Och Tamale Fall 2025 - University of Redlands

OCH TAMALE News for Alumni & Friends of University of Redlands

Fall 2025 | Volume 101 | Issue 1

Inquiry meets impact Redlands professors shape student futures through mentorships and research opportunities

School of Business & Society and School of Education welcome new deans Chaplain John Walsh is redefining retirement

OCH TAMALE

Fall 2025 | Volume 101 | Issue 1

CONTENTS 1

Letter from the President

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Campus News

26 Bulldog Athletics 36 Passings 38 Class Notes 46 Class Notes Reporters

COVER STORY

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Inquiry meets impact Redlands professors shape student futures through mentorships and research opportunities

Cover photo by Andrew Castro

The “Och Tamale” cheer

PHOTO COURTESY OF WES BERNARDINI

Originally called the “Psalm of Collegiate Thanksgiving,” the “Och Tamale” cheer was written by cheerleader C. Merle Waterman ’20 and classmates Walter J. Richards ’21 and Jack Slutsk ’22.

The “Och Tamale” is recited when the Bulldogs score a touchdown, at pep rallies, Homecoming, alumni events, or as a greeting to fellow alumni.

Och Tamale Gazolly Gazump Deyump Dayadee* Yahoo Ink Damink Dayadee Gazink Deyump, Deray, Yahoo Wing Wang Tricky Trackey Poo Foo Joozy Woozy Skizzle Wazzle Wang Tang Orky Porky Dominorky Redlands! Rah, Rah, Redlands! *also spelled Deyatty

FE ATURES

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Redlands welcomes new deans New leaders set bold visions at the School of Business & Society and the School of Education

FSC PAPER NOTE

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Chaplain John Walsh retired, but remains connected

Religious Studies professors retire with fond memories of Redlands

Redefining retirement

Legacies of learning

President Krista L. Newkirk Vice President, Strategic Marketing and Communications and Chief Marketing Officer Kinnari “Kin” Sejpal Vice President, Advancement Jed Schwendiman Senior Director of Communications Stephanie Johnson Executive Director of Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving Brandon Mulder Director of Donor Relations & Communications Sarah Armes Harwood Editor Jennifer Dobbs ’17, ’22

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Bulldog Bench Hall of Fame celebrates athletes of distinction

Bulldogs for life returned to campus to reconnect and reminisce

Honoring excellence

Homecoming highlights

Graphic Designer Michelle Dang ’14 Contributors Steven Arciniega Sarah Armes Harwood Andrew Castro Elizabeth Conway ’26 Alieu Corr ’20, ’22 Clyde Derrick Lance Franey Catherine Garcia ’06 Coco McKown ’04, ’10 Rebecca Parker ’26 Frank Perez Rachel Roche ’02 Eric Whedbee Och Tamale is published by the University of Redlands.

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Stacy Huston '06 is motivated by service and connection

New endowed scholarship honors beloved professor, mentor, and friend

Finding purpose

Redlands dreamers

POSTMASTER:

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Letter from the President

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s temperatures cool and the promise of snow to soon frost the mountains, Bulldog spirit fills our campus. This is such a special time to be at the University of Redlands. You can truly feel the energy pulsating across campus, elevated

by Homecoming and Family Weekend. Watching old friends reconnect and new friendships from across generations was a joyful reminder of the connections that sustain us and the spirit that keeps our community moving forward.

That same spirit is evident in the changes taking place across our university. Exterior renovations to the Ken and Lynn Hall Welcome Center, funded by more than $3.5 million in donor support, have transformed the entryway to our beautiful campus, with interior updates planned for the coming year.

Other enhancements include a new floor in Currier Gym, an upgraded virtual reality lab in Armacost Library, the second phase of our solar energy project, and a complete refresh to the Hunsaker Student Center, now home to the HSI office, Multicultural Center, Student Leadership Lab, and a new student commuter lounge.

Our campus momentum extends into our student life as well. In September, we proudly supported our Redlands Student Government, which hosted Pawlooza, named after our beloved mascot George. The event featured carnival rides, food trucks, and a star-studded performance by the musical artist Banners, showcasing the creativity, energy, and leadership of our students.

We were also honored to be invited to join Colleges That Change Lives, becoming one of only 45 member institutions nationwide to earn this distinction. This recognition affirms what we already know: a Redlands education transforms students through deep learning, close faculty engagement, and a shared commitment to making a difference in the world.

Every day, our faculty members and staff bring that commitment to life, challenging students to think critically, act boldly, and connect their studies to real-world problems.

From business and education to the sciences and the arts, our students are engaged in research and projects with tangible impact, including a recent study that may even change how dog food is made (our mascot, George, is very appreciative).

Throughout this issue of Och Tamale, you’ll see mentorship at work as faculty guide students through discovery, research, and reflection, helping curiosity turn into positive change.

As we enter this season of gratitude and reflection, I am especially thankful for our remarkable Bulldog community.

May this holiday season bring you joy, connection, and moments of rest with your loved ones.

ALIEU CORR ’20, ’22

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Go Bulldogs!

President Krista and mascot George at Homecoming 2025

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Krista L. Newkirk, J.D.

ALIEU CORR ’20, ’22

WELCOME CLASS OF 2029!

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ALIEU CORR ’20, ’22

ALIEU CORR ’20, ’22

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CAMPUS NEWS

UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS WELCOMES NEW DEANS

New leaders set bold visions at the School of Business & Society and the School of Education PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER MADDEN

A BETTER SOCIETY THROUGH BUSINESS

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s soon as she first stepped foot on the Redlands campus this summer, Jennifer Madden, Ph.D. saw possibility and opportunity. Now serving as the H. Jess and Donna Colton Senecal Endowed Dean of U of R’s School of Business & Society (SBS), Madden brings a wealth of experience in business, community, and education, along with a bold vision for excellence in learning. She previously served as the inaugural dean of Linfield University’s School of Business.

“To join an institution whose vision surrounds meaning, impact, and joy speaks to me as a collaboration scholar,” Madden said. “SBS is about all of us being smarter than one of us, and seeing that through business, we can make society better.”

Madden sees a unique opportunity to combine the school’s hallmark personal, small-class experience with the goldstandard accreditation model offered through Woodbury University, with sustainable solutions through the Presidio Center, positioning SBS to compete with larger institutions.

Central to her vision is strengthening partnerships across the nonprofit, private, and government sectors to create pathways for both traditional students and working adults looking to return to school.

“Nearly half of our graduate students came through partnerships,” she said. “That tells us education isn’t just about degrees, it’s about networks, leadership, and creating real pathways for people to thrive.”

Already, Madden is working with faculty to develop new MBA concentrations in design and innovation and AI. These offerings will complement a growing list of certificate programs designed to attract non-traditional learners to Redlands.

“Education should meet students where they are—we are creating affordable, accessible certificate pathways that can stack to an undergraduate or graduate degree,” she said.

“At SBS, we work to inspire our students, building excitement for a single course along with the momentum to pursue a graduate degree at Redlands.”

With AI reshaping industries, Madden is helping position SBS at the forefront of business education to build “resilience in uncertain times.” She describes the approach as “AI-squared: human intelligence plus artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence and I).”

“AI has been disruptive, but our students excel because they lead with critical thinking skills,” she said. “By sharpening those skills, we are training our students to solve challenges that don’t yet exist. We want our students to command the technology and leverage the power of AI-squared. To harness the power of critical thinking, leadership, ethics, sustainability, design thinking, and a business education.”

For Madden, moving 21st-century education into the future, while purposing it for the betterment of society, is just the beginning. OT

U of R is a Proud new member of

Colleges That Change Lives www.CTCL.org

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FORWARD, TOWARDS BOLDER HORIZONS

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PHOTO COURTESY OF VAJRA WATSON

hen asked what drives her as an educator, Vajra M. Watson, Ed.D. doesn’t hesitate: it’s about beginning with bold possibilities and working towards making them real, something she refers to as “freedom dreaming,” a term coined by Robin D.G. Kelley.

“It’s used to challenge ourselves to start in a place of radical openness and bolder horizons before taking on a complex problem within higher education and society,” she said. “When faculty tell me about their research and programs, I ask them what their freedom dream is and from that question, we’re able to think about some of the uninhibited ways we can have social impact and grow something extraordinary.”

As the new Naslund Endowed Dean of the School of Education, Watson sees learning as the soul of social change, as faculty prepare the next generation of teachers, leaders, and practitioners who “don’t just theorize about justice but implement it in our lifetime.”

Bringing more than administrative experience, Watson leads with vision and sees Redlands as a sanctuary for justice, an ecosystem where faculty and students are already engaged in transformative work. Her priority, she said, is to shine a light on that brilliance.

“We have giants in this school who are humble in their impact,” she said. “Celebrating their successes allows us to grow, expand partnerships, and connect with communities in new ways.”

That commitment to educational justice is what drew her to Redlands. A scholar, teacher, and administrator, Watson has built her career on dismantling barriers between universities and the communities they serve, including creating the “Communiversity” framework, which builds pathways between community colleges and four-year universities Growing up in Berkeley, she immersed herself in Black and Chicano studies, experiences that challenged her to examine her own identity and purpose. Later, mentors at UC Berkeley and Harvard University encouraged her to pursue graduate studies, opening doors she hadn’t known existed.

“Education is a game changer in terms of what we’re learning and also in what we’re teaching,” she said. “I believe that University of Redlands is at an extraordinary moment to grow, and that being able to serve in this capacity of being a Dean in this moment in history, is important.”

Watson also acknowledges the challenges of leading a school of education today—navigating between democratic ideals and restrictive policies around knowledge and access. Yet she insists those very tensions make the work more urgent.

“We are in an era of division,” she said. “That’s why it’s critical to come together, learn together, and create spaces of belonging and healing.”

For future students, her message is both practical and hopeful. Education, she said, offers economic mobility and professional validation, but it also offers something deeper.

“No amount of money can match the brilliance that’s unlocked when you discover learning as your love language. That is what changes lives.” OT

U of R ranked Top 16% nationwide

Opportunity College and University—Higher Access, Higher Earnings Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

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PHOTO COURTESY OF OFFICE OF CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PHOTOS COURTESY OF OFFICE OF CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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PHOTO COURTESY OF OFFICE OF CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CAMPUS NEWS

PHOTO COURTESY OF OFFICE OF CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PHOTO COURTESY OF OFFICE OF CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

BULLDOGS ON THE MOVE

Bulldog Trek opens doors to top companies and careers

By Steven Arciniega

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group of University of Redlands students set out on the inaugural Bulldog Trek in August, immersed in a new experience organized by the Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) in collaboration with University Advancement and Alumni Engagement.

The program offered students a behind-the-scenes look at major companies—including Google, Starbucks, and Krusteaz—while helping them explore potential career paths and build professional connections.

Made possible through the generosity of Board of Trustees member Rob Harris, the trek was designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world experience.

“I love Redlands and the opportunities it’s creating for students in this program,” Harris said. “They get to visit organizations, peek behind the curtain, and see what these companies are all about. It gives students a foundation they’ll have for the rest of their lives.”

Participants said the experience sharpened their communication and networking abilities—skills that can be difficult to develop in traditional classroom settings.

Jasmine Sheets ’28 said the trek emphasized the importance of soft skills, “a critical tool for interviews and for building successful relationships in the workplace.”

With the success of the first trip, OCPD has already set its sights on the next adventure: the spring 2026 Bulldog Trek. OT

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CAMPUS NEWS

ANDREW CASTRO

UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS COMPLETES FIRST PHASE OF KEN AND LYNN HALL WELCOME CENTER

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niversity of Redlands has completed the first phase of renovating the Ken and Lynn Hall Welcome Center, marking an exciting milestone in creating a more welcoming, accessible, and sustainable campus hub for prospective students and their families.

Visitors will now experience a redesigned driveway entrance from Colton Avenue, designed to improve traffic flow in and out of campus. A new entry plaza offers inviting spaces to gather, featuring refreshed landscaping, modern lighting, and comfortable seating for students and guests. A digital welcome monitor greets visitors upon arrival, complemented by new exterior signage that enhances wayfinding across campus.

Sustainability and accessibility were central to the project’s design. The site now includes three new electric vehicle charging stations, updated landscaping along Colton Avenue, and a restriped parking lot with a fresh slurry coat. A new, more functional trash enclosure near the Admissions lot further enhances convenience and campus appearance.

The university also prioritized ADA accessibility improvements, including the installation of truncated domes, a clear path of travel, and refreshed parking lot lighting to brighten and unify the area’s look.

“We only get one chance to make a good first impression with our prospective students, and the renovation of the Welcome Center plays a vital role in doing so,” said Vice President for Enrollment Kevin Dyerly.

This transformation was made possible through the generous gift of Trustee Ken ’60 and Lynn Hall. Planning is already underway for Phase Two, which will focus on the interior renovation of the Welcome Center. OT

FRANK PEREZ

REDEFINING RETIREMENT

Chaplain John Walsh retired, but stays connected

By Catherine Garcia ’06

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nyone who has attended an event at University of Redlands in the last 28 years knows retired Chaplain John Walsh. He delivers the invocation at Commencement, provides narration at the Feast of Lights, welcomes students at Convocation, and offers comfort at candlelight vigils.

