Bradley Hilltopics, Summer 2009

Bradley Bradley University University Summer Fall 2008 2009

promoting

green living p. 10

INSIDE Business class visits India p. 12 Denver diner p. 14 Vegas crime solver p. 16

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president’s prelude

as the spring semester began, I considered ways to more actively engage students and to understand their personal concerns and thoughts about their own Bradley Experience. As I weighed the options, I thought of how our dedicated faculty interacts with students on a daily basis. I decided to follow their lead.

So on Wednesday, February 4, I held what might be the first Office Hours hosted by a Bradley University president. Students were asked to come to Swords Hall to sign up for a five-minute private meeting in my office. I have to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I didn’t know if two students would be on my doorstep or 200 during the two-hour period.

I was really pleased when the first student appeared 30 minutes before the Office Hours were to begin. She wanted to be sure to get a place in line. Many, many students followed. After three such Office Hours sessions during the semester — one a month — I had visited with more than 100 students. It was a great experience for me, and students said it was worthwhile for them, too.

The students brought in thoughtful suggestions and questions. They were serious, respectful and committed to making Bradley a better place to live and learn. Indeed, everyone — from graduate students to freshmen — valued their Bradley Experience and really enjoyed their time on the Hilltop. They just wanted to make it better.

I honestly can say that no two visits were alike. One student wanted to discuss the Pre-Law Center that we were just unveiling. One group — yes, some came in groups — wanted greater recognition for their student organization. Another student had a problem in the residence halls. Another wanted to encourage the University to recycle more. And others wanted advice on graduate school. Even the mascot was mentioned. No topic was off limits.

Each student showed genuine interest in improving the University. This personal communication is critical in keeping a pulse on the campus and keeping me connected with students. On a personal note, I was overwhelmed by their concerns for my health and their show of support.

During the sessions I took notes and followed up on issues that needed to be addressed. I am confident that their ideas — this interaction — will move Bradley forward. I intend to make Office Hours a regular part of my schedule next year. I very much look forward to them.

On another topic, last month we sent out a video showing our academic year in review.

From Move-in Day to May Commencement, we presented the highlights from a historic year. It was really well done. You can view it here: bradley.edu/yearinreview/0809.

While the video is on our Web site and we e-mailed it to thousands of alumni, we still need many of your e-mail addresses to better keep you informed of activities on the Hilltop.

So please take a moment and send your contact information to bgreen@bradley.edu.

As you can see, many great things are happening at Bradley. The Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance is making progress. Together we are making Bradley a university of national distinction.

Thank you for giving me the privilege to serve the University. Go Braves.

Visit bradley.edu/yearinreview/0809 for a Warm regards,

slideshow of Bradley’s memorable moments.

Summer 2009 Volume 15 Issue 3

Promoting green living

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While a Chicago museum gives visitors an up-close look at innovative ways to be green, the museum’s publicist has embraced the lifestyle for her own family. Plus, students collect e-waste on campus.

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India immersion

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Traveling more than 8,000 miles, 14 BU students spent a week visiting three cities in the country they had been studying in a business class.

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So All May Eat

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The story of a Denver couple’s unique cafe has made national headlines. SAME cafe offers a healthy menu — with no cash register in sight.

Novel approach: Halting a Vegas crime spree

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A police lieutenant’s role in apprehending the criminals behind a 1998–2000 series of casino robberies is the focus of Storming Las Vegas, a bestselling crime thriller. Plus, meet a pilot who flies the Vegas stars.

Departments ViewPoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

InMemory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

NoteBook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

AlumniNews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

SportScene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

CampusView. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

ClassNotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

InAppreciation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

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At Bradley, we are looking for ways to B green — to reduce our impact on the environment, while also being good financial stewards. By limiting the number of printed publications, significant amounts of paper, energy, and money can be saved.

Plans are underway for attractive, easy-to-read electronic publications to replace some printed ones, such as newsletters and invitations. Sending these publications to your e-mail inbox rather than your mailbox will let us continue to share the great stories that happen here every day, while simultaneously saving resources.

Visit bgreen.bradley.edu and provide or update your e-mail address.

Note: Bradley Hilltopics magazine will continue to be mailed.

Beginning in the fall, it will be printed with soy ink on recycled paper.

Staff

Administration

Karen Crowley Metzinger, MA ’97 editor

Joanne K. Glasser president

Nancy Ridgeway associate editor

shelley epstein assistant vice president for university communications

Gayle Erwin mcdowell ’77 associate editor Justin Phelps ’05 assistant editor sarah dukes art director Duane Zehr university photographer

Kathy Fuller assistant vice president for university relations

Student Staff Assistants Abby Wilson ’10 tyler fox ’10 kristin muckerheide ’11

On the cover: Lisa Donnelly Miner ’98 displays the sustainable landscaping at the Smart House in Chicago. Story on page 10. photo by jB Spector / Museum of Science and Industry.

ViewPoint Send your letters & e-mail

the first graduating class of U.S. Air Force officers from Bradley. A good time was had by all.

BOB HOWELL ’50

Washington, Ill.

ROTC memories I read with interest “ROTC Returns to Campus” (Spring 2009), and reflected back to 1966 when I applied to and showed up at Bradley. As an out-of-stater, I was attracted to the fact that I could get an engineering degree in four years and a commission in the Air Force at the same time. Happily, that’s the way it turned out, and I learned to fly in Peoria, courtesy of the Air Force.

I wasn’t alone in thinking that both Bradley and ROTC were a good thing. Our POC graduated many fine officers, and at least five of us from our little Bradley group went on to become captains with American Airlines, flying people all over the

Baby boomers switch gears “Switching gears” (Spring 2009) was a great article and very timely, especially for me.

Last November, I was laid off from my job as marketing director for a group of manufacturing companies in Streator and Pontiac. I loved my job and the people, but the changing economy and shifting priorities caused the owners to make tough changes.

Like a lot of the baby boomers, and at 64, I was not ready to retire, so I immediately looked for a similar company and marketing position in the Peoria area. With manufacturing on the downswing, these companies were simply not hiring.

I even created my own marketing consulting company. I soon realized that I had to be creative and look for industries that were growing in these changing times.

world. What were the chances? So bravo for Bradley and ROTC (although Army would have been my second choice) and the career choices you are providing.

DAVE USHER ‘70

Colleyville, Texas Here is a picture from the past [above]. Attending the Bradley University Air Force ROTC Military Ball in Spring 1950 are, from left to right, Miss Jean Galen of Chicago, who was crowned Queen; her escort, Cadet CHESTER CISZEWSKI ’53; and Miss Mary Jean O’Mara of Fond du Lac, Wis., with her fiance Cadet Major ROBERT C. HOWELL ’50 from

Jumping ahead three months, I am now director of vocational services at Goodwill, Central Illinois District. Talk about switching careers! I recently read where 40 to 50 percent of individuals losing jobs are finding new jobs in a different career.

So here I am, with a lot of other Bradley grads, in a very interesting career and loving it. Plus I’m working in a position where I’m helping other people. What’s more important in life?

“Switching gears” will continue to be a very interesting read for many of us boomers. Keep up the good work.

BILL BONTEMPS ’70

Washington, Ill.

My brother JOHN L. MACDONALD ’51 graduated from Bradley as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. He was a World War II Naval veteran and in the local Naval Reserve Unit. As the Korean War had started, Bradley’s AFROTC stated that any vets could join the ROTC their last senior semester and get a commission. John did that and left for Wright Patterson Air Force Base after graduation. At the same time, his naval reserve unit was activated from East Peoria. John’s twin, WILLIAM P. MACDONALD ’49, and our other brother, David, went off to war on naval ships to Korea.

Shortly afterward, the FBI started talking to our neighbors on Lawndale Avenue in Peoria. The FBI was inquiring had anyone seen John around since the naval reserve unit was activated. The FBI then knocked on our door and informed our mother that John was a deserter, as he had not reported for duty to go to Korea in the Navy. She informed them that John was not a deserter as he was on active duty in the Air Force in Ohio.

RICHARD G. MACDONALD

Washington, Ill.

Increased interest Am I wrong or does the last issue represent a redesign of this publication? I spent more time reading the layout and stories than I can ever remember doing. Good job!

BRAD HAHN ’64

University Park, Fla.

Political cover I was furious when I saw the spring issue of Hilltopics. If that picture had been inside the magazine, it would have been less offensive.

Bradley should not push certain political agendas. I won’t support that position.

YVONNE MONIER ’78

Lacon, Ill.

© Bradley University 2009 Bradley Hilltopics is published in winter, spring, summer, and fall by Bradley University for alumni, faculty, staff, parents of students, and other friends of the University. Send letters and address changes to: Hilltopics, Bradley University, 1501 West Bradley Avenue, Peoria, IL 61625. 309-677-3245 fax 309-677-4055 e-mail: hilltopics@bradley.edu Web site: bradley.edu/hilltopics campus information: 309-676-7611 Bradley University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and the promotion of equal opportunities for all persons regardless of age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

The University also is committed to compliance with all applicable laws regarding non-discrimination, harassment, and affirmative action. Bradley Hilltopics reserves the right to edit all letters to the editor based on length and content.

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remembering PHILIP JOSE FARMER

By Dr. Edgar L. Chapman, professor emeritus of English

PHILIP JOSE FARMER ’50, pictured in his home in 1998, is surrounded by some of his characters in a painting by James Warhola for the cover of A Book of Philip Jose Farmer.

Farmer developed a self-defined role as a resident liberal gadfly, commenting on political issues. During ensuing decades, he continued to maintain a friendly relationship with Bradley.

Bradley lost one of its more celebrated alumni in February, when Philip JosE Farmer ’50 HON ’98, the award-winning science fiction author, passed away. Farmer was involved with Bradley throughout his life, starting as a student in 1940, and he would eventually receive the honor of being named a Centurion in 1994, thanks to the support of a number of people, including then-president John Brazil, a Jack London scholar who may have enjoyed Farmer’s depictions of London in his famous Riverworld tales.

One thing is certain: Farmer gained a wide knowledge of literature from his studies at Bradley in the ’40s. For most of that decade, he was obliged to be a part-time student, while working to support a family. Some credit for Farmer’s knowledge of James Joyce’s fiction, William Blake’s mythology, and the canon of English literature may be due to the erudite teaching of saintly Olive B. White, a Ph.D. from Radcliffe, and of Sue Maxwell, a feisty Georgian with a Yale Ph.D. and a fanatical devotion to Shakespeare. Both ladies appear occasionally in Farmer’s fiction under other names.

Farmer began to break into science fiction magazines after attaining his degree in 1950, but the road to success was rocky. While he challenged taboos about social class, sex, and religion in his short fiction, he ran into numerous difficulties with publishers over novels. In those days, long before the success of Star Wars and other films, science fiction was considered a kind of magazine “ghetto” apart from the “mainstream,” with only a limited market for science fiction novels, apart from young adult readers who devoured Robert Heinlein’s books. Eventually, economic reality forced Farmer to take work as a technical writer, a profession that led him to Syracuse, Scottsdale, and Los Angeles. After his return to Peoria in 1969, due to layoffs in the aerospace industry, Farmer committed himself to full-time writing and created a career renaissance. Simultaneously, he developed a self-defined role as a resident liberal gadfly, commenting on political issues. But during ensuing decades, he continued to maintain a friendly relationship with Bradley, starting with an Olive B. White lecture in the early ’70s.

It was about that time that I made Phil’s acquaintance, and his advice proved beneficial as I developed the first course in science fiction for the English department. Frequently, during the ’70s and ’80s, Phil would sometimes visit my class, receiving an enthusiastic welcome from students. I also maintained an informal relationship with Phil through the Peoria Sherlock Holmes Society, and his assistance was valuable when I wrote my 40,000-word Borgo Press monograph on his work (published early 1984). At the start of the ’90s, Phil appeared as the star of an Illinois Humanities Council panel on science fiction at Bradley. Thus, Phil made real contributions of his time and knowledge which were remembered when he was inducted into the Bradley Centurion Society.

Just how good a writer was Phil Farmer? Well, he wrote mostly for a genre which is still often disparaged and whose works are often undervalued or ignored by “mainstream” critics. Of course, there is a tradition in scholarship on the genre which is about a generation old, but even this academic tradition has had to battle for respectability within universities.

Since Phil wrote a number of novels of vigorous adventure, it would be easy to dismiss his work as merely commercial. But Phil produced some works of solid quality. Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics to read more.

By the final decade of his life, Phil Farmer had become moderately well-to-do, which must have been satisfying after growing up in the laboring middle class in Peoria in the Great Depression.

But knowing the way that pulp science fiction could give hope to people in tough times, Phil might prefer to be remembered as an author who created resolute characters in fiction, characters whose courage could inspire and sustain his readers in difficult days.

— Dr. Edgar L. Chapman Edgar L. Chapman, professor emeritus of English, holds a Ph.D. from Brown University and taught literature at Bradley for nearly four decades before retiring in 2002. Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics for more on Farmer and Chapman.

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

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duane zehr

pointofpride

Winner for 2009 An online classified marketplace — where students looking to buy, sell, or exchange books, furniture, and other items are connected with each other — was the winner of the third annual Project Springboard business plan competition in April.

Consisting of TATENDA FURUSA ’10, TYLER FRYER ’10, T.J. NEUMAN ’10, COLLIN SCHAEFER ’09, and MBA student HELENA RACICKA, the group won a $10,000 cash prize, $15,000 in seed capital, and one year of “knowledge capital” valued at more than $120,000. Initially known as U-Exchange, their project was selected from 23 business plans.

Placing second, EyeOnLife aims to put touch screens on tables in sit-down restaurants.

The three junior entrepreneurship majors who created the EyeMenu received $7,500.

They are NATALIE BETSCHER ’10, TYLER FRYER ’10, and TRACY BLASIAK ’10.

The third-place finisher, Paws Giving Independence, is featured on page 32.

The group’s three founders received $5,000 for their project.

Visit springboard.bradley. edu for more information.

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Two commencements in May Two distinguished Bradley alumni were keynote speakers at May 2009 commencement exercises.

U.S. Rep. AARON SCHOCK ’02 addressed undergraduates, family, and friends on May 16 at the Peoria Civic Center Arena.

“There are times when we have important decisions to make, and the only thing that stands between us and a great opportunity is the fear of failure. And the big thing I’ve learned is never to let fear make your decisions for you,” the freshman Congressman advised.

