Magazine - Winter 2021

WHEATON The magazine of Wheaton College, Massachusetts

Winter 2021

A new way forward Compass curriculum offers students personalized paths

Features 18

A new way forward Compass curriculum offers students personalized paths

By Sandy Coleman

24

Driving change College community works together toward an anti-racist society

By Sandy Coleman

28

Fostering a culture of inclusion

By Laura Pedulli

Departments

Between the Lines

2

@DHANNO 3 AROUND THE DIMPLE

4

Conversation 12 Lyons Pride

14

CAMPUS SCENE

16

Alumni Association Network

32

Class Notes

36

IN MEMORIAM

42

Perspective 44

On this page

Even the first snowfall on campus has been unusual, arriving on October 30, while many trees were still covered in fall leaves. But, hey, we’ll take anything beautiful. Photo by Keith Nordstrom

On the cover

Photo by Keith Nordstrom

Read us online

Find all our stories and more online at wheatoncollege.edu/wheaton-magazine.

WINTER 2021 1

BETWEEN THE LINES WHEATON MAGAZINE

Vol. 111, No. 1

Director of communications and magazine editor Sandy Coleman Designer David Laferriere

Multimedia producer Keith Nordstrom Staff writer Laura Pedulli

Administrative assistant Ellen Cataloni

Vice president for marketing and communications Gene Begin KEITH NORDSTROM

Editor tests the microphone for the virtual Welcome Ceremony and Opening Convocation at the start of the semester.

Start anywhere Beginnings are important as well as character-building. They inspire us to step away from familiar places and focus on expanding our terrain. They often involve risk, challenges to established practices, faith in our abilities to problem-solve and accomplish the desired goal while demonstrating courage to commit to the actionable follow-through.

All of this comes to mind when I consider the stories in this issue of the magazine.

Students are successfully maneuvering and moving forward with internships in new remote environments due to pandemic safety protocols. Alumni are starting initiatives that contribute to solving problems posed by the global health crisis as well

as racial injustice. The entire Wheaton campus is engaged in new—as well as newly intensified—work around creating an anti-racist campus and society.

Our cover story focuses on the new Compass curriculum that so many faculty members—as well as staff members and students—have spent more than a year carefully imagining, proposing, planning, discussing and finally voting into reality. That work already has received external validation from a $200,000 grant from the Davis Educational Foundation.

Compass started during the fall 2020 semester with the incoming Class of 2024 and provides myriad opportunities for students to personalize and help design the road map of their journey through

Connect with us on social media the next four years at Wheaton.

The pandemic has made many of us feel that we aren’t going anywhere fast. In fact, in some ways for a while, it has seemed like we were losing ground.

We hope the beginnings and innovations shared in the stories in this issue will serve as a strong reminder that each of us is still in the driver’s seat when it comes to our power to choose how we spend our time, where we place value and what we want to make happen in life.

May you have a safe and healthy 2021 full of beginnings.

COMMENT It was a joy to see your spring 2020 magazine story about Wheaton’s Posse program and the outstanding scholars and mentors who have more than fulfilled its promise. I did not play a major role in this wonderful enterprise, but I had the honor of being provost when we began Posse, and it is close to my heart.

—Susanne Woods, former Wheaton provost and professor emerita of English 2 WHEATON MAGAZINE

WheatonCollege @wheaton Email us: magazine@ wheatoncollege.edu

Wheaton , The Magazine of Wheaton College (ISSN 1068-1558), is published three times per year (fall, winter and spring) by Wheaton College and printed by Lane Press of Burlington, Vt. Periodicals postage paid at Norton, Mass., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Wheaton College, Norton, MA 02766.

Wheaton College © 2021

Navigating the future

In 2016, when we approved a comprehensive strategic plan based on the collaborative conversations of our entire community, none of us foresaw this global pandemic that has created so many challenges. What we could see in Wheaton’s future, however, was a need for growth in myriad ways to broaden our reach and expand opportunities to provide our distinctive liberal arts education.

Growth is critical to successfully navigating our way forward—growth in our student population, curriculum and programs, as well as in our mindset and willingness to continue to create innovative solutions to major problems, including racial injustice.

There are three Dennis M. Hanno, key components president to doing that. Two involve focusing on issues of current importance on every college campus: creating an anti-racist environment and addressing the health and wellness needs of the entire community. The third is about long-range planning—exploring ways to expand the portfolio of options for students currently at Wheaton as well as for future students.

The work around anti-racism is already underway. At the fall Opening Convocation, I, as well as Provost Renée T. White, called for the entire campus community to do this work.

Departments, divisions and individuals currently are pursuing related goals.

These efforts involve creating the systems, organizational structures, policies and practices across campus to build a more equitable community.

For example, the Center for Collaborative Teaching and Learning is providing inspiring guidance on

becoming an anti-racist educator, through workshops and a web presence.

Diversity, Equity and Access Leadership, which was created in 2018 to oversee diversity and inclusion work on campus, has developed 10 action steps that the college is following for progress toward racial justice.

We know that this challenging work demands consistency and ongoing commitment. It is imperative for us to be better on this front for the future of the institution as well as for the world into which we are sending our students.

Throughout the pandemic we have relied on our institutional values to guide our decisions. At the forefront has been

@DHANNO

the health and safety of our community.

We need to continue to keep this in mind long beyond the pandemic. In light of that, I have charged a group of faculty, staff, students and alumni to develop a strategic plan for health and wellness that will guide our program development and investments in this critical area.

The pandemic has brought public health into the spotlight on a global scale.

But long before the impact of COVID-19, a team of faculty and staff had begun to explore an expansion of our academic programming in this realm. Now, that team is intensifying its work.

During the next year the team will be exploring ideas for new programs that are both aimed at staying true to Wheaton’s mission as well as meeting anticipated demands of current and future students. The team already has identified some possibilities to consider in the fields of public health, social justice and communications.

The goal will be the same as when we created the Compass curriculum that began in the fall—to continue to align the liberal arts to professional and postgraduate opportunities as students follow their passions.

We are fortunate that a five-year challenge grant is providing us with the resources needed to develop and launch these new initiatives.

During the past five years, Wheaton has been growing—from 1,500 students to more than 1,700. Much of that growth has taken place because we added new programs like the business and management and film and new media studies majors.

That is encouraging as we again dig into how to build similar success.

Wheaton has grown in size and reputation over its long history by being innovative. That same spirit drives change here today and will position us even better for the future.

WINTER 2021 3

AROUND THE DIMPLE

KEITH NORDSTROM

Equitable care Wheaton launched a virtual summer lecture series that explored public health and social justice topics, including health disparities and the environment and a biopsychological look at COVID-19 transmission.

The seminar and lectures, which ran from July 23 to August 20, 2020, were presented by the Wheaton Inclusive STEM Excellence (WISE) initiative, which is funded by a $1 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

The hourlong virtual lectures were open to the Wheaton community and incoming students. Each lecture featured a Wheaton faculty member from the science department and one from another discipline.

An accompanying seminar was geared for students who wished to explore each topic in further detail.

Students who participated in both the lecture and the seminars were eligible to receive a public health and social justice certificate of completion.

“The seminar and lecture series highlights the value of interdisciplinary perspectives on big problems, such as issues surrounding public health and 4 WHEATON MAGAZINE

social justice. It highlights who we are at Wheaton and the value of liberal arts in approaching real-world problems,” said Meg Kirkpatrick, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience.

The program also was a leadership opportunity for Wheaton students.

Eleven Wheaton STEM Scholars—students who completed WISE’s “STEM Leadership” course in the past two academic years—helped facilitate the virtual lectures and readings. To that end, they worked with professors to develop agendas and formulate reading discussion points, as well as moderated the virtual student seminars.

The idea for the seminar and lecture series originated in late May, when faculty were discussing ways to keep students engaged during the summer— particularly with COVID-19 complicating plans for scheduled research positions and internships.

“The WISE leadership team was exploring ways to keep students engaged by interacting with faculty, reading scientific articles—and keeping them excited and informed,” Kirkpatrick said.

The team decided to open up the lecture series to a broader audience, to expose as many people as possible to these timely issues. More than 400 people registered for the talks.

“We thought a lecture and seminar series that would bring the Wheaton community together to explore the complex challenges faced by our health care system and the sobering reality of public health inequities was important.

Since we started this effort, the murders of Black men and women at the hands of police have sparked protests and strengthened the WISE leadership team’s commitment to highlighting the numerous ways in which science and social justice interact and can be informed by examination through a racial justice lens,” Kirkpatrick said.

“Given the tremendous impact health disparities, including COVID-19, have on communities of color and Black communities in particular, we feel that our seminar series has an important place within broader conversations on systemic injustices in our society.”

—Laura Pedulli

Wheaton and SGA partner on Student Relief Fund

In March 2020, after the college switched to remote operations for safety, it quickly became clear that many students needed financial support to deal with the impact caused by the global pandemic, including help to pay for unexpected travel and living and technology expenses.

To address the challenges, Wheaton officials partnered with Student Government Association (SGA) leaders to create the Student Relief Fund to fill the gaps left after the federal government issued emergency relief funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, an economic aid package passed by the U.S. Congress.

Working together, they raised approximately $306,000 to help hundreds of students with housing and food insecurity; travel expenses related to returning home; technology needs to ensure access to remote learning; replacing learning materials that were readily available on campus; and other unforeseen financial concerns.

“The CARES Act funding was helpful for some students, but it was restricted to certain populations—for example, only those who filed a FAFSA [Free Application for Federal Student Aid] were eligible.

It left out many students who needed support,” said Susan Jenks Beard ’90, Wheaton director of student financial services. “The Student Relief Fund greatly enhanced the amount that the federal

KEITH NORDSTROM

Susan Jenks Beard ’90

Abby Cook ’22

government allocated to Wheaton.

“The amazing generosity of faculty, staff, alumni and especially the SGA made it possible,” Beard said.

The $306,000 includes $146,429 contributed from more than 300 Wheaton alumni, parents and friends and $159,481 contributed by the SGA. Abby Cook ’22 and Elizabeth Eaton ’22, SGA Ad-hoc Committee on Transparency co-chairs, co-wrote proposals to allocate more than $64,000 from SGA accounts to the Student Relief Fund.

“The Student Government Association had a surplus of funds from our various SGA accounts, and had been deliberating on how to best invest that money to serve all students in the Wheaton community. We decided to partner with the Wheaton administration to pool our funding and support our peers during this uncertain time,” said Cook, a political science and Hispanic studies double major, and SGA

Elizabeth Eaton ’22

secretary for 2019–20 and student body vice president for 2020–21.

Cook and Eaton, who created the Ad-hoc Committee on Transparency, promoted the fund and rallied other campus clubs and organizations to contribute, which resulted in a collective donation of an additional $95,000 from club budgets.

The SGA Ad-hoc Committee on Transparency aims to provide information about the benefits and impacts of the Student Relief Fund. Other committee members include Eva Danielson ’22, Cleef Jonathas ’23, Harry Topol ’22, Sofie Weston ’22, Sophie Waters ’23 and Harrison Zeiberg ’22.

“The main purpose of SGA is to advocate for and support all of Wheaton’s students. Although we were no longer physically on campus together, this fund was a great way for us to continue fulfilling our mission,” said Topol, a neuroscience major.

—Sandy Coleman WINTER 2021 5

AROUND THE DIMPLE

A minute with …

Olivia Kulevich ’23 Olivia Kulevich ’23 spent spring and fall semesters building finance industry knowledge during a remote internship with Sandra Gilpatrick ’95, a certified financial planner and wealth consultant, who educates women on organizing their finances, in accordance with their values and personal goals.

It all adds up: “As Sandra’s editing and writing intern, I composed blog posts and vlog scripts to be placed in a monthly newsletter to clients. I assisted in enhancing blog content and researching relevant topics. I also edited articles Sandra drafted, sections of the company’s website and other marketing materials. A significant part of my time with Sandra was devoted to helping to improve her clients’ lives through research, writing and social media.”

Figuring out the best approach: “While collaborating with her, I began to understand many effective editing techniques and the best ways of communicating feedback. As a writer for a business, I have learned how to write in a professional setting and take on the voice of a company.” Counting on connections: “I met Sandra through a networking opportunity during Wheaton’s Weiss Women Leadership Program. When the cohort visited two Wheaton alums in Boston, Sandra’s office was our second stop. After mentioning she was searching for an intern to edit and write blog posts, I introduced myself and noted that I was pursuing a degree in English.

Shortly after I expressed my interest and interviewed, Sandra offered me the internship position.” Multiple benefits: “In the future, I would like to work as an editor for a publishing house reading manuscripts by young authors. However, I am still pursuing different academic experiences to learn more about my career interests. My internship with Sandra will no doubt open doors for many more professional opportunities in the future.

6 WHEATON MAGAZINE

SEMERARO PHOTOGRAPHY

Her partnership and mentorship have contributed greatly to my growth and will help lead to future career successes.

Both also have helped to educate me on the importance of effectively managing my finances as a young woman.”

