Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020 by Centre College Alumni

FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 0

CENTREPIECE CENTRE COLLEGE 600 WEST WALNUT STREET DANVILLE, KY 40422-1394

NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID LOUISVILLE KY PERMIT #879

MILTON MORELAND CENTRE’S 21 ST PRESIDENT

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Centre College 859.238.5200 www.centre.edu Editor Diane Fisher Johnson

CONTENTS

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020 Volume 61 Number 3

859.238.5717 diane.johnson@centre.edu Class News Cindy Long Design Tom Sturgeon Interns Kit Haist ’21 Olivia Russell ’21 Centre College President Milton Moreland Director of Alumni and Family Engagement Megan Haake Milby ’03 Centrepiece Office 859.238.5717 alumnews@centre.edu Chenault Alumni House 859.238.5500 or 877.678.9822 Centrepiece Published by the Office of Communications for alumni and friends of the College.

Centre’s mission is to prepare students for lives of learning, leadership, and service.

FEATURES

Curious Milton: Milton Moreland, Centre’s 21st President, Finds Wonder in the World Around Him An archaeologist by training, Milton Moreland’s first official day as Centre’s 21st president was July 1, 2020.

Cover Milton Moreland, Centre’s 21st president. Photo by Matt Baker Inside Front Cover “Let’s have class outside” took on new meaning during the fall term when many classes were held in tents. Tents will remain popular in

10 13

A Eulogy for the Humanities Sequence Emeritus professor Milton Reigelman reflects on a 40-year tradition.

Exploration, Experience, and Connection: A Curriculum for Centre's Third Century Professors Stacey Peebles and January Haile explain how

DEPARTMENTS 2

President’s Message

Around Campus

21 Class News Class News Close-Up:

Ben Beaton ’03

the spring term. Photo by Micah Tucker

Centre’s new general education curriculum prepares students

Back Cover

for their future.

32 Faculty and Staff News

Providing a Safe Environment in the Midst of a Pandemic

33 In Memoriam

Distinguished Alumni: Ronald

College nurse Kathy Jones led the efforts of the many who

Ray ’64 and Craig Johnson ’75.

worked to make the campus safe during a global pandemic.

Professor Emeritus: William Sagar

So Long, Farewell: 11 Employees Retire in August

36 Endpiece

Matt Kowalski ’23, of Clarksville, Tennessee, enjoyed the neon roller rink night sponsored by the Student Activities Council and the Happiness Committee in the fall. “It’s a great opportunity to have fun and look absolutely groovy doing it,” he says. The brightly colored floor was put down in Hazelrigg Gym, where many of the Happiness events take place. The two groups organize activities every Friday and Saturday night so that students can safely socialize and build community. Photo by Thomas Burkey ’20

14 15 18

It was a record year for retirements, in part because of the pandemic.

The World Is Watching: Centre Grads Work on COVID-19 at CDC By Elizabeth Painter ’94, Vaccine Task Force, COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Embrace Retirement—and

Volunteerism

By Mike Leising ’75

FROM THE PRESIDENT

After a Pandemic, Dreams of a Bright Future

“I hope you will join me in making it a top priority to help Centre accelerate out of the pandemic in a position of strength. ” Milton Morland

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

Dina and I appreciate your warm welcome and consistent support in our first semester at Centre. We are so happy to join this community at a time when it is vitally important for the College to have a positive impact on our communities and the world. Our hardworking and resilient students deserve a lot of credit for all they have done to keep the College moving forward during this challenging year. Nearly 85 percent of our enrolled students this fall lived and learned on campus. They poured significant time and energy into making our “maximum flexibility” COVID-19 model work effectively to keep our campus open and safe. Staff members have been excellent partners in maintaining our campus and keeping students engaged during the pandemic. And our faculty members have been exceptionally effective as teachers and advisors. They worked mostly in person, but also offered all classes, office hours, and advising through a variety of options for the 250 students who studied remotely in the fall. A rigorous testing protocol was an important part of our success this fall. By term’s end, we had administered approximately 9,000 tests. Despite an occasional uptick in positive results, we ended the term with a campus-wide positivity rate of 0.82 percent, making Centre one of the safest campuses in the country. Thanks to the generosity of a Centre parent and the biotech company where he works, New Jerseybased Access Bio, Centre has 10,000 rapid antigen tests to use this spring. A well-designed plan is also being developed for vaccination distribution at Centre and the local region. We will continue to work with Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration and our regional officials to ensure the College can be a helpful partner in our local community. I hope you will join me in making it a top priority to help Centre accelerate out of the pandemic in a position of strength. Centre offers the education and experiences that develop leaders who can take the helm during times of crisis. Thus we are also moving forward with key projects that will position us to continue to help students and alumni have lives full

of purpose and the skills to take on leadership roles in our ever-changing world. An extensive renovation of Olin Hall, with an expansion to create the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Mathematics and Science, will open soon. The Grace Doherty Library in Crounse Hall has also undergone a transformation to create our new Centre Learning Commons, devoted to the success of all students. And CentreWorks, our downtown entrepreneurial hub, is developing nicely as our third major building project and strategic initiative that will provide many new opportunities for our students and community partners in this region. Two additional initiatives involve our curriculum and a focus on diversity. Faculty voted to approve a new business major at Centre, and you can be assured that it reflects the values of a leading national liberal arts college. As well, we are an inaugural partner with the Posse Foundation to add a second cohort of students as part of an exceptional initiative to create geographically diverse Posses drawn from eight new major metropolitan cities across the nation. To ensure that our efforts moving forward are intentional and focused, we have also started a strategic planning process that has a goal of drafting a final report for approval by our board of trustees next fall. Conversations about the College’s future will be comprehensive, involving not just the breadth of voices within the campus community, but all of our stakeholders, including our amazing alumni. I realize many of us are happy that 2020 is over. The Centre community can be proud of how it has met the challenges of this past year and how we are well-positioned to realize the hopes and dreams of an even brighter future. Again, Dina and I are grateful for your warm welcome and constant support. Go Colonels! Sincerely,

President Milton Moreland, Ph.D.

AROUND CAMPUS

Centre Adds Business Major Centre faculty approved adding a business major to the curriculum in December. Students entering Centre in the fall of 2021 will be able to choose the new major, which will be part of the renamed economics and business program. According to the major’s mission statement, the new major builds on Centre’s liberal arts tradition “to prepare the next generation of thoughtful and responsible business leaders.” The proposal also notes that the business major “relies on Centre’s strengths in cross-disciplinary thinking and problem-solving and [the existing] program’s strengths in data analysis.” The new major came about in part because of a desire to increase applications and enrollment, given that many prospective applicants don’t even bother to apply when they learn that Centre does not offer a business major. In the spring of 2020, the College asked the economics & finance program to consider the new major. A committee of four Centre economists— Maria Apostolova-Mihaylova, Patten Mahler, Marie Petkus, and Ravi Radhakrishnan—spent several months researching and analyzing data to develop the successful proposal. Their research revealed, in part, that when schools like Centre offered both business and economics between the years 2014 and 2018, the average split between majors was 64 percent business to 36 percent economics. These proportions were stable for most schools over the last 10 years. One of the primary goals of the business curriculum is to ensure that students understand the external factors that influence business decisions. “We expect business majors will not only gain proficiency in the language, theory, and practice of business but also develop the capacity to carefully examine the relationship between business and the rest of society,” says Radhakrishnan, who chaired the business committee. An unusual aspect of the new major is the College’s support for many of the existing economics and finance faculty to earn additional graduate training in business fields. Entrepreneurs and business executives—

including the co-directors of CentreWorks, the College’s new downtown entrepreneurial hub— will teach some elective courses. Business majors will take courses in accounting, data analysis, economics, finance, management, and marketing. Although many interdisciplinary courses for the business major are already in the catalog, new courses in such areas as biology, classics, English, history, and music will look at areas including how to start a biotech company, archaeological evidence for business in the ancient Roman Empire, writing and business communications, the history of business in the development of East Asian countries, and the business of the music industry. The idea of a business-related major at Centre is not new, but it fell out of favor about 30 years ago. From 1947 through 1971, Centre

offered majors in both economics and business administration. From 1972 through 1989, the major was called economics and management, before evolving into variations of economics and financial economics. The new major builds on the already strong foundation in economics. For those who seek a Ph.D. in economics, an article in the Journal of Economic Education (2015) suggests Centre provides a good framework. The authors looked at the undergraduate background for students who eventually earned Ph.D.s in economics from American schools. When listed by Ph.D.s granted per 1,000 undergraduate degrees awarded, Centre ranked No. 10, behind Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Chicago, but ahead of Yale. —D.F.J.

“We expect business majors will not only gain proficiency in the language, theory, and practice of business but also develop the capacity to carefully examine the relationship between business and the rest of society.” Ravi Radhakrishnan

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AROUND CAMPUS

Welcome, Pandemic First-Years The Class of 2024 arrived in late August amidst a flurry of COVID tests and face masks. Most of the 352 new first-years and seven transfer students spent the fall on campus, although a few had to spend their first term off campus learning entirely remotely. The class came from 31 states and Washington, D.C., as well as seven foreign countries (Afghanistan, China, Ghana, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, and Trinidad and Tobago). They speak one of 26 different languages at home, including Tibetan, Romanian, and American Sign Language. Almost 30 percent earned a GPA of 3.9 or better in high school. Fifty-five—16 percent—are from Appalachia. Ninety—more than a quarter of the class—will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Centre’s total enrollment on opening day was 1,333.

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Class of 2020 After the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly cut short the Class of 2020’s senior year together, so too did it prevent the seniors from gathering with their friends and families for traditional commencement festivities in May. Instead, the 352 graduates in the Class of 2020 had a “Senior Celebration.” In one of his last duties as Centre president, John Roush, together with his wife, Susie, presided over the mostly virtual event. They wanted seniors to have a “shared experience” at the time they should have been experiencing commencement. Speaking from the Norton Center stage to the graduates and their families via Zoom, he offered a bit of advice. “Success is not assured, and defeat is not fatal,” he said. “What matters most is one’s ability to summon the courage to persist, to stay at it.” Faculty from almost 30 disciplines and more than 15 campus offices created video congratulations to the class, which were posted online. The class came from 31 states and Washington, D.C., and six foreign countries (China, Japan, Myanmar, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand). Eighty-three percent of the class studied abroad during their time at Centre. The top five majors were 1) economics & finance, 2) behavioral neuroscience, 3) international studies, 4) biology, and 5) politics. An in-person graduation weekend for the Class of 2020 is tentatively scheduled for May 28-30, 2021, with all the customary festivities. Commencement itself will take place Sunday, May 30, at 10 a.m. Former President Roush, the original commencement speaker for the Class of 2020, will speak at the rescheduled ceremony. The Class of 2021 will have their day the preceding weekend.

AROUND CAMPUS

New Centre License Plate

An architect’s rendering of the new facade on Olin Hall

Olin Hall Expansion The $8.7 million expansion and renovation of Franklin W. Olin Hall is expected to open by the start of the spring term on Feb. 8. Construction began in the summer of 2019. The original building dates to 1988. A $3 million grant from the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation provided support for the expansion and will create the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Science and Mathematics in Olin Hall. Leonard Demoranville, the associate professor of chemistry who has been project shepherd throughout its design and construction, cites the educational opportunities the expansion will bring. “I’m excited about the ways these new spaces will encourage deeper collaboration between faculty and students as we learn and conduct research together,” he says. Olin Hall is home to chemistry, computer science, data science, environmental studies, mathematics, and physics. In addition to new and expanded classrooms and new and renovated lab spaces, the project includes seven new offices and more student collaborative space. Olin Hall will also provide Centre’s first mother/baby room on campus, a private space for members of the campus community who are new mothers. In total, the project will add approximately 11,700 square feet, or slightly more than a third of its original space. Most of the expansion is on the front of the building and brings a new look to the facade.

Kentucky’s recent move from embossed license plates to flat ones provided an opportunity to redesign the Centre plate. The Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU) has worked with the Kentucky Department of Transportation to sponsor the plates since 2002 and encourages an annual Battle of the Bumpers competition. “The independent college license plates are a great way to showcase school pride, and AIKCU runs a friendly annual plate sales competition between our 18-member colleges and universities,” says Mason Dyer ’99, AIKCU vice president of public affairs. “They’ve certainly come a long way since my first Centre plate in the early 2000s, which shared a common design with the other independent college plates and was distinguished only by a Centre sticker,” he adds. Centre is a six-time champion in the license plate competition. The College last won in 2018, ending Transylvania’s 10-year streak. “They are a way for Centre fans across the commonwealth to show their love and support for the College,” says Megan Haake Milby ’03, director of alumni and family engagement. “There’s nothing more fun than driving down the highway and seeing another Centre plate.” Milby suggests further personalizing your Centre plate with your initials and class year. “When Tom Hardin ’63 shared this idea, I had to order my own—MHM03,” she says. “It’s a great way to take customization to the next level. I hope to see more on the road in 2021.” The Centre license plate is available now and can be purchased through the Kentucky county clerk’s office when car tags are renewed or taxes are paid on a vehicle. Ten dollars from the sale of each plate goes to the featured school’s general scholarship fund. Centre license plates have raised more than $125,000 for the College to date.

The Foucault Pendulum will move to the stairwell near Olin’s Walnut Street entrance, where it will be especially visible at night as it demonstrates the Earth’s rotation.

