MAAG G AA ZZ II N NE E O OF E LMHU TTHHEE M UR R SS TT U UN N IIVVEERRSSIITTYY
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T H E I N N O VAT I O N + E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P I S S U E
Summer 2021 v o l u m e i v, n u m b e r
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In reimagined physics labs, students are using optical fibers to study the sensory hair of insects. For more on Elmhurst’s culture of innovation, see The Big Idea, page 24.
P H OTO BY B O B C O S C A R E L L I / C OV E R I L LU S T R AT I O N B Y PA R T N E R S I N C R I M E
The Magazine of Elmhurst University
T H E I N N O VAT I O N & E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P I S S U E
24
FE AT URE STORY
The Big Idea
Elmhurst University is advancing a culture of innovation and preparing students to disrupt industries, launch new enterprises and solve urgent global problems.
D E PA R T M E N T S
3 P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E 6 CAMPUS NEWS 12 COMMENCEMENT
4 14
41 ALUMNI NEWS
We Didn’t Miss a Step B E YON D T H E CLASS ROOM
Aman Dhiman, Entrepreneur Theresa Robinson, STEM Advocate
4 3 C L ASS N OT E S
Rajee Aerie, Role Model
4 8 M Y C A R E E R PAT H
20 Read the magazine online at elmhurst.edu/Prospect.
I N T H E CLASS ROOM
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S P O RTS S P OT L I G H T
Our Stories Matter A RTS S P OT L I G H T
Jessica Burdeaux, on a Roll
The Magazine of Elmhurst University
Summer 2021 volume
1v, number 1
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Jonathan Shearer SENIOR DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Desiree Chen CREATIVE DIRECTION & DESIGN
Laura Ress Design EDITOR
Margaret Currie PROJECT MANAGER
Natalie Bieri CONTRIBUTORS
G.J. Acuna, Brian Moore, Dave Roos, Andrew Santella, LeeAnn Shelton, Brian Wallheimer PHOTOGRAPHY
Rudy Alceda, Bob Coscarelli, Jim Drews, Lauren Frank, Mason Garcia, Matt Kosterman, Genevieve Lee, Sarah Nader, Justin Runquist, Rosalie Winard PHOTO COORDINATOR
Lauren Altiery ILLUSTRATION
Bruce Hutchison, Kingsley Nebechi, Partners in Crime, Josie Portillo ALUMNI NEWS & CLASS NOTES
Kelsey Hogan CONNECT WITH US
We welcome your comments! Email us at marketing@elmhurst.edu.
Elmhurst University 190 Prospect Ave. Elmhurst, Illinois 60126 © 2021 Elmhurst University All rights reserved.
P H OTO BY R U DY A LC E DA
Prospect is published twice a year by the Office of Marketing and Communications.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
OUR ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET
It’s a momentous year for the Elmhurst University community. We’re marking our 150th anniversary with a yearlong celebration of our rich and distinctive history. We’re returning to in-person activities, building carefully toward a post-pandemic normal. And we’re elevating Elmhurst as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, expanding all the ways we nurture new generations of forward-thinkers and idea explorers. This issue of Prospect beautifully captures this rare intersection of past, present and future. The pioneering spirit that led 14 students in 1871 to enroll in the Elmhurst Proseminary lives on today in Elmhurst University’s strong culture of innovation. In these pages, you’ll read about how that spirit has inspired graduates to lead at the cutting edges of commerce, technology and humanitarian service; and how it’s sparking a flurry of innovative activity across campus right now. I hope you’ll come experience our entrepreneurial mindset for yourselves this fall, when we plan to return to campus for in-person learning, living—and celebrating!
TROY D. VANAKEN
President
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IN THE
CLASSROOM
THE CLASS
Modern Dance Technique
WE DIDN’T MISS A STEP
THE PROFESSOR
CONFRONTING THE PANDEMIC
Amy Lyn McDonald
When the pandemic halted in-person learning in March 2020, I had no idea how we would teach classes. I had no idea how we would put on a dance concert. But I knew we had to find a way. I had students who were counting on me, and I wasn’t about to let them down.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF THEATRE AND DANCE, HEAD OF DANCE PROGRAM
LEARNING AND ADAPTING
Amy Lyn McDonald and her students found ways to keep dancing—and learning— despite the challenges of a pandemic.
We established Facebook pages for each class, where we would meet for instruction and where students could comment and ask questions. We tried to make it as similar to in-person class as possible. I got instant feedback from students, which was important to me because I wanted them to feel heard. If students needed additional instruction, I arranged one-on-one FaceTime calls. We did a lot of learning and adapting, and somehow it worked.
THE POWER OF DANCE
A VIRTUAL CONCERT
Dance can have a profound impact on students. I’ve had students tell me that our classes have changed the way they think about themselves and their bodies. So I feel a responsibility to give them the best experience possible every day.
Our spring 2020 concert featured 60 students performing in 26 different dance pieces, in styles ranging from ballet to musical theatre. Most were recorded in students’ homes—in their living rooms, on decks, in basements. All those performances were knitted together by our technical director, [Assistant Professor of Theatre] Rick
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Arnold, and one of our students, Ashley Liljeberg, into a video concert that has received thousands of views. I still don’t know how we managed to pull that off. RETURNING TO STAGE
By the fall we were able to do modified in-person instruction. For each class session, half of the students participated remotely and half, in-person (masked and observing social distancing). Then the two groups switched places for the next session. We were able to get back to the Mill Theatre for our fall concert, which was recorded without an audience for our YouTube channel. We restricted the number of students on stage at a time and we were masked, but students were so overjoyed just to be on stage together again. THE COOLEST THING
Directing those remote concerts is probably the coolest thing I’ve done in my career. But there is nothing like being in the dance studio in Faganel Hall. It’s a windowless room, but I like to say it’s the sunniest room on campus. You just have to bring your own sunlight. My goal is that everyone who enters that room should leave it feeling more energized and more creative.
THE STUDENT VIEW
“I observed one of Amy Lyn’s dance classes before I had even decided to enroll at Elmhurst, and I knew right away that it was what I had been looking for. She creates such a positive environment. There is no competition among the dancers, just a commitment to striving to improve. That’s what makes the dance studio a special place on campus for so many of us.” — CLAIRE CHRISTIE ’22 DIGITAL MARKETING MAJOR
Watch the virtual dance concert at elmhurst.edu/VirtualDance.
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CAMPUS
NEWS
SPEAKER
Q&A
CAMPUS TREES ���
Daymond John of Shark Tank explains why diversity is good for business.
The famed entrepreneur, who launched the FUBU apparel company from his mom’s living room, will give the Roland Quest Lecture at Elmhurst on Sept. 23. He spoke recently with Prospect about role modeling, mindset and mentors. What have you enjoyed most about being on Shark Tank?
I love that I have opportunities to invest in other people’s dreams. But my favorite aspect is showing people that if someone like me can do it—a man of color who overcame obstacles and wasn’t an athlete, singer or politician, but just an everyday person—that they can do it as well.
The Merrill magnolias flanking the walk to Schaible Science Center mark the arrival of spring each year with an explosion of spectacular white blossoms. Planted in 1969 and 2008, the magnolias form a tunnel of fragrant flowers for visitors to the science center.
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What kind of mindset is key to being a
Why are mentors important, and who
successful entrepreneur?
were yours?
Be absolutely obsessed with your product and your customer. And learn something new every minute of every day to make yourself and your company better. So the mindset is also to be humble, and a little vulnerable.
It’s important that you gain and respect knowledge, no matter where it comes from. My life is filled with mentors. My mom was first, then my teacher who believed in a little, brown, dyslexic boy. Then the man who had a candy store in my neighborhood where I worked. And then my stepdad, who taught me that love doesn’t have to come in a certain color or package.
At Elmhurst you’ll be talking about why diversity is a good business practice. What does that mean to you?
Most likely, your business is serving diverse customers—diverse age groups, religions, genders, creeds and colors. How well do you serve those customers without having that representation in your company? Diversity is not only the right thing to do, it’s also the profitable thing to do.
What’s your advice for young people just getting into the workforce?
In my company we have a lot of kids who are digital natives and can show you how to maximize what you’re doing. I hope more young people will be that resource, that Swiss Army knife, that person who’s not only there to learn but who also is teaching.
