Echoes Summer 2022

SUMMER 2022

E V E R - CH A NGING C A MP U S

Campus Canvas

SPRING BEAUTY

This spring brought a kaleidoscopic swirl of colors from thousands of trees, wildflowers, and other plants to help the campus celebrate the end of another successful academic year. With nearly 250,000 trees spread throughout our 1,300-acre campus, it’s little wonder why the Institute continues to earn Tree Campus USA honors from the Arbor Day Foundation.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Rose has been recognized for its continued commitment to effective urban forest management and engaging faculty, staff members and students in conservation goals. Several new trees are planted on campus annually.

Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons says, “Trees create a scenic campus landscape that is one of our cherished assets. Our trees also highlight the importance we continue to place on sustainability, through campus programs and best building practices. We want our future scientists, engineers and mathematicians to use their skills to leave the world a much better place.”

Campus Beauty at Full Bloom

Campus Canvas

SPRING BEAUTY

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

1

Contents

IN THIS ISSUE

12

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

16

15

SOLID FOUNDATION

COLUMNS/ FEEDBACK

6

CHANGING WITH TIMES

4 Message from the President 32 The Bailey Challenge CAMPUS CONNECTION

Inside Cover Campus Beauty 6 Strong Start 12 Exchanging Ideas 14 Giving Back 16 Photo Album: Commencement Memories 19 Campus News: What's Happening 21 Student Scholars 24 Robotics Thriller

High Marks for ROI, Best Value, Internships The Institute’s reputation as a top choice for return on investment, best value and career opportunities continues to grow.

Studies by Bipartisan Policy Center and Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce ranked Rose-Hulman in the top 30 colleges nationally for return on investment—reported at $2.35 million with a bachelor’s degree. Meanwhile, Stacker, an online data resource service, ranked the Institute No. 29 among American colleges for ROI after examining net present value and balanced today’s costs against graduates’ 10- and 40-year career earnings.

Finally, The Princeton Review listed Rose No. 20 as America’s best value private colleges for 2022, citing stellar academic quality, affordable cost (with financial aid), and strong career prospects. Among private colleges, student surveys ranked the Institute as the No. 1 Best Buy for internships and No. 6 for career placement.

See other distinctions at www.rose-hulman.edu/rankings.

2

SPECIAL TIMES

Contents

IN THIS ISSUE

32

MORE THAN A CHALLENGE

44

SPECIAL MOMENTOS

26

FAMILY MATTERS

SPECIAL FEATURES

24

On Right Track 25

‘FIRST’ FINALS

Storytellers 26 Inspiring STEM Women 28 Winning Edge 30 Problem Solver 33 Award Winners 34 Alumni News: New Trustees 36 Class Notes 37 Weddings 41 Rosebuds 42 In Memoriam 42 Down Memory Lane: 44 Timeless Tokens Save the Date: Back Page Homecoming 2022

PUBLICATION CREDITS Vice President for Communications and Marketing: Santhana Naidu

Contributing Writer: Mark Bailey

Vice President for Institutional Advancement: Steven P. Brady

Contributing Photographers: John Becker, Tanya Colonna/Oro Muscles, Conexus Indiana, Gabbie Gilbertson, Jeopardy!/CBS Media Ventures, Kevin Lanke/Office of Athletics, Thomas and Shecara Reives, Koushik Subramanian, Shawn Spence, and Anne (Trueblood) Trobaugh

Alumni Association President: Kedar Murthy, Class of 1984 Office of Alumni Relations: Charlie Ricker, Interim Director; Carrie Bose, Special Events Coordinator; Jared Ell, Assistant Director for Communications-Institutional Advancement; Kerrie James-Hunter, Assistant Director of Alumni Experience; and Holly Kowalski, Administrative Assistant Office of Communications and Marketing: Bryan Cantwell, Photographer; Hyung-Jung Chang, Graphic Designer; David Essex, Multimedia Producer; Ashlan Fortner, Marketing Specialist; Shaun Hussey, User Experience Strategist; Dale Long, Executive Editor and Director of Media Relations; Paul Shepherd, Senior Director; Steve Voltmer, Web Developer; and Majel Wells, Communications and Operations Manager.

Executive Editor: Dale Long Cover & Page Design: Chris Denison

Rose-Hulman Archives Support: Logan Library and Information Center Class Notes/Alumni News Contact: Send alumni news and address updates to alumniaffairs@rose-hulman.edu

5500 Wabash Ave., Terre Haute, IN 47803

Echoes is published by: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Echoes Contact: Dale.Long@rose-hulman.edu Digital copies of this and past issues are available at www.rose-hulman.edu/echoes It is the policy of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to admit students on the basis of their academic ability. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, citizenship status, disability, veteran status or sexual orientation.

Echoes Earns Top Honors

Echoes has earned Gold first-place honors in the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education’s 2021 Best of CASE V district publication contest and a 2022 Pinnacle Award for newsletter/magazine publications from the Hoosier Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

3

From the President

FOREVER ROSE

At our most recent Commencement, I shared

with the Class of 2022 that their four years here were even more challenging and character-building than the typical Rose-Hulman experience.

Beyond the high academic expectations every Rose student faces, for more than half of their time here they learned and grew amid a global pandemic.

Their academic focus and their personal peace of mind were also disrupted by the impact of our

have wanted to face, they emerged from the experience with better-than-ever preparation for whatever the real world will lay in their path ahead.

Rose-Hulman faculty and staff have been just as perseverant as our students throughout this time of challenge. It has not been an easy period—but for every hurdle we have faced, our dedicated people have found new ways to succeed.

To begin with, we quickly adapted to virtual studies, then a virtual Commencement, and even a Homecoming that found exciting ways to engage alumni prevented by the pandemic from traveling back to campus. As you will read elsewhere on these pages, we continued to upgrade our facilities and enhance our academic programs during this time.

And we strengthened our commitment to diversity —recognizing that, like the nation around us, we can do better at building equity and creating an inclusive environment that shares opportunity with all.

We as an Institute have met the challenges of recent times head-on, and we have persevered. That said, one of the many things that the pandemic made clear was the importance of preparation and foresight. For example, our quick and successful transition to virtual education was enabled in part by the fact that we had already started building our capabilities in online

BY ROBERT A. COONS, PRESIDENT coons@rose-hulman.edu

nation’s social unrest tied to racism and inequality.

In addition, their time at Rose was marked by other global and national off-campus challenges.

Through it all, our students had to continue their educational pursuit. Even though they spent time in virtual classes, away from the usual in-person collaboration, they had to maintain the same exceptional standards to which every class before them has been held. Our Class of 2022 passed an unprecedented test of perseverance—and while none of their challenges were what anyone would

4

“ One of the many things that the pandemic made clear was the importance of preparation and foresight … We have been surveying all key stakeholders and will be conducting focus groups to dive deeply into topics of interest that our surveying has identified. We will specifically be seeking input from our alumni throughout this process.”

education, thanks to a generous donation that had us thinking ahead about both technology and online curriculum design.

That is a great example of forward-thinking, the kind of thinking we are undertaking in a big way through Rose-Hulman’s strategic planning now underway.

Even absent curveballs such as the pandemic, the higher-education landscape is continually shifting, as are the demands that our graduates will face after their time with us.

The number of traditional college-age students is not increasing, but the problems college graduates will be tasked with solving most certainly are on the increase.

Society is changing more rapidly all the time, and so are the industries that hire our graduates.

How can Rose-Hulman adapt to these changes in a bold and visionary way? How can we identify what the future will need from those pursuing the world’s best undergraduate science, engineering, and mathematics education? How can we evaluate what those students will require of us in terms of support and individual attention? What new ways can we develop to engage prospective students, to leverage international enrollment, to enhance retention of our outstanding students? How can we maintain our Institute’s financial health?

“ We are grateful for the support we continue to receive from all of the Institute’s many stakeholders, including our valued alumni … Your specific support will help us create the most forward-thinking, exciting plans for the future of Rose-Hulman!”

From the President

FOREVER ROSE

including our valued alumni. That support has helped us to persevere through many years and in many ways as remarkably as our students have through the challenges of recent years. Your specific support will help us create the most forward-thinking, exciting plans for the future of Rose-Hulman! Go Rose!

As we seek to answer these questions via a pathway of strategic planning, we have first assembled a steering committee and engaged outside expertise to assist in the process. We have been surveying all key stakeholders and will be conducting focus groups to dive deeply into topics of interest that our surveying has identified. We will specifically be seeking input from our alumni throughout this process. We hope to draft plans through the winter and into the spring of 2023, gain feedback and ultimately Board approval through the balance of 2023, and ultimately launch a new long-term strategic plan during our sesquicentennial celebrations in 2024.

We are grateful for the support we continue to receive from all of the Institute’s many stakeholders,

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

5

Cover Story

CAMPUS VIEWS

STORY

BY DALE LONG

EVER-CHANG PREPARING STUDENTS FOR STEM CAREERS WITH SAME PERSONAL TOUCH

A

lumni returning to campus this spring to participate in Commencement (pages 16-18), the first Sawmill Society Weekend (pages 12-13) and FIRST Robotics Indiana State Championships (page 24) were delighted to get a glimpse of the new and exciting campus changes that they may have only read about in Echoes or seen on the Institute’s website.

6

“It’s like a whole new world. There’s something new everywhere on campus. I’m delighted to see the changes being made,” said Sawmill Society member Adam Stolz after taking a campus tour. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2006 and a master’s degree in engineering management in 2008.

A New Academic Building, expanded Mussallem Union and its adjacent Pi-Vilion, synthetic turf fields for athletics and student recreation, and the Kremer Innovation Center were among recent campus additions supported by the successful $250 million Mission Driven Campaign for Rose-Hulman. Student scholarships, faculty endowed chairs, and academic and student life programs also benefitted from donor generosity.

And the college’s landscape increased sixfold with the acquisition of 1,100 acres of former Hulman family-owned land across the street campus.

PHOTOS BY BRYAN CANTWELL & ROSE-HULMAN ARCHIVES

Cover Story

CAMPUS VIEWS

GING CAMPUS These additions have ushered in a new era of possibilities for the Institute, according to President Robert A. Coons, and keep the esteemed college for undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics on the leading edge of hands-on, cross-cutting learning to prepare current and future problem-solvers, innovators and entrepreneurs— always with a personal touch.

“Every decision we make is dedicated to our mission and vision, which have provided clear principles allowing us to emerge and prosper as a global leader in STEM education,” says Coons. “We are more steadfast in our mission of providing students with the world's best undergraduate STEM education in an environment of individual attention and support. Our vision is to continue producing graduates inspired and prepared for lives of purpose and success, defining, and solving the problems of a complex global society. We also will continue to be a lifelong partner with our alumni.”

Not resting on its laurels, the Institute is bringing technology and accessibility upgrades, along with

new academic and student life enhancements, to its original Moench Hall classroom building.

This summer will see the completion of the second stage in a four-phase, three-year renovation project. Members of the Department of Mathematics and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have moved to the former location of the chemistry laboratories on the north end of the building. The top floor’s sky view roof will be replaced this summer, and heating/air conditioning systems and air handling systems are being updated to improve efficiencies and reduce operational costs. Future additions will include accessible walkways. (Follow the ongoing developments in future Echoes issues.)

Rose-Hulman officials also have started short- and long-range strategic planning processes to ensure that the Institute meets future higher education, societal and industry challenges. Alumni input and support will be important in achieving future goals and objectives.

(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

LEARN MORE in this Cover Story section about how the ever-changing Institute is staying current and preparing for the future.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

7

CAMPUS VIEWS

Historical Landmarks 1875 One year after the Institute’s incorporation, the cornerstone of the original main academic building was laid at the corner of 13th and Locust Streets in Terre Haute ($101,100 covered construction of the building and machine shop)

WHAT’S NEW MUSSALLEM UNION AND PI-VILION

1922 Cornerstone of the Main Building was laid as the Institute made the transition to its present location (property donated by the Hulman family) 1926 Deming Hall, the first residence hall, was completed (cost $100,000)

NEW ACADEMIC BUILDING 1949 Alumnus Wilbur Shook obtained a military surplus B-29 hanger that was erected for a fieldhouse (cost $310,275); later named Shook Fieldhouse

1950 Moench Hall’s original gymnasium (north end of the top floor) was remodeled to provide an auditorium for campus events 1954 Original student union was completed (cost $51,425); remodeled in 1968 to become Templeton Administration Building (cost $148,000) 1956 Baur-Sames-Bogart Residence Hall was completed (cost $356,680) 1960 Lynn Reeder Astronomy Laboratory completed on southwest edge of campus 1960 Baseball stadium constructed on west side of campus; dedicated for alumnus/Major League Baseball pitcher Art Nehf 1963 Speed Residence Hall completed (cost $535,000) 1966 Hulman Memorial Union and Blumberg, Mees and Scharpenberg Residence Halls completed (cost $1.825 million); Also, the Main Building/Moench Hall remodeled (cost $207,180) 1970 Crapo Hall was completed (cost $800,000)

8

The 70,000-square-foot New Academic Building opened for the 2021-22 school year with collaborative learning spaces throughout—from movable walls in the first-floor engineering design classrooms to a fabrication laboratory that allows students to take their ideas from conceptual renderings to working prototypes and eventual finished products. There also are flexible classrooms with embedded video technology to facilitate engaging learning, along with new laboratories and classroom spaces for chemistry and biochemistry, and even a new food science development and testing laboratory.

Throughout the building is technology to enhance health and wellness, along with small and large meeting rooms, lounge and study spaces, and an outdoor patio for students to relax, meet and engage between classes.

The project was supported by a $15 million lead gift from an anonymous donor.

An expanded and renovated student union, and its companion outdoor Pi-Vilion, has enhanced the sense of community that has always unified students, faculty, and staff members. Both projects were supported by Linda and Mike Mussallem, a 1974 chemical engineering alum and current trustee. The glass-fronted, nearly 104,000-square-foot main facility with its lighted tower has “The Living Room,” with a Living Wall created from 1,458 potted tropical plants, along with a coffee/smoothie bar, Chauncey’s Café with an authentic pizza oven, and a spacious main dining room with healthy food choices provided from local farmers and bakeries.

There also expanded offices of Student Affairs, Career Services, Student Counseling, Campus Health, and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. The Pi-Vilion provides outdoor dining (for 40-50 people) for year-round gatherings, and technology for multimedia presentations and student movie nights.

Plants on the roof provide a sustainable element to the structure’s award-winning design. An outdoor patio, gathering spaces, and a new “campus green” where the “Scum Pond” used to be provide a grassy spread ideal for throwing a Frisbee, playing cornhole or studying.

1974 John A. Logan Library was completed (cost $1 million); named in honor of the Institute’s former president 1976 Skinner Residence Hall is completed and later renovated in 2012 for sorority housing 1976 E.E. Black Recreation Center was added to Shook Fieldhouse (cost $1.15 million) 1985 Olin Hall and Hadley Hall were completed (combined cost $6.2 million) 1985-88 Moench Hall was completely remodeled (cost $14.4 million)

KREMER INNOVATION CENTER Creativity is everywhere within this 13,800-square-foot building that complements the adjoining Branam Innovation Center (BIC). The Kremer Innovation Center has 3D printers, robotics and fabrication equipment, Maker Space areas, and wind tunnels to assist in academic, competition team, and extracurricular projects. Classes utilizing the educational spaces are covering such topics as theoretical aerodynamics, introduction to design, propulsion systems, fatigue analysis and combustion. The building was supported by the late Richard Kremer, a 1958 chemical engineering alum, and his wife, Shirley.