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CURIOUS MILTON

Centre’s 21st President Finds Wonder in the World Around Him Milton C. Moreland’s first official day as Centre’s 21st president was July 1, 2020. He arrived in the midst of a global pandemic, but thanks to the need for social distancing and the new world of Zoom meetings, he began participating regularly in Senior Staff and other College meetings soon after he was announced in March. An archaeologist by training, he came to Centre from Rhodes College in Memphis, where he had taught since 2003 and most recently had been provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Moreland grew up in Boise, Idaho, before earning an undergraduate degree in history with honors at the University of Memphis. He earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. at Claremont Graduate University in California, where he studied archaeology, ancient history, and religion. At Rhodes he rose to become Webb Professor of Religious Studies, and in 2012 he received the Jameson M. Jones Award for Outstanding Faculty Service. (Jones was a dean at Centre before he became dean at Rhodes, his alma mater, for more than 15 years.) Moreland joined the Rhodes senior administration first as chief academic officer in 2014. In addition, he was director of a summer research program called the Rhodes Institute, and he was the founding director of the Lynne and Henry Turley Memphis Center at Rhodes College, a college-community project. His publications include edited volumes and essays on Roman archaeology and biblical studies. His fieldwork includes more than 20 years with the Sepphoris Regional Archaeological Project in Galilee, Israel. More recently he directed the excavation of 19th-century sites at the Ames Plantation in West Tennessee, shifting his scholarship to focus on American slavery, racism, and discrimination. He and his wife, Dina, have two grown children, Marcus and Micah, who both graduated from Rhodes College, and a rescue dog named Blue. Dina is also a University of Memphis graduate and a former national champion racquetball player who competed on the USA team and later toured on the professional circuit in the 1990s. More recently she spent 17 years as an elementary school teacher in Memphis. Just before classes began in the fall, Moreland spoke with the Centrepiece editor about his background, dreams, and what he sees for the future at Centre College. An edited transcript of highlights from the conversation follows. —D.F.J.

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

Why did you want to be a college president? I didn’t aspire to leave the faculty so much as to think about ways that I might be helpful to faculty, students, and staff and to use some of my skills to bring people together to problem-solve and to think through some of the critical issues we face with a sense of common purpose. Moving out of the classroom into administration was still pretty purposeful for me and remains part of my overall vision, which is to support students and provide more opportunities for students to thrive and flourish in a very complicated world. It’s what gets me up in the morning.

Why Centre in particular? Centre is an almost perfect place for this type of experiential learning and the opportunities to

really impact student lives because of its size, its location, its history, and so many other strengths. I saw Centre as a kind of microcosm of creative thought and action where I thought I could have a positive impact, bring even more ideas and opportunities to the table here, and for that to be received well because it fit with the mission and the foundation that’s already been laid.

What strengths will you bring to the Centre presidency? I like to bring people together—to bring thought leaders, artists, and economic development and finance people together in the same room to talk about what we can accomplish in higher education in the coming decades. I am not afraid to take on challenges and

Dina and Milton Moreland with their rescue dog, Blue

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

sticky, entrenched problems and figure out ways that people on the team can approach them and attack them. I feel that I’m a very practical leader and a team player, but also incredibly idealistic. I want our world to be better. I think that Centre College can help our world be better. And so, in some ways, it’s that combination that I think is beneficial—visionary but also practical, idealistic but also linked very tightly to the realities of what it’s going to take to implement that vision.

In the short term, where do you want to take the College? My goal is first to listen, to learn, to think about the story as it is, and to always be thinking about how we can make that better. One of the key goals is to ensure that current students and

future students find the education here to be extremely useful, valuable, and thoughtprovoking. To me, that means you have an extremely high-quality classroom experience combined with experiences such as study abroad and internships. A lot of ideas will come out of the strategic planning process that we’re all going to be involved with in the coming year. One thing that is going to become clearer is the level of career preparedness needed. Many students will graduate planning to go to professional or graduate school. Others will want to go straight into the workforce, and we need to prepare them for the changing careers and job market that they’re going to encounter. That emphasis is a shift probably from two decades ago. It has to be part of our message: When you graduate from Centre, you’re going to be ready for a career, and not just your first career, but your second and your third career. You’re going have a broadbased liberal arts education, but you’re also going to have a really well-defined skill set that's going to allow you to jump right into the workforce.

to go on that venture with my parents. I worked for UPS to put myself through the University of Memphis.

What was your early life like?

And what is it about archaeology in particular?

I grew up in a very tight-knit group of siblings—two older sisters and a younger sister and brother—all with a first name beginning with M. My father was a campus minister, and so I definitely grew up on college campuses. From birth through the present, I have never been off a college campus. In some ways it encompasses my own vision of purposefulness and a sense that value should drive you. Sports were very important to me. I loved basketball and football, I ran track, wrestled, and eventually got into racquetball. By the time I was in college, racquetball was a big part of my life, especially after I met Dina, who became a professional racquetball player. I worked from the time I was about 10 mowing lawns for a trailer court and eventually started a little lawn business. I worked for a flower shop delivering flowers for about four years. And my dad was a jack-of-alltrades in the construction business, so I worked with him painting and drywalling and hanging insulation. It was a great way to grow up. I was born in Oklahoma, then spent 13 years in Boise. When I was a senior in high school, my dad took a job in Memphis, and I decided

Clearly no archaeologist should see themselves as independent from the study of history and literature. And yet, archeology really does provide a different lens on the everyday world, the life of people who often are forgotten or were just not well represented within texts and within literature. Most of my work has been excavating houses, either in Israel, Palestine—mostly Galilee—and then in the American southeast in west Tennessee. I’ve never excavated large, monumental buildings or plazas or marketplaces. I was always looking at domestic settings. When you look at the places where people lived, you get a different sense of their past and what life was like for them.

You were a history major at the University of Memphis. What drew you to history? Curiosity more than anything. I was never bored reading about history and thinking about ways in which we construct the past. I was very influenced by a course I took on the philosophy of history, kind of theorizing about how we reconstruct the past and what evidence we use to tell our stories. I started getting into material culture and archaeology through some courses I took as an undergrad, and then that of course became a big part of my graduate career. Studying ancient religions in particular grew out of my upbringing within a family that valued religion. I had a college professor who became my mentor—Marcus Orr—an art historian, something of a Renaissance human, and just always curious, always trying to get people to think outside of their perspective and the worldview that they brought.

What prompted the shift from the Middle East to Tennessee? About 15 years ago, I was at a stage where it made sense to have my summers closer to home, especially as my children were growing up. But I also was curious about the region I was living in, about the South and about slavery and about the legacies of slavery, about racism, and about the legacies of racism. And so I found an opportuni-

ty to excavate slave houses, places where enslaved people lived and where they made their lives. That became really a fantastic way for me to take my skillset in archaeology and try to apply it to a very different set of historical circumstances. I enjoyed that comparison and juxtaposition between the two worlds that I excavated in, the Roman world and what I was doing in 19thcentury American contexts.

What are two or three challenges you have faced and how did you address them? When my academic focus shifted from excavating in the Mediterranean region to excavating in southeast America when I was in my 40s, the biggest challenge was how much I had to learn about American archaeology and history. But the challenge was exciting, and it was guided by great faculty where I was teaching as well as people who helped me learn how to excavate in a different setting with a new skill set. I needed to become a student again. I had to put pride aside and say I’ve been excavating for 15 years, but not here, and not with this soil, and not with these types of material culture. Going into administration was another moment when I felt at first like I had a small brain transplant. Leading the academic program and also overseeing efforts that Rhodes was making with Title IX, with rewriting policy, thinking about IT, and hiring a CIO—were all very different ways of thinking for me and with different issues to solve. But again, I think in each case it was about working with a really devoted team, a team of experts who I could trust and they trusted me. A sense of collaboration and teamwork always got us through.

What are your diversions of late? For a long time I have enjoyed road biking. Some of that was very utilitarian. I rode about 30 miles round trip to work for many, many years while I was in Memphis, but it was also a very relaxing part of my life. I love to hike and to be outdoors. I spent a good amount of time building a fire pit in my backyard and then sitting there with a book. That’s just about the pinnacle of my human experience: enjoying being outside, reading, and spending time with family.

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

Eulogyfor the Humanities Sequence A

By Milton Reigelman, Cowan Professor Emeritus of English

A few years ago, a gaggle of disgruntled students from colleges around the country were grumpily and reluctantly being herded from room to room through London’s National Gallery at the top of Trafalgar Square. Following them came the 34 students in the Centre-in-London program. Though they were majoring in biology, financial economics, computer science, chemistry, politics, etc., they were eager to see up close what they’d first seen on slides back in Danville. There were lots of questions and comments: “Was Cimabue painting Virgin and Child with Two Angels at the same time Giotto was working on the Arena chapel frescoes?” “What’s the difference between this Madonna of the Rocks and Leonardo’s earlier version in the Louvre?” “Hey, the basket of fruit in Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus is about to fall right off the table into our space!” And so on. Beginning in the early 1980s, thousands of variations of this incident have occurred thousands of times in thousands of places, wherever Centre graduates live and travel. That’s because every single Centre student for 40 years took Centre’s required first-year humanities sequence,

giving them a solid introduction in understanding and appreciating literature, philosophy, art, and music. Indeed, an astonishing 84 percent of all 13,471 living Centre alumni have taken that groundbreaking yearlong course. English professor Carol Bastian called the sequence “a liberal-arts leveling experience for students from all kinds of backgrounds” once they arrived at Centre, “a ‘how to’ course: How to read (a work of fiction), how to think (about important issues in philosophy), how to look (at a painting or a sculpture), how to listen (to a fugue or a symphony), and, most important, how to think and write clearly about these things.” Classics professor Jane Joyce’s mantra for the course was “key to the mansion, not the mansion.” The weekend after that Centre-in-London group’s introduction to the National Gallery, several small groups of Centre students returned there on their own. If you give them the key and open the door to the humanities mansion, they will go in. Early on, the National Endowment for the Humanities thought instituting such a collegewide course was so pioneering an enterprise, it awarded Centre a grant to help introduce it

“A ‘how to’ course: How to read (a work of fiction), how to think (about important issues in philosophy), how to look (at a painting or a sculpture), how to listen (to a fugue or symphony), and, most important, how to think and write clearly about these things.” Carol Bastian Jobson Professor Emerita of English

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“The course broke down barriers not only for faculty. Even in recent years when instructors had more leeway in syllabus choices, all students had enough of a common academic experience to allow them to talk with one another about the sequence, even study together for final exams.” Milton Reigelman Cowan Professor Emeritus of English

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

carefully and incrementally. Based on that success, a few years later NEH awarded Centre a huge matching grant that funded two NEH Centre professorships. The Athena—or perhaps the Hera?—of Humanities 110/120 (originally 10/11) was the far-sighted associate dean and French and German professor Karin Ciholas. In 1979 she enlisted Bob Weaver, a music professor with a background in art history, and me, an English professor who’d majored in philosophy, to coteach a pilot section before rolling it out across the College. Centre, NEH said, was the only institution in the country at the time that had figured out how to significantly broaden the expertise and outlook of not only every student but also the sometimes siloed faculty members. Through briefings throughout the year, innovative summer workshops, and even three study-trips abroad, the teaching staff shared their specialized knowledge with one another. Philosophy professor Bruce White taught the group how best to introduce Plato and Aristotle. Music professor Barbara Hall taught her diverse colleagues how best to introduce the fugue and the symphony. English professor John Kinkade ’95 suggested some successful strategies to teach writing. Art historian Bill Levin and studio artist Sheldon Tapley taught the group how to successfully introduce art first in Danville briefings and then in Florence and Rome. Most faculty took quickly to sculpture and painting; music was the harder slog for some. But almost every faculty member became enthusiastic about the sequence because it broadened and enriched their teaching and research. Good things happen when a Virgil specialist learns to introduce Mozart’s 40th Symphony or a James Joyce specialist learns to introduce classical architecture. Bringing in outside experts in unfamiliar fields was verboten. The course broke down barriers not only for faculty. Even in recent years when instructors had more leeway in syllabus choices, all students had enough of a common academic experience to allow them to talk with one another about the sequence, even study together for final exams.

One late-blooming alumnus belatedly thanked his humanities professor for teaching him and his buddies not only how to write but also not to clap between the movements of a symphony. He’d experienced music in the best possible way in the course’s unique lab: the Norton Center. When the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, under the direction of Kurt Mazur, performed Beethoven’s piano concerto No. 4, English professor Mark Lucas ’75’s HUM 120 students were given this assignment: “In a concerto, a soloist contends against the orchestra for dominance, almost like two prize fighters. Listen to the performance carefully tonight, and in a 500-word paper argue who won.” And each spring students spent time in the Norton Center lobby writing visual analyses of the College’s newly acquired paintings. The shelf life of a required core course is about a dozen years. That the sturdy old HUM 110/120 warhorse lasted for 40 years is testament to its resilience and value. The ambitious sequence was exactly right for its time. . . but times change, and the training and interests of faculty today are a good deal more global and diverse than they were 40 years ago. In recent years the original syllabus was leavened by more individual faculty choice. In the fall, the sequence was replaced by a series of individual options—Doctrina Lux Mentis (DLM) I and II. But for many who took and taught the sequence over the past 40 years, Odysseus, Socrates, Giotto, Othello, Mozart, Jane Austen, and others will live on. In thinking about the course, some may even be reminded of Shakespeare’s description of Cleopatra: “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale / her infinite variety. Other women cloy / the appetites they feed, but she makes hungry / where most she satisfies.” May the venerable old HUM 110/120 rest in peace!

