Summer 2011 Judson Today

Summer 2011

JUDSON today A Magazine for Friends and Alumni of Judson University

Sharing A Global Perspective

Judson Celebrates First Presidential Visit Designing a Glamorous Internship • The World is Their Classroom Education Seeks Growth • Betty Juergensmeyer Retires

JUDSON TODAY EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR Mary Dulabaum Director of Communications & Marketing

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in an effort to are undertaking e w s or av de en nor our s the s embraced to ho Today highlight ha on ty ds si Ju er of iv e un su r is This ctive, which ou our global perspe remain true to dson. : e, Adoniram Ju ak es m na orld (New York d an y histor Post-American W e Th , ok bo ou nt y with t ia’s rece s the next centur of Fareed Zakar be d ri de sc in de m re he ch am I 08), in whi dominant global d Company, 20 Britain was the at re G . er W.W. Norton an w po world of America has n as the leading e United States tio Th s. na ie rn ur te nt es ce w a y. and 19th the 21st centur h the 17th, 18th e first decade of th r fo and India d influence throug an y ur th cent icts that China 20 ed e pr th ia h ar ug ak ro Z th d st an held that role e decline of ay be moving ea is not due to th litical power m is po th d ys an sa e ic H om e. econ labor source. ring our lifetim Now the shift of h their abundant world powers du ug g ro in th ad le ity as tiv p uc to od will float to the rise of eastern pr her education is uch as it is the he writes, “Hig m n he so w th ts ng en re st em t the rest of al involv American ill possesses wha ity and its glob st rs es ve at ni St U d on te ni ds the bell for Ju clares that the U Zakaria sounds t chapter, he de es ng ro st s hi In dustry.”

America’s best in education. id down a set of Creator who la d needs: quality a s an ha ts an ld w or w ld e or the w that th shared by eption of God s do not believe nc an si co A c, t iti as m “E , Se on or reminds us ts in mind, Juds an Abrahamic, The author also llowed. That is ith these concep fo W be ” t n. us io m at liz at vi th er ci ws ien to Chinese y Christian high abstract moral la ation, but a trul lam, but quite al Is uc d ed an er , ty gh ni hi tia ly on Judaism, Chris to provide not ne opportunity vi di d an c gi te we do. has a stra view inform all ld or w l na io at tern education.

Judson does it rspective and in ality education; rsity’s global pe qu ve is ni U ld or on w ds e Ju th er esake, t we have to off True to our nam y needs. the best produc at th g in world desperatel at r st ou in t ch gh hi ri w is e lu ia va ar rough major Zak extra d service, and th ew, adding the an vi s ld ie or ud w st n r tia fo is road from a Chr perspective and ing students ab l students, send adopt our global na to io ts at en rn te ud in st g r min er presidential aging ou Through welco Judson’s first ev , we are encour of m ge ru ra Fo ve s co er r ad ship to six fo orld Le riences on leader ership. See page pe ad ex events like the W le d e an lik tts is gh hr ou th ex world with C s for next year’s Bush shared his engage a compl ent George W. ness leaders. Plan id si es bu Pr . ea .S ar U d an er ch form , faculty, alumni visit, during whi e this fall. r students, staff ou of 0 30 speaker sometim 1, en an os th e ch e or m th of ce d e approach announ a crow e activities as w ay, and we will th rw of t de as un re tly ab en ay rr st event are cu University and date on Judson up is th g in ad re enjoy 2013.

I hope you will n Centennial in de ol G r ou of the celebration

JUDSON today Summer 2011

STAFF WRITER Bethany Suckrow ‘09 LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION Kat Simmons ’10 PHOTOGRAPHY Robb Davidson ’08 Megan Erbele ’11 Adam Ledyard Kevin Sherman ’09

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SPORTS WRITER Adam Ledyard Director of Sports Information ALUMNOTES EDITOR Bonnie Bienert Director of Alumni Relations JUDSON UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION PRESIDENT Jerry B. Cain

C O V E R

PROVOST & VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Dale H. Simmons

Visual Communications student Alyssa Low shares about her experience interning for Glamour Magazine in New York City.

VICE PRESIDENT FOR BUSINESS AFFAIRS Laine Malmquist

S T O R Y

Designing a Glamorous Internship............................................................ 4

Judson Celebrates First Presidential Visit............................................... 6 The university celebrates its first ever World Leaders Forum with former U.S. President George W. Bush as keynote speaker.

VICE PRESIDENT FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS Tory K. Gum

The World is Their Classroom......................................................................12

VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT LeAnn Pauley Heard

Education Seeks Growth...............................................................................16

Judson Today is a bi-annual magazine published by the Advancement Office at Judson University. Please send address changes and correspondence to Judson Today c/o Advancement Office, 1151 North State St., Elgin, IL 60123 or email mdulabaum@JudsonU.edu.

New Majors..........................................................................................................18

Judson continues to encourage global engagement for American and foreign students through its various international study opportunities.

The School of Education details the launch of several new programs, including Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Bilingual/ESL studies and more.

Programs in Sustainability Management and Music Business and Entrepreneurship are now open to incoming students.

Betty Juergensmeyer Retires......................................................................26

After 43 years teaching at Judson, Biology Professor Dr. Betty Juergensmeyer retires.

Join Us Online!

undi, Christus Lux M

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Faculty Accomplishments.............................................................................24 Jerry Cain, President

JudsonU.edu

Athletics.................................................................................................................20 Season Wrap-ups on Baseball, Golf, Softball, Tennis, and Track and Field.

Alumnotes............................................................................................................27

Designing a Glamorous Internship When a representative from the New York Center of Arts and Media Studies (NYCAMS) visited Judson to speak about the program, then sophomore Visual Communications student Alyssa Low knew it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. She filled out the application, submitted her portfolio, and after waiting a month received her acceptance email.

The program mentioned that each student would have to get an internship during their semester stay with the program in New York City, so Low logged on to the American Institute for Graphic Arts website (the professional association for design) and applied to all the design offerings within New York City.

It was a tough decision once she heard back. Out of the 10 programs that she applied to, eight firms responded. Among the

eight were Glamour Magazine, MTV, VH1, and Spike TV. She interviewed with all eight, and each offered her an internship for the semester.

“I was deciding between Glamour and a few others. However, I had to ask myself, from which firm would I have the most design experience?” Low says.

Glamour Magazine, a world-renowned women’s magazine, offered a plethora of design experience for Low. During her internship, she had the privilege of serving in Glamour’s art department, designing the program and tickets for the Glamour Reel Moments Premiere, and collaborating and designing the program, tickets and signage for Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards.

“The most amazing part about Glamour’s Women of the Year

Students Serve Lausanne Congress

by Bethany Suckrow ‘09

Awards was that I was able to attend the event. It was very rewarding to see all the design put together,” Low recalls. Her last assignment was working as a production assistant for a Saab photo shoot.

“Although I was not physically designing, I was able to have handson experience with the shoot,” says Low. “I was able to see the whole process of design: starting from an idea all the way to production and eventually seeing how the final product is used. These steps in between are so important in design because it isn’t just one person working on a single job. Within the office we would collaborate ideas to find the best visual and comprehensible solution. Seeing how Glamour applied this has influenced the way I approach design.”

Along with her internship, Low took three courses: Contemporary

Art in NYC, Review on Christian Art in NYC, and a Graphic Design Studio course.

“I had a really great experience with these courses, especially because most of the artwork discussed in class were in galleries throughout the city.” Low reminisces about traveling from gallery to gallery in nearly every class to see current and historical artwork around the city of New York.

“I am truly grateful for every moment of my internship and semester in NYC. I don’t think I could have experienced this anywhere else,” Low concludes.

With plans to graduate in December 2011, Low looks forward to working full time as a designer and maybe even returning to New York City someday.

by Tiffany Komosa ‘11 After being nominated by Professor Keith Krispin, Tiffany Komosa and fellow Christian Ministries student Caitlyn Powers (pictured left to right) were able to attend the Cape Town 2010, The Third Lausanne Congress, a gathering of more than 4,000 leaders to confront issues of poverty, HIV/AIDS, persecution, and other world faiths as they relate to the Church and evangelism. Here, Komosa shares about her experience with this rare opportunity to serve among world leaders.

The Cape Town 2010, Third Lausanne Congress was the most diverse gathering of Christian leaders ever to take place. There were 4,000 leaders from more than 200 countries and 350 stewards from more than 50 countries.

I was one of the 350 stewards serving. I took on several jobs including speaker shadow, young leaders assistant and dialogue session room monitor. As a speaker shadow, my job responsibilities included locating speakers and escorting them to the green room.

The Young Leaders Group consisted of young and upcoming world leaders in the church. My job as a young leaders assistant entailed setting up and monitoring the “Young Leaders Lounge,” where participants could mingle and meet young leaders. As a dialogue session room monitor, I was responsible for setting up the rooms before the dialogue sessions, monitoring the door, recording the session and making sure release forms were signed.

The purpose of the Cape Town Lausanne Congress was to unite world leaders of the church in an effort to educate, discuss and provide solutions for the social justice issues of today and how to better reach, love and evangelize the world at large. As a result, participants and stewards were equipped with knowledge, connections and the motivation necessary to tackle the obstacles the church is facing.

I’m a senior majoring in Christian Ministries with a Social Justice concentration. God has placed a passion in my heart for

working with abused women and combating human trafficking.

This congress provided me with the opportunity to meet and establish friendships with others worldwide with the same passions.

I even met Pranitha Timothy, who works with International Justice Mission in India.

Along with the other stewards, I visited the poverty stricken communities right outside of Cape Town. This was especially meaningful for me because countless girls are trafficked from these communities every year. I walked through these communities and experienced firsthand the poverty and conditions that make young girls and women so vulnerable to human trafficking. In addition, we visited the community center where I met those making a difference in these communities. We learned about the programs they offered and as a ministry major, it was educational to see both the theology and the application of these programs.

Student Life Photos by Kevin Sherman ’09 and Megan Erbele ’11

First two photos: Student volunteers helped usher in guests at the World Leaders Forum in April.

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Other photos: Students perform for the spring musical Nowhere Near Broadway.

SUMMER 2011

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Judson Celebrates First Presidential Visit

by Bethany Suckrow ‘09 Photos By Robb Davidson ’08 and Kevin Sherman ’09

“The key to leading an organization in the midst of a complex environment is having a vision,” former U.S. President George W. Bush noted in his address at Judson University’s inaugural World Leaders Forum on Wednesday, April 13, 2011, an event two years in the making.

The former president spoke with candor to the crowd of more than 1,300 people about the many personal and professional choices he made as a world leader, often referencing his recently published memoir, Decision Points. He took the audience on a verbal tour of the oval office during his presidency, describing furniture pieces and paintings that represented different leadership qualities that influenced his time there. In one example, the rug chosen to grace

Roosevelt and President John F. Kennedy during their terms. The famed piece of furniture helped him realize how much the presidency has changed, Bush explained.

