Rooted in the Liberal Arts

By APRIL FEAGLEY, Assistant Director of Communication

When 18-year-old Jim Tuten stood before a mailbox in Varnville, South Carolina, college application for a wildlife biology program in hand, he changed his mind.

“I felt a certain rootedness where I grew up. It’s where my ancestors had been for a long time,” Tuten recalled. “I remember dropping off my application to the land grant university and thinking, ‘I want a different experience.’ My AP English teacher kept talking to us about getting a liberal arts education, which was the first time I’d ever heard anyone talk about that.”

From that moment on, the liberal arts would inspire him, and direct him to inspire others. A few years later, at the College of Charleston, with his degree in history and fine art nearly complete, he reached another tipping point that pushed him further down the path of academia.

“One of my favorite history professors suggested I think about graduate school. It was a chance conversation. Graduate school was not on my radar,” Tuten said. “The fact that he thought I could do it made me begin to investigate the possibility.”

The rest is history.

Tuten, Charles R. and Shirley A. Knox Professor of History at Juniata, is well-known on campus for an excellent bow tie collection, the History of Food course, his award-winning advising style (see page 33), and his unwavering commitment to the liberal arts. After receiving his master’s degree at Wake Forest University and completing his Ph.D. at Emory University, Tuten and his wife, Belle Tuten (Charles A. Dana Professor of History), came to Juniata when Belle joined the faculty. A year later, Tuten was asked to fill in as a sabbatical replacement teaching U.S. history. He soon joined the faculty as well.

“This is my 25th year. One of the things I’m most appreciative of has been the freedom to develop courses that let me teach things I love,” he said. “There’s no reason not to show up every day with a boatload of enthusiasm for the content. That’s an incredible opportunity to match what you care the most about.”

Courses like History of Food, Low Country and Gullah Culture, and Plants, Plantations, and Creole Culture, a short-term study abroad course in which students travel to Barbados, draw clear interdisciplinary connections for Juniata students.

“I don’t expect them to be food historians or make their livelihood related to food, but they’re all going to eat, and they’re all going to need community wherever they go in the future,” Tuten said. “If they put some of the pieces together, even if they don’t think back to what they learned in the course, it’s one of the little bits of their knowledge and experience from their time here that shapes the person they get to be.”

Advising is also an important area in which Tuten enjoys the opportunity to guide others on their paths during and after their time at Juniata. This includes his leadership as an adviser for aspiring Fulbright scholars. Recognized with both Juniata’s inaugural Eagle Advising Award and the Excellence in Advising Award through NACADA, a national academic advising organization, Tuten makes sure that his advisees are as likely to meet with him in his office as they are over a meal or around a campfire at Swamptopia.

That’s right: Swamptopia.

“The name began as a joke in our department. I bought a couple of acres in a flood plain and dubbed it ‘Swamptopia’ in front of some students. The main goal was gardening,” Tuten said with a laugh, adding that he comes from a farming family where everyone had a garden. “When the purchase went through, the students wanted to see it. In the spring, we had them out and made a bonfire.”

The twice-yearly trek to Swamptopia is now a beloved History Department tradition.

“Every fall and spring, we invite history students and those from other fields who want to come. There are some students who I only ever knew from their attendance at Swamptopia,” he said. “These relationships help people get to know one another. These pieces constitute the glue that builds community in our department.”

Kushal Adhikari, assistant professor of environmental engineering, co-authored, “Alternative Wastewater Pond Design for Land Applying the Effluent” published as a proceeding in the 2022 ASABE Annual International Meeting. He presented, “Water Sustainability using PondIn-Pond (PIP) wastewater treatment system for reuse” and “Environmental sustainability: An integrated approach for green and economical cement production,” at the 2022 ASCE-EWRI Congress meeting (American Society of Civil Engineers- Environmental & Water Institute). Adhikarisubmitted and received Professional Development Funds ($3000) from CSU to support scholarly works targeted toward increasing retention of BIPOC faculty in HigherEd. He received recognition and The Platinum Medal from GSFN (Global Sustainable Futures Progress through Partnerships Network) for continued contribution and service to the organization. Adhikari currently serves as guest editor for a special issue in Springer Nature “Discovery” journal, “The Role of Education in the Implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals — How Sustainability Education Influences Consumption and Production Systems and Contributes to Achieving Sustainable Development Goals.” and Sung for an inaugural feature on international conversations on DEIJA in the molecular life sciences.

