before graduating from the AlabamaBirmingham School of Law. He spent his career as a banker, lawyer, and brewery owner but found his true calling as a person living with Parkinson’s. In the years after his diagnosis, he created a support group for those afflicted with the disease and created an annual golf tournament benefiting The Michael J. Fox Foundation for 11 years, raising more than $500,000. He enjoyed golf, recounting his holes-in-one, ice cream, and carrot cake.

He liked trying to convince people the tall tales he told were true. He was preceded in death by his sister, Judith.

He is survived by his sister, Bonnie Hayes; his wife, Cicily; and his daughters, Emily and Katharine.

1973

Irene Koerner, 73, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, Feb. 6, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. Koerner completed her undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University.

After earning her law degree, she worked in private practice for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Joseph Mayo Jr., 74, Paducah, Kentucky, Jan. 12, 2025.

Caring for others was a thread that ran through the life of the Warren, Ohio, native. An outstanding student and athlete in high school, he earned recognition from the state of Ohio as its “Teenager of the Year.” He was one of three brothers – Frank Mayo ’70 and Gregory Mayo ’76 were the others – to attend Denison. He earned a degree in mathematics and was a member of Delta Upsilon. His desire to make a difference in people’s lives led him to Tulane University School of Medicine before joining the U.S. Navy and rising to the rank of lieutenant commander. Mayo served as the general medical officer on the USS Niagara Falls and traveled the world. He spent time at military bases in Oakland, California, Subic Bay in the Philippines, and Newport, Rhode Island, where he refined his surgical skills and strengthened his values of service and commitment. While stationed in Newport, he met his future wife, Rita Sandonato. He completed a fellowship in vascular surgery at Cleveland Clinic. His career as a vascular and general surgeon spanned decades.

He was an avid golfer, photographer, artist, music lover, and coffee enthusiast. He is survived by his wife, Rita;

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two daughters, Natalie Mayo Ward and Alessandra Mayo Shelton; a son, Joey Mayo; and their extended families.

He is also survived by his brothers, Frank Mayo ’70 and Gregory Mayo ’76.

John Roberts, 73, of Carlisle, Massachusetts, Dec. 27, 2024.

The charismatic and adventurous Denisonian set foot on all seven continents, hiking the Matterhorn in Switzerland and scuba diving in the Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize. His wanderlust began at Denison, during a month in London and semester abroad in Freiburg, Germany. He visited 55 countries and never was shy about adapting to new environments. While on a cruise across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula, he dove in the icy waters with several fellow passengers. At Denison, he earned degrees in German and psychology but seemed to major in making friends. For years after graduation, he and his college buddies gathered for a touch football game in an Ohio cornfield, earning it the nickname “The Corn Bowl.” Another favorite tradition was walking the length of Manhattan with family and friends, doing it for more than 45 years. In 2024, despite three years of chemotherapy treatments and neuropathy in his feet, he completed the day-long trek with a smile on his face.

Professionally, he worked in economic data forecasting and investments. He is survived by his wife, Mary; children, Greg and Margot; and grandchildren.

William Sperry III, 73, of Granville, Ohio, Dec. 13, 2024.

At Denison, he played for the varsity football team and club rugby squad. Sperry also was a member of Beta Theta Pi. The English literature major worked for Mobil Oil in Boston before returning to Granville and serving as associate director of financial aid at Denison. He was preceded in death by an older brother, Peter. He is survived by his wife, Beth; two sons, Joshua and Peter; their extended families; and his sister, Elizabeth.

Brenda Whitfield, 72, of Cincinnati, Aug. 24, 2023.

Kathy Young Wiley, 74, of Liberty, Indiana, Feb. 8, 2025.

At Denison, she earned degrees in anthropology and sociology and was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She spent three decades working in advancement at Miami University, where she received an honorary alumnus award for her service to the university and its alumni association. While at Miami, she met and married Ronald L. Wiley, professor of physiology. She enjoyed a good book, a glass of wine, lunch with friends, walks on campus, and rides in the countryside. She was preceded in death by her brother, Roy Young. She is survived by her stepson, Matt; two grandchildren; and extended family.

1975

David Dennis, 71, of Avon Lake, Ohio, Dec. 9, 2024. At Denison, he earned a degree in psychology and participated in club sports.

