Millersville University Review - Spring Summer 2019

SPRING | SUMMER 2019

UNIVERSITY REVIEW

n o i t a r o l Exp PROFESSIONALISM Public MISSION

Inclusion

y t i r g e t In Compassion

EPPIIC Values creates a RICH TAPESTRY |

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DR. DANIEL WUBAH inaugurated as 15th president | PAGE 18

REVIEW | 2019

career readiness

Intellectual Curiosity

FREEDOM OF THOUGHT

t r o p p u S public

Civic ENGAGEMENT

good

Leadership

h t w o r G

Belo ngin

TABLE of CONTENTS

4 | WHAT MAKES US EPPIIC? 10 | MUDDY FLOORS TO HARVARD HALLS 14 | ALUMNI NEWS 18 | INAUGURATION CELEBRATION 21 | COMMENCEMENT 24 | SPORTS NEWS 30 | CLASS NOTES 2 | M I L L E R S V I L L E U N I V E R S I T Y • S p r i ng | S u mm er 2019

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REVIEW | 2019

UNIVERSIT Y REVIEW Spring | Summer 2019

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VOLUME 136

DEAR MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY FAMILY, As I mark my one-year anniversary at the ‘Ville, I’d like to reflect on my “freshman year” and to personally thank you for welcoming Judith and me to the Millersville community. We are honored and humbled to be members of the Marauder family!

The inauguration celebration was a wonderful and moving event that meant so much to me personally and professionally. The event gave me the opportunity to celebrate with family and friends, faculty and staff, alumni and community, and most importantly, our students. The inauguration also marked a historic transition in the life of our university and provided an opportunity to envision our shared future. My sincere appreciation to all who attended, and special thanks to all who worked tirelessly to make the event a tremendous success.

Another highlight of our spring semester was our recent all-employee barbecue to celebrate the end of the academic year and to honor those employees who reached Marauder Milestones for years of campus service. I was pleased to host the large gathering and show institutional appreciation to our dedicated employees for their hard work contributing to our students’ success.

This summer we have a variety of construction projects on campus, including creating a one-stop shop for students in Lyle Hall, installing additional street and parking lot lighting, and adding a new sound system at Chryst Field. There will be much to look forward to when students and faculty return in the fall!

We are actively strengthening existing community partnerships and exploring new ones that will allow our students to participate in high-impact practices, such as internships, civic engagement and undergraduate research. Preparing students for the workforce and involving them in our community are two important university priorities. My goal is to have a mentor for every student as part of our new Mentorship program. To achieve this, I challenge our alumni and friends to become more involved with our students. We need you as mentors and role models.

Our faculty and staff have been working on our Middle States Self-Study towards the reaccreditation for the next academic year. In addition, we started developing our next strategic plan. A broad cross-section of campus is involved in both processes, and I look forward to what I know will be excellent outcomes.

From “Alumni & Friends Listening Tours” to “Almost Maine” at Dutcher Hall, and from scholarly lectures to an exciting double overtime in basketball, I have attended as many events as possible in order to learn more about our campus community. Truly, this year was a wonderful journey. And, we are just getting started!

With warm regards,

Daniel A. Wubah

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No. 7

The Review is published by Millersville University, a member of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.

PRESIDENT Daniel A. Wubah, Ph.D.

INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT Alice McMurry

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Gregory Freedland

MILLERSVILLE REVIEW STAFF Janet Kacskos | Executive Editor Kate Hartman | Editor John Cheek ’00 | Creative Director Cheryl Lockley | Designer Ethan Hulsey | Sports News Denise Berg | Alumni News Gabrielle Buzgo | Alumni News Jennifer McMorris | Class Notes Christopher Thomas ’20 | Class Notes Elisabeth Rettew ’19 | Class Notes

CONTRIBUTORS Devin Marino ’20 | Alyssa Mancuso ‘20

PRINTED BY INTELLICOR, INC. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION John Held ’02 (president), Joyce King ’83 (president-elect), Bill Martin ’81 (treasurer), Matt Olphin ’95 (secretary), Mike Henry ’83 (past president)

MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES Michael G. Warfel ’84 (chair), Richard L. Frerichs, Ph.D. ’64 (vice chair), Adam Bachman ’20 (student member), Brandon W. Danz ‘03, Rep. Jordan A Harris ’06 (secretary), William B. McIlwaine, Ph.D., Brian A. Rider ’87, Gerald S. Robinson, Esq., Kathryn R. Ross, Holly L. Trego ‘98, Ann S. Womble, Chancellor Daniel Greenstein, Ph.D. (ex officio), President Daniel A. Wubah, Ph.D. (ex officio)

MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION BOARD Anne C. Jackson-Murray ’78 (president), Saul W. Fink, Ph.D. ’85 (vice president), Benjamin J. Del Tito, Ph.D. ’77 (secretary), Steven J. Fellin, CFA ’87 (treasurer) Millersville University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution.

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EPPIIC UNIVERSITY

An

EPPIIC University To accomplish the University’s mission of providing diverse, dynamic and meaningful experiences that inspire learners, our campus is shining a spotlight on our six core values – EXPLORATION, PROFESSIONALISM, PUBLIC MISSION, INCLUSION, INTEGRITY AND COMPASSION. Known collectively as our EPPIIC Values, these principles guide how the University fulfills its mission.

“Our EPPIIC values are the bedrock of our culture at Millersville University. This year, we invested a substantial amount of energy in promoting these values across our campus community.

We envision a future where every member of our community aligns with our core values and incorporates them into his/her/their interpersonal interactions and day-to-day work,” says President Daniel Wubah. “I urge our students, faculty and staff to fully embrace our EPPIIC Values.”

In January, an EPPIIC webpage was added to the University’s website as a place to recognize programs, initiatives, departments and individuals that exemplify these values. This list of worthy nominees will continue to grow as people submit entries for consideration.

“As I travel the campus, I am gratified to see departments and individuals living out these values,” says Wubah. “It is important that we recognize these achievements and display them prominently on our website. We wish to demonstrate our steadfast commitment to these values both on our campus and in the wider community.”

While there are countless examples, here are just a few programs that illustrate the ways Millersville is living our EPPIIC Values.

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EPPIIC UNIVERSITY

Exploration Millersville University embraces a culture of exploration, creating a dynamic learning environment that fosters intellectual curiosity, creative intelligence, innovation, forward-thinking ideas and exciting discoveries. Exploration serves as an intentional way to strengthen University culture. We place a high value on student-faculty research, scholarship and collaborative projects.

The University launched its Music Business Technology (MBT) program in 2015 as a way to prepare students for high-demand careers in the music industry. In just a few short years, this program has grown and changed to adapt to the fast-paced industry.

Through MU’s partnership with Clair Global, students are able to learn on site with state-of-the-art recording equipment, work side-by-side with Clair engineers during the University’s annual concert, FestiVille, and more.

The program was renamed the Clair Brothers Music Business Technology Program in 2018 to honor esteemed alum Roy Clair ’67, who founded the company “Clair Brothers Audio” with his brother. That company has evolved into two separate companies – “Clair Companies” and “Clair Global,” and has a partnership with Rock Lititz.

The name “Clair” is now internationally recognized as a world leader in the industry.

“Our partnership started out with having someone from Clair Global talk to my ‘Careers in Music Industry’ class, and has grown to MU having our current live audio course taught by a Clair engineer at Clair Global,” says MBT professor DR. BARRY ATTICKS.

“Unlike any other educational experience, our students are learning on equipment that goes out on the largest tours,” says Atticks. “Experiential learning is far better than reading something in a book!”

One example of student success is recent alum Andrew Black, who graduated with a MBT degree in May and is out on tour with Ariana Grande this summer.

We all have a story.

Taking the time to develop authentic relationships with one another opens our minds and our hearts and fosters empathy and compassion for each other.

Karen Rice Faculty

And this is just the beginning.

There are plans for more advanced MBT courses to be taught at Clair Global in the future.

Learn more about MBT at millersville.edu/music.  QUOTES PULLED FROM MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSTY’S DIGITAL QUILT. READ MORE AT MILLERSVILLE.EDU/DIGITALQUILT.

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EPPIIC UNIVERSITY

Professionalism Millersville University is founded on a tradition of academic excellence, expert knowledge and professional collegiality. Our diverse community of learners is comprised of skilled and dedicated educators and staff who model maturity of thought and practice while exhibiting mutual respect. The University provides opportunities for professional development and growth, especially for our students, using academic enhancement and collaborative programs to emphasize the importance of critical thinking, active listening, self-discovery, collaborative leadership and responsibility. Such professionalism fosters career readiness and preparation for lives of service and success in the global community.

Lessons are learned both in and out of the classroom. As students make the transition from school to the workforce, internships and career readiness resources are vital in preparing them for that next step.

Experiential Learning and Career Management (ELCM) is a hub of helpful information and resources for Millersville students who are preparing for professional endeavors both during college and after graduation. The office can help students secure internships, traineeships, volunteer opportunities and provide them with a wide range of career services.

“ELCM staff members are trained to help students explore who they are; what work values are most important to them; and how to connect their interest, skills and experiences to the world of work,” says MARGO SASSAMAN, Millersville’s associate director of career student body does not management. “Our programs condone hate speech are designed to help students

or anything of the sort. We believe in the pursuit of an inclusive campus!

John Tintera ‘20 Student

and alumni develop networks and mentor relationships to further enhance their careers; connect with employers for employment opportunities; develop effective marketing tools including resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles; and provide resources and support when exploring graduate school.”

The one-on-one relationships ELCM provides between career counselors and students can be critical in helping a student navigate into their first job after graduation. According to Sassaman, “93 percent of the students who had one-on-one appointments in 2017-18 agreed or strongly agreed that they felt more confident when thinking about future career goals and objectives.”

“Students potentially have 50+ years of work. People do change their career paths and jobs. The average person may change their career five to seven times, and change jobs more than 11 times throughout life,” Sassaman says. “With this in mind, know that the career path you are choosing now is not a lifetime commitment!”

Learn more about ELCM at millersville.edu/elcm. 

Public Mission

Millersville University’s mission calls upon us to respond to the urgent and emerging needs of our growing regional, urban and metropolitan communities. Through interdisciplinary learning, collaborative and cross-cultural experiences and a renewed focus on a liberal arts tradition, our students become well-prepared for meaningful participation in the broader society. Our commitment to flexibility and accessibility in higher education reflects the mission and vision of the University and ultimately has a direct impact on the larger public good.