He said that his time behind the desk shaped his belief that the United States of America is a great country because the institution of its presidency is much more important than the person who holds it, explaining that presidents will come and go with their strengths and weaknesses, but the presidency and the country will remain steady.

“Eventually you realize that you’re sitting in an iconic desk, making decisions based on principles that you think will lead to a better tomorrow. You realize: you’re not it. You’re part of something much bigger than the individual,” he recounted of his time behind the desk

“The key to leading an organization in the midst of a complex environment is having a vision.”

2011

–Former President George W. Bush its floor depicted a sun, so that all who entered the president’s office would recognize that an optimistic person worked there, he explained.

President Bush’s optimistic perspective was a common thread woven within the fabric of his speech, which covered many moments from his presidency, as well as his early adulthood and the life decisions that led him to a career in public service. The former president addressed many different issues facing his presidency and the world today, but the heart of his address centered on matters of principled leadership, for which he had a wealth of stories and ideas to share with the audience.

Along with the rug chosen for his office, the president chose to use The Resolute, a desk that served both President Franklin D. 6 JUDSON today

that hid FDR’s battle with polio and framed John F. Kennedy Jr. in an infamous 1963 photograph. This objective understanding led the former president to focus more on leaving the office and the country better than he found it. His principles were more important to him than his popularity, which he believes is an important tenet for any leader to hold.

Of the many important principles that led his presidential decisions, Bush talked about his belief in God and the gift of freedom from God to every human being. He also spoke about his belief that all life is precious, explaining that these core beliefs were central to his domestic and foreign policies as president.

“Another principle I hold is that to whom much is given, much

W RLD LEADERS FORUM

is required,” he said. “This seems to be one of the principles of this university, too. It’s what makes America unique, and it is what defines our character.”

Among the personal and professional priorities that influenced his leadership and his principles, the president read fervently and never watched television, a point he reiterated directly to the students in the audience more than once during his address. He read 14 different biographies about President Abraham Lincoln, whose portrait he chose to hang in the Oval Office. Reading about history and making history at the same time proved to be a powerful catalyst for his decisions. Learning about Lincoln’s life and presidency both comforted and guided him as he learned how to be a wartime president, how to deal with the trauma and tragedy of war and how to reach out to military families.

In the question and answer session following his keynote address, President Bush was visibly relaxed as he sat across from Trustee Chair and Forum Moderator Carol Thompson ’77. He recounted with surprising candidness and emotion the first moments of Sept. 11, 2001, when he realized that the country was under attack. He shared the thoughts that became clear to him as the events of that infamous morning unraveled; it was clear to the audience that the moment was a turning point in his presidency and his determination as a world leader.

The responses he received gave rare insight to the leaders’ personal struggles that might never have been revealed otherwise, were it not for his vigorous pursuit of personal diplomacy. Getting to know other leaders on a personal level is imperative to shaping informed decisions as a world leader, he said.

When asked what role Christian values in particular played in his leadership, Bush honed in on the heart of his message, once again reiterating the importance of unwavering personal principles.

“My faith led my principles. And if you have faith that is genuine, it derives genuine principles. And if your principles are genuine, you’re less likely to chuck them overboard when times are tough.”

Overall, the principles and experiences he shared with the audience shed new light on both the President and the person of Mr. Bush, as well as the risks and rewards of leadership.

The entrepreneurial panel following President Bush’s appearance echoed his keynotes of leadership, faith, entrepreneurship and innovation. Moderated by Dr. Tom Berliner, Judson’s Dean of the School of Leadership and Business, entrepreneurs Nathan Latka of Lujure Media, Lisa Canning of The Institute of Arts Entrepreneurship, and Kraig Kleeman ’80 of Blaire Group shared wisdom and guiding principles that helped them become successful.

When asked about balancing ethics and profits during the moderated question and answer session for accomplished

“starving artist” stereotype, but to use their creativity as a tool for their economic success, for themselves and for those around them.

Nathan Latka, just 21 years old and a current student of Virginia Polytechnic and State University, encouraged students to use their coursework and experience in school to kickstart their careers before they graduate, and to encourage each other in their endeavors.

The Forum, which has been established to begin an endowment fund for Judson’s new entrepreneurial program, will bring recognized world leaders to the school annually. Leslie Kruser, assistant professor of business, says she enjoyed the event and hopes to see its return in the coming years.

“This event identifies Judson University as a place that celebrates entrepreneurship, encourages it and nurtures it. I hope students will take away a spirit of entrepreneurship and realize that it will add value to their career and inspire new ways of seeing different concepts.”

Dr. Dave Sanders, a professor of Judson’s Christian Ministries Department, believes that both the Forum and the entrepreneurial program will be widely applicable to every type of student and leader within the school and the community.

“I’m in a Christian ministries department and you may think, what does entrepreneurship have to do with Christian ministries? I think it has a lot to do with it. The idea of principled leadership, the idea

Accomplished Entrepreneurs Share Success Stories Kraig Kleeman, a 1980 Judson alumnus, is CEO of Blair Group.

Kleeman was also the founder and CEO of Express Direct, which he grew to $20 million in sales in less than four years before selling the business to a west-coast based technology firm.

Lisa Canning is the founder of The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship in Chicago, which opened in the fall of 2010. A professional clarinetist and a serial arts entrepreneur, Canning has created six multimillion dollar ventures centered around the arts.

“My faith led my principles.

And if you have faith that is genuine, it derives genuine principles.

And if your principles are genuine, you’re less likely to chuck them overboard when times are tough.”

–Former President George W. Bush Among the questions asked and answered, the former president discussed the role of Latin America in global entrepreneurship, times when he has seen God work in his life, and how his business degree from Harvard prepared him for leadership as governor and then president of the United States. His answers were readily given, thorough and colored with anecdotes of interactions with other world leaders like Vladimir Putin and Hu Jintao, whom he met with nearly 30 times while president. He said that he loved to ask these fellow world leaders about what kept them awake at night.

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entrepreneurs, panelist Kleeman stated, “Ethics versus profits is an issue on the minds of the American people since the recent economic downturn. When I think about ethics versus profits, AGI, Lehman Brothers, and many other corporate names come to mind. Greed is a catalyst for financial meltdown. Entrepreneurs can never ever trade ethics for profit. Never. Never. Never. End of story.” The crowd erupted with applause in response to Kleeman’s answer.

Lisa Canning shared much about her experience as both an artist and an avid entrepreneur, encouraging students not to fall for the

of doing new things, has a ton to do with ministries,” says Sanders.

“I was so thankful for the vision behind this event because I think it exposes Judson and its students to some amazing opportunities.”

With the first World Leaders Forum now in retrospect, the Judson community counts their first presidential visit a rousing success.

Inspired by the keynotes from President Bush and the panelists, the school looks forward to future forums for cultivating a spirit of leadership in the community. The speaker for the next World Leaders Forum will be announced sometime this fall.

Nathan Latka, the self-proclaimed “College Entrepreneur,” is a junior at Virginia Polytechnic and State University. At just 21 years old, Latka already owns two successful businesses, which focus on social media and earn him a six-figure income to fund his college education.

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Student Kyle Pearson Represents Peers

by Bethany Suckrow ‘09

With less than three weeks left before graduation, senior Kyle Pearson and more than 600 of his fellow students attended Judson’s inaugural World Leaders Forum. To be present for the school’s first presidential visit is an exciting opportunity in and of itself, but for Pearson, the opportunity to participate as a student representative on the planning committee gave him a chance to both encourage and exemplify the kind of leadership he would like to see flourish at his alma mater.

Two years ago, Pearson was a sophomore business and finance double major, dedicated to campus life and student leadership through the Judson Student Organization when Judson President Dr. Jerry Cain invited Pearson to a meeting to discuss the idea of bringing world leaders to campus on a regular basis. It seemed like a great opportunity for the already committed student leader to represent his constituents in an historic event, but how would he find the time?

“Being able to balance school and leadership at high levels of commitment wasn’t easy.

Spending two years at that level definitely wasn’t easy. It takes commitment not just to what the event will be at that ultimate moment when everything comes together, but it takes commitment to the ideas behind that moment and what you’re trying to do through the event for the community and for this campus. There were times when I felt threadbare, trying to balance my schoolwork and my leadership in the World Leaders Forum, but it was at those times that I had to step back and ask myself, ‘Why am I doing this? Why are we as a committee doing this?’ It motivated me to remember that it was for the benefit of the other students and the community as a whole.”

So after two years of hard work and high commitment, Kyle watched as a former U.S. President stepped to the podium and spoke to a room full of his peers, professors and business leaders.

Was it what he expected?

“One point that the president touched on was that to whom much is given, much is required. As a committee, that was a resonating theme that we tried to capture in creating the event.

When you have resources you have a lot of responsibility to those around you, to your community. So when President Bush 10 JUDSON today

spoke about that, it resonated with me as an idea that has been engrained in my life over the last two years.”

Now that he has graduated, Kyle hopes that other students will carry the legacy of leadership established by the inaugural event and won’t be threatened by the level of commitment it will take to see it through.

“The overarching theme for incoming students is never be afraid to dream really big, and never be afraid to talk to others about those dreams, because two years ago this was a dream that we just talked about and that dream became a reality.

My advice to students would be: Commit to something larger than yourself. Serve something that has a greater capacity than yourself.”

The evening’s festivities began with a VIP reception for 225 business leaders and sponsors of the World Leaders Forum. Sponsors had an opportunity to network with local business leaders, such as former U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar. During the reception, Elgin Mayor Ed Schock presented President Bush with a 100-year-old Elgin men’s pocket watch, which Schock said has more meaning since the famous watches were once produced in Elgin.

Following the reception formalities, VIP guests were given the opportunity to meet and have a photo with former President Bush.

Clockwise from top: Kyle Pearson speaks with former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar. Crystal obelisks were gifted to Forum sponsors. The crowd applauds Betty Lindner. Reverend Nat Edmond welcomes VIP guests. Dr. Tom Berliner sits with former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar.

“It’s brought a new group of people to our campus, and I hope that they can associate leadership, strength and growth with what is happening at Judson.” –Ian Hoffman, Asst. Professor of Architecture SUMMER 2011

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The

World is Their Classroom

by Bethany Suckrow ‘09 Judson continues to encourage global engagement for American and foreign students through its various international study opportunities.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? It is a question often asked, but few have the opportunity to pursue. At Judson, students are given endless opportunities to trek the globe through study abroad programs, service projects and international exchanges. Currently, Judson is home to more than 50 international students representing 27 different countries, from Uganda to Australia, Lithuania to Brazil. Additionally, Judson students can choose from more than 20 different programs to study off-campus, and several annual service projects both stateside and abroad.