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His 50-year career culminated with a job as a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He and his wife, Deb, went backpacking and fly fishing in remote areas of the West early in their marriage, including trips to Montana, New Mexico, and California. They passed their love of f ly fishing to their daughter, Madison, and nephew, Colin.

William Hicks, 73, of Albuquerque, Jan. 8, 2025. He was a history-loving, airplane-loathing, life-of-every-party living master of beasts. The gregarious Hicks earned a history degree at Denison and spent the rest of his life thirsting to learn everything about the Civil War, Wild West, and American history in general. He made many friends at Denison and enjoyed visiting them, provided he didn’t have to fly. He settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and savored evenings in his backyard listening to the Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, and Patsy Cline. Those around him knew he might, at any moment, break into dance and grab the nearest person to partner up. These spontaneous displays occurred at parties, in kitchens, grocery store aisles, and baseball stadiums. He was a fan of New York sports teams, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the University of New Mexico Lobos.

He kept a menagerie of animals — from the common to the exotic — on his property. There were dogs, cats, ducks, guinea pigs, rabbits, snakes, gerbils, and iguanas.

Sometimes, they marched or slithered behind him as he tended to his vegetable garden. He is survived by three children, Daniel Hicks, Maria Anderson, Katherine Hicks; grandchildren; brothers, Gilbert Hicks and John Hicks; and extended family.

Susan Fuerst Lipstreu, 71, of Hudson, Ohio, Nov. 7, 2024.

At Denison, she earned a degree in psychology and was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She met her husband, Bill, while working as a private pilot. The couple later ran their own business, Integrated Aircraft Systems. She also worked in real estate as an escrow agent and a paralegal.

An accomplished equestrian, she leaves behind her horse, Gilligan, and her dogs. She was preceded in death by her brother, George. She is survived by her husband; children, Bill, Rob, and Stephanie; five grandchildren; and sisters, Mary and Judy Griffin ’78.

Loralyn Whitney, 71, of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, Dec. 26, 2024. At Denison, she majored in English literature and was a member of Alpha Phi. A lifelong learner, she continued her education and earned a master’s in library science. She was an outreach librarian for a library system in Colorado, served as the library director for Villa Maria College, and was collection development librarian at Edinboro University. She served on numerous university committees, worked as a co-editor on two books, and authored book reviews for the Library Journal. A woman of many interests, she enjoyed arts and crafts, DENISONMAGAZINE.COM

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folklore, folk music, history, nature, reading, and had a special interest in Amish culture, Celts, medieval Britain, and Vikings. She was preceded in death by her brother, Gordon G. Whitney.

& 1977 Obituaries 197 7–2 002

Laurie Duncan, 69, of Estes Park, Colorado, Feb. 5, 2025. Driven by a spirit of adventure, she traveled the world. From spending time in medieval hill towns of Italy to the icy waters of Antarctica, she enjoyed taking trips with friends and family. At Denison, she also was a woman of action, participating on the club sailing team that raced against other colleges in weekend regattas. She majored in mathematics and economics before spending the next 16 years working for IBM, supporting small businesses with the company’s software. She later worked for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance and State Farm Insurance. She finished her career as a corporate software trainer.

1979

Ned Underwood Jr., 67, of New Lexington, Ohio, Nov. 3, 2024. At Denison, he earned a degree in history before starting a long teaching career in his hometown of New Lexington.

He taught social studies and coached football, weightlifting, and track at the junior high and high school levels.

He was devoted to the Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns – one football team a source of great joy to him, the other of relentless disappointment. He was a member of Elks Lodge No. 509, where he proudly served on its charitable foundation committee. He is survived by his wife, Gail; his mother, Barbara; children, Brendan Underwood ’04, Kyle Underwood, and Lydia Graves; and five grandchildren.

1980

Andy German, 66, of Canton, Georgia, Feb. 7, 2025. He earned degrees in sociology and anthropology and was a member of Kappa Sigma. He is survived by his wife, Luann, and his sister, Ellen German Berndt ’75.

Tad Heyman, 66, of Alexandria, Ohio, Sept. 11, 2024.

Denison was a family affair for him, and that bond remained in his business relations. He graduated with a degree in economics and was a member of Beta Theta Pi. He started a successful business with Mark Shaw ’80 in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, where he lived for many years.