Nearby, a new engine testing laboratory in the BIC is giving students and competition teams the opportunity to study engine design and performance. The lab, replacing the former Rotz Laboratory, was supported by the Trueblood and Trobaugh families, including trustee Jim Trueblood, a 1977 mechanical engineering alum.

Cover Story

CAMPUS VIEWS

1988 Chapman & Susan Root Quadrangle completed in center of campus

HULMAN PROPERTY

An expansive array of grassy fields, wooded area, natural elements, and buildings on the Hulman Farm, located across the street from the main campus, have opened new academic and student life opportunities since acquisition of the 1,100-acre property in 2017. It became an outdoor classroom for an evolution and diversity course, taught by biology professor Jennifer O’Connor, PhD, with students examining insects and soil elements to better understand the natural diversity. Civil and environmental engineering students are using areas of the property to learn surveying, study ecological systems, test structures, and examine soil mechanics in experiential learning exercises and laboratories. Also, the addition of a crosswalk has linked the campus to the site for student activities and health/wellness opportunities. Even more uses of the property are on the horizon.

1997 Sports and Recreation Center was constructed to provide facilities for indoor varsity athletic and intramural activities, including a swimming pool (cost $20 million) 1997 Olin Advanced Learning Center completed to add eight state-of-the-art classrooms, a student study lounge and outdoor courtyard to the original Olin Hall (funded by $3.4 million Franklin W. Olin Foundation gift)

1999 John T. Myers Center for Technological Research with Industry completed; named for former U.S. congressman (funded by $6.7 million U.S. Department of Energy appropriation); later renamed Myers Hall 2000 Oakley Observatory completed on the east side of campus (funded by $500,000 gift from Oakley Foundation) 2000 A women’s softball stadium is completed near the Art Nehf Field baseball field on the west edge of campus 2000 The New Residence Hall is completed to enhance the learning experience of sophomores through live-in peer tutors, study sessions, life-learning workshops, and numerous group study areas; renamed Percopo Residence Hall in 2005 to recognize the contributions of the late alumnus/trustee Michael Percopo and his wife, Christa (supported by a Lilly Endowment Inc. grant)

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

9

CAMPUS VIEWS 2001 White Chapel completed at the west end of Speed Lake for special events, including religious services, student reflection, and small performing arts shows (funded by Elizabeth and John White, an alumnus)

MEETING NEEDS

2002 Hatfield Hall completed with a theater, alumni center, and offices for Institutional Advancement, Alumni Relations, and Communications and Marketing (funded by $14 million gift from alumnus Mike Hatfield and his wife, Deborah, in honor of his parents, Larry and Pat Hatfield)

STUDENT RECRUITMENT STUDENT SERVICES 2003 The William Welch Track and Field Complex, featuring a state-of-the-art running surface, was completed to host outdoor varsity meets; Named for former head track and cross country coach (cost $1 million) 2003 The 44-foot-tall steel Flame of Millennium Sculpture installed in a plaza in front of Hatfield Hall; donated by alumnus Glen Raque and his wife, Barbara

2004 The Apartments East and West Residence Halls completed, offering 60 apartment-style rooms to accommodate 240 upper-class students 2010 The Logan Library was completely renovated to provide study and group meeting areas, electronic access to journal and databases throughout the world, and peer tutoring in the Learning Center 2011 Original Innovation Center completed to provide space for competition and academic design project teams and Maker Lab; later named in honor of alumnus/former president Matt Branam 2012 The William Alfred Cook Laboratory for Bioscience Research completed on the south side of Crapo Hall to help cultivate plants for students to study living organisms (funded by $500,000 gift from trustee Carl Cook)

10

Residence life and activities continue to play an integral part in supplementing students’ campus experiences, and services have expanded in recent years to meet current student interests and higher education challenges. “Student life is a crucial element of the ‘Rose Family’ atmosphere that’s so cherished by students and alumni,” says Vice President for Student Affairs Erik Hayes, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the Institute.

He points out that 57% of students living in residence halls participated in the 2022 Greatest Floor Competition (completing 24 activities in 24 hours) and nearly 950 students participated in campus and community service projects during the 2021-22 school year. Operational changes in recent years include expanding student counseling services, with a Lilly Endowment Inc.supported MINDful College Connections consortium of nearby private colleges, an active Center for Diversity and Inclusion, new synthetic turf for athletics and recreation fields, popular Farm-to-Table food service and coffee/smoothie bar offerings, and a new esports center for online gaming.

A re-engineered enrollment management process and expanding summer programs have broadened the recruiting network and put the Institute on a pathway for sustained enrollment success in the future.

The 2021-22 first-year student class had students from more than 520 high schools in 38 states and 11 countries, including China, India and South Korea. New summer programs to explore high school students’ interests in STEM as well as building college preparedness and competitiveness are Rose Power, intended specifically for girls currently in the ninth grade; Project Select, for students after their freshman or sophomore years; Creation Crates, a design-at-home program for students after their sophomore or juniors years; and Rose Accelerate, which allows students in grades 11-12 and eligible firstyear college students to take core college coursework online and earn credits toward a Rose-Hulman degree.

Learn more about Rose-Hulman summer programs at www.rose-hulman.edu/summer.

2012 Lakeside Residence Hall completed, adding 240 beds to campus’ residence living space for upper class students 2014 The Self-Made Man Sculpture is installed in front of the Sports and Recreation Center; donated by former basketball coach/athletic director John Mutchner and his wife, Norma

Cover Story

CAMPUS VIEWS

2017 1,100 acres of Hulman land across the street from campus acquired for a variety of uses, including student activities, outdoor laboratories, and indoor testing centers 2018 Expanded Mussallem Union is completed, creating a place where the campus community can come together, relax and enjoy healthy dining (cost $25 million; $9 million lead gift provided by Linda and Mike Mussallem, an alumnus/trustee)

CAREER SERVICES

Rose-Hulman students continue to be in demand by companies, graduate schools, and laboratories for full-time, internship, graduate school, and research experiences —thanks to adjustments by the Office of Career Services to align with ever-changing shifts in corporate and graduate school recruitment operations. For instance, Edgile and Milwaukee Tool, two of the Class of 2022’s largest employers, have only begun on-campus recruiting in the past decade. Staff members have made personal visits to employers throughout the country to increase the career and internship prospects, especially in growing academic programs. Online services provide thousands of job opportunities specifically for Rose-Hulman students, as well as virtual recruiting for companies whose recruitment practices continue to be impacted by COVID-19 precautions.

Career services continues to offer resume, interview, and job negotiation advice to help students get maximum benefit from their educations. Students have appreciated

these services, ranking Career Services No. 1 for internships and No. 6 overall among private colleges and universities, according to the Princeton Review’s 2022 Best College Guide. n

‘22 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Class of 2022 Placement Statistics as reported by the Office of Career Services at end of 2021-22 school year:

264 job offers from 172 companies High Offer: $166,250 (Mechanical Engineering)

2019 Richard J. and Shirley J. Kremer Innovation Center completed adjacent to Branam Innovation Center to provide Maker Lab space along with product fabrication, design and testing; named to recognize past support by the Kremers 2019 Glass-enclosed Pi-Vilion added to Mussallem Union (funded by $1.5 million gift from Linda and Mike Mussallem, an alumnus/trustee) 2019 Synthetic field turf installed to Phil Brown Football Field for varsity and recreational sports use (funded by donations) 2020 turf added to soccer stadium in 2020 for varsity matches and recreational activities (funded by donations) 2021 Synthetic turf added to soccer stadium for varsity and recreational activities (funded by donations)

Overall Avg. Accepted offer: $81,731 Top Employers: Edgile, Milwaukee Tool, DMI, Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane, Amazon, Caterpillar, Cleveland Cliffs, Eli Lilly & Company, Raytheon, Texas Instruments, Epic Systems, International Paper, Northrop Grumman, Software Engineering Professionals, Tate & Lyle, and Valeo North America

Learn more at: www.rose-hulman.edu/careerservices.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

11

Sawmill Society

CREATIVE THINKING

ENTREPRENEURS SHARED INSIGHTS DURING INAUGURAL SAWMILL SOCIETY WEEKEND

Successful entrepreneur Jeremy Clarke (top right) presented lessons to Sawmill Society members that are featured in his book “Bootstrapped to Millions.”

A Diversity in Startups panel session featured (above) alumna Virginie Adams and parent Carla McFarland along with (right) alum Dung Duong and graduate Koushik Subramanian (not pictured).

12

Sawmill Society

CREATIVE THINKING

A network of innovative, entrepreneurial-minded alumni who have successfully started high-tech ventures gathered on campus this spring to share their insights and experiences through a new and enterprising dimension to the Institute—the Sawmill Society.

This inaugural Sawmill Society Weekend featured sessions on lessons learned in forming a startup company, bringing diversity to entrepreneurship, and angel investing. It also provided opportunities for Rose-Hulman students and alumni to network, provide valuable feedback, and possibly support future endeavors.

Experienced tech advisor/investor and alum Tim Daniel is active in the Sawmill Society’s mentor and angel networks.

The Sawmill Society is a group of innovative and forward-thinking alumni and friends of the Institute who know what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

They have founded or helped lead successful tech and business enterprises throughout the country.

THE SAWMILL SOCIET Y INCLUDES: 81 members

Nearly 30 angel investors

“Rose-Hulman saw what was coming and has taken the steps to put together the pieces to form a pipeline for alumni to support the entrepreneurial spirit that’s being developed on campus,” assesses Keith Casey (EE, 2001), a Go-To-Market leader with ngrok in Austin, Texas.

Adam Stolz (BSME, 2006/MSEMGT. 2008), vice president of programs with Zepher and president of Zepher Flight Labs, adds, “Entrepreneurship is part of the fabric of Rose-Hulman. It’s not on the fringe anymore. That’s exciting to see.”

Society members came from as far away as California, Texas, Colorado, Florida, and New Mexico to participate in the event.

Alum Chris Piedmonte, managing director of a startup investment and advisory firm, brings members up to date on the Sawmill Society’s past, present and future.

Jeremy Clarke (SE/CS, 2009) presented successful entrepreneurial lessons that are featured in his book “Bootstrapped to Millions.” With mentorship from successful entrepreneur/Formstack president Dustin Sapp (CPE, 2001), Clarke took an idea for the WebMerge software business from startup to earning millions in annual profits, without any investors or employees. His current venture is the Addio web source.

“There’s a kinship and support group that all alumni entrepreneurs share,” says Clarke. “We’ve navigated our way through the rough pathways of running an

17 members providing a structured and systemic approach to mentorship

entrepreneurial enterprise. Hopefully, some of those lessons—both the good and the bad—can help others who wish to follow.”

Dung Duong (ME/AO, 1999), co-founder/chief technology officer of the Libra Design engineering services firm in Austin, participated in a Diversity in Startups panel session with Virginie Adams, (BSCPE/MA, 2012/MSEMGT, 2013), co-founder of Kolbus and Adams Holdings in Indianapolis; Koushik Subramanian (CPE, 2006), founder of Chicago-based drophouse.art and Kopper Labs; and Carla McFarland, a principal consultant with Alrac in Texas and parent of Robert Williamson (AB/SE, 2010).

Angel Network co-founder/chairman Chris Piedmonte (EE, 1985), managing director of the NeoTerra Capital startup investment and advisory firm, says, “Hopefully, this (Sawmill Society) weekend is the start of great things for this group. I believe this is the future of alumni involvement in Rose-Hulman and a great way for alumni to give back to the Institute.” n

Learn more about the Sawmill Society at www.sawmillsociety.com.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

13

Giving Back

CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS

Swearingens’ $2M Gift Supporting Chemical Engineering Department has been hallmark of the college. We’re so proud to help the college maintain that strong commitment in helping students succeed in their careers and life.”

Department Head and 1999 chemical engineering alumnus Kimberly Henthorn, PhD, says “Always humble and kind, John has been an advocate for our students and a strong supporter of our unit operations laboratory ... It is so perfect that our students will associate his name with our top teacher/scholars and our laboratory long into the future.”

Chemical engineering alumnus John Swearingen and his wife, Anne, believe deeply in giving back and reaping what has been sown.

In John’s case, skills learned while earning a degree in 1981 provided a pathway for a successful career in the petroleum industry. He retired in 2020 as executive vice president of logistics and storage after a 39-year career with Marathon Petroleum Corporation.

That’s why the couple has been faithful supporters of Rose-Hulman. Their latest philanthropic effort is a $2 million donation to establish the Department of Chemical Engineering’s first endowed faculty professorship, along with supporting laboratory and technology modifications for the department.

Previous donations have provided scholarships supporting students in achieving their career goals in STEM. In recognition of the Swearingens’ generosity and loyalty, Rose-Hulman has named chemical engineering’s High Bay Laboratory of Olin Hall in the couple’s honor.

“Rose-Hulman laid a solid foundation for my professional success and our journey over the decades. We’ve been incredibly blessed and believe this is a way for us to give back to a place that is so special,” says John, who now lives in Tennessee with Anne. “Rose-Hulman’s commitment to excellence

14

After starting as a process engineer, Swearingen worked through a series of operational and technical leadership roles, including leading the plant in Robinson, Illinois, from 2001-08 where he initially started. Later, Swearingen was president of Marathon Pipe Line LLC (2009-11), corporate vice president for health, environment, safety and security (2011-15), and senior vice president for transportation and logistics (2015-2017) before retiring in 2020 as executive vice president for logistics and storage for Marathon Petroleum’s master limited partnership.

“The outstanding educational lessons that Rose-Hulman instills on its students have stood the test of time,” said John Swearingen. “Anne and I are truly honored to be able to help maintain the high standards of Rose-Hulman and its Department of Chemical Engineering.

The Department of Chemical Engineering’s High Bay Laboratory has been named in honor of John and Anne Swearingen

Every Second Counted on Historic Rose ‘Giving Day’ It took 86,400 seconds on April 7, 2022, for alumni, faculty, staff, and friends to support Rose-Hulman in meeting its greatest needs, including student scholarships —exceeding the original goals for total donations and gifts along with surpassing past Giving Day fundraising events.

“We’re grateful for these generous financial gifts, which are important to the life and future of Rose-Hulman,” remarks President Robert A. Coons. “This showcases the variety of people that support our mission to provide our students with the world’s best undergraduate STEM education in an environment of individual attention and support.”

Giving Back

CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS

Steve Brady, vice president for institutional advancement, adds, “We can’t thank our alumni and friends enough for taking just a few seconds out of their day to give back to Rose-Hulman. Their contributions will make a positive impact year-round— every day, every hour, and every second—on our institution.”

RECORD-BREAKING 2022 ROSE GIVING DAY $491,180 [FROM 602 GIFTS] Matching Gift Challenge Donors (All Fulfilled)

SAMUEL KOWAL (ME, 1955) — Supporting Robert Steinhauser Scholarship Fund CHRIS TRAPP (CHE, 1986) and wife, Christine — Supporting Athletics ROGER WARD (BIOE, 1971) and wife, Marilyn — Supporting Neurodivergent Students JIM YOUNG (ME, 1963) — Supporting Athletics MATT IWEMA (SE, 2014) — Supporting Claude Anderson Scholarship Fund BOB BROWN — Supporting Athletics KAREN DEGRANGE — Supporting International Students BAILEY FAMILY — Supporting Herb Bailey Scholarship Fund PRESIDENT ROBERT A. COONS and ADMINISTRATIVE CABINET — Supporting Student Scholarships

Subramanian’s Crypto Gift Supporting Computer Science Department Computer engineering alumnus and Rose-Hulman trustee Koushik Subramanian has spent much of his professional career working in the digital finance space, particularly focused on cybersecurity and more recently in digital assets and blockchain technologies like cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and smart contracts.

