Bradley University Summer 2012
bradley.edu/hilltopics
president’s prelude
if a picture is worth a thousand words, the aerial
duane zehr
photograph of our transformed campus on pages 20–21 is worth an entire encyclopedia. In the photo you can see the significant improvements that have redefined our campus over the last few years. From the Markin Family Student Recreation Center to the Renaissance Coliseum to the lush, green Alumni Quad, our campus has expanded and changed dramatically. The new buildings have a consistent and collegiate look, with extensive use of the same Indiana limestone that built our two original buildings — Bradley Hall and Westlake Hall. We are in the final Leaders of the campus groups who sponsored the first Interfaith stages of the substantial expansion and renovation of Westlake, and faculty Baccalaureate since the 1960s are pictured with President Glasser. from the College of Education and Health Sciences will welcome students From left, JACOB LARSON ’12 (Newman Center), ZACH DALIN ’13 (Hillel), to their new home this fall. It is absolutely beautiful, and I am so pleased and BILALUDDIN MOHAMMED ’12 (Muslim Student Association). that we were able to retain the classic architectural appearance of the original 1897 structure. The campus looks markedly different from the aerial views published in 2003. After that series of seasonal photos appeared, alumni around the country were so impressed that scores asked for reprints. I am delighted that Bradley Hilltopics again will bring you four seasonal views of campus, this being the first. I encourage you to save them as keepsakes or download your own at bradley.edu/go/ht-aerials. Better yet, I invite you to see for yourself all that the Hilltop has become. The magnolias in the spring are lovely and fragrant. The roses in the summer are spectacular. The trees in autumn carry many striking colors. Even the snow in winter makes our campus look brisk and bright. The Hilltop truly has never looked better. Bradley is making significant progress with new facilities, academic excellence, experiential learning, leadership development, and social opportunities for students. Indeed, in every area the University is moving forward. To build on our momentum, your help is needed. We’ve set a goal to have 20 percent of our alumni contribute this year. We are calling this initiative “20% in 2012.” We’ve set that target because additional resources are needed to continue the progress we’ve made. Your gift will help students secure scholarships and internships. Your assistance will help retain Bradley’s outstanding faculty and recruit others like them. And your contributions will help strengthen our academic experience and raise our standing in national publications like U.S.News & World Report. Alumni participation is one criterion U.S.News uses to evaluate the excellence of universities. Our current alumni giving rate is just 13 percent, below our peer institutions in the magazine’s ranking. If you have not made a gift in 2012, I ask that you help us meet our goal. A donation of any amount — $10, $100 or $1,000 — will move Bradley toward our objective and increase Please visit campaign.bradley.edu our national recognition. Your gift will maintain the vibrancy on campus and help keep the Hilltop to make your contribution. beautiful, just as it appears in the photograph in this issue. There are more reasons than ever to visit campus, to stay connected to the University, and to give the next generation of students an opportunity for a Bradley Experience. Please mark October 10–14 on your calendar and join us for Homecoming 2012, to reconnect with your friends and make new memories. I thank you for your continued loyalty and support. I remain humbled to serve our beloved University, and I look forward to seeing you on the Hilltop.
We need you!
Warm regards,
Summer 2012 Volume 18 Issue 3
Where
Where are they now?
13
13
Bradley Hilltopics catches up with 22 of the past student body presidents who served from 1973 to 2011.
Campus from above
are they
now
20
Bradley has changed dramatically since the last set of aerial photos was published in 2003. See the new campus footprint as it appeared in March.
Speech team dynasty
22
22
Bradley’s speech team is the winningest in the nation with 39 national titles and 141 individual titles over the last three decades.
Music makers
26
Thanks to the way Bradley’s music program is designed, even the busiest non-music majors can create melodies.
The way of Dr. Michael Cross
40
Once a student-athlete himself, Dr. Michael Cross is playing at a higher level as he sets the pace for the athletic department.
Departments duane zehr
ViewPoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 ClassNotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 BradleyBits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 InMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 NoteBook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 AlumniNews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 SportScene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 InAppreciation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Web Extras The stories don’t stop here. Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics/extras for more articles, as well as pictures and videos from this issue.
26
duane zehr
Follow Bradley Hilltopics magazine and other Bradley University accounts on your favorite social media sites: bradley.edu/socialmedia.
Staff Karen Crowley Metzinger, MA ’97 ABBY WILSON pfeiffer ’10 executive editor editorial assistant Gayle Erwin mcdowell ’77 sarah dukes associate editor art director bob grimson ’81 Duane Zehr assistant editor university photographer
Student Staff Assistants sarah hallstein ’12, hannah antonacci ’12
Administration joanne K. Glasser president
shelley epstein associate vice president for university communications
On the cover: ”Oscar” sits atop a trophy the speech team brought home from the AFA national competition. Photo by Duane Zehr
ViewPoint Send your letters & email
FIRST Robotics a hit Thank you for your coverage of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics kickoff in the spring issue. I have been involved in the program for 17 years and encourage Bradley graduates to mentor a team in their area. It is a rewarding experience and allows adults to help students make career choices and select a school that will help them achieve that goal. It is wonderful that Bradley is now supporting the program through scholarships to FIRST graduates. Congratulations on making Bradley Hilltopics look so spectacular. It is a first-class publication, and I enjoy reading it when it arrives. ALAN SKIERKIEWICZ ’73
Wheeling, Ill.
Remembering Weinberg Thank you for your kind words upon the loss of my father, PHILIP WEINBERG, HON ’73. He was truly devoted to Bradley and proud to play a role in its growth and development. The Bradley ties extended to our entire family. I have fond memories of Jobst Hall, where the equipment labs seemed very mysterious through a child’s eyes. We grew up on the Bradley campus. Once we were all in school, my mother, ROSE WEINBERG ’71, attended Bradley for the sheer love of learning. We grew up with her studying at the kitchen table late into the night. She graduated summa cum laude and launched a teaching career that influenced many young children. We proudly attended her graduation, as well as my father’s receipt of his honorary doctorate two years later. My parents felt they gained so much from Bradley that they chose to give back by starting
several scholarship funds. They enjoyed meeting the recipients each year and deeply appreciated the opportunity to help others further their education. SUSAN WEINBERG
Edina, Minn. I was sorry to read about the death of PHILIP WEINBERG, HON ’73 in the spring 2012 issue of Bradley Hilltopics. I have fond memories of him. Your article says he came to Bradley in 1956 and retired as dean of the College of Engineering and Technology 33 years later. In 1958, I worked one or two semesters as a steno for Mr. Weinberg, who was then teaching engineering. I typed his exams on the old ditto sheets. In 1962 I moved to Detroit, Mich., working as a budget analyst at the Detroit Edison Co., an electric utility. Over the years, when the Society of Automotive Engineers had their convention in Detroit, the Detroit alums got together with the Bradley engineering folks who came to the conventions. I saw Mr. Weinberg many times over the years. PAMELA WILSON ’61
Harper Woods, Mich.
Political visits Reading about the big deal Mitt Romney caused brings me back to the 1960 election when both Nixon and Kennedy drove the streets of Peoria in open convertibles. Just think about that for a minute. We were so excited we couldn’t get downtown fast enough to see them. DAVID STOLZ ’65
As a parent of a Bradley graduate and a frequent donor to the University, I was disheartened by the report on Mitt Romney’s visit to the campus on March 19. If the report was written objectively about his visit to the campus, that would have been fine, but I found several parts of the article to be editorial in nature. MARTIN SCOBEY
Geneva, Ill.
Recognizing Chet Walker After receiving the spring edition of Bradley Hilltopics, I was quite disappointed that CHET WALKER ’62, a recently inducted member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, received such little acclaim. How many Hall of Fame basketball, football, or baseball players does Bradley have? A person of his background had to endure severe hardships during his playing days at Bradley. This was, by the way, a time when Bradley was a team to be reckoned with. I know the present student body and faculty members have little interest in what was happening 50-some years ago, but there are quite a few of us still around to remember the glory days. KENT FARLEY ’63
Coal Valley, Ill
Columbus, Ohio Editor’s note: Chet Walker’s induction will be September 7, in Springfield, Mass.
Bradley is a private, independent university in Peoria, Illinois, offering 6,000 students the choice of more than 100 academic programs. Bradley links academic excellence, experiential learning, and leadership development with an entrepreneurial spirit for a world-class education. Our size provides students extensive resources not available at most private colleges and the personal attention not commonly found at large universities. © Bradley University 2012 Bradley Hilltopics is published in winter, spring, summer, and fall by Bradley University for alumni, faculty, staff, parents of students, and other friends of the University. Send letters and address changes to: Hilltopics, Bradley University, 1501 West Bradley Avenue, Peoria, IL 61625. 309-677-2249 fax 309-677-4055 e-mail: hilltopics@bradley.edu website: bradley.edu/hilltopics campus information: 309-676-7611 Bradley University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and the promotion of equal opportunities for all persons regardless of age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The University also is committed to compliance with all applicable laws regarding non-discrimination, harassment, and affirmative action. Bradley Hilltopics reserves the right to edit all letters to the editor based on length and content.
2
bradley.edu/hilltopics
BradleyBits “Goldin” anniversary Celebrating 50
Bradley business manager Ken bid farewell to
Social media check-in
years of service to his alma mater,
850
Goldin ’64 MA ’72
friends at a dinner at the duane zehr
Renaissance Coliseum on May 25. The gala raised $60,000 for the Ken and Pat Goldin endowed scholarship fund.
Bradley Hilltopics Magazine We spotted a familiar face [Dr. Alan Galsky] while browsing old issues of the Bradley Scout.
Hope [it] floats
Phew! The seaworthiness of their concrete canoe meant Bradley students didn’t land in chilly Lake Eureka when they hosted 17 other universities for the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Great Lakes Conference in April. Six other events included surveying and “steel bridge.”
Bradley Hilltopics Magazine He sure is! He’s VP for Student Affairs. duane zehr
duane zehr
Joan Esquirol Kemp Wow!! It has been years since I have seen this picture...what a great prof he was...is he still there at BU?
Campus buzz
Coaches and faculty, including assistant English prof Danielle Glassmeyer, joined about 100 students in having their heads shaved for charity in April. The 5th annual Pi Kappa Alpha event raised more than $20,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in support of children’s cancer research.
duane zehr
Surfing campus Dozens of longboards — the larger, said-to-be more stable cousin of skateboards — emerged on campus in 2011–12. Longboards are less about tricks and more about distance and speed, but they give Bradley’s landlocked riders the feel of being on a surfboard.
GenaRStack +1. RT @buhilltopics “I wouldn’t be where I am without the relationships I formed here at Bradley.” Marcus Pollard ’94
Check out our Bradley Hilltopics presidential playlist on Spotify! You’ll find the top songs from when the student body presidents in the story on pages 13–19 were in office. Give it a listen at bradley.edu/go/ ht-presplaylist.
In studying the use of Lincoln’s image, we learn something about ourselves as a nation. — Sociology prof Jackie Hogan, author of Lincoln, Inc.: Selling the Sixteenth President in Contemporary America
“
“
Bradley students will go for the gold at the 2012 London Olympics. Ten communication students are interning for NBC in New York and London to help with coverage of the Games.
daryl wilson
Olympian tasks
Hats off to this tech-savvy grad for his creative placement of a QR code. What do you suppose he’s trying to tell the May commencement crowd?
Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
3
NoteBook
Trio of deans
Bradley news, views & updates
engineering Dr. Lex Akers was named founding dean of the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology. He started at Bradley on May 1. Previously, he was associate dean for academic programs and the James C. Dowell Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Missouri, where he had taught since 2001. He also worked at the University of Texas, San Antonio; Arizona State University; and the University of Nebraska. His other experience includes being a NASA Fellow at Cal Tech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and work for Rockwell International, Motorola, Honeywell, and Intel. “I’m phenomenally impressed. The faculty has such a passion toward the vision of the University,” Akers said. “Engineering is truly a global profession. It is about solving problems in other people’s disciplines.” He said that Bradley’s planned engineering and business convergence center “will take the education of our engineering students to a unique level. We’re small enough to be agile, but large enough to have the infrastructure we need.” Dr. Richard Johnson served as dean of the College of Engineering and Technology for 12 years.
4 bradley.edu/hilltopics
Dr. lex akers EDUCATION: BS, MS, electrical engineering, Texas Tech University; Ph.D., electrical engineering, Texas Tech University FAMILY: wife Sally,
two children
business Dr. Darrell Radson was announced as dean of the Foster College of Business Administration, effective May 1. Radson had been dean of the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Tech since 2008. Earlier, he worked at Drexel, John Carroll University, and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He has served as a consultant to national and international firms on quality management and process control. “Bradley is truly an extraordinary university, and its commitment to student learning and engagement is second to none,” he said. “Bradley has set on a bold, strategic direction that will result in increased national and international distinction.” He points to the planned engineering and business convergence center as a prime element of the University’s strategic direction. “We will build on and greatly extend our past convergence activities to transform how our students are educated,” Radson said. Dr. Robert Baer served as dean of the Foster College of Business Administration from 2001 to 2011. In June 2011, Dr. Robert Scott was named interim dean.
arrive at Bradley
Dr. darrell radson EDUCATION: BS,
political science, Northwestern University; MS, political science, University of Michigan; MS, statistics, Michigan; MS, Ph.D., industrial and operations engineering, Michigan FAMILY: wife Suzanne
McDonough, two children
graduate school Dr. Jeffrey P. Bakken became dean of the Graduate School and Sponsored Research on June 1. He was the interim associate dean for research, graduate studies, and international education in the College of Education at Illinois State University. Previously, he was chairman of ISU’s Department of Special Education and a faculty member there since 1995. “I think Bradley’s biggest strength is the administration and the importance they place on graduate education,” Bakken said. “The faculty and staff are interested in creating a positive experience for their students. It’s a very passionate and positive environment with tons of potential. I am very excited to be here.” Focused on growing and advancing the Graduate School, he plans to reach out to employers as well as past, current, and potential graduate students. “I think communication will be important,” he said. “Transparency is vitally important when working with other programs. We need to be involved in recruiting in multiple ways. It’s all about meeting student needs.” Dr. Robert Bolla served as dean of the Graduate School for four years, and Dr. Alberto Delgado was appointed interim dean in 2011.
Charged up about Project Springboard By Bob Grimson ’81 photography by duane zehr
Dr. jeffrey P. bakken EDUCATION: BS, elementary education, University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse; MS, Ph.D., special education, Purdue University FAMILY: wife Heidi,
two children
Three Bradley students parlayed a unique idea into a profitable venture at the sixth annual Project Springboard in April. Their winning proposal: a prototype belt that users wear to charge cell phones and other electronic devices. RYAN MILLER ’12, a mechanical engineering major; IVAN GONZALEZ-GIMENEZ ’12, an international business major; and electrical engineering major ZACHARY SAIGH ’12 won first place with Liveable Tech. The award, including a $7,500 cash prize, consulting and marketing services, office space, insurance, and legal, accounting, and technology services, is valued at more than $100,000. Six teams competed in the final round from an original pool of more than 20. Apptix, which focuses on designing and programming mobile applications, won the second-place prize of $4,000. Dress to Impress for Less, which plans to sell gently used business clothing to young professionals, won the $2,500 third prize. Project Springboard is open to Bradley students in all majors. The competition started in 2007 with a $200,000 gift from Alexis Khazzam of Junction Ventures. The project continues its success thanks to SCOTT HARBAUGH ’86, MARK HARBAUGH ’91, and their father Earl.
Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
5
NoteBook Bradley news, views & updates
Faculty retirements Four longtime faculty members, with a total of nearly 140 years of service to Bradley, retired recently. All four were awarded emeritus appointments. To be considered, faculty and professional staff typically have at least 15 years of service. Particular attention is given to those who have excelled as teachers and helped enrich the student experience. The year they began teaching at Bradley is listed below with their departments. Dr. Henry Helenek, chemistry and biochemistry, 1967 Dr. Paul Lermack,* political science, 1971 Dr. REBECCA FAY ’71, child study center, 1982 E. GAY LEATHERS, MA ’88, English,
1988 *Retired in December 2011
The
power of
ford inspires commencement crowd “Make sure your dreams are larger than yourself,” William Clay Ford Jr. advised graduates during his keynote address on May 12. The executive chairman of Ford Motor Co. reflected on his own college graduation 33 years ago and concluded his speech with a story about his great-grandfather, Henry Ford. While the inventor’s goal more than a century ago was to build a car for the average American, his great-grandson’s passion has been the environment. He was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the ceremony. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go into the family business,” he told the crowd at the Peoria Civic Center. “I was a budding environmentalist. Back then, the auto industry was considered the problem, not the solution…. I was considered a radical and was asked to stop associating with any known or suspected environmentalists,” Ford added. Illustrating the value of perseverance, he revealed it took a decade to really change
9,539
20% in 2012
Visit bradley.edu/go/ht-20percent to see what “20% in 2012” would mean to Bradley.
6
bradley.edu/hilltopics
attitudes, followed by another decade for the automaker to develop the innovative technology offered today. Looking to the future, Ford praised Bradley’s plan for the new engineering and business convergence initiative. On May 10, JAMES SHADID ’79, chief U.S. District judge of the Central District of Illinois, spoke at the commencement ceremony for the Graduate School. “Have the courage to make good choices in the face of judgment and criticism from others, and don’t forget along the way that just as you needed help, someone else does, too,” the former Bradley baseball star said during his address at the Renaissance Coliseum. Officially, 744 undergraduate degrees were conferred in May. Graduate degrees were awarded to 170 students. — Gayle Erwin McDowell ’77 Photography by Daryl Wilson
we need you: 20% in 2012 Would you like to send a personal “thank you” to the talented faculty and staff who helped you make the most of your Bradley Experience? It’s as simple as making a gift to thank your mentors and advance your alma mater to a higher level of national distinction. “We need 9,539 alumni to make a gift by December 31 to reach our goal of 20 percent alumni participation,” says Pat Vickerman, vice president for advancement. “Alumni giving and private support are vital to the success of the University. Last year Bradley ranked sixth among the top Midwest universities highlighted by U.S.News & World Report. The top five universities averaged a 19 percent alumni giving rate, while Bradley came in at 13 percent. Elevating the alumni participation rate is a priority and will help demonstrate the value alumni place on their Bradley Experience and their desire to further strengthen the experience for students.” Visit campaign.bradley.edu/ssl/gift to be counted as one of the 20 percent.
duane zehr
along for the ride Long before Thelma and Louise cruised the nation in their old Thunderbird, Americans were smitten with travel. In the mid ’30s, Amelia Earhart was flying solo and speaking out about women following their dreams. Locally, dozens of adventurous young women were taking to the highways for some wholesome summer fun.
Another group of young women, many from nearby Bradford, turned summer travel into a near-obsession. Nicknamed the “Gypsy Coeds,” their inaugural trip was to Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin in 1935. Annual road trips in the “Silver Streak,” their 1926 Ford Model T, continued through 1941, and each year seemed to become more ambitious — California, Quebec, New York — attending World’s Fairs and sometimes meeting celebrities. They were celebrated, too, often making headlines in the towns online they passed through in the old Visit bradley.edu/ “Tin Lizzie” owned by their go/ht-gypsycoeds friends, the Dorgan sisters. to read more about In 1938, teacher ROSEMARY the Gypsy Coeds. MORAN RANDOLPH ’46 was one of the five Gypsy Coeds who met Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan. She was along for the ride when they visited with the inventor on two subsequent trips. “They were all amazing women and stayed very close through their lives,” said her daughter, Jane Randolph Sellers. Naturally, other Gypsy Coeds’ children grew up hearing stories about their mothers’ escapades, too. After Regina Fennell Butte died last year, her son John tracked down the Silver Streak in Oregon and purchased it. Butte arranged to have the eye-catching jalopy outside the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center when William Clay Ford arrived in Peoria to deliver Bradley’s May commencement address. Seated in the backseat, the two surviving “gypsies” chatted with the great-grandson of the legendary inventor who took them under his wing all those years ago. “They were starstruck country girls, but Henry Ford was as gracious as he was encouraging to them,” Sellers said. — Gayle Erwin McDowell ’77
{
For example, four Bradley coeds departed Peoria in a Ford Model A for an “adventure trip” to Silver Lake, Michigan, in 1935. Lambda Phi sorority sisters VIRGINIA DUFFY ’38, HAZEL SOMMER RUTHERFORD ’38, HARRIET COOK RINGEL ’38, and JANE PETERS BOURLAND ’38 (shown above) drove the 400-some miles to the dunes north of Muskegon for the cool breezes of Lake Michigan.
ABOVE: Two Gypsy Coeds, Helen Hickey and Winnie Hays, pose with William Clay Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Co. They are two of the 17 women who made up a group that traveled more than 71,000 miles in a Model T Ford they called the Silver Streak. INSET: Five Gypsy Coeds first met Bill Ford’s great-grandfather, Henry, in 1938. Bradley coed ROSEMARY MORAN RANDOLPH ’46 is in the front passenger seat. Winnie is in back wearing a floral sundress. Seventy-four years later, the Silver Streak has a new home in central Illinois.
Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
7
NoteBook duane zehr
Bradley news, views & updates
stepping up sustainability In a continuing effort to help Bradley red “go green,” the University has made recent improvements with the environment in mind. Three electric vehicle charging stations were installed on campus in February. In addition, cafeterias and other food outlets on campus began collecting online food scraps and food-soiled paper Visit bgreen. for composting last winter. bradley.edu for Two charging stations are in the more information about Bradley’s Main Street parking deck, and one sustainability is in the deck on Duryea. They are practices. among the first public electric vehicle outlets in Peoria. Each station features a universal standard connection and a screen with user-friendly instructions. With the swipe of a credit card, drivers are able to fully charge their vehicles. Charging costs 75 cents per hour, and users can specify the length of charging time when they plug in their vehicles. It takes an estimated three to four hours for a vehicle to receive a full charge. “As ownership of electric vehicles increases, there will be a growing need for such power stations. Bradley is looking to the future and will be prepared to serve the campus
{ Senator discusses student loan debt U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin spoke about the need to keep student loan interest rates low when he visited campus in May. Durbin, the second-ranking Senate Democrat, said student loan debt passed the level of credit card debt in the U.S. in late 2010. A proposed rate hike from 3.4 to 6.8 percent would add $4,000 to the cost of the average student loan. “We need to help the next generation of students get the education they need to lead the country,” Durbin said.
8
bradley.edu/hilltopics
community’s needs,” said LeRoy Neilson, University facilities supervisor.
From table to farm Twice a week, Midwest Fiber Recycling takes cafeteria waste to Illinois State University’s farm in Lexington, where ISU students and farm employees mix it with livestock manure and leaf and yard waste to create a fertilizer that can be purchased. Approximately 1,800 pounds of waste were sent weekly during the school year. “Everyone benefits from composting,” said Gary Anna, Bradley’s vice president for business affairs. “Rather than filling up the landfills, we are putting the items back into the earth. Bradley recycled more than 25 tons of material during the first quarter of 2012, a University record.” According to Midwest Fiber Recycling, more than 30 percent of Illinois landfill waste is food scraps and food-soiled paper — 54,000 tons each year.
shows off Bradley Bradley University is now on Pinterest. Be sure to check out Bradley’s Pinterest page, created by Bradley Hilltopics student intern HANNAH ANTONACCI ’12. Visit pinterest.com/ bradleyuniv to view 30 Bradley bulletin boards reflecting what makes Bradley such a unique university community for its alumni, students, faculty, administration, and staff. The third most popular social media site is similar to a wall of bulletin boards. Users create themed boards (for example, Bradley Hilltopics), collect interesting and inspiring content from the Web, and then “pin” pictures and stories on virtual bulletin boards.
— Abby Wilson Pfeiffer ’10
prototyping machine a rare gem Bradley became the first university in the world to acquire a 3D Systems ProJet 6000 rapid prototyping machine last year. The machine enables students in the Caterpillar College of Engineering and Technology to use computergenerated images to create three-dimensional, flexible parts out of a plastic resin. “The idea is to be able to create a real part from a computer drawing,” said Dr. Julie Reyer, associate professor of mechanical engineering. “It allows you to check the form and function of a part.” At the time of its installation, the ProJet 6000 at Bradley was one of only four in the world. Bradley also acquired a
Fortus 250mc 3D printer for use in rapid prototyping applications. The machines were purchased with part of a $2 million federal grant from the Department of Defense to create an interdisciplinary “Manufacturing Laboratory for Next Generation Engineers.” Reyer said the machines help prepare students for the modern engineering workplace, where rapid prototyping machines are heavily used. It also allows students to see the connection between creating virtual parts on a computer and producing the finished prototypes. “Students will get to experience the joy of seeing something they created come to life,” she said, adding the machines can be utilized by various engineering specialties. “The machine points out the difference between creating a prototype and the actual manufacturing.” — Bob Grimson ’81 Photography by Duane Zehr
ABOVE: Dr. Julie Reyer shows
objects made with Bradley’s new rapid prototyping machine, which uses a UV-sensitive liquid substance that is hit with lasers to solidify a form instead of the more common method of whittling down a hard substrate. DEVIN NORTON ’12 works on a model. left: This castle,
produced by the rapid prototyper, has a winding staircase on the inside of its walls and a double-helix structure in the middle of the form.
photo courtesy amir al-khafaji
Innovations Conference on Asphalt and Transportation marks 25 years Nearly 500 leaders from industry, academia, and governments worldwide converged April 3–4 in East Peoria for the 25th anniversary of ICAT (Innovations Conference on Asphalt and Transportation), sponsored by Bradley’s Center for Emerging Technologies in Infrastructure and the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction. Some of the dignitaries included, front row: Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis; Illinois Secretary of Transportation Ann Schneider; Bradley professor and conference chairman Dr. Amir Al-Khafaji; U.S. Secretary of Transportation RAY LaHOOD ’71 HON ’11; Rosie Andolino (Chicago commissioner of aviation); Kristi LaFleur (Illinois Tollway executive director); Pam Cullerton and John Cullerton (Illinois Senate president); JAMES KENNY ’76 (Kenny Construction vice president ); and Stephen Davis (WILL Group president). Back row: Sheshadri Guha (CGN & Associates president); Larry Ivory (National Black Chamber of Commerce chairman); State Sen. Darin LaHood; Larry Tate (Caterpillar Inc. global mining manager); State Sen. David Koehler; Sheik Saad Abu Risha (member of the national coalition that rules Iraq); and Michael Sutton (Infrastructure Engineering president).
Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
9
SportScene Bradley centerfielder MAX MURPHY ’15 made “The Show” two days in a row during the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. This show was ESPN’s SportsCenter where Murphy’s late-inning glove work was featured in the Top 10 Plays of the Day. On May 22, Murphy made a diving catch in the ninth inning to help Bradley score a 5-3 upset victory over tournament-host Missouri State in an opening-round game. ESPN ranked it the ninth top play of the day. The next day against Southern Illinois, Murphy made a running, over-the-shoulder catch in the eighth inning, earning a sixth-best play of the day honor from ESPN.
{
online Visit bradley.edu/ go/ht-maxmurphy to watch the two incredible plays.
mike janes
Making the show
picked in the draft Bradley pitcher JOE BIRCHER ’12 was selected by Houston in the 10th round of the Major League Baseball draft in June. He is the third Bradley player in history to be drafted by the Astros. He was assigned to Tri-Valley in the New York-Penn League. Bircher set school career records for strikeouts (302) and innings pitched (359.2) and had a 21-16 overall career record. He also tied for the second-best season strikeout record this year with 113.
Bircher’s career record for strikeouts topped the record of WYMAN CAREY ’59. The pair was honored at a Braves game in May (at left). Carey, who played from 1955 to 1957, starred for the 1956 College World Series team and still holds the season strikeout record. He set the 1957 national ERA mark (0.37) and was a second-team All-American that year. JASON LEBLEBIJIAN ’13 was chosen by Toronto in the 25th round of the draft. A three-year starter at shortstop for Bradley, he was team co-captain the past two seasons. An honorable mention all-MVC selection as both a freshman and sophomore, he signed with the Blue Jays in June, and was assigned to its rookie league team in Bluefield, West Virginia. Another Bradley pitcher, Jacob Booden ’12, signed a freeagent contract with the Cardinals. He was assigned to the rookie league team in Johnson City, Tennessee. — Bob Grimson ’81
A first for Bradley baseball Two Bradley baseball players, CHRIS GODINEZ ’15 and MAX MURPHY ’15, have been named Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball. They are the third and fourth Bradley players ever to receive the honor, and it’s the first time the University has had two players selected in a season.
max murphy ’15 CHRIS GODINEZ ’15
10
bradley.edu/hilltopics
Murphy, a centerfielder, hit a home run for his first collegiate hit and was the only Bradley player to play in all 55 of the team’s games. He had two 11-game hitting streaks, and his spectacular catches in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament were featured on national TV (see related story at left). Godinez started the season as a reserve but moved into a starting role because of team injuries. He responded by leading Bradley with a .320 batting average, 33 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases to earn second-team, all-MVC honors.
duane zehr
sports: the new show business Fun and games were serious business at the Summit on Communication and Sports, presented March 29–31 by Bradley’s Department of Communication. Pulitzer Prize winner Taylor Branch and award-winning sportscasters joined more than 60 researchers and professors from as far away as Florida, Arizona, and California to discuss the changing face of sports. Topics included the NHL’s use of Twitter to connect with fans, the changing face of millennial athletes, and the sports journalist as sports fan. “[The summit] brought national attention to Bradley, the Department of Communication, and our program in sports communication,” said department chairman Dr. Paul Gullifor. “It was very good to expose our students to the research in the discipline and the possibility of graduate school. The professional speakers were not simply people who report ball scores, but people who write careful, thoughtful, and analytic pieces on important issues in sports.” That was echoed by one of the speakers, veteran sportswriter and author Dave Kindred, who wrote for the Washington Post and now teaches at Bradley. “It positions Bradley as a player of influence and shows its commitment to the idea of sports journalism.” In his opening remarks, CHARLEY STEINER ’71 HON ’10 highlighted the rapid change in technology and how journalism has been changed by “a need for speed.” “Sports used to be little more than a side show on the stage of life,” said Steiner, who became the radio voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005 after three seasons as the New York Yankees announcer and 14 years with ESPN. “Now, it’s an industry. Sports have become the new show business. One thing that has never changed is our jobs are based on telling the truth.” Taylor Branch, author of a trilogy of books covering America in the civil rights era, drew attention to the rights and role of college athletes and the NCAA. He said the current college athletic system needs transparency, balance, and equity.
“No reform agenda will work if you don’t address the rights of the athletes. No freedom should be abridged because of athletic status,” said Branch, whose 2011 book, The Cartel: Inside the Rise and Imminent Fall of the NCAA, focused on college athletes. Other speakers were Molly Knight of ESPN the Magazine and Detroit sportscaster and former Bradley basketball player KATRINA HANCOCK ’00. “I rely on Twitter to break stories. We now attribute Twitter or someone’s Facebook page,” Hancock said. “We can’t dig for stuff. It’s taken away that element of reporting.” She and Steiner praised the sports communication program at Bradley. “It’s huge because it brings students here who might not normally come here,” Hancock said. “I wish it would have been here when I was here.”
