FALL-WINTER 2022-23
TO BOLDLY GO… 16 Cassada, ’95, reaches for the stars and the International Space Station with history-making launch
ON THE FRONTLINES 20 Diamond, ’15, uses health communications to combat the spread of monkeypox
THE VALUE OF INTERNSHIPS 22 Albion alumni provide on-the-job learning opportunities to current students
MUSIC MAKING A DIFFERENCE 26 Jensen-Abbott hits the right note by combining art and social commentary with diversity and inclusion
STUDENT EMTS ON CAMPUS 30 Students make an impact with life-saving skills while building careers
Cover: NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Josh Cassada, ’95, is pictured suited up in his Extravehicular Mobility Unity (EMU), or spacesuit, during a sevenhour and 11-minute spacewalk to ready the International Space Station’s starboard truss structure for future rollout solar array installation work. Credit: Frank Rubio/NASA
As you all know, I am a proud Albion graduate and supporter. I have served as a trustee for Albion and enjoy attending functions on campus. However, this fall, serving as the interim president at Albion has provided my wife, Donna, and I with a very special perspective and experience.
It has given us the opportunity to connect with more students and hear their stories — to get to really know many of them. A resounding theme throughout these conversations has been the flexibility of the liberal arts education experience and the quality of education they receive
and what that means to their future. I cannot count the times that I have heard, “I don’t know that I could do what I am doing at Albion any place else.”
At Albion College we are not making students fit any prescribed track, but encouraging them to use our many different educational offerings to build a very unique experience that fits their needs and provides the right foundation for their success. It’s not a certain regiment of courses that makes a student successful after they graduate, it is how they use that education to make the life they want to lead,
that will bring them success, joy and fulfillment. We give them the tools to build, create and construct a liberal arts education in new and creative ways that allows them to face anything the future holds.
We want our students to take our majors and minors, institutes and centers, concentrations and experiential learning opportunities and pull them apart — then reconstruct them to build the education — one part and piece at a time — to create the future they envision for themselves.
The theme of this publication is “Building Futures.” Because essentially, that is what we do at Albion College. Students come here to experience, to explore, to evolve. You will see many examples of that in this issue. Students such as Josh Cassada, ’95, and Nick Diamond, ’15.
Though Albion College does not have an astronaut program, it does have its first astronaut in space. Josh Cassada saw an opportunity with our physics, math and computer science faculty to build the future that launched him into space as the pilot of the Dragon 5 rocket and Crew-5 of the International Space Station.
Diamond combined a major in French with a major in cell and molecular biology to build an impressive career in medical communication, which led him to meet with President Joe Biden’s team. Together, they hit on a solution for dealing with monkeypox.
Albion College is building its future, as well.
Nowhere is that more evident than with the search for the 18th president of Albion College.
The Board of Trustees, the outside search firm and the search committee are working diligently to find the person with just the right blueprint for success. The right leader who will be the architect of this College’s bright and inspiring future. A president who isn’t afraid to do the hard work. Brick by brick, No. 18 will build the future of Albion College with our campus community, the local community and all stakeholder groups.
We are all in. Joe Calvaruso, ’78
Fall is always a special time on a college campus, and to me, one of the best times of the year. That being said, this fall on the Albion College campus has been one of the best in all my years of connection to this special place.President Calvaruso and First Lady welcome the marching band students back to campus.
Come next summer, when the 18th president of Albion College formally steps into the role, they can feel confident in the knowledge that the College’s stakeholders were thoroughly and thoughtfully involved in the process that got them here.
“The more interest we can generate about the attractiveness of Albion College, the better pool of presidential candidates we will generate,” said Brian McPheely, ’78, chair of the Presidential Search Committee and member of the Albion College Board of Trustees.
The search committee, McPheely said, is made up of board members, faculty, staff and students. The committee has been meeting since the late summer to move the search along to meet the timelines that have been set.
“There is a seasonality to the presidential search process,” said McPheely, “There is a season to when presidents leave and when they are hired. We are fortunate because we have an outstanding interim president who is willing to stay in that role until we find the right candidate.”
During the summer, the Search Committee emailed a survey to gauge what the Briton family is seeking in Albion’s next president. The response — specifically, the level of response — was telling.
The straightforward communication put forth three multiple-choice questions, asking recipients to share their top priorities for the next president as well as the experiences and
qualities they believe are most important for the role.
According to Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA), an executive search firm with which the College has partnered for this journey, more than 1,400 people responded to the survey, three-quarters of them alumni. Of the 1,400, more than 300 followed up with additional comments about what they believed were the most important qualities in a liberal arts college president today.
The survey closed with an open-ended question asking for anything else that the Committee should keep in mind over the course of the search. More than 500 responses poured in.
“I believe this very good response from our alumni shows that they deeply care about the future path of Albion College,” McPheely said. “With this excellent participation, we can embed this input as part of the criteria in the selection process. It allows both the Search Committee and search firm to understand the expectations from our alumni.”
The official position description was finalized during the opening days of fall semester; September and October featured the recruiting and building of the candidate pool attracting candidates from across the country; interviewing will begin soon and continue through the winter months.
McPheely stressed in his last update to campus in mid-November that the committee is still
on track to present its work to the Board of Trustees along with a recommended candidate for approval this spring. Following a formal announcement and introduction, the 18th president of Albion College’s first day on the job would be in time for the start of the new academic year.
And while that start date is still several months away, McPheely hinted that what he picked up this summer — including from a July 27 campus visit to meet with faculty, staff, students and community members — should bode well over the next several months.
“We want to get it right. We are very fortunate that Joe, the interim president, has agreed to stay on as long as needed,” said McPheely. “We can then search to find quality candidates without the pressure of a deadline. We search until we find the right leader.”
Austin Baidas, Board of Trustees
Bob DeVries, Alumni
Mae Ola Dunklin, Board of Trustees
Zach Fisher, Faculty
Justin Huttenlocher, Student
Lisa Lewis, Faculty
Allison Maki, Board of Trustees
CHAIR Brian McPheely, Board of Trustees
Jocelyn McWhirter, Faculty
Joey Miller, Chair of Board of Trustees
Bill Rose, Faculty
DeOndric Sanders, Student
Larry Schook, Board of Trustees
Steve Sheckell, Board of Trustees
Leroy Wright, Cabinet
As the search for Albion College’s 18th president progresses this winter, alumni and friends, faculty, staff, students and local community members have made their collective voice heard.
Cinnamon Pop-Tarts® and cheese pizza.
FREE TIME
Neal hangs out with friends at Baldwin, talking about life and sports (he is a Chicago White Sox fan).
He carries a photo of the Black Panthers founder in his binder. It is a constant reminder of his favorite class at Albion.
Helps keep work and his personal life separate.
Hailing from the Windy City, Anthony Neal Jr., ’23, feels at home with lots of activity. And while Albion College is certainly not Chicago, Neal has found plenty here to keep him busy; it is probably a good thing his scooter is electric. He is double majoring in political science and history and is a member of the Gerald R. Ford Institute
for Public Service and Policy. He is a community assistant in Wesley, serves the Black Student Alliance as president, represents students in the Student Senate, works on the Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force for the State of Michigan and participates in both the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity and the Phi Alpha Theta history fraternity.
The distance at which Albion College colleague Nicolle Zellner, Department of Physics Chair, witnessed live the launch of the Dragon rocket that carried Cassada into space.
4.76
The number of Marvin the Martian stuffed toys to travel into space. Cassada took the keepsake to honor his relationship with Albion professor David Seely, who passed away in 2020.
The speed at which the International Space Station travels. It orbits the Earth about every 90 minutes.
The estimated amount of time it takes to become an astronaut. That breaks down to four years of college — Albion College for Cassada — two years for a master’s degree, two years of professional experience and then two years in the NASA Astronaut Corps.
The number of days the International Space Station has been in orbit around the Earth. The space station has been continuously occupied since November 2000.
The number of faculty, staff and students who watched the launch at the Science Complex Atrium during the campus launch party to celebrate Cassada’s accomplishment.
The Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service, which just celebrated 45 years, was the first such program in Michigan.
President Ford, who grew up in Grand Rapids, became a trustee in 1978 for Albion College.
Current Interim President Joe Calvaruso served as the executive director of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation for 12 years.
Albion’s ties to the 38th President of the United States now extend to the sea.
Crew members of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) recently visited Albion College to pay honor to the namesake of the aircraft carrier before it was deployed to active duty. The crew members, several of whom were Michigan natives, also got to see a piece of the carrier — in the Ludington Center.
“It was really exciting and an honor to have them on campus,” said Calvaruso. “We are honored to have such a connection to the Ford family and to this piece of history.”
The piece is called a “bow break” and it was placed on the bow of the carrier
when it was christened. The bow break is now a permanent addition to the lobby of the Ludington Center, the home of the Ford Institute. The piece is approximately nine feet wide and seven feet tall.
The bow break was gifted to Albion College by Susan Ford Bales, daughter of President Ford, and the Ford family.
Thirteen crew members from the USS Ford made the trip to Michigan. The namesake tour began with a wreath laying at President Ford’s tomb in Grand Rapids. The crew also visited the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital for veterans and the Gerald Ford Council Boy Scouts Troop in Grand Rapids.
The crew capped their Michigan visit by attending the Albion home football opener at Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium. They were the guests in the president’s box, bought Albion College swag to take back to the ship and were honored at halftime with a special message from Ford Bales.
The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the first aircraft carrier built in 40 years and is the largest combat ship ever built for the US Navy. The carrier is approximately the length of three football fields, has 25 decks, displaces 100,000 tons of water, has a top speed of 30 knots (35 MPH) and can carry more than 75 aircraft.
Every positive step has a positive impact, and printing less — a small stride toward a greener future — starts at Albion College with Io Triumphe! magazine.
Don’t miss out on those wonderful connections you love when the Spring-Summer
Albion College’s ties to President Gerald R. Ford run deep.
Ashley Pion, ’23, built her future through a fruitful summer internship in Three Rivers, Mich., home to the headquarters of Walther Farms, a third-generation family-owned agribusiness that grows potatoes across 18,000 acres in eight states from Michigan to South Carolina to Texas.
But even before her first day at Walther, the Gerstacker Institute member put the human resources emphasis of her economics and management major to work — not to mention her communication studies second major — through the several leadership hats she wears at Albion College.
Pion, started her senior year as president of the Panhellenic Council and as one of the top softball pitchers in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Pion visited the potato chip production line of Detroit-based Better Made Snack Foods, a large Walther Farms client. According to former Gerstacker Institute Director Laurel Draudt, “Ashley’s ability to impose positive influence on her peers and anticipate and address needs within her work and on behalf of the company have helped her stand out as an intern.”
“As you can imagine with being a leader, you have to have good communication skills,” said Pion, who grew up in Edwardsburg, Mich. “You have to have structure and organization, which falls along with my human resources
major in terms of understanding how people like to be led and how everyone follows differently. How I lead my team in softball is different than in Greek life, simply because it is not the same atmosphere.”
At Walther Farms, Pion did everything from helping to run the social media operation to planning events and other organizational work. “My experience this summer could not have been any better in my opinion,” she said.
And, as Pion describes it, part of what made it so rewarding was, well, the field.
“I sought an internship in the agriculture industry,” she said. “My mom works for the Michigan Farm Bureau, so growing up I have always traveled to work events with her and, whenever she needed help, I was there. Being around agriculture my entire life, it would be hard to leave that behind; it is just embedded in my roots.”
Just as woven into her fabric is a commitment and work ethic that, in the pitching circle, has led to back-to-back single-season Briton strikeout records (her 147 this past spring eclipsed her 129 the prior year). Pion was named to the allMIAA First Team in 2021.
A three-year softball letter-winner, Pion was also featured in the MIAA’s Student-Athlete Spotlight series this past spring.
The Delta Gamma member added the Panhel presidency to an already full Albion plate in January. She also is a student
worker in the College’s Office of Human Resources. How does she manage the multitude of commitments?
“I live by my Google calendar!” Pion said. “Every Sunday, I sit down and plan out all my activities for the week. I even make a softball calendar for my team so that everyone has the practice and game schedule right in front of them.
“Once you get in the groove of things, it is actually very easy to manage everything, and it just becomes a routine at that point,” she adds. “I have found that the busier I stay, the better I do in my classes, practices and within Greek life.”
Dr. Vicki Baker, professor of economics and management, is Pion’s advisor and says their shared focus on the HR sector
has led to many conversations about academic and professional interests.
“I continue to be impressed with Ashley’s ability to be excellent in the classroom, excellent on the field and excellent in the community,” Baker said. “She is truly a triple threat and will continue to represent herself and Albion College well long after she graduates in May.”
The Kellogg Center turned 25 last fall, and while many operations have changed, its position as the heart of campus life remains firmly in place.
Taco Bell and email kiosks are long gone (although, amazingly enough, you can still send a fax to the information desk), but some 2,000 campus mailboxes, the bookstore and Gerstacker Commons draw students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members every day. The KC has seen the AIDS Quilt, Trinidad steel and Japanese taiko drum performances, community Kwanzaa celebrations, the Briton Bazaar craft fair, twice-yearly pottery sales, stress-free zones before finals and countless student organization dinners and events.
“The KC is where students make friends, meet friends and find their place on campus,” said Karen Hiatt, assistant director of facilities, who managed Kellogg Center operations from the day it opened until May 2021. “I met so many students myself and still keep in touch with some of them. There are so many good memories.”
In the 1990s, Albion College trustee Arny Langbo (see page 44) convinced the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to underwrite most of the construction, which won a national design award for incorporating 37,000 square feet of modern glass and brick into the Victorian-era Dickie Hall. Completed in 1871 as the College chapel, what was originally South Hall had endured many years of underuse before the Kellogg Center project.
“My favorite spot is the top floor, where you can see the tool marks of the craftsmen who handhewed the oak timbers,” said Jim Whitehouse, ’69. “It was wonderful when this truly historical building was repurposed as an integral part of campus again.”
Top: The heart of campus beats on in the 25-year-old Kellogg Center, a glass and brick structure that warmly welcomes students, staff, faculty, alumni and visitors.
Middle: Albion spirit is alive and well in the Kellogg Center, with purple and gold boldly claiming pride of place throughout.
Bottom: Throughout its 25-year history, it’s always been about the students — the repurposed structure gave them just the place to build their own futures.
Albion College graduates Marie Perreault, ’16, and Michelle Miele, ’14, were admittedly not cat people growing up.
“I never had any animals growing up,” said Perreault, who majored in theatre and sociology at Albion.
“I am allergic to cats,” said Miele with a smile as she looked across the room at several of her furry clients doing what cats do best — sleeping in the afternoon sun.
But Perreault and Miele are earning their “cat lady” credentials with a unique tale of friendship that helped create the Detroit Community Cat Rescue.
Tucked away near the end of Ward Avenue in an older neighborhood of the city is a small, unassuming bungalowstyle, three-bedroom home.
Cats and kittens with names such as Mud, Crush, Eightball, Boxi, Penguin, Panda and Gary Cooper call it home.
“I am a bit of an old soul,” laughs Perreault as she introduces all of her tenants. By the way, Gary Cooper got his name because he looks like he is wearing a tuxedo.
There are about 20 cats currently being cared for at the rescue. The number increases if you count
the cats being cared for by the volunteers who work with the rescue and foster felines.
Perreault’s first cat rescue came in 2015 while she was at Albion College.
“I was walking home from a get-together one night with some friends and this white and graystriped tabby cat started following us down the train tracks,” Perreault said. “A friend of mine took the cat in but could not keep it. He asked if I wanted it because I lived off campus. I just could not say no. His name was Santiago.”
After graduation from Albion and a brief career in professional theatre, Perreault found herself in caregiving and wondering what to do with her degree.
“I was working with people, some of whom had pets. I did better with the pets so I went in that direction,” said Perreault, who has a full-time job with an emergency animal care facility.
As she continued to rescue cats, Perreault met and learned a lot from three different cat ladies.
“They taught me everything because they had done and seen it all. They taught me how to catch and release and how to do things the right way,” Perreault said.
“This is my passion job,” she said of the rescue.
Miele connected with Perreault in a similar fashion as Santiago. While she did not follow Perreault home, Miele did start following Perreault’s social media posts about cats, which led to the partnership and a permanent home for Perreault’s rescue efforts.
’14,
“I am a CPA (certified public accountant) and love my work, but I have always been interested in nonprofits,” said Miele. “We were acquaintances in college and hung out with some of the same people, but we were not close. When I saw the cat posts, I called her and asked if there was anything I could do to help.”