Provost Lauren Bowen and Associate Provost Dominick Peruso presented “Engaging Trustees in the Academic Program Development Process” at the annual meeting of the American Council of Academic Deans annual meeting, Tampa, FL, February 2023.

Kristin Camenga, associate professor of mathematics, presented a talk at the Joint Mathematics Meetings, “Welcoming Students to the Mathematical Community,” in a Transition to Proof course.

Douglas Glazier, professor of biology, published three research articles, “Variable metabolic scaling breaks the law: from ‘Newtonian’ to ‘Darwinian’ approaches,” in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, “How metabolic rate relates to cell size,” in Biology, and “Ontogenetic changes in body shape and scaling of metabolic rate in the American eel (Anguilla rostrata),” in Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. The third article was coauthored by Alex Forlenza ’22 and Heather Galbraith ’01. Since May 2022, Glazier also presented two talks on biological scaling sponsored by the Society of Experimental Biologists in France, and the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico.

Jay Hosler, David K Goodman ‘74 Professor of Biology, and his son, Max Hosler, spoke about “Adventures in Mathemalchemy: Exploring Math and Art through a Comic Book Narrative,” in the invited AMS Special Session on the Math and Art of Mathemalchemy at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Boston in January 2022.

Dave Hsiung, professor of history, is spending the academic year working on a book about environmental history and the American Revolution, and has given talks about his research at the Massachusetts Historical Society; Cardiff University in Wales, UK; the College of William and Mary; and the University of Pennsylvania. Videos of two different presentations can be found on the homepages of the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, VA, and at the American Revolution Institute of The Society of the Cincinnati.

Dan Dries, associate professor of chemistry, and his colleague, Rou-Jia Sung (Carleton College), wrote an editorial for a special edition of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education (BAMBED) focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and access (DEIJA) in molecular life sciences education. The editorial was accompanied by an essay also co-written by Dries

Tricia Hunt, director of health professions program, presented two sessions at the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) in June 2022 titled, “Alumni Engagement: Money and Time,” and “Preserving Institutional Knowledge through Office Turnover,” collaborating with other advisers from Dartmouth University, University of Maryland, and University of Cincinnati. Hunt Created two new partnerships for Juniata health professions students with Duquesne University School of Pharmacy for a 3+4 Bachelor of Science-Doctor of Pharmacy program and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine for a 4+4 Bachelor of Science-Doctor of Veterinary Medicine partnership. These were finalized in October 2022.

Jana Jaffa, director of international student and scholar services, published a chapter, “NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising,” in the book, Comprehensive Advisor Training & Development, 3rd Edition. Jaffa co-presented at the NAFSA Regional Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, and the PACIE Annual Conference at Haverford College, PA. She presented at the Diversity Abroad Conference in San Francisco, CA (partially funded by the World Learning grant) and was selected from 25 nationally to participate in the NAFSA Executive Internationalization e-institute. Jaffa was also selected to participate in the Florida International University Collaborative Online International Learning Leadership Institute. She served on NAFSA Teaching, Learning, and Service Research & Scholarship Committee and on the NACADA International Conference Advisory Board. Jaffa was selected as an AERA proposal reviewer.

Jill Keeney, Charles A Dana Professor of Biology, directed a workshop at Ohlone College in Newark, California, June 13–18, 2022. At the workshop, students and faculty developed course plans for a laboratory exploring genes of unknown function in yeast. The workshop was attended by 18 faculty and students from across the United States. She attended, with two students, the Yeast Genetics Meeting at UCLA, August 17–21, 2022. The students presented a poster on their work with yeast genetics. Keeney presented two posters and co-organized a workshop at the meeting “Bridging Research and Education.” She helped plan and moderate a one-day online workshop on July 25, 2022, on best practices for integrating research experiences into undergraduate laboratory courses.

Sara Kern, student success and outreach librarian, presented a poster, “The Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon: Using the Encyclopedia as a Teaching Tool for Writing and exhibition at ARC Gallery in Chicago, IL; Surreal Salon 15, in a juried group art exhibition at Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art, Baton Rouge, LA; Food for Thought, which won first place, in a juried group online exhibition through the Federation of Art at Circle Gallery in Annapolis MD; and New Masters, in a group exhibition and auction at Piękna Gallery, Warsaw Poland. Her artwork was published in the following journals: Pigeon Skeletons Composition with Orange Lilies, Ribbon, and Safety Fence, oil on board, and Tree of Life with Chickens, oil on canvas, were published in Artisan Square volume 2; pp 84–85 — an independent artist-run print and online publication dedicated to showing emerging artists and mid-career creatives from around the world based in Toronto, Canada. Tree of Life with Octopi and Tulips, watercolors on paper, was published in Studio Visit Volume Fifty; p. 115. Open Studios Press, in Juried Selection of International Visual Artists, juried by Dominic Molon, Richard Brown Baker Curator of Contemporary Art, RISD Museum of Art, Providence, RI.