He enjoyed golf and watching sports and treasured his role as an uncle. He is survived by his siblings, Kimberly Heyman Reynolds ’78, Shan Heyman Burchenal ’75, Christopher Patrick Heyman ’85; and their families.

1981

Mary Lynn Schwab, 65, of Canton, Ohio, Sept. 8, 2024. At Denison, she graduated with a degree in economics and was a member of Delta Gamma. She was a successful business owner in the plastics industry and a valued member of the Dover

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High Performance Plastics family. She was preceded in death by a son, Justin Hites. She is survived by her son, Jason Schwab.

Gordon Treco, 65, of Matthews, North Carolina, Nov. 17, 2024. At Denison, he majored in history, played for the Big Red tennis team, and was a member of Sigma Chi. He enjoyed a long and successful career in finance, working in New York and Washington D.C. He loved golf, spending time with friends traveling to storied courses.

He is survived by his mother, Diana Treco; two daughters, Wynne and Kendall; and brothers, Skip and James.

1983

David Rennie, 63, of Shelton, Connecticut, Jan. 10, 2025. At Denison, he graduated with a degree in music and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. A lifelong Scouter like his father, he achieved Eagle Scout and the Order of the Arrow’s Vigil Honor, and started his professional career as a district executive of the Housatonic Council. He served in many leadership positions during his 14 years at the Hiawatha Seaway Council in New York and 10 years at the Connecticut Yankee Council, until he retired in 2014. Two years later, he made national news by winning the HGTV 2016 Dream Home Giveaway, opting to take the cash option rather than a Merritt Island, Florida home. He is survived by his wife, Margaret Chambers Rennie ’82; two daughters, Carolyn and Katherine; grandchildren; and extended family.

1984

Mark Costes, 62, of Brooklyn, New York, Oct. 19, 2024. He majored in economics and math at Denison. He worked as a counselor and legal liaison, helping patients overcome drug and alcohol additions. He was a partner to poet and writer Reginald Harris for 36 years.

1986

Christopher Bradley, 59, of Sarasota, Florida, April 27, 2024. He earned a degree in English before attending Boston College.

1987

Loraine Jeffery, 59, of Beachwood, Ohio, Nov. 27, 2024. She graduated with degrees in psychology and dance and also was a member of Pi Beta Phi. After college, she had a brief dance career before transitioning to teaching for more than 30 years. A woman of many talents, she enjoyed baking for others as creator of Aunt Rainy’s Cakes, and completing daily crossword puzzles. She and her sister, Jennifer, followed her parents’ lead in attending Denison.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Nancy Jeffery ’62. She is survived by her husband, Todd Clark; her father, Edwin Jeffery ’62; her sisters, Margaret Newman and Jennifer Ricciardelli ’92; and extended family.

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1993

Bentley A. Krause, 53, of Athens, Ohio, June 28, 2024. He graduated with degrees in biology and physical education and was a member of Delta Upsilon.

Conference on Balanced National Growth and Economic Development. He is survived by his wife, Susan Whitelaw; his daughters, Kathryn Ledebur and Lara Sprenger ’91; stepchildren; and grandchildren.

1994

Amy Scott-Douglass, 54, of Huron, Ohio, Oct. 8, 2024. She served as an assistant professor of English at Denison from 2005-09. A devoted teacher, scholar, and mother to pugs, she was a Renaissance woman. She loved Shakespeare, travel, theater, as well as home renovation and design. She was the author of Shakespeare Inside: The Bard Behind Bars. She also taught at Lorain County Community College, California State University Fullerton, Georgetown University, and Marymount University, where she directed the graduate program in English and the humanities. She was passionate about exposing students to early modern literature and drama and taught a wide variety of literature and humanities courses, ranging from 17th-century women authors to graphic novels on film. She was preceded in death by her father, sister, and her beloved pugs, Hector and Hamlet.

She is survived by her mother and three siblings.

Claire Siegenthaler Proto, 52, of Bellville, Ohio, Oct. 29, 2024. She followed family members to Denison but was a trailblazer once on campus. She graduated cum laude and was among the first Denison students to earn an environmental studies degree. She taught in the Mansfield (Ohio) City Schools for more than 20 years. She married Jeff Proto in 2001, and the couple had two sons, Frederick and John. Some of her favorite times were cooking as a family, watching Ohio State football games, and picnicking at Grampy’s Cabin. Her father, Thomas Siegenthaler ’63, attended Denison as well as her sister, Geneva Cummings ’90, and cousins, John Siegenthaler ’90 and Maura Siegenthaler ’92. A member of Alpha Chi Omega, she is survived by her parents, sister, husband, children, and other extended family.