Milton Reigelman was one of the architects of the humanities sequence taken by every Centre student for 40 years. He taught English at Centre for 44 years and served in several other capacities, including as acting president 1997-98.

EXPLORATION, EXPERIENCE, AND CONNECTION A CURRICULUM FOR CENTRE'S THIRD CENTURY By Stacey Peebles, Associate Professor of English and Director of Film Studies, and January Haile, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

There are many metaphors for what a college’s general education requirements should provide a student: The foundation for a house, a toolbox for the world we live in, furniture for the mind—and furnish it well, because you’ll live there the rest of your life. At Centre, we’re used to asking questions and engaging in challenging conversations, and so it makes sense that we would turn our attention to the very structure that makes so many of those questions and conversations possible. In 2016, Centre College faculty began the process of formally re-evaluating the general education curriculum, something they last did in 2001. There was a strong desire that we focus on the student experience in and out of the classroom, that general education requirements be more flexible, and that these experiences not be confined to a student’s first two years at Centre. The Class of 2024, which entered in the fall, began Centre College under the new general education model, a curriculum that offers more flexible course options, highlights experiential learning, and further emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking and our shared values of diversity and sustainability. “The work that the Centre faculty have done to further enhance our curriculum is incredibly important,” notes new Centre President Milton Moreland. “This curriculum is vibrant, relevant, and extremely valuable—designed to broaden and challenge the mind while preparing a person for a life of fulfilling professional opportunities and rewarding careers.”

In their first year, students will take two courses, Doctrina Lux Mentis (DLM) I and II. Latin for “Learning is the Light of the Mind” and the motto of Centre College, the course title conveys learning as an act that not only illuminates your mind, but also shines the light of understanding on the world and all those within it. DLM courses will be taught by faculty across the College, and each section will focus on a particular topic chosen by the instructor. Written communication will be emphasized in DLM I and oral communication in DLM II, all with the goal of providing students with an intensive intellectual experience in a small-group learning environment. In their junior or senior year, students will take another topics-based course, DLM III, which emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking. In this capstone, students will integrate their skills and knowledge from both their previous coursework and major course of study as they work closely with their instructor and other students to propose solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. This capstone experience will help students move on from Centre with confidence, preparing them to move from Centre, out. The DLM courses serve as bookends for Centre’s general education. Along the way, students will explore the liberal arts by taking a variety of courses across the three academic divisions: Arts and Humanities, Social Studies, and Science and Mathematics. The Centre curriculum will also challenge students to get

out into the world, focusing on experiences and concrete applications of their academic pursuits through areas such as arts engagement, global engagement, community-based learning, mentored research, and internships. These high-impact practices are already part of the life of the College through the Centre Commitment’s emphasis on research, internships in the community, and study abroad. The new general education model will make them a foundational part of each student’s time at the College. New requirements in diversity and sustainability will ensure that a Centre education prepares all students to do good and necessary work to make the world equitable, safe, and environmentally sound.

The DLM courses serve as bookends for Centre’s general education. Along the way, students will explore the liberal arts by taking a variety of courses across the three academic divisions: Arts and Humanities, Social Studies, and Science and Mathematics. “I’m grateful to our incredible faculty for their dedication to ensuring that all of our students have a robust, cutting-edge education, with even more opportunities to explore the arts, engaged learning, diversity, and sustainability,” says Moreland. “Students at Centre find the support and challenges they need to thrive both during their four years here, and as engaged citizens in their future communities.” Stacey Peebles and January Haile were on the committee to reform the College’s general education requirements. The new curriculum began with the Class of 2024.

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PROVIDING A

SAFE ENVIRONMENT IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC W

ith COVID-19 ominously swirling around the world and the country in early 2020, Centre College abruptly switched to remote learning in mid-March for the remainder of the spring term. Yet even before shutting down, the College began exploring how to safely resume in-person classes in the fall. Kathy Jones, a nurse and director of Centre’s health services, was indispensable in making it possible for the campus to remain open throughout the entire fall semester. “I truly think it’s going to take wearing a mask, it’s going to take social distancing, it’s going to take lots of testing,” she said as the fall semester began. “It’s going to take all of these measures to make this work.” She also credits the community coming together to provide a safe environment in the midst of a pandemic. “The relationships that have blossomed within our campus community and within the Danville and Boyle County community have been wonderfully productive and supportive,” she says. Centre named a COVID-19 team that began meeting at least weekly in early March and met often with state and county health personnel and

Kathy Jones (right), Parsons Center Director of Student Health, receives her first dose of the Moderna vaccine in December from Vicki Vernon at the Boyle County Health Department.

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

Danville’s city manager, among others, to figure out what would it take to reopen safely. Some requirements were obvious: mandatory masks, six feet of physical distance, and gallons of hand sanitizer. Students signed a “social contract” that required them to adhere to many new regulations, including no parties or visiting other dorms, and severe penalties for violations. Students had to pick up responsibility for cleaning and disinfecting, for example after using classrooms and bathrooms. A few campus housing apartments were set aside to isolate infected students. Area hotels agreed to take students who needed to be quarantined after contact tracing proved they’d been near an infected person. Testing was crucial. Students and all employees were tested before classes started. Students were tested again when they arrived on campus, even before they could pick up their room keys, and were required to quarantine in their rooms until test results proved them virus-free. For the first two weeks, 50 percent of students were tested again, then 25 percent of the entire campus every week. In the week after an increased number of students tested positive among the surveillance group, 100 percent of students were tested. All that testing and the potential of having many additional student patients required finding new medical allies. Jeremy Dickinson, a physician at Danville Pediatrics (and the father of Elliott Dickinson ’23) offered to help. The medical practice is within walking distance to campus and turns out to have several Centre connections. In addition, they were happy to see any Centre student, regardless of age. Ephraim McDowell Health provided testing for employees in the fall. Danville Pediatrics tested in the spring. Even though this college experience is nothing like it would have been pre-pandemic, Centre’s students are thrilled to be on campus.

“One aspect of remote learning I struggled with last spring was the long hours on Zoom,” says Kit Haist ’21. “I am grateful that (for the most part) Centre classes are in-person for those of us on campus, as it has kept me more engaged and focused. It is also just nice to talk to people face-to-face, even if we are wearing masks and social distancing.”

“I truly think it’s going to take wearing a mask, it’s going to take social distancing, it’s going to take lots of testing. It’s going to take all of these measures to make this work.” Kathy Jones

Students and faculty could each choose whether they would be in-person or remote. Approximately 11 percent of students chose remote learning, while about 13.7 percent of faculty chose to teach entirely remotely. For everyone else, it was generally a hybrid mix. As the semester drew to a close, it was clear that the intense advance preparation and responsible behavior throughout the fall semester made it possible for Centre to avoid the COVID outbreaks that shuttered the return to campus for many other schools. Spring 2021 will be much like the fall. When pressed to cite any good that has come out of the experience, Jones reiterates the connections and community. “Our campus health and safety team has had the opportunity to work with people we hardly knew before—including our senior staff and some of the board members,” says Jones. “Now our work is very much entwined. I really value that this has been a place where we've all come together.” —D.F.J.

So Long, Farewell 11 Retire in August

It was a record year for retirements, spurred in large part by voluntary retirement incentives Centre offered in June to long-serving employees. The incentives were part of the College’s larger budgeting strategy in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. In all, 11 veteran staffers retired at the end of the summer, most of them as of Aug. 31, 2020. All will Wayne King, director of facilities management, retired after nearly 50 years of service.

be recognized here, with special tributes to two of the longer serving staffers, Wayne King, director of facilities management (49 years) and Randy Hays, vice president for student life (27 years). Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

Wayne King Wayne King started at Centre as a painter in January 1971. Almost 50 years later, he retired as director of facilities management, a position he had held since 2006. “I’ve been blessed to work at Centre College,” he says. “I would always tell people when I interviewed them for positions here that in all my years, Centre has never had to lay anyone off. So many of our staff have been here 10 years or more. It’s a good place.” King’s father, Delbert King, worked at Centre for 27 years as an electrician and all-around wizard when it came to maintaining Centre’s heating and cooling systems. “My dad could fix anything,” says King. “And I grew up working with him.” Henry Lewis, the legendary director of Centre’s physical plant from the 1960s through the 1980s, took a shine to young Wayne from the beginning. “When anyone needed a helper, he’d pull me,” recalls King. “I did everything from plumbing to electrical to carpentry to laying carpet, pouring concrete—anything that nobody else could do or knew how to do. He would say, ‘Just go do it.’ So I did a little bit of every kind of project there is on this campus.” One of his favorite tasks was refinishing furniture, starting with some government surplus Lewis had found. King plans to continue refinishing in retirement, along with volunteering and, when it’s safe to return, traveling out west with his wife. Another much-enjoyed assignment: playing Santa at the annual employee dinner. “Mona Wyatt asked me to do it the first time about 30 years ago, and how do you turn Mona down,” he says with a laugh. Wyatt, the former alumni director and event planner, could be very persuasive. He’s been Santa every year since. He is also an ace teller of ghost stories. “The thing about the stories I tell is they are all true,” he insists. Many take place in Breckinridge Hall, built in 1892. One Halloween the student life office brought in a psychic who confirmed details of one of his stories that she could not possibly have known. “There’s a boy named Peter still in the building,” said the psychic. King notes that Peter was the name of a student who had once lived in a room more modern students found plagued with lights mysteriously turned on and the radio blaring at 2 a.m. in spite of a door bolted from the inside. King cites the first presidential debate in 2000 as one of his most challenging—but also rewarding—assignments. “We worked 11 months for an hour-and-a-half show,” he says. “It was something special that none of us had ever done. I was proud that our people pulled it off. We had a lot of people working awfully hard. It really was miraculous.” —D.F.J.

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Cindy Arnold Cindy Arnold retired in August after 22 years in the president’s office. She was one of John Roush’s first hires when he arrived in 1998 and found himself in need of an executive secretary. She received both a Centre Recognition Award in 2003 and the President’s Award for Excellence, given intermittently, in 2020. In normal years, President Roush would have presented the President’s Award at the annual faculty and staff closing dinner but in these surreal times the dinner was canceled. Instead the president made the announcement in his end-of-term report to the trustees and later shared it with the faculty and staff. “Finding and employing Cindy Arnold was a blessing without measure,” he says.

Edle Casey Edle Casey spent 41 years with the facilities management team, joining the College in early 1979. When he received the Horky Service Award in 2003, he was lead custodian at Sutcliffe Athletic Center.

Judy Cummins Judy Cummins retired as assistant to the controller after 32 years at Centre. She served under five CFOs, and “consistently modeled excellent financial stewardship for the College,” says Brian Hutzley, the current CFO. “She demonstrated a strong attention to detail, sound analytic skills, and a calm service-oriented manner in supporting our faculty, staff, students, and their families.”

Sonny Evans Sonny Evans retired as director of athletic facilities and operations after nearly 29 years at the College. He joined Centre in September 1991 and received a Centre Recognition Award in 2000. He “provided the vision and leadership of the upkeep and development of the College’s athletic facilities, common grounds, and playing fields, which today exceed over 18 acres and numerous structures,” says Brad Fields ’98, director of athletics. “For most, Sonny is considered the ‘founder’ of our current athletic facilities operation.”

Brenda Gorley Brenda Gorley retired as the applications processor in the admission office after 32 years. She joined the staff in 1988 and received a Recognition Award in 2004. In announcing her retirement, Bob Nesmith ’91, dean of admission and financial aid, noted her willingness and

skill in adapting to new ways. “In her long service, Brenda has worked in an ever-changing landscape of admission practices and technology,” he said. “As we have evolved from deciphering handwritten applications to tracking students’ interactions with our website, Brenda's attention to the changes has progressed right alongside these advancements.”

Phillip Kirby Phillip Kirby came to Centre in 1996. In his 24 years at the College, he served a variety of roles. His commitment to excellent work as a general services leader with the facilities management staff was recognized with the Horky Service Award in 2000.

Randy Maddox Randy Maddox joined the College in 1989. For more than 30 years, he excelled in repair and improvement projects and as the College’s lead electrician. In 2000, he received the Horky Service Award.

Kenny Peavler Kenny Peavler spent more than 32 years as a public safety officer, having joined the staff in May 1988. He received the Horky Service Award in 1996. “Kenny has modeled the professional composure and steadiness needed to deal with a diverse set of stressful situations when keeping our students, faculty, and staff safe from harm,” says Kevin Milby, director of public safety. “His calm diplomacy and good judgement when navigating these challenges is well known across campus.”

Donna Phillips Donna Phillips, who ran the switchboard at Centre, was the welcoming voice for external callers for 28 years. She received the Horky Service Award in 2005. Before Centre, she was a switchboard operator for AT&T South Central Bell.