But why are international study opportunities so beneficial for students? Dr. Simmons, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, believes that those answers lie at the heart of Judson’s mission.

“Our mission calls us to ‘equip students to be fully developed, responsible persons who glorify God by the quality of their personal relationships, their work and their citizenship within the community, the nation and the world.’ In fulfillment of this mission, our curriculum informs students about the history and culture of various people, but more than that, Judson offers significant opportunities to engage those people and cultures through a significant percentage of international students studying at Judson and by offering an extraordinary range of options to study and live abroad, all of which significantly enhances the lives of our students.”

Where staying on campus in one’s native country will give them ample opportunity to learn and grow within the context of the familiar, international study programs offer the chance for students to

“I have yet to meet a student whose life was not substantially transformed by the experience, which is why Judson makes every effort to offer these programs.”

–Dr. Dale Simmons, Provost 16 JUDSON today 12 JUDSON today

Study Programs International Students

grow their skills in communication, history, art and more in entirely new ways.

The Study Abroad for Global Engagement project, a 2009 study conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, concluded that no matter the length of time a student has spent overseas, any opportunity to travel for educational purposes increases the likelihood for students to become globally engaged.

The study surveyed nearly 6,400 graduates from 22 different colleges who had studied within the last five decades, with the purpose of learning the different ways that these students engaged themselves globally, and to what degree. Whether through humanitarian efforts, political involvement, or leadership in organizations to benefit the community, students who had studied abroad reported significantly more global engagement as a result of their experience. In fact, studyabroad alumni rated the experience as the most influential of their college years, ranking it above peer connections and coursework.

Overall, the study revealed that however students and colleges chose to pursue international study opportunities, short or long-term, the experiences proved transformative for each student.

The variety of international study opportunities at Judson emphasize a balance in both experiential and in-classroom learning.

In the classroom students will learn about historical events, cultural traditions, artifacts, monuments, and art; while studying abroad students have the added benefit of encountering them directly.

“I have yet to meet a student whose life was not substantially transformed by the experience, which is why Judson makes every effort to offer these programs at virtually the same cost as a normal semester at Judson,” Simmons says.

Though travel costs continue to increase, the school pursues affordable opportunities for every student through scholarships and strategic programming.

“By treating each of our partner programs as extension campuses of Judson, our students are able to continue to receive all of their normal state and federal financial aid and the grades from these programs count toward their Judson grade point average,” explains Simmons.

And students can see a return on their investment, he points out.

Off-campus studies, whether stateside or abroad, can distinguish students’ resumés through internship experience, language skills, and more.

“For those interested in learning a foreign language, there is no better method than immersing oneself in the language and culture of another country via a semester abroad. As if the educational, social and spiritual benefits weren’t enough, having such an experience on a student’s resumé can open additional doors for securing a position and advancing in their career.”

For Communications major Cassaundra Eden, studying in Austria was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I chose the program because it was the most price-effective and allowed the most opportunity. The program was extremely accommodating for my Communications degree and all the classes were accepted on my transcript. And because I want to work internationally, I was able to develop a stronger understanding for travels and cross-cultural interactions,” she explains.

The program, which works in collaboration with four other universities, sends students to Salzburg, Austria for one semester each fall, where they can travel to different countries each weekend

Study Programs • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Au Sable Institute Austria: Alderson-Broaddus College Australia: Wesley Institute for Music/The Arts American Studies Program Chicago Semester China Studies Program Contemporary Music Program Focus on the Family - Institute for Family Studies Germany: Anhalt University Harlaxton College, United Kingdom Hong Kong Baptist University Oxford Honours Programme Inholland University Tokyo Christian University Japan Latin American Studies Program Los Angeles Film Studies Program Middle East Studies Program New York Center for Art and Media Studies Oxford Summer Programme Rome Geneva College Russian Studies Program Semester in Spain Spring Semester in Thailand Uganda Studies Program Washington Journalism Center

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Joshua Samuel United Arab Emirates

Pamela Bueno Munoz Brazil

Anita Vuckovska Macedonia

Wellington Idialu Nigeria

Denis Sobeh Palestine

Mariano Cutuli Argentina

Yuet (Dee) Tsang Hong Kong

Joshua Sandrali Rwanda

Kamila Marchi Porto Alegre, Brazil

Anne van Veelen Roosendaal, Netherlands

Uchenna Uzoma Nigeria

Jutaporn Panyakom Thailand

Bill Kagaras Sydney, Australia

Sonam Tsering Gwahatii, India

Tony Skarvatun Norway

Joe Dorsinville Limbé, Haiti

after classes are done for the week. What she learned about in her Environmental Europe and Church Architecture and Design classes and what she saw on her travels overlapped in surprising and significant ways, says Eden.

“Studying abroad in Europe was the best decision I made while at Judson! I think everyone should find a way to study overseas for one semester. It will help you prepare for the future in so many different ways. I made great friends, went amazing places, learned so much about the world, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat,” she says.

Even stateside programs like Chicago Semester offer students a unique experience by allowing students to live in downtown Chicago while working an internship in their field of study. Judson students in that program have been able to intern at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, work alongside curators at the DuSable Museum of African American History, and teach in the Chicago Public Schools system.

On campus, the opportunities for international relations continue to grow. Lisa Jarot, director of intercultural relations at Judson, works

“Studying abroad in Europe was the best decision I made while at Judson! I think everyone should find a way to study overseas for one semester. I made great friends, went amazing places, learned so much about the world, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.”

–Cassaundra Eden, Senior ’11

with international students that come to the university to help them acclimate to campus and American culture.

“This is a crucial opportunity for American students to study alongside someone with a different worldview, which challenges them to think outside of their own familiar lens,” says Jarot of bringing international students to campus.

“I see my role at Judson as an important bridge to the world.

We have the opportunity to educate students who will someday return to their country and have the potential to change the world,” she explains.

Elvadas Skucas, a senior double majoring in Accounting and Management Information systems, came to Judson from Lithuania.

“The quality of higher education in the United States is considered to be one of the best in the world. With the student-to-faculty ratio at Judson, you are not only getting the quality, but also the attention,” he says. “And international students are always well accepted at Judson, no matter where they come from.”

Skucas has been actively involved in campus life activities and programs, even as he acclimated to a new educational system. He served as a student mentor and a leader in the Judson Student Organization (JSO) for three years, and participated in three different service projects.

“My best experience so far has been serving JSO for three years. I was able to grow in all areas of my life. And my favorite part of being here has been the cultural diversity. I never thought I would have the opportunity to simply sit at a table with seven other people with different nationalities,” explains Skucas.

Skucas credits the student development staff with much of his personal growth and participation in student leadership. Jarot explains that as a part of student development her mission is to care for the whole student, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically.

“I hope to be a part of developing our global outreach efforts in becoming more sustainable, allowing more Judson students to participate in our service learning experiences abroad and close to home,” she says.

A team member of the Global Outreach branch of the University Ministries organization, Jarot works with students and staff to find new service project opportunities locally and globally. Each spring break, these service projects take students to communities in need.

Whether the tasks are to provide basic construction work, outreach ministries, or material resources, these service trips allow students to travel with ministry and spiritual growth as the primary goal. In 2011, students traveled to Peru, the Bahamas, Haiti, Colorado and the Dominican Republic.

“There is a great strategy that goes into choosing where our students will serve. We highly value intentionality when it comes to our outreach.

We attempt to partner with organizations that share the same values we do,” says Jarot.

Through travel, student relationships and service projects, Judson’s focus remains global. With a history rich in international relations and a mission to serve others globally, Judson looks to the future for increasing opportunities both on and off campus. As the school reaches beyond geographical borders, the purpose remains the same: to equip students to be responsible, globally engaged leaders in their studies, their work and their world.

SUMMER 2011

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Education Seeks Growth

For alumni who have not been on campus for the past three years, the Teacher Education program relocated to Creekside South and enjoys the comfort of an inviting, professional environment. The addition of new SmartBoards, document cameras, and new furniture in every classroom assist faculty and students in preparing lessons integrating technology and hands-on learning to provide a rich learning experience. Details will be posted on Judson’s website as the date draws near.

by Dr. Kathleen Miller, Dean of the School of Education

New Programs Since 2007, the School of Education has continued to evolve and create new programs that provide optimal employment skills for its graduates.

As the first step in the process, Judson’s educators surveyed eight surrounding districts to determine which programs would be the most viable and would address the greatest needs in Illinois schools.

When surveys were returned and data was compiled, all districts disclosed special education and Bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) as their primary areas of unfilled positions. Research by the U.S. Department of Education identified a special education need in every state. As a result, Judson University’s School of Education agreed to develop three new Special Education programs and a Master’s degree with Bilingual/ESL endorsements.

After two years of collaboration, writing and visits to the State Certification Board, the Early Childhood Special Education program was approved last summer, followed by the Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS1) program in November, and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program, which was passed March 4, 2011. The programs were developed by the Dean of the School of Education, Dr. Kathleen Miller with assistance from Early Childhood Professor Patti Hutton, and School of Education Adjunct Pamela Hill.

Word spread quickly and 12 students were enrolled in the Introduction to Special Education class last spring. Although most of the students had already selected Early Childhood as their major, all were enthusiastic to add the special education endorsement to their credentials.

Student Matt Langton was the first of three LBS1 candidates and demonstrated his faith in Judson and the School of Education by choosing Judson’s special education program in September 2010, knowing that the program would not be going to the Certification Board for approval until November. Teachers who earn an LBS1 certificate are able to teach students with learning disabilities, autism, traumatic brain injury, cognitive impairments, physical disabilities, ADHD, as well as students who qualify for other health impairments.

In the fall, the first homeschool graduate will begin taking an AP class in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) program. Although preference will be given to students enrolled in the DHH program, classes in American Sign Language will be available for any interested students. Certification in DHH provides students with many opportunities to use their skills outside of the traditional classroom setting. All Special Education teachers certified in Illinois are able to teach self-contained classrooms, inclusion students, or students involved in partial participation programs.

16 JUDSON today

Additionally, bilingual Professor Christine Starzynski revitalized the Master in Education program and developed new Bilingual/ ESL endorsements. She collaborated with Dr. Gillian Stewart-Wells to hire additional adjunct faculty who are highly qualified teachers in local bilingual and ESL programs. This year Dr. Miller will be teaming up with Professor Starzynski to develop a Special Education endorsement that can be added to the Master in Education certificate. If approved this fall, students will be able to graduate with a Master’s degree in Education with endorsements in Bilingual/ESL and/or Special Education.

