Lawrence Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023

LAWRENCE

LESSONS IN VIDEO GAMING

Game developer Josh Sawyer ’98 taps into Lawrence expertise, brings home major awards

INSIDE: FROM UKRAINE TO LAWRENCE: A PIANO STUDENT’S EMOTIONAL JOURNEY

CONTENTS

4 6 10

LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT 2023

WORLD BUILDING: Lawrence expertise fuels historical role-playing video game that’s getting game-ofthe-year raves

‘EVERYTHING CHANGED’

Ukrainian piano student finds welcoming home at Lawrence amid chaos of war

17

18

ALUMNI Q&A: Hannah Jones ’22 talks about her experience with Shared Voices

FACULTY PROFILE : Get to know Sigma Colón, assistant professor of environmental and ethnic studies

A VIKING’S FIRST VOYAGE: ‘Incredible’ experience at London Centre

IMMERSIVE LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE allows Lawrence junior to thrive in Jordan

LAWRENCE

EDITOR: Ed Berthiaume

ART DIRECTOR: Liz Boutelle

CONTRIBUTORS: Ed Berthiaume, Kaitlin Buelow ’26, Alex Freeman ’23, Tom McKenzie ’95, Sullivan Shubert ’23, Joe Vanden Acker

CLASS NOTES: Miyoko Grine-Fisher and Claire Hafeman

PHOTOGAPHY: Danny Damiani, Joe Vanden Acker

CHARLIE WETZEL to travel the world as Lawrence’s latest Watson Fellow

SUMMER RESEARCH prepares Lawrence students for real-world application

ALSO

20 Photo Essay

22 Parent Corner Advice

26 Alumni Profiles

30 Faculty News

34 Viking Voices

35 Innovation in bloom at Björklunden

40 LU Lights

42 Athletics

46 Class Notes

78 The Big Picture

FOR CHANGE OF ADDRESS: go.lawrence.edu/profile

920-832-7019 • alumni@lawrence.edu

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Appleton, WI 54911-5690

920-832-7325 • communications@lawrence.edu Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent Lawrence University policy. Lawrence (USPS 012-683) is published by the Lawrence University Office of Communications. Nonprofit postage paid at Appleton, Wis., and additional mailing offices.

COVER: Josh Sawyer ’98 led the development of Pentiment, a historical role-playing video game. The Xbox game has Lawrence’s fingerprints all over it.

(Sawyer photo courtesy of Obsidian Entertainment; design by Liz Boutelle)

Dear Lawrentians,

This is a most beautiful time of year. In addition to the gorgeous summer weather and all the beauty that comes with it, this is a time— the close of one academic year and the beginning of another— that brings a mix of celebration, reflection, and excitement to our campus. We just finished celebrating Commencement with our amazing 2023 graduates; we welcomed home hundreds of our alumni for Reunion weekend; and we are beyond excited for what the 2023–24 academic year will bring.

New academic and infrastructure investments, new athletics offerings, and new growth possibilities are all part of strategic initiatives that are moving Lawrence forward, helping to keep our foundation strong as we embrace our mission as one of the nation’s leading liberal arts institutions.

Lawrence is a special place. The strength, wisdom, and tenacity of Lawrentians was reinforced for me as I joined my Advancement colleagues in a series of Time to Shine receptions across the country over the past six months. In visits to New York City, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee, we met with more than 500 alumni, family, and friends who are committed to staying engaged with Lawrence.

The enthusiasm was palpable at each of the stops. I listened as our alumni talked about the many ways Lawrence transformed their lives and how they still carry with them the impactful interactions they had with faculty, staff, and fellow students. They spoke with passion about the importance of a liberal arts education and how it continues to be reflected in their careers and in their lives.

These are messages that reinforce for me the incredible responsibility I feel toward our Lawrence community as we carry on the legacy of this institution. It is important that we understand and cherish our past, the lessons learned, the traditions that have endured. These Time to Shine conversations help to inform decisions as we look to the future, moving with urgency to put Lawrence in the best possible position to thrive amid the many challenges facing higher education. We are doing so with the student experience the No. 1 priority. We are opening new channels of communication with parents, reimagining the first-year experience, and providing new academic pathways while fine-tuning our brand and raising our profile nationally.

Thank you to alumni, parents, and friends, who joined us for these important conversations. Your voice matters. And thank you to members of the Lawrence University Alumni Association (LUAA) Board who helped us launch the Forever a Lawrentian program this spring, connecting our students with alumni right here on campus. Alumni spoke with students about what it means to be a Lawrentian and how those bonds sustain for a lifetime. They swapped stories, shared career tips, played games, and exchanged contact information. The overriding message: You are a student for four or five years; you are Forever a Lawrentian.

The students, faculty, staff, and alumni featured in the pages of this magazine are added evidence that Lawrentians are indeed changing the world. I encourage you to stay engaged with Lawrence in the coming months and years as we continue this journey together.

Sincerely,

Scan to see more of the Lawrence University 2022–23 Time to Shine events across the country

Laurie A. Carter President

Commencement 2023

CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES: ‘WE BELIEVE IN YOU’

Lawrence University celebrated the Class of 2023 on June 11 with a festive Commencement sendoff on Main Hall Green.

Cheers from family, friends, and the Lawrence community greeted 310 graduates as they walked across the Commencement stage, built onto the portico of the iconic Main Hall.

“On behalf of the full faculty and staff of this university, I tell you that our hearts are bursting with pride,” President Laurie A. Carter told the graduates. “As you walk forward into this next phase of life, know that we believe in you—that we walk with you—and that we wish you the very best.”

Confetti burst in the air and graduation caps were tossed as Matt Murphy ’06, president of the Lawrence University Alumni Association, finished leading the graduates through the alumni pledge at the close of Commencement. The graduates then recessed through the Lawrence Arch, near the intersection of College Avenue and Drew Street, marking the beginning of a new tradition—first-year students now process through the Arch during Welcome Week while graduates walk through

the Arch at the close of Commencement, providing a bookend to their Lawrence experience. Families, friends, and fellow Lawrentians lined the sidewalk near the Arch, greeting graduates with cheers and high-fives.

Harold Jordan ’72, an attorney, business leader, and longtime supporter of his alma mater, delivered a Commencement address in which he encouraged graduates to find their joy despite the many difficulties in the world. That joy, he said, may not always come in the job that pays the bills but rather in those side hustles that can nurture the soul.

“You will likely find careers in the areas in which you concentrated,” Jordan said. “But I suggest that you at least entertain the idea that there are other potential pursuits out there that are not in your wheelhouse that you just might find interesting, fulfilling, and, yes, rewarding.”

Tee Karki, an international student from Kathmandu, Nepal, served as senior class speaker. She said her classmates inspired her, even during the struggles of a global pandemic that arrived during their first year on campus.

“I am grateful that of all the places we all could’ve ended up, we all ended up here together,” she said. ▪

LEFT: Confetti flies at the close of Commencement.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Main Hall serves as the backdrop for Commencement 2023; Malcolm Davis ’23 is greeted on stage by President Laurie Carter; graduates celebrate as they line up for the processional; graduates walk through the Lawrence Arch following Commencement.

Photos by Danny Damiani Scan to see a photo gallery

LAWRENCE

WORLD-BUILDING Lawrence expertise fuels historical role-playing video game that’s getting game-of-the-year raves

By Ed Berthiaume

The many interests of video game designer Josh Sawyer ’98 intersect beautifully in a game being hailed as one of the best releases of the past year.

History, theater, storytelling, and gaming, all nurtured during Sawyer’s time as an undergraduate at Lawrence University more than two decades ago, come into play in Pentiment, an Xbox game released in November that’s drawing rave reviews despite pushing against popular gaming trends.

Pentiment won the award for Best Narrative in the annual

Awards in March. It was nominated for three other awards, including Game of the Year. It drew two more nominations from the annual British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA).

A design director at Obsidian Entertainment, Sawyer led a team at the Xbox Game Studios subsidiary in developing the historical role-playing game. It’s a niche release. There are no explosions, no shooting, none of the survival action or fantasy that dominates much of the video game market; yet Pentiment is getting game-ofthe-year chatter because of its ingenuity and creative storytelling,

Josh Sawyer ’98

(Photo courtesy of Obsidian Entertainment)

And the game has Lawrence’s fingerprints all over it.

When Sawyer sought authenticity for his world-building of 16th-century Bavaria, he reached out to a source he knew would have deep knowledge of that time and place and a commitment to historical accuracy—Lawrence history professor Edmund Kern, his academic advisor all those years ago. Kern would serve as a consultant as Sawyer and his team built the game, starting in late 2018.

And when Sawyer needed insight on medicinal practices and related social dynamics of that region of Europe in the early 16th century, he sought out former Lawrence classmate Winston Black ’99, now chair of Christian Studies at St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia, Canada.

AN OUTPOURING OF PRAISE

Pentiment is an intricate role-playing murder-mystery game that Wired calls the “best new game you’ve never heard of.”  The Washington Post calls it “gripping” and “fascinating,” and

“It’s amazing that people consider it a game-of-the-year candidate,” Sawyer said in a video call from his Irvine, California, office. “The top two contenders that everyone is talking about are God of War and Elden Ring, and it’s not an exaggeration to say those games have 20 times the investment of Pentiment. They are world-wide successes, and Pentiment is a very small game with a very small team.”

That team—13 people; well below the usual 80 to 100 for most Xbox game-development projects—followed Sawyer’s vision throughout the process. Sawyer’s past work has been in developing popular action or fantasy games such as Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and the follow-up, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. He had long toyed with the idea of creating a historical role-playing game, and when Obsidian was purchased by Microsoft in 2018, the door opened to creating more niche products available for Xbox GamePass.

Sawyer quickly zeroed in on Europe in the early 1500s, a place and time that has long fascinated him, from Martin Luther’s reforms

Edmund Kern (Photo by Danny Damiani)

well-prepared for the foundational pieces of the story, he knew he needed outside counsel to get the details right.

LAWRENTIANS DEEPEN THE EXPERIENCE

“The deeper I got into it, the more I realized that, even though I continued collecting and reading history books and being interested in history as a topic after I left Lawrence, I am not a historian,” Sawyer said. “There are limits.”

So, he called Kern, a 30-year veteran of the Lawrence faculty who specializes in the study of early modern European history and has done scholarly research on the history of witchcraft and religious culture.

“I was really intrigued,” Kern said. “I’ve long thought historical settings (in pop culture) can be a really good opportunity not only to tell a story but also to provide details and pictures of the past.”

As the Obsidian team worked through the Pentiment story, Sawyer would reach out to Kern with questions on details, relevance, possibilities—clothing, folklore, food, politics, holy days, religious practices, and more.

“As he began to develop the narrative of the game, I’d get these relatively specific questions,” Kern said. “What color stole would a clergy member be wearing for this kind of service at this time of year? What were the property rights of widows, vis-à-vis the property they were inheriting from their husbands? What would go to them; what would go to their children; what kind of legal rights would they have? It’s very gratifying to see the worldbuilding of the game hewing so closely to historical accuracy.”

HISTORY MEETS VIDEO-GAMING

While Sawyer has tapped into his Lawrence education many times in his 20-plus years in video game development, he never had the opportunity to bring all those interests that consumed him in college to bear on one project. He started at Lawrence as a voice student in the Conservatory and remained involved in theater long after switching his major to history. His fascination with history, his love of music and drama, his passion for role-playing games—those interests haven’t waned as he’s developed into a

“Pentiment is clearly bringing the full weight of my actual history education to play,” Sawyer said. “We even have a bibliography in the game. Ed Kern said, ‘That’s a bunch of stuff from my course work.’ And I said, ‘Well, of course it is. Those were very foundational to my understanding of early modern Europe.’ They’re still very fundamental to how I think about that space.”

While his Lawrence influence is more obvious in this game, Sawyer said it has been just as relevant in past projects and in his ongoing guidance of his game-development colleagues.

“Obviously, in Pentiment my actual specific education has been very valuable, but the thing when I talk to younger designers who are getting started in the gaming industry, the thing I tell them is the most valuable skill they can have is the ability to make good decisions, and that requires critical-thinking skills,” Sawyer said. “I think my Lawrence education more than anything gave me that foundation.”

It was while at Lawrence that Sawyer started experimenting with web design and flash animation. He found he was good at them. And, when a friend at Lawrence alerted him to a job opening in web design in California, he took a leap of faith. That landed him in the video game industry and put him on a path where his interests in history, music, theater, and tech would meld.

“At first I thought this is so weird; I’m a history major, why am I a game designer?” Sawyer said.

“But all the other game designers I was working with were philosophy majors, English majors, anthropology; they were all in the humanities, all had liberal arts backgrounds of some sort. The thing I valued in my peers and that they valued in me was those critical-thinking skills, which is what you get in a traditional liberal arts education.” ▪

“The thing when I talk to younger designers who are getting started in the gaming industry, the thing I tell them is the most valuable skill they can have is the ability to make good decisions, and that requires critical-thinking skills. I think my Lawrence education more than anything gave me that foundation.”

—Josh Sawyer ’98

“It’s very gratifying to see the world-building of the game hewing so closely to historical accuracy.”

—Edmund Kern, associate professor of history and consultant to the making of Pentiment

About ‘Pentiment’

Part art history textbook, part murder mystery, part relationship building, Pentiment is a role-playing game set in the Bavarian Alps in the early 16th century. The game spans 25 years. At the center of the game is Andreas Maler, a journeyman painter, who lands in the middle of an unsolved murder—and related goings-on—while visiting the fictional town of Tassing. He sets out on an adventure to be determined by the player. Each action taken changes the narrative; in the process you are admiring Roman sculptures, arguing about Martin Luther’s reforms, and otherwise navigating life amongst nobles, peasants, and monastics of Germany at a time of complex change.

Pentiment is available on Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, and PC, and is part of Microsoft’s Xbox GamePass.

Wired called it “quirky and strange” in all the best ways. “Perhaps the best part is that you, as Andreas, don’t get a definitive answer as to what happened with that murder,” reviewer Swapna Krishna writes. “It’s up to you to put the pieces together and present your

best impression, but there’s no telling whether you got it right or not. But the choices you make (and the people you forsake) in the first part of the game affect what happens later.”

The Washington Post called Pentiment a “gift to any player who longs for a historical setting that’s more than a surface texture.”

“Plenty of games have recreated historical places, but few even attempt to capture what it was actually like to live through these eras,” writes the Post’s Shannon Liao. “Pentiment feels special because it excels at empathy. Its depiction of Renaissance Bavaria is remarkable in that it fosters a genuine connection with the ordinary people living, eating, working, and dying through a period of tumultuous change.”

In addition to its Best Narrative win, Pentiment earned nods at the Game Developers Choice Awards for Game of the Year, Innovation, and Best Visual Art. At the BAFTA Awards, it earned nominations for Artistic Achievement and Best Narrative.

Scan to see video of Josh Sawyer ’98 talking about the making of Pentiment

‘EVERYTHING CHANGED ’

Ukrainian piano student finds welcoming home at Lawrence amid chaos of war

By Ed Berthiaume

Lawrence University faculty and staff, working across multiple departments on a tight timeline, collaborated to enroll a talented piano student from Ukraine after Russia’s attack on his country put his college plans in limbo.

Bohdan Tataryn arrived on campus last September, just in time for Lawrence to welcome the Class of 2026. It followed a four-month whirlwind that tested the 18-year-old’s resilience and had Lawrence officials working with urgency to make it happen, including securing an international student visa in Poland just hours before Bohdan’s scheduled flight to the United States.

Marcy O’Malley, Lawrence’s director of international admissions, and her Admissions colleagues erupted in cheers when she got the text from Bohdan that his interview with the consul in Poland went as planned, the visa was secured, and he was on his way.

“Yes, we do this job to keep our colleges vibrant and viable, but every once in a while, we are able to see how a college can pull together and beat all the odds and change a student’s life,” O’Malley said.

“It probably shouldn’t have worked, but like so many things that we have learned about the Ukrainians, Bohdan’s family never gave up and Lawrence was able to respond. … It was my favorite day at Lawrence.”

A LIFE DISRUPTED

The story of Bohdan’s journey is one of heartbreak, hope, and perseverance.

Music was ever-present for Bohdan as he grew up in Vynnychky, a small village 13 miles outside Lviv in western Ukraine.

His father would sing Ukrainian folk songs; his mother would play the stringed bandura, a Ukrainian folk instrument. Like his three siblings—an older brother, younger sister, and younger brother—Bohdan would study music from his earliest years.

“Music was everywhere and in everything,” Bohdan said. “All the time, I was surrounded by music.”

Until he wasn’t.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, launching a war that has killed tens of thousands and upended lives across Ukraine and beyond, Bohdan was 18 and midway through his final year at a music preparatory school. He had plans to enroll in the fall at Lviv National Music Academy to continue his piano studies.

Russia’s invasion short-circuited those plans, setting off a series of events that would lead to Bohdan landing in Appleton, more than 4,000 miles from home, in time to begin classes in Lawrence’s Conservatory of Music in September.

A FAMILY FRIEND

When the war began, Bohdan thought he’d be heading east to join the fight. But he has asthma, making him ineligible to serve in the Army. While he did volunteer work—helping to load supplies on trucks that were heading to the front lines and working with a territory defense group that produced

Bohdan Tataryn ’26 in Memorial Chapel

(Photo by Danny Damiani)

handmade blood-stopping harnesses—his focus would remain on his studies.

“Life changed,” Bohdan said. “Everything changed. We’re not in the worst part, not part of the front. But alarms were going off. Alarms would go off and you’d have to go to the shelter because you don’t know if there are missiles flying through your area. Once I looked up and saw a missile flying above my house. It’s a terrible feeling.”

Mary Deckert, meanwhile, was watching news reports out of Ukraine from her home in Richland Center, a city of 5,000 midway between Madison and La Crosse in southwestern Wisconsin. She had hosted Bohdan’s mother, Nataliia, as an exchange student 25 years earlier. They stayed in touch for a while, with Deckert twice visiting in Ukraine, the last time 18 years ago, when Bohdan was 4 months old.

“We had kind of lost track of each other,” said Deckert, now 83. “Eighteen years is a long time.”

News reports of the war were alarming, and Deckert went in search of a phone number so she could check on her old friend. She and Nataliia began having frequent conversations, including about the possibility of Bohdan coming to the United States to study music. Nataliia sent Deckert four demo videos.

“I’m not a pianist, so I took them to people who are and who teach piano,” Deckert said. “The first guy said, ‘He needs to be in a conservatory; he is very, very good.’ I took them to three other places, and they all said the same thing.”

LAWRENCE STEPS UP

That led Deckert to Lawrence, where she first connected with Rosie Cannizzo in the Conservatory and then O’Malley in Admissions. It was late spring, well past the usual window for considering international applicants.

While there was a want to help, O’Malley admitted she wasn’t optimistic Bohdan was ready to join a Conservatory of this stature or if there was enough time. And then she watched one of the videos.

“When I saw it, I was blown away,” she said. “I ran—I’m not exaggerating—I ran down the hall and got Mary Kate [Smith, director of Conservatory admissions]. We watched it together. The recording wasn’t great, but it was clear that this was a gifted musician. Mary Kate said, ‘Yes, we’d want him here,’ and she went to work coordinating the Conservatory audition.”

There were still finances to consider, a student visa application, and travel dilemmas.

“There were so many obstacles to enrollment, but our thought was we’d keep trying until we ran out of time,” O’Malley said.

A generous aid package was approved. The Office of Financial Aid fast-tracked an offer.

“In international admissions, we admit the bulk of our students in the winter and early spring,” O’Malley said.

“Because the review of foreign credentials and the creation of a visa application is a longer process, it is difficult to process an admit quickly. Additionally, the Conservatory audition process logistically takes time and coordination between the Conservatory Admissions team and the Conservatory faculty, and it was already finished for the year. But we had heard so many stories of the war in Ukraine; everyone I spoke to was feeling the same way—if we have a chance to help a student out of that, then let’s try.”

Anthony Padilla, a piano professor in the Lawrence Conservatory, joined the conversation. The withdrawal of another student from his piano studio had provided an opening.

Bohdan’s audition recordings included a dramatic etude by Ukrainian composer Viktor Kosenko that left Padilla and colleagues impressed.

“None of us in the Piano Department had ever heard it,” Padilla said.

Piano professor Anthony Padilla works with Bohdan Tataryn ’26 on the stage of Memorial Chapel. (Photo by Danny Damiani)

“It probably shouldn’t have worked, but like so many things that we have learned about the Ukrainians, Bohdan’s family never gave up and Lawrence was able to respond.”

—Marcy O’Malley, director of international admissions

CRASH COURSE IN ENGLISH

Bohdan spoke Ukrainian, Polish, and Russian fluently. His English was minimal.

His mother spoke English; she even taught it in Ukraine. She would serve as Bohdan’s tutor for the next four months. Each night after school, she and Bohdan would huddle for English lessons.

“Three hours every night,” Bohdan said. “It was difficult.”

Come early summer, in the middle of those marathon study sessions, he got word from Lawrence that he had been accepted, contingent on the visa process being doable.

“During those months of preparing to come here, I kept saying, ‘What have I done?’” Bohdan said. “At first, I couldn’t even understand, oh my God, I’m going to the U.S. to a university. I thought I was dreaming. It couldn’t be like that. It all happened very quickly.”

On Sept. 2, he would fly from Poland, where he was able to get the visa with just hours to spare. He would make a stop in Norway en route to the U.S., then in Florida and Georgia before landing in Appleton. It was his first time flying alone, first time being away from his family, first time traveling outside of Ukraine.

For nearly 30 hours, Bohdan said, from the time he left Poland until he touched down at Appleton International Airport, he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“It was a lot of stress,” he said. “Somehow, I handled it.”

Deckert, who signed on as his sponsor, was there to meet him at the airport.

LIFE AT LAWRENCE

For Bohdan, homesickness and worry about his family are constant companions. The welcome he’s felt at Lawrence, though, has eased his concerns.

“Everyone was, and still is, very nice to me,” Bohdan said. “I don’t know if it is because of my accent or if people here are just nice. It was not difficult to get used to life here.”

In the Conservatory, Padilla said Bohdan quickly found his groove. He called Bohdan a “wonderful addition to my studio, the Lawrence Piano Department, and the entire Conservatory.”

Padilla has helped Bohdan stay connected to music from home, including the piece from Kosenko that he first shared in his audition video.

“I encouraged Bohdan to continue performing it in my studio classes, in our fall recital, and at the state auditions

of the MTNA [Music Teachers National Association] Young Artists Piano Performance Competition in order to introduce unfamiliar Ukrainian music to American audiences,” Padilla said.

Lawrence’s music librarian set out to locate a score for the Kosenko work and found that it is out of print and unavailable at any library in North America. Bohdan then arranged to have the score sent from his instructors in Ukraine for use at the MTNA event. Bohdan would earn an honorable mention award in the competition, held in Rice Lake.

IN TOUCH WITH FAMILY

Bohdan said he’s been able to talk or text with his family daily. They feel safe, Bohdan said, but the war hangs over every conversation.

“I read news reports every day,” he said. “In the morning, during lunch, at night.”

Deckert, meanwhile, is in frequent contact with both Bohdan and his family. Bohdan stays with her during breaks. A newly donated piano in Deckert’s home is available to Bohdan whenever he’s there.

“He’s a wonderful young man,” Deckert said. “What he’s accomplished in the first months at Lawrence is unbelievable—overcoming English, overcoming leaving home for the first time, leaving with his family in such a perilous position. He’s just a well-deserving young man.”

Bohdan said he can’t begin to thank Deckert enough for the investment she’s made in him and his family.

“At the age of 83, she became the main initiator and a driving force of the whole process of my coming to the USA,” he said. “She is not only an amazingly generous person … but also she is a kind, caring grandma who gives me her constant support and warmth when I am so far away from home.”

Bohdan said he’s equally grateful for the efforts Lawrence made to bring him here, including staff in the Conservatory, Admissions, and Financial Aid offices working above and beyond to make his enrollment possible.

“I thank them very much for awarding me the exceptional scholarship, and I understand that I received it for my high academic achievements as a pianist, but also that it was a great, decisive, unprecedented, and sincere act of support for Ukraine.” ▪

Bohdan Tataryn ’26, center, poses at home with his family, from left, his father, Pavlo; mother, Nataliia; sister, Emiliia, his brother’s girlfriend, Julia, his brother, Myroslav, and his grandmother, Roma. Missing from the photo is his younger brother, Mykhailo.

A Viking’s

Sullivan Shubert ’23 takes a selfie while visiting Luxembourg during his term at London Centre.

BY THE NUMBERS: STUDY ABROAD IN 2022–23

Lawrentians studying abroad during academic year

42

Countries where students studied this academic year

Students taking part in faculty-led short-term study trips abroad

19

Students doing internships while studying abroad

Students who studied at London Centre

Source: Office of Off-Campus Programs

Sela Dombrower ’24 studied in Amman, Jordan. (Photo courtesy of Xenia Makosky)

“It was an amazing opportunity to process my abroad experience and share it with people who didn’t know what to expect or were curious about what it was like,” Dombrower said.

Dombrower, who had never traveled outside the United States before, said she went in with goals rather than expectations. She took the adventure day-by-day, which she said helped ease initial culture shock. She was able to appreciate Amman for what it is rather than what she’d been told it was.

“It’s beautiful,” said Dombrower. “There are little pockets with Byzantine gardens, old Roman architecture, and white or stone houses. There’s a lot of great street art as well.”

One of Dombrower’s goals was to learn the colloquial dialect of Arabic to communicate effectively in Jordan. Arabic regional dialects differ greatly; she learned Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which was her foundation for learning Levantine Arabic, commonly spoken in Jordan.

“When you’re there, you’re constantly pushing yourself, constantly extending yourself in new situations, extending yourself to

communicate,” Dombrower said. “I learned to trust the progress I had made. … I can communicate using this language more than I thought I could.”

Though speaking is a large part of learning to communicate, Dombrower was careful not to neglect listening, and recognized herself as a visitor within an unfamiliar culture. Dombrower put Western preconceptions of Jordan and the Middle East aside and focused on learning from her host family and other Jordanians, and found her goals slid into place.

“The whole experience of learning a language while immersed in its culture and talking to people who are contributing to the evolution of that language is amazing,” she said.

Her favorite thing about being abroad? The food. Jordan has many unique foods, but lots of Jordanian food is integrated with foods from other cultures, too. She and her host family ate a lot of kabsa, an Arab chicken and rice dish. Downtown, Dombrower would often get falafel with her friends, though it’s usually a breakfast food in Amman. Another favorite while out and about was manakeesh, a flatbread dish. ▪

“When you’re there, you’re constantly pushing yourself, constantly extending yourself in new situations, extending yourself to communicate.

I learned to trust the progress I had made.”

—Sela Dombrower ’24

Sela Dombrower ’24 in Amman. (Photo courtesy of Xenia Makosley)

Charlie Wetzel to travel the world as Lawrence’s 2023 Watson Fellow

Lawrence University’s Charlie Wetzel ’23 is the latest Lawrentian to be chosen for a prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.

Wetzel will travel to Iceland, India, Thailand, Mexico, The Netherlands, and Germany over the coming year, pursuing a project titled “The Art of the Transgender Life,” where she explores the intersections between art, gender, national identity, and public policy.

Wetzel, of Madison, Wisconsin, is the 78th Lawrentian over the past 53 years to be awarded a Watson, which provides $40,000 in funding for a year-long wanderjahr of independent travel and exploration. She is one of 42 graduating college seniors across the country selected as part of the 2023 Watson class.

We talked with Wetzel about the year ahead:

Q: What sort of connections and collaborative work are you looking to do as you travel the world?

Wetzel: Over my Watson year, I am hoping to make sculptures, photographs, and body-art pieces with other transgender artists around the world. I am starting my fellowship in Seyðisfjörður, Iceland, which is a rural town of around 700 people located on the eastern edge of the country. While the town is small, it has an internationally recognized art scene and there are multiple queer artist residencies in the region. During my time there, I plan on collaborating with other trans women artists to make Polaroid and alternate process photographs. I will also visit with and interview artists from the Heima art collective, a small group of makers who are located in east Iceland, about how their art practices have been shaped by gender identity and Icelandic public policy.

Next, I will visit Bengaluru, India, where I will volunteer with the Aravani Art Project and work on murals and large-scale paintings. The Aravani Art Project is a public art collective run by trans and queer women across India. The project brings together people from the transgender community who paint murals inspired by their lives and experiences. In Berlin, Mexico

DID YOU KNOW? Watson Fellows are selected from 41 private colleges and universities across the United States that partner with the Watson Foundation. More than 3,000 Watson Fellows have been named since the inaugural class in 1969.

The Watson Foundation dates back to 1961, created as a charitable trust in the name of Thomas J. Watson Sr., best known for building IBM. It works with students to develop personal, professional, and cultural opportunities that build their confidence and perspective to be more humane and effective leaders with a world view.

City, and Amsterdam, I will work on similar collaborations with other queer art organizations and meet with artists who are making work about trans ontology.

Q: Why is this work and exploration important to you?

Wetzel: My art practice is the single most important thing to me. I spend all of my free time making art, and when I am not able to be in the Wriston Art Center or the MakerSpace physically working on a project, I am reading, talking, learning, and thinking about art. I am totally obsessed. All of my work centers around trans ontology—it is all about how and why trans people exist, and it celebrates the beauty of trans life. One of my goals in life is to advance the rights of queer and transgender people. We are routinely denied access to basic health care and are increasingly being used as political scapegoats. My activist art practice is what I use to gain some sense of control over these narratives, and this project will let me spend an entire year making work about, and advocating for, trans identity on an international scale. The Watson Fellowship is, literally, a dream come true.

Q: How has your time at Lawrence prepared you for this next adventure?

Wetzel: I came to Lawrence undecided with a vague idea that I wanted to eventually go to law school. But then I took Intro to 3D Art with professor Rob Neilson. I had some background in photography when I applied to Lawrence, but I did not think I would pursue art at any serious level. That class, and the sculpture classes I took my sophomore year, totally changed me—Professor Neilson taught me how to think with art. He showed me how pieces of wire, chunks of wood, and lumps of metal can communicate profound ideas, and he encouraged me to think of myself as an artist. Additionally, the classes and conversations I had early on with professors Elizabeth Carlson and John Shimon showed me that artists and visual scholars can have a profound impact on the world, and they helped me realize that a life as an artist can be as, if not more, impactful as a life as a lawyer. ▪

Summer research prepares Lawrence students for real-world application

By Sullivan Shubert ’23 and Kaitlin Buelow ’26

Summer is a time when Lawrence University students and faculty often collaborate on research, funded by the Lawrence University Research Fellows (LURF) program.

“These research experiences can be incredibly rewarding and provide a fantastic opportunity for students not only to apply what they’ve learned but also to explore the world of original research and learn first-hand how new knowledge is discovered,” said Nancy Wall, associate provost and associate professor of biology.

Last summer, 105 students and 41 faculty members participated in the LURF program. A similar number are doing so this summer. We talked with students about the experience.

Amber Newman ’23 and Madeline Taylor ’23 spent last summer working with Relena Ribbons, an assistant professor of geosciences, in the study of microbial environments of certain plants. Their research focused on bacteria and fungi that thrive in soil-less ecosystems. They presented their findings at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference in Chicago in late 2022.

“We were looking to find a procedure to successfully isolate DNA from plant roots grown in hydroponic systems since that isn’t something that’s often looked at in science,” Newman said. “[Existing research] is mostly soil-based because it’s a lot easier to take a soil sample than to scrape the film off plant roots.”

Presenting as researchers was a confidence booster. “It’s easy to forget we’re scientists,” Taylor said. “Going to AGU helped us realize we are doing science, we are doing experiments, and have been for a very long time. We absolutely have the skills to consider ourselves scientists.”

Amber Newman ’23 (left) and Madeline Taylor ’23 in the Briggs greenhouse. (Photo by Danny Damiani)

Madeleine Corum ’24, an ethnic studies major now heading into their senior year, spent the summer working with Jesús Smith, assistant professor of ethnic studies. Smith is writing a book on discrimination in the gay community due to race, weight, sex, and gender.

“The significance of this is similar to the value of intersectionality in that it looks at why and how fatphobia, racism, and femmephobia continuously overlap, who experiences all three oppressions simultaneously, and who benefits from them and thus has a vested interest in maintaining them,” Corum said.

Corum is now focused on extending the research in other LGBTQ+ demographics: “It makes me feel like I am contributing to and becoming more intimately comfortable and knowledgeable about a field that is beginning to feel like my own.”

Hasif Ahmed ’24 and Brett Schneider ’24, now heading into their senior years, dove into a mathematics branch called network theory with the rest of their group led by Scott Corry, professor of mathematics. Network theory studies the growth and interactions of individuals in a system.

Ahmed is majoring in physics and minoring in mathematics. Schneider is double majoring in chemistry and mathematics.

Both said they chose the summer project because it was a great way to combine mathematics with their other interests.

“Exploring and working with new math is so satisfying,” Schneider said, “It’s almost like an art form in that you must think creatively to represent reality in new forms. That tug-of-war between creativity and logic has been my favorite part.”

Ahmed said he now plans to dive deeper into this field and possibly explore it for his senior capstone.

“For a moment we thought we knew everything and for another it seemed we didn’t at all,” Ahmed said. “The math was fresh, new, confusing but most importantly, beautiful. That’s when it felt like research.”

Melanie Shefchik ’23 spent last summer working on a project important to Lawrence—the preservation and upkeep of the Teakwood Room.

Located in Alice G. Chapman Hall, the Teakwood Room is a rustic space filled with antique furnishings that were carefully dismantled and moved from Milwaukee-Downer College to Lawrence when the two merged in 1964.

“I conducted research on the Teakwood Room to gain a better understanding of its role on campus and what items in the room are original to it,” Shefchik said.

Shefchik was a double-degree student who studied saxophone performance and history and minored in anthropology and museum studies. ▪

Sullivan Shubert ’23 and Kaitlin Buelow ’26 are student writers in the Office of Communications

Melanie Shefchik ’23 in the Teakwood Room (Photo by Danny Damiani)

Jesús Smith and Madeleine Corum ’24

Hasif Ahmed ’24 Brett Schneider ’24

CAMPUS SCENES: WINTER AND SPRING TERMS

A snow creation contest in The Quad was part of the LUgge fun this winter. Power Hour in SLUG helped mark Earth Week.

Phillip Swan led symphony and choral students in the Major Works concert in Memorial Chapel.

Top: Lawrentians put on their dancing shoes for the President’s Ball in Warch Campus Center.

Middle: Cultural Expressions featured music, dancing, poetry, and more in Warch Campus Center.

Bottom left: Nathaniel Laprade, a sophomore, blew bubbles as part of Zoo Days on Main Hall Green.

Bottom right: Students took part in Candles for Cuties in the Diversity and Intercultural Center.

Photos by Danny Damiani

Parent to parent: Advice for parents of our newest Lawrentians

By Alex Freeman ’23

ongratulations! Your Lawrentian is joining the Lawrence University Class of 2027. Over the next few months, your inboxes will be filled with information and advice on what your child should expect in their first year.

It’s not just students facing a whole new reality; parents are as well. So, here’s some advice to guide you over the next four years, from the people who know best—the parents who, after four years of experience, just saw their children graduate. Here’s what a few, including my own parents, had to say:

Cartaya Thomas: Make frequent visits

For Cartaya Thomas, father of LaDora Thomas ’23 of Chicago, his advice is simple: Visit, visit, visit, whenever you can, as often as you can. Do whatever you can do to help your child feel more at home. Even if it was just taking LaDora to dinner or making a Target run to pick up dorm supplies, Cartaya felt these reminders of home are what made the transition to college as seamless as possible.

“Bring home to them,” Cartaya said. “If you’re not able to visit, send love, send something that reminds them of home.”

Kelly Morgan: Prepare for the breaks

Kelly Morgan and Andrew Snoey realized the times when their son, Evan Snoey ’23 of Seattle, was home were the times he needed to take care of everything outside of academics. Did he need to schedule a dentist appointment? Did his instrument need tuning? What needed to get done?

“I wish that Evan and I could have worked together even more to figure out what needs to be done during breaks—just making sure we’re getting all those maintenance things done, that somebody’s just going to be too busy at school to take care of,” Kelly said. “… If I did things again, I would just really, really be thoughtful about those breaks and what needs to be accomplished.”

Mohammed Iftikhar: Reach out

When Maheen Iftikhar ’23 decided on Lawrence, her father, Mohammed Iftikhar, was worried. Appleton was so far from their home in Houston, and he barely knew anything about the university. So, he started asking questions.

After reaching out to the Lawrence Admissions team, his concerns were quickly assuaged. They encouraged him to come visit campus and connected him with various university offices and faculty members to help answer his questions— and everyone was friendly, cooperative, and easy to work with. Mohammed found a community.

