Westminster Magazine Spring/Summer 2020

Westminster SPRING/SUMMER 2020 VOLUME XXXVIII, ISSUE 2

COLLEGE MAGAZINE

A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Westminster COLLEGE MAGAZINE

SPRING/SUMMER 2020 Volume XXXVIII, Issue 2

EDITORIAL STAFF Elizabeth Fontaine Hildebrand ’92 Editor & Designer OFFICE OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT 724.946.7364 Kara H. Montgomery Nicole Crumbacher Hunter ’12 Linda Wilson ALUMNI COUNCIL Sara Surgenor Arblaster ’02 President (current and past) PRINTER Printing Concepts, Inc., Erie, PA EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Robin Willoughby Gooch ’75 Chair, Board of Trustees Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson President Dr. Jeffrey Scott Coker Vice President for Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management & Dean of the College James E. Dafler Director of Athletics Gina M. Vance Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students Dr. Jamie G. McMinn Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Assistant to the President The Rev. James R. Mohr II College Chaplain Kenneth J. Romig ’85 Vice President for Finance & Management Services Erin T. Smith Chief Information Officer & Associate Dean for Library and Information Services Matthew P. Stinson Vice President for Institutional Advancement Photography credits: Jason Kapusta, Brian Bornes, Taylor Carson, Derek Buck, Elizabeth Hildebrand ’92, Nathan LaRiccia, Terry Clark, Kara Montgomery, Nicole Hunter ’12, Mailing address: Westminster College, 319 S. Market St., New Wilmington, PA 16172-0001 ATTN: Westminster Magazine Editor For Admissions inquiries, call: 724-946-7100

IN BLOOM Although few were able to witness it this year, Westminster was bathed in beauty as spring blossomed on all corners of campus.

Westminster Magazine is published twice a year by the Office of Marketing & Communications. Westminster College does not discriminate, and will not tolerate discrimination, on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, age, handicap or disability, marital status, veteran status, genetics or any other protected class as those terms are defined under applicable state or federal law, in the administration of any of its educational programs, activities, or with respect to admissions and employment. In its employment practices the College may, however, consider the individual’s support of the philosophy and purposes of Westminster College as stated in the Undergraduate Catalog. Inquiries may be directed to the Equal Opportunity Officer, Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA 16172-0001, 724-946-7247. Westminster College is related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) through the Synod of the Trinity.

Galbreath Hall at night

contents

SPRING/SUMMER 2020 | Volume XXXVIII, Issue 2

2

Message from the President

3

Teaching in the Time of Coronavirus

8

Campus News

12

Distinguished Faculty Award 2020: Dr. David Barner

14

Titan Spotlight: Bria Braddock ’20

16

Athletic News

20

Ten Things Titan

22

A Season of Growth: A Look at Campus Improvements

24

The Class of 2020: A Quiet Exit

28

Titan Spotlight: Ericka Peterson ’03, Loretta Grate Bolyard ’00 & Brent Witgen ’00

32

Class Notes

36

National Connections & Alumni Events

40

Parting Thoughts: Professor Compares Coronavirus, 1918 Influenza Pandemics

STAY CONNECTED

W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 1

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

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eeks of quarantine offer a lot of time for reflection. As I have worked from home since mid-March, I’ve watched the scene outside my home office window change from sunshine to rain to snow (even on the morning of May 9, which should have been Commencement at Westminster!) to what is now the blossoms of late spring and early summer. It’s been many years since I’ve been afforded such a view of nature as I look up from my computer screen. The bees dashing about the rhododendron bush outside my window have reminded me of the frantic pace of a typical spring semester—and how that can suddenly be changed by a state mandate and a dangerous virus.

Even as I observed the physical changes happening outside my window, my introspections have changed as well. Intense concern about the impact of the virus on our students and community was compounded by calculations of the legal and financial implications of the pandemic on the College and this region, and then swelled into an overwhelming appreciation for the tremendous support offered our students by their friends and our faculty, staff, alumni and friends. These weeks have provided an unexpected opportunity to look back and to look ahead.

COVID-19 disrupted the highly residential face-to-face teaching and learning that has characterized Westminster for decades. In response to the mandate from Pennsylvania’s governor, our residential students were not allowed to return to campus after spring break, and we began virtual teaching and learning, while our staff worked from home. Our faculty and staff rose to the challenge with heroic commitment. Our students, suddenly dispersed with little notice, coped with the changes not only in their courses but also in the lives of their families and homes. While space here doesn’t allow me to note every department on campus that contributed to this effort, I am thankful for the dedicated and collaborative work of our faculty, staff and students that made this transition possible. We have learned a great deal about what helps strengthen this type of teaching and learning that will inform us in coming weeks and months.

The stay-at-home mandate also prompted some positive innovations to campus operations that had been disrupted.

In particular, our digital Bring Back the Titans fundraising campaign, launched quickly in April to solicit financial support for students and their families who had been adversely impacted by the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, was heartwarmingly successful, as was our digital Clash of the Titans campaign, designed to offset the athletics fundraising and camp revenue opportunities lost when the campus was closed. Both campaigns led me to reflect on the deep loyalty and support so many offer Mother Fair and prompted deep gratitude for their efforts.

Even now as we plan to return to campus in the fall, we know we will need to implement different practices and policies as we seek to provide a safe environment for students, faculty, and staff. The faculty has adjusted the fall term calendar to begin two weeks earlier, and we are exploring different sites for teaching that will allow for physical distancing. Some of the treasured traditions of the opening of the academic year will be newly different—even as our firstyear students are experiencing the transition from high school to college. Many of us may have greater empathy for their adjustments as we ourselves have to adapt.

I’ve also had opportunity over the past few days to grieve and to reflect about the response of our nation to the calls for justice and equality in our systems prompted by the tragic deaths of Brionna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and too many others, as I’m sure many of you have. It’s prompted me to again ponder the vision of the Presbyterian elders who in 1852 founded this College as an institute of higher learning that was not just open to men, but also to women and persons of color without regard to faith or creed—an historic vision that reflected their deep faith and commitment to the power of education to shape lives and communities for the greater good. Their vision has given me new hope for this day and time, when as a College, we can renew our commitment to those inclusive ideals and core values and to the actions living out those values will require. Doing so will require all of us to listen and learn, to participate in challenging conversations, and to change some long-established ideas and practices. It will not be easy work, but it is necessary work.

We’ve moved into a “green” phase here in our region of the Commonwealth, a new season for us, and we’ll soon return to our offices and classrooms. I’ll return with a new appreciation for all that makes a deeply experiential residential liberal arts education so valuable—and with a determination to do the good work necessary for renewal and change, even as we remain focused on the College’s vital mission to “help students develop competencies, commitments and characteristics that have distinguished human beings at their best.” Together again, the “We in Westminster” will continue to be Titan strong.

With gratitude for your support of Westminster, Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson, President 2 w w w.w e s t m i n s t e r. e d u

Teaching in the time of coronavirus

By ELIZABETH FONTAINE HILDEBRAND ’92

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tudents in Trisha Cowen’s Film History class probably weren’t expecting a 3-year-old guest lecturer this spring, but then again, as with most everything we’ve seen so far in 2020, everyone has learned to expect the unexpected.

When Westminster professors and students settled into their spring semester in January, very little was known about the virus that had begun infecting people in December. It was happening a half a world away and classes carried on as usual. By March, as more information became available about the virus and the disease it caused— COVID-19—a growing concern was taking hold in the U.S. Yet when Westminster students departed for spring break on March 6, they never expected they might not return to campus.

But that’s exactly what happened. Spring break was extended, and what began as a campus closure for a statemandated two weeks eventually turned into the remainder of semester. With Westminster’s campus shuttered, faculty, staff and students were abruptly forced to take on an incredible task: to teach, learn and carry on college business while sheltering from home.

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Westminster’s IT department sprang into action to make sure technology was accessible to all. Employees began installing Microsoft Teams onto their computers to stay connected with colleagues while working from home.

Student Affairs looked for socially distant ways to safely bring students back to campus to pick up personal items from their dorm rooms.

But instruction was another thing. Teachers ideally receive substantial training before embarking on a remote learning program. Westminster’s professors had only days to shift their entire teaching techniques to an online format. While some professors had online teaching experience, many did not.

“This gave us very little time together before classes moved online,” Cowen said. “I’d barely gotten into the new routine of dropping the kids—and all their belongings—off at day care when social distancing began. A new normal meant trying to teach from home with a 7-week-old baby, a 3-year-old and two grumpy cats.”

Cowen wasn’t alone. Balancing teaching and home life was a common challenge among her colleagues. While many embraced the easiest work commute of their lives and the chance to spend more time with their families, it didn’t come without a host of inconveniences and interruptions. Many were sharing space with their spouses and school-aged children. For those without dedicated home offices, work spaces were carved out of closets, basements, bedrooms and kitchens—or in Dr. Carolyn Cuff’s case, an edge.

“My working spot is a small area on the loft part of the second floor. It is literally an edge. I joked with my students that I haven’t jumped off of it yet,” said Cuff, professor of mathematics.

When home and office meld into one, “distractions abound,” as Professor of History Dr. Russell Martin noted.

“When you’re home and something comes up—a dripping faucet, a door latch that sticks—you can’t so easily ignore it until later, when you’re back from the office,” Martin said.

Jesse Ligo balancing teaching and farming Crash courses were given on how to use a little-known online video and audio conferencing platform called Zoom.

Professors had to determine what teaching methods would be most productive and beneficial. And how would the lack of face-to-face personal interaction impact their students?

With so many fast-moving parts, countless questions and very little time to prepare, teaching in the time of coronavirus brought a level of uncertainly and anxiety for many.

Finding a Balance While most professors had been working and bonding with their students since January, Cowen, assistant professor of English—fresh off maternity leave after the birth of her second daughter—didn’t return to the classroom until March 2.

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Professor of Accounting Jesse Ligo, who also owns and operates a 300-acre crop and beef farm when he’s not teaching in the School of Business, said he needed to be accessible for both jobs and found it taxing trying to balance teaching and farming.

“While videoing lessons or doing Zoom meetings, I could hear farm customers driving in the barn lane for a truckload of hay. While planting oats, I could feel my phone vibrating in my pocket with a call from a student about a potential summer internship,” said Ligo.

And of course, teaching from home with children who are unable to go to school, day care or Grandma’s house during the day adds another layer of distraction to an already extraordinary work environment.

“I admit to hiding in the bathtub from my 3-year-old so that I could grade a few papers,” Cowen said, adding that her daughter, Ella, struggles at times with having to share her mother with Westminster.

“I did my best to include her when I could and distract her with new activities when I couldn’t. For example, during a Film History lecture on contemporary film and the diversification of female storylines, I had Ella dress up

like Elsa and teach the students about the animated film Frozen,” Cowen said. “She loved telling them about why Elsa is a powerful woman.”

School of Nursing Director Tricia Ryan managed her workload as a professor and chair while simultaneously serving as a surrogate grade school teacher keen on keeping her fifth-grade son on task with his school work.

“It was quite a challenge, but I recognized early on that creating a schedule was very important,” said Ryan. But even with the challenges and distractions, Ryan said she was grateful for some of the opportunities the quarantine has provided.

“The biggest benefit of working from home is time with my youngest son,” she said. “As he is our last of three kids at home, I am savoring all the time with him that I can get.

I like watching him learn and grow.”

Professor of Chemistry Dr. Peter Smith—sheltering at home with his family, which includes two school-aged daughters—admits teaching from home was less than ideal, but he learned to adapt.

“It was challenging to help my own children with their remote learning while I was trying to teach my students,” said Smith. “I don’t really have any private space to lock myself away in, but even if I did, it wouldn’t have been effective. I tried to let my kids know when I was in a very important video meeting, but that didn’t always work. I had to become comfortable with the fact that my kids were going to interrupt my work, which was fine. Many of us were in the same situation and everyone understood and was very gracious.”

To Zoom or Not to Zoom One of the most important decisions faculty had to make going into remote instruction was how they were going to teach. Would they opt to teach synchronously—classes taking place in real time, usually with video conferencing software, with professors engaging with students simultaneously—or asynchronously—an approach that doesn’t require students to be online at the same time and allows for more self-paced learning using professors’ recorded lectures and lessons?