Education Students Initiate Judson Literacy Project

by Dr. A. Gillian Stewart-Wells

Excellence in Education Last year the School of Education celebrated the establishment of a chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, International Education Honorary Society. Students in every education major are invited to join KDP if they have achieved a summary GPA of 3.5 in their major and all areas of concentration or endorsement. Co-Sponsors Dr. Miller and Elementary Education Professor Kristen Stombres work with student officers to promote literacy and student service projects throughout each year.

More Changes Ahead The State Board of Education has advised all accredited colleges and universities in the state that by July 1, 2013, all Teacher Education programs must address the new Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and Common Core Standards through redevelopment of courses and instructional measures. Judson faculty meet semi-monthly to discuss the proposed reorganization of its classes and will submit its plan by July 1, 2012, for state approval.

The new courses and restructured classes will seek to maintain their commitment to the mission of Judson as “the church at work in higher education,” support of the liberal arts, and the ethical standards promoted within the School of Education.

Teacher Education will also continue to promote hands-on learning through its five practica experiences. Freshmen students in Practicum I, Diversity, select a field-based experience from local community agencies that provide opportunities for observation and individualized assistance. The second and third practicum experiences generally occur during their sophomore year and include assisting 35 hours in a local Christian school and 30 hours in their hometown school during one of Judson’s breaks. Seniors enjoy the long-awaited student teaching placement. Depending upon their major, students will spend 11-14 weeks involved in all aspects of teaching.

Although the State of Illinois requires public school districts to provide for students with disabilities, Christian schools generally are unable to serve their students with special needs. Public schools are required by law to accept students in their programs from Christian and other non-public schools who qualify for services. The School of Education is willing to work with all schools interested in partnering to bring Christ into the lives of these students and their families.

Celebrating Progress To officially celebrate these new initiatives, the School of Education will host a Special Education Seminar during Homecoming weekend on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011. Guests can attend one of the breakout sessions to learn a little sign language, hear from psychologists about ADHD, or listen to a student share what it’s like to live with autism. Sign language interpreters will be available.

This spring, students of the English Methods course in the School of Education did their part to increase awareness of literacy as well as share Judson University’s name worldwide.

As part of a course requirement to develop a team project that would prepare them for work in their future classrooms as English teachers, students developed the concept of the Judson Literacy Project. Their mission was to promote awareness of literacy by creating communication channels to inspire others to realize the powerful impact of literature.

The students contacted national and world leaders, entertainers, athletes, educational reformers, as well as everyday readers to gather inspirational tales from readers about their favorite books.

Their request was simple: Respond to one of the following three questions and reply to the Judson Literacy Project via mail, email, blog, Twitter, or Facebook.

• What book or author has had the greatest influence on your life and why?

• What or who is your favorite book or author and why?

• What book or author are you recommending to friends right now?

Watching the replies funnel in was motivating and inspirational for those involved in the project to share similar tastes and experiences with other book lovers.

Although the course ended in late April, the professor of the English Methods course is still receiving replies. Some of the more famous responders were Michael Jordan, Prince William and Prince Harry; others were famous authors, including Dennis Lehane and Jodi Picoult.

Overall, the most popular book choice for respondents? To Kill a Mockingbird, hands down, was the book that many participants found most inspirational!

Would you like to contribute your own testimonial for the Judson Literacy Project? Email your responses to judsonliteracyproject@gmail.com.

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NEW

MAJORS

by Bethany Suckrow ‘09

Our economy and ecology continue to experience ever-increasing strains on resources, efficiency and overall growth, challenging higher education institutions like Judson to be better stewards of our resources on our campus, in our classrooms, and in the investment of our students’ futures. These majors, which will begin this fall, offer new opportunities for students to address the needs of our world with relevant, passionate and Biblically-informed perspectives. Additionally, one dedicated alumnus continues to give back to Judson’s music students who share his love for music and ministry.

SUSTAINABILITY “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”

–Psalm 24:1 As an evangelical Christian university, Judson considers sustainability of its God-given natural, economic and social resources one of its primary responsibilities. Now Judson students can apply that vocational philosophy to their careers through Judson’s newest baccalaureate program, Sustainability Management.

“The Sustainability Management degree is designed to train individuals to assist organizations in managing their resources more affectively,” says Program Director and Business Professor Leslie Kruser.

The Sustainability Management Degree involves more than environmental resources, Kruser explains, but also human and economic resources. Students who graduate from this program will be equipped to lead and manage sustainability initiatives for several types of organizations, including corporations, not-for-profit entities and governmental units.

Students in the program will be members of Judson’s Student Sustainability Committee and will be given multiple opportunities to participate in both on and off-campus sustainability projects.

Courses for the major will include Energy and Natural Resource Management, Environmental Law and Regulation and Sustainability Debates, in which students will be asked to demonstrate their understanding of sustainability through formal debates with their peers. The program will partner closely with other Judson programs such as architecture, business and science. Students can also benefit from increased marketability should they choose to double major in sustainability management and architecture, business or science.

“One of the great things about this degree is its versatility,” says Kruser. “Many of the skills that are developed through the required coursework are readily transferable to any field.

There is a strong emphasis on soft skills such as communication, critical thinking and project management that will foster success in any area.”

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MUSIC BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP Students with a passion for music, songwriting and marketing will have a new opportunity to learn the business of music entrepreneurship through Judson University’s newest program.

In an industry that is constantly adapting to the latest technology, especially online, musicians no longer need a major recording label to build a career. Musicians now have the opportunity to market themselves through the internet and other tools independently.

“The new Music Business major is important for students because it will give them music skills, but at the same time it will give them business skills and knowledge that is geared towards creating self-starters, those creative business innovators that we call entrepreneurs,” says Dr. Chip Gross, chair of Judson’s Music Department and program director.

Judson’s Music Business and Entrepreneurship Major will help passionate song writers and musicians prepare for a career in one of several facets of the music business, including recording, marketing, artist promotion, management and copyright law. Specifically, the program will equip students with the knowledge and skills to start their own music business doing everything from crafting a business plan to writing their own songs, recording them and marketing them. Additionally, Dr. Gross advocates for the program’s distinctly Christian emphasis for those students who wish to become Christian performing artists and share their faith through their music.

Students in this program will take courses in music, music performance, music business and business. They will also have the opportunity to participate in the Best Semester Contemporary Music Program of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities. This semester-long program offers rigorous hands-on experience in the thriving professional music network of Nashville, Tenn.

As for how it impacts Judson itself, the new program rounds out a Music Department that seeks to be appropriately competitive in today’s music industry, says Dr. Gross.

NEW RECORDING STUDIO Music Education Alumnus Ben Calhoun had always dreamed of working in a recording studio. In fact, he kept the essay he wrote about it during his freshman year at Judson for Communications Professor Brenda Buckley-Hughes. When Calhoun graduated in 2003, he took a position in Judson’s Advancement Office to connect the University with churches. He played for a variety of congregations, sharing his passion for Christ, music and his alma mater.

When he decided to pursue his music full-time, he again sought to connect his passion for music with the ministry and mission of Judson University by establishing an on-campus recording studio for students.

“It’s a dream I’ve had for years. Students have a lot of creativity, but often have no outlet for it. I thought that if Judson could offer the technology, knowledge and experience, it would give students the proper outlet and preparation to grow their dreams,” he explains.

It was a dream that took many years and discussions, but eventually Calhoun and the administration agreed on a plan. Built entirely out of his own budget, up-cycled furnishings from the former Benjamin P. Browne Library and other found materials on campus, Calhoun has constructed a complete recording studio.

Calhoun’s Ember Records is not alone there on the ground level of the Alice and Ed Thompson Center. Darren Wilson ’98, Judson professor and film director of the documentaries Finger of God, Furious Love and the upcoming Father of Lights, established his film production studio, Wanderlust Productions, there two years ago.

With Ember Studios now at their finger tips, alongside other professionals such as Wilson, students interested in music media, education, business and worship arts will have access to the creative outlet and the experience to produce professional work.

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JUDSON Athletics

by Adam Ledyard Women’s Basketball With no seniors and only one junior player, the women’s basketball team came together and played competitively all season, finishing at 12-18 for the year and 3-9 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC). Shaniqua Roberts and Kim Peek were both honored with the All-CCAC

awards as the top two scorers on the team.

Rachel McBride earned a spot on the CCAC All-Academic team for her academic efforts.

Judson faced four nationally ranked teams, had an exhibition game with National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Western Illinois, and played a schedule that featured first-rate teams in all their tournaments.

Men’s Basketball This year the men’s basketball team received their first national ranking in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) poll since 1991. Judson received a preseason ranking of No. 21 in the NAIA Division II National Poll which was the first time since a No. 24 national ranking on Dec. 9, 1991. The team produced five All-CCAC players; Landon Skinner and Deon Thomas were voted to the All-CCAC first team while Jim Kuban, Anthony Ahlers and Josh Edwards were voted to the second team. Additionally, Thomas, Ahlers and Skinner were each named CCAC Players of the Week.

Edwards hit a career milestone when he became a member of the 1,000-point club and also broke the career record for threepointers attempted and made. Judson finished the season at 15-16 and was third in the CCAC at 10-4.

Men’s Tennis In their second year since the sport was reinstated, the men’s tennis team finished the 2010-11 season on a three-match winning streak and a 12-14 record. The 12 wins broke the program record of 10 wins set in 1990 and 1992. Sonsackit Siripanya and Tyler Adland both earned National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Tennis Player of the Week awards while Timon Williams was selected as a NCCAA scholar-athlete.

Ben Palmer, NCCAA National Player of the Week 20 JUDSON today

Women’s Tennis The 2010-11 season for women’s tennis marked a turnaround in their second year after the sport was reinstated. After losing

every match in their first season, Judson bounced back with 11 wins and finished fourth in the CCAC at 3-3. They won the first round match of the CCAC Tournament over Purdue-Calumet, 7-2, before falling in the semi-final match to No. 14 Olivet Nazarene. Kirstie Shales was named Judson’s first-ever CCAC player of the week; Megan Joyce and Danielle Sum-Masi were named NCCAA National Players of the Week.

For academic achievements, Melissa Vivian was named both a NAIA and NCCAA scholar-athlete while Antigony Lowery was a NCCAA scholar-athlete. In the CCAC, Vivian and Kristen Kress also were named CCAC All-Academic.

Women’s Golf The women’s golf team finished the 2011 spring season on a high note with a fifth place finish at the NAIA Regional Tournament. Katlyn Anderberg was named to the NAIA All-Region team, making it the program’s first-ever post-season award. In addition, Anderberg and Rachel Bradley also were NCCAA National Golfers of the Week. Judson also hosted its first-ever home golf meet where they finished second of three teams.

Men’s Golf The men’s golf team peaked at the right time of the year, finishing fourth in the CCAC Tournament to end their season.

