F1RST Spring 2023 - The Magazine of Carroll University

THE WORLD REOPENS

Cross-Cultural Experiences take flight as travel restrictions fade

INTRODUCING THE 1846 LEGACY SOCIETY

Why you should consider becoming an inaugural member

THE MAGAZINE OF CARROLL UNIVERSITY

SPRING 2023

NEURODIVERSITY

The campus-wide effort to to provide access and equity for neurodiverse students

CARROLL

IN THE SWIM

The season home opener for Carroll’s swimming and diving program marked the debut of a refreshed and renovated Van Male Natatorium. The summer updates to the traditional six-lane, 25-yard pool, which can accommodate 300 spectators, included necessary upgrades such as a fresh coat of paint, new pool deck, flooring and liner, upgraded lighting and ventilation systems, a new chemical filtration system and updated Carroll University Pioneer branding.

F1RST Magazine tells the stories of pioneers, of Wisconsin’s first university and of the resolute, creative and fearless men and women who push it forward—the alumni, students, faculty and staff of Carroll University—through truly pioneering content and design.

Carroll University is Wisconsin’s first four-year institution of higher learning. This independent, co-educational comprehensive university is grounded in the Presbyterian heritage and liberal arts tradition. The Office of Marketing and Communications publishes F1RST for alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of the university. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editors or the official policies of Carroll University. We welcome your comments to editor@carrollu.edu

5

The Giving Tree

A black walnut that graced Main Lawn for more than a century lives on.

11

Road Work

Wright Street on the road to becoming a center for student life.

16

Neurodiversity

Behind a campus-wide effort to acknowledge and embrace neurodiverse students.

ON THE COVER

How many campus landmarks can you spot in this fanciful illustration by Lennis Mathews?

WI 53186

Highlights

The impending arrival of summer means that another exciting and productive academic year is drawing to a close. As we anticipate long sunny days and warm weather, we are also provided a great opportunity to reflect on the recent achievements this year at Carroll. This issue of F1RST Magazine highlights many of them.

Campus facility upgrades continue at Carroll and one special renovation project this year was in historic Voorhees Hall. The configuration of campus spaces and the way they serve our students profoundly impacts the student experience both inside and outside the classroom, and sends important messages about Carroll’s desire to make sure all of the members of our community feel welcome on campus. I’m thrilled as I watch prospective students and their families, current students, alumni, faculty and staff interact within the remodeled spaces in Voorhees. Our visitors to campus (and future Pioneers) are met with a fresh welcome center as part of the newly renovated Gladys McKay Richter Lobby. The pictures on page 12 capture this amazing transformation, and an elevator now makes all floors of the building fully accessible to all who visit Voorhees!

Carroll continually strives to be a pioneering learning community. That commitment is on display in this issue’s story on neurodiversity. You will read about how our faculty and staff are making a commitment to not just understanding – but embracing – the varied ways in which people learn. These efforts are a natural extension of Carroll’s ethos of respect, integrity and stewardship.

Students across our campus are demonstrating that same spirit of service. A core community service component at Carroll – our CCEs (cross-cultural experiences) have allowed for unique and memorable off-campus cultural immersion for our students. The study away educational component has been part of the proverbial lifeblood of our campus for many decades now. In this issue, you’ll read about how these cross-cultural experiences are making a strong and steady return.

The return to vibrancy for our campus can be seen along Wright Street. We have bold plans to transform this small street, lined with historic homes, into a central hub for student life and engagement, one that celebrates our various student groups. In the months ahead, we plan to further make this street a lively extension of campus where other student affinity groups can have designated spaces to gather, socialize and collaborate. This work is also centrally connected to our strategic plan. Read more about our plans for Wright Street on page 11.

The ongoing enhancement of our campus facilities, student experiences and strong academics all work in symmetry to nurture the underlying strength and vitality of Carroll University. As always, we are grateful for your support of our students and your interest in Carroll. Wishing each of you a relaxing and

Cindy Gnadinger President

PART OF THE TEAM ProHealth Care Partnership Benefits MSN-DE Students

Carroll’s Department of Nursing is now partnering with local healthcare leader ProHealth Care to offer clinical placements to MSN-Direct Entry students, where they will work directly with nursing staff. This mutually beneficial clinical education model – also known as Designated Educational Units (DEU) – allows students to care for patients alongside CU faculty, who act as ambassadors supporting students and nursing staff.

“The students are functioning as part of the team instead of as outsiders,” says Teri Kaul, chairperson for Carroll’s Nursing Department. “We are excited to continue to develop new clinical placement opportunities with ProHealth Care.”

This is the first DEU opportunity for both Carroll and ProHealth Care, now taking place on ProHealth Care Waukesha and Oconomowoc campuses.

PLUS SIX Faculty Receive Tenure

3 Dr. Jason Bennett, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy

3 Dr. Jessica Brown, Associate Professor of Exercise Science

3 Dr. Joel Mattys, Associate Professor of Music

3 Dr. Daniel Shackleford, Associate Professor of Exercise Science

3 B.J. Best, Professor of Interactive Arts

3 Dr. Sara Deprey, Professor of Physical Therapy

Carroll University recently awarded tenure to six faculty from across campus.

Historic Walnut Lives On THE GIVING TREE

Generations of Carroll students – in fact, all of the students who attended Carroll before 2019 – likely have walked under the shade of a black walnut tree on Main Lawn.

The tree, a towering presence bordering the southern sidewalk leading past Voorhees Hall, was damaged during a 2019 windstorm that toppled numerous trees and ripped off rooftops. After an examination by an arborist later that year, officials decided, somewhat reluctantly, to take the great tree down.

Removing a landmark such as this tree wasn’t a decision taken lightly on a campus that reveres history and tradition. When President Cindy Gnadinger heard that plans were to have wood from the toppled tree carted away, she asked that some be saved and kept here.

“We took it down in the winter, and I asked Tom Heffernan, (director of facilities) what he would do with the tree. He said we’ll have it hauled away,” recalled Gnadinger. But the president already had an idea percolating.

If you’ve attended academic ceremonies at Carroll, you may have noticed someone near the president holding a tall staff aloft. Called a mace, that staff symbolizes a university’s authority, a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. When Gnadinger arrived at Carroll, she noted that Carroll’s mace was getting a little wobbly and showing its age. She learned it had begun life as a table lamp purchased from a second-hand store in the 1960s and fashioned into a mace by Carroll faculty.

“I’d been thinking it would be nice to have a new mace in honor of our 175th anniversary, and  when the tree came down, I thought this tree could make a wonderful mace and continue to serve our campus community for years to come,”said Gnadinger. She contacted Kentucky wood artisan, Jeff Turner, with whom she has a long-time connection. He arranged a visit to Carroll to retrieve the wood and set it aside to dry out properly before working on it.

“When he took the wood back to his workshop, he counted over 180 rings,” she said. “So, we know this tree has served this campus since its founding. Students from our very first class walked by it.”

In January, a small piece of that tree made its debut as the university’s new mace during the annual Founders’ Day celebration, a gift to the university from Gnadinger and her husband, John.

Woodworker Jeff Turner shapes the black walnut on a lathe.

PIO PRIDE

FOOTBALL MAKING STRIDES

The men’s football squad clinched its first back-to-back winning season since 2014-2015, and its first winning CCIW conference schedule since 1989-1990, finishing fourth in the conference. The Pioneers set new records, including the most first downs in one game with 34. Quarterback Josh Raby, a junior, set records for scoring in a single game, being responsible for seven touchdowns, and for the most total offensive yards by a single player in one game, with 420. Carroll landed six players on the CCIW all-conference team. On offense, first-year student Reed Breckheimer, junior Austin Eichstaedt and sophomore Trevor Pye, were all second-team selections, while on defense, sophomores Jake Binkowski and Damon Loker were named to the second team. First-year student Will Campbell was named the 2022 CCIW Football First Year Student-Athlete of the Year. Campbell was later selected to the D3football.com All-Region 5 Second Team, the only first-year student-athlete on the 2022 list.

STUDENT-ATHLETE HONORED

Junior Joshua Gonzaga of the men’s soccer team secured a tryout with the Philippines Men’s U22 National Football Team in February. Gonzaga was born in the U.S. but was granted dual citizenship as a child, since both of his parents were born in the Philippines. Gonzaga traveled to the Philippines for the week-long tryout. The tryout was to secure a spot on the call-up team to compete at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia this May. Gonzaga is a two-time CCIW All-Conference selection.

MEN’S SOCCER REACH TOURNEY

The men’s soccer team clinched its first-ever CCIW tournament bid after a 3-5 conference season and an 8-9 regular season. Carroll, which made its first post-season appearance since 2015, landed two players on the CCIW all-conference list: first-team selection Josh Gonzaga and second-team selection Martí Solanellas Vielella.

RUNNERS SET THE PACE

Carroll cross country runner Elizabeth Reddeman qualified for the 2022 NCAA DIII Cross Country National Championship this season, the first Pioneer to do so since 2011. Reddeman finished 170th overall and was an all-region and all-conference selection for the Pioneers. Spencer Kirsteatter was named all-region and all-conference on the men’s side, while Alison Klostermann, and Annika Johnson raced to all-conference honors at the 2022 CCIW Cross Country Championships.

A SECOND FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The women’s basketball team finished in second place in the CCIW regular season for the first time since 199091. Carroll was a second seed in the CCIW Women’s Basketball Tournament, earning a first-round bye, and played in its third-straight CCIW semifinals game, an unfortunate loss to Augustana. Sophomore Olivia Rangel, senior Brooke Foster and junior Allison Thompson were named to the CCIW Women’s Basketball All-Conference list, with Rangel Carroll’s first-ever unanimous first-team selection. Foster and Thompson were chosen on the second team. Rangel, Foster, senior Kate Christian and graduate student Katie Evans were also named College Sports Communicators Women’s Basketball Academic AllDistrict players.

Josh Raby

Trevor Pye

Josh Gonzaga

Martí Solanellas Vielella

Reed Breckheimer

Jake Binkowski

Austin Eichstaedt

Damon Loker

Olivia Rangel

BALL SQUAD HAS WINNING SEASON

Junior right-side hitter Katie Jensen helped lead the Pioneer women’s volleyball team to its first winning season since 2018. Jensen was named second-team all-conference by the CCIW for her efforts. The team finished with 15 wins and 14 losses.

TRACK AND FIELD SENDS FOUR TO NATIONALS

Junior Vanessa Uitenbroek became Carroll’s first-ever indoor women’s shot-put thrower to become an AllAmerican. Uitenbroek finished eighth in the event at the 2023 NCAA DIII Indoor Track and Field National Championship in Birmingham, Alabama in March. Sophomore Maria Falk finished in 11th place. At that same meet, senior Mary Quinn became the university’s first studentathlete to compete in the women’s national pentathlon, finishing 19th in the field, and Steven Hermsen finished his indoor track career with a 10th-place finish in the men’s shotput event.