Living in a rural setting with a slow internet speed, Ligo had little choice but to teach his courses asynchronously.

Armed with a white board and his laptop camera, he recorded lessons in his basement and uploaded them to YouTube. Students could view his lessons at their convenience and follow along using Ligo’s handout packets that were scanned and uploaded to D2L—the College’s integrated learning platform that allows instructors to

Dr. Trisha Cowen with classroom helpers Mara and Ella upload course handouts, share website and video links and engage students through discussion boards.

Smith also opted for an asynchronous approach, allowing him to prepare a series of video lectures to be posted to his YouTube channel and later shared through D2L. Since remote learning prohibited students from conducting in-person lab experiments, Smith and his colleagues needed to find a way to provide students with a semblance of lab experience.

“We decided that the most important outcomes for lab instruction are the analysis of data and communication of results. We provided our students with data from previous semesters and supplemented with videos when available.

The students then submitted their reports as if they collected the data,” he said.

Many professors relied on Zoom and D2L’s video conferencing tools to allow for a synchronous approach to their classes. For Martin, who had been using the standard D2L features prior to the shuttering of the College, picked up on the platform’s Virtual Classroom feature quickly.

“I tried very hard to keep things on the same routine as I had when I was teaching face-to-face. I also recorded the sessions, so that students who live in other time zones or who have other family or work responsibilities could watch the sessions at their convenience,” he said.

Professor of Education Dr. Charlene Klassen Endrizzi, who has been teaching asynchronous online graduate courses for several years, said using Zoom this semester for a live approach allowed her to stay connected to her students.

“Zoom is wonderful. I needed to see my students and I heard from students that they needed to see me and their

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classmates,” she said. “I am so grateful that I had eight weeks of face-to-face teaching from January to March to establish a powerful learning community.”

Professor of Music Dr. Daniel Perttu agreed that Zoom was a useful tool for his Music Theory course, but it didn’t translate as well to the Orchestra course he took on this semester while his colleague and wife Dr. Melinda Crawford Perttu was on sabbatical.

“Online instruction for orchestra was really not ideal.

Students turned in recorded performances of orchestra music on their own, but they couldn’t play together—so much of the ‘ensemble’ experience didn’t exist,” he said.

And videos circulating of bands and choirs performing together via Zoom were simply not realistic.

“We couldn’t rehearse via Zoom because everyone’s internet connection had a different speed,” Perttu said. “we couldn’t synchronize students’ performances without them prerecording themselves and without us doing some super-sophisticated audio engineering. Any of those videos have had that engineering done to them.”

Regardless of how content was delivered most students did their best to adapt to the chosen models and overcome technological issues.

“The students adjusted well and they were patient with the snafus,” said Martin. “They understood that they were still getting a Westminster education, and that every college and university in the country is dealing with this crisis and this change.”

And although students did their best to adjust to the shift to online learning, Westminster faculty members acknowledged that every student’s situation had varying degrees of difficulty and they did they best to offer support where they could.

Dr. Timothy Cuff, professor of history, said he tried to keep things as normal and “Tim Cuff-like” as possible in his daily teachings.

“Maybe nothing else in their lives is ‘standard’ but at least Dr. Cuff shows up in a white shirt and tie, tells some lousy Dad jokes, and pushes us to think about how history and geography affect our lives,” he said. “I think if I can help give some stability, that is a plus.”

Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Deanne Buffalari said some students faced challenges beyond their control—unreliable internet, challenging living conditions, jobs or increased responsibilities at home.

“I was amazed to hear about stories outside of academics—students who had parents working in health

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Dr. Patrick Krantz’ Environmental Science Class via Zoom. “Kids frequently had their pets with them.” care that were essentially serving as mother and father to their siblings. Students who started working full time because a parent had lost a job and were trying to balance that with finishing the semester. It helped me realized how lucky I was, and made me even more committed to supporting them as they finished out the term,” she said.

Face to Face The lack of personal interaction with colleagues and students was a stumbling block for many. Popping into one another’s office for a quick chat or to simply catch up wasn’t possible. Attending students’ extracurricular activities was no longer an option. And because a Westminster education is, at its base, defined by its personal and collaborative experiences, the absence of that human element was frustrating for most.

“Our whole brand is personal interaction,” said Smith, who also serves as chair of the faculty. “It was a struggle to be a professor without the daily personal, informal and formal interactions with my students.”

And those personal, face-to-face interactions allow professors to read the room and interpret body language and facial expressions—none of which are fully possible whether teaching synchronously or asynchronously.

“One of the drawbacks to working at home is that I lacked the milieu of my classroom,” said Krantz. “I couldn’t read the body language of my students, I couldn’t necessarily see their heads bob when an idea hit them, or hear the deep breath or halted sigh of being challenged. I couldn’t use my proximity to increase their attention and concentration, I couldn’t make eye contact to focus them, or kneel beside them to give them confidence. When I

paused for them to answer, or used wait time to motivate them, they thought my Wi-Fi connectivity suddenly dropped.”

“What I learned was that a class is a learning community and that cohesion is very, very difficult to create in an online environment,” said Associate Professor of Spanish Dr. Joel Postema. “And if you think about what language is—the transfer of information from one person to another—we miss a lot when we are not face-to-face. I found myself pointing at my computer screen with my finger or nodding in a student’s direction to try to get them to respond. I was frustrated by not being able to read students’ facial expressions to see if they were following what I was saying or confused.”

Ligo echoed that, adding that watching his students’ faces as he taught and seeing his students interact with each other during class was what he truly missed.

“When we’re all in the classroom, we are on a trip we are all taking together. It is tough to get that camaraderie through a video or a discussion board,” Ligo said.

To achieve some level of personal connectedness, professors maintained online office hours and some even shared their cell phone numbers if students had further questions about a class assignment or just needed to someone to listen or talk via FaceTime.

Several professors expressed concerns over their students’ general well-being and mental health.

“I am a news guy, and I encouraged my students to stay up to date with what was happening with the pandemic with an emphasis on following local news. At the same time, I also encouraged them to limit their news intake during the day. Having the TV on cable news all day has the potential of creating a dark and depressing world in our heads,” said Lecturer of Broadcast Communications Brad Weaver.

In the end, whether in person or in cyberspace, Westminster faculty remain focused on singular goal.

“As faculty, we do our job because we care about our students,” said Carolyn Cuff. “Their success is our success. While our remote teaching is not an easy task for either us or our students, we are willing to work at it so that our students will continue to succeed.” S

Student perspectives on quarantine learning “I prefer in-class learning because it just helps me stay more focused and it fits better with my learning style.

But, the biggest benefit of remote learning for me was the flexibility that it brought. Because my classes met asynchronously most of the time, I had a lot of freedom with when I did my work each day. I think flexibility is always helpful, but I think it was especially helpful while working from home never knowing when there might be a distraction.” ~ Danielle Grady ‘20 “The benefits to remote learning, I think, were borne more out of the global situation than anything else.

Remote learning was new and scary and thrust on everyone all at once unexpectedly, which contributed to the great understanding and leeway extended to us. At the same time, it was almost a more human experience than traditional in-person teaching. Everyone was more... vulnerable. We all got to see a separate side of each other that we normally would not have glimpsed in a real classroom.” ~ Michael Sholtis ’20 “I have consistently felt ahead on my school work.

Without all the extras that go with being on campus, academics are my top priority. I feel very relaxed when approaching upcoming assignments. I speak for everyone when I say this has been frustrating. There are so many fun events and traditions that take place this time of year, and that was taken away from all of us. Even something as little as my internet disconnecting leaves me feeling frustrated because it makes me feel even more disconnected.” ~ Kaylee Brosius ’21 “My biggest struggle since quarantine has been staying disciplined. I thrive and am most productive on a schedule, which is why I love school so much. Being in quarantine has allowed for time to be our own, which is more challenging than it sounds. There are some days where I am good about being disciplined, and there are many other days where I’m not the best at it. It has been a big learning opportunity which has allowed me to learn more about myself and what I need to improve on as a student.” ~ Emma Rudolph ’23

W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 7

CAMPUS NEWS | Titan news on and beyond campus

In-person classes to resume this fall “We are committed to bringing our students back to campus this fall, with great care.”

DR. KATHY BRITTAIN RICHARDSON President

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estminster will adjust its fall 2020 academic calendar to prioritize the health and safety of its students, employees and visitors amid the coronavirus pandemic.

College administrators, faculty and staff are developing policies and practices necessary for a safe return to campus while continuing the College’s 168 years of academic excellence and robust campus life experience.

Under the revised calendar, the fall 2020 semester will start Monday, Aug. 17, and conclude with finals just before Thanksgiving.

There will be no midterm break. Fall semester classes will end Friday, Nov. 20, and final exams will take place Saturday, Nov. 21 through Wednesday, Nov. 25.

“We are committed to bringing our students back to campus this fall, with great care. To achieve that, we are developing plans that comply with federal and state health and safety guidelines,” Richardson said.

Students will depart campus after finals and return for the spring 2021 semester in January.

“This adjustment to the academic calendar will help minimize the transmission of the disease to campus by restricting the number of times the entire student body leaves and then returns,” said Dr. Jeffrey Coker, vice president for academic affairs and enrollment management and dean of the College.

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To mitigate the spread of the virus, the College continues to examine curriculum adjustments and safety protocols that need to be made to academic instruction, residence life, dining services, athletics, campus activities and arts and culture events.

The College shifted exclusively to online instruction on March 19. The Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) announced the cancellation of all spring sports on April 3.

Competition this fall will be determined by PAC guidelines.

Academic, student affairs under new leadership

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‌wo familiar Westminster faces have been tapped to lead their divisions.

Dr. Jamie McMinn, associate dean of academic affairs and professor of psychology, has been named vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College, effective July 1. Gina Vance, assistant vice president for campus engagement since 2018, was appointed vice president for student affairs and dean of students on Nov. 23.

McMinn fills the vacancy created following the May resignation of Dr. Jeffrey Coker, while Vance’s appointment came on the heels of Dr. Carllos Lassiter’s resignation.

McMinn joined the Westminster faculty as assistant professor of psychology in 2003. In 2014 he was named associate dean, and in 2017 he took on additional duties as assistant to the president for College relations, partnering closely with the Board of Distinguished Visitors, local and regional foundation partners and federal and state leaders.

He has served as the accreditation liaison to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and he completed the Council of Independent Colleges Senior Leadership Academy in 2018.

In addition to his work at Westminster, McMinn serves in a leadership role with the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) exam in psychology. He has been responsible for training high school and college teachers of psychology on a rubric that enables reliable scoring of high school students’ AP psychology essays.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Emory & Henry College and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.

Vance has an extensive background in student services. She joined the Westminster student affairs team in 2006 as assistant dean of residence life and was promoted to associate dean in 2009. In 2013, she transitioned to associate dean for activities and orientation and was appointed assistant vice president for

McMinn Vance campus engagement in 2018.

As vice president, Vance oversees Disability Resources, Diversity and Inclusion, Public Safety, Residence Life, Student Conduct, Student Success and Engagement and Student Wellness. She also serves as the College’s Title IX coordinator and is a member of the President’s Leadership Team.

During her career at Westminster, Vance established a new comprehensive and collaborative orientation and transition program for new incoming students, as well as a student leadership development program. She created online training for resident assistants, oversaw residence hall renovations and phase two construction of Berlin Village residences. She has championed alcohol and sexual violence prevention education for new students and she helped develop curriculum for Westminster 101, the college transition for first-year students.

Vance earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Mount Union and a master’s degree from Kent State University. She is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in higher education management from the University of Pittsburgh.

Westminster waives fall admission SAT/ACT requirements

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‌estminster is waiving the SAT/ACT requirements for fall 2020 admission consideration in response to the closing of testing sites across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Under Westminster’s test-optional approach, students are encouraged to submit test scores if they have them, but students without test scores will still be considered for admission.

“These are unprecedented times and we want to make sure that every qualified student who desires a Westminster education

is considered, regardless if they took the SAT or ACT tests,” said Dr. Jeffrey Coker, vice president for academic affairs and enrollment management and dean of the College.

The groups that administer the SAT and ACT tests announced in March that the next nationwide examinations would be postponed or canceled. The April 4 ACT test was rescheduled for June 13 for some areas while the May 2 SAT was been canceled.