So, it made sense for the 2006 graduate to become the first alumnus to give back to Rose-Hulman using cryptocurrency—a $50,000 crypto gift to establish the Subramanian Fund for Advancing Technologies in Digital Assets for the Institute.

“I’m super passionate about this,” said Subramanian. “I think this is an opportunity to elevate Rose-Hulman into this space ahead of its peers and help Rose become a leader in digital assets. It allows us to bring more STEM talent to the Midwest and allows Rose to build out more programing. Plus it allows me to work with students who are engaged in the subject matter. There is tremendous potential in the space to solve real-world problems at scale and I believe we are still very early. I am really excited to see how this technology gets applied by the coming generation.”

Subramanian founded drophouse.art earlier this year to combine his interests in art, fashion and crypto. Two years earlier, he founded Kopper Labs to deploy capital to accelerate the adoption of automation, blockchain and cybersecurity technology. He has worked as Director of Information Security for Kraken since 2018, overseeing cybersecurity and digital assets on a global scale.

Subramanian’s crypto gift will now support student learning in the nationally ranked Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, as well as cross-disciplinary projects involving other majors. He has been collaborating with Associate Professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering Sid Stamm, PhD, a 2003 computer science alumnus, on a number of ideas for senior projects along with other hands-on and research opportunities.

This gift is the latest example of how alumni are constantly finding creative and innovative ways to give back to the Institute. A webpage has been established webpage specifically for gifts of digital assets: rb.gy/dawjop.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

15

NEW ALUMNI

Photo Album

PHOTOS BY BRYAN CANTWELL, SHAWN SPENCE

COMMENCEMENT 2022 Perseverance Prepares Class of ‘22 for Bright Futures Perseverance was the theme of the day as members of the Class of 2022 culminated their challenging Rose-Hulman academic careers with degrees that will put them on pathways toward rewarding STEM careers.

After all, the 385 bachelor’s and master’s degree graduates have started employment at companies throughout the world, are planning to attend leading graduate, doctorate, and professional programs this fall, and have been commissioned for military service. Another 57 students are anticipating joining their classmates after completing degree requirements this summer or fall.

Along the way, the Institute’s new alumni group overcame the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted the final two years of their college careers, and a variety of social, political, and economic issues throughout the world, noted President Robert A. Coons.

In his Commencement Address, Northeastern University Chief Inclusion Officer Karl Reid, PhD, used a material science metaphor to classify the Class of 2022—like properties of metals that have been hardened by deliberately applying pressure to introduce dislocation in the crystalline structure of the material.

“Although the first few deformations weaken the metal, eventually the metal becomes stronger because of the pressure,” said Reid. “Like these metals, you too have been work-hardened, your structures have been dislocated, you initially bent under the uncertainty as the pandemic spread. However, I’m told that this senior class has excelled academically, despite the challenges of the pandemic, and ... now you’re about to turn a page and start a new chapter in your life as a Rose-Hulman graduate.”

Other speakers were Alumni Advisory Board President Kedar Murthy, a 1984 chemical engineering alumnus; Class of 2022 President Haiden Smith, an electrical engineering graduate and the Institute’s first Grand Challenges Scholar; and Student Government Association Past-President Addison White and National Society of Black Engineers Past-President Zariyah Robinson, both mechanical engineering graduates.

Relive the Class of 2022's Commencement Day at rb.gy/ippklp.

“Perseverance is your superpower and it will carry you far ... You have a bright future, and your expertise and the brightness of your character will help light the way for the world around you.”

President Robert A. Coons 16

NEW ALUMNI

Photo Album

“Four years of Rose-Hulman classes and challenges leading to today taught us that Rose-Hulman makes the best people, the best engineers, and the brightest futures!”

Haiden Smith Class of 2022 President

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

17

NEW ALUMNI

Photo Album

Student Awards John T. Royse Award (Most outstanding graduate, based upon academics, student leadership, activities, and campus citizenship) Beach

Colin Beach | Biochemistry

Herman A. Moench Distinguished Senior Commendation (Commendable influence on the Rose community)

Andrea Wynn | Computer Science/Mathematics

“We’ve spent the last four years building ourselves into the world’s foremost innovators, all while envisioning this day ... let’s think of these degrees as our tickets to shape the world—to thrive and to make a difference. We’ve all come here to celebrate the road ahead—now, it’s time to build it!”

Addison White Student Government Association, Past President

Wynn

Heminway Gold Medal (Highest academic achievement)

Colin Beach | Biochemistry Abi Clayton | Biomedical Engineering Michael Hall | Mechanical Engineering Thomas Hoevener | Mathematics/Software Engineering Taryn Perry | Chemical Engineering/Computational Science Cory Snyder | Computer Engineering Danielle Villa | Software Engineering/Computer Science/Mathematics

Faculty/Staff Awards Dean’s Outstanding Teacher John Rickert, PhD | Mathematics

Rickert

Board of Trustees’ Outstanding Scholar Will Green, PhD | Mathematics

Hannum, Reid Receive Doctor of Engineering Honorary Degrees This year’s Doctor of Engineering honorary degree recipients were: David Hannum, a 1981 mechanical engineering alumnus and trustee, is one of 12 members of the Garmong/Hannum families Hannum to graduate from the Institute. He is president/CEO of Garmong Construction Services, a Terre Haute-based contractor which employs numerous Rose alumni. Hannum has been recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year by Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and been named a Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana’s highest civilian honor. However, he considers the honorary degree “the greatest honor of my life.”

David and his wife, Kathy, donated $1 million in 2021 to establish a new scholarship fund.

Reid

Karl Reid, PhD, chief inclusion officer of Northeastern University (Massachusetts), was the Commencement Speaker. As director of the Engineering PLUS Alliance, he is a leading national advocate for diversity and inclusion, and increasing college access, opportunity, and success for low-income and minority youth. Reid also is a founding member of the 50K Coalition, a national effort to produce 50,000 diverse engineering graduates annually by 2025.

President’s Outstanding Service Matt Pink | Groundskeeper

Green

John T. Ying Excellence for Student-Faculty Collaboration Diane Evans, PhD | Engineering Management

Excellence in Service

Pink

Rose Cares Behavioral Intervention Team Jake Campbell, Nick Davis, Patty Eaton, PhD, Sarah Forbes, PhD, LeAnne Myers, Cory Pardieck (BSBE, 2014/MSEMGT, 2016), Kyle Rhodes (SE/PH, 2010), Russ Warley, PhD, and Kyle Washburn (PH, 2017)

Evans

Shining Star Nick Davis | Director, Center for Diversity and Inclusion Davis

Make a Difference

18

“Diversity sparks innovation, ideas, opportunities, which lead to new products and sectors, markets, and jobs. We are better because we are diverse.”

Karl Reid, PhD, Commencement Speaker Chief Inclusion Officer, Northeastern University

Pam Hamilton | Administrative Assistant, Physics & Optical Engineering Hamilton

Campus News

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Army ROTC Earns MacArthur Award as Nation’s Best The Wabash Battalion Reserved Officer Training Corps unit, based on campus, earned the 2022 MacArthur Award as the top program in the military branch’s 7th Brigade, along with being selected as the Army ROTC program’s candidate for the overall Department of Defense ROTC and Partner Institution Excellence Award.

Col. Brent Clemmer, Army ROTC’s 7th Brigade commander, stated, “Rose-Hulman has earned distinction for producing some of the Army’s best engineers. Its cadets have distinguished themselves exceptionally well during the past year across the variety of criteria. They consistently stand out among the best cadets regionally and nationally.”

The U.S. Army Cadet Command recognized the unit’s achievements during the 2020-21 school year for readiness training and commissioning lieutenants for military service.

The battalion has 31 scholarship student cadets along with five other participating students and commissioned the following graduating cadets: Griffin Altmix, Nick Barr, Landen Berlin, Samuel Dickinson, Drew Gearhart, Tristen Maesch, Alec Teichmann, Samuel VanDendurgh, and Ryleigh White.

Making a Green Chemistry Commitment The Institute and its Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry became the first Indiana higher education institution to adopt a new Green Chemistry Commitment, organized by Beyond Benign, to incorporate green chemistry theory and practice into classes, continuously improve green chemistry accessibility, and work toward a sustainable future.

Poland

DeVasher

Green chemistry involves the application of 12 principles to reduce or eliminate hazardous substances and make chemical processes safer.

“This pledge has strong alignment with Rose-Hulman’s educational mission and vision toward helping our students become ‘inspired and prepared for lives of purpose and success,’” says Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Rebecca DeVasher, PhD. Assisting in the initiative is Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Stephanie Poland, PhD. Both have active research programs in green chemistry on campus.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

19

Campus News

WHAT'S HAPPENING

A Night of Laughs for Meeting ‘Vaccination Challenge’ Popular comedian Hasan Minhaj brought his “The King’s Jester” tour to campus late this spring for a private show that rewarded students, faculty, and staff for meeting a COVID-19 vaccination rate of 85% or higher, posed by anonymous alumni donors. (Receiving all doses in the primary series of the vaccine were 93% of students and 88% of employees.)

One of the event donors noted that they wanted to promote vaccinations to help ensure students could resume some of the more traditional college activities that were lost during the pandemic. “We feel blessed to have been able to make the event a possibility and have been more than thrilled about the vaccination rates achieved across campus,” the donor stated.

The crowd laughed heartily throughout the 80-minute set of Minhaj, who stars in the Netflix show “Homecoming King” and is a former regular correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” He remained on campus after the show for a private meet-and-greet with select audience members.

Grant Bringing Historically Underrepresented STEM Students to Summer Camps A $644,873 grant through the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Indiana Youth Programs on Campus initiative is providing enriching summer camp experiences for students who have historically been underrepresented in higher education. The Institute’s summer camps are designed to build students’ STEM skills and knowledge by working with Rose’s faculty and students, while interacting with high schoolers from around the world.

Supported for the next three summers are Rose Power Camp, a new experience for girls who want to build confidence and skill by working in innovation centers, and Operation Catapult, an immersive, hands-on STEM camp allowing students to design, build, and present a project from scratch.

Williams is the Answer on ‘Jeopardy!’ Professors Tournament Teaching a variety of courses in literature, traveling the world, and earning college degrees in English and music helped prepare English professor Julia Williams, PhD, for her appearance on the inaugural “Jeopardy!” Professors Tournament. She was among instructors from 15 colleges and universities across America to match wits on the nationally televised show—drawing attention to Rose-Hulman in the process.

20

“Our summer programs maintain a strong pipeline of interest while also ensuring that these prospective high school students get the tools and information necessary to excel,” says Tom Bear, vice president for enrollment management. “These experiences build students’ STEM preparedness as well as competitiveness for college admission. Our goal is to have all students consider STEM careers with many enrolling at Rose-Hulman.”

Learn more about our summer programs at www.rose-hulman.edu/summer.

Campus News

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Gold Standard Duo named Goldwater Scholars for Science, Computing Research

Significant contributions in national research projects earned students Nathan Hurtig and Hannah Snider recognition as 2022 Goldwater Scholars, the preeminent honor for undergraduate students pursing degrees in the natural science, engineering and mathematics. They have received substantial scholarships from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to support their career goals of earning doctorate degrees in their career fields.

This marks the second consecutive year that a Rose-Hulman student has been named a Goldwater Scholar, and the institute has now had 14 students earn this distinction since 2004, with several more honorable mention selections as well. However, this is the first time that Rose-Hulman students have been recognized during their sophomore years.

“For us to have two sophomores earning Goldwater Scholar recognition is simply outstanding and a real testament to the outstanding scholarly work Nathan and Hannah have accomplished during the past two years. They are on the pathway to a successful future in their fields,” says Associate Professor of Biology and Biomedical Engineering Bill Weiner, PhD, the Institute’s Goldwater Scholars coordinator.

Snider is a chemical engineering and chemistry double major while Hurtig is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in computer science and mathematics. Both already have a lengthy list of research, classroom, and laboratory scholarly experiences— with more planned for this summer. They also are members of the inaugural Class of 2024 Noblitt Scholars, a program supported by alumnus and Board of Trustees Chair Niles Noblitt and his wife, Nancy.

Snider

Hurtig

A personal struggle with Crohn’s Disease, an autoimmune disorder, has inspired Snider to use her interests in chemistry to impact the lives of others. This past year she joined Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Rebecca DeVasher, PhD, on groundbreaking research project working to optimize the synthesis a terephthalate derivative, a process the two of them developed through an initial investigation of a Claisen Condensation reaction.

This research earned first-place honors at the University of Kentucky’s undergraduate regional poster competition, and they plan to make a presentation at an American Chemical Society conference this fall.

Meanwhile, Hurtig’s work with Associate Computer Science and Software Engineering Professor Joe Hollingsworth, PhD, on a National Science Foundationsponsored Thought Network project earned second-place conference honors and will be featured in a meeting of computing professionals this summer in Dublin, Ireland.

Both have participated in multiple Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs and are once again this summer: Snider is examining the characterization of membranes and nanomaterials at Stanford University; Hurtig is studying mathematics at University of Maryland.

Goldwater Scholars Alumni Successful in Many Career Fields Past Rose-Hulman Goldwater Scholars have become physicians, researchers at world-respected medical research clinics, experts in industry, and students pursuing PhDs at leading universities across the country. The list includes the following alumni and their career fields: Chad Zarse (BCMB, 2005) Nephrologist, Indiana University Health Amelia Huehls (CHEM, 2007) Supervisor/Senior Research Technologist, Mayo Clinic Angela Smiley (CS, 2008) Senior Software Engineer, Odd Concepts Evan Breedlove (ME, 2008) Polymer Mechanics Expert, 3M

Eric Crockett (CS/MA, 2011) Applied Cryptography Scientist, Amazon

Anna Braun (CHE/CHEM, 2019) Researcher/PhD Student, Colorado School of Mines

Katherine Moravec (CHE, 2014) EM Chief Resident, Vidant Medical Center (N.C.)

Casey Garner (MA/CPLS, 2019) PhD Student, University of Minnesota

Ben Stevens (ME, 2017) Quantitative Researcher, DRW

Colin Beach (BC, 2021) PhD Student, Indiana University School of Medicine

Dylan Linville (PH, 2018) Graduate Assistant, West Virginia University

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

21

Campus News

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Math Professor Continues Fulbright Legacy A Fulbright Faculty Scholar opportunity is allowing mathematics professor Manda Riehl, PhD, to design innovative and modern courses and provide authentic research experiences for undergraduate students within the United States government’s flagship international exchange program.

The Institute has been recognized as a top producer of Fulbright scholars by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The Institute has had six faculty participating in the program during the past seven years.

Riehl, who has had an instrumental role in expanding RHIT’s biomathematics program, is spending a portion of this summer collaborating with mathematics professors at Costa Rica’s Universidad Nacional with development of their Math for Computer Science course and work with students in their calculus studies. She will then co-teach courses at the university for three months during the 2023-24 academic year.

In other faculty news:

Berry

• Dr. Lawrence J. Giacoletto Endowed Chair for Electrical and Computer Engineering Carlotta Berry, PhD, was named the 2022 Distinguished Educator by the American Society of Engineering Education’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Division. She also has been selected for the Open Source Hardware Association’s Trailblazer Program to increase Open Source Hardware resources within academia.

• Chemical Engineering Associate Professor Irene Reizman, PhD, has been named the Alfred R. Schmidt Chair for Excellence in Teaching, a faculty chair endowed by 1969 mathematics alumnus G. Felda Hardymon.

Reizman

Kershaw

• Civil Engineering Associate Professor Kyle Kershaw, PhD, will be the next Roland E. Hutchins Chair in Civil Engineering, named for an esteemed former department professor.

• English Professor Julia Williams, PhD, has received a $457,000 grant from the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation to spend the next three years building connections between engineering professional societies and the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network to integrate an engineering mindset into courses and partner cultures to create value for students’ education.