Research,” at the Pennsylvania Library Association Annual Conference in October 2022, with Josh Cohen, librarian at Elizabethtown College. She presented, “Using R Statistical Software for Library Assessment: Do More with Your Data, for Free!,” as part of the Connect and Communicate Webinar Series, Pennsylvania Library Association College & Research Division, Sept. 21, 2022. Kern presented a Lightning Talk, “Maintaining Services and Building Excitement Before and During a Total Building Renovation,” at Access Services in Libraries, Inc. Annual Conference, November 2022, with Jacob Gordon, former Juniata librarian.

Ryan Kough, assistant professor of integrated media arts, served as a judge for the GLITCH 2023 National Student Design Competition hosted by AIGA Student Chapter at Mississippi State University February 2023. She co-authored “Collective Dialogues on Motherhood for Feminist Futures,” for the Design Research Society (DRS), in Bilbao, Spain, Conference Proceedings, in December 2022. Kough was a panelist in collaboration with Kay Leigh Farley, Meena Khalili, and Erica Holeman at “Put Grind Culture to Bed: Pedagogical Strategies for Happier, Healthier Design Students,” at the AIGA National Conference, Design Educators Community SURFACE, in October 2022. Kough was named one of the “Top 50 Women Leaders of Pennsylvania for 2022,” by The Women We Admire, in the summer of 2022. She also presented, “Contracts & Freelancer Tips,” at Fresno State, College of Arts & Humanities in May 2022. Kough was Printer in Residence at the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum in May 2022 and was accepted to visit for research, printing, workshops with master printers, and training on repairing equipment and running various presses in preparation for setting up a studio, continuing personal research, and teaching letterpress curriculum.

George Merovich, associate professor of environmental science, presented the results of research at the 17th Annual Susquehanna River Symposium at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pa., Nov. 4–5, 2022. These included, “Linking in-stream and landscape-level conditions to macroinvertebrate assemblages in the Little Juniata River watershed,” with Brendan Nauman ’23; “Evaluating walleye (Sander vitreus) spawning effort on constructed rock rubble reefs in Raystown Lake,” with Nauman, Andrew Garman ’23, and Autumn Holdsworth ’24; “Quantifying ecological conditions of the Little Juniata mainstem,” with Ryan Meyer ’24, Sophia Parlati ’24, and Samuel Zercher ’24; and “Occurrence and movement of a non-indigenous crayfish in the Raystown Lake region,” with Abbigail Fields ’25, Lily Moore ’25, and Nauman.

Jim Latten, professor of music, served as guest conductor of the Franklin-Fulton County Middle School All-County Band.

Monika Malewska, professor of art, exhibited artwork in the following exhibitions: Color, in a juried group art creative writing, civics, and science while also completing maintenance projects that included the renovation of bathrooms on the two lower floors and the purchase and installation of a new water pump to provide water for the bathrooms and workshop on the upper floor. The medical delegation, which included 21 international members and 15 Guatemalans, held three days of health clinics at the school and a one-day clinic in a nearby rural community. The health team saw a total of 511 patients, and in addition to wellness checkups and the treatment of various illnesses, patients were offered vision screenings and dental extractions. In addition to the service provided, the delegations were able to contribute nearly $11,000 to the school’s operating budget.

Emil Nagengast, professor of politics and international studies, presented the paper, “Decolonizing COIL: Lessons from Octavio Paz,” with co-author Alejandro Herran at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association.

Cheng-Han Pan, assistant professor of mathematics, presented, “On Set of Monstrous Shift,’’ at the 50th Winter School in Abstract Analysis in the Czech Republic.

Naomi Radio, director of student accessibility services, completed the first two courses in Landmark College’s online Certificate in Learning Differences and Neurodiversity program with a specialization in postsecondary disability services. She anticipates completion of the entire five-course program in the Summer of 2023.

Loren Rhodes, emeritus professor of information technology and computer science, taught, “Music and Computing,” at Münster UAS Steinfurt in June 2022. Six Steinfurt students and three visiting students from the United States spent two weeks experimenting with music creation through computer programming.