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EPPIIC UNIVERSITY Through the ongoing and generous support of our alumni, friends, faculty and staff, Millersville is better positioned to fulfill its stated mission: “To provide diverse, dynamic, meaningful experiences to inspire learners to grow both intellectually and personally to enable them to contribute positively to local and global communities.”

Past reductions in state support along with the increasing economic challenges across the Commonwealth and throughout the country have made affording college increasingly difficult for many Millersville students. In response to this, the University launched its first fundraising campaign entirely focused on student success, “Imagine the Possible.”

Now in its third and final year, “Imagine the Possible” has an overall goal of $32 million with three defined priority areas: Scholarships, Student Learning Experiences and Marauder Athletics.

A $10 million goal for Scholarships will increase the number of merit-based and need-based scholarships, ensuring Millersville remains accessible to all students. A $16 million goal for Student Learning Experiences will support hands-on learning opportunities

such as internships, undergraduate research, global education and living-learning communities to prepare students for the workforce.

Finally, a $6 million goal for Marauder Athletics will allow for an increase in scholarship allocations and updating facilities—providing a championship experience for our students, campus and community.

As of June 3, 2019, $25.7 million has been contributed towards the “Imagine the Possible” campaign to support Millersville students.

This represents 78 percent of the goal.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Millersville community,” says ALICE MCMURRY, interim vice president for advancement. “These contributions are helping our students maximize the programs and hands-on learning opportunities at the University. As we move into the final phase of this campaign, we look forward to a strong finish to best support student success.”

Learn more about Imagine the Possible at imagine.millersville.edu. 

Inclusion

Millersville University is firmly committed to supporting and advancing the diversity and inclusion of its campus community. Inclusion is creating a campus community where differences are welcomed and respectfully heard and where every individual feels a sense of belonging. We affirm our shared values, recognize our challenges, and commit to building on existing efforts to foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive campus community.

Millersville University works to create a culture of inclusion where all feel welcomed and empowered to learn. Our goal is to create an environment that is characterized by intellectual diversity, racial/ ethnic diversity, cultural diversity, religious and spiritual diversity, and economic diversity. The Integrated Studies program is furthering this mission by providing a two- or four-year inclusive postsecondary initiative for young adults with an intellectual disability.

“A student majoring in Integrated Studies has the opportunity to obtain a liberal arts education and the support necessary for success,” explains DR. THOMAS NEUVILLE, professor and Integrated Studies faculty advisor. “In the past, students eligible for Integrated Studies would have been segregated and isolated with little possibility of seeing the good things of life. Millersville, through Integrated Studies, provides a springboard that launches graduates into empowered lives of citizenship, relationship and meaningful careers.”

Students in this program are enrolled at the University as full-time non-degree seeking students—a status that allows them all the rights and responsibilities of a degree seeking student.

Each individual is supported by faculty, staff, coaches and mentors

through a person-centric plan that guides their education and enables their success. Integrated Studies students are fully immersed in the campus community, and are given career exploration opportunities as they consider their next steps after graduation.

Imagine evolving our faculty by expanding how we know what students know.

A revolution sparked by an increasingly inclusive and diverse learning space.

Students as teachers.

Thomas Neuville To date, 10 students have graduated from Integrated Faculty Studies. The program currently has 27 students enrolled for the fall semester.

“Integrated Studies welcomes students who have experienced exclusion, reveals undiscovered gifts and creates community leaders,” Neuville says.

Learn more about the Integrated Studies program at millersville.edu/integratedstudies. 

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EPPIIC UNIVERSITY

Integrity Millersville University steadfastly defends freedom of thought, ideas and discourse as core to authentic and honest scholarship. Our commitment to integrity is measured by action and responsibility and engenders a culture of trust, rich with opportunities for rigorous applied learning and meaningful civic engagement and public stewardship that are responsive to the needs of our vibrant and evolving metropolitan region. Moreover, the University consistently lives by and practices its institutional principles, standards and beliefs.

A college campus is ripe with ideas, discussion and discourse.

The Millersville University Police Department is an integral part of the campus community that works to protect the challenging academic environment the University fosters. The department provides 24-hour coverage of campus year-round with a full staff of state-commissioned, sworn police officers. Our officers are a visible presence on campus, walking and biking around campus, and attending University events.

College Campuses in 2019,” settling at number six overall. The website identified MU’s trained police officers, counselors, Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) and campus-wide safety app, LiveSafe, as components that set our campus apart from others.

“We enjoy a positive, supportive relationship with our students. Our officers build community trust through proactive engagement,” says POLICE CHIEF PETE ANDERS. “Every student interaction is valued, and our officers embrace that we are here because of our students and seek to guide them toward success.”

“We are unique in campus policing because we seek to create partnerships with faculty, staff and students toward a greater good, and an overall sense of trust and legitimacy,” says Anders. “We recognize that our relationship with students will influence their expectations and hopefully their positive contributions in their future communities.”

In April, MU took the top spot on Your Local Security’s list of the safest college campuses in Pennsylvania. The University also broke through the website’s top 10 in “Your Guide to the Nation’s Safest

MU Police provide a wide range of support to campus including investigating all criminal and suspicious activity, enforcing University rules and regulations, directing pedestrian and vehicular traffic and providing sexual and dating violence resources.

Learn more about the MU Police Department at millersville.edu/police. 

The EPPIIC Values are the core of MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY’S 2020 STRATEGIC PLAN (Our Bold Path).

They are helping to guide the Middle States Self-Study and will help shape the 2025 Strategic Plan.

2020 STRATEGIC PLAN

SEPT. 2013

SEPT. 2014

WORK BEGINS

OUR BOLD PATH LAUNCHED, INCLUDING EPPIIC VALUES

MIDDLE STATES SELF-STUDY 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN 8 | M I L L E R S V I L L E U N I V E R S I T Y • S p r i ng | S u m m er 2019

APRIL 2017

SEPT. 2018

DEC. 2018

FEB. 2019

“INCLUSION” ADDED TO EPPIIC VALUES SELFSTUDY DESIGN BEGINS

SELFSTUDY DESIGN APPROVED CABINET APPROVES STRATEGICS PLAN DESIGN

EPPIIC UNIVERSITY

Compassion Millersville University’s ethos of compassion permeates all of our endeavors and interactions. Learning about and being sensitive to the experiences of people and cultures whether nearby or afar, fosters individual, professional and institutional growth.

Compassion moves the campus community towards focusing on each learner and their unique potential to impact the public good.

MU’s Center for Counseling and Human Development is committed to providing quality mental healthcare to a diverse student body.

The center’s counselors support students through direct care, including counseling, group counseling, consultation, crisis intervention, and alcohol and other drug education; as well as indirect care, including training in Campus Connect suicide prevention, pet therapy, mindfulness training and mental health presentations around campus.

“The need and request for counseling services overall has increased in the past few years, especially for students seeking immediate assistance,” says DR. KELSEY BACKELS, psychologist and center director. “In response, we established a daily walk-in triage hour in spring 2016 to offer students who could not wait for a full intake appointment the opportunity for a brief assessment with one of our counselors. That semester, we provided 15 triage appointments. That number grew significantly to 124 triage appointments in academic year 2017-18, and 184 triage appointments in academic year 2018-19.”

Backels attributes this rise to an increase in anxiety and depression among students nationwide related to a greater sense of isolation, social media, the economy, family struggles, and greater

APRIL 2019

MAY 2019

AUG. 2019

recognition and diagnosing of anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders.

A student who “I want students to know that their mental health is very values Exploration, important to their academic Professionalism, success and overall wellPublic Mission, Inclusion, being,” says Backels.

“We offer professional, Integrity and Compassion, confidential counseling free has no room for hate. of charge at the counseling center. I want students to Ximena Catepillán know that they are valuable, Faculty worthy individuals who owe it to themselves to get the care they need, and to feel empowered to reach out to us. If we cannot provide the care they need, we will do our best to help them find it.”

Learn more about the Center for Counseling and Human Development at millersville.edu/counsel. 

FEB. 2020

MARCH 2020

MAY 2020

JUNE 2020

SUMMER 2020

OUR BOLD PATH SUNSETS MIDDLE STATES TEAM ON CAMPUS

SELF-STUDY PROCESS ALL UNIVERSITY COUNCIL (AUC) FORMED

FIRST AUC MEETING

PHASE TEAMS MEET

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MIDDLE STATES FINDING RELEASED NEW STRATEGIC PLAN LAUNCHED | 9

Muddy Floors to HARVARD HALLS

From Muddy Floors in the Dominican Republic to the Halls of Harvard –via Millersville University

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Muddy Floors to HARVARD HALLS

Leonel Silva

Since graduating from Millersville, Silva has been the associate director at ATTOLLO in Lancaster. It’s a

remembers beds floating down the streets in his home

rigorous college access/leadership program founded by

country, the Dominican Republic, in 1998 after Hurricane

the Children Deserve a Chance Foundation and is based

George hit.

on the belief that “Dreams Don’t Work Unless You Do.”

“It was cold, wet and our floor was muddy,” says Silva.

Attollo scholars receive the mentorship and resources necessary to triumph as leaders at their schools and their

Silva was just 6 years old when the hurricane hit and

communities. Over 341 scholars in seven school districts

soon after, his two siblings and mother would join his

spend 550 hours each year engaged in Attollo programs.

father in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

“I fell in love with the organization,” says Silva. “I met the

“Lancaster reminded me a bit of our little village in the

founder, Jordan Steffy, who is the most dynamic person

Dominican Republic,” says Silva. “While the culture and

I’ve ever worked with. Attollo was the right place to be.

language were different, the people were very warm,

We mentor the students and we are mentored back. I

and accepting and helpful. It’s one of the reasons I’ve

grew a real passion for education.”

stayed here.”

Later this summer Silva will leave his job to head to

Silva grew up fast, having a child when he was a senior

Harvard, where he has been accepted to continue

at McCaskey High School. He graduated high school,

pursuing his passion at the Harvard Graduate School

was accepted into the

of Education.

economics department at Millersville University and while a full-time student, worked as a server at Willow Valley as well as part-time at RR Donnelley.

“I lived on campus and would bring my daughter to Gaige on the weekends,” says Silva.

“Jordan really pushed

“Lancaster reminded me a bit of our little village in the Dominican Republic,” says Silva.