Prior to that, Carroll’s track and field teams had four CCIW champions and set three new records at the 2023 CCIW Indoor Championships. Quinn won the pentathlon, broke school records in the pentathlon and the 60-meter hurdles portion of the event, set personal records in every pentathlon event, and was named 2023 CCIW Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Meet. Uitenbroek tied the CCIW meet record for the women’s indoor shot put to win the event. Graduate student David Burgess won the men’s high jump, while graduate student Peter Marra won the men’s 60-meter hurdles. Hermsen broke his own school record in the men’s shot put, finishing in second place.

MERTLER TO COACH VOLLEYBALL

Emma Mertler joined the women’s volleyball program as new head coach in February.

Mertler comes to Carroll after a two-year stint at Morningside University as the assistant coach of the men’s volleyball program. Mertler worked alongside the defensive specialists during practice and performed administrative duties relating to travel, eligibility, scouting reports and recruiting.

“I want to thank Athletic Director Mike Schulist, and the entire hiring committee for the opportunity to lead the Pioneer women’s volleyball program,” said Mertler. “I felt right at home as soon as I stepped on campus. I am excited to start working with the current members of the team to create a new identity and a strong culture within the program.”

“We are beyond excited to welcome Emma to the Pioneer family,” said Michael Schulist, Carroll’s director of athletics. “Her enthusiasm for coaching and leading young women was evident the moment she arrived.”

Mertler graduated from Lakeland University with a Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Development. She was a member of the Muskies volleyball program for four seasons as the libero, recording 1,436 digs across 442 sets played, in addition to 137 service aces.

WOMEN’S SOCCER ADVANCE IN TOURNEY

After a 10-3-5 regular season record and a 3-1-4 CCIW record, the women’s soccer team returned to the CCIW tournament for the first time since 2017 as the fourth seed. Carroll won its first CCIW tournament game in program history, in a double-overtime thriller against Augustana College at Schneider Stadium. Carroll was led by three all-conference performers: first-team selections Grace Tumilty and Elizabeth Weinberg and second-team selection Jessica Stepien. Tumilty was added to the United Soccer Coaches Third-Team All-Region.

Katie Jensen

Vanessa Uitenbroek

Mary Quinn

Maria Falk

Steven Hermsen

Coach Emma Mertler

Grace Tumilty

Elizabeth Weinberg

TEDx

Notes from the TEDxCarrollUniversity Stage: Strength in Community

In October 2022, Carroll University hosted its inaugural TEDxCarrollUniversity event in Shattuck Auditorium. When the event was first announced, tickets sold quickly. The auditorium was filled to capacity for this public, in-person event. Speakers from near and far brought unique ideas – from Carroll faculty and alumni to business leaders in the extended metropolitan Milwaukee area.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, the nonprofit organization TED (technology, entertainment and design) created TEDx – an independently organized TED program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Thus, the university’s signature event soon became TEDxCarrollUniversity.

Together, eight speakers explored a range of topics centering around the theme: Strength in Community. The TEDx speakers shared stories about how communities can lean on each other for support, in good times and bad.

Subject matter ranged from embracing travel to living intentionally. Carroll alumnus Kyle Johann-Baker ‘14 told a story about how a simple thing like sharing pizza on a farm can build community, while Justin Jasniewski ‘13 spoke to how community can be a useful tool to help combat the opioid epidemic.

Rebecca Imes, chair for the department of communication and sociology at Carroll, spoke to the power of teamwork in the workplace, and Milwaukee County Executive Daivd Crowley focused on how to achieve equity through community building. No matter the topic, the audience always responded with a resounding applause.

In preparation for the event, dozens of Carroll employees volunteered to be part of various committees, managing tasks like marketing, sponsorships, media production, event operations, speaker selection and speaker coaching.

“Carroll’s faculty and staff volunteered a tremendous amount of time to make this wonderful event happen,” said President Cindy Gnadinger. “It took months of preparation, and we are grateful for all their hard work, which resulted in an outstanding TEDx event for Carroll.”

TEDxCarrollUniversity committee members used the event as an opportunity to try something outside of their wheelhouse. There was also a lot of teamwork across Carroll’s different departments and schools – a theater student from Carroll even emceed the event.

“It was great to be involved with a campus event like this because it brought Carroll together with the wider community, to share different ideas in a positive way,” said Lennis Mathews, lead organizer for the event and art director for the university’s marketing and communications department.

The university hopes to make this an annual event.

Kyle Johann-Baker ‘14

County Executive David Crowley

TEDx speakers and TEDx Committee

JANNSEN ‘ 11 NAMED HEAD MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH

Taylor Jannsen ‘11 has been named permanent head men’s basketball coach at Carroll University, after serving as interim head coach last season.

“After a competitive national search, I am thrilled to welcome Coach Jannsen aboard as our next head men’s basketball coach,” said Michael Schulist, athletic director. “Coach Jannsen impressed everyone during his interim tenure, and after the interview process, it was clear he is the ideal fit for the position. Coach Jannsen’s passion, commitment, and knowledge of Carroll basketball is unmatched.”

Jannsen was named the interim head men’s basketball coach two games into the Pioneers’ 2022-23 season. Jannsen opened with a newer, faster style of play, and got the Pioneers to an 8thplace finish in the CCIW, winning three of their final four conference games. Carroll shot 34.4% behind the arc this past season, making eight three-pointers per CCIW game, the third most in the conference.

Carroll also finished second and third in the conference in steals per game and blocks per game, respectively.

Following his collegiate basketball career at Carroll in 2011, Jannsen started PMax Basketball where he worked with numerous athletes ranging from youth up to the professional ranks. In addition to player development for individuals and teams, Jannsen has over 12 years of head coaching experience in some of Wisconsin’s top AAU organizations. In addition, Jannsen has authored two books and has conducted public speaking engagements for schools, charitable organizations, and small and large businesses.

In his four years as a member of the Carroll men’s basketball team, Jannsen appeared in 71 total games, including 21 in 2009-10. He averaged 6.4 points per game and 2.6 assists per game during his senior season as the team captain. Jannsen shot just under 50% from the floor and over 36% from three. Jannsen graduated in 2011 with a degree in exercise science.

THE REV. ELIZABETH McCORD FOR CHRIST AND LEARNING

For Christ and Learning is the English translation of “Christo et Litteris,” Carroll University’s motto

Reflections on the Gift of Neurodiversity

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” —Psalm 139:13a

At Carroll’s 2022 Commencement, keynote speaker Dr. Robert Ballard didn’t focus on his legendary discovery of the Titanic. He didn’t pontificate on his extensive contributions to marine geology and made only passing references to his academic scholarship and ongoing oceanography research. Instead, he reflected on his experience with dyslexia. This stood out to me because as such a notable scholar and almost cultic figure, Ballard could have easily passed over this aspect of his life, but instead he chose to honor the fullness of his journey.

I suppose Ballard’s address also caught my attention because I, too, journey with dyslexia. As a child I believed I was stupid. I was restricted to remedial reading courses and struggled desperately with reading comprehension, spelling and any standardized test. Well into high school my mother still read many of my homework assignments aloud to me, and to this day I frequently mix up where, were and we’re. When I was young, I felt tremendous shame as a student that I couldn’t keep up academically with my friends, and frustration to find my academic labors often felt fruitless. When I was finally diagnosed with “a learning disability akin to dyslexia” in middle school, I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe I wasn’t stupid after all. Maybe, given access to the right tools and support, I could actually live into my potential.

As I have learned more about the strengths-based approach to neurodiversity, I have continued to rethink my own identity. I have now come to understand that those of us who are dyslexic (or are people with dyslexia, depending on your preferred language) are often highly empathetic and creative thinkers. We tend to have unique skills in problem solving and a strong talent for communication. Our way of thinking builds connections easily and allows us to see the big picture and how many moving parts exist within a whole. Perhaps these attributes are actually God-given gifts rather than part of a disability, as society has labeled it. Maybe many expressions of neurodivergence aren’t flaws or mistakes in our being but rather reflections of a bold, incomprehensible God who has made humanity in God’s own image.

Always seeking to expand the vibrancy of life at Carroll, our university’s calling to celebrate neurodiversity invites each of us to plumb the depths of our own ways of being, reimagining the frameworks we have constructed for our identities. It challenges us to be voyagers like Ballard, eager to explore new ways of thinking and see the world like no one else. It emboldens us to practice greater humility with others, as well as more gentleness for ourselves. At its best, opening our hearts and our campus to greater neurodiversity expresses gratitude to God, in whose image and with all our diversity we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Read the neurodiversity story on page 16.

THE REV. McCORD

Coach Taylor Jannsen

CU@CARROLL

Five questions with

Senior Associate Director of Non-Traditional Admission Voorhees

Q: So, what does non-traditional admission mean?

A: Any undergraduate who is not coming directly from high school to college. This includes transfers, returning students, part-time students, part-time-to full-time students, students with a previous bachelor’s degree, and non-degree students.

Q: How long have you worked at Carroll and what jobs have you held?

A: I’m in my 38th year (editor’s note: that’s longer than Shirley Hilger, who first trained Linda). I have been a traditional admission counselor, an assistant and associate director of admission, a director of admission and a senior associate. I have worked with all markets; including traditional freshman, non-traditional students, dual enrollment student (HS students taking college credits), graduate admission, international admission and non-degree – so every market – and coordinated non-traditional orientation for over 30 years!

Q: You are a Carroll graduate. How does that help you in your job?

A: My Carroll student experience helped me develop leadership skills and the ability to adapt to any situation and to learn as much as possible from my mentors.

Q: What did you study at Carroll and what is one of your favorite memories?

A: I studied both music and communication (and theatre). I have MANY great memories, but one of my favorite memories has to be the annual choir tour in the spring – and cementing the relationship with two of my life-long best friends during those trips.

Q: Any television-watching guilty pleasure?

A: I want to get to Ted Lasso. I’ve only watched a few episodes and loved the show!

Linda Sklander ’84

106

Longest serving staff member currently at Carroll.

WRIGHT STREET: WHERE STUDENTS BELONG

Welcoming Students to Gather, Build Community on Campus

Just north of Campus Center lies Wright Street, a small street lined with two rows of historic homes, mostly Carroll-owned. From A. Paul Jones Scholars Hall to the Betty Lou Tikalsky House, which holds offices for communication and sociology program faculty, these buildings serve as vital resources to faculty, staff and students on campus.

Now, in an effort to create more welcoming gathering spaces for students on campus – particularly identity-based groups like Greek life, international student groups and the student senate – Wright Street is undergoing a transformation of sorts, as Carroll slowly and carefully shapes a center of student life while honoring the legacy of the structures, all part of the McCall Street Historic District.

“It is our hope that it will create a sense of purpose and belonging for our student groups,” said Theresa Barry, vice president of student life. “We want to create a space for students to collaborate and work together, to feel like they have a home on campus. The goal is to build a community for all students at Carroll.”

The evolution of Wright Street is all part of goal two of the Strategic Plan, enriching the Carroll experience. This involves achieving academic excellence through inclusivity on campus.