Randy Hays “Rewarding beyond measure,” says Randy Hays of his 27 years working in student life at Centre. “This has all been a labor of love for me, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” He particularly appreciated the campus culture. “The sense of community is Centre’s most important quality,” he says. “This is a place that is warm and welcoming and cares not just about people in the abstract, but about each and every person as an individual.” Hays had a peripatetic childhood. His father’s Navy postings took the family to Scotland, Iceland, and many U.S. states, before they wound up in Glasgow, Ky., in time for him to attend high school. He graduated from Berea College, then spent three years as a fundraiser for Berea, followed by a master’s at the University of Kentucky and a brief stint at Georgetown College working with student housing. He joined Centre’s student life staff in 1993 as director of residence life and counseling. By 2002, he was running the SLO until retiring this August as vice president and dean of student life. One constant during his 27 years: growth. When he arrived in 1993, Centre had an enrollment of 950 students cared for by 35 resident assistants (RAs). Today, enrollment is roughly 1,350 students with 60 RAs. Three major residence halls have been built in his time, along with numerous housing renovations. There is also an entirely new campus center where the SLO office is now located. Deans of students sometime see the worst side of their charges, but Hays always tried to turn those challenges into learning experiences for the students. He was also known for his sense of humor, including the “silly rhymes” he sent beginning in 2012 before every spring break to wish students safe travels and to encourage them to make good decisions while away. “The rhymes just came to me as a way of (hopefully) encouraging folks to read a message,” he says. His last verses, sent in August, took a more reflective tone:

Waste not a moment, time passes fast Love survives, the rest doesn’t last.

Always in life, do what you love and love what you do As it’s been for me here at Centre—working with all of you.

—D.F.J.

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

THE WORLD IS WATCHING

CENTRE GRADS WORK ON COVID-19 AT CDC By Elizabeth Painter ’94, Vaccine Task Force, COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

John Barnes ’95 has worked in the Influenza Division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 2008. On Jan. 12, 2020, he flew to Thailand to set up an influenza sequencing project, something he was also working on in Cambodia. After arriving in Thailand, however, he was immediately redirected to help Thai public health authorities identify their first case of COVID-19. John remained in Thailand for two weeks supporting colleagues with data analysis using genomic sequencing to identify the first COVID-19 case outside of China. The Director General of Health for Thailand thanked John with a parting gift of handcrafted soaps— perfect foreshadowing of the CDC guidance to follow. Meanwhile, back in Atlanta, where I was working in the CDC Influenza Division, I was asked to help set up the Policy Unit in the COVID-19 response. CDC’s Emer-

gency Operations Center (EOC) officially activated as an agency response on Jan. 21. I deployed two days later and worked in a small room off the EOC’s main floor, where the situation room is located. Rows of computer stations face a wall of monitors that update continuously, highlighting breaking news, case counts, and case locations.

John Barnes ’95 has been with the CDC’s Influenza Division since 2008.

Within a week, the emergency operations center was filled with CDC volunteers, and the number of responders grew exponentially as response needs quickly grew (reaching 5,500 volunteers deployed). We spilled into hallways and once empty conference rooms. As cases rose in the United States, many CDC staff members began to work remotely. Some CDC responders, including critical laboratory workers who are considered essential workers, continued to go into the workplace but worked in shifts, wore masks, and practiced social distancing. My first assignment included setting up the response partnership team, the team that connects public and private partners with CDC senior response leaders. We proactively planned calls and webinars in which leaders provided situation updates and tools to help businesses and organizations make decisions about canceling

events and protecting employees. In two months, we coordinated calls reaching hundreds of thousands of diverse partners from medical associations to financial institutions and sports organizations. One of my favorite things about CDC is the opportunity to work on details— temporary assignments of one to four months. After finishing the response partnership team detail, I accepted a new position in the government affairs and policy group as congressional hearing co-lead. I worked with CDC Washington to prepare senior leaders for congressional hearings—writing testimony and translating the science of CDC laboratory, epidemiology, and communications efforts into plain language for policy makers. I also drafted a report to Congress in that rotation, explaining the disaggregation of epidemiological data and CDC’s efforts to improve COVID-19 data for underrepresented populations.

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

A third Centre graduate at CDC, Lisa Delaney ’97, plays an important role in the COVID-19 response. She normally works as associate director for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a group that plans for emergencies such as pandemics or chemical attacks. Lisa deployed in the early days of the response to set up and lead the Worker Safety and Health Team. She presented on partner outreach calls, including CDC clinician outreach calls, to share critical information with the medical community about respirators and other personal protective equipment.

“It’s stressful, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. We work nights and weekends. We think and talk about COVID-19 most waking hours. The pace is incredible, the pressure tangible, and the same level of careful evidencebased work is absolutely essential.” Elizabeth Painter ’94

Lisa’s team also developed guidance and conducted field assessments early in the response to focus on delaying entry of COVID-19 cases into the United States via travelers from other countries. In addition, her team developed guidance for reducing transmission of the virus in workplaces. In early 2020, those workers included

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

Lisa Delaney ’97 plans for emergencies for the CDC.

healthcare workers, airport health screeners, and first responders but later focused on essential workers in meat-processing facilities, farms, and schools. In mid-March, back in Atlanta, John officially deployed to the COVID-19 response Laboratory Task Force when he was asked to develop a new multiplex diagnostic assay (test) that can diagnose both COVID-19 and flu infections as an alternative to the first CDC assay for COVID-19. The new test is being used by public health labs across the United States to support critical disease surveillance this fall and winter. As molecular lead on the Laboratory Task Force, John is in his lab daily. He is currently working with manufacturing companies that are building their own multiplex assays based on CDC’s design. This will increase capacity and allow for scaled-up nationwide testing of flu and coronavirus with one test. Unlike John, most CDC staff (including me) began working from home in early April. As I switched roles, I reported to and collaborated with CDC employees from across the agency without ever meeting them in person. In

August, I switched positions once again and am currently working for the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, where I serve in the Policy Unit, but also as a special assistant to the director of COVID-19 vaccine distribution and implementation planning. In some ways, each day is the same: I walk the dog, make an espresso, and begin working in my home office—often before sunrise. Working in a pandemic while living through the pandemic is tough, but this is what we have planned and exercised for. It’s stressful, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. We work nights and weekends. We think and talk about COVID-19 most waking hours. The pace is incredible, the pressure tangible, and the same level of careful evidence-based work is absolutely essential. John and Lisa both have the additional challenge of kids at home for remote school learning. A fourth Centre grad worked on the COVID response over the summer. Chris Elmlinger ’14, a CDC ORISE Fellow, spent 46 days on the International Task Force mitigation team tracking global mitigation measures used to stop the spread of infection. Chris tracked mitigation measures in 59 countries/territories. He considered, among other measures, business and school closures, mass gathering restrictions, passenger screenings, and traveler quarantine. He also created country specific mobility, mitigation, and epidemiology graphs illustrating possible correlations between changes in daily mobility measures, such as public transportation, and COVID-19 case data, thus giving senior leadership an idea of the potential effectiveness of different

Chris Elmlinger ’14 worked on COVID-19 as a CDC ORISE Fellow.

mitigation measures employed around the world. Chris is currently back in his “day” job on the CDC Global Rapid Response Team, which helps countries respond to a variety of public health threats. The four of us rely on diverse skill sets to serve in this response— whether with a diagnostic test, detailed graphs, language to help Congress understand CDC actions, or guidance that employers can use to help keep their staff safe. We all feel fortunate to work alongside dedicated and science-driven colleagues at an agency with the mission of protecting people from health threats. We believe that Centre prepared us well for this unprecedented time. The stakes are high, and the world is watching. Elizabeth (Eli) Painter ’94 is a public health analyst on the Policy Team for the Vaccine Task Force, COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She is based in Atlanta.

CLASS NEWS

3 1 Mike Freeman ’62 2 Tom Little ’70 holds his 2020 Governor’s Service Award for Kentucky 3 The wedding of Prewitt Lane ’71 and Diane Medley 4 Phil Maxson ’71 and family, including son James Maxson ’03

1956

Betty Boles Ellison

published a biography, Rachel Donelson Jackson: The First Lady Who Never Was (McFarland & Company, 2020). It is her seventh book.

1962

Sollace “Mike” Freeman published his first book, “...if you can keep it.”: The Loss of a Vision (Amazon.com Services, 2020), a political thriller about a president who loses an election to a woman and rejects the results.

1963

Robert Brandt published Miss Blaylock’s School for Girls: A headmistress’s struggle to maintain her independence and career on the eve of the movement

giving women the right to vote (Wandering in the Words Press, 2020). It is the second book in the Painted Trillium series. His sister is Mary Lynne Brandt ’68.

traditional Japanese hand tools and wooden joinery construction. It was part of their webinar series Japanese-Style Living Environment posted on YouTube.

1970

1971

Tom Little received a 2020 Governor’s

Service Award for Kentucky, presented by Governor Andy Beshear in a virtual ceremony Oct. 24. There will be an in-person recognition later. He was nominated by Lexington Habitat for Humanity for more than 30 years of volunteer service, including 18 years on the board of directors. He also coordinated the annual Catholic house build for more than 15 years and continues to volunteer weekly at the Habitat ReStore. He and his wife, Marcia Gambs Little, recently celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary. Jay van Arsdale presented a webinar for the Oakland-Fukuoka Sister City Association, funded by the Japan Foundation of New York. His topic was

Class News Details Submit class news and address changes at alumni.centre.edu/centrepiece or email them to alumnews@centre.edu. Digital photos MUST be at least 300 DPI when sized to four inches wide. Low-resolution photos taken with a phone are too small to run in print. Alumni names will continue to be in bold type in the Class News and In Memoriam sections of the magazine. Alumni names elsewhere will continue to include class years but will not be in bold type. This issue reflects information received as of October 15, 2020.

Prewitt Lane married Diane Medley in

October 2019. Prewitt retired after 48 years in the financial world, but continues to consult and serve on boards, including as a trustee and chair of the investment committee for the Kentucky Retirement System. Diane is a CPA and serves as executive chair of MCM CPAs and Advisors. She was managing partner of the firm for many years. She currently serves on several boards, including the University of Louisville, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, One Southern Indiana, and Greater Louisville Inc. They live in Louisville and spend time in Crested Butte, Colo., and Outer Banks, N.C., with their families. They report that their wedding celebration had many attendees from the Class of ’71. Barry Loy caddied for his granddaughter Ila Loy when she won the Kentucky PGA Junior Tour Fall Series Championship. His wife is Mary Anne Martin Loy, and Ila’s father is Matt Loy ’03.

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

A MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

PRESIDENT Part of a Unitary Whole By Pam Deitchle ’97

It’s unclear what will transpire between the time I write this column and when the Centrepiece is delivered. My crystal ball has been on the fritz lately, but I am confident that by the time you read this, something new will support the uncontroversial opinion that 2020 should have been canceled (as the kids like to say). As I write, Centre students have begun Block 2 of fall semester classes on a campus that is free of most social events, games, and spontaneous gatherings. No one is taking selfies with international landmarks. All Cowan meals are to-go. Classes are in tents and online. Nevertheless, these young Colonels have enthusiastically committed to the Centre experience and have honored Centre’s values of community, service, integrity, and education. The 2020 year challenged Centre alumni, too. We have been stressed by economic uncertainty, feelings of too much togetherness

or isolation, and struggles to maintain work/ life separation. I hope the trials of 2020 will propel us to seize new opportunities in 2021. Opportunities to make new connections and better tend to old friendships. Opportunities to serve our communities in meaningful ways. Opportunities to become more engaged with life outside our bubbles. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we are a small part of a unitary whole. While we all have different experiences and perspectives, we each play a role in creating the future we want to see. I look forward to serving and engaging with all of you . . . from a distance, for now. Pam Deitchle ’97 is a trademark and business year term as president of the Centre Alumni Association in August. Her email address is pamdeitchle@gmail.com.

A C6H0 CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

October 14-16, 2021 Homecoming Weekend For more information, contact Megan Haake Milby ’03 at megan.milby@centre.edu.

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

lawyer in Austin, Texas. She began her two-

1921-2021

Phil Maxson is the chair of the University of Kentucky Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Advisory Board and has been teaching history classes for OLLI for nine years. He has a nonprofit company called LEX History Tours and started “Lexington Lincoln Days.” He lives in Lexington with his wife, Judy, and has three sons, including James Maxson ’03, and six grandchildren. Bill and Pat Lynch Slack celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in September. They live in Lafayette, Ga., near Chattanooga. Bill is a retired attorney, and Pat is a retired medical technologist (MT/ASCP). They have three children, sons Andy and John and daughter Amy Slack Muse ’96, and four granddaughters.

1972

David Profitt continues phased retirement

1973

Skip Averell reports he is in his 43rd year as

from Big Sandy Community & Technical College. He and his wife of 50 years, Darlene, list their new address as 136 Tahoma Drive, Paris, KY 40361. His new email address is adprofitt2019@gmail.com.

a program planner and grants administrator. Since 1982, he has worked for the Kentucky Divisions of Water and Waste Management in Frankfort. His current assignment is to manage the administration of EPA-funded drinking water and wastewater treatment projects awarded to municipalities throughout the state. He and his wife, Ashley, now live in the

CLASS NEWS

1 Barry Loy ’71 and granddaughter Ila Loy 2 Centre Sigma Chi friends gathered in September at the new home of Hiram Ely ’73: (from left) Bob Maggard ’76, Greg Cooper ’73, Steve

Watkins ’74, Michael Lowe ’76, and Preston Young ’77. Also present but not in photo were Hiram and Patrick Murphy ’74. 3 Friends attended the Bengals vs. Seahawks game in Seattle in September 2019: (from left)

Mike Leising ’75, Michael Collins ’75, and Keith

Schulze ’76. 4 The 29th annual Deke Creek Reunion, COVID-19 style, was held via Zoom instead of in its usual location in Lake Martin, Ala.: (front row) Mike Leising ’75, Holman Head (Lake Martin resident/longtime friend of the Dekes and Washington & Lee graduate of ’78), John Rhorer

’78; (second row) John Corey ’79, Dick Heaton ’76, Reggie Mudd ’75; (back row) LeRoy McEntire ’78, Rick DiGiorgio ’78, and Matt Blevins ’99.