“We applied for our license in November of 2021 and in May of 2022, we became official,” said Perreault with a big smile. “We are the only licensed brick-andmortar shelter within the city limits of Detroit. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.”
Miele said the current number of cats that have been adopted through the rescue this year is 50. They want to help as many as possible and have set a minimum adoption goal of 100 cats. The rescue helps hundreds of other
cats, mostly feral, with programs that trap, neuter and release.
The current number of homeless cats in Detroit is about 650,000, which is almost the population of people in Detroit.
The phone at the rescue rings about 40-60 times a day, Perreault estimated.
The bottom line for Perreault and Miele is not a number, though. It is helping animals and the community.
“This is about love of animals and love of the community and making an impact,” said Perrault.
“We want to empower Detroiters to solve the cat crisis,” said Perreault. “The most important thing is to spay and neuter your pets! Spay and neuter your pets!”
Albion alumnae come together to help Detroit cats.
successful, these toxic drugs will enter the body as inert chemicals, and their cancerfighting properties will be “turned on” only when a light is shined on the cancer cells. This type of therapy is being studied by researchers worldwide and holds great potential for increasing the effectiveness — and reducing the toxicity — of chemotherapy.
“The program I hope to do will be a humbling experience — I’ll be traveling around the country leading retreats, doing service work and living with people who give us a place to stay. I won’t have anything that’s my own,” she said.
It’s something, she said, she has to do.
By Jake WeberSamantha Dye, ’23, was just three years old when she began the first of two three-year courses of chemotherapy and radiation that would, ideally, give her a “normal” life.
Judging from her days at Albion, Dye’s pretty much living her best life. Along with rocking a very impressive GPA, Dye works as an admission tour guide and a teaching assistant for the Department of Chemistry/ Biochemistry. She’s active in several clubs and is a co-leader of Chapel Brits, where she also plays in the praise band.
It could be easy for Dye to see herself as “past” cancer – but the reality is, this is the one thing Dye can’t do. As an advocate and a researcher, Dye is still very focused on cancer. It’s just that
now, she’s working to reduce its impact on others.
Dye was an eight-year-old undergoing treatment for a recurrence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she began her public advocacy, raising awareness and money for the American Cancer Society (ACS). From her own elementary school classmates to citizen groups across Michigan – including 18,000 Red Wings fans in Joe Louis arena – Dye’s been an important part of the ACS in Michigan.
That advocacy work also inspired Dye to take a more direct role in the cure for cancer, a decision that led her to the research lab of Albion Biochemistry Professor Craig Streu, ’04. As a member of the “Streu Crew,” Dye is working to modify chemotherapy agents Vismodegib and Sonidegib for use as phototherapeutics. If
“A lot of scientists go into this work because they like the idea of contributing to society in the abstract and they like solving puzzles. It’s more personal for Samantha,” said Streu. Not only has Dye been in his lab since her first weeks on campus, Streu notes that she did an internship at one of the country’s leaders in drug design research (the University of Pennsylvania), and, this past summer, she was awarded an NSFfunded Research Experience for Undergraduates at the University of Puerto Rico, where she worked in the Molecular Sciences Research Center.
“She’s got her eyes on the prize and that’s a Ph.D. and work in the pharmaceutical industry,” Streu said with enthusiasm. “Samantha’s career is going to impact a lot of patients.”
Dye is currently spending much of her limited free time filling out graduate school applications – so it may surprise you to learn she’s also planning not to go right away. Instead, she’s hoping for a gap year focused on ministry, specifically within the Catholic Church.
Unsurprisingly Dye had many long hospital stays during her battle with cancer. She says this is when her faith was forged. “In the hospital my mom and I would pray together and that really shaped my faith.
Her gap year and graduate school plans will take Dye far from Michigan — and the college she chose (in small part) because it wasn’t too far from home.
“It’s something I never would have imagined, all the traveling I have been able to do simply because of my research. Being at Albion led me to an internship in Philadelphia, flying across the country to present at a national conference in San Diego, and a research opportunity in San Juan all just in three years. I don’t know where I will end up for graduate school but Albion started me on this journey, and I can’t wait to see where it leads,” Dye said.
In the end, Dye’s diverse interests made her an ideal student for Albion – and will continue to inform her choices going forward.
“Serious emphasis on hands-on learning” is cited as a core value of an Albion College education in the 2023 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges, released early October.
Each year for nearly four decades, the Fiske Guide has featured more than 300 profiles of fouryear colleges and universities. Comments from Albion students are weaved throughout an insightful essay about the College and its programs.
Among the student comments: “Take advantage of the academic institutes on campus!” Albion’s profile includes details on the well-established institutes and
centers that guide students toward internships, study away, field trips and many more immersive experiences that build upon their majors and provide distinct professional paths upon graduation. In particular, Fiske states, “increasing efforts to connect students with real-world learning and service opportunities are garnering more applications from more diverse groups of students.”
In emphasizing the significant impact of faculty and staff, the Fiske profile also shines a spotlight on the Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (FURSCA), First-Year Seminar program and School for
Public Purpose and Professional Advancement. All in all, a “stimulating learning environment” that leads to “lifelong connections with fellow students, faculty and staff,” combined with a “devoted alumni network,” continues to make Albion College a smart choice for college-bound students and their families.
“The Fiske Guide isn’t a ranking; it’s more of a resource that introduces Albion through an engaging short essay that provides a slice of life of the student experience on our campus and in our community,” said Jamie Krueger, vice president of enrollment management. “The
profile mentions that, while we are a small college located in a small Michigan town, we want to make a big impact on the world. And we do.
“Future Albion students can count on our admission team to answer questions, connect them with a professor or coach and help them begin to see what their own impact might look like at Albion,” Krueger said.
A sense of belonging. A place to discover. A time to take action. Your Albion journey starts at albion.edu/admission.
Every college has a unique relationship with the local community, and a recent conference hosted by Albion College demonstrated that “local focus” is indeed an international topic. Nearly 70 educators from eight countries gathered June 6-8 to discuss “The Role of Higher Education in Nurturing Sustainable Communities.”
“Colleges and universities play an important role in both developing the leaders of tomorrow and contributing positively to the communities of which they are a part,” said Cristen Casey, director of Albion College’s Center for International Education. “During this conference, we discussed the many ways that colleges collaborate within their local, national and global communities on projects sustainably, respectfully and ethically.”
In addition to members of the Albion community, conference participants came from 16 schools in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and the U.S. Many of the institutions are part of the Global Liberal Arts Alliance (GLAA), which is devoted to encouraging international partnerships between its members. While the GLAA may seem like an odd place to work on local issues, Casey explains that’s absolutely not the case.
“Community engagement and local-to-global partnerships are relevant for those who are committed to education, sustainability, social justice and responsible engagement in a world of increasingly interdependent relationships,” she said. “Global community partnerships expand options for students to have meaningful international experiences that broaden one’s sense of place and selfempowerment. Pairing these concepts makes sustainable community engagement a topic of interest to many partners.”
The conference’s keynotes were presented by Dr. Nicole Webster of Penn State University and Dr. Diego Quiroga of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador.
A group of attendees gathered for a photo at the Ludington Center stairs during their June conference exploring “The Role of Higher Education in Nurturing Sustainable Communities.”
Dr. Abigail Cahill, assistant professor of biology at Albion and conference co-organizer, took stock of the three-day event as it drew to a close. “For me, the most exciting part of the conference was seeing the participants talking and making connections around their work while here at Albion,” she said. “Our session this morning included a discussion of what continued work might come out of the conference, and I hope that some of these connections will turn into long-term relationships between campuses.”
“We all walked away with fresh ideas, strengthened relationships and new energy to continue the valuable work of sustainable community engagement,” Casey said. “we do not need to do this work alone’ was a common theme. I am excited to see how this conference’s work carries on globally into the future.”
A pair of recent grants awarded to Albion College will benefit Albion youth in 2022-23 and beyond.
Through a partnership with Marshall Public Schools, curriculum is being developed for Harrington Elementary School that will teach core grade-level concepts in freshwater literacy to K-5 students. Support for the project comes from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the MiSTEM Network.
The College’s School for Public Purpose and Professional Advancement, with support from the Great Lakes Colleges Association, is exploring ways to compellingly instill a college-going identity among K-12 students in the Albion community who would be the first in their families to enroll in college.
In
By Jake WeberAshlyn Reed, ’24, is a third-generation gardener, but her take on this family passion comes as a surprise.
“There are so many skills that make a successful gardener, and one doesn’t need to have all of them to start,” she said. “The skills I see in successful gardeners are dedication, a love of getting in the dirt and getting a bit muddy, tolerance to change and adaptability. If we all took a little bit more time to sit and watch the Earth do its best work, we can all have a bit more appreciation for what Mother Nature provides.”
Reed’s love of gardening may be unusual for a college student, but it’s bound to become more common on campus, thanks to Albion College’s Center for Sustainability and the Environment (CSE) and its inaugural summer internship program. From May to August, six interns studied everything from groundhog-proof fencing to food sovereignty, while literally getting their hands dirty working alongside the Albion Community Gardens.
CSE’s vision is to be a fully engaged and invested member of the greater Albion community, and, to that end, the interns spent each weekday morning in the Community Gardens, trading sweat equity for apprenticeship-style lessons in plant care, the use of equipment and machinery, and the short- and long-term planning that is critical to successfully harvesting and distributing their crops. Then, in the afternoons, lessons were applied at the Student Farm in Whitehouse Nature Center (WNC), where the interns and WNC student workers are in charge.
Along with Dr. Trisha Franzen, professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies, and Daisy Hall, former CSE coordinator, the interns also attended meetings of the Albion Community Gardens board, where they got a big-picture look at how Albion citizens are affected by the affordability and availability of food in the City. And, through the Community Table of Albion, the students helped with food distribution, which included some of the vegetables they helped to grow.
Putting up the deer fence at Albion Community Gardens (left to right): Professor Trisha Franzen; Sheridan Leinbach, ’24; Justin Loukotka, ’23; AJ Bieber, ’23; Sustainability Coordinator Daisy Hall; Axel Awey, ’25; Ashlynn Reed, ’24; Octo Morales, ’25.
“They’re getting to know the food system at a very local level,” said Franzen, a Community Gardens co-founder and leader. “When we bring food to the neighborhood, we can see what people’s needs are and think about how we best address those needs.”
The CSE students also collaborated with the College’s Facilities Operations and Grounds teams and dining services provider Metz, who gave students an “under the hood” look at their sustainability-related activity. The interns also visited several regional colleges and universities to see what others are doing — and they’ll be able to share that information with the contacts they now have on campus.
“It’s great to see gardens, but there’s a lot of ‘undercover’ work — like assessing energy consumption, what sort of pipes are being used, how food waste is handled,” Hall said. “I love seeing the students’ interest sparked by the technical stuff.”
“At the end of the day, my favorite moment has to be seeing how much progress we as a group have made,” said Octo Morales, ’25. “It’s such an amazing thought that what I’m doing is not only good for the environment but the community as well. I couldn’t be more thankful for this experience.”
Ariel Berry contributed to this story.
Albion Community Gardens and the College’s Student Farm, interns in the Center for Sustainability and the Environment developed pliable tools for career and life success.AJ Bieber, ’23, works the trimmer as part of regular garden upkeep. Ashlynn Reed, ’24, (bottom); Riley Kunkel, ’25; and Justin Loukotka, ’23, pick strawberries.
After a nearly two-and-a-half year hiatus, Brit, the Albion College mascot, made his triumphant return to campus at the football home opener at noon, Sept. 3. While he is a mascot of few words (OK, no words!), he is a man of action and is (silently) happy to be back.
Io Triumphe!: You were on hiatus for about two years; why?
Brit: The largest part was the pandemic and its interruption of events and social happenings — nobody wants a seven-foot walking, not-talking germ marching around. I understand that. It is in my nature to protect people, so I saw it as doing my part. But I also won a cruise from Publisher’s Clearing House that I had to take before it expired. It was fabulous!
Did you, at any point, think of hanging up your shield and turning in your sword? Retiring?
Not once. It’s not in my nature and it is not in the nature of Albion College. The students, faculty and staff are resilient. I am a firm believer in the adage that you only fail if you quit. And retiring? I am too young to retire. There is a lot of life left in these old boots, er, sandals. Er, what are these things?
There were some on campus who suggested that, in your absence, Albion College should change its mascot to the squirrel, or perhaps even an
alligator given what happened over the summer. How do you feel about that?
Who doesn’t like a squirrel? They are soft and cute. Adorbs, really. But mascot material? Not so much. They seem to have a lot of trouble navigating the street, let alone the stands at Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium. An alligator? I think another school has that one covered and trademarked. My hiatus was extended to be sure. But it feels right to be back. The students have welcomed me enthusiastically. The alums have been the same. I think we just go together — Albion College and Brit. Kind of like peanut butter and bacon. Just try it.
How did it feel to return to active duty as the mascot?
It is pretty surreal. I am back doing what I love, what I was made to do — spreading the great Albion spirit. Plus, it is super fun to be out on the field one day, down at the Bohm Theater another, handing out candy during a parade the next and then taking photos with a group of alumni the next. It is the best feeling in the world to represent Briton pride whereever
I am and with whomever I am around! And, plus, I get to carry a shield. It comes in handy at Baldwin. Or playing disc golf.
What has been the best part of your return?
Hands down, the first second I walk out into the crowd and that first person catches sight of me and yells, “Brit!!” Let’s face it, I am not a celebrity by any means, but I am all things Albion College to people. Everything they feel, everything they think and everything they want about their experience here is wrapped up in my image. Not me, but my image — all seven feet of it. And so when I walk out into a crowd, it means something to me that people are happy to see me. That I represent happiness to them. And all the things they are working toward. So when I high-five them or fist bump with them, I do it with a lot of energy because I want them to feel great about themselves and Albion.
Any events stand out in your short time back?
I was at the Festival of the Forks parade, and, somehow, I was left
behind from all the other Albion folks. It was just me, the person holding my candy bag and about a zillion little kids between me and the finish line. I dove right in and started handing out candy, highfiving grown-ups, fist-bumping little kids and pretending that the really wee ones knocked me over! It was awesome! I know I had more fun than anyone else out there that day … it was just pretty awesome. The kids loved it. But I think the biggest thrill was when some of the sailors from the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier came to watch the football game. We took a few pictures. I have a copy at home. They are the real heroes. It was an honor to be beside them. There is a bond between people in uniforms — a kindred spirit.
Courtesy
Josh Cassada, ’95, realized his lifelong dream and made history Oct. 5 when the SpaceX Dragon rocket carrying him and the rest of CREW-5 lifted off the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and began its trip to the International Space Station (ISS).
Cassada joined a very elite list of astronauts to leave planet Earth and an even smaller list of astronauts to pilot a spacecraft to the ISS.
According to NASA, there have been 336 astronauts since the space program began. All of those astronauts came from NCAA Division 1 schools such as the military academies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, UCLA and Purdue.
Until now.
Cassada became the first Albion College astronaut to go into space.
“It made my heart race,” said Paul Anderson, professor of computer science at Albion College, after watching the launch.
Anderson, who taught Cassada when he was a student at Albion, sat in the front row at the launch viewing as faculty, students and staff showed up enforce to cheer on Cassada. “He’s a great guy and we could not be happier for him.”
“We asked Josh what his career goals were and he said, ‘I’m going to be an astronaut,’” said Dr. David Kammer, who taught Cassada while he was at Albion College. “So when Josh was looking away, the other professor, Marty Ludington, and I rolled our eyes. He was determined and got the education and all aimed at becoming an astronaut.”
Anderson and Dr. David Kammer were invited to see the launch live but could not make the trip.
Dr. Nicolle Zellner, chair of the Albion College Department of Physics, was the sole Albion College representative on hand to watch the launch live from the Kennedy Space Center. She was perched on the viewing station three miles away when the rocket ignited and started its journey.
Zellner is no stranger to NASA launches; she was involved in a space shuttle launch during her time as an undergraduate and has attended several.
“Seeing Josh’s launch was incredible!” said Zellner of the experience. “The view was amazing — unobstructed, 3.5 miles away — and I got very emotional knowing he and the crew were on their way at liftoff.
“The sound rumbled from the pad, right toward us. I could feel it through my whole body. When the rocket was out of sight, we all watched the livestream to learn the engines had cut off, then the crew was in orbit — all as expected — was such a relief. It was thrilling!”