2002

Max Wright, 44, of Princeton, New Jersey, Sept. 12, 2024. He was a good all-around athlete, who lettered for the Big Red football and lacrosse teams. Wright was part of lacrosse teams that made two NCAA Final Four appearances. He earned a degree in history and was a member of Beta Theta Pi. After college, he worked in commercial and residential real estate in Boston and San Francisco. He eventually returned to New Jersey to manage residential and farm properties. He is survived by his parents, Margaret and Richard; his older brother, Walker; and extended family.

Former faculty

Larry Ledebur, 83, of Chelsea, Michigan, Feb. 28, 2024.

He spent 40 years as an economist, academic, author, and fighter for social justice. He considered his nine years at Denison, as an assistant professor of economics and the dean of students, as a pivotal period in his career. He was on The Hill in the late 1960s and early 1970s — a turbulent time in the nation’s history. He advised young men on the military draft during the Vietnam War and oversaw counseling programs for troubled students. His experiences as a dean of students informed his decision to drift away from mainstream economics and focus on solutions to discord and inequality. His work emphasized regional cooperation as an effective economic development strategy. While at Denison, he co-authored two books on economics, calling for policy changes at the local, state and national levels. He had an impact on national urban policy as a visiting scholar for the U.S. Economic Development Association’s Office of Economic Research and later as senior economist and associate director of research of President Carter’s White House DENISON MAGAZINE

Former staff

Frank Abele, 92, of Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 28, 2024. He spent 20 years as chief of security at Denison until 1999 and worked for two decades as a private investigator. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and later earned a degree in management and human resources from Park College. He had a range of interests, always valuing the guidance and support of his trusted adviser and friend, Christine Lambert, and his “guardian,” Bette Prouix. A passionate golfer, he was a member of Glennross Golf Club and treasured the memory of his hole-inone. He was preceded in death by a grandson, Nicholas Allinger. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; daughters, Brenda and Bonnie; and two grandchildren. Molly A. Campbell, 82, of Newark, Ohio, Feb. 10, 2025. She spent 16 years working as an accounting clerk at Denison University, where she retired in 2007. A Zanesville, Ohio, native, she also worked in banks and auto dealerships. She loved the outdoors, whether on water or land. She and her husband, Tom Campbell, sailed for 38 years on Lake Erie, often accompanied by their son, Scott. The family enjoyed hiking through state and national parks, including every trail within the Smoky Mountains. She was preceded in death by a brother-in-law and two brothers. She is survived by her husband, son, four grandchildren, and other extended family.

Stewart Dyke, 83, of St. Louis, Nov. 20, 2024. He worked for 23 years as director of public affairs at Denison until retiring in 2006. A graduate of University of Missouri School of Journalism, he dedicated his life to the written word. He worked in public affairs for the U.S. Navy, DENISONMAGAZINE.COM

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& Obituaries

including a stint aboard an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War. After earning a graduate degree from the University of Southern California, he began his second act in higher education. He worked at Northwestern University, Knox College, and Albion College before coming to Denison in 1983. He was active in the CASE organization for the advancement and support of education and volunteered for a number of committee assignments. While at Denison, he served as a board member of the Granville Historical Society and Bryn Du Mansion.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Duffy Dyke.

He is survived by his brother, George Dyke; daughters, Patricia Tabor Burke and Elisabeth Jane Dyke; and two grandchildren.

Irmgard Rhodes, 93, of Heath, Ohio, Oct. 17, 2024. A native of Munich, Germany, she overcame family tragedy to live a long life in central Ohio, including working as a server in Whisler Hall at Denison. While living in Germany, she fell in love and married U.S. Army Sgt. Grant A. Rhodes in 1963. The family relocated to Ohio before Grant received his orders to serve in Vietnam, where he was killed three years later. She remained close to her husband’s family in Newark, Ohio, and never remarried. She often visited his gravesite, tidied the landscape, and complained about the shoddy cemetery upkeep, as was her way. She enjoyed baking, especially apple cake and cheesecake, and loved to prepare her special version of German potato salad. She was a perfectionist who delighted in arranging seasonal decorations, tending her flower gardens, and caring for her bird bath. She will be missed at Jodie’s Family Hair Care, where she entertained clients and hair stylists, discussing the soap operas, politics, current events, and community gossip. She was preceded in death by her husband and a sister. She is survived by her son, Wilhelm (Will) Kern; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.