“Thanks to people like

me to go for it,” says Silva. “At every single pivotal moment in my life, someone has been there for me. There has always been someone there to push me when I needed it, to push me forward and out of my comfort zone.”

After graduate school,

DR. KIRSTEN MADDEN, my advisor, who was there whenever I needed her, I managed to graduate in four years. My junior year was overwhelming; here I was a full-time student, working two jobs and having a young daughter. I was ready to throw in the towel, but Dr. Madden pushed me forward.

She has a heart of gold. She believed in me, and she cared – she would ask about my daughter. That made all the difference.”

Silva says he plans to come right back to Lancaster. “I consider Lancaster home. I want to pay it back. I want to be a role model for my daughter and make it easier for her. My parents didn’t speak English, and we didn’t sit around a dining room table talking about colleges. I had to navigate college on my own. I want it to be easier for my daughter and for the thousands of high school students in Lancaster. We cannot pay it back, so we must always pay it forward.”

At Millersville, Silva says he wasn’t as involved as he would have liked to have been because of work, but he managed to play club soccer. He stays in touch with his 6’3” former roommate. “I’m 5’ 4” and when I walked into my dorm room and saw this huge guy from Philly, I thought I was going to die,” laughs Silva, “and on top of it, he went by the name of Sledge. He turned out to be

Silva says he will miss his daughter while he’s away, but that she will visit him and is excited to see the museums.

“I got her a Harvard sweatshirt just like mine,” says Silva.

“We’re twinsies. But right now it’s time to learn. I’m just getting started and the world has endless possibilities for all of us.” 

a teddy bear, and we still stay in touch. I didn’t realize how diverse Millersville was – it’s one of the things I love about it.”

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A FAMILY AFFAIR & Future Success

& Future Success at

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Millersville

DEBRA BRENEMAN never imagined she would become a lawyer after graduating from Millersville University (MU) in 1999. Today, she is an Assistant United DEBRA BRENEMAN ’99 States Attorney in the Eastern District of Tennessee, having graduated from Harvard Law School after MU. While she never predicted this path for herself, she can now see how influential the relationships she made with Millersville professors were to her future success.

MU was also a stepping stone for several of her sisters. Three of Breneman’s sisters attended the University, and two graduated with degrees.

“My sister Beth graduated with me in December 1999, earning a degree in business administration with an accounting concentration. Today she is a certified public accountant in North Carolina,” she explains. “My younger sister Emily graduated from MU in 2003 with a degree in chemistry, then pursued advanced degrees at Princeton University. She currently works with quality control and technical writing for a biotechnology company that develops gene therapies in Philadelphia. And my sister Carol, who attended MU for several years before transferring elsewhere, went

on to graduate from medical school and is now an emergency physician in Virginia.”

Growing up, Breneman was homeschooled, and during high school she participated in several dual-enrollment programs with area colleges including Millersville. Her familiarity with the University helped her decide it was a good fit for her.

York Times for its global news coverage.

Similarly, a seminar with Robert Bookmiller about women in politics and government highlighted both the struggles and successes of trailblazing women.”

She was also active in the music department, studying piano performance and playing violin in the orchestra.

“MU was more affordable than a private “I spent many hours in one of the tiny school, offered a four-year degree that a practice rooms under what was then community college couldn’t, and was close called Lyte Auditorium, and thanks to Dr. enough to home that I could continue living Madeleine Darmiento and Dr. Anita Renfroe, with my parents and I was allowed to give carpool with my a joint senior recital “My job can be sisters to keep costs with my violinlow,” she explains. playing sister Carol, accurately summarized though we were only She initially expected with five words: music minors,” to be an English read, think, write, she recalls. major, but ultimately

talk, repeat,” became a political She credits former she explains. science major after professor Dr. Hisa consultation with Tsutsui, who now her advisor and her teaches at Embyfirst course with Dr. Richard Glenn in the Riddle Aeronautical University, with first Government & Political Affairs department. putting the idea of law school in her head.

“Dr. Glenn became my new advisor, and his course on the American judiciary was unquestionably my favorite course at MU,” says Breneman. “I have strong memories of other courses, too, that expanded my understanding of the world or of myself.

International relations with Dr. Kirsten Bookmiller was eye-opening for me, a girl who’d spent her whole life in Lancaster County. One of our 'textbooks' that semester was a subscription to the New

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“He asked me to promise I’d think about it,” she says. “Not then, but after graduation, when I had time to reflect—and because I respected Dr. T—I promised to think about it.”

After graduation she worked as a clerk in the criminal investigative division of the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, and later decided to take the LSAT, although she was not yet convinced that she wanted to

A FAMILY AFFAIR & Future Success

become a lawyer. She reached out to Glenn for advice on her law school applications.

“Harvard Law School offered me admission and a generous financial aid package in the spring of 2001," she recalls. "My very first law school class that fall was taught by Elena Kagan, now an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. She was the law school dean when I graduated.” “[Breneman] is among the most natively intelligent students I have ever taught,” says Glenn. “She earned a near-perfect score on the LSAT and was among a highly select group of MU students to attend Harvard Law School.”

Today, in her role as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Tennessee, she represents the interests of the United States in both criminal and civil cases in federal court, seeking justice and enforcing the rule of law.

“My job can be accurately summarized with five words: read, think, write, talk, repeat,” she explains.

That simple explanation includes many different tasks, including crafting litigation strategy, conducting research, writing briefs and legal documents, arguing cases, reviewing adverse decisions and much more. She has been the chief of the appellate division since 2014.

Breneman also teaches legal writing and advocacy skills at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Since 2015, she has served on the advisory rules committee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and for the past two years she has also served on a 16-member working group within the Department of Justice.

“I was extremely fortunate to have excellent faculty advisors [at Millersville], both official and unofficial,” Breneman says of her time at MU. “They seemed genuinely motivated to help me figure out what was best for me.” 

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ALUMNI NEWS | P R O F I L E

It Takes a

’VILLEAGE DR. CHRISTINA WRIGHT FIELDS ’05 shares how she went from humble beginnings to award-winning scholar

Even as a doctoral student at Bowling Green State University, Christina Wright Fields had a proven commitment to multiculturalism, inclusion and access, having received the Higher Education Administration Student Contribution Award for Service in 2013. She has since received additional awards, presented at multiple professional conferences, and was published in the “Journal of Student Affairs.” Her career in higher education has allowed her to be a transformational leader who inspires youth from historically marginalized populations to pursue postsecondary education—just as the Lancaster Partnership Program (LPP) at Millersville did for her.

As a Lancaster City native, and a first-generation college student, Wright Fields knew that college would be an opportunity to improve her life.

Her experience in the Lancaster Partnership Program, established at MU in 1988, led her to choose Millersville, as it provided her with the essential tools to attend—curriculum preparation and financial assistance—but she did not realize that it would also equip her with “the necessary social and cultural capital to be successful at MU.”

of herself. She uses the phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” to describe her student experience. And who was her village?

Dr. Leophus “Skip” King mentored and inspired her desire to enhance communities and share the value of education. Hiram Martinez and his team in the Office of Equity & Diversity ensured that there were opportunities for students of color to become campus leaders and change agents—which Wright Fields was through her involvement in the Black Student Union, Collegiate Leadership Mentoring Program, and Sigma Gamma Rho, just to name a few. Dr. Rita Smith Wade-El supported her and other students by affirming their cultural identities, acknowledging teachable moments and celebrating their successes, a practice that DR. CHRISTINA WRIGHT FIELDS ’05 Wright Fields has used in her previous role as Director of the Balfour Scholars program at Indiana University, which is designed to increase college access to underrepresented students.

Wright Fields is now an assistant professor of education at Marist College, New York, where she is able to share her research on historically marginalized students’ experiences in educational settings, issues related to student access and success, social justice and activism, WRIGHT FIELDS AND HER FAMILY “MU allowed me to embrace a holistic approach and the influence of teacher and student cultural to my personal and professional development,” she says. “I identities in the classroom with the next generation of educators. valued both my in-class and outside-of-class learning because She has presented at multiple Student Affairs Administrators in I developed a personal responsibility, concern and respect for Higher Education (NASPA) and Association of Higher Education myself, family, community, faculty, staff and peers.”

(ASHE) conferences, and has received multiple awards from NASPA, including the 2018 Region II Distinguished Excellence Wright Fields recognized Millersville’s public mission because in Diversity Award and the 2017 Excellence Award Grand the faculty and staff were invested in her success by providing Bronze Honoree for International, Multicultural, Gender, LGBTQ, her with infinite opportunities to develop her talents, creating Spirituality and Disability. inclusive spaces and empowering her to become the best version

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ALUMNI NEWS | P R O F I L E

CELEBRATING HOMECOMING AT MILLERSVILLE

In addition to her professional accomplishments, she is proud to have married her husband José, who she met in an MU biology class, and with whom she has a son. “Their unconditional love and support encourages me to continue to make strides towards equity in education and our overall community because of the impact on the next generation.”

Another guiding force in her life is her personal mantra, which is an African proverb—Ubuntu.

The LANCASTER PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (LPP) is a great example of businesses working with institutions of higher education to support students from the School District of Lancaster (SDL). The program gives students who want to pursue post-secondary education the opportunity.

LPP provides a comprehensive range of support services for SDL students and serves as a pipeline from high school to college. Socioeconomically disadvantaged students who qualify for the program receive counseling and personal encouragement from educators, tutoring and academic support.

“We work with ninth through 12th graders, where they are in their educational journey,” says Christina Williams ‘06, assistant director of Student Success Programs at MU. That can include helping seniors apply to college, fill out financial forms, search for scholarships, prepare essays or prepare for military service. Juniors are given support with SAT preparation and college searches. Sophomores are given individual selfdevelopment assistance to figure out what they may be interested in, and freshmen receive support during their transition from middle school to high school.

“We provide a free, week-long summer experience at MU that allows students to experience what it’s like to be a college student while learning lifelong skills,” says Williams.

“Most importantly, students who decide MU is the college they would like to attend can earn up to $5,000 a year for a total of five years in scholarship monies for their participation in the program, and for maintaining an academic grade point average set by the program,” she continues.

WRIGHT FIELDS RECEIVING HER PH.D. AT BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY

“Ubuntu essentially means ‘I AM WHAT I AM BECAUSE OF WHO WE ALL ARE.’ My MU village transformed my educational experience, extended my networks and deepened my own understandings. As alumni, we are connected, we experienced Millersville, we understand the impact the institution had on our lives and have memories that will last a lifetime. I encourage alumni to proudly share their MU experiences with others, allowing more individuals to know about this institutional gem in Lancaster County. We never know who our stories will inspire or if they will become future Marauders.” 

