Centralight, Central Michigan University Alumni Magazine, Summer 2021 by Central Michigan University

Centralight CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY | ALUMNI MAGAZINE

LEARNING

TO LEAD

CMU alumni, faculty, staff and students adapt and innovate in the face of a global pandemic

SUMMER 2021

Centralight SUMMER 2021

Features On the cover

Three brand-new CMU alumni celebrate after spring graduation. Commencement looked different again this year, but campus remains a gorgeous backdrop. PHOTO BY ADAM

President Bob Davies shares an update on the ways CMU is innovating to adapt to the changing needs of students and stakeholders.

Teachers have had to relearn and rethink the way they reach their students during the coronavirus pandemic.

CMU’s strategic path forward

SPARKES

An exciting update The Chippewa Champions Center will enhance CMU’s ability to attract the next generation of CMU Chippewas, develop current students and provide opportunities for the entire university community.

A seismic shift in schooling

Centralight Summer ’21

Editor’s note Some of the photos in this issue were taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and, as a result, don’t reflect current social distancing and masking requirements.

Executive Editor and Executive Director of Alumni Relations Marcie Otteman, ’87 Editor

Betsy Miner-Swartz, ’86 Managing Editor

Robin Miner-Swartz Visual Media Director Amy White Graphic Designer Erin Rivard, ’07, MBA ’16

Photographer Adam Sparkes

Big Picture

Writers

Terri Finch Hamilton, ’83 Andrea Mestdagh, ’06 Kate Worster Research Associate Bryan Whitledge Editorial Assistant Jean Rau Vice President for Advancement Heidi Tracy Vice President for University Communications and Chief Marketing Officer John Veilleux For advertising information Call Cindy Jacobs, ’93 (800) 358-6903

Stay connected The show must go on, even in a pandemic. The University Theatre Dance Company delivered a virtual performance for fans this spring.

Send change of address information to: Alumni Relations Carlin Alumni House Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 Phone: (800) 358-6903 Fax: (989) 774-7159

Departments 6 CMU Today Read about the many ways faculty, staff and students are innovating and leading through the pandemic. 29 Alumni Association Board of Directors

Email: alumni@cmich.edu Web: cmich.edu/alumni/Centralight

30 Alumni News Detroit institutions honor the late Marlowe Stoudamire. 35 In Memory 40 Do You Remember

Centralight is published three times each year by the Central Michigan University Office of Alumni Relations. It is printed by Printing Services, Mount Pleasant, and entered at the Mount Pleasant Post Office under nonprofit mailing. CMU, an AA/EO institution, provides equal opportunity to all persons, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities (see cmich.edu/ocrie). Copies of Centralight are distributed to alumni and friends of the university who are paid Gold Members or donors to CMU. A virtual edition of the magazine is available free online at alumni.cmich.edu/centralight. UComm 10348–24,000+ (5/21)

Centralight Summer Summer’21’21 Centralight

YOUR GOLDEN

OPPORTUNITY Become a Gold Member, and receive over 60,000 benefits

CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity for all individuals, irrespective of gender identity or sexual orientation and including but not limited to minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities. 10129 (5/21)

www.cmich.edu/alumni

Our connections remain central In-person or virtual, our CMU network is meaningful, helpful and essential The past year has shown us how much our connections with others truly mean.

Marcie Otteman, ’87, Executive Director of Alumni Relations

Stay Fired Up Connect with CMU alumni at upcoming Alumni Association events across the country! Find the complete schedule of virtual, online opportunities here:

https://cmich.ly/3aVgowW

When the coronavirus pandemic’s quarantine began in March 2020 and we were quickly pivoting all our events to an online platform, we asked ourselves again and again: How do we maintain our connections while being physically distant from one another?

Turns out, we are pretty adaptable humans. We learned to use new technologies, we figured out how to turn video on and off, we talked without being on mute (most of the time) and we continued to connect with each other. We also know — even as we see vaccine distribution become widespread, paving the way for safe gatherings once again (hopefully in the near future) — that our virtual connections will not go away. In fact, if anything, we expect our virtual activities will continue and even enhance the way we do business and socialize moving forward. To that end, we are excited to partner with our colleagues in the Career Development Center to offer a new platform this fall for our alumni and students. It’s called Central Connections, and it’s an online mentoring platform that will allow students to engage with a mentor and with alumni to connect one-on-one in a professional space. Designed to help users develop and enhance their job seeking skills, career preparation and professional networks, Central Connections will provide real-world opportunities to network with the CMU family. Be on the lookout for more information in the weeks ahead. A year ago, we sadly decided to pull the plug on publishing our Summer 2020 issue in light of the pandemic. It felt unfair to talk about all the positive things we were doing in the face of so much anxiety and uncertainty. Now, a year later, it feels good to share the important work your university has done to get us here. It’s been a long year, but we are stronger because we’ve been through it together.

Add the app CMU Alumni: Fire Up Chips is a free mobile application from the CMU Alumni Association. It keeps you updated on alumni events, news and networking opportunities on your mobile device wherever you are. Download it for free in the App Store and Google Play.

Get social Follow our activities and updates on your favorite social channels: FACEBOOK facebook.com/cmualum TWITTER @cmualumni INSTAGRAM @cmichalumni YOUTUBE youtube.com/user/cmichalumni LINKEDIN Central Michigan University – Alumni

Stay safe, and I hope to see you soon — in person or online,

Centralight Summer ’21

CMU’s strategic path forward Recently, it has become impossible to follow the news without hearing mournful information about the state of higher education in our nation. Each President Bob Davies week, there are headlines about declining enrollment trends, new financial worries as a result of COVID-19 and other challenges. Some colleges and universities are facing tough choices; many have been forced to downsize significantly, some have merged and still others have closed their doors. Like most colleges and universities, Central Michigan University is faced with a choice. We must decide whether to continue to do what we have always done and risk obsolescence, or we must innovate and adapt to the changing needs of our students and stakeholders, ensuring our rigor, relevance and excellence for the future.