Tuning in to change

KEIT H NO RDS TRO

Students add podcasting to radio station in response to pandemic Podcasts have become a popular way to adapt radio programming to fit into busy lives. In a burst of creative problem solving, a group of Wheaton students expanded the offerings of campus radio station WCCS 96.5 FM in spring 2020 by launching the station’s first two podcast shows, “A Moment in History” and “Cod Cabin,” available on Spotify.

So far, the station has 61 podcast episodes available.

“We were doing shows on the air and presenting our live programming when everything suddenly shut down due to the pandemic,” said Harrison Zeiberg ’22, who serves as WCCS vice president and station manager. “After we settled into our new routines remotely, we tried to figure out how best to keep the radio station as a club alive and going, and we eventually realized after exploring options that podcasting represented an excellent solution.”

In May 2020, Zeiberg, a history and political science major from Malden, Mass., debuted his new podcast called “A Moment

in History.” The show offers listeners the insights of interview guests from all over the country reflecting on what it is like to live in one of the strangest and most eventful years in modern history.

Interview guests have included organizers of a Black Lives Matter rally, artists, a student opera singer and other students talking about how they are adjusting to life during a pandemic.

“We’re seeking to build an oral history of 2020 that will be interesting to hear now,” Zeiberg said. “But I also have the longer-term interest of history in mind so that people can use the podcasts as a reference decades from now to better understand, directly from primary sources, what it was like to live through the pandemic, the political environment and the protests.”

The other WCCS podcast show called “Cod Cabin” focuses on Massachusetts politics.

“The podcast’s name is sort of a joke on the Massachusetts State House, as it has a giant cod residing in one of its chambers,”

Adam Bass ’21, top, in radio station on campus in 2019; Harrison Zeiberg ’22, set up for podcasting at home in summer 2020

said Adam Bass ’21, WCCS general manager.

For the podcast, Bass interviewed many candidates running for office in the state, including U.S. Senator Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III. A history major with a double minor in political science and legal studies, Bass has hosted and produced other on-air political shows as he has sought to carve out a niche as a political insider in Massachusetts.

“Doing these interviews builds my résumé and builds connections,” he said, “helping me pursue my dream of broadcasting and reporting.”

—Randell Kennedy WINTER 2021 7

M

AROUND THE DIMPLE

Students gain work experience amid health crisis An emblematic part of Wheaton’s distinguished liberal arts education is support for learning outside of the classroom.

That did not end this past summer, despite the global pandemic. Dozens of students engaged in funded internships that provided valuable lessons and experiences that will help set them up for success after graduation. Here are a few: • Ayinde Best ’22, intern, Partnership Education Program • Nellie Boling ’21, intern, Dover Microsystems

• Eliza Browning ’22, collections and curatorial intern, New London County Historical Society

• Vu Đỗ ’22, intern, Cape & Islands Cognitive Behavioral Institute • Cameron Glick ’22, intern, Cape & Islands Cognitive Behavioral Institute

Ayinde Best ’22 said his internship has helped him make a plan for the future.

KEITH NORDSTROM

• Emily Gray ’22, intern, Sojourner House • Sanjana Kulkarni ’23, intern, The Unico Project, She the PWR and Lifting Lives • Hannah Lee ’21, intern, Student Conservation Association

• Hannah Lord ’22, intern, Seaside Sustainability

• Celeste Nobrega ’22, fellow, National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates • Harrison Zeiberg ’22, intern, Environmental Voter Project

Read more about the students and their internships online.

KEITH NORDSTROM

Celeste Nobrega ’22 was an undergraduate fellow at the MDI Biological Laboratory in Maine.

“This internship has shown me a side of public service that I had no experience with before, and taught me what nonprofit organizing, and work, can look like,” said Harrison Zeiberg ’22.

8 WHEATON MAGAZINE

Hannah Lee ’21 spent two months camping in the Lassen and Modoc National Forest region in Northern California as part of her summer internship.

Pictured, from left: Nellie Boling ’21, Emily Gray ’22, Hannah Lord ’22, Vu Đỗ ’22 and Cameron Glick ’22. “My internship has granted me an opportunity to devote time and dedicate myself to helping others, especially in a hard time like this. This is the first internship I have ever participated in, but it was an amazing one,” said Đỗ .

Eliza Browning ’22 (left) said her internship allowed her to combine her interest in early New England history with the curatorial skills she has acquired as an art history major. “My duties included researching objects within the collection; writing an exhibition plan, wall text and object labels; and designing and installing the finished exhibition. My favorite part involved discovering fascinating historical objects within the collection, including letters written by George Washington, maps of the British invasion of New London, pressed flower samples from the 1830s and handwritten colonial receipts for Yale and 19th century whaling harpoons,” she said.

WINTER 2021 9

AROUND THE DIMPLE

Elevating voices through fiction Providence Journal publishes op-ed by senior and professor

Young adult fiction that addresses racism, prejudice and the Black Lives Matter movement offers an opportunity to promote meaningful discussions about race among Americans of all ages, creative writing and literature major Olivia James ’21 and Professor of English Bev Clark co-wrote in a June 2020 op-ed in The Providence Journal.

“Such fiction is part of what many of us need now, not least young adults, whether seeking out voices that are affirming or informing us,” the student and professor wrote.

In the op-ed, James and Clark highlighted the 2014 award-winning novel How It Went Down—a story by Kekla Magoon about a white man killing a Black 16-year-old.

“We had read How It Went Down together in a class [in fall 2019] and had appreciated how the multiple voices in the book fostered understanding of the many different people touched by the shooting and of how a community could come together,” they wrote.

The duo also noted other young adult literature that explores different versions of the modern Black American experience, including The Hate U Give, Ghost Boys, All American Boys, I Am Alfonso Jones and Light It Up. “Books like these can simultaneously hold up a mirror to the worst aspects of our society and provide a window that helps readers understand reality when the pattern of Black American voices being ignored has resulted in an absence of honest conversation,” they wrote.

Clark said she and James were already working together last summer on a scholarly essay on the convergence of multivocal narrative and the Black Lives Matter movement in How It Went Down when they decided to write an 10 WHEATON MAGAZINE

A collection of some of the books that creative writing and literature major Olivia James ’21 and Professor of English Bev Clark referenced in the op-ed they coauthored for The Providence Journal

Professor of English Bev Clark

Olivia James ’21

op-ed.

“For me, the process really felt like an extension of our summer project,” James said. “Writing it was very exciting and different from the work I’m used to doing in the classroom, especially since it was so collaborative and we worked together in real-time on Google Docs, editing and suggesting as we went along.”

James added that she was excited to

work with Clark on the piece because of their shared passion for young adult literature and its power to elevate voices.

“I think literature like How It Went Down, as well as the other books we mentioned, is especially important in times like these and I was very excited to be able to share how valuable they are with others,” James said.

—Laura Pedulli

Art in the wild

Professor Kelly Goff’s trail art highlighted Associate Professor of Art Kelly Goff was one of 14 artists featured in the “Art on the Trails 2020: Rising Up” outdoor exhibition in Southborough, Mass. The work was viewable from June through September at the Elaine and Philip Beals Preserve. The MetroDaily West captured the installation in an article.

Magazine editor Sandy Coleman asked the professor to provide some insight into the work, which he installed onsite with the help of a student; colleagues Associate Professor of Museum Studies Leah Niederstadt and Kate Boylan, director of archives and digital initiatives; and his wife, Tracy Rosebrock. (He also collaborated with four Wheaton students who are now alums to create the work.)

Here’s what he had to say: “When I discovered that the exhibition would be entitled ‘Rising Up,’ I thought, what a coincidence that I happen to have two large sculptures nearly complete that literally rise up. Each sculpture is a continuous line drawing that meanders around like a scribble or doodle and sort of trails off toward the sky. Along with their vibrant colors, they feel like optimistic formations to me as I think about the convolutions of our current world, the way we all seem to be navigating obstacle after obstacle but we persist, and we’ll eventually get out of this mess.

“The sculptures, ‘Continuous Line I [tangerine], 2020’ and ‘Continuous Line II [aquamarine], 2020’ were primarily constructed on campus. The material is a two-inch-in-diameter rusty pipe that had been pulled out of Wheaton’s old boiler room and was awaiting recycling.

I salvaged as much as I could from a large construction dumpster outside the physical plant one day in the pouring rain, knowing that it would be hauled away the following morning.

Leah Niederstadt

“Continuous Line I (tangerine), 2020” and “Continuous Line II (aquamarine), 2020” installation in Southborough, Mass., courtesy of Associate Professor of Art Kelly Goff (below) and crew

“The lengths of pipe were rusty and beautiful with natural bends and contours. Four students [at the time] worked on the project in various roles. Sasha Kasem-Beg ’20, Nathan Domingos ’20, Augustus ‘Gus’ Williams ’20 and Coby

Goodrich ’20 all helped shape the pipes further. The process of construction, although laborious, was fun and entirely intuitive as we welded the pipes end to end in a slowly expanding tangle.”

WINTER 2021 11

CONVERSATION

Professor Deyonne Bryant reflects on history of Infusion initiative The team from Wheaton’s Curriculum Committee, Office of the Provost and Diversity, Equity and Access Leadership has been working collaboratively to advance the learning goals of the previously created Infusion initiative that is now a part of the new Compass curriculum, which began this fall for the Class of 2024 and beyond. Infusion aims to analyze the structures and categories that influence opportunity and identity—including race, gender, economic status, ability, sexuality and religion in the United States as well as globally—and to incorporate consideration of all into college departments, courses and programs. This semester, magazine editor Sandy Coleman checked in with Associate Professor of English Deyonne Bryant to learn more about the history of Infusion and its importance.

Bryant, who has been a faculty member for 20 years, served as curriculum coordinator from 2006 to 2007 and worked with each of the academic departments in establishing departmental goals for Infusion, which was initially adopted in 2001. She also has served on several committees and subcommittees devoted to campuswide multiculturalism and curricula diversity.

Give us a little background about Infusion.

“The Infusion initiative grew out of discussions about curricula diversity in the previous curriculum. Infusion aimed to increase awareness in the faculty about the ways in which disciplinary knowledge itself often upholds structural racism and other forms of inequality. In response, the faculty began a multi-year process of interrogating the premises upon which our academic disciplines were based and transforming our courses to call attention to and correct these often unconscious biases. An example from creative writing is the notion that characters in novels and the speakers in poems are largely understood to be white by default unless their race or ethnicity is specifically announced in the 12 WHEATON MAGAZINE

Deyonne Bryant, associate professor of English and chair of the English Department

works. This makes whiteness the norm against which all other experiences are wrongly measured. In response, creative writing faculty transformed our courses in order to challenge this notion and introduce the students in our classes to the largeness and complexity of human experiences. Departments and programs across the academic divisions undertook similar processes.”

What do you hope students get out of it most?

“The students who received their degrees during the early years of the Infusion initiative stated in their senior exit interviews that they knew more about issues of cultural diversity than they did when they arrived at Wheaton and felt more confident in their abilities to talk about these issues. I hope the new

KEITH NORDSTROM

iteration of Infusion has an even greater impact on student learning.”

How will you incorporate it into your own scholarship and coursework?

“I’ve continued to consciously develop course syllabi that include a diversity of opinions as well as experiences. And I’m also looking forward to once again regularly offering my Black women writers literature course, which features Black female protagonists and foregrounds the concerns and aspirations of Black women experiencing multiple forms of subordination.”

Read about the Compass curriculum in our cover story.

More online

PUBLICATIONS, HONORS AND CREATIVE WORKS

Faculty Michael Berg, professor of psychology, cowrote the article “Prevalence and predictors of early COVID-19 behavioral intentions in the United States” published in Translational Behavioral Medicine in September 2020.

Delvyn Case, associate professor of music, presented “Psalm 150,” a collaboration with Boston Symphony Orchestra flautist Elizabeth Ostling on the creation of a new work for solo flute inspired by Psalm 150.

The video was part of Interfaith Youth Core’s “PsalmSeason” project, co-sponsored by Hebrew College.

Beverly Lyon Clark, professor of English, co-wrote, with Olivia James ’21, the op-ed “Young-Adult Novels Offer a Window on the Black Experience in America,” which was published in The Providence Journal in June 2020.

Geoffrey Collins, professor of geology, cowrote, with Madison Borrelli ’18, the article “Testing the cryovolcanism and plate bending hypotheses for Charon’s smooth plains,” published in the February 2020 issue of the journal Icarus. The source of the article is a project Borrelli did during her senior year at Wheaton.

William Mason, assistant professor of music, released “tendrils” in June 2020. The new album of works for a sextet of two drum sets, two guitarists and two singers was covered in The New York Times article “7 Things to Do This Weekend,” in October 2020.

Ellen McBreen, associate professor of history of art, and R. Tripp Evans, professor of history of art, co-wrote Migrating Objects: Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Marsilio/ Peggy Guggenheim Collection, 2020).