LPP is very close to Williams’ heart because she herself is a graduate of the program. She graduated from MU in 2006 with a degree in sociology. She credits the program with changing her life.

“I was the first in my family to come home and mention this notion of a college education, so I had no idea where to start or what I needed to do in order to get into college,” she says. “[LPP] provided me with a support system that was invaluable to my success. The staff helped me find schools that would be the right fit, helped me with my college essays, paid for me to take the SAT, took me on college visits, and helped explain and fill out the FAFSA.” “I found an organization that not only believed I belonged in college, but provided me the resources and information that I lacked,” she says.

The LPP has been helping students for 30 years, and Williams believes the benefits are great. Even after graduation, the program maintains an open-door policy for students to ask questions.

“Most important, once our students are part of the LPP family, they are for life,” Williams explains. 

For more information on the Lancaster Partnership Program, visit millersville.edu/studentsuccess/lpp.

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ALUMNI NEWS | E V E N T S

MIX &MINGLE

Millersville University’s Office of Alumni Engagement and the MU Alumni Association enjoy the opportunity to bring Marauders together at a variety of events throughout the year. This academic year was no different!

From exciting annual events like Glorious Sounds of the Season in December and Volunteer Appreciation Night at the Fulton Theatre in April; to multiple MU After Work events and stops on President Daniel Wubah’s Listening Tour, hundreds of alumni engaged with the University.

Engagement Denise Berg. “Keeping alumni connected to the University after graduation not only benefits them, but creates strong bonds for our current students as well.”

Don’t miss upcoming events! See below for MU After Work gatherings, and visit villealumni.com for more information. 

“Once you are a Marauder, you’re always a Marauder,” says Director of Alumni

GLORIOUS SOUNDS OF THE SEASON ALUMNI RECEPTION IN DECEMBER

DR. WUBAH’S ALUMNI & FRIENDS LISTENING TOUR STOP IN CHERRY HILL, NJ

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION NIGHT AT THE FULTON THEATRE

A great way to end the work day while networking and socializing with fellow alums. Complimentary appetizers provided by the MU Alumni Association. For details and to register, visit villealumni.com.

Events begin at 5:15 p.m.

Sept. 18 | Copper Hill, Millersville Nov. 20 | TBD

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OTHER ALUMNI EVENTS Sept. 14 | Legacy Breakfast Oct. 25 & 26 | Homecoming Dec. 7 | Glorious Sounds of the Season Concert & Reception

ALUMNI NEWS | E V E N T S

Marauder PRIDE Network

Are you eager to connect with your alma mater but distance is in your way? Ask us how you can join the REGIONAL MARAUDER PRIDE NETWORK, where you can participate in events near you, recruit the next generation of Marauders, inspire our more recent alumni, donate to initiatives that you’re passionate about, and engage your local community in what it means to be a Marauder!

ALUMNI WHO WORK TOGETHER AT EUROFINS LANCASTER LABORATORIES

Members of the Advancement team are ready to assist you in coordinating events, attending a college fair or following our Marauders on their road to victory.

Regional networks currently being established include: Dauphin County, PA | Houston, TX | Washington DC Metro area Email heather.morris@millersville.edu to become a regional volunteer coordinator and show your PRIDE today!

Regional Marauder P·R·I·D·E Network MU AFTER WORK AT FIRESIDE TAVERN IN STRASBURG

CALL FOR Nominations!

Do you know a fellow alumnus who deserves special recognition?

The Millersville University Alumni Association is seeking nominations for: Distinguished Alumni Award | Young Alumni Achievement Award | Outstanding Volunteer Service Award | Honorary Alumnus Award. Find out more at www.villealumni.com under Awards.

Nomination deadline is Jan. 31.

SUPPORT FUTURE GENERATIONS of Millersville Students

SEEKING CANDIDATES The Millersville University Alumni Association is seeking candidates to serve on the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

The board is comprised of 25 voting members from various class years, academic programs, geographical locations and diverse backgrounds. Members attend quarterly meetings and participate in board activities and programs. Learn more or apply at www.villealumni.com.

The deadline is Jan. 21.

Marauder Connections !

HAVEN’T BEEN RECEIVING THE ALUMNI E-NEWSLETTER? We probably don’t have your email address on file!

Reach us via any method below to update your contact information.

The e-newsletter is a quick read and will keep you informed about alumni events and what’s happening at Millersville!

Connect with us on Facebook @millersvillealumni MU Alumni Association — Millersville University, PO Box 1002 Millersville, PA 17551-0302 | 800-681-1855 Email: mualumni@millersville.edu

Leave your legacy by including MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY in your will or trust, or as a beneficiary designation of an IRA, retirement plan or other account. You can make a lasting impact while maintaining flexibility if your needs change.

For more information or to request our FREE WILLS GUIDE, please contact us at Planned.Giving@millersville.edu or 877-872-3820, or visit millersville.giftlegacy.com.

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THE START of a NEW ERA

THE START of a

New Era

D R . D A N I E L A . W U B A H I N A U G U R AT E D A S M I L L E R S V I L L E ’ S 15 T H P R E S I D E N T DR. DANIEL A. WUBAH was inaugurated as the 15th president of Millersville University on April 18, 2019.

In a ceremony on the Quad, the campus celebrated with the splendor of color, uplifting music and outdoor excitement.

Faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters came out in impressive numbers to participate in this historic event. Most notably, a number of family members and delegates from Wubah’s native country, Ghana, including two tribal kings, their families and his high school mates, traveled for the festivities. In celebration of Wubah’s history and status as tribal king at Breman Asikuma in Ghana’s Central Region, African music, fashion and food were highlights in the day’s events.

“Today marks the formal opening of a new era,” Wubah said to the crowd. “One of the most common questions that I am often asked is: What is your vision for Millersville University? I believe the best vision for our University is the one that we will develop together.”

He stated that, in this next chapter, Millersville’s goal will be “excellence without elitism” for all of our students, including first-generation college students, with whom he feels a particular kinship through his own educational journey.

“My father passed away in an automobile accident when I was 7 years old, so my mother had to raise her four children by herself on the income of a seamstress,” he shared. “Therefore, it is not a stretch to say that my experience growing up in Ghana was not unlike that of a first-generation college student. I guess that is why I have a sincere affinity to our first-generation students.

Because of her life experiences, my mom vowed to educate all her children to their highest ability. She strived to accomplish that goal, but I doubt she ever imagined that her second-born son would end up as the president of a university in the United States.”

DR. LINWOOD ROSE, president emeritus of James Madison University and Wubah’s mentor, provided remarks during the ceremony. “Leadership is important in good times and bad. It is in the challenging times that the focus falls on the leader,” Rose shared. “When there is uncertainty in our eyes, we look to leaders for purpose and predictability. When our minds are clouded by complexity and ambiguity, we look to our leaders for clarity. When our hearts are burdened by grief, stress or doubt, we look to our leaders for comfort and hope.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am here today to tell you that should any of these conditions confront you, the leader you will seek has been found. He is sitting here and his name is Daniel Wubah.” 

MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY GOSPEL CHOIR

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THE START of a NEW ERA

FOR MORE INFORMATION, MEDIA COVERAGE AND PHOTOS OF THE INAUGURATION, VISIT millersville.edu/president/inauguration.

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G N I M O C E M HO 019 FRIDAY, OCT. 25 2

9 a.m.

MILLERSVILLE COMMUNITY -UNIVERSITY PARADE:

8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. | UNIVERSITY STORE | 15% Homecoming discount on MU apparel and insignia items.

“A Halloween Monster Mash”

Two-mile route: Herr Ave., Landis Ave., N. George St., Millersville. FREE

10 a.m.-3 p.m.

ALUMNI & FRIENDS GOLF OUTING CROSSGATES Golf Course, Millersville

Open to alumni, faculty, staff and friends— Scramble format, all skill levels!

SPONSORSHIPS WELCOME! Reservations required. $

9 a.m. | ALUMNI BASEBALL HOMERUN DERBY | Cooper Park Stadium | Contact Coach Jon Shehan ’06 at 717-871-5736 or jonathan.shehan@millersville.edu. FREE 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | ALUMNI SOFTBALL GAME | Seaber Stadium | RSVP appreciated jennifer.probst@millersville.edu. FREE

11 a.m.-2 p.m.

ALUMNI & FRIENDS TENT PARTY Behind the Sugar Bowl

5-6 p.m. | CAMPUS TOUR | Student Memorial Center | The Class of 1969 is invited for a special bus tour of campus. | Registration required. FREE 6-8 p.m. | CLASS OF 1969 | MIX AND MINGLE | Gordinier Hall | The Class of 1969 and guests are invited to kick off the reunion weekend with a casual reception | Reservations required. $ 6 p.m. | 25TH ANNUAL ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME RECEPTION AND DINNER | Gordinier Hall | Honoring 2019 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees | Reservations required. $

SATURDAY, OCT. 26 8 a.m.-6 p.m. | UNIVERSITY STORE | 15% Homecoming discount on MU apparel and insignia items 8–10 a.m. | COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN SERVICES – DONUTS WITH THE DEAN | McNairy Library room 100 | Alumni, former faculty and staff are invited. Stop in for a sweet treat and stay to view the parade. | Registration appreciated. | Email kelly.davis@millersville.edu to sign up!

FREE

Alumni, faculty, staff and friends—stop in for refreshments and reconnecting before the football game at 2 p.m.