We are rethinking what our university can and should be. As our alumni should expect, we have chosen the latter option. We remain Fired Up about our essential threefold mission of teaching, research and service, and we will take the necessary steps to move forward. We are rethinking what our university can and should be. In 2019, we launched CMU’s Strategic Envisioning Process to position ourselves for success in 2030 and beyond. Now, we

Centralight Centralight Summer Summer ’21’21

must prepare for success this year and in every year moving forward. As a result, we are focusing our efforts on five strategic pathways, led by working groups of faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners. You can learn more about the pathways and our efforts by visiting CMU’s Strategic Envisioning Process website. As I mentioned in the 2021 State of the University address, we also are pursuing three overarching goals that will have tremendous, long-lasting positive impact for our university community. Our goals are to establish and promote our unique brand identity, to significantly increase and equalize degree attainment, and to reimagine what it means to be a student at Central Michigan University. We must help students, families and other stakeholders understand what makes our university special — our “brand identity.” Instead of comparing ourselves to our competitors, we need to showcase what makes us unique: our emphasis on leadership; the personalized path to degree attainment that we offer students; our supportive environment and focus on deep mentoring relationships between and among students, faculty and staff; and the creative, hands-on learning and research opportunities we provide to students both in and outside of the classroom. We have set a goal to significantly increase and equalize degree attainment rates. Nationally, about 40% of undergraduate students drop out before they complete their college degrees. That figure is even higher among students of color. If some of our most talented and hardest-working students are unable to persist to commencement, we are not meeting our most fundamental mission: to educate and graduate future leaders. Therefore, we are investing in interventions to help students remain on the path to degree attainment, including

proactive academic advising and career counseling, expanded need-based financial aid, increased mentoring opportunities and scholarships to help students most at risk for dropping out.

We must innovate and adapt to the changing needs of our students and stakeholders, ensuring our rigor, relevance and excellence for the future. And we are redefining what it means to be a student at CMU. For a variety of reasons, students may not wish to — or be able to — attend classes on our Mount Pleasant campus during what might be considered “regular” school hours. We must meet students where they are — geographically and in their life journey. This means expanding offerings in our centers in cities such as Detroit and on military bases, increasing opportunities to engage in classes online using technologies such as HyFlex, and partnering with employers and organizations to offer more options for lifelong learners. As we pursue these goals, and as we move forward with our Strategic Envisioning Process, we also are continuing our vital work on diversity, equity and inclusion at CMU. We are known as a welcoming community,

and we must ensure that we cultivate and maintain a living, learning and working environment that supports and is inclusive of every individual we serve — including our students, faculty, staff and alumni. Institutions of higher education are historically slow to change; the nature and structure of universities is to engage in a lengthy deliberative process before making even the smallest of adjustments to our operations. However, our response to the global pandemic has proven that we have the capacity to move swiftly, to be nimble and quick in our response to crisis, and we will employ this ability as we pursue our strategic goals and initiatives. Please know that adapting doesn’t mean changing everything our alumni, students, faculty and staff have come to love about CMU. There are many things that will remain the same, such as our caring, compassionate culture that encourages us to lift each other up. We will continue to focus on meeting the needs of communities in Michigan and beyond. And, above all else, we remain Fired Up to graduate intelligent, compassionate, hardworking leaders who make a positive difference in the communities where they live and work — leaders like you.

CMU emphasizes learning by doing, offering undergraduate students remarkable opportunities to engage in hands-on, real-world research.

We must identify and remove the obstacles that may prevent students from earning their CMU degree.

Ways to

CONNECT with President Davies: FACEBOOK facebook.com/cmichprez TWITTER @cmichprez INSTAGRAM @cmichprez BLOG blogs.cmich.edu/cmichprez STRATEGIC ENVISIONING PROCESS https://cmich.ly/3hJMm0l

Not every CMU student chooses to, or is able to, attend classes on our Mount Pleasant campus. We must meet them where they are — geographically and in life.

Centralight Summer ’21 5 Centralight Summer ’21 5

CMU TODAY INNOVATING AND LEADING through a global pandemic

CMU perseveres through one year of COVID-19 CMU Chippewas have faced one of the biggest obstacles this world has seen in 100 years: COVID-19. It’s changed life for everyone across the globe and within our university community, from how students take classes and conduct research to how faculty and staff interact. In times of change, we innovate. The past year has pushed us to move outside our comfort zones and find new ways to lead and lift each other up.

We’re proud to highlight how our students, faculty and staff have persevered through challenges over the past year, supporting each other and making a difference in our community, state and beyond along the way. Here is a glimpse into CMU’s perseverance and leadership in the face of COVID-19. Read the complete stories online and find more coverage at https://cmich.ly/3tcqlgt. •

Stepping up in a time of crisis As the pandemic and uncertainty around it unfolded, students, faculty and staff found ways to step up and help others, from working at testing sites to volunteering at hospitals. CMU Chippewas have ensured those working hard on the front lines are taken care of, too, by offering psychiatric support to physicians. Researchers haven’t stopped either. Faculty have shared groundbreaking information about comorbidities and how COVID-19 can affect patients with certain diseases; they’ve helped create new ways of detecting COVID-19, allowing people to quarantine sooner and slow the spread. •

Overcoming and adapting When the entire world shuts down, it can be hard to stay connected. But CMU Chippewas come to every situation with a Fired-Up attitude, and COVID-19 was no different. The School of Music continued playing outside; University Theatre performances went virtual; faculty created reusable masks with the Makerbot 3D printing lab, and students shared their reasons to Fire Up, Mask Up. CMU Chippewas everywhere tackled remote internships and held camps and classes virtually. • 6

Centralight Summer ’21

Moving forward

Impacting the future

In times of crisis, we look to our leaders. Our students are on the front lines, administering vaccines to eligible community members with the Central Michigan District Health Department. Faculty and staff have helped create a surveillance testing network, so we can know where outbreaks are happening sooner. As it became too dangerous for older community members to leave their houses, our students took health care to them in a safe and socially distanced environment. •

Our community of doers has gone above and beyond the actual virus and disease it spreads. Alumni have used the skills they learned at CMU to create virtual classrooms and led the way to a Super Bowl gameday like no other. They came together to support current students, surpassing Giving Tuesday fundraising goals by more than $100K because they know the value of a CMU education. Our students and faculty created transport medium, a liquid to help in the COVID-19 testing process. They found new ways to make masks that meet high filtration standards. And when an historic flood hit a nearby community, our students stepped up to help them, too. CMU Chippewas lead every day. We have taken the past year as a challenge to step up and help others. And we’ll continue to find new ways to help, because that’s what We Do. •

the road to administer vaccines to vulnerable Michiganders.