“Learning does not begin or end within the walls of the classroom,” said President Cindy Gnadinger. “Here at Carroll, it is our top priority to build an environment that promotes respect and celebrates all students within our community – and Wright Street is the perfect place to do that work.”

In fall 2022, Carroll welcomed its most diverse class to date. As the student body continues to evolve, so too, does Wright Street.

The proposed Global Cultural House

The proposed La Casa de Carroll House

The proposed Student Senate House

Mock-up of a proposed coffee shop

WELCOME!

Voorhees Debuts Bright New Welcome Center

This spring brought about a new chapter in the long history of Voorhees Hall with the opening of a bright, warm and inviting first floor lobby that will serve as an official welcoming center for campus visitors.

The Gladys McKay Richter Lobby is a “state-ofthe-art facility, a warm and welcoming face for prospective students and their families,” according to Dawn Scott, vice president for enrollment.

The space is named after Gladys McKay Richter ‘36, who, with her husband George, gifted the university more than $4.5 million to support a variety of programming across campus, including an earlier renovation of Voorhees in the 1990s. The lobby recognizes her deep relationship and commitment to higher education and the Carroll community.

The new space adds a reception area, comfortable lounging spaces and a snack bar while retaining the building’s historic fireplace. The renovation project included an elevator installation, providing visitors with greater access to the building’s other floors.

A major project saw the installation of an elevator, increasing access throughout the building.

A reception desk occupies central space in the new lobby.

SOCCER HISTORY

It All Kicked Off at Carroll

When Carroll men’s soccer coach Derek Marie leads his team onto the field, he is quite literally following in historic footsteps. In 1866, when Carroll was in its infancy, a few students of the school walked over to nearby Saratoga Park and faced off against a team of men from Waukesha in a game of football.

That game at Saratoga Park, which the Carroll group won, was the first game of organized foot-ball (as the Waukesha Freeman called the sport) in the United States. Marie’s team practices and plays just blocks from the sport’s birthplace.

In the United States, we now call the game they played soccer and, while the sport has long been eclipsed by American football in our country, it is steadily gaining in popularity. Marie recalls the game being decidedly “uncool” to play during his childhood in central Wisconsin.

“It wasn’t an official team of Carroll players back then,” notes Marie of that 1866 squad. Carroll wouldn’t field an official men’s team until 1992 and a women’s team a year later.

“We’re a relatively young program at Carroll.”

Young, but growing. Marie says that while the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor is a hotbed of soccer and that he recruits a majority of his players from a 100-mile radius, the CCIW conference is seeing a steady influx of foreign studentathletes. Marie, fresh off a recruiting trip to Holland, estimates that a third of the team will be international players next fall.

WOMEN’S SOCCER NAMES CLARKE NEW HEAD COACH

When the women’s soccer team takes the field later this year, they will do so under a new head coach. Taylor Clarke became just the seventh head coach in the history of the women’s soccer program when he joined the university earlier this year.

Clarke comes to Carroll after a two-season stint at Bowling Green State University as the associate head women’s soccer coach, with his main duty serving as the recruiting coordinator. Clarke coached eight All-MAC selections, including the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022.

“Having the opportunity to bring in a coach of Taylor’s quality and depth is a big deal for Carroll University and our women’s soccer program,” says Athletic Director Mike Schulist. “Taylor is a proven leader of young women and has had success in every one of his coaching stops.”

Clarke served as the head women’s soccer coach at Ashland University from 2018-2021, after being the assistant coach of the program in 2014-2016. He was also an assistant coach for the men’s team at Division III Calvin University, where he coached three USC (United Soccer Coaches) All-Americans, and had the top-ranked scoring offense in the country.

Clarke graduated with an undergraduate degree from Saginaw Valley State University in 2014 and obtained his master’s at Ashland University in 2016. At SVSU, Clarke played four seasons and in 76 games for the Cardinals. Clarke scored four career goals and two assists as a defender. Clarke and the Cardinals were Division II National Runner-Ups in 2012.

Coach Taylor Clarke

POLITICAL SCIENTISTS ASSEMBLE!

Goren Book

Examines the Politics of Marvel Movies

Goren is not the first Carroll professor to tackle an element of popular culture in recent years. Dr. Kevin Guilfoy co-edited the 2017 book, “The Americans and Philosophy: Reds in Bed,” which examined philosophical and moral questions raised by the storyline in a popular television series about two intelligence agents from the Soviet Union posing as Americans in the 1980s.

You expect political science textbooks to feature people like Richard Nixon, Huey Long, Richard Daley and Hillary Clinton. But Iron Man? Thor? Captain Marvel?

The latter three appear in a new book, “The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” co-edited by Dr. Lilly Goren, professor of political science and chair of the department of history, political science and religious studies. Goren, one of more than two dozen scholars to contribute chapters to the book, gave an author’s reading at Milwaukee’s Boswell Books in February. Assistant Political Science Professor Dr. Patricia Rodda, who also authored a chapter, joined her.

We asked Professor Goren about the book.

Q Why should political scientists (or students, for that matter) study this?

A The original comic books themselves were political — they grew up out of WWII and the efforts to defeat Hitler and the Nazi regime. So their initial creation was one that captured American engagement with our enemies during this period. The movies and television shows are like other popular culture artifacts in that they can and do teach us about ourselves and our current cultural and political climates. The televisual MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) grew up in the post-9/11 period and definitely reflects that mentality and state of affairs. As we note in the introduction: “If we want to understand any society, including our own, we need to consider and understand the content of its popular culture, which is a product, a driver, and a crucial part of any society’s politics.”

Q Is there an overarching takeaway from this collection of essays?

A We noticed that as the MCU went on, the villains became more interesting and more complex—also highlighting real political problems that societies, countries, and individuals are facing, like global climate change, class stratification, etc. We also saw the attempts, sometimes lackluster, of the MCU to become more inclusive in the heroes and images produced across different MCU platforms. Even so, the record suggests that certain groups (LGBTQ+ community, women to a degree, etc.) remain more outside than inside the MCU.

Professors Lilly Goren and Patricia Roddy at a reading of their new book at Boswell Books in Milwaukee.

Q Are you using the book in any of your courses?

A I have now used chapter two twice in my classes in Political Theory. And it has been a useful and welcome exploration of the racial contract idea, which we read about in Charles Mills’ work, and then see explored in Wakanda and Black Panther as analyzed by Heather Pool and Allison Rank. I also zoomed into a colleague’s classroom recently, where he is using the book for the entire semester as the central text for the class. We had a great conversation about the MCU, nationalism, nostalgia and popular culture. I know of at least two other colleagues at different universities who are also using the book as the centerpiece of their classes.

Q Are you planning another volume?

A YES! It is currently underway. We are building on some of the initial work in the first book, but we have also compiled a survey to deploy to get robust input from citizens about their sense of the MCU and politics.

CU ON CAMPUS

The arts at Carroll offer numerous opportunities for you to catch a play, view an art exhibit, listen to our talented musicians and choral singers, or otherwise experience the visual, interactive and performing arts.

VIPA – VISUAL, INTERACTIVE & PERFORMING ARTS AT CARROLL

Summer Rep 2023

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL

June 15-18, 23-25

$10/ticket

Fall 2023 Productions

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS: A Concert Musical

Oct. 6-7

$5/ticket

THE307: Directing for the Stage

10-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL

Nov. 16-18

Tickets TBD

Spring 2024 Productions

THE LIGHTNING THIEF

March 28-31

$10/ticket

Student-Directed Concert Musical

January or April TBD

Tickets TBD

Summer Rep 2024: TBD

Professors Patricia Roddy and Lilly Goren at a reading of their new book at Boswell Books in Milwaukee.

THINK DIFFERENT

Carroll’s Embrace of Neurodiversity Promises a Better Experience for All

By Malcolm McDowell Woods

It’s in Pioneer Driven, Carroll’s strategic plan – a commitment to building a more diverse and inclusive community by expanding pathways for access and success.

Of course, making a transformative Carroll educational experience accessible to diverse populations of students is a multi-layered task. For some students, financial assistance such as the Opportunity Scholarship can open Carroll’s doors wider. Others may benefit from physical accommodations such as ramps and elevators to bring classrooms and offices within reach, while others may benefit from flexible scheduling, hybrid or even online classes. For others, recorded lectures, reduced classroom lighting or a quiet room to study could provide that access.

The solutions are as diverse as Carroll’s student population.

“The premise of who we are as a university is one that does not discriminate against the populations that want to come to school here,” explained Mohammed I.T. Bey. Bey is Carroll’s vice president of institutional inclusion, and he sees his job as helping Carroll provide a welcoming environment for all. “We need to make sure that we are meeting the needs of all the students on our campus.”

In recent years, a growing number of those students are identifying as neurodivergent.

“That’s a relatively new term,” noted Dr. Jennifer Labonte, a clinical assistant professor of occupational therapy at Carroll. She describes it as an overarching grouping of individuals, some of whom might have ADHD, dyslexia, depression or anxiety – “anyone from a neurological perspective whose thinking, actions and behaviors are different from what we consider the (neuro)typical individual.” It’s a broad term that adds to the challenge of educating faculty and staff about the topic.

A BIGGER UMBRELLA

An Australian sociologist popularized the term neurodiversity in the 1990s. Judy Singer, who herself has autism, began using the term to shift the focus away from the deficit narratives that had long surrounded terms such as autism and Asperger’s. Instead, neurodiversity recognizes that differences in brain function reflect normal variations among human beings.

As an identity group, neurodivergent students historically weren’t very visible on college campuses, where they’ve faced challenging academic environments. That’s changing, though, and schools are beginning to take note. Bey is confident this is an area in which Carroll can truly pioneer.

“Because we value each individual here. We value diversity,” he said. “We don’t exist without the students we serve. We need to make sure we are being equitable and giving them space to learn, grow and explore as well.”

Tessa Timler joined Carroll at the end of 2022 as director of student accessibility services. If there is any single individual on campus responsible for overseeing this effort, it is Timler, though she quickly spreads praise across the campus community. “We’re really pioneers to be taking such a progressive approach,” she said. To her, it

all begins with a question. “What do you need from us?” She directs it at students who identify as neurodivergent and toward faculty and staff. In her view, creating that access for neurodiverse students requires educating faculty and staff and providing them with the tools they need to better provide equity.

EDUCATING OURSELVES

To that end, the university has added professional development opportunities on neurodiversity. In January, Bey’s department paired with Academic Affairs to present a talk by Michael John Carley, an author, consultant and former executive director in the autism and neurodiversity worlds. He participated in the university’s DEI Summit in the fall of 2022. Numerous faculty and staff attended Carley’s speech in January, eager to learn more about neurodiversity.

Events like Carley’s visit represent the first step in what needs to be a coordinated effort to change whole systems, maintains Bey. “As we grow in sophistication, my expectation is that we are more intentional with what we do and how we do it,” he said.