HASHTAG
HIGHLIGHTS
We’re getting into the sesquicentennial spirit with #Elmhurst150! Follow us on social media to join the celebration and connect with our community.
FACULTY
FAREWELLS
Four longtime faculty members retired from the University just before the start of the 2020–21 academic year. Please join us in wishing them well in their next chapters! BARBARA BOSTELMANN, assistant
💯
coachbartolazzi Saturday track meets are special, but Sunday snuggles are elmhurst.university #Elmhurst150 is going to be sweet!
🍪
professor of nursing, joined the faculty in 2002 and revitalized Elmhurst’s chapter of the Student Nurses Association. In retirement, she continues to teach in the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences as an adjunct professor.
TIM HAYS, professor of music, built
Elmhurst’s nationally recognized music business program and established the Gretsch Recording Studio. An active musician in the Chicago area, Hays joined the faculty in 1984.
@mrmorong This @elmhurst_u student got through his 1st week student teaching with us!
elmhurstadmission Would you look at that?? We have some EXCITED squirrels who were happy to see almost 150 cars come by for our Spring Caravan
🌸
🌸
MARKETING GOLD Elmhurst’s marketing efforts won national recognition in 2020. The Collegiate Advertising Awards and the 8th Annual Education Digital Marketing Awards honored the University with gold, silver and merit awards for the Elmhurst University blog, the institutional website, two new videos for prospective students, and Bluejays Unite!, a video series outlining Elmhurst’s back-to-campus protocols during the pandemic.
Associate professor MIKE LINDBERG ’83 was chair of the Department of Intercultural Studies and the Department of Geography and Geosciences. The director of Elmhurst’s First-Year Seminar program and first-year advising, he joined the faculty in 2000. Professor MARY OESTERLE joined the Elmhurst nursing faculty in 2005. The founding director of the University’s master of science in nursing program, she played a key role in developing partnerships with area hospitals to support nursing students. S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 P RO S P E C T M AG A Z I N E
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NEWS
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CELEBRATING
OUR
SESQUICENTENNIAL The University begins a year of looking back and looking forward.
When Carl F. Kranz and 14 students stepped off a train in downtown Elmhurst in December 1871 to establish a new school, they could scarcely have imagined what they were starting. They had come to launch the Elmhurst Proseminary, a school to prepare teenage boys for careers as teachers and preachers in the German Evangelical Synod of the Northwest. From those humble roots 150 years ago, the institution now known as Elmhurst University has dramatically expanded its impact across the region, the nation and indeed the world. Elmhurst is marking its sesquicentennial—the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Rev. Kranz and his students— with a yearlong party that will celebrate the University’s legacy and look forward to its future.
“Throughout its history, Elmhurst has transformed the lives of its students, educating and preparing them to contribute meaningfully to a world that needs their diverse insights, knowledge and promise. That’s true now more than ever,” said President Troy D. VanAken. “We are thrilled for this opportunity to share our story with the world in the coming year.”
The celebration kicked off in May with a Commencement that honored both the Class of 2021 and the Class of 2020, whose ceremonies were postponed due to the pandemic. Summer plans include a June Jazz concert and a President’s Picnic for admitted students, and fall highlights include an old-time baseball game pitting representatives of the University against a team from the City of Elmhurst. The sesquicentennial will also shine a light on Elmhurst’s legacy and impact. An institutional history project, Calling All Voices, will feature stories from alumni and faculty, and the University will publish an updated edition of An Ever-Widening Circle: The History of Elmhurst College by Melitta J. Cutright. The Elmhurst History Museum will host a special exhibition focusing on the University’s history and a public lecture and presentation by Robert Butler, chair of the history department. On December 6, the University will mark its 150th birthday with a Founders Day celebration, including a reenactment of Rev. Kranz’s arrival in 1871. Even as Elmhurst celebrates its history, it remains focused on its future. The sesquicentennial celebration coincides with the introduction of new initiatives to guide the University through the years ahead, emphasizing the transformative potential of higher education. Learn more at elmhurst.edu/150.
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A RECORD GIFT
Elmhurst has received a record-setting philanthropic gift from business leader and longtime trustee Alfred Koplin. With his late wife, Jean, Koplin has supported and served the University for more than 40 years. Koplin’s gift represents the largest made by a living donor in the University’s history, and it is the latest of at least 50 significant gifts that he and his wife have made to Elmhurst over the past 30-plus years. He has served as a member of the University’s Board of Trustees since 1981. In appreciation for their generosity and years of service, the University renamed the Circle Hall building in honor of Jean Koplin, who passed away on Oct. 6, 2020, at the age of 97. (See In Memoriam, page 47.) Jean Koplin Memorial Hall was dedicated at a ceremony on June 11. For more about the dedication, see elmhurst.edu/KoplinCeremony. “I want to express our deep gratitude to Al and Jean Koplin for their extraordinary generosity and the impact it has had, and will have, on so many lives,” President Troy D. VanAken said.
FACU LT Y BOOK SH EL F A. ANDREW DAS, professor of religious studies and assistant dean of the faculty for assessment and accreditation, represented one of the approaches in Perspectives on Paul: Five Views, a book that brings together five of the world’s leading Pauline scholars for a discussion of the Apostle Paul’s writings and theology.
Elmhurst faculty are prominent scholars and published authors. Here are some of their recent works. MARY KAY MULVANEY
Perspectives on Paul: Five Views Scot McKnight and B. J. Oropeza Baker Publishing Group, 2020
is the co-editor of Internationalizing Honors, a monograph that highlights new ways for honors programs to incorporate international experiences as a central part of their programs. She also contributed two chapters to the piece. Mulvaney is a professor of English and the director of the Honors Program at Elmhurst.
Internationalizing Honors Kim Klein and Mary Kay Mulvaney, eds. National Collegiate Honors Council, 2020
NEWS BRIEFS THE NIEBUHR CENTER
A NEW VIDEO spotlights
ELMHURST’S COVID-19
hosted a weeklong teach-in,
the University’s connection
RELIEF GRANT provides
with the United Church of
support for students who
The February event featured
Christ. Elmhurst University
have been affected by the
lectures, breakout discussions
and the UCC: Sharing Our
and a keynote speech by
History, Looking to Our
TEMPLE GRANDIN, a promi-
scholarship of up to $1,000,
civil rights activist Sheyann
Future celebrates Elmhurst’s
nent speaker on animal behavior
the grant seeks to alleviate
Webb-Christburg.
rich history with the UCC
and autism, gave a virtual lecture
some of the financial
and outlines its ongoing
at Elmhurst on April 14. In her
challenges caused by COVID-19.
commitment to upholding
talk, Grandin spoke about the
church values. Watch the video
importance of nurturing different
at elmhurst.edu/UCCVideo.
ways of thinking. View the talk at
“Make Good Trouble.”
pandemic. A renewable
elmhurst.edu/TempleGrandin.
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FULL STEM AHEAD
It’s no secret that college students are generally less likely to persist and succeed in STEM classes than in other disciplines— and that women and underrepresented minorities are particularly affected by this trend.
SWING TIME
With the help of a grant from the National Science Foundation, Elmhurst University is planning to tackle that problem head-on. The nearly $300,000 grant will support professional development for part-time faculty in STEM fields with the goal of increasing student success. “Part-time instructors play an essential role in reducing equity gaps and increasing student success in STEM,” said Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin, associate dean of the faculty and principal investigator on the project. “But they don’t have as much access to professional development opportunities as the full-time faculty. Our program is designed to meet that need.” Launching this fall, the three-year program will combine training in teaching methods and STEM pedagogy with information about Elmhurst resources and insights from psychology.
A SHOT IN THE ARM Sixty Elmhurst University nursing students helped to administer tens of thousands of COVID-19 vaccinations when the DuPage County Health Department expanded its community vaccination clinic to a site at the county fairgrounds. “It’s every nurse’s dream to help put an end to something like this pandemic,” said their instructor, Laura Minarich, assistant professor of nursing and health sciences. “This is an incredible opportunity for our students, at a time when they can really make a difference.”