“Still, when I have a problem, I call them, and they call me back, they pick up the phone, and it’s also very easy to work with them,” he said. “The kindness, the friendliness, all those things—I became less worried about Maheen.”

Marigloria Sierra: Learn about Appleton

Marigloria Sierra of Puerto Rico wasn’t able to visit Lawrence before sending her daughter, Marifé Entenza-Sierra ’23, off to college. In lieu of visiting, she researched everything she could about Lawrence, from the best spots in Appleton to Lawrence facilities.

“Appleton is a quaint little place; there are nice places, nice restaurants around, nice places to go—there’s the theater, there’s a couple of galleries. That kind of thing is helpful, just get familiarized with the town your child is going to,” Marigloria said.

Peezy Mullins and Ron Freeman: Encourage exploration

As a new graduate myself, from Kansas City, Missouri, I had to ask my own parents for their advice. After spending a few minutes telling me all the things they wish I had done differently (including better preparing for Wisconsin’s winters!), my parents, Peezy Mullins and Ron Freeman, did finally get to their main piece of advice: Encourage your child to explore everything they can.

“There’s not a lot you can do about this as a parent even though you want to, but I think you should really encourage your children to go to college with an open mind and recognize that most people at 18 don’t know what they’re going to do with the rest of their life,” Peezy said. ▪

First-year students, parents can expect a welcome focused on small gatherings

By Alex Freeman ’23

First-Year Dean Kristi Koshuta has been hard at work strengthening the first-year experience at Lawrence. We sat down with her to find out more about what changes students and parents can expect.

Q: How has Welcome Week been reimagined?

Koshuta: There are a lot of exciting changes. Much of Welcome Week will be focused on our students gathering in small groups. We’re being very intentional about that as we explore ways to help our incoming students make connections with each other and with the campus community. We will be gathering people from across campus—faculty, staff, coaches—to host fun experiences that the students can sign up for.

We’re also going to be a lot more intentional in how we connect them to the available resources. I’ve talked to so many students who say, “We don’t want to sit here and listen to people talk; we want to meet friends, we want to have fun, we want to get out there.” We are finding the appropriate blend of sharing the information they’ll need while helping them make those important connections.

Q: Outside of Welcome Week, what else is new for incoming students?

Koshuta: “There’s a lot that’s in the works. The six areas that we’re looking to focus on developing in our students are intellectual curiosity, communication, selfempowerment, wellness—from a physical, social, emotional, and financial aspect—

resilience, and reflection. So, we’re trying to plan what that looks like, how the academic side of the house can support us in those endeavors, how the staff and the Student Life side of the house can support us. It’s really trying to figure out how we bring all these entities together to create this experience that taps into those big ideas.

Q: Why do you think strengthening the first-year experience is so important?

Koshuta: We really want to focus on meeting our students where they’re at, helping them and getting them to where they can be successful. We must adapt to understand who our students are, what they’ve experienced, and what they need. Students are continually evolving, and we need to do the same. I think we can honor traditions, but we have to be forward-thinking in how we approach and engage with our students to help them be successful. I think there’s no better time than now to be thinking about those things ▪

Kristi Koshuta

SPRING/SUMMER 2023

Hannah Jeané Jones ’22 performs with Shared Voices (Photo courtesy of Matt Mendelsohn Photography)

Q&A: Hannah Jones embraces musical partnerships in Graves’ Shared Voices

Hannah Jeané Jones ’22 first met Denyce Graves when the iconic opera singer taught a masterclass at Lawrence University last year.

Now a first-year classical voice master’s student at Manhattan School of Music in New York City, Jones finds herself a cohort member in Graves’ Shared Voices program, an effort to bring together students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), several major conservatories, and the Metropolitan Opera.

The program, launched as part of The Denyce Graves Foundation, has drawn national attention, including being featured on ABC’s Good Morning America. Jones, who graduated from Lawrence in June 2022 with a Bachelor of Music degree, was among the young artists featured with Graves in the GMA story.

We caught up with Jones to talk about her path following graduation and her experiences as part of Shared Voices.

Q: What have you been working on since graduating from Lawrence?

Jones: I recently performed in Manhattan School of Music’s production of L’Enfant et Les Sortilèges as Maman and La Libellule. This summer, I will have the pleasure of joining the Opera Theater of St. Louis as a Gerdine Young Artist, so I am currently preparing loads of music. During my time at OTSL, I will be covering the role of Monisha in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha (reimagined by musical artist Damien Sneed), performing in the choruses of Tosca and Susanna, and portraying scenes from Eugene Onegin and Peter Grimes in the Center Stage Concert.

Q: What has the Shared Voices experience been like?

Jones: One of my favorite parts about being in Shared Voices has been learning about the Black women in the classical world who came before me. One of the requirements for Shared Voices cohort members is to perform a 15-minute lecture recital showcasing the works of Black composers. I chose to do a piece by [composer and pianist] Margaret Bonds (1913–1972). I had heard about her,

but I had never sung her pieces. Well, I can say that my research process sparked a new love for her work. Her story and music resonate with me unlike the music of any other composer I currently sing.

We have so much fun in Shared Voices. Sometimes, programs can be a bit “stuffy.” That is not the case here. There is a level of camaraderie amongst the cohort members that is refreshing.

Q: What has it been like to work with Denyce Graves?

Jones: I worked with Denyce Graves in a masterclass at Lawrence in March 2022. Never would I have thought that six months later, I would join her program, and five months after that be featured on national television with her. I’m still in awe of how everything has turned out. I have looked up to this woman since I was 11 years old. I vividly remember standing up in Professor John Holiday’s office during my freshman year at Lawrence and saying, “Prof, what if Denyce Graves came to Lawrence?! Y’all would have to pack me out because I’d lose it.” All I can say is that I had nothing to do with this series of events. All of this is the evidence of God’s hand in my life.

Q: Why do you find the work of Shared Voices to be so fulfilling?

Jones: The connection Denyce Graves is building between HBCUs and music conservatories is vital for the purposes of spreading knowledge and resources. When conservatories are brought up in conversation, they tend to be spoken of as more superior than the music programs at HBCUs—if HBCUs are mentioned at all. Shared Voices derails that problematic mindset by shining a light on the wonderful programs and artists that come out of HBCUs. This bridge between HBCUs and conservatories creates the opportunity to gain immeasurable and priceless knowledge of classical music—more specifically the indelible imprint of Black artists in classical music—through each institution whether it be the extensive libraries at Howard University or ethnomusicologists at Juilliard. All in all, Denyce Graves is breaking the ground with this program, and I believe she has created something that will last for generations to come. ▪

Scan to view the Hannah Jones ’22 appearance on Good Morning America

Historic journey: 2006 alumna becomes first woman to lead U.S. Army Chorus

By Ed Berthiaume

When Bonnie Alger ’06 was named Officer-in-Charge of The United States Army Chorus last year, it marked a defining moment in her journey as a music conductor, one that has its roots in Lawrence University’s Conservatory of Music.

It also marked a defining moment for the 32-member chorus, one of the military’s elite music performance groups, as Alger became the first female officer to lead the unit in its 66-year history.

“These are some of the best singers you are going to hear anywhere,” Alger said from Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia. “It’s an incredibly special time to be here.”

Alger—she was promoted to captain in the spring—points to a moment early in her junior year at Lawrence when this journey began to take shape, setting her on a path to conducting. A voice major and violinist, performing in multiple ensembles while trying to find her music focus, she was intrigued by the work of

two Conservatory conductors—Andrew Mast, director of bands, and Phillip Swan, co-director of choral studies.

“Sometime during that year, I approached (Mast) and asked if I could study with him one on one and have private lessons,” Alger said. “And I made it really clear that if I was terrible and completely hopeless that I hoped he would tell me so I wouldn’t continue to waste his time and I could focus on something else.”

She wasn’t terrible. She would eventually work with her faculty advisor, Steven Jordheim, to craft a student-designed major focused on conducting, then go on to earn a master’s in conducting from the University of Northern Iowa, a master’s in teaching from the University of Southern California, and a doctorate in conducting from the University of Maryland.

The now-retired David Becker, who began conducting the LU Symphony Orchestra during Alger’s senior year, would join Mast and Swan as important mentors.

Bonnie Alger ’06 is promoted to captain in a spring ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Staff Sgt. Brittany Primavera)

“I took conducting lessons at some point from all three of them—Mast, Swan, and Becker,” Alger said. “No one looked at me like I was silly when I said I wanted to go to graduate school for conducting even though I had only been doing it for a year or two. They all took the time to get to know me as a person and to play on my strengths. In some cases, I’m not sure how they knew I’d be good at certain things because as a 20-year-old, I wasn’t sure I’d be good at it. I wasn’t first chair; I wasn’t singing all the solos in choir; but I was actively engaged, and they all saw something and pulled that out of me.”

Mast, who was in his first year at Lawrence when Alger approached him about private lessons, said he never had a doubt Alger would find her path as a conductor. He saw it when she conducted the Symphonic Band while a student and he saw it as she worked her way through her student-designed major.

“Bonnie was ‘that’ student who not only exhibited talent and interest in the subject but truly engaged with the material,” Mast said. “She was, and remains, one who always asked a little deeper and more probing question.” ▪

DONNELLY HONORED WITH PRESIDENTIAL AWARD

Shaun E. Donnelly ’68, who spent 36 years with the U.S. Foreign Service, including an appointment by President Bill Clinton to serve as U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka from 1997 to 2000, was honored during Reunion weekend with a Presidential Award.

This special award is given only periodically, at the president’s discretion, to recognize outstanding accomplishment and service to career, to community, and to Lawrence.

In addition to his appointment as U.S. Ambassador, Donnelly was honored for his service in the Peace Corps, his work as assistant U.S. trade representative for Europe and the Middle East, his work as deputy ambassador in Tunisia and Mali, and his work representing U.S. business interests to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations, and the International Chamber of Commerce.

Donnelly, a resident of Thurmont, Maryland, retired from the Foreign Service in 2008.

2023 ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS CELEBRATED AT REUNION

Reunion Weekend was held in mid-June, renewing connections while celebrating all that it means to be a Lawrentian. The weekend included honoring six 2023 Alumni Award recipients:

Louis B. Butler ’73, Lucia Russell Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award: He became the first African American to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2004. Butler has remained actively engaged with Lawrence, serving multiple times on the Reunion Committee, volunteering on Giving Day, and being part of the leadership of the Black Alumni Network.

Louis S. Cornelius ’68, Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M-D’18 Outstanding Service Award: Retired from a career as a policy director for the State of Wisconsin, Cornelius has been an active volunteer at Lawrence. He has been a member of the Lawrence University Alumni Association (LUAA) Board and Awards Committee.

Regina Cornish Morales ’17, Nathan M. Pusey Young Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award: She has worked in the development sector coordinating and implementing projects to promote public policy. Her work has been in socioeconomic development with a climate and gender focus. She is currently the climate change director at Pronatura Mexico, an NGO leading in the conservation of natural resources.

Nebal A. Maysaud ’17, Nathan M. Pusey Young Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award: An awardwinning queer Lebanese Druze composer based in Philadelphia, Maysaud was a recipient of the first Kluge Young Composer’s Competition and the James Ming Prize in Composition at Lawrence. They blend Western and Middle Eastern classical music styles to explore questions of faith, identity, and power.

John M. Wiesman ’83, George B. Walter ’36 Service to Society Award: A professor and director of the Doctoral Program in Health Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wiesman has been a national leader in the field of public health. He recently served as the State of Washington’s secretary of health and led the response to the first known case of COVID-19 in the United States.

Gail Page Cordry M-D’58, Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M-D’18 Outstanding Service Award: An alumna of Milwaukee-Downer College and a retired language arts teacher, Cordry has been an active volunteer with Lawrence through the years. She was involved with her class’s 50th Reunion Committee and served for multiple years on the LUAA Development Committee.

“I wasn’t first chair; I wasn’t singing all the solos in choir; but I was actively engaged, and they all saw something and pulled that out of me.”

—Bonnie Alger ’06 on her mentors in the Conservatory of Music

Natalie Fordwor brings interdisciplinary lessons to children’s TV in Ghana

By Ed Berthiaume

Natalie Fordwor ’12 is using all the academic skills she honed as an undergraduate at Lawrence University in her role as founder and host of The Wonderspaced Show, a creative and energetic children’s television program that launched last year in her home country of Ghana.

Environmental stewardship? Check. An environmental studies major at Lawrence, Fordwor spends considerable time on the show leading kids though lessons in geology, recycling, and general environmental consciousness.

“I know I love kids and I know I love environmentally focused things, but how do I bring them together?” Fordwor said in a call from her office in Accra, Ghana. “That’s where the journey began.”

Art? Science? History? Folktales? Travel? Education? Yes to all of those lessons that were wrapped into her Lawrence education. All are avenues of exploration on the weekly show—all with a Ghanaian focus—as she takes an interdisciplinary approach to teaching, something she embraced as an international student at Lawrence a decade ago and wants to share widely in Ghana and beyond.

“The interdisciplinary approach totally informs what I do,” said Fordwor, who also works as an adjunct lecturer at Ashesi University in Accra. “I know the experience at Lawrence was definitely influential in all this. I was tired of seeing science on one side, arts on another side. That tends to happen in our curriculum in Ghana. Not just Ghana, but lots of places. Seeing the liberal arts at work at Lawrence, I knew it could be better here. … I am an advocate for the liberal arts and interdisciplinary education everywhere.”

Jason Brozek has followed Fordwor’s journey since she left Lawrence. The Stephen Edward Scarff Professor of International Affairs and associate professor of government chairs the interdisciplinary Environmental Studies program and calls Fordwor’s advocacy for environmental stewardship across the disciplines inspirational.

“The environmental studies major is built around the notion that ecosystems, resources, and the environment don’t fit into tidy disciplinary boxes, and I love how Natalie’s show reinforces that idea for a whole generation of kids,” Brozek said. “She’s out there doing exactly the sort of creative, inspirational work that we always hope the major will be a springboard for.”

LIFE AFTER LAWRENCE

Following graduation from Lawrence, Fordwor returned home to Ghana to work in sustainable architecture. It wasn’t the right fit, she said. While she majored in environmental studies, she minored in both art and government. She wanted something that touched on all that and more.

She returned to school to get a master’s degree in education and technology from UCL Institute of Education. As she began a career in teaching, she became increasingly concerned on two fronts—one, the focus on Western influences was squeezing out teaching on customs, history, and resources of Ghana. And two, the gap in educational quality between “privileged schools” and “disadvantaged schools” was alarmingly large, Fordwor said.

“Seeing the liberal arts at work at Lawrence, I knew it could be better here. … I am an advocate for the liberal arts and interdisciplinary education everywhere.”

Natalie Fordwor ’12 on infusing interdisciplinary teaching in her Ghanaian TV show

STARTING A BUSINESS

In 2019, she launched a business called WonderspacED that she hoped could address both of those educational shortcomings. It started as an in-person camp for kids.

“Then the pandemic hit,” Fordwor said. “I was like, oh my gosh, I left my teaching job and started a business and now we can’t work. So that’s when I took my little mini-lessons online and put them on YouTube.”

The videos, targeted to children ages 5 to 11, focused on art, writing, and critical thinking skills. They looked at key locations and topics in Ghana and explored them through multiple lenses— geography, history, math, science, and art.

The videos caught the attention of executives at a television station who proposed turning Fordwor’s video content into a weekly kids’ show—The Wonderspaced Show, with Miss Natalie. It debuted last year, with 13 first-season episodes. Work is now under way on season two.

“The goal is to expose children all over the world to the rich landscape we have in Ghana and Africa,” Fordwor said.

The show is viewable in Ghana, Nigeria, and a few other African countries, as well as some parts of Europe courtesy of Showmax. Fordwor, who employs a videographer, an editor, and an illustrator as part of her WonderspacED business, is hoping the show will be accessible in the United States via YouTube once the exclusivity period with the TV station in Ghana ends.

So much of what Fordwor is doing links back to her experiences at Lawrence. She looks at Lawrence’s newly introduced business and entrepreneurship major and is excited for students coming into Lawrence. It’s the type of major she said she would have embraced if it was there when she was an undergrad.

“I’m an educator, I’m an artist, I do interdisciplinary work, but the business side is when I really have to put on my thinking cap,” Fordwor said. “I saw the business major announcement and thought, ‘Oh, I wish that was there when I was there.’ That would have sealed the deal. I would have been more ready for the business part of this.” ▪

Scan to see video trailer for the The Wonderspaced Show.

Natalie Fordwor ’12 is founder and host of The Wonderspaced Show. (Photo courtesy of WonderspacED)

Newly tenured faculty: A talented 2023 class

Six Lawrence University faculty members were recently granted 2023 tenure appointments. President Laurie A. Carter and the university’s Board of Trustees, based on recommendations by the faculty Committee on Tenure, Promotion, Reappointment, and Equal Employment Opportunity, approved the granting of tenure to:

Israel Del Toro: He came to Lawrence as an assistant professor of biology in 2016 after holding a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Copenhagen. An ecologist, his research emphasizes understanding the role that insects play in mediating ecosystem services. Working primarily in urban ecosystems, he investigates questions of biodiversity management and conservation in greenspaces, largely focused on insect pollinators. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2014.

Thelma Jiménez-Anglada: She came to Lawrence in 2016 as an ACM Mellon Faculty Fellow and assistant professor of Spanish. A scholar of Latin American and Caribbean literature and culture, JiménezAnglada’s scholarship and creative activity has been devoted to the literary and cultural production of late 20th and 21st centuries that have been re-imagined by the presence of narcoculture and narcotrafficking in Mexico and Central America. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 2017.

Nancy Lin: Arriving at Lawrence in 2016 as an assistant professor of art history, Lin’s scholarship examines the medium of neo-traditional painting within the social and political context of imperial Japan and colonial Korea. She focuses on ways in which modernism as an artistic movement and the dreams of a Pan-Asian future merged for Japanese and Korean artists as they sought to negotiate new transnational identities in the early 20th century. Lin received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 2015.

Rebecca Perry: Coming to Lawrence as an assistant professor of music theory in 2017, Perry’s research centers on early 20th-century adaptations of sonata form, particularly in Russia and France, with a special interest in the early compositions of Sergei Prokofiev. Perry received her Ph.D. from Yale University in 2017.

Graham Sazama: After a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sazama came to Lawrence as an assistant professor of chemistry in 2016. His research bridges the fields of organic materials and inorganic chemistry. Sazama and his students pursue the synthesis and study of luminescent organic radicals and investigate the properties of fascinating three-dimensional materials known as metal-organic frameworks. Sazama received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2013.

Jesús Gregorio Smith: He came to Lawrence in 2017 as an assistant professor of ethnic studies and ACM Mellon Faculty Fellow. He studies how race and racism influence aspects of social life including media, identity, partner preferences, education, emotions, and sexual health. In 2020, he was awarded a Woodrow Wilson National Foundation Career Enhancement Award for Junior Faculty. Smith received his Ph.D. in 2017 from Texas A&M University.

All six will be promoted to associate professor at the start of the 2023–24 academic year.

Richeson, Biringer, Bell to retire from Conservatory faculty

Three tenured faculty with deep roots in the Conservatory of Music are retiring from Lawrence University at the close of the 2022–23 academic year.

Dane Richeson

• Professor of percussion

• Joined Lawrence faculty in 1984

• Notable: Honored by the Percussive Arts Society with its 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award in Education

“I am particularly proud of building an award-winning percussion studio with the help of friends who are world-renowned percussionists and who were visiting guest artists here over the years. What is still true about LU today from when I arrived in ’84 is the commitment to excellence from the faculty and believing in the power and value of a liberal arts education.”

Gene Biringer

• Professor of music theory

• Joined Lawrence faculty in 1995

• Notable: Awarded the then-named Freshman Studies Teaching Award in 2014

“As I transition into retirement, I feel more gratitude than pride, and three things stand out for which I’m especially

Hilt, Pickett, Sattler honored for classroom excellence

Three Lawrence University faculty members were honored during the June 11 Commencement ceremony with annual teaching awards, among the highest honors given at Lawrence.

Lori Hilt ’97, professor of psychology, received the Excellence in Scholarship & Creative Activity Award. She returned to her alma mater in 2011 and has done impressive scholarly work in the field of psychology, particularly in the areas of adolescent depression and rumination.

grateful: the pleasure and privilege to have been part of something bigger than myself; brilliant and generous colleagues and students from whom I’ve learned so much; and an administration that has trusted and supported me to reinvent myself again and again.”

David Bell

• Professor of clarinet

• Joined Lawrence faculty in 2009

• Notable: Member of Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra and Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra

“I’m proud of what the clarinet studio at Lawrence has become over my years here. There have certainly been many musical successes—outstanding performances, competitions won, scholarships awarded, admissions to very competitive graduate programs, and the like. More importantly, however, is the way a group of very diverse people have been able to form a supportive, understanding community that takes pride in the growth and achievement of each member.”

See more on the three retiring faculty members at lawrence.edu/news.

“The influence of your research, wellfunded by the National Institutes of Health among other sources, is more than matched by its significance,” Peter Blitstein, provost and dean of faculty, said in a citation.

Megan Pickett, associate professor of physics, received the Excellence in Teaching Award. Pickett joined the Lawrence faculty in 2006 and has been a passionate and accomplished teacher of astrophysics.

“Many of us have met you on days when you appear before your class in costume portraying unrecognized scientists of the past,” Blitstein said in a citation. “And you have introduced the Science of Superheroes to the Lawrence curriculum.”

Elizabeth Sattler, assistant professor of mathematics, received the Early Career Teaching Award. She has been a member Lawrence’s mathematics faculty since 2018. She has collaborated with colleagues to revise the calculus sequence and develop innovative new courses.

“Your colleagues recognize your dedication and excellence as a teacher, describing you as a ‘superb’ instructor with ‘fantastic’ pedagogical instincts,” Blitstein said in a citation.

Hilt ’97 Pickett Sattler

On Main Hall Green with … Sigma Colón: Exploring cultural geography, environmental humanities

By Ed Berthiaume

On Main Hall Green with … is an ongoing series that features Lawrence faculty sharing insights in and out of the classroom. It’s the same six questions with wonderfully varied answers. We’ve showcased more than 50 faculty thus far in the series, found under Profiles on the news page at lawrence.edu. In this installment, we get to know Sigma Colón, assistant professor of environmental and ethnic studies

Sigma Colón’s teaching and writing have ranged from cultural geography and environmental humanities to histories of race and colonialism since arriving on the Lawrence University campus six years ago.

An assistant professor of environmental and ethnic studies,  Colón became a tenure-track faculty member in 2021 as the interdisciplinary programs of environmental studies and ethnic studies continued to be strengthened. She has been teaching at Lawrence since 2017, first in postdoctoral NEH fellowships in geography and history, then as a visiting assistant professor of environmental and ethnic studies.

As part of the 2023 Justice, Peace, and Righteousness Teach-in Series held on campus during Black History Month, Colón presented a talk on cross-racial alliances and coalitionbuilding, Black and Brown Solidarity: MLK to Wakanda Forever.

Colón holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a master’s degree in history from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in American studies from Yale University.

We caught up with her to talk about interests in and out of the classroom.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Inside info: What’s one thing you want every student coming into your classes to know about you?

I want students to know how invested I am in their education. Everyone steps into the classroom with unique strengths and challenges, and I’m eager to meet students where they’re at, but also to push them to think about things in new ways, take intellectual risks, and challenge themselves to find their voice and create work that they have a stake in.

Getting energized: What work have you done or will you be doing at Lawrence that gets you the most excited?

I’m excited about the work students have accomplished applying cultural geography and mapping techniques in my courses. In my Social Justice and Critical Geography course, for example, students have done projects that range from mapping the impacts of gentrification in places such as Harlem, Brooklyn, Chicago, Atlanta, and Madison to mapping the rise and accessibility of music organizations in Philadelphia since the 1920s. My goal is to collaborate with other faculty to establish a digital lab that could house student projects and contribute to a collective archive that helps build community among students and connections to places beyond campus.

Going places: Is there an example of somewhere your career has taken you (either a physical space or something more intellectual, emotional, or spiritual) that took you by surprise?

Scan to see more faculty profiles

I never expected that my academic pursuits would take me all over the world—especially as someone who grew up in a small town and who mostly traveled to visit family. I did a Fulbright in Turkey, a field institute in Oaxaca, and was a service-learning intern in various countries including Japan, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. My biggest surprise was finding an intellectual home with the Yale Working Group on Globalization and Culture organized by Michael Denning. The experience transformed my understanding of intellectual work as a potentially collective practice that can balance research, political action, and theorizing. Moving from an academic focus on U.S. history for my master’s to doing cultural studies for my Ph.D. took me to conferences in places like Istanbul, Paris, Toulouse, and Tampere where I presented projects with the working group that grew out of our collaborative work.

OUT OF THE CLASSROOM

This or that: If you weren’t teaching for a living, what would you be doing?

Dancing, I hope! I’ve always loved dancing and found an incredible Argentine tango community in New Haven, Connecticut. When my good friend Jessica Keiser and I were co-presidents of Yale Tango Club we had practicas and milongas multiple times a week and took the train or carpooled to New York City regularly just to dance all night.

Right at home: Whether for work, relaxation or reflection, what’s your favorite spot on campus?

I love the library. I used to spend more time working in the library than in my office. The windows on the first floor are great and I enjoy seeing the new books, displays, and exhibits. I appreciate all the work that our librarians and staff members do to make the space feel open and accessible and to cultivate creativity and community.

One book, one recording, one film: Name one of each that speaks to your soul? Or you would recommend to a friend? Or both?

There are so many books that speak to my soul, but the one that I probably recommend most often is Kiese Laymon’s Heavy.

For music, Un Verano Sin Ti because Bad Bunny keeps “winning in non-English.”

During a recent snowstorm, my partner Josh and I walked to our friend Jesús Smith’s house to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once and it was as good as everyone said it would be. The notion that the universe is a vast, potentially meaningless series of possibilities and alternate realities that can be stifling or leave us unfilled feels accurate. And I appreciate that the film tries to offer us some hope that committing to the present moment and to the people we love might ultimately be the thing that saves us. ▪

Sigma Colón (Photo by Danny Damiani)

JOHN HOLIDAY, associate professor of music— voice

“When I’m doing crossover, there is no crossover—it’s simply me, using the fullness and totality of who I am.”

—Talking with Opera News magazine about his blend of musical styles

JAKE FREDERICK, professor of history

“Disasters provide this great wedge into the historical past where you can kind of pry open the manhole cover and see what day-to-day life was like.”

Featured on Spectrum News Wisconsin, discussing Disasters That Made the Americas, a history course focused on natural disasters and what we can learn from them.

BOOKS AND WORKS FACULTY AND ALUMNI

“Entrepreneurship is really about innovation and creativity, problem-solving, trying to find solutions to business problems or social problems. We have a broad definition of entrepreneurship that includes for-profit businesses but also nonprofit businesses or social enterprises.”

Talking with Blueprint365/Madison365 about the launch of Lawrence’s new Business and Entrepreneurship major

THE IMPORTANCE OF BECOMING A MEDICAL EDUCATOR: THE CASE FOR TEACHING DOCTORS TO BE TEACHERS

Anthony Berman ’70

VOICES

RIM TO RIVER: LOOKING INTO THE HEART OF ARIZONA

Tom Zoellner ’91

Rim to River is the story of an extraordinary journey from Utah to Mexico on the Arizona Trail. Zoellner walked through red rock country, down canyons, up mesas, and across desert plains to the obscure valley in Mexico that gave the state its enigmatic name. The trek is interspersed with incisive essays that pick apart the distinctive cultural landscape of Arizona. Published by University of Arizona Press.

OBSTACLES TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS: A. U.S. PERSPECTIVE

Peter Schulze ’80

Schulze identifies 18 practical obstacles that routinely and predictably hinder U.S. progress on existing environmental problems. The obstacles apply to problems small and large and, in most cases, regardless of whether an issue is controversial. Schulze is a professor of biology and environmental science and director of the Center for Environmental Studies at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. Published by University of Chicago Press.

Developing effective medical teachers is a complex task that can best be achieved by providing teacher candidates with the understanding and tools they need to become effective. Although a thorough knowledge of medicine is necessary to become an excellent medical educator, earning a medical degree alone is not enough. Most teachers need guidance and practice to become effective. Published by Cambridge Scholars.

MUSIC’S GUIDING HAND: A NOVEL INSPIRED BY THE LIFE OF GUIDO D’AREZZO

Stanley Kingsley Day ’73

A biographical novel about the medieval monk who invented music notation and what’s now popularly known as do-re-mi. Despite institutional opposition to his revolutionary system for notating musical pitch on lines and spaces, his method became the standard that’s still used today. “I first learned about Guido d’Arezzo in Paul Hollinger’s music history class during my first term at Lawrence,” Day said. Published by The Mentoris Project.

CLAUDENA SKRAN, professor of government and the Edwin and Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science

Innovation in bloom at Björklunden

High-speed internet, solar panels usher in new era

By Tom McKenzie ’95

ver a mostly gray and snowy winter on Wisconsin’s Door County peninsula, several seeds burst open that had long been germinating. The quiet that usually descends over the Nordic dragons on the roof of the Björklunden lodge was often broken with the motorized sounds of bucket trucks hanging wires, the muffled echoes of workers pulling cable through underground passages, and the celebratory calls of “oh wow!” heard when new switches were flipped on.

The campus retains a feeling of remove from the harsh hurry of the world beyond, but there is now a sense of connectedness that comes with the internet at your fingertips and a feeling of lightness that comes with the knowledge that you are standing on the edge of a sustainable future in a place that so well preserves its past.

Toward the close of 2022, a highspeed internet connection flickered to life at Björklunden. Immediately, community members took notice, as Lawrence University’s north campus was likely the first spot in the area using new fiber optic connections. Fast internet may seem a given for many in urbanized areas, however it took years of investment and planning for these quick and powerful signals to reach our majestic lodge. This advancement owes to diligent efforts and support from Lawrence leadership, generous donors, the Technology Services team, Door County officials, and business partners.

While some groups come with the goal of unplugging, many students have already been exploring their expanded ability to engage online with any idea imaginable during weekend retreats. The Björklunden Seminar series will employ this technological advance as well. Seminar leaders are inviting experts to co-teach

Ovia Zoom, they are excited about easy access to online film and video sources, and Dr. David Hines’ Medical Controversies: Science vs. Popular Beliefs (Oct. 8–13) will be simultaneously offered both on-site and online.

A SOLAR UNVEILING

And, speaking of plugging in; a new solar array tucked in the woods began gathering power from the sun at 2:50 p.m. May 9. It is expected to generate more than 250,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, producing enough sustainable energy to offset the greenhouse gas emissions of 44 automobiles driven for a year. Combined with Björklunden’s wind turbine, the campus now has 285kW of carbon offsetting power to energize the campus and reduce reliance on fossil fuel. On May 12, Door County and Lawrence community members applauded the solar installation and learned about the science and policy behind sustainability efforts like this one. The event, co-hosted with the Door County Climate Change Coalition, featured Lawrence professors Relena Ribbons and Israel Del Toro presenting with Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Commissioner Tyler Huebner.

The solar array and turbine significantly advance the Net Zero Björklunden Initiative’s goal to zero out the discharge of greenhouse gases by balancing any carbon emission with equivalent carbon savings on site. Calculating carbon costs and savings will be the subject of ongoing research and observation by faculty, students, and the public. This is just one way the initiative not only supplies clean power to buildings; it also offers a landmark laboratory for environmental science.

As part of this work, faculty and student researchers have begun quantifying the passive carbon consuming appetites of thousands of trees living on this wooded campus. To ensure the forest can continue to serve as the lungs of this work, the Door County Land Trust and

Lawrence University redefined their partnership to continue holding 315 acres into permanent protection while establishing a renewable energy zone for the wind turbine and a solar zone for the array. With the common values of conservation and clean energy solutions in mind, University and the Land Trust have together made a remarkable and lasting commitment for sustainable development.

With many thanks to Lawrence University’s Sustainability Initiative, visionary donors, our Facilities Operations Team, and vendors, we’re boldly moving this work forward. While the solar installation represents the latest advancement in these efforts, installing a geothermal system will be the next step. ▪

SUPPORT NET ZERO BJÖRKLUNDEN

The Net Zero Björklunden Initiative offers a living laboratory for testing technology and supplying students and the public opportunities for learning about the environment, stewardship, renewable energy, and carbon sequestration. If you would like to contribute to Net Zero Björklunden, contact Lawrence’s Office of Advancement or the Björklunden office.

COME FOR A VISIT

If you haven’t been to this magnificent 441-acre property, we invite you to check it out.

Generously donated to Lawrence University by Winnifred and Donald Boynton in 1963, this former estate turned retreat is used by thousands of students each academic year, hosts lifelong learning seminars summer through fall (visit: lawrence.edu/bjorkseminars), offers space for artists’ and business retreats, and includes miles of trails along Lake Michigan and through pristine boreal forest.

Tom Mckenzie ’95 is director of Björklunden.

Tom McKenzie ’95

NEW UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP ON CAMPUS

Juan Arguello

Juan Arguello is the new second-year dean, a newly created position in the Office of Student Life. Arguello is providing support and guidance focused on sophomore/second-year students and transfer students. He also will be working closely on retention and perseverance initiatives. Arguello came to Lawrence after five years of work as an attorney for a Chicago law firm.

Ken Bach

Ken Bach has joined the Communications team as associate vice president for Communications and Marketing. He brings extensive experience in communications, previously with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education at Shippensburg University and at The City University of New York, College of Staten Island.

Phil Betz

Phil Betz joined Lawrence as vice president for Enrollment Management, providing leadership for the Offices of Admissions and Financial Aid. He comes to Lawrence from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, where he served as vice president for Enrollment Management.

Kevin Gaw

Kevin Gaw is the new Riaz Waraich Dean of the Career Center and Center for Community Engagement. Gaw comes to Lawrence from Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, where he has served as executive director of the Amica Center for Career Education since 2015.

Anna Ponder

Anna Ponder joined Lawrence’s executive team as vice president for University Advancement, leading efforts in alumni engagement, development, communications, and marketing. She comes to Lawrence from the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB), where she served as vice chancellor for Advancement.

Kenny Yarbrough

Kenny Yarbrough joined Lawrence’s leadership team as vice president for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Antiracism, and Support Services. He comes to Lawrence from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he was the associate vice president of DEI and Support Programs.

Terra Winston-Sage ’00

Terra Winston-Sage ’00 has been promoted to Julie Esch Hurvis Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life and chaplain to the university, replacing the retiring Linda Morgan-Clement. Winston-Sage has been serving as associate dean since returning to her alma mater in 2018.

FOREVER A LAWRENTIAN FOSTERS NEW BONDS BETWEEN STUDENTS, ALUMNI

A new initiative was launched to help connect Lawrence students with the robust alumni network that is accessible to them now and after they graduate.

Forever a Lawrentian was introduced when the Lawrence University Alumni Association (LUAA) Board came to campus for spring meetings. The program is meant to spur conversations between LUAA members and current students, shining a light on the value that comes when Lawrentians remain connected.

“You are a student for four or five years, but forever a Lawrentian,” said Matt Baumler, associate vice president of Alumni and Constituency Engagement. “This project seeks to further the message to students that there is a vast alumni network that they can rely on, and that they become part of this community as soon as they join Lawrence.”

The initial effort included two days of meetings—formal and informal—between students and alumni, as well as games, prizes, and other interactions. More than 230 students took part. Future Forever a Lawrentian events are now being planned.

“Forever a Lawrentian reaches far beyond a weekend of networking events,” said LUAA President Matt Murphy ’06. “It’s a reminder to all Lawrentians—students and alumni alike—of the power of a Lawrence education, and of the lifelong support of the more than 22,000 members of our worldwide community.”

Sophomore Bruna Velez, an international relations major from Staten Island, New York, was thrilled to see those connections grow.

“These events have given students, no matter the class or career interest, the opportunity to hear and learn from our alumni’s stories,” Velez said. “It is these connections that allow Lawrence to be the special place it is.” ▪

Sophomore Bruna Valez joins the fun at the launch of Forever a Lawrentian. (Photo by Danny Damiani)

TIME TO SHINE RECEPTIONS BUILD IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS

Lawrence University alumni, families, and friends gathered in locations across the country to meet with President Laurie A. Carter in a series of Time to Shine receptions held during the first half of 2023.

The receptions, hosted by Alumni and Constituency Engagement, provided an opportunity to hear from President Carter about Lawrence’s ongoing strategic initiatives and forge deeper connections among Lawrentians. The events, which drew more than

500 friends and supporters, marked a return of regional alumni gatherings that had been paused during the coronavirus pandemic.