Bradley president Joanne Glasser (pictured with Schock) also spoke at the ceremony. PAUL FRieNER ’09 delivered the student commentary.

Speaking at the graduate commencement ceremony at the Markin Center on May 14, Caterpillar chief technology officer TANA ALLEN UTLEY ’86, at left, encouraged master’s degree recipients to commit to lifelong learning. “Strive to be an expert in your field — you’re never quite there — but do that with the thirst and the humility of a novice,” she said.

Officially, 845 bachelor’s degrees and 149 graduate degrees were awarded in May. Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics/go/grad2009 for slideshows of both ceremonies.

Redefining retirement JEFF NELSON, MA ’86 and his wife Mary Ann want to retire to something, not from something. As a result, the 61-year-olds’ retirement focus is on rediscovering their lives, not just recalculating their finances.

This focus on rediscovery is the subject of a new program on September 19. Redefining Retirement, a one-day workshop offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Bradley University, is designed to help people prepare for the lifestyle, financial, and health changes that come with retirement.

Like their contemporaries, the Nelsons are revising the rules of retirement and aging by designing a comprehensive

post-career life that accounts for who they are today: staying healthy, being active, continuing to contribute, and sustaining financial comfort.

“I’m a strong believer that knowledge enriches the decisions we make,” said Nelson. “This workshop is a perfect opportunity to help make some important decisions in a creative and interactive environment, with experts who know what it takes to transition into retirement.”

For more information on Redefining Retirement, visit bradley.edu/continue/olli, or contact Michelle Riggio, program director for Bradley’s Continuing Education Division, at 309-677-3900 or mriggio@bradley.edu.

Looking toward a law career?

• • • •

A formal pre-law academic program.

Personalized and uniform pre-law advising.

Enhanced preparation for the LSAT exam.

Expanded mock trial opportunities.

The Pre-Law Center will have a Professional Advisory Council to advise the Center and strengthen the University’s ties to the legal community. Williams is one of many graduates working in law who has offered his time and expertise. Long-term plans include introducing high school students to legal careers.

Dr. Larry Aspin, chairman of the political science department, said one goal of the Center is to collaborate with each college to identify courses that would prepare students interested in a particular study of law, such as health care or environmental law. “Students have different interests in the types of law they may want to practice,” he said. “That may govern what their formal major is.

We’re not trying to teach law.”

Even without a formal program, Bradley students interested in law have found ways to succeed. For example, a number of graduates have attended Ivy League law schools, including CHRISTOPHER ASSISE ’07, who was accepted into Harvard Law School for the 2007–08 term.

“What’s really neat about Bradley is we’ve had such great success placing our students in top-tier law schools,” said Williams, a 1995 graduate of the Washington University Law School. “Bradley has done a great job without a Pre-Law Center — without a pre-law

program — preparing our students for law schools. What strikes me is this is a very aggressive step that will take us from preparing our students very well for law school to making them among the most well prepared first-year law students in the country.”

Attorney leads new Pre-Law Center Maria Vertuno, the founding director of the Pre-Law Center, has been a practicing attorney in Chicago for the last 15 years. She taught undergraduate and law school courses at DePaul University College of Law and Illinois State University. At DePaul, she counseled students, helped them with law school testing and preparation, and assisted them in securing internships and jobs.

According to Vertuno, the Heitz Hall location for the Pre-Law Center was a deliberate decision. “One reason we are located there rather than Bradley Hall is to send the message that law school is not just for liberal arts students or political science students,” said Vertuno, who is connecting with alumni in law professions to find additional internship opportunities and individuals who can provide student-advising assistance. “It’s open to everybody.”

Vertuno is a member of the American, Illinois State, Peoria County, and the Chicago Bar associations. She earned a juris doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University, Chicago. She lives in Peoria Heights with her husband Paul Burmeister, who is a Peoria native and attorney, and their daughter. duane zehr

GARRETT WILLIAMS ’92 was looking for advice when he came to Bradley interested in eventually obtaining a law degree and pursuing a political career. He wanted answers on what to study, how to prepare for law school and the LSAT, and where to find internships.

In February, Bradley opened the Pre-Law Center, a centralized location where students can retrieve such answers. Now a State Farm Insurance lawyer specializing in government affairs and lobbying, Williams was lucky to find a mentor in Sigma Phi Epsilon brother GARY PEPLOW ’62.

“When I was at Bradley,” Williams said, “he was there to answer questions and helped me get an internship at a law firm.”

Located in Heitz Hall, the new Center already has offered panel discussions, including the Illinois General Assembly team that prosecuted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, drawing a crowd of about 100 on April 30. Earlier in the spring, five DePaul law students offered an account of their first-year experiences.

In addition to informative presentations, the Pre-Law Center offers:

duane zehr

by justin phelps ’05

Maria Vertuno (far left), director of Bradley’s new Pre-Law Center, meets with assistant House prosecutor Michael Kasper, House prosecutor David Ellis, and assistant House prosecutor Heather Wier Vaught before an on-campus panel discussion on April 30. The trio discussed their experience of prosecuting former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, leading to his removal from office.

Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics/ go/prelawpanel for more on the prosecutors’ panel discussion.

“ Most schools have somebody who is involved in pre-law advising, but there aren’t many programs like Bradley’s that have a full-time director.”

—maria vertuno

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Hitting the road duane zehr

by abby wilson ’10

Above: Dr. Kerrie Schattler and MITCHELL WEDELL ’09 measure

distresses in the pavement along a Peoria County road last summer.

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If you drove along a county road in Peoria County last summer, you might have seen Dr. Kerrie Schattler’s team of student researchers collecting data on pavement conditions. Schattler, assistant professor of civil engineering and construction, and her team of 11 graduate and undergraduate students “hit the road” to collect data for the county. With a $99,150 grant from the Peoria County Highway Department, she developed a pavement management system to monitor the condition of Peoria’s 311 miles of county road.

Schattler and her students conducted a survey of county road surfaces, examining the conditions of the pavement and measuring distresses in the road. She began preliminary work on the project in April 2007, and continued for almost two years. The county was in need of up-to-date records on pavement conditions, so Schattler practically had to start from scratch.

“That’s common,” she explains. “A lot of times we assume that data is readily available, but once you realize what it really takes to collect it, it’s understandable why other counties across the nation face similar challenges.”

She worked closely with the county, ensuring that the system she and her students developed met the county’s specific needs.

Student researchers then went out and surveyed portions of county roads by measuring distresses, like cracks, in the pavement. They used a statistical procedure to ensure that the portions actually sampled represented the condition of the county roads. Now the county can maintain the records and management system by collecting the data on a routine basis and also by updating it after road maintenance work is performed.

The research serves a deeper purpose than just helping Peoria County — the professor’s true passion is helping her students. Through her work with pavement management systems, Schattler sponsored a graduate student, Collette Glauber ’07 MSCE ’08, and gave undergrads the opportunity to work on a major research project.

If a mentor at Wayne State University hadn’t provided Schattler with research opportunities, she probably wouldn’t be at Bradley today. As a junior, she became involved in a research program in the engineering department. When she was ready to graduate, her mentor told her she “has what it takes.” She was offered a stipend and a full graduate school tuition scholarship. By the time Schattler finished her master’s, she had another stipend and tuition scholarship that enabled her to earn a doctoral degree in civil engineering.

Schattler stayed for two years after graduation to teach and conduct research at Wayne State. She was hired by Bradley to fill a need for a faculty member who specialized in transportation engineering. She currently has about 20 students in her undergraduate transportation classes, up from 10 when she first began teaching at Bradley in 2005.

Last year, she received the outstanding faculty award from the department of civil engineering and construction.

Schattler plans to continue establishing a research group at Bradley to provide more opportunities for students. “I’m here to stay,” she says. “I love it here; I’m truly blessed to have found such a great place to work and thrive and to have fun.”

Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics for information on Schattler’s other research project involving work zone safety and traffic control.

SportScene softball advances to the ncaa regional When ASHLEY BIRDSONG ’09 reflects on the 2009 Bradley softball season, the pitcher will remember the Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament.

And for good reason.

The senior pitcher was named the tournament MVP after leading coach amy hayes the No. 6-seeded Braves to four consecutive victories to win the program’s first MVC tournament championship. “Bradley’s never done that,” said Birdsong. “No one can ever take that away from us. We’re the first team at Bradley University to ever do that. We made history.”

More history ensued. In the softball program’s first NCAA tournament appearance, the Braves defeated 15-seeded and 20th-ranked DePaul, 2-1, in the opener of the double-elimination regional tournament in Columbia, Mo., on May 15. Bradley fell on Saturday in its next two games, 2-0 to University of Missouri and 2-1 to DePaul.

“A lot of people didn’t expect us to be here, and we just kept fighting throughout the season,” said first-year coach Amy Hayes, who was an assistant at Bradley in 1997. “It was an up-and-down season, but in the end, it’s about getting these kids to believe.”

The season was a rollercoaster ride. With a 15-14 record in April, the Braves lost 12 of their next 13.

A 10-game winning streak followed, the second longest streak in program history.

“It took the whole team to do it,” said MIRIAM WEGMANN ’09. “We won when it was most meaningful. Everyone wanted it, everyone was in it, and we made it happen.”

bob hunt

BY JUSTIN PHELPS ’05

Individually, the Braves were rewarded. Birdsong was named a first-team all-Mideast Region selection by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and an all-MVC first-team selection. ALYCIA BACHKORA ’09 was a second-team all-MVC pick. Birdsong, Bachkora, Wegmann, and ANNE CREIGHTON ’09 were named to the MVC all-tournament team.

“I’m just really proud of this team,” Hayes said.

“I’m very happy for our seniors. They absolutely led us, and we wouldn’t have gone this far without them.”

Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics/go/sbNCAA for a slideshow from the NCAA tournament.

watonga award renamed for “ozzie” Bradley’s most prestigious award for a graduating senior student-athlete has been renamed in honor of CHARLES “OZZIE” ORSBORN ’39 MS ’51. Formerly known as the Watonga Award, the Charles Orsborn Award recognizes the recipient’s ability to combine athletic and academic success with community service. The first Orsborn Award went to golfer BARI ERAIS ’09 on May 5. An accounting major, she holds a 3.88 GPA. “It is long overdue to have Coach Orsborn’s name and legendary BU career attached to one of our athletics awards,” said Ken Kavanagh, former Bradley director of athletics. “It is truly an honor and a privilege to announce that from this day forward, this fine gentleman and friend to so many of us will be rightfully connected to the most prestigious honor that we bestow upon a graduating Brave.”

A member of the “Famous Five” basketball team, Orsborn lettered in four sports, served as Bradley basketball coach, and later as director of athletics. He retired in 1978.

Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics for more about Coach Orsborn.

House-Browning named interim A.D. Virnette House-Browning was named Bradley’s interim director of athletics in May to replace Ken Kavanagh, who accepted the athletic director post at Florida Gulf Coast University.

House-Browning, a 13-year member of the athletic department, most recently served as executive athletic director/senior woman administrator.

Named one of Peoria’s 40 Leaders Under Forty in 1999, as well as one of the 25 Women in Leadership in 2002, she received the 2004 Frances Mergen Award, a Bradley award that honors public service.

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SportScene

“ I know my name is on it, but it’s not about me. It’s about the collectiveness of a great staff and the collectiveness of a great team.”

— Paula Buscher, MVC Coach of the Year

bob hunt

left: Paula Buscher, who is the second winningest coach in the women’s basketball program’s history, instructs MICHELLE LUND ’12 and RAISA TAYLOR ’11.

top coach in the valley

BY JUSTIN PHELPS ’05

The 2008–2009 Bradley women’s basketball team set the bar. And they set it high.

This year’s team secured the program’s first 20-win season since 1979–80. They had 21 victories and a program-record six-game winning streak. Bradley’s fourth place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference was its best since the 1991–92 season. “I think that’s probably the biggest compliment I can give this year’s group: They’ve set the standard now,” said coach Paula Buscher, who in her ninth year at Bradley, was named MVC coach of the year,

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another first in program history. “The first week back after Spring Break, they’re coming in talking about the NCAA tournament games and still wanting to be playing. They’re bringing another level of competitiveness, which is what we really need.”

The team achieved success through selfless attitudes and highly competitive training despite playing “home” games at Illinois Central College in East Peoria while the new Athletic Performance Center is being constructed.

When one player noticed a teammate spending time perfecting her game after practice, she found more time to work on her own game. And when a player needed encouragement or was struggling, a teammate was there to be supportive. “This truly was a team that didn’t care who got the credit, night in, night out,” Buscher said.

“You hear it in some of the quotes in the press, but you see it more in conversation with them. They would say, ‘Whatever I need to do,’ or ‘So and so was struggling that night, so it was my job to step in and see if I could help her out. She’s helped me out before.’ I not only think they truly believed it, but they walked it.”

The dedication resulted in an MVC semifinal appearance, in a game that ended in overtime after the Braves held a 20-point lead. “We feel like it ended too soon,” Buscher said of the season. Still, the individual accolades were plentiful. Along with Buscher’s MVC coaching award, MONICA ROGERS ’09 was selected to the all-Missouri Valley Conference first team; SONYA HARRIS ’11 was picked to the all-Valley second team; SKYE JOHNSON ’10 was a third-team all-Valley selection; and MICHELLE LUND ’12 was named to the Valley’s all-freshman team. Harris and Johnson were also selected to the league’s all-defensive squad.

Follow Bradley women’s basketball on Twitter: @BradleyBravesWB

Radio broadcaster was first in coaches’ hall of fame The late MORT CANTOR ’49, the “Voice of Peoria Sports,” became Bradley’s first full-time sports information director in 1949. In 1955, Mort started calling Bradley basketball play-by-play with WIRL radio, continuing for 29 years. A vice president and general manager of WIRL Radio until 1983, he continued broadcasting at WXCL until 1985, and then hosted a talk show on WTAZ for three years. He was the first broadcaster inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. A Woodruff High School graduate, Mort was co-founder of the Bradley Chiefs Club and served as president for five years.

FRED ZWICKY / JOURNAL STAR

Surprise finish The Bradley men’s basketball team finished second in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament (CIT), but the big splash was from CHRIS ROBERTS ’10. Make that, the big bank.

Roberts garnered national attention from ESPN when he made a 75-foot miracle bank shot as time expired to propel the Braves past Oakland 76-75 in the quarterfinals of the CIT on March 23. Fred Zwicky of the Journal Star captured the stunning moment in this photograph. “The Shot” was the No. 4 play on

SportsCenter’s top plays. His alley-oop dunk in the semifinals earned him the No. 10 spot two days later.