Bey hopes that future events like Carley’s appearance can lead to follow-up and additional opportunities for faculty and staff to engage on the issue so that the conversation doesn’t die. Awareness is essential, but Bey is eager to add to it. That means providing tools and opportunities for faculty and staff to experiment and explore concepts in supportive, collaborative environments.

“The struggle is that in order to do this, the challenge is in how do we rethink the system,” said Bey. “If you have a system that is structured to operate in a certain way and you are

implementing changes, then at some point in time, the system will need to change.”

A QUIET SPACE

Across campus, signs of that change have begun to appear. On a typical day, the Gert Ullsperger Dining Room is lively at lunchtime, as students, faculty, staff and visitors gather at tables to eat, chat, study or relax. It’s a bright and bustling space, but for some, the fluorescent lighting and steady background noise of muffled conversations, food preparation and the clattering of cutlery on plates can be overwhelming. But in one corner of the space, behind a moveable wall, sits a smaller dining area with reduced lighting and less noise.

“A calm, quiet space” is how Dr. Theresa Barry, the vice president for student life, describes it. Its serenity is intentional, one of several spaces created in recent years designed to reduce sensory stimulation. “Anyone can use it,” noted Barry. “In fact, every time I go there, I look, and there are always a number of individual students using the space.”

The university has several such “sensory sensitive spaces” on campus – in the library, the Center for Student Life and Wellness and the Richard

Smart House, home of the Office of Spiritual Life. These rooms have alternative lighting sources and sound-reducing features and, like the space in the dining room, are available to anyone. The big goal, according to Barry, is housing.

“We would love in the future to have a wing of a residence hall available for neurodivergent students,” she said, with different lighting, special soundproofing and increased quiet hours. “If we get enough students interested, I think we can make that happen.”

A quiet room for meditation and contemplation in the Richard Smart House.

That possibility excites Samantha Werner, Carroll’s assistant director of housing and an advocate for neurodiversity. In her dream world, the university would create a neurodiverse learning community, a living space for neurodiverse students that could offer curriculum and academic support. That is likely a long-term goal, she acknowledged.

CARROLL ADVOCATES

In the meantime, Werner beats the drum for advocacy and education. She describes the issue of accessibility for neurodivergent students as her passion. An American Sign Language major at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Werner also completed that school’s autism spectrum disorders certificate. At Carroll, she has served as a staff advisor for the student organization PIOS with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). This year, the group has expanded its focus to neurodiversity and is now known as PIO Possibilities.

The group’s president is Abigail Enck, a junior majoring in elementary education and special education. She also interns with the Office of Student Accessibility Services. “Last year, our focus was on supporting students with autism and specifically educating (the campus community) on autism acceptance,” she said. Broadening the group to embrace neurodiversity will allow them to reach more students, she added. It’s also about “getting the word out there about different brain structures and that different brain structures lead to diversity – instead of focusing on deficits. I think the message of the idea of neurodiversity, or the neurodiverse movement, is super impactful.”

Personal experience fuels Enck’s passion. She has a 19-year-old brother with cerebral palsy and autism. “I have seen the struggles and hardships that he has faced, navigating school and life in general. I just always knew that my brother was so much more deserving of opportunities than he receives.”

Educating students, faculty and staff about neurodiversity and embracing diverse perspectives, skills and strengths rather than viewing it as a problem or something that needs fixing is an important goal, according to Enck. “We really need to normalize and advocate for differences in brain structures.”

A PERSON-FIRST PERSPECTIVE

At Carroll, that process can be powered by a person-first perspective, according to Werner. “People want to help our students navigate their college experiences in a way that is authentic to them and supports their unique needs,” she said. “But I think the supporting factor behind that person-first mentality is that this is a population that wants to be educated, that is ready to pay tuition and is ready to contribute to the Carroll community. Many campuses can’t meet their needs, they can’t be successful there because of their neurodivergence, but Carroll is saying, ‘we see that, and we want you here.’”

But how is that access provided when each person’s needs may be unique? “You know,” Werner continued, “if you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism. It means nothing because everyone is so different.” That’s the advantage of the person-first approach and intentionally providing that access. “It’s asking students what they need and responding to that versus making assumptions about what is going to best support them.”

A trial program run by Labonte in the occupational therapy program did just that. As part of their interprofessional training, students in health sciences learn to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams. “Everybody comes together. We learn what we each do and what our unique roles are,” explained Labonte.

“So I had PT students, an OT student and a nursing student on my teams who were paired with an undergrad student.” The objective was for these teams to mentor undergraduate students to help them succeed in their “occupation” of being college students. For the trial program, Labonte specifically recruited undergraduate students who identified as being neurodivergent.

The teams heard of various struggles reported by the students –including noisy, distracting classrooms, time management issues and social anxieties that limited class participation.

Working with the individual undergraduate students, team members worked to develop strategies that helped them better navigate the university experience (a consult with the Office of Information Technology resulted in noise-canceling headphones,

which helped limit one student’s outside distractions, for example). “I was looking at it twofold. Number one, how can we help the undergrad students be successful, but also make sure for our graduate students that it’s an experience to fit their learning outcomes of how to work as a healthcare team.”

Labonte shared the program’s findings with Barry and then with a group of faculty and staff at a professional development lunch last fall. “Our first step was just to educate the faculty on what neurodiversity is – what it looks like - and kind of get them to start thinking outside of the box,” she explained. “Traditional university education has had a narrow focus.” She added that developing ways to educate the broader group is a win-win, because what helps that neurodiverse student will also help others.

HELPING ONE HELPS ALL

The concept is called UDL, or universal design for learning. Visiting Assistant Professor of Education Tom Knutson spoke at the professional development event last fall alongside Labonte. He explained UDL this way: imagine a campus building with steps leading up to the doors. Not all people can access those steps. But when you put in a ramp that increases accessibility, you’ll also see other people using the ramp. Perhaps they are tired or have sore feet. The ramp is a solution that benefits all, regardless of their motivation or status.

Creating greater access for neurodiverse students benefits everyone, added Knutson. “Labels are continuous variables, meaning that there are just as many students just on the other side of it who wouldn’t maybe be labeled, but who are very similar and more similar to students who maybe have ADHD or who have autism than those who don’t,” he said. “So it’s really thinking more broadly about the fact we’ve always had neurodiverse students in our classroom, and our instruction has always just kind of been what it was instead of really thinking about these different access points (that would help students). It’s not a new thing,” he added.

“And one thing that happens a lot is that these students become disengaged because the environment just isn’t welcoming. And you lose them. And a lot of times, those students you’re losing are the ones that, in the right environment, can bring so much to your university and so much to society.”

Keeping those students engaged ultimately benefits all students at the university. It’s a fundamental matter of equity and inclusion. Added Bey, “We need to be creating an environment from the moment we recruit students to the moment that they graduate where they can see themselves and have the experiences that are relevant to them.”

Timler is confident it will happen. “We want to do this. We want to make sure our classrooms are accessible.”

How do you learn best?

That might be something you never really thought about – you just learn. But if you think back to your own experience in school, you probably remember various learning strategies you used to help you succeed. Perhaps you were a copious note-taker. Perhaps you crammed late at night with noisecancelling headphones to keep out distractions. Perhaps your comprehension was better with recorded lectures than with written notes.

The term neurodiversity recognizes that how individuals process information can vary significantly. Neurodivergence thus refers to a wide range of those differences, many known by more familiar terms such as autism, dyslexia and ADHD. The neurodiversity movement recognizes and celebrates those differences, combined with efforts to discard old ways of viewing them as atypical – or abnormal. As atypical means not typical, that old way of thinking about the issue drew distinctions between what was normal and what wasn’t. Neurodiversity is the idea that there is no “right” way to think or learn.

THE WORLD REOPENS Pioneers Hit the Trails as CCEs Return Post-pandemic

THE REV. ELIZABETH McCORD CHRISTO ET LITTERIS

For Christ and Learning is the English translation of “Christo et Litteris,” Carroll University’s motto

By Linda Spice ’89, M.Ed. ‘19

When Mathena Higgins entered Carroll University as a freshman in the fall of 2019, she gave little thought to the university’s travel requirement that all students must fulfill to graduate. That was until the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw virtual instruction replace the in-person adventures that the Cross-Cultural Experience (CCE) program originally offered, jeopardizing her potential travel.

Fortunately, the waning pandemic has lifted most travel restrictions just in time for Higgins’s senior year. The CCE came back online in the summer of 2022, with international, domestic and study-abroad offerings launching post-pandemic journeys. January of 2023 marked Carroll’s first significant round of student travel, including trips for Higgins and others who made their way to Greece with Carroll professors Scott Hendrix and Patricia Rodda.

“This was my first time. Oh, my God, I was so excited,” said Higgins, a biochemistry major who grew up in Oshkosh, and had never traveled internationally. “The thinking behind that (CCE) is really cool. Getting your students experience in a different culture is something that’s so valuable and it resonated with me.”

After researching the issue in 2011, Carroll committed itself to the idea of off-campus travel study. “Employers are looking for people who have some background in working with diverse and intercultural contexts, but often don’t see it in recent college graduates,” said Josie de Hartog, associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences - General Education.

The pandemic, however, forced many students and instructors to manage the CCE program virtually through much of 2020, 2021 and 2022.

“I’m so happy for our students that they get to go again,” de Hartog said. “I know as we’ve had to keep it on pause and find other ways to fulfill the courses, every semester we had students who were like, ‘But why can’t we go yet?’ and I would feel so bad for them. We didn’t feel like we were in a place to do it before now.”

Carroll offers more than 40 faculty-led trips internationally and within the United States and study abroad opportunities with more than 20 organizations and partner universities. Professors prepare students in advance of their travel through studies in cross-cultural classes.

Scott Hendrix, Ph.D., a professor of history who has led multiple CCE trips to Ireland and, for the first time to Greece this year, said the first post-pandemic trip – while fulfilling – added a layer of concern when students became ill while abroad. Professors carried COVID tests on their CCEs, and students had to be vaccinated before traveling (that requirement has been lifted for future travels unless required by a specific culture or community the students will be visiting).

“Any time a student would get the sniffles, the first thing I would do is get a COVID test. Fortunately, it wasn’t (COVID), but there is a little bit of extra stress,” Hendrix said.

While the relaunch of CCE trips has sparked excitement, it will likely take some time for significant numbers of students to opt for international travel versus enrolling in the local experiences available, Hendrix said. He noted that COVID created a cultural shift that saw more students preferring to study closer to home.

Some students have always opted to fulfill their CCE close to home due to financial, family, work or health concerns. COVID amplified those numbers, administrators said.

Hendrix said, however, that as more students take trips and return with stories and adventures, others will likely appreciate more of what CCE has to offer.

That is already happening for Carroll students like Mady Sloan, a junior majoring in exercise science pre-physical therapy, who traveled to Greece this year. She said she shared her experiences with friends, and one fellow student considering a local CCE is instead looking at Greece.

