Denison Magazine 2026 Issue 2

‘look

at us now’

ONE DAY. TWO NATIONAL TITLES. PLUS: LEADERSHIP, BUILT THE DENISON WAY.

Photo: Stockton Photo, Inc.

Denison men’s swimmers and divers celebrate the program’s seventh national title by taking the traditional plunge after the NCAA Championship meet in Indianapolis.

DENISON

JOINED AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB OF

NCAA

CHAMP IO NS ON MARCH 21, 2026.

The Big Red women’s basketball team and the men’s swimming and diving team captured Division III national titles just hours apart.

The basketball team defeated the University of Scranton, 55-41, on a Saturday afternoon in Salem, Virginia. It marked Denison’s first NCAA title for the women’s hoops program.

Later that day, the Big Red swimming and diving team completed their seventh national championship in Indianapolis. They accumulated 437 points over the four-day event, comfortably ahead of runner-up New York University, which totaled 388.5 points. It’s the third time in program history that the men’s team won back-to-back national titles.

“It’s a phenomenal accomplishment,” said Matt Tanney, associate vice president and director of athletics. “It’s the culmination of a lot of people’s effort, time, and energy. We have an amazing ecosystem at our university that fosters this sort of competitive excellence, and it just happened to all come together on the same day.”

Denison added its name to a rare collection of universities to win two NCAA championships on one day. Stanford University has done it at the Division I level. Lynn University earned the honor in Division II, and Kenyon College in Division III.

A year ago, the Denison men’s tennis and men’s swimming and diving teams won national titles. It was the first time the Big Red earned two titles in the same academic year.

“In many ways, we’re enjoying a Denison athletics renaissance,” swimming and diving coach Gregg Parini said. “With President Adam Weinberg’s leadership and an emphasis on a performanceoriented college culture, we’re seeing results, and we’re seeing a confidence in following through on reaching goals.”

BY TOM REED

Repeat champions, relentless ambition

The Big Red men’s swimming and diving team won its seventh NCAA title, and second in a row. They’re determined to extend the streak.

BY TOM REED

PHOTOS BY STOCKTON PHOTOS INC.

George Goins ’28 says he knows how “crazy” the goal sounded when he and his incoming classmates discussed it in the fall of 2024.

The Denison men’s swimming and diving team already sets a high bar. Goins and his fellow Class of 2028 competitors don’t want to just clear that bar — they want to raise it.

“A week into our freshmen season, we were like, ‘Hey, let’s win the NCAA title four years in a row,’” Goins said.

They’re halfway to fulfilling a remarkable dream.

The Big Red won their second consecutive Division III NCAA Championship and seventh overall in Indianapolis in March 2026. They accumulated 437 points over the four-day event to outpace New York University (388.5 points) and the University of Chicago (353 points).

Denison was led by swimmers Goins and Jack Hill ’27, and diver Nick Fogle ’26, each of whom won two individual titles.

Among the Big Red individuals and relay teams earning first-team All-American honors — achieved by finishing top-8 in a finals event — everyone except Fogle is an underclassman. Translation: Goins’ lofty aspiration is not without merit.

“We’ve put ourselves on the top of the podium twice,” he said. “That much momentum can help us have the confidence to be on the podium for years to come.”

Asked about his team’s ambitions, coach Gregg Parini smiled.

“I told them, ‘You gotta win three before you win four,’” said Parini, who’s also led Denison’s women to two national titles.

Parini believes winning breeds complacency, not success. That the Big Red men have won back-to-back championships three times (2011-12, 2018-19, 2025-26) is a testament to the relentless drive of the coaches and athletes.

The only Division III men’s programs to three-peat are Kenyon College, Emory University, and Johns Hopkins University. Denison hopes to elbow its way into that exclusive club.

“As I’ve said before, it’s easier to be the hunter than the hunted,” Parini said. “We had the bullseye on our back all season. That’s why repeats are so difficult. Not only is everyone gunning for you, but you are competing against yourself, your own expectations.”

CONTRASTING VICTORIES

The hallmark of great champions is the ability to win in different ways. That was showcased over the past two years.

The 2025 champs were driven by senior leadership and team depth. They had 19 athletes qualify for the NCAA meet and won it without placing first in a single individual event or relay.

The 2026 titleholders qualified just 15 athletes and relied heavily on their star-studded, younger athletes.

Hill set national records in 100- and 200-yard freestyle races and placed second in the 200 individual medley. He was named College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America Swimmer of the Year. Goins captured the 500 and 1650 freestyle events — breaking a 14-year school record in the latter. Hill and Goins were also members of the national-record-setting 800 free relay along with Harry Parsons ’27 and Nick Hensel ’27

“We lost a lot of seniors from last year’s team,” Hill said. “So we needed younger guys who were on that team to step up. It was a prime opportunity for us to show what was possible with our individual swims. Ultimately, it was about pushing yourself and pushing others around you to raise the level.”

Jack Hill ’27 was named the top swimmer of the NCAA meet.

Simon Parini, son of coach Gregg Parini, holds a sign in support of Nick Fogle.

Nick Fogle ’26 was named the top diver of the meet.

DENISON MAGAZINE

Two Denison coaches and two athletes were recognized by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association after the NCAA Division III Championships.

GREGG PARINI

Co-Coach of the year

KAI ROBINSON

Men’s Diving Coach of the Year

JACK HILL ’27

Swimmer of the Year

NICK FOGLE ’26

Diver of the Year

ADVERSE TIMES

On the third day of competition, the Big Red were dealt a potential hammer blow to their title aspirations. The outstanding 200 medley relay team was disqualified for having a swimmer leave the block a fraction of a second early.

The miscue opened the door for NYU, which won the relay and had a bevy of top swimmers scheduled for Day 4 events.

But given the scale of adversity the Big Red faced during the course of the season, they were well-equipped to keep the disappointment in perspective.

“We attended way too many memorial services this year,” Parini said.

Few outside the program knew how much grief coaches and athletes had endured. Five people with various ties to the Denison program or its individual swimmers had passed away during the academic year.

The one that hit closest to home was the wife of associate head coach Kellen Beckwith. The couple married on Aug. 24, 2025. A month later, Beckwith was dealing with the death of his wife, Jamie.

The program rallied around Beckwith, who kept coaching through the loss. His mantra was: “I’m not OK, but I’m managing.”

“Kellen has been so strong,” Hill said. “We all could see what he was going through, but he still gave us 100 percent. He’s a role model.”

The coaching staff believes that building a championship-level team is about more than physical exertion in practice. It’s about developing a proper mindset to deal with issues as they arise.

Katie Sprague ’01, a swimmer on the 2001 women’s NCAA championship squad, serves as the director of team culture development. Fogle, who won the 1- and 3-meter diving competition and was named CSCAA Diver of the Year, likes how the Big Red emphasize this important intangible.

“We have these meetings where we come in, and we talk about things as a team,” Fogle said. “I think this is one of our bigger advantages. We talk about our approaches to practices, our team mentality, and whatever needs to be discussed.”

SPECIAL MESSAGE

The Big Red secured the 2026 title with a strong fourth day. Goins opened the finals session by winning the 1650. Hill delivered a victory in the 100 freestyle before joining Cam Blevins-Mohr ’29, Parsons, and Hensel to finish second in the 400 free relay.

The Big Red were cheered on by more than 300 fans, the largest supporters group of any in Indianapolis. The program’s alums faithfully show up for big meets. Goins was reminded of this when he checked his phone after swimming the 1650 in a school-record time of 15:04.33.

Jack Hill ’27 reacts to a victory.

George Goins ’28 won two individual national titles.

Associate head coach Kellen Beckwith hugs one of his swimmers.

His first message was from Allen Weik ’14 , the previous record holder.

“Al kept reaching out through the entire meet,” Goins said. “He kept leaving me inspirational messages like, ‘You can do this,’ and ‘Do it for the team.’ That was pretty cool.”

As the athletes and assistant coaches celebrated the title on the pool deck, Parini took a moment to savor the scene.

“Just watching the guys come together and enjoy themselves after finishing the task on Saturday night was awesome to see,” the coach said. “It was a great way to bring closure to a season that’s been very challenging.”

It was a job well done, but in the minds of his determined athletes, a mission only half-complete.

“The amount of work we put in, and the amount of progress this team has shown, I honestly think it’s possible,” Goins said.

“I think it’s 100% possible this team can win four in a row.”

MODELS OF CONSISTENCY:

DENISON WOMEN EARN ANOTHER TOP-FOUR FINISH

The NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships were a terrific sendoff for the Big Red senior class.

Led by Emily Harris ’26 , Quinn Brown ’26 , and Drue Thielking ’26 , Denison finished fourth overall in the four-day meet in Indianapolis.

In the past four years, the Big Red have won a national title in 2023, placed second in 2024, and finished fourth in consecutive NCAA meets. They have registered top-four national finishes for a remarkable 17 straight seasons.

“We’re really proud of what our women have accomplished, and are accomplishing,” coach Gregg Parini said. “They’ve been, in many ways, more consistent than the men.”

Harris completed a tremendous career at Denison with runner-up finishes in the 500-yard freestyle and 400 individual medley, while placing fifth in the 200 butterfly. She was also a member of the third-place 800 freestyle relay, and fifth-place 400 medley and 200 freestyle relays.

“Emily swam really well, she was our top point-getter,” Parini said. “She almost won the 400 IM, got touched by 0.01 of a second.”

Brown was fourth in the 500 and 1650 freestyle races, and a member of the third-place 800 freestyle relay. Thielking placed third in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Phoebe Ferguson ’26 was a member of the third-place 200 medley relay and fifth-place 400 medley relay.

Nick Fogle ’26 won the 1- and 3-meter diving competitions.

Denison’s NCAA qualifying seniors with coach Gregg Parini. From the left: Quinn Brown ’26, Drue Thielking ’26, Emily Harris ’26, Parini, Lu-Si Minnich ’26, Phoebe Ferguson ’26.

from doubters to believers

The Denison women’s basketball team won its first NCAA title — stunning the hoops world — with talent, tenacity, and togetherness.

BY TOM REED PHOTOS BY DENISON ATHLETICS

With the national title game poised on a knife’s edge, the Denison women’s basketball team huddled for the final quarter of their season.

Ten minutes to play, down by a single point to undefeated University of Scranton in Salem, Virginia.

As Big Red players placed their hands in the huddle’s center, they shouted, “No regrets” — one of two mantras adopted for the NCAA Tournament. As the buzzer sounded, summoning teams back to the court, players shouted the second: “Why not us?”

It’s a question nobody outside of Granville, Ohio, was asking before the start of the season. Or, even before the start of the NCAA Tournament.

“No one projected us to win,” said point guard Abby Cooch ’27, the tournament MVP. “A lot of people counted us out for the wrong reasons — and look at us now.”

The Big Red overwhelmed Scranton in the fourth quarter with stifling defense and clutch shooting on the way to an emphatic 55-41 victory and the program’s first NCAA championship.

From doubters to believers. That’s the story of the 2025-26 Denison women’s basketball team, one that showcased athleticism, depth, and togetherness on the national stage over three weekends in March.

“We knew how much talent we had at the start of the season, and it didn’t matter what people on the outside thought of us,” said Ada Taute ’27, the team’s leading scorer.

A squad that had never advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before this season became the first team in Division III history to win a national title despite being unranked in the preseason polls.

In the NCAA Tournament, the Big Red (30-2) not only beat teams with greater playoff pedigrees, but they dominated them. In six tournament wins, Denison:

• Upset the second-, third-, and fourth-ranked teams in the final Top-25 poll

• Trailed for less than seven minutes in the entire tournament

• Posted an 18.5 point margin of victory

“We are 18 players strong,” coach Maureen Hirt said. “We have players capable of making big plays, we have role players who contribute every game, and we have players who hardly play, but keep morale high on the bench with their celebrations.”

The indelible images from this championship run are the joyous faces after wins, the net-cutting ceremonies, and the snow angels in glittering confetti at center court.

But the road to victory was paved over four long years. It’s the behind-the-scenes work, filled with sweat and sometimes tears, that the rest of the basketball world missed when they discounted the Big Red’s chance for glory.

PLAYING FAST

Nobody needed to tell Hirt the potential that Denison offered when she accepted the job in 2022. She was a standout player for conference rival Kenyon College and an assistant coach for conference rival Oberlin College.

“I thought a national championship was totally doable when you looked at the resources, the support, and the facilities at Denison,” Hirt said. “They had a history of success across their athletics program.”

Hirt inherited the job from Sara Lee, now deputy director of athletics, who retired from coaching after leading the Big Red to 502 wins.

The key to challenging for titles, Hirt thought, was recruiting student-athletes who fit her coaching philosophies.

“We wanted to become more athletic and uptempo,” she said.

JOSH

THOMAS ANNIE

Anelly Mad-toingue ’28 has emerged as a defensive force who’s also capable of scoring clutch baskets as she did in the championship game.

Ada Taute ’27 led the Big Red in scoring.

Adelyn Moore ’27 was among the valuable reserves who gave Denison a big advantage with team depth.

NCAA ROAD TO GLORY

The Big Red won just 10 games in 2022-23, but Hirt’s first recruiting class added seven players — an eighth would join as a transfer — that formed the nucleus of their championship squad. The group included: Cooch, Taute, Violet Mitchell ’27, Morgan Kress ’27, Adelyn Moore ’27, Maeve Perry ’27, Maeve Gaffney ’27, and Izzy Arguelles ’27. A year later, Anelly Madtoingue ’28, Grace Dressell ’28, Gillian Magner ’28, and Jamie Elliott ’28 joined the team.

Denison won 20 games the following season, but progress is rarely linear. This group, which includes Brooke Toigo ’26, Jess Zittel ’26, and Katie Houpt ’26, would be tested in ways they never imagined.

DEALING WITH ADVERSITY

As the Big Red opened the 2023-24 season, players received shocking news. Hirt had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare cancer that affects the lymphatic system.

“It’s our first college experience, one of the biggest adjustments in life, and when we found out Coach Mo had cancer, it put a lot of things in perspective,” Mitchell said.

Eighteen days after being hospitalized, Hirt returned to the bench. While the coach’s inspirational story has been well documented, the Big Red dealt with other adversity.

Taute, Mad-toingue, and Kress played a combined nine games due to injury last season as Denison fell back to 15 wins. Yet as setbacks mounted, the team’s resilience grew.

“We had so much composure this season down the stretch,” Hirt said. “Teams would go on runs, but this group has been through so much. It’s not the end of the world. There are bigger challenges in life, right?”

TIGHT-KNIT GROUP

At the championship level, fine margins often separate winners from runners-up. Talent is vital, but intangibles matter, too.

“Denison’s X-factor was its team culture,” Lee said.

Hirt is a believer in mudita — the Sanskrit/Pali word that means the selfless delight in the good fortune, happiness, and success of others, without envy or comparison. The Big Red embodied it.

They played for each other, hung out off the court, and put aside individual goals.

The Big Red spent the final 12 days of the season in Virginia, electing to remain there after their Elite Eight win rather than bus home before the Final Four. It was two weeks of hotel living with little to do other than eat, sleep, study, and practice.

“It was fun because we were already so close,” Cooch said. “If we weren’t as close, it might have been a different experience.”

On a team powered by younger players, it would have been easy for the three seniors to feel overshadowed. Instead, each found ways to contribute on and off the court. Houpt was instrumental in creating the social media posts that have made the basketball team’s Instagram and TikTok accounts must-follows.

As a collective, they connected with the campus and the Granville community through theme nights and by lending their practice jerseys to friends to be worn in the stands.

“We’re a good team, and we have fun with it, and I feel like watching us have fun fuels the excitement in our fans,” Taute said.

PRESSING MATTERS

In the fall of 2025, during the first practice, Hirt watched the tenacious Molly Dorighi ’29 flying around the gym, cutting

Tournament MVP Abby Cooch ’27 holds the national trophy aloft.

Coach Maureen Hirt delivered the program’s first NCAA title in her fourth year with the Big Red.

off dribbling lanes, and creating havoc. The coach knew she finally had enough athleticism in her lineup to full-court press for 40 minutes a game.

“Molly is such a fiery competitor,” Hirt said. “She’s got that dawg in her.”

Dorighi is one of three first-years on the team, along with Hannah Grudzien ’29 and Isabelle McFadden ’29

The quickness of Dorighi and Toigo, coupled with the ball-hawking abilities of teammates, became a significant factor in the team’s success in pressing opponents into mistakes and fatigue. The Big Red forced an NCAC-best 19.8 turnovers per game, often leading to easy buckets. They averaged a conference-best 75.2 points a game, frequently generating offense from their defense.

“You’re not always going to get steals with a press,” Hirt said. “But when you have players like Molly and Brooke, they just wear you down because you’re having to make quick decisions.”

WORDS OF WISDOM

After posting a 24-1 regular-season record, the Big Red were stunned in the first game of the conference tournament, losing to DePauw University, 75-59.

Before heading to their first NCAA tournament in a decade, Hirt had the team watch lots of film and listen to a guest speaker. Denison women’s soccer coach Sarah Brink played and coached on a dynastic Williams College program that reached the NCAA title games four times. On three occasions, those teams lost in the conference tournament.

Brink’s message was simple: The national tournament represents a new season, a fresh start for attaining goals. That is when the team adopted the “No regrets” and “Why not us” mantras.

“One of my takeaways from Sarah’s talk is that some teams get to March and they’re like, ‘I’m ready for this to be over,’” Hirt said. “While others have the mindset of, ‘Oh, this is just the beginning.’ I think our team took that message to heart.”

The Big Red roared through March, winning six NCAA Tournament games, all but one by double figures. The players’ confidence swelled with every celebration.

In the national semifinal, the University of WisconsinOshkosh wilted under Denison’s relentless pressure. The fourth-ranked team fell behind 22-2 in the first quarter, struggling to get the ball up the floor and into its half-court offense.

The Big Red did not have their own way in the championship game as neither they nor Scranton found an offensive rhythm for three quarters. But trailing by the score of 34-33 heading into the final 10 minutes, Mad-toingue recalled the calm and determination in the huddle.

“We were like, ‘Give it your all, do not leave a single ounce of effort on the court,’” she said. “That’s exactly how we won that game.”

Cooch scored 11 fourth-quarter points, draining three 3-pointers and flashing her MVP bona fides. Taute and Mad-toingue combined for the rest of the offense in a title-clinching 22-7 run.

“We’ve been dreaming about this since the start of the season,” Cooch said. “We talked about ‘what if we made the tournament’ and ‘what if we did this’ and ‘what if we did that.’ Then, it became reality, and it was amazing to see how it all turned out.”

In the locker room, the Big Red doused themselves with water, danced to music DJ Cooch was playing, and reveled in the moment. They took pride in their historic achievement and pleasure in turning doubters into believers.

TEAM HONORS

ADA TAUTE ’27

Women’s Basketball Coaches Association

All-American first team

ABBY COOCH ’27

Tournament MVP

Women’s Basketball Coaches Association

All-American honorable mention

MAUREEN

HIRT

Women’s Basketball

Coaches Association

Coach of the Year Finalist

Anelly Mad-toingue ’28 hugs athletic trainer Elyssa LaBine.

A jubilant coach Maureen Hirt celebrates with her players.

Big Red players salute their fans who made the trip to Salem, Virginia. National champs enjoying the moment

ON THE COVER

The Denison women’s basketball team celebrates its first NCAA championship in program history.

One day, two Denison national championships.

LEADING THE WAY

Five alums share lessons on leadership.

Provost Kim Coplin ’85 is retiring. Her impact remains.

COVER PHOTO BY RYAN HUNT/NCAA

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

32 FORCE OF NATURE

Entrepreneur Kelsey Sweetland ’29 is just getting started.

42

30

CAREER PIVOTS

These alums weren’t afraid to change things up.

QUANTUM LEAP

Professor Steven Olmschenk builds a better atom trap.

16 HILLSIDE CHAT

President Weinberg reflects on recent Denison leaders.

38 OPEN MIC NELSON GRIGGS ’93

The president of Nasdaq talks finance, AI, and the value of a Denison education.

50 ATHLETICS

A winter sports’ roundup.

52 THE OFFICE

Field hockey coach P.J. Soteriades’ office doubles as a time capsule.

84 LAST WORD

A Denison dad’s ‘family’ grows bigger. Much bigger.

The comments section

There’s nothing better than hearing from Denisonians. Send us your thoughts, questions, and brilliant story ideas: denmag@denison.edu. We may reprint part or all of your letters in this section.

THESE NOTEWORTHY MESSAGES ROLLED IN AFTER ISSUE 1 , 2 026:

REINFORCING PARENT CONFIDENCE

As a parent of an incoming student, I received an invitation to Denison Everywhere and attended in Akron, hosted by Allyse Treier Love ’09. I was able to connect with 15-20 very invested alumni, trade some contact information, and hear why they are still so excited about Denison, what Denison meant to them, and what it still means now.

I would encourage parents of incoming students — and even parents of current Denison undergrads — to consider attending alumni functions. Alumni excitement can lead to connections and potential opportunities later in their early career experiences.

My daughter, Molly, is really looking forward to Denison, and the Denison Everywhere event reinforced my confidence in the commitment she has made.

Corey Utterback P’30

REMEMBERING KENNARD BORK

I personally maintained correspondence with Dr. Kennard Bork, affectionately known as KBB, since graduating from Denison in 1982. There are very few professors and institutions where students and faculty have formed a bond that has lasted for close to 50 years.

John Kundtz ’82

MAINTAINING FORMER CONNECTIONS

In the latest edition of Denison Magazine focused on the campaign What We Can Be, I was struck by the number of pages devoted to class notes (seven) and those devoted to obituaries (26). In the context of connecting to Denison, one must ponder how we maintain connections throughout our lives and careers.

I have no grand philosophical observation in this regard. Perhaps it is just an opportunity to see if a rather obscure commentary will make the letters section.

Thank you for your interest and consideration.

Thomas M. Berger ’70

MAKING NEW CONNECTIONS

Shortly after retiring from Hewlett-Packard in 2001, I became active in the Academy for Lifelong Learning (ALL), where my wife, Marc Slaughter Kemper ’72, is also a member. As a volunteer organization, ALL depends on Curriculum Committee members to find and schedule presenters.

Reading about Jim Quarles ’68 in the Denison Magazine (Issue 1, 2024), I noticed he had grandchildren in Oregon — possibly near Corvallis or Albany, where we live. I contacted Denison for his email address and invited him to give a presentation via Zoom. After a delayed response — he was in Costa Rica watching his grandson surf — Jim agreed. We discovered his daughter lives in Portland near our daughter, who teaches biology at the same high school our granddaughter attends — and where Jim's grandson is now in our daughter's biology class! Jim's presentation, "From Watergate to the Mueller Report and Beyond," was well received by both in-person and online audiences. He even surprised me by including a picture of me on his slides, one he got from Denison! We met Jim and Sharon in Portland this past summer and look forward to seeing them again.

Through Denison Magazine, I also connected with Fred Porcheddu ’87, who presented "Medieval Alchemy and Its Manuscripts" in 2023.

Marc and I look forward to each issue of the magazine, a source for future speakers.

William "Bill" Kemper ’72

At Denison, What We Can Be isn’t a slogan. It’s momentum you can see, possibility you can feel, and a future you can help create.

Everywhere you look on campus — in classrooms and labs, on stages and playing fields, in the everyday moments that shape a student’s future — the Denison Annual Fund powers it all. Every gift, at every level, expands opportunity, elevates learning, and launches students into their lives and careers.

Because Annual Fund gifts go to work immediately, they open doors, spark innovation, and help Denison respond when it matters most.

BE PART OF WHAT WE CAN BE. MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY.

Hillside Chat

Adam S. Weinberg, President

When it all comes together

There are two things happening at Denison right now that have prompted me to reflect on why I love this college so much, why I am so proud of the work we do, and why I am so excited about our future.

The first is the incredible year we are having in athletics. In March, we became one of only a handful of universities ever to win two NCAA National Championships on the same day, when our women’s basketball and men’s swim and dive teams both won DIII national titles.

Success is happening across our athletic program, with over half of our teams nationally ranked and/or making the NCAA tournament. As I write, our baseball, men’s tennis, and women’s lacrosse teams are ranked in the top 10. Women’s fencing finished No. 3 and women’s swim and dive No. 4.

any liberal arts college in recent decades. Denison would not be Denison without Kim.

Kim married her Denison boyfriend, Rick Coplin ’85 They sent two kids to Denison. Kim’s sister followed in her footsteps and also came to Denison. Kim’s niece and nephew attended Denison, too.

If you ask faculty about Kim, they will talk about her ability to ask good questions. Her ability to listen and connect ideas and issues. Her deep ethical core. Her commitment to the liberal arts and her enduring love for Denison.

What connects these two things?

They are both about the power of the liberal arts and how Denison excels through relationships and experiences.

“Educators talk about high-impact practices. These are things that separate an adequate college education from one that catapults your life forward.”

In my heart, I am an educator. What matters most to me is not the victories, but why we are winning. These accomplishments represent the essence of Denison. It’s what happens when you recruit talented student-athletes: you immerse them in a performance-oriented culture with peers who bring out the best in each other, surround them with coaches who are world-class mentors, provide them with resources for success, and let them have a lot of fun following their passions and learning to achieve with others.

In other words, athletics at Denison is an extension of the liberal arts. We are using athletics to help develop holistic human beings with the skills, values, and habits to be architects of their own lives and succeed in a myriad of ways.

The second event prompting my reflection is the retirement of Kim Coplin ’85, who is our long-serving Provost. Kim came to Denison as a first-generation student from rural Ohio. As Kim tells the story, she stayed at Denison because of the mentorship of faculty who encouraged her to stay and then supported her in ways that changed her life. Kim was also among the first cohort of President’s Medalists winners.

Kim then went on to earn a Ph.D. in physics, became the first woman tenured in our physics department, and arguably one of the most successful provosts of

Educators talk about high-impact practices. These are things that separate an adequate college education from one that catapults your life forward.

It turns out that college really matters when you surround yourself with peers who bring out the best in you, find faculty mentors who care about you enough to challenge you, engage in courses that open your mind and help you develop insatiable curiosity, and involve yourself in something in depth — either through academics or co-curriculars — that helps you develop good life habits.

The impact is magnified if you also graduate from a college where those friendships are sustained and where a large, engaged alumni network is a resource for you throughout your life.

Denison does these things remarkably well. I was struck in March when so many alumni traveled long distances to cheer on our women’s basketball and both swimming & diving teams. My heart was full of Denison pride and gratitude when one of our professors wrote an article in The Reporting Project celebrating our athletes and coaches.

And I will always be grateful to Kim for her extensive contributions and dedication, for helping me learn what it means to be a Denisonian, and for allowing me to be part of her Denison story.

This issue of the magazine celebrates Denisonians

who have taken everything mentioned here and used it to become the kinds of leaders the world needs. They have done it across professions, types of organizations, and communities. They serve as examples of the larger point — Denison unlocks people’s potential to be architects of their own lives, and Denisonians often choose to do so in ways that positively impact the lives of others.

I hope you enjoy this issue!

Join President Weinberg and fellow Denisonians

Together, we’re expanding what’s possible. What We Can Be is our boldest campaign yet, aimed squarely at helping students thrive on campus and maintain that connection long after they graduate. Celebrate this defining moment in Denison’s history — the pursuit of a campaign that champions opportunity, learning, and the unstoppable spirit of What We Can Be.

July 30

Aug. 10

ABOVE: President Weinberg speaks to members of Denison’s women’s basketball team after their national championship game.

Taking the Lead

BY THEODORE DECKER

WE SPOKE TO FIVE DENISONIANS WHO WENT ON TO LEAD IN DIFFERENT WAYS — AND THEY HAVE STRIKINGLY SIMILAR ADVICE FOR STUDENTS AND ALUMS.

Everywhere you look on The Hill, you’ll see signs of leadership.

Hallmarks of leadership are illustrated every time a student starts a club, seeks a post with the Denison Campus Governance Association, or is elected an officer in their fraternity or sorority.

Leadership is also front and center whenever Denison faculty break new ground in their fields of research or devise engaging new ways to teach and mentor students.

And proof of institutional leadership is spelled out in every course catalog, where newer majors like finance and data analytics mesh with Denison’s liberal arts foundation to break exciting educational ground. Further proof has risen quite literally on campus; Denison’s new Knobel Hall and the King Center for Data and Innovation

are set to open this year, serving as a technological learning hub and as a pioneering model for higher-education institutions everywhere.

Our alums carry this leadership tradition far from The Hill, decades into the future, and around the world.

We asked five Denisonians about their own leadership styles, experiences, and any advice they might have for students and younger alums.

The qualities these successful leaders appreciate the most are grounded in lessons they learned at Denison: Be curious. Gain wisdom from other perspectives. Care about your team. Show up and do the hard work. Keep learning.

Read more about their personal journeys and the common threads that link them to one another and their formative years at Denison.

David Link ’87

Founder

and CEO, ScienceLogic

Long before he became the founder and CEO of one of the fastest growing technology companies in the world, David Link ’87 was a geology student who blew a key job interview on the Denison campus — only to resurrect his chances and change the course of his life with a bold and unorthodox move.

The story highlights core attributes that have served him as a leader: his penchant for introspection, an unflinching review of all available data, intellectual humility, and dogged persistence.

Link was planning to earn his master’s at Vanderbilt University after graduation when he went to an on-campus job interview with a recruiter from CompuServe, a groundbreaking online service provider founded in Columbus, Ohio.

Link had a budding interest in computers because he saw their value in geological modeling, but he hadn’t done his homework for the job interview. The recruiter peppered him with questions that should have been obvious: Why would a geology major want to work at CompuServe? How are you qualified?

Afterward, Link had to admit that all data pointed to one conclusion. He had flubbed it.

“I stewed about it for an hour or two, and I said to myself, ‘I’m going back,’” he says.

He waited for the recruiter to wrap up for the day.

“I told him, ‘I didn’t do a good job in this interview. You asked me this question. I gave you this answer, but I should have said this.’ I just went through all the ways I hadn’t done well.

“He looked at me, and he said, ‘Dave, I’ve done about 3,000 interviews on 20 campuses in the last five years — by the way, you were a no. You were not getting a second interview. You were done. You were out of here. But you are the only person who has ever come back after the interview and made a case for why we should hire you. You’re getting another interview.’

“And ultimately I got the job.”