The moment was not lost on current Albion students — who have never met Cassada.
“We’re here to see history being made,” said Grace Cholette, a senior economics major at Albion.
“It’s pretty crazy that an Albion College grad has gone into space,” said Harper Lienerth, a junior math major.
Courtesy of NASA
“This is the first live launch I have seen,” said Jeremy Timmer, a sophomore software engineering major. “I think it’s really cool. It is great for Albion because it proves you can do it no matter where you go to school.”
Cassada is the pilot of CREW-5. His crew mates include NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, the first Native American to go into space; JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata; and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina. It is the first time in space for Cassada, Mann and Kikina. Wakata has been involved in five previous missions, including four to the ISS.
The crew will spend the next six months aboard the International Space Station conducting a science expedition.
Born in San Diego, California, Cassada calls White Bear Lake, Minnesota, home. He is married to Megan Friedly of Charlevoix, Michigan, and they have two children.
After receiving his B.A. in physics from Albion College, Cassada earned his Ph.D.
at the University of Rochester, conducting experimental high-energy physics research at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
He was commissioned as a naval officer in 2000 and earned his pilot’s wings in 2001. While in the Navy, he had two operational deployments, including 23 combat missions. Cassada was test pilot for the P-3C and the P-8A. He accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours in more than 45 different aircraft.
Even with all of his credentials and his astronaut status, Anderson said Cassada has remained just as “down to earth,” as he a was when he attended Albion.
“He never talks about himself, he wants to know how you are doing,” Anderson said of Cassada.
“You heard what Dave Kammer said, ‘that Josh said he was going to be an astronaut’ when he arrived at Albion as a freshman. And he did it,’” said Zellner. “That should be inspiring to all of our Brits, now and in the future. Albion can get you anywhere!”
The launch vehicle that carried Cassada and CREW-5 into space is the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket. It is 229.6 feet tall and has a 12-foot diameter. It has nine SpaceX Merlin engines that produce 190,000 dbf each. After liftoff, the Falcon 9 accelerated to an orbital velocity of 17,500 miles per hour.
Once the SpaceX Dragon Endurance module separated from the booster rocket, Cassada had to pilot Endurance to dock with the International Space Station. That meant matching the speed of the ISS, positioning the module and then making the connection. And that is where his Albion College education came into play in a big, big way.
Paul Anderson, professor of computer science at Albion College and one of Cassada’s mentors, said he taught him statistics while on campus — as well as acceleration, distance and velocity. Anderson also taught Cassada physics at Albion — all of which he used to do the seemingly impossible docking his craft with the ISS.
“How do you sleep at night before you have to do that?” Paul Anderson, after watching Cassada dock the module safely with the ISS just after 5 p.m. EDT Oct. 9. “The precision blows my mind, and they are hitting a moving target.”
Previously, he served as managing editor of Public Health Post, an online publication of the Boston University School of Public Health, from which Diamond earned his graduate certificate in African studies and his M.P.H. in global health with an emphasis in sex, sexuality and gender. Along the way, he has worked with Brown University, Columbia University, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, African Services Committee, MPact Global Action for Gay Men’s Health and Rights and the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Diamond has published with POZ, Harvard Medicine News, Governing Magazine and Innovators Magazine. He has served as a source for The New York Times, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, STAT, WGBH and National Public Radio, as well as an expert witness for the U.S. Department of Justice.
By John Perney
A professional meeting with officials from a current White House administration is a highlight in anyone’s career, let alone for someone who received their bachelor’s degree from Albion College less than a decade ago.
And while one would perhaps not prefer the conversation happen under the urgent circumstances of a rapidly spreading viral disease, Nick Diamond, ’15, was eager to discuss policy recommendations and the federal government’s response to the continuing monkeypox outbreak.
“It was definitely a terrific start to a conversation on how to implement the policy
solutions we recommended and to transmit clarity and transparency in the response,” said Diamond about the virtual meeting with Bob Fenton and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who lead the Biden administration’s response to monkeypox. Diamond was among a group of signatories who a few days prior published an open letter to the Biden administration about its response to monkeypox in Harvard Public Health magazine. “This was another example of how we can use public health communications as an advocacy tool.”
Earlier this summer, Diamond became manager of editorial services at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation in New York.
An expansive network built in a relatively short time enabled Diamond to become a co-investigator this summer for the group that published the open letter and met with the White House. Known in short as RESPND-MI, the Rapid Epidemiologic Study of Prevalence, Network and Demographics of Monkeypox Infection is a collective of 19 queer and trans experts in clinical medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, virology, activism, policy, marketing and communications that is innovating community-based participatory research. In late August, the group rolled out MPX NYC, an LGBTQ+ community-led anonymous survey of monkeypox symptoms and networks among queer and trans people in New York.
“We will use the responses to build a map of where people think they may have been exposed to monkeypox and then share accordingly to help distribute vaccine,”
Diamond said. “We’re piloting this program in New York, but, if it’s successful, we’d like to find ways to scale it nationally.”
According to Diamond, many monkeypox cases are mild, but some can be severe, with symptoms ranging from a fever and muscle aches to swollen lymph nodes and a rash that can eventually lead to blisters, which are not only painful but particularly contagious.
Diamond also says the disease has been around since the 1970s and is endemic in west and central Africa, mostly seen among the general population. “It’s not a gay disease,” he says. “It’s right now being seen in gay and trans communities in the U.S. and Europe, but it could spill over to affect the general population.”
Undergraduate studies and travel served as excellent preparation for Diamond and his chosen career path. A double major in French and cell and molecular biology at Albion, he fondly recalls taking Dr. Emmanuel Yewah’s First-Year Seminar course, Africa: Myth and Reality. “That course opened my eyes to global health and also gave me the opportunity to travel to Cameroon, which was the first time I left North America.”
A sophomore-year trip to France (including to the College’s Sister Cities, Noisy-le-Roi) followed. Then came a second trip to Cameroon, this time in his junior year as a First-Year Experience student mentor. Finally, as a senior, he studied for a semester in Senegal.
Diamond has stayed connected with Albion, including last year — during the height of
the COVID-19 pandemic — when Dr. Brad Rabquer, professor of biology, recruited him to teach the Wilson Institute’s intro to public health course. Dr. Dianne Guenin-Lelle, professor of French, also invited him to give a virtual guest class lecture about COVID-19 in the Francophone world.
“From his first semester at Albion, he was a gifted and poised communicator, able to synthesize complex issues clearly and concisely,” Guenin-Lelle said, adding that Diamond wrote a senior thesis in French comparing biomedical and traditional treatments for illness in West Africa. “He remains one of our most involved alumni and a champion of Albion College.”
For his part, Diamond said the relationships he was able to forge with Albion faculty have meant, literally, the world.
“I was originally on track to apply to medical school,” he said. “I only switched to global health because of my junior-year Cameroon
trip with the FYE program. That trip was really what moved me to use my French language skills in global health. There were a lot of conversations with Dianne and Emmanuel in Vulgamore, and I really haven’t looked back since then. I credit all of this to them. This is all because of my professors at Albion.”
“We’re piloting this program in New York, but if it’s successful, we’d like to find ways to scale it nationally.”
When alumni provide internships to current students, the goal of creating important connections and a valuable overall experience enters a whole new dimension.
Emily Eggenberger, ’21, thought she might want to pursue a career in politics when she first arrived at Albion. By her sophomore year, that vague notion had sharpened into focus: she wanted to be a lobbyist.
Yes, she knows what you’re thinking. “People always give me weird looks when I say I want to be a lobbyist,” she said with a laugh. “But lobbyists help give people a voice in government. They’re essential to the policymaking process.”
One person who did understand Eggenberger’s interest in the field was Tim Ward, ’86, president of the lobbying firm Michigan Legislative Consultants (MLC). The two met as part of a field trip coordinated through the College’s Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service.
When Eggenberger applied for a role at MLC, which she describes as her “dream internship,” Ward was thrilled to bring her onto the team, where she could get a much deeper understanding of what lobbying looked like on a day-to-day basis. “We build really substantive internship experiences,” Ward said of the firm’s
support for student interns. “We’re asking them to do things that, without an intern, we would be having our lobbyists do.”
In the fall of 2019, Eggenberger spent more than four months with the organization doing research, sitting in on client meetings and even meeting with legislators during events. “It made me even more excited to be a part of [the field],” she says.
Many students do internships as part of their time at Albion, but internships led or facilitated by Briton alumni offer particularly memorable and meaningful experiences. That extra layer of connection can help turn a good experience into a life-changing one. “We love internship experiences with alumni,” said Troy Kase, director of Albion’s Career and Internship Center. “They help students discover their passions. They give alumni a chance to give back and work with students who are potentially full-time hires.”
‘She saw a little bit of herself in me.’
Alec Palmer, ’20, left nothing to chance at Albion. In just three and a half years, he
completed a finance major, a communication studies minor and a concentration through the Carl A. Gerstacker Institute for Business and Management. He worked tirelessly with his professors to hone his interviewing skills and land a prestigious internship with JPMorgan Chase.
Still, he admits that going from the relatively small and tight-knit Albion campus to a sprawling Fortune 500 corporation had its share of challenges. That was one reason he was glad to be able to lean on a fellow Briton, Terrah Opferman, ’04, managing director and region manager for Michigan middle market banking. “Having an alumni perspective was really valuable,” Palmer said. “Albion alumni are really willing to engage with students.”
The internship, paired with Opferman’s insight, paid off. Palmer now has a full-time job as an analyst for JPMorgan Chase. He has even found a tiny Albion oasis at the company: He currently works with a halfdozen other alumni as part of his 50-person office and often wears an Albion face mask in the building. “People will see me and say, ‘Go Brits!’” he said.
Similarly, Carrigan Theisen, ’19, a commercial banking analyst in the JPMorgan Chase rotational analyst program, said the connection she developed with Opferman as an intern for the company was an important way for her to see the possibilities within a field that has a significantly higher percentage of male employees. ”Working with women in banking, as an intern and in my career at the bank, has been so helpful for me to gain confidence and understand that this is where I am supposed to be,” she said. “Through mentorship and visibility of strong female bankers, I am able to show up every day being authentically myself, pursue a career in something that I am passionate about and have confidence that I’ll be able to continue my growth with the company.”
In some cases, internships lead to bonds that last well beyond the experience itself. In 2018, Noah Robertson, ’21, landed an internship with Dr. Larry Schook, ’72, former vice president for research at the University of Illinois.
As part of his work, Robertson wrote a research paper about transgenic porcine models—pigs with human genes—that make it possible to study human cancers in pigs. Robertson was fascinated by the work and adds that his connection with Schook wasn’t bound by a workday clock. “Sometimes he’d have me over for dinner. And, every Tuesday, we would drive from Chicago, where he had one set of labs, to Urbana, where his other labs were,” he recalls. “I consider him a good friend.”
The work Robertson did with Schook opened up new opportunities for him later. He pursued further studies linked to a specific PD-1 inhibitor — part of a promising group of anticancer drugs. He wrote his honors thesis about it and made sure to give one of the hardbound copies to Schook.
working with the College and with students offers its own unique rewards.
Schook, for example, has been able to offer internships for many Albion students in his labs in Chicago and Urbana. While student interns are often working with more experienced people, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, he says they bring energy and enthusiasm that benefits the entire group. “They’re very smart and focused on learning — and they don’t care how long they have to be in the lab, because they really want to contribute to the team,” he said.
Schook also loves being able to help widen the sense of possibility for students. He knows that many arrive at Albion wanting to pursue a science-based career but may only consider a narrow range of options, such as doctors and dentists. But, for some students, a career in research, a path typically less familiar to undergraduates, might be an even better fit for their interests. “Having the opportunity to experience other things is critical,” he said.
Opferman, the JPMorgan Chase director, echoes that sentiment, noting that she grew
up in a small town and didn’t have a sense of corporate finance as a career when she arrived at Albion. She also understands how she can use her experience to help create possibilities for more women in the field. “There’s a whole mindset that ‘you need to see her to be her,’” she says. “Albion [helped me] see what options were available to me when I was a student, and, if I can do that for students today, I view that as a great way to give back to an institution that gave so much to me.”
For several years, Tina Yost Johnson, ’95, a circuit court judge in Calhoun County, has welcomed interns to assist her in public engagement. The arrangement has been a valuable way for her to move faster on many of her top priorities — while helping the students she works with pursue a project they’re passionate about. “I work on a lot of different committees, and the legwork that students do has the ability to make a lasting impact on the community,” she said. “Do I have time to contact all of the people, make charts and do analysis on every project? I don’t. When I’m working with interns, they can participate in a valuable experience while getting guidance from people who have years of experience in an area.”
For students, the benefits of working with Albion alumni for an internship are clear: they get to test out career pathways in a structured way, often with the possibility of a job at the end. For the alumni providing the internships,
‘Students really want to contribute.’Calhoun County Circuit Court Judge Tina Yost Johnson, ’95 (left), with Tori Conklin, ’22. Together, they have continued a successful internship connection for the College.
Even more than that, she said, is her own sense of duty to give back to a school that opened up the world to her. “Albion’s not just a college: it’s a community. In any community, you get what you give,” she said. “I feel that it’s my responsibility to mentor students and give back because it helps continue the cycle of bettering both the community and the College. That’s our obligation as citizens.”
As Albion seeks out more alumni who can offer internships to students, the College is also taking great care to ensure that internship advisors and their student interns are a perfect match. Program directors for the Gerstacker Institute and the Ford Institute, for example, get to know students and alumni in related fields well and can help direct students to opportunities that are likely to be a perfect fit.
Tim Ward said he’s been a beneficiary of this process. He wears many hats in his small, 11-person lobbying firm and relies heavily on Eddie Visco, director of the Ford Institute, to help identify a small handful of good students for him to consider for roles. The success rate so far has been unbeatable. “I’ve never had a bad intern,” Ward said.
Even better, as he’s learned what helps students be successful, he can communicate that to Visco and to Albion to streamline the process further.
Alumni who offer consistent internship opportunities to students over time typically see the greatest benefits, since the College can help promote the opportunities and identify strong candidates, said Kase. “We strive to create recurring opportunities. It’s an excellent way for Albion alumni to give back to their alma mater while providing an opportunity for both interns and alumni to participate in an extended interview.”
Students who do internships with Albion alumni often have an edge as they enter into the workforce after graduation. A case in point is Eggenberger, who didn’t just excel in her internship with Ward — she’s now rocketing
through the political world in a full-time role. After graduation, she landed a role as a legislative director for Representative Karen Whitsett in the State House of Representatives. Thanks to her experience with MLC, she was able to bypass an entry-level “front desk” role in the office—typically handling casework and doing district events, for example—and instead land a “back desk” role, which focuses more on policy advising and helping representatives work bills through the legislative process.
While Eggenberger said the leap felt overwhelming at first, she has been able to navigate the transition effectively in part because of the network she built through her internship with Ward. “I already have connections with all the lobbyists at MLC, and whenever one of their clients is a stakeholder on a bill, it’s easy for me to reach out to get the scoop on what’s going on. Those connections have been so valuable.”
For Ward, seeing former interns succeed is a joy. And for Eggenberger, who sees a wide open path ahead of her, the internship has brought a confidence and a sense of possibility that would have been difficult to achieve any other way. “I could go on and on about having an internship,” she said. “It was such a great experience for me, and I’d do it again, a thousand times over.”
Erin Peterson is a freelance writer based in Minneapolis.
› Interested in learning more about offering an internship to Albion students? Contact the College’s Career and Internship Center at 517-629-0332 or careers@albion.edu for more information.
On an internship as an extended job interview:
“For me, an internship was about building a full-time career. The fact that I’m still with the same team that I interned with as a student — but it’s my full-time role now — speaks to the strength of the program.”
–Ben Kolanowski, ’17, an associate banker with JPMorgan Chase, was introduced to the internship opportunity, in part, by Executive Terrah Opferman, ’04.
On support that lasts beyond the internship:
“Tim [Ward] was more than just a supervisor; he’s been a mentor. I talk to him all the time, I ask him questions — and he has encouraged me, if I ever need career help or have questions, to keep that dialogue open.”
–Latrell Crenshaw, ’21, who interned with Tim Ward, ’86, at Michigan Legislative Consultants, is now a business development specialist in the neighborhood investment unit for the city of San Diego’s Economic Development Department.