For more information about Westminster College’s admissions procedures, please visit www.westminster.edu/admissions.

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WHY I GIVE

Board brings on 5 new members

Carmody Stuck

Robbins Thompson Tupitza

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‌he Westminster College Board of Trustees elected five members at its annual spring meeting in May.

RUSSELL ’69 & Catherine BOSTON CHEMISTRY Home:

Mars, Pennsylvania

Profession:

Retired director of quality assurance & supplier development, PPG Industries, Inc.

About the Bostons:

Russell and his wife, Catherine, have become very involved with Westminster College in the past 18 months. Russell is an active participant on the Philanthropy and Stewardship Committee of Alumni Council, works diligently at his church in Pittsburgh, and recently sponsored the Coach Ridl case for the Dar Huey Heritage Center.

Chris Carmody ’96, Tracy Stuck ’88, David Robbins ’82, Glenn Thompson ’68 and Thomas Tupitza ’79 will serve fouryear terms, beginning July 1. Thompson and Tupitza have previously served on the board.

Carmody is senior vice president for UPMC’s Information Services division and president of ClinicalConnect, Pennsylvania’s largest Health Information Exchange (HIE) comprised of over 40,000 users at western Pennsylvania’s leading regional health providers.

Stuck is assistant vice president for student life at The Ohio State University.

She has overseen student life departments including student activities, Ohio Union, recreational sports, campus dining, development, parent and family relations, Buckeye Leadership Fellows, fraternity and sorority life, student philanthropy, student life marketing and student life’s social

change programs.

Robbins has had a successful career in senior management, serving as chairman, president and CEO of BigFix, a technology company offering systems management software, and CEO of Quippe Technologies, a provider of procurement services for the equipment manufacturing industry. Most recently, he was CEO of Quantivo, a provider of cloud-based behavioral analytics.

Thompson, who has served two previous terms on Westminster’s board, is a retired businessman and entrepreneur. During his corporate career, he was involved in the coatings businesses of PPG Industries and ICI (England) and later moved to corporate development roles including global mergers and acquisitions and international corporate expansion.

Tupitza, former chair of the board, is president of the Erie-based law firm Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett, P.C. He has served four full-terms on Westminster’s board.

Why the Bostons Give:

“Catherine and I are honored to sponsor the Coach Ridl display case in the Dar Huey Heritage Center. Buzz Ridl was my coach, my friend and a father figure. Coach Ridl not only ensured me that I could major in chemistry and play basketball, he also put together a financial package so that I could attend Westminster. I had basketball scholarships to other colleges, but I couldn’t major in chemistry because labs interfered with practice. My B.S. degree in chemistry from Westminster was the key to a successful career. Coach Ridl helped make it possible.”

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SAA LEADERSHIP DINNER Nearly 100 student leaders attended the Student Alumni Association-sponsored Leadership Dinner in February. The event featured a keynote address by Lisa Woodis ’78, center, senior manager in financial accounting at Disney/ABC Sports/ ESPN Production Financial Services.

2011 alumna joins student affairs team

WHY I GIVE

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fter a competitive nationwide search, alumna Candace Okello ’11 was named associate dean of ‌student affairs for student success and inclusive excellence.

Hired in March, Okello oversees orientation, leadership development and strategic planning for diversity and inclusion. She supervises the diversity and inclusion staff and the assistant director of student engagement.

“We are delighted to welcome Candace back to campus,” said Gina Vance, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “Candace brings rich and important experience improving campus cultures for Okello equity and justice as well as a strong background in first-year programs. This combination will strengthen our student success work across campus and her knowledge of the Westminster student experience makes me especially excited.”

Okello served as the director of diversity and inclusion at La Roche University since 2016.

Prior to that, she spent two years as La Roche’s assistant director for multicultural affairs.

Additionally, she is a member of the board of directors for Vincentian Academy, a Catholic high school in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.

In 2018 Okello received the FAB 40 Award, presented by The New Pittsburgh Courier to 40 African Americans in Pittsburgh who have demonstrated excellence in their professional lives and the community. In 2015 La Roche University’s Student Government Association honored her with the Outstanding Staff Award.

“I believe there is purpose in retuning back to a place that has shaped a part of your life,” Okello said. “My undergraduate experience at Westminster has informed my work as a higher education professional, and coming back as the associate dean of student affairs, I feel an immense sense of responsibility to serve these students well. I have been graced with the opportunity to help make transformative changes that will positively impact our students. I am grateful.”

After receiving her undergraduate degree in communication studies from Westminster, Okello earned a master’s in integrated marketing communication from Duquesne University.

New communication major approved

A

new major in creative media production, approved in February ‌and being offered this fall, is aimed at students interested in storytelling and visual communication.

Students will train to become professional creative storytellers by learning to produce marketing materials, create graphics for multimedia use and create content for multiple platforms.

“We’re excited to launch another major that will provide an even wider range of career options and opportunities to

succeed,” said Dr. David Barner, retiring professor of broadcast communications and chair of the School of Communication.

In addition to the core School of Communication required courses of Media Writing, Mass Communications and Audience Research and Analysis, all creative media production majors will take courses in graphic and publication design, digital photography, animation, social media, radio and television fundamentals and filmmaking.

They will also enroll in two additional electives.

courtney behm ’01

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Home:

Mentor, Ohio

Profession:

Director of Sales, Marketing & Communications, Gilbane Building Company

Accomplishment:

A former Titan softball player, Courtney has been a longtime supporter of the Towering Titan Organization and the Westminster Fund. She has been engaged with Cleveland area alumni since she graduated in 2001 and currently serves on Alumni Council.

Why Courtney Gives:

“Westminster prepared me, not just for a job, but for a career with a global construction management firm and provided me with unique opportunities and life-changing experiences through athletics and academics that made an impact on my personal growth and development. I give back both by volunteering on campus and providing financial support to ensure the next generation of students can take advantage of those same experiences. Staying engaged in college activities, attending programming both virtually and in person, as well as following campus news and seeing the success of the students makes me proud to be a Titan.”

W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 11

[ Distinguished Faculty Award ]

David Barner W ‌ith his rich baritone gracing the Westminster airwaves and the College’s main switchboard message, it’s no wonder that this year’s Distinguished Faculty Award recipient is often referred to as “The Voice of Westminster.”

Dr. David Barner, the recipient of the 2020 award, has been a Westminster fixture for nearly four decades.

Known as “Dr. B” on Titan Radio, Barner joined the Westminster communication faculty in 1981. He has worked in commercial and educational broadcasting as a disc jockey, news anchor, football/basketball play-byplay announcer, account executive, program director, sales manager and general manager.

On campus, he is known as a professor who links theory to practice and has helped guide decades of students to successful careers in broadcasting and communication. Barner’s graduates have gone on to professions in on-air talent for radio and television, studio and field directors, producers, media sales and camera and audio operators.

During Barner’s tenure, he has witnessed Titan Radio transition from 45 RPM records to the latest digital technology. He has seen the radio station grow from 100 watts to the current 4,000-watt coverage throughout Lawrence County. The Westminster Cable Network— which was once housed in a small studio in the basement of Orr Auditorium—now has a state-of-the-art facility and a fully-equipped remote truck and serves three cable systems and viewers around the country by a video stream.

In 2019, the Presidents’ Athletic Conference presented Barner with the Dow Carnahan Media Award for his role as a distinguished member of the media for his commendable service while covering and promoting the conference’s student-athletes, coaches and programs.

The Distinguished Faculty Award is Westminster’s highest teaching award. It is presented to a tenured faculty member who has, over a sustained period of time, demonstrated characteristics of the most outstanding faculty­—intellectual vitality, effective communication skills, the ability to motivate or inspire compassion and concern for student success, collegiality and leadership.

12 w w w.w e s t m i n s t e r. e d u

Eight granted emeritus status

E

ight retiring members of the Westminster faculty were granted emeritus status by the Board of Trustees in May. Dr. David Barner, professor of communication. Barner, who chaired the School of Communication, taught broadcast and media production and was active with Titan Radio as an announcer, reporter and producer. The 2020 Distinguished Faculty Award winner, he joined the faculty in 1981.

Dr. Amy Camardese, professor of education. Her research areas of interest included intercultural means of exploring curriculum and using technology with students with disabilities. The 2019 Distinguished Faculty Award winner, Camardese joined the faculty in 2001.

Dr. Ed Cohen, professor of political science. Cohen’s area of focus was public policy, constitutional law and political philosophy. His research interests centered around international political economy, with a focus on the intersection between globalization, international law, finance and trade. He joined the faculty in 1996.

Dr. Carolyn Cuff, professor of mathematics and faculty development officer. Her teaching areas included statistics, data science, discrete

mathematics and operations research. The 2017 Distinguished Faculty Award winner, Cuff joined Westminster in 1989.

Dr. Timothy Cuff, professor of history.

Cuff taught U.S. history courses and world geography and his research interests focused on 19th century United States and the outcomes of economic development.

He joined the faculty in 2000.

Dr. Nancy DeSalvo, associate professor of music. A Steinway Artist, DeSalvo taught courses in applied piano, vocal and instrumental accompanying/coaching, piano techniques and music history. She joined the faculty in 2000.

Dr. Mandy Medvin, professor of psychology and longtime director of the College’s former Preschool Lab. Her recent research interests focused on crosscultural attitudes towards cyberbullying in adolescents. Medvin joined the faculty in 1992.

Dr. Ann Murphy, associate professor of French and Spanish. Her area of focus was the French language, literature and culture and she was particularly interested in French and Francophone narrative writing of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, especially the works of Louis-Ferdinand Céline and Nobel Prize laureate Patrick Modiano. She joined the faculty in 1995.

Promotions and tenure awarded

S

everal faculty members earned promotions and tenure during the spring semester.

Dr. Michael Aleprete Jr., political science, was promoted from associate professor to the rank of full professor.

Aleprete has been a member of the faculty since 2007.

Dr. Daniel Perttu, music, was promoted from associate professor to the rank of full professor. The current chair of the School of Music, Perttu joined the faculty in 2008.

Dr. Deanne Buffalari, psychology, was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor and was granted tenure. Buffalari, who serves as coordinator of the Neuroscience Program, joined the faculty in 2014.

Dr. Diana Ortiz, biology, was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor and was granted tenure. Ortiz joined the faculty in 2014.

Dr. Timothy Winfield, music, was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor of music and was granted tenure. Winfield, who also serves as director of the Westminster College Jazz Ensemble, joined the faculty in 2014.

BEHIND-THE-CAMERA CHALLENGE Students produce a music video for musician alumnus J.D. Eicher ’09 as part of a 48-hour Titan Music Video Challenge. Each competing team was assigned one of Eicher’s songs and worked with alumni mentors, 4K cameras and $0 budgets to film complete videos during a two-day stretch. The winning video for Eicher’s “Maybe You Should Know” was coached by Troy Jackson ’18.

TITAN SPOTLIGHT

Seeing the SilverLining

By NATHAN LARICCIA | SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR

Lacrosse star stays Titan strong after season cut short

S

enior Bria Braddock, the Westminster women’s lacrosse team’s career-leader in points and goals, is no stranger to playing through adversity. A serious car crash in the fall of 2018 left Bria with a torn hip labrum and a torn shoulder labrum, rotator cuff and capsule—and questions of whether her playing career was in jeopardy.

Doctors recommended surgery, but she didn’t want to miss out on the upcoming 2019 spring season and put off the treatment to be part of the team she helped build since the start of the program in 2017. She had no idea that her painplagued junior campaign, during which she helped guide the Titans to their most 14 w w w.w e s t m i n s t e r. e d u

successful season ever, would be her last chance to win a Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship.

Even knowing what she would endure physically, Bria made a choice. She chose to play her junior year. Surgery could wait.

Bria dealt with her injuries simultaneously. The very least she could do, her doctors—and her physical therapist dad—told her, was to rest to minimize the pain and prevent further damage.

“Playing or not playing was never even a question to me,” Bria said. She fought through the pain of the season that ultimately proved to be a winning one. Westminster went on to win the

team’s first PAC Championship and Bria was named the PAC Defensive MVP and earned All-PAC First Team honors. Westminster qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament—the first appearance in program history—and advanced to the second round.

standing next to (fellow senior teammate) Cortlynn (Douds) and she just grabbed my hand as (first-year Head) Coach Bethany Snider shared the news. There was nothing anyone could do. There was no alternative plan, there was not one more practice or one more game.”

