2024 Spring Crimson Magazine

Morristown Beard School Magazine

on April 8, 2024.

COVER: Students work on light fixtures in the CID.

Students Gather to Watch the Solar Eclipse

Cover Photo by Peter Chollick Photography

REMARKS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear MBS Family & Friends,

Whether you graduated from Morristown Beard School several decades ago or have a child or family member who is a recent alum, you know the School’s culture of innovation is complemented by our physical spaces. As our academic and extracurricular offerings have expanded, so has the footprint of our campus, adding and renovating spaces to truly heighten the student experience.

As I attended our excellent spring musical, Legally Blonde, I thought about the way Founders Hall is truly our arts hub, hosting productions that feel professional. With dance studios, classrooms, and rehearsal spaces, as well as areas for art exhibitions and social gatherings, it is home to both creativity and connection.

Stepping across the quad, the glass-encased Math & Science Center is our 25,000-square-foot facility that houses modern math and science classrooms, research and DNA laboratories, and gathering and work spaces. It also houses a gallery, which recently featured the art of several alumni. Tucked beneath the Dining Hall is the Center for Innovation & Design (CID), where students experiment, collaborate, design, build, and problemsolve in multi-disciplinary projects.

These incredible spaces have been so generously funded and supported by our broad community, further enhancing our programmatic offerings and helping us attract dynamic students who are using these spaces in ways we have only hoped for.

In this issue, you’ll read about two more well-loved spaces on campus. Thanks to the generous support of alumni, the Athletic Center’s upgraded Weight Room has been unveiled, and the Anderson Library is being renovated. I consider both of these to be “third places”—a sociocultural term that designates the importance of community gathering spaces that

are vital to the health and culture of an individual. First places are defined as home, and second places are defined as work or school. Yet third places can consist of indirect socialization where you encounter regulars and make potential new connections. While their role in our academic program may be less transparent, third places are vital for our wellbeing. With renovations underway, both of these places will better complement the student experience, encourage gathering, and contribute to wellbeing.

I invite you to read more about our culture of innovation throughout this issue, from our reimagined and growing Humanities program to the incredible student work happening in the CID, to the faculty spotlight highlighting the incredible vision and practice of beloved teachers, to the alumni profiles that illustrate how our graduates are powerfully prepared to succeed in so many ways. And if you’re in the area, stop by Whippany Road and take a tour of our campus. I think you’ll be both impressed and inspired by everything it has to offer.

Finally, I would like to recognize and thank two members of the MBS community who have been instrumental in the creation and publication of this magazine. Janet Burdorf, Director of Marketing and Communications, and Steve Patchett P ’24, News and Information Manager, are both retiring after many years at MBS. We wish them both well and thank them for their excellent work both for our community and on Crimson magazine.

Warmly,

Liz Morrison

Office of Advancement

Director of Advancement

Betsy B. Patterson P ’14, ’16

Executive Assistant to the Director of Advancement

Linda Riedell

Director of Marketing & Communications

Crimson Managing Editor

Janet Burdorf

News & Information Manager

Crimson Senior Writer

Steve Patchett P ’24

Graphic Design Associate

Crimson Graphic Designer

Sharon Cain

Website & Social Media Manager

Brad Hickey

Media Manager

Tiffany Zuber

Director of Annual Giving

Riley Shaaber

Director, The Center for Academic Writing & Strategic Communications

Kate Sheleg Muttick ’97

Director of Alumni Engagement

Maggie Ranger ’10

Advancement Services Manager

Melissa Hickey

Director of Special Events & Parents Association Liaison

Kerianne Skobo-Trought

Contributing Writers

Kate Sheleg Muttick ’97

Carol Selman ’64 - Copywriter for In Memoriam

Photography

Janet Burdorf, Vincent Carchietta (MCV Photography), Amanda Fiverson P ’25, ’28, Jopofoto, Betsy B. Patterson P ’14, ’16, Peter Chollick Photography, Steve Patchett P ’24, Tiffany Zuber

Crimson Spring 2024

Board of Trustees 2023-2024

OFFICERS

Ravi Chopra ’97, Co-President

Carisa V. Strauss P ’20, ’22, ’24, Co-President

Kelly MacMahon Ewing ’91, P ’24, ’24, ’24, ’28, Vice President

Michael Morais P ’22, ’24, ’26, Vice President

Darnell T. Parker ’00, Vice President

Lee Kellogg Sadrian ’89, P ’26, ’28, Vice President

R. Cartwright Wallace ’93, Treasurer

Pamela Nelson Davidson ’90, Secretary

TRUSTEES

Liz Morrison, Head of School

Dena Y. Baptiste P ’14

Mary Ellen Campbell P ’72, ’78 (Honorary)

Lissa Jean Ferrell P ’22

Peter Fiverson P ’25, ’28

Shanae M. Green P ’27

David V. H. Hedley ’64, P ’87, ’90, ’97 (Honorary)

David A. McManus P ’21

Cory Pine P ’21, ’25

Michael W. Ranger P ’10, ’13 (Honorary)

Susan Reale P ’23

Bruce Sanford P ’16, ’20

Marlynn Scully P ’87, ’92, GP ’20, ’22 (Honorary)

Laurence H. Sherman P ’20, ’22, ’26

Penny Sokolowski P ’18, ’20, ’25

Eric Soos P ’25, ’25

Scott J. Tannen ’95, P ’22, ’25, ’25

Janine Webb P ’24, ’26

Sherif Zakhary P ’20, ’22, ’27

Senior Leadership Team

Liz Morrison - Head of School

Darren Burns P ’19, ’22 - Chief Innovation Officer

Alonda Casselle P ’27, ’30 - Head of Middle School

Klarissa Karosen P ’26, ’28 - Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Dr. Richard Kasmin P ’21, ’24 - Chief Financial & Operating Officer

Philicia Levinson P ’19 - Director of Human Resources

Ryan Liese - Head of Upper School

Boni Luna - Dean of Faculty

Robert L. Mitchell II P ’15, ’20, ’23Director of Enrollment Management

Betsy B. Patterson P ’14, ’16Director of Advancement

Chantal Thornberry - Director of Student Culture and Wellbeing

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If you would prefer to receive a digital copy of our next issue instead of a printed copy mailed to your home address, scan the QR code to complete your request. All issues of Crimson magazine are available on the MBS website under About > Publications.

Upper School Chorus

Directed by Ben Krauss

Winter Concert Series

As the frosty air settled outside, inside Founders Hall, talent radiated from our ensembles, dancers, and choir. All enjoyed the energy and festive spirit from this showcase of musical diversity and artistic expression.

Jazz & Percussion Ensembles

Directed by Dr. John Girvin

Winter Dance Concert

Staged by Andrea Deventer and Jim Ruttman

Middle and Upper School String Ensembles

Directed by Carolyn Baldacchini

Upper School Musical

The year’s Upper School spring musical, Legally Blonde, performed at the Theater in Founders Hall, was an outstanding success. The cast delivered phenomenal performances that left their audiences in awe.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly

Slam poet Andre Bradford (a.k.a. S.C. Says) performed his poetry at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly in January. He urged students to make purposeful empathy a part of their lives and underscored the importance of paying attention to others, telling your genuine story, and celebrating our differences. Bradford also conducted writing workshops with Middle School students designed to help them share their lived experiences, create space for each other’s stories, and empathize with each other. He also spoke to Upper School History classes.

Andre has been performing slam poetry for the past 10 years. He has toured and been featured at venues and universities across the country, and his work has appeared in the Huffington Post, Write About Now, The Edge radio, The Culture Trip, and Blavity

Celebrating Black History Month

Middle and upper schoolers celebrated through song, spoken word, dance, and video at an All-School Meeting coordinated by students. Performances addressed topics that included the Black Diaspora, the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the struggle for success. Middle School students also enjoyed a visual and musical laser show during a Middle School meeting that celebrated African American icons, including civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, singer Aretha Franklin, and scientist George Washington Carver.

Laura Kirschenbaum Speaks about International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Upper School mathematics teacher and DEIB Committee

Co-Chair Laura Kirschenbaum gave a presentation about International Holocaust Remembrance Day as part of an All-School Meeting in January. This day was established by the United Nations to honor the 11 million lives lost in the Holocaust. The date— January 27—holds significance as it commemorates the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, one of the most notorious concentration camps, by Soviet troops in 1945.

Ms. Kirschenbaum also mentioned that it is crucial to recognize Yom Hashoah, the Holocaust Remembrance Day observed by the Jewish community, as it is a day when Jewish communities around the world come together to remember the 11 million lives lost during the Holocaust.

MBS Community Celebrates Lunar New Year

A vibrant and joyous celebration took place during an All-School Meeting in February to mark the beginning of the lunar calendar. The stage was shared with The Ma Yong Performing Arts Group, who led the students in an interactive lion and dragon dance ceremony.

Students Engage at Retreats in Blairstown, NJ

The Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) led several retreats for middle and upper schoolers this winter. Designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the lived experiences of others, the retreats offered opportunities to engage in icebreakers, attend workshops surrounding identity, mindfulness, and leadership, as well as experience the outdoors. The retreats were packed with many events including paint nights, music circles, group meditations, journaling, and games. Along the way, students gained self-awareness while celebrating their common bonds with their classmates.

Students Enjoy Holi Celebration

On a sunny day in March, there was plenty of laughter and fun as the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) affinity group hosted a Holi celebration. Often called the Festival of Colors, Holi is a vibrant celebration that involves dancing, singing, and the throwing of colored powders and water at fellow revelers. Holi is celebrated widely across parts of India, where it originated, as well as in other countries in South Asia and across the Hindu diaspora in Europe and North America.

As part of the MBS AAPI affinity group, students discuss their experiences as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The group also plans student workshops on AAPI topics to share culture and community events to increase student understanding.

Upper School Students

Participate in NJ Conference

“Coup de Culture: Reclaiming and Celebrating Our Collective Cultures” was the theme at the New Jersey Students of Color Conference at Newark Academy in March. Students engaged in a series of affinity group discussions and workshops including “Empowerment Through History,” “Music and Identity,” and “The Art of Protest: Celebrating Culture Through Protest Art.” NJSCC is a conference created and planned by students of color for students of color in independent schools.

Leadership Workshop Encourages Girls to Run for Office

Upper School girls participated in a half-day workshop designed to empower young women to get involved in politics. In this "Elect Her" workshop, sponsored by the nonpartisan nonprofit organization Running Start, the students participated in a series of activities, including personal branding, networking, and designing elevator pitches, in order to prepare them to run for leadership positions. MBS parent Rosemary Becchi P ’20, ’24, a leading tax policy attorney, consultant, former local political candidate, and board member of Running Start, participated in a Q&A along with student representatives from the SGA. Members of the School’s GLOW (Girls Leadership Outreach and Worth) Club and the Ethics, Leadership & Justice cohort of the Interdisciplinary Concentrations Program (ICP) attended the workshop.

Seniors Continue Athletics in College

Congratulations to the following seniors who signed Letters of Intent this fall to continue athletics at the college level:

Keira Redmond ’24 — Bard College (Lacrosse)

Ellen Manke ’24 — Gettysburg College (Volleyball)

Marcello Laracca ’24 — Sacred Heart University (Football)

Kailin Kane ’24 — Johnson & Wales University (Ice Hockey)

Chloe Higgins ’24 — Providence College (Track & Field)

Ad Astra Society Salutes Employees with 25+ Years of Service

On March 6, Head of School Liz Morrison honored MBS faculty and staff members in the newly-formed Ad Astra Society—those with 25 or more years of service to the School— at a special reception at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park. “I’m proud to salute these members of our community for their many years of professionalism and dedication to the School,” said Head of School Liz Morrison. “Their commitment to our students and to the School’s mission is truly exemplary!”

THE MBS AD ASTRA SOCIETY

Darren Burns P ’19, ’22, Chief Innovation Officer

Andrea Deventer P ’08, Performing Arts Teacher

Jeanine Erickson, Art & Design Teacher

Paul Fisher P ’12, ’16, Computational & Information

Sciences Teacher

Laurie Hartman, Art & Design Teacher

Kathy Hemmer, Receptionist

Vaughan Leigh, World Languages Teacher

Dana McGuire, Accounting Manager

Cathy Meller P ’11, ’18, Accounts Payable Manager

John Sheppard P ’17, Wellness Teacher

Teachers Inspiring Teachers

In February, MBS faculty and staff engaged in a dynamic in-service day filled with learning, conversation, and an exchange of ideas. The day featured a series of workshops designed and facilitated by our own faculty members, covering an array of topics aimed at enriching the student experience. Some of the faculty-led workshops included:

■ Imagining MBS in 2030

■ Five Things You Can Start Doing Tomorrow

■ Accommodating Color Vision Differences

■ Creating and Using Descriptive Rubrics

■ Designing in the Artisan Room

■ Global Competencies and Place-Based Learning

In addition, the day featured a Professional Growth Plan (PGP) update, a DEIB workshop, and an exploration of AI in the classroom.

Liz Morrison Attends Leadership Institute at High

Head of School Liz Morrison was one of 24 heads of school to participate in an Executive Educational Leadership Institute at High Point University. During the three-day event, the group engaged in workshops led by professors and visiting author John Maxwell (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership). As part of the program, participants were put into teams and given the challenge of creating a 15-minute presentation on a school culture challenge. It was announced that the winning team would take home a $10,000 scholarship for one of their students to attend High Point University. Liz Morrison and her team created the winning presentation, and an award was given to an MBS senior heading off to High Point University later this year.

Point University

Parents Association Hosts Tailgate

Party

Members of the MBS community put on their favorite sports jerseys and gathered for the PA Tailgate Party in February at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston. The evening featured amazing game-day food, music, an online and live auction, and lots of socializing! All of the proceeds raised from the event were used to purchase outdoor furniture for the students.

Joshua Tinkelman P ’22, ’24 Discusses Private Equity

The Global Co-Chair of the Private Equity Finance Practice at Latham & Watkins, Joshua Tinkelman P ’22, ’24, visited MBS in January to speak with members of the BFI (Business, Finance, and Investment) Club about private equity. In his role, Mr. Tinkelman advises financial sponsors and borrowers on a wide array of bank financing, capital market, and liability management transactions, including leveraged buyouts.

Stacey Goodman P ’24 Addresses Artificial Intelligence

Stacey Goodman P ’24, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Prudential Financial, spoke with members of the BFI (Business, Finance, and Investment) Club on Zoom in February about her work in technology and the future of Generative Artificial Intelligence.

In her role at Prudential, Ms. Goodman oversees information technology, including cybersecurity, across Prudential’s locations worldwide. Through the optimal use of data, information, and digital and technology platforms, she delivers added value for customers, employees, and shareholders.

Thanks2MBS

During the Thanks2MBS campaign in March, our loyal alumni, families, and friends heeded the call, engaging in an exciting 24 hours of gratitude and giving back to MBS. We are so grateful to those who joined us and committed their support. Every gift to The MB Fund aids the individual journeys of our students as well as the development of the School’s academic, art, and athletic programs.

Jennifer Wallace Speaks about Toxic Achievement Culture and the Importance of “Mattering”

Award-Winning Journalist Jennifer Wallace, the author of the New York Times best-selling book Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It, spoke to MBS parents via Zoom about the dangers of achievement culture and the teen mental health crisis in today’s high-pressure world. She discussed why many young people are at their breaking point and why the current competitive rat race is simply unsustainable at this pace. She also spoke about the importance of “mattering”—the deep human need we all have to feel significant, seen, and understood by those around us—and offered tips to foster a healthier environment.

MBS Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony to Unveil Upgraded Weight Room

On April 12, MBS held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially unveil its renovated Weight Room. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous alumni donor, the upgraded facility now features new weight training and cardio equipment, an indoor turf training area, MBS branding throughout, and a revised layout that utilizes space more effectively and promotes safety.

The hope is that this inviting facility will be used by the entire MBS community—faculty, staff, and students, whether they are part of a team or not.

“Celebrating a profound investment in our students’ holistic growth, these renovations signify our dedication to their success,” said Joe Lodato, who serves as Director of Player Development and also designed and researched the upgrade. “With an expanded array of equipment, optimized spacing, and the addition of indoor turf for year-round agility training, we’re empowering our students to thrive in every aspect of their performance. These enhancements underscore our unwavering commitment to cultivating a culture of excellence and perpetual advancement within our School community.”