On the value of internships in forging a career path:
“It was definitely an honor being able to work with Judge Yost Johnson. I know I can reach out to her, talk to her and even get a recommendation from her for law school.”
–Tori Conklin, ’22, who interned with Calhoun County Circuit Court Judge Tina Yost Johnson, ’95, is a sociology major with a philosophy minor.
For many music scholars, creating something on the scale of the Albion College Diabelli Project (ACDP) could be a career pinnacle — but for Lia Jensen-Abbott, at the end of 2022, that original project is pretty much in the rear view mirror.
Not only is she well into an unexpected second volume of the project, Jensen-Abbott has also been dealing with renewed interest in a different branch of her scholarship, and she’s taken leadership of Albion’s Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program to boot.
If all of that weren’t enough (let alone too much), “I’m teaching an overload course this semester, too,” Jensen-Abbott adds. “One of our instructors resigned during the first week of classes, and it would have been a disaster if her seminar students had to redo their course schedules,” Jensen-Abbott said. “I had the time open and I didn’t have time to find another instructor.”
She smiles. “It was pretty stressful for the first couple weeks, but it’s going well. One of my students told someone it is their favorite course this semester.”
To understand Jensen-Abbott’s ACDP, here’s a quick explanation of the “original.” Right around the time that Jane Austen was hitting her stride, Viennese music publisher Anton Diabelli invited the country’s musical elite to write variations on a tune he provided. Contributors included Franz Schubert and the 11-year-old Franz Liszt, but Beethoven — the most popular composer of the era — declined to participate. Following the success of Diabelli’s collection, Beethoven wrote 33 of his own variations. Almost 200 years later, Beethoven’s “Volume II” remains popular with pianists and music lovers, while Diabelli’s original collection is largely ignored.
Unlike Diabelli, Jensen-Abbott didn’t envision her project as a fundraiser for widows and orphans of the Napoleonic Wars — but she did see it as a way for music to address a social issue. “Diabelli’s variations were about nationalism and the superiority of one musical tradition,” she explains. “I thought, ‘What would his variations look like if diverse voices were the focus?’”
Five years ago, music professor Lia JensenAbbott had this wild idea: she could “recommission” one of the masterpieces of piano literature as both a work of art and a social commentary on diversity and inclusion.
Beyond that goal — and on top of her full-time job — Jensen-Abbott would also prepare and record the entire project herself.
Still working from Diabelli’s original tune, Jensen-Abbott’s ACDP Volume I commissioned works from a 2019 Albion alumnus, a 70-something jazz pianist, an international composer and music professor at the University of Colorado, and musicians in South Africa, Australia, Costa Rica and Germany. That first volume was so successful that Albion’s faculty awarded Jensen-Abbott a grant for a second volume, featuring only female composers.
“Historically, women have not been recognized or respected as composers and performers,” Jensen-Abbott said. “When I have the opportunity to support female composers, that’s something I want to do.”
Beethoven’s Diabelli variations were the focus of Jensen-Abbott’s doctoral studies — but this expertise still makes her just one among countless musicians and scholars who might be considered “experts” on Beethoven.
That’s definitely not the case when it comes to Jensen-Abbott’s knowledge of American composer Florence Price. In 1932, Price became the first African American woman to have an orchestral work performed by a major orchestra (the Chicago Symphony). Nonetheless,
her remarkable music and life were largely overlooked for decades.
Jensen-Abbott’s unlikely path to becoming an expert on Price’s piano music and pedagogy began in 2013, when she first heard some of Price’s vocal works. “The program notes mentioned that Florence had written a piano sonata, and I’m always looking for new music,” Jensen-Abbott recalls.
That search led Jensen-Abbott to the University of Arkansas, where she was invited to perform and visit their Florence Price collection of materials. Jensen-Abbott found a
trove of music for beginning and intermediate piano students, much of it water-damaged and in manuscript form. Jensen-Abbott subsequently edited the first two published volumes of Price’s piano pedagogy.
Despite the honor of having the Chicago Symphony play her music, Price struggled as an African American single parent during the Great Depression. Jensen-Abbott speculates that these circumstances led Price to create so much “teaching” music.
“I think she wrote a lot of this music because her students couldn’t buy it — because they didn’t have money or weren’t allowed in the stores,” Jensen-Abbot reflects. “She wrote this music so her students would have something to play.”
Price still doesn’t have the recognition she deserves for her contributions to American music and African American history. Her contributions to music education, however, are gaining national attention, thanks in large part to Jensen-Abbott. This year alone, Jensen-Abbott has done an international webinar on Price (for the Frances Clark Center) and presented at state-level music educator conferences in Michigan, Oklahoma and Oregon. She even appeared as a guest artist, playing Price’s music, at Howard University.
“Florence Price was trained at the New England Conservatory, and, unlike many women composers, she worked in ‘big’ formats – piano sonatas and symphonic music,” Jensen-Abbott says. “But a lot of composers don’t take the time or can’t write good teaching pieces.”
She continues, “Florence is really forwardlooking in how she breaks down concepts and how she’s aware of the physicality of the piano and the physiology of the hand. These aren’t considerations you see in the pedagogies developed by many prominent teachers and performers historically.”
Given her ongoing work with ACDP and Florence Price (not to mention her theory classes and own need to practice), it would be reasonable to think that Jensen-Abbott never pokes her head out of Goodrich Chapel.
But Jensen-Abbott is not the product of a conservatory, and, despite going to a state school, she’s liberal arts all the way – meaning that she now directs Albion College’s Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program
“It’s a dream come true, this job,” she said.
Jensen-Abbott joined Albion’s Honors Program faculty more than a decade ago, thanks in part to a similar program in a very different place. “It was an incredible experience,” she says of her four years spent in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Honors Program. “I loved engaging with the faculty and the community of students. I even loved writing the thesis. That’s why I started teaching Honors courses here as soon as I possibly could.”
As an Honors professor, Jensen-Abbott has developed two Honors seminars focused on the arts, culture and society (teaching each multiple times).
Her first course, with an added focus on education, inspired students to create the
Albion Film Festival, which operated (until COVID) as an annual fundraiser for Harrington Elementary School. Her other course, “Culture, Society, and Downton Abbey,” had students writing variations on the ‘Downton Abbey’ theme. The students also used the 1912-35 time period as a focal point for historic social, political and arts-based research projects.
As Honors director, Jensen-Abbott is excited about recruitment, and its potential to — what else? — change the diversity among program participants. She’s aware that many Albion students didn’t have the opportunity to take advanced and honors courses at their high schools and may feel they don’t belong in a program with students who did.
“It’s valuable for students to do the thesis project, to know they can go the extra mile when they get a job. It harnesses your creativity and effort,” she says. “Nothing else allows you to explore what you’ve learned in quite the same way.”
But while she’s undoubtedly a fan, Jensen-Abbott is also clear on where Honors needs to improve.
“We’re working to have the program reflect the diversity of the College,” she said. “We want to encourage Honors faculty to be as diverse in their course offerings. These goals will help our students have those experiences to go out into the world and think creatively about problems they may be facing in their careers, to be good citizens, to every day find ways to make their work, their lives, better places.”
“Most days are so busy trying to get everything done, but, in the end, I hope my students look back and see their experiences played a significant role in that development,” she concludes. “I know it will happen for me.”
“Historically, women have not been recognized or respected as composers and performers,” JensenAbbott says. “When I have the opportunity to support female composers, that’s something I want to do.”
Medical emergencies can happen in the blink of an eye, but Albion College is home to many student emergency medical technicians who are up for that challenge.
In fact, student EMTs have played a vital role in keeping everyone on campus safe. A recent example of this happened last spring at Anchor Splash, the popular annual Greek life event hosted at the Dean Aquatic Center.
A student EMT, Jack Brown, ’23, remembers, “I was just hanging out with my fraternity brothers on the pool deck, and I started hearing yelling outside of the music and the routine that was going on. I looked up in the stands and I saw a circle around somebody, and that’s kind of a universal sign that, OK, there’s something wrong with that person. So, I started quickly going that way and one of my fraternity brothers, who’s also an EMT, followed me,” he said. “We got there and the person
was sitting upright, super pale, not responding, their eyes were wide open. So, we did what we would normally do in that case — we checked for a pulse, and checked if they were breathing.”
The student EMTs quickly realized the situation was serious. “It didn’t look like he was breathing, and the three of us who checked for a pulse could not feel one, so we laid him down, and another student started doing compressions while I began to take the person’s shirt off so we could connect a defibrillator,” said Brown. “And then,
The Lisa and James Wilson Institute for Medicine prepares and supports students in their premedical journey. For a growing number of them, that includes serving the community as a licensed emergency medical technician.
the person just woke up after seven to 10 compressions,” Brown said.
Thanks to the student EMTs’ swift action, the person revived completely. Several student EMTs were present and responded, including Zach Bleicher, ’22, Hannah Headapohl, ’22, and Madeline Budd, ’24. Their quick thinking and application of their training averted what could have been a tragic event.
These students were prepared for an emergency as a result of EMT certification training they received through a partnership between the Jackson Community Ambulance (JCA) and the College’s Lisa and James Wilson Institute for Medicine. Established in 2018, the Wilson Institute has prepared hundreds of Albion students for medical and professional school, encouraging them to pursue careers in the medical and health fields.
Additionally, a relatively new student organization, the EMS club, helps students learn about emergency medical services and get trained to provide life-saving skills through EMT work and CPR training, according to Maggie Godfrey, interim executive director of the Wilson Institute. “In collaboration with the EMS club, the Wilson Institute offers an EMT summer course for students interested in becoming EMT certified,” Godfrey said. “It is an intense 16-week course facilitated by JCA. We typically have about 10 students per year who take the course and become certified EMTs. Many continue to work in south central and southwest Michigan.”
Brown, a biochemistry major, psychology minor and president of the EMS club, said it’s vital to encourage students to get their EMT license. “Right now, healthcare workers are at a serious shortage, and they have been
for a while, and it’s just gotten worse,” he says. “But having the EMS club has allowed so many students on campus to get their EMT license and work as EMTs in the Albion area and around Jackson, which is providing support to our local healthcare system.”
An EMT for JCA himself, Brown latched onto an idea last fall that had once been a dream of the club’s founders. Brown wanted to have an on-campus ambulance that Albion student EMTs could use for campus emergencies. He worked with JCA and Ken Snyder, associate dean of students and director of campus safety, and, this past spring, the dream became a reality.
The ambulance is stationed in the Office of Campus Safety parking lot. “Now, when there is a call on campus, EMT students get a notification on their phone and can make their way to that ambulance quickly and then respond to that call to initiate care,” Brown said. “We’re essentially first responders for campus, because we can provide care and, if need be, even provide transport to the hospital.” He adds that while there is a local Albion Community Ambulance (ACA), “Sometimes that truck is in Jackson or otherwise engaged, and it just provides more support to campus.”
While several student EMTs fortunately were already at the scene of the Anchor Splash incident, the new campus ambulance service also functioned as it should. “We all got a notification on our phones,” Brown said. “That system worked out beautifully, and another student, Trey Warner, ’24, who is an EMT, had just finished dinner at the Malleable and was able to get to the Campus Safety parking lot, grab the ambulance and get to the Dow. He got there before the actual ambulance stationed out of Albion got there.”
Campus is already a safer place thanks to Brown’s efforts to have an ambulance more accessible.
Madeline Budd, the EMS club’s vice president, is a biochemistry major with a neuroscience concentration. She plans to be a doctor and says she learned about EMT certification through the Wilson Institute when she first joined the club. “I went through the course last summer, and I just started working a few months ago, and I really like it,” she said. “I did it for clinical hours for medical school. It’s a great way to get experience, and I’ve learned a lot about dealing with patients.”
Budd now works with JCA as an EMT and said Albion College helped her get there. “The Wilson Institute was a huge part of that; they just explained the process of getting into medical school very well,” she said, adding that she realized the clinical hours from being an EMT would be invaluable when applying to med schools. There are approximately 350 students in the Wilson Institute, and each one is
Through the efforts of the student-run EMS club, a dedicated ambulance vehicle was provided to Albion College this spring by Emergent Health Partners, which operates six community ambulances in southern Michigan, including Albion Community Ambulance and Jackson Community Ambulance. The vehicle is stationed in the Office of Campus Safety parking lot. Pictured from left: Emergent Vice President Brian Walls; Jack Brown, ’23, current president of the EMS club; Ken Snyder, associate dean of students and director of campus safety; and Emergent Vice President Karl Rock, ’07.
receiving the support they need to pursue work in the medical field.
“The Wilson Institute is the reason why I came to Albion College, for them to help me on the premed track,” Budd said. “They helped me pick out my classes, and they even helped pay for our books for the EMT course.”
Albion recognizes that EMT training can be expensive, and the Wilson Institute does its best to help. In fact, Dr. Richard Swain, ’61, and Jenne Swain, ’62, recently gave a generous gift to the Institute to support clinical experiential learning (which includes EMT training) as well as to help ameliorate barriers to students successfully transitioning to medical school.
Dr. Brad Rabquer is an associate professor of biology at Albion and interim faculty director of the Wilson Institute. He emphasizes how impressed he has been with the students who have run the EMS club, and that, “This was truly a student-developed club. It was students who wanted to do this; they made it happen and the Wilson Institute is here to support them.”
Budd said the College’s small size also played a role in preparing her for being an EMT and her future as a doctor. Among the benefits: “Overall, the professors and having such small class sizes and such personalized learning,” she said. “I’m not afraid to ask questions, and I feel like it’s really helped me to be outgoing in the field.”
The most meaningful part of being an EMT, Budd said, is “just being able to help people and give people some comfort when they’re having the worst day of their life. Every call is important and unique. I learn something new on every single shift,” she said.
Another member of the club, Kaitlyn Piontkowsky, ’23, is a biochemistry and Spanish major minoring in art. She works for ACA as an EMT. Being an EMT is worth it, she said, because of the comfort that it gives other people who “have that security that there are people nearby who are willing to drop anything to help you, and it’s really nice being able to go in the house and, even if it’s not a serious call, to give someone peace of mind that they’re going to be OK.”
classes have helped him in his work as well. “They’ve definitely aided in my decision making; taught me how to think critically, especially in the sciences, facing a new challenge every day in the lab or in the classroom; and helped shape how I try and solve problems on the job,” he said.
Being an EMT as a college student is special, Rollison explains. “I think my favorite aspect of the job is just the patient satisfaction and knowing that you’ve done well,” he said. “Someone can be in a very, very unfortunate predicament and we come in and are comforting. It’s very rewarding and amazing just to be a part of that. I think it gives you a unique experience, especially as a younger person in college to make a huge impact.”
A goal realized: Becca Rychener, ’21 (left), and Max King, ’21, cofounded Albion’s EMS club with the intention to station an ambulance on campus.
The EMS club has prepared her for her work as an EMT through “scenario nights,” where the students practice assessing medical crises and learn how to treat them. In the field, Piontkowsky said, “You get really interesting calls over the radio, and you don’t know exactly what you’re coming to. You know you’re kind of preparing for it during class, and you’ve talked about it a lot, but you’ve never really seen something like that. So, it’s really interesting to be able to go and actually see cases and actually be able to help people like that.”
Noah Rollison, ’24, a biochemistry and biology major, works as an EMT for JCA. He said his regular Albion
Not everyone in the EMS club is an EMT. Sathwik Reddy, ’24, a biology major, is on the club’s executive board, and, while he isn’t an EMT, he says being in the club is still a valuable experience. “You are in an environment with people who all have an interest in medicine, and that is something really great, especially if you want a career in the healthcare field,” he said. “I want to be some sort of doctor, and being in the EMS club helps you gain some important skills to help you prepare for the medical world.”
The co-founder of the EMS club, Max King, ’21, majored in biochemistry and math/physics. He is now an EMT for Emergent Health Partners, working in Jackson, Albion and Lenawee. King and classmate Becca Rychener, ’21, formed the club with the goal of getting enough student EMTs on campus to have a campus ambulance. The goal may have been realized after their graduation, but King and Rychener laid the groundwork for the successful ambulance service today. It was “driven from our desire to make a positive impact in the Albion community,” King said.
His time at Albion prepared him for his current career, he said. “Albion’s biology and chemistry classes gave me a great foundation in terms of knowledge that would need to be applied in the field of EMS and in medicine in general,” he said. “The teachers are second to none, and I am incredibly grateful for each of them, as they have given me everything I need to be successful in EMS and in my continuing education.”