Immediately following the national tournament, Bria dealt with her shoulder injury. After a successful surgery, Bria then had to think about her torn hip labrum going into the final year of competition.

A unique moment transpired across the nation. Every spring student-athlete at every level of competition was affected.

Student-athletes on a full-ride scholarship at a Division I program or playing at a non-scholarship Division III school were both evenly affected. Male or female.

They all had something in common. Their respective seasons were suspended indefinitely or cancelled altogether.

“I postponed doing anything about my hip until after my senior season was over because I wanted one last year of playing the sport I love,” she said. Just like her championship junior season, Bria was determined to take to the field again, regardless of the physical pain she knew she was going to experience. The choice was hers—and she chose her sport and her teammates. She had control over whether or not she was going to play.

But 2020 had other plans.

The 2020 Titans had just concluded their non-conference portion of their schedule and were looking forward to conference play and defending their PAC title. But on their way back from a March 12 road game against Stockton University, Bria and her teammates heard the NCAA officially canceled the remaining winter and spring championships because of the coronavirus pandemic—and they started to think that this season might be different.

The following morning, the Presidents’ Council of the PAC officially announced the suspension of all varsity athleticallyrelated activities for the “health and safety of its students, faculty, staff and campus communities.”

“As an athlete, you can’t help but think about what I could have done better for myself and my team,” Bria said. “I think that’s what hurts the most. It was hard enough to have our season taken away, but to know the girls you have spent every day with will no longer be the people you see every day is absolutely devastating.”

“I want nothing more than to play one more game with my best friends,” she said.

There may not be any more games to play. No more bus rides. No more practices. No more team camaraderie.

But the friendships developed with teammates? That’s what remains past the playing days. They are teammates for life.

“Among the hurt that I’m sure students felt and are still feeling, we can also celebrate and be grateful for what we were given,” Bria said. “The season may not have lasted as long as we anticipated, but the memories are one thing that cannot be taken away from us.”

Just like that, no more lacrosse, a sport Bria sacrificed to play every game since she arrived in New Wilmington. This time, she did not have a choice to continue to play, no matter how determined she was.

No one did.

Bria said she understands that this isn’t a Westminster situation. This is a worldwide situation affecting many people across the globe. Even with how suddenly and abruptly everything happened, Bria said she sees the big picture and, most importantly, a silver lining.

“Like most other athletes in this situation, there was a wave of sadness. I was heartbroken,” she said. “I remember

“The reality of it is that this pandemic has impacted more people than I can imagine,” Bria said. “It has taught me the value of

Bria is grateful for her two inspiring head coaches, Kim Eldridge and Bethany Snider. family and friendships and to cherish each memory I have created along the way.

It has shown me that my identity is not just who I was as a student or who I was as an athlete and will never be. This has given me the opportunity to learn that life is so much more than what I was seeing every day and was molding me into the person I have become. My parents have always taught me that faith prevails, and I look forward to discovering the plans that have already been made for my life.

I hope we can all take this time and use it as a learning experience and find new ways to encourage each other and grow as individuals.”

Bria’s determination can be a lesson to all of us—especially our student-athletes: Embrace every opportunity you can.

Learn to appreciate the ups and downs and the long, grueling practices. Bria did not let anything stop her from playing if she could help it. Make the most of every opportunity, because you never know when it could end.

And while her time at Westminster has come to an end, she says if given the chance, she’d do it all over again and still choose to play through the injuries. She wouldn’t change a thing.

“To say playing was ‘comfortable’ and ‘pain free’ would be a lie, but I would be uncomfortable all over again to wear my jersey one last time for Westminster,” she said. S W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 15

TITAN

STRONG

CHAMPS, AGAIN

2019-20

SWORD MOMENTS #EARNYOURSWORD

The volleyball team won its fourth Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship following a 3-1 win over Geneva in the title match and qualified for the NCAA Championship Tournament.

Tammy Swearingen, in her 27th year as head coach, surpassed 600 career wins and was named PAC Coach of the Year. Senior Reilly DeGeorge was named PAC Championship Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, to go along with All-Region and All-PAC First Team honors.

DeGeorge was the school’s first All-Region selection in the NCAA Division III era.

COURT REPORT

Title Finish

The women’s indoor track and field team won its third—and second consecutive—PAC title after the final event of the Championship. The 4x400 relay team sealed the Titan victory with a winning time of 4:09.78, less than a second away from tying a school and PAC record. Tim McNeil ‘96 , 14th-year head coach, was named PAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year. Junior Megan Parker was named Co-PAC Most Outstanding Field Performer, while first-year student Emma Rudolph earned the PAC Female Newcomer of the Year.

SQUAD GOALS The women’s soccer team finished the regular season without conceding a goal in conference play. The Titans, led by 18th-year head coach Girish Thakar, finished undefeated in PAC play (7-0-1), clinching the No. 1 seed in the PAC Tournament.

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Men’s basketball senior Dylan O’Hara was named the PAC Player of the Year, only the second Westminster player to win the award. O’Hara was also named All-PAC First Team, D3Hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region Second Team, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District Second Team and All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Second Team. O’Hara led the PAC in scoring, averaging 18.2 points per game.

TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE TITAN ATHLETIC PROGRAMS, GO TO www.westminster.edu/athletics

MAKING A

SPLASH

ON THE GRIDIRON The Titan football team opened the entire NCAA Division III season in record fashion with four interceptions returned for a touchdown, which tied an NCAA Division III record (Millikin, 1999), in a 66-7 win over Capital. The four pick-sixes also tied the NCAA Division I FCS and FBS records. Senior Aaron Pierce recorded two of the pick-sixes, including a 97-yarder, earning national air time on ESPN’s “SportsCenter Top 10.” The Titans capped off the season at the ECAC Clayton Chapman Bowl with a 35-24 win over Morrisville State, the team’s third ECAC Bowl victory. Senior Bryce Hill was named the Bowl MVP.

SOCCER STANDOUT For men’s soccer, junior Nick Iregui broke the school’s career goals record, finishing the season with 41. Iregui also was selected on the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America Team, becoming the second Titan men’s soccer player to receive All-America status for academics.

Iregui heads into his final year one point shy from tying the program record for career points.

Tee time

The women’s golf team claimed their second consecutive and fifth overall PAC Title. Third-year head coach Matt Torrence ’93 was named the PAC Women’s Coach of the Year, while PAC Player of the Year honors went to first-year Kasey Clifford, who also secured the PAC Newcomer of the Year award. First-year Erika Hoover, who was the runner-up at the PACs, broke the school record for the lowest round with a 74 (+2) at Westminster’s Fall Invitational.

Junior Connor May and senior Kaitlyn Fast won the PAC Men’s and Women’s Diver of the Year Award, respectively.

May and Fast were among six total Westminster divers who qualified for NCAA Division III Regionals. Diving coach Heath Calhoun ’16 was named the PAC Diving Coach of the Year.

200th win In her 18th year as women’s basketball head coach, Rosanne Scott won her 200th career game and surpassed Titan Hall of Famer and former head coach S. Kipley Haas for the best career winning percentage in program history. The Titans went 20-8 overall, the second most improved record in all NCAA Division III. The season marked Westminster’s third 20-win season. She was also named PAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

Game, set, match Women’s tennis senior Alex Marzouca achieved 100 combined career wins (singles and doubles). Marzouca, a three-time All-PAC First Team honoree, finished her career ranked seventh in singles and 12th in doubles in the program’s record book.

W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 17

Peter Mattocks and Alex Marzouca

Walker, Fawcett awards, MVPs announced

T

‌he Westminster College Department of Athletics announced senior team representatives for the Marjorie A. Walker and David B. Fawcett awards, along with the team MVPs, for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The Marjorie A. Walker Award and David B. Fawcett Award are given annually to one female and one male student who best exemplify the qualities of fairness, sportsmanship, leadership, determination and competitiveness. Due to the cancellation of all spring sports due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Athletics instead chose to honor one senior from each sport this year.

Senior women athletes for the Marjorie A. Walker Award: SOFTBALL Lauren McNany, biochemistry major from Emlenton.

Highlights: Team captain. All-PAC Second Team utility player.

Three-year starter. Lettered every year. Tied for a team-high in doubles junior year.

VOLLEYBALL Josie Toporcer, psychology major from Warren, Ohio.

Highlights: Team captain. All-PAC Second Team Libero. 2019 PAC Championship Team. 2019 PAC All-Tournament Team. 2019 WESPYs Female Unsung Hero. Led the PAC with 721 total digs, 11th in NCAA Division III, senior year. Three-year letter winner.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Emily Fromknecht, biology major from Erie. Highlights: Four-time All-PAC forward. Four-year starting, never missed a start, starting in every game (108 total). Scored 1,000th career point, becoming the ninth women’s basketball player in school history to achieve the milestone and first since Titan Sports Hall of Famer Emilee Ackerman Atkins ’08. Finished career with a school-record 218 blocks, while ranking fourth in career rebounds (870) and eighth in career points (1,138) in program history. PAC Freshman of the Year.

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WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Katie Schrantz, early childhood/special education major from New Castle. Highlights: Two-time All-PAC selection, including First Team senior year. Multiple ECAC Division III South Runner of the Month honors. Won the Chatham Eden Hall Invitational (2019), the Grove City Twilight (2018) and the W&J Invitational (2018). PAC Runner of the Week and SAAC Titan Athlete of the Week. Team MVP. Four-year letter winner.

WOMEN’S GOLF Emily Marcus, criminal justice studies major from South Park.

Highlights: Four-time All-PAC selection, including First Team as a junior and Second Team as a senior. Member of back-to-back PAC Champions. Fired the third-lowest round in school history with a career-best 79 (+7) at the Westminster Invitational (2019). PAC Player of the Week. Earned fourth letter. Starter on the women’s lacrosse team that won the inaugural PAC Championship in 2019.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE Romie Schweickert, early childhood/special education major from Hiram, Ohio. Highlights: Four-year starter and letter winner at the attack position. Member of the PAC Championship and NCAA qualifying team in 2019.

WOMEN’S SOCCER Kiki Kawarizadeh, biology major from New Albany, Ohio.

Highlights: Three-year team captain. Four-time All-PAC, including Second Team senior year, midfielder. All-Great Lakes Region Third Team and All-ECAC Third Team junior year. Team MVP first year.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING Abigail Jones, biology major from Cabot. Highlights: Fourtime All-PAC selection, including First Team in first year. All-PAC Second Team senior, junior and sophomore years. Member of the first-place 800 freestyle relay at the 2016-17 PAC Championships.

Member of the 200 freestyle relay team who posted a school record time in 2017 (1:37.41).

WOMEN’S TENNIS Alex Marzouca, Spanish and marketing major from Kingston, Jamaica. Highlights: Two-year team captain. Three-time All-PAC First Team in singles. Two-time All-PAC First Team in doubles. Second Team All-PAC in doubles and singles (sophomore year). Achieved 100 career combined wins (singles and doubles).

Her 58 career singles wins rank seventh all-time in school history, while her 43 doubles wins rank 12th. Multiple PAC Player of the Week honors. Team MVP junior and senior years.

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD Maura Belding, biochemistry major from Columbiana, Ohio. Highlights: AllPAC First and Second Team. Member of the two-time, back-to-back PAC Indoor Track & Field Championship Teams.

Was part of the winning 4x400-meter relay team at the 2020 Indoor PAC Championships that helped Westminster seal the conference title. Member of the winning 2019 PAC Outdoor 4x100-meter relay team. Four-year letter winner.

Senior men athletes for David B. Fawcett Award are: BASEBALL Jared Lee, business administration major from Lordstown, Ohio. Highlights: Four-year letter winner first baseman.

FOOTBALL Paul Gonzalez, sports management major from Miami, Fla. Highlights: Twotime All-PAC First Team linebacker. PAC Player of the Week and D3football.com’s Team of the Week. Led the PAC in tackles junior year. Finished career with 236 tackles and 34.5 tackles for a loss. Fouryear letter winner.