Vaccines hit the road University’s Mobile Health Clinic takes doses to rural Michigan communities One year since the first coronavirus case was reported in Michigan and just one week after administering the first vaccination at a university-run clinic on its campus in Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University hit

Students, faculty and staff from The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions at CMU took the Mobile Health Central vehicle to two rural Michigan communities — St. Louis and Edmore — to administer vaccinations to residents. Through the partnership with the Mid-Michigan District Health Department, more than 100 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine were administered to vulnerable people age 60 and older. “Rural areas pose unique challenges for Michiganders to get their COVID-19 vaccinations,” said Helen Lee, Mobile

Health Central’s coordinator of community outreach. “This partnership with the MMDHD minimizes transportation barriers by going to the people.” While the goal of the mobile clinics is to protect the health and well-being of people living outside of the more populated areas of central Michigan, it also is an outstanding learning opportunity for future health care professionals. “This COVID-19 vaccination clinic is the ideal interprofessional education and practice endeavor for our students,” Lee said. “Various health professions programs came together as a team to administer COVID-19 vaccines to community members.” • Centralight Summer ’21

CMU TODAY Leading the way in COVID-19 research for children $1.5M in federal grants awarded to diagnose and manage severe illness Pediatrics professors in CMU’s College of Medicine are using saliva samples to research a method to fundamentally change the diagnosis and management of severe COVID-19 related illness in children. The study is one of only eight in the nation funded by the National Institutes for Health to develop approaches for identifying children at high risk for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a rare and severe after-effect of COVID-19 or exposure to the virus that causes it. Dr. Usha Sethuraman, co-principal investigator, professor of pediatrics at the CMU College of Medicine, and University Pediatricians emergency department

physician at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, and her team are studying the role of salivary biomarkers known as miRNA, cytokines (indicators of inflammation), plus Artificial Intelligence to develop a predictive model of severe COVID-19 disease. “If proven effective, this will be a gamechanger because this model could be used in health care settings to identify those children most likely to develop severe COVID-19 related disease,” Sethuraman said. “University Pediatricians serves the

inner-city population of Detroit, one of the areas hit the hardest by COVID-19 in Michigan. We have an opportunity to dramatically improve the care and long-term outcomes of these children.” While COVID-19 has impacted adults more than children, MIS-C does occur in children exposed to COVID-19. More than 1,500 children in the U.S. have developed MIS-C, and some have required critical care. In severe cases, MIS-C has caused heart dysfunctions with long-term implications. •

A truly global classroom CMU students virtually connect and learn with refugees Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, CMU political science faculty member Prakash Adhikari took his classes to refugee resettlement agencies in Grand Rapids and Detroit to provide students with a real-world experience of meeting and speaking to newly resettled refugees. When COVID-19 forced the shift of classes online and to HyFlex last year, Adhikari saw a unique opportunity to give students a chance to truly go global through interactions with refugees around the world. “Since (traveling to refugee resettlement agencies) was no longer an option, I sought an opportunity to open my classes to those experiencing forced displacement around the world,” he said. Adhikari worked with Emily Worline, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Refugee Outreach Collective, to create a real-world experience by developing an innovative program called Global Classroom where CMU students would learn alongside refugees, virtually.

Centralight Summer ’21

Global Classroom participants in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp celebrating their accomplishments.

During the fall 2020 semester, CMU students from two of Adhikari’s classes connected, learned and studied with people in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi, Africa. Sponsored by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Dzaleka is a political prison and has become an impoverished city-space of approximately 40,000 people who fled conflict primarily from the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to fear of persecution. •

CMU continues to lead in Great Lakes research Students, faculty advance vital preservation efforts through a third $10M federal grant Central Michigan University faculty and students will continue to lead vital Great Lakes wetlands research, thanks to a third $10 million grant awarded to by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Through the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, CMU will advance its important research on the health of plants, animals and water quality in approximately 1,000 Great Lakes coastal wetlands for another five years. This funding follows a $10 million grant in 2010 and another $10 million grant in 2015. “It’s crucial that this wetlands research continue long-term,” said Donald Uzarski, director of CMU’s Institute for Great Lakes Research and the Biological Station on Beaver Island. “The goal in the first place was not only to measure the current conditions of these wetlands, but to look at trends over time, so we can be proactive rather than reactive.” Hundreds of government and

environmental groups in the U.S. and Canada have requested data from the wetlands monitoring program, said Uzarski, leader of the wetlands program. They use the data to act appropriately, making decisions and enacting programs to protect and restore coastal wetlands.

“Students who work on this project are very sought after for state and federal government job positions,” he said. “Agencies are using these data, so they need people who understand it.”

The research includes taking water samples and examining fish and wildlife. It covers more than 10,000 miles of shoreline in the U.S. and Canada, helping top scientists in wetland ecology, several other universities, and state and federal agencies.

The ongoing EPA funding is a big boost for CMU, said David Weindorf, the university’s vice president for research and innovation.

Key work happens at CMU’s Biological Station on Beaver Island, where student researchers spend summers on boats and in waders, testing water chemistry, and getting up close and personal with fish, birds and turtles. “These data might tell us that one coastal wetland site has a huge invasive species issue,” Uzarski said. “Another site might be one of the best that we have, and nobody should be doing any management there except protecting it.” The benefit of coastal wetlands health is “big picture stuff,” Uzarski said, from the huge economic impact that comes from these water systems being intact to ensuring quality drinking water. Uzarski said many students also are fired up to join the research effort.

Setting the leadership standard

“The fact that the EPA continues to award CMU grants at this level reflects our cutting-edge research,” Weindorf said. “We have people right here at CMU who continue to publish in the best scientific journals in the world. It sets us apart that we’re in this unique position to do this work with the Biological Station on Beaver Island and a strong network of partnering universities.” Weindorf said the wetlands research aligns with several of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals for the world: protecting life below water, and life on land, and ensuring clean water for all. “We’re doing that right here at CMU,” Weindorf said. “When we continue to get big grants like this to work on important projects, it strengthens CMU’s reputation as a university addressing issues of national importance. Here, big things are possible.” •