• Professor of Biomedical Engineering Alan Chiu, PhD, is being reappointed the Samuel F. Hulbert Chair in Biomedical Engineering, honoring the legacy of the Institute’s longest serving president and biomaterials engineering pioneer.

Chiu

Payne

22

• Associate Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Michelle Marincel Payne, PhD, and Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Irene Reizman, PhD, are helping educators from the Engineering Unleashed national collegiate network integrate an entrepreneurship focus into undergraduate engineering research by emphasizing elements of curiosity, creativity and value creation.

They have been awarded $142,200 to develop materials, workshops and other educational tools that will be shared with faculty colleagues across the country.

‘Rose Show’ Features Innovative Projects Student inventiveness, ingenuity and good old-fashioned know-how created a variety of projects during the 202122 academic year that applied lessons learned in class with technology from innovation and fabrication centers to address problems posed by families, organizations and companies.

Nearly 100 of those creative projects from several academic departments were featured in this year’s The Rose Show—the Institute’s rendition of The World’s Fair—which featured such interesting items as sustainability solutions, mobility devices, software applications, machine learning solutions, and projectile launchers. There also was an assortment of projects designed to give competition teams a winning edge.

That’s what happened with a robotic arm for the Rose-Hulman Rover Team that earned the William A. Kline Innovation Award as this year’s outstanding Rose Show project. Recent alumni Michael Hall, Matt Hummel, Colton McKay, and Nathan Lee created a remote-controlled arm that can lift heavy objects, type on a laptop keyboard and complete other assigned tasks. (Kline was the Associate Dean of Innovation and supervisor of Rose-Hulman’s Branam and Kremer Innovation Centers before his death in March of 2021.)

Campus News

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Men's All-Sports Crown Highlights Strong Year The Athletic Department captured the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's All-Sports Trophy for the 12th time since 2007, while placing third for women’s sports.

Overall, the Institute placed one point behind the winner in the HCAC Commissioner's Cup standings.

This year's HCAC men's champions included football, soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis. Baseball finished second.

On the women's side, the golf team won the conference title while cross country and soccer placed second.

Athletics accomplishments in 2021-22 included: • The women's golf team placed 21st at the NCAA Division III National Championship at Bay Oaks Country Club in Houston. Rachel Zhang concluded her career with the lowest single-round score (3-over-par 75) for a Rose player at an NCAA event.

• The men's tennis team qualified for the Division III tournament after winning the HCAC title.

• Swimmer Jared Brown and soccer player Christina Rogers received Ruel Fox Burns Blankets as the Institute’s top senior male and female athletes as voted by the coaching staff.

The Varsity R Club’s Outstanding Senior of the Year Awards went to baseball player Josh Mesenbrink and football player Michael Stevens.

Class of 2013 Recognizes Artist of Campus Mural The Class of 2013 has recognized artist Edie Richards for her support and creativity in helping members create the Leave Your Mark mosaic mural on the outside wall at the west end of Crapo Hall. Richards, the late wife of mechanical engineering professor and alumnus Zac Chambers (BSME, 1994/MSME, 1996), worked with the Class of 2013 to design and develop the 14-by-14-foot mosaic mural from more than 5,000 ceramic pieces placed together to form the Institute’s “Rosie” elephant mascot and classic Rose-Hulman ‘R’ wordmark.

Retired Faculty, Staff Leave Their Mark Several veteran faculty and staff members are enjoying retirement after ending impactful careers teaching and helping students and their colleagues.

Bryan

Kukral

Christ

Grigg

Letfullin

Pink

Faculty retirements at the end of this school year were Kurt Bryan, PhD, professor of mathematics; Kevin Christ, PhD, associate professor of economics; Cliff Grigg, PhD, professor of electrical and computer engineering; Mike Kukral, PhD, associate professor of geography; and Renat Letfullin, PhD, associate professor of physics and optical engineering. Staff retirees were Registrar Jan Pink and Pam Hamilton, administrative assistant for the Department of Physics Hamilton and Optical Engineering.

Keep up with Rose-Hulman news at www.rose-hulman.edu/news ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

23

Campus News

WHAT'S HAPPENING

FIRST Robotics’ State Finals Has Overtime Thrills

T

he FIRST Robotics’ 2022 Indiana State Championships at Rose-Hulman will be an event that the high school contestants and spectators won’t soon forget after a thrilling extra overtime session determined the winning alliance of three high school robotics teams.

More than 2,000 people filled the Sports and Recreation Center ‘s Hulbert Arena on both days to view the exciting qualification and playoff rounds of competition involving 32 high school teams from throughout Indiana.

High school teams from across Indiana culminated the 2022 FIRST Robotics Indiana competition season on campus this spring.

After splitting two matches there was a tie in a tiebreaker match. This required a first-ever overtime match, with the winner qualifying to represent Indiana at the FIRST World Championships in Houston.

Alumni joined faculty and staff in assisting the competition as event announcers, judges, host committee members, technical and facilities staff, and general volunteers. The group included Jonathan Boutell (CE, 2021), Jim Fox (EE, 1995), Taylor Frey (CPE, 2020), Kaitlyn Gulley (OE, 2020), Marie Hansen (ME, 2020), Ellie Honious (ME, 2018), Andy Milluzzi (CPE, 2012) Jonathan Nibert (BSCPE, 2012/ MSEMGT, 2013), Kris Verdeyen (EE, 2000), Garrett Wight (ME, 2020), and Rahul Yaralagadda (ME/CS, 2019). See photo on page 36.

“FIRST Robotics brings together elements of robotics, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering in a cordially, fun-filled way. It is a great way for students to learn about the multidisciplinary aspects that go into project creation,” said Milluzzi, a Senior FIRST Mentor who is a senior ride control systems engineer with Walt Disney Imagineering. n Read a full state finals recap at rb.gy/6eeqqr.

24

ON THE FAST

TRACK GILBERTSON

Alumni Feature

GLOBAL ADVENTURES

REVVED UP ABOUT FORMULA ONE MOTORSPORTS OPPORTUNITY

M

echanical engineering and biomedical engineering alumna Gabbie Gilbertson’s competitive spirit, technical know-how and problem-solving acumen were natural fits to begin her engineering career with one of the world’s most successful and sophisticated motorsports teams.

The 2020 graduate is a ride performance engineer within the Williams Formula One race team’s vehicle dynamics group in Oxford, England. She is helping high-tech cars compete in the most competitive level of international open-wheel racing, where its champions are drenched by champagne, heralded by royalty and beloved by a devoted global fanbase.

“I’m always looking to learn more, grow more and work at the forefront of whatever industry I’m in.

Williams has provided me that next challenge,” says Gilbertson.

Since starting in November 2021, she has been focused on helping optimize the vehicle performance of Williams’ revolutionary new vehicles for the 2022 season. Many design aspects of the team’s two race cars have been completed reimagined for this season, including the suspension system.

This has kept Gilbertson busy providing remote ride simulation pre-event reports alongside analysis of practice test runs to determine the best suspension setups to create maximum performance during this racing season. There’s also collaboration with design, aerodynamic and simulation engineers to determine suspension requirements for future car design, as well

as exploring new concepts that will optimize ride and lap time performances.

Williams sought Gilbertson’s mathematical modeling skills after reviewing her work studying driver-vehicle system performance while earning an engineering master’s degree at England’s University of Cambridge.

She examined the interaction dynamics of people when driving vehicles, especially in high-performance situations, like motorsports.

“Just having the opportunity to work in motorsports is exciting and meets my career objectives but having the opportunity to work at Williams is so exciting.

I feel very fortunate,” remarks Gilbertson. “All my hard work and studies have culminated in being able to work alongside some of the most revolutionary forward-thinking people and brightest minds in motorsports, with the best engineering technologies available.”

At Rose-Hulman, she earned the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Cummins Outstanding Graduating Senior Award in 2020. Gilbertson was involved in a variety of campus and athletic activities.

“I got used to balancing my different projects at Rose-Hulman and collaborating with people from different departments,” she states. “I learned to rely on teammates’ contributions to get things done. It was a great learning environment that I still cherish.

I definitely had great preparation for working in a competitive motorsports environment.” n

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

25

Alumni Feature

PARENTAL PARTNERSHIP

StoryTellers NEWBORN LOSS INSPIRES REIVES, WIFE TO HELP OTHER PARENTS STORY

BY DALE LONG

Mechanical engineering and engineering management alumnus Thomas Reives and his wife Shecara Squires Reives have turned their experience of losing a newborn into a story of motivation and resilience, as they endeavor to assist other parents who have newborns in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in hospitals around the world.

In the summer of 2017, Thomas and Shecara were blessed with the birth of identical twin boys, Rook and Carmine, after just 26 weeks gestation. On Father’s Day, just nine days later, Rook died in the NICU. After 165 days and several surgeries, including a tracheostomy, Carmine came home to the family in Brownsburg, Indiana.

Like the Reives, many first-time parents are too often unprepared for making difficult decisions about NICU care, when giving an unexpected early birth. Their experience covered four hospitals and a long list of tough decisions regarding their son’s care.

“At that point, we wanted to spend as much time with our son as we possibly could,” says Thomas, an associate director in manufacturing operations with Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis. “After our experience of giving birth, the struggles and the triumphs that then unfolded, we kept telling ourselves that there was something more that we could do for families like ours.”

He adds, “While we were in the NICU, we looked for books to read to our son. We looked for titles that promoted diversity in their stories and the characters represented.

We found a title or two that talked about a tracheostomy, but they did so as a condition and less of a celebration.”

This eventually led them to found Rooks Books Publishing, LLC.

After their challenging experience as firsttime parents, Thomas and Shecara Reives (shown with their growing family) have published books, organized book drives, and are establishing a non-profit to provide resources and equipment to help families with newborns in hospital NICUs. 26

“ After our experience ... we kept telling ourselves that there was something more that we could do for families like ours.”

— Thomas Reives BSME, 2008/MSEMGT, 2010 “In the NICU, there are some services like music or pottery classes that would visit the rooms to provide comfort at times. We chose books to read to our sons. When we left the hospital, it was natural for us to think of a book drive to give back some of what we found to be so helpful,” remarks Thomas, who earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2008 and added a master’s degree in engineering management in 2010. “It was after completing a NICU Carmine’s inspirational story came from spending donation book drive in 2020 that we realized at least one story was missing—our own. From that point, we his first 165 days in an Indianapolis hospital and were determined to share our story with the world.” having several surgeries, including a tracheostomy.

Shecara, a longtime writer and poet, wrote “I Made It: A Trach Baby Story,” a book telling the story about one baby’s survival through tracheostomy surgery. “I wanted Carmine to see himself in the stories, but most importantly, as a successful character in the stories,” Shecara states.

Lottery’s Community Impact Award and publicly recognized by the Indiana Pacers.

In spirit of The Engineer’s Creed, striving for the advancement and betterment of human welfare, the Reives plans to establish a non-profit organization in hopes of providing resources and specialized equipment to families in need, where insurance may not or be slow to provide coverage.

“When we left the hospital in November in 2017, there was so much to be thankful for in the process.

However, we knew there were families we were leaving behind who didn’t necessarily have the same chance,” says Thomas.

Alumni Feature

PARENTAL PARTNERSHIP

The couple has added younger siblings Reaux (Roe) and Tatum to the family. Carmine, who turns 5 years old this summer, is still fed through gastrostomy tube and receives physical, feeding and speech therapies Shecara’s book, each week. “We love seeing him develop “Welcome to the alongside his siblings,” says Shecara. “The NICU,” was inspired ability to see our family grow has been by experiences with amazing and the future is bright.” n her NICU babies.

Thomas adds, “He’s really a celebration. He’s not a condition.”

A second book in Rook’s Books’ I Made It series (available on Amazon), “Welcome to the NICU,” is inspired

by Shecara’s experiences with her NICU babies. It strives to remove parents’ apprehensions about having preemie (births prior to 37 weeks) or micro-preemies (before 26 weeks) in a hospital’s NICU. Eskenazi Hospital of Indianapolis has established a partnership with Rook’s Books Publishing, giving the book to each family with a baby admitted to the NICU. More books are forthcoming to further the mission of education, advocacy, and celebration of milestones and stories seldom told.

“This time, it wouldn’t necessarily be our stories, but those of other families who excel through things like Down Syndrome, Autism, or Childhood Diabetes,” says Thomas.

The Reives also have hosted an annual Holiday Book Drive the past two years that has provided more than 3,500 books for parents with children in NICUs at Riley and Peyton Manning Children’s Hospitals. The couple’s efforts have been honored with the Hoosier

Contact the Reives family at info@rooksbooks.org or www.rooksbooks.org Learn more about Thomas in his Alumni Faces of STEM profile at rb.gy/2tpxwy.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

27

Alumni Feature

HELPING HANDS

STEM

Sisterhood A

fter two decades as an underrepresented individual working in engineering, 2003 mechanical engineering alumna Anne Trobaugh has established a sisterhood that’s encouraging women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to stand up, stand out and make a difference through mentorship and friendship.

28

TROBAUGH INSPIRING WOMEN THROUGH MENTORSHIPS

a thousand cuts.” These seemingly minor incidents or actions contribute to many women leaving STEM career fields.

STORY

BY DALE LONG

Anne Trobaugh formed My Best Friend at Work to help mentor and offer advice to women in STEM. Her own support group includes fellow RHIT alumnae who meet annually.

Trobaugh has formed My Best Friend at Work, an online tool to serve as an advisor, coach, cheerleader, and unwavering advocate to help women become more self-confident, address challenging work situations, and advance to their potential in STEM.

“The best part of starting My Best Friend At Work was making sure that I walked the walk and did the things I was suggesting were necessary for fulfillment in my career,” says Trobaugh. “I preach about being visible, ensuring your personal brand matches your ambitions and always being confident. When I realized I wasn’t completely fulfilled in my own job, I looked at things from the lens of ‘what would I suggest to others if they were going through this?’”

That advice comes from situations Trobaugh has realized in nearly 20 years in a variety of STEM roles, including test cell engineer, senior engineer, chief of staff to the vice president of quality, and deputy director of global quality. Along the way, she has encountered unconscious biases against women in technical fields—something she calls “a death by

Earlier this year she and her family moved from the heart of Texas to the Washington, D.C., area where Trobaugh accepted a role as vice president of quality and customer experience with American Woodmark, one of the world’s largest cabinet manufacturers.

Her previous work experiences were in heavy industrial equipment manufacturing.

Trobaugh states, “Everyone has a different appetite for change and taking ‘big leaps’ means different things to different people. To me it means moving cross country for a new job. For others it may be speaking up in a big meeting.

Whatever it is, I want to help emphasize that the downside of taking these big leaps isn’t negative and scary. There are learnings in all things.”

That’s where My Best Friend At Work comes into play. It provides a social media sounding board for women in STEM to exchange conversations like they would with colleagues in the office: from what to wear on a multi-country trip to being prepared for a presentation to a company’s board of directors.

Trobaugh has become a mentor to more than 50 women, most of them within the technical workforce.

“During the pandemic I had weekly FaceTime meetings with my real-life best friend at work. This helped me feel connected, forced me to talk about career goals, and other topics with respect to navigating a new work-from-home environment,” Trobaugh remarks. “I realized how helpful it was to have this outlet and wanted to provide the same for others. Research has proven that having a best friend at work keeps you more engaged, ultimately drives you to deliver a better work product,

and thus be more successful in your job. I tested that model in a virtual way and found that the help from a best friend at work doesn’t need to come from someone within your company. I specifically set out to make sure the help I was offering was synonymous with a best friend. I wanted it to be accessible, fun and provided in a peer-to-peer format.”