The new Weight Room layout has a number of benefits that include:

• Providing a safer environment for students

• Increasing visibility for supervising proper form and safety

• Creating more open space to allow for efficient training

• Allowing Sports Medicine staff to rehabilitate student-athletes more efficiently

• Creating additional training opportunities for MBS athletic programs without compromising the experience for non student-athletes

The Weight Room’s new equipment upgrades include a flat bench press with additional plate storage, a lat-pulldown/low row combination piece, and the addition of four treadmills. In order to create proper spacing and safety for student-athletes using the facility, MBS added uniform lifting racks, inlay deadlift platforms, and new flooring.

As part of the renovation, MBS also installed a turf training area on the lower level of the Simon Athletic Center where student-athletes can take advantage of speed and agility training. This indoor turf strip will create more opportunities for members of the MBS community to train, and should be especially useful during inclement weather.

Beard School Alumna’s Gift Allows Transformation of Anderson Library

At the end of April, MBS officially closed the doors of Anderson Library to embark on an incredible and long-awaited opportunity to renovate the interior of this beloved and often-used gathering space.

Thanks to a very generous and unexpected gift from Elizabeth Agate Jamieson ’48 (“Libby” to friends and classmates), this building’s interior will be totally updated and redesigned. An imprint of her personality, the renovated library will bear her vision of combining a blend of traditional and contemporary decor to reflect how meaningful the school has endured in her life and memories for all of these years since her graduation.

Mrs. Jamieson made lifelong friends at The Beard School during her four years as a high school student, where she developed a true love for reading and curiosity. A New Jersey native and East Coast transplant, she considers California her home, and she has a fondness for growing up here and then raising a family with roots in New England. This incredible gift is a testament to the enduring spirit of giving back to her alma mater, with the inspiration that graduates and future generations will develop the same

love for reading and discovery and be aspiring donors.

Head of School, Liz Morrison, explains, “Just as Morristown Beard has an impact on our students, our alumni continue to have a tremendous, supportive impact on the School. Mrs. Jamieson and her daughter, Ellen, not only made a most generous philanthropic gift, but shared their vision and provided direction on the design, fabric, furniture choices, and color schemes as we reimagined this space.”

With Mrs. Jamieson’s incredible support, Anderson Library will undergo a comprehensive renovation with the goal of creating cheerful, comfortable, and inviting reading, study, and teaching areas. The 3,500 square feet of renovated space will include a relocated central entrance and an inviting lounge area, a focal point of the library, with comfortable seating for 16 that allows for class discussion.

There will be a new teaching area with glass walls to host the 200-plus workshops that take place in the library across every department and

Elizabeth “Libby” Agate Jamieson ’48

school divisions. Two individual study rooms, also with glass walls, will allow for small group work, independent study, and teacher/student collaboration. Students will also see new bookshelves on casters, allowing for flexible use of the space and for the expansion of our collection. In particular, there’s a growing fiction collection that encourages and fosters independent reading and reading for pleasure. Finally, visitors will notice improved lighting, new carpet, paint, and comfortable seating throughout.

The redesigned library will not only serve as a hub for academic excellence but also as a vibrant center for community engagement and lifelong learning. It will be a place where students, faculty, and visitors can gather to exchange ideas, pursue knowledge, and discover. Or, it just might be the place to find one of the comfortable seating options and curl up with a good book. Mrs. Jamison’s gift is particularly timely as the library continues to grow in new directions.

According to Head Librarian Erinn Salge, “The Anderson Library serves dual purposes—one academic and one community-building. In the realm of academics, we have successfully integrated research across the curriculum, from project-based research in the Middle School history classes that collaborate with the Center for Innovation & Design and the Center for Academic Writing to college-level research instruction in the Upper School, using primary sources and college-level databases like JSTOR and ScienceDirect. The other side of research has real-world implications. We strive to develop and improve media and news literacy skills across a wide variety of subjects that cover newsworthy political

Salge further explains, “Community-building is at the heart of the library, a dedicated area that our students refer to as cozy yet scholarly. It is physically and metaphorically a soft place to land, whether it's a random Monday morning when advisories gather to discuss Summer Learning topics or a Wellness Wednesday when the entire school is invited to join in activities.”

Mrs. Jamieson’s commitment to the advancement of education, literacy, and the enrichment of student life is truly commendable. Her philanthropy is a testament to her belief in the power of education, particularly reading, to improve lives and impact the future. Her gift will leave an indelible mark on Morristown Beard School, and a legacy of learning and discovery for future student generations.

As we embark on this exciting and transformative reconstruction project, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mrs. Jamieson for her extraordinary generosity and support. Stay tuned for updates on the progress of the library's facelift and details about a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony in the fall as we look forward to opening our doors to the students and our entire academic community.

Please note the renderings are for illustration purposes and do not incorporate all of the specifics of the final design.

information and health and wellness trends.”

SENIOR CIRCLE

Reflections from members of the Class

of 2024

Ethan Roitman ’24

I’ve learned many things during my four years at MBS, but here is my most important takeaway: what makes MBS special is the people.

The friends I have made during my time at MBS have given me unforgettable lifelong memories. I came to MBS for 9th grade, leaving many friends I had made in school in the past decade. It was a difficult decision, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t have doubts, but even through a COVID-riddled year, I met amazing people. Regardless of what type of person you are, MBS is such a diverse community with wide-ranging beliefs, values, and interests – finding friends will not be difficult.

On the academic side, the teachers are what make MBS special. What makes teachers at MBS exceptional is that they care. They care about teaching, and they care about the students. Without question, my teachers since freshman year have not only been amazing educators, but they have had a profound impact on me. From the amazing conversations I had with Dr. Milinkovic in biology, lighthearted classes with Dr. Gregory in Latin, enjoyable time spent with Mr. Kamil in economics and Arabic, wild experiments in Mr. McCormick’s chemistry class, and difficult yet rewarding time spent in Sra. de la Torre and Sra. Romero’s Spanish classes and Mr. Fisher’s complex systems science class, I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything.

Alice McNamara ’24

The biggest asset Morristown Beard has provided me throughout my time here has been the unwavering level of support in pursuing my own unique path. I first saw this in my classes, where even as we emerged from the pandemic, teachers encouraged us to customize our learning and pick our own topics of interest whenever possible, breaking free from the all-too common practice of monotonous, one-size-fits-all textbook work seen at many American schools. Outside of the classroom, I also found that even when activities were led by a teacher, students were encouraged to have a core level of responsibility. This responsibility became so rewarding for me as I took on roles around campus, whether that was being a Peer Leader to the freshman, guiding students through making sandwiches for Bridges Outreach, or working with others in the student government to create new school traditions. While I could list countless more rewarding opportunities like these, one moment in particular sticks out to me as an example of the lengths MBS goes to empower students. Sophomore year, my classmate, Gabrielle Wolin, and I attended the infamous Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) retreat. Toward the end of this retreat, we bounced around a new idea for another retreat focused on inward mindfulness. Not only were our new ideas supported by the Director of DEIB, Ms. Karosen, but she quite literally tracked us down just days later at school to make sure we got it off the ground. Since then, the creation and execution of our Self Exploration and Awareness (SEA) retreat—not just as a one-off experience but now a yearly tradition to pass on—has remained my most powerful MBS memory. I think that moment truly encapsulates a core value of MBS: student ideas matter here, and we have the support to make them a reality. Now technically an “adult” at 18, I know my five years at MBS have given me the confidence to take on what lies beyond graduation.

Danica Rosenbloom ’24

I first started at Morristown Beard in the 7th grade. The idea of going to a new school where everyone already knew each other filled me with fear; however, my anxieties dissipated as I quickly discovered what makes MBS so special. The smaller class sizes, diverse course offerings, and passionate teachers created this environment where I felt not only accepted but also inspired to succeed.

Despite the challenges posed by starting in the MBS Upper School during the COVID-19 pandemic, MBS demonstrated unwavering support, ensuring that my educational journey remained as enriching and fulfilling as possible. Although I wasn’t able to properly interact with my friends and teachers—lunch was in our advisories and the plexiglass made this emotional separation even more physical—Morristown Beard continued to try to maintain this sense of normalcy throughout those years. As I progressed through my Upper School years, I realized the power I held in crafting my own academic experience and schedule at MBS. I looked forward to filling my schedule with courses that you wouldn’t be able to find at just any school, and by embracing the opportunity of the independent study program—something that I find most schools don't offer—I delved into different subjects such as teaching (my sophomore and junior years) and linguistics (my senior year). Not only did this experience deepen my understanding of topics that aren't covered in traditional classes, but it also sparked a passion that continues to shape and influence my future and my career path. Furthermore, the support provided by the Center for Academic Writing (CAW) and the Center for Quantitative Reasoning (CQR) not only honed my skills but also instilled in me a desire to help and work personally with other students. Being able to become a peer tutor and help others not only helped me gain a better understanding and interest in the subjects of writing and mathematics, but I also witnessed firsthand the impact of these centers, and I look forward to seeing the positive progress they continue to make in the future.

The opportunity to expand my education outside of the classroom was also nothing short of transformative. Over the past four years, I was lucky enough to attend two spring break trips: Sicily (2023) and The Island School (2024). To be able to provide me with these unique opportunities for hands-on learning and cultural immersion has helped me further enrich my education in ways that fall far beyond the confines of the classroom. To also have teachers who are passionate and excited enough to spend their breaks away from home to further enhance our education is something that you can't find just anywhere. I will forever hold on to these memories, and I hope others at MBS will also take advantage of these opportunities.

While my time at MBS has now come to a close, the experiences, advice, and mentorship will always stay with me. I know that when I embark on this new journey in the fall, I will always have a spot at MBS, where I will be welcomed with open arms. I look forward to taking all that I have learned and using it in my future, whether that be in or out of the classroom.

Marlee Ryan ’24

Going into high school, I knew I wanted to study French, imagining myself visiting Paris one day, eating pain au chocolat, shopping throughout the city, and speaking like a native. My hopes of learning Français, however, had not come about, for the class had not fit into my schedule. Sure, this had been due to the fact that MBS was simply supporting me in my artistic pursuits, allowing me to take two performing arts electives my freshman year, but I could not help but feel a bit wistful about it. When choosing another language, I was given the options of Spanish and Latin. On a whim, I had chosen Latin, a language that had been literally “dead” to me at that time. I remember walking into Introductory Latin as a freshman, feeling shy and unsure of what to expect. I certainly had not expected to absolutely love the language, nor had I envisioned myself four years later taking an Advanced Study course on Latin! Through this class, I have met some of my closest friends, studied unique topics like mythology, and stepped out of my comfort zone by trying something new.

My experience with Latin is a reflection of my time at MBS, a time of ongoing opportunity that has allowed me to explore and be challenged. The access I have had to classes of all types has certainly encouraged such exploration. In my own experience, I have been able to take classes ranging from “History of the 90s” to “Statistics and Data Analysis” that have allowed me to delve deeper into more specific topics that I find captivating. In particular, my experience with my “Fundamentals of Psychology” class during my junior year, a class on a subject I was not very familiar with, took me down an academic journey that would lead to my future choice of a college major. It is not only in my classes, however, that MBS has inspired such exploration. During my time here, I have performed on stage, stepped foot onto a volleyball court for the first time, and taken part in unique programs such as ICP, a program that has allowed me to study ethics and justice with unique opportunities such as visits from guest speakers and educational field trips. The opportunities offered to me by MBS even extend far off campus. While I had not gone to France, I enjoyed an amazing experience on my first trip abroad to Spain during my sophomore year, visiting architectural masterpieces, trying new cuisines, and bringing home amazing chocolates!

The abundant opportunities and enjoyment that I have gotten from MBS motivated me to immediately apply to become a peer leader during my junior year, as I hoped to inspire similar feelings and experiences for the freshmen. Being both a peer leader and an admissions guide, I have been able to share my experiences with other members of the MBS community and encourage them to pursue everything MBS offers, just as I did. While my path at MBS has certainly been carved out with many twists and turns, I am glad to say it has certainly seen no dead ends.

CONSIDER MAKING A PLANNED GIFT TO MORRISTOWN BEARD

Your Legacy. Their Future.

What is a Planned Gift?

A planned gift is a contribution that is arranged in the present and allocated at a future date. Commonly donated through a will or trust, planned gifts provide an opportunity for donors to support Morristown Beard School through deferred gifts. Many of these planned gifts offer attractive tax benefits to the donor. Funds provided by these gifts—whether given through bequests, life insurance policies, retirement plan assets, real estate gifts, or other means— help ensure a bright tomorrow for Morristown Beard School. In creating your legacy, you support Morristown Beard students and celebrate our community, both past and present.

1891 Founders Society

The 1891 Founders Society was established to honor generous alumni, parents, and friends who have created trusts, bequests, or other planned gifts to benefit Morristown Beard School. Every individual who supports MBS with a planned gift is eligible to become a member of the 1891 Founders Society. The Society celebrates your support in many ways, including recognition in school publications, campus events, and other special activities.

Ways to Make a Planned Gift

Bequests

Gifts made through a donor’s will or trust, specifying the allocation of a portion of their estate or a specific asset to MBS upon their passing.

Life Insurance Policies

Donors may designate MBS as the beneficiary or owner of a life insurance policy, facilitating the transfer of proceeds to MBS upon the donor’s demise.

Retirement Plan Assets

Donors can name MBS as the beneficiary or partial beneficiary of their retirement accounts.

Real Estate or Property Gifts

Donors can contribute real estate, personal property, or other approved assets to MBS.

For more information about how to make a planned gift that positively impacts generations of students at MBS, please contact Betsy Patterson, Director of Advancement at bpatterson@mbs.net or 973.539.3032 ext. 524.

CENTER FOR INNOVATION

Scan to watch drone CID tour.

INNOVATION & DESIGN ( CID )

A Hub of Creativity and Innovation

By STEVE PATCHETT P ’24

It’s been almost five years since Morristown Beard School first unveiled its Center for Innovation & Design (CID), and the facility has quickly become a hub of creative expression and innovation. On any given day, students can be found collaborating on a 3D design challenge, recording their own podcasts, composing digital music, creating jewelry with metal and glass, and designing and piloting drones which zoom down the hallway.

“This is a place where we fan the flames of creativity,” said MBS Chief Innovation Officer Darren Burns. “It’s a center for intellectual risk-taking and design thinking, where our students can imagine, iterate, and pursue their passions. The exciting project-based courses and experiences that take place here are also meant to forge connections that go beyond the classroom.”

The stories that follow are just some examples of our student’s creative, innovative, imaginative, and collaborative work.

A Storm of Creativity

After months of work, students in Matt Martino’s Human Scale class recently completed a collaborative sculpture project which is now on display in the Center for Innovation & Design. The sculpture, titled “Inclement Weather,” is an expression of the MBS Core Value of Tenacity, and represents student life, challenges, and the relationships we build along the way.

This year, the Human Scale class studied several forms of sculpture in connection to these questions:

• How can materials be symbolically connected to meaning or interpretation of art?

• How does the incorporation of human posture or gestures, literal or abstract, relate to the interpretation of sculpture?

• How can sculpture interact with the architecture around it?

After analyzing case studies that relate to these concepts, students were tasked with the challenge to design and build a full scale in-situ sculpture. As part of the process, they collaborated with students in Jeanine Erickson’s Jewelry Design class, whose hands were cast in plaster and added to the sculpture.

Robots On The Go

Students in Dr. Dennis Evangelista’s Autonomous and Mobile Robotics (Honors) course have been busy creating robots that can ride elevators independently, navigate ramps, and express excitement when a question is answered correctly.

Some of the students, like senior Samantha Yagoda ’24, came into the class with minimal coding experience, but have hit the ground running and got creative with their projects.

“I did some basic Scratch coding in Middle School, but this is the first time I wrote the language for a project,” said Samantha, who, along with her partner, Evie Lisk ’25, designed a robot which resembles Rose Costanzo, Director of the MBS Center for Quantitative Reasoning (CQR). When a question is answered correctly, Ms. Costanzo’s eyes light up and her arms move with excitement. “The next step is for us to add sound or a buzzer,” said Samantha.