Reservations appreciated. FREE 2 p.m. | MARAUDER FOOTBALL VS. SHEPHERD | Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium | $ 2 p.m. | CAMPUS TOUR | Student Memorial Center | Special bus tour of campus for alumni and friends. | Registration required. FREE 5:30 p.m. | CLASS OF 1969 50TH REUNION RECEPTION AND DINNER | Gordinier Hall | The Class of 1969 is invited for a reception, dinner and special program. Members of the class will be welcomed into the Ad Astra Society during this celebration dinner and will be joined by the Classes of 1964 and 1959. | Reservations required. $ 5:30 p.m. | CLASS OF 1964 55TH REUNION RECEPTION AND DINNER | Gordinier Hall | The Class of 1964 is invited for a reception and will join the Classes of 1969 and 1959 for dinner and a special program. | Reservations required. $ 5:30 p.m. | CLASS OF 1959 60TH REUNION RECEPTION AND DINNER | Gordinier Hall | The Class of 1959 is invited for a reception and will join the Classes of 1964 and 1969 for dinner and a special program. | Reservations required. $ Check the alumni website for updates, additional events and to register! www.villealumni.com | mualumni@millersville.edu | 717.871.7551 | 1.800.681.1855

2019 HOMECOMING SPONSORS:

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COMMENCEMENT 2019

COMMENCEMENT S P R I N G 2019

On Saturday, May 11, 2019, 976 undergraduate students received their diplomas on Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium. The stands around the stadium were filled with family and friends who came out to be a part of the graduates’ momentous day.

During the ceremony, Dr. Hugh Herr ’90 received an honorary degree. Herr, a rock climber and double amputee, graduated from Millersville with a degree in physics and has gone on to teach at the Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) division of Health Sciences and Technology. He heads the Biomechatronics group at

the MIT Media Lab, and is creating bionic limbs that emulate the function of natural limbs.

The commencement address was given by Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera, who was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf in 2015. His extensive experience in public education and former position as superintendent of the School District of Lancaster made him a perfect speaker for the day.

The night before, on May 10, 2019, approximately 198 graduates including 10 doctoral candidates, crossed the stage in Pucillo Gymnasium and received their degrees. The commencement address was given by Dr. Ruth Benns-Suter, recently retired associate professor of counseling psychology. 

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CAMPUS N E W S

CAMPUS NEWS | Spring/Summer Millersville Receives $399,719 Federal Grant

focused inauguration festivities for Dr. Daniel Wubah, who was sworn into the office of president on April 18.

Thanks to the National Science Foundation (NSF), Millersville University has received a $399,719 grant to support a large-scale national curriculum project for middle school science students.

Made in Millersville was held in the Francine G. McNairy Library and Learning Forum at Ganser Hall. The event featured the scholarly and creative work of Millersville University students. This year, the art club also conducted an interactive exhibit on the sixth floor of the library, where it was turned into a new world made of paper.

The “Watershed Awareness using Technology and Environmental Research for Sustainability (WATERS)” project is under the direction of Dr. Nanette MarcumDietrich, educational foundations professor.

Students’ work is also published in the annual “Made in Millersville” journal. 

MU Disability Pride Fest Aims to Remove Stigmas

Millersville is part of a $2 million WATERS grant. At Millersville, the grant will teach a systems approach to problem solving through hands-on, inquiry-based learning activities based on real national and local data to explore local watershed issues.

Marcum-Dietrich will lead the project research to investigate the impact of integrating purposefully designed inquiry, Universal Design for Learning technologies, and career-oriented activities in a diversity of middle school science classrooms. 

Millersville Hosts Seventh Annual “Made in Millersville” Since 2013, the annual Made in Millersville conference has grown significantly to

MADE IN MILLERSVILLE

include more than 400 participants. This year’s event was particularly special, as it was included in the week-long student-

Millersville University Graduate Wins 19th Annual Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award Recent Millersville University graduate Erin Jones was recognized as the 2019 winner of the Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence.

During the summer of 2016, Jones worked with a researcher from Hobart and William Smith College on a project funded by the National Science Foundation and designed to better understand and quantify “lake-effect” snow in the Great Lakes region.

The next summer she participated in another NSF-funded project with researchers from Texas A&M University focused on understanding the dynamics of severe storms and the processes that lead to tornadoes to help improve weather forecasting. The lead researcher on the project called Jones, “The first undergraduate student who has been productive enough to warrant coauthorship on one of my group’s papers.” 

DISABILITY PRIDE DAY

Roughly 22 percent of adults living in the United States have some sort of disability, ranging from self-care to mobility. Disability Pride Day at Millersville University aims to change the way that people think about and define disability. The all-day event was held on April 15.

The Disability Pride Fest featured a welcome from photographer Tom Olin, who has documented the disability rights movement for over 40 years. Other activities included sign making and posting, a campuswide march, wheelchair art, interactive activities around disability cultural sensitivity and an outdoor concert featuring Johnny Crescendo, Dennis Queen and Kounterclockwise, among other activities. 

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ERIN JONES

MU Named 2019 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School Millersville University (MU) was named a 2019 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Postsecondary Sustainability Awardee. MU is one of only

CAMPUS N E W S

New

Educational Opportunities for MU Students

LOMBARDO WELCOME CENTER

four honorees in the “Postsecondary Sustainability Award” category nationwide, and the only in Pennsylvania. Nationally, 35 schools, 14 school districts, and four postsecondary institutions were honored for their sustainability efforts.

This prestigious designation is awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to honor innovative efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, improve health and wellness, and ensure effective sustainability education. Millersville was recognized in particular for the sustainability efforts demonstrated by the construction of and programs offered in the Lombardo Welcome Center, the University’s first net zero energy building. The Lombardo Welcome Center became the first building in the state to be Zero Energy Certified by the International Living Future Institute in June 2019. 

Head Start Classroom Opens on Campus This fall will mark the grand opening for a new Head Start STEM program on campus.

Renovations have been underway since last fall to turn Bard Hall into an innovative classroom. With a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, this classroom provides a creative outlet for children aged 3 to 5 to learn from a school readiness program.

Over the past year, Millersville University (MU) PRESIDENT DR. DANIEL WUBAH has signed three memorandums of understanding with other institutions to allow for additional educational opportunities. Among these include agreements with Thaddeus Stevens College of Science & Technology, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) and Academic City College.

Thaddeus Stevens’ agreement will allow students pursuing an associate degree in business administration to transfer credits from Thaddeus Stevens to MU to move forward in completing a Bachelor of Science in business administration.

By seamlessly integrating the two programs, this merger is especially unique, as it allows an easy transition from a completed associate degree at a twoyear college to the continued pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at a four-year university.

The bachelor’s degree in business administration at MU will be an online program, allowing Thaddeus Stevens graduates to simultaneously pursue this degree and enter the workforce.

The VCOM memorandum details a “Guaranteed Admissions Interview Program” for all MU students, giving them

an advantage for admission into medical school. Offering a four-year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree and licensure valid in all U.S. states, the signing of this memorandum indicates that VCOM’s graduate program recognizes MU’s undergraduate programs as adequate preparation for their rigorous educational curriculum. As a university that accepts merely 4.5 percent of applicants into their program, a guaranteed interview provides MU students with a leg up in this highly competitive field.

Most recently, a memorandum was signed during Wubah’s inauguration week between Academic City College in Ghana and MU. This signing officiated the new international partnership between the two post-secondary institutions, providing MU students with new study abroad opportunities. Additionally, the memorandum also provides transfer and graduate opportunities for Academic City College students who would like to pursue a continued education at MU. These collaboration efforts in pre-graduate and post graduate studies have collectively continued to put MU on the map as a school with endless opportunities. 

Offered to children of Millersville University students whose gross income is within 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, this program was created through a partnership between MU, the Community Action Partnership, Eurofins, The Steinman Foundation and High Foundation.

Classes have been held in a temporary room while renovations were completed this spring. A celebration will take place on Sept. 17, 2019 to mark the grand opening of the official classroom. 

DR. DANIEL WUBAH, THADDEUS STEVENS COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY PRESIDENT WILLIAM E. GRISCOM AND REPRESENTATIVES AT SIGNING.

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SPORTS | 2019

2 CHAMPIONS One Day

S H A N E R U H N K E A N D SU N FLO W E R G R E E N E W I N N C A A D I V I S I O N I I C H A M P I O N S H I P S

In the history of Millersville Athletics, there has never been a day quite like March 9, 2019.

Within the span of two hours, nearly 900 miles apart, Sunflower Greene won her second consecutive NCAA Indoor Championship in the shot put and Shane Ruhnke became Millersville wrestling’s first national champion since 1980 and the first at the Division II level. Here is how it happened.

Shane Ruhnke

Calling Shane Ruhnke the NCAA Division II Champion doesn't do justice to his dominance.

Winning the tournament’s awards for Most Outstanding Wrestler and Most Dominant Wrestler of the Year helps. Ruhnke pinned his way to the finals and won Millersville’s first wrestling national championship since 1980 by overwhelming his opponent in a championship match that was stopped short because of stalling violations.

Over the two days of championships, Ruhnke was simply unstoppable in the 165-pound weight class. It was no more evident than in the championship bout against Rodney Shepard of UNC Pembroke. Shepard could not withstand Ruhnke's relentless attack and was called for

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fleeing the mat and stalling five separate times. Ruhnke officially won the match by disqualification but led 9-2 when it was stopped in the second period.

“It is indescribable,” Ruhnke said of the national championship win.

“I am really thankful for everyone who worked with me, my teammates and my coach pushing me, always expecting more from me and never being satisfied.”

Ruhnke was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler by the tournament’s coaches and with most points earned, was named Most Dominant Wrestler.

Ruhnke improved upon last season’s sixth-place finish, and became the first Millersville national champ since Don Wagner won the Division III heavyweight crown 39 years ago.

Ruhnke is also Millersville's first two-time AllAmerican since Wagner in 1980-81. Ruhnke was joined by his classmate, 197-pound Colton Dull, who scored a pin in the fifth-place match for his first All-America honor. Ruhnke and Dull gave the Marauders two All-Americans in the same season for the first time since 1980.

“Getting a national champion for the program means a lot,” said Millersville head coach Kerry Regner.

“I am so happy for Shane and so happy for the program.

We have a storied tradition and I am blessed to be able to support and help these guys through hard times and wrestle, which is what they love to do.” 

SPORTS | 2019

Sunflower Greene

The second time was even sweeter. On her third and final attempt to make the finals, Millersville University senior Sunflower Greene delivered her season-best mark and went on to defend her NCAA Division II Indoor Championship in the shot put, besting the field by more than a foot.

Greene became the seventh two-time NCAA indoor shot put champ since the event began in 1985 and is the first since 2012. In true Sunflower Greene fashion, she was at her best on the grandest stage. She won it with a mark of 53-3, which was nine inches better than her previous season-best and just an inch under her national championship mark from 2018.

Last season, Greene became the first female Marauder in more than 30 years to win an individual national title. Now, she is the first two-time winner. The quest to repeat carried pressure with it. This win put to rest a full year of thinking about a title defense.