Centralight Summer ’21

CMU TODAY CMU College of Medicine celebrates successful Match Day 2021 graduates accepted to esteemed programs On March 19, thousands of fourth-year medical students across the United States and around the world — including the 2021 class at CMU — participated in Match Day, learning where they will continue their training as resident physicians for the next three to seven years. “We’re proud of our how well our students matched this year,” said Tina Thompson, senior associate dean of academic affairs at the CMU College of Medicine. “They completed medical school during a pandemic, they volunteered their time in testing and vaccination clinics, and they proved themselves to be highly resilient. Some of most prestigious programs in the country chose them to join their ranks.” Nearly half the class — 47% — will remain in Michigan. In all, 90 students from the College of Medicine participated in the match process this year. Sixty-one percent of CMU medical students matched to primary care residencies — internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, combined internal medicine and pediatrics, psychology, obstetrics and general surgery — fulfilling the college’s mission to train culturally competent physicians to provide health care to underserved populations in Michigan and beyond. •

CMU alumna named university’s next chief diversity officer Shawna Patterson-Stephens brings passion and vision to the role Following a nationwide search, CMU President Bob Davies announced the hiring of alumna Shawna Patterson-Stephens as the university’s vice president and chief diversity officer. Patterson-Stephens, ’03, began her new role at CMU June 1. “The future of diversity, equity and inclusion at Central Michigan University is bright knowing we will have Dr. PattersonStephens at the helm,” Davies said. “Her 10

Centralight Summer ’21

CMU is home to Michigan’s only 3D ear scanner Advanced Otoscan technology provides students a hands-on experience Audiology doctoral student Karli Didion gently places the Natus Otoscan sensor in a patient’s ear canal as a 3D image begins to appear on the computer screen. CMU’s Otoscan, a 3D ear scanner, is the only one of its kind in Michigan. “Many audiologists are still creating ear impressions with a silicone material, which can create an uncomfortable experience for the patient,” Didion, a native of Greenville, said. “Having an opportunity to learn and use this device as part of my studies puts me at the forefront of the latest technology and, at the same time, provides more comfortable care for patients.” The Otoscan is used to create custom in-ear pieces for patients, including hearing aids, earmolds, swim plugs and musicians monitors. CMU purchased the device and began using it during the spring semester of 2019. The advanced technology of the Otoscan device sets the university’s audiology program apart in the state. •

background, skills and vision are exactly what we need to advance our ambitious goals. I am thrilled to welcome her back to CMU.” Patterson-Stephens earned her bachelor’s degree from CMU, a master’s degree in student affairs administration from Michigan State and a doctorate in higher education from Florida State. Most recently, she was associate vice chancellor of student affairs and director of the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“I am beyond honored to be entrusted with this tremendous opportunity and responsibility,” Patterson-Stephens said. “Central Michigan University has grown so much since my tenure as an undergraduate student, and I am profoundly grateful to be able to contribute towards the cultivation of an engaging, pluralistic learning environment.” Patterson-Stephens will play a key role in advancing the university’s goal to become a more inclusive institution. She is responsible for developing and implementing a plan to further a diverse and welcoming environment for all students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. •

Veteran coach selected to lead CMU Men’s Basketball Impressive resume includes time at Kentucky, Auburn and UTEP Amy Folan, Zyzelewski Family Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics, announced Tony Barbee has been named the 21st head basketball coach in program history. Barbee comes to CMU from Kentucky where he has spent the past seven seasons as a member of John Calipari’s staff. Barbee’s career includes head coaching experience at both Auburn and University of Texas at El Paso. At UTEP, he was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year after leading the Miners to a conference regular-season title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010. “Coach Barbee met all the criteria we had to find the right individual to re-energize our men’s basketball program and get us back to competing for championships,” Folan said. “He is a proven championship-caliber head coach, an elite recruiter who is well-versed in the national landscape and has a strong background in providing a great student-athlete experience on and

off the court. I think the responsibility that Coach John Calipari gave Tony to help run the Kentucky program speaks volumes.” During his time at Kentucky, Barbee was associate to the head coach (2020-21), assistant coach (2015-20) and special assistant to the head coach (2014-15). He helped Kentucky win four Southeastern Conference regular-season championships and four SEC Tournament titles, and the Wildcats made five NCAA Tournament appearances including a Final Four berth in 2015. Barbee also helped the Wildcats secure a top-three nationally ranked recruiting class every season he was with the program, including the nation’s top class in 2016, 2017 and 2020. He coached 13 NBA Draft selections at Kentucky, including 10 first-round picks and eight players taken in the lottery. “During the interview process, Coach Barbee demonstrated his commitment to CMU student-athletes being students first — that competing and winning is important, but that we must also maintain an emphasis on academic success. He shares our goal of seeing studentathletes with a championship ring on one hand and a diploma in the other,” CMU

CMU Medical Education Partners announces new pediatric residency Program will alleviate speciality shortage in central Michigan Health care for children in the Great Lakes Bay Region will soon be more available as Central Michigan University Medical Education Partners establishes a pediatrics residency program that will reduce the region’s pediatrician shortage. CMU Partners anticipates the program will welcome residents in July 2022. “We are pleased to launch this program with Covenant HealthCare, an established partner of Central Michigan University and the region’s leader in pediatric services,” said Dr. Samuel Shaheen, executive director of CMU Medical Education Partners. “The residency program will create outstanding learning opportunities and

expand an already significant array of specialty services to include pediatric neurology, endocrinology and infectious disease, allowing more families to receive first-class care close to home.” The new residency program exemplifies the synergies between CMU and regional communities to meet the population’s critical health care needs. CMU residents and medical students will benefit from the program’s learning opportunities. In addition, the program brings more than $1 million in graduate education funding from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services into the community.

President Bob Davies said. “I’m humbled and excited to be the next head coach at Central Michigan University,” Barbee said. “We are going to build a championship-level program and play an exciting style that will be fun for the fans and the players.” The Indianapolis native earned a bachelor of arts in sports management and a minor in African-American studies from UMass. He played professionally in Spain and France before turning to coaching. •

“Expanding medical education is a strategic investment in the improvement of human health in our communities,” said Dr. George E. Kikano, CMU vice president for health affairs and dean of the CMU College of Medicine. “Because the majority of physicians remain in the area where they conducted their residency, we are addressing the region’s short- and long-term need for pediatricians.” Covenant HealthCare is a part of CMU Medical Education Partners, the nonprofit entity that oversees the CMU College of Medicine’s residency programs in Saginaw. “As the major provider of pediatric care in the Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond, Covenant HealthCare is excited to be working with CMU’s College of Medicine to bring a new pediatric residency to Saginaw,” said Dr. Michael Sullivan, Covenant’s chief medical officer. “This new academic program will certainly enhance the extraordinary care provided to the children we serve and their families.” • Centralight Summer ’21

A seismic shift

IN SCHOOLING Teachers lean on their CMU experience to help students navigate educational challenges of the pandemic BY TERRI FINCH HAMILTON ’83

If you listen closely, you can hear educators everywhere sighing. It’s been a rough year. Central grads have been leading the way on education’s front lines, from an Indian reservation in South Dakota to a special education program in northern Michigan to a kitchen-table classroom twinkling with fairy lights. They’re bolstering the most challenged students, despite frustrating obstacles. Thank goodness for worry beads, cell phone signal boosters and the daysaving humor of sixth graders.