It’s not just Walsh’s face that is familiar.

One day while shopping at a grocery store in Redlands, a woman came up to him and asked, “Are you the person who speaks at the Feast of Lights?” From an aisle away, she was able to recognize Walsh’s voice, a sound heard so clearly on campus for nearly three decades.

Walsh officially retired as chaplain on Dec. 31, 2020, but with a caveat. He still teaches one class on ethics every semester and participates in public events when asked. “I joked that all those years they paid me to do what I was loving to do—they didn’t understand I would have done it for nothing,” Walsh said.

Before coming to Redlands in 1998, Walsh served as a chaplain at UC Berkeley, Princeton, Harvard, and Middlebury College. While at Princeton, he was a mediator between Washington and Tehran during the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, meeting with Ayatollah Khomeini and the students who occupied the U.S. Embassy. This experience illustrated how a “university chaplain has an opportunity to use their voice for justice and peace, on a very local level and a very global level,” Walsh said.

A brief stint as a church pastor in North Carolina made Walsh realize “I needed to be back on a college campus, where my gifts lie and where my heart is,” he said.

While searching for chaplain positions, he found a job listing for Redlands.

Unfamiliar with the University, he visited the website, and while searching found a familiar name: Tracy Fitzsimmons, one of his favorite students from Princeton.

She was teaching politics at Redlands, and when he called to ask her if the University would be a fit, Fitzsimmons was “ecstatic,” Walsh said. “She said it would be perfect.”

She encouraged Walsh to apply for the job and later advocated for his hiring. This was proof of something Walsh often tells students: “You tell us how we change your lives, but you don’t understand how often you change ours.”

His time at Redlands was fulfilling, as he provided chaplain services; taught courses and seminars like Religion and the Environment, the Search for Historical Jesus, and Human Rights and Foreign Policy; took students on May Term trips to Cuba, Salzburg, and Civil Rights sites in the South; and participated in campus life. He built strong friendships with colleagues and had a standing lunch date with several professors, including Jim Spee, Jim Spickard, Joseph Magedanz, and Monty Hempel.

“We had our table there in the Commons,” Walsh said. “We spent quality time together, solving all the problems of the world. It was a neat group.”

It was imperative to Walsh that he spend time not only in the Memorial Chapel as chaplain, but also in the

classroom. This allowed him to teach students “important ideas and thoughts” while also connecting with professors, and although this amount of work took “a lot of effort,” he said, it was also “energizing to get up and go every day.

You think, ‘What’s going to happen today?

Who’s going to come into my office and change my life today? What experience am I going to have?’”

Walsh actively engaged with the Redlands community as well, building ecumenical relationships by inviting members of the Redlands Islamic Center to use the Chapel’s Prayer Room and welcoming Holy Name of Jesus parishioners for Easter services. He also served on the City of Redlands’ Human Relations Commission for 10 years, including three as chairman, and several oversight committees. He has long been involved in local environmental groups, and in 2007 went to Nashville for training on how to present Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Today, he may technically be retired, but Walsh isn’t slowing down. Every Monday, he can be found at the Prayers for Peace gathering at the Labyrinth on campus, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays in his classroom teaching. “If I ever got up on a Thursday morning and looked at my notes and said, ‘I can’t do this anymore,’ I would quit that day. But I’m so far from that,” he said. “If this is what retirement looks like, I love it.” OT

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CAMPUS NEWS

ANDREW CASTRO

LEGACIES OF LEARNING

Religious Studies professors retire with fond memories of Redlands

By Catherine Garcia ’06

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seminary course on mystics changed the course of Fran Grace’s life forever.

Today, she is University of Redlands Emerita Professor of Religious Studies, but four decades ago Grace was in a pre-law program with no intention of ever going into teaching. “I was on a completely different track,” she said.

But learning about mysticism shifted something inside of her, and she “fell in love with the study of this inner experience of the human being, and how we can connect to the source of life.”

Mysticism drew her in like a magnet, and never gave up its hold. On this new pathway, Grace continued to explore the inner world of the human spirit as she earned her Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Doctorate in American Religious History from Princeton Theological Seminary. In 1999, ready to start teaching in a new community, Grace applied for a position as a religious studies professor at University of Redlands.

She was instantly impressed by the students and faculty on the hiring committee, and found her future colleagues to be “so humane, so open, so transparent and welcoming.” They were “good scholars and good humans,” and in higher education you “didn’t always find those two things together,” Grace said. When offered the position, she accepted it, knowing this was where she needed to be.

Over the next 23 years, Grace taught thousands of Bulldogs on all facets of religious studies, with classes including

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Fran Grace and Karen Derris at their retirement party in September.

Religion & Hate, and Cultivation of Compassion. She also had a key role in opening the Meditation Room, one of the first contemplative classrooms of its kind in the U.S., where all are welcome for meditation sessions or moments of private silence.

Through her teaching and work in the Meditation Room, Grace watched her students grow in their studies, embracing the concepts and ideas. “They are very soulful human beings,” she said. “An 18-year-old taking a class in meditation or on mystics or compassion—that says a lot about the inner drive of that person, to be drawn at such a young age to that depth of a topic.”

Grace also changed alongside them, evolving as both a professor and a colleague, leaning into collaboration and never allowing her courses to become stale or static. She wrote a book, “The Power of Love,” and developed Inner Pathway, a non-profit organization that shares the teaching of verified spiritual paths. By 2023, Grace felt the time had come to move on from being a full-time professor and focus on volunteering with Inner Pathway, and announced her retirement from the University.

“What I so admired was the spirit of my colleagues who focused on the transition and how it would be smooth and caring for students and the program,” she said. “I’m extremely grateful—it was an honor to be there and share such a deep connection with students. They opened up and were earnest and I can’t imagine anything better.”

Many of Grace’s offerings through Inner Pathway are similar to her courses at the University, but open to anyone in the world, in any age group.

She works with her partner, Diane, a Jungian analyst-psychotherapist, and several former Redlands students have signed up for classes. Reconnecting with them while forming bonds with new students has been a joy. “It’s all a circle of ever-evolving wisdom,” Grace said.

While she is retired from daily teaching, she is still involved with the Meditation Room, offering a weekly online Loving Kindness Meditation. Staying connected to Redlands is important to Grace, and she enjoys being part of the circle of retired professors and faculty still involved with campus life.

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aren Derris was ready for a change of scenery when the tantalizing opportunity to move to California and become a Religious Studies professor at University of Redlands presented itself out of the blue.

Derris had spent years on the East Coast, earning her bachelor’s degree at Brown University, master’s from Harvard Divinity School, and doctorate from the Committee on the Study of ReligionHarvard University. In 2003, while teaching graduate courses at Harvard, a student came up and asked if she could post a job opening on the bulletin board. The woman explained she was a Redlands alumna, and Professor Bill Huntley had asked for her help advertising the position.

Intrigued, Derris read the description and realized she was interested in the job.

This came at a pivotal point in her life: she had recently welcomed her first child, Ben, with husband Ed Murphy, and just started dealing with symptoms of what would later be diagnosed as a glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. This health challenge was a blow, but did not change Derris’ dedication to teaching and desire to move forward in her career.

“I was excited to think about doing things in a different way in higher education,” she said.

Derris applied for the position, and during the hiring process fell in love with her “amazing” future colleagues, students, and community. When she was offered the job, she gladly accepted, trading in snow for sunshine and cardigans for flip flops. It was a new world but one she was excited to navigate, especially with help from friends like Professor Kelly Hankin.

“She told me to just be myself, to be genuine and relaxed, and this caused a total shift in how I taught,” Derris said.

“That’s why for more than 20 years, I just loved teaching here. I was authentic and able to develop good teaching relationships with my students.”

Derris’ work has focused on Buddhist traditions in Asia, a topic that has

fascinated her since college, when she studied abroad in Nepal. Her mother died suddenly when Derris was 13, and Buddhism “really spoke to me and the suffering I had in my life,” she said. “It was the beginning of helping me understand, what happened? Why does that happen?

Some of the central teachings are of the permeance of life and how you find a way forward with intense suffering. I was really taken by the teaching.”

Every class session was special to Derris, both in Redlands and abroad. Twice, she brought students to India to meet with the Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. “He wanted to meet with students about his age so they could have conversations about life,” Derris said. “It was such an amazing experience, and you could sense from the students that they could see how incredible it was that they were able to participate.”

They showed up as their “best selves,” she continued, respecting the Karmapa and Buddhist traditions. The students always had to be lower than the Karmapa, so if he was in a seat they would be on the ground. They also brought him gifts “from their heart” that showed “this is who I am,” including handmade instruments and a jar of hazelnuts from a favorite tree. The Karmapa returned the favor, coming to Redlands for a visit in 2015.

Derris was able to connect with the Karmapa through her mentor, Harvard University Professor Charles Hallisey.

He is also the reason why she went into teaching. “I feel like he gave me my life,” she said. “His classes I took in the master’s program made me want to become a professor myself.”

It was the right move. Derris found teaching to be a fulfilling career, and enjoyed the “back and forth relationship” professors have with students. “The teacher is not the star of the show, or the only one that matters,” she said.

“It’s a real reciprocal relationship— I have something to teach you, and you have a lot to show me in how you process and apply what we’re studying together.”

There is one thing she loves more than teaching, and that is being a mother.

Derris fondly remembers bringing in Ben and her younger daughter, Rebekah, to work when they were sick. “My son would sit under the table and read a book, and my daughter was much more performative and would make sure the students were paying attention to her,” she said.

Derris gave her all to motherhood and teaching while dealing with glioblastoma, which has an average survival time of up to 18 months. She has lived with the disease for more than 20 years and undergone three major brain surgeries, calling herself “the most fortunate of the unfortunate.” In 2021, she wrote a memoir about her life and illness, “Storied Companions,” which also ties in to Buddhist teachings.

It has been “hard, but I’m very grateful for hard,” Derris said, and she wonders how much her ambitions helped propel her forward. “When you love what you’re doing, like mothering and teaching, it motivates you to keep going. I felt so fortunate and wasn’t going to just step back and give up.”

Recently, facing the ongoing decline of her health, Derris made the difficult decision to retire. Friends and colleagues are helping her come to terms with this chapter ending, letting her know that her commitment to educating the next generation did not go unnoticed. “I admire Karen so much for how hard she worked while dealing with the uncertainty of her health and still giving 100 percent to mothering two kids and 100 percent to her students,” Hankin said.

Derris hopes her students remember her as being “a good teacher who was passionate about what I taught, that I was kind, and that I was demanding but fair,” she said. Her time at the University was one of growth and resilience, and while many professors don’t stay at the school where they were first hired, she intentionally spent her entire career at Redlands. “I was so happy here,” she said.

“It really is so special, and there was no way I was going to leave.” OT

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Inquiry mee Redlands professors shape student futures through

PHOTO COURTESY OF WES BERNARDINI

eets impact mentorships and research opportunities By Catherine Garcia ’06

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ANDREW CASTRO

ANDREW CASTRO

I N Q U I RY M E E TS I M PA CT

Hand-crafted pots made by students in Professor Wes Bernardini’s Native American ceramics class.

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Donn Grenda ’88

PHOTO COURTESY OF DONN GRENDA ’88

onn Grenda ’88 fell in love with archaeological field work, one dig at a time.

Guided by Professor Roger Baty, Grenda participated in excavations in a Nevada ghost town and the Cajon Pass, finding artifacts in a spot that was once an Indigenous village. His team discovered hearths, fire pits, animal bones, and shell beads, and he wrote his senior thesis on the site and items unearthed.

This was the spark that ignited Grenda’s love of archaeology, and he credits Baty with showing him that a career in the field was possible. “I can’t imagine doing anything better,” Grenda said. He now owns Statistical Research Inc., a cultural resource management firm that identifies, documents, and preserves cultural resources across the Western United States.

Grenda is part of a long line of University of Redlands students who follow their passions and find their callings through research and mentorships with professors. These close connections prepare students for their futures, empowering them to ask questions, contribute ideas, and refine their skills. Professors benefit as well, moving their research forward and finding inspiration from their mentees.

ANDREW CASTRO

Professor Wes Bernardini, Ph.D. teaches student Niko Rai ’26 archeological excavation methods during field research in San Timoteo Canyon.

PRESERVING CULTURES THROUGH ARCHAEOLOGY

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rchaeology might seem like an unrealistic career path, so when a student expresses an interest to Anthropology Professor Wes Bernardini, Ph.D., he jumps into action.

“I try to immediately give them opportunities for handson experience,” Bernardini said. For the last 25 years, he has collaborated on research with the Hopi tribe, bringing on students like Jamie Nord Parra ’19 to help with reviewing archeological field notes, cataloging artifacts, and completing site records. During her year as Bernardini’s research assistant, Parra sharpened these skills and now uses them every day in her job as an archaeologist with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. “I graduated from University of Redlands with real world experience in research skills, laboratory analysis, and museum collections management because of Professor Bernardini,” Parra said. He “really opened my eyes to archaeology as a

potential career path within anthropology,” she continued, and “encouraged me to apply to archaeology programs for graduate school. His career advice changed my life.”