Other students, like Katherine Chandler ’26, Mia Rubin ’26, and Marissa Spiteri ’24 programmed their robot, “Fred,” to ride the elevator from the bottom level of the Math & Science Center to the second floor and back. With precise timing, Fred enters the elevator, waits for a predetermined amount of time, exits, and then makes the return trip.

Juniors Kevin Chen ’25 and Rebecca Stulberger ’25 were practicing ramp maneuvers with their two-wheeled robot, while senior Caleb Ordower ’24 was busy modifying a cheap remote control car that he purchased at Walmart. “I’m going to add a board and see how fast it will go,” he said.

The Autonomous & Mobile Robotics course is intended to follow Drone Engineering, and covers topics including microcontrollers, the Robot Operating System (ROS), autonomy via Pixhawk, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), and surface, underwater, and ground-based robots.

Spanish Class Creates Mythical Creatures

Dr. Rita Moch Arias’ Intermediate Spanish students worked with teachers Matt Martino and Dr. Dennis Evangelista in the CID to make 3D Alebrijes—surreal mythical creatures that have come to represent the beauty, mystery, and magic of Mexico. The mythical projects were displayed as part of an interactive “Alebrije Museum” on the second floor of Beard Hall.

The students have been studying about these brightly-colored Mexican folk art creatures throughout the first semester. They began the project by sketching their fantastical beasts, many of which have horns, scales, tails, and feathers. Working with Mr. Martino and Dr. Evangelista, they then learned techniques to transform their sketches into 3D representations.

After finishing their 3D creations, the students wrote stories about the Alebrijes in Spanish. Dr. Moch Arias displayed the Alebrijes along with QR codes to their stories in this museum exhibit.

Middle Schoolers Kick Off 3D Mural Project

Eighth Grade students met with professional artist Dan Fenelon for a brainstorm session to officially kick off a 3D mural project to be displayed in the Middle School Commons.

Mr. Fenelon, who has previously collaborated with MBS on several projects in town through his Core Creative Place Making initiative, is working with the entire Middle School community to create a mural centered around the School’s six Core Values (Personal Responsibility, Awareness of Diverse Perspectives, Engagement, Tenacity, Independence of Mind, and Humor & Humility). In March, he worked with the 8th graders to translate those values into symbols and think about ways to represent them visually. “We don’t want this to simply be a poster. We want to create a legacy work that will last for years and years,” he told the students.

Mr. Fenelon will lead work sessions with each Middle School Advisory in which each student will create a part of the composition. At the conclusion of Mr. Fenelon's residency, he will assemble all of the components into a 3D mural in the Middle School Commons.

“The composition will allow the Middle School students to take ownership of the design as well as the physical work on the creation of the composition alongside Dan Fenelon,” said Art & Design teacher Matt Martino. “The project will also create leadership opportunities for members of the Upper School Interdisciplinary Concentration Program (ICP) to work with a professional artist and serve as mentors for our younger students.”

The MBS community was first introduced to Mr. Fenelon and his partner, Kadie Dempsy of Core Creative Place Making, last year as part of the ICP’s “Engage Morristown” initiative. MBS students recently created artwork for two of Core Creative’s signature events at the Vail Mansion reflecting pool in Morristown—The annual Pumpkin Illumination and the Theatre of Light.

Mathematical Physics Students Build Working Spyglasses

Dr. Chris Payette’s Mathematical Physics Honors students completed a short unit on light and optics, with a particular focus on lenses (both converging and diverging), then used their knowledge to build a working spyglass. This work, done in collaboration with Art & Design teacher Matt Martino in the CID, afforded the students an opportunity to learn the basics of computer-aided design using the TinkerCAD software and 3D printer.

Before beginning the project, students were introduced to the basics of concave and convex lenses as well as a technique for determining image characteristics known as ray tracing. They then used their knowledge along with a dose of trial and error to select and position a combination of two or three lenses in order to produce a magnified, upright image of a distant object.

With assistance from Mr. Martino, students developed a design for their spyglasses with the requirements that the lenses are held in alignment, while also allowing their positions to be adjusted in order to focus the final image. The last step was to 3D print their designs for final assembly.

Seventh Graders Record Podcasts

Kathryn Kao’s 7th grade Civics students worked with Dr. John Girvin in the Audio Studio, where they recorded podcasts on “The Age of Exploration.” Before recording their podcasts, the students took advantage of several other resources on campus including Anderson Library to conduct research, and the Center for Academic Writing (CAW) to refine their scripts.

To create their podcasts, the students first visited Anderson Library, where Library Director Erinn Salge taught the students about the “art of research.” Students learned the four-step research process (Inquire, Curate, Explore, and Reflect) that will be part of their academic career for years to come.

After gathering resources in the Library, the students then visited the Center for Academic Writing (CAW), where Director Kate Muttick conducted a workshop on podcast structures as well as interview and narrative styles. The students returned to write introductions and think about sound elements that would enhance their scripts. In their third visit to the CAW, the students revised their full scripts.

As the last step in the process, the students recorded their scripts in the professional sound studio. Performing Arts faculty member Dr. John Girvin got the students set up in the studio and led them through the recording process.

Artisan Tools & Techniques Class Designs for a Client

Jeanine Erickson’s Artisan Tools & Techniques class recently completed a client-based collaborative project: designing a stained glass panel for Director of Academic Scheduling and Analytics Rocio Romero.

The completed panel—as well as a depiction of the design process—was displayed in the Phoebe Stiles King ’49 Gallery in the Math & Science Center throughout the month of December.

The display chronicled the students’ design process by showing their initial client meeting, scale drawings, thumbnail sketches of their design ideas, the fabrication steps, and the final glass panel itself. The panel now hangs in Rocio Romero’s office near the Student Center.

Students Display Their Bright Ideas

The original work of Matt Martino’s first semester Light Fixture Design class was on display this winter in the Phoebe Stiles King ’49 Gallery in the lobby of the Math & Science Center.

“I am so proud of the work that the students achieved,” said Mr. Martino. “Each fixture is 100% custom and they all perform as fully functional lights, each with its own unique sculptural context.”

The students began by researching and analyzing light fixtures by notable industrial designers and architects before sketching and building rough cardboard prototypes. In the

next phase, students translated their rough prototypes into accurate AutoCAD drawings to create a kit of parts to be laser-cut and assembled.

In the final phase of design, students moved back and forth between prototyping, assembling, and problem-solving to build a unique yet functional and structurally stable pendant or free-standing light fixture.

From (I)DENTITY to COMMUNITY:

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Learning

9th Grade Humanities

By KATE SHELEG MUTTICK ’97 Director of the Center for Academic Writing

Working in pairs around a table in Grant Hall, 9th grade history students jot down observations as they examine an ancient Maya limestone sculpture. This mid-relief carving depicts the ruler of Yaxchilan and his consort, Lady Xoc, performing a bloodletting ceremony. History chair Rebecca Van Horn prompts and provokes their thinking as students attempt to analyze why the Maya would want to tell this story and how the conquistadors would later tell a different story than the one intended. Derived from the essential questions examined by the MBS Humanities program, students are wrestling with inquiry in their History, English, and World Language classes.

Last summer, the results of a large-scale, long-term survey from Oxford University called The Value of the Humanities confirmed that humanities graduates develop resilience, flexibility, and skills to adapt to challenging and changing labor markets. The skills developed through the study of humanities include critical thinking, strategic thinking, an ability to synthesize and present complex information, empathy, and creative problemsolving. Moreover, studying humanities helps graduates make “wider contributions to society” while addressing the major issues facing humanity today. Dr. James Robson and his co-authors concluded that studying humanities had a “transformative impact” on people’s identities and lives.

These important findings only further validate the thoughtful approach the MBS Humanities program has taken in the 9th grade. Students place the study of History, English, and World Language in dialogue, recognizing that these disciplines allow them to interrogate and make sense of the human experience. By thinking critically and creatively, students investigate cultures and communities around the world and across time, while tracing the threads that have shaped history. Emphasizing multicultural awareness and perspectives, the Humanities program urges students to bring the richness of the world into focus. A variety of topics, texts, and lessons grapple with the central theme of “identity” and the essential questions: How do we tell our stories? How do our stories get told? By periodically reflecting on connections they make and understandings they develop, students make sense of their learning and of themselves.

“Language is not merely a set of rules and words; it is a powerful tool for expressing one’s identity.”

—Dr. Gorica Lalic

World Language Chair Jen Laviola explains, “If we’re focusing on the human experience, language is one of the things that makes us human. We teach language by examining historical moments, cultural practices, and by looking closely at literary sources, music, and art.” The inclusion of World Languages into this program happened organically. Teachers were already collaborating in order to share philosophies, values, and training. As more similarities emerged, it became clear that the Humanities program should be premised on a three-prong approach that examines visual culture, material culture, and art.

Dr. Gorica Lalic explains, “I embarked on a journey with my novice and introductory French students through an exploration of personal identity. We delved into the intricacies of self-expression, culture, and linguistic development.” The journey began with self-discovery, as students learned how to introduce themselves and their families in French. Through interactive activities and role-playing exercises, they gradually gained confidence while sharing personal details. This not only enhanced their language skills but also encouraged a deeper understanding of the cultural nuances embedded in familiar relationships. After all, language is not merely a set of rules and words; it is a powerful tool for expressing one’s identity. Dr. Lalic continues, “recognizing this, my students and I took a unique approach to language acquisition, intertwining grammar lessons with personal narratives. By incorporating discussions about family, hometowns, and personal preferences, students were learning linguistic constructs and discovering ways to articulate their individuality in a new language.”

As students learn to express themselves, they also consider how to tell their stories. One common topic in French has been the discussion of food. Dr. Lalic says, “A cornerstone of culture, food became a delicious focal point in the exploration of identity. Students eagerly learned how to express their culinary likes and dislikes, expanding their vocabulary to include a diverse range of French dishes. This culinary journey not only enhanced their language skills, but also fostered an appreciation for the rich gastronomic tapestry of the Francophone world.”

Dr. Lalic notes, “As my novice and introductory French students embarked on this voyage of self-discovery, the classroom transformed into a space where language and identity converged. This holistic approach not only deepened their understanding of French culture, but one hopes it also instilled in them a sense of pride and confidence as they navigated the intricate landscape of identity through language.” Both Dr. Lalic and Ms. Laviola confirmed that all of the teachers in the World Language Department embrace this multifaceted approach to language and education, which not only equips students with linguistic skills, but also empowers them to engage meaningfully with the vibrant world of French, Spanish, and Latin expression and culture.

Across campus, Anna Kim’s 9th grade English classes practice the “windows and mirrors” approach to literature.

According to this popular metaphor, the study of texts that reflect your own identities, experiences, and motivations are ‘mirrors’ while texts that provide insight into the identities, experiences, and motivations of others serve as ‘windows’. By reading and analyzing a variety of voices and texts, students can move toward more nuanced perceptions of the world around them. In a recent class, Kim used the Norman Rockwell painting “Triple Self-Portrait” to not just form a humanities lens but to practice the skill of observation. What do we notice? How can our observations help us start to make connections and think about how themes are represented? Students observed, attentively listened to classmates, and then expanded their list of “things noticed.” Next, Kim explains, “We tried to find patterns. The painting is called a triple self-portrait, and we see many different versions of Rockwell (his back, little models of other painters, different drafts) and many revisions of the painting. But what do we learn about him or any person, and the way they define themselves? How do we contend with outside expectations and deal with impressions of who we think we are versus what we see in the mirror? Art gives us a foundation to discuss conflicts and comparisons, and then tie back to the discussion of stories. What kind of stories are we told about who we should be? Who should we want to be? What are the power dynamics? After much conversation, we concluded that we must take control of our own stories, complicate them, nuance them, speak back, and speak up. There are so many negotiations when thinking about who we are and thinking about different themes of identity.”

As students find success, faculty continue their conversations in order to develop the program in a few ways. According to Van Horn, “systematically, we’re creating a program that is functional and centers our students. But beyond that, we’re trying to create a thriving and sustainable humanities community. Just like students are a community of learners, we educators are eager to experiment with programmatic topics and also connect to each other.” As faculty thoughtfully introduce a variety of texts, they present pieces of a puzzle. Students are challenged to stretch their thinking and find patterns that don’t overtly exist. Making connections across disciplines helps students understand a variety of texts and think about the human condition as well as their own place in the world. Not only is it an appropriate developmental time for teens to encounter questions about identity, but the clever scaffolding by faculty only further provokes the type of independent thinking that is a hallmark of the MBS educational experience.

“Systematically, we’re creating a program that is functional and centers our students. But beyond that, we’re trying to create a thriving and sustainable humanities community.”

—Rebecca Van Horn

Teachers Who Inspire

Dr. Suzana Markolovic

In a brightly-lit lab on the second floor of the Math & Science Center, Dr. Suzana Markolovic’s organic chemistry class is synthesizing aspirin. Inspired by academic and pharmaceutical research pursuits, students begin by preparing their lab notebooks. There’s a specific goal: synthesize the compound while checking for yield and purity, thus measuring how much they actually make versus how much they attempted to make while learning practical laboratory techniques like recrystallization and thin-layer chromatography. It’s experiential learning at its highest level, as students test the limitations that organic synthesis entails.

These rigorous, practical laboratory experiences are reminiscent of Markolovic’s own time as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and a PhD student at the University of Oxford. At the NCI, she worked in Dr. William Douglas Figg’s lab, which focused on prostate cancer. This continued her academic work in characterizing human enzymes, which she explored while pursuing her PhD at Oxford in the lab of Professor Christopher Schofield, who led a team studying the functional assignment and mechanisms of enzymes of physiological importance. Prior to pursuing her PhD, Markolovic studied chemistry and chemical biology at Cornell, with minors in Spanish and education.

A summer of teaching at Choate Rosemary Hall and four years of teaching chemistry at Blair Academy led her to MBS, where she is the team leader for 10th grade chemistry and also teaches an advanced course in organic chemistry.

Proud of the work the faculty team has done to align their chemistry curriculum, Markolovic says, “It’s been rewarding to collaborate with colleagues because we’re prioritizing the student experience. Through collaboration, we aim to offer an equitable classroom environment across all sections with aligned expectations. I’m also proud of the way these classes promote scientific confidence.”

While chemistry topics include chemical bonding, how or why atoms combine to create new substances, how to draw structures of different compounds, and what the structure tells us about the function of the molecule in terms of its physical properties, a primary focus is on building transferable skills. These skills include being able to support claims with evidence, express oneself through written and oral communication, utilize quantitative reasoning skills to interpret data and graphs, and perhaps most importantly, to tolerate ambiguity as students learn hard things.

Markolovic says, “Chemistry is difficult and abstract at baseline; it’s a subject that requires you to use your imagination for things you cannot see. Although I challenge my students, I craft projects I know they are capable of doing, which helps them build confidence. Experience has taught me where the most common misconceptions lie at the general level of chemistry, and this enables me to address them and help students identify them.”

Her classes are dynamic and react in real time to the needs of her students. She is willing to pause class and help figure out a problem together, rather than pushing on simply to cover content. Markolovic shares, “I love working with the students at MBS because they genuinely want to be better. Nothing makes me want to work harder than students meeting my energy and desire. Just like in coaching, where the athlete needs to want it more than you, the same is true for teaching. Even if chemistry is not a student’s primary passion, I want to be the best teacher for them and help them achieve whatever goals they’ve set for themselves.”

With a mix of creativity, critical thinking, and compassion, Markolovic is challenging students to build confidence in their scientific knowledge and in themselves.

Peter Donahue

While Morristown Beard School commonly refers to itself as a place where students get to both chase and refine their passions, perhaps no faculty member captures the spirit of bold risk-taking and creative thinking better than Peter Donahue, Art & Design Chair.

It’s hard to define Donahue because he does so many things extraordinarily well. An art educator, painter, cartoonist, and graphic designer, he currently teaches digital foundations, printmaking, and creative writing. He found his way to MBS in 2014, enticed by the environment of academic risk-taking and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

With a Master’s in Rhetoric and Writing (Seton Hall University, BA ’05, MA ’06), Donahue is also a published writer. His poetry and science fiction can be found in different literary journals, while his popular graphic novels led to a series of creative writing classes on campus, where students learned firsthand from an expert in the field. Whether working on the manuscript of a novel, a webcomic, or a blog about teaching and writing, Donahue’s work is prolific. In his “spare” time, he’s done freelance graphic design work for universities, tech start-ups, and fashion brands.