Centralight Summer ’21

‘How do you teach our culture through technology?’ When Melissa Isaac feels stressed, she finds a powwow. “I feel renewed hearing the songs, smelling the fires and the sage, dancing and praying,” said Isaac, ’06, M.S.A. ’15, director of education for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan.

“It’s been tough,” she said. Out in Batesland, South Dakota, Tony Fairbanks, ’82, gets it. Like Isaac, his life is steeped in rich tribal culture. He’s superintendent of the Oglala Lakota County School District and works to help the 2,000 students there appreciate and celebrate the culture he grew up with living on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota.

“But suddenly, all of that stopped.”

“This has been tough,” Fairbanks said. “How do you do a virtual powwow?”

The celebratory gatherings of dancing and singing aren’t safe in COVID-19 times.

These two educators live and work more than 1,000 miles apart, but they’ve

CMU’s College of Education and Human Services includes a number of faculty who teach and work virtually. When schools closed because of the pandemic, the college reacted quickly and posted a series of virtual workshops, sharing strategies for teaching in a virtual classroom just four days later. More than 200 CMU alumni teachers tuned in.

each spent the past year on the same mission — educating at-risk youngsters during a global pandemic, navigating technology challenges, cultural sensitivities and their own stress.

May 2020. Then, in February of this year, Whitmer appointed Isaac to the Student Recovery Advisory Council, tasked with helping Michigan students and educators overcome pandemic-related obstacles.

“People looked to us for stability,” said Isaac, who also is director of education at Saginaw Chippewa Academy, a private K-12 school in Mount Pleasant. “Schools play such a big part in the community.”

Meanwhile, at the Saginaw Chippewa Academy, Isaac and her staff faced a bigger technology challenge than most schools as they switched to remote learning.

As Isaac helped her teaching staff navigate the new reality of remote education, she was also lending her insight and expertise to the state level. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed Isaac to the Return to School Advisory Council in

“Our school is hands-on and projectbased when teaching our culture,” she said. “No Smart Boards or Chromebooks. That’s not how we teach.” A pressing issue: “How do you teach our culture through technology?” she said.

“It’s something we never did. A lot of our ways are sacred. Is it OK to share it for anybody to see? Our culture team had to get creative.” Teachers taught native culture through live puppet shows that weren’t recorded, to keep the lessons private. “There are a few kids who say, ‘Technology is my jam,’ but they’re the minority,” Isaac said. “Most of our kids need to be in the classroom to be successful.” She experienced that on a personal level, too. She and her husband have four children. >

Centralight Summer ’21

“People looked to us for stability,” said Melissa Isaac, ’06, M.S.A. ’15, director of education for both the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan and the Saginaw Chippewa Academy, a private K-12 school in Mount Pleasant. “Schools play such a big part in the community.” 14 14

Centralight Centralight Summer Summer’21 ’21

“Families and teachers are all doing the best we can,” Isaac said. “Meanwhile, we all know someone who has passed away from COVID.” American Indians have experienced disproportionate rates of infection and death during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Isaac said she was more conservative than many other school administrators about returning to in-person education. “If we had experienced an outbreak, that would be devastating to our population,” she said. “I didn’t want that on my shoulders.”

An upbeat, optimistic guy, Fairbanks talks a lot about “embracing challenges” and bolstering students.

“When I walked out of CMU with my degrees, I felt confident to face the world.”

“A key element, no matter where you are, is adapting to change,” Fairbanks said.

Fairbanks made the most of his time at Central, he said, including a football career that included two MAC championships.

He loved discovering that CMU President Bob Davies said the same thing in his State of the University address in March. “That really struck me,” Fairbanks said. “I even wrote it down.” Looking for the positive Isaac mused about the positive things that have come from the pandemic, even amid the devastation. “In our culture, when something like this happens, you’re supposed to learn from it,” she said of the virus. “It’s here to teach us something. “When the world shut down, what did the land do? It rejuvenated itself. It’s made us spend more time with our families. We got to know our kids better, our spouses and partners better.” People also started talking about mental health more.

Tony Fairbanks (left), ’82, has led his South Dakota school district through significant pandemic-fueled challenges.

“I’m hoping it helps end the stigma, so we have a healthier nation of people as a result,” she said.

‘A key element is adapting to change’

Mental health is a key issue for Isaac. She secured a grant to provide five additional mental health counselors for Mount Pleasant Public Schools during the pandemic, part of a partnership between the district and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.

Out in South Dakota, Fairbanks has had his hands full, too. When he first heard about the coronavirus at an out-of-town meeting, he had to look it up. “I had heard a bit about it on the news,” he said. “I thought, ‘We’re in South Dakota. Maybe it won’t come here.’ “Then, it came fast. We had to come up with an alternate form of education. We literally did it overnight.” His school district encompasses the 2,000-square-mile Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. “A lot of students didn’t have internet at home,” he said. He ordered piles of iPads, Chromebooks and cell phone boosters. Luckily, his district already had a virtual high school, so this wasn’t entirely new territory.

The virtual mental health support includes a Lunch Bunch group where kids learning from home have virtual lunch with other students and a counselor. Drawing strength from Central As they each faced the most tumultuous times of their careers, both Isaac and Fairbanks drew on the strengths they gained at Central. “My leadership skills were always there, but I give credit to CMU for polishing them,” Isaac said. “I learned skills there that help me maneuver both in the tribal world and at the state level.

“Character building. Leadership building. Everything happened there at Central,” he said. “That’s where I built the foundation of who I am and how I got ready for my career.” He said he carries the words of his coach and mentor Herb Deromedi to school every day. “When you come together as a team,” Fairbanks said, “you can accomplish anything.” Isaac and Fairbanks both long for the return of their beloved powwows. They need a celebration. Meanwhile, Isaac has drummed up a mini version in her living room. “We’re connecting with our ways on a more personal level, dancing and singing with our kids in front of our wood stove fire,” she said.