Link spent 10 years at CompuServe learning the ins and outs of global networks and large scale systems technology. For the past 23 years, he has led ScienceLogic, a business he built from the ground up to manage complex IT systems in better and smarter ways.

“This is a business I started — candidly — with no money, forcing us to initially use the garage to save every penny as we bootstrapped the company for the first seven years before securing venture capital to further accelerate our rapid growth,” he says. “Since then, we have built it into a global enterprise with teams and customers all over the world.”

Ask him to categorize his leadership style, and he puts himself firmly in the transformational visionary group.

“You really get performance out of a team when they believe they’re on the same journey you are, to really change the world, to change things for the better,” Link says. “People want to get more than just a paycheck. They want to be part of something bigger than themselves, something that they aspirationally are aligned with.”

You can’t fake that, he says, and you can’t let your ego stand in the way of the best decisions.

“If you don’t have that sense of humility, to care less about being right and more about getting it right, for a customer, for a partner, for your team? Good luck. Good luck to you.”

He advises alums just starting out to treat their job as mission-critical, regardless of where they stand on any corporate ladder.

“You can be at the lowest level of a business but still help that company know you understand the mission,” he says. “People don’t have to have a ‘leader’ title to be a leader.

“Build a competency, so you feel confident about what you’re doing, and then be a good communicator about that competency when you’re on that first job — what you’ve done, why it matters, and how it’s helping,” he says. “That’s the pathway to success if you keep it up.”

“He looked at me, and he said, ‘Dave, I’ve done about 3,000 interviews on 20 campuses in the last five years — by the way, you were a no.’”

Ilaria Rawlins

CEO, Fortuna Bank

’92

“You don’t always have to have all the boxes checked before moving into the next role.”

Ilaria Rawlins ’92 has amassed a career’s worth of business and financial insights. Still, her primary advice to students and recent Denison graduates applies across the board, regardless of college major or career trajectory.

“I’m a huge advocate for finding mentors to guide you,” says Rawlins, CEO of the Ohio-based Fortuna Bank. “I don’t feel like I did that as much as I should have when I was younger. That was a ‘miss’ in my space.”

Rawlins, co-founder of Fortuna, which opened in 2024, was recently named Columbus CEO magazine’s 2025 CEO of the Year in the Small For-Profit category. Fortuna was intentionally founded as a womanowned bank, and a key part of its mission is providing better support, education, and mentoring for women entrepreneurs.

For leaders, she says, “It’s really important to celebrate the success of the now, but also to be very conscientious of not losing sight of coming changes or potential disruption.”

Rawlins started at Denison with an eye on broadcast journalism but found herself drawn to economics. As she built her career in banking, she drew on the leadership styles of those she admired.

Some lessons that at first may have seemed small continue to resonate. When she was in her 20s, she says, one manager pointed out that, “I would always end my questions with, ‘or no,’” Rawlins says. “And she said, ‘Stop allowing them to say no right off the bat. Just ask your question and have confidence in using your voice.’”

Another boss took a chance on her when Rawlins personally felt she was still “really green” — and she surprised herself by stepping up to the challenge.

“That taught me to be intentional about taking a chance on people who show potential and believing in their ability to thrive,” she says. “You don’t always have to have all the boxes checked before moving into the next role.”

While at Denison, Rawlins says she learned to appreciate the inherent worth of team members who bring varied perspectives and disparate strengths to the table.

“Employers appreciate someone who has the curiosity to learn more about not only their own role and what they’re doing, but also the other lines of business in an organization,” she says. “I would encourage students not to stop learning when they leave Denison, and I would be very intentional in finding a leader who could help guide you, who will challenge you, and will take the time to understand what your strengths are, what your weaknesses are. Someone who would be an advocate for you.”

This doesn’t come easy, she says; it takes intentionality and effort.

“I think every promotion I’ve received was because I asked for it,” she says. “It’s easy to sit and wait for the next promotion or the next opportunity, but you have to be the driver of your own career.

“And give yourself the grace to enjoy the journey.”

Stephen Polk ’78

Former

chairman, president, and CEO of R.L. Polk & Co.

As the chairman, president, and chief executive officer of R.L. Polk & Co. — a company his great-grandfather founded in 1870 and the parent company of Carfax, an automotive data service — Stephen Polk ’78 made countless consequential leadership decisions, right up to the 2013 sale of the business to IHS.

R.L. Polk & Co. began as a publisher of city directories and grew into a global automotive data firm that changed the industry and the car-buying experience for consumers worldwide. The company began serving the auto industry in the early 1920s when Alfred P. Sloan, president and later chairman of General Motors, asked Ralph Lane Polk II to collect and publish impartial automotive statistics.

Stephen Polk joined the business in 1981, a few years after graduating from Denison. During his career, he restructured the organization around customers’ needs. He accelerated the development of new products and services, streamlining operations and sharpening the company’s focus to become the leading provider of information and marketing solutions for the automotive industry.

“The culmination of my career was the sale of the business after 140 years,” Polk says. “That process went extremely well, but it certainly was bittersweet.

It was a matter of recognizing the time was right.”

When he talks about receiving feedback on his leadership style, Polk just as quickly reflects on his 17 years of coaching youth soccer.

“That was a fun way to test leadership skills,” he says with a laugh. “Coaching elementary school kids, they quickly point out your weaknesses. You can also tell who has natural talents for leadership at a young age. It’s remarkable.

“My focus in leadership is really about collaboration and working with the team of people around you,” he says. “I want to know what their ideas are and want them to know mine, so that even if we don’t agree, we all understand how we got where we are and how we move forward together.

“It is very important you learn from the people you work with, and from the people along the way,” he says. “Nobody knows everything.”

Polk said frank business conversations are particularly essential during times of upheaval.

“People expect tough decisions in tough times,” he says. “But they want to know that you’re present, and that you still care about them.”

He advises young alums to seize leadership opportunities whenever and wherever they arise, such as the one he took at his Denison fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta.

“For whatever reason, I volunteered to be the kitchen steward,” he says, laughing. “That was certainly an intriguing balance in leadership — policing the kitchen in a raucous fraternity.

“You see people who don’t make the effort to engage,” he says. “That’s missing out on huge opportunities for personal growth if you don’t stay involved and interested in what’s going on, and realize that you have a part to play.

“There are leadership opportunities pretty much every day in everyone’s life,” he says. “You just need to look around you.”

“People expect tough decisions in tough times. But they want to know that you’re present, and that you still care about them.”

“Mentorship isn’t just about one person. I have found that mentorship is about collecting perspectives over time and integrating them into your own voice.”

Katie Welch ’99

Head of U.S. brand and company communications, Chanel

Katie Welch ’99 stayed busy at Denison, singing with Ladies Night Out, serving as president of Delta Delta Delta, and majoring in English with a minor in theater.

“But my community, my friends, extended far beyond my activities, courses, and even year,” she says. “That’s what makes Denison so special. Denison is a place where you’re encouraged to engage deeply with your friends, your classmates, your professors, your environment.

“One of the biggest lessons I took with me after graduation is that relationships matter,” she says. “The way you treat people, the way you show up for others — it’s foundational. And today, that translates directly into my leadership style.”

At the start of 2026, Welch joined the luxury label Chanel as its head of U.S. brand and company communications, and as a member of its U.S. management committee.

Prior to Chanel, Welch was the chief marketing officer at Rare Beauty. She was also the general manager for beauty at The Honest Company and chief marketing officer at Hourglass Cosmetics, where she worked before and after the makeup brand’s acquisition by Unilever.

Her belief that relationships are foundational has been reaffirmed throughout her career.

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to learn from leaders across very different environments,” Welch says. “Each one shaped a different part of how I lead. Some taught me the importance of high standards and accountability, like Carisa Janes, founder of Hourglass. Others, like Selena Gomez, founder of Rare Beauty, showed me how to lead with heart, how to build culture, and how to make people feel valued.

“I’ve also learned just as much from peers and everyday experiences, the good and the bad,” she says. “It’s these experiences that sharpen your instincts and help you define the kind of leader you want to be.”

“Mentorship isn’t just about one person,” Welch says. “I have found that mentorship is about collecting perspectives over time and integrating them into your own voice.”

She describes her leadership style as human-first and purpose-driven. And she says young employees who regularly step up are noticed by management.

“Early in your career, you have to lead yourself,” she says. “And it’s your biggest learning lesson. I appreciate those on my team who are reliable, curious, and generous with their time and ideas. I never underestimate how important those qualities are.

“Leadership starts much earlier than you think,” she says. “It’s not about having a big title or even direct reports. Leadership is how you show up. Do you take ownership? Do you support your peers? Do you raise your hand for hard things? Do you bring positive energy into a room?”

She shared advice for younger alums.

“I wish I had understood that careers aren’t linear,” she says. “There isn’t one perfect path; there are many paths, and each one teaches you something.”

“You don’t have to have it all figured out. Focus on learning, stay open, and trust that it will come together in ways you can’t yet see.”

Gary Simpson ’84

Senior Pastor, Concord Baptist Church of Christ

A few years into his pastorate at Concord Baptist Church of Christ, one of Brooklyn’s leading churches, Gary Simpson ’84 met with a group of visiting Denison students.

The meeting would prove to be a key lesson for Simpson about leadership — more precisely, the moment stands for him as a reminder of a time when he still wasn’t much good at it.

“I was so awful in that meeting, as I now understand leadership, because I was doing the performative thing,” Simpson says, laughing at the recollection. “I was telling them how many members we had, all the things that I don’t think people who are being led really care about.”

“What people care about is that they are seen and they are valued, and that the big folks up top are paying attention to their personhood,” he says. “I’ve discovered that what really makes one a leader is the ability to get with the people one is leading.”

Simpson has led Concord Baptist for 36 years; he is the 10th pastor in the church’s 179-year history.

He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where he preached his first sermon at 15 years old. He studied religion and Black studies at Denison, graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and went on to earn his Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary. He is an associate professor at Drew Theological Seminary.

“Denison just kept giving me opportunities to participate, to practice leadership, and to negotiate in the public space, when I was in places where I was truly a visible minority and when my perspective would be the minority,” he says, “and to not be afraid to give voice and put things in the air even though they might not be viewed the same way by most people.

“College is not just a place to show you what you can do,” he says. “It also gives you a safe space to learn your limitations.”

He’s come a long way from that awkward meeting as a new pastor.

“I had no clue when those students came to see me,” he says. “Leadership is a relationship. It is an investment of the leader and the people in each other.”

He has leaned on many mentors along the way. He recalls a moment when he was on The Hill for a Board of Trustees meeting and simultaneously trying to sort out a problem that had arisen at his church back home.

“I was in Slayter at the pay phone; that tells you how long ago this was,” he says.

Bill Bowen ’55 , who had retired as president of Princeton University and was at the time the president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, saw Simpson’s distress and approached. Simpson said, “Bill, I can’t seem to get this thing right.”

“Gary,” Bowen replied, “the question is not, ‘As a leader am I going to make mistakes?’ but, ‘Can I fix them?’”

“Part of leadership,” Simpson says, “is just continuing to show up.”

“You can’t lead if you’re not willing to follow,” he says. “It’s just that simple. In the church we would say, ‘Have a teachable spirit.’ Leadership is about continuously learning. Don’t be afraid to try something new, even if it’s awkward or painful. It might end up being the thing that you really love to do.”

Having pastored his congregation for the better part of four decades, his thoughts now include the logical next step in any life of leadership.

He reaches back to quote Kenny Rogers’ song, “The Gambler.”

“You gotta know when to hold ’em, and when to fold ’em,” he says. “All leadership is a relay race, where I’m going to pass the baton on to somebody else. And I’ve seen a number of Olympic racers get disqualified because they messed up on the hand-off.

“Leadership is always in-community,” he says. “It is not about always being on the platform. It is about putting other people on the platform and being in the first row, cheering them on.”

“College is not just a place to show you what you can do. It also gives you a safe space to learn your limitations.”

‘She’s an institution’

Kim Coplin ’85 excelled as a student, professor, and provost at Denison. She found true love on The Hill, and as she prepares to retire, she leaves it in a better place.

Denison Provost Kim Coplin ’85 thought her time on The Hill was over after her sophomore year. While thriving academically, Coplin’s two-year scholarship from a hometown foundation was expiring. That’s when Denison stepped forward, as it does for so many students, and provided the assistance necessary to make her education affordable. Given her three decades of exemplary service, the university’s investment in Coplin turned out to be a great investment in its own future. Her long list of Denison achievements includes:

▶ Becoming valedictorian and a member of the first class of President’s Medalist winners in 1985.

▶ Returning to Denison in 1993 as a physics professor who inspired others to teach and do research.

▶ Transitioning to administration in 2006 and helping transform the university academically over the past 13 years as its longest-serving provost.

▶ During Coplin’s time as provost, the university has hired more than two-thirds of its current faculty.

“Denison has been here since the 1830s, and it will be here in 100 years,” says David Goodwin, professor of earth & environmental sciences. “All of us will just be names in the archives, but our job is to make sure that we receive the college and then hand it off to somebody, after our careers are over, in a good place. I can’t think of anyone who has exemplified that ethos better than Kim.”

with empathy.

Goodwin cites her integrity. Dean of Faculty Jeff Thompson raves about her relationship-building.

“What makes her so successful is the ability to connect with people and help identify the commonalities and what we’re striving for,” Thompson says. “There are times when Kim has to make hard decisions on behalf of the college, and sometimes that might be at odds with what an individual faculty member or department wants. But, she’s able to build those connections, foster the trust between the people that are involved, and really help people understand the nature of what we’re all trying to do collectively.”

Under her leadership and with faculty approval, the university launched innovative academic majors that have propelled Denison in national collegiate rankings. She led key initiatives to expand global learning, deepen faculty mentoring, and enhance student success.

“What stands out most about Kim is her steadfast commitment to the people of Denison,” President Adam Weinberg says. “She has been a trusted mentor and advocate for countless faculty and staff, a tireless teacher and researcher, and a deeply respected colleague across the college, locally, and in higher education.”

ALTERING HISTORY’S COURSE

From her office in Reese House, Coplin laughs at memories of her original college plans.

BY TOM REED

Photos: Ty Wright

Since announcing her retirement, which takes effect July 1, 2026, tributes have poured in from colleagues and alums who admire Coplin’s sincerity, intelligence, strategic thinking, and ability to make tough decisions

Before Denison offered financial assistance in the summer of 1983, she intended to transfer to a university closer to her family home in Carrollton, Ohio.

“My appreciation for Denison was growing and, at the last minute, I changed my mind,” says Coplin, whose maiden name is Mallarnee. “I waited so late they didn’t

even have dorm space for me at first.”

It wasn’t just the financial aid and a love for her physics courses that swayed her decision. Kim met Rick Coplin ’85 during their sophomore year and they began dating as juniors.

Rick Coplin, now associate director of Denison’s Red Frame Lab, was a good student at Denison but admittedly not nearly as studious as Kim.

“I was never going to be a college valedictorian, so I married one,” Rick Coplin says. “Kim is such a strong, independent person, and she’s really intelligent. I admire those traits in her.”

Adding to a storied Denison tradition, the college sweethearts married in 1986 and raised children who would attend their alma mater.

Forty years later, Coplin, a first-generation college graduate, still appreciates the university’s commitment to Ohio students and the financial aid available. She mentions how Denison offers full-tuition scholarships for any high school valedictorian or salutatorian from Ohio. “This is just one example of Denison’s commitment to Ohio students,” Coplin says.

She earned a master’s degree in physics at Johns Hopkins University, but before pursuing her doctorate from Ohio State University, Coplin took a gap year to work in the science research labs at Battelle in Columbus, Ohio.

She considers that time pivotal in her career trajectory.

“After a few months, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is really good, but I want to return to the academic environment, I want to teach,’” she says. “It’s a story that I’ve shared with my students. Because if you’re going to graduate school to get a Ph.D., you really have to be dedicated to that study.”

FAMILY MATTERS

Melanie Lott ’04 recalls sitting in Coplin’s office in Olin Science Hall as a student discussing her senior research project.

Lott admired her teaching style and the way Coplin connected with students, taking an interest in their lives outside the classroom. Coplin was more than an instructor. She was a role model, an inspiration.

“I remember looking around her office thinking, ‘Wow, I could see myself doing this, I’d love to be like Kim,’” Lott says. “I didn’t have the confidence at the time, but Kim helped me with that as well.”

Coplin’s mentorship continued as Lott matriculated through graduate school, encouraging her to pursue a career in academia. Lott joined the Denison faculty in 2013 and serves as an associate professor and chair of the physics & astronomy department — a role once held by Coplin.

Lott and Kim Stroka ’06 , an associate professor of bioengineering at the University of Maryland, are impressed with how Coplin has balanced her career and

family. Her two sons, Dan and Jacob ’20 , spent lots of free time on campus, playing basketball and hanging out in Olin Hall.

Coplin’s students were often invited to the family home for barbecues and swim parties, with several helping babysit the boys. Lott, who now has two sons, became Jacob’s advisor for his senior research project.

“Kim was such a great example for us,” Stroka says. “Amazing professor, wonderful mentor, and a mother with a strong Christian faith. When I come back to Denison, I try to communicate to her how important she was to me.”

David Clark ’99, a branch head for strategic resourcing in the U.S. Navy, says his former professor was fully invested in her students’ learning. It was more than lecturing, assigning homework, and grading papers.

“She’s one of those professors who made Denison a special place,” says Clark, who taught physics in the Navy. “She made time outside class to answer questions. She didn’t take for granted that everyone was keeping up.”

“I was never going to be a college valedictorian, so I married one.”

–RICK

Coplin is proud of her high-achieving students who carved out careers in the sciences. But she also derives pleasure from educating students required to take introductory physics.

“I loved it when a kid would write on their course evaluation, ‘I thought I would hate this class so I waited to take it, and, you know what, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be,’” Coplin says.

‘PEOPLE TRUST HER’

Like many students, Coplin experienced feelings of homesickness in her first weeks at Denison. Twenty-five

Provost Kim Coplin ’85, known for her relationship building, speaks with Associate Professor John Davis of anthropology.

COPLIN ’85

psychology.

years later, she experienced similar longings despite the short move across campus.

“There would be times early on, like my first five years in the Provost’s Office, when I would walk into Olin and think, ‘This is where I belong,’ and ‘Why am I over there in the administrative building?’” she says.

As responsibilities of the Provost’s Office expanded, the administration asked Coplin to make the switch in 2006. Her work as a department chair and a member of the President’s Advisory Board made her an ideal candidate.

“Her primary mission was to make sure Denison was the best institution it could be, and Denison has become that.”

– MICHAEL MICKELSON, Professor Emeritus of Physics & Astronomy

“I was eager to have Kim aboard, knowing her to be a seasoned faculty member who had all the right traits as our new associate provost,” says Keith Boone, associate provost emeritus.

Coplin planned to hold the position for three years before returning to the physics department. But as we’ve seen already, her Denison “plans” tended to change.

She excelled in her new role, and by 2013, there were changes at the senior leadership level with former President Dale Knobel retiring and Provost Bradley Bateman leaving to become president of Randolph College.

Coplin was named interim provost as Denison welcomed Weinberg to the university. The new president spent his first year getting to know faculty and inquiring about their needs. Weinberg was so impressed with Coplin’s work, he recommended removing the “interim” title to the board.

“Kim was a breath of fresh air in the Provost’s Office, and even though she was a physicist, that wasn’t what guided her when she acted as provost,” says Michael Mickelson, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy.

“Her primary mission was to make sure Denison was the best institution it could be, and Denison has become that.”

‘WATERSHED MOMENT’

When Weinberg joined Denison, the university had not introduced a new major since 1993. Acting on recommendations from faculty, Denison added data analytics, global commerce, and health, exercise, & sport studies (HESS) in 2016.

All three majors are deeply interdisciplinary, a hallmark of a Denison education. All three rank among the university’s top 10 for graduates in recent years. Since then, Denison has also introduced finance, global health, and journalism to its growing roster of majors.

“Kim and Adam have turned out to be a remarkably

good team because they’re so different in their styles,” Goodwin says. “Adam is caffeinated and exuberant, and public in his persona. Kim is reserved and steady, and those two things really go well together.”

Coplin lauds Weinberg’s vision and his ability to listen to faculty and assure them their recommendations were being heard. She considers the transformative additions of the past decade a collective victory.

“It was a faculty-driven effort,” she said. “A request came from the top to come up with ideas for new programs, but then we followed our process to have curricular proposals drafted and vetted. So, yeah, it was a watershed moment.”

The duties of provost — the university’s chief academic officer — are vast and far-reaching. Coplin oversees all academic programs, faculty hires and reviews, and runs committees too many to mention.

Associate Provost Sam Cowling considers Coplin “an institution” and marvels at her multitasking abilities.

“Kim’s work is so connected to the processes that make student education possible,” Cowling said. “She is constantly thinking about the integrity of the processes with which we treat students, with which we treat faculty, and how students and faculty come together to make the academic experience a good one. She is the nexus of so many processes that it’s often mind-boggling, and they’re sometimes held together by her decency and the fact that people trust her.”

‘THE BEST’

Weinberg considers Coplin one of the most impactful provosts in the nation. Professor May Mei goes a step further.

“Kim is the best,” says Mei, chair of the mathematics department. “You can quote me on that.”

Mei travels frequently in her role as chair of the Committee on Program Review of the Mathematical Association of America. She offers assessments of math departments and often meets with high-ranking administrators.

The Denison professor knows universities can run into trouble for many reasons, and a big one is when the relationship between faculty and administration grows toxic, and trust erodes.

“Once you lose trust, it’s very hard to get out of that situation,” Mei says. “You’re probably going to need a new provost. I have never seen Kim act in that space. Has she made decisions I disagree with? Yes, of course. But I haven’t seen her make a decision that she’s not willing to stand behind, not willing to share her rationale. And she never loses empathy for the people who wanted the decision to go the other way.”

Vice President for Student Development Emerita Laurel Kennedy, who retired six years ago, mentions Coplin’s generous spirit. Among the things she misses most are their morning walks, occasionally discussing

Provost Kim Coplin ’85 on the stage at Swasey Chapel with Erin Henshaw, professor of

tricky ethical questions that arise at universities. Kennedy says those conversations always remained private, even as Coplin worked behind the scenes to collaborate with others to reach the best possible resolution.

“I interacted with a lot of other vice presidents or deans of students at other institutions,” Kennedy said. “I would say that I was the envy of many of my peers because of the relationship that Kim and I had and because of the way she conducted herself in that office.”

After answering several questions about Coplin, Mei asks one of her own as a way of illustrating the provost’s character.

“Who do you call to pick you up from the airport?” asks Mei, chair of mathematics. “Not just a normal afternoon flight when everything is going to be on time, but one that might get delayed and land at a weird hour. Kim’s the person who’s there waiting for you. It’s that dependability, trustworthiness, consistency that we value in her.”

LAST CALL

For more than a decade, audiences attending Denison’s Commencement watched Coplin read through the roll call of graduates as they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas.

What the public didn’t see is the hours of research and attention to detail Coplin put into the assignment — checking with the Registrar’s Office for phonetic spellings and listening to recordings of students saying their names. She has even emailed seniors to doublecheck pronunciations, ensuring she’ll unknot potential tongue twisters.

But in the weeks leading up to her final roll call, friends, colleagues, and family worried about her composure in reading one particular name.

Lia Coplin ’26 .

Six years ago, the worldwide pandemic forced cancellation of an in-person Commencement, denying Coplin the opportunity to read her son Jacob’s name to the audience. She has also welcomed a nephew and a niece to the stage for their diplomas, but calling the name of her daughter … well.

“Hopefully, I’ll be able to get through, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it without choking up,” Coplin says.

The Coplins embody the multi-generational appeal of Denison — and it might not end with Jacob and Lia. Just like his parents, Jacob married a fellow Denisonian, Dr. Jessica Nix Coplin ’18 , and the couple has an infant son, Liam. Coplin’s sister, Karolyn Fox ’91, and two of Karolyn’s children, Jillian Fox ’19 and George Fox ’25, also made The Hill their home.

“I think a key factor here is the Denison community and the relational nature of Denison,” Kim Coplin says. “Denison students make great friends, and our alumni stay connected. My daughter decided to attend Denison because she saw the amazing experience her brother had,

and I think this is true for many legacy families.”

Even if Coplin had not returned to Denison after graduation, she would be an unwavering champion of the liberal arts.

“My first semester, I had calculus, chemistry, introduction to theology, and a literature class,” she says. “Being in this range of courses allowed me to appreciate the breadth of a liberal arts education immediately.”

Within a few weeks, Coplin will hop into her Denisonred Jeep and ride into retirement. She has no immediate plans other than reigniting her passion for casual reading, spending time outdoors, and driving to South Carolina to visit her grandson.

Jacob and Lia laugh at the thought of their mother with loads of free time, given her penchant for hard work.

“She tried taking up knitting during Covid — that didn’t go well,” Jacob says.

Dan Coplin, who lives in Arlington, Virginia, and occasionally wears Denison shirts, is impressed with how many people recognize the university’s brand and its strong academic reputation.

Jacob and Lia Coplin laugh at the thought of their mother with loads of free time, given her penchant for hard work.

“People know Denison and know it’s doing really well,” he says. “I think part of that is it’s being run well by the people at the top, and my mother has been a big part of that.”

For someone who didn’t think she would spend more than two years at Denison, Kim Coplin has forged a remarkable legacy. The accomplishments are legion; the selflessness is legendary.

What makes her most proud is the faculty that Denison has assembled in her time as provost.

“We have hired good people who are committed to working with students,” Coplin says. “They remind me of the faculty I had as a student, who made such a difference in my life. That’s what we are all about at Denison.”

Kim and Rick Coplin ’85 with their daughter, Lia Coplin ’26.

‘An eth o s of collaboration’

A WORK BY DANCE FACULTY AND DENISON MUSICIANS HIGHLIGHTS THE DEPARTMENTS’ ARTISTIC INNOVATION AND THE COLLEGE’S INTERDISCIPLINARY PHILOSOPHY

Ojeya Cruz Banks and Marion Ramírez, professors of dance at Denison, had been working together on choreography when the Eisner Center for the Performing Arts, in a very real sense, spoke to them.

A project they were calling Mareas, Spanish for “tides,” was growing into an exploration of the importance of oceans and the common threads in their separate island heritages — Ramírez’s in Puerto Rico and Cruz Banks’ in Guåhan|Guam and the African diaspora.

“We had said, ‘Let’s explore these things together,’” said Ramírez, an assistant professor.

The Department of Dance is housed in the Eisner Center, along with other creative disciplines across the performing arts.

“I was walking down the corridor, and I heard the jazz ensemble playing, and a few of the pro fessors were jamming,” Ramírez recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh my God. It’s all right here.’”

“We were constantly crossing paths with our music colleagues and listening to their amazing music, and we said, ‘You know what, there is a lot of fantastic artistry in this space,’”

Cruz Banks said. “‘Why don’t we create some collaboration?’”

That spark of inspiration resulted in Mar eas/Tides, a 50-minute interdisciplinary performance that combines dance, story telling, singing, music, visual imagery, and improvisation. The performance traces island cosmologies and diasporic geographies of the Caribbean, Atlantic, and Pacific seas, as well as the gravitational power of the moon.

Cruz Banks and Ramírez are the two danc ers in the performance, which also taps the talents of Denison music instructors — sax ophonist Pete Mills, pianist/vocalist Timo thy “Rev” Carpenter, and bassist Dean Hulett — and drummer and Denison collaborator Mathiessen Nisch Quan. In the early stages of the project in 2023, they also worked with Matthew Patton-Dixon, who has been the

resident musician of the dance department.

Chris Faur, Denison’s director of collaborative technologies for the fine arts, brought his unique multimedia wizardry to the mix with stunning visual projections.

“The images that Chris Faur added to our collaboration really put this over the top,” Mills said.

The artists have performed the piece at Barbados’ New Wave Festival, Duke University, University of Richmond, and Antioch College. In fall 2025, they staged the work at Ohio State University’s Wexner Center for the Arts, where Columbus arts critic Richard Sanford called it, “the best fusion of various dance styles and live jazz I’ve ever seen in my life, bar none.”

The glowing reviews were personally fulfilling for the Mareas/Tides performers, who also see them as proof points that the spirit of collaboration, foundational across Denison, works magic — for faculty and students.

“We wanted to put into practice community, collaboration, and creative process,” Cruz Banks said. “The three Cs. These are virtues we promote in our Denison classes to elevate artistic practice and develop leadership skills.”

“From the moment we entered the room for our first rehearsal, I could tell that this was going to be different,” Carpenter said. “Each of us was able to explore our personal sonic and physical spaces, but also the collective space that we had created. The result was a positively amazing expression of sound and movement that evolved spontaneously, from note to note and movement to movement.”

“This opportunity to work with my colleagues across almost every area in Eisner couldn’t happen without us having this incredible arts center,” Mills said. “It allows us to physically be in the same space, to informally and formally collaborate. Our success is a wonderful testament to the power of collaboration across the arts here at Denison.”

‘AN INTERDISCIPLINARY POWERHOUSE’

Denison’s embrace of collaboration was a refreshing change for Ramírez, who came to the university in 2022 after teaching at other colleges.

“I realized in the liberal arts college environment, professors have an appetite and willingness to collaborate across disciplines,” she said.

“One of our superpowers as a dance department is that ethos of collaboration,” Cruz Banks said. With creative process and a sense of community, she said, it anchors the curriculum.

The department strives to champion dance’s capacity to create a learning environment for students to connect dance to other fields of study.

When that happens, Cruz Banks said, students build professional versatility, performance innovation, and thought leadership in and through dance. That holds true not just for dance majors but for any students willing to explore the discipline. She and Ramírez have worked with departments as disparate as global health and environmental studies, saying such collaborations have strengthened their own work as dance artists and educators.

“Dance training is not just for the studio or the stage,” Cruz Banks said. “It’s for life. Dance has the power to build confidence, conviction, and community connection. Those qualities are so important to our well-being, to our family life, to our career trajectories,

and our quality of life. Dance is an interdisciplinary powerhouse.”

Denison students often pursue more than one major and minor, and Cruz Banks and Ramírez encourage them to pursue other academic interests along with dance.

Fallon Brackley ’25 majored in dance and biology and minored in chemistry, with her initial plan to pursue veterinary medicine after Denison. She is keeping that in her back pocket for now and is pursuing a career with a dance company.