Many members of Trobaugh’s own support system have come from her days at Rose-Hulman (2000-2003), which were in the early years after the college went coeducational. The group of successful alumnae get together often for video chats, do virtual workouts together, and celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. Late last year they were able to continue their annual in-person get togethers to share stories about life and work challenges, learn family updates, and enjoy a good meal—much like their days on campus.

Trobaugh said, “At Rose-Hulman, I was surrounded by amazing people, including so many female friends I lived with, took classes with, and did extracurricular activities with. When I took my first job after graduation, I was no longer constantly around my friends, and I missed that tremendously … I still miss those days of being surrounded by friends who became family and having that concentration of STEM female camaraderie.” n

Panel Showcases the Power of Women in STEM The past met the future for a free-flowing campus panel discussion on the Power of Women in STEM during this year’s Women’s History Month celebration.

Five alumnae provided a group of current female students with valuable insight on careers in STEM, how they can overcome gender equalities in the workplace, and how they need to be respected for the fresh perspectives they bring to their projects.

And, most importantly, how Rose-Hulman will provide them with the skills and work ethic to make a difference to others.

THE PANEL FEATURED: Megan Heyman (MA, 2008), PhD, RHIT assistant math professor Alyssa (Perry) Lobo (ME, 1999), advisor of global regulatory affairs, Eli Lilly and Company

Female students were interested in advice from a panel discussion featuring alumnae from different eras and academic majors.

Lauren Plouff (CE, 2016), senior project engineer, Weddle Brothers Construction Amanda (Austin) Stapleton (ME, 2006), senior director of operations, Belcan Engineering Group

“ Hearing stories from successful women allows students to relate to the [alumna] experiences and better understand how to cope with situations and how to end up being successful.”

Alumni Feature

HELPING HANDS

Lauren (Meadows) Willingham (BE, 2014), senior site manager with TRIMEDX Moderator was Kristen (Latta) Merchant (BE, 2011)

— Grace Eggers, Student

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

29

A WINNING EDGE

Alumni Feature

MUSCLE POWER

DUO’S MUSCLE ACTIVATION TECH PRODUCING MAXIMUM PERFORMANCES

W

ith fractions of a second deciding medal-winning champions, worldclass athletes are beginning to tap into revolutionary and award-winning muscle activation technology developed by biomedical engineering and biochemistry and molecular biology alumni Tanya Colonna and Hobey Tam, PhD, to achieve maximum training and rehabilitation performances in their sports.

Colonna, a 2013 alumna, is chief executive officer of Oro Muscles while Tam, 2012 graduate, is chief technology officer of the Netherlands-based entrepreneurial startup that’s breaking boundaries by connecting muscle activity data to physical action.

Oro Muscles provides a medical-grade wearable, wireless device that takes the capabilities of motion capture labs out into the field to guide personalized workout programming. This technology was awarded the 2021 Wear It Innovation Award at Europe’s leading conference for wearable tech business

30

STORY

BY DALE LONG

professionals. Colonna also has been featured in a Med-Tech World presentation focusing on the leading innovations in emerging tech that are revolutionizing the European medical ecosystem.

Colonna states, “We started by asking a simple question: What if sports scientists, coaches, and physical therapists could see inside the muscles? How would the ability to understand, on a local muscle level, how the body is responding to treatment/ training optimize training and rehabilitation?”

While working with a Dutch Olympic speed skating team, Oro Muscles discovered that barbells squats didn’t instigate the same response in the glut muscle (butt muscle) as the response created during on-ice skating. On the contrary, these barbell squats took up approximately 30% of their off-ice strength training.

After eliminating these squats from training for six weeks, an Olympic speed skater had his fastest time ever in practice.

“We have identified a gap in the sports technology market and created a solution that could provide valuable insights into how athlete’s muscles to respond during training,” Colonna says. “This allows coaches/athletes to understand, on a personalized level, compensation mechanisms, which exercises lead to direct gains in sportspecific movements, and how to use this information to periodize their training and peak at competition.”

Multiple pilot sites are currently using the technology with Olympic-level athletes, including the Dutch Olympic speed skating team and reigning women’s world champion/leading Olympic gold medal candidate Jutta Leerdam and men’s medal contender Cornelius Kersten of Great Britain. Other users include American NCAA Division I collegiate football teams and top-tier global rehabilitation sites.

Tanya Colonna is using her engineering, science and engineering management skills in a startup whose biomechanics device has earned an international innovation award and praise from world-class athletes and their coaches.

“We have tapped the holy grail of sport science … embedded electronic technology has finally allowed microcircuits and wireless connectivity for large volumes of data to be transferred that would make surface electromyography (EMG) practical in a non-laboratory setting.”

— Hobey Tam {BE/BCMB, 2012) Chief Technology Officer, Oro Muscles

Alumni Feature

MUSCLE POWER

Ham remarks, “We have tapped the holy grail of sport science … embedded electronic technology has finally allowed microcircuits and wireless connectivity for large volumes of data to be transferred that would make surface electromyography (EMG) practical in a non-laboratory setting.”

There are other uses for this technology. Oro Muscles has secured a worldwide exclusive licensing deal with medical (EMG) suppliers to provide sensors to monitor babies in a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.

The company’s device also is helping decrease fall risk for people with movement disorders, allowing them to increase their quality of life and prolong their independence.

Tam

“It’s not just biomechanics,” Colonna says. “We optimize elite athletic training, rehabilitation and research in these areas all with the same fundamental technology. That’s great for the future of sports and health care as well as for the scalability of our company.”

Colonna’s interests in entrepreneurship resulted from her master’s degree studies in engineering management (2015).

“I like seeing how things work and navigating through a strategy to build something new, innovative and useful. However, I get more excited about the business end, exploring new markets and understanding how all components of a business must work together, then composing a plan and executing on the details that are less technically oriented,” she says.

Meanwhile, Tam works with customers on iterative design and validation, while battling the technical hurdles of product development. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Clemson, where he earned a doctorate degree in bioengineering in 2016. n

Learn more about Tanya and Hobey and their startup at rb.gy/0kndn1.

Watch Tanya’s 2021 Wear It Innovation presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wePNsjAKn8c.

Contact Tanya at tanya@oromuscles.com Learn more about Tanya in her Rose-Hulman Alumni Faces of STEM profile.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

31

BY PROFESSOR EMERITUS HERB BAILEY

For those of you that haven’t heard, my father, Herbert Bailey, passed away peacefully January 29, 2022.

My father liked being a student and loved mathematics. As a Rose Poly student, he majored in electrical engineering and chemical engineering because he didn’t know he could major in mathematics. He continued pursuing mathematics by getting a master’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Illinois, then worked in industry solving mathematical problems (modeling naval shell trajectories) for a short time with Naval Ordinance. He then discovered that he could get a doctorate in mathematics, which he went on to attain from Purdue University.

At this point, he was married with two of the five children that would bless the family. Our mother, who was very patient, put her foot down and my father ended his student life. He returned to industry with Marathon Petroleum, modeling oil flow in rock formations, and Martin Marietta Inc. before finally finding his passion—teaching math. He taught at Colorado State University for four years before returning to Rose to teach for another 25 years.

My father didn’t care what level mathematics he taught, he enjoyed it all. He taught everything from advanced calculus to simple mathematics principles to fifth-grade home schoolers. He was willing to talk mathematics for hours to anyone who showed an interest. He even posed problems at the family dinner table. One day my 7-year-old sister had dinner at a friend’s house. She was surprised to learn other families didn’t do math problems at the dinner table. She thought math problems were what everyone did at dinner.

For enjoyment, even years after retiring from teaching, our father did mathematics journal problems.

He would spend hours on the problems and often submitted solutions to the journals. As a birthday gift,

we gave him a subscription to the mathematics journals, and he looked forward to seeing his name in the list of solvers.

MORE BAILEY CHALLENGES TO COME Since the Bailey Challenge has become such a popular Echoes’ feature, we’re planning to continue publishing these mathematics problems as a lasting tribute to Dr. Bailey and his problem-solving spirit. His son, Mark Bailey (CHE, 1976), has graciously agreed to join faculty from Rose-Hulman’s Department of Mathematics in providing future Challenge problems on a rotating basis.

In the last few years there were three things my father looked forward to: First, hearing from his grandchildren; Second, seeing his greatgrandchildren; and finally, the Bailey Challenge— probably in that order. He really perked up when each new Echoes issue arrived. As part of our daily routine, he would inquire about how many new solvers had submitted a solution. He would even predict how many solvers each Challenge would ultimately receive. I want to thank you all for giving him joy throughout all these years. (Editor’s Note: Dr. Bailey would have been delighted that the fall problems had 157 solvers.)

I take all the blame/credit for the problems in this issue. I’ve worked with my father on past Challenge problems for nearly the past three years. I would find problems and make recommendations. He would make the final decision. This issue is all on me. I like algebra and geometry problems, and don’t like or understand logic and probability problems. So, when I provide Bailey Challenge problems, we will get to spend time reviewing our algebra and geometry.

Mark Bailey, Chemical Engineering, 1976

SUM M ER PRO BLEM 1

SUM M ER PRO BLEM 2

A shark was caught with a tail that weighed 200 pounds. The head of the shark weighed as much as the tail plus half of the body weight. Its body weighed as much as its head and tail. What is the weight of the shark?

Two circles are concentric. A tangent to the inner circle forms a chord 12 inches long in the larger circle. Find the area of the ring between the circles.

FALL PRO BLEM SO LUTI O NS SUM M ER BO N US PRO BLEM

PROBLEM 1: 60 nickels and 40 dimes

A man has walked two-thirds of the distance across a railroad bridge when he sees a train approaching at 45 miles per hour. If he can just manage to escape by running at uniform speed to either end of the bridge, at what rate of speed must he run to avoid the train?

PROBEM 2: 17 + 140*n where n is an integer.

The reasonable answer is 17, one would be nervous about a math department with 157+ people in it.

PROBLEM 3: 190 handshakes

Send your solutions to BaileyChallenge@rose-hulman.edu or to: Dale Long, CM 14, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 5500 Wabash Ave., Terre Haute, IN 47803. Alumni should include their class year.

Congratulations to the following solvers of the fall problems: ALUMNI: T. Jones, 1949; D. Camp, 1955; J. Moser, 1956; C. Corbin, 1957; C. Ambuehl, 1958; D. Bailey, 1959; D. Smith, 1959; W. Perkins, 1960; L. Hartley, 1961; J. Ray, 1961; J. Tindall, 1961; D. Moore, 1964; E. Creekmore, 1965; B. Radecki, 1965; S. James, 1965; P. Carter, 1966; R. Kevorkian, 1966; G. Samoluk, 1966; J. Lafuze, 1967; T. Wellings, 1968; K. Metz, 1969; J. Spear, 1969; T. Bumgardner, 1970; J. Fish, 1970; E. Arnold, 1971; D. Jordan, 1971; R. LaCosse, 1971; T. Luster, 1971; W. Pelz, 1971; G. Houghton, 1972; C. Martens, 1972; H. Young, 1972; M. Marinko, 1973; R. Kominiarek, 1973; J. Walter, 1973; J. Zumar, 1973; D. Wheaton, 1974; D. Winner, 1974; P. Eck, 1975; D. Shook, 1975; S. Bryant, 1976; D. Copeland, 1976; J. Jordan, 1976; M. Clodfelter, 1977; P. Koch, 1977; D. Zona, 1977; B. Deeds, 1978; T. Greer, 1978; R. Priem, 1979; J. Slupesky, 1979; S. Bagwell, 1980; R. Joyner, 1980; J. Koechling, 1980; J. Farrell, 1981; S. Nolan, 1981; R. Roll, 1981; L. Sanders, 1982; M. Taylor, 1982; D. Batta, 1983; R. Downs, 1983; D. Elmer, 1983; S. Hall, 1983; J. Marum, 1983; G. Swinehart, 1983; C. Erekson, 1984; J. Huller, 1984; G. Klimek, 1984; B. Prichard, 1985; S. Smith, 1985; C. Wilcox, 1985; J. Byerly, 1986; J. Short, 1986; J. Vierow, 1986; D. Johnson, 1987; M. Lancaster, 1987; C. Regenaur, 1987; A. Randazzo, 1987; A. Murray, 1989; S. Barndt 1990; J. Harrell, 1990; G. Heimann, 1990; B. Burger, 1991; S. Engle, 1991; J. Harris, 1991; B. Heinz, 1991; R. Hochstetler, 1991; P. Kimmerle, 1991; B. Lonnberg, 1991; J. Zamora, 1991; G. Hall, 1992; K. Koziol, 1992; B. Miller, 1992; R. Antonini, 1993; W. Haas, 1993; A. Weber, 1993; C. Rolenc, 1994; J. Markwardt, 1995; T. Westbrook, 1996; C. Mills, 1998; M. Pilcher, 1998; C. Ehrhart, 1999; D. Warmuth, 1999; P. Reksel, 2000; K. Casey, 2001; K. Green, 2001; D. Helms, 2002; P. Seyler, 2002; N. Adams, 2003; B. Hirsch, 2004; S. Tourville, 2005; P. Baker, 2006; C. Meyer, 2006; R. Solotke, 2006; M. Wittstein, 2006; A. Betz, 2008; D. Goodwin, 2008; J. Moenter, 2008; M. Schoumacher, 2010; M. Rooney, 2011; P. DeJarnpa, 2013; B. Lackey, 2013; R. Montgomery, 2014; C. Lippelt, 2016; and R. Waite, 2019.

FRIENDS: D. Bremmer, D. Byerly, M. Carrabba, T. Cutaia, L. Gaintner, G. Gstattenbaur, M. Hilgert, J. Ley, L. Metcalfe, J. Marks, P. Parshall, K. Pickering, L. Puetz, K. Reeve, E. Robertson, J. Robertson, C. Rozmaryn, E. Rozmaryn, P. Rozmaryn, J. Schroeder, A. Siebenthaler, N. Tate, M. Townsend, J. Walsh, and E. Wern

32

Alumnus Rob Hochstetler doesn’t mince any words when describing Herb Bailey’s influence on his life, stating “That man changed my life.”

The 1991 electrical engineering alumnus wasn’t alone. Upon learning about Bailey’s death earlier this year (See In Memoriam profile on page 42), several alumni, former teaching colleagues, and friends recalled the longtime mathematics educator’s charm, wit, and kindness. Most importantly, they admired his ability to make people think through the popular Bailey Challenge mathematics problems that were a must-read feature that made Echoes a unique magazine.

“Herb was more than just a teacher to me,” remarked Paul Eck, a 1975 mechanical engineering alumnus who learned about Bailey’s death shortly after completing problems from the Fall 2021 issue.

“He was kind and of the same age as my folks. To have him present on campus was quite a blessing for a potentially homesick youngster,” stated Eck. “Herb made campus more like a friendly home. I was not an avid Challenge solver during that busy career and family-era. I have become (a solver) over the past decade.

I had a lot of problem-solving enjoyment and shared it with others for the love of math. The problems were always varied and challenging in their own unique ways.”

Wolfgang Pelz, a 1971 mathematics alumnus, started solving Bailey’s problems in September 1967 as a first-year student in the longtime professor’s Calculus I class. “I had him for a number of other courses and always found his courses challenging and rewarding,” said Pelz. “His approach to teaching was to rarely give the answer or show the entire solution process, but to ask the student to work through a problem until getting stuck. A minor mistake or misunderstanding would typically get resolved at that point so that the process could continue to a correct solution. That approach chews up more of the professor’s time, but ultimately is much more beneficial to the student.”

Pelz went on to utilize Bailey’s techniques while teaching mathematics, statistics, and computer science courses at the University of Akron.