Caleb Hess was voted onto the All-CCAC second team, a milestone for the sport in its second season since being reinstated. Hess and Lucas Mulholland also earned NCCAA National Golfer of the Week honors. Judson came in second place at Clarke College, led

by Mulholland’s second place finish, making it their best finish of the year.

Women’s Track and Field It has been a record-setting second year for the women’s track and field program.

Sarah Dede became a NCCAA AllAmerican for the second year in a row and qualified for the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Meet in the triple jump. She also became Judson’s first-ever CCAC Champion in the long jump and triple jump. Kim Peek, Kristal Pitts, Tess Tyton and Meaghan Gard all were named NCCAA All-Americans as they finished second in the 4x800 meter

relay at the NCCAA National Outdoor Meet and also qualified for the NAIA National Outdoor Meet. Dede, Stephanie Belokon, Emmaleia Kardaras and Shannon McNab also earned CCAC All-Academic awards. In the CCAC, Dede won the athlete of the week four times while Pitts earned it twice.

Men’s Track and Field The men’s track and field made significant headway in their second season. Caleb Sutton became Judson’s first CCAC Champion after winning the high jump and had the top height in the NAIA at seven feet for most of the spring season. He was Judson’s first-ever field athlete at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships. Sutton was then awarded the highest award from the NCCAA in track and field with the Wheeler Award at the national meet. Judson participated in the NCCAA National Track meet where they finished No. 12 out of 15 teams. Sutton and Kyle Julian scored points for Judson in the meet. Academically, Tim Ciochon was a member of the CCAC AllAcademic team for his grade point average.

Softball Judson triumphed with another recordsetting season and won a program best 32 games. The team won their first-ever CCAC regular season championship and received votes in the NAIA National Poll. With a 14-4 record, Judson tied for the CCAC championship with Olivet Nazarene and Saint Xavier. They also went to their third NCCAA World Series in four years. Head Coach Becky Stenning was named the

CCAC Coach of the Year after five players earned All-CCAC awards. Nicole Dimiceli, Emily England and Samantha Gladen were selected for the All-CCAC first-team, while Carrie Sensor and Erin Stankus were selected for the second team. This was the fourth year in a row that Dimiceli made the All-CCAC first-team and NCCAA AllAmerican. In addition, Dimiceli graduated from Judson holding five career records and four single season records. Gladen and England also earned NCCAA All-American awards. For academic achievements, Dimiceli and Brittany Holm were both NCCAA and NAIA scholar-athletes and earned CCAC All-Academic awards. Kristin Krueger was also a member with the CCAC All-Academic team. For the first time ever at Judson, Dimiceli was voted onto the College Sports Information Directors of America District 5 All-Academic team with NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA players.

Baseball The Judson baseball team had a strong season, winning a program best 42 games and 21 CCAC games. They also played in their second straight NCCAA World Series and received votes in the NAIA National Poll. Judson broke the program record for consecutive wins with a 15-game winning streak that started with their 8-0 record on their spring break trip to Florida. Nate Rohl broke several single-season records, including the record for home runs (12), hits (73), and RBI (59). Rohl, Johnny Amann and Brian Brauer all finished with 19 doubles to break the doubles’ singleseason record. Nick Krisman broke the

single season record for wins he set last year with nine. Matt McHenry became the all-time RBI leader at Judson with 100 and needs just four hits and 14 at-bats to break those career records.

Judson had a stellar year in awards as Rohl, Krisman, Brian Brauer, TJ Swank, and Johnny Amann were each named NCCAA All-Americans and All-CCAC. Tyler Ware was named NCCAA All-Region while Ben Palmer gained a NCCAA National Player of the Week award. Judson also produced four NCCAA scholar-athletes in Swank, Steve Janezic, Krisman and Andy Parsill.

Joe Huenecke, Janezic, Krisman and Parsill earned CCAC All-Academic awards.

Rich Benjamin was named the NCCAA Regional Coach of the Year for the second straight year. Judson will replace 11 seniors including Parsill, Rohl, Krisman, Huenecke, Gary Capolino, Giovanni Cantwell, Mitch Smith, Levi Pippenger, Ben Vincent, Scott Newton and Zac Phillips.

NAIA/Red Cross Leadership Program Women’s cross country/track and field athlete Stephanie Belokon earned another honor for Judson University after being chosen as one of 15 athletes to represent the NAIA at the Red Cross Leadership Summit program in Washington D.C. For two weeks in June, Belokon learned leadership skills at the Red Cross headquarters. Her class participated in a rare and unique opportunity to acquire first-hand coaching, mentoring and professional leadership training presented by the Red Cross, one of the nation’s largest non-profit organizations. In addition, Lori Thomas, NAIA Senior Vice President for Champions of Character, and Kristin Gillette, Director of Champions of Character, held character workshops during the leadership academy. Belokon is Judson’s first athlete to be chosen for this program sponsored by the NAIA.

Nestled snugly along the banks of Illinois’ Fox River, Judson University has long offered its students a chance to follow their athletic and academic dreams in a nurturing, community-minded environment. But for student-athletes at Judson, an evangelical Christian university, there always seemed to be a hidden disconnect that kept them from truly connecting to Christ, each other and the surrounding community of Elgin.

“Four years ago, the Judson athletes didn’t have the greatest perspective,” said Adam Ledyard, the Eagles’ assistant athletic director for external relations, who also serves as the athletic chaplain and FCA Huddle Coach.

Today, much has changed. FCA is Judson’s largest university ministry, and through it God has raised up a dedicated group of athletes willing to wear their faith on their sleeves in order to bring their teams, their classmates and their surrounding community to Christ.

“The leadership has really set the culture here,” said Head Baseball Coach Rich Benjamin. “Judson is very much a mix of Christian and non-Christian students, and our administrators do a great job of keeping the main thing—Christ—the main thing, without going down a bunch of different avenues.”

In an effort to fuel the faith on campus, university leaders made a decision to give students chapel credit for attending FCA. The decision paved the way for Ledyard and FCA to share God’s love with a large chunk of the Judson student-body: athletes longing to find a place where they felt connected to Christ.

“A few years ago, a lot of the athletes here had trouble going to chapel,” said Ledyard, who arrived at Judson in 2007. “Our deans

22 JUDSON today

and administrators really bought into the fact that athletics is a major part of our campus and that our athletes needed to be ministered to. They really wanted to try to reach the athletes outside of chapel and meet them on their turf.”

In the four years since the chapel credit was offered through FCA, attendance at Judson’s Huddle meetings has tripled, now attracting upwards of 75 students. But, according to those who take part, it’s much more than the credit that draws them.

“I’m sure a lot of students who attend FCA for the first time come for the credit, but, once they warm up to the people there, God changes their hearts and lives,” said Laura Williams, a sophomore on the Judson volleyball team. “Sometimes there are drastic, automatic changes, but other times God takes His time with them. And it’s students like those who spur us on as leaders. We seek to do more work for God and His Kingdom, but it’s not by anything we do. Through FCA, God has gained the glory, and it’s only through Him that all this has been made possible.”

The Huddle has grown so large that, next fall, FCA will rise from club status to become an official part of Judson’s widerreaching University Ministries.

According to Ledyard, part of the growth can also be attributed to the opportunities FCA offers outside of the larger meetings.

In addition to the biweekly, on-campus Huddles, the Judson FCA has held several Fields of Faith events, and it recently started men’s and women’s small groups in hopes of providing ways for athletes to deepen their relationships with Christ and one another.

“There’s always a perception that athletes don’t care about their spiritual lives because they’re so concerned about their sport,” said

Athletic Director Nancy Binger.

“FCA gives the community at Judson a chance to see and hear how the athletes are growing and maturing in their faith, and it provides a chance for nonChristians to learn from their peers, ask questions and search out what it means to have a relationship to Christ.”

Under Ledyard’s guidance, FCA members have poured themselves into the city of Elgin—their “home away from home”—by getting involved in local churches, collecting canned goods for area nonprofits and serving residents in financially challenged neighborhoods.

“Adam’s done a great job of branching out on purpose,” said Benjamin, who, like Ledyard, arrived at Judson in 2007. “He really has a vision for local involvement. The brand name and marketing of Judson wasn’t good when we got here, but Adam’s been able to get the name out there and really put its best foot forward as a university.”

Just as he would at most small schools, Ledyard wears many hats at Judson: assistant athletic director, sports information director, athletic chaplain and FCA Huddle Coach

“The talk isn’t all about baseball or sports anymore; it’s about God and how He is working in our lives. FCA has just drastically changed the landscape of the campus.”

– Ben Palmer, Judson pitcher among them. But for Ledyard, in order to really see God move on Judson’s campus—as well as in his own life—he had to take a step back and evaluate his position instead of constantly looking ahead to what was next.

“I was trying to control what I wanted to do in my life regarding athletics and ministry,” he said. “I wanted to become an athletic director or go into sports information at a Division I school, so I would look at jobs all the time and try

to find the next bigger and better thing.

Checking out job postings became an obsession, and I wasn’t focusing on how God could use me here at Judson. Finally, it came to the point where I felt like God was saying, ‘Look, I want you to use your abilities to the best you can, but you need to give everything over to Me.’” With the newfound peace that God had him at Judson for a purpose, Ledyard refocused on many of the same principles he preached to his Huddle members. He began spending more time in the Word and in prayer, and reached out to other Christian men for both counsel and accountability in helping lead FCA. “There’s an old saying that many tasks can make you lose sight of the vision,” Benjamin said. “Early on, Adam was very much doing

“Christ is in this place, and we’re going to make Him known without apology.”

– TJ Swank, Judson pitcher it all himself—not because he wanted to, but because he didn’t know any other way.

Some of us watching from the outside sat down with him and talked to him about giving pieces of the puzzle to others so that God could grow it and make it successful.”

Instead of worrying about every single detail, the group began to pray that God’s will—not Ledyard’s—be done at Judson.

Soon, Ledyard began to invest heavily in a team of student-leaders who could reach their teammates and classmates for Christ.

“God has changed things in my life to where I now know what it’s like to be a real Christ-follower—not just someone who is going through the motions,” Ledyard said.

“I really started to pray about everything and give it completely to Him. Now, the students we have are prayed into those leadership positions. I know that God is the One who has given me the athletes to lead FCA on our campus, and I can really see how it’s flourished as a result.”

As FCA becomes more mainstream on Judson’s campus, Huddle members have taken on university-wide leadership roles as well, serving as everything from resident advisors to class officers. It’s a game-changer that has not only helped weave athletes into the fabric of the Judson University family, but also helped them reach students who aren’t part of the school’s athletic program.

“FCA gives us a place where we can have fun and talk about Christ, and we’re excited for the opportunities ahead of us,” said TJ Swank, a right-handed pitcher who transferred to Judson after two seasons at Coastal Carolina. “Christ is in this place, and we’re going to make Him known without apology.”