In her current role, Parra prepares cultural resource technical reports as part of a project’s environmental regulatory compliance under state or federal laws. She serves a diverse roster of clients, including public agencies, private developers, and tribal governments. With Bernardini as her advisor, Parra wrote her senior honors thesis on the relationships between Indigenous tribes and museums during the process of repatriation of cultural resources and ancestral remains. She interviewed tribal representatives and museum curators, setting her up for success with the work she does now.

“This experience helped teach me how to communicate and listen respectfully with Native American communities and instilled a passion to serve communities in an ethical, transparent, and culturally appropriate manner as a cultural resource specialist,” Parra, who previously worked as tribal archaeologist for Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, said. (continued on next page)

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I N Q U I RY M E E TS I M PA CT

Learning from the past, empowering the future

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That question became the starting point of her latest research and the heartbeat of her teaching. This summer, Sircar’s exploration earned two prestigious awards: the Arnold L. and Lois S. Graves Award in the Humanities and the Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders award from the Institute for Citizens & Scholars.

“Both awards recognize the ways my teaching and scholarship focus on fostering intellectual and cultural communities on campus,” she said.

The recognition supports her forthcoming book, tentatively titled “Affective Political Community in Unlivable Times,” which examines how communities persist and evolve amid uncertainty.

Sircar’s research has taken her to archives at Harvard, Emory, Spelman, and the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, where she’s studied scholars including late activist and poet June Jordan.

“I would come across documentary pieces of writing and feel as though I was being taught and mentored by scholars who were no longer with us,” she said.

“It’s not just about what people wrote, it’s about how they lived, how they organized, and how their politics hit the ground.”

That engaged thinking shapes her teaching.

Her feminist political theory seminar integrated archival scholarship and reflective journaling, helping students process ideas beyond traditional academic forms.

“Community is what we make it, and a classroom is a community just like any other,” she said. At a time when public trust in education is contested, Sircar believes these awards deepen her responsibility to advocate for education as fundamental to human freedom and the flourishing of all living beings.

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(L) Briar Meszaros ’23 at work.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAR MESZAROS ’23

COCO MCKOWN ’04, ’10

Assistant Professor Althea Rani Sircar, Ph.D.

efore she asks her students to consider what a political community looks like, Assistant Professor of Political Science Althea Rani Sircar, Ph.D. asks a more pressing question: What does it take to survive unlivable times?

(Preserving cultures through archaeology, continued) The path Briar Meszaros ’23 took to archaeology was less straightforward. An international relations major, she planned on a career in policymaking and started an internship in Washington, D.C., shortly after graduation. “It took about one month of wearing a suit and sitting in an office every day for me to realize this was not the lifestyle for me,” Meszaros said.

Bernardini taught one of her favorite classes at Redlands, Human Origins, and she remembered something he had told her: as an archaeologist, she could work outside every day. “I am an outdoor enthusiast,” Meszaros said, and “if life could be picture perfect for me, that would mean getting to hike every single day.” She called Bernardini, who put her in contact with the hiring manager at Statistical Research Inc. “Within two weeks I was in Plumas National Forest about to begin my first cultural resource management project, and my new life,” Meszaros said. “I felt so happy and so free, and that’s how I still feel today.”

As a crew lead, Meszaros travels to sites across the West Coast and Southwest—in the last two years, she’s lived and worked in Northern and Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington—and surveys the area with her team. “Along the way we record any features or artifacts we see on the ground,” she said. “Site recording includes measuring, photographing, and typing features and artifacts, and recording where we find them using ArcGIS Field Maps. By the end of the day we may have walked up to 10 miles, depending on how much there was to record.”

Not every student who tries archaeology settles on it as a career, but “all of them took something valuable from the experience,” Bernardini said. “In archaeology, there’s a lot of independence, and you are expected to be self-motivated, driven, resilient, and able to work in tough conditions day after day. But you never do archaeology alone, so you also learn how to be a good team player and to fill a role that supports the larger project. These are life skills no matter what career you choose.”

“ Within two weeks I was in Plumas National Forest about to begin my first cultural resource management project, and my new life. I felt so happy and so free, and that’s how I still feel today.”

—Briar Meszaros ’23

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAR MESZAROS ’23

Briar Meszaros ’23 (left) and a colleague out in the field.

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CONNECTING THROUGH REFLECTING

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reading assignment about identity formation in K-12 schooling led to a beautiful bond between six doctoral students and their professor, Mikela Bjork, Ph.D. “Because we were a small class, my students immediately started sharing very intimate memories about their own K-12 schooling experiences and how they were helpful/hurtful/ inspiring/disempowering, depending on the grade/mentorship/ family support/teacher/counselor/access to community,” Bjork said.

She then gathered autoethnographic works for the class to read, and this type of research—analyzing personal experiences to better understand broader culture—resonated with the students. This collective interest resulted in Autoethnography as Resistance, a collaborative project exploring the research method and how it can be used for personal and political transformation.

“Working with Mikela and our classmates was powerful,” Breann Lindsey ’27 said. “With only six of us, we created a tightknit learning community where vulnerability felt safe. Sharing personal stories of schooling experiences—especially ones tied to identity, upbringing, and intersectionality—requires a lot of

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trust, and the small class size helped us bond in ways that felt authentic and sustaining.”

For their final assignment, each student created their own autoethnography. Lindsey wrote a collection of poems and essays about her K-8 schooling, titled “Education as a Way OUT.” She reflected on “growing up queer in the foothills of Appalachia, where education was always pitched to me as a way out of poverty, an opportunity at a different life,” she said. During the writing process, she “saw more clearly how education was framed as my ‘way out,’ my golden ticket, yet also became the space where I learned to shrink, to mask, to manage the way I was received.

“I carried that double-bind–the promise of freedom tangled with the demand to fit in—into sports, into leadership, into my queerness, and into the ways I still navigate the world as an educator,” she continued. “Looking back through old report cards, teacher notes, and yearbook entries gave me a lens into how deeply education shaped both my sense of possibility and my sense of constraint.”

In her autoethnography, Iris Cordova ’12 ’19 ’26 recalled the struggles that came with the 1998 passing of California’s Proposition 227, which mandated English-only instruction for English language learners in public schools. A native Spanish speaker, she was given an IQ test in English but since she did not

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L to R: Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor Mikela Bjork, Ph.D. and doctoral students Iris Cordova ’27, Leticia Contreras ’27, Jose Alvarez ’26, Andrea Zambrano ’26, Nereida Montes ’26, and Breann Lindsey ’27 from the Autoethnography as Resistance class.

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“ Working with Mikela and our classmates was powerful. With only six of us, we created a tight-knit learning community where vulnerability felt safe.”

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—Breann Lindsey ’27

understand the language, “I scored low and was placed in special education,” Cordova said. “This was my first real experience in education where I can say, ‘This messed me up.’ My mom had to fight to get me removed.”

She also remembered a high school counselor telling her higher education was out of her grasp. “I focused on experiences like that where I could have given up and listened to them but decided to move forward,” Cordova said. She is now a Spanish dual language immersion teacher, and every day makes sure “nothing like that happens to these kids if I can help it.”

Leticia Contreras ’26 wrote a letter to her younger self, in Spanish, “going through the milestones of my life,” she said.

“A lot of tears were shed.” She reflected on being an English language learner and not knowing how to read until third grade, what it was like being a first-generation college student, and how her pregnancy at 19 pushed her to not become a stereotype and graduate with her bachelor’s degree.

“It reminded me that every kid needs a champion supporting them,” Contreras, an English learning teacher on special assignment, said. “I remembered the feeling of wanting to speak with other kids but not being able to.” The experience reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring her students get the resources they need to meet their educational and language goals.

All six students presented their autoethnographies at the International Conference on Education and Justice at UCLA in September. “It was really nice having people come up and tell us we did an amazing job,” Cordova said. “They connected with our stories, which are so important to tell so people know how kids having similar experiences can be impacted both positively and negatively.”

An editor of a peer-reviewed journal approached the group and suggested they submit their work once it is complete, and they also have the opportunity to turn the project into a book.

“They didn’t believe me when I suggested we publish their work, but the conference was affirming for them,” Bjork said. “They all work with students in some capacity, and I think this experience affirmed who they are as mentors and role models to the younger generation.”

Bjork centers her teaching around empowering students and being a “yes” in a world of “nos.” This was instilled in her by her late advisor Jean Anyon, a critical theorist and researcher in education. “Jean was so good at making seemingly overwhelming ideas and projects engaging, fun, and transformative,” Bjork said. “She was an incredible mentor to me and I carry her spirit with me when I work with doctoral students.”

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RESEARCH THAT GOES THE (LONG) DISTANCE

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hey may not live in the same state, but as long as Political Science Professor Greg Thorson, Ph.D. and Dave Palmer ’94 ’24 both have an internet connection, they can keep making progress on their research project examining the impacts of economic inequality on economic growth.

“We meet weekly or every other week, to update each other on our status and decide what to do the next week in pursuit of our goals,” Palmer said.

Thorson and Palmer are looking at data from more than 35 countries over 60 years to determine if “economic inequality hurts or helps economic growth,” Thorson said. They are still running tests and diving deeper into the negative consequences, including reduced political stability and increases in crime and drug addiction. Their plan is to present their findings at the Western Political Science Association’s annual meeting in San Diego next April.

A graduate of the San Francisco Theological Seminary, Palmer learned about the new Master of Public Policy & Administration (MPPA) program through Och Tamale. Intrigued, he enrolled and

attended classes virtually from his home in Portland, Oregon.

When Thorson asked Palmer’s cohort if anyone was interested in participating in his research, Palmer accepted the invitation, motivated by his own concerns over severe income inequality in the United States.

“It’s been great,” he said of the research. “I’m older than a normal graduate student—I’ve been around the block a couple of times—and that has had advantages for both of us. I’ve done data analysis, not in humanities like Greg but in other areas, so I was able to hit the ground running and contribute in reasonably significant ways. Greg has the institutional knowledge in the field. We complement each other.”

Thorson finds professor and student collaborations to be “the ultimate teaching experience. You get true one-on-one interactions and students have a vastly deeper understanding of the research process and the resulting discovery once they have been part of an academic research project.”

He recently published two papers with Sara Gearhart ’19, now a project director at the public policy think tank Mathematica, and has seen firsthand that “the most important characteristic of a successful student co-author is the ability to be self-directed.

There are so many unknowns, and you have to be comfortable with the failures as well as the successes.”

Professor Greg Thorson, Ph.D. and Dave Palmer ’94 ’24 meet on a Zoom call

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L to R: Ian Durham ’26 and Jela Allen ’26

Andrew Romero ’26

CRACKING THE DOG FOOD CODE

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n observation Ari Klausner ’24 made at a veterinary clinic has turned into a years-long research project that could change how dog food is made.

Klausner was volunteering at the animal hospital when he noticed an influx of dogs coming in with bladder and kidney stones. Wanting to get to the bottom of this, he approached Chemistry Professor David Schrum, Ph.D. with a research idea: analyzing the mineral content and chemical composition of commercial dog food to look for possible correlations with stone formation in canines.

“I was interested,” Schrum said. Klausner got to work reading background literature and then delving into analysis, with additional students joining to help with research before and after Klausner graduated.

“The beauty of our projects is that students come in at various points and the project is always moving forward,” Schrum said.

There is not much regulation on dog food, beyond some limits on the percentage of minerals like calcium and magnesium, which are both found in kidney stones. Part of

Professor David Schrum, Ph.D.

the research is looking at the actual levels compared to what manufacturers say is in the food—for example, a brand could claim its kibble contains one percent calcium but it is actually between two and three percent. Findings like this could indicate the higher the mineral levels, the more likely a dog might have stones in the future.

Students have analyzed several batches of food from 11 major brands and found a few surprises, like one reputable manufacturer having “values all over the place,” Schrum said.

The research is expected to continue for a few more semesters, and once the final data is completed and a manuscript published, each participating student will receive a co-author credit.

Schrum has enjoyed watching the students blossom in the lab, improving their measuring skills and strengthening their writing. An “amazing transformation” takes places over this time, he said, and many students realize “I can be a chemist, I can be a scientist. I really enjoy this, and I can go on to grad school.”

Redlands students arrive “very prepared” for this next step, Schrum said. They often have more experience than their new peers, thanks to years of working with lab instruments, collecting data, and giving presentations, and because of this exposure they can “hit the ground running.”

“ Time in the research lab shows students ‘I can be a chemist. I can be a scientist. I really enjoy this, and I can go on to grad school.’”

—David Schrum, Chemistry Professor

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Woodbury University Dean Heather Flood named AIA|LA 2025 Educator of the Year

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PHOTO COURTESY OF HEATHER FLOOD

eather Flood, Dean of the School of Architecture and Interim Dean of the School of Media: Culture: Design at Woodbury University has been named the 2025 Educator of the Year by the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA|LA), one of the three largest local AIA chapters in the nation.