“The second championship is better by far,” Greene proclaimed with a smile. “Last year it was like, ‘I did this, but now I have to do it again.’

This year, as a senior, I can say that I finished on top.”

In addition to being a two-time indoor national champion in the shot put, Greene is a three-time indoor All-American--feats never before accomplished at Millersville. According to Millersville's head coach Andy Young, Greene's wins have a significant impact on the program.

“For us, we are a smaller school,” said Young.

“Some of the schools here are known as track schools. For us to be able to mix it up with them is important. It sets a culture tone for our athletes—that some things are attainable that maybe they didn't believe were.” 

2019 NCAA INDOOR CHAMPION shot put ¢ 2018 NCAA INDOOR CHAMPION shot put ¢ 8-TIME ALL-AMERICAN INDOOR shot put & weight throw OUTDOOR shot put & hammer ¢ 5-TIME PSAC FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2x OUTDOOR, 3x INDOOR ¢ 5-TIME PSAC CHAMPIONSHIPS FIELD ATHLETE OF THE MEET ¢

11-TIME PSAC CHAMPION ¢ ALL-TIME PSAC RECORD HOLDER INDOOR shot put & weight throw OUTDOOR shot put & hammer throw ¢ 2-TIME USTFCCCA ATLANTIC REGION FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR ¢ PSAC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR 2016 OUTDOOR season

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SPORTS | 2019

The best and brightest in Millersville Athletics were recognized as part of the third annual Dining with Champions Scholarship Banquet and Auction on April 10 in Pucillo Gymnasium.

The event featured keynote speaker NANCY LIEBERMAN—a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and trailblazer in athletics.

More than 200 alumni, friends and supporters of Millersville Athletics were in attendance, raising money for scholarships and athletic operations.

Lieberman, who was just the second woman to be an assistant coach in the NBA, the first woman to serve as a head coach in the BIG3 Tournament, and the first woman coach to win a championship in a men’s professional league, was a fitting speaker to cap off the year-long celebration of 100 years of intercollegiate women’s athletics at Millersville. Her speech concluded with a $10,000 scholarship to women’s athletics.

The awards and winners for 2019 included: Female Career Achievement Award, Sunflower Greene (Track & Field); Male Career Achievement Award, Kyle Finsterbush (Men's Soccer); Distinguished Scholar-Athlete, Aliza Mizak (Field Hockey); Community Service Award, Millersville softball team; Core Values Award, Dwight "Ike" Hogue; Faculty Mentor Award, Dr. Shawn Gallagher. 

“This is a marquee event for us,” said Director of Athletics Miles Gallagher. “It is a great opportunity to honor student-athletes, staff and faculty who make a positive impact and the event is an important part of our fundraising efforts. We truly appreciate the attendance and continued support of our donors.”

NANCY LIEBERMAN

SUNFLOWER GREENE

KYLE FINSTERBUSH

ALIZA MIZAK

Vangavree DUGOUT DEDICATION

On April 20, Millersville baseball recognized the generosity of PHYLLIS S. MOWERY and the family of the late senator HAROLD F. MOWERY JR., and the creation of the Mowery Family Baseball Endowment with a gift of $25,000 by naming the third base dugout, the MIKE VANGAVREE ’90 DUGOUT. VANGAVREE led the nation in hitting as a senior, was named PSAC Player of the Year and was inducted into the Millersville University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.

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JEN PROBST

DR. SHAWN GALLAGHER

DWIGHT “IKE” HOGUE

SPORTS | 2019

MARAUDERS

Make -A- Wish

THE MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS’ STUDENT ATHLETE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SAAC) HOSTED A MAKE-A-WISH REVEAL FOR 13-YEAR-OLD OWEN BRAZELTON DURING THE SOFTBALL TEAM’S DOUBLEHEADER AGAINST SHIPPENSBURG ON APRIL 27.

Brazelton signed a one-day contract with the Marauders during a press conference before the game. Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance and Academics Larry Earnesty, along with SAAC member and women’s basketball guard Courtney Dimoff,

presented Brazelton with a baseball jersey that donned the No. 5.

Brazelton was touched by the support of the softball team and other student-athletes who attended the event.

“It was really nice of them to come out,” he said. “I really appreciated their presence; it made me feel like I’m not alone and like I had people supporting me.

It’s nice to have people around your age group supporting you.”

Brazelton threw out the ceremonial first pitch before joining the Marauders in the dugout for the remainder of the game.

The wish reveal took place in between games of the doubleheader. Brazelton rounded the bases, receiving a gift from SAAC that related to his wish at each base. After crossing home plate, members of SAAC unveiled a banner that read “Lego 2 Denmark,” fulfilling Brazelton’s wish of visiting the LEGO Factory.

Earlier in the day, Brazelton toured Millersville’s engineering department.

The opportunity to reveal Brazelton’s wish was made possible through fundraising and collections at home sporting events, with SAAC raising more than $5,000 for Make-AWish. This was the fourth year in a row SAAC hosted a reveal. 

“It was really nice of them to come out,” he said. “I really appreciated their presence; it made me feel like I’m not alone and like I had people supporting me. It’s nice to have people around your age group supporting you.”

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SPORTS | 2019

Men’s Basketball The Marauders took another step forward under the direction

with 35 points, recorded the

of third-year head coach Casey Stitzel, winning 16 games and

eighth-highest assists-per-

earning its first home PSAC Tournament game since 2015.

game average in program

Senior MARCUS ADKISON was named All-PSAC East First Team

history and is the only

and freshman JADEN FAULKNER, who won four PSAC East

freshman in the single-

Freshman of the Week awards, was named All-PSAC East Second

season top 10 for steals.

Team. Faulkner was the first Marauder freshman named

Adkison finished his three-

All-PSAC since Hall of Famer Charlie Parker in 2005 and one of

year career with 1,389 points,

just five ever. He set a single-game freshman scoring record

ranking 17th all-time. 

INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

WOMEN’S Basketball

LAUREN LISTER broke the single season program record for points (604), points per game (22.4) and field goals made (231) on her way to being named PSAC East Athlete of the Year—just the second sophomore in the last 25 years to win the award. Lister is the sixth player in program history to win the award. The team reached its 22nd PSAC Tournament in the last 23 seasons. 

BASEBALL

Millersville baseball won the PSAC Eastern Division for the seventh time under 2019 PSAC East Coach of the Year JON SHEHAN. The Marauders earned the right to host a NCAA Super Regional on campus for the first time in program history. It was Millersville’s seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Starting pitcher ELI NABHOLZ was named PSAC East Pitcher of the Year for the second year in a row. 

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In addition to Sunflower Greene’s national championship, CLARA FORNEY became the first Marauder to win a PSAC Indoor Championship in the 400-meter dash and helped Millersville to a fifth-place finish—its highest ever at the indoor championships.

Aliyah Striver was named USTFCCCA All-Atlantic Region in the shot put, while Madison Martin earned the same honors in the weight throw. 

OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD

PSAC Championships Track Athlete of the Meet CLARA FORNEY won the 400-meter dash and then ran a recordsetting anchor leg for first place in the 4x400-meter relay, helping the Marauders finish as the PSAC runner-up for the second year in a row. SUNFLOWER GREENE became the first PSAC athlete to win the shot put, discus and hammer at the same championships, and she was named the championships’ athlete of the meet for the third time. Greene went on to earn All-America status in the hammer and shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She was joined by sophomore ALIYAH STRIVER, who qualified in the shot put. 

SPORTS | 2019

WOMEN’S Tennis

The women’s tennis team enjoyed a breakout season in 2018-19, reaching the PSAC Tournament for the first time since the 2015-16 season. The Marauders’ nine wins were their most since the 2004-05 campaign, a remarkable turnaround after winning just seven matches over their previous two seasons. Third-year head coach Matt Helsel had just one upperclassman, senior KATINA JONES, start on a regular basis, leaving the rest up to a core group of underclassmen who look to build off of this season’s success for years to come. 

Men’s Golf The Marauders qualified for the

NCAA Atlantic/East Super Regional for a record seventh consecutive season. 

Men’s Tennis The 2018-19 season was a huge turnaround for the men’s tennis team. The Marauders had won just two PSAC matches over their previous

Women’s LACROSSE

CINDY WILSON became the first head coach in program history to guide the Marauders to a playoff berth in her first season at the helm, leading Millersville to the PSAC Tournament for the first time since the 2016 season. 

six seasons, but under the guidance of third-year head coach MATT HELSEL, Millersville reached its first PSAC Tournament since the 2011-12 campaign. Sophomore CARLOS MARTINEZ-LUCAS posted a 15-6 record and was named PSAC Athlete of the Year—Millersville’s first since 2002 and only the third ever. 

Women’s Swimming 2017 Bloomsburg University graduate and former All-American swimmer ERIC USBECK was

named the program’s head coach on April 25. Usbeck comes to Millersville after two seasons as an assistant coach at Misericordia. As a collegiate swimmer, Usbeck was a five-time PSAC Champion and three-time All-American. 

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CLASS NOTES | 2019

Class Notes | 2019 1970 s u RONALD BURGER ’70, Tallahassee, Florida, retired from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control after 35 years of service but continues to work for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services National Disaster Medical System, and FEMA. He has responded to 38 hurricanes in his 49 years of working in governmental public health. u DONALD MILLER ’70, Harrisburg, published his 20th book, “He Had Rare Lights: A Biography of William Wallace Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln.” Donald writes under the pen name Donald Motier. u SAM BIGLER ’73, ’76M, Millersville, has been inducted into the Susquehanna Valley, Pennsylvania State, Millersville University and Columbia High School Athletic Halls of Fame for weightlifting. He has been a National Collegiate Champion (4x), and been a member of the All-American Team (4x), National All-American Team (2x), Pan American Team, and World Team. Bigler also competed in the 1976 Olympics. u LINDA SIMPKINS DICKERSON ’73, Mountville, retired after a career of 44 years.