“The architecture there was phenomenal,” Sloan said. “My really good friend, she wants to travel to Greece. I showed her my pictures. She was like, ‘That’s cool. I’m going to do it.’”

Mark Blegen, Carroll provost and vice-president of academic affairs, said as Carroll rebuilds the strength of the CCE program, it is with an acknowledgment of the pandemic’s toll, not only on students but on faculty. Fewer faculty members are taking on the extra work of CCEs, and Carroll continues outreach to boost the CCE faculty ranks, Blegen said.

During the years of virtual instruction, Becker has used platforms such as Amazon Explore to take students via livestream on a rickshaw ride through Asakusa, one of Tokyo’s districts and connected students with the owner of a sake bar

“It can be stressful, so we’ve got some work to do to say, ‘Hey, faculty. We support you. We hear you,’” Blegen said. “It goes back to we think this is core to our educational mission. And, what can we do to keep it moving forward?”

The pandemic meant professors had to design virtual experiences to help students learn about other cultures without being there. That continues in at least one CCE program.

Dan Becker, associate professor of graphic communication, has traveled with students to Japan six times since 2013, and unfortunately for Becker and his students, the trips to Japan remain on hold. It is the only CCE destination that is still virtual - for now - due to increased COVID cases there, Becker said.

during a live video visit in Shinjuku. They also communicated with elementary school students in Japan via their teacher, Marissa Garretto ’17, a former student of Becker’s at Carroll.

“I tried to get them as close as we could get there,” he said. Garretto, who studied graphic communication and photography had traveled with Becker to Japan in 2016. The experience sparked her desire to return to the country as a teacher with the competitive JET Program USA for three years. She returned to America in July 2022. Becker’s deep knowledge of the country and experiences provided to students also impacted former student Tyler Pelon ’16. He said the in-person CCE travel to Japan “kick-started my path to learning the language.” He has since returned three times to the country for more experiences there.

Chris Franco, a real estate agent and business administration major striving for a degree to set an example for his two daughters, said Becker’s virtual option worked well for him.

As well as Becker and other professors strove to provide the CCE experience in its virtual format, they stress that there is nothing like being there. Becker, too, looks forward to traveling again with his students.

“It’s definitely my goal to bring a group next year, absolutely,” Becker said. “When they come back and share what they experienced there, the events, the activities, the learning opportunities, the personal connections that they made with people out there, and they share these elements. That’s what it’s all about.”

SAVE THE DATE for Homecoming, Reunion & Family Weekend

Oct. 12-15, 2023

Mark your calendars for Homecoming, Reunion and Family Weekend! We are excited to welcome back and celebrate all alumni. Milestone reunion committees for classes ending in the number 3 or 8 are meeting now to personalize their reunion experience. More details to come this summer. Highlights include:

• Oct. 14, 1 p.m. football game versus Elmhurst University

• Grand Reunion highlighting milestone reunions ending in the number 3 or 8

• 50th Reunion Celebration and Golden Pioneer Pinning Ceremony for the Class of 1973

• Pioneer Parties, Homecoming Parade, Pastries with Professors and more!

Questions? Please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@carrollu.edu or 262.524.7237

ANSWERING A CRISIS Carroll Partners with Waukesha to Train Behavioral Health Responders

Carroll University is partnering with the city of Waukesha to develop a program that will train behavioral health responders who can respond to calls that involve mental health issues.

The program will first train personnel to work with Waukesha. Kathy Kramer, dean of the School of Education and Human Services, said the concept has wide application, with other law enforcement agencies, social service providers and even school districts likely to benefit from the employment of behavioral health responders.

The non-credit program will be developed and offered by the School of Education and Human Services and Carroll’s Office of Continuous and Lifelong Learning. According to Susan Riekkoff, an adjunct instructor of education, the pilot program will feature a combination of in-person and online learning, culminating with a clinical placement experience that pairs students with community partners such as the Waukesha Police Department.

“This is an exciting opportunity for responding in a very different way,” said Riekkoff. “It’s a distinct philosophy which provides the opportunity to make sure people are getting a compassionate

response yet one that addresses the crisis at hand.” Not long ago, she added, the common responses were to do nothing or jail or hospitalize someone. “This training helps us address the complicated needs of the individual.”

The curriculum will cover crisis intervention, de-escalation training, suicide prevention and risk assessment and trauma-informed care. Students will also study criminal justice, the intersections of mental health and criminality, and diversity, equity and inclusion in mental health.

The Behavioral Health Responder curriculum will provide a pipeline of trained Behavioral Health Responders for Waukesha and other municipalities and organizations. Graduates of the program will be rewarded stackable badges, one for each module, that will result in a Behavioral Health Responder Credential consistent with Carroll University’s credentialing practices.

AT CARROLL UNIVERSITY, WE WANT TO ‘C U’ ON GIVINGTUESDAY!

Pios, prepare to ignite the energy of collective giving and be ready to support CU on Tuesday, Nov. 28, during our seventh annual Giving Day powered by YOU.

What is C U on GivingTuesday?

Every fall, proud Pioneers from all around the world come together for 24 hours of giving back. This day is powered by you and your passion for the university. Together, we make a difference in the lives of Pioneers.

On C U on GivingTuesday 2022, our community raised an incredible

$230,871

THROUGH 514 GIFTS!

As we get ready for C U on GivingTuesday 2023, will you power us forward?

Scan the QR code to help us spread the love for Carroll on November 28, 2023, by signing up to be a CU on GivingTuesday ambassador!

NEW POSITION FOCUSED ON YOUNG ALUMNI WHAT A DOLL

Your Office of Alumni Engagement is excited to have transitioned Justin Latawiec ’17 into the new assistant director of young alumni engagement position. As a young alumnus of Carroll, he will bring fresh perspective on how we engage with students while they are on campus, helping their transition as they settle into careers and begin establishing themselves as young alumni. Stay tuned to carrollu.edu/alumni/events for upcoming young alumni programming including networking, social activities and personal / professional development. (While we define ‘young alumni’ as having graduated within the last 10 years, all alumni are welcome to join).

This little guy dates to the 1920s and was recently gifted to the Carroll University archives, by Sue (Graaskamp) Martin ’60.

TOTAL NUMBER OF DONORS 504

TOTAL ALUMNI DONORS 290

FIRST TIME DONORS 62

TOTAL DOLLARS RAISED $230,871 IN CHALLENGE GIFTS RECEIVED $62,363

Sue’s family has a pretty extensive history with the university. As she recalled, the doll was a gift from her father, Oliver Graaskamp ’29 to her mother, Alison (Caldwell) Graaskamp ’27 while they both attended school here. She remembers the doll being called Peter and he certainly looks ready for action on the football field. The Graaskamps had a full house at Carroll; Oliver’s brothers Lester Graaskamp ’18, Clifford W. Graaskamp ’20 and Arnold R. Graaskamp ’22. attended Carroll, as did his sister Jeannette E. Graaskamp ’24. Their father, Sue’s grandfather, also attended Carroll as a nontraditional student in the 1940s.

Peter dates to the 1920s and now has a home in the Carroll archives.

https://www.carrollu.edu/ambassadors

Justin Latawiec ’17

OPPORTUNITY EQUALS ACCESS

As Carroll strives to provide access to all students who seek an education, the Opportunity Scholarship has emerged as an important tool.

President Cindy Gnadinger introduced the scholarship in the 2018-19 academic year. At the time, it was a need-based scholarship, designed to bridge the financial gaps that kept college out of reach for some students from underrepresented communities.

“Its purpose has always been the same,” said Dawn Scott, vice president of enrollment, “to serve underrepresented students. The goal now is to make a real impact on making college affordable for those students, up to covering their full tuition.”

The program’s expansion has been aided by generous donations to the Opportunity Scholarship Fund. Accepted students who wish to

number of students applying for the scholarship has increased significantly. As of late February, more than 100 applications had been received.

“We’re looking at any category of underrepresentation for this program,” she said, “and a lot of the recipients are coming tuition free –everything is funded by scholarships and grants.”

Scholarship recipients are also eligible to apply to the Inspire Program, which combines a second, smaller scholarship with additional specialized student support services to help these students successfully navigate the college experience.

Learn More. https://www.carrollu.edu/givingback/areas-of-need/opportunity-

Introducing the 1846 Legacy Society

Formerly the John Adams Savage Society

The 1846 Legacy Society recognizes and honors donors who have created personal legacies through an estate provision or planned gift to Carroll. The Society pays homage to Eleazar Root, Carroll University’s founder, and Carroll’s first president, John Adams Savage. This group celebrates the spirit of exploration and discovery that began in 1846 when Carroll became Wisconsin’s first four-year institution of higher learning.

Members of the 1846 Legacy Society receive multiple benefits:

• A special memento.

• Invitations to exclusive Carroll events.

• An opportunity to share personal experiences and inspire others.

• Recognition in an annual honor roll (unless anonymity is requested).

• Personalized access to campus news and updates from the gift planning team.

All members of the Carroll family who join between now and June 30, 2024 will be considered inaugural members.