The series included visits to New York, San Francisco, the Twin Cities, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee.

Scan to see more of the Lawrence University 2022–23 Time to Shine events across the country

OFFICE BUILDING ON SOUTH RIVER STREET GIVES LAWRENCE NEW FLEXIBILITY

An office building at 1025 South River Street, located across the street from Alexander Gym, is the new home for several non-student facing campus offices. Built in 1950 and renovated in 2015, the building provides a modern and efficient work environment and gives the university additional versatility for use of main campus spaces.

Known as the Administrative Building, it now houses the Offices of Advancement (includes Alumni Engagement, Development, and Communications); Finance; Human Resources and Payroll; and Information Technology Application Development. The offices, conference rooms, and wellness spaces are spread over 31,000 square feet.

President Laurie A. Carter speaks at the Time to Shine event in Lincoln Center, New York City.

APPLETON, LAWRENCE FEATURED IN PBS DOCUMENTARY

The intertwining of the histories of Lawrence University and the City of Appleton is front and center in a new documentary produced by PBS Wisconsin as part of an ongoing series on Wisconsin communities. The 56-minute documentary, Wisconsin Hometown Stories: Appleton, began airing on PBS in late April and is streaming on the free PBS app.

A PBS team, led by producer Holly De Ruyter, spent months in Appleton, gathering footage, digging through archives, and talking to historians and other residents. Lawrentians are featured throughout the documentary—Antoinette Powell, a librarian, associate professor, and local historian, talking about early Appleton history; Jerald Podair, professor emeritus of history, on the city and Lawrence growing together; Brian Pertl, dean of the Conservatory, on how music has infused the culture of the community through the generations; and Robert Currie ’74 and the late Joseph Patterson ’69 on the civil rights activism of the late 1960s and early 1970s that helped push Lawrence and the Appleton community forward.

Appleton Mayor and Lawrence alumnus Jake Woodford ’13 welcomed the PBS team and the audience to Poplar Hall, a new events venue near Banta Bowl, for a special screening of the documentary.

“We create our history together every day,” Woodford said. “To the members of our community who contributed your stories, your photos, your passions, your funds, and your knowledge to this project, thank you.”

WELCOMING LUGGE, EMBRACING KINDNESS

Lawrence introduced LUgge (pronounced loog-uh) during Winter Term as a new campus tradition aimed at embracing Wisconsin’s four seasons and celebrating the camaraderie of Lawrentians. In the spring, 17 Days of Kindness returned for a second year, a celebration of community across campus.

LUgge is inspired by a Danish and Norwegian word, Hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”), which describes a feeling of coziness and contentment. It is associated with enjoying the simple things in life, such as spending time with one’s family and friends, relaxing in comfortable surroundings, and indulging in small pleasures like seasonal foods.

That feeling of togetherness was experienced in recent months in numerous LUgge events open to students, faculty, and staff— from hot chocolate Fridays to heated domes placed next to the ice rink in front of Ormsby Hall. Look for LUgge to be introduced at events all year long.

17 Days of Kindness, meanwhile, is a campaign first introduced in 2022 in the lead-up to the inauguration of President Laurie A. Carter, the 17th president since Lawrence was founded. It set the foundation for a new Spring Term tradition that celebrates the strength and beauty of community. Games, giveaways, the making of s’mores, and a scavenger hunt were all part of the fun.

Scan to watch our LUGGE video

Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford ’13 (Photo by Danny Damiani)

go.lawren ce.edu/lugge

LAWRENCE NETS TWO COVETED DOWNBEAT AWARDS

Two jazz ensembles in Lawrence University’s Conservatory of Music brought home huge honors in DownBeat magazine’s 2023 Student Music Awards, adding to a run of success that has seen the jazz program win six major DownBeats in six years.

The LU Jazz Band, under the direction of José Encarnación, was named a co-winner in the Latin Group category. The LU Jazz Ensemble (LUJE), under the direction of Patty Darling, earned the Undergraduate College Outstanding Performance Award in the Large Jazz Ensemble category.

“These are two of the most coveted categories for collegiate jazz,” said Brian Pertl, dean of the Conservatory.

The DownBeat Awards, now in their 46th year, are among the highest honors in jazz education.

The Latin Group award came for a concert performance delivered by the Jazz Band in the fall as part of Lawrence’s annual Fred Sturm Jazz Celebration Weekend. It featured music from Venezuela, Africa, and Cuba.

“We went into it with a lot of different concepts about how to approach the music, how to feel the music,” Encarnación said. “This is music that’s coming from different parts of the world. What was amazing was the response from the students. They embraced everything about it.”

The winning entry in the Large Jazz Ensemble category, meanwhile, came from a series of performances from LUJE last spring and this fall. They featured contemporary music compositions that required a lot of improvisation.

“The passion, the execution, it was there,” Darling said.

The Lawrence University Jazz Band performs in Memorial Chapel during the Fred Sturm Jazz Celebration Weekend. (Photo by Danny Damiani)

Patty Darling and José Encarnación

C elebrating the accomplishments of the Lawrence C ommunity

Mauriah Kraker, a lecturer of dance, received a prestigious 2023 MacDowell Artist-in-Residency Fellowship. Selected from a pool of more than 1,800 applicants, Kraker joined 141 other fellows from 23 states and 11 countries for a spring residency.

Mark Phelan, associate professor of philosophy, was selected to participate in The Council of Independent Colleges’ New Currents in Teaching Philosophy Institute, to be held this summer in Baltimore, Maryland. The program is supported by the Mellon Foundation.

Brian Pertl, dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, contributed a chapter to the recently published book, A More Promising Musical Future: Leading Transformational Change in Music Higher Education, part of the Routledge Focus series. Pertl’s chapter is titled, “Embracing the 21st Century Superpowers of Creativity, Collaboration, Entrepreneurship, Adaptability, and Playfulness.”

Kris Swanson ’87 was elected to the Museum of Science and Industry Board of Trustees.

Anthony Kouba ’05 was part of a team that received one of Ecolab’s annual Research, Development, and Engineering RISE Above awards for his research in analytical chemistry. Sixteen teams from around the globe were selected for these awards. The recipients of the RISE Above Award are recognized for making extraordinary contributions to Ecolab’s success.

Lisa Hendrickson ’74 of Monroe, Wisconsin, was awarded the 2022 AFS-USA Mission Award during the annual AFS Volunteer Summit in St. Louis. She was honored for her dedication to intercultural education with the AFS Intercultural Programs.

Jonathan Bass, a dual-degree student entering his fifth year, took first place in the National Federation of Music Clubs’ Biennial Piano Competition. It draws submissions from piano students across the country.

Piano professor Catherine Kautsky is featured in a new 24-part recording in The Great Courses video series titled, Great Piano Works Explained. She shares her talents and insights on piano works from Bach and Mozart to modern day.

Dr. Brittany Bell, dean of students, Jacklyn John Fischer, director of academic advising, and Ariela Rosa, associate director of corporate, foundation, and sponsored research, have been named to the 2023 class of Fox Cities Future 15 Young Professionals by PULSE Young Professionals Network, part of the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce.

Brock Daumler ’23 won first prize in the Wisconsin Alliance for Composers (WAC) contest for his composition, Via Negativa. The piece was then featured at the WAC New Music Festival at UW–Whitewater in April 2023.

Megan Pickett, associate professor of physics, gave a TEDx talk that was published in March. Her talk, “The Faithful Beauty of the Stars: Preserving Our Celestial Heritage,” recounts her love for the night sky, the impact of light pollution, and how to preserve this natural resource. You can watch the full video on YouTube.

Che Currien ’01 was honored for 15 years as editor of GQ magazine in Mumbai. Che has led the editorial team at GQ India since its launch in 2008 and has shaped it into the ultimate men’s lifestyle publication in India.

Ann Ellsworth, professor of horns, released a new album, Fugue State. The album is dedicated to her students during COVID and features Tim Albright, associate professor of music-trombone, and Loren Dempster, lecturer of music.

Benjamin Keating, a sophomore piano major in the piano studio of Catherine Kautsky, was the first-prize winner of the Schubert Club, Division 3, 2023 Piano Competition. He competed with students from across the country, was one of five finalists, and, as first-prize winner, was invited to perform in the Musicians on the Rise recital at the Ordway Concert Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dr. Kurt H. Albertine ’75, a former Lawrence trustee, received the 2023 Mary Ellen Avery Neonatal Research Award. The award honors a pediatric research investigator who has made important contributions to neonatal health through basic or translational research. Albertine is professor of pediatrics, internal medicine, and neurobiology and anatomy and Edward B. Clark Endowed Chair IV in Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Constance Kassor, associate professor of religious studies, was appointed by the Associated Colleges of the Midwest to an inaugural Faculty Leadership cohort. During her 2023-25 term, Kassor will serve as special assistant to the president and partner with faculty and staff to lead an initiative focused on ensuring Lawrence students are career-ready at graduation.

Betsy Schlabach, associate professor of history, has been awarded a travel grant by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University to visit the John Hope Franklin Research Center. She will do her research this fall during her sabbatical. The title of her project is Segregated and in the Shadows: Black Women’s Off the Books Labor in Jim Crow Southern Cities.

Pawo Choyning Dorji ’06, who was nominated for a 2022 Oscar for his debut film, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, received the Druk Thuksey honor, the Royal Order of Bhutan, awarded by the King of Bhutan. He was honored for his “exceptional contribution to the Bhutanese film industry,” according to the Bhutan Times. At 39, he is the youngest Druk Thuksey recipient.

LACROSSE

LAWRENCE TO ADD MEN’S AND WOMEN’S LACROSSE

The Lawrence University Department of Athletics is expanding its offering of varsity sports with the addition of men’s and women’s lacrosse in spring 2025.

A national search is under way for two head coaches for these programs, which will play on Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.

The addition of lacrosse follows the university’s strategic plan to align Lawrence’s athletics program with additional opportunities for student-athletes, according to Lawrence Director of Athletics Jason Imperati.

“The ever-growing popularity of lacrosse across the nation, particularly in the Midwest, extends opportunities for studentathletes who are looking to continue their playing careers while pursuing a quality degree at a leading liberal arts university,” Imperati said. “While we have tremendous work ahead, we are excited for the future of both programs and what they will mean for the Lawrence experience and our greater community.”

Lawrence is searching for a conference for the lacrosse programs, according to Imperati. The two most prominent leagues in the upper Midwest are the Midwest Lacrosse Conference (MLC) and its affiliated Midwest Women’s Lacrosse Conference and the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), which sponsors both men’s and women’s lacrosse. Three Midwest Conference schools are in the MLC and another plays in the NACC.

The addition of men’s and women’s lacrosse brings Lawrence’s roster of teams to 24.

TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES TALLY CONFERENCE

Lawrence track and field claimed a pair of Midwest Conference individual titles during the 2023 campaign. During the indoor season, junior Cristyn Oliver took the title in the mile at the MWC Championships in Jacksonville, Illinois, with a winning time of 5:15.33. Oliver led three Lawrence runners in the top six in the mile and claimed the fourth conference title of her indoor career. Oliver won three titles in 2022, taking first in the mile and the 3,000 meters to go along with running a leg on Lawrence's winning distance medley relay team.

The 2023 outdoor season saw junior Ian Thomas roll to a victory in the javelin with a throw of 171 feet in the men’s Midwest Conference Championships held in Grinnell, Iowa. It was his second consecutive conference title.

The conference titles were highlights of a track and field season that also saw numerous Lawrence records fall. Among the athletes setting new school marks:

• Ian Thomas shattered his own school record in the javelin with a throw of 188-9 at the Wisconsin Private College Championships.

• Greyson Schneider, a junior, broke his own record in the pole vault indoors with a height of 14-4.

• Cristyn Oliver broke the school’s indoor record in the 3,000 meters with a time of 10:23.20.

Rendering by Kahler Slater

CONFERENCE TITLES, SET SCHOOL RECORDS

• Riley Winebrenner, a sophomore, set the Lawrence record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 18:19.05. She would later break the Lawrence women’s record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. She used a late surge to grab the record as she covered the final 400 meters in 1:28.93, the second-fastest lap of the race.

TEAM COMPLEX BEING BUILT AT BANTA BOWL

The addition of lacrosse coincides with a dramatic enhancement to the Banta Bowl. Lawrence broke ground in late April on the Team Complex, a 4,700-square-foot building across from the Gilboy Athletic Center at the north end of the stadium.

The new building, scheduled to open this fall, is being built into the hillside on the west side of the Banta Bowl.

The project manager is Rettler Corporation with design work done by Kahler Slater. J.H. Findorff and Son Inc. is handling the construction.

The Team Complex will house locker rooms for Lawrence men’s and women’s soccer during the fall season. Those locker room spaces will serve as the home to Lawrence men’s and women’s lacrosse when those teams begin play in 2025. Adjacent to the home locker rooms

are two multi-purpose rooms separated by a movable partition. That area provides flexible meeting space for the Vikings and can be opened up to house a visiting football team or separated into two spaces for visiting soccer and lacrosse teams.

The Team Complex is one of three athletic facilities projects going on in 2023. The Whiting Field track renovation also will be completed this year, and the Lawrence tennis courts will be razed and reconstructed this summer.

“We are immensely proud of our studentathletes and all they bring to Lawrence, and we are thrilled to be strengthening athletics programs in ways that will enhance the experience for current and future Lawrentians,” President Laurie A. Carter said.

Cristyn Oliver (Photo by Danny Damiani)

Ian Thomas (photo by Joe Vanden Acker)

Love of sport drives Lawrence’s blossoming fencing program

By Kaitlin Buelow ’26

Lawrence University’s fencing program scored a major victory this season when the men’s saber squad won a Central Collegiate Fencing Conference Championship in Columbus, Ohio, beating favorite Ohio State, among others.

“It is a massive piece in building the program and moving forward,” Lawrence coach Eric Momberg said. “Recruits are watching this and coaches are watching this. ... We’ve shown with the DIII All-American results and the increasing number of people we’ve been sending to regionals that the program is growing.”

We caught up with Eric Momberg and fencers Jordan Diacos from the men’s team and Nora Anderson from the women’s team to school us on all things fencing.

While Lawrence is a DIII program, the Vikings are often competing against DI schools, and it isn’t unusual for them to be facing national or international champions.

“You can go out there and be looking at a world champion,” Diacos said. “It’s still a sword fight. You can still win. They can still lose.”

Momberg was named the conference’s Men’s Team Coach of the Year and Diane Momberg was honored as the Men’s Team Assistant Coach of the Year.

Eric Momberg (far left) leads the Lawrence fencing program (Photos by Danny Damiani)

1. YES, IT’S A SPORT

Fencing is frequently considered to be a game or martial art, but it is classified as a combat sport. Fencing is a mentally intense sport, but the physical intensity of it is equally important. Fencers must be smart, fit, and highly competitive.

2. THREE WEAPONS, ONE SPORT

Here’s a quick primer on weapons in play: Most major fencing organizations recognize three weapons as a part of the sport: foil, epee, and saber. Although the goal with each is to hit the target, the rules for each weapon change how the game is played. The foil, probably the best known of the three weapons, is often seen in movies or other slices of pop culture. It’s considered a point weapon, which means that touches are scored only for hitting with its tip. Foil fencers target the opponent’s torso to score.

The epee, like the foil, is a point weapon. Of the three, epee is the “newest” form of fencing, introduced in the 1920s. The entire body is the target; contact with the point of the sword scores points.

The saber is a blade weapon, which means contact with the target on any part of the sword scores points. For saber, the target is anywhere above the waist except for the top of the hand. Saber matches have less time between touches. It takes more touches to win a bout.

3. LAWRENCE FENCERS ARE HIGH ACHIEVERS

The Lawrence fencing program features many successful studentathletes, as it has since elevating to a varsity sport in 1985. Diacos, a first-year student from Winnepeg, Manitoba, competes on Team Canada’s Junior Team and the Pan-American Team. Bettina Coker, a senior from Highland Park, Illinois, became the first woman in Lawrence history to qualify for NCAA championships and in 2022 was named NCAA’s DIII women’s foil fencer of the year.

4. IT’S BETTER AS A TEAM

Fencing, by nature, is an individual sport: each fencer’s matches are one-on-one. At the collegiate level, however, fencing is a team sport. Momberg, who has led the Lawrence program since 2020, works one-on-one with the athletes to build skills individually, which turns into greater success for the team.

“People can get kind of rude and uppity about themselves in collegiate athletics,” said Anderson, a first-year student from St. Paul, Minnesota. “I don’t think that’s really true here.”

5. AT LAWRENCE, IT’S HISTORIC

Fencing at Lawrence goes back nearly four decades, with pioneers such as Ted Katzoff and Mary Poulson getting the program rolling. It has since evolved into a DIII NCAA program. Fencing at Lawrence has grown, but not without challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic stopped tournaments and practices and brought the number of athletes across both men’s and women’s teams down to 12. This year, Lawrence fencing came roaring back—21 athletes strong.

ALL ABOUT BALANCE

The most successful fencers are athletes who can balance their strengths with their adaptability.

“Fencing falls more on the dynamic side, which used to frustrate me a little bit, because you can do your drills perfectly and then lose horrendously,” Anderson said. “You need a technical base as well as a tactical base. You need so much balance. You need to be really physically fit and also be able to calm yourself down when you get frustrated.”

7. FENCERS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES

Each athlete develops a style that builds on their own physical, mental, and emotional characteristics. “We’re assessing the opponent and trying to maneuver into their weaknesses,” Momberg said. “More than that, though, we’re working to know ourselves and move the opponent into our strengths.” ▪

Kaitlin Buelow ’26 is a student writer in the Office of Communications.

6. IT’S

Jordan Diacus (left) competes in a meet in Lawrence’s Wellness Center.

“A deciding factor in my choice to attend Lawrence was the strong connection between the alumni community and current students. I did not comprehend the depth of alumni support until I began working at the Philanthropy Engagement Center. Through my work, I learned everything from the library to student scholarships are supported by our generous alumni. These gifts have inspired me to follow my dreams, stay curious, and pursue opportunities that are meaningful to me throughout my years at Lawrence. Because of the Lawrence Fund, I pursued a concentration in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, led our student government, and studied in Rome. Without the support of our generous alumni, none of these achievements would have been possible. When I join the alumni community this June, I will proudly support current and future Lawrentians by contributing to the Lawrence Fund.”

CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES IN LAWRENCE MAGAZINE!

Lawrence magazine features individual classes once each year, alternating even and odd years plus M-D, to allow adequate space for the rich details of your lives. Submit your Class Note using our new directory! Learn more at go.lawrence.edu/profile.

MILWAUKEE-DOWNER

Betsy Grausnick Sonnemann M-D’48 P’74: At 96 I am still living independently at Fairhaven in Whitewater, WI. I was the only one from my class of 1948 at our 70th reunion. I took my daughter and granddaughter back to campus this year to see the Downer buildings that remain. My greatest disappointment was to see a parking lot replacing Downer Woods. Best wishes to my Downer friends across the many years.

June Marinelle McCotter M-D’49: Because of macular degeneration I do not drive, can’t see well, and can’t write! I am still active socially, playing bridge weekly, and I’m active in the Italo/American club here in Green Bay. I spoke via telephone to Jan Matthews Neal ’49 and Kikue Rich ’49.

Mary E. Van Gorden M-D’51: As a nonagenarian I now have limited activities but not limited interests. Many of those interests exist because of my years at Milwaukee-Downer College, a liberal arts institution. I was trained as an occupational therapist but was fortunate to have been exposed to many fields of knowledge, which continue to enrich my life. What a blessing!

Elizabeth M. Schumacher Windsor M-D’53: Hello and best wishes to my fellow Downer alums out there. These days I live with family in Peoria, IL. In addition to their company, I also enjoy an occasional coffee and donut with the ladies in the neighborhood. On my quieter days, I enjoy a good book on tape, and I just watched a Barry Manilow concert on YouTube. God bless you all.

Alice “Boggie” Schroeder Wandt M-D’54: What has been sort of unexpected is six (yes, six) contemporaries (neighbors, Grannies, high school chums) have passed away in the last two weeks, PLUS three sons of other neighbors and friends who recently passed away at ages 59 and 61 of cancer. This really leaves a void in my life. I talk to Marlene and Zoe regularly, and we enjoy having fish fries at least once a month. Marlene has had a rather rough year following COVID and some rather unusual side effects that complicated her hearing loss, strength, and taste and smell … getting old ain’t fun. Otherwise, my life has been much the same. Take care.

Marlene Crupi Widen M-D’55: It is indeed a privilege to remember all the Downer women I have known all these years. I found the Downer Hat on May 14, 1956, between tree roots over a stream and became Green Class of ’55 First Hat Girl with many fun and fond memories. By 1964 I was the incoming president of the Alumnae Association. I am the proud recipient of the Gertrude Jupp 1995 Award.

920-832-6517 • go.lawrence.edu/giving

Joanne Bondi Kedzie, M-D’55: I celebrated my 90th birthday in October. I’ve just welcomed my 21st great-grandchild and await the arrival of #22. Manage to get around with a walker, no driving. Not reading much due to AMD. Still enjoy getting to the theater. Susie Whiting MacDonald M-D’56, and I have remained in contact. Best wishes to all.

—LaDora P. Thomas ’23

Patricia Leszkiewicz Brinkman M-D’56: I’m still in my condo but now with a new knee, and this has made life better. Still traveling. Uzbekistan was my last adventure, and it was wonderful. Safest I have ever felt. Next on my agenda is Malaysia with a few short trips to VA and NJ to have some family time. I would love to hear from classmates of ’56 yellow class.

Jean Levine Line M-D’57: The years go by so quickly and bring so many changes. Thank goodness for my Downer memories. My memory in general presents challenges, but I guess that comes with the territory. I will be 90 next December. I graduated from MDC in 1957. I am living in Colorado still—my husband Gordon passed in 2016. I have family members living nearby for which I am grateful. My grandchildren and greatgrandchildren are my pride and joy. I majored in O.T. and loved all of my jobs. I have osteoporosis which has slowed me down but I’m grateful to still be able to take care of my own needs. My address is: Jean Line, 8356 Fig Street, Arvada, CO 80005. 303-403-4410, jeanmline23@comcast.com

Lorene Metzler Damewood M-D’59: I’m living in Shawnee, Kansas (KC suburb). Currently I’m gardening, still completing my landscape, reading non-fiction for my book group/Wise Women and other books for pure pleasure. I’m still perfecting my Wily Words game. I’ve been active for years in ACLU and MoveOn as well as working for candidates and as an election worker and judge. I also volunteer at my church mission center in the Clothes Closet. Three of my children live within 20 miles of my house and the other one is in Florida.

Constance Torzynski Mahsem M-D’59: Still in the Milwaukee area, 64 years after graduation. Staying active with volunteering and bowling. I stay at my camper near Watertown, WI, most of the summer. All the good things going on took a hit when my husband, Fritz, died in December 2021, four days before Christmas and a month before our 61st wedding anniversary. June 2024 will be our 65th reunion, anybody interested? We would be the ʻold’ alums we used to see show up at MDC at the end of the year, properly attired in hats and gloves.

Rose Marie Kosmatka Reich M-D’59: Recently discovered that a teacher friend of mine and I from Delta Kappa Gamma have something in common: “Who’s Who”. The only other award I ever got was for perfect attendance. Now in retirement, I’m using free junk pencil, paper, patterns from inside of envelopes and embossing metallic insides of packages for creative items. I give them to ladies in my church section and donate them for Bingo prizes at rehab places. Also, pictures of butterflies and snowmen from catalogs. I create a gazillion scraps.

Nancy Charm Owen M-D’61: Tom and I moved to Virginia in 2016 and are really enjoying the quiet rural life. In Warwick, I got to experiment with different jobs that I was curious about from being a reporter for the local weekly newspaper to making cheese at a local dairy farm. I kind of miss the excitement but now there’s more time for my gardening, traveling, and volunteering for Meals on Wheels and fostering kittens for the Humane Society. I try to keep in touch with some of my classmates, but a planned visit with Ann Dyer (Songayllo Hanney) was cancelled due to the pandemic, and as of this writing, it is not rescheduled. I e-mail Holly Habheggar (Day) and hope to see her when I go to Seattle.

Nancy Van Schelven Solon M-D’61 and James Solon: I am still in Spring Lake, Michigan. Jim and I keep busy and are “in pretty good shape for the shape we’re in!” I am the senior warden of our Episcopal church and recording secretary of our local PEO chapter. I am about to take a class in iconography. They say any one can do it … I don’t know about that. I lost my only sibling (sister) in September five days after welcoming my first greatgrandchild. Four days later I had major surgery. All is well now! I keep in touch with Sheri and Dick Smith, Carol Wise, and Holly Day. Go Purple!

Carolyn King Stephens M-D’62: Dear friends—I’m turning 83 this March and mindful that it means “much to be grateful for.” It is well past the life expectancy in Psalms, “threescore years and ten.” Many of you are beyond that. I’m awed by the role M-D has played in my life: my mother, Winifred Hamel King ’38; my sister, Judith King Peterson ’63; my birth at Columbia Hospital, across the street from the Downer Woods; my future husband, who was a blind date for the Downer Prom freshman year; my wedding at the end of junior year at Downer; married all senior year at Downer. Two of our four children attended Lawrence University, our son, LU ’87, and our daughter, LU ’91. Finally, Milwaukee-Downer has been a magnet through all seasons, including middle-age and advanced maturity. Last October, Downerites lunched at Chang’s Restaurant in Mayfair and made a short video to congratulate Downer Scholarship

Awardees attending LU. (There are 64 Downer Scholarships helping students attend LU.) In June 2021, Downerites gave “Light Keeper Awards” to six Lawrence officers and staff (Mark Burstein, Cal Husmann, Mark Breseman, Doug Powell, Erin Dix, and Liz Boutelle) for keeping Downer College alive, continuously educating women, and now men, at Lawrence University. Love to all, “SIT LUX.”

Florence Vaccarello Dunkel M-D’64: Dr. Florence Vaccarello Dunkel retired at 80 in June 2022 after a 62-year career as a research scientist and a 34-year career as a professor at Montana State University. She became the first Emerita professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology at Montana State University. Her passion in entomological research continues, focusing on food security, normalizing insects as sustainable protein, and managing insects with natural plant products suggested by Indigenous knowledge. Florence began her career as a research scientist on the top floor of Milwaukee Downer’s Sabin Hall where she was assigned by Professor Lay to build a stable pond ecosystem. Now, in retirement, Florence works on her sixth book telling the stories of her MSU students’ research together with Indigenous communities. Florence enjoys spending time with her 3 children, son Dr. Alec Dunkel LU ’91, a physician in St. Paul; daughter Dr. Anne-Marie Pfaff, a veterinarian in Virginia; and daughter Lynn Dayan, an international tax attorney in Maryland; as well as their 6 children which include Alec’s daughter Annika Dunkel ’24. Husband Bob and Florence enjoy growing their own berries, food insects, and spices, being selfsufficient in vegetables, and sharing skins and meat offered by our local Montana deer from Bob’s hunts. This past summer, we both were happy to celebrate post-pandemic with roommate Karen Krause Thunberg M-D’64 and her husband, Len.

Helen Steele Officer M-D’64 and Frans L. Officer: Life is good. We are still healthy, and we split our time between Minneapolis and Tucson, according to the season. The best of both worlds!

Nan Tully Willett M-D’66: Entering my eighth decade has given me pause to reflect on the unbeatable education I received from both schools. I would hold my OT and liberal arts education up against any other! Both came in handy this year when my daughter broke her ankle, and I became UBER MOM and NANA to help out. I came late to the NANA title (what else could it be?). I have three almost 8-year-old grandkids who keep me moving. Anyone remember Ellen Rubenstein? She was with us at MDC for the ’62–’63 year. I see her twice a year when I visit my son in the Bay Area. What a blessing to have that long friendship! Dale

Carolyn King Stephens M-D’62

Coventry, LU ’66, was a junior and senior high classmate, and we reunited last October at our 60th high school reunion. He is doing well as a retired lawyer. Small but wonderful world. Looking for David McIntyre, LU and Institute of Paper Chemistry grad. Anyone?

1951

Susan Fry Becker: I am doing well out here in sunny California. I am connected to an oxygen generator to support my lungs. I have a portable canister when I want to leave the house. I take walks on a walkway overlooking Monterey Bay. My son lives in a studio behind my house and keeps an eye on me. My daughter, Mary, visits from Bend, Oregon, every couple months. My eldest son in Santa Rosa, California, calls often and visits on special occasions. Life is good and I am grateful for good health and good friends too. Nan passed away six years ago, and I miss her.

1955

Dwight A. Peterson: I am still in my house in North Oaks, a suburb of St. Paul, that my wife Marjorie and I built 60 years ago. She died in November 2021, but more recently I have had the pleasure and assistance of my youngest of three sons and his wife living here while they build a new house. The family also has housing on the North Shore of Lake Superior, an outgrowth of our canoeing days in the Boundary Waters. Another pleasure has been watching the development of the Professorship of Innovation at Lawrence into a Business & Entrepreneurship Major. Lawrence, followed by an MBA and 38 years at 3M (think INNOVATION), led to involvement with performing arts and businessrelated organizations in the Twin Cities.

Beverly Hart Branson: My Door County life continues to be interesting and creative. The Meadows Gallery in Sister Bay shows my paintings, and I was pleased to participate in The Women’s Fund Artrageous event that benefits women and children in Door County. About my artwork, I feel that: On my journey as a pilgrim, I create visual reminders of my fleeting glimpses of infinite beauty in nature and the spheres.

Russel C. Evans: I’m still out here defending liberal arts and “personalized learning” in the Kettle Moraine School District west of Waukesha. Still overlooking a stream valley of corn and beans which should be restored to wetland. Still would welcome letters or phone calls from other survivors (262-968-4489).

Kenneth W. Cummins: I am living in the San Francisco Bay Area with my son’s family. I am planning to move into a retirement home in Corvallis, Oregon, in June. Sure miss my mobile home in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, that was destroyed in Hurricane Ian.

Nancy Ryan Wright and Shelton W. Wright: I have lived on Long Island since 1957 and have loved every moment. After transferring from Lawrence (where I really got my education), I graduated from MSU, worked in Detroit for WJBK, got married, moved to New York, worked for a television production that did a program called “Omnibus,” had three boys, and became active in the Port Washington, NY, community. I got my first job with Omnibus because Nathan Pusey had been Lawrence’s president, and he had come from Harvard where all the “company” had come from. I have also taken advantage of being near NYC with music, art, and lots of other things. I wish I had connections to my classmates, but I’m afraid we’re dwindling.

1957

Martin L. Deppe P’86 and Margaret Atwater Deppe P’86: Allow me to share a vignette of memory sent out to my family: Blessings abound! Forty years ago tomorrow, February 22, on George Washington’s birthday, another Washington we called affectionately just “Harold” was elected the first African American and first real reform mayor in the city of Chicago! The night before, in a lounge of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, I received Holy Communion along with immediate family from my closest friend, Jerry Forshey, in preparation for open heart bypass surgery the next morning (a much newer and riskier procedure in those days). In the recovery ward late that afternoon, following successful surgery, I was experiencing major nausea when another close colleague, Bob Keller, appeared down the corridor and as he approached me with a wide smile, he raised his hand and formed a V with his forefingers to signify that Harold had won the election! What joy! And now for me, miraculously, a leg vein has been doing the tougher job of a cardiac artery for lo these 40 years! I was surrounded by family, parishioners, friends far and wide, and an ocean of prayer, and have tried to live life as a gift each day since that day in February 1983. Blessings abound! With much gratitude and love to the Holy One and to all of you, Dad/Grandpa/Martin. May you all be so blessed!

1959

Carol Ann Schleger Ostrom: Always grateful to music faculty: LaVahn Maesch, Robert Barnes, and Miriam Duncan (1955–59). It has enabled me as staff accompanist at Rock Valley College to present student concerts at Carnegie Hall 1999

Millennium Concert, National Cathedral 2004, and White House Christmas Concert 2009. I was staff accompanist at Rock Valley for 41 years. I am now retired. Organist at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, E.L.C.A. for 59 years, 1964–present. I volunteer as a weekly chapel musician for Peterson Meadows Retirement Center. As long as my brain and fingers are connected, I will be sharing my music. I am a widow. My son has been a Delta pilot for 25 years, mainly international.

Shirley Spangler Steiner P’82 and Richard J. Steiner P’82: We have enjoyed seeing family and friends more often since the COVID vaccine and boosters seem to be keeping us healthy. Our extended LU family keeps us current with what is going on at LU. Our daughter Janet and her husband Rob Stevens, our grandson Paul and his wife Elizabeth Hoffman Stevens, and our grandson Sam and his wife Katherine Dannecker Stevens are all active alumni. We are blessed with four great-grandchildren who are a joy. Daughter Jill and husband Doug Sommer live near us and are always good to give us help when we need it. I especially enjoy the streamed concerts from the Conservatory.

Ann Alexander McDonnell: As part of an invited group, I was on a small boat when we buried Ann Dempsey’s ashes in the waters off Sanibel and Captiva Islands. The entire ceremony was scripted by Anno (does that surprise anybody?), and we drank champagne while Anno was lowered into the briny in a huge clam shell which will dissolve with time. A modern Birth of Venus from the class of 1959. Fortunately, I moved off Sanibel Island five years ago and therefore survived the worst of Hurricane Ian. Although there is devastation nearby, my neighbors and I got through with damage to our roofs and pool cages. We were very lucky!

Elizabeth Schumacher Windsor M-D’53 with her family on her birthday.

Boggie Schroeder Wandt M-D’54

Ted Beranis ’57—Now 88, I’ve been retired from teaching since 1995. I’m living in Bonita Springs, Florida, and caring for my many orchids.

1961

Richard E. Cusic: My wife, Karin, passed away in February 2022. I am living in an assisted living community in Danvers, MA. I am lucky to be close to my son, Mike, who is in Salem, MA, my daughter, Kristin, in Swampscott, MA, and her family with two grandchildren. My other daughter, Eryn, lives in LA. I am at Bright View Senior Living, 50 Endicott St. Danvers, MA 01923 #308.

Nancy M. Stowe P’87: I am now permanently settled in the Appleton home John Koopman and I shared until his death in December 2020. Singing in the church choir I joined in 1963 is a joy, and I am grateful for the voice training I received over 20 years of study with John! A nice amount of activity makes life pleasant, and a weekly bridge game provides a lot of fun as well as a bit of mental stimulation. My family are in Appleton and Minnesota, so I am able to spend time with them after missing most of the holidays when John and I were spending six months a year in California. I’m sure all of us are adjusting to the life changes aging brings!

MaryLou Lloyd Opgenorth: NEWS! I have picked up on the travel adventures after COVID. Last year I made four trips from Atlantic to Pacific, visiting family and friends. My life here in Kimberly/ Fox Valley is very busy. I’m involved at Memorial Presbyterian Church and enjoy many concerts at the PAC and the Chapel. My son lives here in Neenah and my daughter lives in Brighton, MI. Two of my grandchildren are still in college— Kalamazoo College and Denison University. The other three are gainfully employed in Saukville, WI, Madison, WI, and Beverly Hills, CA. One greatgranddaughter, Olivia Grace, is two years old and a pure delight.

William E. Mack and Judith Anderson Mack ’64: About to turn 84 and still kickin’. Judy (Anderson), my beloved wife of almost 59 years, is still putting up with me. We spend our winters in Sudbury, MA, and most of our summers in the lakes region of New Hampshire. We have our health challenges, but we’re doing OK. Hello and best wishes to our classmates.

John E. Dunning and Pamela T. Dunning: We recently moved to a senior living community in Williamsburg, VA. We appreciate living in the “historical triangle” of Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg with its wonderful living museums, parks, trails, beaches, and breweries. Please consider a visit. We are blessed with being able to travel, having frequent visits with family, and being involved in our community. We miss our classmates and the opportunity to participate in scheduled reunions. I would be willing to help facilitate another class reunion, whether virtual or in-person, if there is interest.

Celoris Hackbart Miller and John D. Miller ’64: My husband, John, reported on our news in the Fall/Winter issue. I wanted to add a bit more. When I entered Lawrence as a Conservatory student, I knew next to nothing about opera. We did a couple of one-acts while I was there. Last evening, here in Winnipeg, the 50th anniversary concert of Manitoba Opera took place. Since joining this opera chorus many years ago, I have been in 45 staged operas plus several opera concerts, and I am truly thankful for these years of performing. So many friendships have been made and so many amazing voices have graced our stage! I am also singing in the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir (100th year anniversary) doing the Brahms “Requiem” and Dvorak “Te Deum” in April.