‘A lot has been lost by not being able to gather’ The guy who had Andy Claes’ job before he did left behind a gift: a set of worry beads. He had no idea how much Claes would need them. Claes, ’90, recently retired as director of special education at the Delta Schoolcraft Intermediate School District in Escanaba, closing out his time there with the challenge of his career. The district includes 1,000 young people from birth to age 26 who have some type of special need, from hearing or speech impairments to autism or physical disabilities. When schools closed last March because of the pandemic and learning moved to the kitchen table computer screen, things got even more challenging for these students who crave routine, Claes said. >

Centralight Summer ’21

‘I was definitely nervous’ Meghan Dyer’s neighbor in the next apartment was worried about her. “He came over and said, ‘Are you OK? I hear you talking to yourself a lot.’” No cause for alarm. Dyer, ’20, is a teacher, working from her kitchen table via Google Classroom, connecting with her kids through the screen. “My poor neighbor has to listen to me give the same lessons five times a day,” Dyer said with a laugh. “And I can be pretty loud — that’s what gets sixth graders’ attention.” Dyer spent most of her first year as a teacher in her Detroit apartment, teaching sixth grade language arts for Star International Academy, a charter school in Dearborn. Meghan Dyer, ’20, teaches sixth grade language arts from her Detroit apartment.

Functional skills such as dressing and hygiene are tough to learn on a screen, he said. “Kids with significant impairments may not have the attention to sit for an hour, so to put them in front of a device and ask them to be there for an extended period of time is difficult,” he said. Those worry beads came in handy. “I worried about my staff, the kids, the growth students may not be making,” he said. “I was always checking in with my staff, asking what they needed. Finding protective equipment and devices. Prioritizing kids with the highest needs. And trying to make sure we weren’t losing anyone along the way. “I was kind of like a sheep dog corralling all the pieces and parts and making sure no one wandered too far afield.” Claes started his career as a school psychologist. He’s needed his own expertise. “It’s been really unsettling,” he said. “I can manage uncertainty to a pretty good degree, but this was managing uncertainty for everyone around you, too. You feel like you’re taking on the world every day.” He drew a lot on his time at CMU. 16

Centralight Summer ’21

“Through all of this, I could connect with people I’m still friends with across the entire nation,” he said. “Just like that I could have a touchstone of people I trusted to help center me. I could learn from others across the nation about how they’re managing this COVID dilemma.” Sometimes he dug deeper. “I thought back to the professors I had who showed an interest in me,” he said. “That type of leadership is what I wanted to present through all this — showing a can-do spirit to those around me.” Next up was getting kids back on track, including summer tutoring. “A lot has been lost by not being able to gather,” Claes said. “We’re social beings.” He gets emotional when he talks about watching students get off the bus on the first day they could return to school after several months of virtual learning. “You couldn’t see their smiles behind their masks, but you could tell they were so excited to be back with their friends and their teachers,” he said. “It was really heartwarming. “You hold onto those moments. They sustain you for your whole career.”

It’s not what she had planned for her first year out of CMU — not by a long shot. Dyer was supposed to head from graduation to India to teach English for nine months, after winning a prestigious Fulbright grant. But COVID put her adventure of a lifetime on hold. So she uploaded her resume onto Central’s virtual teacher fair portal and crossed her fingers. Two weeks later, she had a job. It was rocky at first. “I was definitely nervous,” Dyer said. “It’s difficult to connect with students in an authentic way when you’re not together in person. Some love to turn their cameras on and engage and interact. But some are very quiet and don’t turn on their cameras.” Slowly, they got to know each other. Along the way, Miss Dyer needed all the tricks in the teaching bag she packed at CMU. One afternoon, she asked them to write for five minutes about something that makes them “irrationally angry.” Remember, they’re 11. “They wrote about when somebody opens a chip bag upside down, and when somebody takes a bite out of a Kit Kat without breaking it first,” she said, laughing.

“I love sixth graders,” she said. “They’re so fun and funny. We had a great afternoon talking and laughing.” Dyer assembled students in small groups to work so they’d get much-needed socialization. She asked students to put their hands on their heads or a finger on their faces, so she knew they were listening. She decorated her makeshift classroom with twinkling fairy lights because 11-year-olds love the vibe. All the extra planning means late nights. “One of my students asked, ‘Miss Dyer, why did you record this video at 11:30 at night?’ ” Dyer said she tackled her pandemic teaching challenge with a solid foundation from CMU. “Did it prepare me to teach full time online? No,” she said. “Nothing could have really prepared me. But CMU laid a great groundwork. “My understanding of the world comes from Central’s Honors Program,” she said. “It taught me to be creative and use critical thinking skills.”

“We have a great education technology program here,” said Paula Lancaster, dean of the College of Education and Human Services. “A number of our faculty who teach and work in that area are leaders in the country. Right away they moved quickly, reaching out to alumni with virtual professional development opportunities, free of charge.” The virtual professional development help has been ongoing, as well as other efforts connecting CMU experts with alumni teachers facing the toughest challenges of their careers. The Facebook group for CMU alumni in special education jumped in, sharing tips for teaching kids with special needs in a remote setting, which has its own set of challenges. The college also started a Master of Arts degree in learning, design and technology and made it affordable, Lancaster said. “It’s about using technology not just as an enhancement, but using it throughout the school day,” she said, “which is exactly the situation teachers suddenly faced.”

Most importantly, she’s finally a teacher.

When Lancaster thinks of the masses of CMU alumni out there across the country, doggedly teaching under such stressful circumstances, she’s pretty proud.

“I love the little opportunities I have to see their personalities shine through,” Dyer said. “It’s been really amazing to have the chance to teach after studying education for so long — even if it doesn’t look exactly the way I thought it would.”

“A big struggle for teachers has been how to create a sense of community in a virtual environment,” Lancaster said. “We’ve heard of alumni teachers making incredible extra effort to connect with their students on a one-on-one basis.”

‘They’re connecting in ways they hadn’t before’

Alumni teachers are turning lemons into lemonade, she said, in classrooms all over the country.

When CMU faculty realized alumni teachers who were suddenly faced with teaching remotely might need some help, they sprang into action fast.

“Teachers often feel they’re in the family’s household when they’re teaching virtually,” Lancaster said. “They’ve realized it offers a great opportunity to touch base with families: ‘I see your mom in the background — tell her I said hi.’