Kim Roth, professor of statistics and mathematics, spoke in invited sessions at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Boston, MA, in early January 2022. Her first talk was, “A Mathematician Knits an Afghan: How Many Hue Shifts,” at the AMS Special Session on Mathematics and the Fiber Arts. The second talk was “Fractals of Mathemalchemy,” at the AMS Special Session on the Math and Art of Mathemalchemy.

Li Shen, assistant professor of marketing, was the track chair of International Marketing at the Academy of International Business, US Northeast, and presented a paper, “Does Country of Origin Matter? A Study on the Influence of Cognitive, Affective, and Normative on Sustainable Fashion Shopping?.” She received the SoTL Summer Grant and presented research, “Challenges and Takeaways of Hy/Flex Teaching and Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic,” at the SoTL Brown Bag on October 27, 2022.

Belle Tuten, Charles A. Dana Professor of History, published Daily Life of Women in Medieval Europe, through Greenwood Press in 2022.

Jim Tuten, Charles R. and Shirley A. Knox Professor of History, was named NACADA Advisor of the Year (faculty division) for the Mid-Atlantic Region. Tuten published a book review of Hayden R. Smith’s Carolina’s Golden Fields: Inland Rice Cultivation in the South Carolina Lowcountry, 1670–1860, published by Cambridge University Press in The American Historical Review, Volume 127, Issue 3, September 2022, Pages 1546–1547.

Jamie Weaver, director of study abroad, was awarded The Forum Professional Certification in Education Abroad.

Henry Thurston-Griswold, professor of Spanish, organized and led two volunteer groups to a Guatemalan partner school, the Asturias Academy, from July 11–31, 2022. The 18-member educational delegation offered five days of enrichment activities in the areas of English, music, art,

David Widman, professor of psychology, published “The point of nipple erection 3: Sexual and social expectations of women with nipple erection,” with Rebecca L. Burch in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences on Sept. 29, 2022. With Maryanne L. Fisher, Rebecca L. Burch, Rosemarie SokelChang, and T. Joel Wade, Widman published the chapter, “Sexuality and Gender in Prehistory,” in Psychology and Cognitive Archaeology, edited by Tracey B. Henley and Matt J. Rossano. He published “Shifts in Partner Attractiveness: Evolutionary and Social Factors,” with Rebecca L. Burch, Maryanne L. Fisher, James B. Moran, Catherine A. Salmon, and T. Joel Wade.

1941

Marion A. (Ecker) Painter celebrated her 104th birthday on Sept. 6, 2022. When she was a foreign exchange teacher in Manchester, England, in 1948–49, she had tea with Princess Elizabeth.

1960

Carol A. (Stiffler) Coughenour purchased Juniata shirts for her JC legacy family in September 2019. Three years later, on Dec. 25, 2022, she and her husband were finally able to gather in person with their daughter and three granddaughters. They are Juniata proud! Pictured (l–r) with their legacy shirts are Candice (Coughenour) Hersh , retired associate director of marketing at Juniata, Carol (Stiffler) Coughenour ’60 , Jamie (Hersh) Crotsley ’11 , Stephanie (Hersh) Rader ’10 , Valerie Hersh ’16 , and Donald Coughenour ’59

1963

Ronald R. Blanck, Lieutenant General, was the focus of an exhibit unveiled by the Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley titled “From Ephrata to Three Star General,” which had its official grand opening on July 16, 2022. Ron served in Vietnam, is past commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and was the 39th Surgeon General of the U.S. Army. The exhibit tells the story of his life and career, displaying a collection of personal items, photographs, awards, honors, and medals. The exhibit was open through December in the Theodore R. Sprecher Museum in the Connell Mansion. Additionally, in late 2022, Ron was selected by Intealth as Interim President of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research.

1973

Linda D. (Walters) Simmons retired in 2021 after working for 48 years as a registered medical technologist for the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).

1975

Howard M. Nathan retired in January 2021 as president and CEO of the Gift of Life Donor Program after 43+ years. He has since become executive director of the Transplant Foundation, and the Gift of Life Family House was renamed Gift of Life Howie’s House in his honor. The program also launched Beyond Measure: The Howard M. Nathan Impact Fund benefitting Gift of Life Howie’s House.

1976

Jeffrey J. Wood was nominated by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf to fill an interim duty as Magisterial District Judge in Juniata and Perry counties. He will serve through Dec. 31, 2023.