Looking at colleges, she said, “I knew I couldn’t go to a conservatory because then I couldn’t do biology, and I wanted to keep both options open. At Denison, I was able to blend my biology and dance degrees into my senior research, where I studied the kinematics of improvisation.”

Brackley packed her time at Denison. She was president of the hip-hop club, a teacher’s assistant for biology, chemistry, and dance, and lead singer of the student band, The Cuties.

She also received Denison’s prestigious Osborne arts scholarship, which gave her the opportunity to study dance in Europe the summer before her senior year.

“When I look back at my college experience, I am so happy because I did everything I wanted to do,” she said.

Her positive experience with the dance department persuaded her twin sister, Portia Brackley ’25, a religion major at Den-

ison, to leap back into dance as a junior. She had stepped away from dance as a teen, but at Denison she added a dance major and worked as a teaching assistant and department fellow.

“Everyone in the department just has a love and a passion for it, and you can feel that tangibly when you’re there,” she said. “Whether it’s the teachers or the other students, everybody is committed to doing their part. It makes a difference.

“If I hadn’t joined the dance department, I wouldn’t be the person I am today,” she said.

The spirit of collaboration can invigorate any creative process, both in and outside of dance, Cruz Banks said.

“The idea is that two minds, three minds, four minds, are often better than one,” she said. “Expertise and knowledge generation happen faster when we’re helping one another, and also when we have a mindset that is flexible to taking in new information and other people’s perspectives.

“We see that as a very important career skill that our students will have,” Cruz Banks said, “no matter what their major is.”

BUILDING A BETTER ATOM BUILDING A BETTER ATOM BUILDING A BUILDING A BETTER BUILDING A BETTER BUILDING A BUILDINGBETTER A BUILDING A BETTER BUILDING A BETTER BUILDING A BETTER BUILDING A BETTER BUILDING A

DENISON STUDENTS AND FACULTY ARE DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY TO CAPTURE ATOMS AND HELP KNIT TOGETHER QUANTUM COMPUTING NETWORKS.

RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS

Research Center

Associate Professor Steven Olmschenk has the knowledge and technical know-how to control atoms, electrons, and light. As one of only a few atomic physicists with experience in quantum technology in Ohio, he’s been tapped to work on a new state-funded research project to repurpose fiber-optic cables in ways that can help build quantum computing networks.

The Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN) grant connects academic, research, and business leaders to find practical applications for new technology. Olmschenk is partnering with NASA’s Glenn Research Center, the Air Force Research Lab, optics engineering company SRICO, and fellow atomic physicist and Ohio State University assistant professor Kevin Singh. Together, they are developing and testing methods to capture quantum data and send it through fiber-optic cables.

While electric cables transmit digital data as 1s and 0s by converting it to electrical signals, fiber-optic cables transmit data as pulses of light. Particles of light, known as photons, can exhibit quantum superposition. Instead of being 1 or 0, the data, like a coin spinning on a finger, can be both 1 and 0 at the same time.

original data — the coin’s face before it was spun — disappears.

Olmschenk is testing a way to hold the data in memory by coupling a photon with a charged atom.

In his model, atoms serve as a memory, storing data, and photons released by the atom can connect these memories over long distances. When the atom releases the photon, the memory of the original data point can be retained.

But to make this work, the atom must first be snared.

To accomplish this, Olmschenk and two student researchers are designing what may be one of the world’s smallest cages.

Building Olmschenk’s ingenious atom trap requires patience and skill.

It starts with optic fibers that Columbus industry partner, SRICO, has laser-machined to create small indentations at the tips. The indentations act as infinitesimal mirrors, which Olmschenk’s team installs on tiny mounts.

BY GINNY SHARKEY ’ 83

Ty Wright

But when the coin lands, it can no longer be both heads and tails; it must be one or the other. This is equally true of photons. When the data is observed, the “both/and” property is destroyed, and the record of the

They will collaborate with a technical assistant in Denison’s physics lab to build the mounts in a vacuum chamber. They need to be adjustable and capable of making fine measurements.

Eventually, they will point the mounted mirrors at each other to form an optical cavity.

“We want the cavity to be reflective enough that it

Photos:

Glenn

ATOMATOMTRAPTRAP BETTER ATOM TRAP BETTER ATOM TRAP BETTER ATOM TRAP BETTER ATOM TRAP A BETTER ATOM TRAP BETTER ATOM TRAP

efficiently collects light from the atom, and tranparent enough so the collected light quickly leaves the cavity,” Olmschenk said. “If the light is reabsorbed by the atom, that alters the data.”

After Olmschenk’s team traps atoms in oscillating electric fields of nearby electrodes (the electrodes also shield the atoms from external disturbances), they will bring the tips of two optical fibers — the centers of which are about one-tenth the width of a human hair — close to the atoms.

The goal is to collect as much of the light from the atom as possible.

Within 18 months, they aim to develop a process and apparatus that can be reproduced for commercial use to help build a quantum network, and enhance quantum computing.

In the last decade, private companies such as Google, IonQ, and Quantinuum have started building quantum systems.

Fiber-optic cables are a strong contender to help assemble them. These systems blanket about half the country. A single cable can hold as many as 7,000 fibers — and manufacturers are pushing that number higher to accommodate the growing demand for bandwidth. Quantum systems have unique applications that make them worth the investment.

“A quantum computer can do certain things better than a classic computer,” said Olmschenk. “They excel at solving problems where efficient algorithms don’t exist.”

Encryption is one example. Because atoms and photons can be both 0 and 1 at the same time, a quantum

computer can test numerous answers simultaneously and break a code more quickly.

They are also excellent at simulating working models of quantum systems. Quantum materials, such as those used in superconducting systems, are extraordinarily difficult to model with traditional computers.

“Recently, a classic computer simulated 50 atoms, which was a huge achievement,” Olmschenk said. “But every time you add one more atom, it becomes twice as difficult for those computers. Quantum computers can model atoms and other very complex systems with incredible efficiency.”

The majority of the $1.1 million OFRN grant will go to SRICO for its fabrication efforts. Denison will receive about 10%. For student researchers, the experience may be priceless.

They’ll participate in project meetings and learn some cutting-edge quantum technology. The team will also make site visits to the NASA Glenn Research Center, the Air Force Research Lab, and SRICO to see how photonics are used in federal labs and manufactured in an industry setting.

“I believe our students get a great experience working closely with faculty on research,” Olmschenk said. “In this project, they will be able to see the academic research side of things, as well as the commercial applications of our work.”

“It is an extraordinary opportunity to explore a problem without a known solution in a very in-depth way.”

Physics Professor Steven Olmschenk, one of just a few atomic physicists in Ohio, demonstrates how Denison’s laboratory plays a key part in a research grant.

Research for a new grant by Ohio Federal Research Network will take place in Denison’s laser lab.

“They will be able to see the academic research side of things, as well as the commercial applications of our work.”

– STEVEN OLMSCHENK

Associate Professor, The J. Reid Anderson Distinguished Professorship in Physics

LEFT:

RIGHT:

KBY GINNY SHARKEY ’ 83

A FORCE OF NATURE

First-year student Kelsey

Sweetland is an artist, author, educator, and entrepreneur — and this phenom is just getting started.

stands before her first Denison class, buzzing with energy as she guides peers through a three-week course on using AI to reach their goals.

Dreams spill out, and questions follow. How do I build an online mentorship for athletes? Create a travel guide that serves international students? Start a late night Denison DoorDash for classmates?

With years of experience already under her belt, Sweetland handles it all with ease. She leads her peers from self-discovery to concrete action plans, all powered by AI tools — and a guidebook she wrote herself.

A SELF-TAUGHT ENTREPRENEUR

At 19, Sweetland has taught herself to write, illustrate, and publish four children’s books about nature. She’s forged partnerships with international nonprofits, explored the ins and outs of marketing, and founded Authors for Nature, a creative program publishing house that helps other young writers publish and bring awareness to environmental issues.

Obsessively watching The Blue Planet as a toddler may have sparked her environmental

Photos: Ty Wright

Illustrations: Kelsey Sweetland ’29

advocacy, but Sweetland credits middle school teachers for turning talk into action with a single question: “What are you doing about it?”

A week-long immersion in The Bahamas’ damaged ecology sharpened her resolve to spotlight endangered fish and the ocean — eventually leading to her first children’s book: Natalie the Narwhal , whose net proceeds benefit nonprofit Mission Blue.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. “It took a lot of grit,” Sweetland says. Instead of sleeping in on weekend mornings, she was up early to write and illustrate her book. Then Sweetland planted herself at the computer for hours of trial-and-error, learning Adobe Illustrator, mastering the IngramSpark self-publishing platform, and publishing her first children’s book at the age of 13.

Three more books followed, and as she began interacting with customers at local stores to showcase her titles, Sweetland realized that a number of people were asking her how to publish their own books.

Recognizing her knowledge base was a viable product that could also advance her environmental aims, Sweetland’s next step was to create a website and video. Using ChatGPT, which had just matured into a practical toolset for budding entrepreneurs, she launched into building the business online — with little parental hand-holding beyond her software engineer father’s guidance.

Today, Authors for Nature is a publishing house with a live community chat and weekly meetings, all supported by a video course for aspiring authors that uplift environmental issues. Sweetland continues to innovate; now she is building AI chatbots to augment her services and launching a podcast series to help market her clients’ books.

BRINGING HARD-EARNED KNOWLEDGE TO THE HILL

Her journey from the foothills outside San Francisco Bay to The Hill at Denison began with a simple wish: a place to study what she loved and a robust entrepreneurship lab.

AI INNOVATION STUDIO

Kelsey Sweetland’s three-part crash course helps you bring a big idea to life.

IDEATION

Heart, Head, & Hustle: A trio of questions to surface your true passion, your skills, and how to turn them into action.

Heart: What do you care about most? What problem do you feel compelled to solve?

Head: What are your strengths? Who can you learn from? What resources do you have?

Hustle: How can you combine heart and head into tangible projects?

BUILDING & GENERATING

Build an AI Partner/Consultant:

Use ChatGPT to create a chatbot that acts as your project’s expert.

Define who you are, your talents, and the role you want the AI to play (business consultant, critic, risk assessor, creative).

Ask smart questions of your AI assistant: Who will use this product?

Who has the money to buy it?

What business structures could fit this idea? How can you test demand?

What are the first actionable steps?

AI tools to help you:

App and website builders: ChatGPT, Replit, Base44, Lovable, Bolt, Canva Website.

Promotion and image generation: Adobe, Canva.

MARKETING & ITERATION

Start small to learn fast: Produce a 30-second video using AI tools.

Write the script: Design your AI assistant to help with scriptwriting and multiple drafts.

Visuals and B-roll: Use tools like Nano Banana, Krea, Descript, and Adobe Express.

Create a feedback survey: Draft questions with your AI assistant, share the video and form with friends and mentors.

Iterate: Use the feedback to refine your concept, then repeat.

Kelsey Sweetland ’29 draws from nature for the artwork for her books and other project.

She did her research, traveling across the country on campus visits. “You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to find a good entrepreneurship lab that cared about what I wanted to do,” she says.

Sweetland got a whole different vibe from the Red Frame Lab, Denison’s consulting and entrepreneurship program. When she walked into an interview, her website was prominently featured on a large screen. Then she and Director Steve Krak had “one of my favorite conversations.”

“I talked with Steve about sustainability and publishing and coding,” she says. “Then I walked around the campus and just knew I wanted to go here. When I received my acceptance letter from Denison, I withdrew all my other applications.”

In her first semester, she joined Denison’s AI Student Ambassador Program, led by Lori Robbins, head of AI strategy. She’s part of a student coterie who explore AI tactics, study the tech, and teach their peers.

“I love this job,” says Sweetland, who was named Overall Student Employee of the Year for her work in the program. “I’ve learned so much about AI and the tools behind it.”

Working with Robbins, Sweetland developed a threepart AI Innovation Studio to help students, faculty, and staff turn ideas into reality — and she teaches it in the Red Frame Lab.

“I haven’t been surprised, but I am amazed at the level of creativity and ability Kelsey applies to her academics and her work as an AI ambassador and entrepreneur,” says Red Frame’s Associate Director Rick Coplin ’85. “Everything she does, she does well. Plus, it’s so much fun to work with her.”

KEEPING A FINGER ON THE PULSE OF AI

Sweetland believes humans and AI can coexist — and thrive — if people guide the tech rather than letting it steer them.

“AI is not going away, so we need to think about the best way to guide it.”

– KELSEY SWEETLAND ’29

“AI is not going away, so we need to think about the best way to guide it,” she says. “Dreamers, thinkers, and artists are in the best position to steer AI, because they can delegate and automate technical portions of their work, and make their visions a reality.”

The technology evolves by the day. “It’s changing monthly, weekly, or daily,” Sweetland notes.

With guidance from Robbins, as well as an unexpected advisor from Harvard, Tony Wagner, she’s shaping her ideas into a new book on the student perspective amidst the generative AI revolution, covering AI literacy, ethics to protect human voice, creativity, responsibility, and critical thinking.

Wagner, expert in residence at the

Harvard Innovation Lab and founder and co-director of the Change Leadership Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, is the author of Creating Innovators , which Sweetland’s parents referenced as a pivotal book in shaping their approach to their daughter’s childhood education.

As Wagner learned more about Sweetland’s accomplishments and their mutual interests in underwater photography, writing and education, their correspondence grew.

“Tony is an amazing writer, educator, and mentor,” says Sweetland. “I’m so lucky to have his input and guidance while writing this book.”

Sweetland is eager to share her expertise in generative AI with the Denison community.

She sees a range of engagement with AI among students. Some adapt, others are concerned about environmental impact, and still others worry about losing creativity and a hard-won education.

“Everyone is waiting for someone to help them with it,” she says.

But this force of nature is not waiting. She’s learning, building, innovating, and teaching. Her philosophy is simple: Do your research, roll up your sleeves, and learn by doing. Then follow the impulse to share your abundance. Naturally.

Her philosophy is simple: Do your research, roll up your sleeves, and learn by doing.

Kelsey Sweetland ‘29 puts the finishing touches on a sketch that could end up as an illustration in her next book.

Highlights from The Hill

DENISON WELCOMES NEXT PROVOST

Denison University has selected Alisa J. Rosenthal as its next Provost and Chief Academic Officer, effective July 1. Rosenthal currently serves as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, where she has been a member of the senior leadership team since 2019. Prior to her role at Randolph-Macon, Rosenthal spent more than 15 years at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, where she held multiple leadership positions and was recognized for excellence in teaching with both faculty and student-selected awards. Rosenthal holds a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in political science and history from Beloit College, and a master’s and doctorate in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

DENISON HOSTS VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE

Denison hosted Vice President Mike Pence as part of the Babcock Lecture Series in April. Established in 1982 by the late Mary Elizabeth Babcock ’29, a Denison alum and Johnstown, Ohio, philanthropist, the Babcock Lecture Series supports the exploration of the American conservative tradition and reflects

STUDENTS APPEAR ON NBC’S TODAY SHOW

Denison students made multiple appearances on NBC’s national morning show in March, inspiring fellow improv troupe member Steve Carell ’84 to reflect on his time on The Hill. Carell joined TODAY ’s Craig Melvin to discuss Rooster, a new HBO comedy series that follows a bestselling author played by Carell, who finds himself immersed in life on a college campus. Melvin surprised Carell with photos from his years at Denison and a video question from a current member of the Burpee’s Seedy Theatrical Company, Tionna Wear ’28 , about how the student-run improv troupe helped shape his career in entertainment. Denison filmed students as they watched the TODAY interview live and published the video to its social media pages, where TODAY aired their reaction and excitement.

Denison’s broader commitment to the principles of a liberal arts education: rigorous inquiry, exposure to diverse viewpoints, and thoughtful engagement across differences. The Babcock Lecture Series has previously hosted former Secretary of State James Baker; columnists William F. Buckley and George F. Will; U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate Bob Dole; political analysts William Kristol, Ana Navarro, and Jonah Goldberg; former Governors Jon Huntsman and Bobby Jindal; and former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, among others.

EBOO PATEL DELIVERS COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Eboo Patel, one of the nation’s most influential civic leaders and an advocate for building bridges across differences, delivered the keynote address at Denison’s 185th Commencement on May 16. Patel, a tireless advocate for education, the liberal arts, and the role that academic institutions play in building and sustaining vibrant, healthy democratic societies, was recognized with an honorary degree. Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as “one of America’s best leaders,” Patel embraces pluralism, harnessing the power of different views and life experiences to create paths forward that enhance the common good. As founder and president of Interfaith America, Patel has built a far-reaching institution that partners with governments, universities, businesses, and civic organizations to create vibrant communities.

DENISON’S REPUTATION OPENS DOORS TO GRAD SCHOOLS

A new partnership between Denison and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business provides special graduate school benefits for Big Red graduates, including a guaranteed interview, application fee waiver, and a scholarship for admitted students. The school offers one-year master’s programs in management studies; quantitative management for business analytics; and business, climate, and sustainability. Denison has a similar partnership with Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College of Information Systems & Public Policy. Other similar opportunities are in the pipeline, said Melanie Murphy, executive director of Denison’s Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, ranked No. 2 for best career services among all 2,400 four-year colleges and universities in the U.S.

MEN’S FENCING ADDED TO VARSITY LINEUP

Men’s fencing will become Denison’s 28th varsity sport starting in the 2026-27 season, coached by current women’s varsity coach, Peter Grandbois. Grandbois restarted the Big Red club fencing program in 2012 and helped elevate the women to varsity status, winning the 2025 Eastern Women’s Fencing Conference championship and finishing the season as

the nation’s top-ranked Division III team for the first time in school history. The Denison men will join the women in the Central Collegiate Fencing Conference. Grandbois is a professor of English and a former U.S. National Foil Team member who won the 2014 USA Fencing National Championship. Fencing consists of three disciplines: foil, epee, and sabre. The current men’s squad has 12 members. Ideally, Grandbois wants both the men’s and women’s teams to field rosters of 15 to 18 competitors.

DENISON AMONG AMERICA’S MOST BEAUTIFUL CAMPUSES

Denison University has been listed among the most beautiful college campuses in America by U.S. News & World Report, one of the top providers of college rankings, in a March 2026 article. Perched atop a hill overlooking Granville, Denison’s 900-acre campus was shaped by a 1916 master plan created by the Frederick Law Olmsted landscape architecture firm, whose work emphasized natural beauty and shared outdoor spaces. Denison has received other recognition for its landscape and grounds, having been designated a Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation, and maintains a certified arboretum.

CIO LIV GJESTVANG HONORED FOR LEADERSHIP

Denison Vice President and Chief Information Officer Liv Gjestvang recently received several recognitions for her visionary thought leadership. CollegeVine named Gjestvang one of its Future 15 honorees for championing an ethical embrace of AI that is transforming how Denison uses technology both operationally and throughout its curriculum. EdTech Magazine also named Gjestvang to its list of 25 Higher Ed Influencers to Follow in 2026. For her leadership in centering inclusivity and taking a peoplefirst approach, Gjestvang was also honored with the 2025 EDUCAUSE Organizational Culture Award and given the Ohio ORBIE Award for CIO of the Year. Gjestvang, who joined Denison in 2022, oversees digital transformation, cybersecurity, enterprise and educational technologies, learning spaces, and AI innovation.

OPEN ‘More important than ever’

THE SKILLS THAT NELSON GRIGGS ’93 , PRESIDENT OF THE NASDAQ STOCK EXCHANGE, LEARNED AT DENISON STILL GUIDE HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE IN FINANCE.

SBY THEODORE DECKER

BY : James Schuller

ometimes Nelson Griggs ’93 still has those ‘a-ha’ moments, times when he recognizes that the education he received at Denison shapes his career trajectory even now.

“Now that I’m 55, I see that Denison as a whole was a defining moment for me,” says the president of Nasdaq, one of the world’s leading stock exchanges. “It’s more looking back at all these points in my life and saying, ‘Wow, that was a Denison skill, and that was a Denison skill’ … you have so many more of these skills that you collected over four years in college than you realized at the time.”

Griggs joined Nasdaq in 2001, in large part because he had maintained a professional connection, just as generations of students have learned to foster on The Hill.

When not leading Nasdaq through an era marked by rapid-fire technological advances, Griggs looks forward to fishing and skiing with his family. Raising three sons has also meant significant time spent at lacrosse fields, he says. And he’s intentional about giving back — and getting back — to Denison when he can, mentoring students and hosting visits at Nasdaq.

“It’s a thrill to meet students and spend time on campus, seeing where the university has gone and is going,” he says.

Let’s start with your Denison experience. How did you come to Denison? Did you enter college knowing you wanted to work in the financial sector, or did that passion develop later on?

I knew I wanted a liberal arts college; that was mostly what I had applied to. When I visited Denison, it just felt right. I was a poli-sci major and really did not have any indication that I would end up with a business career. I just knew I wanted something that would involve teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. That’s what drove me in my interviews, and that’s what I found in business.

You’ve been at Nasdaq for 25 years. How did you initially land there, and what about the work motivated you to stay as long as you have?

I started my career at Fidelity Investments and spent a little over five years there. After two years with a tech startup, which dates me, my former boss at Fidelity was at Nasdaq, and he brought me in. He and I had stayed in touch. As you go through your career, relationships matter a lot. How you leave an employer matters a lot. It’s a small world. Your career will take many different pivots and turns, and keeping those relationships matters.

I’ve stayed at Nasdaq because I like the people I work with, it is an innovative culture, and I’ve had the opportunity to grow. We always say it’s never boring. In my career, I always wanted to feel like I was having an impact, and that’s what I found at Nasdaq. It’s been fun.

Denison has seen growing interest from students in business-related majors, and the college recently introduced a finance major to its academic offerings. What does a liberal arts education offer a student who is interested in careers in business or finance? Many financial firms value liberal arts graduates. They have developed these differentiated liberal arts skills: adaptability, strong communication, critical thinking. These are very highly valued. Having a true financial major will pair those highly valued skills with the technical skills that you do need to have. It makes Denison graduates very viable candidates for the financial sector.

Technological innovation, particularly in the AI arena, is poised to bring about a societal and economic sea change. What conversations are occurring these days at Nasdaq?

Although we serve the financial community, we are a technology company and a data company. Technology is always moving very quickly, but AI is accelerating at a pace we’ve never seen before.

PHOTOS

We are focused on how technologies can help us innovate and do more for our clients, but also on how we might be disrupted.

Across the economy, there will be disruption to current jobs, to processes that we’ve become comfortable with. But new things will evolve from that. That will create new opportunities, and staying abreast of them will be absolutely critical.

Given the changing landscape, what advice would you give to students and recent graduates looking to enter the financial sector? We have to be honest that historically entry-level jobs,

particularly in finance, are changing. They’re not disappearing, but they are transforming at a very rapid pace, particularly with regard to AI. A year ago, you needed to know AI language. Now, you need to know how it operates in practice, and if you don’t, you need to find a path to get there because we’re looking for graduates who have actual AI use cases, things they’ve done, how they can add value in this new world.

The expectation is they will be needing that skill set coming in. They need to be more than just conversant in AI. Can they show that they have actually used the tools? Ideally, they’ve done it within projects and have a grasp of the impact it can have on financial services. You want to really look at, and be ready to demonstrate, how you stand out with these skills.

Any final thoughts?

Students should be excited about the Denison background they’re getting in this technology-driven world, particularly with AI. The skill sets coming out of Denison are going to be more important than ever. Just make sure you’re also very deliberate in keeping pace with the changes that are coming your way.

Griggs is president of Nasdaq, leading Nasdaq’s Capital Access Platforms division, which is comprised of The Data & Listings, Index, and Workflow & Insights businesses. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading a business that serves over 10,000 corporate clients and 5,000 investor clients across the investment management ecosystem. Griggs is joining Denison’s Board of Trustees effective July 1, 2026.

RIGHT: Nelson Griggs ’93, president of Nasdaq, says the skills learned at Denison are more important than ever in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven world.

BELOW: The Big Red helped illuminate the Big Apple during a Denison University event at Nasdaq in New York in fall 2025.

IINTERESTED IN FORGING A

RELATIONSHIP LIKE THIS AT YOUR COMPANY?

Connect with the Knowlton Center or Alumni & Family Engagement to get started!

Banking on the value of Denison connections

A BRIDGE LINKING DENISON AND FINANCIAL GIANT JPMORGAN CHASE IS SERVING AS A MODEL FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE COLLEGE AND CAREER WORLDS.

n their four years at Denison, Ryan Dawson ’25 and Adonte Mays ’25 pounced on every opportunity to connect with their classmates, faculty, staff, and alumni.

“Denison outside the classroom really helped me,” Mays said.

By the time Commencement arrived, the pair had secured software engineering jobs at JPMorgan Chase’s McCoy Center in Columbus, the company’s largest U.S. office complex.

Nine months later, Mays and Dawson joined fellow Big Red alums working at Chase, current students, and other Denisonians at an after-work reception meant to strengthen — and celebrate — the talent pipeline that now flows from The Hill to JPMorgan Chase.

The Feb. 17, 2026, event was billed as an evening of connection, conversation, and cocktails. To President Adam Weinberg, it was much more.

It was, he told attendees, an essential next step in Denison’s longstanding efforts in the career-services realm, providing resources and support to not only current students but also to alumni in the working world.

“This is about the next phase of that work, which is targeting the companies where our students want to work, organizing our alums, building those bridges, identifying our best students, getting them prepared, and then asking those companies to open up doors and give them the opportunities that will make us all look good,” Weinberg said.

“Our goal is not simply to place more Denison grads at JPMorgan Chase,” he said. “It’s really bigger than that. It’s to create a community here that can propel JPMorgan Chase forward, that can connect back to Denison, and that becomes a case study for what we hope to do with companies across the country.”

Chuck Bellofatto ’89, the global head of credit risk, asset & wealth management at JPMorgan Chase, served as the event emcee.

student that you have connections within the company,” he said. “It’s all about making those bonds stronger.

“That’s a good way to give back to both places that have, for me, meant a ton,” Bellofatto said.

The Denison-to-Chase bridge came about organically and — as such relationships often do — began with a particular interest and commitment of one alum, said Jessica Hall, director of industry partners at Denison’s Knowlton Center for Career Exploration.

Several years ago, Natalie Zaravella Gerlach ’20 , a former project manager on the corporate location management team at JPMorgan Chase, teamed up with Denison’s Knowlton Center for Career Exploration to develop a program in which Denison students would make annual visits to the company, Hall said. That grew into both internships and ultimately employment opportunities.

“It really came from seeing an opportunity where the values aligned,” Gerlach said. “I knew firsthand the caliber of Denison students and alumni, and I also saw how strong the culture at Chase was around developing talent and investing in community. It felt natural to connect the two.”

“For me, it was less about creating a ‘pipeline’ and more about building a relationship, one rooted in shared values, long-term investment, and mutual benefit,” she said. “I’ve always believed alumni can play a powerful role in opening doors, and I felt a responsibility — and excitement! — to do that in a way that created meaningful access for students.”

“Sometimes younger alumni don’t think they have anything to offer yet,” Hall said. “They absolutely do. Natalie is proof of that.”

About 40 Denisonians now work at Chase’s McCoy Center, Hall said.

BY THEODORE DECKER

“The whole purpose is to mingle, to build networks, to make sure that you have some folks you can tap when you want to hire Denison students, or when you’re a

Corey Hallam ’03 , who has worked at JPMorgan Chase for 13 years, is one of them. She is hoping to become more involved with Denison’s alumni network, driven in part by life lessons she gleaned on The Hill.

“At Denison, I learned to step outside my comfort zone, dive in, and learn something new,” Hallam said.

Ryan Dawson ’25 says Denison’s career services and focus on relationships helped him land his first job out of college at JPMorgan Chase in Columbus.

Photos: Ty Wright, James Schuller

Dawson and Mays roomed together at Denison and still do as recent graduates. They haven’t forgotten to seize opportunities offered by their employer, just as they did at Denison.

“I pick up a new skill every week, it feels like,” Dawson said.

“That work doesn’t stop,” Mays said. “You have to keep evolving, or you will be left behind. I’m excited to see where we go next.”

Gerlach recently left Chase for a job with Nationwide Insurance, another Columbus corporate mainstay. Does she have plans to start again, building another bridge between Denison and her new employer?

“I’m still getting my footing in my current role, but I would absolutely welcome opportunities for thoughtful collaboration in the future,” she said. “I’m always interested in strengthening connections between institutions I care about. Denison will always be important to me, and I’m a big believer in the power of intentional partnerships.”

you have to do is ask.

“Happy to help any Denisonian with their career path in broadcast television or any other field in media. Ask a Denisonian is a great way to connect.”

No matter your class year, Ask a Denisonian is a resource for connecting with alums. Ask questions about the next steps in your career, expanding your network, professional development, or continuing education.

“It has been a great experience using Ask a Denisonian as an alum to ask for career advice of fellow alums in my field. The platform has allowed me to forge new relationships. Denisonians are always willing to help each other and this platform makes connecting that much easier.”

DENISON ALUM, CLASS OF 2018

TOP: Adonte Mays ’25, who was hired by JP Morgan Chase while still at Denison, speaks with President Adam Weinberg at the Chase-Denison event.

BOTTOM: Chuck Bellofatto ’89, the global head of credit risk, asset & wealth management at JPMorgan Chase, serves as emcee at a February 2026 reception that showcased the career pipeline that has developed between Chase and Denison.

DENISON ALUM, CLASS OF 2001

DENISON IS RENOWNED FOR PREPARING STUDENTS FOR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, AND IT ALSO PROVIDES ALUMNI WITH NUMEROUS RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT CAREER PIVOTS.

Melanie Murphy recalls a time not long ago when Denison’s Knowlton Center for Career Exploration might handle 20 to 25 appointments a year for alums pursuing or considering career pivots.

“Those numbers have skyrocketed in the past five years,” said Murphy, executive director of the Knowlton Center. “We’re up to over 300 appointments a year as our alums are looking back to Denison for help.”

An increasing number of employees, especially young ones, are forgoing long climbs up company ladders. While layoffs force career pivots, many others involve workers seeking quicker promotions, different challenges, or greater job satisfaction.

According to a 2025 Randstad global survey, the average tenure of Gen Zers in their first five years of employment is 1.1 years. Contrast that with Millennials (1.8 years), Gen X (2.8 years), and Baby Boomers (2.9 years).