MEN’S BASKETBALL Dylan O’Hara, early childhood/special education major from Girard, Ohio.

Highlights: 2019-2020 PAC Player of the Year. Multiple PAC Player of the Week.

All-PAC First Team. D3Hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region Second Team. NABC AllDistrict Second Team. All-ECAC Second Team senior year. One of two players from the PAC to earn All-Region honors. Senior year led the PAC in scoring, averaging 18.2 points per game and led the league in free

throw percentage (82.4%). Career-high 36 points in Westminster’s win over Geneva on Feb. 12, 2020. Two-time NABC Honors court.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Evan Vent, marketing and business administration major from Pittsburgh.

Highlights: Two-time regional NCAA regional qualifier in cross country. Team MVP (2018). Three-year letter winner.

Member of the track and field team where he was named to the 2020 PAC Sportsmanship Team.

MEN’S GOLF Avery Andric, a computer science major from Lisbon, Ohio. Highlights: AllPAC Second Team (2020). Member of 2020 PAC runner-up team, the program’s first second-place finish at the PAC Championships since 2005-06. All-PAC Honorable Mention (2019). Medalist honors (first place) at the La Roche Invitational (Sept. 18, 2018). PAC Player of the Week. Led the team with four top-10 finishes junior year. 64 career birdies rank second all-time in school history. Tworound score of 148 (+4) at the 2018-19 Mount Union Invite is tied for 11th best in school history.

MEN’S LACROSSE Dante Serra, international studies major from Center Valley. Highlights: All-PAC Second Team (2019) midfielder. 2019 PAC and 2019 ECAC Championship runner-up teams. Totaled 115 career points and 94 career ground balls. Played in 45 games (32 starts). Four-year letter winner.

MEN’S SOCCER Peter Mattocks, marketing major from Saegertown. Highlights: All-PAC First Team selection all four years at midfielder.

Finished career ranked third in school history in both career goals (36) and career points (88). United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Men’s All-Great Lakes Region Third Team (2019). Multiple PAC Player of the Week awards. ECAC Division III South Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week. SAAC Titan of the Week.

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING Aaron Dunlany, biology major from Boardman, Ohio. Highlights: Three-time All-PAC First Team selection. 2018-19 All-

PAC Second Team. Member of two PAC Championship Teams (2016-17, 2017-18).

Seven-time PAC Champion. 2019-20 PAC Champion in the 500 free, 1650 free, 400 free relay, and 800 free relay. 2017-18 PAC Champion in the 800 free relay. 2016-17 PAC Champion in the 1650 free and 800 free relay. Member of the school-record 800 freestyle relay team (6:50.98).

MEN’S TENNIS Miguel Ascencio, biology major from Venetia. Highlights: Team captain the past two years. No. 1 singles every year. No. 1 doubles for most of career. Two-time All-PAC honoree, including First Team as a junior. Multiple PAC Rookie of the Week honors. Led team in both singles and double wins the past two years; 10 singles and eight doubles wins in 2018 and seven singles and five doubles victories in 2019.

Back-to-back Team MVP. MEN’S TRACK & FIELD Tim Maxwell, business administration major from Washington. Highlights: Threetime PAC champion in pole vault—indoor (2019, 2020) and outdoor (2019). S

TEAM MVPs Basketball (M): Dylan O’Hara Basketball (W): Kayla Bennett Cross Country (M): Harrison Keenan Cross Country (W): Katie Schrantz Football: Brady Hogue, Keano Grice Golf (M): Michael Bell Golf (W): Kasey Clifford Lacrosse (M): Jack Granahan Lacrosse (W): Bria Braddock Soccer (M): Ahmed Cisse Soccer (W): Kayla Trozzi Swim/Dive (M): Aaron Dunlany Swim/Dive (W): Kaitlyn Fast Tennis (M): Miguel Ascencio, Jimmy Oberlin Tennis (W): Alex Marzouca Indoor Track/Field (M): Dalton Anderson Indoor Track/Field (W): Morgan Gossard Volleyball: Reilly DeGeorge Due to the cancellation of spring sports, the following teams did not have an MVP: baseball, softball, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.

W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 19

TEN10THINGS TITAN things making us pretty Titan proud right now GETTING INNOVATIVE

1.

Nobody expected 2020 to go this way. But Westminster’s faculty,

students and staff responded to the global coronavirus pandemic and the sudden closure of campus with urgent innovation and creative resourcefulness. From moving to remote teaching and learning, to providing access to technology for an entire campus, to making sure our students’ felt connected to Westminster while miles away—our campus family demonstrated what Titans are capable of in times of crisis. We’re all proud to be Titans.

Research at work

4.

2.

“Westminster in a world of social distancing isn’t quite the same, but even though we’re apart, that doesn’t mean we’re not together.” To keep students feeling

connected to Mother Fair while sheltering in place this spring, Westminster launched the YouTube series­—Close the Distance. Hosted by sophomore Jack Karson, Close the Distance featured interviews with Westminster faculty, administrators and students and provided tips for successful online learning and offered suggestions for staying connected during quarantine.

Good neighbors

3.

Proud Mother Fair moment. Dr. Mallory Strickland Ciuksza ’08, a graduate of Westminster’s biochemistry program, knows how to be a good

neighbor. Her response to the coronavirus pandemic?

Making sure the people in her community are fed during

Dr. Karen Resendes,

times of self-isolation and financial uncertainty. Mallory

associate professor of biology and co-

and her husband, Albert, active with the Bellevue Farmers Market, orchestrated a movement to fight food insecurity and—with the help of chefs,

director of the Drinko Center for

restaurateurs, corporations, local organizations and volunteers—delivered 1,000 meals

Undergraduate Research, received

three days a week to the people in her community.

the annual 2020 Henderson Lectureship Award for her research on nuclear transport. Her lecture will be presented in October.

Additionally, she has been elected to serve on the executive board of the Council on Undergraduate Research.

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Book publication

5.

Dr. Bryan Rennie, professor of religion, has published a new book, An Ethology of Religion and Art: Belief as Behavior. The book, available on Amazon, proposes an improved understanding of both art and religion as behaviors

developed in the process of human evolution. Congratulations, Bryan!

Flattening the Curve

8.

Something to talk about

6.

Westminster’s Speech and Debate Society is becoming a powerhouse in the forensics arena. Students won awards at the Pennsylvania Forensic Association Championship Tournament held in February at Wilkes University.

A month later students attended the Novice National Forensics Tournament held at Berry College in Rome, Ga., bringing home several national individual awards and a sixth-place overall team finish. Westminster will host the state championship tournament in February 2021.

Dr. Randy Richardson serves as coach.

GR∑∑K W∑∑K

7.

There were no talent shows, no tug-of-war

competitions, no Sing

’n Swing. This year, there simply was no in-person Greek Week celebration. But although the annual Westminster tradition didn’t occur, sorority and fraternity members still managed to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation—more than

Alina Clough ’18 and Christian Keegan ’21 have both been working to make the world a safer and healthier ‌place during the coronavirus pandemic. Alina, a Harvard researcher, was a UX/UI lead for a team developing COVID Safe Paths, a mobile application to track coronavirus through community reporting. Keegan, a rising senior English major, volunteered his time as a member of the communication/ vision team. Epidemiologists, engineers, data scientists, digital privacy evangelists, professors and researchers from MIT, Harvard, The Mayo Clinic, TripleBlind, EyeNetra, Ernst & Young and Link Ventures make up the Safe Paths team.

helping hands

9.

The entire men’s baseball team—players and coaching ‌staff—bundled ‌‌up on a chilly February day and traded bats and gloves for saws and hammers in the name of service. The team and Westminster Campus Chaplain the Rev. Jim Mohr spent the pre-season day building sheds for DON Services, a New Castle-based nonprofit agency that helps those with disabilities live independently.

The group constructed a total of four sheds.

Grateful for our grads

10.

We can’t help but be grateful to our community of alumni. Two of our recent fundraising initiatives, Bring Back the Titans (BBTT) and Clash of the Titans (COTT), have brought in roughly $1.9 million in record time. This fast and furious approach to fundraising in a time of need was a result of outstanding peer-to-peer outreach from our alumni and friends community and, in the case of the BBTT campaign, a generous matching donation from the May Emma Hoyt Foundation. The BBTT campaign to aid students financially impacted by the pandemic has, to date, brought in $1.7 million. The one-week COTT campaign to benefit the marching band and Titan athletes raised $218,197 from 1,684 donors. It’s no wonder Westminster has been named one of the nation’s top 200 best-loved colleges by the Forbes’ Grateful Grads Index. Forbes uses several factors to rank the schools, including private donation rates, gifts per student and alumni participation rates. Inclusion on the list signifies that a college has a history of producing graduates who consistently donate to their alma mater. It’s all thanks to YOU. (And there’s still time to help Bring Back the Titans! See the back page for details.)

$10,000!

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FACULTY FOCUS

LEAVING THEIR MARK

In early March, Westminster students and regional government representatives, including state Rep. Mark Longietti ’85, second from right, and Rep. Chris Sainato, third from right, sign a steel girder that will provide the framework for the new addition to Hoyt Science Center.

Season of

GROWTH

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T

he buildings and grounds of Westminster College have been largely empty since mid-March, but things blossoming on the south side of campus. With construction projects permitted to resume in Pennsylvania, Westminster is wasting no time. The Hoyt Science Center expansion is well under way and construction of the new athletic fields is in full swing.

The $11.2 million Hoyt Science Center renovation will add 27,000 square feet to the existing science building in the form of a new three-story wing. Six teaching laboratories, three research laboratories, 10 faculty offices and several student collaboration spaces will benefit the growing number of STEM majors on Westminster’s campus. Currently students enrolled in STEM-related majors account for one-third of the student body.

Hoyt is expected to be completed in 2021.

The new athletic fields being constructed include new softball and baseball fields and the UPMC Sports Complex, which will serve as home to the men’s and women’s lacrosse and soccer programs. The UPMC Sports Complex will also include the west-end existing tennis courts, which will be expanded and refurbished at a later date. The construction is all part of the Titan Corridor plan.

All of the fields are scheduled for early 2020-21 fall completion.

Scenes of the ongoing construction to Hoyt Science Center, the future UPMC Sports Complex and the future softball field.

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Class of 2020

A QUIET

EXIT T

‌he spring of 2020 is one for the books—and one members of Westminster’s ‌Class of ‌2020 won’t likely forget. The coronavirus pandemic may have stripped seniors of a proper spring commencement, but it didn’t erase the hard work and sacrifices made by students—and their families—to achieve what they set out to do: Become graduates of Westminster College.

On May 9, Westminster hosted an online virtual degree conferral with President Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Dr. Jeffrey Coker and Campus Chaplain the Rev. James Mohr. Brief remarks were made and graduates were encouraged to turn their tassels—and while this historical event didn’t compare to walking across Senior

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Terrace to shake President Richardson’s hand and pause for the cameras, it did offer a degree of ceremonial recognition to our students and their academic achievements. It goes without saying: Westminster is proud of each and every one of you.

A few of our graduating seniors let us know about their future plans—and we’ve shared a few on the following pages. This

is only a sampling of the great paths our graduates are taking to post-graduate success.

Westminster recognizes this wasn’t a perfect ending to our students’ four years at Mother Fair—and plans are taking shape to offer an in-person commencement on Saturday, Aug. 1. But one thing is certain: History will forever remember the Class of 2020.

Emma Pollock B.S., Chemistry Aurora, Ohio

FUTURE PLANS Attending graduate school at Ohio State University this fall to begin working towards a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry WESTMINSTER’S IMPACT Westminster has given me an expansive group of close friends and colleagues, of which I will continue to learn from and lean on throughout my life. I have been able to develop my leadership skills in on-campus TA and RA positions, and through executive positions in the Student Alumni Association and Student Affiliate of the American Chemical Society. My care for and understanding of my responsibilities to the community were expanded in my involvement with Habitat for Humanity and scientific outreach in the local schools. Through the chemistry curriculum and a close-knit department, I was given immense opportunities to explore my research curiosities and develop my communication skills with multiple presentations of my work and ideas both on and off-campus.

ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS Dean’s List • Westminster Presidential Scholarship • Louis Skurcenski Award for honesty, integrity and community service • Idaho National Laboratory Summer Intern • Symposium for the Environment Honorable Mention • Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration presenter • Pittcon 2020 poster presenter • Mortar Board Senior Honor Society • Lambda Sigma Sophomore Honor Society • Career Center Ambassador • Habitat for Humanity Spring Break with a Purpose

Didi Kumalo

B.A., Early Childhood Education & Special Education Bethlehem, Pennsylvania FUTURE PLANS Relocating to Arlington, Virginia, to teach fourth grade in the Fairfax County Public Schools. Plans to obtain Master of Education degree in Educational Administration or Curriculum and Instruction.

WESTMINSTER’S IMPACT Westminster is a college truly like no other. As cliche as it sounds, I know that I would not be who I am today without the love and support of the faculty and staff. I know many fellow Titans share that sentiment.

During my time at WC, I was able to take learning into my own hands and gain the most out of my undergraduate career through a broad range of academic courses (inside and outside of my major) as well as a variety of extracurricular activities. Every experience that I have had has shown me the significance of community and has equipped me with the skills needed to share that value amidst others. The bonds and memories I’ve gained are ones that will last and for that, I am thankful!

ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS Habitat for Humanity President • President & founder of STEAMERS, an after school program to engage students in STEAM • Mortar Board Senior Honor Society Vice President • Lambda Sigma Sophomore Honor Society Vice President • McQuiston Outstanding Service Award • Shenango on the Green Retirement Home volunteer • Special Olympics volunteer • Council for Exceptional Children member • Experience Alaska team member

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Rachael Angermeier B.A., Broadcasting & Media Production Duncansville, Pennsylvania

FUTURE PLANS Broadcasting for the Altoona Curve, the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates

Troy Holden B.S., Biochemistry East Liverpool, Ohio

FUTURE PLANS University of Cincinnati College of Medicine WESTMINSTER’S IMPACT Westminster has been a place where I could grow and challenge myself both in and out of the classroom. From the genuinely caring and helpful professors to the vast opportunities of leadership and activities Westminster provides, these four years have provided a blueprint for my future success. Specifically, the chemistry and biochemistry department has professors that not only deliver a curriculum that puts its students well above the national average, but they make a personal investment in the success and well-being of every student. This unique environment is conducive for personal growth, and I credit it for the path that I am now walking on.

ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS All-College Honors Program • Graduated Summa Cum Laude • Dean’s List • ACS Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry • H. Dewey Dewitt Scholarship Fund • Lemmon Family Scholarship • Society of Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh College Chemistry Award • Honors research presentation at National Collegiate Honors Council Annual Meeting • Habitat for Humanity Spring Break with a Purpose

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WESTMINSTER’S IMPACT Westminster College has helped prepare me for my career by providing a hands-on approach to learning. I was fortunate to be able to collaborate with so many different people and I learned how to be a productive team member. The practical experience I received in the broadcasting department and learning to use various forms of technology was invaluable to me. And by serving as president of Westminster’s chapter of the Broadcast Education Association (BEA), I discovered what it takes to be an effective leader.

ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS Dean’s List • Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration presenter • Broadcast Education Association President

Jensine Coudriet B.S., Neuroscience St. Marys, Pennsylvania

FUTURE PLANS Participating in a two-year postbaccalaureate program with the National Institute on Drug Abuse under Dr. Satoshi Ikemoto. Plans to attend graduate school to obtain a Ph.D. in Neuroscience.

WESTMINSTER’S IMPACT Westminster gave me the opportunity to find my passion for research. There were many professors along the way who helped me grow into the individual I am today, but I would not be where I am without Dr. Deanne Buffalari. Dr. Buffalari has been a very important mentor during my time at Westminster. She always encouraged me and pushed me to do my best despite any obstacles that arose. It was her guidance that took me from a freshman who thought being a medical doctor was my only option to a graduate who fell in love with research and wishes to become a professor herself. I will never be able to thank Westminster enough for giving me the opportunity to meet and work with someone who cares about her students as much as Dr. Buffalari.

ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS National Council for Undergraduate Research poster presenter • Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration presenter • Dean’s List • Emanuel Krueger Scholarship • C.A. Armstrong Scholarship • Lambda Sigma Sophomore Honor Society President • Mortar Board Senior Honor Society President • All-College Honors Program • Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society • Pi Sigma Pi Honor Society • Psi Chi Psychological Honor Society • Alpha Gamma Delta sorority • Habitat for Humanity Spring Break with a Purpose • Colleges Against Cancer

Courtney Labritz

B.M., Music Performance (Trumpet) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania FUTURE PLANS Assistantship to attend Shenandoah Conservatory to study Trumpet Performance with Mary Elizabeth Bowden WESTMINSTER’S IMPACT My time at Westminster has greatly impacted my life. I have met wonderful friends and mentors who have helped me navigate college, jobs and life. Newman Club has been a central part of my time at Westminster—what an awesome group of friends and faith! I have also gotten to work with amazing professors. Dr. Timothy Winfield, Dr. Melinda Crawford Perttu, Dr. Daniel Perttu and Dr. Nancy DeSalvo have given me advice and guidance through all my classes, auditions and stresses.

They have all helped me to become a better musician and person and I am grateful to know them.

ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS International Trumpet Guild Conference • Westminster College Trumpet Ensemble • 2019 Outstanding Junior Award - Music Performance • Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration performances

Natalie Horstman B.S., Molecular Biology Grove City, Pennsylvania

FUTURE PLANS Attending Johns Hopkins for a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree in Global Epidemiology and Disease Control.

WESTMINSTER’S IMPACT When I started my first year at Westminster, I was only 16. Moving away from home that young was hard, but I found a new home on campus with the Kappa Delta sorority. The friendships I made with my sisters were life changing. I always knew that I had people there for me when life was tough, like the hours spent studying in the library or when my grandmother passed away last fall.

Kappa Delta allowed me to develop my leadership skills and become more confident than I could have dreamed as a 16-year-old starting college. My professors in the biology and math departments also were influential in helping me develop confidence in my academic abilities, especially Dr. Karen Resendes, Dr. Joshua CorretteBennett, Dr. Carolyn Cuff and Dr. Pamela Richardson.

Tim Maxwell B.S., Accounting Prosperity, Pennsylvania

FUTURE PLANS Studying to sit for the CPA exam and relocating to New York City to work as an auditor with Crowe WESTMINSTER’S IMPACT The relationships I have formed with my professors have provided me with lifelong support and connections that have propelled me into a job in New York.

Upon arriving at Westminster in 2016, I had no idea what or who I wanted to be upon graduation. I entered college as an undecided major before my adviser, Professor Jesse Ligo ’82, took time to learn about me as a person and as a student. In doing so, I found purpose in accounting. With the help from my professors at Westminster College, I have prepared myself well for a career in accounting and a life where I can use the resources that I have gained to enhance my field of study.

ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS 3-time PAC Champion (pole vault) • David Fawcett Award • Dean’s List • CoSIDA Academic All-District • Internship with CT Services in Washington, D.C. (acquired through Professional Network Symposium) • Accounting Career Day • Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration presenter

ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS Interned at the Pittsburgh Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases • Awarded Greek Woman of the Year by the Panhellenic Council • Kappa Delta sorority • Student manager for Sodexo catering • E. Lucile Beerbower Frey Scholarship • Raised $3,500 for the Ulman Foundation’s 4K for Cancer

W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 2 7

TITAN SPOTLIGHT

The Science of Success Looking back at a remarkable neuroscience cohort and the careers built on a Westminster education

By VALENTINE BRKICH ’97

Around 20 years ago, deep down in the research labs of Hoyt Science Center, a tightly knit cohort of undergrads were working hard and laying the foundation for successful careers in psychology and neuroscience. Three of these students—Ericka Peterson ’03, Loretta Grate Bolyard ’00 and Brent Witgen ’00—went on to work in an Ivy League research laboratory and ultimately earned their doctorates.

F

‌or Dr. Alan Gittis, professor of psychology emeritus and former leader of this notable cohort, the success of these three comes as no surprise.

“There was just something special about this group,” says Gittis, who taught at Westminster from 1976 to 2011 and was instrumental in developing the neuroscience curriculum. “They all shared a passion for learning, for discovering something of significance.”

Westminster’s Neuroscience Program is an interdisciplinary major that emphasizes hands-on experience through intensive lab work and practical internships. Students also complete senior research projects, which gives them the opportunity to present at

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national scientific meetings and publish in professional journals.

As laboratory director, Gittis made sure his students worked on projects that were meaningful. “I wanted to make sure they felt ownership of their work and that it would garner interest from the greater scientific community.”

It was research in the Hoyt laboratory that, in fact, drew the attention of a pharmaceutical start-up, which opened the door to work in a graduate laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania—an opportunity that would serve as a springboard for their successful careers.

Personally, for Gittis, the work of these three students also had a direct and positive impact on his own career.

“My success really had little to do with my professional training or professional colleagues,” says Gittis, who won the college’s Distinguished Faculty Award in 2009 and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award in 2010 by the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience.

“It had much more to do with the efforts of students who were as rewarding to work with as Loretta, Brent and Ericka.”

W

hen Dr. Brent Witgen, left Erie for New Wilmington back in 1996, he figured he’d be spending most of his time in Memorial Field House. As it turned out, it would be in the research labs in Hoyt.

Witgen, who came to Westminster on a basketball scholarship when the College was a member of NAIA and a NCAA D-II school, started out in business administration before switching to psychology. “I couldn’t stand accounting,” he says, “which is ironic, considering my current work.”

Today, as director of laboratory operations and site lead with Foundation Medicine in San Diego, he’s helping to build a new lab site for the organization. “It’s funny, neuroscience led me here, but now I’m closer to the business side of things.”

As part of the neuroscience cohort, Witgen used lab rats to study learning and memory. “It was a dirty job,” he says, “with a lot of lab time and hands-on experimentation.”

Though the work was hard, he says Gittis constantly pushed him and the others to keep experimenting and learning. “He was extremely forward thinking—a real pioneer in terms of thought leadership and the future of our field.”

Witgen went on to graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania before being accepted into Aarhus University’s (Denmark) neuro-stereology Ph.D. Program in 2004, where his research focused on brain trauma. He did his postdoctoral work at the University of Copenhagen, where he coordinated the research efforts for the International Alliance of Research Universities.

“Westminster taught me concepts like lifelong learning, curiosity and empathy, all of which have helped me in my studies and career abroad. It made me a better, more openminded person.”

DR. BRENT WITGEN ’00

Director of Laboratory Operations & Site Lead, Foundation Medicine

While in Denmark Witgen was able to travel extensively throughout Europe and Asia.

Eventually he landed a position with Novo Nordisk in Beijing, where he worked his way up from research scientist to senior director of development bioanalysis. “It was a great learning experience,” he says. “We did a lot with drug development for diabetes, which is big in U.S. right now.”

Witgen says what’s great about a liberal arts degree is that the return-on-investment, although it can take time, definitely pays off. “Westminster taught me concepts like lifelong learning, curiosity and empathy, all of which have helped me in my studies and career abroad. It made me a better, more open-minded person.”

W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 2 9

G

rowing up on the “wrong side of the tracks” in Columbiana, Ohio, Dr. Loretta Grate Bolyard never thought college was a possibility.

Then the Youngstown Shriners stepped in and offered her a full scholarship to Westminster.

“I was coming from a totally different place in the world.

Dr. Gittis took me under his wing and helped me fit in.”

DR. LORETTA BOLYARD ’00

Clinical & Forensic Neuropsychologist, Co-founder of Mountain West Psychological Resources

Bolyard first met Gittis after switching majors from accounting to psychology. “I was coming from a totally different place in the world,” she says. “Dr. Gittis took me under his wing and helped me fit in there.

He clearly cared about me.”

As part of the cohort, Bolyard spent a lot of time in the lab. “We were in there pretty much every day, running rats, cleaning the lab or studying. It was my safe place.”

She also had the opportunity to attend national neuroscience conferences in places like San Diego and New Orleans, where Gittis taught them how to network and communicate with leaders in the field. “That really shaped my career.” At one conference Christopher Reeves was the keynote speaker, and somehow Gittis was able to get them front-row seats. “He was giddy with excitement,” says Bolyard. “That still makes me giggle.”