“Heather Flood’s recognition as AIA|LA Educator of the Year is a well-deserved honor that reflects both her exceptional talent and her deep commitment to her students,” said Krista Newkirk, President of University of Redlands, which is in the process of integrating Woodbury into University of Redlands through a strategic merger. “Heather’s creativity and dedication embody the very best of Woodbury’s School of Architecture and its tradition of innovation in design education.”

NOT YOUR TYPICAL MENTORSHIP

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t first glance, Associate Professor Jessie Hewitt’s mentorship of Annalina Lowden ’26 might seem a bit surprising. Hewitt teaches history courses, while Lowden is a Johnston student aspiring to become a clinical mental health counselor.

But as Hewitt and Lowden have found, a professor’s focus and a student’s major don’t have to match up exactly for mentoring to click. “It’s fun for me to have an advisee who isn’t necessarily going into a career directly related to history, such as teaching or librarianship,” Hewitt said. “Annalina really cares about incorporating insights from history into her future career in the mental health field.”

Hewitt has extensively researched the relationship between disability and gender in the 19th century, exploring the Hospital Archives in Paris and diving deep into the intersection of psychiatry and politics. Lowden first met Hewitt while taking her History of Disability class, and “liked her approach with history and how these issues were treated,” she said. “I could compare this with what I was learning in other classes.” Wanting to dig

Each year, the AIA|LA Board of Directors honors individuals whose work has significantly shaped the architectural profession. The Board honored Flood for transforming architectural education at Woodbury University and beyond, leading efforts to reimagine design pedagogy with a focus on equity, ethics, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

“I am deeply honored to be recognized

by AIA|LA as Educator of the Year,” said Flood. “Teaching and mentoring the next generation of architects has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.

I am continually inspired by Woodbury students’ curiosity, creativity, and drive to shape a better built environment.”

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Professor Jim Spee, Ph.D. with his student

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Flood’s innovative work recently garnered attention when the Los Angeles Times featured her guidance of faculty and students in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Buildings NEXT Student Design Competition.

The resulting Solar Futures House—the first permitted 3D-printed home in Los Angeles— was recognized in AIA|LA’s 2025 Residential Architecture Awards in the Climate Category.

History Department Chair and Associate Professor Jessie Hewitt, Ph.D.

TURNING BIG IDEAS INTO BOLD FUTURES

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tudents in the School of Business and Society’s Entrepreneurship Capstone come in with sketches for startup ideas and leave with well-developed plans.

“It’s kind of a unique class, as it’s done in a way that’s very hands-on—there are no wrong or right answers. It’s more so focusing on how your business is going to serve a market,” Professor Audrey Young said.

Young co-taught this summer’s capstone with Professor Jim Spee, Ph.D., mentoring 27 students with 22 different ideas. Together, Young and Spee guided the students as they interviewed potential customers, collected data, validated their business assumptions, and narrowed their target markets.

They are encouraged to “prove themselves wrong,” Young said, and reminded that “most businesses don’t end up being what the founder thought they would be when starting. Most businesses pivot.”

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further into the topic, she later signed up for Hewitt’s History of Madness seminar, further enriching her understanding of mental health’s historical contexts.

Hewitt appreciates that Lowden has “professional goals, but is exactly what you want in a liberal arts college student—someone who has particular ambitions but is also intellectually flexible enough to realize you don’t need to confine yourself to one discipline. It enhances what you are learning if you move around the edges.”

Lowden is a behavioral specialist at Laurel Park Behavioral Health Center in Pomona, working with patients who have schizophrenia. Learning about the condition in Hewitt’s classes and how it once was treated “definitely inspired me to want to go into that field,” she said. This confidence is exactly what Hewitt hopes to instill in her mentees.

“I want them to know they have a professor who cares about them as a person, and believes in them as a student and scholar,” Hewitt said. “I want them to get the strongest, most solid foundation and succeed in life.”

Ideas from the summer capstone included opening a hair extension salon, developing a women’s health app, creating an AI-powered beard and hair trimming device, and starting a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) consulting firm. In that case, the student had been running his own air conditioning business for 20 years, but after conducting customer discovery and data research with constituents, he decided to “flip the whole thing on its head and restructure it,” Young said. Instead of focusing on residential customers, he shifted to school districts, believing he could “build that up and then give the business to his kids.”

Every student’s mindset shifts through the course, as they learn new ways to problem solve and communicate in a way that is “intentional and purposeful,” Young said. The life of an entrepreneur can be hard, but the capstone sets students up so they can better handle whatever comes their way and take the next steps.

“Sometimes you’re told that no one is going to buy your product, and it takes a lot of resilience to say you tried and it didn’t work, but I need to keep going and moving forward,” Young said.

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THE STRENGTH OF STORYTELLING

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Sister Minh Nguyen

hat started as a grant-funded project looking into how culture, history, and geography influence religion has transformed into a powerful assignment where students research and map their religious backgrounds.

It’s an eye-opening experience for many, including Nandi Fisher ’26. She is from Maui, and learned more about her family’s history as both “converted and converter,” she said.

She counts among her ancestors both native Hawaiians and missionaries, and is now “trying to understand the nuances of having both of these identities.”

The assignment stems from Religious Studies Professor Lillian Larsen’s Redrawing the Map of Religion project, initially supported by a multi-year grant from the Wabash Center.

Instead of focusing on a region’s dominant religion, Larsen wanted to “paint a more nuanced picture of the landscape,” she said, taking a closer look at different religious traditions and denominations.

The first mapping grant was “quite successful, and got students really engaged in how we think about religion at a global scale,” Larsen said. “The diversity of voices and conversations we encountered made our maps even more compelling.” In subsequent work, students took a domestic turn, looking at data from Pew Research Center’s Faith on the Hill report that shows the religious composition of each newly elected Congress.

Larsen received an internal grant to keep the research project going, but when Covid hit in spring 2020, she had to pivot. With students at home, she asked them to map their own religious communities and compile a “spatial” religious autobiography of their family. Every student “learned a lot” through the assignment, Larsen said, including those who were not raised with religion. “Even choosing not to be a religious is a ‘religious’ choice and a part of one’s family history. People identify in so many different ways, and we all engage in religion, particularly in America, where religion is so much a part of public life.”

The project was so popular that Larsen has continued to offer it in courses ever since. Students are now also branching out to share stories from Redlands community members.

Fisher is Larsen’s student research assistant and is using ArcGIS StoryMaps to show Buddhist Sister Minh Nguyen’s journey from Vietnam to a Redlands monastery.

“It tells her story in an interactive way,” Fisher said. “I’m excited and honored, especially because it’s such a powerful story and she feels comfortable enough for me to be able to do this.”

Working as Larsen’s research assistant has also helped Fisher develop a deeper connection with the University and not feel lost in the shuffle. “Being able to do something like this outside of the classroom has been really important,” she said. “I feel like now I’m going to be leaving my mark here.” OT

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALISA SLAUGHTER

Durable words in a fractured world

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translator listens as much as they speak.

A poet pauses at the edge of grief. These are acts of attention, care, and meaning-making in a fractured world—and they’re at the heart of “Both Sides Face East. Volume 1: Durable Words,” a new multilingual collection co-edited by Creative Writing Professor Alisa Slaughter, MFA. Born from the aftermath of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the anthology brings together writers from Ukraine, the former Yugoslavia, Poland, Hungary, Armenia, and beyond. Through poems, essays, and translations across nine languages, the work explores fragility and resilience, connection and exile, language and loss.

Slaughter’s engagement with Central and Eastern Europe runs deep. She’s co-translated Russian and Ukrainian poetry and led Redlands students on May Term study-travel courses to the region.

“Russia’s aggression has made a more activist engagement politically and ethically urgent,” she said. Immediately after the invasion, Slaughter and co-editors Julia Sushytska and ariel rosé began coordinating a deeply collaborative effort involving international translators and contributors.

“We’re interested in translation as an act of care and justice, and we’re committed to justice as a product of conversation,” Slaughter explained.

The project continues to grow. Volume 2, “Borders de Todos Lados,” will be released at the Guadalajara Book Fair in November 2026, expanding the conversation to include voices from the U.S.Mexico border, Israel/Palestine, India, and Taiwan.

Volume 3 will focus on “Translation as Dialogue,” with Slaughter planning to bring a contributor to campus this fall for a student-centered event on translating Iranian and Armenian poets.

For Slaughter, the goal is providing students with tools for living in a complex, global society.

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SINCE THE LAST ISSUE… BULLDOG ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS

PHOTO COURTESY OF BULLDOG ATHLETICS

U of R announces Sean Hansen as Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach

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ean Hansen ’10 has been promoted to University of Redlands' Head Women's Lacrosse Coach, after serving as assistant coach since 2022. She has been an integral part of the Bulldogs' growth and success over the past three seasons.

“I’m honored to lead the Redlands Women’s Lacrosse program,” Hansen said. “I want to thank Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Nikki Ayers and the hiring committee for their trust and support. It’s a privilege to build upon our rich tradition while continuing to innovate. I’m especially grateful for our dedicated student-athletes whose passion and camaraderie make this community so special. Go Dawgs!”

Hansen graduated from Redlands with her bachelor's degree in exercise and sport science with a minor in psychology.

Before returning to the University, she served as director of girls lacrosse at Lacrosse Northwest in Portland, Oregon, and held collegiate head coaching roles at Linfield University, Sierra Nevada College, and LaGrange College. Her rapid professional development includes completing the inaugural Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Aspire Leadership Program this spring.

“Following a national search, Sean stood out for her exceptional recruiting, leadership, and genuine passion for Redlands and Bulldogs Lacrosse," Ayers said. "We are confident she will continue to elevate our program.” OT

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Redlands sets record with 293 named to the SCIAC AllAcademic Team

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he Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) announced its 2024-25 All-Academic Team over the summer, recognizing student-athletes from every University of Redlands program.

The Bulldogs set a program record with 293 individual selections.

To qualify, student-athletes must hold a cumulative grade-point average of 3.40 or higher and complete their respective sport season as a member of the active roster.

The Redlands honorees represented all varsity programs, with football leading the way with 39 selections, followed by Women’s Soccer (24) and Women’s Track and Field (21).

Other team totals included: Softball (20), Baseball (19), Men’s Soccer (18), Men’s Water Polo (18), Women’s Lacrosse (17), Men’s Track and Field (15), Men’s Swimming and Diving (15), Women’s Water Polo (14), Women’s Basketball (13), Women’s Swimming and Diving (12), Volleyball (11), Women’s Cross Country (9), Men’s Tennis (8), Men’s Basketball (5), Men’s Golf (4), Women’s Tennis (4), Women’s Golf (4) and Men’s Cross Country (3).

These record totals highlight Bulldog Athletics’ continued commitment to academic excellence across all sports. OT

Four Bulldogs earn Second-Team All-America Honors at NCAA Division III Championships PHOTO COURTESY OF BULLDOG ATHLETICS

PHOTO COURTESY OF BULLDOG ATHLETICS

Four-time national qualifier Maigan Adams ’25 (Los Angeles) secured the 16th and final All-America position in the women’s triple jump, posting 11.77 meters (38-7.5) on her last jump.

The performance marked her third career All-America honor.

Corte Peterson ’25 (Tabernash, Colorado) finished ninth in the decathlon with 6,455 points. After sitting 13th midway through the event, Peterson surged with a standout pole vault of 4.40 meters to move into the top 10.

In the women’s heptathlon, Ella Bachmeier ’24 (Rancho Capistrano, California) placed 13th with 4,588 points. She closed strong with a seventh-place finish in the 800 meters (2:27.41), earning her first outdoor Second-Team All-America recognition and third overall.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BULLDOG ATHLETICS

First-time national qualifier Allyn Asberry-Blanco ’25 (Orange County, New York) placed 13th in the triple jump with a mark of 14.63 meters (48 feet), achieved on his final attempt. He narrowly missed the top nine and a podium spot by 0.19 meters.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BULLDOG ATHLETICS

University of Redlands Track and Field earned four Second-Team All-America honors at the 2025 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships.

The Bulldogs’ performances capped an impressive showing at the national meet, continuing the program’s tradition of excellence.

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For more information and day-to-day results of Bulldog Athletics, visit WWW.GOREDLANDS.COM

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aron Buck ’26 (Tualatin, Oregon) capped his collegiate career with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships, posting a four-round score of 289 (77-68-72-72).

Buck’s performance marks the Bulldogs’ best individual finish since Bobby Holden ’15 captured the national title in 2014.

After completing the third round and the first nine holes of the fourth round on May 22, Buck returned the next day to finish his final nine holes. He closed with eight birdies and one bogey on the back nine to secure his third straight round of 72 or better.