For his final act as director of the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival, Doug Beach oversaw a momentous first in the event’s 54-year history. Faced with the possibility of canceling the festival for the first time ever because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Beach made an executive decision and took the show virtual. Instead of welcoming audiences to campus, the festival featured prerecorded performances streaming live in late February. As usual, the festival hosted top college ensembles and some of jazz’s biggest names, including Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling, who performed with the Elmhurst University Jazz Band, under Beach’s direction. “We easily could have thrown in the towel and tried again next year,” said Beach, who is retiring this summer. “But we thought, ‘Why not do it online?’” For that, and for all the music-making Beach oversaw during his time at Elmhurst, audiences can be very grateful.
INTERNATIONAL FILM SCORE When Tommy Kelliher ’20 submitted his final project for a digital music class, he had no idea it would end up as the soundtrack for an international film. The assignment, for assistant music professor Mike Pinto’s Digital Music I class, was to compose a film score for one of three minute-long films submitted to the Filminute festival. Trevor Hardy, the director of Busker, liked Kelliher's score so much that he used it in the film.“I never expected the director to actually use my music for his film,” said Kelliher, who graduated in December with a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies. S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 P RO S P E C T M AG A Z I N E
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HATS OFF TO OUR NEWEST ALUMNI
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In May, the University brought the Classes of 2020 and 2021 back to campus for its first inperson Commencement since the start of the pandemic. Held outdoors on the University Mall, the joyful ceremonies kicked off a yearlong celebration of Elmhurst’s sesquicentennial. Congratulations to our historymaking graduates!
P H OTO S BY S A R A H N A D E R
See the highlights at elmhurst.edu/Commencement.
BEYOND T H E C L A S S RO O M
STUDENTS
WHEN BLUE MEANS GO Where Aman Dhiman ’23 grew up in northern India, there were few stop signs. So during his first year at Elmhurst University, when he found himself pulling up to an intersection at the same time as two other vehicles, there was some confusion about what was supposed to happen next. “No one was entirely sure whose turn it was,” said Dhiman, who notes that there are 700,000 crashes at stop-sign intersections in the United States annually. “One time, a cyclist rode out in front of me just as it was my turn and almost caused a crash. It was dangerous.” Dhiman, a physics major who tinkered in his family’s machinery business as a child and has a passion for mechanical engineering, came up with a solution. He developed what he calls the “StopLight,” a series of sensors and lights placed in and
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around a stop-sign intersection to let drivers, cyclists and pedestrians know when it’s their turn to proceed. After refining his idea with the help of his physics professors and classmates, Dhiman took it to the finals in the inaugural Bluejay Tank competition. Based loosely on the popular TV show Shark Tank, the competition allowed students to pitch their business ideas to a panel of entrepreneurs, with winners earning cash prizes. Dhiman said the experience inspired him to start his own company to develop prototypes of the devices and pitch them to state and local transportation officials.
“Traditional traffic lights are better than stop signs, but they are expensive—around $30,000 per intersection. My device would cost around $7,000 and make intersections safer.”
Aman Dhiman brings his ‘StopLight’ innovation to Elmhurst’s first Bluejay Tank contest.
Dhiman said the most difficult part of the competition was developing the pitch, but Elmhurst hosted several seminars that helped him shape his presentation. He plans to make good use of the University’s offerings in the innovation and entrepreneurship space as he moves forward with StopLight and other ideas, including a fire extinguisher with artificial intelligence that can sense fires and quickly put them out. “I like to launch new ideas, and I hope one of mine can change the world,” Dhiman said. “This competition was what I was searching for. It was nice to share my ideas and develop new opportunities.” Learn more about Bluejay Tank at elmhurst.edu/BluejayTank.
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BEYOND T H E C L A S S RO O M
FACULTY
As a Black woman in the sciences, Theresa Robinson has experienced her share of gender and racial bias. “Sometimes in college I was the only woman or the only Black student in my courses,” recalls Robinson, associate professor of education and director of secondary education at Elmhurst. “I remember very vividly being told that I didn’t belong.” Robinson has made it her life’s mission to break down those barriers and open the door to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for all learners. Inspired by her own teachers, she pursued a career in science education, first at the high school level and now at Elmhurst. “Teachers made a difference in my life. Teachers identified my gifts and my talents and nurtured them,” she said.
NEXT GEN STEM
“My mother and father were teen parents. But my teachers opened up the world for me and showed me what I could do.”
prehensive redesign of the University’s secondary education program, adding new middle-grade programs to expand students’ career options.
Robinson’s science teachers encouraged her interest in the field, even driving her to science fairs all over Chicago. One teacher connected her with scientists at the University of Chicago, where she was hired as an after-school lab assistant. From there, she went on to get an undergraduate degree in biology and then won a fellowship to support her Ph.D. work.
She also heads up Elmhurst’s STEM Academy, which introduces the joys of math and science to underrepresented high school students. Beyond her work at Elmhurst, she serves on the board of Girls Like Me Project Inc., a program that empowers Black girls to overcome negative stereotypes, and she co-founded the Black Educational Advocacy Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the success of Black students in STEM.
“That’s what my passion is. It’s been my life,” she said. “That’s what gets me out of bed in the “And I know that that can be morning,” she said. “That’s what has the case for other students me shipping science kits all across too. Even if they don’t have the United States for the Summer STEM Academy. It’s what has me the family structure at home, teachers can make a difference.” doing workshops on how to make Robinson began her career teaching biology and environmental science in Chicago Public Schools before turning her attention to higher education. At Elmhurst, she recently led a com-
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Theresa Robinson has dedicated her career to leveling the playing field for underrepresented students in math, science, technology and engineering.
soap for the Girls Like Me Project. It’s my passion for science, but more importantly, my passion to support students and show them they can do it too.”
I L LU S T R AT I O N B Y K I N G S L E Y N E B E C H I
BEYOND T H E C L A S S RO O M
ALUMNI
Rajee Aerie is breaking barriers in a high-powered modeling and acting career.
BE THE CHANGE Growing up on the East Coast, Rajee Aerie ’07 never saw anyone on television or in the media who looked like her. Born in India and adopted by an American family at age 6, Aerie had polio as a child and uses crutches when she walks. “In magazines and on TV, there was no person of color and definitely no person with a disability,” said Aerie. “So I was like, where do I fit in? If you don’t see yourself represented, you don’t feel like you belong.” At Elmhurst, she pursued a degree in communications with the goal of becoming a news anchor. “I wanted to go into media because there was such a lack of representation of people of color and people with disabilities,” she said. “Gandhi’s ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ kept running through my head.” Aerie’s first foray into media came when the background coordinator on a TV pilot stopped her on the street and invited her to be an extra.
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In addition to making frequent oncamera appearances, she was hired as a production assistant. “It was a good way to learn the industry,” she said. “Working on these TV shows and movies built up my resolve and gave me a direction of where I wanted to go.” Eventually, she started sending out head shots to Chicago-area talent agents—and her persistence paid off. Shortly after signing with Lily’s Talent, she landed her first national commercial. That’s when she knew she’d found her passion.
“It’s a feeling of pure joy when you’re doing what you’re meant to do,” she said. In 2018, she appeared on a billboard in Times Square as part of a campaign for Aerie, the lingerie subbrand of American Eagle Outfitters. (She was particularly drawn to the opportunity because Aerie happens to be her last name.) The following year, she was interviewed on national TV along with the president of the brand.
For Aerie, the outpouring of support she received after the campaign served as confirmation that she was fulfilling her purpose. A big part of that, she says, is serving as a role model for girls who might otherwise feel unseen. “I did a talk once at a local mall, and afterwards a mom made a beeline over to me,” she recalled. “She told me she had a daughter with a disability who was also adopted, and she said, ‘Thank you so much for being a role model and showing my daughter that she can achieve and do anything that she puts her mind to.’ “My passion, my outlet, my heart and soul is really in advocacy and making sure that all people are seen, heard and represented no matter what we look like, because all humans are worthy and valued. And it feels great to know that I’ve made a difference in a lot of people’s lives.”
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SPORTS SPOTLIGHT
OUR STORIES MATTER Elmhurst’s athletic department makes a forceful commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
In 2020, America’s student-athletes made their voices heard as never before, contributing to the national conversation about racial and social injustice. Wendy McManus, the University’s director of athletics, wants to keep that conversation going. The athletic department has embarked on a four-year plan to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the department and across campus. As part of an NCAA program, student-athletes took to social media in the fall to share their perspectives on social justice and community engagement. “Our student-athletes have important insights to share, and they should know they are being heard,” McManus said. “We want to encourage discussions.”