At Morristown Beard, no matter the class or club, Donahue is most satisfied when he’s exploding a paradigm. That is, not just assigning an essay, but inspiring students to reassess and reinvent their approach to writing. He shares, “The key thing is to allow my own interests and passions to come into the classroom. That was what drew me to MBS. Yet my interests have evolved over the last 10 years as I started to explore the more graphic side of communications. I was thinking about how images can be rhetorically persuasive, dabbled in freelance graphic design, and was mentored in art and design by former MBS faculty member Chris Finn. When MBS launched the Center for Innovation & Design and embraced design thinking, it ignited another passion.”

While MBS aspires to cultivate lifelong learners, Donahue demonstrates that intellectual curiosity and creativity can mold and shape a life of purpose. His passion and zest are so transparent that students and faculty alike are inspired by his moves. Beyond campus, Donahue has become a public figure, using social media to connect with hundreds of thousands of viewers around the world about the science of color.

When the pandemic hit and everyone was making sourdough bread and rekindling hobbies, MBS was launching its Foundations Arts program. Every student needed a kit they could use at home, and as Peter and the department were evaluating the materials that were considered

fundamental, his ideas about color theory were born.

Donahue explains, “The color wheel in art is analogous to the fiveparagraph essay in academic writing. While useful for the simplicity of its formula, it can only go so far.”

As Donahue gained fame and a following on social media platforms, he connected with the founders of the Color Literacy Project. This led to a professional development series on the topic, with Donahue noting, “We needed to give kids the vocabulary to observe and describe color. Is cyan blue? We need to know the words to describe nuance (pale red vs. vivid red vs. muted red).”

With these questions in mind, the Art & Design faculty adopted a totally different framework and approach to their coursework. In turn, his classroom has become a laboratory. Filled with colored lights and tools like 3D globes, students do experiments. Perhaps they add a transparent filter and paint on the back in order to figure out which wavelengths get subtracted. There is room for abstract thinking as students play with a purpose. With thousands of followers, he also uses Instagram and TikTok to explore both the scientific and cultural aspects of color. When the Rochester Institute of Technology Color Science Lab hosted a recent color convention, Donahue delivered the keynote on the topic of using social media as a lab for color theory education.

The world has become Donahue’s classroom, yet Morristown Beard students are lucky enough to work alongside him, where intellectual risk-taking is the ethos of his teaching pedagogy. As he mentors students, his zeal and passion often encourage students to identify and pursue their own interests. Next year, Donahue will take a sabbatical to focus on two areas: painting and putting into practice the color theory ideas he’s been testing. He hopes to turn these theories into a manuscript for a book about color theory.

& Stories of Excellence Teaching Learning in

Biology Students Conduct Long-Term Experiments in the Environmental Systems Lab

Scott McCormick’s biology classes set up long-term experiments in the Environmental Systems Lab to study the effects of wind and lighting conditions on plant growth. Throughout the semester, students will examine the effect of wind and air using variablespeed fans and will also explore the effect of different colors of light—specifically red, green, and blue.

AP Biology Class Tests the Effect of Plant Hormones on Root Growth

Students in Dr. Elena Fiorica-Howells’ AP Biology class conducted experiments to test the effect of plant hormones on root growth. Throughout the semester, they actively monitored root growth over several weeks as a measure of the effect of the tested hormones on mitosis—the process cells use to replicate. This AP Biology course covers the in-depth study of living organisms, focusing on inquiry-based investigations and hands-on learning through labs.

Augmented Reality Sandbox Gets an Upgrade

Lily Horowitz ’26 and Katherine Chandler ’26 have been overhauling, recalibrating, and upgrading the Augmented Reality Sandbox in the Environmental Systems Lab as part of an independent study with science teachers Brad Turner and Dennis Evangelista. This hands-on resource features real sand, a Microsoft Kinect 3D camera, a data projector, and open-source simulation and visualization software. As users mold the sand with their hands, it is augmented in real time by a responsive elevation color map, topographic contour lines, and simulated water, allowing for the exploration of topographic maps and models. Simply by pushing the sand into peaks, students can create

Psychology Students Complete Sheep Brain Dissections

Students in Lori Kretten’s Fundamentals of Psychology class performed sheep brain dissections in the Math & Science Center to observe how the mammalian brain operates. The dissection project gives the students a three-dimensional look at a mammalian brain, both external and internal, and encourages students to construct an explanation of the central nervous system.

mountains, or with a stroke of a finger, they can create riverbeds and watch water flow in.

The goal of the AR Sandbox is to teach geographic, geologic, hydrologic, and volcanic concepts—from assessing the meaning of a watershed to reading maps. The original system was constructed by Bobby Burns ’22 as part of his independent study titled Augmented Virtual Reality Sandbox. Katherine and Lily, who took Mr. Turner’s Oceanography course and both have an interest in coding, continued the study to get the AR Sandbox operational.

Sixth Graders Practice the Art of Persuasion

Students in Andrea Silvestri’s 6th grade science class were given an assignment: MBS will be opening a fictitious underwater campus called CrimSea, and they were to create the perfect aquatic mascot. After researching some underwater mammals with the help of Assistant Librarian, Kaitlyn Meehan, the students came up with an array of ideas—from hammerhead sharks and whale sharks to jellyfish and cownose rays. Ultimately, three teams’ mascots were selected, and each team had to pitch their mascot idea using persuasive arguments in favor of their mascot to an esteemed panel of judges made up of MBS faculty members and Head of School Liz Morrison.

Bridging Biology and Technology: Hands-On with the Apple Vision Pro

With a host of new interactive apps, the Apple Vision Pro is offering users an immersive journey into medicine, science, and anatomy. From surgical planning and medical training to mental health support, these new Vision Pro apps enable users to explore the human body and dive deep into medical procedures, offering immersive experiences for medical professionals and patients alike.

Dr. Elena Fiorica-Howells’ Experimental Biology Honors class got a chance to see the potential of this powerful new resource. Students got a firsthand look at spatial computing as junior Johannes Wabnitz Moch ’25 demonstrated two interactive apps—CellWalk and Insight Heart.

CellWalk is a biological learning experience that allows users to take a guided tour through the molecular machines of a bacteria cell or explore on their own. The app allows students to zoom from a whole cell down to its atoms.

Insight Heart lets users understand the human heart like never before. Users can easily scan their physical surroundings and visualize 3D hearts using CT data as well as explore various heart conditions. During the demonstration, MBS science teacher Dr. Marina Milinkovic helped guide the students through the 3D models of the heart.

Middle School Mini Boat Program: Connecting Cultures Through Ocean Education

For 11 years in a row, MBS has launched a 5-foot, GPS-equipped sailboat as part of the “Educational Passages” program. Past mini boats have landed in Guernsey, Portugal, France, Ireland, the Shetland Islands, and Spain. In Lisa Swanson’s 6th grade geography class, boats are an interactive tool for learning about ocean currents and comparative cultural topics. Each fall, 6th graders assemble, decorate, and fill the cargo hold with items such as letters, coins, shells, and a map of New Jersey. Based on their understanding of latitude, longitude, and ocean current maps, the students also decide where to launch in the Atlantic basin.

This past semester, Swanson was granted a sabbatical to enhance and broaden the program’s impact in the classroom and provide more unique learning experiences for students. During this time, she visited several ocean communities where the boats had landed to collect narratives on how citizens value and interact with the ocean compared to New Jersey shore community members.

In February, Swanson traveled to North Carolina to launch this year’s mini boat, Crimson Cyclone, from a research vessel in the Gulf Stream whose scientists were tagging bluefin tuna with satellite transmitters. As a result, Swanson created geography lessons that show how data collected by scientists is used to inform policy decisions to protect fishermen’s livelihoods along the Atlantic Coast.

While prepping and launching the boat is exciting for students, Swanson feels that the learning that ensues when that boat lands is the program’s highlight. “Our mini boat program enables MBS students to connect with their peers across the globe and learn about life in other parts of the world. Empathy and understanding are also promoted as students learn to appreciate and respect different perspectives,” Swanson explained.

In March, Swanson ventured to County Cork, Ireland, where she visited the Barryroe National School, which recovered the 2022 MBS mini-boat Crimson Current Swanson’s students have enjoyed a robust connection with Barryroe NS over the past two years through virtual meetings and pen-pal letter exchanges. During her visit, she arranged a Zoom meeting between MBS students and the students from Barryroe. She gave an update to MBS middle schoolers on Crimson Current, the MBS mini boat that was refurbished by the Barryroe school students. Crimson Current was relaunched in late March off the continental shelf near New Jersey, along with another MBS mini boat, the 2014 Crimson Tide. During the Zoom, students from both schools predicted where the boats would land. Guesses included Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, and Iceland. While in Ireland, Swanson forged connections with scientists at the Marine Institute in Galway, ocean sustainability activists, local educators, and fishermen—all of whom are eager to engage with MBS students next school year.

This coming fall, MBS will be recognized as a USA Blue School for implementing cross-curricular teaching to engage students in ocean sustainability topics at multiple grade levels. As a network member, MBS can collaborate on projects and learn from other schools and organizations across the Atlantic region. It also provides opportunities for students to engage in international projects and connect with their peers worldwide who share their passion for the ocean.

BeyondClassroom the

THE ISLAND SCHOOL

Eleuthera, Bahamas

Twenty-four Upper School students and four faculty chaperones enjoyed an unforgettable trip to The Island School in the Bahamas, where they learned about ecology, sustainability, and marine biology through a series of hands-on, experiential learning adventures.

On the island of Eleuthera, the students went snorkeling and SCUBA diving, explored caves, learned about coral reef ecology, dissected lionfish, and dove for conch. They discovered sea creatures under the dock at night, studied the formation of ooids, and waded and floated through the mangroves. In addition to their academic pursuits, the students also enjoyed sampling the Bahamian cuisine, jumping from “High Rock,” and exploring the island by water, on foot, and by bike.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Charleston, South Carolina

A group of 10 students, accompanied by two chaperones, embarked on a meaningful journey to Charleston, South Carolina. Together, they dedicated a week to volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, engaging in various projects such as prepping a house for aluminum siding, installing windows and doors, caulking the interior, reinforcing the structure with countless nails, and constructing porch stairs.

During some well-deserved downtime, the group delved into the rich history of Charleston. They explored the city market and the downtown harbor, where they viewed Fort Sumter in the distance. A highlight was the guided tour of The College of Charleston, led by MBS alumna Grace Barnett ’21. The students also enjoyed swimming at Kiawah Island and exploring the shores of Folly Beach.

MEXICO

MBS students and three chaperones journeyed to Mexico to experience the country’s rich artistic traditions. The group toured Mexico City, Puebla, and Oaxaca, where they participated in the unique artistic and cultural offerings of each locale.

Guided walking tours unveiled the secrets of each city. Highlights included visits to Frida Kahlo’s residence, a chocolate factory, and the intricate Tejidos La Grana rug-weaving atelier. The group also explored two archaeological marvels, Monte Alban and Cholula. Hands-on learning opportunities allowed students to create their own hand-made tortillas, Alebrijes, and Talaverapainted ceramics.

BOYS LACROSSE

Casa Grande, Arizona

The boys lacrosse team immersed themselves in intensive training sessions during their trip to Casa Grande, Arizona. The trip provided an opportunity for them to hone their skills and strategies, preparing for the upcoming season. Beyond the field, the players forged lasting friendships, sharing laughter and camaraderie under the Arizona sun, creating memories that would fuel their team spirit throughout the season.

COSTA RICA

A group of 24 Middle School students and four faculty chaperones had the opportunity to experience "pura vida" (pure life!) by visiting Costa Rica—a wonderland of natural attractions known for its beaches, rainforests, volcanoes, and biodiversity.

The trip’s itinerary was packed with thrilling adventures, including white water rafting, ziplining, and explorations of a volcano and wildlife rescue sanctuary. In addition, the group explored the city of San Jose, Sarchi Village, and a local coffee plantation.

GIRLS LACROSSE

Clearwater, Florida

The girls lacrosse team ventured to Clearwater, Florida, where they embraced the warm coastal breeze and pristine beaches. The trip provided the girls with a unique opportunity to refine their techniques and build cohesion as a unit as they enjoyed each other's company. The experience not only strengthened their bonds as teammates but also fueled their passion for the sport, leaving them eager to tackle the challenges of the season ahead.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Offering our time, service, and friendship

The Comfort Project 360 Club made Valentine’s Day mug gift bags to give to cancer patients at St. Barnabas Medical Center.

Annual Toy Drive

MBS collected a truckload of toys for the Morris County Sheriff's Department, which were then distributed to churches, welfare organizations, and hospitals for underprivileged and sick children.

Soup-er Bowl Food Drive

Students participated in the “Soup-er Bowl,” a canned food drive to benefit the Interfaith Food Pantry of Morris Plains. Students were asked to donate cans of soup and place them in the Middle School foyer next to the team logo that they thought would win the Super Bowl—the 49ers or the Chiefs.

Project Sunshine

The MBS Project Sunshine Club put together care packages containing toys, markers, and coloring books for children receiving medical care in local hospitals.

Holiday Cards for Senior Citizens

Freshmen and sophomores created greeting cards with personal notes for residents of several local senior citizen centers to make the holiday season a little more cheerful.

Bridges Outreach

Students gathered in the Dining Hall and made lunches that were distributed to those in need.

Members of the MBS Humane Society Club contributed blankets, toys, and towels for the cats and dogs at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison.

Neighborhood House

The 7th grade class donated pajamas and cocoa to their preschool friends at The Neighborhood House of Morristown. They also read books and played games with the children.

Support for Homeless Solutions

“A Night in the Cold,” sponsored by Homeless Solutions, is an event designed to raise funds and awareness about homeless families in our area. In December, MBS students participated in the fundraiser by sleeping outside for one night in the place of their choice.

Interfaith Food Pantry

MBS 6th graders continued the Middle School’s community service partnership with the Interfaith Food Pantry as the students volunteered at the organization’s headquarters in Morris Plains. The class also participated in a food drive for the pantry. Middle School teachers kicked off the drive with a “can-struction” event—a towerbuilding contest with cans of food donated by the MBS community. Sixth grade teachers challenged 7th and 8th grade teachers to see who could build the tallest structure in five minutes. The goal was to collect 3,000 pounds of food.

“Color A Smile”

Members of the Community Service Club created pictures for Color A Smile, a Morristown-based nonprofit organization that distributes cheerful drawings to people in nursing homes, hospitals, and Meals on Wheels programs as well as troops overseas.

Blood Drive

During Morristown Beard School’s Spring Blood Drive, conducted by New Jersey Blood Services on Thursday, February 29, 108 units of blood were collected.

ARI MANDEL ’26 WINS MORRISTOWN ONSTAGE TALENT COMPETITION

Ari prevailed as the winner in the 18 & Under category in the talent competition with a powerful version of the song “For Forever” from the musical Dear Evan Hansen. The event was held live onstage at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown in February. At MBS, Ari is a member of the Upper School Chorus as well as the School’s newlycreated acappella group. He also appeared in last spring’s Upper School musical, Be More Chill.

KIMI FREEMAN ’25 SIGNS COPIES OF HER DEBUT NOVEL

Kimi signed (and sold out of) copies of her Taylor Swift-inspired holiday novel, ‘Tis The Damn Season, at The Collective Bookstore in Verona last December. Kimi wrote and selfpublished the novel as part of last year’s Independent Study project. The book was recently highlighted in People magazine as one of 17 books that reference Taylor Swift song titles and lyrics.

DEREK LIU ’30 SELECTED TO PERFORM WITH NORTH JERSEY REGION ORCHESTRA

Derek had an audition at Clifton High School in January and was accepted into the esteemed North Jersey Region Orchestra. He placed 11th overall out of 91 middle school violinists that competed. Derek performed at the North Jersey Region Orchestra concert at Morris Knolls High School in February on behalf of MBS. In School, he is a member of the Middle School String Ensemble.

MBS DEBATE CLUB

The Debate Club competed at Ridge High School in the NSDA Debate and Speech event and also at Montville High School, where they argued, “Should single-use plastics be banned?”