This was the sixth time the Braves have been invited to an inaugural postseason event.

Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics/go/roberts for more information and a link to a video of Roberts’ highlights. Follow Bradley men’s basketball on Twitter: @CoachJimLes

Save the dates: NOV. 27 & 28 Watch the Bradley men’s basketball team play in the Las Vegas Invitational Challenge over Thanksgiving weekend. The Braves will play two games against the trio of Illinois, Oklahoma State, or Utah at the Orleans Center. Call 309-677-3000 or visit bradley.edu/ hilltopics/go/mbbLV for game time and ticket information as it is announced.

Summer 2009

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promoting

green living BY joan becker cary ’79 photography by JB Spector / Museum of Science and Industry

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When it comes to green living, LISA DONNELLY MINER ’98 walks the walk. At work, one of her many duties is to promote “Chicago’s greenest house.” At home, she and husband ANDY MINER ’98 do all they can to live a green lifestyle.

A dozen years ago at Bradley, Miner switched from a nursing major to public relations for two reasons: She had discovered a love for communications. And the science was killing her.

Lo and behold: In 2001, Miner married Andy, her college sweetheart, a scientist who comes from a family of scientists.

In 2003, she began work at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago where she is now director of public relations, charged with promoting the largest science center in the Western Hemisphere.

And in 2008, she gave birth to Colin Donnelly Miner who eats organically grown food and sleeps on organic cotton sheets in a Darien house that his parents are committed to making more like the museum’s Smart Home — built, of course, with ideas developed by scientists.

The Smart Home: Green + Wired is an eco-friendly, three-story home with the latest in earth-friendly technology that was viewed by 100,000 tourists and Chicagoans in 2008.

A revised version of the city’s “greenest home” opened for tours in mid-March and will be on display until January 3, 2010. The Smart Home

Rooftop gardens and a solar roof are features of the Smart House at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

Furnishings and surfaces made from recycled materials or renewable resources also are featured inside the modular structure. At right, LISA DONNELLY MINER ’98 and ANDY MINER ’98, with their son Colin, try to live “green” in their suburban home.

She is the museum’s public relations director.

is in the “backyard” of the museum on Lake Shore Drive.

Building materials in the house are either recycled or from a renewable resource. The modular home features recycled glass countertops and tile; an ethanol portable fireplace; occupancy sensors that turn off lights, TV, and music when no one is in the room; a tabletop composter; a shower meter that tells how much water you used and when it’s time to get out; and an eco-friendly nursery that features a bamboo crib and changing table. Audio from the baby’s room follows the parents wherever they go in the house.

The green roof absorbs rainwater and helps maintain a cool temperature in the summer, as well as insulate in the winter.

Other green measures have been taken, too, like decorating with low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, and using low-flow showerheads to diminish water usage — earth-friendly moves that the Miners have already employed in their own home.

“Little did I know that science surrounds you in everything you do,” said Miner outside the Smart Home on a sunny Earth Day this past April.

“It is fascinating. There are incredible expectations placed on our staff to say ‘here’s a different way to look at science again,’ to break that image of science as only men in white lab coats.”

Miner, a member of Gamma Phi Beta who grew up in Evergreen Park, graduated Bradley

Student recyclers target e-waste

by Abby Wilson ’10

A

as a communications/public relations major, served an internship in the office of Congressman RAY LAHOOD ’71, then went on to work for Hill & Knowlton communications consulting firm in downtown Chicago. Her husband Andy earned his degree in molecular biology and is the lab manager in the Cytogenetics Lab at the University of Illinois, Chicago. His job is to look at blood, amniotic fluid, and bone marrow to diagnose abnormalities within chromosomes.

Of her work at the museum, Miner says: “Never a dull moment. Never a dull meeting.

Never enough hours to do what you want to do in a day.”

“I can’t believe I get paid to do this,” she said.

“Bradley really did prepare me with great opportunities and gave me the ability to juggle many tasks at once,” Miner said, assigning credit to Dr. Ron Koperski. “I have never seen any students more prepared for a job in PR than the students from Bradley. You must have real experience when you walk out those college doors.”

Years before setting foot on the Bradley campus, Miner fondly remembers taking her first class field trip to the Museum of Science and Industry as a child. Funny. Now as a grown-up, science for Lisa Miner has become a real pleasure — and a way of life.

Visit msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/ smart-home for more information.

dvertising major LEAH MORAN ’10 needed a topic for a persuasive speech in her freshman speech class, so a friend let her borrow a book on recycling electronics.

Moran’s speech was persuasive indeed — she persuaded herself to do something about e-waste.

As Moran researched electronics recycling, she discovered that Bradley students didn’t have anywhere to conveniently recycle their old or broken technology. “There are [electronics] recycling bins on campus for faculty, but students don’t have access to them,” said Moran.

Moran founded the Student Green Electronics Campaign, an organization that encourages students to recycle electronics instead of letting them end up in a landfill. The organization, which grew from six members to 20 in its first year, held the second annual Spring Cleaning Electronics Drop-off on May 9. Moran estimates that 5,500 pounds of electronics were donated at the drive, more than doubling last year’s amount.

MAUREEN HORCHER ’09 dropped off an old printer at the drive. “I don’t think people are aware enough of the harm of electronics,” she said. Horcher told the girls on her floor about the drive and encouraged them to drop off their items as well.

The drive is held the last Saturday of spring semester. Retro-Tech Electronics, a Peoria-based recycling company run by Michael Hodge ’00, takes the unwanted products, reuses the parts that are still good, and recycles the parts that can’t be salvaged.

The most common items dropped off this year were computers. “A lot of people had old ones just lying around their house,” said JEN PALAHNIUK ’10, a social work major and an officer for the Student Green Electronics Campaign. Moran and Palahniuk agreed that the most interesting item dropped off was an industrial-sized microwave.

For now, the members of the Student Green Electronics Campaign spend the school year focusing on their spring event. In the future, however, they hope to hold drives periodically throughout the year, and to gain student access to faculty-only electronics recycling bins.

People dropped off computers, TVs, toasters, hair straighteners, computer mice, and microwaves.

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

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BY abby wilson ’10

photography by bu students

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During Spring Break, 14 Bradley undergraduate students discovered the grandeur of the Taj Mahal, extreme wealth and extreme poverty side by side, and the business potential in India. Their trip to Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi was part of Dr. Rajesh Iyer and Jim Foley’s course, “Doing business in Indian culture.”

“We were told that India is a country of contradictions,” said KRISHA KUCHARSKI ’10.

“It is just so diverse and so different from any other country that I have visited that people really need to go there to even begin to understand it.”

The two faculty members started developing the idea of a trip to India as part of Project Asia. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Project Asia seeks to examine the developing businesses in Asian cultures and how companies can work together across cultures.

A group of Bradley Executive MBA students went to India as part of a graduate version of the same class in 2008, but the March trip was the first time an undergraduate Study Abroad program traveled to India.

Dr. Iyer, assistant professor of marketing and a native of Mumbai, was impressed with the students’ level of responsibility. “They knew they were representing Bradley and America,” he said.

The idea to go to India came from a meeting Jim Foley had with Caterpillar officials to discuss the progress of Project Asia and its success in China. Foley is the director of the International Trade Center and NAFTA Opportunity Center at Bradley. “With India’s fast-growing role globally, we needed to be well positioned to offer students opportunities

to understand the business opportunities India represents, but also the challenges,” said Foley.

“Now that I have been immersed in the Indian culture,” said SARA KOCHAN ’09, “I feel as though I have a better understanding of their values as applied to business and life, and perhaps if they know I have been to their country, they may be more comfortable with me.”

The students visited tourist sights — and even ran into Ayush Mahesh Khedekar (shown at lower right), who played young Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire — but they also worked with businesses. They spent time at the Parle Products Pvt. Ltd. biscuit factory; and at CGN, a business performance consulting firm based in Peoria. They also had a chance to “run with the Dabbawalas” in Mumbai, a business that picks up food made at home and takes it to businessmen.

The group also visited the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) in Chennai, where they spent the day talking with students about Indian culture and businesses (shown at left).

Dr. Iyer, who speaks four Indian languages and can understand four or five more, returned to India shortly after the trip to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with VIT and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. The document establishes an ongoing exchange program between Bradley and the two universities.

“Doing business in Indian culture” is the third expedition of its kind from Bradley and the second with Project Asia; Bradley also has offered business classes in Mexican and Chinese cultures.

To read more about the trip to India from the students’ perspective, visit bradley.edu/hilltopics/go/india.

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

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So All May Eat

BY JUSTIN PHELPS ’05

After years of volunteering at soup kitchens and homeless shelters, two central Illinois natives operate a Denver cafe with a fresh twist.

Brad and LIBBY BIRKY, MA ’02 enjoy providing fresh meals for a diverse clientele. They opened SAME Cafe in Denver three years ago. The “pay-what-you-can” restaurant is in a former coffee shop at 2023 E. Colfax Avenue.

photography by hanna quevedo romero

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LIBBY BIRKY, MA ’02 and her husband Brad hope for a

day when the story of their small Denver restaurant isn’t unique enough to appear on the NBC Nightly News. “It’s our dream that we live in a world where people take care of each other, and it isn’t national news,” she said.

SAME Cafe (an acronym for So All May Eat) has space for 14 patrons to enjoy healthy meals on real, but mismatched, dishes and silverware.

Outside, there is seating for another 30 guests.

The cafe’s menu board changes daily and is based in part on the fresh produce available to the soup, salad, and pizza eatery. For example, the potato soup offered last week probably isn’t the same as the potato soup this week.

But the biggest difference is that diners don’t receive a bill for their order. “It’s a pay-what-youcan philosophy,” said the Bloomington native.

“Essentially, everybody who walks through the

door eats free. We ask them to donate something to the community, either time or money or both.”

The unusual format has worked since October 2006. After eating, patrons put money in an envelope and deposit it in a box on their way out.

According to Birky, about 60 percent of their guests pay. At the end of the day, the couple might find $100 bills in some envelopes. Others might contain shredded napkins. A little less than $5 is the average amount most days. Some customers with no money sign up to volunteer for an hour.

Their contribution might be washing dishes, cleaning tables and floors, or preparing food.

The survival of SAME Cafe might surprise bank and government officials who denied the Birkys a loan. Repeatedly told they were crazy, the couple cashed in their IRAs and loaned their business $30,000 to add to the $3,000 donated by family and friends.

“At first we were a tad bit discouraged by banks, but we had so many people around us who were supportive and energetic about the idea,” said the 32-year-old Birky. “Even our families, who were telling us to think things through financially, were still pretty excited about it.”

Within 10 months, the couple had repaid the original $30,000 loan. In the second year, Brad Birky was “hired” as a full-time employee. They have a part-time employee now, and Libby helps in the evenings after teaching gifted children at the Logan School for Creative Learning.

Originally, the Birkys moved to Denver for Libby’s teaching job. Desiring a shift away from his computer consulting work, her husband enrolled in culinary school at Metropolitan State College.

In researching how to start SAME Cafe, the couple discovered a similar restaurant in Salt Lake City. Returning from vacation, they made a point of stopping at One World Everybody Eats (not related to Peoria’s One World Cafe). The quick visit turned into three days of observing and meeting with the owner, who later spent a month in Denver helping the Birkys open their cafe.

Healthy food options are a key component of the restaurant. In designing the concept of SAME Cafe, the Birkys reflected on their volunteer experiences, which they often found impersonal.

Along the way, they had noticed how appreciative people seemed when they brought along healthy food to serve. “They would say it’s easier to stop

“ It’s a paywhat-you-can philosophy.”

at a convenience store to get something to eat because it was cheap, easy, and fast.

They had to decide between eating well and paying their bills. There was no way out of the cycle. It just perpetuated itself.”

The Birkys are committed to shopping locally, and have established relationships with farmers markets. “We try to cook as fresh as possible,” she said. “In the summertime, we’re sometimes serving food that has been out of the ground less than an hour or two.”

The couple finds the attention they’ve received a double-edged sword. NBC Nightly News, the CBS Early Show, the L.A. Times, Cooking Light magazine, and numerous other newspapers and radio programs have told their story. “It’s the one reason why we think we’re still open,” Birky said.

“We don’t advertise because we don’t have the budget for it. But the media outlets that we’ve attracted have provided sustainability, more customers, more private donations, more grants, and more people knowing about us.”

Still, they wish restaurants like theirs were more common. “We’ve had a lot of inquiries about starting SAME Cafes around the country. We’re not interested in franchising, but we’re certainly willing to cheer someone on and be mentors.”

— libby birky

Visit soallmayeat.org for more information.

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

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novel approach:

halting a vegas crime spree

Sandra Stevens

As a boy growing up in Chicago, JOHN ALAMSHAW ’77 had two television favorites: cops-androbbers shows and Westerns. As an adult, his career with the Las Vegas Metro police force has been every bit as dramatic — and probably more so — than the TV shows that fascinated him.

Storming Las Vegas, a nonfiction book published by Random House last year, features the Bradley alumnus as a lead character. “A murderous Soviet-trained mercenary with heavy weapons versus an American cop with smarts and style” is how former CBS News president Van Gordon Sauter describes the plot on the book jacket. Author John Huddy focuses on a trio of ruthless criminals and Lt. Alamshaw’s role in ending their 18-month violent crime spree in Vegas, a tale the Wall Street Journal calls “harrowing.”

Released in paperback in April, negotiations are underway to make Storming Las Vegas into a movie. When production begins, Alamshaw will serve as technical consultant. “The story isn’t a fictional Oceans Eleven,” he says. “It highlights a real case, and it’s interesting the criminals were married to three sisters, making it a family affair.”

When the brazen daytime crimes began in 1998, an ad agency had yet to come up with the “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” slogan; rather the city was being marketed as a family destination. The violent crime spree stayed out of the national news, but stopping it became a priority for the tourist mecca.

“Go west, young man” is just what JOHN ALAMSHAW ’77 did, joining the Las Vegas Metro police force. His persistence as the lieutenant in charge of the robbery division is a theme of the crime thriller, Storming Las Vegas. Now retired from the force, Alamshaw is a private investigator and security consultant in Las Vegas.