Kenneth “Skip” Rockey, 77, of Pataskala, Ohio, Jan. 7, 2025. A Vietnam veteran and a Purple Heart recipient, the U.S. Army sergeant returned home and worked for 45 years in computers. He spent 16 years in the computer services department at Denison before retiring for a second time in 2013. He enjoyed training and showing quarter horses in Ohio and Texas. Hobbies included genealogy, military history, all things Apple computers, and vanity plates. He was a swimmer and an avid Ohio State fan. He is survived by his wife, Beverly; two children, Shane and Kristin; and three grandchildren.

fame for football and track. Hobbies included hunting and shooting trap and skeet. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Bladensburg, Ohio, and the Scottish Rights in Cambridge, Ohio. He was preceded in death by three siblings. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; two children, Greg and Shellie; two granddaughters; and two sisters.

Friends

Robert Brown, 94, of San Francisco, June 18, 2024.

Shirley Rae Hale, 93, of Granville, Ohio, Jan. 1, 2025.

After the death of her husband, she moved from Michigan to Granville in 1984 to become a house mother of Phi Beta Phi at Denison. She held the title for 14 years and became a beloved member of the First Presbyterian Church of Granville. With her summers free and her four children grown, she traveled the world. She loved music and played piano most of her life. She enjoyed hosting lunches and dinners, playing cribbage and bridge, and creating many gifts for friends and family. She is survived by her children, Jeff, Steve, Tim, and Sally; and nine grandchildren.

William Kohler Jr., 65, of Derwood, Maryland, Aug. 8, 2024. He dedicated his life to law. He began his career as a public defender in Washington, D.C., before joining Sosslau, Kohler, & Simcox. He and his wife, Mary Catherine, raised two children, Catherine and William.

He was passionate about painting, playing the guitar, and spending time outdoors, especially in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where he enjoyed five years of retirement refining his skills at darts, horseshoes, and fishing. He was preceded in death by his wife. He is survived by his two children, his stepmother, and brothers and sisters.

Lieutricia “Pat” Willis, 93, of Jackson, Ohio, Aug. 4, 2023. She worked for more than 30 years as a teacher and administrator in the Jackson City School District.

Over the years, she enjoyed her involvement with various clubs and organizations, including the Kiwanis Club, Garden Club, Bridge Club, Rotary Club, Jackson Women’s League, and Lioness Club. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Robert Davis and Robert “Bob” Willis; and her brother, Tom Mercer. She is survived by her daughter, Cindy; and grandchildren.

Doris Wydman, 101, of Elkhart, Indiana, Oct. 30, 2023.

Steven Veatch, 85, of Utica, Ohio, Dec. 11, 2024. He spent eight years as a building services assistant at Denison until 2009. He previously worked 35 years at Rockwell International in Heath, Ohio, and served in the Army Reserves for six years. He graduated from Utica High School, where he was inducted in the athletic hall of

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#DENISONPROUD ISSUE 2 2025

David O. Woodyard ’54 gisela goppel

R E LI G I O N PRO FE S S O R

I N M E M O R I AM

Religion professor David O. Woodyard president and The Beatles were still known ’54, whose connection to Denison as Johnny and the Moondogs. Andrew spanned 13 U.S. presidents and whose Pincus ’10 said of Woodyard’s longevity, devotion to his alma mater and its stu- “He’s been on campus longer than many dents saw him work into his 90s, died on of the buildings.”

March 27, 2025, at 92.

Pincus, an economics and reliIn a career mostly identified with the- gion double major, graduated during ology and filled with teaching accolades, Woodard’s 50th year of service to Woodyard prided himself on being a good Denison. His senior project involved listener – someone willing to help students reaching out to alumni, asking if they regardless of their beliefs. would write letters about Woodyard’s After his death, professor Christine Pae, impact, which he and others turned into chair of the religion department, kept his a book. He received 285 responses.

Knapp Hall office door open to visitors.