MODEL U.N. CLUB

Students from the Model United Nations Club traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the 61st North American Invitational Model United Nations. They met in specialized committees, working alongside delegates representing other countries to debate important issues and pass resolutions.

MOCK TRIAL TEAM

The Mock Trial Team participated in round one of a competitive trial at the County Tournament in January. The trial took place at the Morristown Court House and lasted two nights—one for prosecution and one for defense arguments.

QUIZ BOWL TEAM

The Quiz Bowl Team competed in the 3rd Annual Garden Bowl held at Livingston High School. They matched wits and knowledge with other area high school students in mathematics, science, literature, art, history, and sports.

THE BUSINESS, FINANCE, AND INVESTMENT (BFI) CLUB

The BFI Club and the Advanced Seminar Economics class traveled to New York City to learn about corporate and investment banking at Barclays Global Markets. The group was welcomed by MBS parent Mike Webb P ’24, ’26, Managing Director and Global Head of Liquid Financing, before hearing from several speakers who discussed fixed income sales and trading, institutional equity sales, investment banking, senior relationship management, internships, and tips on interviewing for a financial career.

WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

Girls Basketball

The girls basketball team (9-17) competed in the semifinals of the Prep Tournament, the second round of the Morris County Tournament, and the first round of the State Tournament. Senior Aiyana Hobbs ’24 paced the Crimson with 14.7 points per game.

Boys Basketball

The boys basketball team (6-17) posted highlight wins over Mountain Lakes, Bogota, Pequannock, Boonton, and American Christian this winter. The team was led offensively by freshman guard MJ Jarrell ’27 as well as senior forward Micah Leibowitz ’24.

Boys Ice Hockey

The boys ice hockey team skated to a 10-10-1 record and advanced to the semifinals of the Mennen Cup Tournament. Freshman goalie Mason Hriczov ’27 was selected as the league’s Rookie of the Year as well as the New Jersey Devils High School Player of the Month for January.

Girls Ice Hockey

The girls ice hockey team (16-5) captured the regular season title of the Librera Division of the NJIHL and advanced to the championship game of the WIHLMA League. Senior Jessie Sperling ’24 was named the NJ.com Girls Ice Hockey Player of the Year as well as the New Jersey Devils High School Player of the Month for February.

Indoor Track

This winter, MBS indoor track athletes set more than 120 personal records. The girls team finished second in both the State and Prep Meets, while the boys team finished third in the Prep Meet. Chloe Higgins ’24, Raidah Karriem ’25, Spencer Anderson ’24, and Sierra Mark ’25 qualified for the Meet of Champions, with Chloe earning a medal at the state’s most competitive meet.

Swimming

The girls swim team posted victories against Parsippany, Mendham, Oak Knoll, and Jonathan Dayton, and was led by junior Isla Johnston ’25, who qualified for the Meet of Champions in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events. The boys swim team won two dual meets this winter and placed fourth at the Prep Championships in Group B. They were led by junior Will L’Estrange ’25, who set a new School record in the 100 butterfly, captured 22nd place at the Meet of Champions, and qualified for Nationals.

Skiing

The MBS boys ski team placed fourth in this year’s state championships, while the girls team finished 11th in the state. Abbie Van Cleef ’24 was named All-State Honorable Mention for the girls, while Ellie Sadrian ’26 and Nico Fonseca ’24 represented MBS at the Race of Champions. Nico also represented MBS at the Eastern Regionals and finished second out of all New Jersey racers, placing in the top third of racers overall.

Liz Morrison HEAD OF SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

By KATE SHELEG MUTTICK ’97 Director of the Center for Academic Writing

When a national champion brings their athletic expertise to the sidelines, they not only introduce a mindset that embraces possibility and sees potential in every player, but they also bring a vision for what a team can and should be.

When a head of school embeds themselves in the daily rhythms of school life, they help define school culture while guiding the students in their care.

Rarely, an individual is able to do both.

Head of School Liz Morrison, an assistant coach of the girls lacrosse team, is committed to knowing and nurturing the students on her team, meeting players where they are while also provoking growth and development.

Head Coach Barb Erickson says, “As a former DI National Champion from Maryland, she brings her game-playing experience and knowledge to the girls. Liz loves to teach the game and breaks down skills in such a way that each athlete is able to grasp the concept and see progress. She connects with the girls on a different level. Liz brings her passion for coaching, for the game, and for watching young women thrive!”

According to co-captain Hayley Sgro ’24, “Working with Mrs. Morrison as an assistant coach has been a fantastic addition to the program.

She brings energy, wisdom, and passion to every practice and game. As a defender, I find that her experience as a defender on a national championship team has helped me significantly.”

In a school that celebrates balance, Morrison deftly crosses campus from passion to passion. Whether co-teaching a 9th grade workshop, meeting with student government representatives to consider a proposal, conferring with the senior leadership team on an aspect of the academic program, or meeting with Parents Association volunteers, Morrison works hard to connect with all members of the community while celebrating the many strengths of Morristown Beard.

According to sophomore Reid Snyder ’26, “Mrs. Morrison is a knowledgeable lacrosse coach who uses her own collegiate experience to help guide us through the game. Even though she is extremely busy being the head of school, she selflessly dedicates her time to the program and players. Mrs. Morrison brings so much positivity and spirit that are needed to fuel a successful team. I believe that the MBS girls lacrosse program would not be the same without her.”

Indeed, for the last two seasons, Morrison has been an integral member of the positive coaching team, leading girls lacrosse players to reach their full potential while also creating lasting memories and friendships. At MBS, the girls lacrosse program prides itself on a culture of respect, excellence, and camaraderie. Their core values drive players to strive for greatness on and off the field, fostering leadership, resilience, and a sense of belonging.

Co-captain Rebecca Lenner ’24 explains, “Mrs. Morrison has such a strong lacrosse IQ that is incredibly influential to the team, but she is also a caring and supportive coach who is passionate about the sport. She has so much experience and sees things that are small. Her focus on details means she helps every player get better.”

When asked how she is able to prioritize the team among the many other responsibilities she carries, Liz explains, “I’m sure I am where I am today because of the coaches in my life. They made me be the best version of myself. I learned how to show up, even in nonathletic arenas, in a way I could be proud of. I am so grateful for their guidance that I want to give back what was given to me.”

When a new head of school joins a community, it can take time for people to see who they really are. Yet Morrison quickly connected with players, both on and off the field, who felt seen and valued, knowing they were a priority for the most in-demand person on campus.

Morrison explains that the feelings of goodwill go both ways. “Coaching has been a lifeline to help me feel connected. Although I’m always the head of school, that identity recedes a bit when we’re at practice. In the course of a season, all of us journey through our full humanity. We have good days and bad days. Sports can let us build relationships, share experiences, and process what’s going on somewhere else in our lives in a healthy way.”

Morrison has been coaching ever since she entered the classroom. When she came to MBS, the girls team didn’t have a spring break trip, so she helped launch it. This was the second year that the girls traveled to Florida for practice and competition. Morrison explains, “In these trips, I can accomplish more in a week than we can in a month at school. We’re focused and deliberate with the sport, but we also bond as a team and make connections that just make the whole season so much better.”

Here’s to great coaches and great leaders who work to connect and inspire the students in their care.

P OWERFUL LY PREPARED

The alumni in this issue demonstrate that our graduates are exceedingly well-prepared for college, careers, and beyond. Passionate and hardworking, these alumni are making meaningful contributions, and we are proud to be a part of their journey.

By Steve Patchett ’24

JORDAN

FRECHTMAN ’09

Into the Spotlight

Professional actor and screenwriter Jordan Frechtman ’09 has never been afraid to try something new. When he first enrolled at Morristown Beard School, ice hockey was his main interest, and he aspired to be an NHL goalie one day. “I played ice hockey my freshman and sophomore years at MBS. However, I was one of four goalies on the JV squad, so that certainly helped me finally realize that maybe I wasn’t going to be a professional athlete and should consider some alternatives.”

“Instead, I decided to pursue a more realistic profession: acting,” he laughed. “The summer between freshman and sophomore year, I switched into Dr. Horan’s theater class. Getting to work on scenes and monologues helped confirm that I made the right decision.”

During his junior and senior years, Jordan continued his writing and acting skills with Dr. Susie Speidel as his theater teacher. “She allowed me to work on scenes I had written in class, and that was exciting to me,” he recalled. He also worked closely with faculty members Jim Ruttman and Ross Hindley, who directed him in Little Women and Lucky Stiff. “Ross also directed me in a one-act play that spring (2B Or Not 2B), where I was dressed in a bee costume, so he definitely helped push me outside of my comfort zone,” said Jordan.

For his Senior Project, Jordan wrote his first feature screenplay. “I feel really lucky that I was given this opportunity,” he said. “They just let me go off and write for a few weeks. That is the only time that I have ever been able to crank out 95 pages in such a short amount of time, although I know that I would be mortified if I went back and read that script!”

After graduating from MBS, Jordan majored in Film at Emerson College with a focus on screenwriting. “Emerson had a reputation as one of the best schools for film and theater,” he explained. “It was great for me because I was able to learn film production and screenwriting while also acting in my class projects and serving as a field correspondent for Emerson’s sports show.”

While his career path hasn’t been a straight line after college, Jordan has learned to be resilient. “It’s cliché, but there’s a lot of uncertainty and rejection in this business,” he said. “I had about 220 auditions last year, and I’m lucky if I book five percent of those.”

Still, while working an array of odd jobs—from a nanny for several families to an assistant to a director—he has appeared in numerous TV series, short

films, and movies such as Apocalypse Island, Behind Closed Doors, The Happiness Playbook, and The Neighbors Are Watching. He says that simply being able to pursue his creative interests professionally is his greatest accomplishment. “Eleven years after graduating from college, I’m still pursuing my passions,” he said. “I knew what I wanted to do when I was 15, and I haven’t lost that drive.”

Jordan says his goals are to keep writing—and hopefully producing—in the near future. With his childhood friend Conor McAdam, he recently wrote a screenplay, What’s Behind Us, that won Best Horror Feature Screenplay at the Austin After Dark film festival. “Conor and I have several projects that we’re working on, including our first feature together through our company, Same Brain Pictures, so that’s been exciting,” he said.

As his creative journey unfolds, Jordan understands the value of networking and hopes to pay it forward to the next generation of actors and screenwriters.

“I’m really grateful for my time at MBS,” he said. “I know the Performing Arts Department has only gotten better since I graduated, which is fantastic to see. If there are any alumni or current students interested in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry, please feel free to get in touch.”

DR. LYNNE SALIBA MORONSKI ’90

Advocate for Equality

As a nurse, an academic, and a parent of a child with disabilities, Dr. Lynne Saliba Moronski ’90 is using her experience and her expertise to work toward creating a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system. Dr. Moronski is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, where she analyzes policy, conducts research, delivers presentations, and writes academic articles seeking to improve inpatient outcomes, especially for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Recently, she published an Op-ed in STAT News titled “How to ensure the NIH’s decision to recognize people with disabilities as a health disparity population makes a difference.”

“I hope to use machine learning to create risk scores to describe IDD patients’ needs and determine how hospital nursing resources should be deployed,” she said. “Mostly, I dream that if my disabled daughter Katie needs to go to a hospital, she won’t face a danger-ridden environment requiring her parents to be ever-vigilant.”

Dr. Moronski says that the writing skills she developed at Morristown Beard School have helped position her for success in her career.

“I wanted to be a good writer, and (former English teacher and Head of the Upper School) Mr. (Allan) Penner helped me learn how to craft arguments and create complex sentences. I majored in English in college,” she said. “Whether it’s a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant or a simple office memo, my writing skills have taken me far.”

Dr. Moronski was first introduced to MBS by her great uncle Pat (Randolph Jenks ’25), who drove her to campus and encouraged her to apply when she was unhappy in middle school. “It turned my life around,” she said. “It provided the support, guidance, and academic challenge I so desperately wanted at that time.”

At MBS, she sang in the choir and was involved in the AFS-USA club, hosting several short-term exchange students. Dr. Moronski has fond memories of Head of School Phil Anderson, history teacher Rose Koch, and World Language teacher Dr. Charlotte Farlow. “Dr. Farlow was my freshman year advisor, and she remains my advisor,” she said. “We have spoken every six months since I graduated from MBS, and I turn to her when I have difficult decisions to make.”

Just three weeks after graduating from Connecticut College, Dr. Moronski was hired at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she remained for more than 17 years in a variety of roles. She received a BSN from the Rutgers University School of Nursing and later earned a Master of Public Administration degree from NYU. “While obtaining my master’s degree, I was a key analyst in the then-New York City Mayor

Giuliani’s office, where I interviewed New York City Medicaid Managed Care representatives to determine the accuracy of the information they submitted to the state. This informed decisions regarding the restructuring of the state’s Medicaid program.”

She chose nursing as a second career in 2016 before earning a Ph.D. in Nursing from Rutgers University—Newark. Dr. Moronski has been passionate about reevaluating workplace assumptions and discovering innovative solutions to persistent issues, and her dissertation explored the factors influencing nurses’ turnover in the COVID-era.

“Nursing shortages result in inferior patient care and reductions in patient safety,” she said. “Developing evidence-based strategies to improve the way we recruit and retain RNs in a post-COVID world is important.”

She recently obtained a very competitive T32 National Institute of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research as well as a second appointment as an Associate Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. Three of her current in-progress papers focus on improving the nursing work environment.

Dr. Moronski’s long-term goal is to assume a health policy role at the national level. She says that the challenges and favorite part of her job are one in the same.

“I love the challenge of writing code for statistical programs, and I sometimes consult with a statistician or even a methodologist,” she said. “Coming up with ideas for papers is challenging, too, but the reward of submitting a paper to a journal for review is unmatched. I eat a cupcake every time I press the submit button.”

Jerome Brown ’08 Delivers Address at Taste of Newark Event

In November, MBS alumnus Jerome Brown ’08 delivered the keynote address at the 26th Annual Taste of Newark event hosted by Link Education Partners. Members of the MBS community in attendance included Director of Enrollment Management Rob Mitchell P ’15, ’20, ’23, Chief Innovation Officer Darren Burns P ’19, ’22, and MBS graduates Colin Larmond, Jr. ’08, and Tomiwa Oluwasola ’23.

Jerome graduated from the Link Community School in Newark in 2004 before attending Morristown Beard School. He received a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing and a Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in International Marketing from La Salle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Prior to his current role as Investment Advisor and Client Service Manager at Vintage Wealth Management, Jerome spent time on the trading floor of both TradeKing (now Ally Invest), Bank of America, and as part of an Asset Management group at Wells Fargo. He also served as a Business Development Management Manager with Diversant LLC. In 2018, he was recognized as one of the BE (Black Enterprise) Modern Man “100 Men of Distinction,” a program that “honors the essence, image, and accomplishments of today’s man of color.”

Jerome served on the MBS alumni board as well as on the boards

Alumni Return for Ice Hockey Games

During Thanksgiving weekend and Winter Break, former members of the boys and girls ice hockey teams reunited at the Twin Oaks Ice Rink. The groups played competitive games and socialized afterward in the Crimson Room.

The men’s game included players from the Class of 2007 through the Class of 2023, and the women’s game included players from the Class of 2003 through the Class of 2023.

of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte and DIME Program. He is also involved with the Young Maven Society, an initiative that improves the pipeline of underrepresented minorities pursuing entrepreneurial ventures. He currently resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife, Chaye.

Dr. Chase Rupprecht ’07 Speaks to Career Connections Group

MBS alumnus Dr. Chase Rupprecht ’07, an internal medicine resident at Dartmouth College, spoke with members of the Career Connections group via Zoom in December to offer advice and discuss his career path.

Dr. Rupprecht is currently working towards subspecialty training and plans to become an allergist. Before earning his Doctor of Medicine degree at Rowan University, Dr. Rupprecht received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Logan University in St. Louis, and he was a sociology major as an undergraduate at Providence College. He grew up with a lot of food allergies and that helped shape his career choice; he saw how allergists made an impact and helped people.

Dr. Vineeta Maddali ’15 Speaks to Student Groups

Dr. Vineeta Maddali ’15 returned to campus in December to speak with members of the Career Connections group and the GLOW (Girls Leadership Outreach & Worth) Club—the organization that she cofounded as an MBS student.