Specifically within the baseball team, junior pitcher and small group leader Ben Palmer, who transferred from Dallas Baptist this year, said the work that God has done in the lives of his and Swank’s teammates is readily apparent.

“Our small group, which once had five baseball players in it, now has 13, and more guys are asking questions than ever before,” he said. “The talk isn’t all about baseball or sports anymore; it’s about God and how He is working in our lives. FCA has just drastically changed the landscape of the campus.”

While he won’t take the credit himself, Ledyard is the one being cited as the Lord’s catalyst for the dramatic spiritual growth at Judson through FCA. “Adam has a tremendous heart for students and their eternal future,” said Binger. “He loves to get to know them, and he cares about all the details of their lives. He has singlehandedly taken our FCA program to great heights and has remained steadfast in making sure the program flourishes.”

Regardless of who gets the credit, Ledyard, Benjamin and Binger all desire to see not just FCA flourishing at Judson, but the athletes themselves who pass through the Huddle. And, if the work of God through committed leaders like Swank and Palmer is

any indication of what’s ahead, they all have reason to believe that will be the case.

“I’m so excited to talk about how God is transforming our team,” Palmer said. “FCA has been a huge stepping stone for us to get guys to talk about Christ and for us to share our faith. It’s been a true blessing.”

This article was originally published for Sharing the Victory magazine, the publication for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. You can visit their website at www.sharingthevictory.com.

NAIA Grants Corey Burke the Prestigious A.O. Duer Award The Judson University athletic department has been awarded another NAIA national award this year as junior Corey Burke has been named the A.O. Duer award winner.

This high honor is awarded to the top junior in the NAIA who has excelled in character, playing ability and scholarship.

Burke was the second leading scorer for his team this past year and was named NCCAA All-Region. The pre-med major carries a 3.9 GPA and is a NAIA and NCCAA scholar-athlete.

In the last two years he has helped Judson to a CCAC regular season championship, a NCCAA National Championship, and two NCCAA National Tournaments. He is the son of Judson’s head coach, Steve Burke, who is also the all-time wins leader for the NAIA. This is the third major award that the Judson University Athletic Department has received this year. In January, women’s cross country and track and field athlete Stephanie Belokon was chosen to be one of 15 athletes to participate in the NAIA/Red Cross Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. Then, in May, Men’s track and field athlete Caleb Sutton received the NCCAA’s highest award for track and field in the Wheeler Award for academics and service.

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Faculty Accomplishments Jhennifer Amundson, Ph.D., Professor of Architecture, will be the faculty advisor to Judson Architecture Department’s newest academic chapter, Tau Sigma Delta. This new national honor society in architecture and allied arts has recently been approved.

Judson will initiate its first class of TSD inductees to the Gamma Xi chapter in the 2011-12 academic year.

G.E. Colpitts, Professor, Art & Design, displayed and auctioned off one piece at the gallery benefit “Heart Art Exhibition and Auction” for Rockford College, Rockford, Ill., on February 11.

Joseph Cory, Asst. Professor of Art & Design, led a panel discussion on “Portfolio Based Assessment Tools” at the Higher Learning Commissions Annual Conference held in Chicago, Ill., on April 10.

Robert Currie, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Sociology, authored the book Preschool Wisdom: What Preschoolers Desperately Want to Tell Parents and Grandparents, published by Winepress in March. He also presented “Understanding Your Preschooler” and “Reading the Bible Backwards” at the Hearts at Home Conference held in Bloomington, Ind., on March 11-12.

Lynn Hammerlund, Assoc. Professor and Cataloging/ Acquisitions/Music Librarian, led a cataloging workshop and later conducted a Basic Cataloging Seminar for the Serials Department of the Schaumburg Township Public Library on March 16.

Catherine Headley, Ph.D., Asst. Professor, Exercise & Sport Science, presented “Sowing Service Learning Seeds in the Classroom and Nurturing through Professional Presentations” at the Society of Professional Recreation Educators Teaching Institute in Athens, Ga. on February 18 and at the Northern Illinois Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Spring Workshop at Judson University on March 19.

Sojung Hong, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Music, organized and performed the fourth Scholarship Fundraising Concert for Judson’s Performance Certificate in Music program at Northshore Performing Arts Center, Skokie, Ill., on March 20. She was selected as a presenter and gave a lecture recital on “Florent Schmitt’s Piano Duet Works” on April 1 at College Music Society Great Lake Chapter Regional Conference at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisc. She also performed a chamber music recital with Cheng-Hou Lee, assistant professor of Cello for Northern Illinois University, and Wagner Campos, clarinetist and faculty member from DePaul University, upon the invitation from the Freeport Community Concert Association, Freeport, Ill., on April 2.

On April 23, Ted Hsieh, Assoc. Professor in Psychology, spoke in Mandarin on mental health and social adaptation for the Chinese Students and Scholars Conference at the Illinois Institute of Technology sponsored by the Chinese Consulate General Office in Chicago. He also presented a paper titled “Reaction to the Reactions to Tiger Mom” at the National Social Science Association meeting in Las Vegas from April 17-19.

Teaching the Art and Science of Faith

Michael McKeever, Ph.D., Professor of Biblical & Theological Studies, published 13 interpretive essays in Parables and Sayings of Jesus as part of the Gather Round Series published through Mennonite Publishing Network/ Brethren Press. His article on waging peace in the Middle East, “Three Wise Men,” was published in the January-February issue of Messenger for the Church of the Brethren.

Angelene Naw, Ph.D., Professor of History & Intercultural Studies, presented a paper, titled “The Role of the American Baptist Missionaries in the Formation and Preservation of the Identity of the Karen People of Burma, ” for the American Society of Church History in Grand Rapids, Mich., April 8. She also presented a paper “Historical Perspective and Cultural Orientation of Karen Refugees” in two sessions at the 2011 National Refugees Healthcare Conference in Rochester, N.Y., April 11-12.

Curtis Sartor, Ph.D., Professor, Art, Design & Architecture, was appointed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Illinois Council to the 2011 Illinois Board of Directors as the Academic Director. He also was appointed by the AIA President to the National Diversity Council in Washington, D.C. David Sanders, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Christian Ministries, presented the American Bible Society’s Armed Services Ministry Executive Directors’ COIN award for groundbreaking efforts with their new website for military teens called ReZilient Life. Dr. Sanders’ article, titled “Why Ask Why? Beyond the Unexamined Youth Ministry,” was published in the March 2011 edition of Youthworker Magazine. He also organized and conducted the first Judson University Student Missions training seminar for all prospective students and missions teams being sent out under Student Development’s supervision for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Linda Sasser, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor, Education, taught an all day workshop for teachers, titled “Brain GEMs for More Effective Learning,” for the Kane County In-Service Day at Streamwood High School in Streamwood, Ill. on February 25.

Christine Starzynski, Asst. Professor of Education/Communication Arts, was elected vice president of the League of United Latin American Citizens serving Elgin, Carpentersville and Dundee. She also was Educator of the Month speaker at Barnes and Noble bookstore in Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee, Ill., and gave a talk on “Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners in the General Education Classroom.” She also spoke on “Strategies to Energize Motivation” at the Kane County Teacher’s Institute Day on February 25 at Streamwood High School in Streamwood, Ill. Kristen Stombres, Assoc. Professor of Education, concluded her year as president of the College Instructors of Reading Professionals in Illinois and was presented the Illinois Reading Council’s “Council of Excellence Award.” Stombres and Joy Towner, Asst. Professor of Education, presented “Explode the Code of Science and Social Studies Texts” and “So I’m Almost Certified… Now What?” at the Illinois Reading Council Conference, March 17-18 in Springfield, Ill.

Craig Kaplowitz, Ph.D., Professor of History and Intercultural Studies published reviews of Steven M. Gillon’s book, The Pact: Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, and the Rivalry that Defined a Generation and Lars Schoultz’s book, That Infernal Little Cuban Republic: The United States and the Cuban Revolution.

His presentation to the Elgin Rotary Club on “Immigration in Historical Perspective” was voted Best Rotary Program for 2010.

Terrance Wandtke, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Communication Arts, presented “The Unbearable Openness of Corporate Beings: The Loss of the Master Narrative in Warren Ellis’ ‘Planetary’” at the 2011 Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association Conference held in San Antonio on April 23. In September, he served as judge for the Elgin Short Film Festival held in Elgin, Ill.

Jeremy Lindsey, Asst. Professor, Architecture, gave a poster presentation “Concept – Form – Assembly” at the 99th Annual Meeting of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on March 5, 2011.

Mark Torgerson, Ph.D., Professor of Biblical & Theological Studies, wrote the article “Designing for the Elusive Presence”, which was published in Faith and Form: Interfaith Journal on Religion, Art and Architecture, on-line edition, Fall 2010. He also presented “Hebrews in the Worship Life of the Church: A Historical Survey,” at the Reading the Epistle to the Hebrews Seminar, Loyola University, Chicago, on February 10. He gave another presentation on January 8 on “Green Faith Building: Church and Synagogue Design as Creation Care,” at the North American Academy of Liturgy Annual Meeting, San Francisco.

Eric Mason, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor, Biblical & Theological Studies, wrote the article “Hebrews and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Some Points of Comparison,” which appeared in Perspectives in Religious Studies 37/4 (2010): 457-79. The article also appears in a

24 JUDSON today

by Pete Sandberg, Ph. D.

thematic issue of the journal, titled “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament.” The issue was edited by Lidija Novakovic of Baylor University.

Pete Sandberg, Ph.D. Professor of Math and Physics Chair, Science/Math Department, Judson University

I am a musician. At my church, I play piano for our worship teams. I play artistically, contemporarily, enthusiastically and worshipfully. And believe it or not, I testify that this is utterly congruent with the role of mathematician, scientist and professor to which God has called me at Judson University.

If pressed, most mathematicians will tell you that the reason they appreciate the subject is an aesthetic one; mathematics is beautiful. Of course it has hard rules of logic and algebra that must be followed. There are starting assumptions and definitions from which proofs and counterexamples are built by rigorous human reasoning. We mathematicians may enjoy the logical challenge of solving equations and creating proofs, but few would argue that the rules and axioms are the attracting feature. It is concepts, objects and solution sets that arise from the basic axioms and logic rules in certain, orderly and fascinating ways that bring us back again and again. Mathematicians are artists.

Scientists, likewise, have methods, procedures and guidelines to investigate the physical world. But it is not the hypothesis testing or statistical calculations that energize scientists.

Like mathematicians, we may enjoy the challenge of verifying an idea or find pleasure in the complex rhythm of a laboratory procedure. But the real joy is in understanding at least a part of the larger picture of how the universe works. It is finding new insights into the orderly patterns and transitions between states that fascinate and drive us on to further study. It is replacing a poor idea or understanding with a better, more accurate one. Science is contemporary.