1962

Laurine Zautner Jannusch: After a “valve job” in 2018, (open heart aortic valve replacement) I have regained my health to the point that I can teach over a dozen piano students. Because of a general dearth of organists at my church, I have also been playing three services a week every other week. My family (two sons, their families and my greatgrandchild) live about two hours north of me, but I am grateful that we regularly keep in touch. Life is good.

1963

Lois Lammers McNamara and Robert McNamara: Chalking up more than 200 hours in 2022, I continue to volunteer as a master gardener in Gainesville, FL, earning most of those hours by editing our county master gardener newsletter. For our 60th anniversary last summer, we assembled a 500+ slide show of our lives together and our travels to 30-some countries. During the first year of COVID, my husband, Bob, and I home schooled our grandson; it was pure pleasure to read classics with him. A Lawrence education provided skills and the ability to appreciate so much.

Robert B. Petters: The Really Terrible Orchestra of the Triangle has begun again; currently there are 132 players. This orchestra is unique because, among other things—there is no attendance policy and players don’t have to play all the notes. I’m also conducting a Lutheran church choir and teaching an online class at North Carolina State University—Introduction to Musical Experiences.

Allen R. Bjornson and Margaret Bjornson: My wife Marti and I are still in our Evanston starter home. I am enjoying my mostly retired life. We are bicoastal parents these days. Our retired daughter, Alicia, is in Southern NJ. Our son, Andrew, is in Laguna Niguel, CA, and is a design manager for Vans Shoes. His son, Eli, is a junior in high school, and Andrew’s daughter, Eden, is a first-year student at UCLA in Political Science. Thinking of Eden as a first-year student has brought back many memories of my first year at Lawrence.

1964

Walter J. Isaac P’88 and Barbara Ives Isaac P’88: We have had a quiet spring and early summer. We got in one trip to Florida in March and enjoyed a visit with Peter and Susie Betzer before enjoying time on the gulf and Atlantic coasts. Barbara and daughter Megan (’88) got to Prince Edward Island in June while Walt road-tripped to the West Coast to visit old friends there. We will head to the UK in September for our 1st overseas venture since COVID struck. Daughter Megan will be teaching in London for the fall term of her university (Elon), and we will visit her and enjoy some travels from her London base. Hello to all our LU friends. Hope to get back for a Reunion in ’24!

Susan M. Swinehart: Still going strong working as a therapist to Army soldiers. Singing with my church choir and the Olympia Peace Chorus. Both are great fun.

1965

Geri Otani Grine and James Grine: Aloha! It has been a long time since I have submitted any updates, so I thought I would let you know what I am up to. Jim and I have three grandchildren, Hanako, Hiro, and Keiji, and we are thrilled our daughters have moved close by so we can see them often. We are planning a family trip to Japan and Hawaii this summer. Although I am retired from the podium, I am still working regularly with the Oshkosh Youth Symphony, and I remain engaged in my profession and have been invited to judge an orchestra festival on Oahu this spring. I hope you are all well and that our paths may cross again. Mahalo and Aloha.

Arlene Atwood Trettin Engler ‘61, Mary Hotson ‘61, Nancy Marsh Stowe ’61 at June 6, 2022, memorial for Margaret Carroll at Björklunden.

Theodore M. Katzoff and Claudette M. Dorsey: Still living in Hermosa Beach, CA. Claudette and I will celebrate our 35th this September! Besides supporting Lawrence, I am involved with the Western Flyer Foundation which has restored the boat Steinbeck and Ricketts used to sail to the Sea of Cortez in 1940, which led to the book, The Log From The Sea Of Cortez. It will become a floating classroom aimed at young people to do interdisciplinary studies. I am still having fun playing the ukulele and guitar. Not getting better but having fun! I am looking forward to reunion and helping to plan for the 50-Year Connection. I represented Lawrence at a college fair and was happy to be back. Best to everybody!

Michael R. Gannett, Jr. and Estelle P. MaartmannMoe: 25 years on Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, gave way to a small retirement village on Lake Thurman in McCormick, South Carolina, mostly for warm winter outdoor activities like pickleball and new activities & friendships. Our family lives in Charlotte, NC, and old Burlington neighbors live close by. A small workshop and a woodturning lathe occupy time. Retirement is good to us; Estelle and I enjoy continued good health. Travel is on the horizon. We look forward to exploring South Africa with my brother Fred ’75, who made it his permanent home five years ago. I am in touch with Tom Ambrose, my frosh roommate and Delt brother. Education at LU was a wonderful springboard to life.

Carolyn Stickney Beck and Hayward J. Beck: I am now buddied up with Janine Yanisch ’87. We are both members of Study Club, a Rochester women’s group dating to the 1890s. Janine recently invited me to assist with First Players, a concert band she directs for middle school students. It is a joy to play with these young musicians and to revitalize my fluting. Jay is honing his acting skills as a simulated patient at the Mayo Clinic Multidisciplinary Simulation Center. He is aiming to shoot his age on the golf course.

Michael E. Hayes: I have finally retired and celebrated with a 3-month stay in the Algarve, Portugal. Still in Key West and finding things to do. Amongst those “things” is I have begun to gain recognition for my poetry. I was a finalist in Key West Literary Seminar’s Emerging Poet national call for submissions and chosen to participate in their advanced poetry workshop.

Gary A. Pines and Vicki Pines: Enjoyed the 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th and 50th reunions reconnecting with classmates. Vicki and I have been married for 53 years. Daughter, Jamie, with Fidelity Investments in Denver with two teenage children. Son, Sam, with Good Karma Brands in Cleveland (owners, managers of ESPN radio stations in NYC, Chicago, LA, Milwaukee, Cleveland, etc.) with two kids. Home in Palm Beach Gardens, FL—very lucky. Plus, South Haven, MI. I am still working as a trainer and coach to help consultants, accountants, lawyers, etc., become Rainmakers (learn to make friends and turn friendships

into value for each other). Involved with the American Jewish Committee—fighting hate and antisemitism around the World.

Richard L. Rapport II and Valerie T. Rapport: Still teaching medical students, but no longer seeing patients. I have a new book in the works, my wife still loves me, and our son and daughter-in-law live near enough to boss us around. I’m happy that I was young when I was and grateful that I got to be educated at Lawrence.

Roberta Bassett Corson and Richard A. Corson: I have spent these last few years writing, publishing, and introducing my book to the world. Titled Stepping Out of the Shadows: Naming and Claiming the Medial Woman Today, it is a Jungian-oriented volume that honors the people who live between the realms of ordinary reality and the deep unconscious, those who live at the limen and are not understood or honored in our data-driven culture. As I have retired from both my practice as a psychologist and my ministry, this process has been deeply energizing and filling. Reaching nearly five years post-cancer and this age, each day is a gift to which I respond with gratitude.

Richard B. Snyder and Sue Snyder: On the big island in Hawaii as I write this. Just in time for the most rain in 50 years! Luckily, we have been to other islands and know this was just bad luck. COVID ended my 20 years of volunteer work in the Boston area. I am devoting my volunteer energies and woodworking talents to my church right now. We have been members there since 1976.

Jean Lampert Woy and J. Richard Woy ’64: We are still living in Brookline, MA, and spending time in Vermont. I am retired from paid work and am volunteering with the Brookline Historical Society, on archaeological digs for the city of Boston and on historic preservation activities—in addition to Lawrence, of course. Dick is still doing some consulting work. After two-plus years of no international travel, we are making up for lost time. In Spring 2022 we visited Italy and saw Tuscany and in Praiano on the Amalfi Coast. In December we were in Costa Rica for three weeks, watching wildlife and walking on the beach, and in April we are off to walk a section of the Cornwall Coast Path in England.

Susan Gilman Ferguson P’89: It’s hard to believe that I have been retired for 20 years now. I still live in Tucson, AZ, and still work part-time at the UA medical school as a standardized patient. I still hike, bike, play bocce and pickleball and generally enjoy an outdoor life here. My two children live in California and Kentucky but were here to celebrate my 80th birthday on January 1 this year. I head to Mexico to again volunteer with local optometrists to examine people’s eyes and give them glasses. It’s been three years since we went because of the pandemic. I look forward to seeing old friends and colleagues there.

Todd J. Mitchell and Marcia Mitchell: We’ve switched from being snowbirds in Florida to snowbirds in Phoenix. We still have our condo in Wisconsin for the summers. Here Marcia has become a pickleball enthusiast, and I am on a bocce ball team. We have excellent fitness classes and a multitude of cultural and social events every week. We bought into a CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community) and have made many friends with similar interests. Everyone here has numerous talents and exciting life experiences. Surprisingly though, it has been unseasonably cool, so our golf and other activities have been limited.

Byron J. Nordstrom and Janet Nordstrom: Still volunteering with Habitat, giving tours of the American Swedish Institute’s Turnblad mansion, jamming with the same guys for 60-plus years, finishing the second edition of “Scandinavia since 1500,” and searching for the perfect meatloaf recipe. Best wishes to you all!

Sarah Trump Blackwell P’93 and Philip L. Blackwell P’93: I went from Lawrence to be a French teacher and ended up a clergy spouse instead. We have had the opportunity to know and appreciate people from widely varied backgrounds: the industrial Midlands of England, a dairy farming community of 431, working class Rockford, IL, the University of Chicago campus, the wealthy North Shore of Chicago, and Chicago’s Loop. I had a number of part-time jobs including running a nursery school, teaching Ph.D. candidates in French, and finally 20 years working at a theological seminary. Retirement brought us back to Wisconsin for six years at our lake house in Whitewater, but we have started a new life at a retirement community in St. Louis, where both our children live.

Patricia Sayre Graham and Cooper Graham: I retired after 50 years teaching keyboard studies at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. However, I continue to stay active in music and now have a small private studio of retirees who are interested in studying piano and music theory. Gardening has become a new passion. My husband Cooper and I finally made a trip to Warwick, England, to visit our daughter Margaret and meet her British husband. COVID had delayed that meeting. Our son relocated to North Carolina, and we have discovered the beauty of the Ashville area. My greetings to all my classmates and wish you continued health and active lives.

Mary-Claire Vander Wal Barton and William

A. Barton: We just moved to Knoxville, where our oldest son is a law professor and writer at University of Tennessee and also is married to the mayor. Our youngest son, Jacob, and his family continue to live in NYC; his company, Local Projects, designs museum interiors (9/11, Greenwood Rising in Tulsa, etc.). After 50 years in NYC, we are pleased to enjoy a kinder and slower pace here. Bill continues doing sing-alongs in bars and nursing homes, writing songs, and learning new ones. MC is working on a book about the

art business from her personal experience in her galleries. Come on down and visit us! Bill and Mary-Claire Barton, 101 E. 5th Ave. Knoxville 37917. Phone: 865-415-2892.

1967

Percy J. Smerek and Ada M. Smerek: Retired after 50 years in ministry, living with Ada and 21 descendants including 7 great-grandchildren in Medina, TX. Still visiting prisons and a jail, leading community Bible studies, SS and doing daily Bible notes to hundreds of folks.

Maya Duesberg Roos and Aarand Roos: Living in Savannah, GA, near my son and my aboutto-be-three grandchildren. Continue to teach occasionally in NYC. The last big conducting gig was at Lincoln Center to commemorate 100 years of freedom for Estonia, with an international choir of 100 singers.

Gerry Max and Carole A. Max: My book, Richard Halliburton and the Voyage of the Sea Dragon, was published in 2020. I have since established the Gerry and Carole Max Archive of the Halliburton Collection at Rhodes College in Memphis as well as offered seminars on Halliburton and travel writing at Björklunden—one will be this coming fall. I return to Lawrence from time to time. The campus generally has the same feel for me that it had in the 1950s and 1960s when the old union and former library were a second home to me. Seems like yesterday, maybe a week ago. I continue to collect rare books and do book appraisals. At Seeley Mudd, I established the Anthony “Tony” Vaughan Archive. Other things will follow.

Barbara Martin Smith and Timothy V. Smith: This year, 2023, began on the Gulf Shore near Watercolor, Florida, with a walk on the beach with my husband, our son and his wife, plus their three children. Shell seeking was a joy! Now with crocus blooming, spring is in the air. Our daughter and her husband will soon arrive with their two children. We plan to enjoy the “Age of Armor” and “Monet/Mitchell: Painting the French Landscape,” two 2023 special exhibitions at the St. Louis Art Museum. And there is so much more. Nothing is forever.

Daniel P. Jones and Kathy A. Jones: Still living on 86th Street, NYC. Still trackin’ it; Belmont, Santa Anita (winters), Del Mar. Chicago is not the same. No more Arlington Park.

Bruce P. Manheim: 2022 saw the establishment of The Urantia Book Supper Club on meetup.com in an expanded effort to share this amazing revelation with local friends and neighbors. Distant Lawrentians and spiritual adventurers are encouraged to email bpmanheim@gmail.com for a free copy.

Chris Kaufman and Mark Austill: Retired. Loving it. Wintering in Arizona. Loving that, too.

Martha Colburn Rasmus and James S. Rasmus: Life is good. Both of us are retired, staying busy with our family and the community. Having four children and 10 grandchildren within two hours keeps us busy. I’m still working with others to develop more mental health services for the area. In addition, 10 days in Alaska was certainly a highlight. As I said, life is still good.

Margaret Esterline Gray: I am fully retired from my teaching career although still engaged with some work and lots of volunteer activities. My goal is to keep learning, so I read a lot and commit to many activities that are enriching to me and hopefully helpful to others. The League of Women Voters is the organization to which I devote the most time. Living in Missouri, there is an incredible amount of work in our commitments to maintain (improve) our democracy and the equitable rights of all citizens to vote and more!

Sidney K. Ayabe and Gloria Ayabe: Traveling has returned to the Ayabe household. Cookie and I have visited our youngest daughter, Marie, and hubby in Seattle. We are headed to Japan in April and to California for golf thereafter. We continue to enjoy our granddaughter, Liv, who brings much joy to us. She will be joined by a brother in June. Lisa and hubby will have their hands full. Sara continues with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and is gaining a lot of trial experience with support of her hubby. I continue to remain active with nonprofits and serve as a mediator/arbitrator (primarily to keep my mental faculties alert). To my classmates, be well, take care, stay safe and don’t postpone life’s enjoyments.

John W. Whipple and Tish Whipple: Routines have changed little since the last writing. I now call myself semi-retired, manage a few hours/ day doing architecture, and spend a lot of time working on two houses, writing, painting, and making sculptural lights. As long as the body holds up, which became a big but surmountable issue this year due to a heart operation, I continue to play sports, race an old sailboat off the coast of Maine, and travel to Greece, the Grand Canyon, and Morocco with Tish and friends. Ezra, Hannah, and Ben are healthy and mostly married, but so far coming up short in the grandkids department. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the support of a large group of friends, Lawrence classmates among them.

Kathy Peak Raimer: I am living in Portage, Wisconsin, where I have spent most of my adult life. I currently work a couple Saturdays a month at the Portage Center for the Arts greeting visitors who come to see the artwork in our gallery and selling tickets for upcoming performances in our theater, and I work part time in an office serving two rural churches. I am a watermedia artist and have a small space in a local gift shop selling hand-painted note cards and small paintings. My happiest moments are spent with my two daughters and their families, one near Madison,

WI, and the other in Wilmington, DE. I am loving my “retirement.”

Richard C. Agness and Barbara Agness: I’m pretty much a full-time clay artist. My wife, Barb, and I live near the campus and the Fox River. My studio is across from Jacobs Meat Market on Lawe Street. Most of my work goes to Plum Bottom Gallery in Door County. I try to stay young by advising the Delts on campus, playing golf and handball. We are fortunate to have three of our four kids and their families living in Appleton.

John L. Grandin III and Anne Grandin: Anne and I still live in Chestnut Hill, MA, and have not figured out a good way to downsize. I am retired, and she continues her painting. I added a pacemaker, which works fine, and continue activities such as skiing, golf, tennis, skeet, fishing, and bird hunting. Have kept up with John Whipple, Bob Simmons and Lee Sternal. Spending summers on Martha’s Vineyard and we took the whole family, three kids and spouses and four grandchildren to WY and MT to see parks and a dude ranch for our 50th wedding anniversary. I also volunteer at several charities. Not able to make reunion as it conflicts with high school reunion.

1969

Arlyne Gutmann Cook and M. Stephen Cook: Since our 50th reunion, we decided to sell our home in Minnesota and become full time residents in Carmel, CA. Managing two homes is very timeconsuming and our lives would be simplified in California. The challenge has been to dispose of the contents of one home and find space in the second home for difficult-to-part-with items. COVID had cut down our travel, but we were able last year to cruise the British Isles and tour Lake Louise, Banff, and Glacier. While travel has come back traveling can be unpleasant. We are satisfied with spending most of the time in our home in Carmel with travel to Palm Desert for the month of March and an annual trip back to Minneapolis.

Priscilla Weaver and Steven Weaver: Remembering fondly the visits Barbara and Larry McBride and Betsy Benson made last fall to my farm in the foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains in southern Oregon, where Steve Weaver and I lead a pretty much idyllic existence despite the ever-present threat of wildfires, water issues, proliferating hemp farms, and other manageable annoyances. I also had the pleasure of attending a seminar week at Björklunden and catching a play at the Peninsula Players last summer. Other than catching, or perhaps spreading C-19, it was a lovely and lively experience as always. Still a great place to walk, catch up with other Lawrentians, and even get some practice time on the lodge’s several pianos!

Bill Phillips ‘67

Steve Bogue and Leslie Schriber Bogue: 2022 was an interesting year. Steve retired after 50 years practicing law and is spending time at home trying to stay out of the way and catching up on reading, family genealogy and photography, largely in that order. He continues to do informal mentoring of the younger lawyers in his “old” firm in his practice area of labor and employment law. Leslie has been busy creating jewelry, drawing and in other artistic projects, and has continued reading as well as throwing herself into Spelling Bee and Wordle. Our son and his wife moved to Hawaii early last year. We are hoping that did not mean that they did not want to be on the same continent as we are, given our increased free time and ability to bother them. Our daughter-in-law is working remotely, and they are opening a small B&B on their property in an outlying building called an “ohana,” which is a building normally used to house feeble parents when they cannot take care of themselves. Our son is managing it and functioning as resident handyman and groundskeeper. We have urged them not to book other guests too far into the future! Partially because of that move, we have been doing more traveling and a lot of hanging out, including, but not limited to, catching up on napping. It’s a heavy burden, but we think we are up to it! We are in the process of planning short trips around the Midwest during summer as well.

Tocher Mitchell and Brenda C. Mitchell: It was great having a 54-year reunion with my 1967–68 undefeated, MOC champion varsity swim teammates at homecoming weekend last October. We were inducted into the LU Athletics Hall of Fame. A lifetime experience!

Mark A. Bruzonsky: Years ago, after 9/11, Lawrence sponsored a major lecture series about which the press release stated: “The religious and political tinderbox that is the Middle East will be explored by national scholars and foreign affairs experts in a five-part Lawrence University lecture series entitled ‘War and Peace in the Middle East’.” I was the concluding speaker and the only former Lawrence student. Recently I was referred to that lecture, and to my surprise I found it quite relevant to what is happening today. So, I thought other Lawrentians might find it of interest: markbruzonsky.com/lawrence

Diane Berger Weaver and Roger W. Weaver: Retirement is the greatest! How did we ever have time to work? We spend time cozy at home, puzzling, reading, scrapbooking. I am back in the Skagit Symphony with a wonderful community group, putting my music minor to practice. Like others, we are taking fun trips. This fall will be France, another chance to put my French major to the test. Anytime you are in the Pacific Northwest, please come visit. We live near the Gateway to the American Alps, North Cascades National Park.

Steven W. Crane: I am still enjoying “retirement” working part time for the Winnebago County Senior Nutrition Program. Like many others, we experienced major changes in our normal routine due to COVID, gradually returning somewhat back

to normal in recent months. I am still collecting the America the Beautiful quarters—watch for the “W” mint mark (West Point) on the ones issued in 2019 and 2020. They are worth a lot more. I was saddened to learn of the recent passing of some of our classmates, but time marches on.

Mark M. Orton and Karen C. Davis: My wife Karen and I survived our bicentennial year in 2022. I’m 75; she’s 80; 45 years of marriage. I will finally retire from business work in 2023. We are continuing our several times per year visits to Europe. Children and grandchildren live in Leiden, Netherlands. A nice launch pad for mini trips elsewhere. Road trips around the U.S. I remain very busy playing tennis—four or five days a week during the outdoor season; three days during the winter. My main distractions are working on a book about capitalism. See CapitalismActualWorkings.com.

Gayle Jorgenson Elfast and Bruce R. Elfast: We finally returned to the Bahamas as of midDecember 2022. No more boat to sail over, so we flew to Nassau and then on to Long Island. It was one long day, but the connections were perfect! The house and yard survived our absence. Unfortunately, our 1999 car did not do as well, but what can we expect? Next trip over to the Bahamas will be via Nassau to buy a car. We head home to the U.S. March 30. It’s been so good to be with our island friends after a couple of years. We’ll be returning to Maine just in time to resume tennis and pickle ball. I play PB, and Bruce still likes his tennis. Good exercise.

Laurie A. Magee and Thomas R. Blajeski: My husband, Tom Blajeski, and I continue to live in Laguna Vista, TX, near South Padre Island and SpaceX. This allows my husband to surf fish and both of us to enjoy moderate weather all year. I will be co-chair of the Rio Grande Valley Quilt Show Board during the next year and the show is scheduled for the second weekend in February 2024 at the South Padre Island Convention Center. The charity quilt group that I coordinate each winter on South Padre Island is reaching the end of our season and we have completed 115 quilts. These quilts have been donated to the local Salvation Army and to the VA clinic and nursing home in the Rio Grande Valley.

Patricia Lemley Garner and Bennett W. Garner: I’m living in Portland, Oregon, and focus on volunteer work on behalf of women and families. After 8 years I just stepped down as State Public Policy Chair for the American Association of University Women of Oregon. We led the charge for a pay equity bill which passed in 2017. I’m on the State Action Committee for the League of Women Voters of Oregon, the Portland League Board and Justice Committee where I am working on police accountability and transparency. My husband is a psychiatrist. He and I are both learning Spanish. We thoroughly enjoy our 7-year-old grandson and 5-year-old granddaughter. I’m also on a theatre board, am still doing art and have written a book on astrology.

Join other Lawrentians as we explore the world

Join us this fall for one of Björklunden’s sponsored alumni trips. We’ll be heading to Northern Scotland Sept. 18–26. In addition to learning about the fascinating local geology, we will explore castles, World Heritage sites, various lochs, a distillery, St. Andrews, and much more.

Find information on these trips at www.lawrence.edu/ bjorklunden/seminars-trips/ sponsored-trips

Harold D. Hiatt and Ellen J. Hiatt: Survival of the fittest is very descriptive of those of us still enduring Wisconsin weather. Ellen and I are both retired teachers in Racine still wondering what we actually accomplished with all of our students and praying our efforts were positive. I took the train to St. Paul for the annual Frozen Faceoff (hockey) again 3/17–18. Daughter, Sasha, and her husband both went to St. Cloud State, and her Uncle Kent went to North Dakota, so it is a tremendous rivalry plus beverages. My grandson, Ivan Daniel Hiatt Blenkush, will be 3 on 6/19, so I will not be at our reunion. Best wishes to all and good health.

Patricia A. Dew: Still living in Northfield, MN, still in the same house Tom Pender and I bought 32 years ago. Tom died in January of 2022, after about ten years of decline with dementia. With help I was able to care for him in this house the whole time. I have continued to pursue my artistic interests in writing, photography and theater. I will be performing this spring at our local senior center; I sell my artwork through regional shops and at a Studio ARTour in the fall. Three of our four children live in the area, and the fourth lives in California—a great place to visit and play with our one grandchild. We connect daily in discussing our Wordle games and monthly via Zoom.

Ronald H. Broomell: I have returned to northern Wisconsin after the death of my Hawaiian wife, Wilma, last year from an asthma attack. We were together 25 years on the Big Island. Moved to be with family; now live in Rhinelander. Retired from teaching (Hiking Minstrel Studio) but still play guitar and piano and write songs. I have close to 100 songs to notate and hopefully publish. “All Love Surround You.”

Mary Jo McGuire Swanson and Kent L. Swanson: At 75, my news is pretty much the same as others. It’s about grandchildren (one girl, followed by eight boys), ‘organ recitals’ (my husband’s heart, my shoulder, and knees), and leisure activities (golf, Wordle, and a bit of travel). My husband and I still live in the house we built in Colorado in 1982 upon our return from three years in Australia. We spend several winter months at our place in Cabo. We are here now and love having visitors. My cousin Julie (L’70) and Denny DeCock (L’69) were here last week. I was sad to see the notice of Ralph Whitehead’s death. Watching him on College Bowl in 1965 was one of the reasons I came to Lawrence. I thought Lawrentians must be very smart and funny.

Thomas R. Hosford and Mary Teresa Hosford: My wife, Mary, and I met in Chicago, married in South Bend, lived in Skokie, then moved to Baltimore 37 years ago. We have four children (three married) and five grandchildren now. We’re fortunate that they all live in the area, so the pandemic never stopped us from getting together for birthdays, holidays, and other special and routine occasions. Mary and I have enjoyed driving trips in retirement, exploring the East Coast from Maine to Florida and spending time at our lake cottage in New Jersey. This summer, we plan to come out to the Midwest to see friends and relatives. If things work out, there might be a Hosford sighting in Appleton in June.

Mark Leonas and Deborah E. Leonas: How interesting it is to arrive at this age, and still have memories of Lawrence and all that went thereafter. I feel like I’ve led a very interesting life, with more to come. After 40 some years as a teacher and administrator in early childhood programs in western Massachusetts, I retired in 2017, still loving the work but ready for new adventures. Wife

Deb and I moved to a condo in Easthampton, MA, after 26 years in Amherst. Children Janet and Andrew are grown and gainfully employed in nearby towns in western Massachusetts. I keep busy with volunteering on nonprofit boards and preschool classrooms (the best part of my week!). I get to be active in our local community gardening program and provide produce for our family and for neighbors in need at our community center. Over the last few years, I’ve been active in helping a local farmer with his rice paddy. You can grow some types of rice in northern climates! I’ve been writing articles on this and other subjects for Macrobiotics Today, a wholistic healing journal. Currently, I’m part of the production team for The Spirit of Rice, a film documentary soon to be released. I am also co-authoring a companion coffee table book. Staying healthy is a priority, with attention to diet and lots of exercise on local bike paths and in the gym. Life is good!

Amelia Bodine Bergmann and Jacob Bergmann: Hi all, I retired from working as an occupational therapist last year. Lately I have been consumed with medical issues secondary to lymphoma in 2016. I am in remission now. I have been playing in a low-key orchestra. Fun. We have two daughters, one of whom is estranged from us. The other daughter is teaching dance in a New Haven school. My husband works tirelessly for H&R Block these days, coming home with stories about his wacky clients. No names of course. I am taking a painting class and French film class. We travel a lot to Pennsylvania and New England, sometimes to more exotic places.

Steven V. Ponto and Mary A. Ponto: Last April, I was elected to my fourth four-year term as mayor of Brookfield, Wisconsin. I really enjoy serving as mayor, and there are a lot of challenging issues which require attention. My wife, Mary, and I have been married for 41 years and have two daughters and are blessed with three granddaughters who live nearby. I enjoyed our 50th reunion and hope to attend more reunions in the future.

1970

Richard L. Stocchetti and Kathleen F. Stocchetti: After 20+ years, my wife and I are pretty much settled into Yorktown, VA, for the long haul. We made it back to Illinois for our oldest grandson’s high school graduation and family get-together. We get up to Northern Virginia to see our daughter and our two teenage grandsons. I forgot how scary it is to have a teen driver on the D.C. beltway. In July, our family traveled east for a beach week at Nags Head. COVID hit us in early July, but our isolation ended just before vacation. We plan to visit the Smokies this fall and then go to South Carolina this winter for another reunion. Hope all are well and so glad to see that LU continues to thrive and provide the well-rounded education that has served us so well.

1971

David A. Jones P’10 and Rochelle G. Jones P’10: Not much new to report since last summer’s 50th gathering. COVID finally came to our house— and stayed a while. More new meds, more new accommodations to the pace of life. Still hoping to get a garden in the spring, and some travel over the summer. Life IS good.

Ann Niebling Laughlin: The last few years have been challenging while caring for my elderly husband at the end of his life, then during the pandemic working for the VT Medical Reserve Corps and local Community Health giving hundreds of COVID shots. I’m finally free to be retired but continue to be the weekend baker at my son’s bagel shop in South Hero, VT (Wally’s Place)! In December, with some family members, I went on my bucket list trip to Antarctica. My seventh continent, it was a spectacular trip.

Kristi Ziemann: Let’s see, 50 years in a nutshell. I’ve taught high school Spanish in Appleton, Mequon, WI, and Prairie View, Il. I’ve taken students on trips to Mexico, South America, China, the British Isles and Europe. I got interested in bonsai (little trees) and joined the Milwaukee Bonsai Society in 2000. I’ve held all positions on the executive committee except secretary. I’ve been involved in dog rescue with Fluffy Dog Rescue and have fostered over 75 dogs. I’m still excited about traveling. My most recent trip was to Iceland this past October. Wondrous country. I’d like to go back soon. I’m in good health and keep busy with my house and property (3/4 acre in Mequon).

1973

Cynthia Percak: I enjoy life in the metro Philly area, exploring hiking trails and Atlantic beaches. I serve as council vice-president at Zion Lutheran Church and am active in the GreenFaith Circle of Southern New Jersey.

Kingsley Day and Danuchit Saythong: Stanley Kingsley Day married Danuchit Saythong on October 7, and our monthlong honeymoon road trip included visits with fellow Lawrence alums Dave Larson, Susanne Fusso, Sarah Carter, Martha Calhoun, and Bob McDonald. I performed the complete “Grossmith-role” Gilbert and Sullivan patter songs (by memory!) on June 26 and again on November 13 and directed the Savoyaires’ fall production, a double bill of Trial by Jury (which I directed as a senior at Lawrence) and my original one-act jukebox operetta, Six Characters in Search of Gilbert & Sullivan, also playing the role of Gilbert. My new musical, Aztec Human Sacrifice, premiered in May at Chicago’s City Lit Theater.

Donald J. Henrich P’05 and Beth Johnson Henrich ’75 P’05: Beth and I are enjoying our retirement in the Boston area. We moved here 8 years ago to be near our children, Sarah (’05) (and her spouse) and Joseph. Now we also have Joseph’s spouse and 2 grandsons to enjoy! We help out with the

Steven Ponto ’69—My election night party in April 2022 where I was elected to a fourth four-year term as Mayor of the City of Brookfield, Wisconsin. Pictured with me are my wife, Mary, and our two daughters, Elizabeth and Stephanie.

grandsons two days a week after school. We are active in our church and find our days full. I continue to play softball in a senior league with the goal of playing into my 80s. I’ll miss the reunion as I will be on an annual fishing trip in northern Minnesota. I recall, vaguely, being on campus one year when a 50th reunion was in progress and thinking how old they were. How little did I know.

Daniel N. Wiessner: It’s been fun to get together with several ’73 classmates these past two years as the pandemic risks have abated. In 2021, Tony Welhouse, Dave Rogers, Steve Holmgren, George Wyeth and I camped and hiked in Acadia National Park. Tony, Rob Lindquist, and I were also able to backpack for a few days in Shenandoah National Park on the Appalachian Trail. In 2022, Steve Holmgren and I got together in Ann Arbor, Michigan, hosted by Dave Rogers and Bill Gruetzmacher. Earlier last year, Rob Lindquist, Tony Welhouse, and I biked the Camino de Santiago in Spain (self-supported) with three other bicycling friends of mine.

Emily Adams Meek and Benjamin C. Meek: Nothing new, still enjoying retirement living near Battle Ground, WA, with my husband of 25 years, Ben, trying to do what I can to keep our beloved Douglas-fir alive through the droughts and windstorms of our climate crisis. Enjoying being with family, friends, and community activities once again, post-COVID.

Kristen Olson Lahner and Ronald B. Lahner: Fifty years of marriage, 50 years as alumni of Lawrence! We made a big decision at this momentous time and have moved our primary residence to northern Michigan. We look forward to all the seasons here, although some winter months may be spent exploring other places. Ron is mostly retired, but still enjoys consulting on health care law with several clients. Kristen is now retired from her second term on the alumni board, but happy to volunteer for Lawrence in other ways. We have both loved working on the Class of 1973 Reunion Committee this past year. We’re blessed with health, a happy family, and two beautiful grandkids, Sophie (5) and Jack (1). Come visit us in Michigan!

Julieann Norman Ash and William R. Ash: Julieann and I celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary this June. Son Carl has been married for seven years to our wonderful DIL Kathy. I retired from my corporate job in the summer of 2018 but continue to work as CFO and business manager for Julieann’s practice, Midwest Educational Therapists. We currently have 15 independent contractors working with us. For Julieann’s 70th birthday, we started a new company, Learning Solutions for Healthcare Professionals. Recently we have gotten into power lifting and are training for competitions in deadlift, squats, and bench press. Still doing some flying too. Our big anniversary trip will be a month in Tasmania this winter.

Deborah Dickison Whidden and Wayne R. Whidden: I retired from Girl Scouts of Western Washington as the camp programs and property manager, and my husband retired from the US Forest Service, but we both have retirement jobs. I lifeguard at a senior retirement center pooI and volunteer with the American Camp Association and Red Cross. We like to sail, canoe, and take road trips in our tent trailer. We saw Jeanette Castro and David Hachmeister ’73 while in Colorado. In the six degrees of separation world, my aunt Dottie Chamberlain Millikan M-D’48 reconnected recently with her good M-D friend Betsy Grausnick, whose daughter is Gail Sonneman ’74.

Karen Kirhofer Hansen and Robert P. Hansen: I have trouble believing that I retired from my career as a faculty member in pediatrics at the University of Utah five years ago! Retirement has been good. I have mostly been volunteering and taking classes of all types at the University of Utah. I have been able to do some international service trips, and this summer will do that in Fiji. Bob and I have spent time in various parts of Utah. It’s an ideal place to live if you enjoy the outdoors. Our children are doing well and enjoying life. Sadly, my mother passed away at age 95 this past year, and she is missed. Take care!

Sara A. Quandt and Thomas A. Arcury: I have spent the past year with my husband, Tom, resuming our travel post-COVID. Three trips to Europe later, we think we are getting caught up on lost opportunities. We are looking forward to traveling to southern Africa for most of March 2023 to teach at the University of Cape Town and go on safari in Botswana and Zimbabwe. Beginning this summer, I will be officially retired from my faculty position at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. After 29 years, I look forward to diversifying my activities. In the past year or so, I have picked up a number of volunteer gigs that I enjoy and will continue.

Nancy Freeman Wallace and James E. Wallace: The past few years we’ve focused on downsizing to a small condo in a continuing care community (Stoughton), where 1 son lives with his family. It’s been an adjustment, but we like it. We do some domestic travel with at least two trips a year to Bozeman, MT (where our daughter and family lives), one–two trips a year to Door County, and I do an annual sister week, most recently doing the loop around Lake Michigan, which was much fun. Walking, knitting, reading, Zooming ... And we have 11 grands (ages 5 months to 23) = lots of sports, concerts, graduations, etc.

1975

George E. Stalle and Kathryn Towner: Resumed clarinet studies with Laura Ardan, principal clarinetist of the Atlanta Symphony, then successfully auditioned for the clarinet section of the Atlanta Wind Symphony. My new ensemble was honored to perform at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago last December. Still keeping up my work as a realtor for Keller Williams North Atlanta, enjoying Kay’s and my four grandchildren, and serving as a new vestry member of St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church.

Nancy Butler Kuhn and Richard A. Kuhn ’74: Richard and I moved from Wilmington, NC, to Charlotte in November 2021 to be closer to our boys. It’s been great to see the family on a regular basis and to spend more time with our three grandchildren, Katy (12), Colin (8) and Connor (3). We live 1.5 miles from the grandkids and enjoy being more involved in their lives. It’s also fun to take them Uptown to sporting events and concerts! We have resumed international travel. Spent September 2022 in France (Provence and Burgundy) and January 2023 in Central Mexico. Going to Scandanavia in July 2023 for three weeks. Son Mike is getting married in PV, Mexico, in May 2023. Nicole and Mike met during COVID while she was an ICU travel nurse. Something good from COVID!

Diana Murray Swets and Steve A. Swets ’73: Steve and I retired to Lakewood Ranch, Florida, six years ago. It’s in the Sarasota area. We love living here, have made some wonderful new friends and have lots of visits every winter from our longtime friends who still live up north. Our daughter, Caroline, and her husband live in Durham, NC, and visit frequently with their two little girls. Our son, Michael, lives in LA. We see him as often as possible on one coast or the other. Steve and I think often of our time at Lawrence. We just passed the 51st anniversary of our first date at The Mark!! We have been blessed with good health and wish the same to all of you!