Bram Siemers, ’19, graduated with a biochemistry degree and is now a senior paramedic for JCA. He agrees with King’s assessment: “Albion’s science programs helped a lot,” he said. “The biochemistry degree was phenomenal, which I can’t stress enough.”
Still, Siemers found his nonscienceoriented classes to be helpful as well, specifically citing offerings in the departments of modern languages and cultures and women’s, gender and sexuality studies. “[They] have allowed me to gain more appreciation for poverty and less fortunate groups of people,” he says. “This has always been a big area of focus in healthcare and EMS even before the COVID-19 crisis, since healthcare aims to improve health and quality of life in this population.”
Siemers recommends working in EMS to all who are interested. “As of now, I’m just over nine years working in EMS,” he said. “It’s been a fulfilling job and a great way to learn how healthcare and the community function. I would recommend it to those interested in career routes related to nursing and nurse practitioners, respiratory therapy, physician assistants, veterinarians and medical doctors or doctors of osteopathy.”
In 1973, one notable high schooler, Joe Calvaruso, ventured onto the Albion campus to train as an EMT, back when the City of Albion held
EMT training in the Norris Center. Calvaruso served as an EMT his senior year at Albion High School, and, when it was time to apply to colleges, he knew exactly where he wanted to go. Calvaruso worked as a student EMT while attending Albion College, and, after his graduation in 1978, he continued to serve, adding up to seven years in total.
A history of Albion College and EMT service includes Interim President Joe Calvaruso, ’78, pictured at right in a fall 1976 Io Triumphe! magazine story with longtime biology professor and Albion resident Dr. Ken Ballou, ’47.
“At the time, Albion was totally a volunteer ambulance. We didn’t get a dime for doing any of the runs, it was all just because we loved helping the community and wanted to be involved,” said Calvaruso, current interim president of the College.
Though he later switched to business, Calvaruso began his time at Albion College as a premed student, and his interest in healthcare continues to this day.
“I’m still licensed [as an EMT] today,” he says, adding, “About the time I always think, ‘I’m not going to renew my licensing, I’m not going to get the additional training, I’m not going to keep the hours,’ then something happens and I think, ‘Yes, I’m going to continue that. It’s worthwhile.’”
One such incident happened recently, when Calvaruso was at a College event and someone passed out behind him. Calvaruso was able to give the person medical attention and calm the family. It’s moments like that, he says, that remind him it’s all worthwhile.
Calvaruso had such a good EMT experience in college that he encourages current students to become EMTs. “It’s a good way for students to feel like they’re getting involved and making a difference in the community
and a difference in their career, their future, getting that type of hands-on experience,” he said. “It helped me think differently — in being able to, in emergency situations, think on your feet, when you’ve got a few seconds to make a difference in a lot of cases, and so you just make a decision.”
Being a student EMT offers invaluable personal and professional development. “The more of these unique opportunities you pick up along the way, they just make your life richer,” Calvaruso said.
Albion provides a true liberal arts experience, allowing students — many of them future doctors — to become well-rounded academically as they take advantage of EMT and other unique opportunities for learning outside the classroom. Rabquer, the Wilson Institute’s interim faculty director, said, “The benefit of being in a liberal arts premedical program is the training students receive beyond the sciences, and the emphasis we place on understanding languages and cultures, and learning more about the human experience through psychology, and how all of that contributes to making students into better physicians.”
For students who want to make their education engaging and their lives richer, Albion is the place to be.
HOMECOMING 2022 featured the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, including an allfemale inductee class to the Hall of Fame, as well as, the 50th reunion for the Class of 1972, alumni gatherings for dance, art, Ford, athletics and the Black Alumni Chapter, and the annual BritX Talks featuring alumni speakers. Thank you to all who “followed the Yellow Brit Road” home to Albion!
The Class of 1972 celebrated their 50th milestone reunion at Homecoming 2022. The weekend kicked off with a reunion Happy Hour followed by a concert at the Bohm Theatre (“Common Chords: Robert Jones and Matt Watroba”) that was open to all, compliments of the Class of 1972. Saturday, Oct. 8, members of the class participated in Homecoming festivities, including the football game, and attended the Milestone Reunion dinner in Upper Baldwin. The weekend wrapped up with a brunch Sunday which included a Zoom component so classmates could join virtually.
Members of the Alumni Board help to facilitate alumni engagement with the College and connections between alumni and students. See them at Homecoming, at the annual Alumni Awards Ceremony and at regional and virtual events. Full roster: albion.edu/engage-support/alumni-association
Meet the newest Alumni Board members:
David Coon, ’91, studied economics at Albion and obtained an M.B.A. from DePaul University. While at Albion, he was involved in Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and the football team (MIAA champions). David currently resides in Inverness, IL, and is partner and director of retail sales and service at LSV Asset Management.
Front row left to right: Susan Schwall, Nancy (Graham) Roush, Karen (Popek) Hart, Betsy (Owen) Marsh, Sue (Stubbs) Nicol, Gordon Berg, Ruth Ann (Clay) Stover, Pat (Geissinger) Lawson and Lyn (Ward) Healy. Middle row left to right: Paul Rehkopf,
› If interested in planning a class or group gathering, please contact alumniengagement@albion.edu.
Dr. Holly (Huth) Wirkus, ’10, studied biology at Albion and was involved in varsity tennis and the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. PostAlbion, Holly completed medical school at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences, residency in Internal Medicine in Chicago and fellowship in Palliative Care at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Wirkus is an M.D. at Ascension St. John Center for Palliative and Supportive Care in Grosse Pointe Woods.
Eric Allen, ’95
Attorney
Law Office of Eric J. Allen, Ltd. Columbus, OH
Lisa Gezon, ’88
Professor of Anthropology University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA
Brenda Green O’Connell, ’99
Community Development
Administrator Lake County, IL
Rachel Leads, ’12
Doctoral student University of North Texas Denton, TX
Brandan Walters, ’12 Product Manager
Bio-Rad Laboratories Ann Arbor, MI
James L. Curtis Alumni Leadership Award
Michael Jackson, ’85 Physician/founder
Regenerative Medicine of Iowa Des Moines, IA
Join us as we celebrate recipients of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award, Young Alumni Award and James L. Curtis Alumni Leadership Award. The Alumni Awards recognize outstanding professional achievements and contributions to community/humanity and highlight alumni who embody Albion College values and inspire fellow Britons.
Read more: albion.edu/engage-support/alumni-awards
Rob Reed, ’60, was named a 2021 Distinguished Alumnus by the Albion High School Alumni Association. After serving on the faculty of Eastern Michigan University and working in management for Knight Ridder in Miami, FL, Rob retired to Albion where he has been active in many civic organizations. He has served as president of both the Albion Association of Lifelong Learners and the Albion-Homer United Way. His Albion sweetheart, Gail Sedrick Reed, ’63, passed away in 2021. Rob lives in Albion.
Sharon Parsons Chace, ’66, published her latest book of poetry, Meet Me at the Ice Cream, which she describes as “deceptively simple poems about sustaining beauty.” Sharon was named poet laureate of Rockport, MA, in 2017, and continues to hold that honor. Meet Me at the Ice Cream is
available at www.wipfandstock.com and on Amazon.
Bob Basselman, ’75, Scott Pyykkonen, ’75, and Mark Thorsby, ’75, held an impromptu 47th class reunion in Brighton this summer. All three were brothers in Alpha Tau Omega.
Amy Lawlor Levine, ’76, is the author of Final Wishes - A Journal for Reflections on Life and Guidance for Settling Your Affairs, published in 2021. After being interviewed by the Huffington Post and the New York Times, Amy was thrilled to be the subject of a feature article written by classmate James Block, ’76, for Michigan’s Blue Water Healthy Living Magazine
Tom Richardson, ’76, is a partner with Brinson, Askew, Berry, Seigler,
George Uetz, ’68, received the 2020 Exemplar Award from the Animal Behavior Society, an international nonprofit scientific organization. In 2021, the University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences recognized Uetz with its Distinguished Alumni Award. Among many startling discoveries made during his decades of research, Uetz has shown that spiders can recognize 2D images of other spiders, that at least one “social” species can build an interconnected web structure 100 yards long, and that spiders can learn behaviors from just listening to the activity of other spiders. Uetz continues to serve as a professor of biology at the University of Cincinnati.
Richardson & Davis, LLP. Since 1998, he has also served as a member of the panel of Chapter 7 Trustees, U. S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Georgia. Tom is the brother of Patrick Richardson, ’68, Clinton Richardson, ’72, and John Richardson, ’75.
Mark Crawford, ’78, has just published his first novel, Divided Loyalty: Four Sons of the Revolution, available on Amazon and Kindle Books. While unearthing his own genealogy, Mark discovered four brothers, living in New York, who fought on opposing sides in the American Revolution. He credits the late history professor Julian Rammelkamp with sparking his love of history that has lasted since his days at Albion.
Don Parker, ’81, retired after 34 years with Eaton Corporation. Don and Barb Cook Parker, ’82, continue to reside in Westlake, OH.
Barry Lonik, ’83, was the subject of a profile in the Ann Arbor News in September 2021 for his 30year career in land preservation in Washtenaw County. Barry is president of the consulting company Treemore Ecology and Land Services. The feature story is available at www.mlive.com
Valerie Kostrzeba Sheridan, ’83, was named dean of A.T. Still University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona. Valerie joined the school’s administration in 2016, having
previously held clinical appointments at Michigan State University and Midwestern University. A past president of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, Valerie was named a 2020 Distinguished Fellow of that organization. She currently serves as vice chair of the Osteopathic Recognition Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
Deanna Behring, ’85, published her first book, This Tree is Me, a workbook of self-discovery and career empowerment. Building on 20 years of helping college students find their successful lives and careers, this book makes her counseling method available to learners of all ages. Deanna continues to live in State College, PA.
Valerie Kostrzeba Sheridan, ’85, is co-author of Hope Interrupted, a nonfiction series of letters written with her co-author during 2020 and 2021. The two authors – long-time friends of different genders and racial and geographic backgrounds – discussed current issues in the book, which was featured on C-SPAN’s Book TV in June 2021.
Margi Adams, ’87, is now serving as general counsel for global employment, compliance and integrity with NielsenIQ, a global leader in measuring what the world is buying. Margie is also a Montclair Educational Foundation Board member, a “Believe-in-she” Coach, and a team mom for women’s varsity soccer and lacrosse. She and her family live in Mountain Lakes, NJ.
Tony Harris, ’87, was named a 2021 Distinguished Alumnus by the Albion High School Alumni Association. Currently serving as principal of R. Grant Graham Elementary in Avondale, Tony is also a former Avondale High School athletic director and an inductee into their athletic hall of fame. He is also the current president of the Avondale Administrators’ Association. He and his wife, Lisa Wilson Harris, ’89, live in Auburn Hills.
David Quinn, ’90, has been appointed vice president of sales for Southfieldbased Priority Health, focusing on new business growth. David joined Priority Health in 2002 and most recently served as director of sales and client services.
Brian Shipman, ’91, rang the New York Stock Exchange opening bell in January 2022. A certified financial analyst, Brian serves as head of investor relations with EnvestNet. He lives in Greenwich, CT.
Amy O’Dell Wilson, ’92, received a 2019 Compassionate Healer Award from the New England School of Acupuncture, the same year she completed her master of acupuncture and Asian medicine degree from that school. She is a private-practice acupuncturist and currently serves as vice president of the New Hampshire Acupuncture and Asian Medicine Association. Amy and her husband, Mark, celebrated 29 years of marriage in 2022.
Matt Altman, ’94, recently published a monograph in the philosophy of law, A Theory of Legal Punishment: Deterrence, Retribution, and the Aims of the State. He has authored, co-authored or edited six books on German philosophers. Matt is a philosophy professor at Central Washington University and was recently elected to a second term on the board of commissioners for Hospital District 1.
Keith Clark, ’94, was recently named chief marketing officer for Mutual of Omaha insurance company. Among his many activities with the company during the past six years, Keith and his team are overseeing the Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom program reboot, scheduled to premiere in 2023.
Gregg Colburn, ’95, is co-author of “Homelessness is a Housing Problem: How Structural Factors Explain U.S. Patterns,” published by the University of California Press. Gregg is an assistant professor of real estate at the University of Washington.
Stacey Cowan, ’95, underwent surgery in September 2020 to remove an astrocytoma tumor and continued with chemotherapy for much of 2021. She is recovering at home in Midland.
Heather Addison, ’96, has been promoted to senior trust officer, overseeing the personal trust team at The Stephenson National Bank & Trust in Marquette. Her civic engagement includes volunteering with a weekend food program for
Samantha Rose Hill, ’06, published a biography of 20th-century philosopher Hannah Arendt, commissioned as part of Critical Lives, a series of biographies on philosophers from Reaktion Books. A Holocaust survivor who wrote The Origins of Totalitarianism in the 1950s, Arendt’s work has been on Amazon’s bestseller lists for the past five years. This year, Samantha also created a podcast and New York City walking tour, both of which engaged Arendt scholars and the general public in exploring Arendt’s life and her impact. Samantha is a senior fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities and associate faculty at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research and the University of the Underground.
Michelle Ilitch, ’06, was selected for DBusiness’ 2022 “30 in Their 30s” list of the region’s most innovative and impressive leaders. In her position as vice president of network solutions and value-based programs for Southfield-based Priority Health, Michelle oversees the development and maintenance of provider relationships with the company. She’s credited with guiding the provider contracting and data strategy for the integration with Total Health Care and setting up the company’s first external facing provider network management tool. ”I thought Priority Health would be the best environment to accomplish my curiosity in complex problem-solving,” Ilitch told DBusiness.”I create room for people to discuss problems and solve them; [I bring] physicians, hospitals, ancillary providers, plans and delivery systems together.”
The deadline for class notes appearing in this issue of Io Triumphe! was September 13, 2022. Notes will be accepted through March 31, 2023, for the next issue.
David Nelson, ’10, is enjoying critical acclaim for his first book Boys Enter the House: The Victims of John Wayne Gacy and the Lives They Left Behind (Chicago Review Press). He spent nearly a decade researching the 33 boys and young men murdered by Gacy over a six-year period in the 1970s. He conducted dozens of interviews with friends and family members, many of whom still live in greater Chicago where Gacy found his victims. David’s reporting on war crime trials in the Balkans was published by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, and he has had short stories published in several literary journals. David works for Cognitive Arts as a content development and project manager.
Rhonda Vander Zwaag, ’11, was one of three 2021 Women of Excellence Award recipients at Eastern Michigan University. The award, presented by the University’s Women’s Resource Center, recognizes EMU women and femme-identified people who encourage, support and advocate for the personal, academic and professional advancement of all women. Rhonda served as a senior admissions adviser, working closely with prospective EMU athletes, before moving in 2020 to become director of operations for the EMU women’s basketball program. In that role, Rhonda oversees the program budget and travel coordination, in addition to directing dayto-day operations.
school children, serving as treasurer of the local Boy Scout troop and serving on the boards of the Marquette Regional History Center and the Marquette Alger Resolution Service.
Dave Towne, ’97, was appointed judiciary chair of Tau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity, a role that makes him a policy adviser and
parliamentarian for the fraternity’s Grand Council.
Davia Cox Downey, ’99, is director of the Ph.D. in Urban Affairs program at the University of Memphis, in addition to serving as an associate professor in the University’s School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy. Her most recent book, Disasters and
Economic Recovery, is available from amazon.com.
Christina Krost, ’02, was promoted to the position of policy coordinator for the Faith in Place Action Fund located in Chicago. She advocates for environmentally sustainable energy legislation in Illinois. She lives in Mattoon, IL.
Todd Shayler, ’02, has joined Albion’s Office of Human Resources. Shayler previously was a manager with Dining Services and spent the past six years managing the Albion College bookstore.
Elizabeth Vogel, ’04, is administrator and CFO of Missaukee County. She is also the 84th (and current) president of the Grosse Pointe Rotary Club.
Emily Healy, ’08, is director of digital standards for Publicis Media, the third-largest media-buying agency holding company globally. Her subject matter expertise includes social media content policy, enforcement and safety, data standards and ethics, and brand safety and suitability. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Emily performed every Friday night at Chicago’s Comedy Clubhouse as both a cast member and host.
Johnathan Jordan, ’08, attended the 2021 Tokyo Olympics as swim coach for the Marshall Islands team. The Islands were represented by an alumnus and a current student at Lincoln College, where Johnathan also coaches.