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Throughout the 2020–21 academic year, student-athletes, their coaches and athletic department staff have engaged in such discussions during team meetings, department-wide training sessions and even impromptu hallway conversations. “Sharing our experiences and perspectives is only going to bring us closer together,” said Tavey Durns ’21, a senior linebacker on the football team. Beyond the conversations, the athletic department’s four-year diversity plan sets a number of specific goals, including recruiting student-athletes from underrepresented groups at a rate equal to or greater than that of the University’s general undergraduate population; seeking diverse candidates for coaching and administrative staff positions; and promoting inclusivity with training to prevent discrimination and harassment.
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Prospect spoke with three student-athletes about the importance of diversity and inclusion.
D AV I D C A S TA N E D A ’ 2 2
DA N I E L A O L L E ’ 24
TAV E Y D U R N S ’ 2 1
Men’s Lacrosse
Women’s Track and Field
Football
“It’s great that so many professional
“I came to Elmhurst as an international
“In the fall, the football team met to
athletes are using their stage to talk
student from Mexico City, and I
have a discussion about social justice.
about racism and the importance
thought it would be difficult to fit in.
One of the freshmen asked me to tell
of diversity. Athletes can help lead
But I’ve felt included since my first day
him about how racism had affected
the way on campuses, too. You have
here. The more people you know from
me. I could see that it hurt him to hear
to get comfortable talking about it,
other cultures, the more open you will
some of the things that people of
instead of just sweeping it under
be to diversity.”
color go through. It was powerful to
the rug.”
have him hear me out.”
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ARTS SPOTLIGHT
ON A ROLL On Instagram, in the studio and on TV, rising star drummer Jessica Burdeaux is in a groove.
on Late Night with Seth Meyers. “It’s like a dream come true,” Lots of kids grow up playing a musical instrument. Jessica she says. Burdeaux ’14, on the other hand, says she grew up “obsessed with drums”—an obsession that helped turn her into a social Burdeaux’s fascination with drums began with sessions media sensation and, in the words of DRUM! magazine, on her older brother’s First Act starter kit. Soon she was “a rising star in the drum community.” working out the drum parts for her favorite Blink-182 songs. After playing in her high school jazz band, Burdeaux was Burdeaux’s dynamic online drum covers have earned her awarded a music scholarship at Elmhurst, where her playing 165,000 followers on Instagram and still more on YouTube, attracted immediate attention. Twitter and TikTok. She hosts a popular instructional series for Reverb, the Chicago-based online music community, “You could see right away she had a great feel and sense of time,” and plays in City Mouth, a Chicago-based pop punk band. says Doug Beach, director of jazz studies. “I remember watchShe has signed endorsement deals with Zildjian, Vic Firth ing a combo she was playing in, and saying, ‘Wow, she’s killing and other big names in drum gear. And earlier this year, it.’ She’s having a good time, and it shows in the way she plays.” Burdeaux did her second weeklong guest-drummer stint
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Burdeaux couldn’t see how to make a living at music, so she planned to pursue a master’s degree with an eye toward working in college campus life. Then she played her last concert with an Elmhurst student ensemble at Fitz’s Spare Keys in downtown Elmhurst. “I couldn’t accept that this would be my last performance,” she remembers. “I knew then that nothing would ever make me happier than playing drums.” Bob Rummage, an Elmhurst professor and a working musician himself, encouraged her to envision herself doing well. “It’s such a simple piece of advice, but it was so powerful,” Burdeaux recalls.
Burdeaux has indeed done well. Her 2016 Instagram cover of “Don’t Let Me Down” by the Chainsmokers went viral, landing millions of views and putting Burdeaux in the spotlight. She covers everything from hip hop to jazz to metal. Online, she offers tutorials on complex polyrhythms and guides to reproducing the drum sound from classics like the Smiths’ “The Queen Is Dead.” Her performances with Seth Meyers’ band made her feel that she had arrived. But Burdeaux is determined to keep challenging herself. “Passion generates success,” she says. “Not the other way around.”
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ACCELERATE INNOVATION Advancing a Culture Where Big Ideas Thrive
In a fast-changing world, the most successful companies are those that embrace innovation—companies like Tesla and Zoom, which started as the spark of an idea and then took off into the stratosphere. At Elmhurst University, where innovation has long been a hallmark, students have access to a wide variety of programs and resources designed to ignite their creative sparks and give them a running start into a world of ideas and entrepreneurship. “Agility is a byword for virtually every modern organization,” said James Kulich, director of the University’s graduate program in data science and analytics.
“For our students to be successful in a world of near-constant change, they must have the mindset of an entrepreneur, whether as a sole proprietor or a colleague in a multinational corporation.” Innovation resources at the University revolve around the Elmhurst University E-celerator, a one-stop shop for students with entrepreneurial dreams where they can meet with the entrepreneur in residence, who provides personalized coaching and mentorship. They can also prepare for the annual Bluejay Tank competition, an opportunity to pitch business ideas and receive valuable feedback from seasoned entrepreneurs. A partnership
with Innovation DuPage, a nearby business incubator, gives students access to additional resources, services and mentors. Beyond the E-celerator, a new graduate certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship (CIE) program helps students build the tools to become innovators in existing businesses or start their own. “Being an entrepreneur creates jobs,” said Bruce Fischer, director of the CIE program and professor of business and economics. “We’re taking them through those processes and helping them develop business plans. That’s where a lot of programs stop, but we’re continuing to guide them through implementation and fostering a real entrepreneurial spirit.” The University’s efforts have attracted national attention. In the latest U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings, Elmhurst was named the No. 3 most innovative college or university in the Midwest. “Elmhurst has a long history of being entrepreneurial, trying new things to fulfill its mission in ways that meet the needs of our larger society,” Kulich said. “We stand ready to serve our future students well as they prepare for lives that will feature a climate of exciting and challenging change.” Elmhurst alumni around the world are leveraging a spirit of entrepreneurship to create change in their fields and in their communities. Here are some of their stories.
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PAY IT FORWARD Invest in the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Barbara Kasekende ’02 was born in Kenya and grew up in neighboring Uganda. “When I was younger, I was not your typical African girl child, you might say. I was rebellious and believed there was more to my narrative than what I was given.” Kasekende had a cousin who had attended Elmhurst (Jacqueline Nalule ’99), so after high school she left everything behind to come to America. “The hope was that I would discover myself. That’s how I ended up in Chicago at 17 years old with just a suitcase and a teddy bear.” U G A N DA TO I LLI NO I S
Kasekende was “lost and homesick” at first, but she found caring mentors in Elmhurst Chaplain H. Scott Matheney—“He was the best friend ever, from day one”—and former President Bryant Cureton. “You would think, why would the president of a college respond to someone like me? I had nothing. But President Cureton took time to listen to me. That showed me what it means to be a true leader, someone who inspires and nurtures his students.”
L E SS O N S I N LE A D ERSHI P
IN V E ST I N G I N K I DS Today, Kasekende is a corporate social responsibility manager at Stanbic Bank in Uganda, where she invests in programs that empower young people through education and entrepreneurship. “This isn’t just my job—it’s my life’s calling. My work is to empower young people to become the future leaders and job creators of tomorrow.” More than 80 percent
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of Uganda’s population is under 30, and while young people face tremendous challenges, Kasekende believes that with the right support, they can “own the Ugandan narrative and change it.” Kasekende runs the National Schools Championship, a Shark Tank–style business competition for high school students and recent graduates. “The students are tasked to come up with a business idea that addresses a problem in their community and that’s centered around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.” The 2020 champions were a group of 17-year-olds who created Edutele Agency, a telephone-based system for connecting teachers and students without an internet connection during the COVID-19 shutdown. “They had 500 students from rural areas attending classes every day through Edutele. It’s a beautiful story.” S UCCE SS STOR IE S
“I like to see lives transformed. That’s my reason for waking up every morning.” When students start the program, some have never used a cell phone. By the end, they’re running their own business and making money. But more importantly, says Kasekende, they’re raising up the people around them. “Even now, I have goosebumps just talking about it. Every child whose life is transformed positively will go on to impact even more people.” PAY ING IT FORWAR D
“If I don’t pass on my knowledge, then I’m not doing this universe a service.”
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EMBRACE DISRUPTION Think Like an Entrepreneur
Michael Medema ’94 brings a wealth of real-world experience to his faculty position in Elmhurst’s new graduate certificate program in innovation and entrepreneurship.