Really fast. The World Health Organization declared the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Four days later, on March 15, CMU’s College of Education and Human Services posted a series of virtual workshops sharing strategies for teaching in a virtual classroom. More than 200 alumni teachers tuned in.

“There have been outlandish expectations for educators,” Ansley said, from extraordinarily long hours to teaching both in person and virtually, “sometimes simultaneously.” She encourages alumni teachers to set limits. She knows it’s hard. “Teaching attracts people who put others first,” Ansley said. “The perception is we have to keep stretching our time and keep doing more and more with less. But time is a finite resource. We can only stretch it so much.” She urges pandemic-weary teachers to set a time to stop working — no matter how much they did or didn’t get done. “If you work until the work is done, you’ll never be done working,” she said. “Focus on what your students really need. It’s OK to say, ‘I’m at a limit here. This is the best I can do.’ If, at the end of the day, you’ve given your best, you know there’s nothing more.” It didn’t surprise Lancaster that CMU faculty reached out so quickly to help alumni teachers. “We’re all part of the same team, educating children and young people,” Lancaster said. “We feel a connection to our alumni. We’re so proud of them.” •

“They’re connecting in ways they hadn’t before. They’re turning it into a positive.” But all this extra effort has come at a cost for teachers already stressed and overworked, said Brandis Ansley, assistant professor of special education, whose specialty is educator self-care.

Centralight Summer ’21

D L O G D N A N O O MA R UBOOK CM

Centralight Summer ’21

L A R T N D CE .C O M

K STO R E

YOUR SOURCE for CMU gear! CMU Bookstore Summer Hours Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

989-774-7493 800-283-0234

Photos by Jerrod Brownson

CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity within its community. CMU does not discriminate against persons based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, sex, sex-based stereotypes, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran status, or weight (see http://www.cmich.edu/ocrie). Ucomm 10314

Colin Edwards (left), a theater major with a minor in dance, and Travis Hunt, a dance studies major with a minor in business administration, were among the performers in the University Theatre Dance Company’s spring concert. Performances in “A Concert of Solos” were live-streamed from Bush Theatre. • PHOTO BY

Centralight Winter Fall ’19 ’20

ADAM SPARKES

Centralight Summer ’21

We know you. You know us.

If the status quo isn’t as fulfilling as it was, come back to CMU. We can help you Fire Up your career with online graduate programs that make change happen.

» Move up and have a greater

impact in your current career.

And when it comes to career advancement, it’s all about who you know.

» Change course and try something new.

» Add some skills to rekindle your passion.

» Or achieve a personal goal. Take one class per eight-week term and complete many of our online master’s degrees in just two years.

Learn more today at

global.cmich.edu. » 877-268-4636 » CMUglobal@cmich.edu

Central Michigan University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity for all individuals, irrespective of gender identity or sexual orientation and including but not limited to minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities (see http://www.cmich.edu/ ocrie). 10307 4/21

Centralight Summer ’21

CENT R AL M I C H I GA N U NI V E RS I T Y

Food to fuel

student success Every day, some students at CMU struggle to meet their most basic needs. As many as 3,000 CMU students struggle with food insecurity. Students experiencing food insecurity drop or fail a class more frequently than their peers and are more likely to experience symptoms of depression. Without support, fewer than 20% of these students will complete their degree in five years or less.

Help CMU

stamp out student hunger

Since opening its doors in fall 2018, the CMU Student Food Pantry has distributed thousands of pounds of food to hundreds of students in need.

We need your support.

Your gift to the Student Food Pantry will help hundreds of CMU Chippewas overcome unexpected obstacles and stay on the path to graduation. Donations in any amount will help us stock the shelves and keep students in school and successful.

To donate online, visit go.cmualum.com/foodpantry CMU is an AA/EO institution, providing equal opportunity to all persons, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities (see cmich.edu/OCRIE). UComm 10073

Let’s see what we

CAN CREATE TOGETHER. Graphic design services available. Ready for your next project? Submit your design request. Then we’ll work with you to make it happen. mgx.cmich.edu CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity within its community. CMU does not discriminate against persons based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, sex, sex-based stereotypes, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran status, or weight.

Centralight Summer ’21

ATRANSFORMATION The Chippewa Champions Center is an exciting step forward for CMU, its students and its alumni

24 24

Centralight Summer ’21

2021 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE SATURDAY, SEPT. 4

at Missouri

SATURDAY, OCT. 16

Toledo (Homecoming)

SATURDAY, SEPT. 11

Robert Morris

SATURDAY, OCT. 23

NIU

SATURDAY, SEPT. 18

at LSU

SATURDAY, SEPT. 25

FIU

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 10

Kent State

SATURDAY, OCT. 2

at Miami (Ohio)

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 17

at Ball State

SATURDAY, OCT. 9

at Ohio

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3

FRIDAY, NOV. 26

at Western Michigan

Eastern Michigan

Centralight Summer ’21

The Chippewa Champions Center elevates CMU’s ability to attract the next generation of CMU Chippewas, develop current students and provide opportunities for the entire university community. In addition to transforming the game day experience at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, this visionary project is a testament to CMU’s commitment to student success. Featuring more than 50,000 square feet dedicated to student-athlete excellence, the facility provides education opportunities for students while also filling a campus need for meeting and event space, providing CMU a marquee location to rally the immense pride of alumni. Football fans will enjoy a stunning 32’-by-100’ HD video board, the largest in the Mid-American Conference. •

Centralight Summer ’21

We drive with pride

YOU CAN TOO

Order your CMU license plate today! www.cmich.edu/alumni CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity for all individuals, irrespective of gender identity or sexual orientation and including but not limited to minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities. 10130 (5/21)

Centralight Summer ’21

ALUMNI NEWS Central Michigan University Alumni Association Board of Directors President Nathan Tallman, ’07, M.A. ’09, Macomb, Michigan Vice president Kandra (Kerridge) Robbins, ’90, Portland, Michigan Past president Thomas Olver, ’98, Lake Isabella, Michigan Directors Brooke Adams, ’11, Detroit, Michigan Rebeca Reyes Barrios, ’00, MBA ’02, Lansing, Michigan Carrie Baumgardner, ’99, M.A. ’02, Davison, Michigan Lester Booker Jr., ’08, MSA ’10, Canton, Michigan Lisa (Laitinen) Bottomley, ’97, Kentwood, Michigan

Catherine (Bomber) Claes, ’90, Gladstone, Michigan

Spencer Haworth, ’12, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Scott Nadeau, ’89, Dexter, Michigan