Nicholas Kyriakopoulos, ’08, hung out his own shingle as NKLaw in 2021. He specializes in litigation related to personal injury and serves as an advocate for the Michigan Traffic Improvement Association.
Lauren Perry, ’09, has returned to Albion as assistant director of Admission, with a focus on international student recruitment.
Yume Nakamura, ’10, is a cardiology physician’s assistant with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Mariah Fiorillo Burnell, ’13, is currently working as a family medicine physician with McLaren Medical Group in central Michigan.
Austin Probst, ’13, was named a Michigan Rising Star attorney. He is affiliated with Kemp Klein Law.
Marie Brown, ’14, recently completed her residency with Midland Family Medicine and, this fall, began offering family medicine and obstetric care through Oaklawn Medical Group in Marshall. Marie looks forward to reconnecting with the Albion community.
Christopher Krauss, ’15, has recently joined the Colorado 7th Judicial District as a deputy district attorney. Chris is living in Montrose, CO.
Mackie Black, ’19, is pursuing a master’s degree in English literature from North Carolina State University.
Markeese Boyd, ’19, joined Albion’s Human Resources office in 2021 as a generalist.
Bailee Huhta, ’19, graduated with high honors from Madonna University’s ABSN program and is now working as a neurotrauma ICU nurse. Bailee lives in Troy.
Dillon French, ’19, is now an assistant coach for Briton women’s golf.
Sydney Graham, ’19, works with the Hoosier Hills Food Bank as a senior program and outreach manager. She and Kedric Gabriel, ’19, live in Bloomington, IN.
Griselda Iniguez, ’19, has worked as a success coach with Albion College’s Cutler Center since 2021.
ArShawn Parker, ’19, is the K-8 assistant principal at Concord Community Schools. He also serves as assistant coach for Albion men’s basketball.
Anna Watson, ’19, has just finished her first year with public emily artist management, a company whose clients include Lake Street Dive and Grammy Award winner Sarah Jarosz. As the company’s digital media specialist and associate manager, Anna handles the artists’ social media, creates merchandise and graphics and assists with day-to-day operations.
Alondra Alcazar, ’20, joined Albion Admission in 2021 as a counselor,
Hannah Koaches, ’11, to Matthew Mahony, ’11, June 26, 2021, in Petoskey. Alumni in attendance included Joseph, ’11, and Myryah DeMarsh Marino, ’11; Brent Koaches, ’13; Jonathan and Katherine Wiese Ross, both ’11; Sean, ’10, and Lacie Carter Thornton, ’11; Zachary, ’10, and Kaitlyn Pospiech Havens, ’12; Jennifer Hopkins Cooke, ’10; Christopher Amos, ’11; Brandon Cutcher, ’12; Patrick McMahon, ’11; Bradley Lee, ’13; and Christopher, ’10, and Laura Korson Jurasek, ’12.
Craig Lee Kreger Jr., ’15, to Patty Blakeslee Sept. 5, 2021, in Arlington, WA. Alumni in attendance
included Chase Kreger, ’12; Paul Lewis, ’14; Kendall Maddox, ’14; Wally Kacher, ’15; James Bandy, ’88; Jean Juett Bandy, ’89; and Robert Mangas, ’90. Craig Jr. is the child of Craig Kreger, ’90, and Renee Kreger, associate director of Albion College’s Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program and the Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity. The newlyweds live in Everett, WA.
Alex Carey, ’16, to Zachary Barry, ’16, March 6, 2021 at the Perry Hotel in Petoskey. The wedding party included Hannah Catalano, ’16; Taylor Shell, ’16; Matt Myers, ’16; and Hart Davis, ’16.
’18; Paige McKenna Kraft, ’18; Ashton Timmons, ’18; Julia Vitale Connochie, ’19; Michelle Green, ’19; Rebecca Rizer, ’19; and Marah Ranger, ’20.
Taylor Rosenthal, ’19, to Spencer Typinski, Aug. 27, 2022, in Vermontville. Alumni in attendance included Michelle Green, ’19; Mary Noble, ’19; Stephanie Saksa, ’19; Jessi Fore, ’19; and Daniel Newcomb, ’19. The couple lives in Hazel Park, and Taylor works as a medical technologist at Beaumont Hospital.
focusing on prospective students interested in studying fine arts.
Victoria Dulock, ’20, is a second-grade teacher with Wick Elementary School in Romulus. She lives in Livonia.
Olivia Maleckas, ’20, works for United Way of Southeastern Michigan as a CERA Care coordinator. She lives in Detroit.
Marcus Weatherspoon, ’20, has joined the College’s Business Office as a member of the accounting team.
Carlton Williams, ’20, is a counselor and assistant director for Albion College Admission.
Marcus Freeman, ’21, joined Albion Admission as a counselor.
Angela McCauley, ’21, is working as a sales executive for LINQ Services. She lives in Annapolis, MD.
Amanda Kendrick, ’17, to Dane Deemer, ’14, June 5, 2021, in Goodrich Chapel. The celebration included Bob Cermak, ’14; John Rogers, ’15; Sean Barlett, ’19; art professor and department chair Michael Dixon and art professor emeritus Anne McCauley. Amanda received her M.F.A. from Purdue University on May 15, 2021.
Rachel Barry, ’18, to Brandon Wade, ’18, Aug. 6, 2022, in Harbor Springs. Alumni in attendance included bridal party members Madison Kase, ’18; Rebecca Barry, ’18; Zarmina Amin, ’18; Mitchell McCord, ’18; Scott DeWeerd, ’15; Justin Kraft, ’18; and Daniel Newcomb, ’19; as well as family Ronald Barry, ’80; Janet Barry, ’81; Robert Barry, ’86; Jeffrey DeWeerd, ’90; Eric DeWeerd, ’91; Zachary and Alex Carey Barry, both ’16; friends Mike and Peg Mitchell Turner, both ’69; Nancy Graham Roush, ’72; Marcia Hepler Starkey, ’74; Neil Starkey, ’79; Kurt Shader, ’80; Drayton “Mick” McClelland, ’80; Mitchell Clinton, ’16; Christian Schubert, ’16; Jack Brownlow, ’17; Jordan Fujarksi,
Tessa Triest, ’19, to Aaron Weimer, ’22, Dec. 19, 2021, in Miami, FL. at the Thalatta Estate. Alumni in attendance included Taylor Anhalt, ’19; Leaha Sinnaeve, ’19; Alec Badgley, ’19; Tyler White, ’21; Mark Klingel, ’19; Beau Brockett, ’19; and Kurt Swaton, ’19. The couple met as members of Albion’s cross country team. Tessa now attends Nova Southeastern University where she is in her fourth year working toward her Psy.D. degree. Aaron finished his degree at Nova with a double major in math and secondary math education, and he now works at First Florida Credit Union. Tessa and Aaron are currently living in Davie, FL.
Marlo Scholten, ’21, to Skylar Thomas, Oct. 4, 2022, at the District 5 schoolhouse in Zeeland. Alumni in attendance included Miro Dunham, ’19; Jacob Terberg, ’18; Nick Merucci, ’18; Noah Ascencio, ’22; Jenna Bradley, ’21; Matthew Jacox, ’22; Kierra Bush, ’20; and Mitch Wiltzuis, ’22. The couple lives in East Grand Rapids.
Maxwell Gregory, April 2, 2020, to Amanda Goff Hertvik, ’02, and her husband, Greg. Max joins big sister Eleanor, age three. The family lives in Mentor, OH.
Bennett Sayers, Dec. 15, 2021, to Brian Sayers, ’05, and his wife Leigh Ann LaFave. Leigh Ann is the head coach for Albion’s softball team, while Brian is a groundskeeper for Athletics. The family lives in Albion.
Mina Patricia, July 23, 2020, to Jeffrey and Shauna Paradine Tschirhart, both ’08. The family lives in Rochester, NY.
Juliette Lerie, June 30, 2021, to Jill Fuhrman Torres, ’09, and her husband, Omar. The family lives in Memphis, TN.
Cassius Ichiro, June 30, 2020, to Yume Nakamura, ’10, and her husband, Steve Preston. The family lives in Ypsilanti.
Lucy Jo and Clara Rose, April 7, 2020, to Patrick, ’12, and Samantha Stanek Underwood, ’13. They join big sister Nora. The Underwoods live in Gainesville, FL.
Noah Michael, May 19, 2021, to Mariah Fiorillo Burnell, ’13, and her husband, Bryan. Noah joins big brother Benjamin, age three. The family lives in Mount Pleasant.
Charlotte Lynn, June 7, 2021, to Alyssa Kulczycki Schumaker, ’14. The family lives in Grosse Pointe Woods.
Eleanor, July 11, 2022, to Jakob Hunter, ’15, and Sam Hunter. Jakob has been an officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections for five years. The Hunters live in the Detroit area.
Margot Elise Wolf, Feb. 7, 2022, to Emily Wolf (Kinser), ’16, and Jayson Wolf. Emily is currently taking a break
from teaching to be at home with Margot. The family lives in Byron.
Miles Ezekiel, April 8, 2022, to A.J. Mattson, ’17, and his wife, Hannah. Previously the resident director and area coordinator for Wesley Hall, A.J. now serves as the manager of housing and operations for the Office of Community Living at Albion College.
Eliana Marie Bis, June 28, 2022, to Kiana Thomas ’19 and partner Nick Bis. Kiana is a mortgage underwriting team lead at UWM. The family lives in Macomb.
Shiloh Helen, Aug. 18, 2022, to Jontaj, ’20, and Katie Davis Wallace, ’19. Taj is the band director at Western Middle School, while Katie is a preschool teacher at Little Rainbows Daycare. The family lives in Jackson.
Georgia Layne Rowlison, Aug. 31, 2022, to Grace Archer and Gabriel Rowlison. Grace serves as an Albion Admission counselor.
Amalia Ann Brade Ash, Dec. 20, 2021, to Laura Brade and Drew Ash. Laura is a member of the Department of History faculty while Drew is in the Department of Mathematics/ Computer Science.
Macy Ann, Feb. 25, 2022, to Maggie Godfrey and her husband, Carter. Maggie serves as the interim executive director of the Lisa and James Wilson Institute for Medicine.
Rafael Justin Krueger Cedeno, May 27, 2022, to Jamie Krueger and husband Leo. Jamie has served as vice president for Enrollment Management since September of 2021.
Pearson Joseph, Feb. 17, 2022, to Heather Strecker and her husband, Chris. Heather serves as director of admission operations.
Donna Martin Gaskell, ’36, May 27, 2022, in Fairlawn, OH. Possibly the College’s oldest alumna at the time of her death, Donna taught locally in several one-room schools after graduating from Albion. She later earned a master’s degree in library science, became Albion Public Schools’ first elementary librarian, and served as the high school librarian. She was involved in more than a dozen civic organizations, including Friends of the Albion District Library and the Calhoun County Literacy Council. Donna is survived by a daughter and son John, ’71, 10 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.
Ruth Kirkby Dunlap, ’43, Aug. 5, 2021, in Dallas, TX. A member of Alpha Xi Delta, Ruth studied education and began her teaching career in her hometown of Detroit. She and her late husband, Fred, met there but spent most of their lives in Dallas, where Ruth earned a master’s degree and taught at El Centro, Mountain View and Eastfield junior colleges. She is survived by three children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Richard “D.Y.” Youngs, ’44, July 6, 2022. D.Y. served in the U.S. Army Dental Corps during the Korean War before practicing dentistry in Adrian for more than 40 years. He served as president of both the Jackson District Dental Society and the Michigan Dental Society. He served on the Adrian Planning Commission and Chamber of Commerce. D.Y.’s civic involvement included Kiwanis, Masons, the Lenawee Civil War Round Table, the Lenawee Historical Society and the Sons of the American Revolution. He and his late wife, Lila, were married for nearly 70 years. D.Y. is survived by three children, nine grandchildren including Lauren Nelson Kennard, ’04, and Elizabeth Clark, ’09, and seven great-grandchildren.
William Bell, ’45, March 16, 2022, in Grand Rapids. After serving in the U.S. Army at the end of World War II, Bill worked as an insurance adjuster in Grand Rapids before a long career with the U.S. Postal Service in Traverse City. He held a builder’s license for several years, building and renovating several of his own homes. He and his wife, Elaine, were married for 65 years. Bill is survived by three children, nine grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.
Robert Maynard, ’46, Jan. 25, 2022, in Traverse City at the age of 101. Bob spent more than 300 days as a tank destroyer captain in the European Theater during WWII. He saw action on the Anzio beachhead, at the invasion of southern France, and in Hitler’s home in Berchtesgaden, Austria. Bob taught math at West Point Academy Preparatory School ,worked for Sylvania Electric, Cleveland Tank Plant, and ended his career with 24 years at Cadillac Motor Car Company of General Motors. A Sigma Chi at Albion, Bob eventually received SX’s national Balfour award. He is survived by four daughters, nine grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
Philip Gannon, ’47, June 15, 2021. Just 10 years after graduating from Albion, Philip became the founding president of Lansing Community College, a position he had for 32 years. He championed the then-new idea of a community college that supported professional development and career preparation in addition to serving students transferring to four-year institutions. His community involvement included stints as chair of the Capital Area United Way general campaign, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Lansing, and president of Lansing General Hospital. He also served on the National Advisory
Board of International Education and the National Advisory Committee on Accreditation and Institutional Eligibility, and consulted with technical education programs in China, Japan and Korea. Philip served as a Navy pilot during World War II. He received Distinguished Alumni awards from both Albion College and Michigan State University and in 2016 was presented a key to the city of Lansing. Philip is survived by his wife, Lois Lange Gannon, ’50, and three children including Kathleen Gannon Salomon, ’78, and Thomas Gannon, ’82.
Sallie Holcomb Panella, ’47, March 21, 2021. During World War II, Sallie directed a crew of teenage boys who worked on the family farm. She graduated as a Phi Beta Kappa sister from Albion, then worked as a bacteriologist in Lansing before marrying her college sweetheart, Joe Panella, ’48, and raising six children. She later taught high school chemistry, and she eventually spent a few years in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with Joe and their youngest child. She is survived by four children, seven grandchildren and sister Margaret Holcomb Hoerner, ’51.
Elizabeth Dunham Bichl, ’48, Oct. 31, 2021. A lifelong Alpha Chi Omega sister, Betty raised six children in Ohio and was founding president for the Junior Women’s Club of Lakewood. She is survived by five children, including Missy Bichl Sturgis, ’82, 14 grandchildren and sister Jacquie Dunham Rudelius, ’53.
Betty McLaren Gross, ’49, Jan. 18, 2022. After a few years teaching school, Betty became an active community member and leader in Adrian , MI for 60 years. She volunteered for Healthy Moms, Happy Babies, was a member of KKE
sorority, and served on the Stubnitz Foundation board. She and her Albion sweetheart, Charles Gross, ’50, were married for more than 70 years. Betty is survived by sister Elinor McLaren Upjohn, ’53, three children and nine grandchildren, including Olivia Eggenberger, ’13.
Lawrence Collins, ’50, June 16, 2021, in Rogers, Ark. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Larry also spent several years in the Central Intelligence Agency. In retirement, he became a registered gemologist and worked as a jeweler in Bentonville. He held a master’s degree from George Washington University and volunteered for many years with his local library and hospital. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, two children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Mary Louise Niehoff Shuler, ’52, March 22, 2021, in Kalamazoo. Mary Lou began her teaching career with a master’s degree in education from the University of Michigan. After raising four children, she returned to teaching as a reading specialist in the Alpena area. Mary Lou sewed clothing, including men’s suits, and gave away some 1,000 pairs of hand-knit mittens. In retirement, she became an artisan weaver and spinner and made jewelry. She and her husband, Bill, were married for 60 years. Mary Lou is survived by four children, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Anita Reis Witten, ’52, May 19, 2021. Other than her college years in Michigan and extended visits to France, native New Yorker Anita spent her life in New York, New England, and Pennsylvania. She exhibited her watercolors, pastels and collage work throughout that region for many years; outside of
her art, she helped launch and lead an upstate New York food co-op. An active supporter of Democratic candidates and causes, she was also a literacy volunteer and women’s rights advocate. Anita is survived by two sons and two grandchildren.