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by gayle erwin mcdowell ’77

Alamshaw knows the story of the casino robberies and murders inside and out — he lived it. Mastermind Jose Vigoa, a Cuban refugee and ex-con, began his siege on the entertainment capital of the world in September 1998. First was a robbery at the MGM Grand. Next was a shootout on the Strip in June 1999, after the robbery of Brinks guards at the Desert Inn. Robberies followed at Mandalay Bay, New York-New York, and the Bellagio. Between the final casino robberies was a shootout with armored car employees in nearby Henderson. Two guards were shot and killed on a sunny March morning in 2000.

“Vigoa was very hard, very cold,” Alamshaw says. “He is different from most criminals. He didn’t have concerns about killing because it was all about business to him.” Twice, Vigoa tried to escape from jail. Eight SWAT officers were in place for his court appearances. Vigoa is serving a life sentence in Nevada without the possibility of parole.

Career path Majoring in the administration of criminal justice, Alamshaw has fond memories of Bradley and his fraternity, Delta Upsilon.

DR. LES BRUNE, MA ’50 was his adviser. “He was a great guy and gave a lot of good advice.”

Brune was also DU’s adviser, and Alamshaw recalls he and his wife DR. JOAN BRUNE, MA ’65 entertained the fraternity brothers at their home every year.

Following graduation from BU, Alamshaw attended Chicago’s police academy and worked as a patrol officer in Morton Grove for three years. Sunshine and the allure of the West prompted him to apply to police departments in three cities. “Las Vegas called me first,” the Senn High School grad recalls, looking back to October 1981. After scoring in the top 20 of 1,000 applicants, he reported

pilot to vegas stars by justin phelps ’05

to the police academy in Vegas two weeks later. At the time, Las Vegas Metro had about 700 officers. As Las Vegas became America’s fastest growing city, the force grew to more than 2,500.

Alamshaw’s career path in Vegas began as a patrol officer, moved on to SWAT, and then advanced to sergeant. From there, he was transferred to the gang unit. As a narcotics sergeant, and later lieutenant, he was in charge of a federal task force for “big dope.”

Alamshaw supervised four squads of narcotics officers. In 1996, he took over internal affairs as bureau commander. “There was very little corruption, but we did some major undercover investigations of police officers. The department was growing, and there were some growing pains.”

Next, he took on his favorite assignment, the job he held during the Vigoa crime spree.

“I was in charge of robbery for Las Vegas for over three years,” Alamshaw says. Eventually he handled robbery and general assignment, supervising about 50 detectives who were “first responders” to crime scenes.

After 27 years as a cop, Alamshaw retired in December 2005 at age 50. At the time, he was the lieutenant in charge of violent crimes in Las Vegas. “I had a good career,” he says modestly. “I had done everything I wanted to do and reached the rank I wanted.”

Following his father’s lead, Alamshaw’s son is a police officer in Scottsdale. His daughter begins college in August. Now a licensed private investigator, Alamshaw concentrates on criminal cases — murder, robbery, and sexual assault. He has another role, as well.

Names cannot be named, but with Alamshaw’s credentials, it is only logical that “high-end” clients rely on him as a security consultant.

MARTY ROLLINGER, MBA ’07 doesn’t work in a typical office. He doesn’t have bookshelves or stacks of papers. “My desk is behind the yoke of an airplane,” Rollinger said. “I literally don’t have a desk at work. My desk is a multi-million dollar airplane.”

Rollinger is a captain for Harrah’s Entertainment. The 48-yearold pilots a Falcon 2000EX EASy. His passengers are executives, customers, and entertainers for Harrah’s, Caesars Palace, Bally’s, and other properties run by Harrah’s. With technology similar to what is found in fighter jets, Rollinger uses four computer screens as he flies the aircraft.

“This is providing me a wonderful opportunity to work with great people and a great company, and it’s really in a different setting than I’ve ever worked. The entertainment world provides a new experience, and it’s allowing me to catch my breath,” said Rollinger, who lives with his wife Sheila in Henderson, Nev. They have three children.

Starting as a Marine Corps squadron pilot, Rollinger spent about 15 years in various roles with the military. In 2003, he joined the business sector as manager of aviation services at Caterpillar. Seeking academic credentials in business, Rollinger was a prime candidate for Bradley’s Executive MBA program, which separates itself from its MBA counterpart by seeking applicants with extensive managerial experience.

“I was confident in my academic abilities, confident in my technical abilities, but I wanted to strengthen my business experience,” Rollinger said. “I ran after this opportunity to do just that, and give myself some academic credentials in the business environment.”

While Dr. Ed Bond, associate professor of marketing, and Jack Russell, director of the EMBA program, were particularly influential, Rollinger said the program is more than just a textbook learning opportunity. “I’m an achiever, and that’s one of the things the program taught me,” said Rollinger. ”The EMBA program teaches you a lot about yourself.”

While his role as a pilot for Harrah’s is considerably different than his other jobs, he still uses knowledge gained from the EMBA program. “It helps me make better business decisions and to understand that our suppliers and vendors, whom I deal with a lot, are in the business to make money,” he said. “They have their own set of challenges and opportunities, and we’re just one of them. It helps me see the bigger picture within our company and business dealings.”

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

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ClassNotes connect, network & remember

RICHARD STEUBINGER ’48 is

president of Advance Realty Co. He is a certified general appraiser.

Dick is a past president of the Bradley University Alumni Association and the Central Illinois Bradley Alumni Association. He and his wife Jonnee live in Morton.

RUSSELL MITCHELL ’51 taught history and junior high school band for 40 years. He was a musician in the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, the Peoria Municipal Band, and town bands in Decatur and Olney. He is a member of the Kaskaskia Junior College Hall of Fame.

’51

GERALD GOLDSMITH ’52 is a personal injury lawyer. He also produces jazz concerts, including six major events with internationally known stars. He and his wife Leda

’52

are the parents of two daughters.

They have two grandchildren.

’62

SHARON PLUMLEY BITTNER ’62

co-authored Markers and Monuments of Bureau County, Illinois, released last November. Sharon, who holds a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University, is a retired high school English teacher. She and her husband ROBERT BITTNER ’61 live in Tiskilwa.

ROBERT KLEINFELDER ’62 coauthored Lions Clubs in the 21st Century, a history of Lions Clubs International, published by Author House last year. He previously wrote Extra Innings – My Life in Baseball with baseball star Minnie Minoso.

Robert retired in 2006 as senior editor of The Lion magazine. He and his wife Angie live in Crest Hill. They are the parents of three sons.

’63

DWAYNE PROBYN ’63 MS ’70

’66

GEORGE SHAHEEN ’66 MBA ’68

is executive director of the Nebraska Advanced Manufacturing Coalition. He launched the coalition’s first statewide program, “Dream It Do It,” to encourage young adults to pursue their interest in manufacturing and related businesses. Dwayne and his wife Tinamarie live in Papillion, Neb.

is chairman and CEO of Entity Labs. He recently was elected to the board of directors for Univita Health.

A former Bradley Trustee, he serves on the board of advisers for Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. George also serves on the boards of NetApp, PRA International, 24/7 Customer, Voxify, and newScale. He is on the advisory board of the Marcus & Millichap Co. and is an adviser to the Boston Consulting Group.

forties’ fellowship

DUANE ZEHR

by maureen horcher ’09

Front row (from left to right): Clifford Hasselbacher ’49, Bill Chinuge ’42, Joseph “Miles” Chamberlain ’47. Back row: Ralph Coletta ’43, Harold Klesath ’42, Jay Glatz ’70 MA ’73.

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If it’s the fourth Wednesday of the month, you can bet the “Old Fogies” will gather.

The members congregate once a month to catch a hearty meal at Sterling Family Restaurant, exchange news, and swap memories about the good old days at Bradley.

The “Old Fogies,” as they call themselves, are all Bradley graduates from the ’40s, minus one — the youngest “Old Fogie” — JAY GLATZ ’70 MA ’73. Members include JOSEPH “MILES” CHAMBERLAIN ’47, CLIFFORD HASSELBACHER ’49, BILL CHINUGE ’42, RALPH COLETTA ’43, and HAROLD KLESATH ’42.

“I joined for fellowship with several of these men that I had known for years,” Klesath said. None of the members know who exactly started the club 10 years ago; however, the Bradley bond these men share has grown since.

Glatz, vice president of marketing at State Bank of Speer, said, “I love to hear their stories — their stories of their service to the University and their service to their country.”

All members have been extremely successful and longtime Bradley supporters.

Most have generously donated for 30 years or more to different University facets.

Klesath began donating after his service in World War II and has contributed ever since. He was among a group that opened several regional Sandy’s restaurants, which later became Hardee’s. He joyfully recalls his baseball and football memories. Additionally, he regularly supports his fraternity, Sigma Chi. Chamberlain spent many years heading a museum in New York and then the Adler Planetarium in Chicago in 1968. While director and president at Adler,

DUANE ZEHR

From academia to ambassador by nancy ridgeway

“When opportunity knocks, you have to put your foot in the door,” JOAN SCOTT WALLACE ’52 told students during a lecture on April 16. Wallace, who served under four presidents in roles ranging from assistant secretary of agriculture to ambassador, returned to campus for the annual Garrett Week observance.

Wallace, salutatorian of her class at Englewood High School in Chicago, accepted a scholarship from Bradley. She remembers just a handful of African-Americans, only one of whom was another woman, on campus. However, she fit into campus life and was elected president of Sisson House, her dormitory, twice. “I came charging onto Bradley’s campus.

I had a great time,” Wallace said.

She didn’t encounter prejudice at Bradley, but off campus the only place she could eat was at a local drugstore. “I could eat in the dorm, but the cafeteria closed on Sundays,” Wallace remembers, noting she would then eat at friends’ homes.

Wallace majored in sociology at Bradley and graduated with honors. She later earned master’s and doctoral degrees at Columbia and Northwestern. She fondly remembers her mentor, Dr. Romeo B. Garrett, Bradley’s legendary sociology professor who was an inspiration to the black community and beyond.

Calling herself a trailblazer, Wallace built an accomplished career in academia and then in government. She served as a professor or an administrator at the University of Illinois, Howard University, Western Michigan, and Morgan State.

In 1977, she became the first African-American assistant secretary of agriculture. She submitted her resume during a general talent search for positions within the Carter administration, not expecting to be called. When she received a call requesting an interview with the secretary of agriculture’s office, Wallace was asked if she would like to come in at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. “I said 2 p.m. with the idea that I didn’t know anything about agriculture and wanted to learn what I could.

I didn’t know a soybean from sorghum.”

She proved herself quite capable and accepted more responsibilities as her career grew under three more presidents.

During the Reagan years, she worked in 52 countries, providing technical assistance and training to developing countries; leading U.S. delegations to international and United Nations meetings; facilitating agri-business in the Caribbean basin; and more. Under George H.W. Bush, she served as a representative (ambassador rank) in Trinidad and Tobago. Wallace returned to Washington during the Clinton administration, managing the International Cooperation and Development Agency. She retired from government work in 1993.

Wallace encouraged students to believe in themselves and to promote themselves, not wait for someone to notice them.

“When opportunity knocks and you’ve put your foot in the door,” Wallace said, “hold the door open for your brother and your sister behind you.”

A Bradley Centurion and recipient of the 1978 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Wallace and her husband John live in Flossmoor. They have three sons.

attendance rates more than doubled.

He taught astronomy at universities and traveled the world on astronomical expeditions. In retirement, he has contributed to Peoria’s planetarium at Lakeview Museum.

Chinuge, a member of the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame, recalls sharing the court with some of the “Famous Five” basketball team. “As I look back over the years, playing basketball at Bradley was really one of the highlights of my life. Those years at Bradley were truly a favorite time for me,” he said.

“I will always remember and cherish the influence of Coach A.J. Robertson who motivated me to always set high goals for my future.”

In 1948, Chinuge co-founded the Peoria Plastics Company. Under his leadership, Peoria Plastics was the nation’s largest producer of Easter merchandise. It employed 300 people and had an annual sales volume of $12 million.

Coletta found success as a lawyer and developer. His development company created local Papa John’s

restaurants. He practiced law with his sons and specialized in family, bankruptcy, and estate law. His daughter Shelly Coletta Smith, MA ’93 is senior director of the Bradley Fund.

Hasselbacher has been in banking for 60 years and worked from the bottom up. Still working part-time, he has been at Morton Community Bank for 48 years. Hasselbacher led the Central Illinois Bradley Alumni Chapter (CIBAC) in 1987–88.

The “Old Fogies” honor members

who have passed on: WILLARD HUBER ’40, GERALD RAPP ’42, CLARKE CHAMBERLAIN ’49, JAMES RALPH DEATHERAGE ’42, HARRY FELTENSTEIN ’43, WILSON SCHROEDER ’40, and JOE HESSION ’40.

The bond these men celebrate runs deeper than simply a monthly lunch with old friends. Each member brings his knowledge, experiences, and stories. They share a Bradley spirit that only ripens with age.

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

19

ClassNotes connect, network & remember

’69

JEFFREY BOGART ’69 was

recognized by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of Georgia’s Legal Elite and by Atlanta Magazine as a Georgia Super Lawyer. He is the managing partner of Bogart and Bogart P.C. in Atlanta. Jeff and his wife Christine live in Atlanta.

LARRY AFT ’70 received the American Society for Quality’s 2008 Grant Medal, which recognizes outstanding leadership in developing and presenting an educational program in quality control. Larry is director of continuing education and program development for the Institute of Industrial Engineers in Norcross, Ga.

’70

by nancy ridgeway

A mural painted in 1955 was the impetus behind an unlikely meeting between two Bradley alumni who also are fraternity brothers.

When DON HOLTON ’70 moved into his home in Deerfield, Ill., 16 years ago, he placed five large shelving units in front of a 6’ x 17’ mural of a mountain scene in the basement. He didn’t give it a second thought until last December, when he moved the shelves and spotted an artist’s signature on the mural — “Vallez 1955.”

An Internet search led to a Web site for JERRY VALLEZ ’50, an artist living in Naples, Fla. The Web site, jerryvallez.com, noted that Jerry is a Bradley graduate. Don called Jerry, introduced himself, and told him about the mural.

“I lived in Highland Park at that time and did a lot of work throughout that area. I painted many murals in homes and in bars,” said Jerry, who moved to Florida in 1971 with his wife, ROBAH WYCOFF VALLEZ ’49. They have two daughters.