Entering the championship ranked No. 20 nationally, Buck delivered a standout performance that nearly helped Redlands advance past the team cut earlier in the week. OT

PHOTO COURTESY OF BULLDOG ATHLETICS

PHOTO COURTESY OF BULLDOG ATHLETICS

PHOTO COURTESY OF BULLDOG ATHLETICS

Redlands’ Buck finishes fifth at NCAA Men’s Golf Championships

Wagener and Bullock honored as 2024–25 Frank Serrao Senior Student-Athletes of the Year

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or four years, Max Wagener ’25 and Chloe Bullock ’25 defined what it means to be a Bulldog—relentless competitors, standout scholars, and compassionate leaders. Now, the two have been named the 2024–25 Frank Serrao Male and Female Senior Student-Athletes of the Year, one of University of Redlands’ highest athletic honors.

Named for legendary football coach Frank Serrao, the award recognizes seniors who exemplify academic achievement, athletic excellence, and community impact.

Wagener, from Piedmont, California, leaves the men’s water polo program as one of its most prolific scorers with 147 career goals, ranking 10th in school history. This season, he netted 73 goals, guiding Redlands to its second national championship in three years. A psychology major with a minor in economic policy, Wagener earned ACWPC Academic All-America honors all four seasons and was named SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year. “Max is the definition of a student-athlete,” said Head Coach Ryan Hall. “A two-time national champion, leader, and tireless worker—he’ll be deeply missed.”

Bullock, from Hood River, Oregon, made history as the first women’s cross country All-American in program history and a four-time All-SCIAC honoree.

A summa cum laude graduate in health, medicine, and society, she holds multiple school records and has volunteered more than 300 hours in health and social service work, including a medical internship in Panama.

“Chloe will go down as the greatest women’s cross-country runner in Redlands history,” said Head Coach Mike Schmidt. “But her legacy extends far beyond the finish line.”

Together, Wagener and Bullock embody the spirit of Serrao’s legacy— leaders driven by purpose, passion, and pride in the Maroon and Grey. OT

THANKS TO OUR VIDEOBOARD SPONSORS Platinum Bulldog sponsorships: Pepsi and Baker’s Drive-Thru | Gold Bulldog sponsorship: Harvest Table and KWB Wealth

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PHOTO COURTESY OF BULLDOG ATHLETICS

Women’s Golf earns fifth straight top-six finish at NCAA Championships

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niversity of Redlands’ Women’s Golf team rallied from 18th place after the opening round to finish tied for sixth at the NCAA Division III National Championships, marking the program’s fifth consecutive top-six finish. The Bulldogs carded a 1,208 (319-295-290-304), their best fourround total at nationals since 2022.

Over the final three rounds, Redlands shot 889 (295-290-304)— the second-lowest three-round total in program history and third lowest in tournament play. The Bulldogs were the second-highest Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

(SCIAC) finisher, trailing only Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (third) and ahead of Pomona-Pitzer (ninth).

Rena Kaneko (Rancho Palos Verdes, California) led Redlands by tying for fifth with a 291 (78-69-72-72), the program’s best individual finish since 2023. She recorded an even-par final round.

Chloe Phan ’26 (Milpitas, California) tied for 50th at 302, improving 46 places from round one, while Jizelle

Robledo ’26 (Fontana, California) finished 88th at 307. Kylie McGrath ’28 (Renton, Washington) followed in 97th with 308, and Savanah Christenson ’26 (Upland, California) rounded out the lineup in 156th with 322.

For the 2024-25 season, Redlands averaged 307.68 strokes per round across 25 rounds and 11 tournaments, including a 300 average during SCIAC and NCAA Championship play. OT

third. Avery Provenzano ’28 (San Jose, California) drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to 3-0.

Emory cut the deficit to one with a pair of solo home runs, but reliever Paige Ellinger ’27 (Temecula, California) ended the threat and went on to earn the win with 3.1 scoreless innings.

The Bulldogs broke the game open with a two-run triple by Maya Holshoe ’26 (Redlands) and continued to pile on late. Adyson Kim ’26

(Millbrae, California) drove in two more in the fifth, and Saya Fujii ’28 (San Jose, California) added a two-run single in the sixth.

Ellinger was named Most Outstanding Pitcher, while Provenzano earned Most Outstanding Hitter honors.

The team's (40-11) record-setting season came to an end as they lost to the No. 4 seed Linfield University 9-1 in six innings, bringing their Division III World Series run to an end. OT

U

niversity of Redlands’ Softball Team (39-9) punched its ticket to the NCAA Division III Women’s College World Series for the first time with a 13-2 run-rule victory over Emory University, completing a two-game sweep in the Super Regional. President Krista Newkirk was among those who traveled to support the team.

Catcher Isabella Culp ’25 (Bayliss, California) opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning, and Kassidy Long ’25 (Hemet, California) added an RBI double in the

PHOTO COURTESY OF BULLDOG ATHLETICS

Softball sweeps Emory, advances to NCAA Division III World Series

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B U L L D O G AT H L E T I C S

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BULLDOG ATHLETICS

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OCH TAMALE FALL 2025

Honoring excellence Bulldog Bench Hall of Fame celebrates athletes of distinction

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rom record-breaking athletes to transformative leaders, the 2025 Bulldog Bench Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame class celebrates excellence in Redlands athletics by honoring a dedicated coach/administrator, six talented student-athletes, and one amazing team. Spanning eight sports and six decades, this year’s honorees embody what it means to be a Bulldog on the field of play, in the classroom, and in their communities.

Taking place on Oct. 17 during Homecoming, the Hall of Fame ceremony gathered alumni, families, and fans to celebrate the newest class of inductees.

Among them is Jeff Martinez, whose 42-year tenure at Redlands includes roles as athletic trainer, Head Women’s Golf Coach, and Director of Athletics. His leadership helped shape the modern Bulldog Athletics experience and set the foundation for its continued success.

Trailblazers on the track, court, field, green, and in the pool round out the class of individual inductees.

Ali Smith ’17, a four-time SCIAC 100m hurdles champion and NCAA national champion, set records that still stand in the heptathlon and 60m hurdles. Ross Schunk ’09 remains the program’s leading Men’s Soccer scorer and was drafted to play professionally with the Colorado Rapids.

Posthumous honoree Weldon Diggs ’65 captured podium finishes at the 1965 NAIA National Championships and symbolizes the proud tradition of Redlands Swimming.

Courtney Carroll Bertolacci ’12 powered Women’s Basketball with over 1,400 points and 128 blocks across her decorated career. Trevor Young ’06 helped elevate the Men’s Golf program with multiple All-American honors and NCAA tournament runs. Tristan Kirk ’13 earned All-SCIAC basketball honors while helping his team secure two conference championships.

The 2011 Men’s Track & Field Team joins the Hall of Fame as a unit after an undefeated conference season, SCIAC title, and top 15 national finish. Their triumph ended a 19-year championship streak by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and showcased the talent and determination of a truly standout team.

Together, these honorees represent the best of Bulldog athletics—driven by excellence, united by purpose, and forever part of the Redlands legacy. OT

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ANDREW CASTRO

ANDREW CASTRO

ANDREW CASTRO

ANDREW CASTRO

ANDREW CASTRO

ANDREW CASTRO

OCH TAMALE FALL 2025

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HOMECOMING HIGHLIGHTS

Bulldogs for life returned to campus to reconnect and reminisce ARIANNA LEON ’29 ANDREW CASTRO ANDREW CASTRO

ANDREW CASTRO

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF STACY HUSTON ’06

Finding purpose Stacy Huston ’06 is motivated by service and connection

By Sarah Armes Harwood

S

tacy Huston ’06 vividly remembers walking past University of Redlands as a local teen, struck by its “old-world” charm, snow-capped mountains, and small campus feel. Choosing Redlands over a full ride at UC Santa Barbara was a leap of faith, but one she’s never regretted. “The small class sizes and getting to know your professors was really important to me,” she said.

“I needed to be known and seen.”

Though she intended to pursue psychology, Huston found herself captivated by religious studies and creative writing, which sparked her curiosity and helped her understand people on a deeper level. “Redlands was a very pro-curiosity campus,” she recalled. “I learned it was okay to really lean in and ask people questions, because you’re asking it out of curiosity. And I think that lent to my early success and even later on.”

For over a decade, Huston excelled in sales and business development, leveraging the human-centered skills she honed at Redlands. But it wasn’t until she began volunteering on local boards and co-founded a TEDx organization that she discovered her passion for strategy, storytelling, and team building. That path led her to her current role as executive director of SixDegrees.org, the nonprofit founded by actor Kevin Bacon. Under her leadership, SixDegrees.org has won six Webby Awards and amplified the work of hundreds of grassroots changemakers across the country.

“I realized everything I’d done up to that point was preparing me for this,” Huston said of changing careers. “It was the moment purpose and skill aligned.” Today, Huston shares that purpose with her alma mater as Alumni Board’s new chair of the Career & Internship Committee. Based on the East Coast, she’s passionate about expanding alumni engagement beyond Southern California and encouraging others to reconnect. “I want more alumni to know that you don’t have to give financially to make a difference.

Your experience and time are valuable,” she said. “Even engaging once or twice a year can impact a student’s life.”

She hopes fellow Bulldogs will raise their hands. “I used to wonder if I was ‘enough’ to give back. But mentorship doesn’t require being famous or wealthy, just being willing,” Huston said.

“Service is the antidote to isolation. It not only helps students; it helps you feel more connected, too.” OT

We welcome all our Bulldogs to join us in supporting the next generation of students. Contact alumni@redlands.edu to get involved.

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The start-up bus with a mission

By Elizabeth Conway ’26 and Rebecca Parker ’26 n January 2025, three buses departed Denver, Chicago, and Princeton, New Jersey, with 35 theological students, faculty, staff, and documentary filmmakers. We headed to New Orleans to learn about, generate, and pitch start-up ministries. Students came from SFTS, Princeton, Austin, Multnomah, Baylor, and Wesley seminaries to see unique new ways of reaching and building congregations and ministry services. The group was diverse in perspective, gender, race, sexuality, age, and religion. The project was supported by a grant from Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City.

Traveling from Denver, SFTS seminarians visited eight start-up ministries in six locations before arriving in New Orleans. We saw many of these ministries in action, learning about funding, service types, populations served, inspiration, successes, and challenges.

From forging guns into garden tools to creating community space for a neurodivergent congregation, the work of these ministries was creative and thoughtful.

We teamed up to design and pitch our own start-up ideas. Faculty helped us develop the start-up ministry focus and pitch teams, name the idea, build a brand, envision a marketing strategy, ideate funding and profitability, list resource needs and budgeting, craft launch timelines, articulate Biblical foundations, and practice the pitches— an invaluable exercise in distilled Start-Up 101 Mentoring.

Traveling through the southwest and south reminded us that our lives rest heavily on the backs of peoples who were colonized.

We visited a Native American boarding school in Oklahoma which raised awareness on systems of church-enabled white supremacy.

We stopped at the site of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s murder and the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, remembering historic injustice and resistance.

At last, SFTS faculty and students rose to numerous occasions with patience, creativity, and grace in moment-by-moment ministry outside of the walls to the church, together. OT

(Bottom right) At the Garden of the Gods in Colorado, from left: SFTS students Elizabeth Conway, Lamont Hartman, and Rebecca Parker; Carl Hildebrand, Center for Faith and Justice; SFTS student Ivan Herman; and SFTS Professor John Falcone.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETH CONWAY ’26 AND REBECCA PARKER ’26

(Top right) The Mountain Springs Aquaponica greenhouse, a ministry set up by the Mountain Springs Church, that provides free fresh produce for the community.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETH CONWAY ’26 AND REBECCA PARKER ’26

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Passings Passings reflect deaths between March 30, 2024 - Aug. 25, 2025*

Jim Millard ’61, Feb. 4, 2025.

Family members include son Mark Millard ’83.

College of Arts & Sciences

Judith Howe Close ’61, April 5, 2024.

Jim Lloyd ’48, April 6, 2025.

Former Alumni board member.

Family members include daughter Deanna Jennings ’72, grandson Wesley Horn ’13, and granddaughters Gwen Frankian ’21 and Heather Vasquez ’05.

Gary Simpson ’62, Jan. 30, 2025.

Lois Scharpenberg Hayden ’49, Jan. 1, 2025. Family members include daughters Jean Harrison ’78, Ann Jessup ’77, and Nancy McGee ’82, granddaughter Kristen Harrison ’11, and grandson Andrew Jessup ’14.

Dick Andersen ’50, Nov. 11, 2024.

Alice Cooper Lage ’53, June 15, 2024.

Cortner Society. Family members include son Gene Lage ’77 and daughter Patricia Lage Kolb ’80.

Stu Ripley ’52, May 10, 2025.

Cortner Society.

Marion Sanchez ’55, Jan. 4, 2025.

Marilyn Nagel Lee ’56, May 31, 2025.

Mary Stevenson Patterson ’56, March 26, 2025. Family members include brother John Stevenson ’63.

Holly Phillips Jennings ’57, Sept.

11, 2024. Family Members include spouse Kent Jennings ’56.”

Doran Suess Kough ’57, May 30, 2025 Marcia Linton White ’57, Jan. 3, 2025. Family members include sister Robin McKenna ’65.

H. Thomas Hoy ’59, Aug. 11, 2025.

Wayne Stoddard ’59, May 23, 2025.

Richard Cox ’59, May 4, 2025.