‘WHAT ON EARTH AM I GOING TO DO?’ NAVIGATING CAREER PIVOTS

BY TOM REED Photos: Contributed

Denison is well-equipped to help alumni in their searches. “We’ve become one of the few colleges in the country to roll out programs for young alumni as they make their

first career pivots,” President Adam Weinberg said at a February event celebrating the connection between Denison and JPMorgan Chase. “Because we really believe that, in this economy, your first career pivot is more important than your first job.”

AMONG THE PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE:

▶ Access to 30 career coaches who can help navigate potential job changes and assist with grad school applications.

▶ Virtual career development conferences, such as Candid Career Conversations and the Alumni Career Design Program. Denison Edge also conducts virtual and in-person training sessions, and this summer is adding “Workshop Wednesdays” to its lineup.

▶ Access to Management Consulted. The site is a valuable resource for graduates looking to land consulting work and advance within the field.

▶ Free preparatory courses for a host of graduate-level exams, including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT. It also offers courses for many professional licensures and certifications. It’s a program made possible through a generous gift from Steve Matteucci ’78 , and a partnership with global education services provider Kaplan.

As alums plot their next moves, the university can link them with perhaps their greatest resource — fellow alums in fields of specific interest. Alumni can submit questions to Ask A Denisonian or get connected through the Knowlton Center and Alumni & Family Engagement.

“Denison is built on and powered by relationships,” said Ryan Brechbill, director of engagement programs. “There’s a mindset of mutual support among our alumni and they will go out of their way to help fellow Denisonians. Nearly every day, I learn of stories where an alum has an informational call with a student, opens a professional door for a fellow alum and answers a question from Ask a Denisonian. The support our alumni community provides to one another and students is unmatched.”

The university has plenty of success stories in helping alums of all ages create new opportunities for themselves. Here are just a few.

TAKING A FINAL BOW

The remarkable career pivots of Herb Porter ’13 could make for a movie or Broadway production. The engaging Columbus native could play the lead role in either.

At Denison, Porter majored in microbiology with a minor in music. He was working as a lab technician at Ohio State University’s Cancer Research Center and preparing for medical school when his appearance in a local production of Les Misérables made quite an impression.

The show’s director encouraged Porter, who had done some acting at Denison, to pursue a career in it. After consulting his family, he decided to take the leap — with the idea that he could always return to medical school in a few years.

“Doors kept opening for me, perseverance paid off, and I had what I consider a very successful career in the arts and acting for about 12 or 13 years,” Porter said. For three years, he appeared in Phantom of the Opera as part of the National Broadway Tour. He landed the male lead role in the movie Christmas with Felicity, and also did some TV spots and commercials.

But by 2022, his priorities had shifted. He began dating his future wife, Mallory, and sought a more stable career.

“I was managing a New York cocktail lounge, and it was around this time I started asking myself, ‘What on earth am I going to do?’” he said. “I wanted a 401(k) and health care. I didn’t want to worry about where my next paycheck was coming from.”

At a career crossroads, Porter spoke to dozens of people about their professions and whether they found their jobs enriching. He also contacted the Knowlton Center and had in-depth conversations with Brechbill.

“We just ping-ponged ideas back and forth,” Porter said. “We discussed possible next steps, about how to present myself to employers, and how to show them that the skills I have can translate to the 9-to-5 world.”

Porter pivoted to the insurance industry, first as an associate at Brown & Brown, Inc., in New York, before returning to Columbus as an account executive at Aon.

“There’s a mindset of mutual support among our alumni and they will go out of their way to help fellow Denisonians.”

– RYAN BRECHBILL Director of Alumni Engagement Programs

“Herb is a great story, and it’s a great example of the liberal arts at its finest — from med school to Broadway to insurance,” Brechbill said.

These days, Porter helps Denison students and alumni by sharing his story and offering his insights about career pivots.

“It can be scary, especially if it’s that first job out of college — it’s the job that you went to school for,” Porter said. “You have to ask yourself, ‘Why do I want to make a change? What are you willing to do? What advice are you willing to seek, and how do you go about finding a job?’ You must be willing to share your story and show you can be an invaluable resource to your next employer.”

HERB PORTER ’13 AND HIS WIFE, MALLORY

DENISON CONNECTIONS

Riley Bel Bruno ’22 looked to take her career in a new direction, but first, she needed to make a U-turn.

Hoping to transition from sales into marketing, Bel Bruno reconnected with the Knowlton Center, where she worked part-time as a senior peer coach. She was encouraged to tap into Denison’s alumni network and engage those with marketing experience.

Bel Bruno spoke to about 65 people during her factfinding mission, including Andrew Knerr ’10, a director for product marketing at American Express. Knerr connected Bel Bruno with some colleagues, and in the summer of 2024, she landed a position as a marketing operations analyst.

A year later, American Express made her a senior analyst in customer growth marketing.

“Everyone has been so incredibly willing to help,” Bel Bruno said. “I truly believe we have one of the best alumni groups anywhere.”

CARRYOVER SKILLS

Mia Bloomfield ’14 and Porter have never spoken, but they share important philosophies concerning career pivots.

“Nothing I did in my career was a waste. Many of the skills you learn in various jobs are transferable.”

– MIA BLOOMFIELD ’14

“Nothing I did in my career was a waste,” said Bloomfield, a psychology major. “Many of the skills you learn in various jobs are transferable.”

Bloomfield has worked as a student support advisor for an online educational company, a graphic design coordinator for Comedy Central, and a production director for podcasts at Spoken Layer. She’s also done improv, standup comedy, and studied the art of audio documentaries, where she learned the importance of storytelling.

A year ago, Bloomfield returned to her academic roots, seeking a career in which she could put her psychology degree to use.

She met with Gena Grant ’15 , associate director –Healthcare, Clinical Research & Wellness Career

Community at the Knowlton Center. The mental health field has many avenues, and Grant assisted Bloomfield in finding the best route for her — integrative systemic therapy, a holistic, client-centered approach blending elements of evidence-based therapies to address the needs of individuals, couples, and families.

“The improv and storytelling skills I developed are used in this therapy; it involves a lot of collaboration with clients,” said Bloomfield, who also helps kids gain confidence, creativity and communication skills through improv.

Grant helped Bloomfield write her application for a master’s program at Northwestern University. She will graduate with a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2027.

“Gena has been my No. 1 supporter,” Bloomfield said. “She has done so much to help me on this path.”

Bloomfield and Porter agree that a Denison education prepares students for career pivots long before landing their first job.

“My professors taught me to think critically,” Porter said. “When learning biomedicine, it was about analysis and interpreting data and having conversations. These are life skills.“It’s the ability to decipher something and provide a solution,” he added. “I used these skills in acting and interpreting scripts. I use them every day now in reading contracts. These are skills you take with you from Denison.”

MIA BLOOMFIELD ’14

RILEY BEL BRUNO ’22

The gift of opportunity

STUDENT SUPPORT, INCLUDING SCHOLARSHIPS, WILL EXPAND AT DENISON THANKS TO A NEW $8 MILLION GIFT.

With their most recent gift of $8 million, Jonathan Silverstein ’89 and his wife, Natalie, demonstrate their commitment to making a Denison education possible for talented students and supporting the highest initiatives of the institution.

Their transformative gift will, in part, contribute to the endowed fund they established in 2021, which provides need- and merit-based financial assistance to Denison students, increasing the number of Silverstein Scholars on campus.

”Receiving financial assistance to attend Denison means I can have opportunities I never dreamed of,” said one Silverstein Scholar. “This scholarship provides me with stepping stones to pursue a future.”

Another scholarship recipient said, “The aid helps motivate me to not let my opportunities and time go to waste. I’m incredibly grateful” for support from the Silversteins.

“This gift is a powerful statement about who we are and what we value,” said Denison President Adam Weinberg. “Natalie and Jonathan Silverstein believe deeply in the power of a Denison education to change lives. Their generosity will open doors for students who otherwise would not have that life-shaping opportunity.”

The Silversteins’ gift strengthens Denison’s ability to continue serving as one of only 80 colleges in the country to meet students’ full demonstrated financial need. The gift directly advances the What We Can Be campaign, Denison’s most ambitious fundraising effort to date. By increasing long-term resources for need-based aid and student support, the campaign seeks to ensure that students can fully participate in all that Denison offers — including study abroad, internships, research, and robust campus life — without financial barriers. To date, the Silversteins have committed a total of $10.8 million in support of What We Can Be.

“Our contributions to Denison are deeply personal — but they’re also purposeful,” said Jonathan Silverstein. “Natalie and I believe in this university and the promise of its students. Throughout my career, I’ve invested in opportunities that create lasting impact. Supporting Denison students is an investment in the people who will carry Denison’s values into the world and multiply

its influence in ways we can’t yet imagine.”

Among Denison’s most devoted supporters, the Silversteins have contributed to many other projects on campus. In 2018, they established the Natalie and Jonathan Silverstein Endowed Fund for Student Emergency Assistance. This fund provides Red Thread Grants for unanticipated and urgent expenses such as medical care or travel needs — underscoring their enduring dedication to students’ well-being.

In 2020, Denison opened Silverstein Residence Hall, a reflection of Jonathan’s vision to create a living experience for the senior class that fosters connection and lasting friendships like the ones he formed as a student. The residence hall enables Denison to offer apartment-style living for seniors and anchors a dynamic residential community on campus.

In 2022, Jonathan endowed the Greg Waitley ’89 Scholarship Fund to honor and remember his fraternity brother and friend. The Waitley Scholarship supports deserving students from the Chicago area who are hard-working, kind, caring, and optimistic, all characteristics that Greg embodied.

Beyond philanthropy, Jonathan has devoted significant time to mentoring students and alums. During his career as a managing partner and co-head of global private equity at OrbiMed, he hosted Denison student interns for 15 consecutive years — creating a pipeline of opportunity that continues today as former interns, now alums, offer internships and career guidance to current students.

“Natalie and Jonathan exemplify the spirit of generosity and mentorship that defines Denison at its best,” said Greg Bader, vice president for institutional advancement. “This new $8 million commitment will have a lasting impact, not only by expanding scholarships, but by affirming our shared belief that access to a Denison education should never be out of reach.”

“Supporting Denison students is an investment in the people who will carry Denison’s values into the world and multiply its influence in ways we can’t yet imagine.”

– JONATHAN SILVERSTEIN ’89

BY KIM BYCE

Revels in her Denison ‘dream job’

THE FORMER STUDENT-ATHLETE RETURNED TO CAMPUS IN 2024 AS A FACULTY MEMBER, BRINGING WITH HER THE SAME ENTHUSIASM AND DESIRE TO ‘GET THINGS DONE.’

Denison field hockey coach P.J. Soteriades calls it “Boss Lady Energy,” a colorful term for a tenacious player driven to find solutions where others see only problems.

Soteriades spotted the admirable trait in her former left-side defender, Emily Marshall ’10, now a member of Denison’s faculty. Marshall wasn’t the fastest, strongest, or biggest player — she stands just over 5 feet tall — but she evolved into a two-time, all-conference defender by frustrating opposing attackers with her competitiveness and guile.

“Emily played chess when others played checkers,” Soteriades said. “She was fun and relatable, but also very solutions-driven. Emily gets things done.”

Marshall has brought the same energy and problem-solving ability back to her alma mater. Since arriving at Denison in the fall of 2024 as associate professor of economics and director of quantitative initiatives, she has helped build curriculum across departments, fostering a spirit of collaboration.

She enjoyed her nine years at Dickinson College, a liberal arts school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, but she jumped at the chance to come back to The Hill.

“This is my dream job,” Marshall said. “It’s one that’s statistically improbable: returning to your alma mater in a faculty position.”

Marshall watched from afar as Denison added powerhouse majors global commerce; data analytics; and health, exercise, & sport studies (HESS), while remaining true to its liberal arts mission. She has built on the university’s commitment to academic innovation under President Adam Weinberg and Provost Kim Coplin ’85 by helping author the proposal for the new finance major and assisting the data analytics department in designing the new sports analytics domain.

The take-charge approach Soteriades admired in her former player is still evident in Marshall’s second act at Denison.

BY TOM REED

“I’m someone who operates at a pace where I feel like, ‘Yes, we need to be thoughtful and careful and do good work, but we also can’t be stuck in a cycle where we’re returning to the same things over and over again,’” Marshall said. “Because if we’re too slow to make change, we’re going to fall behind, and if we fall behind, our students fall behind.”

‘OH MY GOSH, I THINK WE’RE MOVING.’

Denison has undergone significant changes since Marshall majored in economics, captained the field hockey team, and served as president of Delta Gamma.

But as she walks across the Academic Quad talking with students and professors and meeting with families, the campus vibe is unmistakably familiar.

“This is just a happy place,” Marshall said. “People are happy to be here, and I think that comes from the experiences that they’re having academically, having socially, and having outside the classroom.”

She’s a big believer in the “power of and” that Weinberg often references and that Denison embodies. Students can do many things here. The skills they develop in one facet of their university experience are transferable to others.

Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, Marshall wanted to step outside her comfort zone and be challenged. Denison provided the ideal milieu, especially playing field hockey and changing positions midway through her Big Red career.

“It helped me develop my confidence and leadership abilities,” Marshall said. “I don’t think I would have been the student that I was without being the player that I was.”

She took her first economics class from Professor Ted Burczak, who was a mentor and adviser years before becoming a colleague.

Burczak recalls Marshall being a bright student and a diligent researcher. He cites the work she did examining the Federal Reserve’s role in the 2008 housing bubble crisis.

The professor wrote letters of recommendation for Marshall and remained in contact with her as she earned her master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of Kentucky. Burczak knew of her desire to work at a liberal arts college and shared his experiences teaching at Dickinson College.

She became an associate professor of economics at Dickinson as well as the director of the Quantitative Reasoning Center. She founded the college’s data analytics program in 2020, modeling it on Denison’s.

“The way Denison has evolved over the last 15 years is remarkable, and I don’t think it’s represented well by changes in college rankings or any of those other sorts of more quantitative metrics,” Marshall said. “The hardest thing for higher education institutions to do is making changes, in part because they have been

around so long. You can become very insular in your thinking and not pay much attention to what’s happening outside your walls.

“Denison has completely popped the bubble in that way of thinking,” Marshall added. “It hasn’t changed its values or foundation or even its feel, but it’s changed in terms of getting students where they need to be.”

Burczak and Coplin were aware of Marshall’s dream of returning to Denison, which is not only her alma mater but is much closer to the family homes of her and her husband, a mechanical engineer from Cleveland.

Coplin said Marshall had been on Denison’s radar for several years. When a position

“She loves curriculum building,” Coplin said of Marshall. “And if you read her curricular proposals, you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is somebody who’s really well versed in how to think through putting together a curriculum program.’”

Marshall will continue teaching economics because, she said, it’s important to relate to students and faculty and understand their classroom experiences.

But Marshall is eager to start in her new role. She envisions creating internship opportunities and strengthening ties with the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, which was most recently ranked the second

opened in the economics department, one perfect for Marshall’s skillset, Burczak was thrilled to reach out.

“It’s good for Denison to have people who really want to be here,” Burczak said. “That’s not a trivial matter.”

Marshall had multiple conversations with Coplin and Weinberg about the opening.

“I remember after my first conversation with Adam on the phone,” Marshall said. “I got off the phone, and I told my husband, ‘Oh my gosh, I think we’re moving.’”

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

Marshall will begin the 2026-27 academic year with a new title: inaugural director of the Emily Hauser King and Robert E. King Center for Data and Innovation.

Coplin said Marshall will bridge the connections between data analytics, economics, and mathematics. She adds Marshall has a passion for ensuring students across the curriculum have the data literacy and quantitative fluency to thrive after graduation.

best career services program in the country by The Princeton Review

Two years after returning to Denison, Marshall still cannot believe her good fortune. Her family lives in Granville and is raising a 3-year-old daughter. She takes advantage of alumni events, sometimes inviting old classmates to stay in her home.

As for those who remain on campus from Marshall’s days as a student, they continue to benefit from her “Boss Lady Energy.”

“The fact that she is now shaping the next generation of students at Denison is a gift,” Soteriades said. “The competitor in me is also thrilled that we have her back here, rather than another university, benefiting from the value and impact I know she brings, and will continue to bring.”

Emily Marshall ’10 was a two-time all-NCAC defender. Women’s field hockey coach P.J. Soteriades says Emily Marshall ’10 brought “Boss Lady Energy” to the field every time she played.

“The better that we responsibly engage students with the process of learning and tools at a younger age, the better they will do at college and at life.”

– LIV GJESTVANG Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Denison helps Ohio schools navigate the AI revolution

AS OHIO MANDATES AI POLICIES FOR ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, DENISON IS LEADING EDUCATORS FROM SKEPTICISM TO STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION.

Before attending Denison’s AI policy lab in January 2026, Kari Fritz of Greene County Career Center in Xenia, Ohio, had one opinion of artificial intelligence.

“I only viewed AI as a cheating tool,” she said.

By the end of the day, her perspective had changed.

“Now I have a much better understanding of the positive impacts it can have on our students,” she said.

Fritz’s shift from skepticism to advocacy mirrors a larger transformation happening across the local and national educational landscape — one that Denison is helping to lead.

Fritz attended Denison’s “K–12 AI Policy Lab: An HB96 Workshop for School Leaders” to assist her school district in creating and adopting an AI use policy, as mandated by Ohio House Bill 96. For many educators, this requirement has raised urgent questions about implementation, ethics, and student safety in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

policies that serve their students and communities.

“AI is affecting how our students learn, what they learn, and their future work,” President Adam Weinberg said. “We are leveraging Denison’s expertise in AI to be an educational partner to support schools, universities, and workforce development.”

The urgency is clear. According to the 2024 Work Index Trend Annual Report, three out of four people now use AI at work — a number that nearly doubled in just six months. Almost 80% of leaders believe their companies need to adopt AI to stay competitive. For the 1.6 million students in Ohio’s K-12 system, AI literacy is no longer optional. It’s essential preparation for college and career success.

BY GINNY SHARKEY ’ 83

Photos: Ty Wright

Denison is stepping into this moment of uncertainty by leveraging its AI expertise to serve as an educational partner. Through a series of summits and workshops, the university is helping schools and colleges across Ohio and the nation develop practical, values-driven AI

The Denison summit brought more than 30 participants from 18 school districts to campus. The gathering also drew Ohio Chancellor of Education Mike Duffey and representatives from the Ohio Educational Service Center of Central Ohio and the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce (ODEW).

“This is a workforce issue,” said Chris Woolard, chief integration officer at ODEW. “At the end of the day, our students have to be prepared for success.”

Led by Lori Robbins, Denison’s head of AI strategy,

Denison Vice President and CIO Liv Gjestvang welcomes K-12 school administrators to Denison’s AI Policy Lab.

the workshop focused on building cohesion around AI knowledge and language while creating practical resources schools could use immediately.

While educators grapple with concerns about cheating and academic integrity, Robbins presented surprising findings from student surveys: young people overwhelmingly support using AI to complement, rather than circumvent, their educational goals.

“Students want to use AI in ways that enhance their learning, such as helping to create study guides,” Robbins said. “They want to know how to use it responsibly and ethically. They are craving more training, not just permission to use the technology.”

This insight reframes the conversation. Rather than viewing AI as a threat to be controlled, Robbins advocates for values-driven implementation that empowers both teachers and students.

“Start with your values before you create policy,” she advised workshop participants. “Ask yourself, when your district is at its best, what values are clearly visible in what you do?” She encouraged schools to use those values as “guardrails” to help direct AI practices.

Workshop participants split into working groups during lunch to tackle specific topics, including AI use and academic integrity, AI literacy, and teacher support.

By the end of the day, everyone had contributed to a shared online resource offering AI strategies, tools, prompts, HB96 guidelines and frameworks, teacher resources, and external references — a living document that schools can adapt to their unique needs.

Denison’s leadership in this space stems from its own comprehensive approach to AI integration. The

university is simultaneously implementing extensive AI fluency and career-readiness programs for its students while deploying AI operational efficiency strategies across its professional teams.

“The better that we responsibly engage students with the process of learning and tools at a younger age, the better they will do at college and at life,” said Liv Gjestvang, Denison’s vice president and chief information officer.

Through ongoing AI workshops, Denison offers expertise and partnership for national higher education leaders, including those from Amherst, Bucknell, Pomona, and Williams. The university held more summits for Ohio K-12 schools in the Spring semester, and this summer, Denison will offer its first summer camp for high school students on data analytics and AI; the Tomorrow Tech Institute.

By the end of the January summit, the atmosphere in the room of K-12 administrators had shifted noticeably. Anxiety about compliance and concerns about academic integrity had evolved into genuine excitement about educational possibilities.

Fritz’s transformation from viewing AI solely as a cheating tool to recognizing its positive impacts exemplifies the change Denison hopes to catalyze across Ohio’s educational community.

“How do we show up in transformational moments like this one,” Robbins asked. “Denison’s goal is to help our students and educational partners push away the fear and embrace this change with curiosity.”

75%

OF PEOPLE NOW USE AI AT WORK (UP NEARLY 2× IN SIX MONTHS)

80% OF LEADERS SAY AI ADOPTION IS NECESSARY TO STAY COMPETITIVE

30 +

EDUCATORS FROM 18 SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE TRAINED AT DENISON’S AI POLICY LAB

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENISON’S FORWARD THINKING APPROACH TO AI

Denison Head of AI Strategy Lori Robbins (lower left) presents to an engaged group of K-12 administrators (right).

BIG RED SPORTS

BY TOM REED

WINTER HIGHLIGHTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL AND WOMEN’S SQUASH TEAMS WIN CONFERENCE TITLES

Winter sports teams earned plenty of individual honors, including Velma Hall ’26 who leaves Denison as an All-American.

The men’s swimming and diving team winning its seventh NCAA title in program history and the women’s basketball team capturing its first national championship have grabbed the headlines. But there were plenty of noteworthy achievements with Denison athletics during the winter months.

▶ The men’s basketball team won its second consecutive conference title.

▶ The women’s squash team won its first Liberty League title in program history.

▶ The women’s fencing team spent much of the season ranked third in the United States Fencing Coaches Association poll for Division III.

A closer look at a productive winter cycle for Big Red athletics:

MEN’S BASKETBALL: The Big Red won seven of their last nine games to claim their second consecutive regular-season conference title. They clinched it in dramatic fashion with a 71-70 victory over Ohio Wesleyan University in the season’s final game.

Denison (18-9, 12-4) fell one win short of an automatic NCAA Tournament berth, losing to John Carroll University, 84-66, but the season continued the positive momentum the program has been gathering.

“Entering the year, we graduated the winningest senior class in program history and soon faced two major injuries that presented our team with significant challenges,” coach Chris Sullivan said. “It would have been easy to make excuses, but this group never did. Instead, they remained committed to upholding the standard of Denison basketball every single day.”

Sullivan and his assistants earned conference coaching staff of the year honors. Kellon Smith ’27 (first team), Nick Heath ’26 (second team), and Liam Taylor ’28 (third team) were All-NCAC selections.

WOMEN’S FENCING: The Big Red finished the season with a 25-15 record, including an upset win over Penn State in the Ohio State University Elite Invitational.

Denison placed third for the fourth straight year at the Central Collegiate Fencing Conference Championships behind Northwestern University and Ohio State.

The Big Red had five All-Region selections: Lal Ertun ’27, Velma Hall ’26 , Natalie Isberg ’26 , Tessa Randleman ’29, and Joyce Yu ’27. Hall was named a Division III All-American honorable mention.

LYDIA ROBERTS

“The hardest part of this season is saying goodbye to our seniors,” coach Peter Grandbois said. “They were a big group with a lot of heart. And they’ve done so much to continue moving this program forward and building it into the team we have today. I’m really going to miss them, but we know they’ll go on to do great things, and we wish them well.”

WOMEN’S SQUASH: The league title coupled with a top-20 finish made it the most successful season in program history. The Big Red defeated St. Lawrence University, 5-4, to capture the Liberty League title with Charlotte Jones ’28 being named player of the tournament.

Jones was one of six Denison players to earn all-league honors, and she repeated as Liberty player of the year.

Other players who made the first team were Lane Harding ’26, Kate Manderlink ’26, and Maddie Ruggle ’28 Tess Lanza ’28 was a second-team selection and Nicole Smith ’27 was honorable mention. Coach Michael MacDonald ’09 and assistant Tron Torres were named coaching staff of the year for a second straight season.

MEN’S SQUASH: Denison posted a 10-7 record and finished the season ranked No. 25. The Big Red won two matches at the National Division Championships, including the consolation final over Wesleyan University.

Captain Juan Felipe Hernandez ’26 won Liberty League Player of the Year honors. He was a first-team league selection along with Nate Cukierman ’28 Charlie Fenwick ’27 made the second team and junior Alex DeLuca ’27 was an honorable mention.

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: The Big Red had several terrific performances in the conference indoor meet in which the team finished fifth. Mariel Drost ’27 won the weight throw competition, while Emery Kurth ’28 (long jump) and Sydney Flores ’26 (shot put) placed second in their events. Sydney Brown ’26 was third in the NCAC Indoor Combined Events Championships.

Five Big Red athletes earned all regional honors highlighted by Mira Renaldi ’28 , who broke the school’s 60-meter hurdle mark four times this season. The distance medley relay team of Hanna Hack ’29, Shaylee Murdough ’29, Jane McNamara ’28 , and Piper Lee ’27, all received recognition after placing top-eight in their region.

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: The Big Red finished eighth at the conference meet.

The 4x200 quartet of Jake McCann ’27, Caleb Zell-Ratner ’28, Pierce Patterson ’27, and Jack Meyerowitz ’27 finished third with a time of 1:27.94, which bested last year’s final time by almost two seconds. McCann broke the school record in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.2 seconds.

“It would have been easy to make excuses, but this group never did. Instead, they remained committed to upholding the standard of Denison basketball every single day.”

– COACH CHRIS SULLIVAN men’s basketball

Aimaan Zakaria ’28

DENISON RUNNERS LEFT TO RIGHT: Hudson Jones ’28, Rosario Scarato ’29, Drew Carpenter ’27

Norah O’Malley ’28

The Office

2ND Floor Mitchell Athletic Center

THE OFFICE OF FIELD HOCKEY COACH P.J. SOTERIADES DOUBLES AS A TIME CAPSULE OF HER TENURE.

Twenty-six years after arriving at Denison as the youngest coach in the athletic department, P.J. Soteriades is now its second-longest tenured member.

Where have the years gone? The Big Red field hockey coach wonders that sometimes, as she gazes at office walls festooned with framed photos and memorabilia.

Every picture tells a story. Just don’t ask her to choose a favorite.

“It’s like trying to pick your favorite kid — you can’t do it,” said Soteriades, the program’s winningest coach, who’s led the Big Red to seven NCAA playoff appearances. “Every image reminds me of the people I’ve gotten to work with over the years.”

“I had three former Dutch players come back to visit,” she said. “Later on, I got a text with a picture of them and the cardboard cutout. Somehow, they had gotten into my office. This thing has taken on a life of its own.”

And, the Dutch players come bearing gifts — like these tiny porcelain replicas of wooden shoes .

The Soteriades cutout literally holds a clue to the coach’s biggest “vice.” The two-dimensional Soteriades is gripping a Coke can.

“That’s how I handle stress,” she said, laughing. “I would like a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal with Coca-Cola. They will not find a more loyal consumer.”

A former Denison assistant coach and athletic trainer bought Soteriades a collection of customized Coke cans with inscriptions bearing some of her pet sayings and nickname: Pam Cena.

BY TOM REED

The most arresting image in Soteriades’s office is a life-size cardboard cutout of the coach. (OK, it’s actually a couple of inches taller than Soteriades.) It’s a birthday gift from members of her team three years ago, with Helen Breen ’26 as its mastermind. It seems neither current nor former players can resist getting their photos taken alongside it.

Although best known as the successful and wisecracking field hockey coach, Soteriades also served as an assistant women’s lacrosse coach and was the head coach for one season, leading the team to a conference title and NCAA tournament bid in 2011.

“I drove the van on Spring Break road trips,” she said. “The players would decorate it with coconuts and Easter grass on the dashboard. When we were in California, they gave me a tiara to wear when I was driving. We had so much fun.”

Photos: Ty Wright

SINCE TAKING OVER THE PROGRAM IN 2000, SOTERIADES HAS WON 261 GAMES AND HAS ADVANCED TO THE NORTH COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT 18 TIMES. SHE IS THE PROGRAM’S ALL-TIME LEADER IN WINS AND IS THE LONGEST-TENURED COACH IN DENISON FIELD HOCKEY HISTORY.

2027 SAVE THE DATE

JUNE 11–13

Celebrating the Classes of 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2017, and 2022

JUNE 10–12

50 TH REUNION CELEBRATION for the Class of 1977

JUNE 11–13

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!

DENISON MAGAZINE

Off The Hill

ELLIE LAIRD ’23 STANDS IN FRONT OF THE KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.

Ellie Laird ’23, a cinema and French double major at Denison, is thriving in her native Scotland, working in the television and film industry. Even before she graduated, Laird served as a production trainee on the popular Netflix series Emily in Paris, while studying abroad in France. After leaving The Hill, she was accepted to the Amazon Prime Video Craft Academy, where she spent a year training as an assistant director and a researcher across various TV shows in the United Kingdom. She already has nearly a dozen credits on shows, and currently is working on the Apple TV+ series, The Buccaneers. “I’ve got lots of exciting things planned,” Laird said. “I’ve got lots of dreams I want to pursue, and none of this would’ve happened without my time at Denison. I would never have thought that my decision to study French would completely change the trajectory of my film career, but it did. That’s the beauty of the liberal arts.”

Photo: James Schuller

& ClassNotes

YOUR CLASSMATES WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! EMAIL classnotes@denison.edu

1960 s

1966 David Linderner writes, “Sue and I moved permanently from Venice, Florida, to Dexter, Michigan, in January 2026: nearer children and grandchildren, but away from sunshine and blue skies.”

1967 Bill Madden lives in Morristown, New Jersey, and welcomes Denison alumni to drop him an email at maddenwp@aol.com. Bill retired from both AT&T and Prudential Financial, where he was a director of accounting policy, supporting business combinations, financial derivatives, and debt instruments. Before that, he served as a U.S. Air Force management analysis officer both stateside and in Vietnam. Since retiring, Bill and his wife, Kathy, have traveled extensively in Europe and Central America.

1970 s

1972 Marjorie Bomberger Clark of Munster, Indiana, has launched her second bilingual French book, Moli Returns to Paris , and shares her website, MoliTeachesFunFrench.com. She would love to hear from Denison classmates. “The wonderful French education I received at Denison has certainly permeated my life!”