Winter Jade Werner, associate professor of English, wrote Missionary Cosmopolitanism in Nineteenth-Century British Literature (Ohio State University Press, 2020).

Alumni Nancy Brewka-Clark ’69 wrote the poetry collection Beautiful Corpus: Poems of the Body, Mind & Spirit (Kelsay Books, 2020), winner of the 2019 Amy Lowell Prize given by the New England Poetry Club. She won a college prize in 1968 from the same organization.

Faye Newman Crosby ’69 co-wrote Undoing the Gender Binary (Cambridge University Press, 2020).

Charlotte Dennett ’69 wrote The Crash of Flight 3804: A Lost Spy, a Daughter’s Quest and the Deadly Politics of the Great Game for Oil (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2020).

Jo Ann Simons Derr ’75, chief executive officer of Northeast Arc, wrote “The Gift of Independence,” published in The Boston Globe in August 2020.

Connor Mathis ’18 gave a talk at the virtual “Libraries Promoting Voter Engagement” webinar presented by the Massachusetts Library System in September 2020. Mathis is the library assistant in research and instruction services at the Douglas and Judith Krupp Library at Bryant University.

Clare Prober ’16, an associate at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., wrote the note titled “What Justice Requires: Equal Protection Clause Issues with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s 33E Powers,” which was published in a 2019 issue of the Suffolk University Law Review and has been cited by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Commonwealth v. Billingslea.

WINTER 2021 13

LYONS PRIDE

Strength training

At the start of the academic year and the fall athletic season that was put on hold due to safety precautions, we checked with a few studentathletes. We asked what lessons they are learning during the global health crisis that are making them stronger in the classroom and in their sport. Here is what they shared.

Lydia DaCorte ’21

• Business and management major • Swimming and diving team

“Throughout this pandemic, I’ve learned how motivation plays a key role in productivity in my day-to-day life. In the beginning, when there were local quarantines, it was hard to get into a routine and find a good balance of school, exercise and free time because it was so easy to just want to lounge on the couch all day with my family. As a student-athlete, I am juggling many different things every day. So being able to find that routine and create the structure that I am used to has proven to me that staying motivated is very important in so many ways. It contributes to my daily life in ways I didn’t even realize until I had the time to truly think about it.”

14 WHEATON MAGAZINE

Brennan McIntyre ’22

Mikayla Pucci ’21

“I’ve been learning how to stay focused in dire times and how to stay patient even when it seems difficult. The pandemic and all of its consequences have made it very easy to make excuses and just accept that things are going to be different. But I’ve been working on staying focused on what I am still in control of—my grades and my athleticism. It gives you a sense of purpose rather than a sense that things are out of your control. And throughout the entirety of COVID-19, it has been really tough to have faith that things will get better, but that’s why it has been so important to simply stay patient and not overthink things. Grounding myself and being patient have kept me level-headed, which has allowed me to stay in shape and keep studying hard.”

“One thing that I have learned during the global pandemic is the importance of slowing down. As a senior this year, as well as a student-athlete, slowing down has allowed me to think about what I am grateful for and enjoy the little things that I may have missed in the past. As a student, slowing down has helped me get more out of the material I’m learning, and continue to build relationships with professors and peers. As an athlete, slowing down will help me to focus on the things that I can control and be more present throughout the season. Taking time to slow down and reflect will allow me to get the best out of myself as both a student and an athlete.”

• Psychology and business and management double major • Lacrosse and swimming and diving team

• Mathematics and secondary education double major • Basketball team

Ready

© ALAN WILLIAMSON | DRONE WORX

The Beard Field House in the Haas Athletic Center underwent some renovation in summer 2020 and has been completely resurfaced. Now, this multi-purpose facility that is used by the entire campus community (following current pandemic protocols) is even more enjoyable.

Margaret “Meg” Walker ’22

Mark D’Augelli Jr. ’21

“I have learned that patience is a virtue.

I’ve had to be very patient during this process since not everything is functioning in a familiar manner. However, I’ve combated this strangeness by keeping my routines so that I can continue to stay motivated.”

“The best thing that I’ve learned from this pandemic is that being restricted to your house or quarantine space should not hinder your improvement athletically or academically. There is so much I was able to do just in my

• Psychology major • Track and field team

• Economics and business management double major • Baseball team

house in terms of workouts, baseball fundamentals and academically. For example, I was able to do body weight or limited weight workouts for exercise at home, go on hikes or runs and use family members to do basic fundamental baseball drills. In terms of academics, the pandemic has taught me there are always ways to improve—whether it is learning something new, reading a new book, or stimulating your brain in different ways that you never would have.

Yes, virtual learning is different, but a positive adjustment can be made, and ultimately, it shouldn’t hinder academic performance.”

—Sandy Coleman Go online to the recreation and fitness page and watch them guide a virtual tour of our athletics spaces.

WINTER 2021 15

CAMPUS SCENE

On the bright side

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In-person and online yoga taught by Dory Gedraitis ’22 was offered during the fall semester. Caleigh Grogan ’18 and Rebecca Olivieri ’18 also led meditation and cardio classes.

Read more on page 60 in Class Notes.

Sign of the times

Wash your hands. Keep your social distance. Wear your mask. Plenty of reminders have been posted all over campus to guide the community and help keep everyone safe during the global pandemic.

Welcome to the community The President’s Welcome Ceremony for new students and families was presented virtually in August 2020. During the event, Abaigeal Lypps ʼ21, Student Government Association president, spoke about what makes Wheaton home and what it means to be a student here.

Class of 2024 by the numbers

472 first-year and transfer students 25 U.S. states and territories represented

6 countries represented KEITH NORDSTROM

The show goes on

16 WHEATON MAGAZINE

PHOTOS BY LEAH NIEDERSTADT

The exhibition “It’s Elemental: Earth,” which considers how Earth—in all of its forms—affects our world, was presented in the Beard and Weil Galleries as well as virtually this fall. The third in a series of four biannual exhibitions, it was designed by students in “Exhibition Design,” which was taught by Associate Professor of Museum Studies/History of Art Leah Niederstadt—for the first time as a summer course. It featured objects from the Gebbie Archives and Special Collections and the Permanent Collection. Gallery Director Elizabeth Hoy curated and installed the exhibition with inspiration from the students’ layouts. They also researched and wrote interpretive text for the objects. Take a 3D virtual tour: go to the Wheaton blog and search “It’s Elemental: Earth.”

Move-in days

The beginning of the academic year looked a lot different, but the transition for students from home to campus went smoothly with a staggered one-week move-in period.

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A revision

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The Wheaton Campus Bookstore moved to a new location in Balfour-Hood Center, where it still provides general merchandise, including clothing, gift items, snacks, tech gear, school supplies and health and beauty aids.

Pretty dependable

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One thing has not changed—the beauty of the campus, which is always perfect for relaxing and connecting, even if it’s in a socially distanced way.

WINTER 2021 17

A new way Compass curriculum offers students personalized paths What it is

The Compass curriculum officially launched this academic year with the Class of 2024.

The curriculum encourages students to connect academics to career interests.

It features four key elements required of every student: • At least one major • FYE: First-Year Experience • Sophomore Experience

• MAP: Mentored Academic Pathway

Three optional honors programs Each encourages students to expand their studies and helps them define their educational paths: • Global Honors

• Eliza Wheaton Scholars and Latin Honors • Taylor and Lane Scholars

Optional LEAPS

LEAPS, Liberal Arts and Professional Success, are career- and skill-focused classes and learning experiences.

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By Sandy Coleman

At the start of the fall semester, as pandemic protocols held many people in place, a group of Wheaton students and four professors went on an interdisciplinary adventure— right in the Dimple. They traveled back in time to explore the Silk Road by creating a scale model of the ancient trade routes that linked the Western world with the Middle East and Asia.

The exercise was part of the teamtaught First-Year Experience (FYE) course “Contact: Geography, Resources and Culture along Eurasia’s Historical Trade Routes”—one of a dozen FYEs offered to incoming students—and an imaginative starting point for Wheaton’s new Compass curriculum.

Compass, approved by faculty members in spring 2019, officially launched this academic year with the Class of 2024. The new curriculum reimagines Wheaton’s general education requirements with opportunities that challenge and support students in designing their own educational paths and builds on Wheaton’s core principles of intellectual curiosity, global citizenship, experiential learning, social

justice, diversity and inclusion, and collaborative community.

The curriculum encourages students to connect academics to career interests and features four key elements required of every student: at least one major, Sophomore Experience, Mentored Academic Pathway (MAP) and FYE. It also introduces three optional honors programs that encourage students to

forward

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The Dimple became a scale model for the First-Year Experience course “Contact: Geography, Resources and Culture along Eurasia’s Historical Trade Routes,” in which students and professors interacted as Silk Road travelers might have in the exchange of materials and ideas.

expand their studies and help them define their educational paths: Global Honors, Eliza Wheaton Scholars and Latin Honors, and Taylor and Lane Scholars.

The Taylor and Lane Scholars program is named for the first two Black women to graduate from Wheaton—Alice Taylor Sanford ’50 and Nadine Lane ’50—and asks students to address questions of social justice, inclusion, equity and diversity through engagement within and beyond the classroom.

Another optional element to the Compass curriculum is a set of programs that will begin rolling out this spring called LEAPS. The programs are

career- and skill-focused, each made up of a set of classes and learning experiences.

While LEAPS and the Sophomore Experience are still taking shape under the direction of the Curriculum

The Taylor and Lane Scholars program is named for Alice Taylor Sanford ’50, left, and Nadine Lane ’50.

Committee, MAP and FYE got off the ground during the fall semester.

“The goal of Compass is for students to chart their own course through the curriculum and to take ownership of their education. FYE offers tremendous opportunity for students to imagine what that might look like, what interests they will want to pursue, and how collaborative work is possible and valued at Wheaton,” said Professor of Sociology Karen McCormack, who serves as Compass curriculum coordinator and was co-chair of the Compass Curriculum Implementation Team along with Assistant Professor of Political Science Lindsay Flynn and WINTER 2021 19

KEITH NORDSTROM

Madison Dunaway, coordinator of innovation spaces and programs, and Ozgur “Tuna” Ozturk ’24 created an in-person circuit card-making workshop for MAP Day that was held at Pine Hall.

Successfully launching during a pandemic Launching the Compass curriculum in the midst of a pandemic brought unanticipated challenges and opportunities.

It is a real testament to our students, staff and faculty that things have gone surprisingly well.

We offered a full slate of brand new First-Year Experience (FYE) classes, courses that introduced new students to multiple faculty members and to two or more disciplines to address big questions. These experiences ranged from a musician and a neuroscientist asking, “What is Music?” to “Food for Thought,” taught by faculty in biology, English, religion and sociology.

The new Curriculum Committee is collecting examples of final projects so that we can assess how this first round of FYE went, what students learned and whether we need to make any adjustments for next year.

In addition to FYE, every first-year student, in a cohort of eight, has a Mentored Academic Pathway (MAP) advisor who will be a consistent presence for their entire Wheaton experience.

Students already have reflected on two sets of questions that they discussed with their MAP advisor to help

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identify their strengths and interests and to plan for their academic success.

The advisors are working in teams with student success advisors, career advisors and peer advisors to provide support through this flexible curriculum.

Our first MAP Day was also a success—right down to the very popular cider doughnuts and hot cocoa in the Dimple.

The day began with students working with their MAP advisors and ended with a moving session hosted by Wheaton’s Diversity, Equity and Access Leadership (DEAL) team on the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Compass curriculum provides students with many choices, many paths through the curriculum and beyond.

Our goal in designing Compass was to create a structure that allows for success for all students, consistently inviting them to explore, to dive deep and to excel. Students are responding positively to this new structure, and I look forward to continuing the work with colleagues and students across the college.

—Karen McCormack, sociology professor and Compass curriculum coordinator

Matthew Wheeler, assistant director of career services in the Filene Center.

FYE is designed to encourage interdisciplinary exploration and excitement, develop strong student cohorts and introduce new students to the rigor of collegelevel work.

“Faculty offered a variety of amazing FYE classes that involved most academic departments and programs,” noted Provost Renée T. White. “I am appreciative of how faculty have stepped up as MAP advisors and FYE instructors and how faculty and staff have continued serving in leadership roles for the Global Honors and Taylor and Lane Scholars program as well as in the Curriculum Committee and FYE Steering Committee.

Students have responded very positively to our scholars and honors programs and in the coming year they also will have LEAPS to pick from.”

Exploring together through FYE The “Contact” FYE was collaboratively cotaught by professors Geoffrey Collins (geology), Nancy Evans (classics), Shenglan Li (history) and Leah Niederstadt (museum studies/history of art).

On a hot afternoon in August 2020, the professors and their students interacted as Silk Road travelers might have in the exchange of materials and ideas— with a modern twist that involved students carrying 3D-printed totems representing their “home” locations (courtesy of Madison Dunaway, coordinator of innovation spaces and programs). The group also invented personalized greetings that they had to communicate and then teach to others along the way.