Cortner Society.

M. Douglas Bobbitt ’60, Feb. 13, 2025.

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James Frye Sr. ’60, March 1, 2025.

OCH TAMALE FALL 2025

Phil Brown ’62 ’65, May 14, 2025.

Family members include daughter Krista Kamper ’90.

Linda Rae Maas Hardwick ’62, July 30, 2025. Family members include son Donald Hardwick ’91.

Christopher Ehret ’63, March 25, 2025. Family members include sister Florence Pierce ’70.

Jack Osborn ’69, May 12, 2025.

Former staff member and professor.

Robert Higday ’70, Jan. 9, 2025.

Larry Stevens ’70, Nov. 27, 2024.

Marcia Robbins Hendrick ’70, July 27, 2025.

Wayne Hastings ’71, Oct. 1, 2024.

Donald Jennings ’72, April 15, 2025.

Family members include spouse Deanna Jennings ’72.

Janet King ’75, June 17, 2024.

Family members include brother Arthur Morrow ’88.

Garry Monji ’74, Dec. 11, 2024.

Dennis Casino ’64 ’69, April 26, 2025.

Family members include spouse Marianne Casino ’64 and sister Sandra Henry ’68.

Stewart Francke ’81, May 9, 2025.

James Schroeder ’65, March 13, 2025. Former Trustee.

Family members include siblings Carol Schroeder ’86 and John Schroeder ’62 and sister-in-law Judith Schroeder ’63.

Sean Molloy ’16 ’18, April 12, 2025.

Mary James Swanson ’66, March 10, 2025.

Parke Terry ’66, May 1, 2025.

Paul Gregorio ’66, Sept. 19, 2024.

Family members include sister Patricia Gregorio ’73.

Robert Singer ’66, July 12, 2025.

Family members include spouse Audrey Singer ’69.

Rick Lee ’66, Feb. 19, 2024.

Paul Gustafson ’67, March 30, 2024.

Family members include sisters Carol Gustafson Jordan ’61 and Marilyn Gustofson Olson ’59.

Betty Dean Anderson ’69, May 1, 2025. Family members include daughter Lynne Kennedy ’76.

Melissa Goodwin ’94, Sept. 11, 2024.

Cameron Rowe ’02, Feb. 15, 2025.

Johnston Center for Integrative Studies Ellie O’Brien Abshire ’86, Feb. 6, 2025. Former Alumni board member. Family members include daughter Susan Holden ’83 and sons Robert O’Brien ’81 and Daniel O’Brien ’86.

Christopher Pepino ’00, Aug. 7, 2025 Samuel Stout ’14, June 26, 2025.

School of Business & Society Marilyn Jones ’78, Feb. 5, 2025.

Jimmie Kennedy ’78 ’82, April 22, 2025.

Frances Comstock ’76, March 6, 2025.

Dennis Howe ’77, June 18, 2025.

John Schrader ’77, April 25, 2025.

Howard Haller ’82, July 29, 2024.

David Hoffman ’82, Feb. 17, 2025.

Polly Pride ’82, June 19, 2024.

School of Education David Hardy ’01, Sept. 19, 2024.

Former professor.

Amber Gould ’14, June 1, 2025.

San Francisco Theological Seminary James Zeek ’61, Dec. 22, 2024.

James Huffstutler ’63, July 16, 2025.

Gary Reif ’79, June 8, 2025.

Ken Sunoo ’12, Aug. 1, 2024.

Friends Michael Armacost, March 8, 2025.

Son of former University President George Armacost.

Mary Balsley, July 8, 2025.

Former staff member. Family members include daughters Janis Nelson Gage ’86 and Julie Nelson Michaels ’92.

Tranquil Calley, March 10, 2025.

Former staff member, Former professor.

Velma Guy Tolbert, Aug. 23, 2024.

Ruth Ann Williams Nydam, Jan. 7, 2025. Cortner Society.

Family members include sister Jane Covington Walser ’67 and son Russell Williams ’99.

Bud Watson, March 10, 2025.

Former professor. Family members include daughter Amy Watson Scullin ’88.

Alfred Waner, July 9, 2025.

Former staff member.

In memoriam Peter Hayden Armacost, a respected academic leader and lifelong champion of higher education, passed away August 28, 2025. Born in New York City on July 12, 1935, he was the son of George H. Armacost, the fifth president of University of Redlands, and Verda Gae Armacost.

Peter earned a B.A. from Denison University and a doctorate in psychology from the University of Minnesota. In 1967, he became the nation’s youngest university president when he assumed leadership of Ottawa University at age 32. He went on to serve as president of Eckerd College and as rector of Forman Christian College in Lahore, Pakistan. Peter’s career spanned 43 years of continuous presidential leadership, the longest tenure in the history of American higher education at the time of his retirement.

Remembered for his vision, integrity, and deep commitment to students, Armacost also held leadership roles in civic, religious, and professional organizations. He is survived by his wife, Mary-Linda, four children, 12 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and siblings. He was preceded in death by his brother, Michael.

Carlotta Benita Benson, a mainstay of the campus community, passed away July 2, 2025. Born on Sept. 17, 1958, Carlotta lived in the Redlands area for over 50 years, bringing joy through her warmth and kindness, both as a cashier at CVS in downtown Redlands and in campus dining at the University. Working in the Launch Kitchen and the Den, she always had a smile ready for her “kids.”

As one student shared, “During some of my toughest days at Redlands, I knew that all I needed

to do was go to the Launch Kitchen, because Carlotta would be there to comfort us and make us laugh.”

Another student also recalled her fondly, saying, “From late-night dinners after practice to quick snack runs before class, Carlotta was always there, with open arms and an open heart.”

Outside of the university, Carlotta enjoyed traveling around the world, loved her church, and had an extended community of family and friends. Carlotta is survived by two brothers, two sisters, two uncles, her aunt, and her nephew.

Kathleen Ashby Modlin ’83 passed away July 27, 2025, in Palm Desert, California, with her husband Reg by her side. Born July 9, 1961, in Fontana, California, she moved to Valley Center as a teen and graduated from Orange Glen High School. Following her stepfather, former Trustee Ted Nicolay ’49 and her brother, current Board Chair Jim Ashby ’82, Kathleen enrolled at University of Redlands in 1979, majoring in Communications.

Along with roommate and future sister-in-law, Donna Johnson Ashby ’83, Kathleen joined Delta Kappa Psi. She was also a Spur, alumni office staffer, La Letra contributor, and editor-in-chief of the Bulldog newspaper. She later earned a master’s degree from Northwestern University. Kathleen built a successful career in communications and public relations, working with Cerrell Associates, Golin Harris, Masco Corporation, and later with CareMeridian and HealthBridge.

Known for her intelligence, style, and loyalty, Kathleen cherished her roles as “Aunt Kathy” and “Grandma.” She is survived by her husband Reg, his children and grandchildren, brothers Jim ’82 (Donna ’83) and Jeff, as well as nine nieces and nephews. OT

*Only if the notification date is between Feb. 22, 2025 and Aug. 22, 2025

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Class Notes Mike ’50 and Nancy Miller’s dog, Bella, posing for her picture in the 2026 Arizona Golden Retriever Rescue calendar.

Reflects submissions from Feb. 22, 2025 to Aug. 22, 2025

Ellen Beans ’62 and husband Larry biking with Senior Cycling in St. Petersburg, Florida.

College of Arts & Sciences 1950’s Mike Miller ’50 and Nancy Miller celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on May 10, 2025. Their one-yearold golden retriever, Bella, was selected as Miss July for the 2026 Arizona Golden Retriever Rescue calendar.

Linda Mills Sipprelle ’57 and Dudley Sipprelle ’57 had the pleasure of hearing Angel Blue ’05 sing at the Princeton Festival on June 8, 2024.

1960’s

Dudley Sipprelle ’57, Angel Blue ’05, and Linda Mills Sipprelle ’57.

Anne Davis Whitaker ’60 recently moved to Reata Glen in Rancho Mission Viejo, California, after her husband, Don Whitaker, passed away in 2023. Her six children, nine grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren are around the area, so she feels well connected and loved in her new retirement community.

Ellen Beans ’62 and her husband of 62 years, Larry, have had an adventurous year. They started by biking in St. Petersburg, Florida, and this summer, they put nearly 165 miles on their own e-bikes on 10 different Rails to Trails in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. They also travelled to Europe for a month, visiting Switzerland, Sweden, and Italy, among others. The culmination of 2025 will be celebrated by welcoming their first greatgrandson in November. They are so grateful for what their bodies and minds can do at the age of 85.

Patricia Lauderdale Jakobi ’62 has published A Death at the Rookery, the second in a series of mysteries set in the fictional town of Egret Bay in southeast Texas. She is now working on the third in the series, set in a city park, scheduled for release in 2026.

Susan Whitlo Clasen ’63 spent most of June in the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

She continued to the Isle of Skye and then spent a

Susan Whitlo Clasen ’63 in the Wicklow Mountains near Dublin.

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OCH TAMALE FALL 2025

Kurt Van Horn ’66 and wife Liz in Alaska.

week in Belfast looking for her Bain/Bayne ancestors.

She enjoyed learning extensive history, conversing with the fabulous people, and nice cool weather.

Kari Marilyn Mohn ’64 was selected to be celebrated as Alaska United Methodist Lay Person of the Year. This award is in recognition of her exceptional leadership and innovative contributions to her church and community.

James Gilliam ’66 retired from HMC Architects and celebrated 58 years of marriage with wife, Beth Andrus Gilliam ’67. The couple met during an art class at Redlands, and they have returned to Salzburg a dozen times to hone their drawing skills.

Kurt Van Horn ’66 and wife Liz were fortunate enough to take a 28-day Holland America cruise to Alaska this past June. They had fantastic weather and were able to visit some of the more remote places there. Their favorite towns were Sitka and Haines, and they enjoyed sailing through the College Fjord to see the Harvard Glacier.

Nancy Cross Andren ’69, Luanne Berline ’69, and Cathy Cordell Werner ’70 met in Fairbanks, Alaska, at the end of February to enjoy life in the land of ice, snow, and Northern Lights.

1970’s

Nancy Cross Andren ’69, Cathy Cordell Werner ’70, and Luanne Berline ’69 in Alaska.

James Nunn ’70 published The Stuff What Actually Is, a historical fiction novel.

Neale Barret ’74 and Ginny Folger Barret ’74 celebrated their 50th anniversary on April 12, 2025. They had a quiet day on the coast south of Pacifica, California, a nice lunch in Half Moon Bay, and a fine bottle of champagne at home.

Marilyn Magness ’75, retired Disney Executive Director of Creative Entertainment, continues to do special projects all around the world. She created and directed the Splash Water Parade at Six Flags’ Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri. The Parade will travel to a number of other Six Flags theme parks this summer and next and features “partying plumbers from the Wacky Water Works Company” with floats, buckets, and blasters, all designed and choreographed by Magness. Marilyn will be writing and directing a holiday spectacular in Redlands in December called “Home for the Holidays!”

Neil Dassler ’76 and Lee Ohigashi ’76, with wife Stephanie Ohigashi, had lunch together at Maui College’s Class Act Fine Dining Restaurant in April.

James Nunn ’70 with his novel, The Stuff What Actually Is.

Neale ’74 and Ginny Folger Barret ’74 celebrated their 50th anniversary in Pacifica, California.

Lynne Isbell ’76 has retired and is now Distinguished Professor Emerita at the University of California, Davis. Her last book published before retiring was titled Primate Socioecology: Shifting Perspectives (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024).

Jay Houser ’77 is delighted to report that he retired after a 45-year career with the same company. Jay lives outside of Palm Springs around the corner from his sister, Julie Ann Christenson ’85 ’89. Jay plays mahjong twice a week with his new friends/neighbors.

Mike Rothmiller ’78 published two books: Reckless and True Stories of the Paranormal and Unexplained.

Neil Dassler ’76, Lee Ohigashi ’76, and Stephanie Ohigashi having lunch in Maui.

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A Death at the Rookery is the latest book by Patricia Lauderdale Jakobi ’62.

Lynne Isbell ’76 published her most recent book, Primate Socioecology: Shifting Perspectives, in 2024.

Mike Rothmiller’s ’78 new book, Reckless: Sex, Lies, and JFK

The Beach Boys Monument in Hawthorne, California, designed by Timothy Lefler ’80.

Mike Imada ’80 and his late wife, Cindy Lages Imada ’80, in Salzburg in 1979.

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OCH TAMALE FALL 2025

Mike Rothmiller’s ’78 new book, True Stories of the Paranormal and Unexplained.

David Goldy ’92 earned the 2024 Commander’s Community Service Award.

Stuart Hoffman ’85 was recently honored for 20 years of teaching orthodontics at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.

A 2018 drawing by James Gilliam ’66. He and wife, Beth Andrus Gilliam ’67 have returned to Salzburg a dozen times to hone their drawing skills.

1980’s Mike Imada ’80 and his late wife, Cindy Lages Imada ’80, met at their Salzburg orientation and became close on their trip throughout the spring of 1979. They were married for 43 years.