Jerry is best known for his marine artwork, particularly ships and coastal scenes, and recently has been commissioned to do paintings of boats and yachts. He said the mountain scene in Don’s mural was inspired by a trip he made to Colorado.

As the men chatted about their Bradley days, they discovered both were members of Sigma Chi. “We could hardly believe the double connection,” Don said.

Don, who owns a marketing and financial services consulting business, and his wife Valerie have two sons. They plan to keep the mural and will attach a profile about Jerry to an adjacent wall, “so future owners of our home will know its history.”

INSET photo: DON HOLTON ’70, left, and JERRY VALLEZ ’50 met in January at Jerry’s art studio in Naples, Fla., when Don was vacationing in the area. During a renovation project, Don discovered the mural in his basement (shown above) was painted by Jerry, a fellow alum and fraternity brother. Photography by larry evans

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’71

GLORIA CASSEL-FITZGERALD ’71 MA ’78 received the Lifetime

Achievement Award from the local district of the National Association of Social Workers Illinois Chapter.

She retired as a deputy director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Gloria lives in Peoria.

WILLIAM HACH ’71 teaches math at Pace University. He retired in 2008 after 22 years of service as a high school math teacher in New York City.

He holds a master’s degree from City College, New York City (CUNY). Bill and his wife Susan live in Brooklyn.

’72

GEORGE W. ROBINSON, MA ’72

is a retired educator. A former public school superintendent, principal,

HAL CORLEY ’73 has written the play, Peoria, which opened last January in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Other plays he has written include Brush the Summer By, Legion, and Ounce of Prevention. Hal was on the writing team for All My Children when they won a 1996 Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Achievement in Writing.

’73

’74

TONY S. COLLETTI ’74 was

named to the board of directors for Advance America, Cash Advance Centers Inc. Tony operates Colletti & Associates, a public affairs firm based in Chicago. From 2004 to 2007, he was executive vice president of Community Financial Services Association. He holds a juris doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School.

MEL DIAB ’75 is the owner of Running for Kicks shoe store in Palos Heights. He competed in the Boston Marathon for the 14th year in April. Mel has two children and lives in Palos Heights.

GERALD PALMER, MBA ’75 is the recipient of the 2008 Excellence in Leadership Award, presented by the

’75

business dean LAWRENCE DeBROCK ’75 has been

Jason Lindsey

a brush with the past

and teacher, he also was an educator for the Illinois Department of Corrections. George holds an Ed.D from Nova Southeastern University.

He lives in Oglesby.

named dean of the College of Business at the University of Illinois.

Larry has been a faculty member and administrator in the college for 30 years, most recently as interim dean. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Cornell University.

Larry and his wife Cindy have two children and live in Champaign.

Lincoln Foundation. He serves on the advisory board for Group O, a company in Milan, Ill., and serves on the boards of Old Second College Foundation and Provena Mercy Medical Center. He is a past board member and chair of several Chambers of Commerce in the Aurora/Chicago area. Jerry retired as a vice president at Caterpillar in 2007.

’77

Chicago actors Renee Matthews (seated) and Gerald Bailey portrayed Molly Picon and Jacob Kalich in Molly Picon’s Return Engagement at the Hartmann Center on March 24. They also spoke to theater and public relations classes. Matthews’ son FRASER ENGERMAN ’85 (left) is public affairs manager for State Farm, and his wife KRISTIE AHLENIUS ENGERMAN ’85 is government affairs director for the Illinois Association of Realtors. The Engermans live in Dunlap with their two daughters.

MONICA SMILEY ’77 is editor

and publisher of Enterprising Women magazine, a national entrepreneurial publication, and president/CEO of Enterprising Women Inc. Monica and her husband John Dancer have two sons and live in Cary, N.C.* ROGER GERSTAD ’79 is president of Gerstad Builders.

The company won the AVID Diamond and AVID Cup awards in the category of best customer experience in North America. The awards are presented

by AVID Ratings, a customer loyalty management firm, and Professional Builder magazine. Roger and his wife Diane have three children and live in Wonder Lake. They enjoy competitive water skiing. Their daughter LINDSEY GERSTAD ’12 is an industrial engineering major at Bradley. don sidlowski ’79 was recently elected town chairman of Three Lakes, Wis. Don is a managing partner at Oneida Marketing Enterprises. He and his wife Ginny live on a small hobby horse farm in northern Wisconsin.*

’79

’82

on stage

ANDREW HEATON ’82 and his

wife Charity announce the birth of Benjamin Daniel, their fifth child, on February 11. Last June, the Heatons relocated to Gettysburg, Pa., where Andy is principal and associate general counsel for Ernst & Young LLP. He is president of the Bradley Forensics Alumni Network.

JIM RICHARDS ’82 is regional director of construction for Sedgebrook, a 96-acre retirement community in Lincolnshire. Jim also oversees

construction at Monarch Landing, a similar community in Naperville.

He is employed by Erickson Construction LLC.* DOUG SMITH, MA ’83, athletic director at Naperville North High School, is among eight athletic directors nationwide to receive a 2008 citation from the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Citations are presented to outstanding athletic directors in recognition of contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state, and national levels. Doug has been an athletic director in Illinois for the last 26 years and joined Naperville North in 2003. He lives in Naperville.

’83

PETER SIAVELIS ’86 co-edited the book Pathways to Power, published recently by the Penn State Press. He is the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Fellow and associate professor of political science at Wake Forest University. Peter, who holds a doctoral degree from Georgetown University, has been a visiting professor at the Catholic University of Chile and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain. He and his wife Colleen Galvan live in WinstonSalem, N.C., and have two children.

GREG TEAGUE ’86 is president of the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce.

’86

He is a partner in Teague, Knight and Associates, an accounting and tax practice. Greg also is an investment solutions representative with Country Financial. He and his wife Sharon have three children and live in Chicago.*

’87

monica smiley ’77

don sidlowski ’79

LAURA HEDIEN ’87, a lieuten-

ant with the Waukegan Fire Department for 19 years, has been deployed with the U.S. Navy Reserve to the Middle East, where she is a chief hospitalman attached to the U.S. Marine Combat Logistics Battalion 46.

She and her husband Thomas Herrera live in Grayslake.

DAVE AWL ’88 is a writer and performer based in Chicago.

His book, Facebook Me! How to Have Fun with Your Friends and Promote Your Projects on Facebook, was published last February by Peachpit Press. He also hosts the Partly Dave Show, a cabaret variety show. Later this year, he will perform with the Chicago cast of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind.

jim richards ’82

’88

’90

TAMMY “TC” McCLENNING ’90

greg teague ’86 * see photo

is the author of All in a Day’s Work for Real Estate Agents: Humorous & Heartwarming Stories.

Published by Work Like A Dog Books, it includes more than 100 true stories about real estate agents in 44 states. continued on p. 23 Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

21

ClassNotes connect, network & remember

duo teams up for the environment by justin phelps ’05

Visit cat.com/d7e for more information.

22

bradley.edu/hilltopics

sharon martin weiss, ma ’93

DANAI KASAMBIRA FANNIN ’97

married Chuck Fannin on April 19, 2008. She is researching autism treatment for infants and toddlers at UCLA. Danai holds a Ph.D. in speech and hearing sciences from the University of North Carolina.

She has a master’s degree in communication disorders from St. Louis University. They live in Pasadena, Calif.

Phoenix Photography

Mike Betz ’87 and David Nicoll ’93 honed very different skills from their educational backgrounds. Yet the Caterpillar employees share a common goal in an innovative project — the D7E. Betz and Nicoll are working on a project as engineering manager and marketing manager, respectively, that will deliver the industry’s first electric-drive, track-type tractor. “It’s great to work on a project like this where design, manufacturing, and marketing all have to come together to deliver an extraordinary product,” Nicoll said. “It shows how important teamwork is, because Mike and I have very different backgrounds and different expertises, but we’re sitting in the same meetings.”

They do have a similar Bradley educational experience. When they started the D7E project, both enrolled in Bradley’s Management for the 21st Century program, in which Dr. Aaron Buchko, MBA ’83, professor of management and administration, was influential for both. The courses are taught in conjunction with Caterpillar.

Nicoll estimates about 500 Caterpillar employees are intimately involved in the D7E project. The new tractor will save users operating costs while increasing productivity of the DAVID NICOLL ’93, left, and MIKE BETZ ’87 are part of a team at Caterpillar developing machine. the D7E, an electric-drive, track-type tractor that earned the Environmental Betz’s role is to oversee Protection Agency Clean Air Excellence Award. The annual honor recognizes the project. “There are other innovative efforts to achieve cleaner air. managers of other components that go into this, but I have the whole tractor program,” said Betz, a 20-year Cat employee who lives in Knoxville with his wife and two sons.

“I’ve been on the program since the beginning, when we did the early concept work. We did research in the ’90s and developed our strategy for the next 10 years.”

Nicoll is responsible for marketing the new tractor leading up to the late 2009 launch. “The reception we’ve seen from this — I think because of the focus on the environment — has exceeded our expectations,” said Nicoll, who lives in Dunlap with his wife and three sons. “Customers are amazed at how this technology improves the productivity of the machine while reducing operating costs, especially fuel. Those two components are what customers look at.”

The environmental positives are also a Caterpillar priority. The D7E boasts 50 percent less noise and up to 20 percent less fuel consumed per hour, which dramatically reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emissions. “We recognize today that it’s all of our responsibilities to do more for the environment,” Betz said. “Our children will have to live in this environment in the future. We have to protect our resources.”

amy leary, ma ’99

She is a PR/marketing consultant and copywriter for Top Cat Creative Services.

’92

AMY BAEHLER CONWAY ’92 and

her husband Bret welcomed Nate Michael, their third child, on June 17, 2008. Amy is a Six Sigma Black Belt at Caterpillar in Aurora. The Conways live in Hinsdale.

JOHN MAHER ’92 recently completed an appointment as general counsel for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the federal agency responsible for human resources for 1.8 million federal employees, in Washington, D.C. He has returned to his law practice as a partner with Duane Morris LLP in Chicago and serves as an adjunct professor of e-discovery and federal pretrial at John Marshall Law School.

John lives in Chicago.

’93

ED COUNSIL III ’93 MSCE ’97

and his wife Sara welcomed Elwood De’Loraine on September 7, 2008. Ed is a construction executive with River City Construction LLC. The Counsils live in Dunlap.

SHARON MARTIN WEISS, MA ’93 has been named the National Catholic Educational Association’s Distinguished Principal for schools in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. She received the award in Anaheim in April. Sharon holds a doctoral degree from Illinois State. She is principal of St. Patrick’s School in Washington.*

’94

KRISSY WONCZECKI GROSSI ’94 announces the birth of

her second child, Brooklyn Alexandra, on February 5. The family lives in St. Charles.

ROBIN TEPLITZ LEVEN ’94 and her husband Jeff welcomed Jordyn Gabrielle, their second child, on October 10, 2008. Robin teaches part-time at Indian Trail School in Highland Park. They live in Gurnee.

’95

OWEN COLLINS ’95 recently

was named chairman of the theater department at Washington &

Lee University. Owen holds a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina. He and his wife Ann live in Lexington, Va. ROBERT N. YOUNG ’95 recently accepted a position with Promega, leading the company’s intellectual property department. He and his wife KRISTINE KRAUSE YOUNG ’95 live in Mt. Horeb, Wis.

’96

GILLIAN BABICZ CAMPBELL ’96 and KEVIN CAMPBELL ’96

welcomed Anderson John, their third son, on October 25, 2008. Gillian is editor of Quality Magazine. Kevin is senior editor for Plant Engineering magazine. The Campbells live in Carol Stream.

TODD GERS ’96 and his wife Amy announce the birth of Ethan Brody, born December 16, 2008. Todd, who holds a juris doctor degree from Washington University School of Law, is a partner with Gers & Gross, P.C. They live in Walled Lake, Mich.

JOE GLEBA ’96, a CPA with Porte Brown LLC, has been named a partner in the firm. He is a member of the Illinois CPA Society and the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association. He is treasurer of the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife JENNIFER GAVINO GLEBA ’96 have two children and live in Bartlett.

PHIL RAINES ’96 recently received his MBA from the University of Minnesota. He is director of government affairs for Associated Builders & Contractors of Minnesota. He and his wife MARIA ESGUERRA RAINES ’98 live in Lakeville, Minn.

’97

LINDA FELDMANN ’97 recently

received the Vicki Maurer Compassionate Caring Nurse Award at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where she works in the department of surgical oncology. She was nominated by physicians, staff, and patients. Linda lives in Chicago.

PETER C. JONES ’97 and his wife Christy announce the birth of their son Westley on March 18. Peter is a senior

test engineer for Maxim Integrated Products. The family lives in Aloha, Ore. LEE BLOOME ’98 recently received the Capital Chapter Young Engineer of the Year Award.

He is a water resource engineer at Hanson Professional Services in Springfield. He and his wife Lisa live in Chatham.

NICOLE DALACH FISH ’98 and BRANDON FISH ’98 announce the birth of their second child, Phoenix Sienna, on February 27. The family lives in Pflugerville, Texas.

LARAINE KAIZER-VIAZOVTSEV ’98 has performed in orchestras for Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, David Foster, Rascal Flatts, and others. She has recorded with Bobby Kingston and Pete Contino. A first violinist in the Las Vegas Philharmonic, she performs with the piano group Mechta Trio, the chamber groups Musica Lumina and Desert Wind Trio, and has performed jazz with guitarist Richard Forrester.

Laraine and her husband Sasha live in Las Vegas.

CHRIS TOMCZYK ’98 and his wife Karen announce the birth of Mikayla Brianne on January 22.

’98

’99

todd cohen ’00

RUSSELL KNIGHT ’00 and VALERIE BERMAN-KNIGHT ’02 were married

October 4, 2008. They live in Chicago.

JAMIE WILLIAMS CARDINAL ’99

and JOE CARDINAL ’99 welcomed their son Joseph John on January 17. They live in Agoura Hills, Calif.

JIMMY GIALELIS ’99 received the 2008 Instructor of the Year award at the Arizona School of Massage Therapy. He and his wife Bethany live in Tempe.