Susan Engle of West Lafayette, Indiana, has released her fourth book, a biography in the Change Maker series for upper elementary and middle school students. Published by Bellwood Press, Robert Earl Hayden: A Man, a Pencil, and Poetry for All People , has been awarded a five-star review from Readers’ Favorite.

“While I was doing research, I discovered that Mr. Hayden was invited to Denison as a visiting poet in the spring of 1971,” Engle writes. “The invitation was extended to him before he was appointed the Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress, which I thought was prescient on the part of whoever chose visiting artists at the time. I was in New York City interning as an apprentice at the Metropolitan Opera during the semester he visited, so unfortunately, our paths didn’t cross. Ah, well.”

Michael E. Jones , professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, published his 10th book in February 20 26, What Art is Now: Creativity in the Age of AI. Jones, who presented at Denison’s Arts ReMix in

2025, says the book explores how AI is reshaping not only the tools artists use, but the deeper questions of authorship, originality, meaning, and what we even mean when we say something is creative. “At its core, the book asks a larger, timely question: What do machine learning and generative AI mean for what it means to be human, particularly as these systems increasingly participate in the making of images, music, text, film, and design.”

1973 Steve Nazaruk of Savannah, Georgia, was recently inducted into the Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame, with several Denison teammates in attendance. From left to right are Dave Wright , Nazaruk , Steve Layman , Billy Taylor ’76 , Rick Watkins ’75, and Larry Harmon Wright and Harmon are also in the Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Nazaruk was inducted into the Denison Varsity D Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

1975 Stan Soloway of Washington, D.C., has been elected chairman of the National Academy of Public Administration, one of two national academies chartered by Congress. In partnership with all levels of government, the private and non-profit sectors, the academy, and its elected fellows, the academy produces independent research and studies that advance the field of public administration and facilitate the development, adoption, and implementation of solutions to government’s most significant challenges. Soloway was first elected as a fellow in 2016.

1977 A documentary by David Crouse , Michigan: An American Portrait , has been renewed for another three years, airing on PBS stations nationwide. It’s also available to stream on PBS Passport.

Anita Cox Hunt of Cadillac, Michigan, writes that three of her poems recently have been published: “Sugar Season,” which was a finalist in the third edition of Matter ; “How We Learned to Fly,” the Goldilocks Zone 2024 Winner in Sunspot Literary Journal ; and “Canning Sunlight,” in Dunes Review

1978 Eric Peterson of Bay Village, Ohio, shares that in September 2025, Denison friends from the late 1970s traveled for two weeks throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The adventure included sightseeing and tours of a distillery, castles, urban and rural communities, golf courses, and pubs. Alumni included Peter Barratt , Doug Boeh , Peterson , Jeff Relick , Deb (Mooney) McCullough ’79 , and David McCullough ’79

1980 s

1980 Roff Smith continues to contribute to National Geographic , as he has for the past 30 years. “I’m living on a narrowboat on Britain’s historic canal network, presently moored along a rustic stretch on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in the Pennines,” he writes. “I have a feature coming out in the magazine later this year (and) wrote a bookazine on shipwrecks for them which came out last July.” His 2023 National Geographic piece, “The 100 Bike Rides of a Lifetime,” won a gold medal in the Lowell Thomas travel writing awards.

1981 Chris Petti of Centennial, Colorado, shares that Sadler Ramsdell hosted a Phi Delta Theta reunion for the Class of 1981 in October at his home in Mantoloking, New Jersey. Some of the attendees included Phil Sheehey, Billy Trigg , Petti, Bob Reardon, Kip

Chace, Hans Flagg, Dick Ughetta , John Pflieger, Sadler Ramsdell, Chan

Converse , and Geoff Flickinger

1985 After 41 years in the software industry, Morgan Neal Russell of Swindon, United Kingdom, writes, “I will be retiring from Oracle to do the things I want to do. It has been a huge adventure, and I am looking forward to the next one.”

1990 s

1990 Andy Carington of Richmond, Virginia, has joined Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc. as its senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary.

1991 Demitrus “Meechie” Evans Foster declared her intention to pursue international law during her freshman year at Denison, and she reports she ultimately fulfilled that goal as the Ralph J. Bunch Fellow for Amnesty International. She has practiced in the U.S. Northern, Southern, and Central districts of Illinois, the U.S. Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. She is the chair of Chicago Global Chamber, the secretary of the African Global Chamber of Commerce, the official trade representative to Uganda, and, until 2029, was appointed by the U.S. Department of Commerce to the Illinois District Export Commission. She has continued to serve Denison as an admission ambassador and secretary of the Denison Black Alumni Association. On Jan. 22, 2026, she was recognized as a Super Lawyers honoree. She says the honor is especially meaningful because “it represents the realization of a vision first formed at Denison, using law as a tool for global connection, advocacy, and opportunity.”

Ed Stanley of Kettering, Ohio, recently celebrated 10 years working as a crew member with Trader Joe’s.

1992 Ed Lawrence of Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, shares this reunion picture of himself and four of his six senior suitemates in Sawyer. Lawrence , Jon Halaby, John Kimler, Brett Andersen , and Jameson Blatchford met in Chicago, where Kimler performed a concert at Phyllis’ Musical Inn. Not pictured is sixth roommate Mike Bollman

1993 Jeffrey Parsons of Scottsdale, Arizona, is entering his fourth season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, serving as manager of motion graphics.

1996 Cathy Gray Weigel of Rutherford, New Jersey, has been promoted to managing partner at Sprott Inc., where she serves as head of exchange-traded fund (ETF) marketing. She is a global asset manager focused on precious metals and critical materials investments. “As head of ETF marketing, I’m in charge of new product launches, as well as strategic messaging, content and media strategy, advertising, and investor communications for a dozen ETFs focused on mining equities and physical metals,” she writes. Sprott is the largest manager of uranium investments in the world.

1997 Brandon Fisk of Summit, New Jersey, was named divisional sales manager of the Bank Channel division of Transamerica Life Insurance Co. He has been tasked with building out this new division to expand distribution in banks and credit unions nationwide.

Class Notes

2000 s

2003 Cori Stuart reports that she has served full-time as a mindset coach and energy worker specializing in anxiety reduction for three years and is excited for her new office in Cornelius, North Carolina, outside of Charlotte. She serves her clients both in-person and remotely.

2004 Jaime Litkenhaus Carle of Cincinnati and five of her Denison roommates met up in November 2025 for a weekend cabin getaway. She says they try to get together in a different location every year.

Jeryl Hayes of Silver Spring, Maryland, reports that this year marked the 20th anniversary of Denison alums climbing Mt. LeConte, a 6,593-foot peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trip is organized each year by Gregory Holden ’03. Denison alums on the most recent trip included Hayes , Jon Brollier ’03, Katie Brumbaugh Brollier ’03 , Amanda Eyes Delchamps ’03, Steve Holden ’07, Matt Lehrer ’03, Amelia Dunlap Minerd ’05, Craig Plowgian ’01, Charles Tyler ’03, and Jonathan Vance ’83.

2006 Chris Henderson of Indianapolis was named vice president at TNTP, a national education nonprofit that brings research, policy, and consulting together to reimagine America’s public education system.

Joey Thees of Newport Beach, California, started a new job in July 2025 at Zennio, a technology solutions provider for hotels and residential and commercial buildings.

2007 After winning a contested primary, Jennifer Graham of Logan, Ohio, was appointed in April 2024 to finish an unexpired term as the Hocking County Prosecuting Attorney. Six months later, the Hocking County native won a full four-year term in the general election.

2009 Matt Bishop was named vice president and COO of the United Church of Christ’s Council for Health and Human Service Ministries. Bishop, who grew up in Akron and Westlake, Ohio, returned to Cleveland to assume the new role, having previously been living in Denver as principal fiscal and environment analyst for the legislative council staff. “I’ve consistently found a calling in using numbers to tell a story, from my early professional days using grantmaking metrics to support fundraising to my recent work as a legislative analyst,” he says.

2010 s

2010 Following U.S. Senate confirmation, Ben Hobbs was sworn in at the White House as assistant secretary of public and Indian housing at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. “It’s the honor of a lifetime,” Hobbs says. “My office at HUD, PIH, is the largest and handles all public housing, Section 8 vouchers, and Native American programs for the country.” He says he’s eager to help out Denison and its students.

John Nemeth of Pittsburgh writes that he recently completed his Ph.D. in kinesiology at Concordia University, St. Paul. “My dissertation research investigated the impact of physical activity during the school day on the mood states and mental health of middle school students,” he says. “My wife, Leah, and I also welcomed our first son in June 2024 … sorry that the news is a little delayed!”

Vic Collins Nogay of Granville, Ohio, writes that her poetry chapbook, Naming a Dying Thing , was published in October 2025 by Yellow Arrow Publishing. A book launch celebration and reading was held in Granville at the Granville Center for the Arts, featuring current Denison English and creative writing students Leah Cashin ’26 and Rebecca Hurtado ’26

2011 Belkis Schoenhals of Columbus, Ohio, reports some recent significant milestones. In January 2025, she and her husband, Brandon Carrier, rejoiced in the birth of fraternal twins, Luca and Amalia. And in May 2025, the family celebrated her promotion to planning manager with the City of Columbus.

2012

Birth Clare Meernik and Eric Szymanski of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, welcomed their second son, Hugo, on July 4, 202 5.

Emma Hazel of Louisville, Kentucky, started a new job as program supervisor of the Louisville Zoo’s ambassador animal program.

2013

Birth Elyse Dolan Brackenbury and Will Brackenbury ’15 of Chicago welcomed their son, Avery, on June 26 , 2025.

Eliza Dobbins of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, earned her designation as a certified forensic photographer through the International Association for Identification (IAI). She is one of 45 photographers worldwide and the only one in South Carolina to hold the certification. She works as a deputy coroner for Charleston County, South Carolina.

Molly Finn Foiles writes that she still works within the bioinformatics space but, in 2025 , joined a new company, Seqera. “We also welcomed a baby boy in September, Calvin O’Conor Foiles, joining our 2-yearold daughter Macy,” she says.

2014 Chelsea Eastman Wilson of Granville, Ohio, earned her chartered financial consultant designation in December 2024 and retirement income certified professional designation in January 2026.

2015

Birth Mary Zhu and Will Longo of Arlington Heights, Illinois, welcomed their first baby, Eleanor Hazel Longo-Zhu, on July 31, 20 25.

Marriage Emily Jenkins and Hollis Finke ’16 of Chicago married in Louisville, Kentucky, on Pi Day, March 14 , 2026.

2016

Marriage Meghan Pearce and Will Lull ’17 married on Oct. 11, 2025, at Foundry United Methodist Church, with a celebration at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Nearly 40 Denison alums attended. “We were so grateful that Denison sent hats and a banner to mark the occasion — everyone was tickled!” Pearce writes. Pearce started as a federal affairs manager at Google beginning on Dec. 1.

Quenton Richards married Madeline Parks on June 6, 202 5, in Dayton, Ohio.

Antrim Ross Young married on Nov. 29, 20 25. “I was the only alum in attendance, but my dad did walk me down the aisle wearing his Denison tie!” she writes. She also notes she has moved from Galway, Ireland, to Lewes, England.

2017

Marriage Ryan Lee and Mikey Rivera ’19 were married in Chicago on Aug. 23, 2025. “Mikey was a pitcher on the baseball team, and I was a shortstop on the softball team,” Ryan writes. “When I first saw him across the room in my senior year, I knew he was something special. We are forever grateful to our amazing college on The Hill for the countless blessings we’ve received, including finding each other.”

Juan Bernabe Perez of Haverhill, Massachusetts, is chief administrative officer, director of risk management and performance improvement, and compliance officer at HRI Hospital in Massachusetts.

Class Notes

2018-2023

2018

Marriage Josie Thuma and Ben Cousineau ’19 were married on May 31, 2025. “We had 21 Denison grads in attendance and obviously got a photo,” Thuma writes. Back row, left to right: Robert O’Connell , Mae Riordan , Doug Donley ’83 (he officiated!), Ben Gibbs ’19, Chuck Eiben ’19, Lily Gross ’19, Alvaro Magaña ’19, and Duncan Tulimieri ’19. Second row, left to right: Katie King , Caroline Cary ’20 , Amanda Walsh ’19, Owen Crum ’20, Jeff Kautz ’17, AJ Koch ’19, Laura Frame ’83, Jeff Thuma ’86 . First row, left to right: Sally Dorset Robey ’62 , Ben Cousineau ’19, Josie Thuma , Thomas Thuma ’61 , and Jane Thuma Frame ’54

2020

“We were so grateful to connect with Doug Donley and have him officiate our wedding,” Thuma says. “He is a pastor at University Baptist Church on the University of Minnesota campus and is an incredible individual doing incredible work in his community. We so enjoyed getting to know him and talking about our time at Denison, what we learned while there, and how grateful we are to the school for bringing us and so many others together. He was a Hilltopper and participated in Denison’s exchange program with students from South Africa during apartheid in the 1980s. The Denison connection is real!”

2019

Marriage Amanda Walsh and Owen Crum ’20 were married on July 9, 2 025, in Ontario, Canada. They live in Columbus, Ohio, where she is a student at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and he is a student at the Moritz College of Law.

s 2020 Ellie Broker writes, “ Emmy Timberlake and I are engaged! We both proposed on the same weekend trip to Maine over Labor Day 2025. We met at Denison, playing on the women’s golf team together.”

2022

Marriage Annalise Cheshire and Noah Housekeeper were married on July 6, 202 5, celebrating with nearly 20 Denison alumni, including teammates, former roommates, and their cherished swim coach.

2023 Deja Simley of Atlanta is in her third year of teaching third grade at Pace Academy and is also pursuing her teaching master’s degree at Georgia State University. She traveled to South Africa with colleagues from Pace Academy’s Lower School in spring 2026 as part of an Isdell Center for Global Leadership study program.

classnotes@denison.edu

THE HILL IS CALLING.

Big Red Weekend brings Denisonians together for a spirited celebration filled with athletics, the arts, and the unmistakable energy of fall on campus. Reconnect with friends at the tailgate before cheering on the Big Red football team, and relive the traditions that make Denison unforgettable.

Spend your Homecoming on The Hill with exciting additions for 2026, including a ReMix summit leading up to the weekend and the Beck Literary Festival featuring acclaimed authors. Celebrate with alumni affinity groups representing various student experiences, such as the Varsity D Association, fraternity and sorority life, cheerleading, theatre, and the Denison Campus Governance Association.

Interested in reconnecting with alums from your former student groups? Reach out to alumni@denison.edu.

YOUR HOMECOMING ON THE HILL. NOV. 6-8, 2026

Obituaries

1945

1945–1951

Betty Schultz Knox, 102, of Fort Myers, Florida, Jan. 21, 2026. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She met her future husband, John G. Knox, while they were in kindergarten in Chicago. She enjoyed swimming at the Woman’s Athletic Club of Chicago, golfing at the Hinsdale Country Club in Hinsdale, Illinois, and later at The Forest Country Club in Fort Myers, Florida. She was a longtime season ticket holder at Florida Repertory Theatre, loved playing bridge with friends, and was an enthusiastic reader. She was preceded in death by her husband, John G. Knox, and son, John G. Knox Jr. She is survived by her daughter, Deborah K. Mortensen; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

1947

She entertained many family and friends there, as well as one bear that — bewitched by the smell of pork chops — broke in through a cabin window, only to be run off, unsated, by the dogs.

Robert Wolf, 98, of Washington, D.C., Feb. 4, 2024. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, became a dentist, and began a career with the National Institutes of Health, where his research contributed significantly to both public health and individual patients. He was a life member of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, finding joy in the great outdoors, leading hikes, participating in cabin work-trips, and serving as the group’s president from 1974-75. He sang with the Oratorio Society of Washington. He is survived by his wife, Carol; children, Rebecca and Thomas; brother, the Rev. James B. Wolf; and two grandchildren.

1948

Betty Gangware, 98, of Santa Cruz, California, Jan. 4, 2026. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She began her career in Sandusky in 1948, teaching the fourth and fifth grades. Ten years later she applied to the American Army schools in Europe, was accepted, and began teaching in Metz, France. The job also took her to Paris and Italy. Following her return to the United States, she built her elementary school teaching career in Santa Cruz, California, the place she called home for the next 56 years. In the early 1970s she had a cabin built above Angeles Camp in the Sierras, which became her second home. She entertained many family and friends there, as well as one bear that — bewitched by the smell of pork chops — broke in through a cabin window, only to be run off, unsated, by the dogs. She was a devoted member of Trinity Presbyterian Church for 55 years, preparing and serving meals for the unhoused and supporting a child growing up in El Salvador. She is survived by her niece, Cora Gangware; nephews, Edgar Brand III, Frank and Robert Gangware; and nine great nieces and nephews.

Molly Wagner Miller, 98, of Greensboro, North Carolina, Nov. 29, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She worked as a teacher’s assistant for children with learning disabilities and a volunteer mentor for at-risk juveniles. After moving to Greensboro in 1974 with her husband, Don, she attained a degree in criminal justice and began a long career as a Chapter 13 District Counselor for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court administrator, providing credit counseling and financial management courses for those going through bankruptcy. Whether it was macramé, sculpting, watercolors, or a variety of projects, she was always expanding her artistic interests and fostering that love in her daughters. On warm sunny days you could always find her on her treetop deck wearing her signature floppy wide-brimmed hats, reading, listening to her favorite music or laughing with friends and family. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Donald Miller, and her granddaughter, Lisa Johnson. She is survived by daughters, Lisa Fullington and Heather Johnson; two grandsons; and four great-grandchildren.

Betty Harman Vallandingham, 99, of Fairport, New York, Sept. 25, 2025. At Denison, she was twice honored as May Queen and was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She met her husband, Clay, on a double date with other friends, and captivated by him from the start, she paid little attention to her actual date that evening. She loved decorating and hunting for treasures at antique shops with her sisters and friends. Her family fondly remembers her “turquoise phase,” when she painted that shade on everything from chandeliers, the stereo cabinet, and knotty pine paneling. An avid gardener, she filled her backyard with flowers and vegetables, waging a mischievous battle with the neighborhood rabbits, complete with signs redirecting them toward a neighbor’s garden. She sewed, knitted, decorated, and created children’s clothes, bridesmaids’ dresses, wedding flowers, and Christmas ornaments. She volunteered at the Rochester General Hospital gift shop for several years. She talked her way out of many a speeding ticket on her way to the cottage on Seneca Lake, a favorite place. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clay Davis Vallandingham, and her siblings, Thelma Spencer, Willard Harman, and Norma Spiess. She is survived by five daughters, Holley Shafer, Jill Roman, Amy Carpenter, Kelly Vallandingham, and Tina Sherwood; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

1949

Jane Carstensen Heller, 98, of Granville, Ohio, Nov. 13, 2025. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta at Denison and met her husband, Jack Heller ’47, when he returned to his studies on The Hill after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. They were married for 68 years, enjoying adventures at Lake Erie, in Door County, Wisconsin, trout fishing in Ohio and Colorado, and with their Granville bike group. Together with David ’45 and Dee Richards ’47, she and Jack founded Kendal at Granville because, as they used to say, “we didn’t

want to be a burden to our children.” Kendal (Otterbein) now stands as a vital part of the Granville community. In the late 1960s, she enrolled in an art class at the Cultural Arts Center in Columbus, kicking off her lifelong journey as an artist. A voracious learner, she studied printmaking, painting, and weaving with renowned mentors. She owned the Reynolds/Heller gallery in Granville (with her art partner and friend, Jeny Reynolds) as well as three galleries in German Village and was affiliated with galleries throughout Ohio. She was a founder of The Works Gallery in Newark, a signature member of the North Coast Collage Society and the Society of Layerists in Multimedia, a member of the Denison University Research Foundation, and president of the Bexley Area Art Guild. She was also a sought-after curator and judge for art shows and gallery exhibits. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack. She is survived by her children, Nancy, Anne, John III ’81, and Jane; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Norma n S. “Norm” Dellner, 100, of Dublin, Ohio, Oct. 30, 2025. He left Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in 1943 to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Following his service, he enrolled at Denison using the G.I. Bill. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He played two seasons of football on teams coached by Woody Hayes ’35. He graduated with a degree in economics, and later earned a law degree from what is now Case Western Reserve University. He worked in commercial real estate and spent the majority of his career working for Big Bear Stores. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne Dellner, and extended family. Three children attended Denison, Jim Dellner ’74, Joyce Dellner Fiebig ’74, Tom Dellner ’87; as well as grandson, Greg Dellner ’07

Steve Fletcher, 98, of Glendale, California, June 24, 2025.

Janet Rettig French, 96, of Naples, Florida, Sept. 22, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi.

Dolores Harrison Shreve, 97, of Cary, North Carolina, Nov. 12, 2025. She earned her nickname, “Scoop,” while reporting for the Youngstown South High School newspaper, and it stuck with her long into her adult life. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi. She taught elementary school children after Denison, and Sunday school at her church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Shreve; and her brother, Gordon Harrison. She is survived by her three sons, David H., Charles R., and Paul R.; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Mary Scott Martinson, 95, of Palo Alto, California, Nov. 21, 2025. She studied theater at Denison and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She worked for many years as a nursery school teacher and in graphic design, managing the print

department at a tech company. She shifted to editing math textbooks, making lifelong friends with her fellow editors. She listed 67 trips in her travel notes, including many theater tours in London. With Friendship Force International she hosted visitors and stayed with families in Chile, Japan, Turkey, and Kyrgyzstan. She was active to the end, enjoying walks at Shoreline park, attending dance performances and No Kings protests, playing bridge, and gathering with her book club. She is survived by her children, Anders, Leslie, and Janet; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Jean Wright Morse, 95, of Oxford, Florida, Sept. 17, 2025. Soon after Denison, she met Howard Arthur Morse. They played miniature golf on their first date, and family legend has it that Howard knew from that day that he had to marry her because she was the only person worse at the game than he was. She received a master’s degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia and spent her career as a remedial reading teacher, first in Ripley and then Fredonia Central School in western New York. The work could be trying, she would say, but was worth it when a child reached the point of no longer needing her help. She was an active church volunteer, a Meals on Wheels driver, blood bank facilitator and transporter of patients at Brooks Memorial Hospital. She was a lifelong voracious reader and plowed through multiple books a week, chronicling each title and a brief reaction on notecards: “good book,” or “slow but I’m glad I read it.” She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Howard; and her children, Nancy and William. She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Ruth Burdick Stackhouse, 96, of Wakeman, Ohio, Jan. 16, 2026. She grew up on dairy farms in Pennsylvania and Ohio, was valedictorian of her Strongsville (Ohio) High School class, and majored in education at Denison, where she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She married John M. Stackhouse in 1954 and moved to The Humphrey Farm in Wakeman, where she looked after the farm and raised a family. She was active in her church and at the Wakeman Library. Her sweet rolls were legendary at the library bake sales. She was honored as the 1996 Ohio Agricultural Woman of the Year and inducted into the Ohio State Fair Hall of Fame in 2002. She was preceded in death by her husband, John; her brothers, James Burdick and Gleason Burdick; and her sister, Helen Sloat ’54. She is survived by her daughters, Susan Hazel and Sharon Minot; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Bob Stocker, 98, of Vero Beach, Florida, Dec. 11, 2025. He was drafted in the U.S. Army right out of high school, and after the service he enrolled at Denison, where he pledged Sigma Chi and met his future wife, Nancy Friel ’53. He was an avid boater and an active member of the Chicago

He played two seasons of football on teams coached by Woody Hayes ’35.

and Ocean Reef Yacht Clubs. He won many races with his boats, Velero and Hilaria. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for several decades. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Friel Stocker; daughter, Sharon Rae Stocker ’81; and son, Michael Friel Stocker.

Obituaries

1951–1954

She took a job with U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, a post that allowed her to meet Sens. John Glenn and Dick Lugar ’54.

George T. Webb, 96, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Nov. 11, 2025. He graduated with degrees in music and history at Denison, where he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He played many major roles at Little Theater in Greensboro, North Carolina, and sang in church choirs and sometimes played the church organ. He worked in the steel industry, consumed books and trivia, and told engaging stories. He was preceded in death by his brother, Lt. Stafford Webb ’40, and sister Margaret Wilson. He is survived by his former spouse, Barbara; daughter, Melissa Webb Jurgens, son, George Webb III; and six grandchildren.

1952

Pat Williams Burkhardt, 94, of Missoula, Montana, Sept. 29, 2024. She was raised in Granville, Ohio, and born into a Denison family — a grandfather, her parents, three siblings, numerous uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins all matriculated on The Hill. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She was a social worker after college, then married Dr. Jock Bovington ’52 and eventually moved to Helena, Montana. She loved taking the children huckleberry picking, canoeing across Lindbergh Lake, and growing crops in Fishtail. She also loved that the men in her life loved to fish. She would remark on Montana’s beauty on every drive. She introduced her children to George Gershwin and Aaron Copland. She enjoyed movies so long as they were riveting, set in World War II, or starred Anthony Hopkins or Gregory Peck. She never lost her ability to polish off a 16-ounce ribeye or a tall glass of chardonnay. When the children were grown, she took a job with U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, a post that allowed her to meet Sens. John Glenn and Dick Lugar ’54 . Later in life she married the Rev. Bill Burkhardt, settling in Billings and then Fishtail. She also owned a temporary employment agency and, after retirement, sold boiled wool hats. She is survived by her children, Jill Duke, Jock Bovington, Kim Mead, Sam Bovington, and Tom Bovington; her ‘adopted’ daughter, Deb Hoagland; 10 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and her second husband’s children, Kerry Burkhardt, Lindy Bartruff, and Cynthia dos Santos.

Grace Padelford Howland, 95, of Walla Walla, Washington, Dec. 7, 2025. She and her husband, Philip Howland, had lived in Walla Walla since 1965, when he joined the physics faculty at Whitman College. They had five children. She came from a Denison family. She was the daughter of two members of Denison’s Class of 1925, Helen Proctor and Norman Padelford; the sister of Margaret Padelford Karns ’65; cousin of Mary Elizabeth Koelb Houston ’56; and aunt of Laura Tuttle ’91

Pat Tubaugh Leech , 95, of Logan, Ohio, Oct. 9, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega. After college, she lived in the Toledo area until 1999, when she and her husband, Charles, moved to Gambier, Ohio. She was a member of Church of the Holy Spirit and Harcourt Parish on the Kenyon College campus. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles R. Leech Jr.; and a son, Timothy David Leech. She is survived by her children, Charles R. Leech III and Wendy Wolfe; and two grandchildren.

Bill Rownd , 95, of North Canton, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2025. He attended Denison University for two years and then graduated with a civil engineering degree from MIT. At both Denison and MIT, he was a member of the cross-country track teams and Phi Delta Theta. He was an ROTC student at MIT and upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After the service he returned to Canton, Ohio, to help his father, who owned General Asphalt and Paving. He also worked as manager of construction services and vice president of Engineering Science in Cleveland and retired as vice president of northcentral operations at Parson Corp. in Cleveland. He volunteered as president of the former Heritage House Inc. in Canton where he served for 50 years. He was active in the Boy Scouts; he had earned the rank of Eagle at 14 years old and was an adult leader in the Buckeye Council. He received the National Outstanding Eagle Scout (NOES) and Silver Beaver Awards for his dedication. He served as a deacon, elder, trustee, clerk of session, and Catechism instructor at his church. He was preceded in death by his first wife of 38 years, Joan Mosser Rownd; and brothers, Harry Rownd ’54 and Robert Rownd. He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Darlene Allen Rownd; daughters, Marie, Jeanette Rownd, Judy Schlabach, and Linda Rosenson; 10 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; three step-children, Tamara Morrow, Jeffrey Allen, and Kevin Allen; five step-grandchildren, and one step-great-grandchild.

Jean Dungan Van Buskirk , 95, of Towson, Maryland, Jan. 10, 2026. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was the director of the Baltimore Sister Cities program and later the Maryland Sister State program. She was a respected and beloved community leader who founded numerous organizations that promoted volunteerism throughout the city. In 2012, she was a Denison Alumni Citation recipient in recognition of her significant community leadership and civic contributions. She and her husband, George traveled to 58 countries and six continents to further their love of learning new cultures, customs, and people. She was preceded in death by her husband in 2020. She is survived by two daughters, Margot Van Buskirk Hoerner and Barbara Van Buskirk; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

1953

Ruth Wickenden Abel, 94, of Pomona, California, Feb. 12, 2026. She majored in citizenship at Denison, where she was a member of Alpha Phi. She served in a diverse number of nonprofit and other organizations throughout her life. Her commitment to culture, particularly to the arts and to community service, was the cornerstone of her involvement as a board member of the Leonis Adobe Museum for more than 30 years, as well as various leadership roles for the League of Women Voters, The Junior League of Los Angeles and The Old Treasures Club. As a graduate of the Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Business Administration, she brought professional precision to her role at Jim McDonald, Inc., a design firm for furniture manufacturers and retail showrooms. She sat on the board of the Southern California Conference of the United Church of Christ. She is survived by her children, Tom, Gwen, and Peri; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Carol Petersen Narup, 93, of Evanston, Illinois, Oct. 6, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She graduated from Northwestern University, where she met and fell in love with Bill Narup, with whom she shared a 52-year marriage. After raising children, she embarked on a professional career selling advertising services for her husband’s firm, William J. Narup & Co., and in 1967 made history as the first advertising space salesperson for New Woman magazine. An intrepid traveler, she visited 155 countries, including remote regions such as Siberia, and was active with the International Visitors Center and the Circumnavigators Club. In 2014, she married Warren Petersen. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Bill Narup; and a grandson. She is survived by her children, Cathy Westhouse, Scott Narup, and Julie Moore; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

John “Jack” Beyer, 92, of New York, Jan. 23, 2026. The last surviving founder of Beyer Blinder Belle, a world-renowned New York-based architecture firm that safeguarded much of that city’s architectural past, he left an equally indelible mark on Denison when he oversaw the transformation of a 1904 gymnasium building into the stunning Bryant Arts Center. He graduated from Denison, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, with a degree in art, and he later received a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard University in 1961. Early in his career, he went to work for Victor Gruen, an Austrian-American architect who pioneered the shopping mall. It was while working with Gruen that he met his future business partners, Richard Blinder and John Belle. They bonded over their shared concern that postwar architectural trends were destroying the unique fabric that made cities worth living in. Over the subsequent decades, the firm became known for tackling sensitive renovation and expansion projects, including the restoration of Grand Central Terminal, a project that Beyer oversaw. When the work was finished, the renovation was hailed as a masterpiece. “As sparkling as it must have been

on opening day in 1913,” David Dunlap of The New York Times wrote, “the terminal has gained sweeping vistas and useful pathways that its original designers could only have imagined.” Beyer played key roles in his firm’s renovations of other New York landmarks, including the Met Breuer building, the main building of the New York Public Library, and the Frick Collection. The firm also designed projects in Washington, D.C., including Union Station and the visitor center at the Washington Monument. Just months after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he and the firm became the lead designers of early plans to rebuild the World Trade Center site. Describing the 2009 project that resulted in Denison’s Bryant Arts Center, his firm observed that the sweeping renovation “creates a contemporary identity for Denison University’s Art Department and promotes the cross-fertilization of visual arts disciplines under one roof.”