Timothy Lefler ’80 originally designed The Beach Boys Monument in Hawthorne, California, in 2005.

In the wake of the passing of Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson, the city held a re-dedication ceremony of the monument. Hawthorne Mayor Alex Vargas declared it to be “one of the city’s treasures.”

Stuart Hoffman ’85 was recently honored for 20 years of teaching orthodontics at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC. Stuart is also the proud father of Redlands alumni Eric Hoffman ’18 and Jonathan Hoffman ’22.

Linda Castaneda McLean ’89 and James Morooka McLean’s ’89 son, James Castaneda McLean, graduated from high school in 2025 and will go on to pursue a career in culinary school. His older sister, Katie Lynn Castaneda McLean, finished her sophomore year at North Carolina State University and is pursuing a degree in social work. Linda is teaching second grade in Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools and in the Early Childhood department in the evenings. Linda will begin pursuing her doctorate in education at Wake Forest University soon. James is at home taking care of Buddy Boo, their rescue beagle hound. Linda still misses her siblings, nephews, nieces, and the dry heat in California.

1990’s David Goldy ’92 received the 2024 Commander’s Community Service Award and was selected to serve as the Honorary Commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The 576th plays a critical role in maintaining the nation’s nuclear deterrence. His pizzeria in Lompoc, California, continues to thrive, winning the Best Pizza in Town award for 11 consecutive years.

COULDN’T MAKE IT TO HOMECOMING & FAMILY WEEKEND THIS YEAR? YOU CAN STILL JOIN THE CELEBRATION BY SHARING YOUR STORY! Submit a short video to our Nostalgia Nook— share your favorite Redlands memory, a shoutout to old friends, or what being a Bulldog means to you.

Your video could be featured on our alumni channels and help keep the spirit of Homecoming alive all year long.

ALUMNI@REDLANDS.EDU

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2000’s Mandy Favaloro ’02, along with her husband Nicholas Jackson, welcomed their daughter, Annabelle Rose Favaloro Jackson, on June 29. She arrived happy and healthy, weighing 8 pounds, 5 ounces. The family is settling in at home in Los Angeles and enjoying every moment with their newest addition.

Katie Carnahan ’03 ’05 was named one of Parenting OC’s Top 25 Teachers of Orange County 2025. Katie received her bachelor’s degree and single subject teaching credential in English from University of Redlands and her multiple subject credential from Biola University. She will be starting her sixth year as a second grade teacher at Oakridge Private School this fall, and has been working in education since 2005.

2010’s Nichole Lohre Basinger ’10 married William Robert Basinger on Nov. 15, 2024, at a ceremony in Temecula, California. Bulldogs in attendance were Hannah McMeans ’11, Sarah Beeman Okugawa ’13 ’15, and Alex Okugawa ’15.

Sami Poindexter ’10 completed her doctorate in feminist studies from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Katie Carnahan ’03 ’05 was named one of Parenting OC’s Top 25 Teachers of Orange County.

Ashlee Buczek Romberger ’10 and Christian Romberger ’11 welcomed their second child in April.

Grace Conaway Brown ’13 was appointed as the new Associate Provost for Academic Services at California Baptist University. Grace has served in various roles at CBU since 2014, most recently as the Dean of Academic Advising, and as part of her new role, she will oversee a variety of academic operations.

George Galanis ’18 and Allison Dial Galanis ’18 were married June 7 in Mykonos, Greece. They met in a Hall of Letters classroom during their freshman year at Redlands. They previously lived in the Bay Area and currently reside in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Lacey Bjorndal Douglass ’18 ’19 and Zach Douglass ’19 ’20 got married on Nov. 23, 2024, in Redlands, surrounded by their families and many past Bulldogs. They met in the fall of 2017 in Greek life at the University. Royal fam forever!

2020’s Brady Goodman ’21 and Natalie “Tallie” Thayer Goodman ’21 got married in San Clemente, California.

They met sophomore year on the day of SpringFest through mutual friends in Chi Rho Psi and Delta Kappa Psi, their respective Greek orgs. Tallie’s wedding party was composed of her Delta Kappa Psi sisters Jasmine Duchene ’21, Emily Shipcott ’21, and Clara Sanders ’21.

Zach Douglass ’19 ’20 and Lacey Bjorndal Douglass ’18 ’19

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Emerson Kropp ’24 works as a contractor for Benthic Geoscience, based in Palmer, Alaska. He has had some amazing adventures, traveling to remote places in Alaska to conduct surveys utilizing his environmental science degree. Recently, Benthic Geoscience used their underwater mapping equipment to play an instrumental role in finding a family from Texas who died on a fishing boat in Homer.

Mandy Favaloro ’02 with her husband, Nicholas Jackson, and their daughter, Annabelle Rose Favaloro Jackson.

Christian Romberger ’11 and Ashlee Buczek Romberger ’10 with family.

(L to R) Nichole Lohre Basinger ’10 married William Robert Basinger with alumni Hannah McMeans ’11, Sarah Beeman Okugawa ’13 ’15, and Alex Okugawa ’15 in attendance.

Brady Goodman ’21 and Natalie “Tallie” Thayer Goodman ’21 on their wedding day in San Clemente, California.

(L to R) Delta Kappa Psi sisters Jasmine Duchene ’21, Emily Shipcott ’21, Tallie Thayer Goodman ’21, and Clara Sanders ’21.

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San Francisco Theological Seminary 1960’s R. Alan James ’60, ’63 is continuing to direct the Institute of Theological and Interdisciplinary Studies in Stillwater, Minnesota. He and Ruth A. James are well. Mrs. James is still teaching folk dance. Alan states that life is lovely, rich and challenging. For those interested in correspondence, he offers his email, alan@astonishme.org.

Dick Kite ’62 is approaching his 87th birthday. Struggling with neuropathy in both legs, he has curtailed his woodworking ambitions; no more flute or drum making. Dick still facilitates a once-a-month gathering of Native American flute players and drummers at Silver Glen Cooperative Senior Living Facility in Bellevue, Washington, where the Kites live. For fellow residents, they have organized a program called Saturday Afternoon Live with visiting musicians; direct a Choir Chimes group; and publish a quarterly publication with writings of the residents.

Tom Owen-Towle ’67 wrote Living with Purpose and Integrity: A Fresh Perspective on the Ten Commandments to reimagine the Decalogue to discover timeless truths as a beacon for honest and sacred living during our tumultuous times.

R. Michael “Mike” McLellan ’69, ’75 is still active in ministry. Since retiring from his parish in 2005, he has been serving as a chaplain with Sutter Hospitals. In 2002, the city of Tracy, California, named him Professional of the Year; in 2022, he was named Citizen of the Year for his contributions to the city’s non-profits. Mike married his college sweetheart Marietta Williams just as he began his first year at SFTS. They are celebrating their 59th anniversary this year. Mike adds, regarding the Humble Brags opportunity in these pages, “I have never been described as humble...”

Joseph Kang ’81 announces his memoir Rolling Stone, Journey into the Global Village. He and wife Hannah have lived at Monte Vista Grove Homes in Pasadena, California, since retiring in 2011 from their Mission Co-Workers’ ministry in Zomba, Malawi, and St. Petersburg, Russia. Last year, Joseph translated Herman C. Waetjen’s Christianity as the Moral Order of Integration into Korean. His article “Theology of Joseph Kang ’81 wrote Gawani: Toward Interconnectedness a memoir titled Rolling and Wholeness of Life” appears in Stone, Journey into the Dr. Dong In Baek’s book Reimagining Global Village.

Liberation: Gawani Theology and Hermeneutical Perspectives in the Malawian Context.

Dana L. Brown ’83 excitedly reports her retirement. Since SFTS, she has been living in Oregon and has had a diverse career serving a parish, directing a welfare rights nonprofit, co-directing a tenant’s union, public policy advocacy for county social services, a short stint as executive staff to a county commissioner, and decades self-employed as a nonprofit consultant. Now she volunteers for a cat rescue and a dance organization, supports efforts to preserve democracy, travels with her wife of 21 years, cares for their dog Bubba, and enjoys their lovely home in Portland. Love and hugs to old friends and colleagues!

Diana (Tobé) Louise Crowe ’86 passed two years ago, in 2023, at the age of 94. Diana earned a master’s degree from SFTS in pastoral counseling and was proud of it. Daughter Elizabeth recalls that for her mother, typing her thesis prior to computers was a chore.

Elizabeth enjoys receiving email from SFTS as it reminds her of mom.

Janet Wolfe ’69, at the age of 85, has retired from most activities. However, she still does a lot of work for her church, First Presbyterian in Marshfield, Wisconsin. She is a retired pastor who served a church near Marshfield, First Presbyterian, Arpin, which is small but still going strong with the help of a lay pastor.

John Hasenjaeger ’86 was privileged to be part of the German Summer School of the Pacific’s production of Mozart’s Magic Flute and was able to sing a couple of the bass arias. At first, he was a little shaky on the low F and F# required, but after a couple of weeks’ practice, those low notes came back!

1970’s

Mary A. Hansen ’88 has moved to Oxford in Florida where she occupies a suite in assisted living. She shares that she enjoys it!

Choo Lak Yeow ’71 has a new book, Reeradicate Racism, A Quest for a Level Playing Field.

Choo Lak Yeow ’71 recently published a book Reeradicate Racism, A Quest for a Level Playing Field, written with Samuel Wong. He is also the author of 2023’s White Privilege in Transition. A former British subject from Singapore, Choo Lak Yeow writes on his experiences of white privilege. His 30-year ministry in theological education has taken him to 59 countries. This include 11 years in the parish ministry in Malaysia and America plus three years of the Toucha-Heart beach-and-park ministry to the houseless in Waianae, O`ahu. He wishes all “Aloha and mahalo nui loa.”

Elizabeth “Beth” Kelsey ’75 spent 15 years in pastoral ministry and 23 years in mental health work. Currently, after five years of retirement, Beth is serving the United Parish (Presbyterian USA and United Methodist Church) in Bottineau, North Dakota.

Ronald Lee Cobb ’77 just published his eighth book, Ten Thousand Meditations on Love. Ron was inspired by the Sufi mystic named Rumi, a spiritual writer who continues to inspire followers of Islam, Judaism, and Jesus.

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1980’s

OCH TAMALE FALL 2025

Mike Wheeler ’89 is finishing his third year as Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of the Inland Northwest, and his 31st year as pastor at Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church in Spokane, Washington.

1990’s Peter Maier ’93 continued his ministry through 2018, flourishing thanks to his education from SFTS professors, Chaplain Howard Rice, the GTU, and the grace of God and many Spirits of Holiness.

He came out of retirement in 2019 for his last official pastoring at Point Reyes Presbyterian. His wife Ruth McCreight passed in 2024, and he credits a spouse loss support group with Yolo Cares for carrying him through the life-changing process.

Louise Westfall ’94 retired in February after 45 years of ordained pastoral ministry in five congregations. She lives in Denver, Colorado, and continues to pursue justice, music, and grandparenting.

Linda Stewart-Kalen ’97 retired in 2022 after serving two congregations in Oregon for 25 years. She moved to the Skagit Valley in Washington. Linda was a GA 221 commissioner in 2014 and served on the COLA for GA 222 in Portland. Later years of ministry included a criminal justice collaboration with Multnomah County for community service placements and a collaboration with the city of Portland for watershed protection. In retirement Linda has

provided sabbatical leadership for congregations and served as pulpit supply for UMC, ELCA, and Presbyterian churches. She and Peter celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary this year.

Andrea “Andy” M. CastroLang ’98 retired in August 2022 and has since travelled to visit family and friends in Germany and explore other family roots in Sicily. It was enormously exciting for her husband to find distant cousins in the tiny town of Villafrati. Andy and her husband are heading to Ireland for more adventures this fall. At home, she is busy assisting UCC, DOC, and Presbyterian colleagues on sabbatical or vacation, or just needing a respite from preaching. She is also a busy grandma, gardener, and fun friend.

John Newton Hickox ’98 is grateful for the opportunity to announce his new book Jesus Was Super Natural. Per John and reflected in the book, Jesus was not the second member of the Trinity, not divine, not God. John values Jesus’ statement, “You can do as I have done; as a matter of fact, you will do even greater things than I,” and maintains that Jesus “modeled for his discipuli and the rest of us how to care for each other.”

Barbara Schwartz ’99 is retired after serving as an interim pastor in Presbyterian and Lutheran (ELCA) congregations in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York. Barbara continues to use her spiritual direction training and hopes to work with small groups or a few directees while enjoying retirement.

Peter Maier ’93 came out of retirement for his last official pastoring at Point Reyes Presbyterian.

Heather Jepsen ’06 is proudly celebrating one year since amputation of her lower left leg due to the rare disease tenosynovial giant cell tumor.

2000’s Jonathan Evans ’06 is now the priest at St. Paul’s Within the Walls in Rome, Italy. He lives in Rome with his wife Barbara and their children Luca and Vittoria. They came to Rome from St. Monica’s Episcopal Church in Naples, Florida. Fr. Jonathan has many years of experiences in cross-cultural settings and nearly two decades of ordained ministry. He has a deep commitment to preaching, pastoral care, education, and mission. Fr. Jonathan is currently completing his Doctorate of Ministry in Congregational Development at Bexley Seabury Seminary.