“For me, the greatest thing about the Silk Road assignment was working with my three faculty colleagues,” Evans said.

“We met together via Zoom to brainstorm how to teach our different subject matter and allow students to get a sense of the larger connected FYE, all while being socially distanced. These three colleagues are the best. Planning and teaching this connected FYE has been one of the highlights of my career at Wheaton.”

Niederstadt said the Silk Road scale model exercise exemplifies the type of interdisciplinary collaborations at which

KEITH NORDSTROM PHOTOS

Collaboratively taught by professors Geoffrey Collins (geology), Nancy Evans (classics), Shenglan Li (history) and Leah Niederstadt (museum studies/history of art), the “Contact” FYE engaged students in inventing greetings to communicate and carrying 3D-printed totems to represent their Silk Road “home” location.

Several students participated via Zoom and an iPad was carried along the Silk Road by Dalton Adams ’21. Students were introduced to the location and learned why professors chose it and how it relates to their disciplinary perspective on the course topic. Then, students were each given a totem representing their “home” location and asked to come up with a socially distanced greeting for their FYE section. Then, they rotated to each of the other three areas along the “Silk Road”—learning about that location and why the faculty member chose it.

Wheaton excels. “It was made possible by faculty, staff and students from multiple departments, programs and offices sharing expertise, knowledge and their desire to help,” she said. “It also highlighted our creative spirit and willingness to take pedagogical risks and introduced our students to some of our wonderful campus resources, including the innovation labs

and the Dimple itself.”

There was even an iPad to engage with Assistant Professor Li and the students who participated in the FYE remotely. That way they could see the activity and interact with the on-location classmates and professors.

For the assignment, Ozgur “Tuna” Ozturk ’24 played the role of a merchant traveling to exchange goods and culture.

“The most interesting thing,” said Ozturk, “was that even with one activity where we just made up our own greetings, we created a community and shared our culture with each other.”

Sarah Flynn ’24 conversely was struck by the challenge of communication. “I really started to understand the language barrier between all of these countries and WINTER 2021 21

“I felt like I came away with a better understanding of how to structure the next few years of my classes in order to achieve all of the honors certificates and major and minor combinations that I’d like to complete.”

how difficult it would have been to talk to travelers from other places in the world,” Flynn said.

Following the MAP Mentored Academic Pathway (MAP) provides additional opportunities for students to make discoveries about the possibilities of their Wheaton journey, as well as about themselves.

The MAP is a series of reflections that students will engage in throughout their time at Wheaton to think about what they are learning—both inside and outside of the classroom—to discuss with their peers and MAP advisor, and use these to guide plans for the future.

The first MAP Day took place in October 2020 and allowed cohorts of students to meet with advisors and take advantage of a wide range of 51 programs that included academic planning, career conversations, self-care and creative activities like circuit card-making.

Maura Anish ’24

Maura Anish ’24 attended several MAP Day sessions, including “Planning Beyond the First Semester,” “Honors, Scholars, LEAPS: Opportunities in the Compass Curriculum” and “Black Lives Matter,” hosted by Diversity, Equity and Access Leadership (DEAL).

“I felt like I came away with a better understanding of how to structure the next few years of my classes in order to achieve all of the honors certificates and major and minor combinations that I’d like to complete,” Anish said. “Also, the Black Lives Matter session hosted by DEAL was

Davis Educational Foundation awards college $200,000

The Davis Educational Foundation has awarded Wheaton a three-year, $200,000 grant to strengthen the implementation of the Compass curriculum.

The Davis Educational Foundation, established in 1985, supports the undergraduate programs of public and private, regionally accredited, baccalaureate degree granting colleges and universities throughout New England, according to the organization’s website. Elisabeth K. Davis and Stanton W. Davis co-founded the foundation after his retirement as chairman of Shaw’s Supermarkets, Inc. “The highly competitive award recognizes curricular innovation and development and

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is a significant external validation of the work that has engaged the entire Wheaton community in creating the Compass curriculum,” said Provost Renée T. White.

“I am really excited, over the moon, if I’m being really honest,” White said. “The award is a clear endorsement of the hard work of faculty, staff and students—work that culminated in Compass. Any reimagining of curricula that involves substantial change while remaining attentive to the core mission and vision is a risk. It’s a leap of faith that what we are doing will make sense to our students, that it will work for our students, and that it will be seen as the exciting forwardthinking program to others not

KEITH NORDSTROM

connected to Wheaton. The Davis Educational Foundation award is validation, but more importantly it is a significant investment in people—the students, faculty and staff.”

In a letter to Wheaton President Dennis M. Hanno announcing the grant for the college’s proposal, titled

“Implementing a New Core Curriculum: Combining Tradition with Preparation for the Future,” Edward MacKay, foundation board of trustees chair, wrote, “We support the concept of students taking more responsibility for their education and recognize the concomitant importance of

“MAP Day was a great opportunity for students to take a day to step back from usual classes, and to remind ourselves that there’s much more to learn outside the classroom. I went into each session with the intention of learning at least one new thing that I can apply to some aspect of my life.”

Diana Blake ’24

extremely powerful. Professor [Dolita] Cathcart and [Visiting Assistant Professor Joe] Wilson’s presentations have definitely stuck with me.”

Diana Blake ’24 attended “Social Media, You and Your Job,” among others.

“MAP Day was a great opportunity for

students to take a day to step back from usual classes, and to remind ourselves that there’s much more to learn outside the classroom. I went into each session with the intention of learning at least one new thing that I can apply to some aspect of my life. The sessions were informative

and easily allowed me to do so. I think this was the most beneficial part,” she said.

“In the session on using social media to gain advantage in the workforce, we learned that making a personal website that showcases our skills and highlights our experiences is a great way to stand out among competitors for jobs,” Blake said.

Catherine Le ’24 appreciated the discussion she had with her MAP advising group at the start of the day.

“We met at the outdoor classroom near the Mars science center, where we talked about how the semester was going for each of us. It was nice to have that space to talk about the different challenges we had and strategies that we found helpful,” she said. “The things I learned from MAP Day have shaped the way I plan for my future both academically and personally. I feel like I now have a clearer goal that I want to work toward.”

grant for curricular innovation and development close mentoring and advising.”

Key features of Compass include professional mentoring and comprehensive, coordinated advising over four years.

“I’m thrilled that the Davis Educational Foundation has chosen to fund the Compass curriculum. This grant will allow us to invest in transforming existing courses and creating new classes that will expand student opportunities for experiential and interdisciplinary learning,” said Professor of Sociology Karen McCormack, Compass Curriculum Implementation Team co-chair and now Compass curriculum coordinator.

“Intentional planning and choice are at the heart of this curriculum, and the grant will

help us to broaden the choices available to students and to invest in the advising necessary to guide students as they reflect on what they are learning and develop their path through Wheaton and beyond,” she said.

The Davis Educational Foundation grant will support multiple components of Compass, including programs for Mentored Academic Pathway (MAP) Day and curriculum-related events.

“Wheaton is honored to receive this important and significant funding from the Davis Educational Foundation to support the implementation of Compass,” said Merritt Crowley, vice president of college advancement. “This generous grant will help Wheaton

encourage our students to take more responsibility for their education while ensuring that the college can provide the appropriate levels of mentoring and advising that will result in greater student success and outcomes.”

In addition to all of the work that went into developing Compass, Hanno, White and Crowley point out that the success of the grant proposal is due to a large-scale collaborative effort that involved faculty as well as staff.

“This has been a manymonth-long labor of love to get the draft of the proposal to where we wanted it,” White said.

The provost gave shout-outs in particular to the Wheaton

staff in corporate and foundation relations, including Patricia DeMarco, director; Jane Murphy, assistant director; and Suzanne Gaspar, grant coordinator and writer; Touba Ghadessi, associate provost and professor of the history of art; and professors McCormack and Lindsay Flynn (Compass Curriculum Implementation Team co-chair).

She also acknowledged those who provided data and other support for the grant proposal, including Steven Viveiros, dean of advising and academic success; Sally Buckley, registrar and dean of academic systems; and Kimberly Puhala, director of institutional research and assessment.

—Sandy Coleman

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Driving change

College community works together toward an anti-racist society

By Sandy Coleman

A summer of nationwide protest and outcry against racial injustice again has underscored the urgency of changing the ongoing systemic racism and race-related violence in the United States. The Wheaton community is engaged in doing the complicated life-saving work of acknowledging, examining and dismantling systemic racism through action.

“The racist acts and social injustice that have persisted for too long require action from all of us. This work is challenging, but we have to be committed to doing that work and striving for a more inclusive and just community,” said President Dennis M. Hanno.

Pointing out that striving to be change agents in this realm is not new to Wheaton, Hanno said he believes that the college has built a solid foundation to help make progress with the Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan that was

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launched in 2018.

The plan, which is part of Wheaton’s overall Strategic Plan, helped to establish institutional structures such as the Diversity, Equity and Access Leadership (DEAL) team, the Center for Collaborative

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Teaching and Learning (CCTL) and the Bias Incident Prevention and Response Team.

Now, the focus for college leaders and the entire community is to prioritize and act on unmet needs identified in the plan, Hanno said.

DEAL already has outlined 10 specific steps to undertake as a community to fulfill a mandate for institutional equity.

Faculty and staff are having ongoing conversations about how to make progress in fighting racism and injustice, and department leaders have been working on plans to advance this goal. Faculty members also created a course and CCTL designed a workshop and webpage to deeply explore ways to become an antiracist society and educator.

The effort to drive change is ongoing and is being approached in as many ways as possible. Here are just a few. Go online to read more.

Now is time to act, provost urges in journal The work of racial justice cannot wait and must be relentless. Provost Renée T. White made that point in her keynote address during the virtual Opening Convocation ceremony at the start of the fall 2020 semester, setting the tone for the academic year and beyond. A version of her speech was published Sept. 24, 2020, in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

White poignantly opened the piece with the personal story of her mother’s first encounter with racism in the United States for simply trying to wash her hands in the “wrong” bathroom during Jim Crow times. Even with such a jolting introduction, White’s mother went on to become a U.S. citizen, follow her

passion, and help and advocate for others.

A scholar on race, gender and social inequality, White has been inspired by those who came before her in a world that is so different so many years later and, yet, so similar in the struggle for basic humanity for all.

“We are in a moment where

Provost Renée T. White

everyone should know the very real and tangible costs of the daily corrosiveness of antiBlack racism and structural inequality. So, what shall we do?” White asked.

“Each of us must name, feel and hear the truth of each other’s experiences. We need to grapple with the ambiguity of truth and validate the

lenses through which we each see the world in order to see each other in all our humanity. We need to model anti-racism and be the culture we want to see.

“We have to ask hard questions of ourselves individually and collectively—and we have to act and make change.”

Turning spotlight on Wheaton history Looking into the mirror to examine one’s truth—the good as well as the not-so-great parts—is not easy. But, a group of collaborators did just that during the fall semester in the new course “Wrestling With History: Wheaton College and Black Lives Matter.”

Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance Studies Stephanie Burlington Daniels ’97, who is also co-chair of the Diversity, Equity and Access Leadership (DEAL) team, created the course. Students in the course investigate the predominately white culture and history of the college and create short films about specific areas of interest

that have sparked curiosity during the research phase.

The films are scheduled to debut during the Academic Festival in April, leading up to the 2021 virtual Alumni of Color Conference.

The idea for the course stems from the intersecting crises of racism and the

Wallace Library

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global pandemic and emerged as Daniels listened to podcasts and audiobooks about the history of slavery, the contributions of African Americans, and racism in the United States.

“Where does Wheaton College, our history and our present realities intersect with COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter

WINTER 2021 25

movement?” Daniels wondered. “I am a theater-maker. I tell stories. I invite and encourage my students to tell their stories. I believe that through storytelling, we build connections across differences, and empathy blooms. I believe that sharing our truths, complicated and messy and painful, is the way forward to building an anti-racist community.”

DEAL has outlined 10 specific action steps that Wheaton will undertake as a community to fulfill the college’s commitment to institutional equity. One of the steps is to build upon the work that the Wallace library team has been doing to dig into Wheaton’s history.

Professor Daniels is working with Kate Boylan ’04, director of archives and digital initiatives; Mark Armstrong, college archivist and records manager; Courtney Shurtleff, director of alumni relations; Allison Chaves ’21, who is Daniels’s teacher’s assistant; and Dominick Torres ’20, a narrative and documentary filmmaker who was hired as an instructor and consultant for the class with the support of an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation course transformation grant.

Torres teaches students how to turn research into a visual story as well as how to execute the technical aspects of filmmaking.

“I wanted to be involved with the course because, as an alumnus of color and the fact that the course seeks to unravel some of the stories of Wheaton’s history as it pertains to race, I felt connected to the topic,” he said.

WILLIAM M. RITTASE/MARION B. GEBBIE ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Even focusing on one photo can spark questions that lead to deeper research, Kate Boylan ’04, director of archives and digital initiatives, showed students in a video she made about how to use the archives to investigate the past. This photo was just one example.