How can they turn that passion project into something that generates incremental revenue? That’s where Elmhurst’s certificate program comes in. But not everyone wants to start their own company, right?
Are you a ‘serial entrepreneur’?
I’ve been very fortunate to start eight companies over the past 20 years. My sweet spot is taking an idea and quickly growing it into a national company. Most of my startups have been in the digital marketing space, working with brands like Lyft, Uber, Progressive Auto Insurance and BMW. But I also founded an online education company and an online trivia company.
Absolutely, but even if you work for someone else, you’re going to be way more successful if you think and act like an entrepreneur. Every employer wants problem solvers. They want independent thinkers and leaders. They want you to change old processes that are inefficient and ineffective. You can positively disrupt things from inside a company, too. It’s called “intrapreneurship.” What about money? Don’t you need investors and
Why is there so much interest in programs like
funding to launch a startup?
Elmhurst’s graduate certificate in innovation and
That depends on the startup. Fifty-five percent of Inc. 500 founders launched their first company with less than $10,000. You don’t need a lot of money if you surround yourself with mentors to coach you. People just don’t know where to start, but there are great resources out there. I’ve mentored startup founders ranging from high school and college students to young professionals and even seniors who want to launch a company in their retirement years.
entrepreneurship?
Most people today—both younger and older—don’t want to work for corporate America anymore. They don’t want to work 8 to 5 at an office with three weeks of vacation a year. They want flexibility and freedom, and most of all they want to work on products that they actually care about. Even if they’re working a day job to pay the bills, they have side hustles and passion projects.
“Life is one big mistake, and entrepreneurs embrace that idea. We try things, we take risks, we fail, we learn from our failures and we move on.”
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“As we celebrate our sesquicentennial this year, we’re celebrating 150 years of forward thinking. With the Innovation Committee, we’re leveraging our strengths and our great history to take that next step into the future.”
“Research tells us that the more you're exposed to different points of view, the more creative you tend to be. I see that every day at Elmhurst— the diversity of student backgrounds and perspectives sparks in-class discussions.” — EL IZABETH M AJKA Assistant Professor of Psychology
— S O N I S IM PS O N Co-chair, Innovation Committee Associate Professor, Business
“If you’re looking to be an entrepreneur, find some mentors—someone you can call and bounce ideas off of, someone you trust to tell you the truth.” — Q U IN CY B . B A NKS ’0 0 Founder and President, Graphix by Dzine
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“Massive global environmental challenges demand innovative solutions. Our environmental studies students get hands-on practice with the tools that are needed to solve some of these complex problems.” — KEL LY M IKENAS Assistant Professor, Biology Director, Environmental Studies Program
“Painting murals has taught me that when we are too close to things, we lose perspective. It’s only when we get some distance that we are able to understand what’s happening.”
“What I really enjoy is assembling a great team. When I have people around me who are super energizing and brilliant and kind and generous, I feel like I can do anything.” — JENNIE O H BROWN Adjunct Faculty, Music Artistic and Executive Director, Ear Taxi Festival
— R A FA EL B LA NCO Assistant Professor, Art
“My goal every day is to fail in a new way. If I’m not failing, I’m not trying anything new, I’m not stretching myself, I’m not expanding. I love failing because you learn a lesson and then you do it again and again.”
“Innovation thrives when the time from idea to prototype is minimized. Our new labs provide the equipment for students to test their ideas by making a quick prototype.” — VENKATESH GO PAL Chair, Department of Physics
— C H R IST IN A MON TA LVO, MBA ’1 6 Founder, The Confidence Project
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Feeding America’s MealConnect app reduces hunger by matching extra food with local need.
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FEED SMARTER Leveraging Technology to Fight Hunger
As chief innovation officer for Feeding America, Maryann
In the United States, an estimated 40 percent of food
Byrdak ’94 is upgrading the nonprofit’s tech offerings to
is thrown away. How is Feeding America using innovative
better serve Americans in need.
and intuitive technology to combat this epidemic of food waste?
As a tech executive with experience driving innovation at Sears, Home Depot and Potbelly, what skill set do you bring to Feeding America?
My sweet spot is bridging the divide between technology and business, and understanding how to talk about technology with different audiences, whether it’s a roomful of engineers or the board of directors. I started off as a programmer, but after I received my MBA, strategy and collaboration became part of my DNA.
We developed MealConnect, a free app that connects food retailers and food producers—grocery stores, restaurants, cafeterias—directly with food pantries and homeless shelters. The app uses an algorithm to automatically match surplus food with local needs. We’re adding new features all the time, like making it easy for farmers to donate unsold products, or for volunteers to sign up as delivery drivers. What other food challenges can be met using
Was it a unique challenge to build innovation into the
technology and innovation?
nonprofit sector?
Sadly, there’s a stigma tied to food banks and food assistance. We developed a platform called OrderAhead that empowers our clients to select the foods that they want in a shopping cart instead of just receiving a standard box. It’s an added touchpoint that allows us to serve with dignity while addressing hunger and food waste. That’s at the heart of what we do.
In the IT world, we call it a “greenfield” opportunity. Feeding America was a blank piece of paper where I could figure out what the needs were, decide what we were going to build and also how we were going to build it. Plus, I get to work with the likes of Google and Salesforce—organizations that want to provide their services and software for free. It’s really been fun to do something so different.
Feeding America is a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 agencies around the country. As a hunger organization and a “food rescue” organization, it works to prevent food from going to waste in order to feed those who don’t have enough to eat. Feeding America expects to serve 42 million people in 2021, up from 35 million before COVID-19.
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IGNITE INNOVATION Inspiring Students to Turn Sparks Into Success
As Elmhurst University’s inaugural entrepreneur in residence, Patrick Yanahan inspires students by bringing in speakers and developing mentoring relationships. But he knows that more than anything, students need to learn how to cope with the roller-coaster ride that is being a business owner. “Students have ideas, and the initial spark is the fun part. But once you get started in the business and it’s not moving as fast as you want, you may want to quit. I want them to learn how to develop the resilience to overcome those obstacles.” PAT R IC K YANAH AN ’9 4, M BA ’10 President, USA Strategies
IMAGINING ELMHURST 22.0 Elmhurst University is embracing innovation and preparing for a bold future.
In late 2020, the University introduced the Innovation Committee, an interdisciplinary group of faculty, students, staff and administrators committed to nurturing creativity and bringing new ideas to life. The committee’s work focuses on two initiatives: Imagining Elmhurst 22.0, which invites the entire campus community to submit ideas for building a better Elmhurst, and Bluejay Brilliance, which celebrates examples of innovation across campus. The Board of Trustees has allocated funding to support the committee’s efforts.
START A CHAIN REACTION Connecting with a Startup Mentality Sam Martyn discovered the power of new ideas at Elmhurst, where he served on the Entrepreneurship Task Force. Today, he’s staying connected to that startup mentality through his work at Amplify, which helps entrepreneurs launch and build their businesses.
some money. But what if I built a business that helped other businesses succeed? Then I could have an exponential impact.” SAM MARTYN ’19 Director of Business Development, Amplify
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“If I launched my own business, sure, I could make
S T E M M E E T S I N N O VA T I O N The Elmhurst physics department is reimagining its program. A first step has been the creation of creative and playful spaces that foster collaboration, rapid prototyping and a hands-on approach to problem-solving. The new spaces include a computation studio, an optics lab, labs with 3D printers and laser cutters, and a colorful student lounge. Made possible by an anonymous gift from the family of a former student, the new spaces give students access to the tools they need to bring their ideas to life.