After graduating, Bolyard worked for a neurosurgeon at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and then Dartmouth. She then entered the University of Montana, earning a master’s degree in neuroscience in 2010 and finishing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 2011.

Today, Bolyard works as a forensic and clinical neuropsychologist in Butte, Mont. She founded Mountain West Psychological Resources in 2014, and now employs five other psychiatric providers. “We have such tremendous need here,” she says. “I want to be part of the solution—you know, pay it forward.”

Bolyard feels very fortunate to have attended Westminster and studied under Gittis.

“I made some dear friendships that have lasted a lifetime,” she says. “Dr. Gittis was a patient and kind man who I could trust and count on. He changed my life.”

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D

r. Ericka Peterson has always had a passion for science. From a very young age, she was participating in science fair projects and later, in high school, she became increasingly interested in brain function, structure and development. So when she visited Westminster and learned students could conduct research as early as freshman year, Peterson knew she’d found her home.

“The fact they offered a neuroscience degree within the liberal arts curriculum really attracted me,” she says. “I liked the focus on interdisciplinary studies, as well as the personal and educational development courses.”

Today Peterson continues to feed her passion as the director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at Columbia University in New York City, where she provides leadership in comprehensive initiatives, policies and activities in support of the university’s goals. “I support the person in the postdoc and strive to provide an environment where mental health and wellness resources are available to all.”

Peterson has fond memories of her time in the neuroscience cohort. “We built a small community in the basement of Hoyt with each other and our rodents-in-residence, and Dr. Gittis was my first true academic mentor.” She remembers Gittis driving them to Case Western in his minivan to hear Jane Goodall speak. “It’s just one example of how he exposed us to the greater scientific community.”

“If it were not for the early influence and education I received at Westminster, I would not be where I am today.”

DR. ERICKA PETERSON ’03

Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, Columbia University

During her senior year, Gittis encouraged Peterson to apply for one of 10 national awards for excellence in undergraduate research at the Society for Neuroscience conference. “I was fortunate to win and to be able to present my work at the largest conference in the field.”

Peterson says Gittis also encouraged them to gain independence, something every researcher needs. “Your ultimate goal is to be independent. It’s incredible to think that a small, liberal arts school in Western Pennsylvania could offer such a robust, basic science research program.”

Although she’s no longer performing bench work, Peterson credits Westminster with giving her a strong foundation in basic science research and academic rigor. “If it were not for the early influence and education I received at Westminster, I would not be where I am today.” S

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WESTMINSTER’S

NEUROSCIENCE PROGRAM, PLEASE VISIT WWW. WESTMINSTER.EDU/NEUROSCIENCE.

W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 3 1

CLASS NOTES | Titans doing incredible things.

i PASS ALONG YOUR NOTES Do you have news you’d like to share with your fellow Titans?

Send your class note to us and we’ll publish it in an upcoming issue of the magazine.

1967

JACK RIDL’s poem, “Remembering the Night I Dreamed Paul Klee Married the Sky,” was selected for commentary and featured in The New York Times Sunday Magazine.

1973

ARTHUR “SKIP” WINTER was awarded the Martin Luther King Award by the Cranford (N.J.) Clergy Council and the Interfaith Human Relations Committee in January. The award recognizes those who work to foster better relations among all people.

1976

JAMES CARPER is the pastor and parish life director for St. Bernadette Catholic Church in South Central Los Angeles. His parish runs a service kitchen which feeds those in

need five days a week. He is also president for the Los Angeles Police Department Clergy Council, Southwest Division.

CHRIS SHOVLIN called his 1,000th NCAA Division I basketball radio broadcast on March 4, 2020, when Robert Morris University (RMU) hosted St. Francis-Brooklyn in the Northeast Conference playoffs on ESPN Radio Pittsburgh (WBGG-AM/FM). It was his 996th RMU game; Chris had also worked play-byplay on radio for the University of Pittsburgh and Princeton. Chris, who has been at RMU for 33 seasons, is also the university’s football play-by-play announcer.

1979

TOM CORRY of Alexandria, Va., was given a presidential appointment as director of communications for the Centers for Medicare

ONLINE westminster.edu/alumni

EMAIL alumni@westminster.edu

MAIL Westminster College Office of Alumni Engagement 319 S. Market St. New Wilmington, PA 16172

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LEAVING A LEGACY At 101, Lt. Col. Donald “Russ” Dahlburg ’40 joined Westminster’s Legacy Society and endowed a scholarship in memory of his wife, Madeline Blackadore Dahlburg ‘40.

Development officer Rob Klamut looks on in support.

and Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. As a senior adviser to the CMS administrator, Tom is responsible for member strategy, websites, call center, stakeholders and the media relations group.

CAROLYN STOVES ZIMMERMAN of Pittsburgh received the 2019 Robert J. Myers Public Service Award for a single noteworthy achievement or a career devoted to public service. She has made exceptional efforts to provide sound guidance to inform pension actuaries and protect pension benefits and beneficiaries.

1981

WILLIAM KERR was named the conductor of the Cumberland County Community Band. He resides in Crossville, Tenn.

State Rep. MARK LONGIETTI, co-chair of the House Life Science Caucus, was named 2019 State Official of the Year by Life Sciences Pennsylvania. On receiving the honor, he said, “Discoveries by researchers in the biotech, biomedical, pharmaceutical and other fields lead to vaccines, breakthrough treatments and other tools that help us fight disease and live longer, healthier lives.”

JEFF GRAY works in the quality assurance department of PNC Bank.

He lives in Mars with his wife, TRICIA CERVI GRAY ’94, and their two children.

LISA SMOLK DUKE was named assistant director of career services and professional development at the Florida State University in Tallahassee.

1984

1997

JULIANNE LAIRD earned a doctor of musical arts degree in voice performance from West Virginia University. She is director of choruses and orchestras for Indiana (Pa.) Area High School.

1985

RANDY BOBBERT was recently promoted to global business continuity officer of Philips Medical Devices, North America. He resides in Pittsburgh.

ANDREW TINKER of Murfreesboro, Tenn., earned a Ph.D. in rhetoric from Duquesne University and is a lecturer in communication studies at Middle Tennessee State University.

1999

1993

LT. COL. CHRISTOPHER MADELINE retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after more than 24 years of service, which followed 10 years in the U.S. Navy. He works as a program manager for Patricio Enterprises and lives in Stafford, Va., with his wife, Stephanie.

1983

Committees for Forensic Science, which facilitates the development of technically sound forensic science standards and promotes their adoption.

VALENTINE BRKICH of Beaver recently published his first work of fiction. The Secret of the Lost Amulet is a middlegrade adventure story that follows a group of kids as they race to find a magical relic before it falls into the hands of some nefarious treasure hunters. All of Val’s books are available through his website, SmallTownDad.com.

1998

NANCY GILLESPIE LOVE of Monroeville was selected to serve as a member of the Chemistry and Instrumental Analysis Scientific Area Committee’s Fire Debris and Explosives Analysis Subcommittee within the Organization of Scientific Area

LORI ZIMMERMAN ROSENSTEEL earned an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction from Liberty University.

JEFFREY WITKOWSKI was promoted to manager of support operations at SAP Ariba in Pittsburgh.

2002

GREG MARQUIS, principal in the Pleasant Valley School District, received the Dr. Walt Kealey Leadership Award, given annually to a Pennsylvania principal who supports parent involvement, interacts openly with the community and creates a quality learning environment for all children. He and his wife, STACY TEMPALSKI MARQUIS, and two daughters live in Moon Township, where Stacy teaches fifth grade math and science at the middle school.

2007

MATTHEW KERNS is associate dean of admissions at Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg.

W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 3 3

2012

WILL ARMENTROUT recently joined the scientific team at the Green Bank Observatory, where he had been completing his postdoctoral residency. The Green Bank Observatory, located in West Virginia, is a facility of the National Science Foundation.

2013

LEAH HUNTER earned a Ph.D. in school psychology from Penn State University in August 2019. She is currently working as a postdoctoral research associate in the College of Education at Penn State. She and her husband, DAN MATT, reside in State College.

2014

KATHERINE FRANCOIS was named the 2020 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year at Gwinnett Technical College where she is a chemistry instructor.

The award recognizes instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields.

2015

KATHRYN PATTERSON was named a “30 Under 30” award recipient by the Pittsburgh Business Times. The award honors leaders in Pittsburgh’s business and nonprofit communities who are under 30. Kathryn was recognized for her work as the supervisor of patient transition at Allegheny Health Network.

2017

JACKIE SCHULTZ was recently named multimedia graphic design coordinator for the Heart of Florida United Ways.

2018

KORNEL FOREMSKI recently accepted a position in Miami as an account executive of membership sales with Inter Miami/ CF, a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise owned by globally-recognized soccer star David Beckham.

CHRISTIAN NA, marketing coordinator at BrightTree Design Studios in Pittsburgh, received the Pittsburgh

NEW ADDITIONS | Welcome, Tiny Titans.

Eli Franchi

Hudson Brown

1998

2012

p JESSICA NAPLES FRANCHI and her husband, Jason: a son, Eli Natale, on March 28, 2018. He joins big brother, Enzo, at home in Pittsburgh.

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p EMILY SAULSBERY BROWN and her husband, Jason: a son, Hudson Thomas, on Feb. 12, 2020. He joins big sister, Everly, at home in Oakdale.

Business Times’ Corporate Citizenship Award for his philanthropic efforts with BrightTree. He established a sustainability program; collected school supplies for The Education Partnership, a nonprofit that provides school supplies to teachers with students in need; and coordinated a project with Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard, a nonprofit that supports homeless and in-need veterans with housing, meals and support services.

2019

EMILY BONDI was named director of media relations for the professional indoor football league, the National Arena League (NAL).

ZACH FRYDA and ANNA LISH KAISER received their white coats from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic MedicineBradenton.

Zach, a biology major, and Anna, a neuroscience major, were part of the 4+4 early acceptance program between Westminster and LECOM.

HOMECOMING &REUNION

WEEKEND 2020 OCTOBER 2, 3 & 4, 2020

2020/2021 SEASON

THE IRISH TENORS: IRELAND, A MUSICAL JOURNEY

NEIL BERG’S 50 YEARS OF ROCK AND ROLL

Friday, March 12, 2021 Sponsored by UPMC Jameson & UPMC Horizon

Saturday, April 24, 2021

AN EVENING WITH LUCIE ARNAZ: I GOT THE JOB! SONGS FROM MY MUSICAL PAST

STRAIGHT NO CHASER Saturday, March 27, 2021 Sponsored by Huntington

CRUISING STEADY: THE MUSIC & FRIENDSHIP OF ARETHA FRANKLIN & SMOKEY ROBINSON Saturday, June 12, 2021 Sponsored by Giant Eagle®

Saturday, May 22, 2021 Sponsored by Shenango on the Green

CELEBRITY SERIES ST R SPONSOR

www.westminster.edu/celebrity • 724.946.7354

NOT PART OF THE SEASON PACKAGE:

CELEBRITY SERIES FOR KIDS Wednesday, May 19, 2021 Sponsored by Dr. Richard Ribarevski, New Wilmington Family Medicine Associates, P.C. and Arts + Education at the Hoyt

WESTMINSTER COLLEGE PRESENTS Tuesday, February 23, 2021 Sponsored by Steelite International

ALUMNI EVENTS | Staying connected.

Alumni events are open to all alumni, parents and friends of Westminster College. The Office of Alumni Engagement works with volunteers to plan events in cities and regions across the country. RECONNECT WITH WESTMINSTER COLLEGE BY JOINING TOGETHER WITH TITANS.

PHILLY FRIENDS — Hosted by Pano Constantine ’16, alumni gathered for conversation and drinks at the City Tap House in Logan Square on Dec. 11. Westminster representative Rob Klamut stopped by to give an update on College happenings.

HOLIDAY POPS! — The Alumni Engagement Office joined efforts with Becky Rickard ’98, Pittsburgh Regional Alumni Committee member and director of support and special projects for the Pittsburgh Symphony, for an afternoon at the Holiday Pops on Dec. 15. A special dessert reception was held prior to the show. Special thanks to Phil ‘83 and Ginny Petraglia and Ali Dubois ‘02 for providing event-day assistance and coordination.