Dr. Maddali offered advice on time management and finding balance in life. She studied hard in college but also found time to compete with the BU Dance Team. She earned a B.S. in Human Physiology from Boston University before graduating from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Maddali is currently a resident physician at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in New York.

Patrick Davis ’16 Speaks to the Business, Finance, and Investment Club

Patrick Davis ’16 returned to campus in April to meet with members of the BFI Club to discuss his career path, focusing on his work in alternative investments. During his visit, Patrick shared insights on transitioning from college to the workplace and discussed valuable lessons learned from the early stages of his career.

Patrick earned a degree in International Business & Management from Dickinson College. Shortly after graduation, he joined Morgan Stanley as an analyst. Over the next two years, he progressed to the position of associate before being appointed Assistant Vice President for Alternative Investment Sales in January 2024.

David Hedley III ’87 Returns to Share Time Capsule Story

Thirty-eight years ago on a snowy February day, Morristown Beard School students and faculty gathered on Senior Circle to bury a time capsule that was inspired by the 1985-86 approach of Halley’s Comet. Alumnus David Hedley III ’87, who was instrumental in the time capsule project, returned to campus to share the story with the next generation of MBS students.

Hedley, who served as Student Government Association President at the time, worked in close collaboration with MBS administrator and science teacher Bill McBride to get the project started. With the support, advice, and help of many MBS faculty and staff, the successful burying of the MBS time capsule took place on February 10, 1986.

The capsule’s internment in Senior Circle was covered by the John

Gambling Show, the top New York City morning radio show in the late 80s. As Bill McBride wrote at the time, “Monday dawned, but we were up before the sun to hear the interview on WOR at 6:25 a.m. when MBS was on the air!”

The capsule contained school history and memorabilia, photographs, and most meaningfully, student essays addressing what the students of the future might want to know. The installation was timed to coincide with the closest approach of Halley’s Comet to the sun.

In a 2010 conversation, Bill McBride noted, “Officially, the reopening should be in February 2062—the comet makes a 76-year circuit—but the marker on Senior Circle is engraved for a fall 2061 opening. We figured a cold winter freeze could make a February 2062 unearthing impossible; a future generation will decide!”

MBS Faculty Members Visit with Young Alumni in Boston

On April 17, English Department faculty member Darren Lovelock and Director of the Center for Academic Writing Kate Muttick ’97 visited Boston where they met with recent MBS alumni attending Babson College, Boston College, Northeastern University, and Tufts University.

The MBS alumni enjoyed getting together to hear about the latest updates on campus and share news about their adventures in college.

Pictured left to right: Tyler Zakhary ’22 (Boston College), Jonas Weinmann ’23 (Boston College), Kate Muttick ’97, Andre Chabra ’23 (Tufts University), Darren Lovelock, Josephine Ashton ’22 (Babson College), Lexi Algazy ’22 (Northeastern University), Anjalika Shah ’22 (Northeastern University), Mira Ramasamy ’22 (Northeastern University), and Camille Ferrell ’22 (Northeastern University).

Bob Namar ’74 Creates Media Campaign for MBS Classmate and Popular Executive Chef Cardie Mortimer ’74

Thanks to a friendship that started at Morristown Beard School, Bob Namar ’74 of Namarketer.com has been selected by Executive Chef Cardie Mortimer ’74 to handle all his marketing and social media efforts. Namarketer’s involvement includes a branding makeover of Cardiecooks.com and more social media for Chef Cardie’s live “Culinary Therapy.” The two friends played on the football and baseball teams and performed together in the drama program.

“I’ve admired Cardie’s career over the years, and when we had dinner together last year we spoke about his goals and direction for his next act,” Namar said. He was enthusiastic about us working together to drive his mission to give back and provide support for the houseless.”

After a long career in marketing for advertising and public relations firms and helping to create some of the first websites for major brands at the birth of the internet, Namar was recruited to the

financial services industry to help bring web marketing to firms like Merrill Lynch, UBS, and Morgan Stanley, creating and curating content for an interactive environment. Now Namar helps clients in a variety of industries with their marketing strategies, creating content and managing social media. He mostly enjoys working with people who use their business to pursue their passions.

Coby Schneider ’19 Receives Firefighter of the Year Award

Coby Schneider ’19 received the Fireman of the Year Award for his dedicated service at Woodland Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 of the Morris Township Fire Department. A senior at Drew University, Colby has been volunteering at the station for the past year and a half.

He joined the fire department because he wanted to give back to his community in another way in addition to being an EMT with Morris Minute Men EMS.

At MBS, Coby was a member of the Upper School Chorus and won the Vocal Music Award during his senior year. He was also a talented bassist and guitarist with the MBS Jazz Ensemble and appeared in Performing Arts productions including “How to Succeed in Business” and “You Can’t Take it With You.”

CLASS NOTES

Updates From the Alumni Board

Dear Fellow Alumni,

This spring, I’ve been flooded by memories of my Morristown Beard School graduation. The year was 1984, and while the fashion and music were a little different, the moment when I shook our Head of School’s hand was as clear as ever. My youngest child will be walking across the stage on Senior Circle in June, completing her own MBS experience. As she celebrates with her friends and recalls the highlights from classes and community gatherings, it makes me think of the many wonderful events that happened with, and because of, my Morristown Beard experience.

In April, two school faculty members traveled to Boston to reunite with recent graduates who are studying at Boston College, Boston University, Babson College, Northeastern University, and Tufts University. Although those students are far from home, we want to remind them that our alumni network is strong, wherever they settle. These students reported that they have studied abroad, are completing internships, are leading clubs, and are pursuing multiple majors. They are thriving, more proof that Morristown Beard graduates truly are powerfully prepared for everything they encounter after leaving our enclave on Whippany Road.

It’s been 40 years since I graduated, and this September marks an exciting reunion for my class. Whether you’re celebrating a milestone year or just feeling nostalgic and eager to see the ways campus has evolved, I invite you to participate in this fall’s Homecoming and Reunion celebration. Our connections to each other are an invisible string that reminds us of where we came from and the people who supported us. Please contact alumni@mbs.net, and we can start the planning process for your class.

Warmly,

KC Joubran ’84, P ’24 President, MBS Alumni Board

Need volunteer or event information?

Please email alumni@mbs.net

SUBMIT YOUR CLASS NOTE TODAY FOR THE FALL 2024 CRIMSON !

Keep the MBS community updated on your latest personal, professional, and civic achievements.

Please email alumni@mbs.net or scan the QR code by August 30, 2024 to be included in the next issue of Crimson.

1944

Janet “Janey” Evans McBride writes, “Hello to everyone in the Miss Beard School Class of 1944. I live in St. Petersburg, Florida at a retirement facility called Addington Place next door to Eckerd College. I’d love to hear from you and about you. I’m called Jane McBride now.”

1954

Reflecting on the differences between the protests at Harvard today and those of the Vietnam War era, Harvard professor emeritus Dr. Joseph Nye, Jr. puts the current situation on campus into context in an adapted excerpt from his new memoir, A Life in the American Century (Polity Books). Nye is an international relations expert and a former Kennedy School dean. He also worked in the State Department, Pentagon and intelligence community during the Carter and Clinton administrations.

1956

Ann Linen Probert reports: “I lost my wonderful husband, Ted, in July of 2022, with whom I was blessed to have had a 62year happy marriage. Fortunately, I had the love and support of my family and friends to help me move forward. 2023 has given me many happy occasions. In May, I was inducted into the NJ State Golf Hall of Fame at a memorable ceremony hosted by the NJ State Golf Association. Even better was the birth of my first great grandchild, a beautiful little girl named Schuyler Johnson, daughter of my granddaughter, Emily Sirbaugh Johnson. I feel blessed to remain active, healthy, and enjoy living in my home in Mountain Lake, Florida. I send warm best wishes to my fellow Beard classmates.”

1957

Bruce “Sandy” Adam shares, “Parry and I have found grandparenting to be both a joy and a busy second career, most recently

attending a football game at Gillette Stadium to see our youngest grandson, Adam Barr (Aubrey MBS ’85), score a touchdown and win his high school divisional title for Duxbury, Mass. This followed three years of attending Boston College Club Hockey games where James Falivene (Gladden MBS ’86) was team captain.”

Jim Hine writes, “In February I slid into my 85th year a very grateful guy for having excellent health, a good woman by my side, and children and grandchildren I can be proud of. So far luck is with me. Hope it sticks! Apart from riding my bicycle in good weather, going to the University Sports Hall and staying fit, sightseeing places and people few tourists have time to enjoy, I am enjoying one of the happiest countries in the world, Holland. It was great to see Parry and Sandy Adam, John Rearick, Bob Whitman, Al Pike, and many old friends on my last visit to the States, which was the 65th Reunion.”

Al Pike writes, “I have nothing to report. Because of our medical issues, my wife and I do not travel far anymore. I would like to hear any classmate news and I am happy to hear about the new Head of School at MBS.”

Bob Whitman shares, “We are still living in Cincinnati. Nothing new to report here other than a trip and cruise with Nikki to Greece and Turkey last September and a long weekend in Delray Beach, Florida in January.”

1958

Ken Phillips has been selected as this year’s recipient for the 2024 AFP Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award. This is AFP's most prestigious award.

AFP is the Association of Fundraising Professionals with 27,000 members in the United States and other countries. The selection committee was extremely impressed with Ken’s work and believe he is well deserving of this recognition! The award will be presented on Sunday, April 7, in Toronto as part of the Opening General

Session of AFP’s International Conference on Fundraising, or AFP ICON, which anticipates 3,000 in-person participants with full attendance at the award session.

Ken writes, “I am overwhelmed with this award. My education at Morristown School gave me the tools for my work and writing. Fifty percent of the proceeds from my first three books will go to AIESEC-US, the international youth-led organization with its mission of peace through international understanding. Books are available at https://www.NGOFutures.com.”

1961

Robert “Bob” Schechner reports: “Last October, I stopped by MBS and met the new Head of School, Liz Morrison. She, very graciously, gave me a guided tour of my Alma Mater. I am stunned at the additions to the campus. She showed me the new and latest technology that is part of an amazing curriculum at MBS. I remember running on a cinder track that went uphill at one end and downhill at the other. Not any more! I urge you to go and see for yourself.”

He adds, “By the way, pick up a copy of “The Likable Chap,” by Henry McHarg Davenport, a story of prep school life set at a private boys' prep school in Forest Town, New Jersey near the banks of the Whippany River.”

Additionally, he shares a photo with his fishing buddy, his granddaughter Skylar.

1962

Jeanie Hayes writes, “No vacations for me, unlike Adventure Barbie who does so much. I am just working around The Farm cleaning up lots of poop and carriage driving my horses when it's not raining which it does a lot! Still love seeing clients in my Private Practice in Marin County, California, and supervising the new therapists-to-be. Wonderful memories of my Beard days and miss seeing my classmates. Love to you all!”

Ted Lawson writes, “Liz and I moved to Fellowship Village in Basking Ridge, New Jersey this past April and really love being home in our old backyards. So much fun going to old haunts and restaurants, etc.— all the old folks have been replaced by a great group of new ones. We are close to one set of kids and grandkids and enjoy going to their sporting events. Fellowship Village is fantastic and we love our new friends. We go to New York City once or twice a month and stay at the Union Club to see old friends. Life is great.”

Jim Rutgers reports: “My wife Carol and I moved to Bluffton, South Carolina in 2013. Bluffton is a growing community just east of Hilton Head Island. There are dozens of gated communities, 50+ golf courses, lots of beautiful lowcountry marshland waterways, and lots of local culture. People moving into Bluffton are coming from dozens of northern states. Our home is located in Riverbend, a gated custom section of the huge Sun City complex. We have our own amenities and access to all the amenities and the 150 clubs on the Sun City side, including a 550- seat professional theater.”

He adds, “Carol is a full-time realtor with Keller Williams. I am currently performing in two concert bands, two big bands, one brass quintet, one ensemble, and the Sun City Orchestra. I play golf two days a week, do all of Carol's still video and drone photography, and participate in most of the Riverbend events as a participant and designated Riverbend photographer. We have a travel trailer and continue to visit

my two sons in Wesley Chapel, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. Carol’s 98-year-old father, Cal, lives independently in Sun City, which is a daily challenge. Finally, we recently lost our dog son Clay and got Woody, a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier puppy. This too is a challenge, especially with his desire to play with our 14-year-old cat. My favorite part of my day is nap time.

1963

Fran Goldsmith Benson shares, “Better known as Betty Goldsmith, I retired three years ago after a long career in academic publishing and am living on the Jersey Shore. I've been wondering a lot lately about those in my class who were boarders at Beard and would love to hear news of them.”

1964

Fredi Pearlmutter reports: “I have been appointed by the Mayor of Princeton, New Jersey to be the representative of the Princeton Environmental Commission to the Princeton Planning Board.”

1966

Christine Pence is continuing photographic work with the wild grouse. Christine published another article in The Wild Lens Magazine on the Greater Prairie Chicken. She also had an article published in the Travel Division of the

Photographic Society of America about her sejour in Dubai. Next up is a trip to southwest Texas to study the Attwater Prairie Chicken and then to Singapore, Java, and Bali for cultural travel photography.

1972

Stephen Byrne is living comfortably in Cleveland in retirement from journalism with Robin, his wife of 41 years. Steve spends his days growing vegetables, swimming, walking, bicycling, caring for rescue dogs and cats, cooking mostly heart-healthy meals, reading about history and politics, enjoying his two granddaughters, and following the exploits of The Ohio State University football team, the University of Georgia football team and the professional teams in Cleveland.

Chris Jolls reports: “I have been living in Bluffton, South Carolina for five years now—retired and loving it. Playing guitar and singing in a blues band with some friends. Living in Sun City retirement community with over 10,000 homes. Unending variety of things to do if you want to get involved.”

1978

Larry Benson shares, “ Jim Brennan ’77, recently visited me at my new home in Seneca, South Carolina. Unknown to me, Jim was coming with his wife to distract me from the preparation of my surprise 65th birthday party. I met Jim in September of 1974 during my freshman year at Morristown Beard. This year, Jim is now a friend of fifty years! I still remain in touch with Craig Slaff , Jon Cushman , John Lewis , and Peter Baldridge . I just found out Pete lives 20 miles from me, just past Clemson, South Carolina. Crazy coincidences in life.”

1985

Stephen Quick has been promoted to Director of Design at Parette Somjen Architects. PSA is an Architecture Firm in Rockaway, New Jersey where Stephen has worked for 32 years during which time it has grown from four to a team of 110. He currently lives in New Providence, New Jersey with his wife Lisa while their daughter Maclaine recently graduated from Johns Hopkins University and is starting a Masters Program in Public Health at the same school.

1987

Sandra Appet Pesso, Kate Carlson Furer, Louise van der Does, Jennifer Seabury Sowa, Helen Broder Fuller, and Caroline Elias Turben enjoyed a December weekend of laughs, shopping, and catching up at Caroline’s house in upstate New York for an early holiday retreat. Here’s to wonderful friends who make every get together an unforgettable adventure.

Helen Broder Fuller shares, “We had lots of fun and cocktails in North Carolina. For that night, we made the Uber driver an honorary member of the Class of ’87! He absolutely earned it.”

1988

Hank Brucker writes, “Hola Everyone! I haven’t been in touch with my old buds at Morristown Beard for ages! My wife and I are semi-retired empty nesters living on Fire Island and loving life. I recently bought a local gym business to keep myself busy while also teaching Pilates and a Spin class twice a week to keep limber. I’ve also started a line of workout clothes called ‘Keeping it Real’ which we sell in local gyms and athletic stores (look out, Lululemon!). It’s only for the hard core workout crew! We’re going on a two-month Disney cruise this spring and I can't wait. Sixty days of pure bliss. Minnie was my childhood crush. One more item off the bucket list! I hope all of my Morristown Beard colleagues are doing great. Should you ever make it to Fire Island, then look me up.”

1989

Morristown BeardSch

Lisa Kaugher Humphreys shares, “I am so proud of my sister, Leslie Kaugher Brow ’92 . She received her PhD in Special Education Leadership in May of 2023 and she was named Special Education Director of the Year for the State of Rhode Island. She is currently the Executive Vice President and Director of Education for the Sargent Center for Rehabilitation in Warwick, Rhode Island.”