Elisabeth Van Ingen Steward and John R. Steward: I will fully retire from my current career as a fundraising consultant this year. My already-retired husband John and I are planning to travel more: a road trip in Canada, a Mediterranean cruise, and visiting friends/relatives in Berlin, Alaska, Stockholm, and England are all on our short list. Our daughter and her family (2 kids) live 3,000 miles away in Mendocino, CA, and our son lives about 15 minutes away from our home outside of NYC. I’m hoping to attend our 50th class reunion in 2025. I really enjoyed our 40th, and I’m grateful to have participated in the Celebration of Life for John Koopman, my voice teacher at LU, in July 2021, when I reconnected with so many Lawrentians.

The folks in the photo are the Hults and Toycens along with Pat and her husband, Francis (the only non-Lawrentian in the group). They all met up in Arizona.

Pamela Brown Day and Eric Forthman: I have finally retired after 43 years with the Aerospace Medical Association. I still plan to do the photography for the association for a while. Meanwhile, I am enjoying printmaking, have my own press now and belong to a great group, Printmakers Inc., at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA. Having broken my shoulder, then my wrist, and most recently my left arm (all were different freak accidents), I have spent more time in physical therapy than in the studio of late. Eric and I traveled to Cape Cod in October ’22 and met up with John Ranck and Andy Hardaker. John and I communicate regularly. I am looking forward to more travel and more artful living.

Patricia Knetzger Fullam and Francis A. Fullam: Not much news of note—no big changes—but my husband and I finally decided to flee Chicago winter and become snowbirds. We spent January in Palm Springs and had a great time attending the film festival and the desert with a side trip over to Santa Barbara to see some friends. Then February we spent in Scottsdale and were able to catch up and with Jack and Beth Hult and Mary Lynn and Dan Toycen. We will drive home and see Bisbee, friends in Santa Fe, and family in Dallas before we drive back to Illinois. I think we may make this an annual habit!

Mary Campbell Toycen P’10 and Daniel J. Toycen ’73 P’10: Last year, along with several family members in the next generation including son Mike ’10, my husband, Dan ’73, and I undertook a passion project. We bought the Eau Claire Express baseball team, which is a summer collegiate wood bat team in the Northwoods League. It has been an exciting challenge and also lots of fun. Many LU friends visited us last summer, and we encourage more visits this year, as well.

Laurie L. Stearns: Best wishes to all my fellow alums! I’m still living in Virginia and hoping to be able to pay a visit to Lawrence before too long. In the meantime, I was excited about the opportunity to meet current LU President Laurie Carter in April, when she was visiting Washington, D.C. Lots of Lawrence memories rushed through my mind recently, when I was sorting through some old items and ran across a list that I made back then of some of the questions and answers from Lawrence’s 1975 trivia contest. Many of them made me laugh, and here’s my absolute favorite: Q: How many coat hooks are on the wall in the basement of Main Hall, by the pop machine? A: Thirty-three!

Cathryn Thurow and Robert G. Cornwell, Jr.: Same husband, same kids, no additions to the family, same retirement, same house ... no wait! The renter finally moved out of our investment property on the Big Island. We spend part of our lives adjacent (literally) to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Long road trips during these years of COVID, visiting friends and family. Highlights include the annual excursion to Betsy Krueger Mancosky’s lake

cottage with LU ’75 classmates. This year marked the start of a new decade. I welcomed it in Mexico with nine friends and my daughters. So happy that Mary Dinauer ’75 made the trek to Merida with me. Best birthday ever!

Charles E. Woodward and Janice Woodward: Hard to believe it has been a year since we last shared news from Denver. Seems like the past 12 months have been focused on getting as many COVID vaccine shots as we could. So far, it’s worked. The travel bug has bitten, and we’ve taken a few trips to Seattle to see grandkids, as well as memorable drives to southwestern Colorado and Arches National Park. On a weekend at the Gateway Canyon Resort, Janice got behind the wheel of an ATV, which was very impressive. Another highlight was a family visit to Cape Cod and Connecticut, where we managed to catch up with old friends from our time in New England. In May we attended a Denver area LU event where we made some new friends and even reconnected with former faculty!

Rayna Lindsey and Jacqueline Ostrom: I successfully navigated gender confirmation surgery in December. I’m now recovered and am getting back in shape, which for sure is a process at this age! This past summer I bought a compact hillside home in Manitou Springs with marvelous sunshine and views. Now that I’m retired it’s a great place to hang out, in easy walking distance to downtown, buses and the trails up Pikes Peak.

Joseph R. Baierl and Denise M. DuChateau: Denise and I had a healthy and happy 2022. We are still cautious about COVID but did manage 2022 trips to Los Angeles and Steamboat Springs to see family and friends. Closer to home, I am trying to get involved with some Saint Paul city planning and community activism, and maybe best of all, I enjoy food, wine and music with Denise each and every week. We celebrated 45 years of marriage last December! Lawrentian calls and visits are always welcome. Be well!

Carl A. Rath: Carl Rath (Distinction in Performance) will retire at the end of this academic year after teaching college for 48 years (no sabbaticals)! It has been a terrific ride, though the pandemic years were hell! I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by. I have enjoyed working with my students both in lessons and in the classroom. My final faculty recital was May 21 in Harper Hall (webcast on the Conservatory site)! I plan to continue performing—finally, with more time to practice!—and will continue my association with the Red Lodge (MT) and Sewanee (TN) Summer music festivals.

Lynn M. Libera and Michael J. McGarry: There would be lots of “still this” and “still that” so I’ll hit a couple highlights. I’m running for a second term on the River Forest Park Board. It’s the perfect spot for me. I’m also getting a whole new set of golf clubs and sunsetting my 12-year-old Taylor Made

set, acquired around retirement. I have very high expectations. The “stills” include house, husband, gardening, grandmothering, all good.

Kathleen Marie Orth and Larry Orth: I am doing well and am very happy in our marriage (43 years) and my retirement after teaching vocal music 35 years. I continue playing the organ and piano at First United Methodist Church in Appleton. I recently started playing my alto sax in the Neenah Community Band but had to buy a new instrument. We took a wonderful trip in August to Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland. We also frequent Door County. I volunteer at the Community Clothes Closet, the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, and with church groups. I am the President of the SAI alumnae group in the Appleton area. Our two sons live in Orlando. One is a captain with United Airlines, the other is a financial advisor. Life is good!!

Margaret Riggs Ketterer and Robert C. Ketterer ’74: I wish I knew what I was doing! Rob and I have been in Iowa City, IA, since 1988: house, garden, dog. Rob retired from the University of Iowa in Spring 2022. I have worked as a research assistant in the UI Microbiology Department since 1983, but when my boss retired in 2017, I moved to the biochemistry department (fruit flies!), and I officially “retired” from there at the end of 2020. My old boss had a new plan, however, so I immediately went back to microbiology for a “limited project” and have been there ever since. There have been many trips to spend time with grandchildren in Boston and Jersey City (one in each place), and that might convince me to retire for real.

Mary C. Dinauer: I will be stepping away from my position at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine this spring to pursue other interests. I have a long list! Among these are travel both near and far as well as being able to spend more time with family and friends. As a prequel, I spent a lovely week in Merida, Mexico, in early February to celebrate the occasion of Cathryn Thurow’s birthday with her and a group of her friends.

Gail E. Colman: Greetings to all! Lots going on. September 2022 Giuseppe and I celebrated five years together. Two vocations: 1) Writing—only $ I ever received was $75 as winner of LU Hicks Prize in Fiction in ’75; and 2) still passionate about work as in-home psychotherapist. Recently joined Reiki Brigade. Life is good here in Rogers Park, Chicago.

Marc F. Charette and Cynthia K. Lee: Where has the time gone? I will be 70 in October. I was 17 when I arrived at LU. My first significant accomplishment was getting rid of my “Bah stun” accent. There were other successes as well. LU helped get me to a great grad school and then a career in biotechnology. The “liberal arts” thing forced me to take subjects I never would have chosen willingly

and for that I will always be grateful. Philosophy class taught me how to write and economics, ironically, taught me about social justice. When I came to LU, I had very little sense of what I didn’t know and when I left, I had much greater clarity of the magnitude of that which I will never know.

1977

Jean M. Capper: In December 2018, my late husband and I moved to Onekama, Michigan. We enjoyed 1 ½ years together here and though I thought I would return to my Chicago life, I’m still here! I serve on our township planning commission, am treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Manistee, and have several other volunteer roles. In the winter I’m a part-time ski instructor at Crystal Mountain. I’m working on planting native trees, shrubs and plants on my property and am looking forward to spring. I love spending time with family and friends and have fun playing Scrabble online with Mark Fonder, a fellow 1977 graduate.

Tom G. Hughes and Cindy Hughes: This fall has been all about the Philadelphia Eagles! My stepson Matt Auerbach was named the Eagles fan of the year and won two tickets and an all-expenses paid trip to Arizona and the Super Bowl. My son Thomas was one of the musicians on the Philadelphia Eagles Christmas album, which made $250,000 for charity. I am still a diehard Packers fan and was able to take my other son Sam to the Eagles/Packers game in Philadelphia. My wife Cindy and I are happily retired and have travel plans to Kiawah Island, the Smoky Mountains National Park, Cape May, New Jersey, and Eastport, Maine.

Anne Macleod Weeks and James O. Weeks: Still living in Nova Scotia. My husband, Jim, has a novel coming out this spring, called Nodding’s People. I am sending my own out into the world of publishers. I continue to show my photography in galleries/shows. I also work part-time as a consultant for a company in Shanghai. Our two rescue dogs have bonded and spend their days hiking the extensive trails and beaches with me that we are fortunate to have in our area. Tommy Hughes and wife Cindy visited again last summer, and we enjoyed dinner together. I hear from Ann Hopkins and a bevy of Phi Tau alums. We have a 1-year-old grandson who we enjoy virtually from Baltimore. If in Nova Scotia, feel free to stop by Lunenburg to say “hi.”

R. William Edminster: I retired from being assistant director at McHenry Public Library in Illinois at the end of 2020 after 29 years. I’d planned to stay 30 years but COVID and working from home convinced me not to hang on that last year. I recently became president of the Friends of the McHenry Public Library and am busy leading them into their next warehouse sale and taking online classes through FutureLearn and through Gresham College’s public lecture series (going on since 1597). I vacationed in London twice in 2022

to make up for cancelling in 2020 and 2021. I’m hoping to downsize but 40 years of books and projects I intend to finish in retirement means I’ll be busy and staying put for quite a while.

James M. Rand P’06 and Sarah C. Rand P’06: My life’s a blizzard of sawdust, bread flour, and dried clay. A year ago, while walking near home, I met an amateur luthier. Early this year, a box arrived from a friend with wood to build a guitar. The luthier said, “I’ll show you how, but you’ll do the work.” Ask me about it next year. Meanwhile, I keep baking—mostly sourdough—with an expanding repertoire, both savory and sweet. In October ’22, Sarah and I finished a 500-mile walk across Spain on the Camino de Santiago. In Miami on the way home, I said, “The Camino isn’t done with me.” I’ll go back in April and May to stir up more clouds of dust with my feet.

David A. Cifrino and Sheryl Ann Cifrino: After retiring from the law firm McDermott Will & Emery in 2017, my wife Sheryl and I bought a winter home in Naples, Florida, and I began working in earnest on my golf game. Despite more than 100 rounds a year, my game only got worse, and worse than that, I became restless. This peaked during the pandemic in 2020, so I became a fellow in the Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI), focusing my study and research in 2021 and 2022 on corporate sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. This led me back to McDermott to help start a new ESG, Impact and Sustainability Practice group. I am also currently a fellow and senior editor of the Harvard ALI Social Impact Review with responsibility for articles on climate change and sustainability (submissions for possible publication welcome).

Fred D. Palmer: Looking back fondly at my time at Lawrence University. It’s been years but the years have been very good. I’m retired now but still playing trumpet in two community bands in the Milwaukee area and having fun. I retired from conducting a third band, the Holton-Elkhorn Band, but still play trumpet in it and conduct a few pieces each concert in our summer series. I’m happily married to Heidi, a French horn player who plays with me in the bands, have two wonderful sons, six wonderful grandkids and a wonderful dog named Cooper.

Andrea Williamson: 2023 marks my 44th year with Save the Children. I still love its mission of serving children across the globe but am entertaining thoughts of ‘what’s next’? ‘Down time’ this past year gave me lots of ideas—cycling (Canadian Rockies, coastal South Carolina), hiking (Grand Canyon, Arizona’s Santa Catalinas and the beautiful trails of the northeast), sharing the roads with fellow runners (still at it until the knees stop working), growing monster tomatoes in the community garden, and occasional forays into NYC. Bottom line? I don’t think I’ll be bored. But the best times of the last year have been those spent with friends and family—and there’s simply never enough time for that!

Gail Von Drashek ’79—I had the fabulous opportunity in the Spring of 2022 to return to Alaska where I lived for several years after graduating from Lawrence. I reconnected with classmates Roger Healy and Benjamin Jackinsky. After my daughter’s wedding this spring, I am planning to drive to Alaska with my tiny trailer and help Benjamin with the salmon fishing season. So wonderful to revisit these touchstone places of our lives.

Crystal D. Cash and Bodhi Sahra O’Bannon: Hi all, retired in May from my position of associate dean of the Office of Diversity at Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, and 30 years practice in the Cook County Health System. I then took a personal journey on the El Camino de Santiago trail, then backpacked across Western Europe. Currently biking with Black Girls Do Bike doing the Selma to Montgomery ride in March. My 5 children and 2 grandsons are all well. YOLO!!!!!

Patricia M. Brown P’11 and Donald D. Doyle P’11: I am a managing director and deputy global research director for Deloitte’s CFO Program. I contribute to the program’s publications and lead its quarterly North American CFO Signals survey. I also facilitate transition labs for new CFOs across industries. We (my husband Don is a retired biologist, University of Chicago) have three children based in the Chicago area, Colorado, and Minnesota, and three grandchildren from my stepson, based near Washington, D.C. This means we get opportunities to visit family and travel to great places. I am also on the board of Association House of Chicago, the city’s second-oldest social services agency.

1979

Kathryn A. Krohn-Gill and Gregory L. Gill: I’m enjoying retirement after 35 years of family practice in the same town. I definitely miss the connection with patients and coworkers but enjoy spending more time with family. We see our three grandkids regularly—often enough that they are themselves and don’t hesitate to have a tantrum when desired. Downhill skiing draws our family together, and the 5-year-old now can do ‘black diamonds’ with grandma. One of the most enjoyable parts of my job was teaching medical students and residents. Fortunately, the nearby family medicine residency still needs help, so I staff there a few days a month and get my teaching fix. Plan to travel with Sara Krohn Rezin ’82 often this year!

Jose Luis Romero Hicks and Chiemi Murakami: Now that COVID is almost over, daily routines are returning to the old normality, although Zoom meetings are a predominant part of every day.

Last August both my children, Luis Felipe and María José, my wife, Chiemi, and I went to Uganda to meet the gorillas; what an experience. Life evolves professionally between Mexico City and Guanajuato and have no retirement plans.

Jeffrey R. Hawley and Rose Lee: First, on a sad note, my mom passed away peacefully at 95. She led a long and meaningful life and may she rest in peace. Now, for some happier news: I love being unemployed; I retired a year ago. This winter I went back to college to study the piano with the goal of being able to play in nursing homes and open mic nights someday. I also joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary here in Southern California. I work in its public affairs division, writing brochures and recruiting materials. In return I get to wear a uniform and carry a military ID, which, if you have never done this before is kind of cool.

Jane W. Curran-Meuli and Michael G. Meuli ’76: I am president of SSM Health—Monroe Hospital and Monroe Clinic Medical Group. We are located in an idyllic community in southwest Wisconsin. My husband, Michael, and I travel around the nation at every chance we get.

David W. Ehrich and Jennifer Salk: Busy retirement included recording an EP with my band Student Nurse (the rebirth of a classic alt/art punk band of the 1980s long before grunge came to town). We’ve got a busy gig schedule around town with some loose talk of touring. My days of playing at the coffee house have finally borne fruit, but now I wish I hadn’t left that sweet Ampeg amp there. Winter’s other great gifts were two grandchildren born within a month of each other on both coasts, each to my daughters and their partners. I’ve visited both and enjoyed grandparenting. My wife, Professor Jennifer Salk (University of Washington), brought a major work by choreographer Ron Brown to Seattle audiences. I helped by walking the dog.

Astrid Strasburger Manoli and Yiannakis Manoli ’78: When Yiannos was approaching retirement, Astrid had eBay on her mind in order to get rid of some old treasures piling up in the attic. Yiannos came up with a different plan suggesting ten weeks in the sprawling Chinese city of Pinghu. With the necessary documents, this elderly couple settled into zero-COVID daily life, and Yiannos was busy finding local partners for his sensors for automotive use. These ideas had been around for over 10 years, but it was China that saw their potential. Astrid became an expert in preparing weak coffee for all these officials and in talking to Chinese engineers about their daily life in China. One opens up to a German housewife who loves sticky rice!

Dona Vander Schaaf Wininsky and Walter Maurice Wininsky: Just enjoying the freedom of retirement and the ability to travel again. This winter we’re spending a month in the San Diego area to escape at least part of the cold. Last year we checked

out places in Florida and Arizona. I’m looking forward to seeing classmates next year for our 45th reunion.

Regina Swingen Lee: Retirement is great! I’ve been busy designing, planning, and now constructing a new house in McFarland, WI. Instead of downsizing, I’m upsizing to house all my projects. Hopefully, it will be done in late May or early June. Then the fun of moving everything into it begins. As a break from all the new house selections and decisions, I plan to go with a friend to Alaska again. It’s been 27 years since I was last there, so I expect to see some changes, and do some other activities such as staying at Chena Hot Springs near Fairbanks. My travel companion, Zion (a German Shepherd), is constantly by my side. He loves Wisconsin snow and the wonderful dog parks around Madison.

Mary Thome Marshall P’09 and Douglas D. Marshall ’78 P’09: Doug and I love retirement. We relish daily exercise, yoga, a spiritual community, 8 hours of sleep, book clubs, volunteer work, time with friends, long walks, travel, daily crossword puzzles (me)—without the pressure of commutes, overflowing email boxes, and neverending meetings. We have two grandchildren in Alexandria, VA, and one in NYC, and we treasure our precious time together. We rebuilt a vacation home on Upper Saranac Lake in NYC after our 100-year-old place burned to the ground three years ago. It is a retreat for our family and friends, and we hope to host many of our Lawrence friends in the years to come.

Susan T. Chandler and Bruce L. McLellan: I just retired at the end of March after 42 years of working in the arts. Looking forward to enjoying summer on Madeline Island, doing some traveling, and catching up with friends.

Sidney Chalhoub: After more than 30 years of university teaching in Brazil, I have been a professor of Latin American History at Harvard University since 2015. So instead of retiring, I had the opportunity of starting all over again, which is an incredible gift for which I’m thankful. Sandra, my wife of 37 years, and I have a son, who is 29 years old and recently married, and a daughter, who is 26. The older I get, the more I think of Lawrence as a life-changing experience for which I’m deeply grateful.

John S. Rowland: Staying busy and reasonably healthy. Plan on running my business for a few more years—5 grandchildren in town and no plans to become a snowbird. I play Platform and Paddle Tennis (a winter outdoor sport) year-round and 3–4 days per week during the winter months. Single for the past 8 years after a couple of marriages. Lots of concerts and shows, crossing off bucket list artists while they are still performing (still alive!).

John T. Boyle and Mary Ellen Boyle: Greetings from Manasquan, NJ. All is well here, and I hope the

same for all. Planning to retire at the end of this year—looking forward to it. Our son gets married in Puglia, Italy, in May of 2023—very excited about that. Still active with the volunteer fire department but slowing down a bit. Very excited to learn that LU is adding men’s and women’s lacrosse programs—brings back sweet memories of some very fun times when I played lax on our unofficial club team back in the day. Take care, stay well, peace. Sean Boyle

August W. Geise IV P’15 and Kathy Geise P’15: I am living the high life at 9,000 feet in Silverthorne, Colorado. I am very grateful for the friendships I have and have had these many years with fellow Lawrentians. Last summer I hosted a gathering of “The Boys,” a group of us from the classes of ’78 and ’79. Great food and fun was had by all. In my copious spare time, I ski, hike, bike, swim, kayak, cook and play piano while enjoying the beauty of the mountains here in Colorado. May all of you be safe, well, peaceful, and at ease.

John A. Bill and Teri Herbst Bill: We are enjoying retirement spending the winter in Palm Desert, California and the summer in Wisconsin. We sold our financial planning business a few years ago to our son and another advisor. Our greatest joy is our two grandchildren, Fynn (almost 4) and Henry (almost 2). They live about a mile from us in Greendale, Wisconsin. Golf continues to be our main outdoor activity in California and in Wisconsin. Just last month in California we played with a guy from Kansas. When he heard we were from Wisconsin he said his daughter went to college in Wisconsin, small school in Appleton. Yes, his daughter was a Lawrence grad too. Small world!

Christine Manuel Zacher P’10 and Paul Zacher P’10: Still living in Northport, NY, and retired after 40 years of teaching instrumental music, I maintain a private horn studio and play/perform with multiple ensembles. I also mentor new teachers, direct a student horn ensemble, and co-chair our countywide Day of Horn festival, which attracts 150–200 student hornists from all of Suffolk County, Long Island. (This year’s guest artist was Linda Kimball ’77.) Paul and I enjoy traveling and spending time exploring NYC. We love spending time with our daughters, Kelly ’10, who is also a Long Island music educator, and Jen, a tech pro who lives in Brooklyn. Kelly and husband Phil are parents to daughter Lucy, age 1, who keeps us on our toes! Life is good.

Susan K. Davies and William E. Beagle: After 30 years as a TV journalist in various markets around the country and 14 years as a nonprofit executive director, I plan to retire at the end of this year. Definitely ambivalent about it! Love my job, staff, and board, but my partner of 38 years is eager to camp, hike, ski and travel. Our only child was just accepted into CSU’s veterinary program, so we’ll be staying in Colorado. Love the mountains but miss the water! Still passionate about improving

our trails, parks and open spaces in the Pikes Peak region so will stay engaged as an advocate. We have a guest room and know where the great hiking trails are so stop by!

Linda Harris Mimms P’12 and Larry T. Mimms P’12: I live in San Diego County and have been working as the vice chair of the national nonprofit Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance for the past two years. We advocate on behalf of people Iiving with serious brain diseases, such as schizophrenia and related psychosis spectrum disorders. We work for equitable treatment and to educate the public about these brain diseases with the cruel neurological symptom of anosognosia that robs a person’s ability to recognize they are sick. To that end, I am proud to have facilitated two digital articles and a print article on schizophrenia and anosognosia in People magazine, audience of 83.1 million. Check out the Feb. 27 issue and online articles.

Robert J. Stevens P’13 ’10 and Janet Steiner Stevens ’82 P’13 ’10: Rob and Janet are enjoying Rob’s retirement in ’19. We’re so proud of our LU family: son Paul ’10 and his wife Elizabeth ’10; son Sam ’13 and his wife Katherine ’14. We have three potential Lawrentian grandchildren. We had the privilege of accompanying LU students and faculty on their December Term study abroad in Toledo, Spain. We studied 13th-century culture focusing on the Cantigas de Santa Maria. It was truly a wonderful experience and reminded us just how amazing LU students and faculty are!

Elizabeth Dodge Kaprelian and James G. Kaprelian: I finally retired—again! Hoping third time is the charm! We’re enjoying the ability to travel a bit. We did a Panama Canal cruise in December which was amazing! Also, spending time with our kids and grandkids is fun. We’re anxious to see what this new chapter in our lives will be. Take care everyone!

Jeanmarie Rehberg Iverson and Jeffrey A. Iverson: I am currently an ESP in our local elementary school (the same one our kids went to!). I am hoping to work for a few more years—if the kids don’t get the best of me! Our younger son just graduated from college. Our daughter and older son are working in the Twin Cities; it is nice to have them close to home. We enjoy day trips to local parks and attractions. I recently reconnected with Shelly (Mahn) Swodzinski, which has been a lot of fun.

Molly M. Teas: Hi everyone: I moved to Boulder, CO, in 2018 after living and working in Nepal and then Washington DC, raising a family and launching both kids off to college. My partner, Ben, and I spend as much time as possible outside—hiking, biking, or skiing and I run my international education consulting business, Annapurna Strategies LLC, from home. Last May, a group of dear LU alum buddies, Patty (Nelson) Held, Connie Michael and Barb (Fee) Miller and I,

organized a reunion at my home. What a weekend with these great women. There were so many wonderful memories retold with massive amounts of laughter!

1981

Julie Folz Erkilla and Jack R. Erkilla: Greetings from Newburgh, Indiana!! This has been an eventful year for us. Jack retired in August after 23 years with OneMain Financial (formerly Springleaf Financial, and before that American General Finance). Julie also stepped back from substitute teaching, so we are enjoying a more self-paced lifestyle. We’re now focused on pursuing our hobbies. For Jack, that includes photography and genealogy; for Julie, quilting and volunteer work with the Evansville Philharmonic Guild and the local women’s club. Our travels during the past year have taken us to Florida, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and, of course, Milwaukee and Oshkosh. All our best to our classmates!

Rebecca R. Payne: Hi everyone! It’s been a while. My life has been hectic to say the least. Both my parents died in 2019, mom of dementia and dad, I think, of a broken heart. I miss them so much. I have officially retired here in Quincy, IL, after 26 years living here. Our public school music department needed a maternity sub at the beginning of the year, so in the process, the head of the department created a part-time position for me. I’m a co-teacher for K-5, two days, two schools! Both teachers are newbies, so I know why she had me do it. I continue being involved in music all over town through our community symphony chorus, the church choir, a women’s ensemble, and our community theater. I love my music! Peace all!

Lisa Marie Brady: I would like to report that my life has soldiered on at a steady pace: high school librarian, part-time casino cook, Lake Michigan beaches, hiking. I have enjoyed having my daughter back in town after completing her BA/ MA at American University and now teaching film at my school. In October, my left retina detached. I had the surgery and underwent the ordeal of healing by lying flat on my face for two months. A side effect of the surgery is the development of (in my case, at least) a horrendously mature/ senile cataract. I was cleared for the cataract surgery just after Christmas but wasn’t able to get it scheduled until March. Frustrating! Hoping for 100% recovery.

Dawn Baumann Brunke and Bob D. Brunke: Hello Lawrence friends! I am still living in Alaska, fishing for salmon in summer, snow-machining in winter. My time is also filled with dreaming, reading, and writing. I finished my ninth book in early 2022 and it was recently published: Shadow Animals: How Animals We Fear Can Help Us Heal, Transform and Awaken. The Shadow was a great topic to tackle during the pandemic and the adventure of exploring the deep psyche became

(and continues to be) a key theme for me. I also do animal communication talks and love connecting with people and their animals from all over the world. This year included talks with folks in Greece, England, Australia, South Africa, and all over the US. Life is fun!

Cheri A. Biancuzzo and Russell N. Biancuzzo: My husband, Russ, and I make our home in Grafton, WI. We have 2 small dogs named Mitzi Gaynor and Bella Mia. He owns a home improvement business (RNB Design Group) in Germantown. I love working part time at Penzeys Spices in Cedarburg. I’ve been a chanting Buddhist for 30 years and now practice a Course in Miracles and study the Tao. Life continues to be a great spiritual journey for me. Love to all!

Timothy P. Melchert: Back in Appleton, in 1981, I had no definite plans and almost no idea what I wanted to do in life. But happily, things have turned out quite well so far! I’ve had a rewarding career being an academic, and I’m going to retire from teaching psychology at Marquette at the end of this school year. My wife continues to enjoy her psychotherapy practice. Our three kids are doing fine (youngest is finishing a master’s degree at Madison this May, the next plans to graduate with his PhD from Stanford soon, and the oldest is doing a post doc at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory). All of us are healthy and reasonably happy. I would have guessed none of these developments back in June 1981.

Jessica Grover Robinson and James N. Robinson: I continue as a founding board member and nutrition director for Hospitality Common Inc., a nonprofit serving underserved youth, refugees, and immigrants. This past year I prepared over 1100 dinners for our ESL students and their families. Our next project is to build a transitional home for refugees. The really big news is that James and I have become grandparents! Roman Antony was born to Jeremy and Chelsea in September, and I love being an “Oma.” We plan to visit them in Texas again in February and are traveling by train as we have rediscovered the joys of Amtrak. During a trip in July, it allowed me to meet up with Chuck Hunter ’83, and we spent a wonderful day in Chicago.

Greg R. Grunert and Cindy L. Grunert: I thought that 2022 would be a great year after my cancer diagnosis and recovery. Little did I know that I would be in for another battle with cancer. The next battle will be harder, but I will get through this. Just a little reminder of how we don’t know what’s in store for us, and we should live like there is no tomorrow.

Tod I. Gimbel and Hany Gimbel: Living in Los Angeles since 2019. I recently left the corporate world after many decades. I’m now working with a small consulting firm overseeing their public affairs and sustainability practice. I’m also

working with a startup helping develop and deliver foundational sustainability (ESG) education to corporates, consultants, and trade associations. I’m also enjoying serving on the LU Alumni Board. I made my first visit back to campus in over 25 years in December. I love that LU has the same charm but with many great enhancements and upgrades. Also, nice to know Jim’s and Cleo’s are still going strong!

Catherine Baker Van Leuven and Douglas R. Van Leuven ’80: I settled in Madison shortly after graduation with my husband Doug, and we raised five wonderful children in this beautiful city. I completed medical school at UW–Madison but found my passion as an autism and behavior consultant serving area school children with special needs. It’s been a rewarding career, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to help so many children and their families. Doug works as a consulting engineer, and we are both looking forward to retirement soon and spending more time with our grandchildren and up at the cabin in northern Wisconsin.

Lisa Hollensteiner: Hello classmates! Retired this past year, and it was very hard to leave patient care, but I’m really happy to be away from the pressures of business and profit in medicine. Celebrated by doing a lot of travel in 2022, including skiing World Loppet Races in Austria and Italy, biking in Portugal, backpacking in Patagonia, and hiking about 900 kilometers doing the Camino Frances. The Camino is a very unique experience of the mind and also a sign of hope as people from all over the world gather in peace and with kindness to one another. (Happy to talk with anyone who is considering.) And now the Birkebeiner Ski Race. Well wishes to all.

Anne E. Tews and William M. Gardner: My husband, Bill Gardner, and I still live in Lewistown, MT. I retired in 2018 from my career as a fisheries biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. My recent work to increase the numbers of endangered pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River was a highlight. Our two children are doing well on their own. We spend a lot of time in our truck camper exploring the West and Midwest. I have become a real bird nerd. Birdwatching is great excuse to visit interesting hidden places in the U.S. and abroad.

Philip D. Brick and Susan Brick: This May, I retired from Whitman College after 32 years of teaching and over 1,000 days/nights in the field with the environmental studies program I founded in 2002, Semester in the West. I credit biology professor Nick Maravolo for introducing me to the power of intensive studies in the field with students, and classmate Paul Arbetan ’81 for being an incredible field ecology instructor for Semester in the West over the past 20 years. In retirement I will be out and about in the wilds of North America and perhaps some time in Europe, catching up with old friends.

David A. Heller: I am in the second year of my last term as music department chair at Trinity University. Once I step down in 2024, I will return to full time teaching prior to retirement. My professional work has taken a different trajectory in the area of research as well as collaborative performance as my solo career winds down. I will head to Scotland and England this summer for two residencies with my church choir (including St. Paul’s Cathedral, London). I moved from an outside municipality into a new home in the city of San Antonio just north of the downtown this past year—and urban life is great!

John Thomas Blaser and Julie Blaser: I retired after 31 years of teaching elementary school in Boulder County, Colorado. My wife Julie continues as a physical therapist for Longmont United Hospital. My daughter, Emma, just graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder and recently moved to Denver to become a personal fitness trainer. I’m enjoying more time to run and cycle, drive my VW bug, and spend time with our two rescue dogs.

1983

Mitchell T. Biba P’11: It’s hard to believe we are hitting our 40th year after graduating LU! I’ve been blessed with three amazing kids and four grandkids. After living most of my life in Wisconsin, I moved to Florida a little over 10 years ago and continue to love it here. Interests have included music, exercise, travel, volunteering, and beach time. Music continues to be a big part of my life, including playing my trumpet. After 23 years of website design as a career, I’ve merged my music and programming interests and skills into a new endeavor. MySoundQ is a website and app where anyone can search for live music happening anywhere in the U.S. It’s newly launched with exciting prospects.

Elizabeth Ann De Stasio P’17 ’12 and Bart T. De Stasio ’82 P’17 ’12: I’m still feeling lucky to be teaching biology at LU. It’s a privilege to support the learning and growth of young people every day. I’m working on some pedagogy projects these days—how to teach collaboration skills, for example, and that is a fun challenge. Bart and I are starting to hike the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin, seeing some lovely terrain, and getting time to have deep conversations with friends or just the two of us. Our kids are settled in MN, NYC, and DE, so we have some fun places to visit. Research with students and big vegetable and flower gardens keep me occupied in the summer. Come visit if you are in Appleton!

Denise R. Wills: Celebrating 40 years in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries in clinical development. I had the privilege of working with esteemed colleagues around the world to bring much needed medications to patients in therapeutic greatest needs. I’ve become a Koi enthusiast with 86 different species living harmoniously in a 6000-gallon pond. My dog Cid is the best along with my four cats, all rescued from shelters.

Heidi Johnston Ling: After 20 years of living in the sun of Southern California, Bob and I returned to Wisconsin in 2016. We are now proud residents of Egg Harbor, Door County, Wisconsin. I dedicate much of my time and joy to my role as the chair of the board of Northern Sky Theater, following in the footsteps of my predecessor Cyndy Stiehl, also a Lawrence alum. Recently Northern Sky decided to follow Lawrence’s lead and formed our own IDEAS task force to continue our efforts to purposefully create opportunities for inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in the stories we tell, the actors and artists who bring those stories to life, the people we employ, our board, and our audience experience. Come on up and see a show.

Wendy Skola: After the death of my sister (Krista Skola-Salas ’85) last spring on Earth Day, my efforts will be honoring her by continuing to establish my Catamountain Pet Sanctuary. We had the same passion to save animals. I live in an area with no animal control, and they are left to die. The humane societies are barely able to house them. I have taken in 17 cats over the years that are feral, strays, or abandoned. Roosters and Guinea hens, too! If fellow Lawrentians would be able to assist with food, litter, and essentials, you may send a note to PO Box 34, Big Falls, WI, or send me an email at wendyskola58@gmail.com

Catherine M. Cotter: I finally am able to walk to work (a dream after long commutes), as I recently moved to an apartment in Evanston close to Northwestern University (thx divorce!). There, I am a director in foundation relations, helping faculty write proposals to foundations to fund their research. It is really cool to learn what everyone is doing. From my office window, I look upon Lake Michigan. I do miss the students and the activity of a busy department though. I am getting involved in local politics now, including participatory budgeting, which is super interesting. There are so many passionate people. Hope to travel a bunch this year too—visit my kids and maybe go back to India! Look me up if you are in town.

Jay C. Kellner and Susan B. Kellner: I’m enjoying retired life since ’17. Love being day-care two days a week for our 2-year-old granddaughter. I’m lucky to spend time with my retired-teacher wife and our two married, educator kids. I was fortunate to teach in an incredible, music centric high school, Neuqua Valley, twice recognized by the Grammy Foundation as having the best high school music program in the nation. Between that and 18 European concert tours, unique gigs like Carnegie Hall, leading the stretch at Wrigley, and just having the joy and honor to be a teacher, I am beyond grateful. While I adored directing choirs of all sorts for 35 years, decompressing jaunts to our condo in Lake Geneva provide a welcome respite.

Einar H. Tangen: 40 years later finds me living in Beijing, where my latest act is in media, after law, politics, finance, and business. I live, and have

lived, a charmed life, personally and professionally. But, as the years pass, memories have become closer friends, while time remains an implacable adversary.

James R. Stukas and Thanh T. Stukas: In addition to my professional activity and time with my family (including my children now in their 20s but still finishing their studies), I was just elected copresident of the oldest baseball club in France, le PUC Baseball (and softball and cricket, but I have no idea how that last one works). The club is celebrating our 100th anniversary this year, but it is in need of a major reorganization, so that will keep me quite busy. You may be aware that Macron is trying to reform the retirement system here, but in fact even if his reform passes, it won’t touch me. I will be eligible to retire this year at 62 but still need to work 5 more years to get my full pension. C’est la vie!