“ The summit was a call-toarms for students in sports communications.” — sean flavin ’12
Bradley students played a major role at the summit, doing everything from planning to blogging and recording sessions. “Promoting responsible journalism and a need for increased research, the summit was a call-to-arms for students in sports communications,” said SEAN FLAVIN ’12, one of the 151 students who participated or attended. “The summit reassured students that the profession of sports journalism is as much a responsibility as it is a job.” The fifth biennial summit becomes an annual event next year when it is hosted by the University of Texas, Austin. Previous summit hosts include Arizona State and Clemson.
bid online or in person! The 10th annual Bids for the Braves fundraiser is Saturday, September 22, at the Par-A-Dice Hotel Ballroom in East Peoria. • Meet the Braves • Hear the coaches • Bid on unique and specialty items • Enjoy dinner and cocktails Tickets are $90 for Braves Club members and $100 for others, and space is limited. For information, contact the Braves Club office at 309-677-2667 or visit bradleybraves. com to bid by proxy.
— Bob Grimson ’81 Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
11
SportScene Academic All-American
bob hunt
Former Bradley cross country and track star MARY GOLDKAMP ’11 qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 3,000 steeplechase with a second-place finish in early June at the Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville. Goldkamp, currently a Bradley assistant coach, finished less than one-tenth of a second ahead of the third-place finisher. The steeplechase blends speed and endurance, featuring 35 total barriers (28 hurdle jumps and seven water jumps) over the length of the course. The top three runners at the trials who make the Olympic standard qualifying time will be on the U.S. team in London. “It’s very difficult to keep your form and rhythm while running and doing everything to make sure you don’t wipe
12
bradley.edu/hilltopics
out on the hurdles,” Goldkamp said. “The last third of the race your legs are very tired, so this is a challenge.” Preliminary races in the steeplechase trials at Eugene, Oregon, are June 25 with the top finishers running June 29 in the finals. “This is a place that my sport is represented nationally and worldwide with appreciation and support,” said Goldkamp, who also works as an RN at Proctor Hospital in Peoria. “I am excited to race the best in the nation and put all my hard work to the test.” — Bob Grimson ’81
orsborn award honors stellar athlete Soccer player BOBBY SMITH ’12 won the 2012 Charles Orsborn Award, the University’s most prestigious athletic honor, in April. Named for Bradley men’s basketball coach CHARLES ORSBORN ’39, the award recognizes the senior student-athlete who best combines athletic success with academic achievement and community service. Started in 1951 as the Watonga Award, the name was changed to honor Orsborn in 2009. The 2011 fall recipient of the State Farm/MVC Good Neighbor Award, Smith was a four-year starter for the soccer scott cavanah
Golfer KELLY AMUNDRUD ’12 added another honor this spring when she was named a second-team Capital One Academic All-American. She was a third-team Capital One All-American a year ago. Student-athletes must be a starter or key reserve on their team, maintain a 3.3 grade point average, and have sophomore standing to be eligible for the All-American award. Amundrud, an accounting major, has a 3.94 GPA. She was a three-time Capital One Academic All-District selection and a three-time choice as a top scholar-athlete by the Missouri Valley Conference. The 2010–2011 MVC Golfer of the Year, she was a two-time all-conference pick. She will graduate in December.
chasing the olympic dream
team and helped the team win the 2010 MVC title and back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2010 and 2011. He also was a Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award All-American and a first-team Capital One Academic All-American. Other finalists for the award were volleyball player RACHELLE DEJEAN ’12 and golfer KELLY AMUNDRUD ’12. Softball player MARIAH COLE ’14 won the Carl Grose Service Award. Her teammate, HEATHER TERRY ’13, was the female winner of the Coach Joe Stowell Award. Basketball player CHARONN WOODS ’13 was the male recipient of that award. JERRY HAYDEN ’59, captain of his track and field team, earned the Orville Nothdurft Lifetime Achievement Award, and group ticket sales director Joe Dolan received the Megan C. Fong Inspiration Award.
W
here are they now
B
radley and its students have witnessed many changes over the last 40 years. But the desire of
students to step up and lead on important issues remains constant. These stories briefly reflect on some past campus issues and describe the paths taken by 22 student body presidents after they left the university limelight.
Brian Weidner ’02, Anne Edwards-Cotter ’77, Mike Spitalli ’90, Ray Einig ’87, Kevin Tilton ’75, Keri Thompson ’05, Roger Dusing ’81, Doug Bross ’88, Phil Pritzker ’75, Ericka Pack DeBruce ’04, Jonathan Meinen ’06, Stacey Burns Fox ’91, Art Webster ’78, Ben Lewis ’95, Aaron Freeman ’01, Mike Rogowski ’82, Bill Holderby ’85, Nick Swiatkowski ’12, Tony “Chip” Colletti ’74, Calvin Butler ’91, Karen Rekowski Blair ’87, Ted Berger ’03.
Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
13
Where are they
now
Student-friendly rec center BRIAN WEIDNER ’02 helped collect student input to make sure the Markin Family Student Recreation Center would meet
The time had come … A cherished memory for ANNE EDWARDS-COTTER ’77 is the evening President Gerald Ford visited Bradley. Anne sat next to him on the dais at Robertson Memorial Field House, shortly after being elected Bradley’s first female president. Of 106 full-time civil engineering majors at Bradley in 1976, Anne was one of just eight women. Did she consider herself a trailblazer? “Everybody likes to be unique and different, but other than that I never gave it much thought,” she remarked that year. Anne founded Chicago-based Cotter Consulting in 1990 and serves as its president. “We have over 75 employees and provide project management and construction management services for capital projects in the Chicago area and in southeastern Wisconsin.” “One of our biggest issues in Student Senate was getting beer served in the pub/bowling alley at the Student Center,” she says, looking back to when the Sit ‘n’ Bull was transformed into The Archive and then The Wharf. For decades Lydia Moss Bradley’s will was thought to outlaw alcohol on or near campus, but attorneys determined that it was city leaders, not Mrs. Bradley, who had stipulated no alcohol. Regarding her three years in Senate, Anne says, “I loved the experience and believe that it prepared me well for a successful business career.” She and her husband Bill live in Darien. They have four children, including PATRICK COTTER ’10.
People skills MIKE SPITALLI ’90 felt he was a connection
student needs. “I’ve been to the facility a few times, and it’s an impressive space.” After working in human resources consulting, he founded Career Tree Network in 2007. The company helps health care employers with recruitment marketing. Brian lives in Milwaukee with his wife HEIDI BARES WEIDNER ’02.
14
bradley.edu/hilltopics
between the students and administrators to make sure concerns were understood and acknowledged. He says the experience of serving as president (1988–89) helped him gain a different perspective. “I learned how different groups worked together,” Mike comments. “What I got was the big picture. Overall, it was a good experience.” Deciding to run for president after serving as a senator his sophomore year, Mike says the “people skills” he learned have helped him throughout his career. “I interacted with people who were seasoned professionals. That’s a great learning opportunity.” Mike works in health care marketing and lives in Naperville with his wife ELLEN BROWN JORDAN SPITALLI ’90.
Neighborhood outreach
The 1985–86 school year was an exciting time for Bradley and RAY EINIG ’87. He became all-school president; Bradley launched its first significant fundraising effort, the Campaign for Bradley; and the basketball team had a record-setting 32-3 season before losing to powerful Louisville in the NCAA tournament. Improving student relations with nearby neighborhoods was a focal point of Ray’s term. “In the Student Senate, we launched outreach efforts, including meeting with nearby homeowners’ associations,” he says. “I even met with the mayor of Peoria, Jim Maloof, to let the community know we were serious about working together.” Ray is president of Xperior Solutions Inc., a management consulting firm. Ray lives in Schaumburg with his wife DOMINICE LaPORTE ’87 and their two children.
duane zehr
father / daughter team
A graduate of Loyola Law School of Chicago, KEVIN TILTON ’75 has practiced law since 1979. He also is president of County Title Co. His daughter BRAE TILTON ’08 recently joined his law practice in Peoria. One idea investigated by the Student Senate during Kevin’s term as president was the possibility of eliminating PE as a graduation requirement.
At the time, he noted that students had been interested in Watergate, but were concerned primarily with finding employment. “They are interested and worried about their own destiny, their own job plans, their own future with their college degree.” Kevin and his wife Bonnea live in Bartonville and are also the parents of two sons.
Fiji fellowship for doctoral candidate KERI THOMPSON ’05 stayed in politics after graduation. “I have been politically active in both Texas and Massachusetts.” She recently completed a graduate-level fellowship with the Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji, and she is close to completing her doctorate in political communication at the University of Texas, Austin. Keri also teaches at Emerson College in Boston. During her presidency, she encountered controversy over the Braves mascot, campus security, Haussler Hall’s workout facilities, and the aesthetics of campus. Keri lives in Boston.
{
online Visit bradley.edu/go/ ht-studentpresidents for a list of student body presidents from 1959 to 2012.
bradley’s gerald ford Because he was never elected to the Student Senate, ROGER DUSING ’81 likes to joke that he was “Bradley’s Gerald Ford.” When the Senate’s vice president resigned, Roger was asked to step in; then in December 1980 he took the helm when the elected president accepted an out-of-state internship. “My fondest memories were attending the Board of Trustees meetings. I had an ongoing ‘feud’ with Dr. JIM ERICKSON ’61 MA ’66, the dean of students, about why we had two flagpoles in front of Bradley Hall, but rarely did we fly flags on them. By the end of my term, flags were flying every day,” he recalls. Roger has worked in human relations for 28 years. Currently, he is HR director at Park University. He and his wife Darla are the parents of two children. They reside near Kansas City in Liberty, Missouri.
Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
15
Where are they
now
Team effort Calling his election as president “one of my most cherished accomplishments,” DOUG BROSS ’88 gives credit to his “awesome” executive team — MIKE LUSTER ’88, MARY COYLE SULLIVAN ’89, and LAURA ROULIER ’89. He says the campus was not an intense political environment and students had recurring concerns, such as the quality of cafeteria food, safety and lighting, and hours of operation for the gym and library. The direct access to campus officials, such as President martin abegg ’47 hon ’93, was a great experience. Doug is married to JYLL HOLMES BROSS ’90. They live with their two children in Windermere, Florida, where he manages building supply distribution facilities and manufacturing plants for Builders FirstSource.
tuition hike delayed
Some of the fondest college memories of PHIL PRITZKER ’75 revolve around Bradley’s seventh president, MARTIN ABEGG ’47 HON ’93. “As part of the discussion process about an increase in tuition and fees, President Abegg and the vice president of business affairs met with a couple of us at my apartment. The increase was ultimately put off until the next year, as I recall,” says Phil, who has worked in real estate for
more than 25 years. He manages the largest condominium in Illinois (more than 950 units in downtown Chicago) for the Habitat Co. Phil has been honored for being a member of the Wheeling District 21 School Board since 1989. He also serves on the executive committee of the Illinois Association of School Boards. Phil has five daughters. He and his wife Susan live in Arlington Heights.
Fighting for diversity The time Bradley’s first female African-American student body president, ERICKA PACK DeBRUCE ’04, spent in Student Senate affected her career in a very tangible way. “I saw students paint their faces and dance on the basketball court while drinking alcohol, demeaning the heritage of many of our fellow students. There was no way I could just watch.” With the support of Student Senate, Ericka undertook an initiative to change Bradley’s mascot. The issue went to a vote by the student body, and “Bobcats” was chosen. Although the name didn’t change, people were no longer allowed to pretend to be Native American. Ericka started her career in diversity management upon graduating from Bradley and has worked at Talbots, the American Cancer Society, and the American Red Cross. She is now manager of diversity inclusion at BAE Systems and handles diversity management in eight countries. “Although the resolution was overturned and Bradley’s nickname is still the Braves, that very long year is still one of my proudest to date.” Ericka and her husband Bryce live in Rockville, Maryland.
Beginning changes JONATHAN MEINEN ’06 recalls giving a speech at the rededication of Bradley Hall. “Bradley Hall was a big part of my childhood. I spent many childhood summers on campus, so it was personally a very important event.” He received his juris doctorate from Seton Hall University in 2009. Now an attorney for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Jon says his time as president prepared him for presenting his ideas and evidence before a jury. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.
16
bradley.edu/hilltopics
Formally speaking
Safe housing was a hot button that ART WEBSTER ’78, the first student body president to serve a second term, still recalls speaking about to the Board of Trustees. Due to a housing shortage, almost 200 students were housed at the YMCA in downtown Peoria and, tragically, one fell to his death. “There should have been an adequate amount of nearby housing for students,” says the Georgetown Law School graduate. The situation improved in 1979 with the construction of the six-story Student Apartment Complex (SAC). Attempting to make student government more efficient, Art drafted a new constitution in 1977. A referendum was held, but fell a few votes short of passing. “We went out to meet with students in the dorms every Friday. We also worked very well with the administration. We were never confrontational.” Since 1986 Art has been an assistant attorney general in Hartford, working on child protection cases. He has been teaching children’s law at the University of Connecticut School of Law for the past 20 years. He lives in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Imagine trying to communicate with the student body without Facebook, cell phones, texting, or any rapid, mobile communication system. “Communication was our biggest challenge, so we built kiosks around campus that became the central location for all groups to post activities,” STACEY BURNS FOX ’91 says. “It was our ’80s version of a webpage.” The president and CEO of Stacey’s Inc. in Urbandale, Iowa, she owns the largest formalwear store in the Midwest and designs and sells her own line of prom and wedding dresses. She also specializes in lingerie, and her passion is serving women after mastectomies. Stacey was one of the wardrobe stylists for more than 60 cast members in a Coca-Cola commercial featuring Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson that will air during the Olympics. She and her husband Pat have six children and live in Des Moines. jenn saak
protecting kids
Carving out a work/life balance Acknowledging that the challenges of being student body president impacted the time spent with friends, BEN LEWIS ’95 says the experience helped him learn time management. “There was a delicate balance between classes, meetings, and social time with friends. I served on numerous committees and task forces, including the mascot selection committee. I learned to schedule my time to devote attention to each commitment.” One major concern of students was improving the health center, and Ben says he “learned to work effectively with others who had differing viewpoints and learned how to identify compromise so everyone
benefited from the decision.” Ben notes these lessons have served him well in his career as a public relations and strategic communications consultant to the financial services industry and in his family life. He is the author of two books, Perfecting The Pitch: Creating Publicity Through Media Rapport and Izzy and Norman’s Stupendous Safari. Ben and his wife Wendy have two children and live in Clarksburg, Maryland. Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
17
Where are they
now
meeting neighbors
Presidential romance Everyone knows presidents and their vice presidents need to get along in order to be effective. MIKE ROGOWSKI ’82 took things a step further. He married his vice president, GAIL WENZLAFF ’83. After working together on student issues, such as long cafeteria lines, dorm overcrowding, and course evaluations, the couple married in 1985. Mike recalls expressing student concerns to the administration through town hall-style meetings and inviting administrators to Senate meetings. He
also remembers the invaluable guidance and mentorship of Dr. JIM ERICKSON ’61, MA ’66, then vice president of university relations and dean of student services. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin law school, he is a shareholder in a 150-member law firm with offices in Madison and Milwaukee. Mike also has worked extensively in Wisconsin state government, as a liaison between business and government, and as a municipal judge. Mike and Gail live with their three children in Madison.
proactive approach Interacting with President Martin Abegg ’47 HON ’93 and being proactive about campus issues was the approach BILL HOLDERBY ’85 took as president. A winner in a runoff election, he remembers “going into President Abegg’s office pretty much whenever I wanted to.” Bill also had regular meetings with Dr. John Hitt and Dr. Alan Galsky to discuss campus issues such as dorm maintenance and
housing. He says he enjoyed doing a radio talk show with Galsky. “We did try to put together some policies and tried to be proactive rather than reactive,” Bill says. Today, Bill works on a variety of projects in multi-level, online, and social media marketing. He and his wife Dulce live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he also manages a Latin American singer.