1978

Richard A. Smith and wife Karen celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary by taking a trip to the Poconos. They were married Aug. 6, 1982, and they have three children and four grandchildren.

1981

John Kuriyan was named dean of Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences. His appointment was effective Jan. 1, 2023, and he will play a crucial role in advancing the university’s goal of expanding global research impact. John has taught molecular and cell biology and chemistry and is a member of various esteemed science academies and organizations. He is a widely published and cited scholar in his field. John’s research focuses on molecular switches in the cell and drugs used to treat cancer at the molecular level. He has received numerous scientific honors.

1982

Regina K. (Wood) Pollard retired from Alfred State College (SUNY) in May 2022. She was granted Professor Emeritus status.

1983

Ronald J. Bowser II received his doctorate degree in divinity in August 2022.

1984

Jay E. Jones began his 35th year as a full-time appointed clergy in the United Methodist Church. He is serving Trucksville United Methodist Church.

1989

Michael S. Barnett gathered with friends from the classes of 1988–1990 in Corolla, N.C., for the third consecutive year. All participants enjoyed the reunion and plan to gather again in the fall of 2023. Pictured (l–r) back row: Timothy Wilson ’89, Jonathan Seckinger ’90, Steven Grater ’89, Scott Swartz ’89, Michael Barnett ’89, and Daniel Corazzi ’88. Pictured (l–r) front row: David Fouse ’89 and Christopher Glover ’89

1992

Stephanie L. (Smith) Landis is president of the Rotary Club of Boyertown and academy director for STEM Youth Explorer Academy for Rotary District 7430.

1995

Pamela A. Yanora Hughes was inducted into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame. At Tunkhannock Area High School, she excelled in basketball, volleyball, and track and field, earning 12 letters overall. At Juniata, she earned three letters in volleyball.

1999

Jonathan S. Comitz was selected to the 2022 list as a member of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, an organization of legal excellence. Only the top one percent of attorneys in the country are awarded membership. Jonathan focuses his practice on personal injury cases and commercial disputes.

2000

Jessica L. (Yutzey) Quinter was selected to serve as Zone 2 Director for the National Association of Elementary School Principals. She will begin her three-year term in August 2023, serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Jessica is currently principal of Park Forest Elementary School in State College.

Kunio M. Sayanagi started a new position in September 2022 as a research physical scientist at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. His responsibilities include developing new spacecraft designs for exploring planets and moons in our solar system.

2001

Ray J. Snyder was appointed as an executive board member for the National Association of Dual Diagnosis. His work with individuals with a dual diagnosis started with his human services degree from Juniata.

2003

Emily M. Coyle received 2023 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch in America” recognition for her excellence in personal injury litigation.

Jessica L. (Pritchard) Ickes was promoted to vice president for compliance and accreditation at Florida Institute of Technology in May 2022. She oversees the accreditation, compliance, risk, and legal functions of the university.

2006

Nicole M. (McLellan) Ayers was selected to be Juniata College’s Director of Athletics. Nikki stated, “This place holds a very special place in my heart, and I am excited to hit the ground running this summer working with the amazing coaches, staff, and student athletes… I firmly believe that our coaches and student athletes have the passion and ability to take Juniata to the next level.” Most recently, she spent six years at Claremont McKenna College, where she was the Associate AD/SWA. In 2018, she was the first soccer player inducted into Juniata’s Sports Hall of Fame.

2007

Benjamin R. Waxman spoke on campus on Feb. 1, 2023, about how his Juniata education helped lead him to his elected position. Ben was elected to the Pennsylvania State House to represent the 182nd legislative district in Center City Philadelphia in November 2022.

2009

Johncarlo B. Perna’s company, Hamilton Building Supply, raised $33,747 for Type 1 Diabetes during their November fundraising campaign. The fundraiser supported the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Hamilton Building Supply matched every dollar donated. John is president and co-owner of the company.

2010

Evan R. Hughes received his doctorate in applied experimental psychology in the summer of 2022.

Jessica E. Mauch was named as one of Claims and Litigation Management Alliance’s 2022 Phenoms Under 40.

Friends from the Class of 2010 reunited at the end of summer 2022. Pictured (l–r) are Paul Dennehy ’10, Megan (Peterson) Slocum ’10, Carlee (Dickey) Slocum ’10, Jordan Yeagley ’10, and Danny Reed ’10