Chaves, a film and new media studies major, has helped students throughout the visual storytelling process—from pre-production to post-production.

“I wanted to be involved in this course because race and racism are important topics that need to be addressed both on our campus and in our country,” Chaves said.

Students have worked with Boylan and Armstrong to develop research and investigative skills, and learn how to

contextualize what they read and find during deep dives into the archives and digital collections.

“It is important to acknowledge and interrogate painful and challenging moments of history in order to challenge our present and change in the future—we hope,” Boylan said. “We want to examine the past now so that Wheaton can be part of change and manifesting new ideals and new goals.”

New course probes questions of social justice Wheaton offered a new course in the fall that took a groundbreaking approach to promoting interdisciplinary, communitywide conversations on building an anti-racist society.

“Race and Racism: Building an AntiRacist Society” was coordinated by Professor of Sociology Karen McCormack, and about 20 faculty members in

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Wheaton’s social sciences departments contributed content to the course.

“Many of us chose our fields and the work that we do precisely because we are

invested in questions of social justice,” McCormack said. “The protests about police brutality and rising calls for antiracism led us to initiate efforts to collaborate on this work as we also consider the challenges created by COVID-19.”

Aubrey Westfall, associate professor of political science, said the philosophy of the course is guided by a pedagogy of vulnerability, which nurtures mutual

openness between students.

“This approach requires us all to meet each other where we are, recognizing that our experiences outside the classroom will impact what happens within the classroom,” Westfall said. “The faculty do not see ourselves as ‘experts’ in this course, but rather as participants who will grow alongside the students as we engage with difficult questions about race in the American context and work together to develop an anti-racist agenda for ourselves and our communities.”

The course utilized teaching tools developed during the college’s shift to remote learning in the spring of 2020.

The curriculum—including readings and lectures—was delivered virtually while throughout the course, participants had

an opportunity to reflect on the content together in small groups led by trained discussion leaders.

“My hope is that this class can contribute to the ongoing efforts to confront and dismantle racism,” McCormack said.

“We all have work to do in examining our own practices, and while the social sciences can’t provide the answers, they can offer us a way to think beyond the individual to the structures—economic, social and political—that create vastly unequal outcomes in health, economic opportunity, education, safety and much more. If we truly want to build an anti-racist society, a society that is more equal and more just, our work must include the self, but it also must include work in our institutions.”

This course coincided with the launch of the Taylor and Lane Scholars program, which is part of the new Compass curriculum. This program is for students who want to engage in social justice work that combines coursework, immersive experience, dialogue and a capstone project.

“We see this as an initiative that will engage students across campus—from science students working on health and climate to our social science students, who are often drawn to approaches that examine institutions and power,” McCormack said. “This course, which will count toward the Taylor and Lane Scholars program, will provide an important entry point to engage with social justice.”

—Laura Pedulli

Center for Collaborative Teaching and Learning provides guidance, resources At the top of the Becoming an Anti-racist Educator webpage created by the Center for Collaborative Teaching and Learning (CCTL) in summer 2020 is a definition of the word “anti-racism” from the National Action Committee on the Status of Women International Perspectives: Women and Global Solidarity.

“Anti-racism is the ‘active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably.’”

The leaders of CCTL have made clear that understanding the meaning of the word is an important first step in becoming an anti-racist educator.

Co-directed by Professor of

English Claire Buck, Professor of Anthropology M. Gabriela Torres and Humanities Liaison Cary Gouldin, CCTL leverages collaboration between faculty, staff and students to build a rigorous and culturally diverse learning community that advances a transformative student education.

In June, CCTL held a virtual workshop for the Wheaton community to debut the

Professor of English Claire Buck

Professor of Anthropology M. Gabriela Torres

webpage, offer guidance and resources and facilitate discussions.

In an email announcing the workshop, CCTL leaders encouraged working as a community to build social change. “We invite you to explore with us what you can do as an educator to combat the racism that prevails in our society. This is an opportunity to talk with your colleagues and reconsider what counts as legitimate content in our different educational contexts

Humanities Liaison Cary Gouldin

inside and outside the classroom. Together we can devise concrete plans to identify how the current content we offer is racialized, engage with new practices and proactively make changes in the education we provide to Wheaton students.”

The workshop, held via Zoom, was attended by more than 70 faculty and staff members who committed to concrete actions that they want to take on to change their courses or engagement with students.

WINTER 2021 27

Fostering a culture of inclusion

By Laura Pedulli

A nationwide movement is building to create environments of belonging, where access to opportunity is available to all.

This cultural shift reflects a deeper reckoning and need to address prevalent injustices in our society and work toward a more equitable world.

Wheaton alumni Diana Noriega ’04, Caitlin Hawkins ’14 and Braden Marstaller ’18 are all part of this growing effort to cultivate change in organizations, companies and communities. The work is not easy, but their determination is steadfast. They are three examples of alumni leading the charge to implement practices that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), with the ultimate goal of creating spaces where all individuals can thrive.

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Diana Noriega ’04 speaks at the Boston University PossePlus retreat in 2020.

Diana Noriega ’04 For Diana Noriega ’04, changing systems to cultivate DEI and racial justice is critical to creating better communities. This work requires self-reflection, honesty and accountability—and ultimately fosters healing.

Noriega takes that to heart in her role as assistant executive director of anti-racism and equity at Good Shepherd Services. The large nonprofit runs 80 programs that help more than 30,000 children, youth and families in neighborhoods throughout New York City.

In May 2019, she joined Good Shepherd amid a time of heightened socio-political tension, when concerns regarding a lack of a transparent promotion process and inadequate diversity in leadership came to surface.

“Folks started to say ‘enough is enough.’

We can’t say we work with communities of color and not really speak to how our agency reflects that internally,” Noriega recalled.

“If you are really doing this work, the purpose and goal is, how am I being the best version of myself, not just for myself, but for the collective.”

Diana Noriega ’04

Effecting change from within requires disrupting systems for the betterment of all. A long view is needed as real change doesn’t come quickly—or easily, she said.

“Some assumed change would happen rather quickly. But I told them the rubber is going to meet the road when you have to hold the mirror to yourself,” Noriega said.

“As much as you want to change a system, you have to be honest about the ways that leaders have reinforced that system.”

Noriega dove right in. She took on more roles, including overseeing the organization’s leadership development, learning

and development, and mission and culture work. She co-chairs the organization’s DEI council—which created her position—to help Good Shepherd become an anti-racist and multicultural organization.

Some of her initiatives include enacting more equitable layoff, promotion and hiring practices, implementing new DEI and racial justice training and developing shared language and understanding to build a supportive culture.

This work entailed modifying job descriptions to encourage a diversity of applicants, removing personally identifiable information from résumés to help eliminate implicit bias, asking each candidate the same questions (including ones focused on diversity and racial equity) and requiring a minimum percentage of qualified candidates of color for each position.

Noriega also facilitates conversations around race, inequity and social justice at Good Shepherd.

WINTER 2021 29

“When you’re doing inequity and antiracism work, it is very emotionally and spiritually draining because it’s not just about changing the system from within.

When you facilitate dialogue and have to hold space for pain, white fragility and trauma, it is very exhausting. As a person of color, I’m more exhausted because it’s my lived experience. That’s the challenge of the work for me,” she said.

Noriega’s roots in activism, in part, Noriega at the Hispanic Federation Education Summit in October 2018

Caitlin Hawkins ’14 Helping individuals mitigate their biases and create equitable and inclusive workplaces is challenging, but it’s a labor of love for Caitlin Hawkins ’14, director of JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Programs at the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio.

Founded in 1927, the Diversity Center strives to eliminate bias, bigotry and racism through a range of programs.

As director of JEDI Programs, Hawkins provides consulting services and facilitates workshops with clients from many sectors, including law firms, libraries, real estate offices, small nonprofits and hospitals on race, gender, sexual orientation, ability and social justice.

Hawkins said the work can be difficult, uncomfortable and conflict-ridden.

“It is challenging to work with groups and individuals to uncover the truths they’ve taken for granted, or the ways they learned to operate in the world that perpetuate systems of oppression,” said Hawkins, who majored in women’s and gender studies at Wheaton and received her master’s degree in social work from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Hawkins said she sees her career as an immense privilege, as she gets to work at the intersection of her passion, interests and skill sets. During her five years at the Diversity Center, she has continually found joy and meaning in her work, even

30 WHEATON MAGAZINE

on hard days.

“I feel fortunate to learn and teach a variety of professionals who impact our world. Most recently, I’ve had the opportunity to provide one-to-one coaching for a local government official around her management style, racial colorblindness, intent versus impact, white fragility and systemic racism. In these sessions, I knew that we were not only engaging in learning that would affect her outlook, but affect the outcomes of many individuals in our local region,” she said.

The desire to live in a socially just world has been Hawkins’s passion for as long as she can remember. Seeing injustice and

wanting to help were a core part of her experience as the child of a pastor.

“My passion and drive in this work doesn’t come from one particular event, but a lifetime of experiences related to the impacts and outcomes of inclusion, exclusion, discrimination and community,” she said.

Her women’s and gender studies major guided her on her professional path, she said. “The skilled conversations facilitated by Professor Kim Miller in our ‘Black Feminist Theory’ seminar were crucial to my growth and learning, as well as Professor M. Gabriela Torres and Professor Kersti Yllo’s ‘Violence Against Women’ course, which showed me how to translate the theory I learned into action and advocacy.”

Serving as president of the Feminist Association of Wheaton allowed Hawkins to hone her facilitation and leadership skills in a supportive environment, she said.

“At Wheaton, I was able to have all of these experiences in classes and clubs, and then come home to Emerson House, full of friends who were family who pushed me to consider perspectives different from my own based on the intersections of our identities, majors and passions. All of these experiences sharpened my critical lens, refined my skills and prepared me for the work I do today,” Hawkins said.

stemmed from her time at Wheaton, where she majored in English. As a student, she immersed herself in campus life, serving on the Intercultural Board, the Black Student Association, the Student Government Association and the Latino Student Association. She also served as a resident advisor and was active with the Marshall Center for Intercultural Learning.

Noriega also was in the very first Posse cohort at Wheaton. For 20 years, Wheaton has partnered with The Posse Foundation

to provide full-tuition scholarships to recruit a diverse group of exceptional high school leaders from the New York City area.

She experienced an expansion in her worldview after taking a course on slavery in the Americas taught by Professor Dolita Cathcart, who was the faculty mentor for Posse 1.

“At the time I thought, ‘Why did no one teach me this stuff when I was younger?’”

Noriega said. “I developed an appreciation for my family’s journey. It took me going to

a predominantly white institution to learn more about my background,” she said.

Now, Noriega’s priority is helping communities and individuals make changes that are critical for healing and justice work to begin.

“The goal, for me, is transformative love. Cornel West captured it in a simple way, ‘Justice is what love looks like in public,’” she said. “If you are really doing this work, the purpose and goal is, how am I being the best version of myself, not just for myself, but for the collective.”

professionals from underrepresented groups to share their perspectives, advice and ways everyone can continue anti-racist work. Additionally, he launched a blog series for Pride Month about being “Out in Tech” to help employees share their experiences of being LGBTQ+ in the tech field.

Marstaller has always been drawn to the question of how to make organizations, and the world itself, more equitable and inclusive.

His education at Wheaton broadened his perspective. Professor of Economics

John Miller helped form his understanding of wealth gaps and inequality, he said.

“Kenneth Bray, instructor of business and management, was an incredible partner in writing my senior thesis on humor in the workplace. Also, Associate Professor of Psychology Peony Fhagen’s intercultural psychology class greatly shaped who I am today,” Marstaller added.

As a student, he embraced his role as an intercultural dialogue co-facilitator at the Marshall Center for Intercultural Learning.

“This on-campus experience equipped me to handle difficult conversations, have empathy to learn from others' experiences and identify ways to be more inclusive and accepting,” he said.

Everyone should look for ways to adopt anti-racist and equitable practices into their workplace and personal life, Marstaller said.

“I’ve maintained my role managing our branding at Cogo, but saw an opportunity and created the proposal to enact change. For anyone looking for next steps, mentoring students, volunteering and creating employee resource groups are ways to move the needle at organizations and companies.”

Braden Marstaller ’18 Fostering DEI can manifest in many forms. Braden Marstaller ’18 embeds DEI in his marketing for Cogo Labs, a startup incubator based in Cambridge, Mass.

In his role as brand marketing coordinator at Cogo Labs, Marstaller manages social media content and strategy, as well as the company’s blog and internal communications.

“I’ve always been passionate about branding, social media and DEI, and my role has evolved over time to crosspollinate all of these interests,” Marstaller said.

He created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council at Cogo Labs when he noticed a gap between the company’s external commitment to diversity and inclusiveness and its internal strategy toward achieving greater equality and belonging for employees.

“I wanted to approach diversity and inclusion through every facet— recruitment, retention, promotions and employee experience. There’s a clear altruistic case for diversity at work, but there’s also a strong business case for these initiatives as well,” he said.