Heather Jepsen ’06 is celebrating one year since amputation of her lower left leg due to the rare disease tenosynovial giant cell tumor, which she has been fighting since 2019. Heather is proud to celebrate this major milestone of spirit and endurance.

Heather has been the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Warrensburg, Missouri, since 2012, is a regular contributor to Guideposts publications, and was recently ordained as an animal chaplain by the Compassion Consortium.

Jonathan Evans ’06, pictured with wife Barbara and their children Luca and Vittoria, is now the priest at St. Paul’s Within the Walls in Rome.

2010’s Rev. John R. Leech ’14 continues to serve congregations in southern Arizona, where border issues are local.

Emily Koenig Stockert ’16 was called as installed pastor to the joint congregations of Two Rock Valley and Tomales Presbyterian churches in 2024. Under her leadership, Tomales Presbyterian Church is launching the Tomales Scholars Literacy Program this fall to help local elementary school students celebrate the joy of reading, in collaboration with Tomales Elementary School, West Marin Community Services, and Marin County Free Library.

Nick Mastin ’17 had the honor of adopting two more foster children in July and looks forward to “walking with them throughout the rest of my life.” He began working in Children Services four years ago after his work as a youth pastor at Indian Run United Methodist.

Two years ago he became a caregiver coach for the state of Ohio and serves public foster caregivers in the 13 county region of central Ohio. He supports foster caregivers through coaching trauma-informed parenting practices and providing grief support.

Nick Mastin ’17 had the honor of adopting two more foster children.

REDLANDS.EDU/OCHTAMALE

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CLASS NOTES REPORTERS

To volunteer as a class notes reporter or to send contact information updates, please email ochtamale@redlands.edu.

1951

1974

1990

1959

1975

Diana Copulos Holmes dvholmes@verizon.net Marilyn Kerr Solter mjsolter@verizon.net 1961

Judy May Sisk judysisk@sbcglobal.net 1962

Marie Haskell haskellmarie2@gmail.com 1963

Dan King danandlindaking@ montanasky.net 1964

William Bruns wbruns8@gmail.com 1965

Nancy Wheeler Durein dureins@comcast.net 1966

Kurt Van Horn kvanhorn3225@gmail.com 1967

Steve Carmichael scarmic264@aol.com 1968

Nancy Bailey Franich MightyLF@aol.com 1969

Becky Campbell Garnett beckycgarnett@gmail.com 1970

Sally Bauman Trost sallybtrost@gmail.com 1971

Teri Allard Grossman terigrossman@gmail.com 1972

Katy Hucklebridge Schneider kathryn.schneider2@gmail.com 1973

Pat Donahue donahuep@lafayette.edu Maureen McElligott mkmcelligott@gmail.com 1976

LeAnn Zunich SmartWomn2@yahoo.com 1977

Mark Myers mmyers@greaterjob.com 1978

David David revdaviddavid@gmail.com 1979

Renee Maclaughlin Bozarth reneemac@sbcglobal.net 1981

Gina Griffin Hurlbut bghurlbut@verizon.net 1982

John Grant (JC) jjgrant@earthlink.net 1983

Nathan Truman truman_nate@yahoo.com 1984

Linda Schulman Uithoven lindau5@yahoo.com 1985

David Enzminger denzminger@winston.com 1987

Cynthia Gonzalez Broadbent broadbentj5c@gmail.com 1988

Tim Altanero timaltanero@gmail.com 1989

Chris Condon condonmanor@mac.com

Kelly Mullen Feeney Kelly.Feeney@disney.com Diana Herweck drdipsyd@yahoo.com 1993

Joseph Richardson Jr. joespeak@gmail.com 1995

Ashley Payne Laird alaird@chandlerschool.org 1997

Adrienne Hynek Montgomery amontgomery2000@yahoo.com 1998

Julie Kramer Fingersh julesif@yahoo.com 1999

Stacie McRae Marshall stacie.mcrae@gmail.com 2000

Rebecca Romo Weir rebecca.d.weir@gmail.com 2001

2007

Annie Freshwater annie.freshwater@gmail.com 2008

Alana Martinez alanamartinez10@gmail.com 2009

Steven Halligan steventhalligan@gmail.com 2010

Samantha Coe Byron samantha.byron88@gmail.com 2011

Timmy Hendrickson timmyhendrickson@gmail.com 2012

Porscha Soto Guillot porscha.guillot@outlook.com 2013

Jacque Balderas Cavanagh jacqueleen.balderas@gmail.com 2014

Alyssa Good alyssaleegood@gmail.com

Maggie Brothers brothers.maggie@gmail.com Kelly McGehee Hons kellyhons@gmail.com

2015

2002

2016

John-Paul Wolf johnpaulwolf@me.com

Isabella Raymond isabella.a.raymond@gmail.com

2003

2017

Brianne Webb Lucero briannelucero03@gmail.com

Megan Feeney megan.feeney@comcast.net

2004

2018

Stasi Phillips stasiredlands04@gmail.com

Emily Dabrow Remsen erdabrow@gmail.com

2005

SFTS: All Classes

Katherine E. Deponty squeeker_kd@yahoo.com

Rev. Dr. Bear Ride ’78 ’91 bear.ride@gmail.com

2006

Retired Faculty and Staff

Jocelyn Buzzas Arthun jbuzzas@gmail.com

Samantha Townsend Bundy samanthaptownsend@ gmail.com

Elaine Brubacher elaine_brubacher@ redlands.edu

Lyndy Barcus Dye pldye@sbcglobal.net

REFER A FUTURE BULLDOG

Alumni are U of R’s best ambassadors. We know firsthand the impact of a Redlands education and understand how students will thrive at U of R. Let’s ensure that future generations benefit from the same exceptional opportunities by referring promising future Bulldogs to our beloved University.

If you refer an individual who enrolls at Redlands, you’ll receive a $100 gift card for the Bulldog Bookstore—a thank you for your referral and for being a Bulldog for Life!

For more information, please visit www.redlands.edu/refer

46

OCH TAMALE FALL 2025

Alumni Association Board of Directors

meet the staff:

U

niversity of Redlands is delighted to welcome Brandon Mulder back to University of Redlands as our new Executive Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement.

Mulder previously served Redlands for more than a decade in both Annual Giving and Major Gifts roles, and he’s thrilled to be back. “Redlands has always been close to my heart,” Mulder said. “Even though I’m not an alumnus, I’ve felt like a Bulldog since joining the University in 2008. It’s an honor to return and reconnect with the community that’s played such a big role in my professional journey.”

In his new position, Mulder will lead efforts to strengthen alumni engagement and annual giving, building on the foundation already in place. “The Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement team is doing incredible work,” he said. “I’m inspired by their energy and creativity, and I’m excited to support and amplify their efforts as we deepen connections with alumni and friends of the University.”

Mulder brings a relationship-driven approach and a passion for mission-centered work. Most recently, he served as executive director of the San Bernardino County Museum Foundation, and prior to that, was the senior director of development for athletics at UC Riverside.

It’s the Bulldog way that called him back. “What makes the Bulldog community so unique is its spirit—warm, loyal, and grounded in a shared purpose,” he said. “I look forward to working alongside our alumni to create meaningful opportunities for connection and impact.”

Mulder holds a Bachelor of Arts in kinesiology from Point Loma Nazarene University and lives in Redlands with his wife, Ginger, and their two children. Please join us in giving Brandon a warm welcome home. OT

COCO MCKOWN ’04, ’10

Welcome back, Brandon Mulder

Jacob Madden ’19, President James Benanti ’99 ’05, President-Elect Adam Gottlieb ’15, Past President Theresa Cullen ’78 Renee Maclaughlan Bozarth ’79* Lori Horter ’88, Development Chair Clay Bond ’90* Richard Edwards ’90* Michael McFarlane ’90 Sue Schroeder ’91* Donald Cox ’01 ’07 Jared Andrus-Hughes ’05 ’20* Stacy Huston ’06, Careers and Internships Chair James Patricola ’07 Justin Lee ’08 Divya Bisht ’10 Julian Rice ’10* Sean Cervera ’11* Casey Makana ’12 Francesca Makana ’12 ’14 ’26 Jordan Ruting ’12* Clifford Alls ’14 Valmik Karam ’16* Michael Simiele ’17* Keana Suda ’17 ’18* Anne Thorson ’17* Daniel Newton ’18* Elliot Bray ’19 Sheena Shaw ’19 Christian Curry ’20, Engagement and Events Chair Claire Olmstead ’21 Jennifer Solis ’21 ’24 ’28 Leslie Sernaque-Falcon ’22, Belonging, Diversity, and Inclusion Chair Danielle McConnell ’23* Gaby Herrera ’25, Maroon & Grey Student Ambassador Chi Luu ’26, Maroon & Grey Student Ambassador *New Member

REDLANDS.EDU/OCHTAMALE

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Linda Mary Montano gives the gift of art

One of three works donated by artist Linda Mary Montano

By Clyde Derrick or decades, noted performance artist and sculptor Linda Mary Montano has explored and dissolved the boundaries between art and life, including her widely known one year performance “Rope Piece” (1983-84).

Last year, Montano decided to donate some of her art to suitable institutions across the country. She approached SFTS as she and her deceased husband Mitchell Payne had lived together on the

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OCH TAMALE FALL 2025

SFTS campus in the 1970s when he was a student there. Identifying herself as a Catholic artist, Montano has created works with religious themes and picked three to donate to SFTS. Two represent Jesus Christ in stone and clay, and a third piece portrays human connection in three people embracing.

A grateful Dean Rev. Dr. Laurie GarrettCobbina and SFTS Buildings and Grounds are determining the best site on campus

where these works should be displayed.

“These works portray the love of Jesus and between people and align so strongly with the spirituality, work, and studies that are central to SFTS,” Garrett-Cobbina said. Once these works are ready for viewing, Garrett-Cobbina plans to host a public event where SFTS community members can honor Montano and see the chosen works in a permanent installation. OT

PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDA MARY MONTANO

F

REDLANDS DREAMERS

PHOTO COURTESY OF “DON” BEARD ’69 AND CELESTE ’73

New endowed scholarship honors beloved professor, mentor, and friend

By Catherine Garcia ’06

W

illiam Wesley Main, Ph.D. was unlike any professor Donald Bruce “Don” Beard ’69 had met before. Main rarely sat at a desk, instead moving freely across the front of his classroom, gesturing with his hands as he discussed Professor William Don Quixote and Macbeth. Where Wesley Main, Ph.D. others labored with notes, he recited from memory, shifting his train of thought without missing a beat. “He was witty and enthusiastic and very Socratic, in which case he fired question after question to the students and got everybody involved and participating,” Don said.

“It was very entertaining.”

Main taught English and comparative literature at University of Redlands from 1956 to 1979, and his passion for the material and helping students stayed with Don for decades, through his own career as an educator, novelist, and screenwriter. Don earned his doctorate in comparative literature at Redlands through an intercollegiate program of graduate studies, which included Pomona College and Occidental, and Main was more than just his beloved professor—he was also a mentor, dissertation advisor, and finally a colleague when Don joined him in teaching comparative literature.

The comparative literature program was a kind of Camelot, Don remembers, with colleagues constantly exchanging ideas, visits to theaters in Los Angeles and New York City, and Friday night barbecues in his backyard, the crowd mingling next to a 200-foot flowing stream replete with koi

and waterfalls. It was a special time for Don and his wife Celeste ’73 as they grew closer to Main.

“He was a marvelous individual,” Don said. “I think in our lifetime it’s remarkable if we ever encounter just one human being that has an impact on our lives like Bill Main had on mine. Knowing him changed things. It laid out possibilities—that there is another way of teaching, another way of getting excited about learning.”

Don recalls how Main would go through Shakespeare’s plays, line by line, then create fun boards to put on the chalkboard, like a menu based on the elements of a drama.

Main and his wife Maxine had no children, and Don believes “his students were his kids. He nurtured each one of them and wanted every single one to do well, and many went on to become teachers.”

In celebration of Main’s contributions to the University, Don and Celeste recently donated $100,655 to establish the William Wesley Main Endowed Scholarship, benefiting English and foreign language students with financial need.

Mindful of their roots, the Beards also endowed scholarships at their undergraduate alma maters, the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University. “We’ve always been grateful about our opportunities at these colleges and how much they helped us in life,” Don said.

A sudden, severe heart attack in 1979 ended Main’s teaching career; he retired early and died in 1983. In a farewell letter to University of Redlands, he thanked his “loyal colleague, Don Beard.” For Don, the William Wesley Main Endowed Scholarship allows him and Celeste to “honor Bill in return, in perpetuity.” OT

For information on how you can support scholarships, please contact Sarah Armes Harwood, Director of Donor Relations and Communications at 909-748-8349. You can also give directly at www.redlands.edu/givenow.

REDLANDS.EDU/OCHTAMALE

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