She spent 10 of those years as an instructor at the Children’s Dyslexia Center of Lancaster. Dickerson was a licensed Baptist minister and went on to be ordained as a reverend. She earned a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia on 5/16/17. u RICHARD HUCK ’73, Edwardsville, was awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award at the annual Colored Pencil Society of America International Exhibition in Chicago. The work was featured in the recent International Artist magazine issue.

u KATHY ESTERLINE TENDLER ’75, Tower City, retired after 20 years as an Education Administrative specialist with the Pennsylvania State Department of Education. She taught elementary education for 13 years at both Solanco and Bensalem Township school districts. u JAY WENGER ’76, ’89, Lancaster, was awarded and successfully completed three Core Fulbright Scholarships in Estonia (2001), Kenya (2011) and India (2018). He also completed a Fulbright Specialist assignment in the Philippines (2014). u MARY HORWEDEL FORSTER ’77, Lancaster, retired on 6/15/17. She worked for the School District of Lancaster for 24 years as a teacher of English and later as a Facilitator/Coordinator of the Arts and Humanities Small Learning Community. She also chaired the Middle States Committee for five years. After retiring she taught at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology teaching public speaking and composition. u KERRIE COSTELLO SNAVELY ’77, Lancaster, was selected by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to receive the prestigious 2019 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence. u SHEILA HERR CHARLES ’78, Lancaster, retired on 8/30/18.

1980 s

He was also recently hired by the Ohio State University College of Social Work as a community lecturer, teaching a graduatelevel course titled “Diversity and Cultural Competency.” u KEVIN MAHONEY ’81, Malvern, became CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System on 7/1/19. He has worked at Penn Medicine for 23 years, most recently as executive vice president and chief administrative officer for UPHS, as well as the executive vice dean for integrative services for the Perelman School of Medicine. u BARBARA HAAS SAMMET ’82, Lititz, retired on 6/8/18 after 35 years as a Spanish teacher for Hempfield School District. u REV. VALERIE (JACKSON) ANDREWS ’83, Philadelphia, was installed as pastor at the Eternal Life Missionary Baptist Church in Philadelphia. u LAURA MCHENRY FRABLE ’83, Huddleston, Virginia, earned an Educational Specialist degree in curriculum and instruction from Liberty University. She is also employed there as an academic advisor. u MARK MORAN ’84, Scottsbluff, Nebraska, resigned as head coach of the Twin Cities Legion baseball team with a total of 884 career wins and 10 state tournament appearances. He will become an assistant coach with the Western Nebraska Pioneers, a team in the Expedition League.

u HOLLIE COHEE CITERONE ’81, Ridley Park, retired in June 2018 after 34 years of teaching kindergarten at Southeast Delco School District.

u EDWARD UMBRELL ’85, Herndon, Virginia, was promoted to associate with Dewberry, a professional services firm. He works as a senior project manager in the company’s water resources department.

u KEVIN DIXON ’81, Columbus, Ohio, was appointed by the Columbus City Council to service on the Commission on Black Girls and asked to serve on the board of the Foundation for Psychology in Ohio.

u STEVEN BUTERBAUGH ’87, Lancaster, was promoted to President and CEO of McConkey Insurance & Benefits, which was a finalist for Central PA Business of the Year.

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CLASS NOTES | 2019 u MARY KAY SCHILDKNECHT TOTH ’87, Elizabethtown, has been promoted from Senior Manager to Principal at Brown, Schultz, Sheridan TOTH ’87 & Fritz. Toth specializes in tax services and small business accounting services. In 2018, Mary Kay was named one of Central Penn Business Journal's Women of Influence. u SHERRY WIEST ’89, Camp Hill, received her Transition Coordinator certificate from George Washington University.

u MICHAEL VANGAVREE ’90, Hummelstown, a MU baseball Hall of Famer, with the naming of the third base dugout at Cooper Park after VANGAVREE ’90 him. VanGavree's mother-in-law, Phyllis S. Mowery and her family were also recognized for their creation of the Mowery Family Baseball Endowment which will support the Millersville baseball program's recruitment and student-athlete retention efforts and field improvements. u AMY CUNNINGHAM GALLAGHER ’91, Media, became English Department Leader at Marple Newtown High School.

199 0 s u MICHELLE SWEIGART GRAVES ’90, Lancaster, joined Univest Bank and Trust Co. as a senior commercial underwriter. She has 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. u PAMELA SNADER KISKADDON ’90, Lititz, retired on 11/2/18 after 30 years as an educator. u TODD SUAREZ ’90, Waynesville, North Carolina, moved from an English teacher of 15 years to a Health/PE teacher, at Enka High School. This past SUAREZ ’90 basketball season he was named the Enka Middle School Boys’ head coach. In his first season they went 13-4 and played for both regular season and tournament championships. At the high school, Suarez is the girls’ and boys’ head tennis coach.

u DANIELLE GEHLEN YOCOM ’97, ’05M, Douglassville, earned a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Regis College on 12/31/18. u MARLENE BETH LANG ’98, Lancaster, earned her Ph.D. in practical theology on 5/12/18. She was also appointed as Assistant Professor of Religious Studies in LANG ’98 the Department of Liberal Arts at Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati. u DAVIS WRIGHT ’99, Wilmington, Delaware, became a partner with Robinson+Cole, a bankruptcy law firm.

20 0 0 s

u DARLENE MILLER KING ’91, Manheim, was an invited speaker at the Chicago Urological Society Educational Program.

u JOHN CHEEK ’00, Quarryville, accepted a position as Director of Web & Creative Services at Millersville University in December 2018.

u JOHN “SHAGGY” SHANTZ ’92, Pottstown, was ordained as a minister through Universal Life Church Ministries.

He has taught sociology at Pottsgrove High School for 26 years. u BRUCE WALTERS ’93, Lancaster, became Director of Information Technology with a local brokerage firm. u WILLIAM MILLS ’94, Mooresville, North Carolina, published a memoir titled “Losing My Religion” on 1/15/19. It is his 16th publication. Mills writes about the Bible, prayer, spirituality and ministry. u ELIZABETH BRITTAIN NEC ’94, Hershey, recently adopted a position as a professional writing tutor in the Learning Center of Penn State University Harrisburg.

CHEEK ’00

u MATTHEW COULEHAN ’01, Haddon Township, New Jersey, was promoted in August 2018 to Local Office Manager of the Camden South Office of the Division of Child Protection and Permanency. u KIM HELLWIG ’01, Allentown, earned her MBA in Marketing from DeSales University on 1/19/2019. u JEFFREY RATCLIFFE ’01, Lansdale, won the 2018 Best Radio Show Award from the Fantasy Sports Trade Association for his work on SiriusXM. u EMILY SCHRIVER TRANG ’02, Mechanicsburg, was promoted to Assistant Vice President for M&T Bank’s Wilmington Trust division. Trang also serves as PresidentElect for the Kiwanis Club of Harrisburg for the 2018-2019 term.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

We are proud of you! Share your professional achievements, personal accomplishments and life milestones with us so we can share them with fellow Marauders. www.millersville.edu/alumni M I L L E R S V I L L E U N I V E R S I T Y • w w w. m i ller sv i lle. edu

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CLASS NOTES | 2019 u CAMERON MARTIN ’04, East Earl, was selected for the Reading Eagle’s first “40 Under 40” list, recognizing outstanding leaders in the Berks County MARTIN ’04 region. He works as Director of Development for Caron Treatment Centers.

u SETH LENNON ’06, Woodbridge, Virginia, was named Director of Communications for Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit that certifies apparel factories for ethical production of clothing.

u LYDIA YEAGER ’04, Lancaster, was promoted to Director of Operations with Student Services, Inc. at Millersville University. She previously served as YEAGER ’04 Ticket Sales Manager for 13 years with the company.

u BRIGETTE KAMSLER ’07, Gettysburg, became the University Archivist at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. KAMSLER ’07 in August 2018.

Previously she worked as an archivist at Columbia University and the bank HSBC.

u ERIC DIETER ’05, Lancaster, contributed songs to a play titled “Sword of the Unicorn,” which premiered 9/9/16 at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival and has since played Off-Broadway.

u ADAM LAUVER ’09, Stevensville, Maryland, published his first book, “The Last Thing I’ll Ever Write (Part One),” through Plays Inverse Press on 1/29/19.

u EMI ALVAREZ ’06 ’09M, Lancaster, was promoted to the position of Associate Director of Financial Aid at Millersville University. Previously she worked as the Pell Grant and Customer Service Coordinator in the same office. u DILLON NABER CRUZ ’06, Lancaster, published his first book, titled “Go Golden.”

It is a work of nonfiction about “Applying a universal religious teaching and the ethics of permaculture to create a sustainable, just, happier society.” Cruz is also a graduate of Lancaster Theological Seminary.

GAMBONE ’06

u JUSTIN GAMBONE ’06, Millersville, has transitioned from a Marketing/Sales Support position at Clipper Magazine to a realtor with Kingsway Realty.

THERE'S MORE

u ERIN HAUGH ’07, Shillington, graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in December 2017, earning a Doctor of Education in school psychology degree.

2010 s u JENNIFER GERSON ’10, Coventry, United Kingdom, successfully defended her thesis, titled “Social Media Use and Subjective Well-being: An investigation of individual differences in personality, social comparison and Facebook behavior,” in July 2018, and graduates with her Ph.D. in Psychology in July 2019. She currently works as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom.

u MATT APRIL ’11, West Chester, opened a personal training facility in West Chester called Bent On Better. u MICHAEL MCCLOSKEY ’12, Springfield, was named Teacher of the Year at Bunker Hill Middle School for the 20182019 school year.

APRIL ’11

u KATE WRIGHT ’15, Landisville, was appointed as Event Coordinator of Scheduling and Event management at Millersville University on 11/12/18. u MELODY ALEMAN ’17, Los Angeles, California, received a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation, which will provide her the full funding to complete her Ph.D. at the University of Southern California. u SARA WIBERG ’17, Mount Joy, became an admissions counselor at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. She is responsible for undergraduate recruitment in eastern Pennsylvania. u HOLLIE ROSE CITERONE ’18, Ridley Park, began her first year as a teacher. u LAUREN OSTOPOWICZ ’18, Lansdale, received an honorable mention from the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship.

WE DDINGS u WENDY CALVERT ’88 and Steven Kingsford, 11/17/18

u AMY WAGNER GIANGIULIO ’10, was named Director of Marketing Communications at VisionCorps. Previously she worked for the company as Marketing Communications Coordinator.

CALVERT ’88 AND KINGSFORD

Want to know what they named the baby? Want more details on the big wedding? The new job?

The award? Pictures too? Check out millersville.edu/classnotes.