He was preceded in death by his wife, Wendy Beyer, and a daughter, Katherine Van Horn Beyer. He is survived by two daughters from his first marriage, Liz and Sophie Beyer; three children from his second, Kay Childs and Henry and Charles Beyer; and nine grandchildren.

Avery Haak, 93, of Stillwater, Minnesota, Sept. 27, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of the American Commons Club. He retired as a corporate economist from the Dayton/Hudson Corp., now Target, in 1987. He went on to serve his community as a census taker, volunteer tax preparer, and in a variety of other roles that fit his passions for bridge, movies, and lifelong learning. He climbed 47 of the 50 state high points in the United States. He loved nature, travel, art, theater, and a good Chinese buffet. He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Marilyn Haak; and sister, Alice Haight. He is survived by two daughters, Anna Lamb and Andrea Hendrickson; four grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Elizabeth Bricker Stvan, 93, of Williamsburg, Virginia, Nov. 1, 2025. She was the third generation of women in her family to graduate college and a member of Delta Gamma sorority. After graduation, she worked at Planned Parenthood and Curtis Publishing Company. She married Edward Beck Stvan, was a member of the Junior League of Cleveland, and attended and taught Sunday school at Fairmount Presbyterian Church. She was active in volunteer work at the Shaker Historical Society and the Western Reserve Historical Society. She and her husband pursued their mutual passion for American history and assembled a significant collection of 18th- and 19th-century American furniture, folk art, ceramics, and accessories. The couple moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, to pursue this interest, and she volunteered at Colonial Williamsburg for 36 years, starting at the Wallace Gallery Museum and then in the institution’s curatorial department, where she specialized in prints and wall coverings. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward Stvan. She is survived by her three children, Edward Reed Stvan ’79, Thomas Beck Stvan, and Carol Stvan Scala; and five grandchildren.

Early in his career, he went to work for Victor Gruen, an AustrianAmerican architect who pioneered the shopping mall.

& 1955

Obituaries

1955–1956

Patricia Parrish Budlong, 91, of Palm Harbor, Florida, Oct. 1, 2025. She majored in government and pre-law at Denison and was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She was then accepted at Ohio State University’s College of Law where she met Joseph Talmadge ’53, a fellow student and Denisonian. They were married a year later and had three daughters. Joe died young, in 1974. She eventually married W. Arthur Budlong. She worked part-time as a bookkeeper and also as property manager of a large complex once owned by her father. In retirement she was active in the League of Women Voters of North Pinellas County, where she served as an officer and presented lectures on international affairs. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Joseph D. Talmadge and W. Arthur Budlong; and a stepson, Allan Budlong. She is survived by her daughters, Marian Fierst, Patricia Brewer, and LauraLee Hoffman; stepdaughter, Joy Thompson; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

especially books by Mickey Spillane, which he could quote verbatim. He was an aficionado of jazz and a collector of jazz records, and he would listen to Dave Brubeck, one of his favorites, for hours. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Sharon Pinch. He is survived by his wife, Sherry Robinson; his daughter, Laura Mock; a grandson; and a sister, Susan Spohn.

1956

He was a member of Kappa Sigma and helped to form the Big Red’s first varsity soccer team.

Lynn Mulcahy Ford, 91, of Pompano Beach, Florida, Dec. 3, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega. After college, she completed executive assistant coursework at Katherine Gibbs in Chicago, where she met her future husband, Logan Cashman. She returned to work after her children started high school, rapidly climbing the ladder at Merrill Lynch Relocation Management. She ascended to the level of real estate broker of record for the State of Florida and Puerto Rico. After Logan’s death, she married Judson J. Ford. They enjoyed European travel, primarily hiking in the Swiss and Austrian Alps and the English countryside. After his death in 2014, she moved beachside to Pompano Beach, where she enjoyed morning walks to the pier and the ocean views from her balcony. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Logan Cashman and Judson J. Ford. She is survived by her children, Leslie Cashman Schroeder and Alfred Lee Cashman; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and siblings, Janice Kammerer, Gerald Mulcahy, and Sandi Webb.

David Robinson, 93, of Bluffton, South Carolina, Sept. 24, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Kappa Sigma and helped to form the Big Red’s first varsity soccer team. He married Sharon Pinch shortly after graduation, and then settled in the Cleveland area. He then began his tour in the military as the maintenance officer for a squadron of B-47s in The Strategic Air Command during the early years of the Cold War. After the service, he began a career in advertising sales, mostly at Penton Publishing Co. He retired as publisher of Foundry Magazine. After his wife’s death, he met and married Sherry Chandler. During their 32 years of marriage, they traveled the world, walking the Great Wall China, helicoptering onto a New Zealand glacier, and strolling through Tiananmen Square one year to the day after the massacre. David was a devoted member and avid golfer at the Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby, Ohio, where he scored a hole-in-one on the third hole. He loved to read,

Claire Albershart Morlidge, 91, of New Carlisle, Ohio, Jan. 8, 2026. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She married her high school sweetheart, Elihu “Buzz” Morlidge, and taught French and English for three years at Colerain High School in Cincinnati before becoming a homemaker and mother. She loved all things British and French and in 1961, she realized her dream of living in France while Buzz was stationed there for two years with the U.S. Air Force. She volunteered with the Tipp City school system and with her husband at the Needy Basket food pantry. She had a good eye for design, loved buying and selling antiques, and was a major presence for many years at Benkins Antique Mall and at local auctions. She was preceded by her husband, Elihu “Buzz” Morlidge, a family physician in Tipp City for many years. She is survived by her brother, Tom Albershart; daughter, Liz Morlidge; and son, John Morlidge.

Walter Reese, 92, of Denver, May 24, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Kappa Sigma.

Jane Weisenbarger Reeves, 91, of Henrico, Virginia, Jan. 6, 2026. A lifelong educator and social activist, she grew up in Lima, Ohio, and spent summers at the family’s Michigan cottage, Playmore, a place she returned each summer for over 80 years. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi. Following her master’s degree, she joined a team of psychiatrists, sociologists, and social workers at Boston Children’s Hospital, seeking to understand the impact of extreme poverty on child welfare and family social dynamics. Her research also contributed to the final report of the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health in 1961. She married Bill Reeves and moved to Honolulu, where the couple had three children. She volunteered for Common Cause and was a frequent participant in anti-war demonstrations there. After another move, she worked at the Virginia Department of Social Services in child welfare and advocacy. She was hired by Virginia Commonwealth University to oversee field placement of students in the bachelor of social work program. She retired as the program’s director. She loved to travel, was an avid reader, a skilled chef, a master gardener, an opera lover, experienced bird watcher, and a keen naturalist, particularly delighting in insects and frogs. She was preceded in death by Bill Reeves, her husband of 56 years; and her grandson, Zackary Dolan. She is survived by her children, William H. Reeves, Hannah Reeves, and Molly Dolan; three grandchildren; her sister, Sue Kelly ’58; and brother Philip Weisenbarger.

Roderick “Rod” Grant ’57

PROFESSOR EMERITUS

Professor Emeritus Roderick “Rod” Grant ’57, who inspired serious students of science and delighted newcomers to the field with his “physics is phun” approach, died Feb. 4, 2026, at 90.

A Chicago native, he majored in physics at Denison, where he met Susan Fisher Grant ’57, whom he married just months after their graduation. Upon earning his master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Grant returned to The Hill in 1965 as an associate professor and taught at Denison for three decades.

His zeal for educating led the university to establish the Roderick M. Grant Physics Education Award in 2001 — bestowed on exceptional students keen on teaching physics. A plaque listing the names of recipients still hangs in the Physics & Astronomy Library in Olin Science Hall.

“I found him to be innovative in his teaching, and he gained the respect of students in both his general education courses in physics and his upper-division courses,” said Michael Mickelson, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy.

Grant is remembered for his catchphrase, “physics is phun.”

Mickelson recalled “non-science” students flocking to a class by the same name because his lectures were relatable and often humorous. It was his way of spreading the importance of physics to students who were not pursuing it as a calling.

“That course always had full enrollment,” Mickelson said.

But Grant was a serious physicist and educator who served as secretary of the American Institute of Physics and earned national recognition from the American Association of Physics Teachers, which honored him with a Distinguished Service Award.

His scholarly pursuits included co-authoring a medical physics textbook, Physics of the Body. In 1982, Grant was one of four American professors chosen to visit the People’s Republic of China to exchange insights with Chinese counterparts.

“My dad was very proud to be invited and to have the opportunity to take my mother on the trip,” said his daughter, Sally Grant Portiss. “He befriended a Chinese physicist, and years later that physicist came to the United States for a visit.”

Provost Kim Coplin ’85, who taught physics at Denison from 1993 to 2007, recalled how Grant mentored her as she made the

transition from graduate student to faculty member. He also temporarily covered her classes after Coplin gave birth to her sons, Daniel and Jacob.

After Coplin became provost, Grant gave her the rubber stamps that he used on student papers that read, “Method OK, math error” and “Too many significant figures.” She keeps them in her office to this day.

His daughters, Sally, Carol, and Patty, recalled the sense of community their father helped foster at Denison. Students and their parents were invited to the family home.

“I remember my dad as the ultimate educator,” Patty Pastor said. “He didn’t miss a teachable moment whether at home or somewhere together up on The Hill. He continued his teachable moments with his grandchildren, starting with being asked, ‘Grandpa Rod, why is the sky so blue?’”

His daughter Carol recalled the family hosting fall dinners in their home for physics students. “They were from across the United States and abroad,” she said. “Because of this, I learned not to make judgments about people based on where they come from, the clothes they wear and how they talk.”

Even in retirement, Grant never stopped educating Denison students.

While appearing at an “Honors Day” function, which featured alumni speakers, Grant told students about the different ways the study of physics impacts life, including the physics of dance.

“That really piqued my interest because I was a dancer for a long time and an athlete,” said Associate Professor Melanie Lott ’04 , chair of physics and astronomy. “I was thinking, ‘Oh, physics applied to human movement.’”

Lott made the topic the centerpiece of her senior research project and continued to study the subject in graduate school before returning to Denison as a faculty member in 2013.

“Every time I tell people my story about how I ended up back here, how I ended up interested in the physics of dance and biomechanics, I tell them Rod was a huge part of that,” Lott said. “He’s the one who planted that seed, the one who let me know I could combine my interests in physics and movement.”

– TOM REED

&

Obituaries

1956–1960

John Wood, 90, of Clarendon Hills, Illinois, Nov. 21, 2025. Phi Gamma Delta. He followed in his father’s footsteps by attending Denison and pledging Phi Gamma Delta, and he maintained those brotherly ties for many years through reunions and golf outings. He also played on Denison’s inaugural collegiate hockey club. As a fan, hockey was his sport, along with college football, and his beloved Green Bay Packers. He loved to tell stories about the Packer glory years and his friendships with several players. He relished his annual beach vacations at Fripp Island and Gulf Shores with family and friends. He began his career in sales and transitioned to bond trading. He and his wife relocated in the 1980s from Milwaukee to New Jersey, where he developed a passion for sailing. As he grew older he took solace and strength from his daily prayer, and his favorite devotional had been glued and taped so many times that it barely held together. As he drafted a shopping list on the last day of his life, he asked for more glue to try to secure the binding yet another time. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Linda; children, Kearney Kilens ’82, John E. F. Wood III, and Laura Magnuson; and six grandchildren.

1957

He dedicated nearly 30 years to teaching in Granville, where after teaching his students the NATO Phonetic Alphabet he was affectionately known as “Delta Papa.”

Charl ie Bidwell Bacon , 91, of South Hadley, Massachusetts, Dec. 18, 2025. She graduated with a biology degree from Denison, where she was a member of Chi Omega, and earned a master’s in zoology from Bowling Green State University. At 80 years old, she received her doctoral degree from the University of Connecticut’s Department of Animal Science. She was known as a meticulous, patient, and clear teacher at the high school and college levels. She spent many childhood hours with the cows in her great-grandmother’s dairy barn and wading in nearby Owen’s Brook. She later moved into her grandfather’s childhood home, where she doted on dogs, cats, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, llama, and miniature donkey. With her farmstead, The Peaceable Kingdom, she tried to make sure that everyone in her circle had the opportunity to know and love animals as she did. Failing that, she was still going to try to put a baby goat in your lap or coach it to eat ice cream off your plate. For 49 seasons she brought sheep, goats, and geese to a church holiday festival. She is survived by two sisters, Jane Thompson and Sarah McBride; three children, Molly Shakeri, Seth Bacon, and Sarah Jane Bacon; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Sallyann Henry, 90, of New York, Jan. 26, 2026. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi. She went on to earn a master’s and doctorate from Columbia University. In 1983, she started Professional Testing Corporation, which grew to be a global leader in testing and assessment services. She led by example, charting a path for her employees to be successful and contribute. She was a Leo, and the lion was a fitting spirit animal. She collected lions of all sorts; she wore them and decorated home and office with them. She was a tried-and-true New Yorker and a diehard Yankee’s fan. She

knew all the stats, players, scores, and standings. She was preceded in death by two sisters, Maryann von Dwingelo and Bettyann Murphy; seven nieces and nephews; and 14 grand-nieces and -nephews.

Bruce Holloway, 90, of Westerville, Ohio, Nov. 17, 2025. He retired in 1998 as credit manager of the Grimes Division of Honeywell Corp. in Urbana, Ohio. He was a man of great faith and held several leadership roles and sang bass in the choir at Grace United Methodist Church in Bucyrus before moving to Pickerington, Ohio, in 1979. He was a member of New Albany United Methodist Church. He was an avid fan of Cleveland sports and the Ohio State Buckeyes. His favorite TV series was Gunsmoke and — having grown up around his family’s auto dealership — he loved cars. He also loved sweets, often inviting company to join him in eating a Vitamin K, aka a Klondike ice cream bar. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lillian. He is survived by daughters, Nancy Holloway and Mary Halm; son Bruce Holloway Jr.; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Donald Pheneger, 92, of Granville, Ohio, Jan. 27, 2026. A product of Granville schools, he turned his education sights up The Hill. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi and after graduation pursued further studies at the University of Nebraska and Ohio State University. He also served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He dedicated nearly 30 years to teaching in Granville, primarily at Granville Middle School. His commitment to education was recognized through numerous awards, including the Ohio Academy of Science Acker Outstanding Teacher Award, the Jodi Van Tine Hall of Honor Award, and the Aspire’s Salute to Excellence Award. After retiring from teaching, he served on the Granville Tree and Landscape Commission, reflecting his lifelong passion for environmental beautification. An Eagle Scout as a youth, he embodied the Scout’s duty to community throughout his life. He was preceded in death by his wife, Diane Pheneger ’59; infant sister, Constance Lee Pheneger; and brother, Richard Pheneger ’61. He is survived by his children, Donald Pheneger ’86 and Douglas Pheneger; and two grandchildren.

Mimi Smith Riddle, 90, of Toledo, Ohio, Nov. 11, 2025. She earned an English degree with a certification in education from Denison, where she was a member of Delta Gamma. After college she spent more than 20 years teaching elementary students. She often ran into former students in town who would immediately recognize “Mrs. Riddle” and stop to say hello. She served the Toledo Delta Gamma Alumnae Association as treasurer, belonged to the Junior League, volunteered as a longtime docent at the Toledo Museum of Art, and was a season ticket holder at the Toledo Symphony. The center of Mimi’s world was her family. She was preceded in death by her husband, William R. Riddle. She is survived by her three children, Dorothy Hauser, William Riddle Jr., and

Laura Elliott; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a brother, Arthur R. Smith Di Blassio.

Jane Hodgson Stuart, 90, of Allen, Texas, Dec. 31, 2025. She attended Denison for two years, pledged Pi Beta Phi, and transferred to the University of Michigan. She was teaching at a U.S. Air Force base when she met her future husband, Col. Robert Stuart. She loved being an Air Force spouse, and while raising their four daughters she earned her master’s degree at Mercer University. She taught as a reading specialist in Bernalillo, New Mexico, for 20 years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob Stuart; and daughter, Elizabeth Stuart. She is survived by her daughters, Laura Stuart, Angie Stuart, Anne Marble; two grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and brother, Thom Hodgson.

Karen Morris Whitaker, 89, of Portland, Oregon, Nov. 22, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi. She met the love of her life, Allan Mackenzie Whitaker Jr., on a blind date in the winter of 1955. They soon married and raised three children, beginning a family life that took them through Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and back to Ohio before finally resettling in Portland in 1971. She worked alongside her husband, and later her sons, at AM Whitaker Company until 2022. Music was one of her greatest joys. A lifelong choir member, she believed deeply in the power of making music together. She was also a dedicated volunteer at organizations including the Center of Science & Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, the Portland Urban Tour guides, Portland Center for the Arts, the Portland Art Museum, and The Assistance League of Greater Portland. An avid traveler, she loved understanding the history, art, and culture of every place she visited. She was preceded in death by her husband, Allan Whitaker Jr. She is survived by her sons, Al Whitaker and Lee Whitaker; daughter, Janet Lamson; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

1958 Gay Jones Newhof, 87, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Nov. 25, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Wesley Newhof. She is survived by her children, Alisa Duthler, Kirsten VandenBerge, and Paul (Tammy) Newhof; nine grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and brother, Ned Jones.

Don Young, 89, of Urbandale, Iowa, Oct. 25, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Delta Upsilon. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1958 and married Sharon Kingan. He entered law school at the University of Illinois, graduating in June 1961. He began his law career in private practice in Morrison, Illinois. He then worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Real Estate Division, negotiating relocation agreements for the Red Rock Reservoir project. He then began a career in trusts for banks throughout the Midwest. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Sharon;

daughter, Susan Young Fenger; son, Andrew Young; three grandchildren; and sister, Edna Jean Bentley.

1959

Jan Jackson Cushing, 88, of River Forest, Illinois, Nov. 25, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega and earned a degree in biology. She worked as a bacteriologist and later, a teacher. She retired from the Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills School District in 2002. She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Kirke Cushing. She is survived by her children, David J. Cushing and H. Kirke Cushing; and two grandchildren.

Carol Smith Loisel, 88, of Toledo, Ohio, Dec. 5, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She worked as a United Airlines stewardess after college and soon met the love of her life, Charles. They married in 1962, caught a Guardians doubleheader after the wedding, and then flew off to Las Prisas, Mexico. Before starting their family, she and Chuck traveled the world, visiting Africa, Asia, and Europe. She also enjoyed gardening, cross stitching, spending time at Bird Lake, and seeing Broadway shows at The Masonic. She is survived by her husband, Charles; sons, Mark Loisel and Michael Loisel; daughter, Megan Dixon; and five grandchildren.

Bob McNutt, 88, of Birmingham, Michigan, Dec. 28, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. He married his high school sweetheart in 1959 and entered the family business started by his father, Wolverine Tractor and Equipment Co. He was active in the Michigan Air National Guard. His passion was his high school alma mater, The Leelanau School, contributing his time, energy, leadership, and fundraising skills. He was known as “Mr. Leelanau” on campus, named chairman emeritus in 2016, and loved spending time with the entire school community. He often wore his 1955 varsity letter sweater when on campus. He was preceded in death by his wife, Susanne; and brother, Col. Thomas McNutt. He is survived by his son, Mike, and daughter, Heidi Paterson; and two grandchildren. 1960

Dick Coulter, 87, of Columbia, South Carolina, Oct. 12, 2025. He was a member of Sigma Chi at Denison and met his wife, Karen Macey Coulter ’61, there. He was a nationally recognized soccer player competing in the Pan American soccer selection in 1959. Upon graduation, he served three years in the U.S. Air Force as a security officer before beginning his career in broadcasting. After working for three years at WKTV in Utica, New York, he joined Cosmos Broadcasting in Toledo, Ohio, before transferring to Columbia in 1970. Dick joined the staff of WIS-TV and later worked as the vice president and general manager of WIS-TV and Radio. He then started a marketing company, Coulter and Associates, and later joined GSX, where he was responsible for North American sales. He was known for his service to his community and church. He loved planting flowers in his garden,

They married in 1962, caught a Guardians doubleheader after the wedding, and then flew off to Las Prisas, Mexico.

traveling with his wife and friends, and spending time at the beach and at home with his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Karen Coulter; sons, Richard Coulter Jr. and Billy Coulter; and five grandchildren.

Obituaries

1960–1961

He spent many years volunteering as a surgeon with a U.S. medical team at Hospital de la Familia in Guatemala.

Phyll is Kubit Grumney, 87, of Cincinnati, Feb. 1, 2026. She majored in English at Denison and was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She spent most of her career as an English and creative writing teacher at Hathaway Brown School, where she worked for 32 years. She was active in theater in college and was a member of The Signet Players at the Hanna Theater in Cleveland in the 1960s, and she continued acting in many productions with the Solon Community Theater and the Aurora Community Theatre. Anna in The King and I, Marian in Music Man, Grace in Annie, Morgan Le Fay in Camelot, and the leader of the gang in 70 Girls were among her favorite roles. She sang in the church choir for more than 40 years, which was one of her greatest joys. She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur O. Grumney, and her brother, Donald E. Kubit. She is survived by her daughter, Susan Stephan, and two grandchildren.

Ed Kenney, 91, of Afton, New York, Jan. 23, 2026. He was a veteran of the 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division stationed in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was a manager at GAF Corp. in Binghamton, New York; Stickley-Siver in Vestal, New York; and Coastal Photo in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. He was preceded in death by his wife of 32 years, Barbara Kenney. He is survived by his companion of 30 years, Caroline S. Pletl; three daughters, Lisa Kenney Rodriguez ’81, Donna Matson, and Margaret Kenney; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Jim K napp, 87, of Santa Rosa, California, Nov. 4, 2025. He was a retired ophthalmologist and spent many years volunteering as a surgeon with a U.S. medical team at Hospital de la Familia in Guatemala. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. He is survived by his wife, Debbie; son, Gregory; daughter, Sophia; and sister, Karen Knapp Johnson ’71

Lynne Humiston MacDonald, 87, of Koloa, Hawaii, May 4, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Cindy Mindrup Matson, 87, of Aurora, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2025. At Denison, she majored in fine arts and was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She was active in her church and the Junior League of Cleveland. She was a board member of Saint Luke’s Hospital and president of Sunny Acres Metro Health. She belonged to the Daughters of the American Revolution, Cats Den Garden Club, multiple book clubs, and historical societies such as Western Reserve, Chagrin Falls, James A. Garfield, Jersey County, and the Aurora Study Club. She ran Sign of the Dove Antiques for over four decades, traveled extensively, and wrote short stories. She is remembered for

her legendary holiday celebrations, eye for design, love of Siamese cats, and deep appreciation for history, art, and culture. She treasured her 50 years on Chautauqua Lake in New York and her winter seasons in Sarasota, Florida. She was preceded in death by her brother, Robert Mindrup; son, George Lytle; husbands, Paul Lytle Jr. ’61, Dr. Louis Maggiore, and Robert Matson; and a step-granddaughter. She is survived by her brother, Bruce Mindrup; children, Paul Lytle III, and Sarah Taylor; stepchildren, Mike Matson, Robin Perrotti, Beth Matson, and John Matson; five grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren.

1961

Ben Davis, 86, of Corbin, Kentucky, Dec. 2, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Delta Upsilon. He went on to law school at the University of Kentucky and entered the U.S. Army JAG Corps, where he served for four years. He then moved to Corbin, where he practiced law for 26 years and in 1999 became an assistant commonwealth attorney for Whitley and McCreary counties, a post he held until his retirement in 2017. He was very active in the Kentucky Bar Association. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Ann Wills Davis; daughters, Laura Davis Belanger and Carolyn Carter; a granddaughter; step-grandson; and other family.

Natalie Scheetz Davis, 86, of Walnut Creek, California, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi.

Nancy Freehafer, 86, of Chicago, Dec. 24, 2025. After Denison, she earned her master’s degree in teaching at Harvard. She married T.T. Chen and became stepmother to his three children, David, Luke, and Rosie. She worked in Chicago for DePaul University as director of the student writing lab and a teacher of nature writing and environmental literature. She and T.T. built a log cabin on property in southern Wisconsin and vacationed there for many years, nurturing a prairie and old oaks on their land. She championed causes that were important to her, beginning with antiwar activities in the 1960s and continuing with feminist and environmental causes later in life. She was active for many years with the North Branch Restoration Project, a volunteer group that stewards prairies, savannas, and woodlands on Cook County Forest Preserve land along the North Branch of the Chicago River. She was the co-founder of Seeding the Snow, a journal of women’s nature writing and artwork. A music lover, she sang in a community chorus, the Bullfrogs, that performed at equinox and solstice celebrations. She cofounded a neighborhood book club that continues to this day, reading books on climate change and environmental justice. She is survived by her nephew, William, her great nieces and nephews, and many friends.

Sue Cathroe Hall, 86, of Midlothian, Virginia, Dec. 22, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. After graduation she became a social worker, eventually becoming head of Retreat Hospital’s hospice volunteers. She

Thomas Gallant

PROFESSOR

EMERITUS

Professor Emeritus Thomas Gallant, who stressed the importance of education to his five children and launched the teaching careers of more than 700 Denison students, died Jan. 10, 2026, at age 97.

He arrived at Denison in 1965 and chaired the education department for 28 years, relying on his patience and work ethic to direct a small staff and satisfy state requirements for teaching certification. In the early 1990s, as retirement beckoned, Gallant refused to coast to the finish line. He engaged alumni to support the department and helped create new courses that appealed to a wider range of students.

While Gallant was compassionate and reserved, he fought for his beliefs. He also wasn’t afraid to advise students to consider other career paths if he didn’t think they were right for the teaching profession.

“Tom embodied integrity,” said Professor Emerita Lyn Robertson ’70, who was taught by Gallant and later worked alongside him in the department. “He was a quiet, thoughtful intellectual on a campus of louder voices.”

Gallant spent 12 years as a principal and teacher at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels before joining the Denison faculty. His commitment to Denison students led to him taking a sabbatical to work in a Central Ohio high school for a semester in the 1980s.

“For him, it was important to get off campus and back into the trenches, where he was sending his students,” his son Richard Gallant said. “It had been 20 years since he worked in a high school, and he knew a lot had changed.”

His daughter Kathy remembers her dad inviting students to the family home once a semester for dinner. All five Gallant children (Kathy, Stephen, Richard, Ronald, and Bruce) went to college.

“There was never, ever, ever, a question of whether we were going to go,” Richard said. “It was important to him. There was no other way.”

Despite his numerous academic responsibilities, Gallant never lost sight of raising a family along with his wife of 74 years, Myra. Hoisting a giant tent atop the family’s Ford Country Squire station wagon, the Gallants visited 47 states on summer vacations that sometimes lasted five weeks. Gallant taught his children about the beauty of nature and the value of self-sufficiency.

IN MEMORIAM

“He packed seven of us in a station wagon and drove cross-country,” his son Ronald Gallant said. “We camped everywhere and rarely, I mean rarely, stayed in a hotel.”

On campus, Gallant worked tirelessly to keep his small department happy and productive. He hosted dinner parties, game nights, and celebrated staff birthdays.

Gallant also served as chair of the faculty, University Senate, and the University Judicial Board, and served on the President’s Advisory Board. His scholarly pursuits included authoring numerous articles and publications, specializing in the work of educator John Dewey, who emphasized hands-on learning and critical thinking.

“Tom was willing to go the extra mile, sometimes two or three extra miles, for his students,” said Larry Murdock, a former Denison registrar. “Because the department was smaller, he sometimes got overlooked, but he was such a constant presence, and he was so competent in his work.”

Gallant and Robertson created and taught a new course, Women & Minorities: The Educational Dilemma, which led some students to add education as a minor. He understood the importance of adapting to the times and facilitating change.

“Tom launched into a new project and brought an enormous amount of thought and knowledge to our work,” Robertson said. “It’s hard to imagine this now, but back then, we didn’t have examples of such a course to consult.”

Gallant enjoyed handball and racquetball in his free time. He also committed to public service in the Village of Granville, where he was on council for 13 years, including six as mayor.

At his memorial service, he was remembered for the impact Gallant had on his students’ lives. Weeks earlier, Robertson recalled one of his critiques of a paper she wrote as a student in the 1960s.

“It said something like: ‘You’re long on criticism and short on solutions,’” Robertson said. “The fact I even remember that was part of what sent me on the path of understanding — that education is about more than handling a classroom.”

– TOM REED

“Tom was willing to go the extra mile, sometimes two or three extra miles, for his students.”

–LARRY MURDOCK Former Denison Registrar

Obituaries

1961–1964

had two children with her first husband. She married again and embraced his children as hers. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, crafting, being a Girl Scout leader, and hiking and camping with the Over The Hill Gang and her scouts. Each Christmas, she found someone in financial need and anonymously left them cash. She took private pilot lessons to face her fear of flying. She was preceded in death by her husband, Enoch Millard Hall. She is survived by her children, Eileen and Steve Gannon, Harlow Sullivan, and Keith Hall; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

forest ranger, helping to monitor elk populations and migration patterns in western North Carolina. She is survived by her first cousins, Eugenia Anderson-Ellis, Ruth Anderson Coggeshall, and Carole Lewis Anderson; and close cousins, Nicole Anderson Ellis, Erine Ellis Kane, Thomas William Coggeshall, Timothy Ashley Coggeshall, Dan Brewer, and William Brewer.

She took private pilot lessons to face her fear of flying.