5 The wedding of Darla Townsend ’83 and Mark Weaver: (front row) Phylis Maddox Semple ’83, Mark and Darla, Lisa Daniel ’83, Karen Harpenau

house his parents built in 1954 in Frankfort, Ky., and her parents bought in 1968. Skip and Ashley bought the house when they married in 1985. Their home has now been in the same family for 66 years. Their son Randle was married in May 2019, and his son, Randle Price Averell, joined the family in June 2020. Terry and Hiram Ely list their new address as 5600 Glenview Falls Place, Louisville, KY 40222. His sisters are Debby Ely Douglass ’74 and Darla Ely Gray ’81.

1974

Crit Blackburn Luallen was appointed by

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to serve on the Executive Branch Ethics Commission. She was elected as a member of the board of directors of Community Trust Bancorp, headquartered in Pikeville, Ky.

1977

Steve Haist and his family left Lexington,

Ky., 12 years ago for the Philadelphia area for a job with the National Board of Medical Examiners. As vice president of Test Development Services, he oversaw question development and test construction, and he led a number of initiatives for the United States Medical Licensing Examination, including Joining Forces, which brings attention to the healthcare of veterans, returning servicemen and servicewomen, and their families. His unit’s responsibilities included about 120 other medically related examinations. After 10 years, they returned to Kentucky, where he became the inaugural associate dean

for the University of Kentucky-Northern Kentucky Campus, located in Highland Heights on the campus of Northern Kentucky University. The campus admits 35 students each year. A second class of students matriculated in August. His daughter is Kit Haist ’21.

1978

row) Chris Hinkebein ’87, Henry Kelsey ’85, John

Rippy ’83, Michelle Rutledge Costel ’83, and Rick Freeman ’82 6 Michael Jackson ’85

Suzanne Duvall Hince

(writing as M. Suzanne Duvall) published The Mongrabi (independently published, 2020), a sci-fi/fantasy novel for teens through adults.

1980

Rippy ’84, Gwinna Cahal Freeman ’83; (back

Joe Fehribach published Multivariable

and Vector Calculus (De Gruyter, Berlin, 2020). The book is dedicated to several of his teachers and mentors over the years, including Marshall Wilt ’64 (physics, emeritus), Dorothy Nelms (mathematics, emeritus), Neal Eklund (mathematics, emeritus), Bob Piziak (former mathematics), Bill Owens (former physics), and the late Bill Sagar (chemistry, emeritus). His son is Andrew Fehribach ’21. Dean Langdon was named 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers of America in the bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights category in Lexington, Ky. This is the second time he has received the recognition. He practices at DelCotto Law Group.

1981

Betsy Rogers Hawkins was elected to the

1982

Scott Dickens is a member of the Leader-

Sumner County (Tenn.) Board of Education, after completing the term of her late husband, Jim Hawkins ’78. Their son is Jimmy Hawkins ’13.

ship Kentucky Class of 2020. Leadership Kentucky brings together people with a variety of leadership abilities, career accomplishments, and volunteer activities to gain insight into complex issues facing the state. Scott’s law firm, Fultz Maddox Dickens, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. His children are John Dickens ’12, Jake Dickens ’20, Cole Dickens ’21, and Gray Dickens ’23. His brother is Mark Dickens ’86.

1983

Tobe Liebert returned to Kentucky to be assistant director of the law library and assistant professor of law at Chase Law School at Northern Kentucky University. He lists his new address as 236 Highland Ave., #8, Fort Thomas, KY 41075. Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

CLASS NEWS

THE ANNUAL

LEGACY LIST We welcome all our new students, but the alumni magazine is especially pleased that 46 chose to follow siblings, parents, grandparents, and even some great-grandparents to Centre. The new students are listed in gold, followed by their alumni relatives.

Sam Adams ’24 Ben Adams ’95 (father) Lana Amoudi ’24 Ramsey Amoudi ’22 (brother)

LEGACY

Joseph Becherer ’24 Jay Becherer ’22 (brother) Xander Bentley ’24 Jason & Allyson Wheeler Bentley ’94 & ’92 (parents), Nathaniel Bentley ’22 (brother) José Bibiano ’24 Michelle Bibiano ’21 (sister) Mason Boone ’24 Mike Carey ’97 (stepfather) Elizabeth Briles ’24 David & Allison Diehl Briles ’91 & ’93 (parents) Ella Burch ’24 Kelly Calvert Burch ’86 (mother) Hannah Burt ’24 Elizabeth Wakefield Sigler ’96 (mother) Sam Carlson ’24 John White ’66 (grandfather) Maggie Corbett ’24 Mike & Dana Newsome Corbett ’91 & ’92 (parents) Cat Cox ’24 Doug & Allison Ferree Cox ’91 & ’90 (parents), Clayton Cox ’20 (brother)

24 24

Graziella Di Iorio ’24 Dillon Di Iorio ’23 (brother)

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020 Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

Nate Dobbs ’24 Hunter Dobbs ’94 (father), Jay Dobbs ’40 (great-grandfather) Lauren Dome ’24 David Dome ’86 (father), Austin Dome ’19 and Ryan Dome ’22 (brothers) Natalie Duggins ’24 Nell Tarter Duggins ’93 (mother) Turner Farris ’24 Chase Farris ’23 (brother) Carter Floyd ’24 Jeff & Brittany McNatt Floyd ’98 & ’98 (parents) Jeff Foster ’24 Jane Latta Shewmaker Brother ’60 (sister) Lily Giles ’24 Christina Giles Stanley ’11 (sister) Lewis Gonzalez ’24 Carlos Gonzalez ’19 (brother), Lis Gonzalez ’22 (sister) Elanor Grubbs ’24 John and Helen Wesley Grubbs ’57 & ’57 (grandparents) Brenna Hammond ’24 Ben Hammond ’21 (brother)

Anya Hartman ’24 Wanwisa “Pang” Chartisathian Hartman ’97 (mother) Lily Hendricks ’24 Carter Hendricks ’95 (father) Andrew Huff ’24 Melissa Mullins Huff ’93 (mother) Mick Jenkins ’24 Frank Jenkins ’87 (father), Maddy Jenkins ’22 (sister)

Kai Oddo ’24 Zee Oddo ’22 (brother) Jeremy Olliges ’24 Josh Olliges ’22 (brother) Leif Pellant ’24 Race Pellant ’21 (brother) Will Reynolds ’24 Brett & Gwen Gibson Reynolds ’93 & ’95 (parents), Lois Walters Haydon ’41 (grandmother)

Niki Maleki ’24 Neda Maleki ’21 (sister)

Molly Samonds ’24 Kathryn Burgess McKee ’87 (mother), Tom & Sue Kelsey McKee ’63 & ’63 (grandparents), Anna Samonds ’20 (sister)

Nate Malubay ’24 Nic Malubay ’21 (brother)

Kevli Sheth ’24 Sangeet Sheth ’20 (sister)

Greer Manger ’24 Mark & Mary Higgins Day ’60 & ’62 (grandparents)

Clayton Stanbery ’24 Harry Michael Brown ’41 (great-grandfather, deceased)

Peter McKown ’24 Mary Brown McKown ’79 (mother), Eithel Ray Brown ’50 (grandfather, deceased)

Hal Taylor ’24 Harold Taylor ’89 (father)

Megan Johnson ’24 Joe Johnson ’95 (father)

Robert Monaco ’24 T.C. & Elizabeth Ransdell Dedman ’38 & ’40 (great-grandparents, deceased) Erin O’Leary ’24 Elizabeth Clifton O’Leary ’92 (mother), Patrick O’Leary ’92 (father), Winston Clifton ’64 (grandfather)

Ben Trammell ’24 Natalie Trammell ’17 (sister) Sam Votruba ’24 Mark Votruba ’92 & Beth Clemons ’92 (parents) Shelby Wohlwender ’24 Peyton Wohlwender ’18 (sister) Jordan Zak ’24 Cameron Zak ’22 (sister)

CLASS NEWS

1 A Centre reunion in a Pilates class conducted by Lucie Becus ’92 at her Shine Pilates Studio in Lexington, Ky.: (from left) Lucie, Craig Rogers

’94, Ski Bender ’94, Juliana Hauser ’93, and Mike Sullivan ’92. 2 Lin Shannon ’92 and his family—Tyler, Thomas, Andrew, Elizabeth, and wife Stacey— enjoyed fireworks and barbecue on the Fourth of July.

3 Donevon Storm ’94

4 Ben Adams ’95 (center) met with Dudley

Wagner ’95 at Bad Branch Falls in Eolia, Ky., to celebrate son Sam Adams ’24 moving to campus for the start of his first year at Centre. 5 Matisa Olinger Wilbon ’97 6 Jim Higdon ’98 in a hemp field

Darla Townsend married Mark Weaver on July 13, 2019.

1985

Michael Jackson was featured on the NPR podcast White Lies. The episode, “The X on the Map” (June 11, 2019), was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. Michael is the district attorney for Dallas County, Alabama, in Selma.

1989

Troy Edelen has had three articles related to the business impacts of COVID-19 published by Project Management Institute (PMI). The articles cover maintaining project momentum, managing project uncertainty, and returning to the workplace.

1990

Michelle Vaughn French is federal major programs capture leader (MPCL) in the St. Louis office of Stantec, a global design and delivery firm.

1992

Tonya Duncan Ellis published Sophie Washington: My BFF, and Sophie Washington: Class Retreat (Page Turner Publishing, 2020), the 10th and 11th books in her Readers’ Favorite five-star-rated Sophie Washington children’s series. The series is geared toward readers aged eight to 12 and recounts the adventures of a precocious African American preteen from Houston, Texas, and her diverse friends.

1993

6 Jennifer Carswell Daniel joined Danville’s

Ephraim McDowell Specialty Sleep Medicine as a nurse practitioner in May 2020. She continues serving as a regional director for the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives.

1994

Donevon Storm is the agency manager of Kentucky Farm Bureau’s South Laurel Agency. He previously was agency manager of the Williamsburg, Ky., agency for 11 years.

1995

Dudley Wagner was named 2020 Out-

standing Leader and to the President's Circle of Excellence by American Red Cross Biomedical Services in Washington, D.C. The awards recognize top performance in the nation as a district manager.

1996

Travis Christiansen is serving a second term as president of the Southern Utah Bar Association. His previous term was in 2010. His brother is Ryan Christiansen ’97. Peter Trzop set up the first statewide Model United Nations program for Kentucky high school students. Kentucky high schools were represented for the first time at the national Model U.N. in New York City and again at the International School of Stuttgart, Germany.

1997

Cassius Bentley is commander of the 92nd

Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, as of July. Lawrence and Matisa Olinger Wilbon are the managing partners of Wilbon Enterprises. The Atlanta consulting firm specializes in grant writing, program development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic planning and training.

1998

Mariska and Billy Frey, with children

Olivia and Henry, have relocated from Nashville to the Boulder, Colorado, area, where Billy is the director of marketing for Champion Petfoods, whose brands include Orijen and Acana. His email address is williamvfrey@gmail.com. Jim Higdon co-founded Cornbread Hemp, the first CBD brand to offer USDA certified organic CBD oils from Kentucky. The company is named after his first book, The Cornbread Mafia (Lyons Press, 2013). He conducted a significant amount of field research in this area during his time at Centre. Caroline Vanevenhoven graduated from Colorado State University with a master of arts management in May. Caroline is the visitor services manager at Grohmann Art Museum on the campus of the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

2000

Amanda McCracken had an essay about her September 2019 wedding at the Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

CLASS NEWS

Ben Beaton ’03 Confirmed as Federal Judge Ben Beaton ’03, who clerked for Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the U.S. Supreme Court, was confirmed in November to be a U.S. district judge for the Western District of Kentucky. He assumed his new position on the federal bench in December. Although the Western District contains four courthouses, his chambers will be in Louisville, where he and his family live. Beaton graduated from Centre as a government major and the men’s valedictorian. He worked for a U.S. congressman and in Kentucky state government before earning a law degree at Columbia University. Following law school, he clerked for a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and spent several months as a legal fellow with the International Justice Mission in Uganda, where his wife, Andrea Zawacki Beaton ’01, a pediatric cardiologist, led a rheumatic heart disease study. Beaton was the second Centre alumnus to clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court. Legendary Louisville lawyer and longtime Centre trustee Gordon Davidson ’49 clerked for Justice Stanley Reed during the 1954-55 session. Since his time clerking for Justice Ginsburg during the 2011-12 session, Beaton has been a litigator with Sidley Austin in Washington, D.C., and most recently was co-chair of the national appellate practice at Squire Patton Boggs in Louisville. Beaton explains that in his new position he is a trial judge presiding over criminal and civil cases from the initial filings through pretrial briefings and the trial itself. “Once district courts issue a final judgment, generally the losing party has a right to appeal to a panel of three judges sitting on the courts of appeals,” he says. Appeals for Kentucky’s district courts are heard by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, a court Beaton knows well after helping to edit the Sixth Circuit Appellate Blog at Squire Patton Boggs.