As part of this effort, he hosted a virtual event this past summer, “Blackness in America,” to create space for industry

WINTER 2021 31

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NETWORK

Documenting injustice George Kunhardt ’09 wins Emmy, Peabody

An HBO documentary about a racial injustice crusader produced and directed

by George Kunhardt ’09, his father, Peter, and brother Teddy won a 2020 Emmy and a Peabody Award.

“True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight For Equality,” which was produced

by Kunhardt Films for HBO in 2019, won an Emmy in the Outstanding Social Issue Documentary category.

It also won a Peabody Award, which honors storytelling excellence; and the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications 26th annual Vision Award, which recognizes diversity in programming.

The film chronicles Alabama lawyer and Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson’s fight to create a more fair criminal justice system, particularly on the behalf of the poor and falsely accused.

Stevenson and his staff have won release from prison for more than 135 wrongly condemned prisoners on death row and relief for hundreds of others.

George Kunhardt has been inspired by Stevenson and his work since hearing him speak at The Gordon Parks Foundation’s 2016 gala in which Stevenson was presented an award. (George Kunhardt’s older brother, Peter Kunhardt Jr. ’05, is the executive director of The Gordon Parks Foundation.)

Kunhardt, his father and brother Teddy run Pleasantville, N.Y.-based Kunhardt Films, which specializes in documentaries and has won many awards. The 41st Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards were presented on Sept. 22, 2020, during a livestream event.

During an October interview via Zoom, Kunhardt was humble as he sat in his home office while his sons, ages 6 months and 2 ½, napped nearby. (He is married to Jackie Phillips Kunhardt ’09.)

When asked about receiving awards, he replied, “What I like is that it brings 32 WHEATON MAGAZINE

Filmmakers Peter, Teddy and George Kunhardt ’09 with racial justice crusader Bryan Stevenson; screenshot (left) from HBO documentary

attention to the film. A lot more people will see it. A lot more people will talk about the film. A lot more people will donate to Bryan and his organization. It gets a whole second life for a film and that is the importance of these awards.”

Kunhardt Films has now won eight Emmys, two Peabodys and other awards for a long list of films, including “John McCain: For Whom The Bell Tolls” (HBO, 2018); and “The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” (PBS, 2013).

At Wheaton, Kunhardt was the first studio art major with a focus on film and television. He credits his education and experience as crucial to his success.

“Everything I have done has spun out of my Wheaton experience. … The true secret to any success in filmmaking is hard work, and Wheaton ingrained that. I learned so many different things from not just filmmaking but also other programs.

“You need to learn mathematics to know how to do a budget. You need to have a liberal arts education. Learning history in general helps you understand what you know and what you don’t. Every small piece of different courses throughout my time at Wheaton has helped shape my career,” he said.

—Sandy Coleman

Good policy Each morning, Samantha Bennett ’13 devours the latest news, catching up on social media to learn what’s happening in the Boston area.

Staying abreast of developments is critical to her role as chief of staff and former director of policy and research for Boston City Councilor At-Large Michael Flaherty.

“The 24/7 news cycle can really shift how you plan to structure your day,” said Bennett, who majored in English and sociology at Wheaton.

Working on a small team within the City Council that is responsible for the entire city, Bennett manages the staff and leads discussions on policy-related initiatives, conducts research to inform talking points, and drafts and reviews legislative amendments. She also helps connect residents to services and attends civic association as well as planning and development meetings.

“What I enjoy most is how connected you are to the issues and residents,” said Bennett. “I have the ability to translate issues occurring on a ground level into policy. As a municipal corporation with a $3.6 billion operating budget and $3 billion capital budget with 18,000 employees, the City of Boston has huge buying power and influence. It is exciting to go to work knowing that the local laws, policies and initiatives you take on have the potential to have a significant impact. The role gives you the opportunity to give back to your community and to help people in both small and big ways.”

A point of pride is her work contributing to the passage of a home rule petition titled “An Act to Further Leverage Commercial Development to Build Housing, Create Jobs and Preserve Inclusionary Development” that enabled the city to have more flexibility to fund affordable housing and workforce training and also protected the city’s ability to create and fund income-restricted housing.

“I am most proud of this legislation because it ensures that the benefits of Boston’s prosperity are shared by all residents across Zip codes,” she said.

Through her work with the councilor

Samantha Bennett ’13, far right, with City Councilor At-Large Michael Flaherty and Alicia Payne, director of community engagement

and an organization called Digital Ready, Bennett helped launch a fellowship program called Boston Year 13 that provides an innovative, no-cost accelerated pathway for underrepresented young people to college and high-wage jobs in Boston.

“It has been thrilling to work on a project that is all about imagining what is possible for people and helping enable them to succeed,” she said.

At Wheaton, Bennett said that Professor of Sociology Hyun Sook Kim pushed her to grow both academically and personally as her advisor, and through her sociology courses.

Professor Kim recalls Bennett as one of her strongest students.

“With a keen analytical focus, Samantha not only excelled in her own performance but contributed to stimulating class discussion. She has the academic

and intellectual skills to advance social justice policies and practices. Making democracy work better in the United States and advocating for social justice seem to flow naturally from her character,” Kim said.

In addition, Bennett said that her experience as a student-athlete both on the soccer team and in track and field taught her many lessons she continues to carry with her today.

“I learned the importance of hard work, grit and mindset; how to get comfortable with failure; energy and time management; and, most importantly, the importance of surrounding yourself with a strong team in all aspects of your life and being a good member of that team—even when it’s not easy,” she said.

—Laura Pedulli WINTER 2021 33

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NETWORK

Pandemic problem-solver Looking to have a positive social impact in his community during the global pandemic, Ned Roosevelt ’20 founded and launched My Grandson, a business that helps older adults with errands and chores as well as provides employment opportunities for young adults.

My Grandson serves people 65 and older, who are among the most vulnerable to the impact of contracting COVID-19.

Company employees make trips to grocery and hardware stores and the pharmacy, as well as perform small chores and yardwork, while maintaining social distance.

Roosevelt, a Sugar Hill, N.H., resident who majored in business and management, launched My Grandson in June 2020 and worked with a team of 11 employees, who are friends and recent college graduates.

They worked together to develop marketing and build local connections in the 15- to 20-mile service area around Roosevelt’s hometown. They also created a website mygrandsonservices.com and designated a director of diversity and inclusion to ensure that underserved and underrepresented populations are reached.

The Caledonian Record and NJ.com featured Roosevelt and the company in news articles. “This whole situation has shown me that when you put your mind to something and you put trust into trustworthy and hard-working individuals, there’s nothing you can’t do, even in the face of the coronavirus,” Roosevelt told the NJ.com writer.

When Wheaton initially pivoted to remote operations in March 2020 and Roosevelt went home, he could see firsthand how reluctant his grandparents were to go out for necessities, he said.

The desire to help was a driving force for creating My Grandson. However, being realistic about the job market also was a motivator. Instead of waiting for an opportunity, he created his own.

A boost to business was earning acceptance last spring into the Social Enterprise Greenhouse COVID-19 34 WHEATON MAGAZINE

Ned Roosevelt ’20 on the job safely helping with chores through his business, My Grandson

Response Incubator in Providence. The virtual incubator aims to help companies that are addressing social and public health challenges resulting from the global pandemic.

Roosevelt, who was a student-athlete on the men’s tennis team for all four years at Wheaton and was team captain his senior year, credits his education and experiences at Wheaton for being able to successfully launch a business during a pandemic.

“Without Wheaton I do not know if I

would have come up with this idea, know how to juggle the many aspects of starting a company or had the confidence to try to start a company like this,” said Roosevelt, citing, in particular Associate Professor of Business and Management Imran Chowdhury’s “Social Entrepreneurship” class and Professor of English Lisa Lebduska’s “Writing in Professional Contexts” class, as well as his tennis coach, Alex Wong.

—Sandy Coleman

Outstanding young leader Victoria Hay ’08, the head of corporate social responsibility at AIG Life & Retirement, was named one of Boston’s Ten Outstanding Young Leaders (TOYL)

by City Awake, a program of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce that connects, engages and celebrates nextgeneration leaders.

The awards—established more than 50 years ago—recognize the contributions of current and emerging Boston professionals who “fiercely strive to make the Greater Boston region the best place for businesses and people to thrive,” according to City Awake. Previous award winners include President John F. Kennedy, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis and U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley.

The 2020 TOYL awards celebrated leaders who break barriers and increase equity within Boston’s business community. Hay received the award for her work advancing the potential of women and girls and building inclusive, diverse and equitable communities.

Hay is responsible for driving strategy, execution, communications and reporting for corporate citizenship at AIG Life & Retirement.

She also gives much of her time to philanthropic endeavors, serving as vice president of community service at the Junior League of Boston. In this capacity, she has overseen the execution of 10 strategic community programs designed to develop the potential of girls and women and improve communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Previously, she organized educational forums and events aimed at strengthening corporate volunteerism as chair of the Corporate Volunteer Council of Greater Boston.

“For those who know Tori, this recognition comes as no surprise, since she pours her heart into everything she does,” said Christine Szodoray, head of public relations, thought leadership and external engagement programs at AIG Life & Retirement. “The City of Boston is fortunate to also call Tori one of its own,

because in addition to all she does at AIG Life & Retirement in support of our local communities, she is equally committed to building an inclusive, diverse and equitable environment in the community she calls home.”

Hay said she is honored to receive the award, crediting Wheaton and the Junior League of Boston for teaching her the value of serving as a leader.

“This honor only furthers my motivation to continue the momentum of building diverse, inclusive and equitable communities. In the words of Theodore

Roosevelt, ‘Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing,’” said Hay, who majored in psychology at Wheaton and received her Master of Public Administration and a graduate certificate in nonprofit, philanthropy and social change from Northeastern University.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with some incredible changemakers over the years, and I’m proud to say that I love what I do,” she added.

—Laura Pedulli WINTER 2021 35

CLASS NOTES

Kenneth “Ken” Babby ’02, owner and CEO of Jacksonville’s minor league baseball team Jumbo Shrimp, earned a spot on the Florida 500, a special publication that highlights the 500 most influential executives in the state.

Roaring past the finish line

More than 250 runners, walkers and bikers logged 2,501 miles for the Run with Roary Virtual 5K, collectively raising more than $9,000 for the Wheaton Fund.

The event, which took place in late September 2020, encouraged Wheaton community members to walk, run or bike at their own pace for the benefit of the Wheaton Fund, which supports academics, experiential learning, scholarships and more.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID LAFERRIERE AND KEITH NORDSTROM

36 WHEATON MAGAZINE

Did your contact information change?

Report changes of address and email to Alumni Relations at 508-286-8207 or alum@wheatoncollege.edu.

Is your class year missing and you have news to share?

Contact us at classnotes@wheatoncollege.edu and we will put you in touch with your class secretary.

Looking to volunteer?

Contact our Alumni Relations Office to get involved at 508-286-8207.

For class secretaries: How to submit your Class Notes

By email: Submit Class Notes to classnotes@wheatoncollege.edu. Include your class year in the subject line (e.g., “Class Notes, 2001.”)

Deadlines

Spring: Jan. 18, 2021 Fall: June 1, 2021 Winter: Sept. 28, 2021

Barbara Coates Tuffli ’66, an award-winning photographer, horticulturist and floral designer, creates art inspired by her dahlias.

Mirko Chardin ’02, a middle school principal, co-authored Equity by Design (Corwin, August 2020), which delves into how to incorporate social justice and equity into school curriculum.

Photos

To submit digital photos, email them as an attachment to classnotes@wheatoncollege.edu. For full guidelines, visit wheatoncollege.edu/wheaton-magazine/submittingdigital-images.

For all photos: Please supply a brief description of the event and all the names and class years of the alumni in the picture.

Please note: The photos you send in must be sharp and clear. Photos that are out of focus, or that have harsh shadows, over-exposed areas or “red-eyed” subjects may not be usable. Often we receive more photos than we can use in any one issue. When this happens, we will select photos that represent a variety of class years and timely events.

Alumni recognition comes in many forms

The Alumni Board of Directors is interested to know about alumni whose work deserves to be recognized or whose talents enrich our community. Please share their stories (or yours) with the Alumni Board at alum@wheatoncollege.edu or call 508-286-8207. To learn more, please visit wheatoncollege.edu/alumni

Commencement/Reunion is May 21-23, 2021 WINTER 2021 37

CLASS NOTES

Laughing for joy

Anne Crosman ’66 leads laughter groups in Arizona Getting together in groups to laugh is a great way to reduce stress and experience a buzz from endorphins, the feel-good hormone, according to Anne Crosman ’66, a certified laughter leader with World Laughter Tour—a company that promotes laughter therapy.