PARADE OF ROSES Alumni from across the country, including Elizabeth Bacheson ‘06, left, celebrated New Year’s Day with a trip to the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif. Coordinated

by Alex Stupakis ’74, the event offered group seating at the worldfamous parade, an additional add-on option to tour NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and an alumni gathering hour.

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TITAN TRADITION — More than 100 people attended the VIP viewing of Kraynak’s Holiday Display in Hermitage on Saturday, Dec. 14. Owners Penny Rice Kraynak ’75 and her husband, George Kraynak, opened the display early just for our Titan family and friends.

FLORIDA FOLKS — Matt Stinson, vice president for institutional advancement, met with Titans from the Marco Island area on Jan. 5.

Stinson, along with President Richardson’s husband, Dr. Randy Richardson, hosted a dinner at CJ’s on the Bay. B.J. Cross ’92 and his wife, Shelly, helped coordinate the event.

BEANTOWN BUDDIES — Boston-area alumni make it a habit to meet for Titan fellowship. Andrew Henley ‘17, Haley Barger ‘15 and Alina Clough ‘18 coordinated an event on Jan. 18 at one of the group’s favorite spots, The Ginger Man.

HAPPY IN THE ‘BURGH The Pittsburgh Happy Hour series continued with wellattended gatherings at City Works in Market Square in January and Bakersfield in February. January’s hosts were Andrew Anthony ’11, Mandie Giambroni ’09 and Phil Petraglia ’83 and February’s host was Melissa Wiley ’00. All are members of the Pittsburgh Regional Alumni Committee.

WINDY CITY CONNECTIONS During a March trip to Chicago for the national PITTCON conference, Dr. Helen Boylan ’95 and her students connected with alumni Ian Taylor ’08, Brian Domanski ’08, Ashley Blystone ’12 and Luke Simmons ‘19.

TITAN TABLE Mary Lynn Tobin ‘76 and David Campbell ‘78 hosted a small group of alumni and friends around the Titan Table at their home in Colorado on March 5. The overarching theme was “Becoming Human Beings at Our Best.”

Dr. Tim Cuff ’78 was the conversation moderator.

The 2020 WEAR WESTMINSTER DAY on Jan. 21 boasted more than 120 photo submissions.

The snapshots showcased Titan pride at work, at home and with children and furry friends! Check out the winning entries below.

MOST SPIRITED

Jackie Schultz ’17 & Chris Israel ’17

BIGGEST GROUP

Alison Tinker ’20 & her Kappa Delta sisters

TRAINING TITANS The Office of Institutional Advancement hosted two pre-game gatherings during the Titan Baseball and Softball spring break training trips in Florida. Family and friends of the men’s and women’s teams—and local alumni—joined College staff for a casual get-together prior to their games.

MOST CREATIVE

Mike Shovlin ’72

W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 3 7

IN MEMORIAM | Titans we will miss.

Word has reached us of the passing of the following alumni and friends of Westminster College. To submit information for the In Memoriam section, please provide a complete obituary notice (if available) to the Office of Alumni Engagement.

MYRNA HOON MCKEE ’47 of Georgetown, Texas, March 12, 2020.

JOHN COCHENOUR ’50 of Elizabeth Township, April 9, 2020.

R. BRADY MITCHELL ’50 of Dunbar, April 22, 2020.

THOMAS SWAN ’50 of Beaver, March 3, 2020.

WILLIAM COATES ’51 of St. Petersburg, Fla., Feb. 15, 2020.

GERALD “JERRY” HURD ’54 of Stow, Ohio, March 11, 2020.

RALPH VEIGHTS ’54 of Jamestown, N.Y., March 21, 2020.

DEAN HANEY ’56 of Montoursville, March 5, 2020.

RAY HEID ’56 of Cabot, formerly of Fawn Township, Jan. 23, 2020.

ALICIA WILLIAMS BLAMPHIN ’60 of The Villages, Fla., April 27, 2020.

DOROTHY SEIDEL SCHACHTER ’60 of DeLand, Fla., Aug. 10, 2019.

MARY “MARCHA” HOWARD DRAKE ’61 of Pennsylvania Furnace, July 1, 2019.

LILLIAN BOELL KLEIN ’64 of Black Mountain, N.C., Feb. 14, 2020.

MARJORIE BROWN ASH ’65 of East Liverpool, Ohio, April 1, 2020.

THE VERY REV. GEORGE HUTNYAN ‘68 of Youngstown, Ohio, May 12, 2020.

JOHN SANTAGATA ’69 of Masury, Ohio, formerly of Girard and Warren, Ohio, March 18, 2020.

TERENCE “TERRY” SERGI ’70 of Scottsdale, Ariz., May 30, 2019.

JOYCE ROCKHILL SEIBERT ’71 of Charlottesville, N.C., March 16, 2020.

BARBARA SCHOENHARD KOCH ’71 of Washington Township, N.J., Jan. 25, 2020.

SARAH GIBSON WRITT M’74 of Hermitage, Dec. 25, 2019.

NANCY MITCHELL HUTCHISON M’75, formerly of New Castle, April 18, 2020.

DR. JEFFREY CANOSE ’79 of Irving, Texas, Jan. 17, 2020.

ANDREW “DREW” HADWAL ’79 of Wichita Falls, Texas, April 20, 2020.

ROBIN EVENS MCGRATH ’79 of Plum, Dec. 24, 2019.

PAMELA SWARTZ SOFER ’80 of Hermitage, Feb. 21, 2020.

JOHN GILLETTE ’84 of Pittsburgh, Nov. 18, 2019.

HENRY BREW ’01 of Youngstown, Ohio, May 4, 2020.

KATIE NELSON ’18 of Mars, April 6, 2020.

CAMPUS FAMILY DR. DELBER McKEE | NOV. 20, 2019 DR. DELBER MCKEE and his wife, Margaret, moved to New Wilmington in 1952 when Delber joined the Westminster faculty. He was history professor, department chair, acting dean and, following his retirement in 1989, curator of Westminster’s antiquities collection. In the New Wilmington community he was an active member and elder in the United Presbyterian Church, served on the school board and, with Margaret, was awarded the Rotary Club’s Distinguished Citizen Award. Interrupting his undergraduate years at Hastings College, he entered military service during World War II and was sent to the University of Washington to be trained as a Japanese translator. He earned his master’s from the University of Wisconsin and his Ph.D. from Stanford University.

DIANE LEONETTI | DEC. 2, 2019 DIANE LEONETTI of New Wilmington was born and raised in nearby Grove City and graduated from Neshannock High School in New Castle. Before coming to Westminster she worked in department stores in Hermitage, at Castleview Memorial Gardens in New Castle and was a school bus driver for the Wilmington Area School District. She retired from Westminster’s physical plant department.

KAMAL HOUARI | JAN. 13, 2020 KAMAL HOUARI of Grove City is remembered for reviving the varsity soccer program at Westminster College.

In the 1980s, Kamal started as the coach of the men’s soccer club, the rebirth of the men’s varsity team that was discontinued after the 1951 season. In 1986, the soccer program was elevated to varsity status with Kamal as head coach. The new team played competitively in its first year back, including a shutout victory of Youngstown State University. Kamal remained a familiar face at Westminster as an official and working at various soccer camps. He was also a Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) referee for many years.

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B. EUGENE NICHOLSON M’69 | DEC. 29, 2019

G

ENE NICHOLSON—Titan Sports Hall of Famer, longtime Westminster College coach and professor of physical education—was a teacher, coach and mentor to countless players and students. If there was a team, he could coach it—and most likely, successfully. Over the course of his career, Nicholson coached more sports (seven) for more seasons (44) to more victories (more than a thousand) than anyone in the storied history of Titan athletics.

He guided Westminster student-athletes to national competitions in seven different sports.

Nicholson coached football, track and field, wrestling, tennis, golf and swimming and diving.

Nicholson also pioneered the modern day swimming and diving program at Westminster, where he was the head coach from 1972-1985, coaching over 20 All-Americans and collecting eight NAIA Top 20 national finishes.

Nicholson was perhaps best known for his 30 years of coaching football for the Titans as the defensive coordinator and head coach. As head football coach from 1991-98, he led the Titan football program to a record of 64-25-2 (.714) in eight seasons, including posting an undefeated regular season in 1992 and capturing the school’s sixth NAIA Division II national championship in 1994.

Nicholson served as the defensive coordinator on all five of the other NAIA national championship Westminster football teams and overall coached in nine NAIA national championship games. Nicholson was the only coach in the history of Titan football who was a member of the coaching staff on all six of the school’s national championship teams.

Nicholson was selected as 1994 NAIA/Rawlings Division II National Coach of the Year, while earning the same honor from American Football Quarterly. He was also selected as Coach of the Year in the Tri-State area by the Tri-State Football Officials Association. In 1994 he was named to the Titan Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Lawrence County Hall of Fame.

In 2013, Nicholson finished his 13th season at the helm of the Titan men’s golf program, where he was a three-time Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Coach of the Year and guided Westminster to three-straight league titles. During the 2004-05 season, Westminster captured five invitational titles, its third-straight PAC championship, and its first-ever berth in the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships.

Gene grew up in Fayetteville, N.C., Germany and Brentwood, graduating in 1959 from Brentwood High School where he was a standout track, basketball and football player.

He earned 10 varsity letters and received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Brentwood High School Hall of Fame in 2002.

He graduated from what is now Slippery Rock University in 1964 and earned a Master of Education degree from Westminster College.

W e s t m i n s t e r C o ll e g e M a g a z i n e 3 9

PARTING THOUGHTS WC MEMORIES

A moment in time: Professor compares coronavirus, 1918 influenza pandemics U.S. National Archives

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hen Westminster College history professor ‌ Dr. Timothy Cuff was teaching students about pandemics during the fall semester, he had no way of knowing that just a few months later he’d be in the midst of one.

Disease in America, the Westminster course Cuff has been offering to students for a decade, explores the U.S. experience of particular diseases such as yellow fever, cholera, AIDS and influenza, including the devastating 1918 “Spanish Flu” outbreak that infected 500 million worldwide.

Cuff sees distinct differences and similarities between the 1918 pandemic and what we’re experiencing right now—and says there are lessons to be learned from the past.

The coronavirus we’re currently experiencing doesn’t compare­—so far—to that deadly pandemic, which killed between 50 and 100 million people, including 675,000 Americans. But in just a few months the coronavirus has made its way around the globe, claiming the lives of more than 250,000 people worldwide and more than 71,000 in the U.S. “In 1918, we did not know what ‘viruses’ were—we didn’t even know that they existed—so obviously we didn’t know how they worked,” Cuff said. What was understood was that population density and social interaction seemed to be key— just like today.”

Yet while today our medical response is much more developed and informed—we have the Centers for Disease Control to help educate the public on emerging health threats and issues—our knowledge and understanding of the coronavirus and COVID-19 are still developing.

Today’s immediate response to the coronavirus pandemic mirrors what was happening a century ago: social distancing.

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People were quarantined, masks were worn, days of prayer were held, and large gathering spaces—theaters, churches, restaurants and bars, and parks—were off limits, Cuff said.

Cuff said there are important take-aways from the 1918 influenza epidemic, and patience tops the list.

“We need to recognize, and be humble about the fact, that now, as was the case in 1918, we don’t know everything about the disease,” Cuff said. “The virus’ behavior and interaction with people is not yet fully understood. That knowledge takes time to develop and that means policy makers need to be given some grace about what they decide to do.”

Cuff also reminds us that viruses—just like humans—are biological creatures simply behaving the way they’re designed.

“We frequently forget that while humans are much more than animals, we are animals,” Cuff said. “We have to eat, breathe, get rid of waste and procreate. We interact with other creatures in the environment that have to do the same.

Viruses are a part of this environment just as we are.”

A finally, despite our best efforts, viruses are not going to disappear.

“Viruses mutate, change and can jump from species to species. It’s a fact of life. Humans have created a way of life that easily enables disease to spread in some ways, while ‘disabling’ it in other ways,” Cuff said, adding a view from a textbook he uses in his class, The Deadly Truth: A History of Disease in America by Gerald Grob.

“We will live our lives in balance with disease agents and create opportunities for disease to happen as our societies develop. We will create opportunities for disease even as we seek cures.” S

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