SHANNON THAWLEY GRAY ’99 and her husband Matt welcomed their son Connor David, born September 21, 2008. Shannon is a supply planning manager for Sun Microsystems. The Grays live in Reno, Nev. AMY LEARY, MA ’99 was named the 2008 associate of the year at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, where she is a clinical counselor. Amy holds a master’s degree from Emporia State University. She lives in Overland Park, Kan.*

VENKAT TIPPANA, MS ’01 married

Vidya Reddy Pichilli on August 21, 2008. He is a programmer for Orionsoft Inc. The couple lives in Louisville, Ky. * see photo

enjoy our web extras at bradley.edu/hilltopics/ 09summer/extras

continued on p. 24 Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

23

ClassNotes connect, network & remember

MARK WOODRING ’99 has been named associate administrator at Truman Medical Centers of Kansas City, Mo. He works at the Lakewood campus in Lee’s Summit.

’00

JACOB JOHNSON ’03 and KATHRYN DENSBERGER ’04 were married

on August 16, 2008. He is a ceramic artist and holds an MFA from Penn State. She is a doctoral student at Penn State, and is assistant editor of Contemporary Sociology. The couple lives in Bellefonte, Pa.

LINDSAY CASPER ANDERSON ’04

and Jeremy Anderson were married on November 29, 2008. Lindsay is a marketing coordinator for LG Seeds, a division of AgReliant Genetics.

The Andersons live in Elmwood.

criminal defense law at McNamee & Mahoney, Ltd. He worked in the White House for the Clinton administration for six months, then received his juris doctor degree from John Marshall Law School. He lives in Algonquin. (See photo on p. 23).

JENNIFER ASBURY MAI ’00 and STEVEN MAI ’00 welcomed their daughter Samantha Elizabeth on April 15, 2008.

Jennifer is an assistant professor of physical therapy at Clarke College.

Steve received an MBA from the University of Iowa in May 2008 and is employed at John Deere Dubuque Works. The family lives in Dubuque.

CAMILLA ANDEN McGEEHIN ’00 and her husband Ross welcomed their son Oliver on May 28, 2008. The McGeehins reside in Royal Oak, Mich.

SHANNON McKENZIE ’00 and BRAD HANAHAN ’01 announce the birth of their second son, Breckin Connor, on March 26. They live in Libertyville.

’01

18, 2008. Diane received a master’s degree from Dominican University last May. She is a social worker. They live in Peoria.

JENNIFER ROSA ’06 is a coloratura

soprano, songwriter, and producer.

She joined the band Electric Black and is a soprano in the Oratorio Society of New York, a music ensemble. She is founder and producer of The Stoop, a concert series that opened in March.

Her husband J SCOTT HINKLEY ’03 works in music licensing and is the owner of Flat World Recordings. The couple lives in New York City.

Home. The Sholl family lives in Marquette Heights.

SHAWNA VON BEHREN ’02 has been promoted to national accounts manager for the Pro Audio Combo division of Yamaha. She lives in Mission Viejo, Calif.

’03

you moved? send address changes to:

pthomas@bradley.edu OR Alumni Records c/o Paula Thomas Bradley University 1501 W. Bradley Ave. Peoria, IL 61625

KELLY colgan GSCHWEND ’02 MA ’06 has been named

assistant development director for Eureka College. She and her husband Josh live in Morton.

CORELLA REYNOLDS SHOLL ’02 and her husband Joseph welcomed their son Eli, born May 29, 2008. Corella is employed by Proctor Endowment

MARCUS RAPP ’03 and MEGHAN JACOBY RAPP ’03 announce the

birth of their daughter Lucy on April 28. The family resides in Morton.

RAEANNE WEISHAAR BAZYN ’01 and TIM BAZYN ’02 welcomed

Madeline Charlotte, their second daughter, on November 24, 2008.

Raeanne is a homemaker. Tim is a research engineer at Caterpillar.

The family lives in Chillicothe.

NICOLE MLADIC ’01 has been promoted to vice president of MS&L Worldwide, a public relations firm.

She lives in Oak Park.

’02 DIANE SKINNER FINN ’04 and TIM FINN ’06 were married October

TODD COHEN ’00 practices

new york music scene

’04

ERICA JOHNSTON HUNEKE ’04

and her husband Jim welcomed their son Owen James on June 23, 2008. Erica holds a master’s degree in reading education from

Quincy University. The family lives in Quincy where Erica teaches in the public schools.

MICHAEL PLAHM ’04 and his wife Brittany welcomed their son Matthew William on June 8, 2008. Michael is supervisor of contract administration for Cision. They live in Oak Lawn.

KELLY KOLTON ’05 received a 2009 American Inhouse Design Award. This is the second time she won this award. Kelly is a graphic designer for the law firm of Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen. She is secretary of the Bradley University Communication Alumni Network.

She lives in Peoria.

’05

ASHLEY STEWART ’06 is the band director at Washington Central Grade School, where she works with students in fifth through eighth grade. She lives in Peoria.

WHITNEY BAUER WINKELS ’06 is an international project manager at Viracon. She and Andy Winkels were married on June 16, 2007. They live in Owatonna, Minn.

’06

’07

MATT ADAMS-WENGER ’07 is

pursuing a master’s degree in vocal performance at the University of Idaho-Moscow. He recently placed first in Division V of the National Association of Teachers of Singing continued on p. 26

24

bradley.edu/hilltopics

CHRIS BRAET ’05 and AMY HOWARTH BRAET ’06 were mar-

ried June 21, 2008. Chris is an engineer at Caterpillar, and Amy is a benefits analyst at RLI. They live in Peoria.

A Link to Obama’s campaign — and beyond

by Justin Phelps ’05 DIANA BURRELL SILHAN ’06 and BRIAN SILHAN ’06 were married

on March 29, 2008. Diana works in graphic design and marketing for Heritage Wine Cellars. Brian works for the Chicago Fire Department. The Silhans reside in Chicago.

JOHN LINDAHL jr. ’07 and LAURA LUZIETTI LINDAHL ’07 were

married September 27, 2008.

John is a machine operator for Lindahl Bros. Inc. They live in Glen Ellyn.

JEFF LINK ’05 knew he was in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

At 25 years old, he had recently left his full-time job for a challenging, new opportunity with the Obama for America campaign. He was driving from his Lakeview neighborhood in Chicago to Sen. Obama’s home in Hyde Park in March 2007. Obama had recently announced his candidacy for president of the United States.

“I was most concerned about not screwing something up,” said Link, an information technology (IT) professional for the campaign, who was assigned the task of connecting a couple of computers to the Internet in Obama’s home office. “I was pretty excited about the opportunity to be at his home. I knew going in that it would be something few other people would experience. Many pveople get to meet the president, many people met Sen. Obama on the campaign, but being able to walk into his house was a one-of-a-kind experience.”

As an IT support manager for the campaign, he established and monitored the help desk/technical support team at the Chicago-based headquarters and for campaign employees nationwide. Link, who found employment through the campaign’s Web site mybarackobama.com, later became a regional IT director and monitored about half the campaign’s IT directors. After the election, Link went to Washington, D.C., as a senior project manager for the Presidential Transition Team.

Link said a class with Dr. Chuck West, MS ’87, assistant professor of management information systems, helped to prepare him for the campaign. “Something I learned from him is that in programming, before you sit down to write code, you have to figure out the logic behind it,” Link said. “You could figure out the entire program on a piece of paper without writing an actual piece of code. That helped a lot during the campaign.”

Link was hired in February as an IT specialist in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), which is part of the Executive Office of the President (EOP). The office provides support for e-mail and the Internet.

Link still finds it amazing to say he works in an office within the EOP and just a block away from the White House. “I don’t think I would have expected it two years ago,” said Link, who now lives in Washington, D.C. “A lot of people say this was a series of ‘no-one-would-have-expected this.’ ”

* see photo

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

25

ClassNotes connect, network & remember

Send Us Your ClassNotes ...we want to share your news!

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Please note: ClassNotes are published in the order they are received. Please send wedding and birth announcements within one year of the event. mail to: Bradley Hilltopics, Bradley University, 1501 W. Bradley Ave., Peoria, IL 61625 fax 309-677-4055 e-mail hilltopics@bradley.edu Photo submissions: Please include photographer’s written permission to reproduce copyrighted photos.

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26

bradley.edu/hilltopics

natalie lafranzo ’07

divya gamini, msee ’08

regional competition in the Pacific Northwest.

NICK HAUSAM ’07 and his wife Rachel announce the birth of their third child, Eva Elizabeth, on February 9. Nick is a middle school math teacher for District 150. The family lives in Peoria.

NATALIE LaFRANZO ’07 is head cheerleading coach at Washington

University in St. Louis. Her cheerleaders were among 24 finalists in a nationwide competition sponsored by MTV to promote its movie, Fired Up.* KRISTIN LELM ’07 is pursuing a master’s degree in vocal performance at DePaul University. She has been cast in lead roles in DePaul Opera Theatre productions.

!

notice

Bradley Hilltopics ClassNotes are now posted online at bradley.edu/hilltopics.

1

To have your news published in the magazine and Hilltopics Online, use the form here or online at bradley.edu/hilltopics.

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’08

DIVYA GAMINI, MSEE ’08 is

a radio-frequency design engineer at Validus Technologies, where she is working on a nextgeneration, in-vivo sensory platform.

She is conducting research on digital sensors for blood pressure measurement. Divya lives in Peoria.* PHILLIP KLEVEN ’08 is pursuing a master’s degree in violin performance at the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. He is principal second violinist in the Hartt Symphony Orchestra.

MARY PENTECOST ’08 is teaching piano while pursuing a master’s degree in piano pedagogy and performance studies at the University of Idaho-Moscow.

Take 5 minutes for the Bradley Hilltopics Summer ’09 readership survey!

Share your thoughts at bradley.edu/hilltopics.

InMemory 1930s

HARVEY BENDER ’37, Nov. 28, 2008, Edwardsville.

ELEANOR FARRELLY McGRATH ’39, Nov. 18, 2008,

Peoria. She enjoyed crafts and was a kindergarten teacher in her early career. Her seven children survive, along with seven grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.

BETTY TAGGART ’39, Feb. 12, Peoria. She retired as an officer at Peoria Savings and Loan. Betty was a member of Sigma Kappa, the Bradley University Alumni Association, and CIBAC.

1940s

JEAN WARREN MOORE ’40, March 9, Quincy.

She was a home economics teacher for more than 30 years, primarily at Peoria Central High School.

Jean was a longtime resident of East Peoria.

Her daughter, four grandchildren, and a greatgranddaughter survive.

SAMUEL “BILL” CONVER ’42, Jan. 31, Peoria. He wrote a sports column for the Peoria Star, and later was an editor and religion columnist for the Peoria Journal Star, retiring in 1982. A World War II Army Air Corps veteran, Bill was active in his church and the Catholic Interracial Council. Four children survive, including MICHAEL CONVER ’68 and ANN CONVER, MFA ’91. His daughter Kath Conver is senior director of BU public relations. Also surviving are four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

LEON ATHERTON ’44, April 18, Peoria. He had a private OB/GYN practice for 30 years and delivered more than 2,000 babies. He was a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago.

A World War II Army veteran, he had a private pilot’s license. Two children including KRISTAL ATHERTON ’83, two granddaughters, and a great-grandson survive.

CHESTER REID ’48, Nov. 1, 2008, St. Joseph, Mich. He worked at R.G. LeTourneau until 1959.

Chet retired from Clark Equipment in 1986 as head of international engineering. He later worked as a consultant. Chet was involved in the development of international technical standards. He served in the Naval Reserve. Survivors include his wife Barbara, three children, seven grandchildren, and a great-grandson.

NORMAN AMUNDSEN ’49, April 7, Jackson, Mich.

A World War II Navy veteran, he retired from Consumers Energy as a senior engineer after 22 years of service. Surviving are five children, 10 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

JOHN BAUER ’49, Dec. 15, 2008, Oneonta, Ala. He worked in sales and management at Hunt Wesson Foods for 20 years and later at Dial Corp., retiring in 1990. John was a World War II Army Air

Corps veteran. Surviving are his wife Grace, four children, 12 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and a great-great-grandchild.

JANE SEBREE BARTON ’49, Feb. 2, The Woodlands, Texas. A World War II Army veteran, she worked as a nurse. Jane was an active volunteer in Canton at the hospital and other organizations. She was a member of PEO, and at Bradley was a Chi Omega.

Her daughter and granddaughter survive.

JOHN “JACK” FARES ’49, April 13, Chenoa. Jack worked for GMAC from 1951 to 1980. He worked part-time for the Peoria Park District in golf operations until 2001. An active volunteer, Jack was an elder and deacon in his church. He was a World War II Army Air Forces veteran. His wife HELEN ALEXANDER FARES ’47, two daughters, and a grandson survive.

JAMES POWERS ’49, Jan. 27, Peoria. He was a sales engineer for Wilkins Pipe & Supply, retiring in 1995.

A World War II Army Air Corps veteran, he received the Bronze Star and was a founding member of the Army Air Museum in Britain. Active in St. Mark’s Catholic Church, Jim was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Bradley. Survivors include his wife Barbara, three children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

KENNETH SCOGIN ’49, Feb. 7, East Peoria. He was a detail draftsman at Caterpillar for 34 years, retiring in 1983. Kenny was an active member of Grace United Methodist Church in Pekin. He enjoyed helping with musicals produced by Caterpillar, as well as Corn Stock Theatre. A World War II Navy veteran, the Salvation Army recognized him for volunteerism in 1988. Surviving are four children, 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.

ALEXANDER STENHOUSE ’49, Oct. 19, 2008, DeKalb. He was secretary and treasurer of A. Stenhouse & Co. An active volunteer in Burbank, he was president of the library board. During World War II, he served in the Office of Strategic Services.

Survivors include his wife Beatrice, three daughters, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

THERESA PARIS SULLIVAN ’49, Feb. 16, Peoria.

She was employed at Zeller Mental Health Center for 18 years, retiring in 2002. Previously she was executive director of the March of Dimes and the Epilepsy Foundation. She was active with United Way. A member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, she enjoyed singing in the choir.

1950s

JOHN CYCHOL JR. ’50, Feb. 2, North Little Rock, Ark. He worked for Caterpillar for 37 years, retiring in 1989. A World War II Navy veteran, he was a

member of the Illinois High School Basketball Hall of Fame. John enjoyed golf and fishing. Surviving are his wife JOAN O’CONNOR CYCHOL ’53, five children including CATHI CYCHOL SHEA ’84, and seven grandchildren. pHILIP JOSe FARMER ’50 HON ’98, Feb. 25, Peoria.

He was a science fiction writer with books to his credit such as Fabulous River World, Nothing Burns in Hell, Strange Relations, and Dark Heart of Time.