Crosman, who travAnne Crosman ’66 els across Arizona to lead groups, describes the process: “Three or more people gather in a circle, and greet each other with a ‘namaste’

in the Hindu tradition. They then do several minutes of deep breathing, followed by a series of mild laughter exercises, based on exercises developed by Madan Kataria, founder of Laughter Yoga in India. Each exercise lasts one minute. We do 10 to 15 exercises, with a small rest in between. My favorite exercise is extending a hand, greeting each person by shaking hands and saying, ‘Alo-ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.’ Another exercise is waddling about like a penguin, all the time saying, ‘Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.’

“At the end of each exercise, everyone claps and yells, ‘Ho, ho, ha, ha, ha’—and repeats that twice, ending with ‘yaaa.’

The brain does not know the difference between ‘fake’ or manufactured laughter and spontaneous laughter. It reacts the same way that it would if the person laughed uproariously at a joke or funny situation. It’s good fun and great therapy. I love it.”

There has been no stop to the laughter during the era of COVID-19. Groups meet either on Zoom or in-person, in parks, with proper social distancing, said Crosman, who majored in English at Wheaton.

—Laura Pedulli

Education for all Social justice and equity have long guided Mirko Chardin ’02 in his work as the principal of Putnam Avenue Upper School, a middle school in Cambridge, Mass.

The educator is sharing his research and experience so other schools can benefit through his new book Equity

by Design (Corwin, August 2020). Chardin co-authored the book with Katie Novack, an expert on an educational framework called universal design for learning, which focuses on accommodating learning differences.

The reception has exceeded expectations. The first run of physical copies sold out online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble in less than a week.

Interest in Equity by Design led to a three-part PBS webinar series that examines the lessons and key takeaways 38 WHEATON MAGAZINE

from the book, according to Chardin.

The book is the culmination of three years of research and investigation. Chardin collaborated with educators working in K–12 schools, higher education and community organizations to find promising models for successfully implementing and engaging in equity, universal learning design and anti-racism work.

Featured in Equity by Design are strategies for creating and delivering a culturally responsible, sustainable and equitable framework for all students; examples, case studies and programs that have successfully incorporated social justice; and evidence-based practices to establish more inclusive classrooms.

“My greatest hope is that we are able to help our nation

re-envision what school could and should be, that all students—despite their background, status or how they choose to identify—can authentically access relevant and challenging learning experiences and develop into the leaders that our world and society so desperately needs,” said Chardin, who majored in English literature at Wheaton.

Chardin said writing the book was a powerful learning experience.

“Personally, the entire journey has been a dream come true, from being able to partner with Katie Novak to being published by Corwin, which has published some of the most powerful texts about equity, social justice and anti-racism in education. It’s humbling to now be a part of their catalog,” Chardin said.

—Laura Pedulli

Providing a lifeline in tough times At Neighborhood Falmouth in Massachusetts, helping older adults with a variety of errands and services has always been the focus. During the pandemic, the nonprofit has become an even more critical lifeline, said Susan Loucks ’80, who is the executive director.

“COVID-19 has been particularly threatening to those over 65, and that demographic encompasses all of our members, and most of our volunteers,” Loucks said.

“Neighborhood Falmouth, like so many other essential service organizations, has had to pivot to respond to the situation.”

To protect seniors early on, staff and volunteers did grocery shopping for them.

The organization also ramped up its pharmacy pickup service for those who needed it and provided safe transportation for those with urgent medical concerns.

The member-based organization assists seniors by providing information and services to help them live independently, safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible.

A big concern currently is how to address the social isolation and loneliness that the pandemic has intensified for some—particularly for those not comfortable with technology like smartphones and video conferencing, she said.

Loucks joined Neighborhood Falmouth in 2014. Her daily wide-ranging duties include managing volunteers, staff and social media, and tapping into her knowledge of fundraising and nonprofit finance.

She majored in economics at Wheaton and had big plans for a career in investment banking after she got her first job at Paine Webber in Boston, taking a position her former Wheaton roommate Donna Sposato Williams ’80 was leaving.

“But,” said Loucks, “when I found myself

Susan Loucks ’80

doing an impromptu umbrella dance on my desk entertaining the office gals, it became clear to me that investment banking wasn’t in my future.”

Her career after that, as she describes it, was a “zigzag” that brought her into the arts and entertainment world, which clearly was a passion, to apply her talents. (At Wheaton, she was a member of a student comedy singing group.) She first joined the Boston Shakespeare Company Theater as a bookkeeper. Next, she worked for Boston-based WGBH for nearly 25 years, 10 of which as the development director for WGBH’s Cape Cod NPR station, WCAI-FM; and at two nonprofit museums before landing at Neighborhood Falmouth.

She joined the organization just five years into its start and has stayed. “I expected it to be interesting work, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do,” Loucks said. “One of

the biggest surprises for me has been how deeply connected I feel with the senior population that we serve. While I thought this work would be rewarding, as all my nonprofit work has been, the beauty, vulnerability and poignancy of helping someone navigate the ups and downs of aging is really powerful to me.”

At Wheaton, Loucks played field hockey and was sophomore class president and a head resident in Meadows East her junior year. All of these experiences have been important throughout her career.

“Learning to listen, to understand that there are multiple sides to most experiences, and the value of friendship, are all things that I was exposed to at Wheaton,” she said, “and that I continue to learn even today.”

—Sandy Coleman

Did you move recently? Let us know your change of address.

WINTER 2021 39

CLASS NOTES

A leader in his field The COVID-19 pandemic deprived the residents of Jacksonville, Fla., the chance to see local professional baseball for the first time since 1969.

But Kenneth “Ken” Babby ’02, owner and CEO of Jacksonville’s minor league baseball team Jumbo Shrimp, was undeterred. He and his staff stepped up to provide a sense of community by offering small and safe events at the team’s ballpark, including a brunch on the diamond for Father’s Day, Fourth of July fireworks, a family festival, movie nights and sports camps for children.

“We tried to make the best of it. We see it as part of our mission to provide safe and affordable family fun to the community,” said Babby, a former member of the Wheaton College Board of Trustees. (He also owns the RubberDucks, a minor league baseball team in Akron, Ohio.)

For his community-oriented leadership and business acumen, Babby recently

earned a spot on the Florida 500, a special publication that highlights the 500 most influential executives in the state. He was recognized in the arts, entertainment and sports category.

“I feel honored. It’s a tribute to the staff at Jumbo Shrimp. We formed the team five years ago, so it feels like an incredible acknowledgment,” he said.

Florida 500 cited Babby’s work to improve the fans’ experience while creating positive change in his teams’ communities through charitable and civic work.

Babby chairs the local tourism board’s efforts to navigate the challenges brought on by COVID-19 in Jacksonville—a city where tourism is a major economic driver. He also is a member of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce board of directors, Jacksonville University Board of Trustees and Baptist Hospitals of Florida board of directors.

“A baseball team is nothing without

the community. It’s our obligation to give back,” Babby said.

A computer science and economics double major at Wheaton, Babby has an M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and formerly was chief revenue officer and general manager of digital for The Washington Post.

—Laura Pedulli

Learn about all of the ways to stay abreast of Wheaton’s latest news and happenings by searching “Subscribe to Wheaton News” at wheatoncollege.edu 40 WHEATON MAGAZINE

Working on wellness During the fall semester, the Athletics and Recreation Department offered virtual fitness classes, funded in part through the Student Government Association, to support the health and wellness of the Wheaton community. Two alums and a student led sessions.

Caleigh Grogan ’18, the interfaith engagement coordinator and wellness event planner at Wheaton, taught “Meditation and Mindfulness;” Rebecca Olivieri ’18—a former member of the Wheaton women’s basketball team—taught “Head to Toe,” “HIIT It by Rebecca” and “Get Fit with Rebecca;” and Dory Gedraitis ’22 taught “Yoga with Dory.”

Grogan, who majored in religion and creative writing, has been doing basic meditation instruction for about three years—enhancing her skills through the Providence Zen Center.

Her wellness advice: “I think meditation can be really helpful for anyone during this difficult time because it can be very grounding. With the state of the world, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and very stressed by things that are out of our control. Meditation gives us permission to let go and focus internally on our

bodies and emotions so we don’t forget about our own needs and well-being.”

Olivieri, who majored in biology, currently is in her last semester at UMass Lowell in the doctorate of physical therapy program. She also works as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor part time.

While a student, she worked in the lab of Associate Professor of Biology Laura Ekstrom, was a resident advisor for three years and a member of the women’s basketball team for all four years. Olivieri also gained experience programming workouts for her teammates and teaching fitness classes on campus.

Her wellness advice: “Move your body every day in any form that you enjoy. If you can’t use your legs, there are other ways to move while sitting or lying down. Find what works best for you and make sure to move 30 minutes per day.

If you have a desk job that requires extended periods of sitting, make sure to take breaks at least every hour. When you get tired of the same routine, switch it up and find some new activity. Lastly, find a buddy or a group of people who you can move with and help keep you accountable.”

—Sandy Coleman

Caleigh Grogan ’18

Rebecca Olivieri ’18

Commencement/Reunion is May 21-23, 2021 WINTER 2021 41

IN MEMORIAM 1946

Jean Douglas Hughes, of Duxbury, Mass., died on June 9, 2020. She majored in math at Wheaton. After graduation, she took a secretarial course of study at Katharine Gibbs and later continued her studies at Hofstra University, earning a master’s degree in elementary education.

She taught second grade in New York. She married Robert Hughes in 1949. She and Robert spent 70 happy years devoted to each other and the family they raised together across two states and three countries. Dance was always a part of her life. Jean danced for the USO during World War II. Her interests included bridge, Scrabble, bowling, crossword puzzles, croquet, skiing, ping-pong, family card games and travel.

Margaret Dorkey McCormick died on May 13, 2020. She worked as a docent at Newark Museum.

After graduating from Wheaton with a degree in psychology, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, and spent a year in Paris studying art history.

Margaret earned an M.F.A. in 1957 from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. That same year Margaret married art historian Thomas McCormick.

They were married for 62 years.

She taught art history at Smith, Vassar and Stonehill colleges.

Margaret served as president of the Land Preservation Society and Norton Historical Society, and was Class of 1946 officer. She also volunteered for the Wheaton Friends of Art, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Church of Our Saviour in Brookline, Mass., and the Thyroid Foundation of America.

C. Lila Bacon Segal, 95, died on Oct. 6, 2020, in Belmont, Mass. After graduating from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Lila married Vernon Segal and they lived in Bangor, Maine, until 1954, then settled in East Winthrop, where they raised their six children. Together they owned and operated Chernowsky’s, a women’s and children’s clothing store in Augusta. After Vernon died in 1987, Lila continued to run Chernowsky’s until it closed in 1994. Lila was active in many organizations, including the Maine State Museum Commission, 42 WHEATON MAGAZINE

Augusta Rotary, Friends of the Blaine House, Pine Tree State Arboretum, Winthrop Recreation Department, Kennebec Garden Club, Kennebec Land Trust, UMA Senior College, Thomas College Board of Trustees, Temple Beth El, Augusta and the Wheaton College Alumni Association. Lila’s lifelong passions included gardening, education, baking and especially her family.

1948

Katrina Kern Rich died on June 20, 2020, in Scarborough, Maine. In 1948, she married Alan, her high school sweetheart.

They were a couple for nearly 80 years. She began her teaching career at Waynflete School in the late ’40s, but this was put on a 15-year hiatus after the birth of her first child in 1950. She resumed teaching—Latin at Westbrook High School—when all her children were of school age. In the late 1970s, she and Alan moved to an antique mill in Cumberland, where they lived for the next 40 years. With the birth of her youngest son, she and Alan began advocating for those with developmental challenges, which culminated in the founding of the Woodfords School. Her commitment to this cause was tireless and enduring.

1949

Elizabeth Tufel Turner, 93, died on Oct. 3, 2020. A concertlevel pianist, she studied music at Wheaton then went on to make a record album before marrying Michael Turner on Sept. 8, 1951, in Waterbury, Conn. She traveled the world with Michael, including a trip to Russia during the Cold War in the 1960s. She volunteered as a candy striper at the local hospital in Connecticut when her children were young, and later worked with a crisis hotline in Houston and the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. When Michael passed away in 2012, she moved to Sterling, Va., to be near family.

1950

Ruth Ault, 91, died on July 17, 2020. Ruth graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in English literature. She began teaching soon at the Chapel Hill School in Waltham, Mass. In 1953, Ruth married John Pakulski and purchased the Ault family home in Wayne, Maine, from her

mother. They ran it as a B&B and gift shop for a time, before raising their four children there. Ruth eventually returned to teaching, working as a special education teacher at Winthrop High School.

She was a longstanding member of the Androscoggin Chorale and Maine Music Society. She loved skiing, sailing, whitewater rafting, exploring inland and coastal Maine, and she sang every Sunday at the North Wayne Church, right up to age 91.

1951

Phyllis Klein Lavelanet Rohrlich died on Sept. 16, 2020.

She attended Wheaton.