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ASK WHY Pushing the Bounds of AI
As an Elmhurst student in the late 1980s and early 1990s, “Our current algorithms are essentially glorified pattern Rob Hyland ’92 always said he would spend his life recognizers. They can’t even provide answers when asked developing artificial intelligence with his friends. why,” Hyland said. “We can use programs to recognize patterns or help in business. But I want something that “I imagined making intelligent systems that can reason can determine how to drive into new markets or tell the like a human,” said Hyland, who has been a leader at military how a plan will turn out and explain why.” MITRE, BAE Systems and now Charles River Analytics, where he is principal scientist and director of technology At Charles River Analytics, Hyland is a leader in an transition. “Now I’m doing it, and I’m using technology ambitious, nationwide project with more than 100 I was involved in developing. My car has elements of researchers to create an artificial intelligence that is neural nets that I was researching 15 years ago.” socially intelligent and can understand context. Among other challenges, his team is conducting a searchHyland has helped develop systems that can scrape the and-rescue mission in the game Minecraft, and then news media to inform the U.S. Department of Defense developing AI that can learn how to give advice on how to best collaborate with finite resources or catch about global issues in real time. With the support of teamwork problems at just the right time. grants from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), he worked on natural language processing to enable computers to understand written “That kind of innovation is something I’ve had to deal text and collaborated on research that would later be with throughout my career. It’s a tough nut to crack, used to develop technology such as Apple’s Siri. but I enjoy the challenge,” Hyland said. “We’re at an awesome place in history for AI. My career has exceeded Those technologies have come a long way. But Hyland some of my wildest dreams, but there’s still so much has even grander visions for the future of computing. more we can do.”
“Innovation depends on discipline, creativity and management that acknowledges failure is an option. If you take a swing and miss, you need to be honest about what didn’t work and learn from that.”
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ADVANCE CARE Improving Patient Outcomes Through Deep Insights
After working as a nurse for nearly a decade, Kirsten Emmons ’02 joined Hillrom, a medical technology company focused on innovative solutions for patient mobility, diagnostics, surgical safety and more. Currently
learnings and through that ethnography and immersion that you’re able to pull out new needs and opportunities to improve the way they care for their patients.
director of clinical and market insights for the company,
How important are innovation and entrepreneurship for
she’s also an inventor with more than 30 patents in her
students coming out of school today?
name—including hospital bed technology, wearable
field and her spirit of innovation.
Coming on the heels of the pandemic, there are going to be so many changes in every type of business that students are considering entering. They’re going to have to look for new ways to do the same old business.
How do you define innovation, and what does it mean
How do you keep the spirit of innovation alive as you
to you?
progress in your career?
Beyond just thinking outside the box, there’s this notion of being forward thinking. In my world, it means truly understanding what clinicians need to take better care of patients. That comes with this intense need to understand the space and the environment, more deeply than they’re even able to think about. It’s through those
That spirit can be dampened. You have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and look for the next opportunity. I focus on technologies and growth opportunities that I think are really important for my company or for my customers. That allows me to maintain passion even when I reach those barriers or hurdles.
monitoring devices, and systems for detecting infections. Emmons attributes her success to her experience in the
“It’s cool that I can use my nursing background and implement real-world experience into our innovations and technologies versus having just an engineer thinking about it, or just a business specialist thinking about it.”
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ALUMNI NEWS Road Tripping Via Zoom Alumni came together virtually on April 22 to celebrate Earth Day and hear updates from their alma mater. The President’s Road Trip 2021, held over Zoom, showcased the University’s commitment to creating a greener campus with a focus on the campus arboretum, the Frick Center green roof and more. President Troy D. VanAken also gave a preview of the University’s plans for an in-person President’s Road Trip to more than a dozen cities beginning in fall 2021.
�� Hours of Fun(ds) This year’s #JayItForward Giving Day on May 6 raised more than $216,000 in support for scholarships and other campus initiatives. Alumni representing at least seven decades participated in the 24-hour fundraiser, which included numerous alumni-sponsored giving challenges. The event capped off a historic fundraising year for Elmhurst, with nearly $10 million raised as of May 31—a record amount for the University. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the collaborative and innovative efforts taking place across our campus,” President VanAken said. “I can’t think of a more promising way to set the stage for our sesquicentennial year celebrations.”
Did You Know?
The Barbara A. Kieft Accelerator ArtSpace was built around a 1950s-era atom smasher left over from the site’s former life as a physics lab. The 750,000-volt proton accelerator came to Elmhurst in 1969 from the University of Chicago and was in use for nearly 30 years. Today, the atom smasher provides an unusual backdrop to student and professional art exhibitions.
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EMPOWER A P P LY B Y AUGUST 15 S TA R T CLASSES ON AUGUST 30
Take your career to the next level with a graduate degree from Elmhurst University.
F R E E COURSE
Our graduate programs are flexible, practical and tailored to meet marketplace demands. Choose from more than 20 options in business, education, health care and technology—and prepare to lead in a collaborative world. Apply Now! elmhurst.edu/Apply
Graduate Studies
Alumni of Elmhurst undergraduate programs can take their first graduate course for free. Learn more at elmhurst.edu/FreeCourse.
CLASS NOTES 1960s & 1970s
Jim Leamon ’63 retired in October 2020 after 54 years of full-time active ministry with the United Church of Christ. Leamon and his wife, Carol Lillard ’63, have been married for 57 years and have three children, four grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter who was born in May 2020.
1944 A Red Cross blood drive on
campus supported the Allied effort during World War II.
1960 Victor E. Bluejay atop an 1890s bicycle won first place in the annual Homecoming Parade float contest.
Sandra (Cone) Ludwig ’63 recently published a memoir and two novels. The memoir, Don’t Drink the Water! A Story about God’s Saving Grace, details her experiences teaching English in Colombia after graduating. Her first novel, Home at Last, is a Christian romance, and the second, Count Your Blessings, features a Christian social worker. She’s currently working on a third novel, All God’s Children. Alexander Rassogianis ’69 is receiving positive reviews for his book Clouds Over the Aegean (Outskirts Press), which was published in June 2020. A thriller set on the Greek island of Naxos, the book combines mystery, murder and international intrigue. “Fans of the sunshine noir genre will undoubtedly enjoy the descriptions of Greece, while the characters endeavor to unravel the mystery,” Eleni Sakellis wrote in The National Herald. Douglas Warne ’69 recently purchased the largest and most profitable winemaking store in greater Toronto. Warne says he’s enjoying the fruits of his labor.
1969 Boxing legend and social activist Muhammad Ali spoke on campus and met with students in January 1969.
Marilyn (Hinchley) Nielsen ’70 is auditing classes at the University of Wisconsin– Whitewater. She is studying piano and
has completed courses in the history of rock ’n’ roll, music appreciation, music theory and the history of jazz. Roseann (Hotz) Woodka ’70 published her first book in July 2020. Precious Moments with Dick and Jane (Mariana Publishing) is a children’s book that tells the true story of Woodka’s two rescue puppies and their journey to becoming therapy dogs. Woodka is a licensed psychologist, and Dick and Jane serve as her co-therapists. Fred Gretsch ’71, H ’16, and his wife, Dinah Gretsch, celebrated their grandson, Zach, who earned a doctor of physical therapy degree in May 2020. Zach follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, president of the Gretsch Company, who received an honorary doctor of music degree from Elmhurst. Charles Grippo ’72 wrote a play, A Wife’s Tale, that was published by Smith Plays. He plans to license the script for worldwide productions. Grippo is an entertainment lawyer, theater and film producer, playwright, and author. His books The Stage Producer’s Business and Legal Guide and Business and Legal Forms for Theater (Allworth Press publishing) are both in their second editions and are used as definitive texts on theater law for non-lawyers. Currently, he is working on producing a livestreamed series of shows with actor and playwright Hershey Felder.
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CLASS NOTES
Caring for Others—Personally and Professionally For Terry Gerardi Batura ’94 , appearing in Edward-Elmhurst Health’s “Here, It’s Personal” marketing campaign represents truth in advertising. Batura, nursing supervisor at Elmhurst Hospital, not only cares for a range of patients but also tends to the special needs of her sons: Sean, 10, has autism, and Ryan, 17, has Down syndrome and autism. “It’s a true honor to be a caregiver at home and at work,” says Batura, who is known for her personal touch with patients. “There is nothing else I would rather be doing.” She says her time in the nursing program and athletics at the University gave her the tools to reach her goals. “The nursing program was very challenging, and the instructors pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of doing,” Batura says. “Elmhurst set me up for success.”
1980s & 1990s
John Downing ’84 recently earned a Ph.D. in postsecondary and adult education. Downing teaches at the University of Dubuque and says he’s found his true calling working in higher education. He also says it’s never too late to accomplish your dreams, no matter your age. Paul Wedemann ’84 received the 2020 Thomas Lay Burroughs Award for Outstanding School Board President from the Illinois State Board of Education. President of the school board at Fenton Community High School in Bensenville, Ill., Wedemann was recognized for his extraordinary leadership. Kathleen O’Leary Havelka ’87 was recently appointed vice president of research and development for ANGUS Chemical Company. An innovator who finds solutions to support growth, Havelka has eight patents and multiple publications to her name.