C. Dwight Briggs, ’53, June 25, 2022. After a tour of duty stateside during the Korean War, Dwight’s career in accounting and finance began with J.L. Hudson’s in Detroit, then moved to Minneapolis and ended with Sprint in Kansas City. In retirement, he took up cabinetry design for commercial and residential customers, and he was active with Unity Church of Overland Park. He is survived by his wife, Doris, two children, four grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren, both born in 2022.
Harold Frank Filbrandt, ’53, April 9, 2021, in South Haven, where he was born and raised. The first in his family to attend college, Harold went on to Garrett Theological Seminary following his Albion graduation and was ordained in the United Methodist Church. With his wife, Marian, he served multiple churches in West Michigan. Not finished by retirement, he served as a hospice chaplain for 15 years before a return to pastoring at Glenn UMC. He was a founding member of the local Diversity Coalition. Harold is survived by Marian, their three sons including Phillip Filbrandt, ’80, and eight grandchildren including Peter Filbrandt, ’23.
David Saxman, ’53, July 16, 2021, in Oak Brook, IL. Dave spent nearly 40 years as a sales representative with printing company RR Donnelley & Sons. He was a U.S. Navy Korean War veteran. An Eagle Scout, Dave spent many years in retirement working with his local Boy Scout troop and
volunteering for his local hospital, Republican Party office, and Oak Brook Civic Association. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Sandra, five children, 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
John Brundage, ’54, April 17, 2021. A cross country runner who was inducted with his team into Albion’s Athletic Hall of Fame, John also worked as a reporter for The Albion Recorder while in school. He returned to Albion after law school at Northwestern University and eventually became city attorney. In 1973, Gov. William Milliken appointed John as Calhoun County Probate/ Juvenile Court judge, a role he served for more than two decades while establishing that court as a state and national model of excellence. John had one case that was eventually heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, which affirmed his decision. John taught professional development courses for the Michigan Council of Juvenile and Family Courts and the Michigan Supreme Court. In retirement, John worked part-time with his son John, ’87, handling private adoptions and serving as counsel for Select Registry. A nephew of Elsie Munro, ’26, the longtime English professor and Albion community leader, John is survived by five children, including Mary Brundage Kempinski, ’85, and John Brundage, ’87; nine grandchildren including Max Brundage, ’14.
Annabelle Marchbanks Closson, ’54, June 4, 2021. After graduating from Albion, Annabelle earned a degree in nursing from Boston College. She did hospital nursing and taught nursing at St. Joseph’s School of Nursing. She created a series of films on the treatment and care of cleft palates that was used for decades. She created a CNA program at Chelsea
High School, then ended her career in Florida as a CCU nurse. In retirement, Annabelle held a leadership position with the Florida Mobile Homeowners Association, working with the state legislature to keep hundreds of Floridians in affordable housing.
Annabelle and her late husband, Paul, ’55, were married for more than 50 years. She is survived by two children, including Leah Closson Halpin, ’84, two grandchildren and niece Cathy Closson Vance, ’76.
Dorothy Hoisington Dickerson, ’54, July 25, 2021, at her home in Albion. In college, Dorothy served as president of Dean Hall, earned a teaching certificate and met her future husband, Gar Dickerson, ’52. The Dickersons maintained a family farm outside of Albion, and Dorothy worked as a popular substitute teacher as well as at Dickerson Music. When she was 70, the Dickersons purchased a local bookstore, and Dorothy managed Books and More until her retirement at age 85.
Dorothy is survived by eight children, including Greta Dickerson Reade, ’77, 20 grandchildren and 27 greatgrandchildren.
Richard Bald, ’55, July 7, 2022. Richard arrived from Germany through Ellis Island as the recipient of a U.S. State Department scholarship to attend Albion College. He eventually spent 35 years with Ohio University, teaching political science and winning several awards for teaching and service. Richard and his Albion sweetheart, Wally Etterich Bald, ’54, were married for nearly 67 years. He is survived by Wally and two children.
Sharon DeCou Cooney, ’57, July 26, 2022, in Tacoma, WA. Vice president of Alpha Chi Omega and Pleiad editor-in-chief, Sharon was also a member of Mortar Board and
graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Living with her late husband, James, in Chicago, Missouri and California, Sharon worked as a publishing editor and English teacher. She later worked in Silicon Valley with educational software companies. Sharon is survived by two sons, four grandchildren and siblings Janice DeCou Potter, ’62, and David DeCou, ’70.
Henry Passenger, ’57, Feb. 11, 2022 in Monroe. Although he spent several years working for newspapers in Battle Creek and Grand Rapids – and as news director for Albion College –Henry’s career began and ended with his beloved Monroe Evening News, where he served as reporter, editor and columnist. An early computer enthusiast, Henry taught computer classes in the 1980s for adult education and high school completion programs. With his first wife, Nancy, he ran the Monroe Conservatory of Music for many years. He is survived by Margaret, his wife of 25 years, two children and two grandchildren.
Jerry Rochte, ’57, June 24, 2022. Recognized as a leader in designing and building diagnostic equipment for laboratories, Jerry founded Californiabased Cavro Scientific Instruments in 1972, followed by Wisconsin-based Advanced Liquid Handling in 1993. He eventually held six patents related to clinical lab diagnostic equipment. Along with sailing and flying, Jerry enjoyed motorcycling and taught motorcycle safety classes. He is survived by his wife, Rita, two sons and seven grandchildren.
Jean Penzotti Swindell, ’58, Aug. 16, 2022. Jean raised four children before completing a master’s degree in education and working as a reading specialist. She is survived by her Albion sweetheart, Murray,
’56, four children including Murray, Jr., ’80, seven grandchildren, one great-grandchild and brother James Penzotti, ’69.
Marge Sours Willadsen, ’58, Feb. 6, 2022, in Peoria, IL. A Delta Zeta at Albion, Marge was widowed from Albion sweetheart Charles, ’57, after just six years of marriage. A two-week stint with the launch of United Federal Savings in 1977 turned into more than 20 years for Marge with UFS and its successor institutions. She volunteered more than 3,000 hours with Unity Point Methodist Hospital and Westminster Infant Care Center. Marge celebrated her 80th birthday at Wrigley Field, watching the first postseason game of the Cubs’ World series-winning 2016 season. She is survived by two children.
James Beauchamp, ’59, May 5, 2022. A Sigma Nu and trumpet player in the Charlie Brown Band at Albion, James went on to a career as professor of music and electrical and computer engineering with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His Harmonic Tone Generator, an analog electronic instrument developed in 1964 and used by some of the pioneering electronic music composers, is on permanent display at the Sousa Archives at the University of Illinois. His book, “Analysis, Synthesis, and Perception of Musical Sounds,” was published in 2007, and, well into retirement, James continued to research, publish articles and give papers on musical acoustics. He is survived by Karen, his wife of 40 years, brother John, ’49, three sons, one daughter and four grandchildren, including Grace Beauchamp, ’21, as well as ex-wife Elizabeth Heuman Johns, ’58, and nephews Steven Beauchamp, ’76, and John Beauchamp, ’77.
Gretchen Marsh Davis, ’59, July 9, 2021. An English major at Albion, Gretchen taught in Walled Lake and Ann Arbor, and she earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Michigan. Gretchen volunteered with Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels and Neighborhood Watch, and she was active with the Ann Arbor First United Methodist Church for more than 50 years. A member of Alpha Chi Omega at Albion, Gretchen served a term as president of the AXO alumnae chapter in Ann Arbor. She is survived by Dale, her husband of 58 years, daughter Jessica Davis McRowe, ’95, and two granddaughters.
Charles Sprandel, ’60, March 5, 2021. Charles did a tour of duty as a medic with the Navy before enrolling at Albion. He spent several years on the education faculty of the University of Toledo before becoming a teacher and administrator at Maumee Valley Country Day School. For nearly 20 years in Sarasota, FL, Charles was an instructor with Ringling College’s Lifelong Learning Academy, teaching the Great Books Series. Charles is survived by his wife, Alice; two children including Dawn Sprandel Kaser, ’84; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; siblings David, ’63, Mary Sprandel Ringer, ’68; brother-in-law David Ringer, ’67, and sister-in-law Nancy Stafford Sprandel, ’71 (wife of the late Jon Sprandel, ’58). Charles was a son of the late Walter Sprandel, former Albion College physical education professor, coach and dean of men.
William O’Brien, ’63, April 9, 2022. A native of Buckhannon, WV, Bill spent more than 30 years of his 40-year teaching career at BuckhannonUpshur High School. He and his late wife, Dorie, opened The IslandNursery Kindergarten in 1982,
providing preschool and kindergarten instruction for Upshur County until 2021. Bill is survived by two children and one grandchild.
David Withrow, ’62, Aug. 23, 2022. Dave spent his whole professional career in the steel industry, working even into his 80s as a forensic engineering consultant. His more personal interest in engineering came through woodworking and doing home renovation for grateful family and friends. Dave is survived by two children, two grandchildren and former spouse Susan Cowles Bowman, ’61.
Roy Boyer, ’63, Dec. 8, 2021, in Gaylord where he practiced internal medicine and non-invasive cardiology for 34 years. Roy taught for many years at his alma mater, Wayne State University School of Medicine, along with mentoring medical students at the University of Michigan. For more than 25 years, Roy chaired the Otsego Memorial Hospital Foundation. His community service included work with the Economics Development Corporation, the Gaylord Planning Commission and serving as team physician for the St. Mary Cathedral School football program. He is survived by his wife, Rita, five children including Brian Boyer, ’93, and 15 grandchildren.
Judy Case Kingsley, ’63, July 20, 2022. After graduating with a degree in sociology, Judy served as a social worker in Chicago; and she then as a juvenile probation officer with the Calhoun County Probate Court. After her children were in college, Judy returned to work as an assistant in the library at Harrington Elementary School. She volunteered for Meals on Wheels, Red Cross blood drives, Albion High School athletics and elementary tutoring programs. She began kindergarten and finished college with Jim, ’63, and the pair were married for
more than 50 years. Judy is survived by son Jay and daughter Jill Kingsley Hinde, ’88, four grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
Kenneth Neal, ’65, July 12, 2022. A co-captain of Albion’s undefeated 1964 football team, Ken was inducted into the College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. Although he remained a lifelong member of the Michigan Bar, Ken founded and directed the St. James Mortgage Corporation in Bloomfield Hills. He was a leader in founding an Albion College scholarship in honor of coach Morley Fraser. Ken is survived by two daughters, including Abigail Neal Sefton, ’93.
Sam Friia, ’66, Sept. 3, 2021. Sam used a forged draft card to join the Army at age 15 and owned a television repair shop for more than a decade before enrolling at Albion College in preparation for a law degree. He spent most of his legal career in private practice in Albion. A lifelong hunter, golfer and canoer, Sam traveled across the U.S. and to Europe and South America into his 80s in order to enjoy these activities. In retirement, he earned an award from Habitat for Humanity in Florida for five years of volunteer service. Sam is survived by his wife of 10 years, Helen Green, four children including Susie Friia Solis, ’79, 12 grandchildren and 18 greatgrandchildren.
Judith Leman Packard, ’66, Nov. 13, 2021. Judy taught elementary school (mostly first grade) for 26 years and, likewise, spent many years in the elementary Sunday School room at Horn United Methodist Church in Clayton, North Carolina. She and her Albion sweetheart, Doug, ’66, enjoyed cooking and traveling, including a 50th-anniversary cruise
Please send us your news about promotions, honors, appointments, marriages, births/adoptions, travels and hobbies. Notes will be accepted through March 31, 2023 for the next issue.
Send to: Editor, Io Triumphe!, Office of Marketing and Communication, Albion College, 611 E. Porter St., Albion, MI 49224; send via e-mail to classnotes@albion.edu; or use the convenient online form at albion.edu/engage-support. Be sure to include your full name, class year, address (postal and e-mail), and telephone number along with your message.
on the Rhine. Doug survives Judy, as do three sons, six grandchildren and three siblings.
Walt Pomeroy, ’70, May 24, 2022. A lifelong advocate for environmental issues, Walt helped Albion College organize its celebration of the first Earth Day in 1970, an event covered by the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. He went on to leadership positions with the National Audubon Society, the organization of the Northern Environmental Council, Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, and the Great Lakes Basin Commission. He eventually helped coach 175 Eagle Scouts, including his own two sons. Walt is survived by Lin, his wife of 43 years, two sons and five grandchildren.
Candace Van Den Berghe, ’70, Aug. 6, 2022, in Punta Gorda, FL. A Pi Beta Phi Sorority member and a home economics education major, Candy earned a master’s degree from Michigan State University and taught for 25 years in Utica, MI. In Florida, she became assistant director of Individual Dimensions, providing college entrance exam preparation and tutoring. Candy is survived by three godchildren, including James Gignac, ’01, and six grandgodchildren.
Nancy Cook, ’71, July 18, 2021. Nancy studied history at Albion, then went on to a career in management with Key Bank in the Cleveland/ Lyndhurst, OH, area. An avid walker, Nancy belonged to the Prairie Club in Michigan and the Cleveland Hiking Club. She is survived by two sisters, including Rebecca Cook Doar, ’74.
Eli Buzas, ’72, Jan. 27, 2021. Eli owned a real estate business and was active in his Colorado community,
where he helped found the Niwot High School Education Foundation and the Rotary Club of Niwot. He and classmate Chris Brott Buzas, ’72, took their RV to all 48 contiguous states. He is survived by Chris, three children including Melinda Buzas Hol, ’01, and four grandchildren.
Robert E. Zigmanth, ’73, Aug. 3, 2021. A member of Delta Sigma Phi at Albion, Robert began his accounting career with Jervis B. Webb Co., leading to his permanent move to California. He also worked for McDonnell Douglas/Boeing. An active member of Alcoholics Anonymous, Robert had just earned his 25th coin. He is survived by sister Laura Zigmanth, ’84, and brother-in-law Michael Layne, ’80.
Gerald Heaton, ’74, Dec. 12, 2021. Jerry had a distinguished law career in Logan County, OH, starting in private practice and then serving for 23 years as Logan County prosecutor. He led the board of his local United Way and served leadership positions in state and national professional organizations. He is survived by his Albion sweetheart, Ilene Mann Heaton, ’75.
Kim Hagerty, ’78, Aug. 25, 2021. After graduating from the University of San Francisco School of Law, Kim practiced in Lake Tahoe before returning to her hometown of Traverse City. She eventually served as CEO and board chair for Hagerty Insurance, the family business, overseeing the expansion from 10 employees to hundreds, and earning recognition from Fortue magazine as a “Best Company to Work For.”
Kim led the board of Traverse City’s Montessori Children’s House during construction of its current campus, and served for more than a decade on the Children’s House Foundation
board. She was also a founding member of the Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church. She is survived by her husband, Antonio, her daughter, mother and two siblings.
Henry Huth Jr., ’79, Aug. 24, 2022. A Sigma Chi and accounting major at Albion, Hank worked with Peat Marwick in Detroit and Arthur Andersen in Chicago before moving to Connecticut where he and his wife owned numerous franchise operations. Hank is survived by his wife, Barbara, four children, three siblings including Paul, ’77, and Zach, ’88, and 12 nieces and nephews including Hunter Huth, ’07, and Holly Huth Wirkus, ’10. Hank’s family and friends are creating a College endowment in his memory.
Stephen Jones, ’81, May 6, 2021. Steve retired in December 2020 after 31 years teaching history and social studies at Greenhills School in Ann Arbor, his own alma mater. Steve founded the school’s eighthgrade trip to Washington, D.C., which became known as the “Steve Jones experience.” Steve is survived by three siblings, including Mimi Jones Bartlett, ’72.
Wendy Urka, ’85, July 5, 2021. An economics and management major at Albion, Wendy worked as a CPA in Ohio before earning a second bachelor’s degree in information technology from the University of South Florida. Moving to Brandon, FL, Wendy switched her career from accounting to editing CPA review materials. Wendy is survived by three siblings, including Meggen Urka, ’80.
Julie Karmazin, ’90, Nov. 17, 2020 in Arlington, VA. A certified federal contracts manager, Julie worked at Accenture Federal Services. Julie was a founding board member for
the Center for American Military Music Opportunities, a professional development organization for veterans. She is survived by her mother and sister Anne Marie Karmazin Schoonhoven, ’87.
David Siffring, ’92, Aug. 15, 2020. David was a resident fellow in neuroradiology and nuclear medicine at the University of Southern California, along with serving as a diagnostic radiologist at local hospitals. He is survived by his husband, Jesus, his father and four siblings.