Peggy McKnight Heasley, 85, of Wooster, Ohio, March 24, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She was a committed mother and a talented cook, and her meals were the heart of every family gathering. She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Robert G. Heasley. She is survived by her two sons, Graham Heasley and Scott Heasley; her daughter, Amy Williams; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Mary Ann Kallenbach.

1962

Elna Henry Albano, 84, of Cape Coral, Florida, Dec. 22, 2025. The daughter of two Denisonians, she was a member of Chi Omega. She then received her graduate degree from Michigan Technological University. Before retiring from Harley-Davidson Corp. in Milwaukee, she worked in the chemical engineering and the automotive industries. She specialized in plant management, re-engineering, industrial relations, and the full range of human resources responsibilities. She was equal parts intrepid globetrotter and content homebody, traveling the world or entertaining friends and family with aplomb. She was a pillar of positivity in everything she did. She was a licensed pilot for many years, an avid bridge player, art collector, and barbershop quartet singer. She served her church and civic organizations including the Philanthropic Educational Organization, where women motivate, educate, and celebrate other women. She is survived by her husband, Joseph G. Albano; stepdaughter, Cindy Hunter; a step-grandson; and step-great-grandchildren.

Villa Brewer, 84, of Mooresville, North Carolina, June 6, 2025. After Denison, she earned a master’s degree in history from Wesleyan University. Her passion for education and languages led her to Nicaragua, where she taught English for several years. Upon returning to the United States in the late 1960s, she began teaching history, English, and Spanish at North Iredell High School in North Carolina. There, she also served as advisor to the Model UN Club and coached field hockey. Her love for photography and the outdoors found a lasting home at Nantahala Outdoor Center, where she worked as a professional photographer for over 30 years. Her work took her on numerous journeys throughout Mexico, Central and South America, and Europe as both a photographer and Spanish interpreter. In retirement, she continued her dedication to nature by volunteering as a

Dee Dee Gibbs Bryce, 82, of Toms River, New Jersey, Oct. 5, 2023. At Denison, she was an art major and a member of Delta Delta Delta. She moved to New York City after graduation to work for Simplicity Patterns, where she illustrated covers for sewing patterns. In 1964, she married Bob Richards, and they moved to Pittsburgh, where they raised their two children, Jennifer and Tom Richards. She was active in the Junior League and Southminster Presbyterian Church. Her husband died in 1991, and she later married David Bryce. She was a recipient of a double lung transplant in 2005, and she went on to live a full life after surgery. She enjoyed traveling and frequented the art museums of New York City. A gifted artist, cook, and crafter, she relished in making handmade gifts for family and friends. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Bob Richards; and by her sister, Gloria Gibbs. She is survived by her husband, David Bryce; her sister, Valerie Gibbs Moll ’71; her children, Jennifer and Tom; four grandchildren.

George Milligan, 85, of Findlay, Ohio, Jan. 11, 2026. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He served six months of active duty and over five years of reserve duty in the U.S. Army. He graduated from Ohio State University in 1963 with a degree in business administration. He then built a career in accounting. He married and later divorced Patricia Michl, and together they had three children, Lynn M. Milligan, Susan J. Defelice, and Matthew C. Milligan. He married Pauline Johnston, and they enjoyed 50 years of marriage. He was involved in many civic organizations and was a 50-year Elks member and a former Rotary member. He was preceded in death by his sister, Missy Taylor. He is survived by his wife, PJ; his three children, Lynn, Susie and Matt; two grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; and a brother, Mark C. Milligan.

Jack Morse, 82, of Locust Valley, New York, July 4, 2023. At Denison, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi.

Gene Morton, 84, of Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, Aug. 20, 2025. A world-renowned researcher in the fields of birdsong, tropical birds, and conservation, he enthusiastically shared his love of nature and tales about his research travels. At Denison, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He received his doctorate from Yale University and worked as a biologist at the Smithsonian National Zoo. He was an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, where he mentored many graduate students. He proudly shared the vegetables from his large garden and gave away his prized

“zookeenie” relish and other canned goods. He is survived by his wife, Bridget Stutchbury; children, Douglas Eugene Morton and Sarah Jane Morton; and siblings, Timothy Morton ’65 and Robert Morton.

Mary McAllister Teale, 85, of Williamsburg, Virginia, Jan. 15, 2026. She was born in 1940 in the newly opened neonatal clinic at Pennsylvania Hospital and was the smallest baby ever to survive there — so small, in fact, that her parents chose not to give her a middle name. She grew up in Moorestown, New Jersey, and remained a Jersey girl through and through. She was a student-athlete at Denison, where she played field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. She also was a member of Alpha Phi. She began her professional career at an actuarial firm. She married Bill Teale, a childhood classmate at Moorestown Friends School. Before having children, she threw herself into helping nonprofit organizations, wrote the Trinity Episcopal Church newsletter, and played field hockey on a club team. With the arrival of her children, David, Peggy, and Charlie, she threw herself wholeheartedly into parenting. She once traveled to Honduras on a medical mission with Arlington Hospital, and in 2017, she and Bill were honored by Moorestown Friends School with its annual Service Award. She was a gifted and creative writer and a lover of the outdoors, whether playing tennis, taking the family to a dude ranch, or embarking on long-distance hikes with Bill. One of her favorite adventures was a 200-mile, coast-to-coast walk across England, from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. But her happiest times were spent closer to home, at the Jersey Shore. She is survived by her husband, Bill; her children; grandchildren; and sister.

1963

Mary Jo Darrow Grisaffi, 82, of Cibolo, Texas, Aug. 18, 2023. At Denison, she was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District for 40 years. She took pride in teaching and continued her education by becoming a bilingual teacher, so she might better show all her students a world of possibilities. She is survived by her daughter, Barbara Nunez; six grandchildren; a brother, Arthur Charles Darrow III; and extended family.

1964

Jonathan Bainbridge, 83, of Bradenton, Florida, Jan. 29, 2025.

Nancy Garrison Francis, 83, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dec. 14, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She earned a master’s in education from the University of New Mexico and loved nothing more than teaching middle school children. She taught at Cleveland Middle School and Eisenhower Middle School for more than 25 years, followed by three years monitoring practice teachers at the University of New Mexico School of Education. She also advised the staff and worked with students at a private school in Pristina, Kosovo. She loved to travel and went

on five EarthWatch trips, including one to Arica, Chile, where she dug up mummies. She took eight cruises and once spent Christmas in a Tanzanian tent camp. She walked part of the Southwest Coast Path in England. She volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and in Macedonia where she helped build a small apartment complex. Her love of thrift shops led her to volunteer with the Assistance League. She is survived by her husband of over 50 years, Douglas T. Francis; stepsons, Douglas T. Francis, Jr., Hartwell Sweeney Francis, and Norton Lewis Francis; brothers, John Garrison and Stephen Garrison; and extended family.

John Glennie , 82, of Alexandria, Virginia, Oct. 26, 2025. He grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts, spending time on the family boat and working in his father’s ice cream shop. He attended Keewaydin summer camp and graduated from Deerfield Academy. At Denison, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He earned his MBA from Indiana University and DBA from George Washington University. He worked as chief economist in the Food and Drug Administration and as an economic and management consultant in areas of public policy, economic development, international management, and litigation support. He taught as adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and served as adjunct and full-time faculty in U.S. graduate schools of business. He and his wife Hui, traveled extensively in Asia and Europe. Much of his work was internationally based in places including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Romania, Greece, Sri Lanka, and Egypt. When his children were young, he took them to many American cities, and he spent time in Scotland with each of them. He is survived by his wife, Hui Lian Glennie; children, Elizabeth Glennie, Justina Glavin ’92 , and Reid Glennie; and three grandchildren.

John Krebs, 82, of Huron, Ohio, Sept. 28, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Delta Upsilon.

Toddy Alford McAllister, 83, of Harlingen, Texas, Feb. 12, 2026. After marrying John Garrison McAllister of Fayetteville, Arkansas, she moved to Brownsville, Texas, in 1970. While in Brownsville, she taught at Villa Maria High School and Texas Southmost College. She was organist and choir director at the Church of Advent, Episcopal, and taught piano at South Texas Piano and Music Company. She was past chair of the National Guild of Piano Teachers and a member of the Texas Federation of Music Clubs and the Brownsville Historical Association Board. She belonged to the Texas Choral Directors Association, The American Choral Directors Association, and sang in the South Texas Chorale of Harlingen. She is survived by her sister, Antoinette Rae Thorn; brother, Thomas Law Alford; and extended family.

One of her favorite adventures was a 200-mile, coast-to-coast walk across England, from the Irish Sea to the North Sea.

&

Obituaries

1964–1967

Mary Jane Macomber Morris, 82, of Lake Placid, Florida, Oct. 24, 2025. A child of Denison alums, she majored in Spanish and was a member of Chi Omega. She taught Spanish, French, and political science at Fort Myers High School. She met Gary Hermann, an engineering grad from Michigan with a family cottage on Hamlin Lake and who had purchased the Industrial & Marine Hardware business in Fort Myers. They married in March 1966 and had two sons. In 1977, after having eaten an entire chocolate pie by herself, she realized she was pregnant again. This time, it was a daughter. To help with her husband’s hardware store, she taught herself bookkeeping and brought her meticulous attention to detail and organization to the business. They were married 32 years, and she took over the business after Gary’s sudden death. In 1999, she married widower Jules Morris, a true southern gentleman. They were married 10 years, until his death from cancer. In 2016, she married Jim Hoekenga of Michigan. She co-founded the Hamlin Lake, Michigan, Fourth of July celebration and hosted the pig roast and fireworks at the family cottage for many years. She was a voracious reader and artist, fluent in Spanish and French, with some skills in German and Russian. A passionate world traveler, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting Russia in 1992, and then returned three times, making some special Russian friends. She is survived by her children, Eric Hermann, David Hermann, and Julie Welch; five grandchildren; and brothers, Richard and Bob.

1965

She

traveled to southern U.S. states to support a team of lawyers who worked to ensure AfricanAmerican voters were not blocked from polling places.

Susan Dickey Dahm, 82, of Oak Park, Illinois, Oct. 20, 2025. She grew up in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and spent summers at her favorite place, Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania. She studied political science at Denison and spent a summer abroad teaching English to the children of a Finnish family. After college, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked for the U.S. Department of Justice. In her role there, she traveled to southern U.S. states to support a team of lawyers who worked to ensure African-American voters were not blocked from polling places. The work marked the beginning of her lifelong advocacy for voting rights and social justice. She earned a master’s degree in teaching at Northwestern University, then taught middle school and coached girl’s lacrosse in Philadelphia. She met her husband of 56 years, Arnold Dahm, and after marrying moved to Cleveland so Arnold could teach physics at Case Western Reserve University. They raised two daughters, Amy Roehl and Kristi Dahm. She was also a life-long volunteer and a strong advocate for the Cleveland Heights public schools, where she held many roles including PTA president. During elections, she served at the local polls. Her love of the arts was conveyed through her service as a member of the Cleveland Museum of Art Women’s Council, the Clytean Book Club, and the Village Garden Club of Cleveland.

Ruth Cusworth Overton, 82, of Reston, Virginia, Nov. 27, 2025. She grew up in Painted Post, New York. At Denison,

she majored in English and belonged to Alpha Chi Omega. She later continued her studies at Colgate Rochester Divinity School, where she met her future husband, Eugene Overton. They eventually moved to Virginia and raised six children. A gifted singer and pianist, she was a devoted member of the Reston Chorale for going on 50 years. She was also an accomplished painter whose watercolors of flowers, landscapes, and quiet moments revealed a keen eye and tender appreciation for beauty. She held a profound reverence for the arts and cherished institutions such as the Reston Chorale, Wolf Trap, the Kennedy Center, and numerous playhouses on Broadway. They welcomed everyone to stay at their home, from foreign exchange students to young doctors in training and former patients from Gene’s decades of practicing family medicine in Fairfax County. The long kitchen table, and the door marked with the names and heights of countless visitors, stand testament to that hospitality. Gene preceded her in death. She is survived by her six children, William Edward Overton, James Cusworth Overton, Joseph Willis Overton, David Young Overton, Emily Overton King, and Robert Gordon Overton; and 11 grandchildren.

Mary Carol Perrott, 82, of Laguna Woods, California, Jan. 13, 2026. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She earned both her master’s and doctorate in psychology from the University of Maryland. While in Maryland she married John Boren and was a stepmother to his two children. During this time, she co-authored the influential psychology text Behavior Principles. Her intellectual curiosity later led her to earn her MBA from Stanford University. She served as a high-level college administrator in Hawaii, where she married Larry Miller and became stepmother to his two children. After his death, she returned to the mainland and continued her administrative career at University of California-Irvine. She later earned a doctorate in divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and went on to serve as a Presbyterian minister. Her ministry took her across the world, including time spent teaching English in China and Japan. She married Clifford Bell and served as the head minister of a Presbyterian church in Kansas, with him at her side. She was preceded in death by her siblings, Sue Jane Perrott Siferd ’60, Peter R. Perrott, and Sara Perrott Rose. She is survived by her stepsiblings, John S. Rose and Mary L. Rose.

Cathy Yates Woofter, 82, of Rockledge, Florida, Oct. 13, 2025. She was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, and spent most of her life there, until the promise of year-round golf finally lured her to Florida. At Denison, she majored in history, minored in Russian, and was a member of Alpha Phi. She raised her children, Anne and Andrew, in her childhood neighborhood on Kahkwa Boulevard in Erie, and enjoyed working as an officer of the Yates Co. with her brothers and the employees there until her retirement. Children grown, she built a house on Lake Erie and welcomed her children and grandchildren to visit. She is survived by her daughter,

Anne Romance; her son, Andrew; seven grandchildren; her sister, Natalie Todd; and brother, Stephen Yates. She was preceded in death by brothers, Jeffrey and Richard; sister Roberta; and her dear friend, Georgia Johnson. 1966

Tom Cooper, 81, of Lake Forest, Illinois, Dec. 11, 2025. He met his future wife, Jane Widman Leader Cooper, while they were high school students at the Cranbrook/Kingswood schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and through more than 50 years of marriage they religiously celebrated the anniversary of their first date. At Denison, he played hockey and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He earned his MBA from Loyola University of Chicago. After college, he joined Harris Trust, beginning a career in trust investments. His time at Harris was paused twice: first, when he took a military leave of absence to serve as a captain in the U.S. Air Force; and later, in 1975, when he and Janie spent a year working and traveling in Europe before he rejoined the bank. He later worked for the investment management team at Northern Trust, where he worked until his retirement. After 9/11, he joined the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct background investigations for security clearances. He was a lifelong member of the VFW and the American Legion. During retirement, he volunteered to support firefighters at emergency scenes and drove for the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Senior Center. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jane Widman Leader Cooper; and brother, David Cooper. He is survived by their son, Charles T. Cooper; daughters, Victoria B. Cooper, Katherine Van Ness, and Gretchen Cooper Athas; seven grandchildren; and sister, Dee Dee Graber.

David Raub, 82, of La Luz, New Mexico, Nov. 29, 2025. At Denison, he studied sociology and was a member of the American Commons Club. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after Denison. He served 18 months in Vietnam, where he was awarded the U.S. Air Medal after the helicopter he was in was shot down. He served as a psychological operations officer, company commander, brigade supply officer, and assistant division supply officer. In all, he spent nearly four years overseas and over nine in the service before leaving the Army as a captain. He was awarded two Bronze Stars and two Army Commendations. He moved after the service to Alamogordo, New Mexico, where his sister lived. A fan of technology, he began working at RadioShack, where he met and fell in love with Patricia Wade, a nurse. They married and he began working at White Sands Missile Range. He left the range in 1993 to work with his wife as the network systems administrator at Alamogordo Home Care/Hospice. They raised two sons and enjoyed having large Fourth of July cookouts with fireworks, and Easter brunches with egg hunts. They were active in their church, where he served as an elder. He was a member of Rotary and the Sierra Club and enjoyed working with computers and hot air balloons. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Raub; two sons, Wade Raub and Carl Raub; sisters, Sara Wing and Barbara Raub; and extended family.

Bob Walker, 81, of Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, Oct. 11, 2025. He discovered early passions that would shape his life — boating, horses, and the camaraderie of sport. He played football, hockey, and lacrosse at Denison, and he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. His enthusiasm for Pittsburgh sports was unwavering; his children recall that no one in the house was permitted to attend school on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home opener, and the family still has his original terrible towel, given to him in the 1970s by sportscaster Myron Cope. After college, he served in the U.S. Navy. His four years of active duty evolved into more than 30 years of service, where he was proud of his command of the USS Chikaskhi and USS Joseph Hewes. He met the love of his life, Donna, at the Jersey Shore. He began his career in the steel industry with J & L Steel before founding his own company, Trumbull Metal Service. He and Donna lovingly restored the historic Fife Homestead, in Upper St. Clair, to its original 1870s beauty. He was an avid supporter of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the local theater and a passionate runner who completed more than 100 marathons. He loved to travel, especially by train; his kids often joked that he singlehandedly kept Amtrak in business. He was preceded in death by his wife, Donna Walker; daughter, Jessica Walker; and brother, Tex Walker. He is survived by his daughter, Teal Walker; and his sister, Nancy Baron.

1967

Jan Wagner Bechmann, 80, of Gerry, New York, Jan. 20, 2026. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She worked for many years as a mental health counselor at WCA Hospital in Jamestown, New York, before retiring in 2007. She and Dennis R. Bechmann, whom she married on Sept. 23, 2003, were together 22 years, and they held hands daily. She enjoyed music and singing, spending time with her PEO sisters, and her church. She is survived by her husband, Dennis R. Bechmann; mother, Shirley Wagner; two sons, Mark Whitehead and Michael Whitehead; six grandchildren; and three brothers, Robert Wagner, Steve Wagner, and James Wagner.

Sara Morrison Duncan, 80, of Durango, Colorado, Nov. 18, 2025. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She spent most of her life in her beloved Colorado and after Denison earned her law degree from the University of Denver. She had a long career as a water lawyer, both in private and public practice. She served as a La Plata County Commissioner from 1981-1985. As a single mom, she taught law school at night while working full-time. She helped secure the water rights for Denver International Airport and was the intergovernmental affairs coordinator for the Denver Water Department. She was the first woman appointed to the board of the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority, a position she held for 16 years, and the first woman to serve as president of the Colorado Water Congress. She was a patron of Colorado artists, a devoted fan of the Denver Broncos, the Colorado Rockies, and the CU

He loved to travel, especially by train; his kids often joked that he singlehandedly kept Amtrak in business.

&

Obituaries

1967–1975

Buffaloes football team. She was a gifted writer and storyteller, an accomplished teller of jokes, and skilled socializer. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Leonard. She is survived by her children, Molly Duncan and Kenneth Duncan; siblings, Susan Kaufman, Sandra Morrison, and Sam Morrison; and numerous nieces and nephews.

1968

He commandeered every extension cord and garden hose in the neighborhood, rigged them to his mother’s vacuum cleaner, and used the contraption as a homemade diving bellows to explore the depths of the Warren River.

Jim Kimble, 80, of Rogers, Arkansas, Nov. 5, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Kappa Sigma and was a receiver on the fraternity’s championship football team. He was also known for running the pool tables in the student union. On The Hill he built a closeknit circle of friends with whom he kept lifelong bonds. After Denison, he earned his law degree from George Washington University, and for more than two decades, he worked as a lobbyist for The American Insurance Association, a trade association representing approximately 300 insurance companies. He regularly testified before Congressional committees offering expertise on the era’s most significant insurance-related legislation. Elected officials from both sides of the aisle sought his insights. After leaving the AIA, he entered private practice in the Washington, D.C., area, where he specialized in veterans’ rights. He discovered a passion for backgammon that perfectly suited his analytical mind. He won numerous championships and rose to be ranked third in the state of Florida. He loved teaching the game to others, and his students went on to excel. He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Billy Kimble. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Marsha Kimble.

Greg Phillips, 79, of Worthington, Ohio, Oct. 8, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi.

Pana Mabrey Wilder, 79, of Davis, California, Sept. 28, 2025. Diagnosed with terminal brain cancer after returning from a three-week hiking trip through Switzerland with her husband, Hugh Wilder ’68, she would later tell her hospice chaplain that the trek had been “the culmination of a perfect life.” At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She and Hugh lived in London, Ontario; Oxford, Ohio; Charleston, South Carolina; and retirement communities in Arizona and California, finally finding their home in Davis. She made fast friends everywhere, and kept them. She taught reading and writing to middle schoolers, but her career in education began in the Head Start program in Chicago in the mid-1960s. She was also a counselor, earning her master’s in guidance and counseling from Miami University. She published in professional journals on the need for grief counseling in schools and the lingering problem of corporal punishment. She was a talented potter who studied with some of America’s best, creating marvelous functional and decorative works. She loved getting her hands in the clay and working on the wheel. She was a lifelong runner and led girls’ running groups at the schools where she taught. She and Hugh were intrepid travelers. Walking New Zealand tracks, hiking the Alps, swimming in the Aegean Sea, kayaking

in the Galapagos — she loved all of it. She is survived by her husband, Hugh Wilder; sons, Nick and Jason; and two grandchildren.

1969

Dan L ewis, 79, of Worthington, Ohio, Oct. 2, 2025. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and played baseball, a sport that remained close to his heart throughout his life. He later earned his MBA from the University of Dayton and built his career in commercial insurance. He never missed an opportunity to talk and spend time with others and his love of cooking, gardening and landscaping helped ensure all felt welcome in his home. He was a loyal fan of Ohio State sports and all things Cleveland, despite the frequent heartbreak that comes with being a lifelong Browns fan. He was preceded in death by his brother, Jim Lewis. He is survived by his wife, Cindy; children, Matthew Lewis, Andy Lewis, Libby Larequi, Carly Hazard, and Chelsea Hatem; eight grandchildren; and brother, John Lewis.

Bert Swan, 77, of San Francisco, Sept. 18, 2025. Even as a child, he showed a keen appreciation for the outdoors and a knack for creative problem-solving: Consider the time he commandeered every extension cord and garden hose in the neighborhood, rigged them to his mother’s vacuum cleaner, and used the contraption as a homemade diving bellows to explore the depths of the Warren River. He grew into an avid angler, sailor, hiker, swimmer, camper. His passion for the outdoors and creativity led him to a fulfilling career as a geologist. He received his doctoral degree from Johns Hopkins University, although he always balked at being addressed as Dr. Swan. First employed by Woodward Clyde, he later helped found the consulting firm, Geomatrix. The work fed his thirst for adventure and allowed him to explore the world. He was an expert in quaternary stratigraphy and fault mapping. He always said that his biggest achievement was marrying Linda Ann Vossler, his wife of 47 years. Together, they raised three children: Alli, Zach, and Jake, and later delighted in seven grandchildren. Of the many lessons he imparted to them, perhaps the most enduring was that life can be savored with the simplest of ingredients: a stretch of wilderness, a box of crackers, and maybe a can of oysters. And if complications arise — like a crucial missing washer threatening to derail a family bicycle trip — there is always a solution: Find a ranger to shoot a hole through a quarter, and the adventure can continue.

1971

Alice Townsley Barkus , 76, of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Nov. 27, 2025. She would say her most important education came at the Charleston School of Ballet and Girl Scout Camp Little Notch in New York, where she was struck by lightning. Surviving something like that, she made her life count. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was a docent for the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., and ran its student theater festival. She

served on the board of the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and the board of the American Conservation Film Festival in Shepherdstown. She was a founder of the successful Puzzlemania fundraiser for Friends of Music and a board member and volunteer with the Potomac Valley Audubon Society. She was recognized as a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts-Nation’s Capital. Her joy was the home and garden that she and her husband, Neal Barkus, built outside Shepherdstown, and the series of stray cats that showed up. She often spoke of the three months she and Neal spent in Florence, where she enjoyed being an Italian housewife, and her 50th wedding anniversary party, where she had a life’s worth of friends together in the same room. Her legacy remains all the fine young women whom she had mentored, including four nieces and three goddaughters, and for whom she continues to be an example. She is survived by her husband, Neal Barkus; and two siblings, Harry M. Townsley and Corinne Townsley Crandall ’72

Patti Leonard Gordy, 76, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Oct 22, 2025. While at Denison, she met the love of her life, Steve Richard Gordy ’71. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She continued her education after graduation, earning her master’s degree from Boston University. She was a clinical social worker whose career reflected her innate compassion and quiet strength. She began work at Family Counseling Services in Allentown, later joined Muhlenberg Behavioral Health, and ultimately retired from Lehigh Valley Health Network. She had an ability to bring calm to others. Petite and soft-spoken, she radiated kindness. She enjoyed football and adored her two Westies, Nick and Petey. She could often be found with a good book in hand, particularly those centered on self-improvement. She is survived by her husband, Steve Richard Gordy; daughters, Rebekah Miller and Laura Maderas; six grandchildren; and sisters, Ginny Shephard, Jane Leonard, and Peggy Leonard-Martin.

Peggy McClaine, 76, of Greencastle, Indiana, Jan. 21, 2026. Her early years were spent on a farm with her lamb, Abbie; her horse, Prince; and her pigs, Porky, Pinky, and Snowball. She earned her BFA from Denison and was a member of Chi Omega, where she and 90 percent of her sisters voted to deactivate the chapter in protest against racism. She earned her master’s in teaching from DePauw University. She was active in the Putnam County Playhouse from 1964 until 2012, and served as director, stage manager, actor, sound, and as a board member. She loved the theater, music, art, and good food. Her favorite professional role came as assistant director of programs for the Society of American Journalists. She was preceded in death by Ross E. Tennis. She is survived by her sons, Joseph T. Tennis and Casey M. Tennis; and two grandchildren.

1972

Lucinda Lavelli, 75, of Gainesville, Florida, Nov. 24, 2025. Originally from Rocky River, Ohio, she followed her mother, Joy Wright Lavelli ’46, to Denison. She then earned both a master’s degree in nonprofit management and MFA at Case Western Reserve University. From 1981 to 1993, she worked as chairwoman of performing arts and director of dance at Hathaway Brown School. She became the director of the School of Dance and later the director of the School of Dance, Theatre and Arts Administration at the University of Akron. After nine years in Akron, she was named the provost and vice chancellor for arts and academics at North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem, North Carolina. She left there in 2006 for the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she served as the dean of the College of the Arts until her retirement in 2018. During her tenure, she championed programs such as the interdisciplinary Creative B summer initiative and the Creativity in Arts & Science Event, helping to bridge the gap between art, science, and innovation. Her approach to leadership was marked by empathy, open listening and a drive to build consensus. Her dedication was recognized in 2019 when she received the Lennie Kesl Lifetime Arts Award from the Gainesville Cultural Affairs Board for her sustained contributions to the arts. She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth. She is survived by her brother, Edward Lavelli; sister, Lisa Lavelli Bill; a niece, nephews, and other extended family.

1975

Roberta Brandt Payne, 72, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, Aug. 31, 2025. She attended Denison before marrying Bob Payne on Sept. 30, 1975. She enjoyed poetry, ballet, and art history. She is survived by her husband of 50 years, as well as their children, Christopher Payne, Jonathan Payne, and Summer Shore.

Brian Kammerer, 72, of Norwalk, Connecticut, Oct. 1, 2025. His studies at Denison helped launch a 35-year career as a commercial illustrator working for both domestic and international ad agencies. On The Hill, he earned degrees in cinema and history, and was a member of Delta Upsilon. It was at Denison where he created his first film on the Civil War, a lifelong interest and passion. Upon graduation, he began his art career at a division of Columbia Pictures, a film studio in New York. He also worked for Compton Advertising (later Saatchi & Saatchi), a Proctor & Gamble agency. Over the years, he assisted on ad campaigns for Jeep, Sony, Fuji Film, Kodak, Novartis, RJ Reynolds, and was among a group of artists who worked on the Joe the Camel campaign. Along with creating story boards, he was adept in 3D animation, stop-motion animation, and motion graphics. He was also an award-winning artist in both oil and acrylic painting. In retirement, he was a member of the Civil War Roundtable in Stamford, Connecticut, which creates a forum for speakers and people interested in the war. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Glenda Mason; and two daughters, Gabrielle Hastings and Ashley Kammerer; along with extended family.

Her early years were spent on a farm with her lamb, Abbie; her horse, Prince; and her pigs, Porky, Pinky, and Snowball.

&

Obituaries

1976–1982

1976

Rober t Hough, 71, of Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, Dec. 11, 2025. He enjoyed a prolific career as a highly-respected geologist in Dallas. At Denison, he graduated with a degree in geology and was a Beta Theta Pi. After earning a master’s in geology from the University of Tulsa, he began a 40-year career in the petroleum industry with a love for studying maps and logs. He was a member of the Dallas Geological Society, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Dallas Petroleum Club, and Dallas Wildcat Committee. He enjoyed watching baseball, playing guitar, golfing and traveling. He is survived by his partner of 25 years, Ella Kidd; his daughter, Katie Hough Gelsheimer; and extended family.

He could whip up a bananas foster tableside with enough flourish to impress Julia Child.

Richa rd Corrington Jr., 70, of Lexington, Virginia, Oct. 8, 2025. After earning his degree in geology at Denison, he returned home to work in construction. Eventually, he found his calling through horticulture classes at Virginia Tech University. He opened Rick’s Custom Nursery in 1981. As a wholesale nursery, he sold perennials to garden centers and commercial landscapers throughout Virginia. When he met his future wife, Debbie, in 1999 they began selling to the general public, exhibiting at Botanical Garden Fairs every spring and fall until his chronic back pain forced his retirement in 2015. However, he never lost his passion for plants and continued in his last years developing an arboretum on their property with over 400 trees and shrubs for the enjoyment of the local wildlife, often working with the Grateful Dead as his soundtrack. He is survived by his wife; her children, Caleb Boulier and Emily Cote; and extended family.

1977

Bruce Rehbach, 71, of Rochester, New York, Oct. 16, 2025. At Denison, he earned a degree in biology and was a Lambda Chi Alpha. After completing his master’s degree at Nazareth College, he taught for 25 years in the East Irondequoit School District. One of his greatest joys was being a varsity tennis coach, as well as teaching privately for over 50 years. Outside of work, he had a passion for gardening and took pride in carefully remodeling his homes. He and his wife, Carol, enjoyed working side by side in their business, building something meaningful together. He also liked to unwind with an occasional trip to the casino, adding a bit of fun and excitement to his life.