Current Inaugural Members of the 1846 Legacy Society

Three Anonymous Friends of Carroll University

Kenneth Matchett

Robert Bartholomew

Nancy Halloran Cuppage

Marian Ehrenberg

Suzanne Frank

Joan J. Hardy

Philip L. Krejcarek & Kristine Gunther

Lillian Love

Charles Mead

Carolyn H. Oates

Corey E. Olsen

Edward & Reiko Schwab

Patricia Shanower

Joan Tegen

Virgilee Tsuda

Sarah E. (Polster) Valencia ‘03

Marc R. ‘00 & Megan Barbeau

Julie A. Gapp ‘95

Stephanie A. Jessup ‘95

Todd M. Liebergen ‘90

Thomas T. ‘90 & Terry Stevens

Kristen J. (Conine) ‘89 & Thomas D. Czarnecki

One Anonymous Pioneer from the Class of 1986

Roberta K. (Julke) Block ‘86

Timothy J. ‘86 & Greta A. Hando

Kelly A. Natrop ‘85

Jeffrey L. Olin ‘84

Allison M. & Dale R. Smith

Randall R. Kunkel ‘80

Cheryl A. Sandrin ‘80

One Anonymous Pioneer from the Class of 1979

Sanee M. (Brynildson) Bonnell ‘79

Mark F. Eul ‘79

One Anonymous Pioneer from the Class of 1978

Susan B. (Blink) Patrick ‘78

Kay D. Robinson-Schanke ‘78

One Anonymous Pioneer from the Class of 1977

Donald G. Gardner ‘77

John P. Macy ‘77

Gregg W. ‘77 & Denise Steinhafel

Diane R. (Huelsbeck) ‘76 & Dick Adams

Lawrence C. Henze ‘76

John E. Leslie ‘76 & Jane E. McDonald ‘79

Steven C. ‘76 & Nancy Miller

Richard A. ‘76 & Jan A. (Steffen) ‘76 Whittow

Christine C. (Cook) ‘75 & Randall Applegate

Michael J. ‘75 & Carol Osenga

Stephen J. ‘75 & Caroline G. (Fenner) ‘76 Polster

Margaret L. (Piper) Royseck ‘75

Janet K. Grant ‘74

Jeff T. ‘73 & Lynn T. (Tonjes) ‘73 Cummisford

Deborah S. (Stuart) ‘73 & Christopher J. Everett

Marilyn S. Hair ‘73

J. Scott Kohl ‘73

Lynn L. Manecke ‘73

One Anonymous Pioneer from the Class of 1972

Gary R. Chiaverotti ‘72 & Debbie Miller

Mary R. Baer ‘71 & John Kramp

Alan R. ‘71 & Mary E. (Marten) ‘71 Jackson

James R. Staude ‘71

One Anonymous Pioneer from the Class of 1970

V. Stewart ‘70 & Connie Jose

Gary S. ‘69 & Cheryl A. (Kolloge) ‘71 Bosak

Guy J. ‘69 & Gisela R. Di Spigno

James H. Didier ‘69

P. Scott Hausmann ‘69

Theodore B. Hertel Jr. ‘69 & Margaret M. Ley

Thomas P. Marks ‘69

Gregg M. ‘69 & Joy Miller

Phil M. Runkel ‘69

Richard E. ‘69 & Kathryn Voigt

Daniel D. ‘69 & Ann L. (Leighton) ‘70 Von Hoff

Cathleen S. (Starck) ‘69 & Arthur Wille

Ann M. Zibell ‘69

Norman W. Schley ‘68

David E. Wisner ‘68

Dale A. (Strickland) Morgan ‘67

E. John ‘67 & Nancy M. (Nixon) ‘66 Raasch

Arvid W. Hoffman ‘36 & Virginia Hoffman Corwin ‘66

One Anonymous Pioneer from the Class of 1965

John C. ‘65 & Susan A. (Torhorst) ‘67 Breitung

John B. Schrock ‘65 & Mary Berube

James R. Starling ‘65

Three Anonymous Pioneers from the Class of 1964

Clive A. Frazier ‘64

William C. Perry ‘64

Sylvia A. (Bliss) ‘64 & Robert Wheeler

One Anonymous Pioneer from the Class of 1963

Sandra E. (Brikowski) Arnold ‘63

Karen L. Bruinooge ‘63

Linda L. Duckworth Darr ‘63

Jane L. Hamman ‘63

Bruce A. ‘63 & Katherine A. (Couillard) ‘64

MacIntyre

David M. Molthen ‘63

Valerie L. Schneider ‘63

John A. ‘62 & Diane F. (Polzin) ‘64 Loppnow

Craig Shappert ‘62

Ernest G. ‘61 & Michaelee J. (Moran) ‘60 Hopp

Karl E. Peters ‘61

Roy A. Welch ‘61

Susan G. (Graaskamp) Martin ‘60

Chester F. ‘59 & Carol J. Clark

Alvin W. ‘59 & Maureen Keeley

Nancy K. Stewart ‘59

Elaine M. (Mittelsteadt) Cerwin ‘58

Richard A. ‘58 & Barbara Natalizio

Evelyn (Davies) Otto ‘58

Glenn L. Schilling ‘58

Delores M. (Hoffmann) DuBois ‘57

Floyd L. Judd ‘56

Sue M. (Henning) Myers ‘56

Nancy L. (Walsh) Wiese ‘55

Elaine (Cheli) Drack ‘53

Donald E. ‘52 & Beverly M. (Mann) ‘54 Chappie

Sharon G. (Grabow) McArthur ‘52

Marilyn J. (Thompson) Hill ‘51

Barbara L. (Otto) Koehler ‘51

Richard K. Ledward ‘50

Cherrill S. (Swart) Sneeden ‘50

Eilene J. (Dehling) Dybvad ‘49

Lois K. (Kundert) Winchester ‘49

John G. Davies ‘48

George J. Socha ‘47

Helen Williams Fisher ‘40

Louise T. (Treder) Summers ‘39

There is no minimum gift amount required for membership in the 1846 Legacy Society. To join, please contact Katie Cyrus, assistant director of gift planning, at kcyrus@carrollu.edu or 262.951.3014 or Chuck Demler, director of gift planning at cdemler@carrollu.edu or 262.524.7241.

Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of this list. If you find an error or omission, please accept our apologies and contact the gift planning office at 262.524.7240 or via email at giftplanning@carrollu.edu so that we can correct our records.

1846 Legacy Society Spotlight

and

Create Endowed Scholarship Fund for Students in the Healthcare Field

“Carroll had a significant effect on my life by providing an outstanding pre-med education, which helped me have a choice of medical schools and ultimately a 40-year career in emergency medicine. Drs. Christoph, Michaud, and Bayer were particularly helpful. Today very few students graduate from Carroll and a medical school without debt often exceeding $200,000.

It is for this reason Mary and I have set up the Dr. John Schrock and Mary Berube Endowed Scholarship Fund to help others committed to entering the healthcare field. In addition, a percentage of my IRA will go to Carroll after my passing. This is easy to do in the beneficiary section of your IRA and can be easily changed.”

—Dr. John Schrock ’65

Learn how to create a lasting impact through gift planning at Carroll University. Contact Chuck Demler, director of gift planning, at cdemler@carrollu.edu or 262.524.7241. Or visit carrollu.giftplans.org

Katie and Chuck??

Dr. John Schrock ’65

Mary Berube

Dr. John Schrock ’65 and Mary Berube

CLASS NOTES

Please send news of weddings, births and deaths; new jobs and promotions; academic and professional degrees; church and community service activities; awards and achievements; and address changes to the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@carrollu.edu. You may also send these updates via mail: Carroll University, 100 N. East Ave., Waukesha, WI 53186.

Updates received between July 25, 2022 and Jan. 27, 2023.

1960s

Dr. Howard Fuller ‘62 was named one of BizTimes Media’s Wisconsin 275 Most Influential Business Leaders. The award notes that Fuller, a civil rights activist and education reform advocate, founded a school in 2004, now known as the Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy.

Karin (Nordling) Boylan ‘63 is in her second two-year term as president of Independent Living Residents at Brookdale/Chambrel in Williamsburg, Virginia.

James Ullrich ’63 and his wife Joy are missionaries with Missionary Gospel Fellowship in Turlock, California.

1970s

Kent Gramm ’71 has published a new book. “Bitterroot: An American Epic” is a fictionalized narrative of the Nez Perce War. Gramm teaches part time at Gettysburg College.

Bitterroot, authored by Kent Gramm ’71. The Rufus King High School AthleticHall of Fame inducted Darrell Hagman ‘72 for his basketball and cross-country accomplishments at a banquet in Milwaukee Nov. 6, 2022.

The Rev. Hope D. Harle-Mould ‘75 has published a book, “AKA Jesus: 22 Sketches for Recognizing the Presenttense Christ.” HarleMould and his wife live in Buffalo, New York.

Dr. Elliot Ryser ’79 has retired as professor emeritus from the Michigan State University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition after 24 years on the faculty. The International Association for Food Protection honored him with lifetime membership status after 42 years of service, which included 16 years as scientific editor of the Journal of Food Protection.

1980s

Mary Beth (Burns) Brever ’81 received the Dr. Rogers E. Onick Teacher of Excellence award from the Metropolitan Milwaukee Alliance of Black School Educators in May 2022. Brever retired from the School District of South Milwaukee in June 2022, after teaching in elementary school for 38 years.

Mary Beth (Burns) Brever ’81

Charles Johnson ’83 has retired after a 38-year career with the State of Minnesota. He spent 33 years with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, including a decade as deputy commissioner.

Debi (Grace) Young ‘84 has been named statewide education editor for the USA Today Network-Wisconsin, based out of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Lisa (Forman) Martins ’85 wed Ed Martins Oct. 2, 2021. The couple resides in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Lisa (Forman) ’85 and Ed Martins.

Dennis DeLoye ’86 has joined the board of directors of New North, Inc., an economic development corporation in northeastern Wisconsin. He is currently the Northeast Wisconsin Regional President for Associated Bank.

1990s

Ryan Russell ‘96 married Sarah Sunderlage

June 19, 2022.

Frank Juárez ’97 received the Wisconsin Visual Art Achievement Award for K-12 Art Education in a ceremony at the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend, Wisconsin, last April.

Frank Juárez ‘97 speaks during an awards ceremony at the Museum of Wisconsin Art. Brian Wesselhoff ’98 has been named chief information officer at Waterstone Mortgage Corporation in Wisconsin.

2000s

Paul Boening ‘00 has joined McMahon, an engineering and architectural firm, as a public management specialist. He also currently serves as the village manager in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.

Shari Black ’01, executive director and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin State Fair Park, has been named to BizTimes Media’s Wisconsin 275 Most Influential Business Leaders.

Alison Rohrbach ‘02 is in her first term on the Illinois Education Association Board of Directors and serves on the executive committee for the 2022-23 board year. She teaches elementary general music and choir in Barrington, Illinois.

Rex McKanry ’03 was named dean for technical sciences at St. Charles Community College after nine years as a faculty member and department chair in computer science.

Tracie Parent ’03, a chief financial officer (CFO) at Kahler Slater in Milwaukee, was named a C-Suite Stars 2022 Chief Financial Officer of the Year by the Milwaukee Business Journal.

Jenn Youngblood ’03 has been named a forest supervisor by the U.S. Forest Service.

Andrea Janey ’05 recently completed her Master of Insurance Business Analysis from the CIOP Institute and is an associate underwriter with Encova Insurance.

Yvonne Ochilo ’05 has written a book of poetry titled “Red Letters,” published by the Women’s Professional Network.

Ryan Russell ’96 and Sarah Sunderlage

Carolyn (Hahn) Reuter ’07 married Daniel Reuter April 3, 2022. Carolyn (Hahn) ’07 and Dan Reuter.

Reid Spiering ’09 has been named a principal at CORE 4 Engineering, Inc. in Mequon, Wisconsin.

2010s

Ellen (Thomzik) Baldwin ’11, M.Ed. ’15 and Kyle Baldwin welcomed their second child, Merrick Baldwin.

Angie Campbell ’11 has a supporting role in the new film Raymond & Ray, which stars Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke. The movie was filmed in October 2021 and is available now on streaming services.

Angie Campbell ’11 and Ewan McGregor.

Stephanie (Wachuta) Reyes ’12 welcomed Savannah Reyes on Oct. 13, 2020, and Isaiah Reyes on March 22, 2022.

Isaiah and Savannah Reyes

Dominic Costa ’13 has self-published three books. “Through the Light and Darkness,” published in late 2022, and “Ancient Mysteries,” and “The Diary of Art,” published in January 2023, are young adult novels in the science fiction and fantasy realms.

Jeremy Ott ‘13 and his wife, Angela, welcomed twins Vivian and Rio Ott Jan. 1, 2023.

Amy Waldoch ’13 and her husband, Caleb Waldoch, welcomed a baby boy, Micah on June 30, 2022.