“Commenting on his role as a college Students have dropped by, some bearing professor, student after student from flowers, to pay their respects. every social, political, religious, and eco“He taught theology, but what he really nomic background all say that he truly taught was how to care for other people,” said loved his students and that he transAnna Cohen ’25, who served as Woodyard’s formed their lives,” associate professor teaching assistant. “He absolutely loved what emeritus John Jackson said. “What they he did, and when you walked into his office valued most was David’s ability to introyou could feel that love.” duce them to new, often alien intellectual A wall inside Woodyard’s office is fes- perspectives while at the same time aftooned with photos of former students firming their own sense of self.”

— some of whose marriages he officiated Woodyard’s first decade on campus was in Swasey Chapel. He proposed to his a turbulent one in American history. In college sweetheart, Joanne Adamson 1968, he was among 30 professors who boyWoodyard ’55, outside the iconic chapel cotted classes in support of Black students after she graduated. The couple was mar- in their effort to increase their cohort, hire ried for 70 years, adopting two daughters, more Black faculty, and establish a place Kim and Sara. where they could socialize comfortably. A Woodyard earned his master of divinity decade later, he hired emerita professor at Union Theological Seminary in 1958 Joan Novak, who added feminist theology and served a church at the University of to the curriculum and helped grow interest Connecticut. Two years later, he jumped in the major. at the chance to teach and work as dean The longtime department chair and of the chapel at Denison. the professors he recruited to Denison When Woodyard returned to his alma expanded the traditional parameters of mater, Dwight Eisenhower was the U.S.

DENISON MAGAZINE

the program. It now boasts 35 students who are either a religion major or minor.

Woodyard, who authored 10 books exploring questions of human identity, social justice, and theological reflection, was inspired at an early age by his family’s minister who helped him overcome the loss of his father and Denison trustee, Wilfred C. Woodyard ’16. David and Joanne established a scholarship in his parents’ names that supports financial aid for students.

Pincus, who considered Woodyard “a surrogate grandfather on campus,” said the professor would make phone calls, write letters, and set up alumni connections on students’ behalf.

In the classroom, Woodyard served them best by challenging their preconceptions. Kim Coplin ’85, Denison provost and associate professor, recalled Woodyard getting her to think differently about theology and religion. She valued his wisdom as a teacher and his support as a colleague when she returned to Denison as a faculty member in the physics department.

“In one of my last meetings with him, I pulled out a handwritten note he had written to me in December 1981 to let him know how much that small act meant to me as an 18-year-old,” Coplin said. “He smiled and laughed as we remembered together, but then he jokingly said, ‘I want you to know you weren’t the only one who received a handwritten note from me.’”

– TOM REED

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THE LAST WORD

True Wealth

BY ANN HAGEDORN ’71

O

n Feb. 10, 2022, Gary McAvay ’75, passed away in New York City. At Denison, he earned a BFA in theater and film, followed by an MFA at Brooklyn College, later to become president of Columbia Artists Theatricals. McAvay represented hundreds of artists and produced many shows such as Cats, Chicago, Sunset Boulevard, Blue Man Group, and Stomp, and he was featured in the memorial segment on the televised 2022 Tony Awards.

Author and friend Ann Hagedorn ’71 shares memories of a remarkable Denisonian.

To write less than a book about Gary McAvay is like trying to narrate the history of Broadway while standing in line for a play — nearly impossible! But for now, let’s call the book, The Gift of Gary.

The Gift of Gary would be brimming with Gary quotes: “The greatest things we do in life are not always on our resumes.” He loved the line from the musical, Matilda: “Without stories we’re just eating machines with shoes.” Another favorite resonated deeply with his

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NYC friends: True wealth is having “a vault filled with stories to tell and a pack of friends who have the same.”

Ah, the NYC gatherings of theatre-bound Denisonians: a lively chapter for the book! Talents galore in that crowd. I first realized Gary’s greatness at an early ’80s party hosted by Denison grad Susan Morse ’71 in her Upper West Side apartment. Snow showers began early that evening and by the time Gary and I left, few cabs were navigating the mounting drifts. Being the gentleman he was, Gary offered to walk me home — four miles through gusts of flurries.