Jonathan W. Bauer: The countdown to retirement has begun, and it will culminate on June 3, almost 30 years at Deloitte to the day. The first 6 months will include a 20-day golf trip to Scotland and Ireland; a month-long trip to Indonesia with Liz, which will include two weeks of diving; and lots of hiking and biking here in the Rockies. I’ve started working with a local university here in Denver to coach and mentor their first generation and multicultural students in the biz school, which I am very excited about. The idea of stepping off the gas pedal took a lot of preparation, but Liz and I are ready and looking forward to it!

Charles F. Hunter and Ramadan Caysever: After retiring from a 31-year foreign service career in late 2020, I moved to Chicago a year later and bought a condo in Lakeview East in June 2022. I now work from home about six months a year as an editor and proofreader of the State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. I volunteer with Care for Friends (providing hot lunches to those in need twice a week), sing with the Windy City Gay Chorus, and serve as treasurer of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. The city’s rich musical and theatrical offerings also keep me busy. In October I’ll take my parents to New Zealand following a solo trip to Australia.

Andrew S. Burnett and Charles Roessler: I finally threw in the towel after 32 years of federal service with Peace Corps, EPA, Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service. I’m now doing consulting work with a couple NGOs and federal agencies here in DC which keeps me busy for 10-12 hours a week. We lost our little kitty, Emma, during the pandemic and are currently in the young adult phase of our new kitty, Stella Artois (she is the SAME color as the beer!!). Charlie and I are beginning to venture out on some road trips this year and just got back from nearly three weeks in Florida, and we are headed to Texas for a family wedding in March and to Minneapolis after reunion (Charlie has never been).

Elise Epps Allen and Bruce Frankenfield: Hi all— I am the EHS manager at a manufacturing facility here in Cleveland. My husband retired a few years ago, so I am still planning and plotting when I will also retire. We have three grandkids, so that adds to the adventures.

Scott L. Cassingham and Leslie C. Cassingham: 40 years after graduation, I’m back in Wisconsin living in the Milwaukee suburbs with my wife, Leslie, helping look after her parents. Our daughter and son have somehow both ended up in the film business, Leslie retired not quite a year ago, and I’ve progressed through urban planning to stay-athome-dad to U.S. History Ph.D. (ABD) and now to retirement. I keep busy doing a bit of investing in the outer space business—yep, satellites, the moon, space stations. Two dogs keep us company. How many cruises can a person take in a year? I’d like to find out.

David J. O’Morchoe and Patrice Skalko O’Morchoe ’84: In March 2022 I retired after 30 years as a general ophthalmologist in Poulsbo and Port Townsend, Washington. Adjusting from a very busy surgical practice to retirement has been much easier than I expected. Pat and I have enjoyed a year of travel and, for me, too many hobbies. I have no fear of being bored, and Pat seems to be tolerating my being around more quite well. We are fortunate that our adult children live close by. It seems that we wear them out just by our busy schedule. Lawrence taught us to be active in mind and body! Pat and I are not letting LU down!!

Anne M. Kocher: Excited to be starting a new role as sales director at Agilex Fragrances.

John M. Wiesman and Ted J. Broussard: I am working at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, teaching leadership, policy analysis and advocacy; directing the Doctor of Public Health program; and serving as the associate dean for practice. Prior to this, I served as the secretary of health in Washington State for eight years. My greatest leadership challenge ever was leading through a pandemic. My husband, Ted Broussard, and I made the cross-country move from Tacoma, WA, to Durham, NC. We love Durham—the food scene is great, Durham Bulls games are fun, and it has amazing theater at the Durham Performing Arts Center. Go Heels! Sorry Duke alum.

1984

Catherine R. Thome and Barry F. Farrara: In January, after 30 years of breeding hot peppers and tomatoes for several international vegetable seed companies, I retired, and I love it. My part time job is walking, swimming, doing Pilates so I can stay in shape to keep cooking, gardening, weaving, dyeing, and traveling. My job took me everywhere but Asia, so we are planning a monthlong trip to Japan in April 2024 and hope to eventually get to China and Vietnam. Between now and then we will keep up our twice-a-year visits to Wisconsin and

travel to a few places on our domestic bucket lists, many of them right here in California.

1985

Renee Boldt: Hello from Appleton, where I have the pleasure of driving through campus just about every day as I go about my community volunteer activities. We’re looking forward to catching up on delayed travel plans with trips planned to Southeast Asia and Israel this year. Both locations are a bit out of our comfort zone, but we’re really excited about both adventures. But you’ll find me in Door County this summer, so if you’ll be attending a Björklunden seminar or just vacationing, it would be fun to connect. Hugs to all.

Stephen J. Edwards: Hello everyone! My film Syndrome, K was released last August on most major streaming platforms and is now available worldwide. Exciting stuff, and now we are trying to make the movie version of the story that I directed for this documentary film. Staying very busy in the music world, just finished scoring a movie called Joe Baby, and more exciting projects coming up for 2023. Playing lots of golf & continuing to add to my collection of Steinways, including a 1945 model “V” which was sent to soldiers on the front lines during World War II—fascinating story! If you come to the Santa Monica area, drop me a line.

Glen D. Johnson and Catherine M. Johnson: I made an unexpected return to public service in January, when I began a job as chief of communications and external affairs for the Essex County District Attorney. I first met the new DA in the 1980s, when he was a detective in Salem, Mass., and I was the Salem City Hall reporter. We went our different professional tracks, but when I finished at Axios last year, he was running for DA. I always felt it was a very important job and volunteered to help—and here we are after he won. A new challenge and a chance to enact many ideas I’ve had about communications, social media, web design and community engagement.

Timothy X. Troy and Jacque Troy: I was honored this year with a Fulbright Scholar Award to teach and research at University College Dublin in the School of English, Drama & Film. I teach playwrighting to undergraduates, and audio drama and adaptation in the MA Writing for Stage and Screen program. The other part of my time is researching and writing a new play centered on the experiences of the great-grandfather of an Irish friend of mine. The play tells the story of Daniel John Stapleton, an accomplished athlete, pharmacist, and father of four in Kilkenny, who built bombs and made ammunition during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921). Enjoying my time here, and eager to share my discoveries back at LU next year.

Timothy M. Sievers and Jenna L. Sievers: My wife, Jenna, and I are enjoying our life on beautiful Lake Sunapee. I’m mostly retired at this point from my anesthesia practice. Jenna’s very busy with selling

real estate. We both enjoy skiing, tennis, travel, yoga, boating and hiking with our three standard poodles. Kids are all grown up and largely off our dime. Two engineers and a product designer. No marriages yet. I keep busy with volunteer work, mission trips and my duties as harbormaster for our marina. Life is good!!!

James D. Houser: I am enjoying my relocation to Florida. I have expanded my college admission consulting business to include admission to graduate and professional schools. I have become active with my professional association, the Independent Educational Consultants Association. I am chairing its subcommittee on graduate STEM and arts admissions. In addition to my work on the graduate committee, I am also serving on the financial aid committee. I am happy that Lawrence University gets high marks from my colleagues for the need and merit-based aid it offers. I have a pretty substantive website and series of blog posts for those of you who are interested in it: www.educ8fit.com

Lisa Muller Johnson and Jeffrey M. Johnson: After raising three kids, I am taking some time for myself. I moved to Denver, and I am loving the mountains and the sunshine. I am also enjoying spending time with my adult children. Such a gift! After a lifelong interest in photography, I have joined some groups to help me better my images. I have also gone on photography retreats to Gardens, Grand Lake, Moab, and the Oregon Coast, and I have more in the future. It has been life changing! I have met so many wonderful people & learned just how much I don’t know about photography. Will be at Björklunden 6/25–6/30 for a seminar and would love to see you. Look me up on Instagram.

Kristi A. Ross-Clausen and Brian L. Clausen: Last fall I started a new position at Madison College where I lead the new stage and entertainment technology certificate, teaching folks to be stagehands and AV techs for a variety of career opportunities. During the summer, I teach technical theater classes for performing arts professionals in the theater department at UW–Madison. I’m still very active with the IATSE and Actors Equity, as well as USITT, AWTE, KCACTF, and the International Thespian Society. I help write questions for AVIXA’s certified technology specialist exam and USITT’s BACKstage CTE exam. When not making the entertainment industry safer, you can find me with my husband, Brian, playing trivia somewhere in Appleton.

Resli E. Costabell: I volunteer for a charity. The charity seeks to ensure elderly people can retain their bonds with pets, even if the people aren’t able to look after the animals. My role is shortterm fosterer. The phrase “short-term” is doing some heavy lifting: I’ve had my current charges for a year. I send photos and videos to their owner nearly daily, with stories about what their dogs are up to. It’s a joy, even though I seem to spend a lot

of time picking dog hair out of my toothpaste. Not much travel since COVID, but I had work trips to Prague and Dubai and have another coming up in Madrid. Very happy to be in contact with beloved Lawrentian friends.

Stephen G. Miller and Jessica A. Miller: Every week it’s the same story: I look at the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest and the veritas is not lux. It’s obscurum. I feel like I’m letting Warch, Fritzell, Dreher, Adenwalla, and Povolny down. Hope springs eternal though! Otherwise, things are good. I’ll have two kids in college during our next reunion. Anonymous gifts, winning lottery tickets and gas cards are now being accepted.

Margaret M. Maguire and Scott F. Cameron: As president of the Cambia Health Foundation, I work to advance equity through whole person health in underserved communities across the Pacific Northwest. My husband, Scott Cameron, retired from Portland Public Schools after 33 years as a middle school teacher. To celebrate Scott’s retirement, we took a road trip through Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut during peak leaf-peeping season. The fall foliage was absolutely spectacular; however, the highlight of the trip was catching up with fellow Lawrentians, Joanne Wolfe in Vermont and Kary Strickland and Casey Cordes in Connecticut. We are grateful for the lifelong friendships that formed in Appleton!

Debra Draeger Provence and David L. Provence: David and Debra Draeger Provence are living on a hobby farm in Nowthen, Minnesota, with their horses, hens, Border Collies, and several cats. David is a partner at Mueting Raasch Group working in the biotech patent space. Debbie is retired. She spends most of her time in the barn and in their perennial gardens when they’re not snow-covered. When David’s not working, he herds sheep with his dog, Piper. Their son, Ian, is working on his PhD in physical therapy, and their daughter, Kate, is working on her RN.

Tammie L. Follett: Working my dream job as the director of community relations at Thomson Reuters. I partner with many great organizations throughout the country. I also keep up with my charity work with great local nonprofits. I look forward to taking the helm as president of Books for Africa in January 2024. Traveling is back on schedule with Japan in April and trekking the El Camino Trail with Smile Network in September 2023. Both trips include wonderful friends! Looking forward to weekends with Lawrence friends in March and fun celebrations throughout the year. I am very fortunate that my family and friends are healthy and well. My mother passed away two years ago, a beautiful woman. Cheers!

Ellen E. Fleming and James D. Fleming: Life in Minnesota has improved greatly since I moved here on a frigid day in December 2017. My husband, Jim, is the director of taxes at Hormel

in Austin. Both of our children followed us to Minnesota in 2020. Grace, 27, lives just west of Minneapolis and works in marketing at a real estate company in Wayzata. Mary, 23, lives in downtown Minneapolis and is in her third year of graduate studies at UM. The most exciting news is that I embarked on a new career in 2022 and am working as an inpatient pharmacy technician at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester. I passed a national certification exam in January and am happily learning and growing every day.

Susannah Lurie Taylor and Edward J. Taylor: My husband, Ed, and I live in Madison, Wisconsin, and are empty nesters. Our two boys (26 and 23) are thriving, Nick in Boston, Massachusetts, and Henry in Austin, Texas. Professionally, I am the manager of business development with Badger Sports Properties/Learfield and proudly represent Wisconsin athletics. It is very rewarding to support the 900+ student athletes across all sports. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, including visiting my kids as often as possible. I also enjoy lots of hot yoga, especially during the winter months, and golf and biking during the summer.

Ann Buschhaus and Allan L. Ries ’87: I’m super happy with my job as a GIS researcher at the Wisconsin State Cartographer’s Office. Finally, the dream job! Al is working in the IT department of the Milwaukee Public Library. We celebrated our daughter Anke’s graduation from the University of Minnesota last May. She earned degrees in architecture and geography.

Kathleen A. Abromeit and John Sabin ’88: I was recently promoted to the head of the Oberlin Conservatory Library. Before this, I was the public services librarian for many years. I’m really excited to be working on a new book with my co-editor, Dyani Sabin, Music Information Literacy: Inclusion and Advocacy. It’s being published by Library Juice Press and should be out in 2023. The family is good, and John Sabin and I have filled the empty nest with a Goldendoodle puppy named Bialy. It’s like having a toddler again! What were we thinking? John, also a Lawrentian, still has his private psychotherapy practice and is also a regional coordinator for Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Sending lots of good wishes and joy to my classmates.

1987

Molly Boed and Roman Boed: We are back in Chicago after a very long time outside the US. Roman retired after 25 years with the United Nations in Arusha, Tanzania (5 years), and The Hague, The Netherlands (18 years), where we lived and raised our three sons. Now that we are back in the Midwest, we plan to go to Lawrence as often as we can, and we would love to see you if/when you are passing through Chicago! We are also now excited to travel around the U.S. finally, and hope to visit as many of you as will have us!

Jeffrey Jolton: Jeff Jolton has continued to enjoy life in Buffalo, NY, including evaluating the nuanced differences in Buffalo wings from different restaurants/bars, managing the stress of being a Buffalo Bills fan, and shoveling snow in shorts. Professionally, I have been loving my role as global leader of research and insights at Kincentric and serving on its executive leadership team. My kids are studying philosophy and in medical school, so the family group chat has ranged from discussing esoteric diseases to various ethical dilemmas, peppered with dark (sick) humor and pictures of cats—love it! My wife Marcy continues to build out her new clinical psychology practice, but she refuses to accept me as a patient.

Stephen C. Purdum and Julie Stoker Purdum: Steve and Julie Purdum are still in Grand Rapids, MN, where they operate Camp Mishawaka, a traditional summer camp. Julie continues her work as a public health nurse as well. We’ve been fortunate over the years to host the children of many Lawrentians at camp. We keep in good touch with the MSP LU crew and enjoyed reconnecting with Bob and Abby Countryman, among others, at Bob’s new brew pub. Our kids are grown and almost flown. Our daughter lives in northeast Minneapolis and works for NextGen America (a voter mobilization organization) as a press liaison. Our son will graduate from Miami, Ohio, this year and looks to head to Alaska for a stint before continuing his athletic training studies.

James D. Wagner and Laura E. Wagner: We have begun a marathon! We’re traveling to Portugal this spring—the first time overseas since COVID We have two weddings in the planning for my stepchildren, and my wife is planning her medical school reunion for this spring. I am finishing up my 35th year at John Burroughs School and have begun counting down my final years. Teaching remains a joy but other aspects, not so much. My daughter Amanda packed up from LA. While in New Hampshire plotting her next step, she landed the lead in Romeo and Juliet for a regional theater company and is happy to be acting again. On a trip to Door County two summers ago, we spent a lovely night in Appleton visiting LU. It was great to see the campus.

Daniel J. Galante: I’m back at Saint Patrick High School working in admissions and athletics and coaching varsity football as the defensive coordinator. In April 2022, I was inducted into the Chicago Catholic Hall of Fame, which is a prestigious honor. Go Vikings!

Anne Rupert Lamps and Mark F. Lamps: Two kids graduated this year (one undergrad, one with a master’s) and are gainfully employed. The youngest is progressing towards being a mechanical engineer. The nest has been empty and then not empty, several times, currently not empty with the oldest working locally and living at

home. Other than that, Mark is working hard, and I am doing the relaxing for both of us. I finally got to travel with him a few times last year, and more trips are coming up. There’s always home, hobbies and volunteering keeping me busy.

Connie L. Amon: I recently retired after 30 years with Chicago Public Schools and moved back to my childhood home in Delavan, WI.

Kristofer K. Swanson and Myrna Rosete Swanson: Kris has been appointed chair of the development committee of the Museum of Science and Industry’s Board of Trustees. MSI is the largest science center in the Western Hemisphere, with a mission to inspire the inventive genius in everyone.

David Aron Livingston: In May, I finished my first year in retirement after 25 years as an attorney for California’s Air Resources Board. I am grateful for LU’s crucial role in inspiring me toward and preparing me for that rewarding career. Now it’s time for (even more) cycling (including touring), stand-up paddleboarding, hot tubbing, and domestic and international travel, among other leisurely pursuits.

Mark W. Sachs and Gwen M. Sachs: 2023 marks my 3rd year of thanking Jesus Christ for another day of living since having a glioblastoma multiforme tumor removed in January of 2019. I had been in remission until a new tumor was found in a routine scan last summer. I completed another round of chemo and radiation, but this time we chose UWHealth in Madison. I decided to forgo the high dose chemo treatment and doubled down on my mostly vegan diet including daily big salads. We were amazed at the outpouring of support from our friends and family as we were invited to stay at an acquaintance’s house during treatments in Madison. What a blessing as we made some new lifelong friends, including their pets:). Light, More Light!

Lewis E. Winkler and Barbara C. Winkler: I continue to teach at the East Asia School of Theology in Singapore and am looking forward to a year-long teaching sabbatical starting June, where my wife, Barbara, and I will kick it off with a week-long spiritual retreat walking the Camino Del Santiago route in Spain. During the sabbatical I will be writing a book on the hiddenness of God, but we will also enjoy some time in the US catching up with family and friends. We are especially looking forward to meeting our third grandchild, a girl, due in early May, a Winkler-side family reunion in honor of my parents’ 65th wedding anniversary at Pelican Lake in Wisconsin in early August, and my 40th(!) high school reunion near Chicago in October.

Melissa Pahel Jacks: This is the time for weddings in my family! My daughter, Nicki, married her longtime partner, Megan, in a beautiful ceremony in Austin in April of 2022. They continue to live in LA.

Eight months later, my son married his long-time partner in a December wedding in Austin. Tyler is in his fifth year as a high school band director, and his wife is completing her second year of law school at UT. Finally, in June, my partner, Thomas, and I will marry in a small destination wedding near Portland, Oregon, in sight of falls, old-growth forests, and Mount Hood. After ten years, we decided it was time. Retirement affords me the time to play flute in more challenging ensembles and develop my photography hobby.

Amy Bell Lavalley and John Andrew Lavalley: I’m senior content editor for the Post-Tribune, one of the Chicago Tribune’s suburban papers, where I’m handling a nice mix of writing and editing. My husband, Andy, is a freelance photographer. Son Joe is getting a master’s in aerospace engineering at Purdue University. Daughter Anna is finishing a year in Vienna through DePaul University’s study abroad program and will return to Chicago for her senior year. She and I met up in London in February for a week and got to catch up with Resli Costabell ’85.

Janine M. Yanisch P’22: In June I proudly watched my daughter Maria Jankowski cross the stage at LU’s graduation ceremony. Yippee!! Working with and teaching instrumental students, young and not-so-young, brings much joy and satisfaction to life right now. I have reconnected with Carolyn Stickney Beck ’65 through Study Club (she got me involved) and First Players Band (I got her involved) here in Rochester. What fun! I’ve also been fortunate to have spent time with classmates Julie D’Andrea, Rob Hudson, and Connie Amon in the past few months.

Tammy J. Teschner P’25 ’20 and Patxi Delgado Rodriguez P’25 ’20: I have lived in Torrevieja, Spain, for 26 years, although now with an empty nest. My younger son Dylan Delgado is a sophomore at LU majoring in physics and is on the men’s tennis team. Go Vikings! My older son Aidan, LU ’20, is pursuing a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at UC–Berkeley. My hobbies include dog walks with my Pointer-mix Buddy, and I’m still playing piano and tennis doubles at our nearby club with clay courts. I often visit cultural and historical monuments around Spain and enjoy all the country has to offer.

1988

J. Adam Speer: Greetings to you all. It’s been a long time since I’ve filed a “report.” It feels like we’ve all been through a lot in the last few years; I sure have. I lost my partner of 16 years, Jennifer, last year after a long illness, through the isolation of COVID. She was a wonderful stepmom and an unbelievably sweet woman. We raised two fine young men. My oldest son is 26 and lives in Austin where he is a musician. He just got on with a rising young guy on the Texas honky-tonk circuit, Braxton Keith. I’m not a country music guy, but he is supporting himself nicely playing country-

rock guitar. My younger son is 24 and, having just earned his accounting degree at Washington State, has begun his career at a firm that specializes in nonprofits—saving the world through accounting! Both are now off the payroll! As for me, I now live in a little apartment in the shadow of the Space Needle with my Labradors, Maddy and Gus. After working in politics and government relations for 20 years, I became a middle school teacher. Hate the bureaucracy, love helping kids. I coached my boys’ hockey teams from 8U to 16U AAA and realized teaching was my sweet spot. No regrets. As I have gone through life’s challenges, I have come to know more than ever how important family is. Hug ’em tightly and be good to yourselves. And be well.

1989

Lynn Bebeau P’26 and Mark H.B. Williamson P’26: Twins Henry and Ella are both in college in Wisconsin which is “so different than Minnesota!” While Ella is a freshman at Lawrence, let’s be clear, she is not following in her mother’s footprints. She’s an A-student! Twin Henry has his own path and is an artist and musician studying all things design at UW–Stout. Mom continues her work as a wealth strategy executive for Bank of America and spends her free time training for her first full Ironman triathlon in September.

Lynda Sachs Nicholas and Blair Nicholas: My next chapter is very exciting. My husband and I purchased a 25-year-old vineyard in Dundee Hills, Oregon, and are building our brand and our business with plans to open in 2024. We will announce our new name, LucidWild, next month. You can follow our story on Instagram at NicholasFamilyVineyards. I’m still living in SoCal and managing our real estate business as well as keeping up with our 4 kids. My oldest daughter graduated UW–Seattle last June and is traveling for a year. My son is playing football at Princeton with hopes of going to the next level. My middle daughter is playing soccer at UCSB, and my youngest is a high school junior plotting out her plans for college.

Deborah M. Cullinan and Kevin Cunz: I am happy to report that I am still living in San Francisco with my family and celebrating my first year in a new role as the vice president for the arts at Stanford University. As the first person who is in this role full-time, my portfolio includes campus museums, public art, a concert hall and amphitheater, an innovative arts incubator, and several student and community-focused centers for study, research, and practice at the intersections of art, social change, and community wellbeing.

Jennifer Merrill Johns and Andrew S. Johns: Big changes for us in the last year. After the death of my father in 2021, we decided to move back to Maine last summer to be closer to Mom. I now live about 30 miles from where I grew up! Our new house is in the middle of the woods, and we love it—about 40 minutes from both the ocean to the east and the mountains to the west! I found a

job teaching 7th grade ELA at Massabesic Middle School, and my husband, Andy, works at USM in their theatre department. Our oldest, Kit, moved to Maine and now lives on their own while working remotely. Our youngest, Michael, is a third year at RIT and just switched majors from mechanical engineering to photography and loves it. Hope everyone is well!

1991

Susan Duncan Park and Jang Park: My family and I are based in rural Virginia, about 90 minutes south of D.C. I recently switched jobs and am now working as a proposal writer for a government contractor, which is the perfect job for a former English major. I also volunteer in various roles: the chair of our local county’s Democratic Committee, president of my younger daughter’s elementary school PTA, and co-chair of my church’s religious education committee. I keep in touch with several of our classmates and wish Appleton were closer to the Mid-Atlantic, so I could visit once in a while! My older daughter won the county spelling bee, and we are looking forward to the regional bee soon. Cross your fingers for her!

Jeffrey J. Letourneau and Nathalie Miguel: My wife Nathalie and I continue to live and work in New Jersey. Our eldest son, Luke, will be graduating from Rutgers University (Honors College) with a major in computer science and a minor in physics. He will be joining the work force and is thrilled to have a job lined up in New York City with one of the FAANG companies. Our younger son, Max, is currently a junior in high school and is very excited to spend part of this coming summer overseas in France as an exchange student.

Eric E. Palmer and Michaela Otto: My sons started college concurrently. One is on a twin track at his local tax authority, the other, industrial engineering, while I continue to enjoy work as a technical writer and translator in Bremen, Germany. I translated a book on the side on German Green politics, became a dual citizen, voted for the first time, and will soon celebrate three years with my true love.

Shirley Tse Forer and Edward J. Forer: I’ve been living and working in NYC since 2003 and am married with no children. I currently work as a risk manager for a large real estate development company and have recently started a master’s degree in legal studies from Pepperdine University. It’s primarily remote, but I get to go to Malibu a few times a year. I travel for work now and then and have been able to connect with a few Lawrentians on my journeys: Carl Schwendler in Seattle, Jason Hoogerhyde in Austin, and Bill Kampine in Nashville. I also travel a bit personally and have been to Cuba, Peru, Iceland, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Let me know if you’re ever in the Big Apple!

Christopher D. Hundhausen and Laura Girardeau Hundhausen: After 19 years as a computer science faculty member at Washington State University,

I accepted the job of my dreams at Oregon State University, where I have been working since June 2022. The great part is that I did not have to move to Corvallis, OR; I have a remote work arrangement that allows me to work from Pullman, WA. As a professor and associate head of online programs, I oversee OSU’s #5 nationally ranked computer science degree programs, while also directing OSU’s Center for Research in Engineering Education Online (CREEdO). My partner, Angela, and I just built a house in Hood River, OR, where we will move in 2026, after my daughter, Lily (a freshman), graduates from high school.

Sarah Haywood and Scott Haywood: Hi everyone! My husband Scott and I have retired and relocated to Portugal—we love it here, for lots of different reasons, but will be back to the states regularly as we have a new granddaughter! Hope all of you are well and savoring every bit of your lives.

Paul T. Snyder and Amy Snyder: Paul Snyder and his family relocated to Portland, OR, just before the pandemic as he became EVP of Stewardship at the Tillamook Cheese and Ice Cream company (don’t hate me, Wisconsin cheese fans!).

Chris Naumann and Laura M. Ryan: Life in Bozeman, Montana, is good. My wife, Laura Ryan, and I enjoy the outdoors with our blue cow dog, Sage. Our son, Christopher, is a student at Montana State University. In 2021 I began the next chapter of my career as a senior planner with Sanderson Stewart, an interdisciplinary consulting services firm that plans and designs enduring communities across the intermountain west. Earlier this year I was promoted to Sanderson Stewart’s Bozeman branch manager after being named an associate on the corporate leadership team the year prior.

Erica Langhus Sarahong: I’m still in Arizona finding people in engineering jobs for ManpowerGroup and raising my 15-year-old son, Maddox, alone after a divorce. (My daughter, Nikki, is back from Peace Corps living nearby and working for the same company in IT recruiting. I guess that makes me an influencer?!? LOL) Utilized my Lawrence anthro education for a glorious month at the end of 2021 working abroad and touring as many Mayan sites as possible in my free time between Chiapas and the Yucatan peninsula. Professor Mason would be excited with all the new knowledge and some of the conservation being done by Mexican archaeologists. I am always happy to see any fellow Lawrentians when they come to Phoenix—look me up!

Elizabeth Keckonen Hejl P’15 and Martin Hejl: In August 2022, a new family member joined us—a young Harris hawk we named Kaya. My husband and I live in Germany and became falconers in 2020, and together with Kaya we hunt crows, magpies, pigeons and in the future perhaps hares as well. Our world now revolves around our hawk and her well-being, and it’s an absolute joy! Part of

my hawking gear is my LU sweatshirt, which both protects my arm somewhat and has pockets big enough for Kaya’s tidbits (rewards for returning to me when she’s flying free). When I’m not hawking I still teach German to immigrants. I’ll be returning to the US for the first time since 2019 for my son’s wedding in August 2023.

Lorena E. Prime: Hi everyone! Things are good here in Boston where I’ve been since 2005. I started my own company, Clearly Organized, in 2008. I teach in-person and virtual seminars at organizations and coach individuals on time management and personal productivity. I love this type of work! Next year, my dog Daisy and I are buying an RV travel trailer and will do a trip around the US. She is doing much of the planning and is very excited to meet new people and chase squirrels! (I’m a little nervous about the meals she has planned.) I’ll be a digital nomad for part of each year with the remainder spent between Boston and Ft. Myers, Florida. (I’m done with snow and cold!) I hope to see you in my travels!

Thomas R. Zoellner: Erin Dunkerly and I welcomed our second son, Henry Wilson Zoellner, on Jan. 11, 2023. My book, Rim to River: Looking Into the Heart of Arizona (University of Arizona Press), published on Feb. 28, 2023.

Lara S. Grant: I am currently serving as the president general of the National Society Dames of the Court of Honor (a lineage society for women who can trace their families back to a commissioned officer in one of the early American wars). In addition to helping the American Battlefield Trust preserve historic battlefields throughout the United States, as part of my term, NSDCH is also raising funds to help today’s veterans by providing therapy activity kits to those dealing with Post Traumatic Stress who attend the veterans’ retreats at The Highground in Neillsville, WI. Besides my regular job, I’m the genealogist for the Ripon Historical Society and provide genealogy research for others.

Manita Freer Sacrey and John P. Sacrey: I am still plugging away as school funding manager for Arkansas public schools, but I am also in discernment for the Episcopal priesthood. I will likely be back in school this fall. I plan to be bi-vocational for a while, then retire from my state job and be a full-time Episcopal priest. Stay tuned for updates.

Steven A. Houghton and Kaoru Houghton: I remain living in Piermont, NY, with my wife, Kaoru, and four children (Tyler, Hannah, Sophia and Malia). Mid-pandemic, my work status changed dramatically, and I found myself as a primary caregiver for the children as my wife returned to school to study nursing in an accelerated program. Fast-forward two years and after I had stints providing them with living experiences in Japan and Mexico City, she finally completed her program and is working. Our two

youngest are now almost old enough to enroll in kindergarten, so I’m beginning to look for positions in international education again. We enjoy a strong neighborhood community and abundant cross-cultural opportunities with friends and family.

Sherrill Weller Knezel and Chad W. Knezel: I am still enjoying teaching elementary art in the metro Milwaukee area and have been loving growing my graphic recording/illustration business, Meaningful Marks. I get to be a dedicated listener in the room as I capture the essence of the conversation with images and text. So fun! I also published my first book in October 2022. Heart Speak: A Visual Interpretation of Let Your Life Speak is a collaboration with author, educator, and activist Parker J. Palmer. It is 70+ hand-drawn illustrations of his words paired with personal reflections and open-ended questions, conversation, and reflection.

1992

Daniel J. Kelly and Kimberly Kelly: I am still in Dallas, Texas, with my family and serve as senior vice president and deputy general counsel at Vistra Corp. (NYSE: VST), a Fortune 270 company. In my role, I advise senior management and oversee all litigation, labor and employment, environmental, and regulatory compliance matters for the company. Our daughter, Kaitlin, is in her second year at Claremont McKenna College, and our son, Brendan, will be attending Bates this fall where he will be on the rowing team.

1993

Anthony J. Alioto: At the beginning of December, I relocated from Switzerland to Thailand. I am still working for the United Nations, but in a new post. I thought it would be strange wearing shorts and swimming outdoors in late December, but it turns out I’m fine with it.

Lili M. Kim: Lili’s new scholarly book, Decolonization Dreams: Korean Americans’ Transnational Freedom Struggle during World War II, will be published by the University of North Carolina Press in Fall 2024. It examines the entwined history of Korean Americans’ anticolonial fight for Korean liberation from the Japanese empire and their resistance to the U.S. empire’s wartime white supremacy in Hawaii and the continental United States during World War II. She was promoted to full professor of history and global migrations at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. She and her family lived in Seoul, South Korea, during the 2017–2019 academic years, while she was a Fulbright Senior Scholar.

Kurtiss G. Wolf and Renee Nyhus Wolf: I can’t wait for reunion! At our last one, I was happily unemployed, having recently sold my business. I just hit year three in my new venture, and I’m grateful to share it is going well. While I don’t have the energy I did for my first one, I’m smarter at it, so it’s less stressful (most days). On the family front, we now have two teenagers: Liam is 17, and Alexandra is 15. That has been a huge adventure! As a family, we still try to spend as much time as we can in the mountains near Winter Park, CO, hiking, skiing, biking, paddleboarding, etc. We also try to travel as much as we can ... especially post-pandemic! Finally, I still love live music and meeting up with friends for drinks.

Celia Lyke Kane and Kevin Kane: My two sons and husband keep me busy and laughing here in Portland, Oregon. The older son is looking at colleges, maybe Lawrence, mostly on the west coast. In 2019, I graduated from Western Seminary here in Portland with an MA in ministry and leadership and began volunteer work in the state women’s prison doing the addictions recovery workbook, Genesis Process. It’s rewarding, may evolve into prison chaplain work. Acrylic and watercolor painting continues to be my favored art medium, as well as sewing and knitting. My sons are very athletic, and we spend a lot of time in the Columbia River Gorge. My sister, Sara, LU class of ’96, lives in Toledo, Ohio, and owns Shivers Ice Cream shop.

Kristin A. Wensing: I am kicking off 2023 with a new job as director of products and services for an association that provides talent management solutions for credit unions in North America. It’s an exciting new chapter in my career, and I couldn’t be happier for the opportunity to work in the field of leadership development and training once again ... and leave the past few years behind me. I am looking forward to my first vacation in three years this summer when I head to Door County with my mom (Mary Prince Wensing ’62) for a Björklunden seminar. If your travels bring you through Madison, let me know!

Eric N. Jurgens and Katrina Blasingame: I’m approaching my 13th year at the College of Menominee Nation as a member of the liberal studies faculty, where I have also served on various

Left to right: Kelly Swett Riordan, Laura Heuser Kimball, and Oli Harris Barkoff—all ’93—in Summer 2022, in Glencoe, Illinois.

Andy Ager ’93 and Jeff Wiggins ’93 in Boston this past fall.

committees as well as on the National Advisory Council of the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education. My partner is a fulltime visual artist.

Elizabeth Blackwell Nelson and David C. Nelson: After wading through chest-high water at 4am to escape St. Louis flooding this past July, losing two cars and everything in the basement, we regrouped and sent both kids off to college—New Hampshire and London. Now to enjoy our city’s new major league soccer team, new hobbies, social justice activities, and an empty nest. Fellow Lawrentian Kristin Wensing ’93 sent me a replacement for a lost prized possession from the basement—a copy of Freshman Studies’ Chuang Tzu! So now that’s at the top of my reading list. I hope you are all well!

Seth Lindenfelser and Ellen Lindenfelser: Still live in St. Paul. Love northern Minnesota for canoeing, camping, and skiing; though for some reason, since the pandemic kicked off, I have found myself missing the New England of my youth. Not the crowds or invading New Yorkers, but the mountains, forests, and ocean. Life is good here for my family, and I have been taking classes in an attempt to go back to school for a new degree. Turns out my 30-year-old science credits aren’t worth much and even if they were, I forgot I wasn’t that good a student back then. We love to travel as a family. Last year was Banff and Lake Louise for fun in the snow. This spring will be San Diego for sun and surf.

1995

Jason M. Kruk and Audra Kruk: My wife, Audra, and I live in Greenwich, CT. We are raising an 8-year-old daughter and often spend time with our older kids, 24 and 26, in Providence, RI. I just completed my third degree, this one in educational administration. While I am still teaching music and playing drums, I am pursuing assistant principal and principal openings in my school district. Still cheering for the Pack! We travel regularly and are about to leave for Paris for 10 days! During the summer, we travel quite a bit. I still gig, record, and write music when time permits. 50 came way too fast!

Dawn M. Magnusson and Joseph Magnusson: My partner and I are enjoying life in Colorado with our dog, Rusty! We’re happily employed at the University of Colorado (me) and Scienta Omicron (Joe) to help support our travel bug.

Anne Woodbridge Coventry and Gregory J. Miller: I spent spring semester 2022 in Europe, working remotely and “Rome-schooling” my younger two kids (Hazel, now 11, and Clark, now 9) while my spouse (Greg Miller) taught at Catholic University’s Rome Center. The kids and I spent the first three months with Greg in Rome and the rest of the semester running around the British Isles, then we all sailed home together (by way of NYC) aboard the Queen Mary 2. My oldest (Jack, now all grown up at 25) is in Burlington, VT, gainfully

employed at building computers. I also enjoyed a 2022 summer seminar at Björklunden with my dad (Dale Coventry ’66). It may be challenging for 2023 to top all that, but here’s hoping!

Andrew A. Mertens: I am living in Oshkosh with my wife, Sharon, and my 8-year-old daughter, Ada. I am the founder and owner of the Oshkosh T’ai Chi Center where I teach music and T’ai Chi and see clients for myofascial release and energy work. I still work as a musician with many local groups including the Jazz Orgy, Pegasis, Talk of the Town, Salsa Manzana, the Water City Jazz Orchestra, and the Swinging Johnsons.