In my classes I try to find ways to teach my students to grapple with the details of algebraic rules, logical proofs and scientific investigations. But I also strive to pull them back so that they might gain a larger view of the subject and the big ideas that they have created together in their minds as a result of all those picky details. The logic and rules are practical and important, but the beauty of the larger pictures is excellent and praiseworthy, the sort of thing worth thinking about. Education is for the enthusiastic.

Christianity, like these other subjects, must be more than just head knowledge about the details found in creeds and theological statements. It is a personal relationship with the creator, sustainer and redeemer of the universe. Biblical study and theology are important for us in that they guide us toward a better understanding of Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection, because we cannot have a relationship with him without knowing who he is and why he came. And if you do not have a relationship with Jesus, life consists of only confusing and meaningless details.

But I know Christ. I have the Holy Spirit residing in me, guiding me into a response of worship. When I study mathematics, I praise God for the beauty inherent in rational forms and logical consequences. When I explore science, I am awestruck to find that God has given us the ability to make even a little sense out of an incredibly complex world created by an infinitely complex God. When I teach, I am humbled by his calling for me to have an academic, relational and spiritual impact on others who need to know about Jesus and the incredible gifts he has bestowed on them as humans, including the offer of salvation. This makes me a worshipper.

So on Sunday morning you will find me at the keys. I make music. I sing new songs. I make the keyboard bounce. I worship.

SUMMER 2011

25

After 42 Years, Biology Professor Retires

by Dr. Rolf Myhrman, Professor of Chemistry

When Dr. Elizabeth Juergensmeyer, Professor of Biology, submitted her semester final grades during the first week of May, she fulfilled one of the last formal obligations of a career at Judson University that has spanned 42 years. As her retirement was announced at Commencement, Betty was honored with emeritus status, which is given for distinguished achievement and service.

Betty joined the faculty in the fall of 1969, having earned a Ph.D. in cell biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana in addition to a Bachelor of Science in zoology from Oregon State University and Master of Science in zoology from the University of Illinois at Urbana.

I will never forget the warm welcome and the helpful orientation that she provided for me when I arrived in 1973. Over the years, her friendly and approachable personality has been a blessing to students as well.

Betty has consistently modeled a keen interest in lifelong learning coupled with professional growth and activity. Throughout her time at Judson, she has participated in workshops, short courses and study tours that have strengthened her teaching and enhanced her understanding of various disciplines within the field of biology.

Betty has especially distinguished herself with her commitment to research in cell biology. In her earlier years at Judson, she continued work on a project begun at the University of Illinois involving the protozoan Tetrahymena, but her research horizon was elevated dramatically in 1994 when she began collaborating with her daughter Margie, who holds a Ph.D. in space biology.

Margie writes, “I was extremely privileged to have a chance to

26 JUDSON today

work with my mother on several space biology projects. We were investigating bacterial response to the spaceflight environment, including their ability to develop resistance to antibiotics in microgravity.”

This collaboration, which expanded to include NASA scientists and attracted grants totaling over $500,000, included three experiments that were performed during shuttle flights in addition to two that were delivered by shuttle to the Mir station.

All of this research activity has been tremendously beneficial to the many Judson students who have participated in the experiments.

Dr. Jeff Henderson, who graduated in 1991 and has now joined the faculty as Associate Professor of Biology, says, “Dr. J was instrumental in guiding me into my field of specialty, molecular genetics. Her knowledge and passion for genetics and molecular biology fueled my nascent interest in studying the melding of these two disciplines. As an exemplary Christian and scientist, her mentoring prepared me not

only for the challenges of the laboratory but also modeled an unapologetic faith not in conflict with fundamental biological theories.”

Though she has retired from full-time teaching, for those of us in the Department of Science and Mathematics it is good to know that Betty lives adjacent to the campus and has expressed an interest in continuing her involvement in our efforts to glorify the Lord through teaching and doing science.

ALUMnotes

Join the Judson University Alumni Club and you will be helping your alma mater while enjoying savings exclusively for Alumni Club members! Go to www.judsonu.edu/alumni for more information. We want to know what our illustrious alumni are up to, so be sure to notify us of your latest personal and professional achievements. Alumnotes are published in each printed issue of Judson Today. Please submit news and photos for inclusion in the spring issue of Judson Today by February 1, 2012. Digital photos may be submitted in JPG format and should not exceed 5MB in size. If you would like fellow alumni to be able to contact you, please submit your email address with your alumnote.

Please send your Alumnote to: Judson University Alumni Office | 1151 N. State St. | Elgin, IL 60123 Alumni@JudsonU.edu | 847.628.2083 | Fax 847.628.2094

A p r i l

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C o m m e n c e m e n t

Many graduates continued the Judson legacy begun by a parent, sibling or spouse. Photos by Cobey Bienert ’13.

Jisun Yang ‘09 & sister Jieun

Kerri Helgerson ‘08 & sister Kiley

Jeremy Wyman ‘07 & brother Jason

Mark Zimmerman & wife Elizabeth ‘10

Natalie Albers, brother-in-law Seth Holmen, & sister Brittany (Albers) Holmen ‘09

Kristin Krueger & father William ‘81

Sisters Gina Pansino ‘05, Kathryn, & Melissa Pansino Heard ‘01

Richard Robotham & mother Tena ‘78

Kathleen Lemke with daughter Amy ‘07, & son Daniel ‘03

Patricia Abitua with brother Michael Turner ‘75, & sister-in-law Sherri ‘78

Kaia Calhoun & husband Josh ‘09

Megan Erbele, grandfather Paul (retired Trustee), & aunt LeAnn Pauley Heard ‘91

This is your

Homecoming Judson University 2011 September 29-October 1

Nicolas Griffis with sister Élan (Griffis) Bogott ‘08 & brother-in-law A.J. Bogott ‘07

Odochi Uzoma ‘10 & brother Uchenna

SUMMER 2011 27

ALUMnotes

ALUMnotes

ALUMNI WEDDINGS & BIRTHS 1

Tara Greenway Leibowitz ‘87, her husband Larry, and their first daughter Dania were overjoyed to welcome little sister Elsa to their family on April 21, 2009.

Elsa was adopted domestically from Iowa on the day she was born, and Tara thanks her many Judson friends and fellow adoptive moms, especially Debbie (Dover) Layne ‘87 and Kris (Fillman) Chausse ‘88, for their vital support during the adoption process. Tara is happy to provide support to others planning to adopt and can be contacted at taragreenway@aol.com. Besides being a mommy, Tara has appeared in various theater, film and TV projects, including Law & Order; and she has her own ThetaHealing practice in Manhattan.

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Miriam (Mather ‘93) Conner and Ryan Conner (att. ‘89-‘93) announce the arrival of their baby girl, Carlie Grace, born on Oct. 12, 2010. Carlie weighed in at 7 lbs. 4 oz. and measured 19 ¾” long. She joined her big sister Callie (7) and big brother Coby (4) in their Aurora, Ohio home.

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Calli (Lamoroux ’99) Curtis and husband Braden Curtis ’98 announce the arrival of their fifth child, Miles Andrew born on May 1, 2010. Miles is the fourth son in the Curtis household. On Sept. 1, 2010 Braden became the Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Melissa (Helland ’02) Read and husband Ryan announce the birth of their son Tyler Mark born on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2010. Tyler weighed 6 lbs. 12 1/2 oz. and measured 20” in length. The Read family resides in Genoa, Ill.

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Shelley (Gross ‘04) Kress and David Kress announce the birth of their daughter Josephine (Josie) Renee Kress on Jan. 21, 2011. Josie weighed 6 lbs., 8 oz. and was 20.25” long and is the granddaughter of Jim & Debbie Gross, Roger Kress and Doug & Jeanette (Kress ‘02) Ries. The Kress family resides in Las Vegas, Nev.

On Dec. 31, 2010, Rebecca Koga ‘07 married Bradley Frank at the First Baptist Church of Kewanee, Ill. Alumni in the wedding party were Angie Serrano ‘07, Sarah Bentsen ‘07 and Robin Wehr ‘07. Current Judson students who were part of the ceremony included Josh Warner, Mary Hummel and Amanda Bremberg. Rebecca is the Interlibrary Loan Assistant at Judson and the couple reside on campus in the Campus Apartments.

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Andrew ’08 and Shannon (Wheeler ’05) Sims announce the arrival of their daughter, Faith Elizabeth Rose born March 2, 2010. The Sims family reside in Southern Ill. Shannon has been working for The American Cancer Society for four years and Andrew is pursuing a career with the Air Force.

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Kurt and Kim Donnan ’09 announce the arrival of their first baby boy born on July 27, 2010. The Donnan family resides in Lake in the Hills, Ill.

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Aaron Anderson ‘08 and Andrea Pflaum ‘10 were married on Aug. 7, 2010 at the Klehm Arboretum & Botanical Gardens in Rockford, Ill. Judson alumni in the bridal party were groomsman Michael Hopkins ‘06, maid of honor Debra Weissman ‘10, bridesmaids Eva-Christine Pflaum ‘12 and Tanya Malik ’10, and usher Ryan Reopelle ’12. The Andersons reside in Kerrville, Tex.

Mary (Borne ’73) Feske completed her 21st year of teaching with the Salinas City Elementary School District. She teaches second grade at Laurel Wood Elementary, a California Distinguished School. This award was given to only three public schools in Monterey County in 2010. Mary has two children, Jonathan, a financial analyst in San Francisco, married to Miriam Inbar who is a chemist in Redwood City, and Bethany, an eighth grade English/American History teacher in San Mateo, Calif.

28 JUDSON today

5

In September, 2010, Dr. Dennis Hochgraber ’73 represented Judson University at the inauguration of Kenneth Winston Starr as the 14th President of Baylor University in Waco, Tex. Dennis is senior pastor of Pathways Fellowship Church in Sunnyvale, Tex.

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Dorothy Sherman ‘77 has recently released a book, Cornflowers by the Roadside that is available on Amazon and can be found at the Gail Borden Library. At age 87, Dorothy is more than gratified to see one of her books in print. Cornflowers by the Roadside is also available in e-book form from Sumatran Press. Dorothy resides in Janesville, Wisc.

Wendy (Hoff ’78) Bryant completed her paralegal degree in Oct. 2010. Wendy is the granddaughter of founding Judson President, Dr. Benjamin Browne, and resides in Goodville, Pa. 10

Beginning in March 2011, Dr. Willie Nolte ‘78 became the new CEO/Mission Lead of Transformation Ministries, based in Covina, Calif. Willie has been married to his wife, Joy (McBain ’80) for 31 years and they have four children and one grandson.

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Kevin Noe ’79 climbed Mt. Everest in Oct., 2010 and reached the top of Kala Patthar at an altitude of 18,500 feet. Kevin resides with his wife Linda (Anderson ’79) in Castle Rock, Colo.