When TED BERGER ’03 was student body president, the relationship between Bradley and the surrounding neighborhoods was strained, so he made a point to build rapport by going to neighborhood meetings. Ted also worked to help make Bradley’s buildings wheelchair accessible, revamped the Student Senate website, and tried to incorporate online voting. A volunteer firefighter for nine years, he is now the chief of staff at the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. He also is deputy chief of training for the North Park Fire Protection District in Machesney Park and an EMT. As a part-time White House associate staff member, Ted helps coordinate logistics for presidential visits. He lives in Chicago.
NICHOLAS SWIATKOWSKI ’12 helped revive the Freshman Convocation ceremony at Bradley, lobbied the Illinois state government to continue support for Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants, and added a campus safety committee to the Student Senate. After his term, he was elected division commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Division 8. Nick is a management trainee at Enterprise Holdings and lives in Enterprise, Alabama.
18
bradley.edu/hilltopics
EVE EDELHEIT / journal star
Lobbying Springfield
encouraging the student voice
In tune with technology
On his way to a Board of Trustees meeting in the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center, CALVIN BUTLER ’91 couldn’t help but smile while recalling how Dr. Alan Galsky, then vice provost for student affairs, made him a morning person. “I was definitely not a morning person when I arrived on campus, but we often met at 6:30 or 7 a.m. to get things done, and to this day, I am a morning person,” Calvin says. He appreciates the relationships he had with Galsky and with the administration. Calvin believes the opportunity to interact with leaders from other student groups gave him the chance to learn from his peers. “I’d like to think that when I was president, together with the administration,
Campus safety was an important issue to KAREN REKOWSKI BLAIR ’87, who worked to get emergency call boxes and better walkway lighting. Bradley’s “Dorm of the Future” with computers in student rooms was implemented, and “our keyboarding (we called it typing) skills escalated within days,” Blair says. She also recalls the appearance by dean of students Ed King ’54, MA ’62 on the Phil Donahue Show and being on the search committee for basketball Coach Dick Versace’s successor. Birth control was an issue on campus, and Karen remembers being awakened by a 1 a.m. call from a local radio station to discuss the controversy. Today, she serves on the Business Advisory Council for the Foster College of Business, owns two Culver’s restaurant franchises in the Chicago suburbs, and works in product marketing. Karen, her husband Christopher, and their son live in East Dundee.
duane zehr
Selling newspapers
we put together a process concerning how we were going to go about becoming a more inclusive governmental body,” Calvin recalls. “We focused hard on encouraging all students to join us and have a voice, specifically women and minorities.” The senior vice president for corporate affairs at Exelon, Calvin lives with his wife Sharon and two children in Naperville.
swipe cards for all During his term in office, AARON FREEMAN ’01 says the food payment system on campus changed from meal tickets to the current swipe card system. “We championed the addition of off-campus restaurants and grocery stores accepting meal plan money.” Aaron has his juris doctorate from the University of Dayton Law School and is a lawyer with Voyles Zahn & Paul in Indianapolis. He serves on the Indianapolis City Council. He and his wife HEATHER OKE FREEMAN ’02 MS ’04 live in Indianapolis with their son.
In 2009, TONY “CHIP” COLLETTI ’74 began managing 3867 Partners, a private investment firm that bought a major interest in the Chicago Sun-Times. The investment firm sold the Sun-Times, along with 40 suburban publications and websites, to Wrapports LLC last December. Tony practiced law in Chicago until 1991 when he became legal counsel and manager of government affairs for the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs in Springfield. He returned to private practice and later founded a public affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C. During his college years, after an era of campus protests, Tony recalls that Bradley students began concentrating more on college life. “It was a bridge to a different attitude on campus.” He credits his Senate experience with helping secure his fellowship at Notre Dame Law School. “The Bradley president had the foresight to have the student body president at Board of Trustees meetings. It forced us to see issues from the Board’s viewpoint and to partner with the administration.” Tony has two daughters. He and his wife Veronique reside in Crystal Lake and Miami. Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
19
Bradley Campus March 2012
Speech team dynasty Best in the nation by abby wilson pfeiffer ’10
National champion Jacoby Cochran ’13 delivers one of his winning speeches. Studio photography by Duane Zehr
22
bradley.edu/hilltopics
The 2011–12 speech team displays its trophies after winning the 2012 National Forensic Association tournament at Ohio University.
Coaching legacy
Laurence NORTON
“We have more titles than, say, Duke, Carolina, and Kentucky combined in basketball — or Alabama, Notre Dame, and Penn State in football. The speech team ranks right up there with anything Bradley has to offer.”
GEORGE ARMSTRONG
— Dan Smith In 1897, Bradley hosted the Interstate Oratory Contest, beginning a speech history that’s still going strong 115 years later. With the mantra “two in ’12,” this year’s undefeated speech team won both the American Forensic Association (AFA) and National Forensic Association (NFA) tournaments, exactly 30 years after the team captured both tournament titles the first time. This year’s sweep at the national tournaments was the 14th in program history. The most successful speech team in the nation, Bradley now has garnered 141 individual national titles and 39 team sweepstakes over the last 30 years. In addition to the team’s success this year, several team members won individual national titles. JACOBY COCHRAN ’13 won communication analysis, individual sweepstakes, and duo interpretation with partner JUSTIN RESTAINO ’14 at AFA, while CECIL BLUTCHER ’13 took home the poetry title at both AFA and NFA. Cochran also took home the pentathlon and rhetorical criticism titles at NFA, while CAMILLE YAMEEN ’12 was named prose champion. “I believe the reason that I do so well, the reason that I do all this activity, is because they’ve never asked me to be anybody other than Jacoby Cochran,” said Cochran. Bradley’s director of forensics and speech coach Dan Smith stepped down in June after the
2011–2012 season. He came to Bradley in 1994 and became head coach in 1996. While Smith plans to help the new coach, KEN YOUNG ’05, he is now director of COM 103, Bradley’s required general education speech class. Bradley’s success is the result of decades of hard work. The forensics legacy was built on debate teams, which Bradley has had since at least the 1920s. It wasn’t until Laurence Norton, professor of speech and director of forensics from 1948 to 1973, coached the team that Bradley skyrocketed to national success. Norton is credited with revolutionizing modern forensics, creating some of the events that are still used in competition today, such as duo interpretation and informative speaking. The competition that would eventually become the L.E. Norton Invitational was first held on campus in 1947. More than 1,500 students competed in events such as listening, discussion, oratory, and extemporaneous speaking. The November competition has grown to be the largest in the country and is often referred to as “fall nationals,” according to Smith. The Bradley Forensics Alumni Network (BFAN) holds its reunion every five years in conjunction with the tournament. The next reunion is November 2–4 at the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center.
DAN SMITH
KEN YOUNG ’05
Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
23
RIGHT: Laurence Norton, left, is credited with revolutionizing modern forensics. Members of the debate team included VIC GRIMM ’58, DAVE SILLS ’59, JAY JANSSEN ’59, and CHUCK WISE ’61. Below: The 1925 Women’s Negative Debate Team.
{
Under Norton’s tenure, debate faded and speech dominated. On the national speech scene, organizations were being formed. The American Forensic Association and National Forensic Association were formed in the 1970s and began holding tournaments. Bradley began competing in both tournaments in 1979. The team won its first AFA title in 1980 and its first NFA title in 1982. When Norton retired in 1973, speech professor George Armstrong took over, further cementing Bradley as a speech giant with the help of professor and assistant coach HENRY VANDERHEYDEN ’50 MA ’51. Throughout the ’80s, Dr. Gary Dreibelbis also coached the team and succeeded Armstrong as forensics director in 1988.
online For a list of individual tournament winners, explanations of speech categories, and more, visit bradley.edu/go/ ht-speech2in12.
Tournaments Today, an annual high school speech tournament, the George Armstrong Heart of Illinois Invitational, is held at Bradley. The purpose of the tournament is twofold: to introduce high school seniors to a nationally ranked college speech team, and to help recruit for Bradley’s program. There are three other annual tournaments, as well. In the mid ’50s, a young debater named JAY JANSSEN ’59 set foot on Bradley’s campus. He went on to become an attorney with Norton’s encouragement. Janssen and his wife JOAN LORIG JANSSEN ’69, a member of the Board of Trustees, now sponsor the annual Janssen Oratorical Contest, which awards scholarships to high school seniors who finish in the top three. Bradley annually hosts a swing tournament with Illinois State University, and Bradley’s portion of this tournament was recently renamed the Dan Smith Invitational. Swing tournaments take place over two days, with one tournament on one day in one location and another the next day in a nearby location. Bradley also co-hosts the annual Hell Froze Over tournament with the University of Texas, Austin. Smith was a friend of the coach at Texas, Bradley’s rival. The two coaches were talking one day and Smith said, “How would the community react if we hosted a tournament together?” The JAY JANSSEN ’59
other coach responded, “They’d think hell had frozen over.” The tournament is held annually in January, but the site alternates between Bradley and Texas. “We started it to be kind of small and fun — a celebration of the things that are cool about forensics — but it’s really turned into a gigantic, competitive tournament,” Smith said. When a school hosts a tournament, it can’t compete because of the time needed to help run the event. The only exceptions are nationals, when AFA and NFA run the tournaments.
Grueling schedule Tournaments can be grueling, adding to a speech team member’s demanding schedule. Tournaments take place on the weekends, and the team often leaves Friday night and returns late Sunday or early Monday morning. Smith and his assistant director of forensics, Michael Chen, MA ’85, travel every weekend, scouting talent from community colleges. They also look at the “culture” at schools where important tournaments will take place. The speech season runs from September until April. Bradley takes time off from competition between Thanksgiving and the new year, but hosts the George Armstrong Heart of Illinois Invitational. The team returns early in January for the Hell Froze Over Tournament. The most intense tournaments are AFA and NFA. While both organizations are similar, Smith said there are a few fundamental differences. AFA is more exclusive than NFA, making NFA a larger and longer tournament. According to Smith, 25 to 30 schools attend both tournaments. For the AFA tournament, the team left on Wednesday at 9 p.m., endured a 20-hour bus ride to Texas, and arrived late Thursday afternoon. Friday was reserved for practicing before the Saturday competition. It continued through Sunday, finishing the day with the first round of quarterfinals, the top 24 speakers in the tournament. “All day Monday is out-rounds,” Smith said, “so you compete until you’re told that you no longer can compete. And that’s one of the things that’s tough for the kids. For most of them, somewhere along the line their world changes from performer to supporter.” Monday wraps up with awards. Smith describes the NFA tournament as very similar, but it is one day longer because it has four preliminary rounds instead of three.
In addition to a long season, every summer Bradley hosts the Summer Forensics Institute, a camp for rising high school students. The two-week camp serves as a recruiting tool for Bradley’s team, as well as an opportunity for high school forensics enthusiasts to receive more formal training. “Four of the freshmen we took in this year camped with us for three years,” Smith said. “So in that sense, our freshmen are like other teams’ juniors.” “I started speech because I ended up taking a class in high school,” said TALaN TYMINSKI ’15, a camper for three years. “By the end of high school, I wasn’t done competing. I had more to say and more topics to do.” Tyminski was one of the top 12 extemporaneous speakers in the nation her freshman year. Although some team members didn’t attend the camps, many participated in high school speech, and chose Bradley for its program. Speech goes far beyond weekend competitions and titles. “There are roughly 7 billion people on this planet,” Cochran points out, “and what we do every weekend for fun is something that most people can’t do either because it is illegal or their circumstances have rendered them illiterate or unaware of the world they live in. That is why we do what we do. The trophies are nice. The championships can feel good, but the reason I choose to work as hard as I do is because I know that there is no other place where the messages that we speak will be heard as loudly.”
hope summers photo courtesy of Peter J. Couri
Family feeling Like any group of college friends, the speech team has its traditions. Two stand out this year. The first involves a statue named Oscar that sits on top of one of the large traveling trophies the team brought back from the AFA tournament; team members frequently rub its head for good luck. The team also has a special song that is iconic. What else could it be but We are the Champions by Queen? The team might be compared to a large family. Even though most members’ roles change from performer to supporter during a tournament’s elimination rounds, they are completely behind their teammates, according to Smith. “I think every one of them would tell you that they’d give up any individual title as long as the team was able to win,” he said. But that camaraderie isn’t easy to form,
especially this past year. The 29-member team had 15 transfer students, 13 of whom were from Southern California. “It always takes a while for that chemistry to build, but it will get there,” Smith said. Each team has an average of 30 people and is open to anyone. At the beginning of the year, an informational meeting is typically attended by 75 to 80 people. By the end of October, the team is generally settled, and has had as many as 45 or as few as 25 members. Smith estimates he’s coached 300 to 350 students during his 16 years as Bradley’s director of forensics. According to Smith, each team has about 50 percent communication majors and 50 percent “everything else.” After graduation, alumni are able to keep in touch through the Bradley Forensics Alumni Network, or BFAN. One of the Bradley University Alumni Association’s first affinity networks, BFAN allows alumni to connect with each other and support current students. “We are most proud of how amazing our alumni are,” MITCH COLGAN ’06, president of BFAN, said. “In the past year, we’ve raised over $60,000 to give back to the team.” Alumni also help coach the team, attend tournaments, and serve as judges.
ABOVE: Keeping with tradition,
the 1993 speech team had its picture taken in front of the bus.
{
online Scan the QR code or visit bradley.edu/ go/ht-speechvideo to view a video of the speech team members in action.
Colorful cast of characters Interesting alumni have come out of Bradley’s speech program. They include actors, standup comedians, authors, educators, marketers, attorneys, and many more. ATHENA PAPACHRONIS HERMAN ’94, at right, is a lawyer at Benassi and Benassi, P.C. in Peoria. Herman was speech team captain during the 1993–94 season and won an NFA individual title in persuasion in 1991 as a freshman. She was part of the team that took home NFA championships from 1991 to 1994 and AFA championships from 1991 to 1993. In 1926, a young Hope Summers arrived to head the speech department, only to leave a year later to pursue a career on the stage. She went on to become a popular character actor. From a recurring role as Clara Edwards on The Andy Griffith Show to a murder witness in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken to Mrs. Gilmore in Rosemary’s Baby, her characters ran the gamut. Athena Papachronis Herman ’94
Music makers For some students, music is a creative outlet. For others, it’s something that soothes and relaxes. Still others utilize it as a tool to help them stay focused. by abby wilson pfeiffer ’10 photography by duane zehr
Jared Bartman ’10 kicked off his
2012 East Coast tour at Dingeldine Music Center, Bradley’s concert performance facility. He is accompanied by 20,000 Leagues Under the String Quartet, a string ensemble made up of students.