Another longtime colleague and Challenge solver was Joe Moser, a 1956 electrical engineering graduate.

As an undergraduate student, he shared an office with Bailey one summer while working on math-related projects with Naval Avionics in Indianapolis. “He introduced me to mathematics well beyond what Rose-Hulman then offered,” Moser said.

Bailey Challenge

Bailey Shared Love of Math, Problem Solving with Others

“Reconnecting with (Bailey) through his Bailey Challenge was a real treat,” he continued. “His problems were wide-ranging and interesting. Dr. Bailey’s continuing work with the Challenge provided me many hours of pleasure in solving problems and made me appreciate (again) his joy in mathematics.”

Those interesting chats would continue when Moser returned as a mathematics professor at West Chester University (Pennsylvania) to participate in the Institute’s annual Undergraduate Mathematics Conference. The two mathematics educators also exchanged email messages for several years about Challenge problems.

Dean Straub, 2010 chemical engineering and chemistry alumnus, recalls, “Dr. Bailey's wit, warmth, and interesting problems always gave me pleasure.

It was an outlet to do some 'real' math and geometry that I do not always get to do in my employment.”

Larry Elkin, a 1991 mechanical engineering alumnus, recalled how Bailey used chocolate chip cookies to get students to learn elements of statistics. “We each broke apart our cookies to count the chips,” he stated. “Then, we figured the mean, median, standard deviation, and other topics for a whole bag of cookies. I still remember that lesson 25 years later.”

Bailey introduced simple mathematics principles to Hochstetler while leading a Sunday School class for elementary school students at a Terre Haute church.

Bailey would provide math problems that needed to be completed within the following week, like solving X 2+1 = 0. “Dr. Bailey always encouraged me and developed in me a love for SCHOLARSHIP FUND Rose-Hulman,” said ENCOURAGES FUTURE Hochstetler. “Ultimately, PROBLEM SOLVERS I aged out of Dr. Bailey’s Sunday School class, and I got Herb Bailey’s family has set up into Rose early in my senior a scholarship fund to support year of high school. Dr. Bailey future problem solvers to attend was one of the first people I told. I worked on the Bailey the Operation Catapult summer Challenge each opportunity program. Donations can be made I got to honor Dr. Bailey at www.rose-hulman.edu/give. and test my mind, but most (Designate Herb Bailey importantly to remember Scholarship in “Other” the effect a Sunday School gift category.) teacher had on a young boy with big dreams.” n

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

33

Alumni News

AWARD WINNERS

Alumni Recognized for Making a Difference Rose-Hulman and its Alumni Association recognized alumni, faculty, staff, and students for their considerable career achievements, service to their communities, and dedication to the Institute in the 2022 Alumni Awards ceremony.

“Some of these things all these award winners have in common is they care about other people, and they want to make a significant difference in the world,” said event master of ceremonies Dan Price, a 1975 civil engineering alumnus and a past president of the Alumni Advisory Board.

“Rose challenged them beyond their capabilities … how to recover from failure, reach out for help, offer our help Career Achievement Award to others, and taught us to succeed with each other.”

This honor highlights alumni whose professional achievements have brought distinction to themselves, credit to Rose-Hulman and benefit their communities.

Honor Alumni Awards The Alumni Association’s highest alumni award recognizes exceptional achievement in any career field, vocation, and service to society.

John Elzufon

Chemical Engineering, 1968

He is founder, senior litigator and managing director of the Elzufon Austin & Mondell law firm in Wilmington, Delaware. He specializes in professional liability defense, is the only attorney in Delaware selected by his peers as a “Top Attorney” for medical and legal professional liability defense, and has been elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates. He originally worked as a chemical engineer with DuPont in Wilmington before attending and graduating from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.

Justin Smith

Mechanical Engineering, 2003

He is a senior manager with SpaceX, leading the guidance, navigation and controls team for the Dragon spacecraft. Smith also designed key aspects of the revolutionary booster recovery technology that SpaceX pioneered for the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles. He is currently leveraging his crewed spaceflight experience to lead the SpaceX GNC team on the development of the first commercial human landing system to deliver astronauts to the lunar surface in NASA’s Artemis program.

34

Lt. Col. Kristen Dahle Civil Engineering, 1999

She is the executive director for the U.S. Corps of Engineers’ Commanding General and her next military assignment will be as a military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.

Dahle also has served as a director of national security affairs for the Strategic Studies Institute and Army War College Press and commander of the Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia district. She has been stationed throughout Germany and deployed four times to Middle East combat locations.

Mitch Landess

Electrical Engineering, B.S. 1994/M.S. 1996

He is vice president of innovation and digital transformation for the non-profit Conexus Indiana, helping strengthen the state’s advanced manufacturing and logistics firms. Landess previously spent 17 years in the leadership team of Rose-Hulman Ventures, a program of the Institute that provides STEM solutions for clients. He started his career as a control systems engineer and operations team member for the Wabash River Gasification Repowering Project in Indiana.

Larry Schiefer

Computer Engineering, 1997

He is vice president of software engineering with MIRROR, leading teams creating new at-home fitness products. Earlier, Schiefer was co-founder and chief technology officer of HIQES, a mobile platform and app consulting company. He also has provided Android operating system training sessions around the world and co-authored the 2021 book, “Inside the Android OS.” Schiefer has been recognized as a Google Developer Expert for Android.

Distinguished Young Alumni Award

Honorary Alumni Awards

Alumni are recognized for achieving significant success within their first 10 years after graduation in the areas of career accomplishments, community service and dedication to Rose-Hulman.

A faculty and staff member are recognized annually for demonstrating strong and selfless commitment to the Institute, its students and alumni, along with professional achievement and dedication to the betterment of their departments.

Derek Archer

Biomedical Engineering, 2012

The research assistant professor with Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Department of Neurology is striving to bridge the gap between computational genetics and neuroscience.

This will allow scientists to better understand what genetic risk factors drive white matter neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.

Previously, Archer examined neurodegeneration in a wide variety of aging-related disorders while pursuing a doctorate degree.

Tim Balz

Mechanical Engineering, 2017

He has attributed much of his life to give individuals with mobility disabilities access to technology that aids in their independence.

Balz’s latest project, Kalogon, is creating life-changing products. At age 15, he founded Freedom Chairs, a wheelchair refurbishment charity, and has donated more than 150 chairs to people across the world. As a student, Balz’s Intel Connected Wheelchair was named the top Internet of Things Device of 2014.

Jennifer Mueller, PhD Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

For the past 12 years she has taught courses in water resources and environmental engineering, along with sustainable design. She also is faculty adviser for Engineers for a Sustainable World student chapter.

Jake Campbell

Senior Director of Safety and Security

He has earned the Institute’s Excellence in Service, President’s Outstanding Service and “SuperHero” awards for responsibility of campus environmental health and safety efforts.

Collegian Rosie Award

Rachel M. Romas Student Award

This honor recognizes an alumnus who as a faculty and staff member has helped elevate the Institute’s mission, strengthened the bridge between alumni and campus, and proven themselves to be an advocate for lifelong relationships with their alma mater.

An outstanding member of the Student Alumni Association is honored annually for exhibiting excellence in academics and character, while demonstrating a strong commitment to Rose-Hulman’s initiatives and having the promise for post-college success.

Chad Weber

Sean Childers

He has led facilities operations since 2020, managing several recent major capital construction and renovation projects on campus.

He has been president and secretary of Rose’s Association of Future Alumni, secretary for the Interfraternity Council for men’s Greek Life on campus, and secretary of his fraternity.

Mechanical Engineering, 2002 Director of Facilities Operations

Alumni News

AWARD WINNERS

Junior Civil Engineering

Watch the 2022 Alumni Awards ceremony at rb.gy/k9ssco.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

35

Alumni News

TAKING NOTE

Duo Brings Strategic Vision, Tech Expertise to Board of Trustees Successful alumni Kelly (Sullivan) Noel and Koushik Subramanian have brought knowledge, talent and experience in technology career fields to the Rose-Hulman Board of Trustees. They also have an understanding of and appreciation for developing higher education strategies.

Their terms of service to the Institute began this spring.

Noel

Noel, a 2002 electrical engineering alumna, is vice president of the UPMC’s corporate construction and real estate division based in Pittsburgh. She has been listed among Diversity MBA’s Top 100 Rising Stars Under 50 (2020). Her Rose-Hulman service has included serving the Alumni Advisory Board as president (2019-21) and vice president (2018-19), and executive board member (since 2016).

“Rose-Hulman is a highly successful school with a tremendous trajectory. There is an incredible opportunity ahead of us and planning for the inevitable evolution of education, especially in areas of diversity, equity and inclusion,” Noel says.

Meanwhile, Subramanian, a 2006 computer engineering alumnus, has expertise in the fields of cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (commonly known as NFTs) Subramanian and smart contracts. In 2022, he founded drophouse.art to combine his interests in art, fashion and crypto. Subramanian provided the Institute with its first crypto gift earlier this year. (Page 15) Being a trustee is the next opportunity for Subramanian “to give back to the place that invigorated my sense of lifelong learning, unlocked my curiosity about future technologies, and providing the skills to adapt quickly to an ever-changing tech world … I want to help make sure Rose-Hulman and its graduates are always on the leading edge of the learning curve.”

FIRST Responders

Rose-Hulman has some of the world’s brightest alumni and faculty. Watch and learn about sports technology, robotics and coronaviruses in these new Rose Talks:

Engineering Home Runs Keenan Long (ME, 2010) Co-Founder, LongBall Labs After an Athletic Hall of Fame baseball career at Rose, Long has taken his passion for the sport and his engineering skills to provide proprietary technology to help Major League Baseball players aim for the fences.

Long

Robotics Carlotta Berry, PhD Lawrence J. Giacoletto Endowed Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Berry discusses robotics and artificial intelligence, and how having a bias toward them can impact society.

Berry

Coronaviruses As Emerging Human Pathogens Jennifer O’Connor, PhD

Several alumni helped the Institute host the 2022 FIRST Robotics Indiana State Championships, including (first row, from left) Jonathan Nibert (BSCPE, 2012/MSEMGT, 2013), Taylor Frey (CPE, 2020) and Kaitlyn Gulley (OE, 2020). In the back row (from left) are Andy Milluzzi (CPE/SE, 2012), Kris Verdeyen (EE, 2000), Jim Fox (EE, 1995), Marie Hanson (ME, 2020) Garrett Wight (ME, 2020), Danielle Gehron (BE, 2017), Ellie Honious (ME, 2018), Rahul Yaralagadda (ME/CS, 2017), and Jonathon Boutell (CE, 2021). See story on Page 24.

Professor of Biology Professor O'Connor shares her expertise about infectious diseases. She also has been doing O'Connor research with students examining virus evolution and characterization of a SARS-CoV-2 protein. Find out what they found.

Watch these and other presentations at rose-hulman.edu/RoseTalks.

Alumni Calendar BASEBALL – DETROIT vs. MINNESOTA Comerica Park, Downtown Detroit July 23, 2022

NASHVILLE AREA ALUMNI GATHERING

ROSE-HULMAN CAMPUS

October 7-9 36

2022

HOMECOMING

Sinema Restaurant & Bar, Nashville July 27, 2022

WOODWARD DREAM CRUISE (Classic Car Cruise) Ferndale, Michigan | August 20, 2022

BASEBALL – CUBS vs. MILWAUKEE Brixen Ivy (Overlooking Wrigley Field) August 21, 2022

70s Steven G. Parmelee (1975, EE) co-authored “The Essentials of Japanese Patent Prosecution” (ABA Book Publishing). He is a partner at the Chicago office of Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP and has authored nearly 2,000 patent applications for in-house and private practice.

Andrew M. Roberts (ME, 1977) was named the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management’s Engineer of the Year. He is an engineer with the IBLM’s western U.S. office.

Bruce R. Deeds (ME, 1978) retired as a certified program manager after more than 41 years with Honeywell.

80s Robert M. Lenich (CHE, 1981) solves operating issues for life science manufacturing as director of global life sciences with Emerson Automation Solutions.

James A. Renfro (EE, 1981) retired as a senior engineering fellow with Raytheon Technologies. He spent more than 40 years working in the defense industry.

Michael L. Donoghue (ME, 1982) is president and chief executive officer of Rain Bird Corp., a global provider of irrigation products. He has been in a variety of manufacturing and leadership roles with the company since 1990.

Alan C. Yarcusko (EE, 1983) is a new member of the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association's Board of Directors.

He is vice president of government and regulatory affairs/ general counsel for diversified businesses with Bridgestone Americas.

James D. White (ME, 1984) was listed among “20 People to Know in Engineering” by the Pittsburgh Business Times. He is president and chief executive officer of LLI Engineering in Pittsburgh.

Robert S. Patti (PH/EE, 1985) is president of NHanced Semiconductors Inc., which has opened a new manufacturing model for custom integrated circuits as part of the Westgate Technology Park near the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana.

Earl Wiggins (EE, 1985) is vice president of operations and manufacturing with EnPower. He has more than 30 years of leadership in energy storage and computer hardware industries, and formerly was senior director of cell production with Tesla Motors.

Derin M. Bluhm (EE, 1987) is chief technology officer with Zonda, a company providing data-driven housing market solutions to the homebuilding and multifamily industries.

Dean A. Moretton (EE, 1987) is chief commercial officer with Hydrogen Technologies, bringing zero-emission hydrogen DCC boiler solutions to meet commercial and industrial applications.

Kenneth W. Roberts (ME, 1988) has started a four-year term on the board of directors with the National Kitchen & Bath Association.

He is president of Delta Faucet Company.

Jeffrey A. Harrison (EE, 1989) received an honorary degree from Vincennes University (Indiana), where he attended before transferring to Rose-Hulman. He is president/chief executive officer of Citizens Energy Group and a Rose-Hulman trustee.

Art D. Womack (EE, 1989) presented a webinar, “Don’t Get Bent Out of Shape Due to Poor Meter Runs,” for fluid component professionals. He is business development manager with Fluids Components International.

90s

Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

Kevin R. Fesler (ME, 1990) is chief revenue officer with Red 6, a tech firm at the forefront of synthetic air combat training for the U.S. Air Force, where he was a 24-year veteran.

Michael C. Hoffa (ME, 1990) is chief compliance officer with Probo Medical. He had been the company’s chief operations officer since 2016.

Brett A. Starr (ME, 1990) has written his second book of poetry, “Random Acts of Poetry – Act 2: A Buffet of Poetry Just for You.” (Kindle Direct Publishing) Kurt F. Breischaft (EE, 1991) is serving as second vice president of the Wire Association Inc., a worldwide technical society for wire and cable industry professionals.

He is president with SDI LaFarge COPPERWORK in New Haven, Indiana.

Mussallem Earns National Academy of Engineering, Healthcare CEO Honors Mike Mussallem (BSCHE, 1974/HDENG, 1999) has been named to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest honors bestowed upon an engineer, in recognition to his outstanding contributions as chair and chief executive officer of Edwards Lifesciences. Meanwhile, Healthcare Technology Report also named the Rose-Hulman trustee as a Top 50 Healthcare Technology CEO for 2022.

Under Mussallem’s leadership, Edwards has established itself as a global leader in patient-focused medical innovations with the introduction of lifesaving and life-sustaining therapies. He also has established Edwards’ commitment to philanthropy and corporate social responsibility. The Irvine, California-based company has been recognized among the world’s most ethical companies.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

37

Alumni News

CLASS NOTES Robert (Rob) C. Hochstetler (EE, 1991) received a lifetime achievement award from the Global Environmental Awareness organization.

He is president/chief executive officer of Central Electric Power Cooperative in South Carolina.

Kenneth J. Koziol (CE, 1992) is now chief development officer with The Garrett Companies, where he been part of the management team since 2014.