Elizabeth Alden Mahony and Jonathan R. Mahony: We currently live in Overland Park, Kansas. Jon is in sales with Verizon Wireless, and I am a preschool teacher for 3-year-olds. Jack, our oldest, is graduating this spring from Whittier College in California. Charlie Flynn, our middle child, is a freshman at Oklahoma State University—Go Pokes! And our youngest, Abigail, is in 8th grade. We love traveling to see our kids and will celebrate our 25-year wedding anniversary this May.

Jerod A. Cottrill and Judy Cottrill: I am a sports medicine physician in Portland, OR. I am a team doc for the Portland Trailblazers as well as the US ski team. I write this from Planica, Slovenia, where I am covering the Nordic World Championships. I am celebrating 25 years of marriage to my wife, Judy, this summer, and we have two amazing children, Miles (18) and Ruby (15). We enjoy very active lives in the Pacific Northwest, skiing, cycling, mountain biking and paddle boarding. Judy is a peds ID doc at OHSU. Miles is lead guitar and singer in his rock band, which is currently recording, and he looks forward to college next year. Ruby is an accomplished bakery chef, drummer, tennis player and takes after her mother as a brainiac.

Thomas W. McKenzie and Jill Newman: Jill, Flora, and I moved from Los Angeles to Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, at the end of August 2022. I’m happy to share, if you haven’t heard, that I’m the new Director of Björklunden! After 21 years immersing myself in the amazing community and culture of LA, the stars finally aligned for us to return to the Midwest. I cannot describe how meaningful it is to be back contributing to the Lawrence University and Door County communities in this way. I hope you’ll pay the campus a visit, or better yet, see if there’s a seminar you’d like to attend with your family and treat yourself to a week of contemplation and peace alongside Lake Michigan.

Matthew A. Austin: Welcome to 2023 to the Class of 1995!! 2022 was the year of change for me. After being in education for 25 years as a teacher and coach, I changed my focus and profession after making the move to work at Promega as a training specialist. I am now working in adult education and revamping the way we look at training our professionals. I am enjoying the change and new

challenges. I have actually been able to spend more time with my two kids, who are into rowing and lacrosse. Love being up north with family and friends slowing down, relaxing, and having some good old-fashioneds.

Michelle M. Speiser: Partway through 2022 I shifted my career quite a bit and am now part of the talent attraction team for Baker Tilly, a top 10 CPA firm; I primarily recruit tax and audit professionals in the Bay Area of California. Never fear—I still live and play in Milwaukee, WI, and enjoy recruiting remotely for the team in the Bay. With the industry change, some years-long burnout, and in effort to establish some balance, I scaled down on my volunteer activities for now. Yet, I remain active in the music and arts scene in Milwaukee; I am dabbling in my own writing and art. I frequently connect with my family and friends, including my three nieces and a nephew who are all around the ‘tween’ stage.

Rebecca Marsh Redmann and Stephen R. Redmann: We survived the pandemic years, but I was sad that our Lawrence reunion fell victim to it! I continue to live and work in the Madison, WI, area with my husband of 26 years and our fifth-grade son. In 2021, I began a new adventure as a teaching artist for the Lullaby Project at the Overture Center, and I absolutely adore it. If you’d have asked me (or quite probably most of my conservatory professors) in 1995 whether I would ever consider myself a “songwriter,” I’d have laughed, but now I’ve written and recorded dozens of songs for families, and I’m looking forward to many more. This year I hope to return to performing as a singer-songwriter, and I’m actively looking for opportunities!

Jamie Reeve: 2022 was a milestone year. Not only did I reach 25 years employed at Northern Trust, but I also turned 50. My wife Maggie and I live in Shorewood, WI, where we’re raising three teens and two Golden Retrievers. I keep active as a volunteer, playing as much golf as possible, cheering for the Packers and enjoying bourbon old-fashioneds with family and friends whenever thirst needs quenching.

1997

Heather Beckett Oakes and Daniel Oakes: We bought our first (and only!!) home! Solid stone walls, older than we know, with a secret garden and everything we could want in the center of town on the northeast coast of Ireland. We’re doing it up slowly. You can follow @dampproofing_narnia on Instagram if you want to keep in touch and see how we’re getting on. Three boys, two in secondary, one in primary. Oldest has a job at the pub next door, youngest sings, middle fella played cello in Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland at Carnegie Hall for St. Patrick’s Day. I look forward to catching up with Maya Guitierrez ’97 (piano) and her sofa! Come see the orchestra as there are still tickets, and it’s an Irish spectacle like no other with dancers and more.

LEFT: From left to right: Paul Lamb ’98, Scott Trigg ’99, Aaron Marrs ’99

RIGHT: From left to right: Paul Lamb ’98, Megan Conley, Aaron Marrs ’99, Melissa-Jane Taylor, Scott Trigg ’99

Allison (Walter) Volkman: After leaving my job as a gun violence prevention organizer with Doctors for America in June, I’ve been focused on my own mental and physical health after a few setbacks in those categories. Grateful for therapy, hot yoga, a supportive family, and friends, I am back to playing a lot of ultimate frisbee, this time with my 16-year-old daughter. Nate’s and my 14-year-old is a cool theatre kid so lots of shows and rehearsals to attend, which I love. By the time this goes to print, hopefully I’ll be back in the paid workforce, and will look forward to updating LU Class Notes soon.

Alice Randolph Kroh and Reed Kroh: Alice will end her career in teaching this May in order to embark on a new career in counseling. During the next year, she will complete an internship in clinical mental health counseling through a private practice that focuses on dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She looks forward to the opportunity to support adolescents and young adults as they go through their life journey.

Ellen Farrell Baker: I live in beautiful MidCoast Maine and am finalizing my third novel, The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson, the story of a Midwestern family that discovers long-lost secrets through an at-home DNA test, for publication by Mariner Books in winter of 2024.

1998

Della K. Graham: I am currently living in southwest Kansas helping my parents with their quarter horse racing “retirement project,” where I live across the street from my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. I am working as a business analyst for LERETA Real Estate Tax and Flood where I have been employed since 2018. I have been working in the real estate tax space since 2003. Since 2013, I have been the Concert Operations Manager for the Roswell (NM) Symphony Orchestra. I am a member of the oboe sections in both the Roswell Symphony Orchestra (since 2000) and the San Juan Symphony in Durango, CO, and Farmington, NM (since 2018).

1999

Sarah A. Hunt: After two pandemic years working on a small, organic vegetable farm in East-Central Minnesota, I spent 2022 working for my local food co-op in St. Paul while ramping up with Climate Land Leaders, a new nonprofit that organizes Midwestern farmers and landowners working to alleviate climate change through land stewardship

and conservation. I’m learning a ton—from soil organic carbon, cover crops and managed grazing, to regional, state, and federal agriculture and climate programs—and I’m grateful for the relationships and encouragement and my liberal arts education from Lawrence which have helped me navigate this career transition. Cheers!

Scott G. Trigg and KumHee Cho: In the fall of 2021, KumHee and I moved from Hong Kong to France, where I am a researcher with the history of astronomy group at the Observatoire de Paris. KumHee continues to work remotely as a researcher on a collaborative oral history project focusing on the Korean minority in Japan. In January 2023 we welcomed our first child, Etienne, and he has completely taken over our days and nights! We feel lucky to be living in Paris with time to explore and experience the city as “locals.”

Melinda Bayne Bowman and David L. Bowman: It’s hard to believe I have been teaching German at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis for 11 years now! I continue to play viola in the Carmel Symphony. My husband David works for Navient in Fishers as a systems analyst. Our daughter Veronica is a freshman at Fishers High School (my ninth-grade students are the same age as her, how is this possible?!). She plays double bass in orchestra. Our son Stephen is in sixth grade and started the French horn this year. In March 2022, both Veronica and Stephen joined a BSA Scout troop in Fishers; I am now an assistant scoutmaster for both the girls and the boys’ troops. My kids and I are having the best time going on campouts together.

Elissa Davis Hoffman and Timothy Hoffman: I’m in my second year as principal at Brillion High School (Brillion, WI), which is located about 20 miles east of Lawrence University. My husband and I celebrated the graduation of our older son from Fox Valley Tech this winter and are excited that our younger son will be graduating from high school in May and heading off to UW-Eau Claire in the fall.

Dr. Ellen Turner Wenberg and Neil H. Wenberg: I just returned from a fabulous February vacation in California with Elissa Davis Hoffman ’99 and Sarah Bohn ’99 and am grateful to Neil Wenberg ’00 for holding down the fort with our two boys, Miles (16) and Nolan (14). Neil and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary during a blizzard on December 23, 2022. We live just outside

Waupaca, WI, where I am in my 16th year of employment with ThedaCare as a family physician/ geriatrician in post-acute/long-term care facilities. Neil coaches soccer and curling, in addition to volunteering for various school and community activities. We are looking forward to hosting our first foreign-exchange student from France this spring.

Christine Jones Benedict and Eric S. Benedict: Eric Benedict and I continue to enjoy life and work in Madison, WI. We kicked off the new year dog sledding in Sweden’s Arctic Circle, and we’re looking forward to celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary in Banff, Canada, this summer. We’ve picked up pickleball, and if you have too, maybe we can play at our 25th reunion next summer! Hope to see you June 13-16, 2024.

2001

Lyndsay Sund and Marcelo Andres Diaz Pinto: I am plugging away at the day-to-day, being a mom to my girls and working remotely, which gives me some freedom to volunteer at school, get outside for a walk when it’s nice, and get the kiddos on and off the bus. I recently picked my flute back up after 20 years and joined the community band. It has been wonderful to be involved in music again. My daughters are 6 and 9, and I absolutely love these ages. They’re fun, interested in the world, and are up for all the travel adventures and field trips.

Joshua E. Lavik and Jenna Lavik: My wife and I live in Madison with our three boys (11, 7, and 7). My real estate business is going well and I’m looking for additional agents for growth. We spend our free time skiing/snowboarding, biking, camping, and boating.

Sara Schlarman Russell and Ian J. Russell: Sara Schlarman Russell and Ian Russell continue to live in Bettendorf, Iowa, where Sara is a high school social studies teacher, and Ian is an attorney. Sara is currently serving as the 2022 Iowa Teacher of the Year and has enjoyed her year of traveling the state and country connecting with students, teachers, and future educators. In June, Ian will begin his term as the president of the Iowa Bar Association. Between the two of them, Sara and Ian spend a lot of time traveling the state. Their twin sons, Gavin, and Aiden, will be freshmen in high school in the fall, and Sara is looking forward to having them in the same building as her for the next four years.

Peter Levi and Andrea L. Ward ’02: We found our way back to Wisconsin after a seven-year layover in Iowa. We are living on the southern shore of Lake Superior and enjoy being in a location where “small craft advisories” are a regular feature of the weather report. Maybe we’ll rekindle the Woods-toWater relay for all the Lawrentians that participated in the past.

2002

Dr. Joseph V. Nelson: Dr. Joseph V. Nelson was appointed visiting assistant professor for music at the College of the Holy Cross for the academic year 2022-23. His previous appointments include adjunct lecturer in music for the Dougherty Family College at the University of St. Thomas and for the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He recently completed his Ph.D. in musicology with a doctoral minor in comparative studies from the University of Minnesota, where he also earned an M.A. in musicology. He has a chapter in the book Belonging and Detachment: Representing Musical Identity in Visual Culture (Duke University Press, 2022) and a chapter in Musical Spaces: Place, Performance, and Power (Taylor and Francis, 2021). He has two forthcoming publications this next year, a chapter in The Routledge Companion to Early-Modern Music and Literature and an article in the journal Studies in Eighteenth-Century Culture He is in talks with a publisher to produce his first book based on his research, likely due out in 2024 or 2025. This next year he looks forward to performing again and plans a recital of music by William and Henry Lawes, a program of arias by Handel and Vivaldi, and excerpts from Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. When not teaching, researching, or singing he is workshopping the manuscript for his first novel and two novellas that will come out in the next two years.

2003

Emilie J. Walgenbach and Kieran Hanrahan: I’m still living in Brooklyn, NY, and am in year 11 of working for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. My partner Kieran and I welcomed a baby girl (Elliot) in May 2020, and she’s been keeping us on our toes ever since. Looking forward to what the next year will bring!

Elisabeth P. Dhillon and Varinder S. Dhillon: Hello! We live in Virginia and have two boys and a new dog! I teach music, direct a private studio, perform, and give French lessons. I am considering returning to school to continue a doctoral degree in French. I hope you all are doing well. Love from Virginia.

David A. Chidsey: Hello Lawrence! My music activities have focused on touring with the United States Guitar Orchestra in 2022. We premiered at Merkin Hall, Lincoln Center, Madrid, Granada, and Sevilla, Spain. Currently preparing for tours with the New York City Guitar Orchestra and New Jersey Guitar Orchestra, preparing the “Concierto de Los Angeles” with USC’s Bill Kanengiser as soloist. Recording with the Virtual Guitar Orchestra

events for YouTube, Facebook, etc., and teaching high school music for 14 years. I purchased my home in 2020 in the Catskills and have been busy remodeling the bathroom lately. Monumentally, I’ve recently paid off student loans! Life is good.

Courtney Miller Rosen and Elie Rosen: My fiveyear-old son has introduced us to the world of monster truck rallies—and I like it (with two levels of earplugs). I have more motivation than ever to do laundry because if my three-year-old daughter’s favorite dress is dirty, we’re in for a rocky morning. My eight-year-old daughter is exerting her full teenage persona as she hangs out with our exchange student each year. We’re all enjoying the winter because, in Texas, it’s hiking season with beautiful 70-degree days. If you get down to the San Antonio/Austin area, we highly recommend Enchanted Rock as it lives up to its name. I’ve gotten involved in local politics, fundraising, and committees. No one is more surprised than me.

Amy Svoboda Menzel and Michael Menzel: I have been working as an attorney at Hammett, Bellin and Oswald, LLC in Neenah for the last 10 years and focus my practice on criminal defense, family law, and personal injury. My husband, Mike, is selfemployed as a plumber and home builder. We have two children, Michael (10) and Harper (4), who keep us busy with their sports and other activities.

Erin M. Pryor Ackerman and Albert E. Reiser ’02: Al Reiser and I moved from Wyoming to Walla Walla, Washington, this summer for Al to work as associate athletic director at Whitman College. We’ll miss the five-minute drive to the mountains but look forward to starting to garden in April rather than June. Our two kids Zadie and Ellie are making friends and enjoying the local parks. Zadie has joined Girl Scouts, and we are currently dipping our toes into the sometimes-intense world of selling Girl Scout cookies. I still work (remotely) for the Veatch Program at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, supporting progressive organizations throughout the country.

Elizabeth J. Mensing: I am embarking on a new journey as a small business owner. I have been making small-batch ice cream since 2014 under the business name Pints by Beth. This summer I will be opening a shop in the Highland Park neighborhood in Des Moines, IA. I will be capitalizing on my ability to connect with people and foster community, both skills I embraced and enhanced with my years at Lawrence.

Maria L. Woodbury: Hi loves! I’ve realized that being cis was just a phase I went through for attention and am embracing middle-aged enbyhood and letting the genderfluids flow. Throwback to when I introduced myself freshman year as “basically a gay guy” and my AIM name was Dave. Pandemic times have been tough, some things have changed since I saw you last. I learned some details of my ancestor’s role in colonization, very nasty, acab. I crochet now. I planted a hazelnut

shrub last fall and hope it does ok. I don’t really enjoy reading books the way I used to. A squirrel is nesting in my shed. Some big changes are coming up too. I’m not sure what yet, but we’ll all find out. Love you all, and thanks for reading!

Ali Levesque and Tatum E. S. Braman: This has been an exciting year in Montana’s music world! The love of my life, Sara Schultz Levesque, and I won the positions of co-concertmasters for the Glacier Symphony in Kalispell, MT. In addition, we both hold principal positions in the Missoula Symphony Orchestra and the Helena Symphony. We lead a busy concertizing life and enjoy our rustic hot springs adventures with our two children, Henry (12) and Neil (10).

Carolynn M. Dude and Marco Rathjen: I don’t have much new to report—I am still working as a high-risk pregnancy doctor in Atlanta, fighting the good fight for reproductive rights in the Deep South. My kids continue to grow—our older two are now official tweenagers, and my little one is almost three and speaks an odd mix of English/ German/toddler. I have really enjoyed the return to travel post-COVID, and hope to see everyone at reunion next year ... surely, it’s only been 10 years since graduation?

Miriam C. Lara-Mejia and Elkin Lara-Mejia: Miriam Lara-Mejia (née Lara-Meloy) left the nonprofit world, where she’d worked for over 15 years, to pursue a career as a body positivity media creator. Her brand, La Gorda Feminista, reaches millions of people on social media, and she is regularly invited to lead trainings, speak at conferences, and be interviewed for media outlets. She is currently in negotiation deals for her first podcast and book. She lives in California with her husband and son.

Christopher E. Worman and Alecia N. Ball: Midlife crisis! Moved back to Europe (Holland this time), started a new nonprofit (financing digital infrastructure in historically digitally redlined communities), got a dog, had a kid, and bought a station wagon ... I can’t complain.

Katie A. Reimer: I’ve been traveling a lot for my new job as executive director of World Day of Prayer International (worlddayofprayer.net). I went to the Cook Islands in August to facilitate a workshop for women writing the program for 2025. In September, I went to Karlsruhe, Germany, for the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches. In October, I went to Ghana for the induction ceremony of our new chairperson. In November, I had emergency surgery for a ruptured ovarian cyst and ended up needing a second surgery in December. I had endometriosis excision surgery and was grateful to receive such good medical care.

John D. Gale and Autumn Quinn: I continue to be an at-home parent! Anna (5.5 years old) and James (1.5 years old) are growing and learning quickly, and it’s wonderful to be able to support the family and build a home that they can grow

up in. I suppose it’s not wonderful when both kids are home sick half the time, but hey, at least I can be there to stay home with them (and then get sick myself). Side projects include continuing with photography, choral singing, gardening, and finding science projects to help the kids have fun after school.

2005

Helen M. Truax and Jesse D. Norton: This year I became the enterprise-wide lead for the Asian Community at Ecolab, an employee resource group supporting Ecolab’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Kathleen A. Lukin: After riding out pandemic life in Los Angeles (including a pandemic wedding to my partner, Jon), we have flipped coasts and are settling into life in the DC/DMV area. I’ve also moved back into external consulting in the OD and strategy space after years of corporate, internal OD and learning service and am enjoying the deep learning opportunities in navigating the government contractor space. We welcome all suggestions for the best gems in DC to eat and play, and I continue to adore all opportunities to connect with my LU community!

Paul D. Wolfram: Hello friends! I always enjoy reading everyone’s notes, so it’s about time I send one of my own. I live in New York City with my wife, two kids (ages 5 and 3), and a cat. I pivoted away from cello playing, embracing a new and rewarding career in development at The Perlman Music Program, a terrific organization I’ve been a part of since 2009.

Ellen E. Renker and Patrick Renker: In June 2022, we welcomed Baby Sarah to our family. Big brother Liam is in love. He started Universal TK in the fall, which was rolled out early in San Diego. He loves it and his new school. Still handling environmental documentation for transportation projects and will be excited when the new Port of Entry in Otay Mesa is complete. I have been working on it for eight years now and going on my 15th year at Caltrans. Time flies by!

Paul J. Schonfeld: In July 2022, I accepted a new role with the National Center for Computer Science Education (NCCSE). After 9 years teaching high school physics, engineering, and computer science, my new role as district support coordinator allows me to focus on supporting school districts around K-12 computer science education initiatives. I remain in Duluth, Minnesota, working at the College of St. Scholastica (home to NCCSE).

Shi-Hsia Hwa: To my surprise, I am back in the USA. I finished my Ph.D. in Durban, South Africa, in December 2021—managed to add a chapter on coronavirus to my thesis—and started a postdoctoral fellowship at NIAID in March 2022. If anybody is passing through DC and wants to say “hi,” let me know.

Tracy Marie Buck and Matthew B. Buck: We moved closer to family during the pandemic, which meant a 15-minute shorter commute. Often, we play board games like Honey Buzz, Periodic: A Game of the Elements, and good old traditional Monopoly. My partner Matt and I have four children; three of them will be at the same charter school this autumn. I stay busy running them to karate, violin and cello lessons, and Cub Scouts. I have been having some minor health problems with my thyroid and had it removed this past summer. Ten months later I am still struggling to sing. I have branched out to piano and banjo as an outlet.

Monica Wulf Romano and Tomas L. Romano ’06: Hey! Love reading all your notes in each edition! Tomás and I live in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood with our favorite corgi, Winston. Tomás left the classroom and is working with his former LU roommate at the National Futures Association. He’s in their office of professional development actually using his philosophy degree by creating ethics trainings and keeping up on crypto and ChatGPT. He plays D&D or pickleball most evenings. I’m still teaching music at a Chicago public school in Rogers Park but changing careers to UX research. I’m actively applying now so hope to be hired by the time you’re reading this! Excited to fill my garden beds with seedlings I’m starting indoors.

Miranda J. Munro and Daniel Casner ’06: Daniel Casner and I are still working to build our farm. We’ve put in the main water line and have mostly figured out how to move the goats around the property. We’re working on building a house, a barn, and a perimeter fence this year. We have an egg business and have been working on hatching out chickens with an aim of having meat birds that are possible for us to breed. Our kids are all going to a private school in Davis and are doing well. The oldest is starting to plan her Bat Mitzvah, the youngest is about to graduate from preschool, and the middle two would like to report that they exist and that the middle is important too.

2007

Heath F. Gordon and Veronica A. DeVore: Heath and Veronica had a second kid in 2021: Emil Walker Gordon. Heath got a job as a data engineer, working mainly with streaming data, at a local startup. Veronica got promoted to head of audience at Swiss Info. She is currently enrolled in an executive program in news innovation and leadership at CUNY’s Craig Newmark School of Journalism.

Heather P. Prochnow and Brian Whitesell: I am currently living in Alexandria, Virginia, but will be moving to Colorado in April 2023 with my boyfriend, Brian. I have been working as a small animal veterinarian in general practice for the past ten years and plan to continue doing so in Colorado. I also recently qualified and competed in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, in October 2022, which was an incredibly awesome experience!

Dr. Eric A. Armour and Brandon Ancil: After too many years of school and training, I finally have a job! I recently started as an assistant professor in pediatric neurology at the University of Michigan. My husband, Brandon, is still working for Marvel. We are currently adjusting to Midwest living in Ann Arbor after 15 years away, in Nashville and NYC, and are reconnecting with Lawrentians here.

Susan Zolan Spang and Sarah Zolan: Sue Zolan Spang is the director of operations for Seattle’s Central Co-op, one of the largest consumer and worker-owned grocery cooperatives in the United States. She and her wife Sarah Zolan (as well as their enormous Old English Sheepdog, Otter) welcomed A+-rated baby Hank Zolan Spang on July 30, 2022.

Paris D. Wicker and Roger L. Wicker: In May of 2023, I graduated with my Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I, along with my husband (Roger) and two daughters (Jubilee and Elodie), am moving to Buffalo, New York, this summer as I start a new position as a tenure track assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. It’s been a dream of mine to become a professor, and I am so excited for the opportunity to continue my research and teaching with students.

Kevin R. Murphy: It’s been a busy two years. Moved to Las Vegas, began a career change to residential land development, got married, welcoming my first son next month … phew, when does it slow down?!

Mallory J. Giesen: On Nov. 7, 2022, we welcomed our daughter, Adelyn Lindsay Giesen, to the world.

2009

Sarah Marheine Gluckstein: In January 2023 I embarked on a new career as a freelance online tutor primarily for high school physics students, and I’m loving every minute! I’m grateful to my soon-to-be wife Iris for her financial support of me and our two cats while my career builds to a level where I can actually live on it.

Edward L. Toussaint and Hillary K. Reynolds: My wife Hillary and I welcomed our son August (Auggie) into the world last year! We’re living in LA month-by-month adjusting to our new lives as parents. I’m working with different health systems on innovation and care model design.

Caitlin White Magel and Chris Magel: My husband Chris, dog Strider, and I moved to Vancouver, WA, in November for Chris’s job. We are busy exploring the new outdoor adventure opportunities nearby and adjusting to life in a bigger city. The biggest adjustment will come in the summer of 2023 as we welcome a baby!

Elaine Kathryn Beckett Tipping and Brianna Beckett Tipping ’06: Our first kiddo, Bryce, turns three this year! Where did the time go? Also, I signed with Dark Horse Comics for a deal for three graphic novels for my original comic Pathways: Chronicles of Tuvana, and the first volume comes out in 2024! Working hard on prepping the book for print! We also ended up with two new cats (four total now, HELP) because a stray adopted us and brought us her babies. So we have a huge family ... mostly cats.

Dr. Jessica M. Vogt and Paul M. Merley: This past Thanksgiving, Paul Merley and I welcomed our second child, Maya Lynn Vogt. Big brother Noah Lester Merley is adjusting well, although, like any four-year-old, he sometimes has mixed feelings: he once built a “cage” of chairs around her. We live in West Ridge, Chicago, where we’ve been having a lot of fun transforming our backyard into a food garden with apple trees! Workwise, I have been granted tenure as an associate professor of environmental science at DePaul University, and I serve on the city’s new Urban Forestry Advisory Board. Paul is taking time off work to enjoy being with the kids and is on a quest to rid the garden of invading daylilies one fistful at a time!

Megan L. Bjella and Ian Aley: Hello, fellow Lawrentians! I am living in Madison, WI, with my husband, Ian, and 2-year-old daughter, Savanna. I work part time as an occupational therapist in outpatient upper extremity rehabilitation and am currently expanding my practice to postpartum rehabilitation. Working part-time allows me to tend to an extensive garden, enjoy time with my family, and experiment in the kitchen.

Stephanie M. Martin and Dustin A. Zimmerman: Hi everyone! We’re happily living in Milwaukee with my husband (Dustin Zimmerman), and our pets, Scoop (cat), Smudge (cat), and Cedric (dog). I’m looking forward to biking to all the awesome festivals that Milwaukee has to offer.

Spencer W. Neitzel and Savanah Grams: I relocated to Berlin in 2018, where I completed a teacher licensure program enabling me to teach in the German system. I currently teach the subjects of English and psychology at a local secondary school. My wife Savanah and I welcomed our daughter Alma to the world in June 2021.

Chiara P. Terzuolo: Chiara is still based in Tokyo, where she lives with her partner Tatsuro and two extraordinarily spoiled rescue kitties. After a stint in corporate culture, she now has a portfolio career that includes singing, acting, and writing. She is the co-anchor for the Japan Broadcasting Corporation program “Learning Japanese from the News,” which has provided the vocals for a number of videogames and movies and narration for all sorts of projects. Her first book, The Vegan Guide to Tokyo will be published in May, and she is working on a second book ... while drinking terrifying amounts of coffee. Get in touch if you ever visit Japan!

Christie M. McCowen and Brandon R. McCowen: Brandon and I continue to enjoy living in Appleton, enjoying shows at the PAC and on campus as restrictions are lifted. Last year I took a new position as the director of brand and marketing for Pineland Camping Park and am enjoying the variety and creative freedom that comes with helping a company under new ownership carve out a unique brand identity and deliver extraordinary brand experiences. I have tapped into many of the skills I honed during late nights at The Lawrentian, as well as the elements of my liberal arts education. While we haven’t been blessed with a family yet, we continue traveling the many avenues and options available and look forward to that journey, hopefully soon.

Gwendolyn C. Kelly-Masterton: Gwen is living in Skokie, IL, and working as a financial aid counselor (and designated Office Plant Lady) at Northwestern University. She and her partner Steve welcomed their child, Tamsin Lorelei, in November 2021.

Danielle Simandl: I am currently the executive director of Superior String Alliance (SSA) and coexecutive director of Pine Mountain Music Festival (PMMF), both of which are arts nonprofits based in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I am also the music director of SSA’s summer music camp and the proud owner of countless tie-dye T-shirts. I am a member of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra in Iowa and the Fox Valley Symphony in Wisconsin, where I am the principal second violin. I particularly love playing chamber music in unique corners of the Great Lakes region with the Superior String Alliance Chamber Players and the Tuuli Quartet, ensembles that both have many other LU alums who are my dear friends.

James M. Kloppmann: Big life moment this year when Mia Jarreau and I purchased a table saw. We might do some home repairs out in Monroe, WA.

Hanah J. McCarthy: I love my sweet little life in Montana, filled with friends, family, my wonderful partner, Mitch, and our beautiful fur baby, Frida. I have been in my senior management/controller role at the Community Food Co-op for two years now (a $30 million a year business and the only food cooperative in our state) and just celebrated my 13th anniversary with our company. I am proud to work for such a progressive, forward-thinking organization owned by our community, for our community. This upcoming year we have a fun international trip planned, as well as looking forward to adventuring in our camper, hiking, tons of live music and festivals, and trying to hit up every brewery in our state.

James Duncan-Welke and Dr. Joshua Weiss: James Duncan-Welke and his husband Joshua Weiss moved to Baltimore, MD, in May 2022 to buy their first house. Their cat, Dorian, has gotten over his fear of ceiling fans and is now an avid peoplewatcher from the front windows. They are looking forward to enjoying all their new city has to offer.

Zachary R. Olson and Laura Olson: Zachary Olson is a grade 6-12 choral music director in his hometown of Washburn, WI. He is in his tenth year of directing the choirs and show choirs at Washburn, and he and his wife recently celebrated the birth of their first son, Hayden!

Michael J. Baumann: My wife and I recently moved to the Bay Area. I took a job as a dean of culture/ students at a high school in the Bayview District of San Francisco—“The City” to locals from the Bay Area. I moved into school administrative leadership after earning my master’s in science from UW-Milwaukee. We dreamed of moving to the Bay Area since visiting a few years ago. When the opportunity arose, we took the chance. For my wife, who is working in the aviation industry, SFO offered her more opportunities than MKE did. My school currently serves a 100% minority population. The leadership team is the most diverse group that I have worked with since starting in education 10 years ago, so I am learning daily.

Dr. Jenna M. Nathan and Brent M. Nathan ’10: In July we welcomed baby boy Jason to join his 2-yearold sister Sarah!

Evan T. Johnson and Catherine Johnson: I lived in Russia for 8 years, where I had a series of adventures and mishaps, made lasting friendships, started a career in internet advertising, played sax in several bands, traveled a lot, and most importantly met and married my wife, Catherine. In June 2021 we moved to Chicago, where I founded the US branch of the company I have been with for six years. We like Chicago, especially having new experiences with familiar faces. Always happy to see Lawrentians! This January our son, Nick, was born; parenthood is a dramatic change, but he is a great joy in our lives. I’ve become less wild and more structured, an adjustment I’m appreciating more than I would have ten years ago.

2011

Chuck Demler and Kristen Manders: I married Kristen Manders on June 11 last year. We live in a 140-year-old house in Wauwatosa, WI, with our dog, George, and cats, Ambellina and Eloise. I work at Carroll University, still doing fundraising.

Mary Lawler: Mary joined Valimail as the VP of marketing in August 2022 where she now manages a distributed team of seven marketers. She was previously the VP of marketing at Telnyx and held marketing roles at FourKites as well as G2, where she was one of the first hires working closely on demand generation initiatives during hypergrowth. Mary currently resides in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL.

Andrew R. Hawley: I currently work as the lead wedding and event designer for Flowers for Dreams in Milwaukee. This career has shown me how to utilize my artistic side along with my passion for botanicals to create a life I love! The

historic village of Greendale is where I call home with my “Life Accessory,” Eric, and our four fur babies. Our two dogs are Lulu and Mona, and our two cats are Ope and Smudge. We spend much of our time either glamping or in our backyard, with the occasional LGBTQ party celebrating queer culture.

Dr. Jesse F. Peterson: I’m no longer pilfering pasta because I suspect it would be unbecoming of a neuropsychologist. But the urge is still there. Some demons never die.

Amelia B. Lerch: I’m graduating from medical school this year in Chicago!

Mare Hirsch: After 10 years in California, I’ve recently moved to Tacoma, WA, where I’m finishing my first year as an assistant professor of art at the University of Puget Sound. I’m starting a new digital media program within the studio art department. I also happen to be an assistant coach for the tennis teams. In other big news: a few years ago, I (finally) came out as a trans woman. Get in touch if you’re in the PNW!

Benjamin M. Levine: Benjamin Levine got married to his wife Lauren Levine in August 2021. They share a home in the Old Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago with Taffer, their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Benjamin is graduating from ChicagoKent College of Law this May. During his time in law school, Benjamin was on the Dean’s List every semester, became the editor-in-chief of the Chicago-Kent Law Review, and served as vice president of the Jewish Law Students Association. He was also a member of Moot Court Honors Society and won best brief in a national moot court competition covering religious freedom issues. He will join the Financial Markets and Funds group Katten Muchin Rosenman after graduating.

Jihyun Shin: I’ve been married since 2020. I completed my Ph.D. in history at the University of British Columbia last year, and I start my job as an assistant professor of women’s and gender history in the Department of Humanities at MacEwan University in Alberta, Canada, this fall!

Jamie Nakamura Lin: My book, The Night Parade (a speculative illustrated memoir), is coming out this October from Mariner/Harper Collins! It’s illustrated by my sister Cori (’14) and parts of the book began their lives in Professor McGlynn’s advanced nonfiction workshop back in 2010. The book uses yokai and other Japanese, Taiwanese, and Okinawan monster and ghost figures to investigate how we learn to live with the things that haunt us.

Richard Owen Georg Wanerman and Cynthia Leigh Drakeman: On Aug. 25, 2022, Cindy Drakeman and I welcomed the arrival of our daughter Eleanor Christina Wanerman! She is now a very happy and bouncy six-month-old, already loves cold weather, and we can’t wait to bring her to Main Hall Green for the next Class of 2011 Reunion in 2025.

Collin R. McCanna and Kara R. McCanna: I’m currently working at Element Creative, an integrated marketing agency in De Pere, WI. I love reconnecting with my fellow Beta brothers for Dungeons & Dragons and time up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. My wife Kara works as a Luthier for Heid Music in Appleton and performs with the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Weidner Philharmonic. She is a guest lecturer at Lawrence for stringed instrument techniques and the physics of music. In 2021, we bought a house on the east side of Appleton, a few blocks away from the Banta Bowl. We welcomed our daughter Maxime Ciel on December 7th, 2022. We are so grateful to be a family of three.

Caitlin E. Williamson and Jose Miguel Perez: I’m loving my job as the director of conservation programs at the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, where I work with partners to protect Wisconsin’s lands, waters, and wildlife, and connect people to nature. I’ve also been working to center diversity, equity, and inclusion in the environmental field, which has led to the launch of a Diversity in Conservation Internship Program in partnership with Lawrence and other Wisconsin universities. It’s been such a joy to get to work with current Lawrence students and introduce them to careers in conservation (and share stories with them about the wolf hat!).

Dr. Mohit Gupta: I started a new job at Northwestern Medicine and got married this past summer!

2012

Kristina M. Ruff: This past June I graduated from medical school in Arizona and moved to Delaware with my partner and our dogs to start my dual residency training in Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine. We’re very excited for this new adventure on the east coast!

Lauren S. Thompson Ringeisen: Lauren and her husband Morgan are expecting their first child in April 2023. They also purchased their first home on November 1 and are excited for all the memories they will make as their family grows.

2013

Andrew H. Kraemer: I continue to exist in Austin, TX. I’m very excited for the LU reunion. I’m very pleased to announce that my team won the Great Midwest Trivia Contest this year.

Ruby F. Brallier: After four wonderful years teaching cello at Oberlin Conservatory’s Community Music School, I relocated to Sydney, Australia, in March of 2023 with my partner, Giulian, and our two cats, Loki and Freyja.

Kaye Herranen and Johnny Greene: My husband (Johnny Greene) and I are thrilled to share that our daughter Emelia Kaye Herranen Greene made her arrival in March! The two adults and two cats in the house are still adjusting to the change and are loving the joy and laughter Emmy brings to our lives.