26
bradley.edu/hilltopics
Bradley’s music program is structured so music and non-music majors can participate and receive credit for creating melodies and harmonies without financial burden. If participation gives students more than a full course load (16 hours), they don’t have to pay fees for taking more hours to participate in a music ensemble. As a result, about 10 percent of Bradley’s 5,200 undergraduates participate in a music program, and 300 more choose to take music appreciation each year to fulfill a general education requirement. Still others attend the regular concerts and recitals, featuring both students and faculty, which are free to students. “One of the reasons that we have such a variety of ensembles is so we can offer students opportunities that take different amounts of time,” said Dr. David Vroman, chairman of the music department. “Not all universities are able to structure the program in a way that doesn’t require students to pay for an overload. We encourage students to stay involved so they don’t come here and quit their music participation from high school.” And the possibilities are nearly endless. BETH BOUDREAU ’12 received her degree in biochemistry in May and played the French horn in Symphonic Winds and Basketball Band all four years of college. “Music gave me a break from my biochemistry classes, and it’s nice to use the other half of my brain,” she said. Some students choose to minor in music, like string bass player JUSTIN OMMEN ’14. The mechanical engineering major enjoys the community and
camaraderie found in the department. “There are always people hanging out; there are always people to talk to when you’re in Constance Hall,” he said. “It’s like a big family. There’s a bond that happens from being in rehearsal together four hours a week and taking classes together.” Ommen also notes the talent of the faculty. “I don’t think we as students realize what kind of talent and credentials we have at Bradley,” he said. Read about faculty involvement in the community at bradley.edu/go/ht-musicprofessors.
Bands Vroman conducts three of Bradley’s bands: Symphonic Winds, Symphonic Band, and Basketball Band. Basketball Band, (above), performs at men’s and women’s home games. The band travels with both teams for Missouri Valley Conference tournaments. Between semesters, the Basketball Band transforms into the Bradley Friends and Family Band, where anyone who plays an instrument is welcome to join in for a few games. “I loved that I could still play in the bands even though I am not a music major,” Boudreau said. “We played a variety of music that I enjoy, and in Basketball Band we always played the most popular tunes.”
Symphony Orchestra The Bradley Symphony Orchestra presents four concerts a year, including a major choral-orchestral work with the Bradley Community Chorus. There are 30 strings and a full complement of winds and percussion. During the school year, the orchestra rehearses two days a week at Westminster Presbyterian Church near campus. The most advanced students from the orchestra also have the opportunity to audition for the Peoria Symphony Orchestra and receive class credit.
Jazz Bradley boasts three jazz groups, led by associate professor Dr. Todd Kelly. The Bradley Jazz Ensemble and the Bradley Jazz Lab Band have 18 to 20 members each. The Jazz Ensemble is Bradley’s most visible jazz group; it has traveled the world, including a visit to Italy this summer. The sixmember Jazz Combo learns and performs all its music by ear and focuses on improvisation. Each spring, the Bradley Jazz Festival features a world-class guest artist, three clinicians, and 15 high school bands.
Choirs Music professor Dr. John Jost is the director of choral activities, including the Chorale, the Chamber Singers, and the Community Chorus. The award-winning Chorale, (above, right), practices five days a week and has traveled around the United States and Europe, performing a variety of musical styles. The group has approximately 40 members. The Chamber Singers include 12 to 16 of the best voices from the Chorale. Auditions are held at the beginning of each semester. The Community Chorus, made up of 80 to 100 local residents and Bradley students with choral singing experience, practices one evening a week. It performs at least one masterwork each semester, either with the Bradley Symphony Orchestra or the Peoria Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Kerry Walters leads the 40-member Women’s Choir which practices twice a week. She also conducts opera workshops — which typically aren’t offered to undergraduates.
Beginning classes in piano and voice are offered for students who have no musical background. For an additional fee, private lessons in bassoon, cello, guitar, organ, percussion, clarinet, voice, composition, and more are available for advanced students.
{
online Visit slane.bradley. edu/music for more information about the program, as well as a calendar of upcoming concerts and events.
Chamber music A number of ensembles allow students to play in smaller, more intimate groups, and offer shorter time commitments. Small ensembles vary in size from three musicians to 15 or more and often rehearse twice a week. For example, students can form a string quartet with two violins, viola, and cello. Students can choose from Collegium Musicum, which plays medieval, renaissance, and chamber music; Peoria Lunaire, which plays new music; percussion ensemble; guitar ensemble; and several more. Faculty instructors lead the ensembles. “Each music ensemble ends up being its own little family,” said SPENCER CASTLE ’12, who received his vocal music education degree in May. “The end result is a very close-knit group of both music and non-music majors.”
Areas of study Bradley’s music department prepares students for a variety of careers. Graduates become private music teachers, performers, school music teachers, church musicians, music business leaders, and more. Others continue on to graduate school before embarking on careers. The music department also partners with the education and business colleges for music education and music business majors.
Lessons Students wishing to further their study of an instrument may take lessons from music professors. Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
27
ClassNotes duane zehr
connect, network & remember
{
online Visit bradley.edu/go/ ht-record to listen to school songs from the ’50s.
alumni center showcase: 1950s The 1950s was a decade of expansion for Bradley, as shown in the 1950s decade case in the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. A timeline shows the dedications of Bradley’s new library in 1950, Jobst Hall in 1955, a women’s dormitory in 1956, the Student Center in 1957, and Lovelace Hall (now Baker Hall) in 1959. Enrollment in 1950–51 was 3,115 undergraduates and 169 graduate students; it rose to 4,203 undergraduates and 347 grad students by 1959. Pictures depict a busy campus: students dancing, studying at the library, and walking to class. Winchip House, which allowed home economics majors an opportunity to put the skills they learned to use, closed in 1959. Dr. Philip Baker taught a noncredit course which instructed students in the fundamentals of making and repairing test tubes used in chemistry class. Lawrence Fogelberg, father of singer Dan Fogelberg, directed the University Band throughout the ’50s. Recordings of school songs by the band and an a cappella choir directed by Howard Kellogg Jr. and CARDON BURNHAM ’49 bring past school traditions to life.
duane zehr
— Abby Wilson Pfeiffer ’10
28
bradley.edu/hilltopics
duane zehr
iconic peace corps art accepted at the smithsonian
BERNARD BEHRENDS ’50 retired from the board of directors of the Hartsburg State Bank after serving 40 years. He became board president in 1989 and CEO in 2001. He lives in Lincoln. JAMES G.Y. HO ’50 has written five books that are available at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and has served as a lecturer and historian for several cruise lines and historic sites. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Hawaii and is retired from there. James and his wife Florence have four children and live in Honolulu.
’50
’62
JAMES MORGAN ’62 MA ’64
was honored for distinguished service to the International Association of Counseling Services and has served as a senior field visitor for accreditation of counseling services at colleges and universities worldwide. He has served the IACS for more than 30 years. James is a professor emeritus with the Counseling and Wellness Center at the University of Florida and is semi-retired as a psychologist in private practice. He holds a doctorate from the University of Florida and lives in Newberry, Fla.
’68
KIP SULLIVAN ’68 MA ’71 retired
as professor of education at Sul Ross State University after 23 years. He also worked at Texas Christian and Lamar universities and as a teacher and school administrator. Kip holds
GARY JAMESON ’65 had three pieces of his artwork accepted into the Smithsonian’s American History Museum as part of a special collection of items from the Peace Corps. His iconic Peace Sign to You poster also was selected for use as a focal point for the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C. “I had been in touch with Peace Corps staff for quite a while after meeting the current director during his visit to Bradley,” said Jameson, shown on the right presenting the poster to Peace Corps director Aaron Williams. “He was the first to ask if my Peace Sign to You poster could be submitted for the Peace Corps archive.” Jameson served two years in the Peace Corps doing community development in Turkey after graduating from Bradley. He returned to the United States in 1970 and designed posters to recruit people for the organization. Since returning to Peoria in 1971, Jameson has been a blacksmith, sculptor, artist, and teacher. — Bob Grimson ’81
a doctoral degree from Loyola and an education specialist degree from Western Illinois University. He and his wife MONA BALL SULLIVAN ’68 live in Alpine, Texas, where she retired as laboratory director at Big Bend Regional Medical Center.
’71
LAWRENCE METZROTH ’71
was named vice president of business development and market intelligence for Arch Coal Asia-Pacific Pte. Ltd. He had been vice president of analysis and strategy for the company since 2006. Larry holds an MBA from the University of Illinois. He has three children and lives in Singapore and Boulder, Colo. JEFF RUSKIN ’71 coached the Salisbury School to the first New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Class A basketball title in the school’s 111-year history earlier this year. In 2011, Jeff was named NEPSAC Class A Coach of the Year. He also teaches math at Salisbury and works for the Boys Club of New York and at several basketball camps. He holds a master’s degree from Hamilton University. He and his wife Rita Delgado have three children and live in Salisbury, Conn.
’75
RUSSELL TOMEVI ’75
was named to the Kansas Commission on Emergency Planning and Response by the governor. The
panel coordinates efforts to prepare, respond, and recover from emergencies and disasters. Russ is director of Public Works/Engineering for the city of Winfield, Kan. He also serves as treasurer of the Kansas chapter of the American Public Works Association and has been president of Cowley County CASA for five years. Russ and his wife Sandi have two children. They live in Winfield. JEREMY KROCK ’80 delivered the May commencement address at Spoon River College. A graduate of Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, he is an anesthesiologist at Children’s Hospital of Illinois and an associate clinical professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. Jeremy is the founder and director of the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project to honor players who were buried in unmarked graves. He and his wife Jeanette and two sons, including MITCHELL KROCK ’14, live in Peoria.
bernard behrends ’50
’80
DEMETRICE WORLEY ’82, associate professor of English at Bradley, published her first book of poetry, Tongues in My Mouth: Poems by Demetrice Anntia Worley. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Illinois and a doctoral degree from Illinois State University. Demetrice lives in Peoria.
RUSSELL TOMEVI ’75
’82
demetrice worley ’82
*RED NAMES, see photo.
Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
29
ClassNotes connect, network & remember
STEVEN DAVITO ’82 joined Progress Energy at its Crystal River nuclear plant in Florida after retiring from the Navy. In his 30 years of service, he served on and commanded nuclear submarines and was chief of staff for Naval Forces Central in Florida. He and his wife Kristine have two children, including PETER DAVITO ’13. They live in Fernandina Beach, Fla. steven davito ’82
’84
richard thomas ’90
ANJI RIGG PHILLIPS ’94
and coaches freshman boys basketball and varsity baseball at Rolling Meadows High School. A three-year letter winner and member of the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame, Jim played pro baseball from 1983 to 1995 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit, Philadelphia, Houston, and the New York Mets. He lives in Elk Grove Village with his wife Debbie and four children. MAUREEN RAIHLE ’84 was recognized on Barron’s list of the Top 1,000 Advisors, ranked third in Illinois. She is a private wealth adviser and managing director for investments at Merrill Lynch’s private banking and investment group in Chicago. She has been on Barron’s list annually since it started in 2009 and has been ranked on several other lists of top financial advisers. Maureen and her husband Don Kandziora live in Lake Forest with their two daughters.
’85
ryan kastner ’96
JIM LINDEMAN ’84 is a teacher
CLARE O’DONOHUE ’86 released
a second mystery in the Kate Conway series, Life Without Parole, which is set in Peoria. She also is
30
bradley.edu/hilltopics
’87
RICH DRAEGER ’87 earned
his master’s degree in organizational leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University. He is the assistant development director and oversees public relations for the Salvation Army in Peoria. Rich serves on the community advisory board for the Children’s Hospital of Illinois and on the board of the Bradley University Communications Alumni Network. He and his wife STEPHANIE VALA DRAEGER ’91 MA ’97 live in Peoria. MARTY MACIASZEK ’88 was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame in the media category during ceremonies in April. He has worked as a sportswriter for the Arlington Heights Daily Herald since 1992 and has been honored by the state Track and Cross Country Coaches and State Baseball Coaches associations. Marty and his wife Amy live in McHenry with their four children. DON UNDERWOOD ’88 has been employed by Sanofi Pharmaceuticals for 15 years and was recently promoted to executive specialty sales professional with its diabetes business unit. Don and his wife Jane live in Bloomington.
’88
ROBERT HISLOPE ’85
co-authored a political science textbook, Introduction to Comparative Politics: The State and Its Challenges, published in March. He is an associate professor at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. Previously, he taught at Iowa State University, Grinnell, and Antioch colleges. Robert holds a master’s degree and a doctorate from Ohio State. He and his wife live in Niskayuna, N.Y.
’86
working on the fifth book in the Someday Quilts mystery series, which is scheduled to be released next year. Clare lives in the Chicago area.
’90
PAUL BRETTNER ’90 coached
the Vernon Hills High School girls’ basketball team to second place in the Class 3A state tournament. The team won its first regional title, first sectional championship, and first supersectional on the way to the title game. Paul has taught math and coached at Vernon Hills since the school opened in 2000. He also was a teacher and coach at Libertyville. He and his wife Stacie live in Vernon Hills with their two children. RICHARD G. THOMAS ’90 has written a second novel, Disintegration. He has published more than 60 stories and
been included in the anthology Shivers VI. He received four nominations for the Pushcart Prize in 2011 and has two short story collections coming out this year. He also works as book critic at The Nervous Breakdown online magazine and columnist for Lit Reactor website. Richard holds a master’s degree from Murray State and lives in Mundelein.
’93
TOM KURCZ ’93 and his wife
Beth welcomed their son Elijah Thomas on June 21, 2011. Tom is a senior account engineer at CrossBridge Solutions. The family lives in McHenry. SHERRY HEINZ WINKLE ’93 MA ’97
received an outstanding advising certificate of merit from the National Academic Advising Association. She is associate director of the academic exploration program and testing at Bradley. Sherry lives in Bartonville with her two children.
’94
ANJI RIGG PHILLIPS ’94 recently
accepted a full-time faculty position in Bradley’s Department of Communication. She will teach classes in the television arts concentration. Anji is currently completing her dissertation for a doctorate from the University of Missouri. She holds a master’s degree in communication from Illinois State University and conducts research in mass and political communication. Anji and her husband Joel live in Peoria with their two sons. RYAN KASTNER ’96 was hired as vice president in asset management for commercial real estate at Heartland Bank and Trust Co. He works at the bank’s Western Springs location. Ryan holds an MBA from DePaul. He and his wife KRISTIN ERDMAN KASTNER ’97 live in Yorkville.
’96
’97
LISA ANDOR TIMM ’97 and her
husband Brian welcomed their second daughter, Annabeth Narine, on May 19, 2011. The Timms live in Spring, Texas.
’98
JONATHAN SWEET ’98 and LORIE NUDEL SWEET ’98
announce the birth of their second child, David Sanford, on October 20, 2011. Jonathan is editor-in-chief of Professional Remodeler, and Lorie holds an MBA from Benedictine University and is operations manager at Beyond Hello Inc. They live in Aurora.
’99
NICHOLAS THURKETTLE ’99
is playing the role of the Duke of Clarence in Richard III in a Shakespeare Orange County production this summer. He lives in Huntington Beach, Calif.
’00
MARY BIASETTI GARDNER ’00
’01
KRISTA HILDEBRAND DAVIDSON ’01 and her husband Chad
and TIM GARDNER ’00 announce the birth of their third child, Norah Shai, on February 16. They live in Plainfield.
welcomed their second son, Charles Ian, on December 22, 2011. Krista works for the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative. They live in Mascoutah. NICOLE CALLAHAN WEINACHT ’01 and her husband Tim announce the birth of their second child, Collins Emma, on March 1. Nicole is marketing and client relations manager for the law firm Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, PC. The Weinachts live in Glen Carbon.
’02
MICHELLE McCLUER GAYDOS ’02 and PAUL GAYDOS ’02
welcomed their daughter Lauren on January 2. They live in Edwards and are employed by Caterpillar. JENNIFER SHECKLER ’03 is an art teacher at Limestone Community High School. She and student teacher PAM GARGIULO ’12 collaborated on a project where students created their own gargoyles based on Bradley’s iconic sculptures. Jennifer and her husband Josh live in Peoria with their two children.