1952

Dagny Swigert Wetherill, 90, died on June 18, 2020, in Lansdale, Pa. She studied art history at Wheaton. Dagny enjoyed numerous Reunions over the years. The Swigert family spent many happy summers in Cape May, N.J., where Dagny fell for a handsome football player who would become her husband, Rulon Wetherill. Later, she moved with her husband and children to the Mousefield Farm in Horsham, Pa., and she remained in the Horsham and Ambler area for most of her life. Dagny worked at the Hickory Veterinary Hospital and volunteered her time at the Philadelphia Zoo, where she worked in the animal nursery, and eventually became the head docent.

1955

Barbara Watts Johnston died on July 31, 2020, at her home in Bethesda, Md. She attended Wheaton.

1957

Joan Wilson Dell, 86, of Waco, Texas, died on Oct. 19, 2020. She attended Wheaton.

Martha Hinman Vaughn, 85, died on Sept. 28, 2020. Martha majored in English at Wheaton.

In her early 20s, she worked in New York City for Mutual of New York and Reader’s Digest. In 1958, she married George Vaughn.

They moved to Princeton, N.J., in 1965. Martha volunteered with many organizations, including McCarter Theatre Center, The Friends of the Princeton University Art Museum, Arts Council of Princeton, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Princeton

Hospital, New Jersey NeuroPsychiatric Institute and Planned Parenthood. Travel sparked Martha’s creativity, and, in her mid-life, she embarked on a career as a fine art photographer.

Her work was exhibited in many venues, including the New Jersey State Museum, National Arts Club, Bermuda National Gallery and the Masterworks Foundation (Bermuda). She published a book of her photographs, Of Time and Place, in 2013. Martha also found great joy in singing. She was the founder of the Witherspooners, a singing group that performed in Princeton in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

1958

Mary “Bibber” Truscott Jebb, 90, died on Oct. 14, 2020, in Buffalo, N.Y. At Wheaton, she starred as a four-sport varsity athlete, excelling in tennis, field hockey, swimming and basketball and followed up by teaching athletics at The Park School upon her return to Buffalo. For 17 years she taught preschool at the Westminster Church Early Childhood Program. She served on the boards of many organizations. In 2012, she was inducted into the Buffalo Seminary Athletic Hall of Fame. She had been a member of the Garret Club, the Buffalo Tennis and Squash Club and the Cherry Hill Club in Ontario.

Barbara Reed Delafield, 83, died on May 1, 2020. Barbara attended Wheaton.

1959

Cynthia Peck Bernard, 83, died on Sept. 30, 2020, in Libertyville, Ill. She majored in English at Wheaton. Cynthia married Joseph Bernard in 1959. She was a lover of the theater, having subscribed to the Marriott Lincolnshire Theater for more than 40 years. Cynthia and Joseph spent many years living in Mesa, Ariz. She returned to Libertyville for her final years.

Jayne Duffy Bowman, 83, of Marshfield, Mass., died on June 1, 2020. After graduating from Wheaton, Jayne enjoyed a long career as an editor and writer.

She and her late husband, Verne, raised their family in Westport, Mass. She was an active volunteer serving as a member of the Westport Young Woman’s League.

After moving to Marshfield

in 1997, she became an active member and deacon of The First Congregational Church and an enthusiastic docent at both the Winslow House and the Daniel Webster Estate. Jayne enjoyed gardening, knitting and the camaraderie of her book club, The Webster Readers.

1960

Holly Hages Perrault, 81, of North Hampton, N.H., died on Sept. 5, 2020. She majored in English at Wheaton, where she began her love of literature, especially that of women writers. Holly met her husband, John, when the two were teaching English at Traip Academy in Kittery, Maine. She taught 14 years at Traip, earned a master’s degree in English from University of New Hampshire (UNH) and went on to teach humanities at McIntosh, Endicott and New England colleges. Subsequently, she taught women’s literature in the women’s studies program at UNH. Holly was a voracious reader and loved to play the piano. She was also an avid tennis player. A lifelong learner, she studied French at the Middlebury College Summer Language School, photography at the Rockport Maine Workshop and painting at UNH.

1961

Joan Carolyn Kauttu, 80, died on June 17, 2020. She received her bachelor’s degree from Wheaton and a doctorate in biological science from the University of California, San Francisco, where she was recognized as a Regents Fellow. Joan taught anatomy to medical school students, but then spent a number of years helping her husband run a resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. After a divorce, Joan returned to North Canaan to care for both her parents and her aunt.

1962

Stephanie Cook Delaporte died on July 28, 2020. She graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in history. A master gardener, Stephanie was a dedicated member of the Westhampton Garden Club, where she oversaw the herb garden at the Quogue Library and designed and implemented the children’s Harry Potter Garden. Among her other activities, Stephanie chaired the Quogue Historical Society Annual Art Show and was a devoted parishioner at St. Mark’s Church. She enjoyed travel and

spent recent winters in Fairhope, Ala. Stephanie was a gourmet chef, avid reader, an expert at needlework, a fierce bridge player, animal lover and a good friend.

1969

Elizabeth “Betty” Clarke Slocombe died on June 18, 2020.

Betty loved horses, stabled her horse in California and rode at every chance. At Wheaton, where she majored in English, she met friends for life and her future husband, Mike. They were married at Wheaton in 1969.

Following college, Betty worked as a junior high English teacher in Chelmsford, Mass. She left her job as a teacher to devote herself to being a stay-at-home mom for her daughter, Katie. Betty returned to school when her daughter was in her early teens to pursue a degree in substance abuse counseling.

She served on several town councils and advocacy groups to bring awareness to substance abuse and fought for additional housing and support for those in recovery.

She always loved animals and had a flair for adopting dogs and cats full of character.

1971

Kathryn Raven Cameron, 72, died on Aug. 5, 2020, in Berlin, N.H. After graduating from Wheaton, she was married in Bath, Maine. Kathryn worked in the home, raising her children.

She was an election volunteer and volunteered with the Red Cross. Kathryn also was an active Rotarian. After her children were grown, she worked as a teller at the First Federal Savings Bank in Bath and retired in 2000.

Elizabeth Duperry Flynn, 71, of Windsor, died on July 6, 2020. She attended Wheaton.

1972

Leslie Sawyer Bascom, of Monmouth, Maine, died on Sept.

15, 2020. She was married to Jon Bascom. Leslie graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in Asian studies. She was a longtime volunteer and supporter of Wheaton who regularly attended Reunions.

Susan Stevenson Donald, 69, of Kennewick, Wash., died June 20, 2020. She lived in the Tri-Cities area for 37 years. She was a retired teacher for the Pasco School District.

Sandra Noga Nichols died on Sept. 22, 2020. Sandy met her roommate and best friend of 50 years at Wheaton. She married David, of Melbourne, Australia, on their lunch hour at city hall in New York City in 1975. In 1976, they moved to Australia, where they lived for four years. They returned to the U.S. in 1980, and a life of world travel began. Sandra served on the Palmer Historical Commission for 20 years. She was also a dedicated volunteer at the Palmer Public Library, where she became a director and served on the library’s building commission.

1974

Laura Dalley Tobin died on Aug. 31, 2020, of complications from multiple sclerosis, an illness she managed for 38 years with grace, optimism, courage and humor.

After graduating from Wheaton, Laura directed the organization established in Washington to support the families of the 52 American hostages being held captive in Iran. In 1982, she married James Tobin and moved to Princeton, N.J. They later lived in London and New York City before returning to Washington in 2018.

1992

Anne Silvia Fuller died on July 1, 2020, in San Antonio, Texas. She graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Jason Smith, 50, of Killingworth, Conn., died on Aug. 1, 2020. He was born in San Francisco, but moved more than 22 times during his high school years—living in D.C., Tennessee, and his beloved Maine. He was in the first coed class at Wheaton, where he met his future wife of 24 years, Suzanne Phoenix. He started his 27-year banking career as a teller at Essex Savings Bank in 1993 and finished as the hiring manager at Liberty Bank. While working he received his M.B.A. from University of New Haven.

He touched many lives with his warmth, love for animals, genuine caring, acts of community service, lively conversations and dry wit.

1998

Carrie Nigro Pye, 43, of Dudley, Mass., died on Aug. 30, 2020.

She graduated from Wheaton with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. After graduating, she worked as a therapist for autistic children ages 4 to 11 and later as

a program supervisor for young adults with disabilities in the Cambridge area. Carrie was an accomplished violinist and taught violin to children and adults in the Worcester area. Her favorite pastime was traveling, especially to Paris and England with her sister and internationally with the Worcester State University Chorale to Germany and Argentina.

Friends

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Wheaton’s 1997 honorary degree recipient, in September 2020 Ronald Rock, husband of former staff member Laura Rock, in August 2020

Relatives

1944 Carlyle Luer, husband of Jane Pfeiffenberger Luer, in November 2019 1963 Stephen Wilkerson, husband of Katherine Hodgkinson Wilkerson, in April 2020 1970 Stephen Rogers, husband of Linda Heisson Rogers, in July 2020 1970 Steven Silverman, husband of Valerie Shurman Silverman, in September 2020 1972 C. Lila Bacon Segal, mother of Jane Segal Tannenbaum, in October 2020 1974 C. Lila Bacon Segal, mother of Hope Segal Felsinger, in October 2020 1977 C. Lila Bacon Segal, mother of Elizabeth Segal, in October 2020 1979 Keith Hyzer, father of Amy Hyzer, in February 2020 1980 Karen Orcutt, mother of Sherilyn Orcutt Zimmerman and Kerilyn Orcutt Bristow, in August 2020 1983 Karen Orcutt, mother of Jane Orcutt Kirsch, in August 2020 1986 Timothy Katsos, father of Angela Katsos Ray, in April 2020 1992 Jason Smith, husband of Suzanne Phoenix, in August 2020 2015 Sheldon Ananian, father of Kathryn Ananian, in April 2020 WINTER 2021 43

PERSPECTIVE

Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Sept. 18, 2020, at age 87, received an honorary degree and delivered the keynote address at Wheaton’s 162nd Commencement in 1997.

During that weekend, she and her husband, Martin, also were part of a panel discussion. The “Public Lives, Private Partnerships” panel was moderated by President Dale Rogers Marshall, and also featured Life Trustee Patricia King ’63 and her partner, Roger Wilkins. They discussed navigating the growth of their professional legal and academic careers and changing marital relationships. Kate Boylan ’04, director of archives and digital initiatives, spent some long hours one weekend in October digitizing tapes of these events. Now, we all can revisit these moments on our College History page. Go online to watch the video and read the transcript from Ginsburg’s Commencement keynote. (Hebe, pictured right, got an updated look from an unknown admirer of Ginsburg after the news of her passing. The associate justice was known for adorning her black robes with distinctive collars.)

44 WHEATON MAGAZINE

KEITH NORDSTROM

Planning the future.

DORY BENANTO

“I can still remember my Wheaton English classes on Milton, Shakespeare and Faulkner, which sparked a lifelong interest in literature and inspired me to pursue a career in education. I have stayed in contact with the college since graduating 50 years ago. Because of the lasting value that my Wheaton education has had in my personal and professional life, and that of my sister Diane [Class of 1974], I have provided for Wheaton in my estate plans and made Wheaton a beneficiary in my will. Small, quality liberal arts colleges like Wheaton can only thrive through the committed support of their alumni. I hope you, too, will pay it forward with a planned gift, so that future generations will be able to benefit from this first-rate education and go on to contribute positively and thoughtfully to our world.”

Anne Caroselli Reenstierna ’71

Retired as head of the Brimmer and May School, Newton, Mass.

Class of 1971 50th Reunion Gift Committee co-chair President’s Commission (2001–2004)

Giving possibility.

For information, call Amy Dumont ’09 in the Office of Gift Planning at 508-286-3391 or visit giftplanning.wheatoncollege.edu.

Wheaton College, 26 E. Main Street, Norton, MA 02766 wheatoncollege.edu

Invest Today. Inspire Tomorrow.

Wheaton Fund donor and volunteer

“I am the first woman from my family to graduate with a college degree. I have always understood the power of that—especially from this place. Wheaton’s belief in our abilities and the commitment to encourage, cajole, inspire and hold accountable the preciousness of our intellects and the importance of developing them for both ourselves and for the common good was in the water here. I am renewed whenever I come back and walk these paths. I am proud of my institution and our solid mission to provide a stellar liberal arts education where flexibility, creativity, nimbleness and leadership abound. We are all philanthropists when we give to Wheaton, regardless of the dollar amount. For me, it is a concrete way yearly to say ‘thank you’ for how Wheaton shaped me and helped me develop into the person I am today. We all need to be about this work to make sure Wheaton’s future continues to thrive and is secure.”

Hope Gallagher Ogletree ’75 Director of development, Gabelli School of Business

Director of Fordham University’s Women’s Philanthropy Initiatives

Wheaton Fund Your investment today inspires the dreams of tomorrow.

Learn more at wheatoncollege.edu/giving.

HEATHER JOY OGLETREE

Wheaton class fund agent (26 years); former class president; former secretary, Alumni Board of Directors