Micah Waldoch

Margo (Rosandick) ‘14, ‘17 and husband Ryan Bloor ‘13 welcomed a baby boy, Lincoln on Dec. 21, 2022.

Amanda (Krist) Rolfs ’14 and her husband, Scott, welcomed a baby girl, Baylor, on Oct. 7, 2022.

Baylor Rolfs

Lindsey (Moore) Whyte ’14 has been named the director of data quality and analytics for the Wauwatosa School District.

Anna (Sweeti) Hettermann ’15 and Jeffrey Hettermann welcomed a baby boy, Caden Hettermann on Dec. 11, 2022.

Sam Kramer ’15 has welcomed a baby boy, Henry Kramer.

Katie (Bentel) Nikitin ’16 welcomed a baby boy, Nikolai Keith Nikitin on May 4, 2022.

Nikolai Keith Nikitin

Derrick Nillissen DPT ’16 and Kristy (Johnson) Nillissen ’14 DPT ’16 welcomed a baby boy, Kade Walter Nillissen on Sept. 14, 2022. Derrick Nillissen is a physical performance specialist for the Phoenix Suns professional basketball team.

Derrick Nillissen DPT ’16 and Kristy (Johnson) Nillissen ’14 DPT ’16 with Kade Walter Nillissen.

Dani (Clark) Schlosser ‘19 wed Kye Schlosser ‘19, DPT ‘21 at a ceremony in Wales, Wisconsin, Sept. 2, 2022.

2020s

Lauren Hanoski ’20 wed Alex Kermendy ‘19 June 25, 2022. The couple resides in Waukesha.

Lauren Hanoski ’20 and Alex Kermendy ’19

Amanda Czerwinski ‘22 has published research in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology.

Carroll Faculty and Staff

Dan DeMerit, director of campus recreation, and his wife, Megan, welcomed a baby girl, Josie Mae DeMerit, Dec. 10, 2022.

Dan

Lindsey Kreske ’17, a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, appeared in the women of distinction feature in the November 2022 issue of Milwaukee Magazine.

Justin Lataweic ’17 wed Lexie Archer ‘18 July 3, 2022. Justin Lataweic ’17 and Lexie Archer ’18.

Jeimi Jaramillo ’18 and Liliana Farias Jurado ’18 celebrated the first anniversary of their restaurant, Catrina Café, in downtown Waukesha.

Chase (Charles) Kostichka ’18 has been named senior vice-president-commercial real estate banking by First Business Bank in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Kostichka earned an MBA from Carroll.

Jake Eisch, director of student conduct and violence prevention, and his wife, Alyssa, welcomed a baby girl, Elsie Marie Eisch, Dec. 30, 2022.

Elsie Marie Eisch

Preston Winowiski ’20, ’21, application designer, and his wife, Lily ‘21, welcomed a baby girl, Sparrow Jo, Aug. 25, 2022.

Dani ’19 and Kye Schlosser ’19, DPT ’21 with special friend at their wedding.

DeMerit and Josie Mae DeMerit

Sparrow Jo Winowiski

IN MEMORIAM

1940s

The Rev. William J. Turner ‘47, of North Carolina, passed away Nov. 7, 2021.

Joan (Beer) Davies ’49 passed away July 22, 2022.

1950s

Sacia (Brewer) Morris ’50 passed away Aug. 3, 2022, at the age of 94. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. David Morris ’50, whom she met at Carroll. The couple had resided for many years in Onalaska, Wisconsin. Dr. Morris received the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Professional Achievement in 2003.

Dr. John Richard Soulen ’50 passed away Oct. 24, 2022.

Robert J. Hynek ’51 passed away July 22, 2022, at the age of 94, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Robert Paul Wilke ’51 passed away July 17, 2022, at the age of 93, in Santa Barbara, California.

Jean (Honl) Gregory ’52 passed away June 8, 2022, at the age of 91, in Troy, Michigan.

A. Richard Nichols ’52 passed away July 22, 2021, at the age of 90, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Mary (Schlichting) Soley ’53 passed away Dec. 13, 2022, at the age of 91, in Racine, Wisconsin.

Jean (Blackford) Dee ’54 passed away Dec. 2, 2022, at the age of 90, in Louisa, Kentucky.

Robert Hosch ’54 passed away April 17, 2022, at the age of 89, in Dousman, Wisconsin.

Robert Kohls ’54 passed away Dec. 23, 2022, at the age of 90, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Jerome Trewyn ’54 passed away Sept. 18, 2022, at the age of 89, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Dawn (Savage) Imig ’56 passed away Dec. 26, 2022, at the of 88, in Medina, Ohio.

Fred Keller ’56 passed away Jan. 12, 2023, at the age of 91 in Sussex, Wisconsin.

Richard L. Rippey ’56 passed away Jan. 1, 2022, at the age of 88, in Kansas.

James Talmadge ’56 passed away Dec. 11, 2022, at the age of 89, in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

Elaine (Walters) Gibeaut ’57 passed away May 15, 2022.

Kären R. (Tuhus) Oncken ’57 passed away Dec. 6, 2022, at the age of 88 in Stoughton, Wisconsin.

Alden L. Ross ’57 passed away Jan. 7, 2023, at the age of 87, in Madison, Wisconsin. He was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy (Weeks) Ross ’59.

Harold Sherman ’57 passed away Nov. 23, 2022, at the age of 88, in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

Glenn L. Braunschweig ’58 passed away July 25, 2022, at the age of 89, in Burlington, Wisconsin.

Stuart B. Smith ’58 passed away Aug. 4, 2022, at the age of 86, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Smith was named a Distinguished Alumni by Carroll in 1972.

Nancy (Peters) Whitten ’58 passed away Nov. 30, 2022, at the age of 85, in South Haven, Michigan.

Betty (Kukuk) Klostra ’59 passed away Sept. 28, 2022, at the age of 85, in Waupun, Wisconsin.

James Milch ’59 passed away July 28, 2022, at the age of 84, in San Diego, California.

Judith (Johnson) Moran ’59 passed away Dec. 30, 2022, at the age of 85, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She is survived by her husband, Pat Moran ’59.

Edwin B. Smith ’59 passed away Aug. 4, 2022, at the age of 84, in Oshkosh. Among the survivors is his wife, Joan (Williamson) Smith ‘60.

1960s

Sandra (Taylor) Fox ’60 passed away Aug. 10, 2022, at the age of 84, in Columbus, Ohio.

Marion Morey ’60 passed away Dec. 11, 2022, at the age of 83, in New York.

Kent J. Ohlis ’60 passed away Aug. 29, 2021.

Donald Pruefer ’60 passed away July 30, 2022, at the age of 83, in West Bend, Wisconsin.

Mary (Trewyn) Rimbach ’60 passed away May 26, 2022.

Douglas J. Roedl ’60, of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, passed away Dec. 4, 2022, at the age of 85.

Gail (Ardis) Schilling ’60 passed away Dec. 27, 2022, at 85 years old, in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. She is survived by her husband, Glenn Schilling ’58.

Jon Yakes ’60 passed away July 31, 2022, at 83.

Ann (Handley) Bradshaw ’61 passed away Oct. 11, 2022, at the age of 82, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

James Chermak ’61 passed away Dec. 16, 2022, at the age of 83, in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

Charles R. Loth ’61 passed away Nov. 19, 2022, at the age of 84, in Silver Lake, Wisconsin.

Joseph Mrskos ’61 passed away Nov. 26, 2022, at the age of 85, in Anaheim, California.

Wayne Nettesheim ’61 passed away Dec. 20, 2022, at the age of 83, in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Marie F. Vogel ’61 passed away Sept. 3, 2022.

Douglas W. Irwin ’62 passed away July 21, 2022, at the age of 82, in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.

Dennis Pickett Sr. ’62 passed away Dec. 20, 2022, at the age of 82, in Dekalb, Illinois.

Donald Riemer ’62 passed away June 5, 2022, at the age of 82, in Cumberland, Wisconsin.

Ronald E. Becker ’63 passed away Jan. 22, 2023, at the age of 82 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

Judith (Hastings) Broman ’63 passed away Jan. 24, 2023 at the age of 81 in Madison, Wisconsin.

Robert Strege ’63 passed away Dec. 17, 2022, at the age of 81, in Utah.

John R. Mentz ’65 passed away Aug. 21, 2022.

Katherine (Wittig) Rehbein ’65 passed away June 19, 2022, at the age of 78, in Jacksonville, Florida.

Gary McTrusty ’66 passed away Dec. 9, 2022, at the age of 81, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Carroll inducted McTrusty into the Carroll University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

Carol (Wightman) Bixby ’67 passed away Aug. 21, 2022, in Austin, Texas. She is survived by her husband, Russell Bixby ’67.

Dr. Terry Hollenbeck ’67 passed away Aug. 2, 2022, at the age of 76, in Felton, California.

Jerelyn (Zweifel) Dybdahl ’68 passed away Jan. 19, 2023, at the age of 77 in Sussex, Wisconsin.

Kathleen (Kubala) Multerer ’68 passed away Dec. 2, 2022, at the age of 76, in Hartford, Wisconsin. She is survived by her husband, Frank Multerer ’68.

Lois (Bletcher) Pearson ’68, of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, passed away Aug. 22, 2022, at 75.

Herbert J. Boeschen ’69, of Duluth, Georgia, passed away Dec. 31, 2022, at 75.

1970s

Edward W. Moede ’70, of Neenah, Wisconsin, passed away Jan. 12, 2023, at 74.

Gretchen (Gaver) MacDonald ’71, of Columbus, Wisconsin, passed away May 26, 2022, at 72.

Clyde McCusker ’72 passed away Nov. 11, 2022.

Jeanne (Erickson) Barnard ’73 passed away Aug. 21, 2022, at the age of 71, in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. She is survived by daughter, Ann Birnschein ’01.

Ellen J. Devlin ’73 passed away May 16, 2022.

Eugene C. Haberman ’74 passed away Oct. 21, 2021, at the age of 70, in Palmer, Alaska.

1980s

Kimberly (Davis) Collins ’80 passed away Jan. 2, 2022, at the age of 63, in Tucson, Arizona.

Mary Kate (Pech) Harris ’83 passed away Sept. 12, 2022, at the age of 62, in Placerville, California.

Patricia J. Lenius ’87 passed away Sept. 23, 2022, at the age of 57, in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

Sandra Barkei ’88 passed away Jan. 4, 2023, in Asheville, North Carolina.

1990s

Christine (Dirnbaurer) Blask ’94 passed away Oct. 5, 2022, at the age of 74, in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

Shirley J. Gunn ’95 passed away Sept. 11, 2021, at the age of 76, in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Mandy (Weis) Hagman ’98 passed away Nov. 17, 2022, at the age of 47. She was a resident of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

2000s

Heather Holstein Kozlowski ’01 passed away Sept. 3, 2022, at the age of 43, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

2020s

Hannah Caves ’20 passed away Jan. 9, 2023, at the age of 24. Julia Brooks ’22 passed away Oct. 18, 2022, at the age of 22.