’03
shining light on paralysis research College sweethearts JON NEUSTADT ’87 and JULIE FRICK NEUSTADT ’88 were anticipating some life changes in August 2003. Their youngest, 5-year-old Adam, would be heading off to kindergarten, and that would mean a new routine for the family of four. From Naperville, they headed southwest to Missouri to vacation with Julie’s family at Table Rock Lake. What followed during a carefree afternoon excursion set the course for a “new normal” that meant not just expected life changes, but life-altering ones. Julie was swimming toward her family’s boat when a group of boys leaped without looking from a rock ledge 15 feet above. One of the jumpers landed on Julie, shattering her spine (T4 and T5) and paralyzing her from the chest down. After two weeks at a Springfield, Missouri, hospital where her spine was fused, Julie spent six weeks at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. One of the most important skills she mastered there was driving. “I learned to drive on Lake Shore Drive with hand controls,” remarks Julie, who had worked in Chicago for AT&T before she and Jon became parents. “I don’t think I’d ever driven on Lake Shore before.” Operating her specially equipped van has enabled Julie to transport Adam, now 14, and her daughter Laura, 16, to their games and activities. Julie is also grateful for a Restorative Therapies bike that employs electrodes to stimulate her legs. “I have great resources, insurance, and support. Not everybody does,” she comments, prefacing an explanation of why she helped start the Chicago chapter of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation five years ago. “Their motto is ‘Today’s care — tomorrow’s cure.’ There are many promising therapies being developed. It’s become a popular field for scientists to get into.” The Neustadts and the family company, Neuco Inc., were honored with the Reeve Friendship Award last November at an annual fundraiser. “The Chicago chapter has raised close to $1 million over the past four years,” Julie reports. A portion of those funds has come from Team Reeve, a Chicago Marathon team. “I don’t expect to be running again, but I do hope for some relief from nerve pain and spasticity as a result of the research. Progress being made toward regeneration is encouraging,” comments the courageous 46-year-old. While she considers herself a private person, Julie hopes to shine light on the need for funding paralysis research and outreach. “A survey done recently by the Reeve Foundation showed that the number of people living with paralysis is higher than it was thought. There online are 5.6 million people in the U.S. who have some form of paralysis, and over Visit christopherreeve.org 1.2 million of those are spinal cord injuries,” she says. for more information. Asked what she would like people to know about living with paralysis, Julie shares a favorite quote: “It teaches you to appreciate what you have before time forces you to miss what you had.” Seeing the challenges she faces, Julie believes, has given the couple’s children a different outlook on disability. They refer to her enthusiastically as the best mom on wheels and the best mom, period. Julie and Jon recently celebrated their 23rd anniversary. Years ago both were certified in scuba diving, and last year Julie went diving again for the first time since her injury. They also enjoy boating with family and friends on Lake Holiday near Sandwich. Julie always looks forward to get-togethers with six fellow 1988 Bradley grads — all Chi Omega friends who live in the suburbs. For their 40th birthdays, they shared a weekend getaway to Arizona. “I appreciate it when people treat me like I’m still me, but acknowledge that life has changed.”
{
— Gayle Erwin McDowell ’77 Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
31
ClassNotes connect, network & remember
degree from Northern Illinois University and lives in Valparaiso, Ind.
’04
SCOTT CAVANAH, MFA ’04 has
a solo exhibition of his photos at Pearce Gallery in Dunlap until mid-August. He is an instructor in Bradley’s Department of Interactive Media. Scott lives in Peoria with his wife Paige Barney and their two daughters. MANDY PIERCE ELLIS ’04 MA ’07 MA ’12
music after hours The all-Bradley barbershop quartet After Hours recently released its second studio album, Half Past Eight. The group was honored last year as the 16th best quartet in the world at the International Barbershop Quartet Competition in Kansas City. Group members were all under 25 at the time and qualified for the international collegiate competition, where they finished third. The four members are tenor TIM BEUTEL ’09, lead BEN HARDING ’11, bass DAN WESSLER ’08, and baritone KEVIN McCLELLAND ’11. Beutel is a music teacher in Morton, while Harding is a graduate student at Western Illinois University, and Wessler begins teaching at Freeport High School this fall. McClelland is an admissions representative at Bradley. They compete in July at the 2012 international competition in Portland, Oregon. — Bob Grimson ’81
MARCUS RAPP ’03 and MEGHAN JACOBY RAPP ’03 welcomed their second
child, Penelope Helen, on September 24, 2011. They live in Morton. LAURA WEAVER ’03 is coordinator of the Center for Service Learning and Leadership at Purdue University’s North Campus. She was awarded the 2012 Indiana Campus Compact Outstanding Community Service Director Award. Laura also was selected as an Indiana Campus Compact Senior Fellow and gave a presentation at the International Symposium on Service Learning last year in China. She holds a master’s
32
bradley.edu/hilltopics
was recently named principal at Dunlap Grade School. She and her husband BRETT ELLIS ’04 live in Dunlap with their daughter. MICHAEL PLAHM ’04 and his wife Brittany welcomed their fourth child, Christian Joseph, on December 29, 2011. Michael is a client accounting supervisor at Sidley Austin LLP. The family lives in New Lenox. KIMBERLY CORNS WALKER ’04 and JOHN R. WALKER ’04 announce the birth of their daughter Kennedy Taylor on February 28. They live in Washington.
’05
LAURA MERRINETTE BLAND ’05
and CHRISTOPHER BLAND ’06 announce the birth of Bradley Michael on January 15. Chris is a civil engineer with Strand Associates, and Laura is an office manager at Tallman Equipment Co. The Blands live in Columbus, Ind. KATIE MICKELSON CLOYD ’05 and BEN CLOYD ’04 welcomed Beckett William on March 31. Ben is a firefighter in Colorado Springs, and Katie is a marketing manager for a law firm. They live in Thornton, Colo. JONATHAN DELL ’05 was nominated by the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals for a program, “The New Faces of Engineering,” which honors top engineers under 30 and aims to show prospective students diversity in the profession. Jonathan is an engineer with Hamilton Sundstrand. Previously, he worked in the automotive industry. He lives in Carpentersville. BEAU DOTY ’05 is the head boys basketball coach at Streator High School. His 2011–12 team finished
20-9, won the school’s first regional title since 1969, and achieved the first 20-victory season since 1966. Beau was named Co-Coach of the Year in District 12 by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. He lives in Washington.
’06
MITCHELL COLGAN ’06
’07
WIL LOFGREN ’07 recently was
’08
DEREK HOOVER ’08 recently
was music director of Les Miserables at Eastlight Theatre in East Peoria where the show made its community theater regional premiere. Mitch is a communications specialist for Caterpillar. He lives in Peoria. DAVID RAFFEL, MA ’06 was named principal for sixth through eighth grades at Germantown Hills District 69. He has taught for four years at Germantown Hills and previously was a teacher and administrator at Peoria Academy. Dave lives with his wife Gail and their two children in Peoria.
certified as a USPTA tennis professional. A first-team All-MVC selection when he played at Bradley, Wil teaches adult and children’s classes at Queen City Racquet Club in Cincinnati. He lives in Cincinnati. released a short novel, Mister Wisteria. He is an imaging specialist with Iron Mountain Information Management in East Peoria. Derek lives in Goodfield with his wife Amanda. SHANNON PYRZ ’08 is a customer service executive with the NHL Chicago Blackhawks. She worked for the Rockford IceHogs for three years. Shannon lives in Downers Grove. DOUGLAS VALENTINE ’08 received the 2012 Green Chalk Teaching Award, given through student nominations to graduate students at the University of Missouri. He is a graduate teaching assistant in religious studies and an instructor with Mizzou Online. Doug received his master’s degree this year. His wife CHANDRA VALENTINE ’10 is the catering and event coordinator for Bleu Restaurant and Wine Bar,
as well as a social media consultant. They live in Columbia, Mo.
’09
PAUL TURACK ’09, a petty
officer third class in the U.S. Navy, deployed as a crew member on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise on the final deployment of the ship’s 50 years of service.
ALYSSA WELCH ’10 is a freelance designer and illustrator who recently started Midwest Action, a clothing line aimed at uniting and promoting Midwest artists and musicians through T-shirts and related events. She lives in Mokena.
’10
’11
ELLEN BENDER ’11 is a special
education teacher and lives in Casa Grande, Ariz. JEFF KAUTHER’11 is an associate claims representative for workers’ compensation for Auto-Owners Insurance. He lives in Peoria.
laura weaver ’03
duane zehr
MANDY PIERCE ELLIS ’04 MA ’07 MA ’12
artist on the move CHRISTOPHER TROUTMAN ’03 was back on campus late last year, his massive charcoal drawings filling the gallery
of Heuser Art Center. “The imagery comes from places I’ve been and people I’ve seen,” explained Chris, currently an art professor at Eastern Illinois University. Many of the large drawings in his Resonant Viewpoints exhibit feature people moving up stairs. The central theme is claustrophobia and isolation in urban environments. The varied places Chris and his wife RIE FUJIMAKI ’02 have lived — Japan, California, Kentucky, and Illinois — provide inspiration for his drawings. The couple met in painting class at Bradley. After graduation they moved to Japan and operated an English language school in Kagoshima City. At 6-foot-4, Chris noted that he can’t help feeling conspicuous in Japan. Chris, Rie, and their young son are back in Japan this summer, visiting Rie’s family. Chris is painting and has entered two drawings in the Nobeoka City Exhibition. He has upcoming solo exhibitions at Louisiana Tech University and the Hartnett Gallery at the University of Rochester. Since his exhibit at Bradley, Chris has had shows at Cedarhurst Art Center in southern Illinois, College of the Sequoias in California, the Earlville Opera House in New York, and Sinclair College in Ohio. Before enrolling at Bradley, his interest in art was fueled at Dunlap High School by instructor Jody Hale. Chris cites Bradley instructors Ken Hoffman and ANN COULTER, MFA ’07 for their influence when he was working on his bachelor’s degree in drawing and painting. In 2008 he earned an MFA from California State University, Long Beach.
jonathan dell ’05
DOUGLAS VALENTINE ’08
— Gayle Erwin McDowell ’77
Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
33
ClassNotes connect, network & remember
send address changes to:
alumnirecords@bradley.edu
OR
Alumni Records, Bradley University, 1501 W. Bradley Ave., Peoria, IL 61625
Send Us Your ClassNotes ... we want to share your news! Full Name____________________________Maiden__________________ Class Year____________Degree__________________________________ Advanced Degree(s)____________________________________________ Institution(s)__________________________________________________ Home Address_________________________________________________ City_________________________________________________________ State________________________________Zip code_________________
NICHOLE LANE FOHRMAN ’02 and MITCH FOHRMAN ’02 were married
November 12, 2011. Nichole works at a law firm and is also an event planner. Mitch works in advertising sales. They live in Chicago.
JOHNNA BOND SZCZURKO ’04
married Mike Szczurko on July 23, 2011. Johnna works in production at ABC Family and Disney Channel. They live in Valencia, Calif.
E-mail_______________________________________________________ Phone: Home _________________________Work____________________ Current Job Title(s)_____________________________________________ Employer’s Name______________________________________________ Spouse name___________________________Maiden___________________ Is spouse a BU alum?_________If yes, spouse’s class year__________________ If BU alum, degree_______________________________________________ Advanced Degree(s)______________________________________________ Institution_____________________________________________________ Current Job Title(s)_______________________________________________
DAVID THOMMES ’05 and Patricia MICHAEL HERFF ’05 and Jessica
Sparling Herff were married on June 25, 2011. Mike works at Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Chicago. The couple lives in Bensenville.
Hupac Thommes were married on October 15, 2011. He is a sales representative for Liberty Mutual Insurance. The couple lives in Aurora.
TYLER WOLFE ’06 and AMANDA AUGUSTINE WOLFE ’07 were
MAISIE FAY SANCHEZ ’07 and EDUARDO SANCHEZ ’07 were
married November 5, 2011. He is a police officer in San Diego. She is an RN at Rady Children’s Hospital. They live in San Diego.
married June 4, 2011. She is a vocational coordinator for Easter Seals, and he is a teacher and track coach at South Beloit Junior High School. They live in Roscoe.
Employer’s Name________________________________________________ Family information_______________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ My news: (Please provide month/day/year for weddings and births.)_____________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________
Please note: ClassNotes are published in the order they are received. Please send wedding and birth announcements within one year of the event. mail to: Bradley Hilltopics, Bradley University, 1501 W. Bradley Ave., Peoria, IL 61625 fax 309-677-4055 e-mail hilltopics@bradley.edu online form bradley.edu/hilltopics Photo submissions: Digital photos should measure at least 1,200 pixels on the short side. Please include photographer’s written permission to reproduce copyrighted photos. Bradley Hilltopics reserves the right to make the final selection of all photography based upon available space, subject matter, and photo quality. questions: Call 309-677-2249.
34
bradley.edu/hilltopics
InMemory 1930s
CARL SCHLATTER ’35, Jan. 3, Alhambra, Calif. He was an FBI special agent from 1947 to 1975, specializing in bank robbery investigations. A World War II Army veteran, he enjoyed bridge and was honored for his work with the American Red Cross.