Krishnan Ramanujam (MSEE, 1992) is chairperson of the National Association of Software and Services Companies, an international trade association based in India. He is president of enterprise growth business within Tata Consultancy Services.

W. Scott Zion (ME, 1992) is director of medium duty vehicles with Xos, Inc., a manufacturer of fully electric commercial vehicles.

Timothy A. Boyd (EE, 1996) has been named an engineering fellow with Raytheon Intelligence & Space for his many contributions in satellite ground system conceptualization and realization.

Gregory T. Hawkins (ME, 1997) was among the Automotive News’ 2021 Notable Champions of Diversity in Automotive. He is manager of diversity supplier development with FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Larry J. Schiefer (CPE, 1997) is vice president of software engineering at MIRROR, helping introduce technology for an interactive home gym. He also has co-authored the book “Inside the Android OS.” Sam P. Jackson (EE, 1998) is chief operating officer of BSA Life Structures after being director of engineering with the national architecture and engineering firm.

Ryan J. Loftus (CHE, 1998) owns Budget Blinds, a company providing window treatment services in Terre Haute.

formerly a technical staff member with Sandia National Laboratories.

Matthew R. Kane (BSME, 1999/MSBE, 2002) is chief executive officer of Tune Therapeutics, a new biotechnology company that’s pioneering the creation of revolutionary genetic epi-therapeutic medicines.

Leo X. Morand (CE, 2002) is now a division director with Gewalt Hamilton Associates, Inc., where he has worked since 2008.

Marco A. Morales (CPE, 1999) is leading suspension controls product development as director of engineering with Link Manufacturing.

00s Brian Case (MSEMGT, 2000) is chief technology officer with KORU Medical Systems, a medical tech company developing home infusion solutions.

Andrew E. Engle (CS, 2001) is principal software engineer with Ripcord after working in software systems with MetaCX and Salesforce.

Gregory M. Gotwald (CHE, 2001) is the managing partner of Indianapolis’ Plews Shadley Racher & Braun law firm and has been named a fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel. He specializes in insurance and environmental law and helped lead the firm’s COVID-19 insurance recovery work.

Rebecca (Merow) L. Calvert (CE, 2002) graduated summa cum laude as a cadet with the Los Alamos (New Mexico) Fire Department’s 2022 induction class. She was

Tougaw to Lead American Society of Engineering Education Doug Tougaw (EE, 1991), PhD, has been elected president of the American Society for Engineering Education, a nonprofit organization of more than 12,000 individuals and institutions that look to further engineering and engineering technology education. He also was named dean of the Valparaiso University College of Engineering earlier this year.

Tougaw has served ASEE in several leadership capacities at the national and Illinois/Indiana district levels. He joined the Valpo faculty in 1996 and twice served as chair of the university’s electrical and computer engineering department. His research and interests have included quantum electronics, embedded microcontrollers, and electromagnetic field theory.

38

Christopher Naviaux (CPE, 2002) is chief information officer with Katz, Sapper & Miller, overseeing the advisory, tax and audit firm’s digital transformation. He had been CIO with Weaver Fundraising in Indianapolis.

Elizabeth J. (Farquhar) Sobota (ME, 2003) is an engineering educator for 9-12 grade students with the McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology in Lawrence Township, Indiana.

Erin (Bender) Howe (ME, 2004) is a research assistant professor at University of Notre Dame’s Harper Cancer Research Institute, investigating how breast cancer spreads to the brain. She earned a PhD in cancer biology from the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus.

Jason S. Lanie (BSME, 2002/MSEMGT, 2005) is vice president and general manager of biotechnology business with Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. He previously had been vice president of marketing.

Joel M. Smith (CHE, 2002) is an editorial advisory board member with iSixSigma, which distributes information about Lean SixSigma. He is director of continuous improvement with Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. Grant T. Hoffman (ME, 2003) is a board member of Cintrifuse, an organization striving to make the Greater Cincinnati area a Midwest startup hub and top innovation center in the U.S. He is director of startups with University of Cincinnati’s Venture Lab. Adrian L. (Meadows) Odle (ME, 2003) is owner of Creekside Meadows Flower Farm, a micro-farm in Spencerville, Indiana.

GM’s Heap Has Robust Patent Portfolio Anthony Heap (ME/EE, 1997) has dealt with a plenty of innovations as a global technical specialist for General Motors’ electrification propulsion controls program. His impressive portfolio of patents is ranked 22nd in the world and 14th in the United States with 124 publications and more than 17,900 citations for mechanical and aerospace engineering publications, ranging back to 2005.

Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

Heap also is ranked 78th nationally for electronic and electrical engineering patents from 106 publications.

GM colleague Greg Hubbard (ME, 1994), director of vehicle motion embedded controls, contributed to several of Heap’s early patents.

Alex V. Kutsenok (CS, 2004) is an assistant professor of computer science and information technology with Trine University (Indiana). He formerly was a software engineer for a video game company and military projects as well a research fellow at Michigan State University.

Ryan N. Rakestraw (EE, 2006) received an Emerging Leader Award from Washington University’s Olin Business School. He is a director at Temasek International and formerly co-founded Monsanto Growth Ventures’ Cultivation Capital and Yield Laboratory.

Daniel F. Conley (CE, 2005) was among the Wabash Valley’s “12 Under 40” award winners for making valuable contributions to their businesses and the community.

He is operations manager with Milestone Contractors South (formerly Wabash Valley Asphalt).

Eric D. Wojak (CE, 2006) is vice president of development for Thompson Thrift’s luxury leased homes division.

Jiao Guo (MSCHE, 2005) is senior lead application development and technical support engineer for colorant chromatics high performance polymers with Avient Corporation.

Chad A. Reiger (ME, 2005) was named one of the 2021 “Pump Professionals to Watch” by Pumps&Systems.

He is an engineered-to-order application engineer with Peerless Pump.

Michael A. Thompson (CE, 2005) and Todd C. Wallace (CE, 2005) have key engineering roles with Civil & Environmental Consultants Inc.’s Indianapolis office. Thompson formerly founded Hamilton Designs, which CEC acquired in December 2021. Wallace was director of engineering with Hamilton Designs.

John D. Beety (ECON, 2006) is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America after writing for Wizards of the Coast, the Korean game studio JOYCITY, and a fantasy series startup.

Gabriel A. Golcher (CS/SE/MA, 2006) is director of user experience with Lakeside Software. He had previous design experiences with Amazon and SecurityScorecard.

Kevin B. Knue (ME, 2006) is senior vice president and partner with Bremmer Real Estate after being vice president of development.

Stephen R. Schnelle (EE, 2007) earned a master’s degree in engineering management from Auburn University. He became the first graduate of the college’s cohort with Radiance Technologies, where Schnelle is an electrical engineer.

Hugh L. Allen-Magande (MSEMGT, 2009) was inducted into the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ College of Fellows for excellence in industry product design. He is the principal technical researcher with Southface Institute.

Nathan M. Hedrick (CHE, 2009) is flow product marketing manager with Endress+Hauser after managing the company’s technical support team.

Elizabeth J. (Ridgway) Krasowski (CE, 2009) is a project manager with Ramboll’s Energy-Advanced Manufacturing division. She is helping develop fuel cell, battery, and wind power sustainable energy projects.

Michelle J. (Vitale) Nolan (EE, 2009) is senior manager for consulting solutions with Pricewaterhouse-Coopers’ cloud innovation and engineering division.

Sophia J. Percival (BE, 2009) was named mong “10 Under 40” by the Bloomington (Indiana) Chamber of Commerce. She is director of drug product manufacturing with Catalent Pharma Solutions.

Whitney D. Zimmerman (EE, 2009) is an associate partner working at Kinsey & Company’s office in Scotland.

10s Landry A. Carbo (OE, 2010) has been inducted into Marquis Who’s Who, featuring leaders in business and technology. He is director of purchasing with System Services Pipeline Company in Louisiana.

David A. Hormuth (BE, 2010) is paving the way for personalized cancer treatment as a research associate at the University of Texas’ Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences.

Paul B. Bouagnon (BE, 2011) is space industry business development manager with National Instruments.

Rebecca C. Bowermaster (BE, 2011) is manager of biostatistics with Natera, which provides cell-free DNA testing with a focus on women’s health, oncology and organ health.

Reed Eason (ME, 2011) is a senior program manager with Boeing Company’s F-15 international operations.

Gannon P. Sadzeck (CHE, 2011) is national operations manager with DPC Industries, Inc. after nearly six years with Olin Corporation.

David J. Sanborn (BSME, 2011/MSEMGT, 2012) is associate director of supply chain operations with Eli Lilly and Company.

Alex P. Kline (CE, 2012) is the operations leader of Infrastructure Engineering Inc.’s Indianapolis office. He has worked in a variety of roles with the company since graduation.

Andy J. Milluzzi (SE/CPE, 2012) is now a senior ride controls systems engineer with Walt Disney Imagineering's Ride Studio. He earned a PhD from the University of Florida before being a senior systems engineer with Walt Disney World.

Capt. Kyle R. Spiegel (SE, 2012) was protocol officer-in-charge of supporting U.S. Army’s medical and security screenings, housing assignments and processing of Afghan evacuations in Kuwait and Qatar.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

39

Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

Trio Take Key Leadership Roles at NSWC Crane Three alumni are new members of the executive leadership team with the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s division in Crane, Indiana.

Kyle Werner (MSEMGT, 2002), PhD, is the center’s deputy technical director, James R. (JR) Ross (MSEMGT, 2002) is the director for the Global Deterrence and Defense Department, and Brent Voigtschild (BSME, 1999/MSME, 2002) is director of the corporate operations department. They are among 10 seniorlevel executives responsible for directing departments and leading the naval laboratory and field activity center.

Werner had been acting director of Global Deterrence and Defense Department. Ross had been the deputy director of the Global Deterrence and Defense Department. Voigtschild is overseeing several internal operations areas, including human resources and corporate communications.

Maggie A. (Schultz) Bridge (BSBE, 2013/ MSEMGT, 2014) is associate director of regulatory affairs with BD, a global medical technology company.

Will P. Kolbus (BSEE, 2013/MSEMGT, 2014) is senior product manager with Ironclad Inc. after spending more than seven years with Salesforce.

department. She had been a project and staff engineering with RQAW Corporation.

Elaine M. Schaudt (CE, 2014) is construction process leader for Tesla’s supercharger operations across North America.

Madison A. (Thompson) Murphy (BE, 2017) is now a clinical project leader with Zimmer Biomet.

Sidharth Ramesh (ME, 2016) is a data engineer with Tiger Analytics in Toronto, Canada.

Juliana M. Richter (OP, 2016) earned a PhD from University of Arizona’s College of Optical Sciences for her work in passive illumination remote-sensing vibrometry.

Anna M. Weber (BIO, 2016) is laboratory supervisor with Community Healthcare System in Munster, Indiana.

Gage H. Wilkinson (ME, 2016) is a project manager at Rose-Hulman Ventures after being an engineer with Omnisite.

Kira M. (Boswell) Buell (ME, 2014) is an advanced lead engineer with GE Aviation’s thermal systems division after being with Raytheon Technologies.

Joy L. (Atzinger) Bosse (CE, 2017) is a project engineer in United Consulting’s water and wastewater

Tracy A. (Older) Dunn (ME, 2014) has opened Traces Boutique, a Burlington, Iowa, business that sells BCMC: Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

EN: Environmental Engineering

sustainable clothing and accessories supporting world conservation and public interest groups.

Benjamin H. Klick (CE, 2016) is a senior project engineer with Bowen Engineering Corporation.

Heather (Finnell) Buker (BSCPE, 2014/MSEMGT, 2015) is chief technology officer with 6clicks, which provides software solutions for business risk and compliance programs.

|

|

|

|

BE: Biomedical Engineering

CPE: Computer Engineering EP: Engineering Physics

|

|

CS: Computer Science

MATH: Mathematics

|

|

|

BIO: Biology

|

Kyle D. Washburn (PH, 2017) is assistant director of residence life at Rose-Hulman.

Jake T. Working (BSME, 2017; MSEMGT, 2019) is an undergraduate academic advisor in the University of Tennessee’s Department of Material Science and Engineering.

20s Grace E. Beach (BE, 2021) was among Indiana's “Rising 30 under the age of 30” by Conexus Indiana.

She is a supply chain management rotational development associate with Roche Diagnostics in Indianapolis.

Emily Malueg (ME, 2021) was the inaugural recipient of the Gregory S. Fehribach Center’s Dustin Gilmer Award for Excellence in completing internships for college graduates with physical disabilities.

She was an intern with Eskenazi Health Biomedical Engineering in 2020 and 2021 and is now a continuous improvement engineer with BraunAbility, another Fehribach client.

BIOE: Biological Engineering

ECON: Economics

|

ME: Mechanical Engineering

W E WANT YOUR NE WS!

40

Voigtschild

Scott Johnston (ME, 2016) is an applied aerodynamicist with Zipline. He formerly worked at Nimbus, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Race Team, Tesla, and Ford Motor Company NASCAR Racing.

Nick A. Birch (ME, 2014) is vice president of learning with Eleven Fifty Academy, a nonprofit organization providing computer coding and cybersecurity education experiences.

CHEM: Chemistry

Ross

Kylie M. McCollum (CHE, 2015) is a system integrator with Whirlpool Corporation.

Matthew J. Iwema (SE, 2013) is leading deployment of Eli Lilly and Company’s manufacturing execution system. He has started designing the computer system for the company’s new manufacturing plant in Limerick, Ireland.

AB: Applied Biology

Werner

|

EE: Electrical Engineering

|

|

OE: Optical Engineering

|

CE: Civil Engineering

MAJORS KEY CHE: Chemical Engineering

EMGT: Engineering Management

|

PH: Physics

|

SE: Software Engineering

Send news and photographs to alumniaffairs@rose-hulman.edu.

|

Weddings

Lanke Honored for Exemplary Sports Information Service Kevin Lanke (ECON, 1997) will receive the Lester Jordan Award this summer for exemplary service to the College Sports Information Director of America’s Academic All-America Program. He is assistant athletic director for sports information and communications.

Lanke is chair of the CoSIDA Academic All-America Core Committee, the organization’s largest committee. It honors student-athletes within all collegiate divisions for their academic and athletic accomplishments. He has contributed to the Institute having at least one Academic All-American for 36 consecutive years, hosting NCAA Division III national and regional competitions, and earning 28 national sports communications publication awards since 2002.

Caleb B. Drake (SE, 2013) married Rachel Spudic October 23, 2021, at the German Park in Indianapolis, where their relationship flourished as dance partners in die Fledermäuschen Tanzgruppe, a troupe that performs and teaches German folk dance throughout Indiana. They live in Franklin, Indiana, where Caleb is a planning engineer with Johnson County REMC.

Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

Anna E. Taylor (CHE, 2015) and Kevin W. Mauser (CE, 2016) were married May 15, 2021, in Owensboro, Kentucky.

They now reside in Florence, Kentucky. Anna is an environmental engineer with Nucor Steel Gallatin and Kevin is a senior application engineer with Wynright Corporation.

Colton C. Motz (CE, 2016) married Taylor Anderson October 9, 2021, in Evansville, Indiana.

They now live in Noblesville, Indiana.

He is a senior project engineer with Bowen Engineering in Indianapolis.

Celebrating A Slice of Pi Pi Day on March 14 – 3/14 – is a significant event on campus for Rose-Hulman mathematical statistics professors Megan Heyman (MA, 2008) and Eric Reyes (MA/ECON, 2006). Heyman, an assistant professor, is associate head of the Department of Mathematics. Reyes is an associate professor.