In March, Dr. Angelo Bravos ’81 was promoted to the position of Director of University Advancement at Judson University. Angelo resides in St. Charles, Ill. 11

Carol Bristol ’85 earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Argosy University. Carol is employed at Westminster Christian School in Elgin in the high school art department and resides in Crystal Lake, Ill. Rev. Dr. Robert Henderson ‘89 is the Senior Minister of First Baptist Church of Lincoln and recently became an associate home missionary (ABCUSA) serving as the staff chaplain at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital. He previously served on the Executive Board of the Hospital. Robert will be starting his fourth unit of Clinical Pastoral Education this fall as he seeks to be a Board Certified Chaplain. Robert also had the privilege of serving as Chaplain of the Day for the House of Representatives in the summer of 2010.

Kent Svendsen ’90 completed an evangelistic campaign in the Republic of Panama in Jan., 2011. Kent retired from the Army in 2009 with 27 years of service and presently is pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Forreston/Leaf River United Methodist Church Cooperative Ministry.

Hank Faulkner ’90 was inducted into the Dundee-Crown High School Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 11, 2010. In high school, Hank competed in baseball, basketball, football and cross country and later became a two-time baseball MVP at Judson. He has coached baseball at Dundee-Crown high school for nearly 20 years and resides in Carpentersville, Ill.

IN MEMORIAM Scott Blanchard ‘08 September 7, 1960 – July 7, 2010 Judy Bowlby ’66 September 2, 1942 – July 8, 2010 Dr. Jill (Mark ’90) Jones August 19, 1968 – August 8, 2010 Duane Elmore ‘92 July 22, 1962 – September 2, 2010 Emma Sue (Jakle ’78) Allen September 13, 1943 – September 25, 2010 Vivian Bartt ‘96 November 12, 1950 – September 29, 2010 Dr. Hazel Goddard ‘66 August 17, 1912 – February 11, 2011 Dale Hennix ‘75 October 10, 1953 – April 20, 2011

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Dr. Keith Johnson ’69 released his newest book, If Life is a Grocery Store, I Need Better Coupons. Copies of the book can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Xlibris. Keith resides in Jacksonville, Fla.

Heather (Gerschefske ’04) Cooper and Ellison Cooper ’05 welcomed Olivia Grace into their family on Jan. 10, 2011. Olivia weighed in at 7lbs. 2 oz. and joined big sister Bella in their Lindner Tower home on Judson’s Elgin campus, where Ellison serves as the Resident Director.

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Lois (Downen ’67) Dahlstrom recently completed her 25th year of teaching in the fifth to sixth grade level. Lois has been with Faith Christian Academy in Geneva, Ill. since 1989.

Heather (Kusch ’00) Johnson, husband Brady and brother Braydon (4) welcomed the newest member of the Johnson family into the world, Benjamin Rice born on Jan. 2, 2011. He weighed in at 10 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20” long.

Heather works for the Center for Adult and Professional Studies (CAPS) Program at Judson and the Johnson family resides in Belvidere, Ill. 4

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ALUMNI NEWS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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Jodi Beach ’92 of the Jodi Beach Trio received the RAMI (Rockford Area Music Industry) Award for Album of the Year which is titled West of the Moon. Two years ago the Jodi Beach Trio was inducted into the RAMI Hall of Fame after winning Best Traditional Jazz Group for five consecutive years.

Harold Meers ’94 starred as Rodolfo in the Sarasota’s Opera, “LaBoheme.”

Harold has performed with opera companies across the country and made his international debut with the Bangkok Opera as Tamino in “The Magic Flute.”

He has received glowing reviews in publications such as the San Francisco Chronicle, Dallas Morning News and The Boston Globe.

Chuck Fed ’96, Dean of Students at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville, Ill. recently started a program that provides mentoring to male students who need extra assistance. The C.A.R.E. program which stands for Cultivating At-Risk Environment, was modeled after a similar mentorship program titled Guide Right that mentors at-risk students at other local high schools.

Scot A. Squires ‘98 received a Master’s of Business Administration degree in human resource management in December 2010 from Baker College in Flint, Mich. This degree is in addition to the MBA in marketing he received from Baker College in June 2004. Scot resides with his wife, Katie, and two children in Nibley, Utah.

Jon ‘98 and Mindy (Moodie ’95) Hirst are co-founders of Generous Mind, a think tank devoted to helping people be generous with their ideas and have published two books, Innovation in Mission and Through the River: Understanding Your Assumptions About Truth. Jon is also the Account Manager for Novo Ink which provides Christian eBooks and eZines for purchase. The Hirsts have three children and reside in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Tedd Bryant ’03 was ordained on Nov. 6, 2010 and is the sole pastor of the Eden United Church of Christ in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Melissa Pagano ’04 performed as a soloist for the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and Elgin Choral Union during the 2010-2011 season. Melissa resides in South Elgin, Ill. Vicki Benson ’04 was one of five finalists for the 2001 Rockford Woman of the Year Award. Vicki was one of 42 nominees and is Founder of Rosie’s Birthday Club which provides birthday gifts and celebrations for more than 400 children who live in poverty.

In May 2011, Tissanie Simmons ’07 was announced as the new coach for Larkin High School’s girls basketball program. Tissanie was team captain of her Judson Eagles basketball team and had been voted 2003 Larkin Female Athlete of the Year.

Steve Casstevens ’08 was appointed Police Chief in Cary, Ill. in Jan. 2011. Steve was picked from a pool of over 100 candidates and has over 31 years of law enforcement experience.

Recent graduate, Nicole Dimiceli ’11 was voted to the CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District First Team. Nicole is Judson’s first-ever CoSIDA All-District player.

SUMMER 2011

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Alumnus Shares God’s Blessings with New Generation

by Mary Dulabaum When Kevin Noe graduated from Judson University in 1979, he would never have imagined being the catalyst for bringing a former U.S. President to the campus. But he did.

Kevin first came to Judson in the 1970s to earn a degree in business, having come through a difficult childhood where he aged out of the foster care system without being adopted. Looking back, Kevin says he spent his childhood learning to overcome difficult situations. But once he joined the Judson community, Kevin was blessed with great mentors and he also met his wife, Linda.

Throughout his early 20s, he developed a good spiritual foundation that crystalized his purpose and the values that would guide his business relationships in the future.

Following graduation, Kevin worked for a few Elgin-area businesses before moving to Denver, Colo., where his new business was born. Through significant opportunities and hard work, the business flourished and Kevin sold it in 2005. He then joined Tata Group of India to serve as their Chief Marketing Officer. He even spearheaded a marketing initiative that brought the world’s most affordable automobile, the Tata Nano ($2,500), to Judson for a sneak peak as it traveled from Denver to Detriot in January 2010 for its first exhibition in the United States. He has since retired from Tata.

“I felt my faith and my journey with Jesus really was strengthened as an entrepreneur,” Kevin says. “The process of running a business, hiring the right people, putting ethics integrity above profits, all with international exposure -- all as a follower of Jesus. I asked myself a lot of questions: What is my role? What is my responsibility?”

Kevin is keenly aware of God’s many blessings in his life and is committed to helping others realize their dreams and potential. Over the years, he has worked tirelessly to give back to causes that have touched his and Linda’s lives. Kevin and Linda volunteer weekly at Mount Saint Vincent Home (MSV), a home for children that provides residential facilities for boys and girls who are dealing with behavioral and/or mental health issues as a result of abuse, broken families and failed foster care placement. Kevin also serves on the MSV Board. In recent years, Judson has sent student mission teams to serve the MSV, too. Kevin is also a featured speaker with Focus on the Family’s “Wait No More” project, which challenges the church in America to adopt children from the foster care system who are waiting for permanent families.

Another significant opportunity to serve came three years ago when Judson invited Kevin to join their Board of Trustees. As an alumnus and successful entrepreneur, he evaluated his service on the board with the same values and faith questions that he applied to his business life.

He challenged the University to begin an entrepreneurial studies program and donated resources to develop a specialized curriculum geared to help entrepreneurs start new businesses. Yet before the

program could be launched, the university needed to raise a $2 million endowment to ensure a successful venture. As a trustee, Kevin considered many ideas for addressing Judson’s need to grow its donor base and the university’s overall financial health. His dream was for an annual event that would garner the attention of those who had not yet heard about Judson, give students an opportunity to participate in a larger event on their campus, and showcase Judson as a mission worth investing in.

After many negotiations and work with a larger committee, Kevin’s dream came to fruition on April 13 with Judson’s inaugural World Leaders Forum. More than 1,300 students, faculty and business leaders from around the area came to Judson to hear former U.S. President George W. Bush speak about entrepreneurship and leadership.

“For me, this has always been about helping the Judson community to realize its potential,” Kevin says. “I knew that when we pulled it off we would open the eyes of our students, faculty, alumni, and our administration. Dreams can still come true if we believe, work hard and are willing to persevere.”

Kevin devoted many service hours to the project over the last year, spending almost four months on campus. He and Linda also gifted 50 tickets to students and another 30 to faculty to ensure that as many as possible could attend the event.

Over the course of his many visits to campus, Kevin says he has been quite impressed by Judson’s students, saying they are extremely capable and perceptive. He believes that Judson’s mission is to challenge and encourage students to aim high in their aspirations and realize their potential as believers in an academic environment.

“God has given us everything that we need to do what He has called us to and we have great promise as His followers. There is so much we can do in the name of Christ,” Kevin says.

Kevin’s dream of finding a new way to reach many goals for Judson University was realized at the inaugural World Leaders Forum. He still asks questions about purpose and passion to pursue dreams faithfully in his endeavors. Today, Kevin is exploring various business ventures including executive offsites on mountains around the world.

He even took time to pursue his dream of climbing to the Mount Everest Base Camp in October of 2010.

Kevin’s story is one of service, energy and entrepreneurial vision.

His passion and positive perspective have been wonderful gifts to the university. Through the friendship, encouragement and challenge he has extended to his alma mater, a new generation of students can dream big, fulfill their potential and live responsibly, too.

Please consider contributing to Judson University’s Annual Fund.

For more information, call 847.628.2080 or go to www.JudsonU.edu/give.

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Elgin, IL Permit No. 649

1151 North State Street Elgin, Illinois | 60123

Join us on the

Judson Cruise January 5-12, 2013 Join the next Judson Cruise in January 2013 that will “launch” us into Judson’s Golden Centennial Celebration! We will sail from Florida to the Caribbean on January 5-12, 2013 and will enjoy worship and entertainment led by Judson alumni. All are invited to join this memorable celebration on the seas!

Contact the Judson Alumni Office at 847-628-2083 or alumni@judsonu.edu to add your name to the mailing list to receive more information.