Nicole Langford, ’99, Feb. 1, 2022. A member of Kappa Delta and the Albion College Symphony Orchestra, Nicole received Albion’s Jennie Worthington Cup given to outstanding senior women in the music department. Nicole spent six years at Lansing Public Schools before her 15-year tenure as a music teacher for Byron Center Public Schools. She was board vice president of stageGR, which established the Nicole Langford Leadership Scholarship to encourage youth participation in theatre; the first scholarship was awarded this year. She is survived by her son, Xavier, life partner Bobby Turner, her parents and a sister.
Tracy Yoshikawa D’Errico, ’10, May 6, 2020, in Raleigh, NC. At Albion, Tracy studied athletic training and captained the women’s soccer team. She received a master’s degree at East Carolina University, where she also worked as a women’s soccer athletic trainer. In 2016, she became athletic trainer for the women’s soccer team at North Carolina State University. She is survived by her husband, Chris, parents David and Ruth Yoshikawa and a brother.
Arnold (Arny) Langbo, Arnold (Arny) Langbo, who served for 12 years on Albion College’s Board of Trustees, passed away Oct. 16, 2021, in Sanibel Island, FL. Canadian by birth, Arny attended the University of British Columbia before accepting a sales representative position with Kellogg Canada in Vancouver. Over the course of 44 years, Arny held numerous positions with the company, eventually becoming Kellogg Company chair and CEO in 1992. During his Albion board tenure, Arny encouraged the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to supply the lead gift for construction of Albion’s award-winning Kellogg Center (see page 35). He also served on the boards of Johnson & Johnson, Whirlpool Corporation, the Grocery Manufacturers of America and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Arny is survived by Martha, his wife of 62 years; eight children including Gary Langbo, ’89, and Craig Langbo, ’95 (Craig’s wife is Carrie Curell-Langbo, ’95); 19 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Melanie Fodera, ’16, Sept. 27, 2021. A communication studies and English major, Melanie graduated with Albion College Honors and was a member of Kappa Delta and the Hunt Seat team. Melanie was the student photographer for Albion’s Theatre department and for the Held Equestrian Center. Melanie was featured in “The New York Times” for her clothing and electronics resale shop. Mel was also a tutor, farm assistant and pet sitter as well as an independent artist and client ambassador at Parkway Small Animal and Exotic Hospital. She is survived by her parents, William and Heidi Fodera, and two siblings.
Christopher Derian, ’17, Dec. 19, 2021, in Bloomfield Hills. A philosophy major at Albion College, Christopher completed three semesters at the Francis Carey School of Law at The University of Maryland, where he worked with the Business Law Journal, which published one of his papers. An Eagle Scout and lifelong hiker, Christopher hiked the Appalachian Trail (southward) before enrolling in law school. He is survived by parents Carl and Mary Durbin Derian, ’86, and three siblings.
Russell Aiuto, former faculty member and administrator, April 26, 2022, in Marietta, GA. A scholar of diverse interests, Russ taught speech and drama at Monroe High School before earning his doctorate and joining Albion’s biology faculty in 1966. He spent 19 years in Albion teaching, directing the Honors program and serving as provost. He left Albion to become president of Hiram College, later working for the National Science Foundation, the National Science Teachers Association and the Council of Independent Colleges. In retirement, Russ served as adjunct professor of English and biology at two different schools. He authored/ co-authored five textbooks, published three young adult novels and wrote 12 plays, all of which were performed. Russ is survived by Lois, his partner of 26 years, daughters Susan and Mary Aiuto Carroll, ’80, two grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
John King, Dec. 25, 2021. From the late 1990s through the late 2000s, King served as an adjunct instructor with the Department of Music, teaching private voice lessons and directing the Opera Workshop and Theatre Workshop classes. King spent much of his professional career teaching choral music for Albion Public Schools and working with Albion Community Theater.
Robert Norton, Oct. 15, 2021, in Jackson. An Albion native, Robert spent 36 years as one of the College’s mechanics. He was a member of both the Moose and Eagles lodges and a collector of antique tractors. He is survived by four children, including Brandy Norton, ’06, five grandchildren and two siblings.
Tom Doran, professor emeritus of music, Dec. 7, 2021, age 86. From 1963 to 2000, Doran served as the College’s principal piano faculty and taught classes in theory, history and appreciation. Also fluent in French with near-native ability in German, Doran did pedagogical research in Europe and used those materials in the classroom. He adjudicated piano competitions throughout the Midwest, and he shared his love of opera with both students and colleagues.
His ability to listen to a student’s playing, criticize the hell out of it without sounding angry and then to coax a completely different — and much better — version of the same piece out of the student has been, in my experience, unparalleled. Dr. Doran taught me to be meticulous, demanding of myself and uncompromising. But he also taught me how to be forgiving and how to criticize with kindness. And he helped me understand that living in my comfort zone is like a ship sailing in a harbor; safe, but that is not what it was made for.
Zach Kleinsasser, ’01
Musically, we were kindred spirits, and I learned an enormous amount from his vastly superior knowledge. He did first-year theory while I did second, and I found it both a joy and an education to talk over the theory course with him. Tom absolutely loved teaching, and, as a relatively new teacher, it was impossible for me not to get swept up by that. Many was the hour we spent in Charlie’s or Cascarelli’s discussing the curriculum. Not to mention a great many other things.
Former Albion College Orchestra Director Colin Jagger (1996-99)
I remember him demonstrating to me how to make the melody of a piece prevalent and, if repeating a phrase, to make it sound different than it did the first time. It’s something I did with my own private students, especially the older ones who were performing more difficult selections.
Marsha Green Whitehouse, ’70
Tom once famously said to a music history student who was not working up to the level he expected, ‘I’ll flunk you but with a tear in my eye.’ And I remember sitting on the Goodrich tower stairs, listening one night to another of Tom’s students practicing some Schubert — and being amazed at the artistry that Tom inspired.
Dr. Maureen Balke, Albion College professor of voice
We had many conversations about music and the piano. Tom’s thoughts always represented a high artistic standard, and his great knowledge of music literature, including symphonic and especially opera, was very impressive. He will be dearly missed.
Dr. David Abbott, Albion College professor of piano
I still have my notes from music history with Tom; I used them to study for my doctoral comprehensives. Now, it’s my turn to teach music history, and I refer to these notes regularly. It’s one way his legacy lives on.
Dr. Clayton Parr, ’80, Albion College director of choral activities
During her first several years in Albion, Betty told me that Cascarelli’s was essentially a bar, and female faculty weren’t supposed to go, at least not alone. For a long time, she would get her mailman to buy her Cascarelli’s peanuts, and he would bring them with the mail. Her tennis team was allowed to practice near the football field, but they had to change their clothes in Kresge Gym. Betty was told that her team had to wear coats in order to walk across the Quad. She bought them all clear raincoats. That was classic Betty.
Dale Kennedy, professor emerita of biologyIt was through Betty’s program that I earned my certificate as a Level-1 EMT, and I’ve never let that lapse. Betty was an outstanding friend and supporter of the College for many years, attending both campus and community events. Betty was a dear friend.
Joe Calvaruso, ’78, interim presidentIone Elizabeth “Betty” Beese, professor emerita of physical education, Aug. 14, 2022, in Chelsea, age 97. From 1951 through 1985, Beese taught swimming, water safety, first aid and CPR to thousands of Albion students. She also coached for 46 athletic seasons across five different women’s varsity sports: synchronized swimming, archery, tennis, volleyball and softball. Her 1954 tennis team earned a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship, and she was the founding coach for Albion softball in 1977. She was a founding member of the Albion Area Ambulance Service, serving as a board member, attendant, dispatcher, driver and instructor. In 1995, the Michigan Legislature recognized Beese’s 50 years of service to the American Red Cross, training 376 Red Cross instructors, certifying 3,273 people in water safety and 4,186 people in first aid.
I was in her swim class and I was not a great swimmer, and this was very frustrating to Betty. One day, she got a call, and, when she came back to the pool, she was crying. I got out of the pool, and she told me her dog had died, and she hugged me. I stayed in Albion for 20 years after I graduated, and, knowing Betty as an adult, I learned how Betty cared so much for everyone, including her pets. She was a leader in our church. She did so much and was so independent, even in her wheelchair. I thought that was very cool, and I admired her.
Sue Dryer Dillery, ’80Once, Betty told me she broke her foot, but it didn’t stop her from swimming. She showed me how she could crawl to the end of the diving board, drop into the water and roll over on her back, all without getting that foot wet. She helped design the Dean Aquatic Center and she loved that pool. When I taught canoeing in the fall, Betty would sometimes be on the bridge in the Nature Center, throwing apples to the students; that made it even more fun. Even after she had to use her wheelchair most of the time, she liked to go out in her single kayak, and I’d go in mine. We spent a lot of time, not talking, just enjoying the river. She was a delight.
My Vascular Plants class over the years included Betty as a volunteer, who carted students in her van on field trips, and Betty as a teacher, who gave excellent tours of her garden to our students. Betty always allowed me to use her garden for fresh specimens for my final exams. She shared her love and knowledge of plants and gave away plants to anyone who showed a modicum of interest. She was a truly generous person in every respect, not just with plants and gardening, but with her time and contagious enthusiasm for life.
Dan Skean, professor emeritus of biology KeithHavens, former swim coach and director of the Dean Aquatic Center
Melissa “Missy” Blair Wyss, founder of Albion’s dance program, June 21, 2022, the day after her 79th birthday. Beginning with an invitation to teach one physical activity class in the 1970s, Wyss founded Albion’s dance program, which grew into an academic minor and set of elective courses that involved 100 students each semester. Her friendships brought internationally respected clinicians and guest choreographers to Albion, including the Alvin Ailey Company. Wyss was the inaugural coach of Albion’s women’s swim team and became the first woman in College history to coach a men’s team when she served for two years as the men’s swim coach. Wyss was preceded in death by the late Professor Emeritus of English Hal Wyss and their daughter Laura, ’91. They are survived by daughter Trudy Wyss.
Missy brought these world-class artists, and she always made sure to involve them with the local schools. These were always well received by the community. She brought some wonderful programs.
Keith Havens, former swim coach and director of the Dean Aquatic Center
I knew I wanted to dance in college but never thought I would continue after that. When I decided I wanted to go to a graduate program with just a minor in dance, she made sure I had internships with a dance company in New York and a kinesiology independent study. Missy gave students so much opportunity to do choreography and create a piece. In my experience, in a lot of programs you see the student’s work and it looks a lot like the teacher’s. Missy helped each person discover their potential and how to make their ideas into reality. The more I learned about other programs or would see other student programs, I knew Albion’s program was very special.
Kristy Clement Gill, ’07
At our house, it is not a birthday without either Missy’s angel food cake with chocolate whipped cream frosting or her carrot cake. One of her favorite students shared a Costa Rican black bean recipe that I also still use. We loved Missy and Hal’s interest in the students and learning from them. And Missy would hold dance lessons in the Kellogg Center on Friday nights. All who attended learned to Salsa, Lindy Hop and Waltz. Missy was so patient and encouraging. We laughed and danced. We weren’t destined for Dancing With the Stars, but we had fun.
Sue Prince Havens, ’91
When I graduated in 1993, the time to say goodbye came along, and I said, “Come visit.” I did not imagine they would take it that seriously, but, that Christmas, Hal and Missy traveled to Costa Rica for the first time. Almost every August, they would call and say, “Roy, what are you doing during Christmas time?” Hundreds of hours birding, traveling, meeting with friends, eating, cooking, walking, swimming, fishing, laughing, talking about literature, dancing and philosophizing. I am so glad part of Hal’s ashes are here in Costa Rica, and that Missy’s will be next to Hal’s. She made me shine in all endeavors.
Roy Umana, ’93
People sometimes made fun of her single-spaced memos with all the margins filled in, but I liked them. I read Faulkner and Henry James, and I know what she was doing. When we had the faculty vote on women’s studies, and it was clear it would go our way, I saw Robina put her head down and there were tears in her eyes. She was never afraid to feel things so strongly and speak up, and she worked so hard. I admired her for that. I admired her for a lot of things.
Judy Lockyer, emerita professor of English
Early on, I was asked to coach the men’s soccer team. I asked Robina what she thought about that in terms of my teaching and scholarly workload. As I described my experience as a player and a coach at Occidental College and my interest in being the Albion coach, Robina took copious notes and then gave me an exhaustive analysis of the situation. In the end, I decided to take on the coaching job, encouraged by Robina’s knowledge of what a liberal arts education can and should be.
Robina Quale Leach,
Sept. 24, 2022,
Spring Arbor, age 91. In 1957, Quale-Leach joined the faculty as a 26-yearold instructor — the youngest and only female member of her department — and its first specialist in Asian history. Quale-Leach chose a career in academia in part because she realized her first passion — architecture — was not a realistic career goal for a woman in the 1950s. Throughout her life, she led and supported projects and organizations that gave greater opportunities to women, people of color and those living in poverty. A respected scholar in her field, Quale-Leach authored four books used at schools from West Point to Washington. Her book, On Gender in Asian History, was recognized as a foundational source on the subject by the American Historical Association. She married Professor Emeritus of Art Richard Leach a few months before his death in 2000.”
I remember a class with Robina that was mostly about Africa. Dr. Quale made a handout — single spaced, typed on both sides of the page — and it listed information like how many goats, or phones or wells were in a given area. That was the basis of our first test, just memorization. some people did well, and some didn’t. It was amazing how she approached the class — geographically, economically, socially, we talked about everything that was part of politics and development.
Jim Urquhart, ’64I think her exams were perhaps the hardest ones I took at Albion. She wouldn’t ask questions that had been discussed in a paper or in depth in class; it was always something that the reading had covered. The amount of reading was not for the weak of heart, but if the student had followed class discussions, they could apply those concepts to the question at hand. Her class was one that made me feel like I was really learning how to be a trained historian.
Kevin Opple, ’93She had many battles under her belt from supporting the founding of the women’s center and women’s studies program through eliminating different “hours” for women students compared to men. The esteem younger feminists had for her is clearly demonstrated in the photographs I inherited from her retirement party. They are vivid reminders of the impact she had on younger women and their issues at Albion.
Trisha Franzen, professor of women’s studiesI always came to Dr. Quale’s history classes expecting to take copious notes. But once, just before Christmas break, she entered the classroom with her ever-present briefcase and announced, “I have a surprise.” Instead of lecturing, she read us poetry by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. That unexpected introduction to the holiday provided us with insight into another dimension of Dr. Quale.
Jim Dean, ’66 Geoff Cocks, professor emeritus of historyWhen my youngest got married in NY, she came to the wedding. My older son was a newlywed as well, and Robina gave each of them a wooden vase with a poem inside. She loved the arts, and she was so thoughtful. And this was the same woman who, when she came to visit, planned six months in advance and scheduled down to the minute. She was romantic in one sense and — well, not — in another. You never knew which Robina you were going to get. But it was always entertaining. You had to love her.
Cheri Culver Leach, ’69Ariel Barry, Ward Mullens, John Perney, Erin Peterson and Jake Weber
Cathy Cole, Katherine Hibbs, Ward Mullens, Jake Weber and Eric Westmoreland
Io Triumphe! is published twice annually by the Office of Marketing and Communications. It is distributed free to alumni and friends of the College.
Letters to the editor may be sent to: Office of Marketing and Communication Albion College 611 E. Porter Street Albion, MI 49224 communications@albion.edu www.albion.edu
The unusual name for this publication comes from a yell written by members of the Class of 1900. The beginning words of the yell, “Io Triumphe!,” were probably borrowed from the poems of the Roman writer, Horace.
In 1936, the alumni of Albion College voted to name their magazine after the yell which by then had become a College tradition. For years, Albion’s incoming students have learned these lines by heart:
Io Triumphe! Io Triumphe! Haben swaben rebecca le animor Whoop te whoop te sheller de-vere De-boom de ral de-i de-pa— Hooneka henaka whack a whack A-hob dob balde bora bolde bara Con slomade hob dob rah! Al-bi-on Rah!
FIND MORE ONLINE: www.albion.edu
Office of Marketing and Communications
611 East Porter Street
Albion, MI 49224
Students come to Albion College with a dream, a goal — an idea. They leave with knowledge, handson skills and the ability to problemsolve. Albion College is the place where they construct a foundational liberal arts education from our majors and minors, centers and institutes, and experiences in and out of the classroom to build their future. Does that sound like someone you know? Great! You can refer a future Brit to us here — albion.edu/referral. Io Triumphe!