A World War II Army Air Corps veteran, he was inducted into the Bradley Centurion Society in 1994.

For more about his writing, see page 3. Surviving are his wife BETTE ANDRE FARMER ’44, two children, five grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

CARL KEISTER ’50, Jan. 12, Fort Myers, Fla. He was employed by Caterpillar for 31 years. A World War II Army veteran, he enjoyed woodworking. His wife CHERILLYN JOHNSON KEISTER ’49, four children, and eight grandchildren survive.

DELOSS “D.E.” MYLOTT ’50, Dec. 30, 2008, Pekin.

After 45 years at Caterpillar, he retired in 1990 as a security systems engineer. D.E. was an active member of First United Methodist Church. He was a World War II Navy veteran. Surviving are his wife Hazel, three children, 10 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.

OWEN REED ’50, Feb. 8, Peoria. Owen owned Reed-Manning Insurance for many years and then worked for several insurance agencies. A World War II Navy veteran, he enjoyed golf. Survivors include his wife DOLORES SEVER REED ’50 MLS ’89, two children, and two grandchildren.

ZELDA HEDDEN SELLMAN ’50 MA ’52, Feb. 5, Athens.

A longtime resident of Germantown Hills, she wrote and published poetry and children’s stories. She taught English and art at the college level. Zelda was a painter and a peace activist. She was involved with the Society of Friends. Four sons including DANIEL SELLMAN ’85, a foster daughter, and nine grandchildren survive. Her husband Wayne Sellman ’55 MBA ’58 died on May 3.

ALVIN WOERNER ’50, Dec. 1, 2008, Wenona. He farmed and also worked at J&L Steel in Hennepin for 20 years. He was an avid cyclist and fisherman.

Alvin was a World War II Navy veteran. His wife Margaret, six children, 12 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren survive.

STANLEY “LEE” PANEK ’51, March 2009, Indian Head Park. He was a World War II Army Air Corps veteran. His wife Gloria survives.

WAYNE BURMEISTER ’52, March 1, Perry, Mich.

A founder and past president of the Professional Convention Managers Association, he retired in 1994 as director of member services for the Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

27

InMemory Michigan State Medical Society. Wayne was a consultant in the planning of convention centers in Paris and Berlin. A Korean War Army veteran, he was an active volunteer. Surviving are his wife Sharonlee, four children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

CHARLES DILL ’52, Feb. 19, Morton. He was art director and vice president at Mace Advertising, retiring in 1985. Charles was a World War II Air Force veteran. Survivors include his wife Barbara, six children, two stepchildren, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

EMIL GROB ’52, Jan. 21, Peoria. After serving in the Army Air Forces during World War II, Emil was a flight instructor at Byerly Aviation. He later worked for Caterpillar for 35 years in the Peoria area, as well as in Europe and North Africa. Surviving are his wife Loretta, five children including CATHY GROB FREY ’75 and MATTHEW GROB ’89, and eight grandchildren.

ELOISE FISCHER SULLIVAN ’52, Jan. 30, Montgomery. Three children and three grandchildren survive.

QUENTIN WALMSLEY ’52, Dec. 7, 2008, Mesa, Ariz. He worked in the finance department at Caterpillar in Peoria. An Army Air Corps veteran, Quentin enjoyed golf and was active in the Knights of Columbus. Surviving are his wife Barbara, two sons, and two grandsons.

GILBERT BRUELL ’53 MS ’58, March 12, Morton.

He taught accounting at Morton High School, and earlier was a principal in Tremont. Gilbert was a Korean War Navy veteran. His sister and brother survive.

WILLIAM BURROUGHS ’53, Nov. 27, 2008, West Elmira, N.Y. He worked in the railroad industry for 40 years, retiring in 1987 as a district sales manager for Conrail. Bill was active in his church and Kiwanis.

He was an Air Force veteran. Survivors include his wife Maxine, their son, and six grandchildren.

PAUL PETRI ’53, Jan. 5, Peoria. He worked in sales, most recently for Mangold Ford-Mercury in Eureka.

Paul worked at Wal-Mart until late last year. He was active in his church. His wife Sherry, seven children, and 13 grandchildren survive.

GORDON WRIGHT ’53, March 21, Peoria. For many years he worked in kitchen design and sales, retiring in 2008. Gordon was active in his church and the Knights of Columbus. Survivors include 10 children, 30 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.

BETTY HEDDEN STARASTA ’54 MA ’57, Nov. 30, 2006, Farmington. She taught art at Spoon River College, and was an instructor with Bradley’s Institute for Learning in Retirement for many years. Her husband George, one son, and two grandchildren survive.

28 bradley.edu/hilltopics

ALVIN POLICH ’55 MEA ’67, Dec. 26, 2008, Bella Vista, Ark. He worked in the railroad industry for many years in Peoria, Los Angeles, and Kansas. He retired as director of public projects for the Santa Fe Railroad in Kansas City. He was a magician and also enjoyed golf and woodworking. He was an Air Force veteran. His wife Kathryn and three children survive.

DUANE NORTON ’56, Jan. 15, Torrance, Calif. He was employed by Northrop’s aircraft division and later by Hughes Aircraft. Duane retired in 1986. He was a World War II and Korean War Navy veteran. His wife Eloise, two sons, and six grandchildren survive.

HAROLD “BUD” DAVIS ’57, March 1, Boca Raton, Fla. He retired as vice president of sales and marketing at Keystone Steel & Wire. He owned World Wide Travel in Peoria. A Navy veteran, Bud was a member of Sigma Chi. He enjoyed restoring Chris-Craft wooden boats. Survivors include his wife Susie, three children, and seven grandchildren.

JOHN “JACK” DUCHIEN, MS ’57, Jan. 16, East Peoria.

After 35 years with School District 86, he retired as superintendent in 1986. Jack and his wife later worked as tour escorts for Peoria Charter Coach.

A World War II Air Force veteran, Jack enjoyed golf and was active in his church. Surviving are three children including JANET DUCHIEN FLINN ’80, nine grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters.

WILLIAM HOWALD ’57, Jan. 11, Brimfield.

DONALD HUFF ’57, Feb. 18, Bozeman, Mont.

He retired as senior vice president of AON, an international insurance brokerage firm. A member of Tau Kappa Epsilon at Bradley, Don lived in Pasadena, Calif., for many years. His wife Leslie survives.

GERALD SAUDER ’58, Jan. 13, Ranson, W.Va. Jerry was a retired mechanical engineer. Surviving are his wife Marilyn, four sons, and 10 grandchildren.

EDWARD ZIMMERMAN ’58, Feb. 27, Foley, Ala. The proprietor of E-Z Tackle Shop, he was active in his church and in Rotary where he was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow in 2006. Ed was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Bradley. Two daughters, his brother, and four grandchildren survive.

GEORGE HUTHMANN ’59, Feb. 17, Peoria. Employed

by Caterpillar since 1959, George last worked as a casting design engineer. He was involved in prison ministries, and was a longtime member of the CEFCU board. His wife Ruth died in December. Surviving are three daughters and four grandchildren.

BERNADINE ROACH, MA ’59, April 7, Peoria. She was a teacher for 32 years, including 25 years at Woodruff High School. Bernadine was a musician and an active member of University United Methodist Church. Surviving are two children

including STEVE ROACH ’71, five grandchildren, and three great-grandsons.

1960s

DONNA KRABBENHOFT LISTER, MS ’60, Jan. 29, Sheboygan, Wis. She was a teacher in Naperville until 1966, and later was a substitute teacher in Sheboygan. Donna was active in her church and several clubs. Her husband HERB LISTER ’60 MBA ’60, two children, and two granddaughters survive.

JANE KEITHLY PFLEEGER ’60, April 18, Peoria. She was a music teacher in District 150 for 40 years.

Jane also taught at St. Mark’s School, and spent seven summers as a director at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan. She enjoyed the opera. Jane’s two children and two grandchildren survive.

HAROLD FRANZEN ’61, Nov. 30, 2008, Flanagan.

He farmed and also managed businesses and properties in the area. A Korean War Army veteran, Harold had been president of the local farmers co-op. His wife Mary, three children, and three grandchildren survive.

DAVID MADALOZZO ’61, Jan. 29, Tarboro, N.C. He owned and operated EPM Co., a machine shop.

Dave had worked at Anaconda Wire & Cable Co. until 1979, helping to open the Tarboro facility as plant engineer. An Air Force veteran, he held a private pilot’s license. Survivors include his wife Rose, two daughters, and five grandchildren.

ROBERT W. BROWN ’63 MBA ’89, Feb. 6, Morton.

He retired in 2001 as CEO of Bank Plus. Previously, Bob had worked at Morton Federal Savings and Loan, as well as IBM and Howard Printing. He served on the boards of the American Red Cross and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Washington.

The Chamber of Commerce honored Bob in 2000, and he was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Morton Rotary. He served on the national advisory board of Bradley’s Foster College of Business.

Surviving are his wife BARBARA BLACK BROWN ’75 MLS ’91, his mother, four children including ROBERT BROWN JR. ’82, MARTIN T. BROWN ’83, and KATHERINE BROWN BOWERS ’87, and eight grandsons.

LEROY HARMS ’64, Feb. 8, Peoria. After more than 20 years at Caterpillar, he retired in 2001 as a technical analyst. Previously he worked at Rainbird Sprinklers. Leroy enjoyed tennis and sailing.

Survivors include his wife Gloria, two children, and three grandchildren.

WENDELL DALE LEACH ’64, Dec. 8, 2008, Minier.

Retired from Caterpillar in 1997 after 33 years, he was an accountant. Dale was an Army veteran.

His wife Janet and two children survive.

LOUIS SCLAFANI ’66, Feb. 28, Marlton, N.J. He

was president of Violet Packing Co., producer of Don Pepino and Sclafani tomato products. He served as president of the New Jersey Food Processors in 2000. Earlier he was a Frito-Lay plant manager in California. An honored Vietnam War Navy veteran, he was active in Boy Scouts. He was a member of Theta Xi at Bradley. Survivors include his wife Carol.

NELDA WADDELL, MA ’67, Feb. 18, Peoria.

GERALD DUKE ’68, Jan. 7, Coral Springs, Fla. He owned a computer services company. His wife ANN CODY DUKE, MA ’74 and one daughter survive.

GARY HUGHES, MA ’68, Jan. 3, Peoria Heights.

He was an organist and choir director at various churches, retiring in 2005 from Bradley Epworth United Methodist Church. Gary had been president of Kappa Kappa Psi. He served on the school and village boards in Bradford. Survivors include his wife Nora and two children.

RONALD BROY ’69 MA ’74, March 6, Cookeville, Tenn. Employed at the regional Social Security office in Chicago for 17 years, Ronald initiated the SSI statistical program in 1974 and helped appeal judges’ rulings. Earlier he was an insurance agent in Bloomington. He was an Air Force veteran.

One daughter and five grandchildren survive.

DON MULLNER ’69, March 18, Oswego. He was facilities manager at Neuqua Valley High School for three years and earlier worked at Siemens Corp. for 15 years. Don held a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University. A member of Phi Kappa Tau at Bradley, he was active in the Knights of Columbus.

His wife DARLA HOPPER MULLNER ’68, two daughters, his mother, and two grandchildren survive.

MARGARET “PEGGY” LIEBENOW WEBER ’74, April 12, Lakewood. She was an assistant professor of accounting at University of Illinois, Chicago. Peggy held a master’s degree from Tulane and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas. She and her family lived in New Orleans for 25 years. Her husband Joseph, their son, and two grandsons survive.

WILLIAM E. SMITH JR., MBA ’75, Dec. 1, 2008, Peoria. Bill last worked at Pioneer Park Mitsubishi.

Survivors include his wife Veronica, two children, three stepdaughters, and five grandchildren.

CHARLES “TIM” HEIMANN, MA ’76, March 13, Galesburg. He was a coach, professor, and development officer at Knox College for 37 years.

Tim served in the Army Reserves for six years.

Surviving are his wife Catherine, four children, and two grandchildren.

LEONA HUNT SMITH ’76, Dec. 25, 2008, East Peoria.

An RN at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center for 29 years, she retired in 1978. She was a 1949 graduate of the hospital’s school of nursing. Her son survives.

CATHY CRAIG ZANDER ’77, Feb. 25, Prior Lake, Minn.

She had been an RN at Fairview Southdale Hospital since 1982. Cathy was a Girl Scout leader and enjoyed Bible study groups. She was a member of Chi Omega. Her husband PAUL ZANDER ’75, two children, and her mother survive.

MICHAEL A. WOLF ’78, Jan. 31, Belle Plaine, Iowa.

Mike was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Bradley.

Survivors include his wife Jackie, his mother, five children, and a granddaughter.

1970s

LEE MORGAN, HON ’80, Jan. 21, Peoria. He retired from Caterpillar in 1985 as chairman of the board and CEO. A World War II Army veteran, he began his Caterpillar career in 1946. He established the Lee L. Morgan Chair in International Economic Affairs at Bradley in 1992. The recipient of numerous awards, he sat on many boards, including Boeing, CILCO, Commercial National Bank, 3M, and Mobil Corp.

RICHARD TALBOT ’81, Feb. 15, Spring Grove.

He held a master’s degree in human resources development from Webster University. He served in the Illinois National Guard from 1986 to 1990.

Surviving are his father and stepmother, five sisters and brothers, and eight stepbrothers and sisters.

JAMES JEFFRIES ’84, April 22, Princeville. He worked in the electric power division at Caterpillar for 25 years. Jim was a CPS deployment manager.

He volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and the Boy Scouts. His wife Dawn, four children, and his parents survive.

JOHN MARTYNOWSKI, MA ’70, April 22, Toluca. He was a science teacher and principal at Metamora Grade School for 32 years. John worked at Libby & McNeil during the summers. He was a World War II Naval Air Force veteran. Surviving are his wife Mary Ann, four sons including MATT MARTYNOWSKI ’91, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

PAUL ZANCAN ’70, March 31, Lowell, Ind. He had been employed by Valspar Corp. Survivors include his wife CYNTHIA HATCH ZANCAN ’70, two children, and his mother.

LARRY BIRKEMO ’74, March 11, Chapel Hill, N.C. He was employed by GlaxoSmithKline for more than 20 years. Surviving are his wife Diane, two daughters, and his mother.

MICHAEL K. BLAIR ’74 MA ’78, Dec. 2, 2008, Peoria.