Home was Greenwich Village, in the basement apartment of a brownstone at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Washington Square Park. I worked at NYU and thanks to that job, I had just met the son of The Wizard of Oz lyricist, a fact that was surely the catalyst for what Gary would later call “The Snow Show.” As flurries grew into a blizzard, we sang the Broadway musical repertoire, sometimes adding our own lyrics. That magical walk started a friendship that would last for more than four

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decades — one of those invisible gifts tucked inside my Denison diploma.

In the years ahead, there would be more walks with Gary. They connected him to the soul of the city; he called it “the vat of hopes and dreams.” An especially memorable stroll followed one of my book launches.

Several Denisonians attended; after book signings, Gary organized eight of us for a hike down Fifth Avenue. On that clear September night, the full moon popping into view between tall buildings, we followed our charismatic friend to the Algonquin Hotel, famed for writer Dorothy Parker and her Round Table of literary elites. Gary, of course, had reserved seats for us at that iconic table.

Occasionally, we would meet at Nat Sherman’s on East 42nd to purchase a few fine cigars, and then walk to a restaurant on West 77th. After dinner, we would venture to a bench near the American Museum of Natural History and sit for hours, enjoying cigars and regaling one another with stories from our work. We both felt that our careers were callings, not jobs; and we agreed

DENISON MAGAZINE

that the seeds had been planted at Denison, where we learned how to discover — and dedicate our lives to — what we truly were meant to do.

The last time I saw Gary was in December 2021. We met for brunch on the Upper West Side and, as always, discussed recent projects. But for the first time ever, we talked about death. Soon, we were volunteering to write each other’s eulogies, depending, of course, on who left the planet first. Deal? Deal. Sealed with a handshake.

No walks that day; we were both on tight schedules. I remember his hug as I opened a cab door, and then waved goodbye.

The eulogy, thus far: “Dynamic and kind.

Hardworking and fun. Immensely devoted to his family and friends. Wise, creative, clever, and brave. His understanding of Broadway was brilliant. Life without sharing stories with such a wondrous human — and especially hearing him laugh — has been quite an adjustment for everyone who knew him well.”

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McAvay’s classmates are raising funds for a theatre department internship in his honor.

SUPPORT. DENISON . EDU/ GARYMC AVAY.

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Parents, join us for Family Weekend, where you can experience firsthand what it’s like to be a Denison student — learning from Denison faculty, cheering on the Big Red at athletic competitions and a tailgate, taking in an arts performance, and of course, dancing the night away at Buzzy’s Big Bash, our signature concert and dinner!

This spirited celebration has something for everyone, and we’re so excited to welcome you back to The Hill.

SEPTEMBER 26 - 28, 2025

Denison University Society of the Alumni ORGANIZED IN 18 46 ALUMNI ADVISORY BOARD

ANNUAL FUND VOLUNTEERS

Ali Teopas Spungen ’08

Amy Gillies ’92

PRESIDENT

Mark Morawski ’90, P’21, P’25 PRESIDENT- ELECT

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Demi Johnson ’11 MEMBER-AT-LARGE

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MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Chuck Emrich ’83

ANNUAL FUND CHAIR

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Mike Trigg P’25

Jim Hartenstein ’74

FAMILY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL CHAIR

Assistant Editor Theodore Decker Designer Mark Pinkerton

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

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MEMBER-AT-LARGE

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Amy Hardesty Gillies ’92

Editor Josh Chaney denmag@denison.edu

DENISON UNIVERSITY CONTACTS

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please call 740-587-0810

Photo Editors James Schuller Brooke LaValley Contributing Staff Kristy Bellofatto Tom Reed Ginny Sharkey ’83 Jeremy Sony

Denison Magazine (ISSN 1042-1645) is published two times a year by the Denison University Office of University Communications and Marketing, 100 West College St., Granville, OH 43023 Copyright ©2025 by Denison University. All rights reserved.

Opinions expressed in Denison Magazine are those of the individual authors and sub-

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Lewis (Lee) A. Sachs ’85 (Chair), James L. Anderson ’85, George Bodenheimer ’80, Cynthia Ooten Booth ’79, Colleen Boyle ’24, Ashley Edwards Bradley ’93, Daniel J. Brickman ’80, Marcus Colwell ’84, H. Timothy Ewing ’89, Jesse Felker ’23, Jeremy J. Flug ’83, Jeffrey A. Forbes ’87, Kristen Fitzwilliam Giarrusso ’84, James T. Glerum Jr. ’82,

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