Beaton admits that he was not originally thinking of a career in law. A pair of classes he took as a sophomore at Centre helped focus his interest. “I was missing out on a fascinating constitutional law seminar with Dan Stroup and Judge Lively because I was sitting in the back trying to secretly cram for an emasculating Joe Workman organic chemistry exam,” he recalls. “That’s when I realized my intellectual priorities were backwards.” Pierce Lively ’43 team-taught a popular pair of constitutional law classes with politics professor Dan Stroup after retiring from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, where he served as chief justice. Lively was also vice chair of the Centre board of trustees. Beaton has written several law journal articles, including one coauthored with Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amul Thapar, whom Beaton has described as a mentor. “I am thrilled to have Ben as a colleague, and Kentucky is lucky to have him as a judge,” says Thapar. “He represents the best of Kentucky values: he is kind, hard-working, and brilliant.” Thapar and Beaton are both Centre College trustees. Both are also members of the Federalist Society. Former Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Crit Blackburn Luallen ’74 agrees with Thapar’s assessment of Beaton’s character. Although she is secretary of Centre’s board, she says she really got to know Beaton during their recent service together on the search committee for Centre’s new president, Milton Moreland. “I have no doubt that Ben Beaton will be a fine judge, bringing his strength of character, great intellect, and strong integrity to the post,” she says. “His appointment to serve on the federal bench is yet another example of how Centre College prepares young people for lives of service and leadership.” Beaton’s 2015 Constitution Day lecture at Centre, perhaps foreshadowing his future career, focused on the role of the judge and its many connections to the liberal arts. “Constitutionalism and liberal arts education . . . recognize simultaneously humanity’s virtues and its imperfections,” Beaton said, emphasizing a judge’s “need to remain sensitive to human incentives and weaknesses, to weigh competing arguments, to balance in your mind principles like freedom and equality that may be in tension, and to remain skeptical of one’s own ability to discern the correct result.” —D.F.J. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Ben Beaton ’03

CLASS NEWS

3 1 Caroline Vanevenhoven ’98 2 Family support for the political campaign of Matthew Lorch ’01: (from left) son Wilder, Matthew, daughter Madyson, and wife Kelly 3 Eric Abele ’03 4 A family celebration: (from left) Michael Pierce ’03, Owen (8), Evelyn (6), and Stephanie Casey Pierce ’03

hospital bedside of her 100-year-old grandmother published in the New York Times (June 13, 2020). Her husband is Dave Butler. Their daughter, Moorea Velda, arrived Aug. 6, 2020. Amanda was interviewed in February by the BBC World News after a piece she wrote for Huff Post about relationships, sex, and intimacy went viral.

2001

Matt Lorch won his primary in June and was the Floyd County (Ind.) Democratic

Party nominee for judge of Floyd County Superior Court No. 1 in the November election.

2002

Les Fugate was appointed to the board of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the board of directors and executive committee of Greater Louisville Inc. His brother is Wes Fugate. Jed Keith is a referee for Somer City Roller Derby, an all-female roller derby team in Somerset, Ky., in addition to handling the team’s public relations. Seth Parsons was promoted to the rank of professor in the education school at George Mason University in Virginia. His siblings are Sarah Parsons ’00 and Owen Parsons ’08.

2003

Eric Abele was promoted to senior lecturer of costume design at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, where he is in his seventh year of teaching. In December, he will complete his

RYT-500 yoga teaching certification with Susanna Barkataki of Ignite Yoga and Wellness Institute. He lives in Baltimore, Md., with his partner, Andrew, and two cats, Anastasia and Rupert. Melinda Crecelius-Lanham is an academic advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, working primarily with theater and music majors. She and her husband, Jonathan Lanham ’06, live in Knoxville with their son, Benedict. Stephanie Casey Pierce finished a Ph.D. in public policy and management at Ohio State University. Her dissertation, which explores the relationship between eviction and incarceration, received a Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy award. She began a postdoctoral fellowship at OSU’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs in August, where she teaches courses in criminal justice policy and public policy implementation and continues her work on evictions, foreclosures, homelessness, and the intersection of criminal justice policy and housing policy. Her husband, Michael Pierce, is a marketing director at ScottsMiracle-Gro and is carrying on his Centre baseball legacy as a coach for their son’s Little League team. Abigail Stranch Tylor was elected to the school board of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools as the District 9 representative. Abigail attended MNPS K-12 and sends her children to Metro Schools. She taught in MNPS for more than a decade, receiving the statewide TAG Horizon Award.

5 Jason and Lauren Crosby Thompson ’04 with sons Jude and Finn

2004

Jessica Ogden received a Ph.D. in web

2006

Will Adams is the deputy commissioner

science with a focus in sociology from the University of Southampton (England) in August 2020. She began a postdoctoral fellowship in sociology at the University of Bristol (England) in October. Her father is Russ Ogden ’69. Lauren Crosby Thompson recently joined the Lexington, Ky., office of Kopka Pinkus Dolin as a senior attorney. Lauren has been a civil defense litigation attorney since she graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2007. She and her husband, Jason Thompson, and two sons, Jude and Finn, live in Lexington. Her brother is Jason Crosby ’01.

for the Kentucky Department of Parks. Will has been working as an attorney for the Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet since 2015. He previously served as deputy general counsel for former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. Chris Thompson and Bernadette Turkiewicz announce the birth of their first child, Everett Rock Thompson, in May 2020. They live in London, United Kingdom.

2007

Katie Piper Greulich completed her Ph.D. in English at Michigan State University in the spring of 2020. Her dissertation, “Fieldwork: Ecological Pedagogy in Modernist Fiction and Film,” Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

CLASS NEWS

SEE THE EMERALD ISLE WITH MILTON REIGELMAN

8 explores interest as an ecological affect crossing aesthetic modernism and science. She is the academic collaborations and engagement coordinator at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University. Her husband is Dan Greulich ’06. Brian and Cassie Brownson Grieb announce the birth of Miles Thomas Grieb on April 2, 2020. Miles joins sisters Charlotte (6) and Margaret (2). Elliott Jepson and his Nashville-based band, Conventional Wisdom, released an EP this year called Elemental. According to their website, the band’s sound is “energetic hippie grunge.” His wife is Tina Maples Jepson.

2008 SEPTEMBER 16-25, 2021 The Alumni Office and emeritus professor Milton Reigelman will host an Irish Journey of epic proportions. You will explore Ireland´s rich history on two coasts with Ennis as basecamp in the west and Dublin and Belfast in the east. This carefully crafted tour will be full of discovery and revelry in an intimate setting. Megan Haake Milby ’03 and Dr. Reigelman have designed a once-in-lifetime trip for anyone with a desire to discover Ireland and a love for Centre College.

Contact Megan Haake Milby ’03 at megan.milby@centre.edu | http://alumni.centre.edu/ireland

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

Alex and Jane Marie Lewis Brown ’10

announce the birth of their second child, Vivian Jane Brown, on June 8, 2020. She joins sister Julianna (3). Alex completed his orthopedic surgery fellowship in sports medicine at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Ala., and joined the practice of J.W. Thomas Byrd, father of Ellen Byrd ’09, at Nashville Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center. Alex’s sister is Sarah Brown ’14. His parents are Don and Sharon Alexander Brown ’76 and ’77. Greg and Michelle Mattingly Jackson announce the birth of Oliver Mattingly Jackson, on July 4, 2020. Oliver joins siblings Cora (8) and Patrick (5).

CLASS NEWS

1 Mark Noll ’06 and Lou Brenner ’06 ran the Beaverhead 55k Endurance Run in Salmon, Idaho, in July. 2 Chris Thompson ’06 with Everett Rock 3 Katie Piper Greulich ’07 4 Brian and Cassie Brownson Grieb ’07 and ’07 with children Charlotte, Margaret, and baby Miles

5 Alex and Jane Marie Lewis Brown ’08 and ’10 with Julianna and baby Vivian Jane

6 Greg and Michelle Mattingly Jackson ’08 with Oliver Mattingly 7 Margaret and Jay Russell ’10 with baby Naomi James 8 John Rivers ’11 9 Rachel Skaggs ’11 (center) flanked by Lawrence Barnett and Dean Gretchen Ritter of OSU 10 Kyle and Chloe Toohey Binder ’12 and ’12 with baby Jackson Edwin

11 3

2009

Maggie Vo was interviewed by Authority Magazine for an article titled “5 Things I Need to See Before Making A VC Investment” (Aug. 17, 2020). She is managing general partner and chief investment officer at Fuel Venture Capital. Ted Wright started a critical care fellowship at Franciscan Health St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields, Ill. He and Megan McLane got engaged in the spring.

Margaret and Jay Russell announce the birth of Naomi James Russell, on July 7, 2020. Jay’s parents are Jim and Susan Pitsenberger Russell ’83 and ’83. His grandmother is Sue Treadway Russell ’59.

State University. She was formally installed in the position in a ceremony in Los Angeles in January 2020. Charlotte Lillard Spendley completed her M.Ed. in independent school leadership at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College in July 2020. Marla Sweitzer is one of three artists included in Promises, an online clay sculpture exhibit at New York City’s Jason McCoy Gallery. She received an M.F.A. in studio art from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Daniel Walton is the assistant editor of Mountain Xpress, an alt-weekly newspaper based in Asheville, N.C. In 2020, he was chosen for the City University of New York’s Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program.

2011

2012

2010

Jason Boldt is officially engaged to Lauren

Witczak. He is a director at WorkBoard, a software startup that is a strategy execution platform for managing and measuring results. It’s backed by Andreessen Horowitz, the top software-focused venture capitalist firm in Silicon Valley, and Microsoft Ventures. His sister is Kaitlin Boldt ’14. His brother is Josh Boldt ’18. John Rivers was named one of Louisville Business First’s “Forty under 40” for 2020. John is the agency fit consultant for Midwest-based marketing network LEAP Group. Rachel Skaggs is the inaugural Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Professor of Arts Management at Ohio

Kyle and Chloe Toohey Binder announce

the birth of Jackson Edwin Binder on July 29, 2020. Marcus Niemann is on the board of directors of Kentucky to the World, a nonprofit that seeks to enhance the intellectual reputation of Kentucky, its people, and its assets. His wife, Meredith Huff Niemann ’15, is now a clinical pharmacist in internal medicine at the University of Louisville Hospital. Meredith’s grandmother is Pat Farmer Huff ’56.

2013

Kelly Hogan earned a master’s degree in

school counseling at Lipscomb University in July 2020 and is now a school counselor at Pope

11 Beau Bennett ’13 and Lauren Fall Sattler ’14 working together at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Beau is an infectious disease fellow, and Lauren is a third-year internal medicine resident. 12 Ward Roberts ’14 and Sarah Smith ’16 13 The wedding of Emily Bickel ’16 and Daniel Wicker ’16

John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tenn. Her sister is Brette Hogan Conliffe ’11. Bridget Winstead is the senior program manager of government relations and community affairs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. She earned a master’s degree in strategic public relations at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Her sister is Mary Hannah Winstead ’16. Her father is Kurt Winstead ’82.

2014

Rachel Betts completed a mountain marathon in Ithaca, N.Y., on July 18, 2020. The course was 31.43 miles at an average elevation of 5,600 feet, and she ran it in nine hours. Chris Elmlinger graduated in May from Emory University with an M.P.H. in epidemiology and is now working in Atlanta for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Global Rapid Response Team. (See feature on Chris and other alumni at the CDC on page 18.) Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

CLASS NEWS

4 1 The wedding of Caty Herd ’16 and Henry

Ward Roberts and Sarah Smith ’16 got engaged on Centre’s campus in July. Sarah’s sister is Megan Smith ’17. Jordan Shewmaker is an associate at Jones Day in Atlanta. Jordan previously clerked for U.S. District Judge Joseph Hood and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Eugene Siler. He is licensed to practice law in Kentucky, Tennessee, and the District of Columbia.

2015

Alanna Guy is an associate in the business

law practice group of Frantz Ward in Cleveland, Ohio. Her sister is Alexis Guy ’16. Katherine Mackin married Tanner Lyons ’16 on May 30, 2020. Katherine’s father is Jeff Mackin ’83.

2016

Emily Bickel married Daniel Wicker on Aug. 1, 2020. Caty Herd married Henry Retersdorf on June 27, 2020. Caty’s father is Walter Herd ’83. Henry’s mother is Madelyn Hopson Retersdorf ’81. JC Phelps is the author of two blogs, JCP Eats and Unabashedly Southern. Jacob Pike married Brooklyn Bell ’18 on Aug. 15, 2020. Her sister is Erika Bell ’20. Zach Throne produced Cadia: The World Within. The film had its U.S. release on Sept. 15, 2020. The film features Corbin Bernsen, (LA Law, Major League, Psych) and James Phelps (Fred Weasley of the Harry

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

Potter film series) alongside others, including John Wells, a renowned indie actor.

2017

Ben Bostick married Shelby Adams on June

6, 2020. Ben’s father is Roger Bostick ’84. Alicia Kalbfleisch is in her third and last year of a master of education program in clinical mental health counseling at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia. She was recently inducted into the international academic honor and leadership society for counselors, Chi Sigma Iota.

2018

Lulu Peredo is the outreach director for

EngageNWA (Northwest Arkansas). With the support of the Walmart Foundation, she will work with the community and local government to advance equity and inclusion efforts in the region. Peyton Wohlwender graduated from Vanderbilt University as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Her sister is Shelby Wohlwender ’24.

2019

Olivia Renfro is the executive assistant to Cabinet Secretary and Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman ’04 in the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. She previously worked in the Cabinet as the assistant to the director of legislative affairs and as an unemployment claims adjudicator during the COVID crisis. Olivia’s mother is Toni Cline Renfro ’87.