He was a high school teacher for 35 years in Washington. Survivors include his father KENNETH BLAIR ’56 and mother BONNIE ECHARD WATSON ’51.

1980s

1990s

THOMAS BROOKS-MILLER ’95, Feb. 24, Colchester.

He was in skilled trades at Caterpillar until 1988, and was a shop steward. A Vietnam War Army veteran, Tom was an award-winning artist. Survivors include his wife JEANNETTE LOKAY BROOKS-MILLER ’77, two children, and four brothers and sisters including MARY WOZNIAK-HORAN ’84.

2000s

LAUREN HAMILTON ’08, April 11, Peoria. She was a customer service rep on the Bank of America team at Multi-Ad. A member of Chi Omega, Lauren was an accomplished pianist and enjoyed drama. She had been active in track and volleyball at Sandwich High School. Her parents and brother survive.

Staff MARY ANN BURNS was an administrative assistant in Alumni Relations for 21 years.

When she retired in 2003, Mary Ann was given an honorary alumnus award. A Washington resident, she died on April 26.

Survivors include her husband Raymond, four children, her mother, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

WOJCIECH LIS was a bookbinder in Special Collections for 25 years. A resident of East Peoria, he died on April 13. Surviving are his wife Sophie, two children including JERRY LIS ’91, and four grandchildren.

PAUL SCHMIEDICKE was an audiovisual specialist until he retired in 2001. A resident of West Lafayette, Indiana, he died on January 15. His wife Diana survives, along with one son and two grandsons.

AGNES THULEAN worked in Admissions for 25 years. An active member of Grace Presbyterian Church, she died on May 2. Survivors include her children RICHARD THULEAN ’66 MA ’69 and SYLVIA THULEAN ROPP ’67 MA ’70, five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

“In Memory” Guidelines: In Memory is written from newspaper clippings, as well as published obituaries supplied by friends and family. Bradley Hilltopics attempts to identify spouses, parents, children, and siblings who are also Bradley alumni. Submit an obituary by mailing a newspaper clipping or memory card from the funeral home to Bradley Hilltopics, 1501 W. Bradley Ave., Peoria, IL 61625.

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

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AlumniNews people & events

Director’s Corner August 9 St. Louis 20th annual picnic and student send-off, Stacy Park, 9750 Old Bonhomme Rd., Olivette, 1–3 p.m.

August 15 Los Angeles A Celebration of Bradley University, Directors Guild of America, 7920 Sunset Blvd., 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. program September 10 Chicago Tour of the Art Institute of Chicago’s new Modern Wing, dinner, and lecture, 5:30 p.m. tour, 7 p.m. dinner and lecture in Russian Tea Time Restaurant September 20 St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cubs event, 11 a.m. pre-game at J. Bucks, 1000 Clark St.; 1:15 p.m. game at Busch Stadium, limit four tickets per alum; $30 per person November 27–28 Las Vegas Thanksgiving weekend with Bradley Braves men’s basketball, Las Vegas Invitational Challenge. Call 309-677-3000 for information.

University Events September 30–October 3 Peoria Homecoming October 1 Peoria Founder’s Day For more information, visit bualum.org or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 309-677-2240 or 800-952-8258.

Spotlight on alumni Bradley alumni worldwide are doing the most interesting things! Each month, the Bradley University Alumni Association spotlights two alumni on its Web site. Submit your suggestions for future spotlights at bualum.org/about/forms/spotlight.

One short year ago I wouldn’t have believed it. Couldn’t have predicted it. And to this day, I’m still not certain I should have done it. But here I sit as the proud owner of my very own Facebook page.

I’m admittedly not the most prolific participant in the social networking universe, but I confess to being gratified each time I receive a “friend” request. Often, these new Facebook friends are fellow alumni I’ve met at Bradley events. It’s a connection with them I might not otherwise have in today’s fast-paced, do-more-with-less world…a place to go any time of the day or night to find friends and colleagues, share a laugh, get advice, discover new resources, or just “catch up.”

After all, staying connected is more important than ever. And it’s one of the guiding principles of your alumni association. We’re committed to providing the connections you need to help build a dynamic professional or personal network, a more successful career or business, and a more meaningful relationship with your alma mater.

If you are already a Facebook member, join our BUAA group to find out about Bradley events in your area. Add the new Alumni Connections application for easy access to the BU Alumni Online Community where you can submit ClassNotes, network with alumni, and sign up for your bradley.edu e-mail forwarding address. Not quite ready for Facebook? Register for the Online Community or send your updated e-mail address to bgreen@bradley.edu to receive BU news and information to keep you connected to your alma mater and your fellow alumni.

As for me…I hope to “connect” with you on campus soon. If that’s not possible, perhaps our paths will cross on Facebook!

Hail Red & White! lori winters fan executive director, alumni relations

!

Alumni Events

2009

Join the fun at the Big Fiesta during Homecoming on Saturday, October 3. The event will feature family-friendly tailgating tents, a Mexican buffet, kids’ zone, live entertainment with “Mike and Joe,” and a pep rally before the Bradley vs. Drake soccer match.

Hosts of tailgating tents

Reunions

Bradley Ambassadors

Class of 1959

College for Learning Assistance

BU Communication Alumni Network (BU-CAN)

College of Education and Health Sciences College of Engineering and Technology College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Department of Athletics Foster College of Business The Graduate School Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts Smith Career Center

bradley.edu/hilltopics

!

Homecoming • Sept. 30 – Oct. 3

Department of Psychology

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de

Sigma Chi Theta Chi Visit bualum.org/ homecoming for details or to see if your department or group has been added.

For more Homecoming information, see back cover.

Represent Bradley at Race for the Cure To honor President Glasser and others in the Bradley family who have battled breast cancer, the BU Alumni Association is organizing teams to participate in Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure events across the U.S. Team Bradley has been represented at Races in Peoria with 187 participants (partial group below), Indianapolis, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Raleigh.

Teams also are being formed for the following races: September 26 Chicago Team captain: ANDY REISING ’08, areising@gmail.com September 27 San Francisco Team captain: EVA WONG ’01, Eva.wong@edelman.com October 4 Denver Team captain: DIANE OGAN NOREN ’83, Diane.Noren@

View a slideshow of the May 9 Peoria race at bradley.edu/hilltopics/go/komen09.

For more information, contact the Alumni Office at bualum@bradley.edu or 800-952-8258.

ColoState.edu

Scott Cavanah, mfa ’04

th

Rockford Ted and CHERI NORDENBERG GREENLEE ’71 hosted 36 alumni and friends on May 1. They enjoyed Avanti’s gondolas and viewed the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance video.

Investing primer PAUL HERZOG ’74 discussed investing with young alumni on April 2. The Young Alumni University program is geared toward graduates from the past decade, and offers a chance to discuss important life decisions with alumni experts.

Paul is a chartered financial consultant with Mass Mutual.

Dinner for 10 MATT NOE ’02, back row, center, hosts students from the Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts as part of the new Dinner for 10 program. The program encourages alumni and student interaction in a casual setting as alumni treat students to dinner. To host a Dinner for 10 or for more information, contact JULIE PFLEEGER HOLMES ’06 at jcholmes@bradley.edu or 800-952-8258.

St. Louis Richard Seiler ’62 and President Joanne Glasser were among the 124 alumni and friends attending the Celebration of Bradley event at the St. Louis Club on May 9. Visit bradley.edu/ hilltopics/go/StLouis for a slideshow.

Phoenix Thirty-one Phoenix-area alumni and friends enjoyed a tailgate party and a Cubs spring training game on March 29.

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

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CampusView rescued dogs have a new purpose

Paws Giving Independence placed third in the Project Springboard competition at Bradley in April. See page 4. Visit givingindependence.org to apply for a service dog or to become a foster family.

32

bradley.edu/hilltopics

DUANE ZEHR

“Save a life to change a life” is the motto behind a new organization at Bradley that has tails wagging and people living more independent lives.

BRANDI ARNOLD ’10, MICHELLE KOSNER ’09, and ERIC SWANSON ’09 founded Paws Giving Independence, a group that rescues dogs from animal shelters and trains them to become service dogs for above: Riley, a service dog trained individuals with disabilities. Arnold and Kosner had volunteered at last year by two Bradley students, a similar organization in the Chicago area and decided to start one is shown with his new owner, Jason. in Peoria. They recruited Swanson, a friend and business major who The students decided to form a shepherded the process of gaining not-for-profit status while they Bradley group after training Riley worked out other logistics. through a similar Chicago area Six animal rescue organizations contact Arnold and Kosner when organization. Right: MICHELLE KOSNER they have a dog that might work for the program. The pair does ’09 trains Muggs, a yellow lab mix, extensive temperament testing before accepting the dog. It is then to press an accessible door button. placed with a foster family for about six to eight months; a Bradley student volunteer is paired with each foster family.

Most of the eight foster families currently in the program have Bradley ties. Among the three professors acting as foster parents is Dr. Stacie Bertram, assistant professor of physical therapy and faculty adviser for the group. “I was only going to advise the group,” Bertram said at a recent training session with her 11-year-old daughter Ruthie and their foster dog, a golden retriever puppy named Marley.

The foster families, student volunteers, and dogs attend weekly training sessions led by Arnold, Kosner, and Swanson at the Markin Family Student Recreation Center. The dogs learn tasks such as opening doors, turning on lights, and retrieving items. They go home each week with homework.

Dogs must learn to behave appropriately in public settings, as they will be with their new masters 24/7 when they are placed permanently. Student volunteers frequently bring the dogs to their Bradley classes, and families are instructed to bring the dogs along on outings.

“The dogs have to learn to not eat popcorn off the floor at the movie theater,” Arnold said. “They have to get used to distractions, to going to restaurants, and to other public places.”

The students hope to place the first canine graduates this summer.

They have a waiting list of people interested in receiving dogs. Dogs and new owners will be paired considering variables such as how active the person and dog are, if the dog needs to retrieve, and if the dog is good around wheelchairs.

The organization places the dogs at no charge. Dogs unable to pass the public access test are still good companion pets, and the students hope to place them with children who have autism or Down syndrome.

michelle kosner ’09

by NANCY RIDGEWAY

InAppreciation physician makes historic gift by karen crowley metzinger, ma ’97

By living a simple maxim: Give without remembering and receive without forgetting, Dr. Theresa Falcon-Cullinan, MBA ’05 endowed Bradley’s Executive MBA program with a $2 million gift. Announced at a reception in the Michel Student Center Ballroom on May 11, the Theresa S. Falcon Executive MBA is the first executive business program in the world named for a woman and by a woman.

Her gift will: Provide scholarships for students with an emphasis on health care professionals.

• Establish the Theresa S. Falcon Executive Speaker Series to attract nationally

and internationally known professionals to Bradley’s campus.

• Allow the University to host guest faculty from premier universities worldwide.

• Increase Bradley’s collaboration with universities and businesses

worldwide through Internet global conferencing.

•

SCOTT CAVANAH, mfa ’04

SCOTT CAVANAH, mfa ’04

“Dr. Falcon-Cullinan’s gift elevates Bradley’s program to national stature,” said Joanne Glasser, Bradley president. “You have accomplished so much in your distinguished career as a physician, professor, and businesswoman. We are proud to claim you as our own.”

With her husband, Dr. Stephen A. Cullinan, and her five daughters in the audience, the retired physician expressed her appreciation of Bradley and all the institution has given her. “Both of my parents were high school teachers who constantly reminded me of the value of higher education,” she said of her youth in the Philippines. “My first passion is delivering babies and taking care of women. I find incredible joy in the miracle of new life. But I felt something was missing in my education. My lack of business knowledge was filled by Bradley. The EMBA enhanced my business acumen.

I am energized by the experienced and talented faculty and grateful to make a small difference in the future of students in the program.”

Jack Russell, executive director of the EMBA program, said that Dr. Falcon-Cullinan has sent more people to the Executive MBA program than any other person or company except for Caterpillar Inc. “Theresa embodies what Bradley and Foster College are dedicated to and what they are accredited for — higher learning and continual improvement. Theresa believes in that for herself and for her family — 12 college degrees and one more coming for her five beautiful daughters.”

Her youngest daughter, Sarah, a third-year student at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, readily admits how difficult it is to describe her mother in just a few words. “My mom is so multifaceted…and an incredibly strong woman. She gives us a lot to live up to as a community leader and, most importantly, as a mom.”

More than 100 business leaders have been awarded Executive MBA degrees from Bradley since its inception in 2001. Dr. Rob Baer, dean of the Foster College of Business, said the program has been recognized for its one-of-a-kind innovative curriculum with the nation’s Innovation in the Leadership of Business Education Award. He considers the Falcon gift “one of many significant milestones since the College was named in honor of TOM FOSTER ’51 MBA ’52 and ELLIE DERGES FOSTER ’52.”

Dr. Falcon-Cullinan was one of the first female obstetrician and gynecologists in the Peoria area and during her 30-year career delivered thousands of babies and provided health care for thousands of women. In 2008, she was inducted into the Bradley Centurion Society. Visit bradley.edu/hilltopics/go/falconcullinan for more information on Dr. Falcon-Cullinan.

THERESA FALCON-CULLINAN, MBA ’05, a retired

Peoria-area physician and former CEO, speaks at the announcement of her $2 million naming gift to Bradley. Standing with BU president Joanne Glasser, Dr. Falcon-Cullinan poses with her five daughters: Mary Jo Falcon-Hackney, BELINDA FALCON ’91, Zenaida Falcon Bartelme, Sarah Falcon, and ELIZABETH FALCON-BISHOP ’94 MBA ’05.

Bradley Hilltopics Summer 2009

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Pontiac, Illinois Permit No. 6

Bradley Hilltopics 1501 West Bradley Avenue Peoria, Illinois 61625 Change Service Requested

Visit bualum.or g/homecomin thur • Founder’s Day g for details and a list of reunions • Feature fil m: Three Amig fri

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reception with stud ent cast of Pajama Game, Hartmann Center • Smith Car Con eer Center open ho stru us e • Bus tour of u pda ction campus/historical Pe tes oria • The Big Fi esta before Bradley vs. Drake soccer mat • Fireside C ch (see p. 30) hat with President Jo an ne G la ss er • Speed ne tworking luncheon • Lectures by David Horowitz ’59 , Dr. Bob Fuller, and • Gary R. Ti others ppett Memorial 5K Race

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Campus walking e tours, including th t en ud St in rk Ma Recreation Center

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