1978

Bruce Yuhas , 69, of Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 17, 2025. As a self-proclaimed “military brat,” he bounced from base to base with his brothers, collecting friends like baseball cards, and leaving behind a wake of footballs, basketballs, and half-finished trouble. At Denison, he earned a degree in psychology and played for legendary football coach Keith Piper. His tenure as Delta Upsilon president was remembered for installing beer-filled soda machines and the sight of his mother’s vacuum, valiantly chewing up debris from parties so wild that couches were shoved into fireplaces when the firewood was gone.

From Columbus, Ohio, to San Francisco, to Corpus Christi, Texas, he worked jobs that doubled as adventures: bank manager, conditioning coach, women’s tennis coach, waiter extraordinaire, security guard, and real estate property management. He could whip up a bananas foster tableside with enough flourish to impress Julia Child, and he wielded a Caesar salad like a performance art piece. He married Hannah in 1985 and the couple had three children: Riley, Kacy, and Timothy. He’s survived by his wife, kids, and his mother, Lucille, along with extended family. He was the loudest voice in the room with the softest heart in the house. Funny as heck, quick with a quip, encyclopedic of mind from the War of 1812 through Lady Gaga, he was a voracious reader and a voracious lover of people. Family picture him twinkly-eyed, arguing with St. Peter over the merits of Thomas Jefferson versus John Adams.

1979

Thoma s Macko, 68, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Dec. 24, 2025. Flexing his muscles in the classroom caught the attention of fellow firstyear, Jane Sheble ’79, who found the antics of the future chiropractor humorous. Their first date at Denison was during Parents Weekend, when neither set of parents paid a visit to campus. The students attended a play and talked late into the night. They remained a couple — he a Phi Delt and Sheble a Kappa Kappa Gamma — throughout their time on The Hill and married in 1981, raising three children. He earned a doctor of chiropractic degree and established his own practice, Whitehall Chiropractic Center. For nearly 30 years, he was a compassionate chiropractor who brought care and healing to many. He enjoyed physical activity from his high school days playing football and wrestling, through college rugby and later running, biking, hiking, soccer clubs, and downhill skiing. He is survived by his wife; children, Holly Harris, Jonathan ’08, and Blake; along with extended family.

1981

Laura Northen Manos , 64, of Atlanta, March 20, 2024. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta during her time at Denison before transferring to the University of North Carolina, where she met her future husband, Nick. The couple was married for 42 years and raised three children: Andy, Kate, and Sam. She bravely battled three bouts with cancer and a variety of other ailments. She is survived by her husband; children; mother, Tinsley; and extended family.

1982

Victoria Schmidt Sporik , 65, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Nov. 24, 2025. She attended Denison before earning degrees from the University of Virginia and Wilson College. She was a teacher for three decades, and in retirement mentored fellow artists. She is survived by her husband, Thomas Sporik; children, Stephen, Daniel, Kara, and Christopher; and extended family.

Tony Stoneburner

PROFESSOR EMERITUS

Tony Stoneburner, a professor of English from 1966 to 1992, died on Feb.22, 2026. Stoneburner authored five volumes of poetry, scores of essays, and shelves of personal journals and he continued to read and write avidly through final days. He was 99.

After earning his degree at DePauw University, he followed his father into Methodist ministry, first at Drew Seminary and then at Yale Divinity School, after which he was appointed to the small Methodist congregation in Gambier, Ohio. His proximity to Kenyon College drew him into campus intellectual life and the close company of writers. That experience, and an ill-fitting position in campus ministry at Kansas Wesleyan, helped redirect him from the ministry to academia. At the University of Michigan, he earned his master’s and doctorate in English literature and married Patricia Hubbard, a campus chaplain and redoubtable life companion.

Student and lifelong friend Terry Eicher ’70 remembers him in part as “an encourager of students, prodigious diarist, capacious correspondent, hand-letterer, postcard artist, collector of prints, appreciator of detective fiction, theologian, regionalist in whatever region he abides or sojourns, historian of culture, philologist, student of poets and mystics, essayist, explicator, editor, indefatigable discerner of connection among persons, places, past to present, each and all to divine.”

Denisonians through many decades — students, alumni, faculty, staff — were welcomed at the Stoneburners’ Granville home on South Plum Street and at Thresholds, their summer home on Little Deer Isle in Maine. Their hospitality was unique and memorable, and in Maine, generously served alongside the grandeur of Penobscot Bay.

Almost the entirety of his writing life’s work can be found in Denison library’s archives, from his volumes of poetry to essays on poetry, religion, literature, and the Ohio frontier. His daily journals detail not only his own life but the life of Denison during his years of

IN MEMORIAM

teaching, from campus protests to visits from Eudora Welty. He never stopped writing and thinking. His last essay, on the African American poet Marilyn Nelson, was written in 2025, and a version will appear in the May 2026 issue of Christian Century, where he published poems, reviews, and letters for 70 years.

Stoneburner and his wife, who preceded him in death in 2022, will be interred in Denison’s small cemetery, beneath a rectangle of Maine granite topped with Maine slate and etched by a Maine artisan. Their names are joined by an elegant ampersand, a favorite and much — used symbolic representation which gestures to inclusion and connection — an encompassing openness to more, to the possibility of what will come next.

Stoneburner is survived by his son, David Martin; daughter, Carol; brother, John; and sister, Jane Ann.

PAPERTRAIL

By Tony Stoneburner

Clerk-chronicler, annalist, diarist (but No journalist & no news-analyst) & minutes-taker (secondings-of-motions) With pen on paper, fingertip on key. Even, except for obvious omissions, All things, places, & persons that exist, However anal, banal, or decanal, & all events occurring, accurately

Or not in hieroglyph or alphabet Ornate or nondescript, list after list, Phrase, sentence, paragraph inscribed by the Enthusiastic if ironic writer (Despite arthritis in his right hand), clearly Or not, —till tap, or dot, or breath, prove final.

– JAMIE HALE ’78

Their names are joined by an elegant ampersand, a favorite and muchused symbolic representation which gestures to inclusion and connection.

& Obituaries

1982–2014

Christopher Brown, 66, of Gunnison, Colorado, Sept. 28, 2025. After leaving Denison, where he was a Sigma Chi, he transferred to Western State College in Gunnison. Brown embarked on a fulfilling career in banking and finance, beginning in Colorado Springs in 1984. In 1996, he transitioned to entrepreneurship by establishing West Elk Funding, a mortgage company that served countless families in his beloved Gunnison community. His passion for the outdoors was infectious, and he engaged in many activities that brought him closer to nature and his friends. Fishing, hunting, camping, golfing, and disc golfing were not just hobbies. In 2009, he founded the High Mountain Flyers disc golf club, a testament to his spirit of community and joy in engaging with others who shared his interests. He is survived by his wife, Lisa; sons, Tyler and Dylan; and extended family.

1983

Lindell Heard, 63, of Canal Winchester, Ohio, Aug. 17, 2025. She graduated with a degree in English literature at Denison.

1985

Tammy Flaherty, 62, of Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 28, 2025. At Denison, she earned a varsity letter on the women’s basketball team before transferring to Miami University. Professionally, she built a career marked by leadership, innovation, and dedication. She served as senior vice president of Brontel Bearing Bronze before founding and leading Steam Turbine Alternative Resources, Inc., and Star Field Fit. Her work earned her great respect in the business community, and she often lent her expertise to advisory roles, including consulting with the governor of Ohio on various initiatives. She is survived by her mother, Sue, and extended family.

1986

She painted Bert’s and Ernie’s bedroom set on Sesame Street, worked on Wu-Tang Clan videos, and saw her artistic creations featured in movies.

Joanne Passano Bartlett, 64, of Owings Mills, Maryland, Nov. 7, 2025. A longtime educator, she made her greatest professional impact helping lead the long and complex “unification” of The St. Paul’s Schools for boys and girls in Maryland. The two schools retained their unique, single-sex identities, while also operating out of a more effective single administration. Working as a board member and board president for the girls school, her sense of dedication and her gift for diplomacy proved essential to the success of the process. At Denison, she majored in history and met her future husband, Christopher Bartlett III ’83. She lettered in lacrosse and field hockey, serving as a team captain on the latter. As an educator, she taught, coached and counseled in Maryland and Virginia. She later became certified to tutor students with dyslexia. In her free time, she enjoyed needlepoint and playing tennis and golf. She is survived by her husband; children, Elizabeth and Nicholas; and extended family.

1984

Kathleen Mullen Van Gundy, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Dec. 21, 2025. At Denison, she earned a degree in English literature before meeting her future husband, Harold Van Gundy. She worked in the communications department at Capitol University, but left the school to raise a family. Van Gundy enjoyed gardening, reading, cooking, volunteering, needlepointing, and spending time in the woods with her dogs. She is survived by her husband; two daughters, Kristen and Cheska; and extended family.

Randolph Regner, 62, of Morristown, New Jersey, April 23, 2025. He earned a degree in political science at Denison and was a Sigma Alpha Epsilon member. Regner was a husband and father.

Kathleen “Kaem” Coughlin, 60, of Jersey City, New Jersey, Oct. 8, 2025. She had a long and successful career as a set designer and scenic artist for television, movies and theater. She painted Bert’s and Ernie’s bedroom set on Sesame Street, worked on Wu-Tang Clan videos, and saw her artistic creations featured in movies like American Gangster and The Good Shepherd, as well as the hit game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? At Denison, she majored in theatre with an emphasis on technical design before earning a master’s in technical theatre at the University of Illinois-Chicago in 1989. After moving to metro New York, she met her husband of 27 years, Bryan Jaicks, playing darts at a New York pub. She became so good at the sport, she was at one time a top-20 ranked women’s player. She also loved arcade-style video games — they were her meditation — and cooking shows. She is survived by her husband and extended family.

Wynne Ahern, 61, of Summerland, California, June 30, 2025. After four years as a commercial litigator, she pivoted to a career in public relations and communications. She worked her way up the ranks before launching her own boutique communications firm, Commstrat, in 2003, growing it into a successful competitor in the Silicon Valley tech space. Because her father worked in the Central Intelligence Agency, she spent much of her childhood abroad, living in countries such as El Salvador and Brazil. The international experiences sparked her lifelong love of culture, language, and travel. At Denison, she earned degrees in history and Spanish and was a Kappa Kappa Gamma. She developed a love for cooking while studying abroad in Madrid through Middlebury College, and friends raved about her paella. In 1997, she married Ralph Kokka, and the couple had two children, Avery and Ehlen, before their 2014 divorce. She took her children on international adventures — floating on the Amazon River, skiing in the French Alps, and going on safari in Kenya. She was also a master in teaching those around her, especially her kids, the art of gratitude. Her kids recall their mother leading by example throughout their lives, from organizing donations for homeless shelters to delivering Thanksgiving meals every year to those less fortunate. She adored animals, especially dogs and horses. She is survived by her children; her dog, Boatswain; and extended family.

1988

Julie Samuelson , 59, of Baltimore, Sept. 1, 2025. Diagnosed with lupus in her 20s, she became adept at managing her chronic illness and discovered a talent for supporting others with life challenges. She volunteered in patient advocacy for the Lupus Foundation and the Johns Hopkins Patient and Family Advisory Council, and she supported family, friends, and friends of friends as they coped with acute and chronic illnesses. In her 40s, she earned her master’s in social work at The Catholic University of America and went on to provide clinical therapy at Across Counseling and The Women’s Center in Vienna, Virginia, and at the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland in Baltimore. At Denison, she earned a degree in speech communication then enjoyed a successful career in marketing and sales. When not working, she fulfilled her love of food, travel, exploration, and learning. Her many travel adventures included scuba diving in Honduras, an extended stay on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, and trips to Israel and Morocco. She is survived by her parents and extended family.

2002

Court ney Wetzel, 45, of Riverside, Connecticut, Nov. 16, 2025. At Denison, she was a Delta Gamma and earned a degree in economics, while also serving as the yearbook editor. She studied abroad in France, sparking a lifelong love of travel. She worked for 22 years at the Riverside Yacht Club, serving as clubhouse manager, a job she adored. She assisted staff in setting up weddings, birthdays, funerals, regattas, and other key events. Throughout her career, she was a member of the Connecticut Chapter of the Club Management Association of America, serving as education chair, public relations chair and president of the chapter. She is survived by her parents and extended family.

2014

Morga n Zuniga , 34, of Plain City, Ohio, Oct. 10, 2025. At Denison, she graduated with a degree in physical education with an emphasis on athletic training. She had a strong faith and was known for her warmth and compassion. A wife and mother, she is survived by her family.

Jorda n Kerker-Mraz , 33, of Tucson, Arizona, Sept. 21, 2025. At Denison, he was pursued a major in classical studies. After leaving college, Kerker-Mraz lived and worked in Vermont, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson, and New York. He was employed in administration and sales at several established companies and in startups. He also worked regularly in hospitality, starting at age 14 in the kitchen of a gelato shop and most recently as a bartender. He loved camping, alpine skiing, and playing hockey on the backyard rink.

Former faculty

Terry Howell, 77, of Pataskala, Ohio, Nov. 12, 2025. At Denison, he was a visiting lecturer in mathematics and computer science who used his paychecks to surprise his wife, Sheila, with pieces of jewelry, each one carrying a story of his love for her. He attended the University of Notre Dame and earned a degree in mathematics. He retired from Ohio State University at Newark and Central Ohio Technical College. The Howells built their life together in the countryside outside Pataskala, trading life in town for wide-open skies and a home filled with laughter, books, music, and animals. They raised three children: Candice, Dustin, and Brittany. He had a keen mind for puzzles, an endless library of math books, and a heart for animals, especially those rescued through Ohio Fuzzy Pawz. He is survived by his wife, children, and extended family.

Debra Fisher, 71, of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, Dec. 18, 2025. Denison was one of four stops on her academic teaching trail. A graduate of Ohio State University, she dedicated her life to education and the arts. After leaving Denison, she taught at Davidson College in North Carolina and Metro State University of Denver. For the last 20 years, she served as a professor at State University of New York at Brockport. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she loved cooking and hosting dinner parties. She treasured time spent with loved ones and remained devoted to her art until the end, constantly engaging her creativity and maintaining close ties with her former students. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Kenneth Fisher; their rescue dog, Cedar; and a special cousin, Francis Balla Mac.

Steven Rosen, 85, of North Muskegon, Michigan, Jan. 5, 2026. At Denison, he worked in the art history department in the 1970s. He also led the development and opening of the Denison Museum and was the museum’s first director. He left the university in the late 1970s to become chief curator at the Columbus Museum of Art.

Former staff

Debra Brent, 64, of McConnelsville, Ohio, Sept. 19, 2025. At Denison, she worked as a building services assistant from 1997-2003. She is survived by her husband, Chris Brent, and extended family.

Larry Layton, 86, of Utica, Ohio, Feb. 13, 2026. He worked at Denison for 30 years, from 1976-2006, retiring as chief engineer.

Friends

Dr. Rufus Spain, 100, of Waco, Texas, Nov. 16, 2023. An extraordinary life included service to his nation, a 55-year run as a college professor, and a relentless spirit of advocacy. He led the development and opening of the Denison Museum and was the museum’s first director.

&

Obituaries

FRIENDS

He served in the U.S. Army, and he saw action in World War II and the Korean War. Between the wars, he and his wife had two children. After completing his doctorate at Vanderbilt University, he became a professor of history at Baylor University and worked in its oral history department before becoming head of the Retired Professors Association. He advocated for integration at Baylor and protested against American involvement in the Vietnam War. He later married Carol Hanna, and they welcomed two more children. In retirement, he enjoyed golf, travel, and woodworking.

Angela Roop, 75, of Florence, South Carolina, Oct. 16, 2025. She taught for 28 years and was frequently nominated for “teacher of the year” honors. In the 1990s, she received Darlington County School District’s Making a Difference Award. She embodied compassion, generosity, and thoughtfulness. She is survived by her son, Jonathan Michael Roop; stepson, Timothy Jay Roop; and extended family.

and the couple celebrated their anniversaries at the iconic New York skyscraper. He is survived by his wife and two adopted children. His family said the most fitting tribute to Nisonger would be supporting libraries with your patronage, presence, and donations.

His family said the most fitting tribute to Nisonger would be supporting libraries with your patronage, presence, and donations.

Betty Rapp, 95, of Austin, Texas, Sept. 9, 2024.

Thomas Ottenjohn, 94, of Cincinnati, Nov. 22, 2025. He worked in the financial world until retirement at age 75. He played football and lacrosse at Kenyon College, attended the University of Cincinnati, and later earned an MBA at the University of Michigan. His academic pursuits were interrupted by the Korean War. Enlisting in the U.S. Army, he rose to the rank of Sgt. E.5 and ran a company of more than 300 men at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. His professional life included working for Smith Barney and Morgan Stanley. He was married for 62 years to Adelaide Bieser Ottenjohn. The couple had three children, Janet, David, and Robert. In his later years, he enjoyed hosting cocktail parties for his friends at Deupree House.

Thomas Nisonger, 81, of Bloomington, Indiana, Dec. 8, 2025. He was a professor at the University of Indiana for nearly two decades after working for many years in the field of library science at the University of Manitoba in Canada and the University of Texas at Dallas. His dissertation topic was Vladimir Lenin’s purge of his opponents in the Soviet Union. When asked if he ever used his dissertation topic in real life, he replied, “No, I did not purge any of my opponents.” His greatest weapon in life was his rapier wit. He once left his wallet at the Bernard College Library and returned to find it with all its contents intact. “This testifies to the integrity of librarians,” he said. Nisonger’s honorary societies included Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Phi Mu, Pi Sigma Alpha, and Phi Alpha Theta. He received several teaching awards, including the Trustees Teaching Award, K.G. Saur Award for best research article in 2000, and the TERA Award for teaching excellence at Indiana University. He served on several library boards and dissertation committees. Nisonger attended the College of Wooster, University of Pittsburgh, and Columbia University. He met his wife of 55 years, Claire Witten Nisonger, at the Empire State Building,

Rober t Miller, 82, of Williamston, Michigan, March 21, 2025. A champion of clean air issues, he worked for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and was active with the Environmental Protection Agency offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C. A Columbus, Ohio, native, he attended Ohio State University, where he played percussion in the marching band, and the University of Michigan. Between earning degrees, he served in the U.S. Army Reserves during the Vietnam War. In retirement, he devoted his time to his harness racing stable. He was a fine trainer and, along with his wife, Pat, raced throughout the Midwest, the Meadowlands in New Jersey, and the Meadows in Pennsylvania, The Red Mile in Kentucky, and Canada. He enjoyed all types of music, and even attended the opera in Vienna, Austria. The family loved traveling, visiting every state except Hawaii, and many countries. He is survived by his wife, his daughter, Cynthia Dees, and extended family.

Paul Eliot, 98, of Atlanta, Sept. 14, 2025.

Martha Bonar, 84, of Granville, Ohio, Jan. 6, 2026. She was a beloved elementary school teacher for many years in Granville after making a career pivot for the health care field. Education was the foundation of the Bonar household. She was married to Daniel Bonar, who worked as a mathematics and computer science professor at Denison for nearly 50 years. The daughter of a Pennsylvania coal miner, she earned a degree in elementary education from Ohio State University. She served as a therapeutic dietitian at Ohio State University Medical Center for two years before returning to her first love, teaching. She is survived by her daughter, Mary Bonar ’01, and extended family.

Mary Amos, 100, of Colleyville, Texas, March 21, 2024. She was an assistant professor emerita at Bowling Green State University. She started her career as a university librarian before becoming a grade-school teacher in Maumee, Ohio. She also worked as a specialist in children’s literature for the Toledo Board of Education, and as a television teacher for WSPD-TV in Toledo in conjunction with the Lucas County Library and the University of Toledo. She received the Ohio Educational Library Media Association’s highest award, and a Distinguished Teaching Award at Bowling Green State University. She earned a degree in library science from the University of North Texas, and 24 years later added a master’s in the same field from the University of Michigan in 1969. She met her husband, Carroll E. Amos, at the Fort Worth Public Library. Of Mary, he said, “I checked her out of the library and never returned her.”

You’ve heard the stories — now experience Denison for yourself! Family Weekend is your opportunity to share in your student’s world. Hear updates from President Weinberg, cheer on Big Red football, celebrate America 250 with an Ohio Goes To The Movies film screening, and enjoy a weekend filled with fun, community, and connections. We can’t wait to welcome you!

SEPTEMBER 25 - 27, 2026

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:

Buz Ecker ’79 wrote letters to his daughter Rosie Paulik (here in grade school) since she was little, a practice that inspired her to think of starting the Dad Letter Project in 2025.

The Beta Christmas Formals in 1978: Bryan Johnson ’79 (left), Dave Tight ’79 (third from left), Barb Korstanje Loftus ’78, Buz Ecker ’79, and Jennifer Crabb Reynolds ’79. The woman in the white dress did not attend Denison; Johnson and Tight were Ecker’s roommates.

Buz Ecker ’79, a retired adjunct English professor at the University of Cincinnati Clermont College, has written letters his whole life, a habit he picked up from his mother.

Rosie Paulik says her dad has always worn his heart on his sleeve.

Alum brightens strangers’ spirits, eases pain with pen and paper

BUZ ECKER ’79 HAS LONG CHERISHED THE POWER OF THE WRITTEN WORD TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. THAT GAVE HIS DAUGHTER AN IDEA.

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.

— WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

What this grew into, just in the past year, is a worldwide phenomenon called the Dad Letter Project. But its humble foundation was laid decades ago by Buz Ecker’s mom.

Peg Ecker was the letter writer of the Ecker family.

“She wrote to me every day at Denison, and when I was at a summer camp as a boy,” says Buz Ecker ’79. “I still have those letters, and I look at them every once in a while. I know that they’re filled with love for me, and I’m glad that I still have them.”

Ecker inherited her habit. He wrote to his children throughout their lives, and when grandchildren came along, he wrote to them, too.

Ecker, a retired adjunct English professor at the University of Cincinnati Clermont College, had just checked off a bucket list item by earning his doctorate in leadership change with a certificate in creative writing at Antioch University. He was looking for something to fill his time.

Ecker’s daughter, 30-year-old Rosie Paulik, had an idea. She brought it up on TikTok that July.

“Would you want a letter from my dad?” she asked the app’s users. “Or know someone who could use a little kindness from a retired professor with a killer signature and a fountain pen?”

Father and daughter were, it’s fair to say, flabbergasted by the response.

BY THEODORE DECKER

Photos: Submitted

“I really kind of did this for my dad, and I had no idea how many people were going to request a letter,” Paulik says. “Last I checked, we had over 9,000 requests.”

Requests have poured in from around the globe,

seeking fatherly wisdom, words of comfort, and sometimes dad jokes.

Ecker and the roughly 30 other dads recruited so far for the project do their best to oblige.

“I write 10 letters a day, seven days a week,” Ecker says. “Rosie thinks that I’ve written 2,000 letters so far. I think it’s more like 1,800, but it’s somewhere around there.”

TO THE HILL

Ecker’s mother may have been his inspiration for letter writing, but it was his father who inspired him to attend Denison.

David Ecker ’48 graduated from Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati in 1942 and enrolled at Denison, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi.

“He got interrupted by World War II,” Ecker says.

David Ecker served in the U.S. Office of Strategic Services, established in 1942 to conduct espionage, sabotage, and unconventional warfare behind enemy lines. He landed in Normandy, France, on June 10, 1944, four days after D-Day, and he participated in the liberation of St. Lo, Paris, Drancy, Carcassonne, Clermont Ferrand, and Sete.

“When he came back, he was in no shape to go back to school, so he did not graduate,” Ecker says. “The war took a toll on him.”

His sons picked up where their father had left off.

Mike Ecker ’75 came to The Hill first; Buz Ecker arrived as part of the Class of 1979.

“I wanted to go where Dad had,” he says.

He majored in English and pledged Beta, just as his father and brother had before him.

“Denison means a lot to our family,” Paulik says. “I know almost all of his fraternity songs. I traveled so far to get my teeth cleaned and seen by a dentist who was his fraternity brother.”

It makes sense. Why would you trust your daughter’s teeth to anyone other than Donn Mettens ’79, a pledge brother of Ecker’s at Beta?

TO THE POST OFFICE

The fledgling Dad Letter Project blew up overnight. Ecker and Paulik were interviewed by the likes of ABC News , The Washington Post , and TODAY

Other dads joined their effort, but it quickly became clear that a reassessment was in order.

“We were able to get out close to 3,000 letters,” Paulik says. “We also completely stopped marketing, because

we don’t have the systems we need in place yet.”

Brakes thus applied, they began developing a screening process for prospective dads, researching how to respond to people in crisis, and working toward tax-exempt status.

“Then we can start fundraising, we can get fulltime staff on board, and we can start figuring out all the problems we’ve gotten ourselves into since July,” Paulik says.

Meanwhile, Ecker and the other writers, who have undergone background checks, chip away at the backlog.

Much of the press coverage has focused on the heartwarming aspects of all this. And it can be exactly that. But Ecker says there is a darker side, too. Many of the letter writers candidly reveal their experiences with some of life’s worst traumas: abuse, abandonment, terminal illnesses, suicide.

“There are some letters that don’t leave me,” Ecker says. “One lady got woken up in the middle of the night as a little girl so that she could watch her father beat her mother, and I had to respond to her. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

“None of these dads is a therapist, and that’s the point of it,” Paulik says. “People don’t want to hear from a therapist when they write to us. They want to hear from a dad, but because they’re not therapists, we want to make sure that we’re saying the right things. There’s so much learning to do.”

As the backlog shrinks, a binder kept by Ecker grows thicker.

“In a world that is tragically increasingly divided, your warmth and love brought tears to my eyes,” reads one note from a woman in Canada. “Words cannot express how deeply grateful I am to you and how you lifted a stranger’s spirit.”

“I’ve put my heart and my soul into every letter that I’ve written,” Ecker says.

“He cares a lot,” his daughter says. “He always has.”

What is it that makes a letter so special? To answer this, Ecker returns to those boxes full of his mother’s letters, sent to him at camp, then at Denison, all those years ago.

She’s been gone 11 years, this May. But her letters remain within her son’s reach, should he ever need a tangible reminder that one person’s love, kindness, and empathy can mean so much to another.

“She touched the letters, and I touched the letters,” Ecker says. “That’s a bond that never leaves.”

“I write 10 letters a day, seven days a week. Rosie thinks that I’ve written 2,000 letters so far. I think it’s more like 1,800, but it’s somewhere around there.”

— BUZ ECKER ’79

“Fair is foul and foul is fair”

Denison students were transported to a mystical, bloody 11th century Alba (Scotland) in Macbeth, directed and adapted by Dr. Aviva Neff.

ABOVE FROM LEFT: Max Greenwood ’28, Henry Bailey ’26.

BELOW FROM LEFT: Ramatu Kamara ’27, Robyn Taylor ’26, Millya Nguyen ’28

Denison University Society of the Alumni

ORGANIZED IN 1846

ALUMNI ADVISORY BOARD

Ali Teopas Spungen ’08

PRESIDENT

Mark Morawski ’90, P’21, P’25

PRESIDENT- ELECT

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE:

Manda Alexander Klein ’04

Ben Bring ’07

Chuck Emrich ’83

Elizabeth Fenner-Yassenoff ’08

Ali Gakenheimer ’20

Amy Hardesty Gillies ’92

Jim Hartenstein ’74

Alicia Henry ’05

Amy Sibert Lovett ’84, P’18

Ryan Polk ’17

ANNUAL FUND VOLUNTEERS

Harrison DeChant ’20

Nicholas DeChant ’20

YOUNG ALUMNI CO-CHAIRS

Margot Brinley P’27

Charlie Brinley P’27

FAMILY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL CO-CHAIRS

DENISON UNIVERSITY CONTACTS

Adam Weinberg

740-587-6281 • president@denison.edu

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

Libby Eckhardt

740-587-6709 • eckhardtl@denison.edu

VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY

COMMUNICATIONS & BRANDING

Greg Bader

740-587-5534 • baderg@denison.edu

VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES, please email denmag@denison.edu

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Marc B. Lautenbach ’83 (Chair), James L. Anderson ’85, Susan Booth ’85, Cynthia Ooten Booth ’79, Colleen Boyle ’24, Ashley Edwards Bradley ’93, Daniel J. Brickman ’80, Marcus Colwell ’84, Amy Goslee Dewitt ’93, H. Timothy Ewing ’89, Jeremy J. Flug ’83, Jeffrey A. Forbes ’87, Kristen Fitzwilliam Giarrusso ’84, James T. Glerum Jr. ’82, Lauren S. Haarlow ’90, Matthew J. Harrington ’84, Jeryl D. Hayes ’04, Crystal Roberts Jezierski ’94, Richard A. Kienzle ’85, Suzanne B. Kriscunas ’72, Eric Lindberg ’93, Jeffrey Masten ’86, Rob Mathias ’86, Cameron J. McIntosh ’25, Amy Todd Middleton ’93, William C. Mulligan ’76, Stephen Polk ’78, Abigail E. Pringle ’96, Vivian Quaye ’03, Lewis (Lee) A. Sachs ’85, Joshua C. Spoerri ’93, Arthur P. Steinmetz ’80, Thomas E. Szykowny ’79, Gregory N. Taylor ’86, Jamie K. Thorsen ’77, Michelle M. Warner ’88, Susan D. Whiting ’78

LIFE TRUSTEES

Mary Jane Le Van Armacost ’62, Charles A. Brickman ’54, Walter F. Burke ’71, John A. Canning Jr. ’66, Janet Crown ’85, Mark F. Dalton ’72, Paul A. Dimitruk ’71, Michael D. Eisner ’64, John V. Faraci Jr. ’72, Martha Dunbar Hall ’81, Dana Hart ’76, Ro Nita Hawes-Saunders ’73, W August Hillenbrand, Thomas E. Hoaglin ’71, David J. Hooker ’72, Paul W. Hylbert ’66, Charlotte Power Kessler ’65, John D. Lowenberg ’64, Sharon Smith Martin ’65, Steven P. Matteucci ’78, Donald B. Shackelford ’54, Gary V. Simpson ’84, Joseph H. Thomas ’56

Editor

Josh Chaney

Assistant Editor

Theodore Decker

Designer

Mark Pinkerton

Photo Editor

James Schuller

Contributing Staff

Kristy Bellofatto

Tom Reed

Ginny Sharkey ’83

Jeremy Sony Ty Wright

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 ©2026 by Denison University. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in Denison Magazine are those of the individual authors and subjects, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the college administration, faculty, or students. No portion of this magazine may be reprinted without the express written consent of the editor.

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