Faculty and Friends of Carroll

Oliver “Lamar” Cope, emeritus professor of religious studies, passed away Feb. 13, 2023, at the age of 84. Lamar served churches in Iowa, Washington D.C., Virginia, New York and New Jersey before joining Carroll in 1969. He chaired the department of religious studies from 1995 until his retirement in 2003. He played an important role in shaping the religious studies program, helping to broaden the coursework to include more classes on world religions and ethics. Lamar was recognized in 1990 with the Benjamin F. Richason Jr. Faculty Award for his commitment to students and excellence in instruction.

Eugene “Gene” Haugse, professor emeritus of political science, passed away Dec. 2, 2022, at the age of 101, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Haugse was a beloved professor at Carroll for more than two decades, teaching from 1966 to 1987. He was known for leading study abroad trips to the former U.S.S.R., Eastern Europe and China, exploring their political systems.

(Uldis) Ernie Inveiss, professor emeritus of business and economics, passed away Feb. 10, 2023, at the age of 94, Inveiss served the Carroll community for 40 years and was known for his commitment to students and his leadership in building the New Cultural Experiences Program. As director of NCEP, he also worked to provide students opportunities to enhance the awareness of their own cultural conditioning, assumptions, and perspectives by bringing them into contact with people of different backgrounds and cultures. He believed it was important to expand a student’s experience and provide important international dimensions to help them to develop intellectually.

Ellen Langill passed away Aug. 16, 2022, at the age of 77, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Langill taught history at several universities in southeastern Wisconsin, including nine years at Carroll. It was in her role as historian and author that she left quite a legacy at Carroll, having written two books on the history of the university: “Carroll College: The First Century 1846-1946” and its second volume, published in 2022, “Legend and Legacy Carroll University at 175, 1846-2021.” Among many awards and professional recognitions, Langill received the 2019 Women of Distinction Award from the Women and Girls Fund of Waukesha County.

James B. Renberg, an assistant professor of history from 1970 to 1973, passed away Jan. 4, 2023, at the age of 85. Renberg became a favored and recognized professor at Carroll, always open and eager to talk about history.

Laatsch ’60, Ganfield grandson and former board president

Dr. William G. Laatsch ’60

Dr. William G. Laatsch ’60 passed away Sept. 14, 2022 at the age of 84. As part of one of Carroll’s most committed legacy families, Laatsch’s extensive family ties reach as far back as his grandfather, William Arthur Ganfield, who was professor of history at Carroll from 1904-1915 and served as the university’s fifth president from 1921-1939. His parents, Wayland ’28 and Elizabeth (Ganfield) ’27 Laatsch, and his father- and mother-in-law, Richard ’30 and Elizabeth (Hartopp) ’30 Hunter, all attended Carroll, as did several other family members. As a lifelong learner with a passion for his alma mater, Laatsch enthusiastically served on the Carroll Board of Trustees from 1991-2010, ultimately serving as chair from 2005-2010. He is survived by his wife, Fran Hunter; and children, Ann Laatsch ’88 and David Laatsch ’95, who carry on his legacy, both as current members on the Board of Trustees. Laatsch received the P.E. MacAllister Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to Carroll in 2002 for his long and extensive service to the university. His substantial Carroll legacy continues through the William G. Laatsch ‘60 Leadership Endowed Scholarship Fund, providing critical scholarship support to students actively engaged in campus programming in leadership positions, and the Richard N. and Elizabeth H. Hunter International Study Award, in honor of his in-laws, offering meaningful aid to scholars studying abroad or participating in cross-cultural experiences.

The Alumni Council Needs You!

The Alumni Council is the representative body of the alumni community. The dedicated and active group is comprised of alumni from various backgrounds, class years, identities, work experiences and even geographical locations. Its mission is to broadly represent the voices of the 23,000-plus alumni across the globe. Hear from current members why they are involved and learn more about how YOU can join the Alumni Council too!

John Harrits ’76

“When I was asked to serve on the Alumni Council, I said yes because of what Carroll provided to me personally but also because of the increased opportunities to connect with other classmates and the multiple ways I could support Carroll besides just writing a check.”

Ann Laatsch ’88

“The Council provides critical support to the Office of Alumni Engagement and the Division of Institutional Advancement in the alumni engagement process, including helping to plan events, recognizing accomplished alumni through the Distinguished Alumni Awards, and creating opportunities for alumni to connect and engage with current students.”

Tanya Atkinson ’93

“Carroll was a springboard to my professional life, offering me academic excellence as well as incredible mentors who equally supported and pushed me. Simultaneously, coming out in college, I found my personal belonging in the LGBTQ+ community outside of campus. I joined the Council to be a part of Carroll’s sincere efforts to ensure students and alumni can engage as our full selves.”

Griselda Macias ’08

“It is important for me to serve so that Carroll first generation students of color and alumni can see themselves represented, heard and seen through myself, other council members and the opportunities we have to amplify their voices and acknowledge their greatness!”

Ciara Czajkowski ’21

“As a recent grad, I love being able to be a voice for fellow alumni. In doing so, I get to connect with other amazing alumni along the way, which I am so grateful for!”

Interested in joining this passionate and active group of alumni? Please visit carrollu.edu/alumni/alumni-council to learn more about the Alumni Council and how YOU can get involved!

The Carroll Fund is DRIVING TRADITION FORWARD

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Scan the QR code or visit us online at connect.carrollu.edu/carrollfund to securely make a one-time or recurring monthly gift. Your generosity will immediately impact our students’ experience and ensure that their Pioneer journey will be filled with incredible moments! Thank you!

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175TH CELEBRATION Alumni Council

Announces the 2023 Alumni Award Recipients

Congratulations to the recipients of the Carroll University 2023 Pioneer Service Award, Distinguished Alumni Awards, and Graduate Of the Last Decade Award. The Alumni Council has selected the following recipients of this year’s alumni awards. They will be honored during a ceremony on May 17.

Thomas B. Collopy ’70

2023 Recipient of the Pioneer Service Award

Thomas B. Collopy ’70 is a committed and loyal Pioneer. His service has ranged from volunteering for many of his reunions including his most recent 50th Reunion Committee, volunteering on the Alumni Council, where he served as president from 1978 until 1980, to demonstrating a deep commitment to Pioneer athletics in various ways. Collopy was on the inaugural committee for the Carroll Athletic Hall of Fame and is also a long-time attendee and supporter of the annual Pioneer Golf Classic, where he regularly sponsors foursomes for neighbors and friends. He has been a long-standing member of the Old Main Society where he supports initiatives such as: the Opportunity Scholarship Fund, the Jean Kilgour Foundation and the Men’s Basketball program, which he and his wife Nancy recently endowed. Collopy is also a current member of the Carroll Community Council.

Jane Lee Hamman ’63

2023 Recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Community Service

Jane Lee Hamman ’63 lives to advance freedom, knowledge and justice for all people. Hamman deeply cares about volunteering, as well as preserving and promoting heritage and patriotism. Hamman was recognized as the Montanan of the Month in February of 2022 for her devotion to her community, state and nation. She began volunteering in her youth with her parents from working with Meals on Wheels to supporting Reverend Dr. Martin Luther Jr. and the civil rights movement. Currently, Hamman is on the Montana Board of Education.

Lisa Elliott ’90

2023 Recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement: School of Education & Human Services

Lisa Elliott ’90 is a life-long educator. Currently, Elliott is in her 10th year as the superintendent in the School District of Greenfield. She is the first woman to be named to this position in the district’s history. As superintendent, she works with an amazing team of dedicated educators to prepare students for college, careers, leadership and life through developing learners who can apply knowledge and think innovatively as a result of engaging in rigorous and relevant opportunities in and out of the classroom.

Frank Juárez ’97

2023 Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement: College of Arts & Sciences

Frank Juárez ’97 is an award-winning art educator, former gallery director, artist, author and speaker. Juárez brings two decades of art education and arts management experience organizing local and regional art exhibitions, community art events, facilitating presentations, supporting artists through grant programs and leading professional development workshops for artists. This has placed him in the forefront of promoting Wisconsin artists, networking and attracting regional and national artists to collaborate and exhibit in Wisconsin. Juárez is the art department chair at Sheboygan North High School, publisher of Artdose Magazine and contributing editor of SchoolArts Magazine.

Michael Martin ’82

2023 Recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement: School of Business

Described by Billboard magazine as the “Guru of live event greening,” Michael Martin ’82 is an innovator in business-based tech and social change campaigns leveraging culture for impact. He is the founder and CEO of Effect Partners and r.Cup, two purpose-driven organizations committed to creating global awareness of and meaningful change in environmental sustainability. During his tenure as an investment banker on Wall Street, he realized the power of capitalism could be leveraged to create a huge impact for good.

John B. Schrock MD ’65

2023 Recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement: College of Health Sciences

From working in the emergency room, the personal lesson John B. Schrock, MD ’65 learned is that every day is a gift from God, so use it wisely. After school and post graduate training, he was drafted into the United States Air Force as a flight surgeon and sent to Duluth, Minnesota. Schrock’s medical practice as an emergency physician began in Duluth at St. Luke’s Hospital. He also worked as an urgent care staff physician urgent care, as well as the medical director of Gold Cross/Mayo Ambulance.

Justin Alexander Jasniewski ’13

2023 Recipient of the Graduate Of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Award

Justin Jasniewski ’13 is a healthcare industry executive and speaker specializing in pharmacy benefit management, pharmaceutical market access and mail service pharmacy. He is the chief executive officer of Serve You Rx, providing pharmacy benefit management services and delivering prescriptions patients across the United States. In this role, Jasniewski leads the strategic direction and operations of Serve You Rx and is charged with delivering best-in-class service and clinical outcomes for Serve You Rx patients and clients.

Do you know a talented CU alumna/nus? Please nominate your fellow Pioneers for alumni awards here! www.carrollu.edu/alumni/awards

Waukesha, WI 53186

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DON’T MISS A MOMENT

Stay connected with Carroll University.

June 1

Milwaukee Alumni & Friends Gathering, Third Street Market Hall | 5-8 p.m.

June 9

Denver Alumni & Friends Gathering | 6-9 p.m. (Hosted by Rebecca Kalinowski ’08)

June 26

53rd Annual Pioneer Golf Classic, The Legend of Merrill Hills, Waukesha, Wisconsin

August TBD

CU at the Wisconsin State Fair, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

August 15

Minocqua Alumni & Friends Gathering | 5-8 p.m. (Hosted by J.D. Dell ’82)

September 19

Alumnae Leadership Luncheon, Stackner Ballroom, Campus Center | 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. (Keynote Speaker - Lisa Schopf-Conlon ‘87)

October 12-15

Homecoming, Reunion & Family Weekend

If you appreciate hearing from Carroll through the mail, make sure to confirm your email address with us at alumni@carrollu.edu to ensure you are receiving event information, electronic news, stories and updates from the university. Have other employment, name change or contact information updates? We’d also love to hear from you!

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