Anne C. Fassnacht and Alexander Richard Yoffe: Alex Yoffe, who plays Javanese gamelan, and I married on June 18, 2022. We’re continuing to work to build a gamelan empire in Chicago with our ensembles Chicago Balinese Gamelan and Friends of the Gamelan. Kelson Zbichorski ’14, Drew Baxter ’15, and Sally Alvarado ’18 are still playing music with me. I work as a fundraiser at Intuit Art Center in Chicago and am happy to give a museum tour to any Lawrence alumni interested in outsider and self-taught art! (Claire@art.org)

Dr. Mohit Gupta ’11

Augustus Merlin Blackwell ’13 married Justine Burchell Blackwell. Other Lawrentians pictured: Jules Heller ’13, Zach Prior ’18, Susan Galasso ’07

Augustus M. Blackwell and Justine Blackwell: This past year has had a lot of exciting changes! In February of 2022, I proposed to my now-wife Justine, and we were married in a beautiful rooftop micro-ceremony in July of 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin. We also jointly changed our last names—I am now Augustus Merlin Blackwell! Lastly, we purchased our first house, moving in mid-February of 2023 (though still in the greater Madison area). I’ve never been the greatest at keeping in touch, but for all those who remember me, I’d love to catch up and hear about all your life updates too!

Paige Koebele Silber and Zach Silber: Welcomed Calvin Jay Silber on Nov. 4, 2022!

Mike Kumbalek: Drilling oil wells in Southern Oklahoma.

Kirstin A. Stangel and Edwin Boneske: Hi friends! 2022 was a year to remember! I celebrated the birth of my first child, Hazel, in November and my fifth wedding anniversary in December. I’m currently living in Platteville, WI, and have been teaching 4K-12 choral/general music for the Potosi School District in Potosi, WI, for the past five years. My husband works at the same school as the band director, so we are the whole music department for our tiny district. Find me on Facebook (Kirstin Stangel Boneske) or email me at Kirstin.stangel@ gmail.com if you’d like to connect!

Margaret E. Miller and David Ornelas: My partner, David, and I welcomed our first son, Bruno, in May 2022, and we moved from Chicago back to Appleton to be close to my family. I started a new position at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay as study abroad program manager, and I am thrilled to continue my work in helping students change their lives with an international education!

Claire M. Edwards: I left the PADI scuba instructor life two years ago and switched to selling Mexican real estate in the Riviera Maya. I own a townhouse in Puerto Morelos with my lovely street pup, Buoy. This summer I will be traveling with Buoy and a good friend across the U.S. by RV. We plan to come back to Quintana Roo in July to develop land and start a coral farm to help the Puerto Morelos National Marine Park (part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef) and collaborate with the local university’s coral reef restoration program.

Ezra P. Cahn: I will be climbing Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen for my TikTok followers this July.

Jeff A. Mollet: I graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School this May. On, Wisconsin!

Minh T. Nguyen: I hope this note finds you well. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since we graduated! I wish I could be there with all of you to catch up and reminisce about old times, but unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend due to some personal commitments. Currently, I’m leading the retail and commerce ads team at Google Singapore. It’s been an exciting journey so far, and I’m grateful for the opportunities and challenges that come with leading a team in such a dynamic industry. I’ll be spending some time in Canada for my sister’s graduation and then heading to France to visit my wife’s family. If any of you are in Europe, Canada, or Singapore please let me know. LinkedIn or FB works.

Kelsi L. VanAbel and John VanAbel: In January we welcomed a third child, a son, who joins his two older sisters, who will be four and two in May and June, respectively. I am grateful to be established at home as a wife and mother and homemaker and eventual homeschool teacher. John is wrapping up year four of five in his plumber’s apprenticeship after a later-in-life career change. This has gone so much faster than my four years at Lawrence did— time is flying by. The Lord has been good to us.

Alyssa H. Rosenbaum: Cantor Alyssa Rosenbaum is due to be installed as cantor at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation of Pepper Pike on the weekend of June 9th, 2023. B’nai Jeshurun Congregation is a 157-year-old conservative congregation that is currently the spiritual home to around 900 member families. She is the first woman to ever serve as cantor there.

2015

Dr. Ashley R. Coenen: Finally finished school! Staying in Atlanta for now, where I ride a variety of two-wheeled vehicles, climb rocks, and work remotely.

Savanna C. Dahl and David James Koser: Savanna Dahl married David Koser (father is Brian Koser ’82) on September 4, 2022. The day was filled with love, amazing friends, family, sunshine, nature, and a little bit of swing dancing.

Alexis K. Cuozzo and Samuel C. Rolfe: Sam Rolfe and I welcomed our son, Harvey, into the world on Feb. 19, 2022.

Brandon T. Kreuder: I’ve spent much of the last two years on a “break” from my music career, exploring my passion for international travel. In early 2022 I achieved my goal of visiting my seventh continent, with a trip to South Africa. Shortly afterward I moved to Australia, where for five months I worked and volunteered between Sydney, Cairns, and Perth. Craving a more culturally immersive experience I then traveled to Southeast Asia and backpacked for three months between six countries (Vietnam and Indonesia were my favorites!). Currently, I’m back in Wisconsin preparing to take orchestra auditions.

Elizabeth Sorensen Camara and Ousmane Camara: Hello all! Writing to you from Benin, West Africa. I graduated in May 2022 with my master’s in public health, and I am currently working as a Peace Corps response volunteer with a local nonprofit (DEDRAS) in Benin, supporting community health workers in their efforts to improve community health and wellness. Ousmane and I are still waiting for U.S. visa paperwork, but we are moving forward and hope to return to the states in the summer—fingers crossed! Wishing everyone a safe and healthy year and we hope to see everyone at the next reunion.

Rebecca P. Shuman and Marshall P. Yoes: Hello from Becca Shuman and Marshall Yoes! We got married on July 2, 2022, on the Lawrence campus, and we are so thankful for all our Lawrence friends and professors who came to celebrate our big day! After the wedding, Marshall started a new job as a music therapist at the MacPhail Center for Music in the Twin Cities, and Becca started as a band director at Eagan High School. Now that Marshall has finished his master’s degrees in trumpet performance and music therapy, it’s Becca’s turn to start graduate school! She is working toward her master’s in music education at the University of Minnesota.

Laetitia Meghan M. Delfino and Julian L. Delfino ’13: Laetitia Delfino and Julian Delfino welcomed their first daughter, Gwinna Delfino, on June 28, 2022. She was born at Laetitia’s parents’ house where Laetitia was born 30 years prior. Gwinna’s birth was an amazing experience, and we are so in love, amazed, and challenged by our daughter. Raising children is no joke! Laetitia continues to teach piano at her home studio, and Julian is working as an editor for a legal education company. Since Gwinna’s birth, their garden and outside projects have taken a back seat, but they still harvested and canned their annual blackberry jam and gleaned and pressed apples for homemade hard cider.

Luke Patrick Rivard: Hello! My fiancée Haley and I are now living in Brooklyn, NY. We’re thrilled to be in the city! Since 2021, I’ve been working as a product designer at a Minneapolis company called OurFamilyWizard, and by night I am working on writing, playing, and recording new music. If you live in NYC, let’s connect! I’d love to grow my network here and tap into the many opportunities the city has to offer. Cheers!

Heather A. Carr: I am still living in Brooklyn and working as a literary agent! I’ve enjoyed connecting with Lawrentians in the NYC area so get in touch if you’re nearby!

Conor J. Sexton: Hello from Minneapolis! In the spring of 2021, I returned to Hilton corporate where I’ve been working remotely as a software engineer. My partner Nolan and I got engaged this past August and are looking forward to getting married this coming fall. Outside of work and nuptial planning, I’ve been teaching flying trapeze classes and developing my skills as a hobby aerialist. Hoping everyone is well, and I look forward to connecting with many fellow Lawrentians in the upcoming year!

Lucy V. Bouman: I live in Tucson, Arizona, as of February 2020 and I love it! I spend my time exploring the desert, climbing, traveling, spending the ridiculous summers back in Chicago, and working as an elopement/wedding/couples photographer. Dream job. :) I’ve photographed the weddings of many beloved Lawrentians! You can see my work at lucybouman.com.

Casey Kadlubowski Feldkamp and Max J. Feldkamp ’14: I am starting a new career as a paralegal and am grateful to be interning with the award-winning civil litigation department at Caplan and Earnest in Boulder, CO. I’m still performing piano locally with the Coal Creek Community Chorus and Colorado All-State Choirs. I also manage my mom’s art prints business and am looking forward to selling her art at local farmer’s markets and craft fairs. My husband, Max Feldkamp, and I are enjoying the mountains in beautiful Colorado with our orange tabby, Simon.

Adriane N. Melchert: Still happy biking around Brooklyn and working in the art market. I’ve enjoyed reconnecting with Lawrentians this year, don’t hesitate to reach out!

2017

Alaina C. Leisten: I continue to enjoy working at the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota and was recently promoted to development programs manager, managing our corporate giving and Annual Fund programs. My fiancée and I are getting close to our wedding date in October, and we couldn’t be more excited! Afterward, we’re spending a couple of weeks in New Orleans. We brought a dog home last winter, and he’s really loving his home and cat sister.

Gabriella R. Makuc: I’m living in Boston, MA, where I’ll graduate from BU School of Theology with an M.Div. this May. I lead choir at a retirement community and am working toward certification as a therapeutic musician. I hope to integrate this into future work in chaplaincy. I’m enjoying Boston, especially the river, the bike paths, and the companionship of good friends (shout-out to Sarah Coffman ’16).

Joe Johnson: After graduation, I moved back to the PNW to work in admissions at Lewis and Clark College. In 2021 I accepted a remote admissions

gig with Lawrence, and now I get to meet future Lawrentians up and down the West Coast as our Western Regional Representative, as well as assist with Lawrence’s marketing efforts and help manage our CRM. Last summer I started teaching a week-long Dramaturgy class to high schoolers. I also bought a house and now live with my partner Noelle, who sings professionally in Portland, and our anxious dog Alice. Our home is full of music and art—come say hi!

Tanner H. Stegink: I have accepted a staff position at the Manhattan School of Music in New York and am enjoying having some more diverse performance opportunities and being back in the same time zone as my family! Please feel free to say hello if you are in the area.

Kip A. Hathaway: Hi, it’s me, Kip Hathaway! I was in three feature films and many more various short films and other projects last year. Most notably, I had a big part playing a psychotic football player in Sony Pictures’ “Downtown Owl”, starring alongside Ed Harris, Vanessa Hudgens, Lilly Rabe, and Henry Golding. Look to see the film in theaters and streaming later this year! Outside of film, I have just begun my 5th season performing improv comedy at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater. If you’re ever in Minnesota drop me a line, I’d love for you to see the show!

Allison E. Wray: This year I started as technical services manager at the Menomonee Falls Public Library in Menomonee Falls, WI! I am the lead cataloging librarian and work with a fantastic team of people “behind the scenes,” which I absolutely love. I am still living in Cedarburg with my partner Bradley and our cat Josie, where we enjoy hiking around the Kettle Moraine and Lake Michigan and playing lots of Dungeons & Dragons!

John E. Plasterer: Hey Vikes! I have just started the online master’s program in geographic information science (GIS) at UW-Madison. Before that, I had been working the past year at a company known as Iteris, which specializes in traffic and transit optimization. I am very excited about this current opportunity to solve the world’s issues using geospatial software solutions. If not for my background in liberal arts and programming here at Lawrence, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today at Madison. As paradoxical as it sounds for Wisconsin sports fans, I’m proud to call myself a Badger and a Viking.

Henry B. Dykstal: Henry Dykstal is currently pursuing his MFA in fiction at Colorado State University. He is at work on a short story collection and a novel. When he’s not writing, he works at an equine therapy center.

Alanna C. Rieser: After moving to Paris postgraduation, I became the pedagogy coordinator at a medical start-up.

2019

Cameron Ming Breaux and Rowin Breaux: We married May 9, 2021, and are expecting our first girl in April 2023. Welcome to the world, Lyric Meihua Breaux! You are so loved.

Amanda C. Thomas: I am happy to announce that Paul Kiel and I are now engaged. We are currently enjoying that sweet homeowner life in central Iowa with our two cats and four rats (and soon a doggo!).

Anna E. Pell: After completing my MSc in Global Health and Development at UCL, I decided to stay in London (indefinitely). In November I started a new job as a service designer for adult social care at the bi-borough of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea. I’m really enjoying working in local government and finally using my skills and knowledge to reduce health inequalities.

Jordyn N. Plieseis: Since we graduated, life has been a little crazy! From being a hall director in Trevor Hall during a global pandemic to recruiting volunteers at one of the nation’s largest mentoring programs, I am finally in my dream job as a development manager at the Milwaukee Academy of Science! I get to spend my days sharing the stories of mid to high-risk youth in the Greater Milwaukee area to raise funds to support their education now and beyond, and I couldn’t be more fulfilled. When I’m not organizing golf outings and galas, I spend my time sharing my Afro-indigenous artwork with other local artists.

Jeanette E. Adams: Hanging out in Colorado where we actually get to see the sun. Just been teaching strings classes for the Aspen Music Festival, playing music with my band the Red Hill Rollers, and enjoying the snow!

Craig D. Jordan: In the spring of 2022, I graduated from the University of Miami with my Master of Music in piano performance. Since then, I’ve accepted a graduate assistant offer at the University of Iowa where I am now pursuing a Doctor of Music in piano performance and pedagogy.

Nathan L. Brase: After 8 years away, I have returned to my hometown of Salem, Oregon. I got my master’s in communication sciences and disorders at Emerson College in Boston, MA. I now work as a speech-language pathologist in outpatient rehabilitation. I still sing whenever I can. Best wishes to all my fellow Lawrentians and their loved ones!

Jason Lau: Will be starting medical school in the fall of 2023. In the meantime, I hope to travel and learn more about myself. Some ideas include driving around the country and/or backpacking through Mexico. We’ll see what happens!

Binita Rajbhandari: I graduated from DePaul University and got my master’s degree at the end of November 2022. I am currently working as a treasury analyst at Topco Associates.

Ariana C. Calderon-Zavala: Jack Calkwood ’19 and I are getting married!!! We got engaged in June of 2022 and are now counting down the days until we say, “I do!” We will be getting married this October in Atlanta, GA, and will be surrounded by some of our closest friends from Lawrence.

Dorothy Tsui: Hi everyone! After graduation, I found a job working as a medical assistant in a prominent cardiologist’s office in New York. Post-graduation was lonely, so it was nice to find a place surrounded by people similar in age to me. Working in-person in a medical office through the early pandemic was rough, but I used that time to rise the ranks and became the head medical assistant. After getting my requisite two years of experience, I applied to become a respiratory therapist! To graduate in 2025 from Molloy University’s RT program :) Being in another college made me realize how well Bon App fed us ... I really miss those crunchy Bon App chicken tenders.

David Z. Brooker: My wife, son, and I live in De Pere, Wisconsin where I am the district director for our member of Congress. My wife will begin her residency following graduation from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Green Bay this spring. Our growing family will then be headed wherever residency may take us!

Anna E. Mosoriak: I am now a small business owner of an online private voice studio business called Sing Anyway (follow us on Instagram @ sing_anyway)! My partner, Noah Vazquez, and I are still very much in love and living together in Cincinnati, which is where I went to grad school in 2019-2021. Hi to my other LU friends, Sam, and Brenna.

Sydney A. DeMets: I am still working toward my Ph.D. at the University of Washington and am having fun exploring the Cascades and Olympics.

Rebecca L. Yeazel: I just started a new position doing social work at a nursing home/rehab center! My role is to be a friend and an advocate for senior residents, making sure their needs are being met, and being a voice for those that can’t be for themselves. I also get to plan activities for them. I’m lucky to work with some sweet residents. I’m still doing event planning gigs remotely on the side as well! Chase and I just celebrated our sixth anniversary! Chase is in his third year of teaching computers at the same school. He’ll tell you, “There’s no tired like teacher-tired”, but he adores working with children and being a positive role model in their lives. He’s absolutely a fan-favorite teacher!

2021

Eliana P. Whitehouse: As of December ’22, I have completed my Master of Social Work at the University of Michigan. I have also started a new role as an education equity research and evaluation associate at EduDream. I am looking forward to the many exciting endeavors that lie ahead!

Carly P. Beyer: I got married in 2022, and we got our first apartment together! We adopted a kitty two days ago; his name is Osiris, and he’s a sweetie. Currently, I am a K-3 reading tutor and working on a master’s in education. I’m hoping to immediately follow that up with a second master’s in theatre with an emphasis on playwriting. I have participated in multiple playwriting challenges, receiving stipends from Threshold Theatre in Minneapolis for my works. I produced the oneact from the 2021 Gaines Series, Mercedes, at Minnesota Fringe and have completed several drafts and readings for my first two-act, Miss Information. I’m also working on short story and poetry projects.

Hannah G. Rauch: I will graduate in May with my master’s degree in public relations and advertising from USC. I was recently promoted to associate account executive at the PR agency I work for, where I work with startup tech companies, venture capitalists, and VR game developers.

Emma S. Gilshannon: I started working as a clinic assistant at the Planned Parenthood clinic in New Haven! I love working with my patients and advocating for them and making sure abortions stay safe and legal. We get patients from all over New England and the southern states who come for compassionate, safe, and effective healthcare, and I am so proud of the work we do!

Mathew J. Larosiliere: I have joined the Peace Corps and will be stationed in Senegal! There I will work with rural community leaders to develop effective health campaigns and initiatives. I am excited to immerse myself in a new culture and embark on new journeys and experiences.

Sarah E. Hennen: Sadie is still in Chicago! Having taken a burnout break after finishing her contract as the leader for the Student Conservation Association’s Chicago All-Women’s Crew, she started a new part-time job as an ecology aide with the Forest Preserves of Cook County in January. She’s excited to learn more about large-scale restoration ecology and is focusing on her goal of delving into the world of botany. She’s also taken to crocheting—let her know if you want a hat.

Asher B. McMullin and Beth S. Fryxell ’22: Hmm, well since graduation I live in the same apartment, in the same city, and spend my days in the same place! Huuuuuge changes for me. I work at Lawrence in the Center for Spiritual and Religious life, and my wonderful wife Beth works in LU admissions across the street. The biggest plus of the switch from student to staff? Parking in the coveted staff parking lot by Chapman. Woohoo. I’m actively playing viola in the area with several programs through the FVSO and other gigs. I’m reading a lot (mostly about evil), writing essays for fun, and prepping to apply to grad programs. I’m getting used to not “having” to practice or do homework—and finding that, now, I enjoy them more.

Charles C. Burns-Bahruth: I live in Istanbul, Turkey. In 2022, I worked for the Speak in Istanbul English Academy. In 2023 I was offered a job as an English language expert at Haliç University. I have enjoyed exploring Turkey and learning the Turkish Language, as well as practicing Russian, with the many Central Asian immigrants that have moved to Turkey in recent years. I have thought a lot about urban anthropology as a resident of one of the largest cities in both Europe and Asia!

Hannah M. Baron: I am living in San Diego, CA, with Nick Muellner ’20 where we are both elementary music teachers for San Diego Unified. We recently adopted a dog named Po (for Rostropovich) and are preparing for grad school auditions. In addition to teaching in the schools, I am cello faculty at Villa Music, a nonprofit community music school, and play with different community orchestras in the San Diego area.

Grace L. Krueger: This is my second year running the library at Palisades World Language School in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and I love it just as much as my first year! I’ve also been accepted to graduate school—I’ll start working towards my master’s in library and information science part time in fall 2023. Hoping to adopt a cat or two this summer! Life is good.

Natalia S. Hunter: I’m moving back to Wisconsin! I’m excited to see where this next chapter in my life takes me. I miss the nature and the people. While it’s great to live in a city where things are happening all the time, I’m looking forward to taking things slow. I’ve mostly been teaching and tutoring for the last couple of years, but I feel like I’m at a crossroads with regard to my career. I’m glad I have so many amazing, supportive friends and loved ones in my life to guide me.

Carlos A. Morales: I am teaching Latin American History to 10th-12th graders out in New Haven, CT.

Irma Vazquez Lara: I am working in a nonprofit organization, and I am learning new things every day. Currently, I am working closely with the immigration legal department and learning about different immigration proceedings and rights. Furthermore, I am taking random courses such as data entry, project management, and art courses. Overall, I feel like I haven’t stopped learning, and I am excited about the future.

Mason A. Materna: After graduating, I moved from the Chicago suburbs to the Bucktown/Wicker Park area of Chicago. I now work as a UX analyst on the digital production team at Great Wolf Lodge and have been in this role for just over 7 months.

Jonathan S. Standiford: I have spent the past two years since graduating from Lawrence studying for my master’s in library and information science at Dominican University. I am now only a few months away from graduating and officially launching my career in libraries!

Allison R. Boshell: I earned my real estate broker license and am thrilled to be an agent with Keller Williams Success Realty in Illinois. I have already made so many amazing connections and couldn’t be more grateful. I am excited to have the opportunity to help my clients find their dream homes and fulfill their real estate investment goals. Please don’t hesitate to reach out at allisonboshell@kw.com

Greta M. Wilkening: I have recently started a new position as the school programs naturalist for a nonprofit nature center in Utah where I get to work outdoors, teaching students all about nature in the Cache National Forest! I’ve been enjoying hiking and snowshoeing in the mountains and exploring all the parks Utah has to offer.

Deron I. Brown: I have been living in Finland and married to my wife. I have been studying Finnish and getting more integrated into the country and growing a life here. I have a job as a cook, and I am planning to study more Finnish to become a teacher’s assistant, become a coder, or learn more languages to become a linguist. I am working my way to getting a permanent residence permit, and I hope in the future to visit back home in the U.S. to check on friends and family.

Jack F. Murphy: Hi, everyone! Hope you all are doing well. I am currently living in NYC and pursuing my master’s at New York University in vocal performance (musical theatre emphasis), along with an advanced certificate in vocal pedagogy. In addition to getting my degree, I am an adjunct instructor of voice at the university with a studio of non-major singers. I’ve been fortunate enough to have some amazing performance opportunities in the city, including joining the Chorus of the New York Philharmonic. I still sing opera in addition to musical theatre and rock bands and am preparing to sing “Idomeneo” at NYU this spring. I will be working with Ohio Light Opera this upcoming summer as well!

Nora E. Robinson: I just began my role working at Lawrence in the alumni department as the assistant director of alumni engagement. I am super excited to see where this job will take me and all the connections that I will make throughout.

2022

Smailyn A. Nicasio: I’m currently working in France, near the Swiss border, as a language assistant through the TAPIF program in Paris. Oui oui, I am not in Paris but happy to be here.

I cannot overstate Lawrence’s effect on my life. Looking back at my college years, I clearly see the roots of how I now describe myself: motivated; incisive; on good days, fearless; on my best days, fabulous.

It would be easy enough to say that Lawrence taught me to “learn by doing.” After all, it was a place that gave me the freedom to try just about everything I set my mind to! But that alone doesn’t give the school enough credit. Lawrence is the place where I first learned what it means to live an authentic life, and that only by following your instincts to their limits can those limits be stretched.

As my husband and I began the estate planning process, it quickly became a no-brainer to pay it forward— way forward—so that someday, years from now, future generations of Lawrentians will benefit from a similarly transformative college experience. I am grateful to the Lawrence-Downer Legacy Circle for making it so easy to take that step.”

—Matt Murphy ’06

MARRIAGES

Kingsley Day ’73 and Danuchit Saythong, Chicago, IL, October 7, 2022

Chuck Demler ’11 and Kristen Manders, Wauwatosa, WI, June 11, 2022

Rebecca P. Shuman ’15 and Marshall P. Yoes ’15, Minneapolis, MN, July 2, 2022

BIRTHS AND ADOPTIONS

Thomas R. Zoellner ’91, Los Angeles, California, a son, Henry Wilson, January 11, 2023

Scott G. Trigg ’99 and KumHee Cho, Paris, France, a son, Etienne Yunjae Cho, January 3, 2023

Elizabeth Jenne Renker ’05 and Patrick, San Diego, California, a daughter, Sarah Ellen, June 29, 2022

Brad R. Grimmer ’06 and Kate, Northbrook, Illinois, a son, Jack Mitchell, December 22, 2022

Susan Zolan Spang ’07 and Sarah Zolan, Seattle, Washington, a son, Hank Zolan, July 30, 2022

Gwendolyn C. Kelly-Masterton ’09 and Steven Paul Deasy, Skokie, Illinois, a daughter, Tamsin Lorelei, November 27, 2021

Jessica M. Vogt ’09 and Paul M. Merley ’09, Chicago, Illinois, a daughter, Maya Lynn, November 24, 2022

Collin R. McCanna ’11 and Kara, Appleton, Wisconsin, a daughter, Maxime Ciel, December 7, 2022

Richard Owen Georg Wanerman ’11 and Cynthia Leigh Drakeman, Washington, D.C., a daughter, Eleanor Christina, August 25, 2022

Kaye Herranen ’13 and Johnny Greene, Minneapolis, Minnesota, a daughter, Emelia Kaye, March 1, 2022

Paige Koebele Silber ’13 and Zach, Madison, Wisconsin, a son, Calvin Jay, November 4, 2022

Kirstin A. Stangel ’13 and Edwin Boneske, Platteville, Wisconsin, a daughter, Hazel, November 16, 2022

Hannah Bleier Hoffman ’14, Appleton, Wisconsin, a son, Ronald, February 20, 2022

Alexis K. Cuozzo ’15 and Samuel C. Rolfe ’15, Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, a son, Harvey, February 19, 2022

Laetitia Meghan Lehman-Pearsall Delfino ’15 and Julian ’13, Bainbridge Island, Washington, a daughter, Gwinna, June 28, 2022

Elizabeth Armstrong Hietpas ’15 and Trevor ’16, Appleton, Wisconsin, a daughter, Grace, May 1, 2022

IN MEMORIAM

Jean Altis Smith ’43, Leawood, KS, November 19, 2022.

Marilouise Eschen Reid M-D’44, Raleigh, NC, January 21, 2023.

Yoshiko Uchiyama Tani M-D’45, St. Paul, MN, December 3, 2022.

Sue Son Esser M-D’46, Milwaukee, WI, November 7, 2022.

Barbara Harkins Belle ’47 P’74, Belleville, WI, October 26, 2022. Family includes Jonathan R. Goldberg-Belle ’74.

Bernadette Young Lau M-D’47, Honolulu, HI, November 6, 2022.

Joan Droppers Teumer M-D’47 P’78 ’77, Springfield, VA, February 15, 2022. Family includes Marynelle Teumer Losin ’78; Joel Marty ’77; Susan Teumer Marty ’77.

Betty Knuesel Blake M-D’48, Hayward, WI, November 21, 2022.

Capt. Herman J. Bushman, Jr. ’48, Fairfax, VA, June 21, 2022.

James B. Spencer ’48, Ashland, OR, December 24, 2022. Family includes Sarah Calkins Degen ’71; Stuart S. Spencer ’79; Sarah Spencer Ward ’53.

Nancy Stillman Spencer ’48, Ashland, OR, November 22, 2018 24, 2022. Family includes Sarah Calkins Degen ’71; Stuart S. Spencer ’79; Sarah Spencer Ward ’53.

Doran Snyder Anderson ’49, Williston, VT, December 16, 2022.

Ruth Mehring Bernat M-D’49, Waynesville, NC, June 28, 2021. Family includes Barb Hess ’73.

Helen Stetler Bessert M-D’49, Brookfield, WI, December 29, 2022.

Jean Friskey Edgerton ’49, Western Springs, IL, February 16, 2023. Family includes Thomas M. Edgerton ’50.

Mary Ruth Holmes Johnson ’49, Clintonville, WI, March 10, 2023. Family includes Barbara Holmes Giersbach ’54; Susan Giersbach Rascon ’79.

Marian L. Leman ’49, Grants Pass, OR, October 19, 2022.

Gollusch Ogens M-D’49, Mequon, WI, December 10, 2022.

John Psiris ’49, Fort Myers, FL, November 21, 2022.

Jeanne Roush Schuyler M-D’49, Waterford, WI, October 31, 2022.

Marianne G. Decker ’51, Cortez, FL, December 7, 2022.

Hester Wolfe White ’51, Madison, WI, January 18, 2022. Family includes Margaret Saecker Eldred ’50.

David I. Carlsen ’52, St. Paul, MN, November 15, 2022.

BRIANA THOMPSON, Dec. 5, 2000 –Feb. 19, 2023

The Lawrence community is mourning the passing of senior Briana Thompson during Winter Term. Briana, a native of Delavan, Wisconsin, was majoring in neuroscience. In addition to her studies, she worked part-time for an optometrist to prepare for graduate school, where she planned to pursue the Doctor of Optometry degree. Briana was a collaborator, student, and friend who is missed by all who knew her.

O.K. Johnson, Jr. ’52, Hendersonville, NC, May 31, 2022. Family includes William O. Humleker ’73; Dr. Gerald F. Johnson, Ph.D. ’54.

Wayne P. Boshka ’53, Washington Island, WI, January 21, 2023.

Charles L. Feuerstein, Jr. ’53, Surprise, AZ, August 25, 2022.

Deborah Kaufman Ruth M-D’53, West Chester, PA, July 8, 2022. Family includes Kay Kaufman Beranis ’59.

Richard D. Calder ’54, Appleton, WI, February 18, 2023. Family includes Robert D. Strelow, Jr. ’06.

Marguerite Jensen Carlsen ’54, St. Paul, MN, June 14, 2022.

Georgia Hester Griffis ’54, Shelter Island Heights, NY, January 24, 2023.

Sue Jorgensen Grunewald M-D’54, Hartland, WI, October 25, 2022.

Nancy Perkins Hanley M-D’54, Fairfield, CA, February 12, 2023.

D. Kenneth Harbinson, Jr. ’54, Baltimore, MD, January 18, 2022.

Carol Reeder Agness ’55, Lafayette, CA, November 19, 2021.

Lucy Brainerd Spencer ’55, Placitas, NM, March 27, 2022.

Jane Droppers Audrey ’56, Downers Grove, IL, June 6, 2021.

Donald T. Erdman ’56, Easley, SC, March 6, 2023. Family includes Joan Bernthal Erdman ’56.

Kenneth W. Seefeld ’56, Washington, UT, October 18, 2022. Family includes Shirley Cox Seefeld ’56.

Sue Bruce Sciarroni ’57, Waterford, CT, November 30, 2022.

Gail Sprague Seto ’57, December 31, 2022.

Carol Adams Svoboda ’57, Barrington, IL, January 13, 2023. Family includes Marin Swan Klumpner ’07.

Lois Niemi Waara ’57, Grayland, WA, November 21, 2022.

Thomas C. Kayser ’58, St. Paul, MN, November 15, 2022.

Carol Davy McConnell ’58, Oconomowoc, WI, December 29, 2022. Family includes John N. McConnell ’56.

Lee J. Mevis ’58 P’94 ’92, Milwaukee, WI, December 27, 2022. Family includes Margaret Mevis Hannan ’94; Sarah Mevis Keefe ’92.

Connie Gitzen Hartt-Hitchcock ’59, Lebanon, OH, November 13, 2022.

Dr. E. G. Nash ’59, Big Rapids, MI, November 13, 2022.

Treva Novy Richter M-D’59, Roanoke, VA, October 2, 2022.

Leonard G. Hall ’60 P’88 ’84, August 18, 2022. Family includes Andrew J. Hall ’88; Leonard W. Hall ’84; Sally Huffman Hall ’61; Edmond R. Sutherland III ’88; Dr. Judy Huffman Sutherland ’58.

Haldon W. Lindfelt ’60 P’88, Colorado Springs, CO, January 22, 2023.

Audre Ganske Patel M-D’62, Kansas City, MO, October 14, 2022.

Victoria Agee Groser ’63, Portland, OR, December 12, 2022. Family includes Luke Groser ’64.

Richard A. Patterson ’63 P’96 ’87 ’85, Oswego, IL, October 13, 2022. Family includes Mona Sykora Patterson ’88; Rebecca A. Patterson ’96; Richard A. Patterson, Jr. ’87; Christopher S. Tadych ’84; Elizabeth Patterson Tadych ’85.

Paul Cromheecke ’64, Harbert, MI, November 22, 2022.

Ann Uber Tirk ’64 P’96, Woodstock, IL, November 3, 2022. Family includes Beverly Becker Henderson ’56; Kirby S. Tirk ’72; Dr. Richard J. Tirk ’96.

Celia Payne Fine ’65, Middleton, WI, December 23, 2022.

Franklin J. Moore, M.D. ’66, Salida, CO, October 18, 2022. Family includes Marilyn Manchester Moore ’68.

Robert G. Hall ’71, Durham, NC, February 3, 2022.

Dr. E. James Kehoe ’71, Bondi Beach, AU, July 15, 2021.

Laura Johnson Burrow ’73 P’00, Conifer, CO, October 30, 2022. Family includes Jake Burrow ’73; William J. Burrow ’00.

Dr. Richard I. Cook ’75, Chicago, IL, August 31, 2022. Family includes Susan E. Cook ’76.

Barbara M. Szweda ’75, Salt Lake City, UT, February 8, 2023. Family includes Matthew A. Rhodes ’90; Bridget M. Szweda ’89; Margaret M. Szweda ’85; Matthew Szweda, J.D. ’87.

The Reverend Barbara A. Kelley ’76, Southampton, PA, February 22, 2023. Family includes Arthur F. Kelley, Jr. ’79.

Lisa J. Peterson ’78, Waukesha, WI, October 18, 2022. Family includes Jennifer Peterson Alderman ’84.

David R. Liebtag ’80, Chester, VT, March 4, 2023.

Frank W. Babbitt ’81 P’15, Chicago, IL, February 10, 2023. Family includes Alexander W. Babbitt ’15.

Eric H. Late ’84, Pasadena, TX, November 18, 2022.

Winslow S. Cobb IV ’87, January 5, 2023.

Steven M. Sager ’87, Glencoe, IL, February 23, 2022.

Jill Klenke Smith ’87, Appleton, WI, January 29, 2023.

Nichole Hamilton ’94, Minneapolis, MN, November 10, 2022.

Gina M. D’Amico ’01, Mukwonago, WI, October 23, 2022. Family includes Carol Johnson Polivka ’83.

FACULTY, STAFF, AND FRIENDS

Janet Bond-Sutter, Appleton, WI, February 3, 2023.

Karin Cusic, Danvers, MA, February 15, 2022. Family includes David D. Cusic ’66; Richard E. Cusic ’61; Dr. Carla S. Mettling ’66.

Barbara Gunderson, Scottsdale, AZ, January 5, 2023.

Carol I. Mason, Appleton, WI, May 30, 2023.

LaVerne E. Moder, January 6, 2023.

Dr. Jack Rhodes, Waupaca, WI, October 10, 2022.

CORRECTION

Margaret J. Bryant ’05 was mistakenly listed among deceased alumni in the 2022 fall-winter edition. We apologize for the error. We’re happy to report that Margaret is very much alive and well.

THOMAS C. KAYSER ’58

Lawrence is remembering the many important contributions of Thomas C. Kayser ’58, who served on the Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2012 and spent much of his adult life as an avid supporter of Lawrence. He passed away at age 85. Kayser was an accomplished attorney who served for eight years in the U.S. Air Force and 16 more in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He was a partner in the law firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, working for the Minneapolis-based law office for more than 50 years. His practice focused on complex employment, antitrust, corporate, constitutional, and negligence litigation. He was a former chair of the Minnesota State Bar and was known to donate thousands of pro-bono hours to numerous nonprofit legal aid organizations and advocacy groups.

MARGARET CARROLL ’61

Lawrence University is mourning the loss of Margaret Carroll ’61, a former Lawrence trustee who was a leader in Washington, D.C., journalism in the 1960s before forging an impressive career in public policy and business research that spanned more than three decades. A resident of Appleton since retiring in 2002, she passed away in December at age 82. Carroll provided significant leadership to her alma mater, serving as a member of the Lawrence Board of Trustees from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1983 to 2006. She chaired the Board from 1993 to 1995 and was Board secretary from 1998 to 2006, when she was elected an emerita trustee. During the late 1960s, she became director of publications at the National Urban Coalition, where she also served as acting director of communications. In 1969, she helped create the National Journal and later served as the organization’s congressional editor and associate editor.

HERBERT K. TJOSSEM

Lawrence University is mourning the loss of Herbert Karl Tjossem, a retired English professor who spent 37 years on the Lawrence faculty. He died May 27 at the age of 100. Tjossem joined the faculty in 1956 and taught English literature and linguistics until retiring in 1993. He helped establish Lawrence’s London Centre and led the program for three years. Tjossem was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree upon his retirement, with then-President Richard Warch praising his influence on generations of Lawrentians: “For over 37 years, you have lent aid in English and wise, practical counsel to Lawrence students. To the young men and women of the American Midwest and beyond, you have extended what can only be called global comprehension—through Chaucer and Achebe, through Soyinka and Shakespeare. … In your many travels at home and abroad, you have covered physical and psychic distances and have, for your students and in yourself, broken cultural boundaries in ways that should be a model for us all.”

The Big Picture

Duval Bingham and Aki Grill, both juniors, enjoy Main Hall Green on a sunny spring day.

(Photo by Danny Damiani)