Retersdorf ’16: (front row) Ivan Talley ’16, Morgan Robinson ’16, Caty and Henry, Vinny Morris ’16; (middle row) Emma Ryder ’16, Katie Solomon ’16, Jacqueline Anderson ’16, Emily Bickel Wicker ’16, Daniel Wicker ’16; (back row) Brooks Holton ’16, Barbara Sonntag Koenig ’81, Wally Koenig ’79, Madelyn Hopson Retersdorf ’81, and Walter Herd ’83. Bridesmaids, who were there in spirit but could not come physically due to COVID-19, were Sanna Gough ’16, Amanda Vokoun ’16, and Ryley Swanner ’16. 2 The wedding of Katherine Mackin ’15 and

Tanner Lyons ’16 3 Alicia Kalbfleisch ’17 4 Peyton Wohlwender ’18 5 The wedding of Ben Bostick ’17 and Shelby Ad-

ams ’17: (front row) Brad Combs ’17, Shane Smith ’18, Spencer Stone ’17, Ben Wright ’16; (back row) Ian Black ’17, Roger Bostick ’84, Shelby and Ben, Caitlin Yockey Hill ’17, Christian Apel ’18, Marisa Moore ’18, and Andrea Marchyn ’17 6 Olivia Renfro ’19 (right) with Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman ’04

WRITERS WANTED We want YOU to submit an Endpiece for the next issue! For more information or to submit an Endpiece, contact the Centrepiece at diane.johnson@centre.edu or 859.238.5717

CENTRE COLLECTION 1 1 CENTRE NECKTIES Centre College neckties from Designs by Anthony. Made of 100 percent silk. “C” tie available in gold or navy or black. $38 includes s/h

2 BOW TIE Centre College self-tie “C” bow tie in navy with adjustable neck from Designs by Anthony. Made of 100 percent silk. Modeled by Josh Jerome ’15 $32 includes s/h 3 CENTRE PUZZLE Spend time with friends and family piecing together the new Centre College 500-piece puzzle with an image of Crounse Hall. Each puzzle is packaged in a matte-finish box, perfect for gifting, re-use, and 3 storage. $30 includes s/h

4 OLD CENTRE SOCKS Cotton Old Centre argyle socks. Custom designed for the Alumni Association. One size fits most. $22 includes s/h 5 FLAME ORB TWISTER Phoenix Creative Metal in Salvisa, Ky., created a custom spun-orb twister in celebration of The Flame’s 50th birthday in 2019! Handcrafted 4" metal rings of silver and gold with the emphasis on the gold flame in the center. (Ornament stand included.) $15 includes s/h

6 BANGLE WITH STERLING CHARM Silver-tone bangle bracelet and dangling sterling silver dime-sized charm with engraving of Centre College seal. $48 includes s/h 7 FACE MASK Stop the spread of germs with this washable face mask made of gold-colored polyester jersey. It provides anti-microbial protection with two layers of fabric, and the material is 100 percent recycled. The plastic ear straps feature adjustable toggles. Dimensions: 9.5" x 6" Modeled by Mackenzie Snow ’19 $8 includes s/h

TO ORDER YOUR ITEMS CONTACT MACKENZIE SNOW ’19 MAIL: Centre College, 600 West Walnut Street, Danville, KY 40422 PHONE: 859.238.5500 or toll-free 877.678.9822 EMAIL: mackenzie.snow@centre.edu WEB: alumni.centre.edu/shop Make checks payable to Centre College. Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

AND

FACULTY STAFF NEWS David Anderson (economics & finance) has an

Martyrdom: The Assassination of Governor Wil-

may be new to the bucolic genre, or who have

article, “Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines:

liam Goebel,” a six-part series that grew out of an

studied one language but not the other, or who

Risks and Remedies for Host Communities,” in

upper-level history course titled Assassins.

are generally interested in translation,” says the review. “Joyce explains succinctly how Vergil’s

the journal Energies (April, 2020). He co-edited a special issue of Energies published as a book

Sara Egge (history) was interviewed for two

poem responds to Theocritus but also accounts

this fall, Empirical Analysis of Natural Gas

documentaries, three radio shows, and a podcast

for the iuvenis in Eclogue 1 and the issues of his

Markets (MDPI, 2020).

on women’s suffrage in the Midwest. It is the

own time and place.” Joyce’s translations were of

subject of her research and her award-winning

Theocritus’s first Idyll (from Greek) and Vergil’s

Gary Crase (lab and instrument technician)

book, Woman Suffrage and Citizenship in the

first Eclogue (from Latin).

appeared in a Kentucky Educational Television

Midwest, 1870-1920. “What really hooked me

(KET) special, POV: Portraits and Dreams.

was the realization that I could not tell the story

The NCAA has named Gina Nicoletti-Bellinger

Photography teacher Wendy Ewald had a

of woman suffrage in the Midwest without also

(athletics administrator) to the NCAA Division

strong impact on Crase. “I just figured it was

delving into histories of immigration, nativism,

III Infractions Appeals Committee. Her four-

a matter of time before I would be in the coal

and World War I, an unexpected but exciting

year term begins in January.

mines—even though that was not something I

challenge,” she says. They involve questions that

wanted to do,” he said. “Wendy’s photography

“resonate powerfully today.”

John and Susie Miller Roush (retired president and

first lady) have relocated to 158 St. Mildred’s

class was the first taste I had that I could do something different—that I could be somebody

Bruce K. Johnson (economics & finance) and two

Court, Danville, KY, 40422. They can be

and go somewhere outside of where I lived.” He

co-authors, including John C. Whitehead ’85,

reached at their same email addresses of john.

went on to study math and science secondary

published an article, "Validity and Reliability of

roush@centre.edu and susie.roush@centre.edu.

education at Alice Lloyd College and industrial

Contingent Valuation and Life Satisfaction Mea-

technology at Morehead State University before

sures of Welfare: An Application to the Value

An interview with Sheldon Tapley (art) and his

joining Centre, where he has worked for the past

of National Olympic Success," in the Southern

former student Emil Robinson ’03 was posted

31 years.

Economic Journal (July 2020).

on the website for Zeuxis, an association of still

Jon Earle (history) has a chapter, “‘Obuganda Bu-

Two translations by Jane W. Joyce (Classics, emer-

conceptual genesis of their paintings, as well as

ladde’: Power, Anxiety and Calm in Postcolonial

ita) in the festschrift At the Crossroads of Greco-

influences, subject matter, and personal histories.

Buganda,” in Anxiety in and about Africa: Multi-

Roman History, Culture, and Religion: Papers in

Throughout October, Tapley did interviews and

disciplinary Perspectives and Approaches (Andrea

Memory of Carin M. C. Green (Archaeopress,

gave in-person gallery talks at the Norton Center

Mariko Grant and Yolana Pringle, editors, Ohio

Oxford, 2018) were praised in a recent review

in conjunction with his Norton Center exhibi-

University Press, 2020). He received a Special

of the book in the journal Etruscan Studies.

tion, Sheldon Tapley: Painter and Draftsman.

Project Award from the Kentucky Historical

“The detailed but brief notes that follow make

Society for the podcast “Murder, Memory, and

this piece edifying reading for students who

life painters. The conversation focused on the

THE

LEGACY AWARD

$3000 renewable annually, for the children and grandchildren of alumni. For more information, contact the Centre Admission Office at 800.423.6236 or email at admission@centre.edu

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

REFER A COLONEL

Do you know a talented high school student who would thrive at Centre College?

Refer a qualified student and if enrolled, the student will receive a one-time $1,000 Refer A Colonel Scholarship Grant. (It cannot be stacked with the Legacy Award.) Join us in recruiting talented, hardworking students and help to build an even brighter future for Centre College. Refer a student at

www.centre.edu/refer

IN MEMORIAM 1944

Martha Ann Helm McConnell, 97, of Danville, died July 8, 2020. She retired in 1986 after 30 years at Kentucky School for the Deaf, first as a teacher and later as public relations director and editor of the monthly magazine, The Kentucky Standard, returning for a few more years as part-time editor of the magazine. She was active in the Methodist church for over 70 years, serving as historian at Centenary United Methodist and later helping found Third Street Methodist Church. She was president (twice) and vice president of the United Methodist Women, president of the Boyle County Retired Teachers Association, and a board member of the Boyle County Historical Society. In 2014, she became the first hearing recipient of the KSD Alumni Association Award. Survivors include her daughters, Angela Goodpaster and Margaret Jones; and four grandchildren.

1946

Betty Sharp Nichols, 95, of Harrodsburg,

Ky., died Feb. 16, 2020. She had a long career as a teacher and guidance counselor at Goodlettsville High School in Tennessee. After retiring, she and her husband moved to Mercer County. Survivors include her twin daughters, Nancy Nichols Kinkade ’76 and Cynthia Nichols Rosenberger; sister Barbara Sharp Reynierson ’50; and four grandchildren, including Nate Rosenberger ’04.

1947

Frances McKay Lewis Smith, 94, of Smiths Grove, Ky., died July 24, 2020. For many years she was junior choir director at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Fort Thomas, Ky., and was the first woman to serve on the vestry and as junior warden. She enjoyed reading, gardening, playing bridge, and entertaining. Survivors include five children, Linda McCormick, Ann Kirk Lehmann, Brock Lehman, Esli Pelly, and Alex Smith; and six grandchildren.

1950

J. Mark Adams, 93, of Ashland, Ky., died

July 25, 2020. He was a Navy veteran of World War II. He was a C.P.A. until he was 85. He had been a deacon and elder at First Presbyterian Church and on the boards of Community Hospice, Buckhorn Children’s Home for at-risk children, Second National Bank, and Ashland Independent School District. For many years, he was treasurer for the Ramey Home orphanage, now Ramey Estep Homes. Survivors include his children, Nancy Adams, Mary Thompson, and Joseph Mark Adams; his sister, Kathryn Tomko; and four grandchildren, including Jesse Thompson ’15. John Hubert “Bert” Johnston, 93, of Spanish Fort,

Distinguished Alumni

1964

Ronald D. Ray, 77, of Louisville, died July 6, 2020. A lawyer

focusing on labor and employee relations, he first served three years in the Marine Corps, becoming a highly decorated combat officer during the Vietnam War. He later held a variety of staff and command positions in the Marine Corps Reserve until his retirement as a colonel in 1994. He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration. In 1988, he headed a foundation that raised more than $1 million in private donations to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Frankfort, Ky., after Ronald Ray ’64 which President George H.W. Bush appointed him to the American Battle Monuments Commission. He was a frequent speaker and commentator on national security matters. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 2013. Survivors include his wife, Eunice Ray, and daughters, Kathleen and Margaret.

1975

Craig Johnson, 66, of Indianapolis, died May 16, 2020. He earned an M.B.A. at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and began a career with the Prudential Insurance Company of America. He rose to a management position in the real estate investment division after being transferred to the Indianapolis branch. In 1985, he established Centre Properties, a specialty real estate firm that developed more than 2.2 million square feet of retail property at multiple locations throughout Central Indiana. He also wasinvolved in a number of civic activities, including Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Craig Johnson ’75 Indianapolis Junior Tennis, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and the Institute of Humane Studies. He was a Centre trustee and was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 2015, the same year the newly renovated pool in Boles Natatorium was dedicated in his honor. An avid swimmer, he had been co-captain of the Centre swim team. Survivors include his three children, Anne Katz, Charles Johnson, and Sam Johnson; three siblings, Carole Bultema, Dick Johnson, and Holly Johnson; and three grandchildren.

Ala., died April 14, 2020. He was a Navy veteran of World War II. He earned an M.Div. at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia and was pastor at Presbyterian churches in West Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Nebraska, Maryland, and Kentucky. He also had roles with the Synod of the Mid-South and the Presbytery of Florida. Survivors include his children, Mike Johnston, Bobby Johnston, and Thomas Johnston; and four grandchildren. Nona Brumback Macias, 91, of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, died Sept. 23, 2020. She was a high school teacher at the American School Foundation of Guadalajara and Escuela para Niñas Ciegas de Guadalajara, but left teaching to take care of her three daughters. She enjoyed playing bridge and was active for several years in the local chapters of the Garden Club, DAR, and Junior League. Survivors include her daughters, Lilia Francesca Macias ’86, Marisa Macias, and Cristina Macias Justice ’91; and four grandchildren.

1952

Irene Syrotiuk Ochrymowych, 90, of

Basking Ridge, N.J., died March 16, 2020. She was a chemical engineer at Bellcore for 20 years before retiring in 1992. A parishioner of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Whippany, N.J., she was also a member of the Newark branch of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America. Survivors include her children, Andrew Julian Ochrymowych and Julian Paul Ochrymowych; a daughter, Christina Marie Ochrymowych; and a brother, Eugene Syrotiuk. Harry L. Riggs, 89, of McKinney, Texas, died Feb. 16, 2020. He was a Navy veteran of the Korean War. A lawyer who concentrated on aircraft litigation, he was a licensed pilot and ground instructor for more than 50 years and a founding member of the National Association of Flight Instructors. Ham radio was his biggest hobby. He was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ Scientist. Survivors include his wife of 64 years,

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

IN MEMORIAM

Joanie Riggs; a daughter, Holly Riggs Mueller; a sister, Marilyn Riggs Turner; and two grandsons. Lawrence Sonntag, 90, of Saline, Mich., died April 5, 2020. He was a stockbroker for Paine Webber and Beacon Investments. An enthusiastic musician, he started and played in several bands; his favorite instrument was tenor saxophone, which he often played for services at the local Presbyterian church. He was also a pilot. Survivors include four children, John Sonntag, Kay Waypa, Steve Sonntag, and Barbara Sonntag Koenig ’81; and six grandchildren, including Avery Koenig ’12. Emeline Eads Woods, 90, of Harrodsburg, Ky., died June 23, 2020. She was a charter member of the Harrodsburg Community Church. Survivors include her children, L. Curry Woods III and Sammye Woods; a sister, Charlotte Eads Baldwin; and two grandchildren.