1992

Mary Milanesi Koenig , Courtney Bradbury Hodnett, Leslie Kaugher Brow, Kori Tucker Edwards, Carey Scully

Strobeck, Betsy Stull Kalil, and Alison Bryan Catchpole celebrated their 50th birthdays in Aruba! They had the best time catching up and retelling MBS stories!

1999

Stephen Chiarello is living in Summit, New Jersey with his wife Maggie and children Amelia (5), Eloise (5) and Robert (3). Stephen recently joined the MBS Alumni Board and is excited to give back to the school and help reconnect with alumni.

2001

Tiffany Halo and her husband, Chris Mader, welcomed their second son, Ryan James Mader, on June 19, 2023. Their older son, Ethan, is loving his new role as big brother as they continue to settle in as a family of four.

2003

Dr. Jenna Vogel Schipper welcomed twin boys on two different days and in two different months. Everett was born 8/31 and Rowan 16 minutes later on 9/1. They’ve since joined their three brothers Bennett, Reid, and Jack at home and their team is complete.

2007

Andrew Bruen and his wife, Callie, are enjoying living in Harding, New Jersey with their three children (Ella Rose 10, Graham 8, and Teddy 6).

John McHale is continuing his tenure at ABC News as a Live Operations Producer for the 24/7 digital news channel. John is currently going on a Best Picture nominee watch. “As of when this note was written, I’ve seen 6/10 with no real desire to see Maestro, but will probably see it anyway. It’s important to follow through, right?” He ran his own version of an NFL Survivor Pool during the regular season and also ran a Super Bowl Squares Pool. Over the summer, he went to six weddings and was in two of them. He went to Arizona for Emily Martuscello’s ’10 wedding and to Ireland where he watched his best friend get engaged. “I might apply for Survivor again soon, and I’m cooking a lot—mostly Gordon Ramsay inspired. A few months ago, I ran into Madame Mead in ShopRite... for those of you who remember her from like...20 years ago. Thanks for reading and have fun because that’s what I want to do.”

2014

Breyton Croom writes, “I moved to Los Angeles, California on July 6, 2023. I started a new job as a tax accountant at a family accounting firm after leaving PwC. I am still playing my saxophone and I attempt to go to Venice Beach every Saturday and busk on the boardwalk.”

Ben Leigh graduated from the University of Michigan in 2018. After spending almost six years designing music merchandise for Universal Music Group and Live Nation, Ben recently joined New York based clothing brand KITH as a designer on their apparel graphics team.

IN MEMORIAM

Nancy Tasman (Taz) Brower ’47, Former Trustee, March 25, 2024, age 95

Taz—Everyone in the MBS community knew Nancy Tasman Brower as Taz. Close to her father, the Reverend Dr. Eric Tasman, longtime rector of the Episcopal Church of Holy Communion in South Orange, New Jersey, Taz borrowed his nickname. Taz it was from childhood forward. Taz was a devoted and valued member of our community from her first days as a Miss Beard’s 4th grader until the end of her long and active life. At Miss Beard’s (the School was reorganized as the Beard School after Miss Beard’s 1946 death), she was a top student, a student leader, active in the Drama, French, Folk Dancing and Studio Clubs and a member of the Carnival Queen Court. But Taz is most remembered as captain of the Athenians. Her formidable presence on the School’s playing field and basketball court, activities she would continue during her college years at Vassar and in her later professional, volunteer, and personal life. She embodied a strong belief in developing the potential of young people through athletics and in the vital role of family, work, and volunteering to forge both community and personal health. More about her professional and volunteer life presently. First a look at her early years.

Born in 1929 in Lansing, Michigan, Taz spent most of her life in New Jersey with some time in New York state. The family early on relocated to South Orange, New Jersey from Mt. Vernon, New York. After the Beard School, Taz matriculated at Vassar College, majoring in psychology and playing a lot of bridge. While at Vassar she met her husband Bailey, then a Princeton undergraduate, in 1948. The couple married on June 22, 1951 after their graduations and for 70 years never missed the Princeton-Yale football games. Taz became the girl’s athletic director and drama teacher at the Peck School in Morristown, New Jersey where she started the girl’s lacrosse program. A few years later, Taz had the first of her and Bailey’s four daughters, Kathryn Brower Solisti soon followed by Kristina Brower Schulte and later by Kim Brower Barton ’86, and Karin Brower Corbett. Kris was head of upper school at MBS from 2000 to 2003 and coached girls JV field

hockey in 1983 and varsity lacrosse in 1984. Kim was a MBS college counselor from 2000 to 2003. The sisters, three sons-in-law, seven grandchildren, and grandsonsin-law survive her. Bailey died in 2022. With her growing family, Taz became the volunteer coach of Peck’s girls lacrosse team and would keep volunteering in that position until 1984 as well as at MBS.

For generations of Morris County families, Taz and Bailey were best known for their 1955 establishment of the Noe Pond Swimming and Tennis Club in Chatham, New Jersey. In a 2023 interview, Taz said, “Creating the emblem system, Bailey and I promoted water safety, swimming, diving, tennis instruction, lifeguarding and synchronized swimming water shows until 2000.” She proudly continued, “The club continues today as a recreational facility for families to enjoy.” In 2008, the state of New Jersey by Joint Legislative Resolution recognized the Noe Pond Club and the Brower family for 50 years of quality service.

While both rearing four active girls and managing Noe Pond, Taz maintained an extraordinary list of athletic pursuits, helping to establish, administer and for decades actively participating in adult women swimming, tennis, field hockey, and lacrosse leagues. Taz’s extensive

volunteering was recognized with awards from the State of New Jersey and the Junior League of Morris County. Volunteer highlights include (with husband Bailey) 100 combined years as American Red Cross Volunteers, especially in swimming and water safety, CPR instruction and lifeguarding and serving on the Madison and South Morris County Red Cross Board of Trustees. She was a lifelong member of the Vassar Club of Northwest New Jersey, served on multiple Morris County-based commissions on drug and alcohol, and was the founder, production manager, and a performing actor for the Marionette Players of the Morris Museum. Over the 45 years of her participation, Taz helped raise over $250,000.00 for the museum. Taz was also a lifelong member of the Chatham Township Historical Society.

The MBS community most remembers Taz for her great service to MBS. She was a trustee from 1992 to 1998, long-time member of the alumni/ae association, serving as an officer then as president from 1988-1992, founding member and (following Spike Billings) chairperson

of the Hall of Fame Committee until 2020, a longtime and first female member of the Crimson Club, a member of the Education Committee, a class agent, and for decades did not miss a reunion, Homecoming, or Hall of Fame event. True to her love of theater, she and Bailey were stalwarts of the MBS alumni Paper Mill Playhouse theatergoers. MBS formally recognized Taz’s contributions and activities with her 1989 induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1999, she was the recipient of the MBS Distinguished Alumni Award, and a special alumni appreciation certificate in 2021 when she stepped down from the Alumni Association. At that time, Taz received the inaugural title of Alumni Board Member Emeritus. When asked to discuss MBS’s greatest strength, Taz replied, “MBS brings out the best in their students through encouragement and by affording each individual student the opportunity to get involved and excel in their studies, relationships, and extracurricular activities.”

Taz and Bailey were lifelong friends with the late Penny Probert Boorman ’51 and husband Dean, enjoying European travel tours in their company. Taz and Penny are featured in an insightful article in 125 Septembers by former English faculty Darcy Caldwell on a subject dear to all three women: “Mother Athletes: Two Women Who Paved the Way” (Available at www.mbs.net/history) An extraordinary woman, Taz’s intelligence, insights, integrity, selflessness and determination inspired generations. In her last years, Taz kept as active as possible, enjoying time with her family, especially at holidays. She avidly followed professional and college football, women’s lacrosse and professional ice hockey. She read, listened to music, played cards, and loved watching classic 1950 Hollywood musicals.

Carol Brach Hyman, M.D. ’40, November 12, 2022, age 99. Carol was a groundbreaking physician, medical researcher and teacher in Pediatric Hematology Oncology. Born in early 1923 in South Orange, New Jersey, after Beard, Carol graduated from Cornell University and then received her M.D. from Cornell University Medical College in 1947. She specialized in pediatrics with an interest in incurable genetic

diseases. During her residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, she met her husband Maurice Hyman, M.D. The couple were married for 52 years until his death in 2003. In 1952 they settled in Los Angeles where Dr. Hyman was the first female fellow in Pediatric Hematology Oncology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the first woman to practice in the field in L.A. Dr. Hyman practiced there until 1980 when she joined the medical staff at CedarsSinai Medical Center, specializing in blood disorders including thalassemia and sickle cell. She practiced until retiring in her late 80s. Carol was long a tenured faculty at USC Keck School of Medicine, teaching multiple generations of students and doctors. In addition to her clinical work and teaching, her research and prolific writing saved or prolonged countless lives. Dr. Hyman wrote or co-wrote 56 articles and book chapters plus many abstracts in the medical literature on children’s blood disorders. Her research and 1956 paper on prednisone and childhood leukemia led to the standard modern childhood leukemia therapy. She participated in national and international collaborative research efforts in pediatric cancer that helped spearhead protocols that now cure the vast majority of the most common types of leukemia in children. Active in her synagogue, Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, she traveled to Israel with them and had a B’nai Mitzvah when she was 83. She loved to travel and celebrated her 90th birthday by taking her family to Cuba. After her husband’s death, she and Irvin Whiteman, PhD, became partners for 15 years until his death. Her three daughters, son-in-law, two granddaughters, a great grandchild, nieces, nephews and Irvin’s daughter survive her along with many friends and admiring colleagues. Her siblings predeceased her.

Barbara Cleveland Hagaman Westbrook ’47, May 31, 2023, age 93. Born on Staten Island in 1929, Barbara was a child of the Great Depression. She learned how to weather hardship at an early age—rheumatic fever, her parent’s divorce, family deaths. Her mother relocated to New Jersey and became the dietitian at Miss Beard’s School, affording Barbara the scholarship to the School. Barbara then earned a full scholarship to Well College in Aurora, New York, a women's college where

she met her husband John through his sister, a classmate. Barbara earned her Master’s from SUNY at Potsdam, New York but she would refer jokingly to her later education as a ‘Master’s plus 60 credits.’ Barbara and John had four children within five and a half years. She loved infants, but would jest that she wanted “to get the diaper years over.” Adults loved her sense of humor. Kids adored her, but would say, “Don’t mess with Mrs. Westbrook,” which made Barbara laugh. She was a lifelong elementary school teacher, both formally starting in New York’s Mohawk Valley, and after retirement as a volunteer in Leesburg, Florida into her late 80s. She taught many grades but her sweet spot was between first and fifth grades. She would quip how the kids could read but the math was not too tough for her. Barbara was widowed at age 41 with four young children. Her four children, a son-in-law, two daughters-in-law, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren survive her. Barbara was a gifted athlete as a girl and young woman. Bad knees notwithstanding, she started recreational running in her 70s. She kept running until her late 80s when she traded running for workouts in the gym and fitness classes. She never stopped. Of her lifelong exercising, her children remarked, “That and daily vegetables allowed her to indulge in her real favorite things—eating pistachio nuts and chocolate-covered raisins while reading murder mysteries.”

Frances (Fran) Hill Woodring ’48, October 16, 2023, age 92. After Beard, Fran graduated from Wellesley College. Fran was a devoted friend, generous, highly capable, and elegant with a regal bearing. A long-time resident of Short Hills, New Jersey, Fran moved to her beloved Brunswick, Maine about ten years ago. There she was close to the beloved Hill family summer cottage and life-long friends. Fran loved the beauty of Maine’s tide pools, coast and rolling surf. In Short Hills, Fran volunteered with the First Aid Squad, the Junior League

IN MEMORIAM

and the Community Congregational Church. She was long a successful real estate agent with Burgdorff Realtors in Short Hills, sensitive to the needs of her clients and highly attentive to every detail. Fran kept close ties with her Beard class and with MBS. She and husband Mahlon “Ding” Woodring were fixtures at the MBS Alumni Paper Mill Playhouse luncheon group. Fran’s beloved sisters Mary Ann Hill ’52 and Valerie Hill Beckwith ’54 were also Beard graduates. They predeceased her as did Ding. Her four sons, one daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, three nephews and her two step children and step grandchildren survive her.

Mary Emeline Campbell Erdmann ’49, Mary grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey and was an active, accomplished student at Beard. She was on Honor Roll, sang in Glee Club, excelled on the athletic fields, making both first Spartan basketball and field hockey teams. She edited the School newspaper, “The Bugle,” her junior year. She was Honor Council Chair her senior year. She was tapped to attend the Buck Hill Falls Religious Conference and was a delegate her three upper class years to the Northfield Summer Conference. Her Beard Schoolmates elected her as Carnival Queen for 1948-49. After Beard, Mary Emeline earned a Bachelor in Science Degree in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College, a teacher training institute founded in 1888 for women, now merged into Boston University as Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. She and her husband the Reverend W. James Erdmann had two daughters. She was with her husband and two daughters in Glen Rock, New Jersey when she updated the School about her life some years ago. Her husband and son William predeceased her.

Nancy Neff Wilshire ’49, December 3, 2023, age 92. Nancy grew up in Orange, New Jersey, near Beard School. An outstanding student, after Beard she graduated from Smith College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in History. In 1958 she married William Wilshire, lll. The couple built their lives together in Schenectady, New York; Barrington, Illinois; and Fallbrook, California where they lived until Bill’s death. Nancy then moved to Bozeman, Montana near her two sons, one daughter, their spouses and

four beloved grandchildren. They all survive her as do a brother and sisters-in-laws. Nancy delighted in regaling the family with stories of their ancestors’ colorful political and civic lives. Nancy was a past volunteer with the Fallbrook Garden Club, the Red Cross, her church, and P.E.O. International, which helps women world-wide. She loved all dogs, all birds, all flowers, and most people with, however, a kind word for everyone.

Anne (Happy) Prince Marsh ’49, October 4, 2022, age 91. Born in New York City, Anne was a member of the talented class of 1949 from Beard. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1953. She was class president there. Known as Happy for her outgoing, sunny and deeply caring nature, Happy married James Marsh soon after Vassar graduation. James survives her along with their two daughters, son, 11 grandchildren, three great grandchildren and her sister Elizabeth Marsh Collins. Happy and Jim first lived in Schenectady, New York, moved in 1968 to Barneveld, New York and in 2002 relocated to Yarmouth, Maine to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Summers were spent on Lake Champlain in Essex, New York. Anne taught English at The Emma Willard School in Troy, New York. The English language was always front and center in Happy’s life with lively family debates about grammar. Happy wrote the by-laws for numerous volunteer not-for-profits and crafted witty poems to commemorate family and friend birthdays and celebrations. A skilled and sensitive water colorist, her travel watercolor set always was packed when Anne and Jim made numerous trips nationally and abroad. In later years, they traveled with Elder Hostel and on chartered ships in the Caribbean. Happy’s volunteer work ran broad and deep. A born leader, she served her community’s Joint Catholic-Protestant Task Force for Urban Ministry, its Banned Books Committee, the PTA and the Junior League. She was a past Director of the Junior League of America, representing New York State and the Eastern Canadian Provinces. She served both as a board member and president of the Adirondack Garden Club. Pride of place was granted to her writing the Complete History

of the Adirondack Garden Club and being the first recipient of the Cachepot award for outstanding service. Always tapped to be her volunteer organizations’ parliamentarian, Happy well knew Robert's Rules of Order.