Justin J. Willoughby (CS, 2018) and Rebecca E. Poppel (BE, 2018) were married October 16, 2021, in Tipp City, Ohio. They live in Milwaukee, where Justin is a manager with Edgile and Becca is a production manager with Baxter.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

41

Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI

Marcus Dunbar (EE, 2004) and wife, Laura, welcomed their second child, Emerson James, on November 12, 2021. The family lives in Bloomington, Indiana, and he is a supervisor at the nearby Naval Surface Warfare Center division in Crane, Indiana.

Joshua N. Scott (EE, 2004) and wife, Mecha, had a daughter, Isla Fae, on January 5, 2022. The family lives in Louisville, where Joshua is a lead account manager with Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities Company.

Jill (Floyd) Birt (AB, 2008) and husband, Kyle Birt (ME, 2008), welcomed their second son, Brighton Wilder, on April 30, 2022. Brighton died shortly after birth, but his parents and brother Lassen continue to celebrate his life. The family lives in Indianapolis.

Lauren M. (Reberger) Allen (BE, 2014) and husband, Shea, had a daughter, Amelia “Millie”, on August 21, 2021, in Indianapolis. Lauren is a development engineer with Eli Lilly and Company.

42

In Memoriam

Rosebuds

Andrea (Bollinger) Long (CE, 2008) and husband, Brandon Long (ME, 2006) welcomed their second child, Elliot, in March 2021.

The family lives in Arvada, Colorado.

Isaac Weintraub (ME, 2009) and wife, Andrea, had their first child, son Stanley Ephraim, on April 18, 2022. The family lives in Dayton, Ohio, where Isaac is an electrical engineer with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Control Science Center.

Katie (Ross) Madinger (MA/ECON, 2013) and Grant Madinger (CHE, 2013) welcomed their second child, Conner, in October 2021. He joins big sister, Millie (born October 2019). The family lives in Noblesville, Indiana.

Leah (Markowitz) Ackley (CHE, 2015) and husband, Dustin, welcomed their first child, daughter Clare Lynn, on February 2, 2022.

The family lives in Midland, Michigan, where Leah is an improvement engineer with Trinseo.

Rosemary (Yost) Dolesh (CHE, 2015) and Clay Dolesh (ME, 2016) had their first child, Otto Zigmund, on September 2, 2021. Clay is an advanced manufacturing engineer with American Battery Solutions. The family lives in Trenton, Ohio.

Benjamin H. Klick (CE, 2016) and wife, Emily, had their first child, Jonah Robert, on August 6, 2021. The family lives in Noblesville, Indiana, and Ben is a preconstruction manager with F.A. Wilhelm.

Ethan Kieffner (CE, 2018) and fiancé, Marley Martins, had a son, Cole William, on November 3, 2021, in Naperville, Illinois. The family moved this spring to Westfield, Indiana, where Ethan is a project engineer with Becknell Industrial.

Herb Bailey was Ready for any Mathematics Challenge Legendary mathematics educator and popular problem creator Herb R. Bailey (EE, 1945/CHE, 1947), 96, died January 29, 2022, in Avon, Indiana. He was an emeritus faculty member after teaching in the Department of Mathematics for 26 years (1966-1992) and served as Dean of Faculty for a short time in the early 1970s. His Bailey Challenge problems in Echoes endeared Bailey with alumni and friends long after the conclusion of his teaching tenure. Survivors are five children, nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. These include son Mark Bailey (CHE, 1976), who has continued the Bailey Challenge in this issue, and grandson/granddaughter-inlaw Michael Schoumacher (ME, 2010) and Denise (Tom) Schoumacher (CHE, 2010). (See alumni tributes to Bailey’s career with the Bailey Challenge on pages 32-33.)

Vernon L. Bischopink (CE, 1953), 96, died February 8, 2022, in Homewood, Illinois. He was superintendent of construction with U.S. Steel in Gary, Indiana, for several years before managing the construction of a steel mill in Indonesia with United Engineering Consultants.

John D. Gadberry (ME, 1956), 88, died April 11, 2022, in Kokomo, Indiana.

He retired after a 35-year career as an engineer with Chrysler.

In Memoriam (continued)

Jack L. McDonald (ME, 1957), 86, died February 22, 2022, in his hometown of Washington, Indiana. He retired after working with the U.S. Navy at the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane Division. He also spent time with the family’s McDonald Chevrolet business in Washington and worked for the Ohio Oil Company, Shell Oil Company and Celanese Corporation. Survivors include Stuart McDonald (CHE, 1979).

Jack D. Shumate (CHE, 1957), 85, died December 19, 2021, in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan.

He used a law degree to become a frequent author and national expert in environmental aspects of real estate.

Jerry L. Blickhahn (CHE, 1958), 85, died April 10, 2022, in Lemont, Illinois. He retired after being an application specialist with s was a chemical engineer with Viskase Corporation.

Norman C. Grimshaw (EE, 1958), 86, died January 21, 2022, in Glenview, Illinois.

He spent his entire career in the lighting industry, assisting in the renovation of the Statute of Liberty in 1986, and helped professional organizations establish efficiency and safety industry standards.

Richard K. Irey (ME, 1958), 85, died February 18, 2022, in Fernandina, Florida. He spent his Philip D. Kennedy (ME, 1958), 85, died November 6, 2021, in Indianapolis. He was co-owner of Kennedy Hardware and was a writer/technical editor for several publications. He shared his love of creating antique furniture and writing in the best-seller Hoosier Cabinets book.

Richard D. Wegrich (ME, 1958), 86, died January 6, 2022, in Huntsville, Alabama. He retired after being a division chief with NASA, making significant contributions to the Skylab and Hubble Space Telescope projects.

John Max Kirk (ME, 1960), 83, died January 1, 2022, in St. Louis. He dedicated most of his career to education, serving as president and business division chair of Richland Community College in Decatur, Illinois.

Louis P. (Phil) Oldham (EE, 1960), 83, died April 26, 2022, in Greenwood, Indiana. He had a long career working with several military contractors and medical device manufacturers.

Warren K. Griffith (CHE, 1961), 82, died March 26, 2022, in Neenah, Wisconsin. He retired after nearly 50 years in various positions with Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

James J. Kvas (ME, 1961), 82, died May 15, 2022, in Highland, Indiana.

plant operations with several chemical companies.

analytical chemist with Eli Lilly and Company.

Dennis W. Humes (ME, 1968), 75, died January 11, 2022, in Decatur, Illinois. He was an engineer with Mueller Company.

Survivors include his son, Michael (CHE, 1999).

David M. Tennessen (EE, 1975), 68, died March 18, 2022, in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He spent more than 30 years with Teletype/AT&T Corporation, NCR Corporation and Honeywell International Inc.

John G. Auten (CHE, 1969), 75, died April 5, 2022, in Muncie, Indiana. He worked for Crown Corporation after being a senior plastics engineer with General Motors Corporation and Delphi Corporation.

William O. Young (ME, 1961), 83, died February 19, 2022, in LaGrange, Georgia. He became a real estate agent after serving as general manager with Automotive Moulding Company’s LaGrange plastics division, president with Goetze Gasket Company, and field sales manager with Ford Motor Company.

Morris K. Belknap (MA/ECON, 1969), 76, died March 31, 2022, in Louisville. He retired as a self-employed consultant.

James T. Malone (EE, 1962), 81, died May 7, 2022, in Annapolis, Maryland. He retired after 39 years working with unmanned underwater vehicles with Westinghouse.

Jerald M. Connan (MSEE, 1970), 78, died January 26, 2022, in Savannah, Georgia, He worked in the weapons quality evaluation laboratory with the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane, Indiana.

Ralph J. Wardle (CE, 1962), 82, died November 25, 2021, in Reno, Texas. He retired after a lengthy career with Campbell Soup, including 15 years working at the company’s plant in Paris, Texas.

Ronald L. Chapman (EE, 1965), 78, died October 25, 2021, in Bloomington, Indiana. He was a skilled and effective trial lawyer, serving as a deputy prosecuting attorney, being a partner in several law firms, and having a private practice that specialized in insurance defense and criminal defense cases.

Gary “Pete” D. Bradham (CHE, 1967), 76, died November 23, 2021, in Mount Vernon, Illinois. He was a management consultant with Arthur Andersen Company and Arthur Young Company before his Bradham Group operated 10 retail grocery stores across Illinois.

David L. Harshbarger (CE, 1968), 75, died April 23, 2022, in Houston. He travelled throughout the world as a technical sales representative and manager of

Robert W. Smith (EE, 1969), 74, died December 20, 2021, in Indianapolis. He had a 40-year career with Electrical Equipment Company, retiring as president and owner.

Mark V. Lowry (BIOE, 1970), 73, died December 1, 2021, in Wharton, Texas. He worked for the Texas State Health Department, Turner, Collie & Braden/AECOM, and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District.

Randall G. Grous (AERO, 1971), 72, died October 31, 2021, in Ellington, Connecticut. He retired after a 41-year career as an elevator mechanic with Otis and Lonsdale elevator companies.

David A. Hagar (CHE, 1972), 71, died November 6, 2021, in Sumter, South Carolina. He retired as director of engineering with Phi-Bro Animal Health after spending the first 28 years of his professional career with Dow Chemical Company.

Michael W. Mueller (BE, 1972), 71, died February 9, 2022, in Jamestown, Ohio. He retired as a lieutenant colonel after a 23year career in the U.S. Army.

Randall C. McRoberts (CHEM, 1975), 69, died February 4, 2022, in Brownsburg, Indiana. He was an

Kevin J. Brewer (EE, 1976), 68, died May 14, 2022, in Kokomo, Indiana. He was a software engineer for several companies in the automotive industry.

Timothy D. Chambers (ME, 1977), 72, died February 18, 2022, in Greenfield, Indiana. He helped develop several airplane models for Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Belcan, and other aeronautical companies.

Michael E. Griggs (ME/MA, 1978), 67, died March 25, 2022, near Cincinnati, Ohio. He retired from the Gorilla Glue Company after also working with Proctor & Gamble. He was inducted into the Rose-Hulman Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996 after excelling as a basketball and baseball player, helping the 1976-77 basketball team advance to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III tournament.

David B. Montgomery (EE, 1979), 65, died April 17, 2022, in Orlando. He was an aerospace reliability manager with the Harris Corporation.

Joe S. Gaines (EE, 1980), 63, died January 26, 2022, in Bloomington, Indiana. He was associate dean of the innovation laboratory at East Carolina University after serving as chief technology officer during a 33-year career with the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane, Indiana.

David L. James (ME, 1980), 63, died October 21, 2021, in Rock Island, Illinois. He spent most of his life in overseas ministry and was the founding director of the World of Life Hungary Bible Institute and Alliance for Biblical Integrity.

Alan L. Hippleheuser (CHE, 1984), 59, died September 2, 2021, in Clermont, Florida. He was a nurse practitioner.

Jeffrey D. Lancaster (EE, 1986), 57, died February 26, 2022, in Columbia, Missouri. He retired after being a supervisor in nuclear energy operations with Ameren Corporation.

James Dale (J.D.) Rohrer (CE, 1998), 46, died January 26, 2022, in Damascus, Ohio. He worked in the steel industry.

Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

Lewis L. Henry (EE/CS, 1999), 44, died March 9, 2022, in Oblong, Illinois. He was a software engineer with Tellabs and Chamberlain Group.

Carlos D. McGowan (EE, 2000), 48, died April 16, 2022, in Indianapolis. He was a staff engineer with Eli Lilly and Company.

Quentin W. Kramer (BSEE, 2002/MSEE, 2003), 41, died January 29, 2022, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Benjamin D. Hall (MSOE, 2011), 32, died December 1, 2021, in Bedford, Indiana. He worked as an optical engineer.

Edwin R. Scott (ME, 2013), 31, died March 9, 2022, in Portland, Tennessee.

SPECIAL FRIENDS Christa Percopo, 75, died May 15, 2022, in New York City. She and her late husband Michael Percopo, a former Rose-Hulman trustee, were loyal philanthropic supporters of the Institute.

Percopo Residence Hall was named in recognition of the couple’s generous gifts supporting the Institute and its students.

FACULTY/STAFF Peter R. Varda, 94, died December 15, 2021, in Brazil, Indiana. He was an assistant football coach at Rose-Hulman for several years.

Robert J. Warren, 89, died January 31, 2022, in Kendallville, Indiana. His college football coaching career included a short term as an assistant at Rose-Hulman.

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

43

Down Memory Lane

MEMORIES GALORE

timeless

TOKENS

Massive Collection of Relics Document Rose History

M

any alumni may have copies of the cherished Ski Terre Haute poster. Some may have a collection of specialty t-shirts worn during their college years. Some may even have school hats, coffee mugs, editions of Modulus yearbooks, issues of the Rose Thorn newspaper, and other Rose-Hulman-themed memorabilia.

But John Becker (CHEM, 1989) may be the only person who has a handwritten letter documenting an 1839 buggy journey to St. Louis by Institute founder Chauncey Rose, or 1887 correspondence from former president Thomas C. Mendenhall to a prospective student.

Then there’s the bronze Heminway Medal presented to Herman Heichert (1894) after completing his first year, and the gold Heminway Medal presented to 1939 graduate Richard Altekruse for having the highest grade-point average.

And there’s more … lots more. In fact, hundreds of special artifacts documenting the Institute’s traditions, special occasions and history nearly fill the basement of Becker’s Terre Haute home. He developed an appreciation for Rose-Hulman as a junior high school student and later was the top-scoring ninth grade student in the 1981 Rose-Hulman High School Mathematics Contest. (Of course, that trophy is part of his collection.)

By the time Becker became a student in the fall of 1985, he had already started collecting vintage Rose-Hulman items from garage sales and flea markets.

An estate sale brought Jesse Warren Ijams’ 1904 Rose Polytechnic diploma, signed by then-president Carl Leo Mees, for $4—“It was considerably less than my own degree would cost,” Becker says.

44

John Becker’s late father created two quilts made from duplicate Rose-Hulman-themed T-shirts to cover two beds in a guest room in the family’s home. John’s parents Lois and Richard Becker were co-presidents of the Parents’ Association in 1992-93.

PHOTOS BY BRYAN CANTWELL

Down Memory Lane

MEMORIES GALORE

John Becker is surrounded by many of the Rose-Hulman historical items that he gathered as a student and alumnus through garage and estate sales, eBay auctions or donations.

Sigma professional chemistry fraternity’s headquarters in Indianapolis.

Bronze Hemingway Medal awarded in 1894 to Herman S. Heichert

His collection has been featured in two special exhibits—for the Class of 1989’s 25-year reunion and an Attitude of Gratitude event/ Graduates of the Last Decade meeting in 2016. Then, this past winter Becker opened the collection for a special invitation-only event for visitors to his home.

It took Becker 20 years to eventually find an original version of the first student-issued laptop from 2001.

He is still actively searching for a brick from the original Rose Polytechnic building at 13th and Locust streets in Terre Haute. It was razed in 1971 after serving as Gerstmeyer High School for many years.

And, of course, he’s always looking for vintage T-shirts. n

ECHOES

|

SUMMER 2022

45

5500 WABASH AVENUE TERRE HAUTE, IN 47803 Address Service Requested

SAVE TH E DATE

JOIN US FOR

HOMECOMING CELEBRATIONS

OCT. 7-9, 2022

ROSE-HULMAN CAMPUS

Find the latest Homecoming updates at rose-hulman.edu/homecoming Office Of Alumni Relations 812-877-8976 alumnirelations@rose-hulman.edu Local hotels are holding rooms just for RHIT grads and guests, so make your reservation today!

STAY CONNECTED with Rose-Hulman through our website www.rose-hulman.edu.

Also become a fan of Rose-Hulman’s Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @rosehulman.