1940s
ARTHUR FASH ’41, Jan. 21, Douglas, Mich. A resident of Farmington for most of his life, he was a Chrysler dealer for more than 50 years. He was active in the community, serving on the library board and singing with a barbershop group. He enjoyed collecting and selling antiques and crystal paperweights. Arthur was a World War II Army Air Forces veteran. Survivors include his wife Lois, two children, and three grandchildren. HAROLD PHILLIPS ’41, Feb. 21, Oceanside, Calif. He was president of Coates Demonstrating Service for 22 years, retiring in 1988. Previously, Hal held management positions in television stations KHJ and WTVH. In Peoria he worked in sales for WMBD until 1955. A member of the Bradley Board of Trustees, Hal was a past president of the Bradley National Alumni Association. Surviving are his wife Helen, two sons, and two granddaughters. ROBERT ECKLEY ’42, April 15, Bloomington. The president of Illinois Wesleyan University from 1968 to 1986, the quad there is named in honor of Robert and his wife Nell. For 12 years prior to his presidency, he managed Caterpillar’s business economics department. He held an MBA from the University of Minnesota, as well as master’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard. Robert was honored as Bradley’s Distinguished Alumnus in 1972. He was the author of five books and was a scholar of Abraham Lincoln. Robert was active in civic affairs in Bloomington and Peoria. After retiring, he was a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institute. Survivors include his wife, four children, and five grandchildren. PEARL NEUMANN FOX ’42, March 16, Deerfield. She taught for many years in Northbrook and Deerfield. Pearl held a master’s degree from National College of Education. She was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church and served on her credit union board. Two sons and five grandchildren survive. PHYLLIS BEATTY WALLIN ’42, March 1, Peoria. She was an elementary school teacher. A member of Delta Kappa, she enjoyed golf. Phyllis sang in the choir and was an active member of First English Lutheran Church. Surviving are two children including ROBERT WALLIN ’66, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
MARIAN KOCH ASHLEY ’46, Jan. 25, Peoria. She enjoyed reading and painting with watercolors. An active volunteer, Marian was a member of Chi Omega and PEO. Her daughter and two granddaughters survive. PHILIP “BUD” MASER ’46, March 11, Seattle. A World War II Navy veteran, he was an engineer for the government, last working in Alaska. Survivors include his wife Henrietta, six children, and three grandchildren. ROBERT STRASSBURGER ’47, Jan. 23, Washington. He owned Peoria Cabinet Co. and later was superintendent of special woodworks at Jumer’s. Robert was a World War II and Korean War Army veteran, and was awarded a Bronze Star. A member of Lambda Chi Alpha, he played in a German band. Surviving are his wife Clara, five children, and 11 grandchildren. GORDON SIMONSEN ’48 MS ’50, Feb. 14, Huntley. He taught at Aurora East High School and then was a founder of Triton College, retiring as executive vice president in 1979. In 1990 he retired as director of education for the state prison in Michigan City, Ind. Gordon was involved in the Coast Guard auxiliary there until 2010 and served as flotilla commander. A World War II Army Air Corps veteran, he was active in the Lutheran Church for many years. Survivors include his wife Mary Jo, three children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandsons. CAROLYN SMITH KEMP ’49, Feb. 8, Yuma, Ariz. She owned and operated several Peoria businesses, including Dairy King and Kaffee Haus, with her late husband. Carolyn graduated from Methodist School of Nursing in 1981. She was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church. She volunteered at a Yuma hospital for 10 years and edited the volunteers’ newsletter. Four children, 10 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren survive. CLYDE TODD ’49, Feb. 8, Elmhurst. Clyde was vice president of Suburban Oil. A World War II Navy veteran, he played football at Bradley. Surviving are his wife HELEN JORN TODD ’49, six children including DANIEL J. TODD ’78, 16 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. ROBERT WAGNER ’49, Jan. 2, Raymore, Mo. He worked in management for Woolf Brothers clothing retailer for nearly 30 years. Bob served on the Shawnee Mission School Board in the 1960s. He was active in Kiwanis and his church. He was a World War II Army veteran. Three children, six grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters survive. WILLIAM WYATT ’49 MS ’51, Dec. 7, 2011, Benton. Bill retired from Crum & Forster Insurance Group in 1981. He also operated a nature and wildlife photo
gallery in Detroit Lakes, Minn. Bill was a World War II Navy veteran. His wife Mary survives, along with three children, seven grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
1950s
NANCY SHIVELY GIRE ’50, Feb. 25, Union City, Calif. Nan was a homemaker and a member of Pi Beta Phi. Surviving are her husband EUGENE GIRE ’50 MA ’55, five children, 10 grandchildren, and a great-grandson. WILLIAM “TORSEY” HELM ’50, Dec. 15, 2011, Peoria. He retired from the Peoria Police Department in 1980 after 25 years of service. In 1967 he was the first African American in the department to become a captain. Active in the community, William was a World War II Navy veteran. Surviving are three children including CAROLYN HELM WILLIAMS, MS ’77, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. RUTH PETZING CLEMENT ’51, Dec. 2, 2011, Chesterfield, Mo. She was a CPA in the Chicago suburbs and later retired to Iowa City. Survivors include her husband William, three children, and six grandchildren. EUGENE ROGERS ’51, March 4, Braidwood. He held an MBA from Syracuse University. An Air Force veteran, he was active in the Knights of Columbus. He played saxophone with orchestras in the 1940s and enjoyed bowling and golf. Survivors include his wife Ellen, three sons, and two grandchildren. RUDOLPH ASMUS ’52, Nov. 20, 2011, Rolling Meadows. A World War II Army veteran, he was an avid fisherman. He was active in his church. Surviving are his wife Elaine, one son, one grandchild, and three great-grandchildren. ROBERT BERGHOLTZ ’52, Nov. 16, 2011, Rockford. Bob was a supervisor in Winnebago County’s Department of Public Aid for 29 years, retiring in 1990. A Korean War Army veteran, he also served in the Reserves. Three children, 10 grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters survive. RICHARD GRAHAM ’52 MA ’65, March 19, Chillicothe. He taught social studies in Chillicothe and in junior high schools in East Peoria. He was a World War II Navy veteran. Surviving are two children including JANICE GRAHAM ROE ’77, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. ROBERT W. PARK ’52, Feb. 25, Burlington, N.C. Bob worked in community relations for Keystone Steel and Wire. Later he worked in Chicago for Urban Investment and Development for 21 years, retiring as vice president. Bob organized the Heart of Illinois Fair and was appointed manager of the Illinois State Fair in 1970. He served as president Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
35
InMemory of the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs. An Air Force veteran, he was active in his church and the community and served on the board of Edwards Hospital in Naperville. Bob was the 1963–64 president of the Bradley Alumni Association and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Surviving are his wife MARGARET POOL PARK ’53, four children, and 10 grandchildren. L. DUANE QUINN ’53, Jan. 5, Lithia, Fla. He was employed by Walgreen Drug Co. for 47 years. Duane was a World War II Army veteran. His wife Marilyn, two daughters, and three granddaughters survive. DOUGLAS BOWERS ’54 MS ’68, Feb. 22, Peoria. A member of Illinois Central College’s original faculty, he retired in 1987 after teaching there for 20 years. Previously he taught industrial arts at Limestone Community High School. He was a World War II Marine Corps veteran. Surviving are his wife Mary Ellen, three children including JEFFREY J. BOWERS ’80, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a sister, and his brother JAMES J. BOWERS ’60. RAYMOND JORDAN ’54, Jan. 11, Elmhurst. He had worked as advertising manager for Juno Lighting. Survivors include his wife Helena, three children, and four grandchildren. JOAN VESPA O’DEA ’54, March 31, Washington. She and her late husband Tom operated O’Dea’s Cleaners since 1957. Joan was a member of Pi Beta Phi. Four children and six grandchildren survive. DUANE STRODE ’54, Feb. 13, Peoria. He owned and operated Strode Music Service with his brother WALTER STRODE ’59 since 1960. In the ’50s, they operated an instrument repair business. Duane also was a band teacher in Toulon and Hanna City. He was an Air Force veteran. His wife Patricia survives, along with two sons and six grandchildren. RAYMOND WALLS ’54, Dec. 3, 2011, Snellville, Ga. He designed and manufactured heavy welding equipment and operated his own company. An Air Force veteran, he was active in the Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife Lynne, two children, and four grandchildren.
“In Memory” Guidelines: In Memory is written from newspaper clippings, as well as published obituaries supplied by friends and family. Bradley Hilltopics attempts to identify spouses, parents, children, and siblings who are also Bradley alumni. Submit an obituary by mailing a newspaper clipping or memory card from the funeral home to Bradley Hilltopics, 1501 W. Bradley Ave., Peoria, IL 61625.
36 bradley.edu/hilltopics
LINDA BEST ADAMS ’55, March 28, Lemoyne, Pa. She worked at the West Shore Public Library for 18 years. Linda was a hospital volunteer and a member of Chi Omega. Surviving are five children, her brother ALAN BEST ’58, two sisters including MARY BEST VOLKMAN ’60, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. JACK ANDRES ’56 MSME ’65, March 14, Peoria. He was a mechanical engineer for Caterpillar for more than 20 years. Later he monitored air quality for the Illinois EPA. Survivors include his wife Dolores and daughter MARIE ANDRES ’84 MA ’87. SUSAN CHEEK GIBSON ’56, Feb. 18, Augusta, Ky. Susan was retired from teaching. Survivors include her husband JOHN GIBSON ’53. WARREN HAKES ’56, Jan. 27, Westlake, Ohio. He worked in real estate and finance, and was an entrepreneur in several businesses. Warren enjoyed reading and singing. His wife Diane, one daughter, and one granddaughter survive. NORRIS BLACKWELL ’57, Jan. 13, Asheville, N.C. He was vice president of finance for Textron and was a Navy veteran. Surviving are his wife Helen, two children, a stepdaughter, and one granddaughter. ROBERT DICKISON ’57, Jan. 19, Peoria. He retired in 1985 as president of Brass Foundry where he worked for 49 years. He served on the Proctor Hospital Board for 40 years. Robert helped found the local Muscular Dystrophy Association and was involved with the Jaycees when Exposition Gardens was created. Survivors include his daughter and his companion Neva Buettell. ROBERT MOORHUSEN ’57, Jan. 7, Claremont, Calif. He was an optical engineer for Xerox for 28 years, retiring in 1991. He held a master’s degree from the University of Rochester and obtained many patents under the Xerox name. He enjoyed camping and outdoor sports. His wife Ena and two sons survive. HELEN GARDNER ROGERS ’57 MA ’58, March 11, Pittsburg, Kan. A former English professor, she and her husband Gene taught at Bradley until 1966. During a sabbatical, Helen taught English at a school she established in Iraq and Iran. She retired from Missouri Southern University in Joplin. She held a doctoral degree from Indiana University, and enjoyed writing short stories and plays. EUGENE CARLSON ’58, Feb. 25, Oak Park. He retired from the Division for Outreach of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). His wife Barbara survives. PATRICK NELSON ’58, March 10, Edwardsville. An Air Force veteran, he retired from Shell Oil Co. in Wood River after 35 years of service. Pat was minister of Our Lady of the Angels Fraternity for six
years, and was active in Knights of Columbus. He had been honored by the Vatican. Survivors include his wife Susanne, six children, and 13 grandchildren. BERNARD “JIM” ROGGENBUCK ’58, March 12, Hillsborough, N.C. Jim worked for Amway Corp. in Michigan until opening a Midas Auto Service Center in Durham in 1984. An Army veteran, Jim enjoyed boating and golf. He was active in his church and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. Survivors include his wife SHARON BECKER ROGGENBUCK ’60, three children, eight grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. BERNHARD TJARKSEN, MS ’58, March 22, Lake Bluff. An Army veteran, he worked for Abbott Laboratories from 1953 to 1991. He enjoyed outdoor sports. Surviving are his wife Charlotte, four children, and six grandchildren. JOE HARBISON ’59, Jan. 30, LeRoy. He opened his own pharmacy in 1971 and later spent a decade working for the University of Illinois at its health center. He retired in 1999. Joe enjoyed woodcarving and radio-controlled airplanes. Surviving are his wife Vicky, three children, and seven grandchildren.
1960s
DORIS GRAHAM GEHLBACH ’61, Jan. 7, McCormick, S.C. Doris was active in Lutheran organizations. She enjoyed square dancing. Her daughter survives. THOMAS J. JOHNSON ’61, March 13, Mesa, Ariz. Tom was employed in the Rockford area for more than 37 years at Barber Colman, Kysor of Byron, and Bergstrom Manufacturing. He was a trustee of Rock Valley College. An avid golfer, he enjoyed volunteering at Phoenix sporting events. Survivors include his wife Lynette, one son, two grandsons, and a great-granddaughter. WILLIAM RANDOL, MA ’61, Feb. 8, Canton. Bill was a teacher and senior guidance counselor at Canton High School for 32 years, retiring in 1991. He served in the Army Reserves. Surviving are his wife Nancy, three daughters including MARY RANDOL MANSKER ’82, and six grandchildren. ROBERT THAYER ’61, Feb. 15, Decatur. He was national service manager for Portable Elevator Dynamics Corp. Bob was an Air Force veteran. Surviving are his wife Sandi, three children including ROBYN THAYER REISING ’82, and seven grandchildren. ALBERT VESELY ’61, March 28, Spruce Pine, N.C. He and his wife Linda were deans of continuing education at Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida until 1993. For the past 19 years, they operated an art and antique gallery in North Carolina. Albert’s drawings and paintings are in exhibitions and collections across the nation. He
held an MFA from the University of Iowa. Survivors include his wife, two children, four grandchildren, his brother HARRY VESELY ’61 MS ’64, and two sisters. EUGENE FINCH ’62, Jan. 26, Pike Creek, Del. He was a controller and engineer for Container Corp. of America and later was self-employed as a CPA. He held graduate degrees from Drexel University. One daughter and five grandchildren survive. JOHN D’ALBORA ’63, March 20, Galesburg. He was a civil engineer and superintendent for Gunther Construction for 35 years. John was instrumental in introducing special education to Knoxville schools and had served as school board president. He received a “bridge of the year” award from the governor and served in the Army Reserves. John was active in his church. His wife Karen survives, along with five children and three grandchildren. DONALD McKILLOP ’63, Feb. 7, San Diego. He worked in the financial services industry. Don was a Navy veteran and held an MBA from the University of Southern California. His son survives. WILLIAM NELSON ’63 MEA ’69, Feb. 2, Pekin. He was an engineer for Caterpillar, retiring in 1983. A World War II Marine Corps veteran, he was active in the Presbyterian Church. He enjoyed golf. Surviving are his wife MARION VOLKENS NELSON ’44, three sons including PETER NELSON ’71, and four grandchildren. BENEDICT “DICK” PAULICKA ’64, Feb. 15, San Francisco. An Army veteran, he earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. Dick was a reporter for Stars and Stripes in Hawaii and Washington, D.C. He then became editor of corporate publications for Hyundai. After retiring he managed an apartment complex. His son, grandson, and brother FRED PAULICKA ’58 survive. PAUL BRANDES, MSME ’65, Jan. 30, Prairie Home, Mo. Paul was an engineer for Caterpillar until his retirement in 1989. He was an Air Force veteran. Active in the community, he helped implement his county’s 911 service. Two children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandsons survive. JOAN KNOSP HOLDSWORTH-HUGHES ’65, Jan. 16, Salisbury, N.C. She taught art and math for 10 years in Florida. Later she was a deacon in the Presbyterian Church in Colorado. Surviving are three children, four grandchildren, and her brother WALTER KNOSP ’65. RONALD SLONNEGER, MBA ’65, Jan. 18, Peoria. He retired in 1995 after 41 years with Caterpillar. An active member of Universalist Unitarian Church, he and his wife Jean were avid sailors. Also surviving are three children and four grandchildren. DAVID “SKIP” RICKARDS ’66, April 18, 2011, Valparaiso, Ind. He retired as national sales manager
of Okaya Electric in 2007. A Marine Corps veteran, he was commodore of the yacht club at Paw Paw Lake, Mich. Skip also enjoyed golf and vegetable gardening. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Two sons and two grandchildren survive. WILLIAM SCHOEN ’66, April 11, Towanda. He was a self-employed CPA in Lexington since 1978 and was treasurer of the local Kiwanis for more than 30 years. He enjoyed genealogy, golf, and model trains. His wife Martha survives, along with two daughters and five grandchildren. GALE GALL ’68, March 23, Springfield. He worked for the state of Illinois for 32 years and retired from the comptroller’s office in 2002. Gale had served as president of the Central Illinois Rose Society. Surviving are his wife Rosemary, two sons including MICHAEL GALL ’97, and three grandchildren. ROBERT AHLGREN, MEA ’69, Jan. 3, Washington. Bob retired from CILCO in 1985 as assistant vice president of energy supply. He later operated a sandwich shop and toy store. An Army veteran, he was active in Boy Scouts and served on the board of the W.D. Boyce Council. Surviving are his wife Betty, two children, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. THOMAS DIXON, MS ’69, March 5, Shreveport, La. He was supervisor of vocational education for Caddo Parish Schools for 18 years following a dozen years as a teacher. An Army veteran, Tom was active in his church. He was a founder of the North Shreveport Kiwanis Club. Survivors include his wife Sarah, one daughter, two grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters.
1970s
RICHARD HATHAWAY ’73, Feb. 19, Arlington Heights. He was a project management leader for Honeywell Inc., employed for 38 years. Rick enjoyed boating and fishing. He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha. Survivors include his wife Judy, his parents, two stepchildren, and two grandchildren. NORMAN EWING ’74 MBA ’97, March 1, Peoria. He retired earlier this year after 38 years with Caterpillar. Norman served as president of several local investment clubs and was active in the Sierra Club. He enjoyed travel. His wife CINDY TUCKER EWING ’84 MBA ’96 and his mother survive. EDYTHE McGHEE CECICH ’76, Nov. 11, 2011, Chicago. Edye was an RN for 37 years, working at Hinsdale Hospital for the past 23 years in emergency nursing. GARY GUTSHALL ’76, Jan. 8, Daytona Beach, Fla. He was a roofing contractor and sold ADT security systems. His mother and sister survive.