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Julie Bruns ’94 recently published Peace, Possibilities and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career (Ignite Press, January 2021), a practical guide to becoming more peaceful and joyous in work and in life. On its first day on the market, the book became a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon.
2000s
James M. Magrini ’00 recently published Politics of the Soul in the Alcibiades (Peter Lang Press, 2021). He is also contributing a chapter to the forthcoming text, Heidegger and the Holy (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021). Rev. Jason Churchill ’03 received the 2020 Peacemaker Among Us Award from Delaware Pacem in Terris, a Wilmington-based organization focused on peace and justice. He was recognized for his peace initiatives in food and social justice, and for his service as chair of Pacem’s board of directors.
Rafe Posey ’04 shares that his debut novel, The Stars We Share, was released in May 2021 (Pamela Dorman Books). Set during World War II, the novel is about the cost of war, the secrets we keep, and an English couple who are continually tested by distance, sacrifice and ambition. Posey’s creative work has previously appeared in Poydras Review, Empty Sink, The Light Ekphrastic, Urbanite and others. D. Scott Tharp ’05 recently published Doing Social Justice Education: A Practitioner’s Guide for Workshops and Structured Conversations (Stylus Publishing, 2020), a comprehensive introduction to planning and designing social justice experiences. Karen Hurula ’07 has been appointed director of the Wheaton College Counseling Center in Wheaton, Ill. The first woman to hold this position, Hurula earned her doctorate in clinical psychology in 2012. Heather Forster Jensen ’08 celebrated her five-year work anniversary at Indian Prairie Public Library in September 2020. She was recently promoted to programming and outreach services specialist. Laura Simantirakis ’08 and her sister Susan DiLillo ’14 recently started Captured In A Click, a clothing line featuring customized apparel for kids and themed party items. Jennifer (Myers) Hatzold ’09 and her husband, Drew Hatzold ’08, welcomed their fourth child, Dean James, on Aug. 27,
2020. Their other children, Logan, Blake and Morgan, are excited to have him. Mike LaFleur ’10 was named offensive coordinator for the New York Jets in January 2021 after spending the past three seasons as the passing game coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. Hannah Thompson ’12 is the new program director for the Anabaptist Disabilities Network (ADN) in Elkhart, Ind. In her new role, Thompson will be responsible for creating ADN’s newsletter, building community, and strengthening the network. Thompson is also a motivational speaker and an advocate for individuals who have disabilities. Rev. Allyson Vertigan ’12 was recently ordained by the United Church of Christ and works at Rush University Medical Center as a chaplain. In 2011, after Elmhurst added a question about sexual orientation to its admission application, Vertigan told the Chicago Tribune that she was proud of her college. “I think this is a great step contextually, within the nation,” said Vertigan, who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Adam Hansen ’13 and Alissa Brunet ’14 were married in October 2020 at an outdoor ceremony in Cantigny Park. Katelyn Ditzler ’16 and Sean Elfstrom ’16 were married in September 2020. Mary Moore ’18 and Tristan Heffner ’19 got engaged in December 2020. The couple lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., with their two dogs and four cats.
Mentor and Industry Leader Alison Hitzker MBA ’10 received Elmhurst’s 2020 Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award. A director and service line coordinator for global marketing research company Ipsos, Hitzker supports Elmhurst students and alumni in many ways, including serving as a mentor, visiting classrooms to discuss careers in marketing, and connecting students with shadowing and internship opportunities at Ipsos. In nominating Hitzker for the award, assistant professor Sherry Smoak wrote that Hitzker is dedicated to helping students reach their potential. “I know I can always count on her to aid us in any way to help support students and their learning,” Smoak wrote.
Chicago Radio Legend Signs Off After 52 award-winning, pioneering years at WBBM NewsRadio 780, Leonard “Len” Walter ’62 delivered his farewell business report on Jan. 22, 2021. Walter’s retirement ends an illustrious run at WBBM. He made history as the first journalist to broadcast regularly from what is now known as the Chicago Stock Exchange. He’s won countless awards for excellence, including the Edward R. Murrow Award for International Investigative Reporting and the Best Radio Reporter award by the Illinois and Michigan Associated Press. “We will miss his authoritative voice, his business acumen and his love of radio reporting,” said Ron Gleason, brand manager of WBBM Newsradio.
Alumnus Makes a Name for Himself Longtime Elmhurst University donor Dr. John Sallstrom’s name is now literally synonymous with academic excellence at Georgia College in Milledgeville, Ga. On Oct. 13, 2020, Sallstrom ’61, a professor of religion and philosophy who founded the college’s honors program in 1970, became the namesake of the John E. Sallstrom Honors College. Dr. Ken Saladin, Georgia College professor emeritus, called Sallstrom a visionary. “He conceived of the idea that we should have an honors program even when we were a small, local college,” Saladin said, according to the college’s website. Sallstrom earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Elmhurst University and has been a dependable donor since 1986. He is an active member of the President’s Circle, which recognizes leaders who give $1,000 or more annually. S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 P RO S P E C T M A G A Z I N E
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IN MEMORIAM JAZZ FAN AND LONGTIME FRIEND
Longtime University trustee John “Jack” Gibbon Cashman died Jan. 16, 2021. He was 89. An Army veteran, Cashman earned his Juris Doctor at the University of Texas, then began his career in the law department at Sears Roebuck and Company in Dallas. His career with Sears ended in 1990 in Chicago. During his time in the Chicago area, Cashman was a dedicated supporter of the University’s jazz program, particularly the Jazz Band. In 1980, he and his wife, Peggy, co-chaired Elmhurst’s first Summer Extravaganza, an annual event now known as June Jazz. “Over the years I’ve greatly valued Jack’s advice and insights, as well as his eagerness to keep building connections between the University and the community,” said Elmhurst University President Troy D. VanAken. “He loved Elmhurst and was always in our corner.”
AWARD-WINNING BROADCASTER
Former trustee William Campbell, an award-winning broadcaster and producer at WLS-Ch. 7, passed away on March 17, 2021, at the age of 70. An Elmhurst trustee from 2001 to 2010, Campbell began his career at WLS-Ch. 7 as director of editorials in 1978. Over his 32year career with the station, he also served as community services director and host of Chicagoing, a public-affairs show that won several Emmy Awards. He retired from the station in 2010 to start a consulting business.
Rev. Dr. Paul Irion ’44 Feb. 7, 2021, Lancaster, Pa. Mary (Petroplus) Radloff ’47 Jan. 14, 2021, Aurora, N.Y. Sibylle (Gerstenberg) Ehrlich ’48 Oct. 28, 2020, Baltimore, Md. Frances (Wentzel) Headings ’48 Jan. 1, 2021, Fort Wayne, Ind. Rev. Paul Krebill ’49 Feb. 19, 2021, Bozeman, Mont. Rev. John Schroeder ’49 Dec. 3, 2020, Evansville, Ind. Gwendolyn (Geyer) Tveter ’49 Sept. 22, 2020, Walworth, Wis. Warren Erickson ’50 Dec. 16, 2020, Leesburg, Fla. Dorothy Halverson ’50 Dec. 2, 2020, Waupaca, Wis. June (Adler) Eaton ’51 Feb. 22, 2021, Villa Park, Ill. Lois (Tagtmeier) Long ’51 Nov. 30, 2020, Huntley, Ill. Dorothea (Glauert) Engelsdorfer ’52 April 7, 2021, Belleville, Ill. James Doyle ’53 Oct. 16, 2020, New Richmond, Wis. Dr. John Wickman ’53 Jan. 22, 2021, Abilene, Kan. Dawn (Emde) Baker ’54 Nov. 4, 2020, Oak Brook, Ill. Jerome Belza ’54 Oct. 7, 2020, Louisville, Ky. Judith Niemann ’54 Nov. 28, 2020, Groton, Conn. Rev. Glen Halbe ’55 Dec. 17, 2020, Racine, Wis. Rev. Richard Zulauf ’55 Oct. 16, 2020, Leesburg, Fla. Ann (Kioseff) Masson ’56 Dec. 11, 2020, Pullman, Wash.