Elizabeth Patterson Scott Groves ’49, March 21, 2023, age 92. Elizabeth was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the daughter of an Army physician father stationed there. She spent her childhood first in Washington, D.C. and then in New Jersey. She spent her youthful summers in her grandfather’s Harwich Port, Cape Cod summer home where she could be found “crashing around” in sailing school. After The Beard School, Elizabeth graduated from Smith College with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and a strong interest in creative writing and poetry. In 1953, she moved to New York City to make her mark in publishing. Her entry came when famed photographer Irving Penn recommended her for a secretarial opening at Glamour Magazine. “Now they’d call it an editorial assistant, but I was a gofer,” Elizabeth said in a 2002 interview. She quickly worked her way up to sportwear editor. After 12 years as editor there, she joined the celebrated advertising firm Wells, Nast, Greene in 1968. Conde Nast Publishing wooed her back with a position at Vogue Magazine, their premier publication. She was merchandising project manager there as well as the unofficial Vogue grammarian, well prepared by Beard and Smith for the latter role. In a 2002 profile, Elizabeth spoke about her years with Conde Nast, “You were working with the most creative, the most interesting people…when you did something, you knew it was good,” she was quoted saying in 2002. After over 30 years in New York City, she and her second husband Benjamin Allen Groves, a financial consultant, moved into the Patterson family home in Harwich Port, Cape Cod. She lived there until her death. Elizabeth was highly active in furthering the well-being of animals both as a board member of the Humane Society of New York and the Women’s Committee of the New York Zoological Society. She loved wildlife, gardening, and tennis. She belonged to the Colony Club of New York, the Huguenot Society, the Colonial Dames of America, Stone Horse Yacht Club, the Harwich Port Tennis Association, and the

Garden Club of Harwich. She and Benjamin were married for 48 years. He predeceased her as did her brother and half-sister. Survivors include her daughter from her first marriage, two sons, two step-daughters, 7 grandchildren and five-step grandchildren.

Roberta June Rowland Bottaro ’51, April 24, 2023, age 88. Roberta was born in Newark, New Jersey. After graduating from The Beard School, she drove local and long-distance buses. Her future husband Joseph Bottaro was one of her local passengers. Joseph predeceased her as did her sister Lawana Korzensky, brothers Rudy and Robert and one of her granddaughters. Her six children and their spouses as well as 13 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren survive her. Roberta and her husband long lived in Virginia where she was a service representative, first for QVC then for AAA in Virginia Beach, where she lived for 30 years. For her 1951 Reunion Yearbook, Roberta wrote happily about her years at Miss Beard’s (later Beard), which she attended from fourth through twelfth grade. “It was a fantastic experience,” she wrote, reminiscing about the chocolate pudding in the lunchroom (all homemade then) and about horseback riding and sledding with classmates. “I am glad to remember the original Miss Beard’s School and its founder Lucie Beard. I was awe struck in her presence. It was almost like being presented to the Queen of England,” Roberta wrote in 2001. Roberta loved her many dogs, the New York Mets and crocheting.

Knight ’78 died in 2006. Her sister Kathleen Ffolliott Enteman ’56 predeceased her by one month and is honored below. Millicent loved time with her grandchildren. She had a deep interest in genealogy and was an early adopter of the computer. She researched her husband’s forebears including the acclaimed American painters Daniel Ridgway Knight and Louis Aston Knight. Millicent enjoyed practicing calligraphy. She volunteered with diverse cultural academic and community groups including the Community Soup Kitchen in Morristown. Born in Tennessee and a longtime Madison, New Jersey resident, she spent most of her life in New Jersey, relocating to Fellowship Village in Basking Ridge in her later years. Millicent always maintained a close relationship with MBS. In addition to sending her and Eliot’s children there and attending their School events, she was her Beard Class of 1951 Reunion Co-Chair in both 2002 and later. Millicent and Eliot were enthusiastic participants in the past MBS Alumni Paper Mill Playhouse group, attending many Sunday lunches and matinees.

Photo of Neal

Millicent Ffolliott Knight ’52, September 7, 2023 age 89. Millicent had fond memories of her Beard years—including class excursions to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. In 2002 she laughed that whenever she heard the “Triumphant March from Aida,” she had the urge to get up and march. (The piece was played at Beard graduation ceremonies.) After Beard, Millicent graduated from Mt. Holyoke College and married Eliot S. Knight, who survives her as do her two daughters, Nancy Knight Toner ’80 and Elizabeth Knight Blanchard ’83, her two sons-in-law, eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and her daughter-in-law and her great daughter-in-law. Her son John

Kathleen (Katie) Ffolliott Enteman ’56, August 3, 2023, age 86. Born in Johnson City, Tennessee, she grew up in Ducktown, Tennessee until relocating to South Orange, New Jersey at age 13. After graduating from The Beard School in nearby Orange, New Jersey she attended Garland Junior College in Massachusetts. She met her future husband Bill Enteman, a student at Williams College, at a dance. They kept dancing for over 60 years. The couple married in June 1960. After graduation, Katie worked as a secretary in New York City, leaving her job when Bill and Katie had their two children, Sally and David. Bill, their daughter, son, respective spouses and three grandchildren survive her, as did her sister Millicent Ffolliott Knight ’52 who died about a month after Katie, Millicent’s husband Eliot, her brother and sister-in-law, nieces and nephews and many friends. She was a past law librarian at Textron in Providence, Rhode Island which was the favorite place that she and Bill lived. They also lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Scotia and Schenectady, New York; Brunswick, Maine; North Easton, Massachusetts; and Middlebury, Vermont. Kate made friends wherever she

went. Many visited her and Bill at their beloved summer home, The Horseshoe, in South Orleans, Cape Cod. There Kate loved boating, floating in Pleasant Bay, entertaining both houseguests and her grandchildren. The latter knew visits with their grandmother Katie meant endless M & M’s, tea parties and dancing to the Supremes. Kate also shared her life with many beloved cats and Sophie, her golden retriever. She and Bill traveled widely, both in Europe and to many United States National Parks. Katie was usually at the wheel.

Peter Green ’57, February 10, 2024, age 84. Peter Green was a brilliant litigator and a mentor to dozens of attorneys. He was admitted to practice before The Supreme Court of The United States, The United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals, The United States District Court of New Jersey, and The New Jersey Supreme Court. After Morristown School, Peter graduated from Brown University and Yale Law School. He was one of the two founders and managing partner of Green, Lundgren & Ryan in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and a former longtime resident of nearby Moorestown. Peter loved fishing in the Florida Keys and traveling. Married to Phyllis Green for 60 years, the couple was living in Coral Springs, Florida. Phyllis survives him as do his daughter Kimberly Miller and her partner Tom Frangione, daughter Michelle Bradbury and husband Chris, son Michael and four grandchildren. A former mentee wrote how Peter’s praise for a successful outcome in court was a valued gift.

Lorelei (Lori) Anne Wobbe Valverde ’63, October 11, 2023 age 78. Lori and her two sisters Susan (Tobi) Wobbe Graham ’61 and Gwenda (Wendi) Wobbe ’66 grew up in the hills of West Orange where their Dad, an artist and photographer, had a nineteenth century, bird-house shaped chicken coop as his backyard studio. The sisters recall sometimes resorting

IN MEMORIAM

to skis to make their winter classes at Beard, which never closed for snow. Lori kept ties with her Beard Schoolmates, exchanging emails, attending Beard luncheons at MBS and her 50th reunion. At Beard, Lori was Honor Council Chair, an office that would serve her well in her distinguished 30-year career in the United States Department of Justice, Immigration, and Naturalization. After Beard, she graduated from Wilson College in Pennsylvania and, fluent in Spanish, did additional studies at the University of Madrid in Spain. She and her former husband had one daughter. Lori’s daughter, son-in-law, two grandchildren, two sisters and many friends survive her. Working out of the Newark office, she rose to be Head of Deportation, the third highest officer in the New Jersey Immigration Department. She worked with both international consulates and with New York and New Jersey Immigration Association lawyers. Lori spoke of the value of her Beard years in an interview for Crimson Magazine’s Fall/Winter Issue, 2008, “Student Government at Morristown Beard School”by Carol Selman. “The honor system puts responsibility for our conduct on us,” Lori said. “In my professional work I was recognized as a person of honor,” she said. “And, I never had to worry about public speaking. I did it at Beard.”

Shelley Smith ’65, August 8, 2023, age 75. Search any biography or read any obituary of Shelley Smith and her birth year will be moved ahead from 1947 to 1952. No wonder— modeling and acting value youth. Shelley enjoyed ten years at the pinnacle of the international modeling world, gracing countless magazine covers including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Mademoiselle. In both 1978 and 1979 she was the top money-making model in the world. Those who knew Shelley at Beard may have been surprised by her life trajectory but not at her success. That success was built on the same intelligence, determination, and work ethic nurtured both by her alma mater and her family. Discovered at Lord & Taylor by legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, Shelley postponed her entry into the fashion world until graduating in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Connecticut College. She also studied languages and was fluent in French and Spanish.

She landed a position at Elle Magazine in Paris after graduation. In an extensive interview for her college alumna magazine, Shelley attributed her success not just to the classic looks she shared with her mother, aunt, sister, and cousins, all Beard girls but also, “The key to modeling success is being cooperative, being professional, showing up on time,” Shelley said. Her major breakthroughs came when she started telling her agency what she wanted. Modeling afforded her the resources to relocate to Los Angeles, study acting, and perform both in film and television. She loved comedy and lamented she was not given whackier roles. She is best remembered as a lawyer on the short-lived but well-reviewed legal comedy The Associates with Martin Short and Wilfred Hyde-Smith and the series For Love and Honor. She made numerous guest appearances on popular shows including Murder, She Wrote and The Love Boat. Retiring from acting, she earned a Master of Arts in Psychology from Antioch University and became a valued marriage and family therapist. With her first husband Reid Nathan, she had a son who died days after birth. She and Nathan had twins, a son and a daughter, through in vitro fertilization. In 1991, she transformed that experience into the Egg Donor Program, now Hatch Egg Donation, Fertility and Surrogacy. She sold the clinic a few years ago. Tributes from grateful families helped by Hatch poured in after her passing. Shelley is survived by her second husband, actor Michael Maguire, whom she married in 2005, her son Nicky Nathan, daughter Miranda Nathan, sister

Sherry Smith Mailliez ’64, two brothers and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Her mother Margaret Tobin Smith McKenna ’38, maternal aunt Genevieve Tobin Scranton ’42 and her two aunts by marriage Barbara Crane Tobin ’41 and Judith Gedney Tobin ’44 predeceased her.

Mark Anthony Mara ’65, April 8, 2022, age 75. Mark was born in Morristown, NJ. After the Morristown School, Mark graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cornell University. He spent much of his life at Cornell and in Ithaca. He had a long career in Information Technology at the university, starting out with punch cards and retiring in 2009 as Director of Advanced Technologies. With a questing mind, at home he wrote programs to monitor the HVAC and other household systems. He savored representing Cornell at IVY+ and Gartner Symposiums. He wrote code. He predicted advances in technology and loved seeing them happen. He was an early subscriber to StarLink, which brings high speed, satellite internet to rural areas including Ithaca, New York. Mark had a great enthusiasm for life. He loved Italian wines and was a partner in upstate New York’s East Hill Supply Company which specializes in fine wines and spirits including the eponymous “Makers Mark.” Mark enjoyed diverse hobbies including gardening, cooking, and using antique industrial lathes and antique drill presses and milling machines to work both metal and wood. Mark’s favorite hobby was building large fireworks shells and putting on memorable fireworks displays—both public and private. He held diverse explosive manufacturing licenses and was a life member of the Pyrotechnics Guild International. He is survived by his wife Janet Englerth Mara. Mark died in Las Cruces, New Mexico. His life celebration was held in Ithaca. Mark specified it was to be a celebration with few tears and much laughter.

Cassandra “Candy” J. Cole ’67, August 23, 2022, age 74. Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, after The Beard School, Candy received a Master of Business Administration from Emory University in Georgia. She worked in finance, retiring as vice president of M & T Financial Services where her work encompassed diverse economics, marketing, financial management, and social responsibility. Candy’s husband of 20 years, Harry Scheidy, survives her. The couple lived in Morehead, North Carolina. She is also survived by sister Bets Cole and husband David Floyd, M.D., sister Cynthia Potter, three nieces, and a nephew.

David Dyer ’67, November 13, 2023 age 74. David Dyer was born in White Plains, New York. After Morristown School he earned a Masters in History from the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign, and then enjoyed a long career in journalism. A dedicated runner and fitness enthusiast, Dave belonged to the Kankakee Area YMCA and the Kankakee River Running Club. Dave brought his love of sports to his column “Dyer Straits” at the Daily Journal, Kanakakee, Illinois, where he was a sports writer from 1976 to 1986. He also wrote for The News-Gazette in Champaign. He and Deborah L. Dyer, his wife of 50 years, relocated to Haverhill, Massachusetts where Dave continued his journalism career until 2021. Deborah survives him

Charles “Chas” Henry Cliffe ’75, January 19, 2024, age 66. Born in Orange, New Jersey, after MBS, Chas worked as a machinist with Belting Industries in Kenilworth. His deep love and understanding of companion and service animals gave him his later and deeply gratifying work with The Seeing Eye in Morristown, New Jersey, which prepared canines for a life of service for the blind. He also built close relations with both the companion animals and their humans in his private pet sitting practice. With a ready laugh he was a good and helpful friend to many. His sister Sea Parson survives him. His parents predeceased him. Chris loved being active outdoors, be it riding his motorcycle on riding the surf off the New Jersey shore. He loved rounds of golf, games of tennis, and playing hockey with friends.

Steven Conover Fitch ’77. Steven is remembered in his MBS yearbook as a physics and soccer whiz. He was team captain and also a member of the radio club. He was seen as quiet, but drove a not-so-quiet car.

Susan “Sue” Elizabeth Driscoll ’02, March 1, 2024, age 39. With helping hands and a generous smile, Sue Driscoll embodied Morristown Beard’s highest values. A dedicated educator, a hardworking volunteer and a devoted family member, she gave much to her students, those in need, her friends, her family and the MBS family. She served on the MBS Alumni Board from 2016 to 2022 and was her 2002 Class Agent. Sue took joy in being a lifelong New Jersey resident. She was born in Livingston and grew up in Springfield and Chatham where she attended school before beginning MBS for her secondary education. When driving with the fellow players on her college ice hockey team, Sue made it clear that “‘Jersey Girls’ don’t pump gas.” Sue was not the best athlete be it on that college team or her years on the MBS basketball and field hockey teams. She would laughingly say that being named “Most Improved” on the field hockey team wasn’t hard when you’re the worst player. After MBS, Sue was part of the AmeriCorps Program in Paterson, New Jersey. She attained bicycles for every child she worked with there. Sue then matriculated at American University in Washington, D.C. where she graduated with a Bachelor of Education. Sue never stopped learning and teaching. She earned a Certificate in English as a Second Language (ESL) from Kean

University in 2010 as well as a Master’s in Special Education from the College of Saint Elizabeth in 2013 and a Master’s as a Reading Specialist from Centenary College in 2016. Certified in seven content areas from pre-K through middle school, Sue taught both kindergarteners and middle schoolers, working with underprivileged students first in Paterson and then at St. Leo’s in Irvington, New Jersey. Since 2012, she has been teaching in the Washington Township School System, including ten years as an English as Second Language Specialist. Sue cared deeply about her students, assuring each child had gifts at Christmas and computer access during COVID shut-downs. A highly skilled crafter, often that holiday gift was one of the handmade quilts that she also made for friends and family. Sue was perhaps the youngest member of the Quilters Guild and an avid crocheter. She crocheted blankets for her local homeless shelter and taught friends how to do the same. Also an expert baker and cake decorator, Sue commemorated the milestones of family and friends with her beautiful baked creations. She would surprise whoever needed some cheering up with an unexpected cake. She volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and attained clothing and furniture for Ukrainian refugees. Since childhood, Sue has adored all animals. Early on she nurtured a menagerie of pets. A strong supporter at St Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, New Jersey, a young Sue successfully lobbied her family to give a home to a retired Greyhound racer. Sue would grow up and adopt many shelter dogs, including her beloved 16-year-old dachshund, Oscar. In 2022 she met Andy Sabella, and the couple became engaged. Andy, her parents, her brother Michael Driscoll ’05, other extended family members and many friends survive her as do a “sister” from Belgian, Germany and Thailand and a “brother” from Hungary.

If you know of someone’s passing, please share the information with us so we can memorialize our beloved alumni.

Please email alumni@mbs.net, attention Carol Selman ’64, copywriter for In Memoriam.

Powerfully preparing students for LEARNING AND

The M B Fund Morristown Beard School’s annual fund—The MB Fund—provides resources across campus that heighten the educational experience for every MBS student. The fund is comprised of unrestricted donations made by alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends that are used within the current academic year. Contributions are allocated to the arts, athletics, financial aid, and other areas of need.

Morristown, NJ 07960