1954

Lyndon Scribner Goode, 87, of Louisville,

1956

Carol Strey, 85, of Salinas, Calif., died July

died March 13, 2020. Scrib was an Air Force veteran, treating both U.S. military and civilian patients in Korea. His urology practice in Hopkinsville, Ky., was the first in the region. He was the chief of staff at Jennie Stuart Medical Center and one of the founders of the St. Luke Free Healthcare Clinic, the first of its kind in Kentucky. Survivors include his children, Joe Goode, Chris Goode, and Elizabeth Goode Cobb ’00; and three grandchildren.

5, 2020. He was a meteorologist for the Navy and the U.S. government, but he never lost his love of the arts and the theater that were nurtured at Centre, where he majored in art under Jack Kellam and was active in the theater program under West T. Hill. Being a meteorologist in the Navy took him around the world and also got him involved in technology. His projects included building a home organ, a color TV set, and a stereo receiver from Heathkit parts. Survivors include his wife, Eleanor Strey; four sons, Scott Strey, David Strey, Robin Strey, and Carel Strey; his sister, Diane Strey; his stepsons, Barry Kruse ’81 and Brian Kruse; and six grandchildren, including Katie Strey ’14.

1957

Richard L. Schmalz, 84, of Arden, N.C., died May 30, 2020. A lawyer, he focused on intellectual property and environmental law for Westvaco for more than 40 years, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court. He began his career as a chemist for the U.S. Playing Card Company. The Cincinnati Reds selected him to play semi-pro baseball with the Reds farm team, but he embarked on a different path. Survivors include his wife of more than 60 years, Kath-

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

ryn Schmalz; children Richard Schmalz, Lori Cochran, and Elizabeth Schmalz; and four grandchildren.

1961

Ann Caldwell Erwin, 80, of Danville, died April 22, 2020. She worked for Bell South Telephone Co., eventually becoming a drafting clerk in the engineering department. Before returning to Danville, she and husband Jim Erwin ’60 lived in Cynthiana, Ky., where Ann was director of the Harrison County Food Pantry for 15 years. She was an avid quilter. Survivors include her husband of 59 years; four children, Jim Erwin ’84, John Erwin ’87, Bill Erwin ’91, and Lori Elizabeth Erwin; and 12 grandchildren.

1967

William F. Summers, 74, of Daniel Island,

S.C., died May 10, 2020. After graduating from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, he became a Presbyterian minister in North and South Carolina. He was an enthusiatic fisherman and reader, with a wonderful sense of humor, a curious mind, and an amazing gift of storytelling. Survivors include his wife of 29 years, Lynne Summers; his children, Kathryn Summers, Ann Summers Koonce, Craig McAdams, and Meghan McAdams Davis; his mother, Nan Allen Summers ’44; his siblings, Charles Summers, Glenn Summers, and Nancy Summers Bonanno; and six grandchildren.

1968

Joyce Cross Marks, 74, of Chicago, died

1973

Robert Kendall, 69, of Jacksonville, Fla.,

April 5, 2020. She was one of the first three African American students to enroll at Centre. She had been a high school teacher, a customer relations officer with Chicago’s Continental Bank, director of development for the Chicago Urban League, and director of the United Way before retiring in 2008. Survivors include a brother, Paul Cross.

died July 18, 2020. He was a pastor for 20 years, seminary professor for another 20 years, and hospice chaplain for more than 30 years. He was known for his theological knowledge and ability to explain the Bible in ways that inspired others to study its teachings on their own. Survivors include his wife of 41 years, Rosalyn Kendall; his mother, Lorraine Kendall; his children, Robert Kendall, James Kendall, Daniel Kendall, Catherine Kendall, Aaron Kendall, Anna Rowley, and Grace Young; three brothers; and 21 grandchildren. Charles S. Vose, 69, of Lexington, Ky., died July 29, 2020. He was a dentist who practiced across Central Kentucky as well as a stint in Saudi Arabia. Survivors include his wife, Sheila Vose; his two daughters, Julie Vose Spittler and Lucy Vose; siblings, Bill

Pace, Mary Pat Stull Smith, Judy Stull Halbrooks; four stepchildren, Paige Davis, John Patterson ’07, Addie Courtney, and Kasey Thompson; and five grandchildren.

1989

Michael W. Hail, 53, of Somerset, Ky., died Aug. 6, 2020. He was a professor of government at Morehead State University and chair of the Somerset Independent School System board of education. He was also on the board of the Somerset Housing Authority. He was on the board of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, having just been re-appointed by President Trump. He was on the vestry of St. Patrick Episcopal Church. Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Charlotte Beck Hail ’91; his mother, Doris Burton; and his children, Sarah Hail ’22 and Michael Hail.

1991

Tamara Lin Cox Bennett, 50, of Seattle, Wash., died Feb. 27, 2020, after a threeyear battle with breast cancer. She earned an M.B.A. from the University of South Carolina. She enjoyed traveling, hiking, camping, paddle boarding, snowboarding, and running. Survivors include her husband, Andrew Bennett; two children, Allison Bennett and Zachary Bennett; her parents, Douglas and Daphine Cox; two sisters, Tracey Gaslin and Teryl Cox Snow ’90; and a brother, Travis Cox ’87.

1993

Lon Bouldin, 49, of Nashville died Feb. 12, 2019. He worked in public relations in New York and Nashville, most recently with the Nashville Downtown Partnership promoting the visual arts community. He was director of the FirstBank First Saturday Art Crawl and a longtime supporter of the arts. Survivors include his mother, Clay Bouldin, and brothers Rand Bouldin and Tinnin Bouldin.

FORMER FACULTY AND STAFF

Marlene Cocanougher, 72, of Stanford, Ky., died July 2, 2020. She was a custodian and retired in February of 2015 after almost nine years with the College. Anthony T. McDonald, 70, of Columbus, Ohio,

died Aug. 9, 2020. He was an associate professor of music at Centre 1990-93. A composer, arranger, conductor, and musician, he held a Doctor of Musical Arts from Stanford University and a B.A. from California State University in Los Angeles.

IN MEMORIAM

William Clayton “Bill” Sagar, 91, of Danville died Nov. 6, 2020. A native of Ohio, he graduated from Capital College in Columbus, then earned master’s and doctoral degrees in organic chemistry at Ohio State University. He married his wife, Dorothy, who survives him, on Feb. 14, 1953. They lived in Baton Rouge, La., when he was a chemist for the Ethyl Corporation. In 1961, he joined the Centre chemistry faculty, where he taught full time for 32 years. He was chair of the sciences and mathematics division 197279 and named Matton Professor of Chemistry in 1981. In 1988, Centre’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa named him an honorary member. Although he retired in 1993, he continued to teach part time off and on until 2006. In addition, he was a deacon and elder in Danville’s Presbyterian Church and helped establish the Habitat for Humanity chapter in

Bill Sagar teaching

Danville. His family recalls that throughout his life he loved building things. Keith Dunn, who taught chemistry at Centre in the 1990s and 2000s, remembers him as a good friend and mentor. “Bill was a scientist by training, but everything he did focused on the betterment of people on a personal level,” says Dunn, who has been provost and dean at Millsaps College since leaving Centre in 2011. “Perhaps more than anything else, Bill demonstrated a singular focus on students and their success that I still use as a model in my professional life.” An attentive and motivating professor, Sagar had at least one former student dedicate a chemistry text to him. “Dr. Sagar sought to inspire in all of us a belief in our abilities, and he connected with us personally, showing that he cared about us and that we belonged in that distinct group known as ‘chemist,’” says

Dorothy and Bill Sagar when they retired from Centre in 1993

Linda C. Hodges ’72, who became a chemistry professor and now is an administrator at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. “Dr. Bill Sagar embodied all that is so special about Centre.” Marshall Wilt ’64 remembers Sagar both when he was Sagar’s student and later as a fellow professor. “I knew Bill Sagar as a student in his first 100-level chemistry class at Centre, and beginning in 1967 as a faculty colleague,” says Wilt, who taught physics at Centre for 38 years. “I remember him as a kind, wonderful man dedicated to his students. His professional love was organic chemistry, which he related from memory while rapidly writing various structures left-handedly on the blackboard. With his right hand he was equally proficient with an eraser.” Joe Workman, who filled the chemistry slot after Sagar’s retirement, recalls above all his genuine helpfulness to the new guy. “When I arrived at Centre in August 1993 and started preparing my courses, Bill dropped off all his notes and lab manuals and showed me where everything was in the lab. He was very clear, though, that

I was in charge and that there was no need to follow anything that he had done. He wanted me to find my own place in the chemistry program and to determine the best way to teach organic chemistry.” Preston Miles ’70, who like Sagar started his chemistry career in industrial research, remembers Sagar’s helpful professional advice, especially on the differences between industry and academe. “Bill coached me through the transition from the research and development culture and priorities and helped me learn the folkways and traditions of an academic setting,” says Miles. “He gave me a little encouragement for some innovation in research projects and course curricula—and a gentle ‘whoa’ a few times.” Miles also cites Sagar’s role in the ongoing chemistry croquet tradition, which began with Sagar and his research students in 1963. In addition to his wife of 67 years, Sagar’s survivors include two daughters, Victoria Sagar and Christina Hagburg; a son, Thomas A. Sagar; a brother, Thomas Sagar; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. —D.F.J.

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

ENDPIECE

Embrace Retirement— and Volunteerism By Mike Leising ’75

There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It is called retirement. I learned about retirement from my dad—a career machinist who never made a lot of money (thank goodness I qualified for financial aid at Centre). He always looked forward to retiring so he could work in his garden, assist more with my handicapped sister, and volunteer. He retired at 65 and volunteered at the local nursing home for more than 20 years. During my career as teacher, coach, and principal, I did not foresee retiring at age 50. Your gut feeling will tell you when it’s time to pull the trigger. Many folks in our generation are apprehensive about retirement, citing boredom as a primary reason. What will you do if you get bored? You will find something to do.

Or something will find you. After retiring in 2004, I worked part time in the Kentucky Leadership Academy mentoring young school administrators. Then I began an eight-year stint as a part-time director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment at Silver Grove, at the time the smallest K-12 public school district in Kentucky. This worked out well for the school and for me. Most important, this is where my volunteering began. They needed a public address announcer for the basketball games. I had done many jobs related to athletics but never announcing—so I volunteered. I found I really liked helping out no matter the job. I always enjoyed crossing paths with Centre graduates along the way. Dr. Ben T. Feese ’59 was a regular attendee at the football

Jon Van Dyke (in hat) and Mike Leising ’75 (right) after a Sunset Sing-Along performance. They were able to give their final concert in March just before COVID-19 shut everything down. Although the beach walks have slowly resumed, the sing-alongs probably will not until vaccines are widespread.

Centrepiece Fall/Winter 2020

games at Centre and was also my science professor. One morning I attended a help session at his office. After a brief conversation assessing my knowledge, he said, “Mike, you play football don’t you?” “Yes, sir, and I see you at the games standing in the top row.” “You probably know what all the players are supposed to be doing.” I nodded. “I just see players running all over the place,” he said. “That’s how chemistry is for you, isn’t it?” Finally someone understood! I must also thank my coaches Steele Harmon ’57, Herb McGuire ’57, Briscoe Inman ’49, and Sig Lawson, each of whom helped me develop my leadership skills by giving me opportunities to learn from my mistakes and the confidence to build upon my successes. After moving to Florida, I read that Lee County Parks and Recreation needed volunteers to sit at the beach and answer visitor questions. This was in my wheelhouse! Beach volunteering led to assisting with “Life Along the Shore” nature walks. Volunteering has given me the background necessary to become an interpretive naturalist—I am sure Dr. Feese would be both impressed and flabbergasted. I also volunteer at kids’ events for Christmas and Easter. Eventually, I created the “Sunset Sing-Along” at my favorite beach, where we lead the singing of Beatles, Motown, Everly Brothers, and other classic hits—now for six years and count-

ing. The sing-along is all acoustic—no wires, no microphones, and home by dark. Each week my disclaimer is: “As you can tell we are not professional musicians, but we volunteer enough hours to earn a free parking sticker at the beach!” One of the many things I learned by attending Centre is “if you dream it, you can make it a reality.”

“Volunteerism is one way to meet good people, help out where needed, and continue to make our lives valuable and rewarding.” Mike Leising ’75

Our careers generate a lot of knowledge and experience. Some companies will even let you stay on with a schedule that allows you to be more involved with volunteer activities. After our careers conclude, mentoring, working part time, sharing what we have learned over the years, learning to play a musical instrument, and writing that book are all great retirement activities. Volunteerism is one way to meet good people, help out where needed, and continue to make our lives valuable and rewarding. Mike Leising ’75 is a retired teacher, coach, and principal who permanently retired and moved to Fort Myers, Fla., in 2015.

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