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CLASS NOTES | 2019 u WENDY BECK STEINER ’98 and Nathan Young, 10/6/18 u MINDY DICHTER ’00 and Brent Kroposky, 7/14/18

BIRTHS u JENNIFER ANDERS KATZ ’00, a daughter, Riley, 7/12/18 u CYNTHIA JOHNSON DEMBNICKI ’05 and husband, David, a son, Connor James, and daughter, Emily Claire, 3/25/17 u CAITLIN GOLDEN WERTHMAN ’07 and husband, Matt, a son, Will, 8/12/18

DICHTER ’00 AND KROPOSKY

u CHESTER HOLLAND ’10 and TUERA CLARK ’06, 12/7/18

u CAROLINE BRADY ZOOK ’08 and husband, J. ROBERT ’05, a daughter, Harper Jessa, 12/2/16 u GREGORY ZIEGLER ’08 and wife, EMILY POPCHOCK ’09, a son, Henry Thomas Logan, 4/28/17 u JACLYN MARTESLO FOSTER ’09 and husband, KYLE ’09, a son, Nolan Patrick, 5/4/18

HOLLAND ’10 AND CLARK ’06

u ANN MARIE FITCH ’13 ’15M and JIM FEATHER, JR. ’12, 6/16/18

u KATIE ASHMAN FORRY ’12 and husband, JUSTIN FORRY ’10, a daughter, Emma Jean, 11/10/18 u JORDAN OTT EVANGELISTA ’13, ’15M and husband, Stephen Evangelista, a daughter, Medina Rae, 3/20/19

D E AT H S FITCH ’13, ’15M AND FEATHER ’12

u KELLY JOY REBERT ’14 and David Andrew DeMaria, 11/21/15 u MELANIE HERBERT ’16 and Nicholas Winters, 10/20/18 u AUDREY KEMRER HECK ’63 and DAWSON HECK ’64, Reno, Nevada, celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on 12/21/18. They met in math class during freshman year.

u E. LENA KREIDER MCKECHNIE ’42, Jonestown, passed away on 12/9/18 at the age of 96. She was retired from Northern Lebanon School District, MCKECHNIE ’42 where she had been an elementary teacher at East Hanover and Jonestown schools. After retirement, McKechnie volunteered with IU13, tutoring adults in reading. She was an excellent cook and once won first prize at the Lebanon County Fair for her crabapple jelly. u WILLIAM SEAL ’50, Carlisle, passed away on 3/24/19 at the age of 100. He served in the Air Force during the Korean and Vietnam wars as a pilot and flight instructor.

He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross Medal during his time in Vietnam.

Seal also taught industrial arts at Edgewood Independent School District before retiring in 1974. On his 100th birthday he was able to pilot a plane with the help of the Honor Flight Network in San Antonio, Texas. u VICTOR M. BOVE ’54, Lancaster, passed away on 11/10/18 at the age of 94. He served in the Army as an infantry squad leader during the Second World War, and received 11 awards during his service, including the Silver Star. After studying at Millersville, Bove went on to become a surgeon and later a psychiatrist. He also worked in executive roles for a number of different hospitals and medical centers. Bove was presented with the Distinguished Service Award by Millersville University in 1984 and in 2005 appeared in “100 Years of MU Faces,” a book commemorating alumni who made a significant contribution to the school and its community. u JEANNINE MORRISSEY DUANE ’54, Long Valley, New Jersey, passed away on 3/24/19 at the age of 86. She taught in elementary schools in Bermuda, Japan, DUANE ’54 Hawaii, the Marshall Islands and Chester, New Jersey. She was an early advocate of STEM education for children and was selected in 1985 to represent New Jersey in the NASA Teacher in Space program. Duane was also active in local politics and served on the Board of Education. u DONALD C. HOFFMAN SR. ’58, Richboro, passed away on 1/25/19 at the age of 81. He worked as a teacher in the Centennial School District and served as chairman of the Klinger Junior High School arts department. Hoffmann was named Teacher of the Year in 1980 at the 28th Annual Conference of the Industrial Arts Association of Pennsylvania. He was also honored as an Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the American Industrial Arts Association in 1981.

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CLASS NOTES | 2019 u CARL HENRY ERNST ’60, Lancaster, passed away on 11/3/18 at the age of 80.

He worked as an educator and researcher, beginning ERNST ’60 his teaching career at Hempfield High School, where he taught biology and coached wrestling. Ernst would go on to become a Professor of Biology at George Mason University and in 1992 was named the first Distinguished Alumni Fellow in the Sciences at MU. After his retirement in 2004, he returned to Lancaster County and served on several alumni committees with the MU Alumni Association. u PRISCILLA MUCH ELKO ’61, Media, passed away on 2/7/19 at the age of 79.

After graduating, she primarily taught kindergarten, third and fifth grades in the Rose Tree Media School District for many years. u DENNIS RHEN ’64, Lebanon, passed away on 1/16/2019 at the age of 76. After his graduation Rhen began his career as a social studies teacher at Northern Lebanon High. Later he earned his master’s degree in political science and transitioned to employment at the Governor’s Action Center in 1975. He then went on to become Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Council for Vocational Education. After over 20 years at the council, he was recruited

by Pennsylvania Partners, and retired from there in 2009. u MARY JANE WELLER KRANTZ ’67, White Haven, passed away on 9/20/2018 at the age of 73. u HAROLD (HAL) STERN ’67, Morrisons Cove, passed away on 7/29/18, at the age of 80. After settling in Lancaster he taught

in the Manheim Township School District.

He also worked as an independent agent with State Farm Insurance for 40 years in Lancaster as a Chartered Life Underwriter and Financial Counselor and participated in the local Kiwanis Club. He was a lifelong member of church and choir at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lancaster and was the director for Camp Andrews. From 2004 until 2014 he studied as a candidate for the Doctor of Religious Studies degree. u MARILYN MCCLURE TALERICO ’71, Perkasie, passed away on 12/15/18 at the age of 69. Marilyn worked as an elementary teacher TALERICO ’71 for 34 years at Pennridge School District. u ADRIENNE JEAN DONEY KEISER ’77, North Bangor, passed away on 1/18/19 at the age of 63. She worked for Met-Ed from 1978 until 1982 and later for Bangor Podiatry as a receptionist. She also taught piano lessons for many years. Keiser served as church organist at Bethel Bible Church of Mount Zion in Martins Creek. u BEN COOPER ’79, Hummelstown, passed away on 8/8/17 at the age of 60. He taught science for Lower Dauphin School District for 35 years, COOPER ’79 coached football and lacrosse, and was active with Boy Scout Troop 201. Cooper continued to teach as a substitute in retirement. He was a member of the Hummelstown Hunters and Anglers, Hummelstown Shade Tree Commission and the Manada Conservancy.

u BERNARD DANIELS ’79, Philadelphia, passed away on 3/9/19 at the age of 64. He worked for the Social Security Administration for 36 years in a number of technical and managerial positions.

Daniels frequently participated in the American Cancer Society Bike-a-Thon from Philadelphia to Atlantic City. He volunteered annually in the MLK Day of Service as well as with the Big Brother program. u HOLLY KRANTZ HENDRICKS ’82, Lititz, passed away on 9/26/18 at the age of 58. She was retired after 30 years spent working at Amish Barn restaurant, HENDRICKS ’82 Dauphin Deposit Bank and the U.S. Postal Service. Krantz enjoyed traveling the world and was a member of the Zeltenreich UCC church. u TIMOTHY JOSEPH MARTIN ’02, Lower Makefield, passed away on 1/26/19 at the age of 42. He was a legislative and regulatory affairs MARTIN ’02 lobbyist with MBI, a government affairs and association management firm. Martin was a passionate fan of the Phillies and Eagles and loved to fish.

INTERESTED IN GIVING TO MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY? There are many ways to get involved and support student scholarships, educational programs, cutting-edge technologies, student-faculty research and sports teams.

Learn more by visiting millersville.edu/give.

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WHY I GIVE | 2019

WHY I

REPRESENTATIVE

JORDAN HARRIS ’06

Alum & Trustee Makes Way for Those Coming Behind Him “I was raised as a product of the village mentality,” Representative JORDAN HARRIS says with pride.

because it is what he studied at MU, but also because he feels it’s important students understand the governmental systems around them.

“I had a lot of people who were not necessarily blood related who became my family. They nurtured and assisted me in my childhood, and when I came to Millersville University (MU), I had many people, like Dr. Richard Glenn, Dr. Rita Smith Wade-El and others, who were like extended members of my village,” he continues. “And sometimes that extension became financial.”

Harris graduated from MU in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in government and political affairs. Today, he sits on the University’s Council of Trustees. He remains an active presence on campus and works to be a fierce advocate for public education through his representation of the 186th Legislative District in Philadelphia.

“The sad thing is that those who don’t know about the government are usually the victims of it,” he says. “It is extremely important that that young people understand the government around them and how it affects their lives. Millersville is a state school. There is a direct correlation between the school and the government.”

JORDAN HARRIS ’06

“I was raised as a product of the village mentality.”

“As someone from a marginalized community, I feel that it’s important to help other students from marginalized communities across our commonwealth,” he continues in explanation.

Harris plans to pull together his network of supporters and friends who also believe in the importance of higher education to see the endowment through. His goal is to begin awarding scholarships on the endowment next year.

With the creation of a new endowment Representative Jordan Harris at the Millersville University Foundation for students studying government, Harris hopes to extend that same kind of financial support he received as a student, and help the next “I think it’s important that as younger people—recent graduates generation of students find success at MU. in the last 10 to 20 years—we need to understand what giving “I believe it’s imperative that those who are doing well in life don’t forget about those who are coming behind us,” he says.

“It is not just a good thing to do, it’s a responsibility for us to give back.”

Harris recalls the various scholarships he received as a student that helped him make ends meet, but he is quick to add that it’s not just large sums of money that make the difference.

“My grandmother, who was a retired schoolteacher, would take $100 out of her retirement account every two weeks, and give it to me so I could live on it,” he says with fondness.

In creating this endowment, Harris chose to focus on students pursuing governmental studies, not only

really is. You may look at your paycheck and think you don’t have anything to give, but you have a life insurance policy. You can bequeath resources to a university or an institution you really care about when you pass on,” he encourages.

It is not just financial support that can make a difference to a young student’s life. He emphasizes the importance of networks, mentorship and job opportunities as resources young alums can provide.

“Every summer I have people reach out to me for internships. That may not be financial resources, but it is an important resource,” he says. “You can help a young person move forward.

It’s not just a nice thing to do, it’s necessary.” 

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