A LIFE OF MEDICINE AND SERVICE
Dr. Donald Armin Nagel ’50, H ’75, who led a life of public service, died May 24, 2020, at the age of 91. Nagel graduated from the University with a degree in sociology but spent his career in academic medicine in California. He was chief of orthopedics at Stanford Medical School for 13 years, then continued there as professor and emeritus professor. In his 45-year career, Nagel estimated he performed more than 6,000 surgeries and made about 90,000 patient contacts. He also changed lives as a public servant. A volunteer with the Public Health Service and other organizations, Nagel gave his time and talents to diverse cultures around the world.
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Rev. Roland Bizer ’58 Feb. 21, 2021, Naperville, Ill. Dr. Robert Behmer ’59 Feb. 20, 2021, Winnebago, Ill. Rev. Dr. Arthur Ellersieck ’60 Feb. 11, 2021, Sun City, Ariz. Sandi Pinio ’61 Nov. 18, 2020, Pinole, Calif. Nila (Awe) Bronson ’62 March 5, 2021, Severna Park, Md. Henry Holzkamper ’62 Nov. 14, 2020, Bonita Springs, Fla. Kenneth Karnstedt ’62 Oct. 30, 2020, Elmhurst, Ill. Ronald Waldschmidt ’62 Jan. 14, 2021, Glen Ellyn, Ill. Richard Brandau ’65 Feb. 2, 2021, Powahatan, Va.
Ronald Pocevicz ’65 Jan. 13, 2021, New Lisbon, Wis. James Gargano ’68 Jan. 14, 2021, Elk Grove Village, Ill. Harold Warp ’68 Dec. 25, 2020, Wood Dale, Ill. Joyce Brown ’69 Feb. 6, 2021, Glen Ellyn, Ill. Richard Johnson ’70 Dec. 10, 2020, Hendersonville, N.C. Michael Marsico ’70 Dec. 15, 2020, Gainesville, Ga. Robert Rutkas ’70 Jan. 1, 2021, Yorkville, Ill. Susan (Hajny) Smith-Brooks ’70 Feb. 8, 2021, Somers, N.Y. George Phillip ’71 Oct. 18, 2020, Green Lake, Wis. Thomas Good ’73 Dec. 31, 2020, Georgetown, Texas William Hanks ’73 Dec. 5, 2020, Algonquin, Ill. Louis Anasinis ’74 Feb. 24, 2021, Maywood, Ill. Olive (Johnson) Merrick ’74 Dec. 23, 2020, Wheaton, Ill. Michele (Clary) Larson ’76 Dec. 22, 2020, Romeoville, Ill. Joyce (Haynes) Melbinger ’76 Oct. 10, 2020, Duncansville, Pa. Christine Smith ’78 March 1, 2021, Elmhurst, Ill. Salvatore LiVolsi ’79 Feb. 25, 2021, Harvard, Ill. William Hawkins ’82 Oct. 25, 2020, Cottage Grove, Wis. Francis McQuade ’82 Dec. 21, 2020, Saint Charles, Ill. Joyce (Coryell) Weinbrenner ’83 Dec. 8, 2020, Mundelein, Ill. Susan (Clark) Jensen ’84 Jan. 13, 2021, Lilburn, Ga. Norma Rogers ’84 Dec. 18, 2020, Roanoke, Ill. Susan (Sibley) Cumpata ’88 Oct. 11, 2020, Elgin, Ill. George Duychak ’93 Dec. 2, 2020, Menomonie, Wis. David Eustice ’93 March 24, 2021, Durham, N.C. James Maher ’94 March 28, 2021, Joliet, Ill. Christine (Consalvo) Perry ’94 March 25, 2021, Addison, Ill. K. Elizabeth (Liz) Orrico ’00 Jan. 4, 2021, Plainfield, Ill. Margaret Radvilas-Perea ’07 Jan. 30, 2021, Chicago, Ill.
DEDICATED DONOR
Thomas O. Myers Jr., former owner and president of Thomas O. Myers Real Estate in Elmhurst, died on April 1, 2021, at age 96. Myers was a dedicated donor and friend to the University. In 2002 he and his wife, Shirley, were awarded the Founders Medal in recognition of their “lifetimes of building, directing and accomplishing.” Parents of Paul Myers ’96, Tom and Shirley Myers established an endowed scholarship fund at the University for the ongoing benefit of students.
A UNIVERSITY PHILANTHROPIST A supporter of the University for more than 40 years, Jean “Jeanie” (O’Donnell) Koplin died Oct. 6, 2020, at the age of 97. She and her husband, Alfred, a University trustee, together have made at least 50 significant gifts to Elmhurst. To honor that generosity, the University has renamed Circle Hall to Jean Koplin Memorial Hall. In 1966, she and her husband launched Hinsdale Management Corp., a real estate and property management company that has built more than 300 homes and apartments, office buildings and shopping centers in Chicago’s western suburbs. Koplin helped drive the business to greater heights with her architecture and design knowledge, which she obtained while reading books at the Chicago Public Library. She loved to travel the world, having logged trips to Russia, China and Cuba with her husband in the 1970s.
AN ADVENTUROUS ENTREPRENEUR
Henry A. Holzkamper ’63, known for his entrepreneurial spirit and philanthropic support for the University, died Nov. 14, 2020. He was 81. After graduating with a bachelor’s in business administration, Holzkamper joined the Navy, then became a teacher upon his return to civilian life. He pursued a career in real estate until the 1980s, when an unfavorable market caused him to shift gears. He bought a boat and started a charter business in the Virgin Islands. When his boat and business were destroyed by Hurricane Marilyn in 1995, he moved to Florida and rekindled his real estate career. “I believe in giving tenants not a place to live but a home,” he told the Naples Daily News in 2019. Throughout his professional life, Holzkamper regularly supported the University’s Annual Fund. S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 P RO S P E C T M A G A Z I N E
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MY CAREER
PATH
SERIAL STARTUP Jeff Sarris ’04, MS ’06, takes lessons from his own lean startup journey to help launch other entrepreneurs.
Deep down I’ve always been a problem solver, which is why I was drawn to math and technology. I attained my first paid web design client in high school, but the foundation of my understanding of logic and programming was established at Elmhurst. To this day, these skills are essential to what I do as an entrepreneur. As I look back, I think our paths are a series of inflection points. Those moments may not be our first exposure to an idea, but they’re the ones that stick. For me, one such moment was in 2007 when I picked up a brand-new book called 48
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The 4-Hour Workweek. That book opened my eyes—not to the promise of the clickbait-y title, but to the possibility that entrepreneurship was a viable path.
amazing entrepreneurs, such as The Minimalists, who have now reached over 20 million people through their blog, books, podcast and our Netflix documentary, Minimalism.
Once I saw that, I couldn’t unsee it.
One major takeaway from my experience is that improving someone else’s life is always a good business decision.
From that moment forward I focused on using my existing skill set to help people who were doing things that I believed in. In time this led to revenue and, subsequently, the co-founding of my company, SPYR Media, where my business partner and I develop brands and businesses from the ground floor. Over the years we’ve been privileged to assist many
No matter your aspirations, my advice is to get started, be open to ideas unlike your own and seek your potential inflection points. None of us have it figured out, but one day you too may look back upon Elmhurst as one of the places that laid the groundwork for your life’s work.
I just made my first gift to Elmhurst. Here’s why. As an Elmhurst student, I studied in Italy for a semester, participated in a sorority and had four internships. My time at Elmhurst was a wonderful experience, and it set me up to succeed. I want all students to be able to dream big for their education like I did. So, when Elmhurst rolled out the diversity and inclusion scholarship, I knew it was time for me to give back. Giving to Elmhurst is a tangible way to help students access a life-changing experience. SARA STEINHOFF ’16, MBA ’21
MAKE YOUR FIRST GIFT If you haven’t given to Elmhurst before, now is a great time to start. As a first-time donor you’ll receive a special gift—along with the satisfaction of knowing you’re making a difference.
First-Year Admission Counselor
GIVE NOW elmhurst.edu/Give
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J O I N U S AT H O M E C O M I N G 2 0 2 1 T O H O N O R O U R PA S T, C E L E B R AT E O U R F U T U R E , A N D S H O W YO U R B L U E J AY P R I D E . Interested in hosting a reunion? Contact us at alumni@elmhurst.edu.