SARAH CLARK STORM ’77, Feb. 10, Fairhope, Ala. She was a nurse for 35 years, working in home health care for the past decade. She completed graduate studies at St. Xavier College. Survivors include her husband Jesse, one daughter, and her mother. LAWRENCE HANZO, MBA ’79, Jan. 9, Charlotte, N.C. Larry worked in the machine tool industry for 43 years. After retiring, he worked at Total Wine. He was an Army veteran. Survivors include his wife Barbara, four children, and seven grandchildren.
1980s
THOMAS “DICK” BLEDSOE ’81, March 9, Peoria. He worked in sales until 1996, including several years with Royal Publishing. Dick had been president of the Illinois Council of the Blind and was active in other organizations for the blind. His wife Alice survives.
1990s
DAVID VESSEL ’91, April 18, Arnold, Mo. He worked for ITT Technical Institute in Arnold and previously was with Louisiana Pacific Corp. in Portland, Oregon. Dave was station manager of WRBU as a student and worked in Bradley’s computer department after graduation. He was cofounder of an online radio station and produced several albums. Survivors include his wife ANN MUSE VESSELL ’91, two children, and his parents. BARBARA FORTUNE LEE, MA ’93, Dec. 26, 2011, Atlanta. She was an instructor at Midstate College and was board secretary for the Urban League before moving to Georgia. Employed at Atlanta Medical Hospital for eight years, Barbara then worked for the DeKalb Board of Health, retiring in 2011. She also held a master’s degree from Kennesaw State University. Her husband Harry, two sons, and four grandchildren survive. CLAIRE HUTCHISON ’96 MLS ’07, March 31, Peoria. Claire earned a master’s degree from Sangamon State University in 1974. In 1997 she taught English in China. She operated a vocational school, Careers in Hospitality, for 10 years and worked with the city’s Private Industry Council. Claire was involved with PARC in Peoria and served on the board of ARC of Illinois, advocating for people with disabilities. She was active in her church and Cursillo. Six children and 10 grandchildren survive.
Student
KAYLA FOREST ’15, April 8, Avon, Ohio. She enjoyed art and was a graphic design major. Her mother and father survive.
Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
37
AlumniNews people & events
Director’s Corner Alumni Events August 3 Peoria CIBAC Bratfest, 5 p.m., Jimmy’s Bar, 2801 W. Farmington Road August 12 St. Louis SLABAC alumni & student send-off, 1–3 p.m., Stacy Park, Olivette August 18 Peoria Move-in day open house for legacy families, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hayden-Clark Alumni Center September 26 St. Louis SLABAC wine & chocolate pairing, Bissinger’s at Maryland Plaza. $25 per person September 28–29 Peoria Sigma Alpha Epsilon ’50s and ’60s Reunion, Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. For information, contact HARRY SHORT ’66 at harryshort@cox.net or IAN CHAFEE ’61 at ianchafee@chafee.net October 20 Peoria Scout Reunion November 2–4 Peoria Bradley Forensics Alumni Network (BFAN) Reunion, Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. Contact bob carroll ’88 at woocarroll@aol.com
What is the “power of 9,539?” You are! Each one of us has the power to make a difference in the lives of today’s Bradley students, and I challenge you to get involved now. Our alma mater is better than ever in 2012, touting top-notch faculty, excellent facilities, and outstanding academics. But this has not happened without the participation of the people who care most about its future — Bradley alumni. The “power of 9,539” refers to our goal of 20 percent alumni participation in the Bradley Fund. In this election year, consider that your gift represents a vote for Bradley’s future. As a Bradley alumna, I feel every bit as obligated to cast my vote for Bradley as I do to cast my vote at the polls. Why? It is in my best interest to ensure that Bradley continues to thrive, achieving its goal of becoming a University of national distinction. Bradley’s continued success impacts the value of our degree. As your chief alumni relations officer, my job is to engage alumni in the life of the University in ways that are meaningful and mutually beneficial. And so many of you are fabulously generous with your time! You are advocates, mentors, event hosts, advisers, and organizational leaders. You help recruit new students, share Bradley history and traditions with current students, and hire new grads. Giving your time to enhance the lives of our students is a true measure of your support for the future of our alma mater. I cannot be more proud to represent you! As a fellow alum, I am also asking you to show your support for the University that made a positive impact on your life by “casting a vote” with a gift to Bradley. Join me and be among the 20 percent of alumni who make a gift by December 31 in support of the leaders of tomorrow. Your gift and the power of 9,539 alumni will truly make a difference on the Hilltop! lori winters fan executive director, alumni relations
November 10 Chicago All-Greek Reunion, Harry Caray’s, Lombard For program information, visit bualum.org or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 309-677-2240 or 800-952-8258.
Homecoming – October 10–14 October 10–14 • Homecoming/Founder’s Day October 12–14 • Classes of 2001–2003 — 10th Cluster Reunion • Class of 1962 — 50th Reunion October 13 • 45th anniversary of Sigma Alpha Epsilon • Residence hall staff reunion • Pi Beta Phi chapter house dedication & alumni happy hour
38
bradley.edu/hilltopics
all-greek reunion & exchange Saturday, November 10, 2012 •6:00 p.m. Harry Caray’s in Lombard, Ill. Two years ago, 300 Greeks representing 26 chapters and 15 states met in Chicago for the biggest event of 2010. Don’t miss the encore. Contact your friends today!
courtesy jerrold berry ’91
1 2
3
ethan zentz ’13
4
1 BUBAA Peoria Nearly 150 alumni returned to campus April 20–22 for the biennial reunion of the Bradley University Black Alumni Alliance (BUBAA). Members of the board of directors include, front row: WANDA BOLTON ’73, MICHELLE MILLS ’03, RENEE JONES WEBB ’74, RHONDA POTTS ’04, and NORA WILBURNE ’93. Back row: MICHAEL R. DAVIS ’75, JERROLD BERRY ’91, VANCE PIERCE ’03 MA ’05, NATHAN MARTIN ’84, GREG TEAGUE ’86, HUGO STALLING ’85, and CHARLIE BURKE ’93. 2 Peoria The Class of 2012 celebrated with family, friends, and Bradley faculty and staff on the new Alumni Quad in front of the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. More than 800 attended the Bradley University Alumni Association-sponsored reception on May 11, the day before commencement. 3 Peoria More than 100 alumni and friends enjoyed the annual CIBAC wine tasting event on May 4, held for the first time at the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. Funds were raised for CIBAC’s endowed scholarship fund. 4 Peoria New alumni NATHANIEL ZIMMERLY ’12 and MARGARITA ROSILES ’12 from Bradley’s ROTC program were commissioned second lieutenants in the Army and congratulated at commencement by President Joanne Glasser.
Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2012
39
CampusView the way of dr. michael cross When asked about his favorite sport to watch, Dr. Michael Cross, director of athletics, doesn’t hesitate in answering, “basketball.” In the next breath, he volunteers that basketball is also resoundingly his favorite sport to play. The former State University of New York at Buffalo studentathlete says he’s not a basketball expert, but he does know just enough to get himself into trouble. And although his two sons are too young to play on their grade school team, they have attended camps and are “getting their shots up.” Jennifer, his wife of 15 years, was not a sports aficionado when they first met; however, with three basketball players in the family, she now appreciates the game. Sitting in his office surrounded by Bradley paraphernalia, he adds with a laugh, “How could I not like basketball? It’s certainly an infectious piece of the equation on this campus.” Cross kicked off his action-packed two years on the Hilltop by leading a redesign of the Department of Athletics’ website and hiring five head coaches. He also is a key player in the planned rebranding of Bradley athletics. Every action he takes is based on building the culture he is intent on sustaining in the athletic department. “Our mission and our five core values [at right] are the building blocks of our program. The mission is very straightforward: Provide every student-athlete the opportunity for both a distinctive education and a championship experience.” Cross emphasizes that the mission’s educational piece is critical. “We expect the competition and practice environments to be an extension of the classroom. Our coaches are teaching life lessons, and we want that to be carried throughout the day in how we go about our business. It’s an education beyond what happens through the faculty, and we think that’s important.” Another significant piece of the mission is opportunity. Cross says the athletic department provides opportunities for “200 student-athletes who are on a remarkable campus with first-class faculty.” He wants them to take advantage of the myriad learning and leadership opportunities offered to them by accepting, appreciating, and buying into the mission. “The best teams will do this seamlessly and be able to carry on the mission each year in a self-sustaining manner. It will become part of the team culture.” It’s essential to Cross that the Bradley community understands how he wants the department and athletes to strive for excellence in a way that upholds the core values and stays focused on the mission. “Keeping laser-like focus on our mission and values gives us a purpose and a sense of identity.”
40
The mission and core values also resonate effectively with families who are concerned about the coach their children are going to be learning from and playing for during their college careers. As a parent, he understands a family’s desire to know that their student-athlete will be mentored and have the best coaching and training possible. “In a college athletic environment where we see various problems happening at schools across the country, studentathlete welfare should be paramount. Coaches should not abuse authority and must have the best interest of the student-athlete at heart. All our coaches understand that clearly. This is an expectation in the athletic department and the University as a whole,” Cross says. “When I meet with parents, I talk about the coach and the program, but the vast majority of the time is spent talking about our mission and core values. We want families to understand our philosophy.” With that thought in mind, Cross is well aware of Bradley basketball’s legacy and its powerful impact on the University. He and basketball coach Geno Ford speak almost daily. Cross is adamant that the way to build a successful program is “selecting players to fit into what Geno does, what Geno wants on the floor. The type of people you surround yourself with is incredibly important. It doesn’t matter where the players come from — straight out of high school or as a transfer. Any of these routes are fine as long as they want to commit to our program and understand expectations. They should represent the team well and be willing to be a part of something bigger than themselves. All of that, of course, presumes the requisite talent. Coach Ford is finding the players who want to do this.” While confident about improvement for the upcoming season, Cross says the MVC competition will be difficult. “Creighton will be better; ISU, Wichita State, and Northern Iowa are going to be very good. We have 14 feet of talent that sat on the bench last season as redshirts; NATE WELLS ’15 and WILL EGOLF ’13 will make us bigger this season. Our measure will be making progress towards the championship experience. We want to keep making definitive progress.” — Karen Crowley Metzinger, MA ’97 Photography by Duane Zehr
Core Values of Bradley Athletics Everyone associated with Bradley athletics will embrace and support five core values: Accountability – Accept responsibility for your actions and decisions. Acknowledge, correct, and learn from mistakes. Seek excellence, not perfection. Courage – Challenge yourself to uphold Bradley’s standards and expectations of excellence while demanding others do the same. Speak candidly. Take risks. Diligence – Commit to persistent, tenacious, and attentive effort. Integrity – Act with honesty, candor, virtue, ethics, and honor at all times. Respect – Be mindful of the time and talent of others. Recognize, acknowledge, and appreciate diverse perspectives.
InAppreciation
department naming is all about chemistry Surrounded by a standing-room-only crowd in the Olin Hall of Science, Dr. JEANNE MUND LAGOWSKI ’51 MS ’52 and her husband, Dr. Joseph Lagowski, added a significant chapter to their Bradley story last June. For the first time in its history, Bradley named an academic department: the Mund-Lagowski Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “Between them, they are acknowledged international scholars, skillful editors and authors, talented and visionary administrators, and longtime supporters of Bradley University,” said President Joanne Glasser. Jeanne was named a Bradley Centurion in 1995, and the couple received the President’s Award in 2002. They have been married for 58 years. “This is a humbling experience,” she said. “I am so proud of the University that it brings tears. It’s great to be able to do something that allows us to express our gratitude, and I thank my husband.” Stunned by the generosity of the chemistry department and the University for this day of recognition, Joe Lagowski added, “It was something not expected nor necessarily wanted, but it represents the bond between everyone and my wife. I produce words for people, but I cannot produce words for this. I’d like to thank the University one more time for helping create my wife. Her very core was affected by Bradley University. Nothing else in her background could have done this. We appreciate it to no end. No words, sentences, or paragraphs will tell you what’s in my head.” Jeanne and Joe met while earning doctoral degrees at the University of Michigan. After graduating in 1957, they spent two years at Cambridge University in England, returning to the states in 1959 to join the faculty at the University of Texas, Austin, where they are now emeriti professors. In honoring the couple, Glasser and Dr. Kurt Field, chairman of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, noted the powerful influence former chemistry professor John Shroyer had on Jeanne Mund just after World War II, nearly 65 years ago. Calling Dr. Shroyer the “father of Bradley’s modern chemistry department,” Field added, “Shroyer maintained rigorous grading standards and taught by the Socratic method.” “Anything but the best was simply not acceptable,” Jeanne noted. “Not only did Dr. Shroyer encourage me to attend graduate school, he helped identify
some programs that he thought would be appropriate. In post-World War II years not many women entered graduate programs in physical sciences. His philosophy was to always look for the silver lining. How fortunate I was to have him as a mentor.” The Mund-Lagowski endowment is slated to enhance the chemistry and biochemistry department by funding faculty grants and awards, facultymentored research, and a professorship; supporting student stipends; supplementing department travel; enhancing the department-based library; and additional innovative academic activities. Chemistry major JOSH HINMAN ’13 expressed his appreciation after the ceremony. “I already think that the chemistry department is one of the best departments at Bradley, and with this announcement, I’m excited that it has a chance to be even better.” Emphasizing that quality education for undergraduate students is the cornerstone of the university experience and recognizing the great value of research and scholarship, Glasser thanked the Lagowskis for “the support that will put Bradley at the forefront of chemistry and biochemistry education in the nation. It will provide our faculty and students with unparalleled opportunities for academic and scholarly excellence.” — Karen Crowley Metzinger, MA ’97 Photography by David Vernon
Top left: Dr. JEANNE MUND LAGOWSKI ’51 MS ’52 paused with Dr. BERNARD HOFREITER ’48 MS ’50, who was a teaching assistant in Jeanne’s freshman chemistry class. Top right: Dr. Kurt Field (left) and President Joanne Glasser shared the honor
of unveiling the first naming of a department at Bradley with Jeanne and her husband Dr. Joseph Lagowski. Below: President Glasser presented the Lagowskis with two tokens of appreciation representing their distinguished careers in chemistry and their sustained relationship with Bradley. Artist Hiram Toraason created a red and white decorative glass mortar and pestle for the couple. Toraason also designed a glass base and dome to hold a bottle that belonged to Dr. John Shroyer and once held nitrobenzyl chloride.
Bradley Hilltopics Spring 2012
41
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Pontiac, Illinois Permit No. 6
Bradley Hilltopics 1501 West Bradley Avenue Peoria, Illinois 61625 Change Service Requested
Connect with
your Bradley
201
OCTOBE
2012 OCTOBER 10-14 HOMECOMING Friday, Oct. 12 • Founder’s Day • Westlake Hall Dedication & Tours • Homecoming Festival & Bonfire • Unveiling of A.J. Robertson
Memorial Statue • Volleyball vs. SIU
• Red & White Basketball Scrimmage • Class of 1962 Reunion Events • Classes of 2001–2003 Reunion Events
Saturday, Oct. 13 • Gary R. Tippett Memorial 5K Run/Walk
HOMEC
Sunday, Oct. 14 • Homecoming Brunch
• Campus Tours • Chat with the President • Chat with Coach Geno Ford • “Meet the Deans” Ice Cream Social • Homecoming Soccer Game vs. Evansville • Fireworks
Visit bradley.edu/ homecoming for details and a list of events and reunions.