Michael Decker, ’07, Birmingham, Michigan

Sean Hickey, ’88, M.A. ’90, Traverse City, Michigan

John Reineke, ’09, Oxford, Ohio

Nicole DeFour, ’12, M.A. ’15, Ferndale, Michigan

Bret Hyble, ’82, M.A. ’86, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Joshua Richards, ’08, Rochester, Michigan

Megan Doyle, ’03, Chicago, Illinois

Erica Lagos, ’13, Carmel, Indiana

Caroline (Powers) Rizzo, ’15, Traverse City, Michigan

Jonathan Eadie, ’93, Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan

Anthony Lazzaro, ’15, Newport Beach, California

Michelle (Curtis) Rush, ’07, St. Joseph, Michigan

Linda (Scharich) Leahy, ’82, Midland, Michigan

Kimberly Sampson, ’17, Midland, Michigan

J.J. Lewis, ’06, Simi Valley, California

Darryl Shelton, ’85, Fennville, Michigan

Gregory Marx, ’08, Troy, Michigan

Christine Simon, ’13, Lansing, Michigan

Norma Eppinger, ’91, Lansing, Michigan Chris Gautz, ’04, Adrian, Michigan Jacalyn (Beckers) Goforth, ’82, Beverly Hills, Michigan Laura Gonzales, ’79, M.A. ’89, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Benjamin Moxon, ’17, Saint Clair Shores, Michigan

Central Michigan University Board of Trustees Todd J. Anson, ’77 Regine Beauboeuf Sharon Heath, ’96 Isaiah M. Oliver, ’07 Edward J. Plawecki Jr., ’75 Michael A. Sandler Richard K. Studley, ’93

PHOTO BY QUINN KIRBY

Robert F. Wardrop II, ’72, ’76

Centralight Summer ’21

ALUMNI NEWS enthusiastic and engaged supporter of the arts and youth development in Detroit and served as a mentor to innumerable young professionals and leaders in the community. Stoudamire also was honored by the Detroit Red Wings for his efforts to grow the popularity of ice hockey with youth in Detroit. Stoudemire got connected with the NHL in 2018, working with the league and the Detroit Red Wings on diversity and inclusion. He helped launch “Learn, Play, Score,” an initiative to bring hockey to more than 30,000 Detroit youth through street hockey at 79 schools and 12 parks and rec centers.

Stoudamire honored by Detroit institutions A year after his death from COVID-19 at the age of 43, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Red Wings paid special tribute to Marlowe Stoudamire, M.S.A. ’10, the late Detroit community leader, entrepreneur and business strategist. The DSO honored Stoudamire at the 43rd annual Arthur L. Johnson-Honorable Damon Jerome Keith Classical Roots Celebration in March. Stoudamire helped guide the mission of Classical Roots and inspired innovation and creativity as a member of the steering committee for the event for the previous six years. The DSO said Stoudamire was an

Alumna’s debut novel picked up by Obamas’ production company for Netflix series President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground Productions, has optioned Angeline Boulley’s debut novel, “Firekeeper’s Daughter,” for a new Netflix series. Boulley, ’88, is a member of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and her novel — described as “the Indigenous Nancy Drew” — is based on her experiences growing up as a biracial woman in the community.

Centralight Summer ’21

“Opportunity comes from access, and that’s what Marlowe brought — that heartfelt approach to growing the game and doing it in a way that’s going to make a difference for so many years to come and for so many across the city,” Kevin Brown, director of community impact for the Detroit Red Wings, told NBC Sports. “The world is a better place because of Marlowe,” Brown said. “Detroit is a better place because of Marlowe.” Stoudamire was project director of international business strategy at Henry Ford Health System before leaving to found the consultancy Butterfly Effect Detroit. He previously worked at the Skillman Foundation and led the Detroit Historical Museum’s award-winning Detroit 67 project, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1967 uprising. •

“I am delighted that they are leading the way to bring this project to life on screen,” Boulley told MLive. “I haven’t yet met the Obamas, but it is thrilling that their company is producing this project.” The New York Times bestselling book follows an 18-year-old Native American girl as she reluctantly goes undercover in a police investigation on her Ojibwe reservation. •

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LANSING LUGNUTS

From NASCAR communications to radio group general manager Dennis Worden, ’99, was named general manager of McKibbin Media Group – including WCSR 92.1 and 99.5 The Dale — in Hillsdale. Worden was the sports information director at Hillsdale College from 2002 to 2005. “I enjoyed every minute of it,” Worden told the Hillsdale Collegian. “I got a chance to do a lot with the athletic department and the college itself.”

Three CMU alumni among office team for Lansing Lugnuts baseball

Worden also worked in NASCAR for almost 16 years, starting out as a public relations manager at Michigan International Speedway and most recently working as senior director of communications at Darlington Speedway in South Carolina from 2011 to 2020.

The Lansing Lugnuts, a Minor League Baseball team of the High-A Central and the High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, have added or promoted three CMU Chippewas to their front office staff. Zac Clark, ’13, joins the Lugnuts as assistant general manager for sales. A native of Dansville, Clark interned with the Martinsville (Virginia) Mustangs, spent three years with the Johnson City (Tennessee) Cardinals, one year as sponsorship services manager with the Asheville (N.C.) Tourists, and the past three seasons as general manager for Johnson City, where he was honored as the 2018 and 2019 Appalachian League Executive of the Year.

“I had a lot of great experiences with NASCAR,” he told the Collegian. “I worked with every driver you could think of and worked with every race team and had a really great career.” Back in October, however, as NASCAR restructured because of COVID-19, Worden was laid off from the job.

Greg Kigar, ’87, was promoted from director of stadium events to assistant general manager of stadium events and operations. Originally from Gladwin, Kigar worked at Notre Dame, the Jacksonville (Florida) Memorial Coliseum, the Dow Events Center, Central Michigan University and as the first director of stadium operations for the Great Lakes Loons in Midland. This is Kigar’s second season with the Lugnuts.

“It was hard,” he said. “But when one door closes, another one opens. This gave me the chance to come back home.” •

Eric Pionk, ’10, rejoins the front office as ticket operations manager. A native of Ruth, Pionk started working in baseball with the Frontier League’s Southern Illinois Miners in 2012. He left the Miners for the Lugnuts in 2014, joining the front office as group sales representative and rising to group sales manager for the 2018 season and senior manager of sales and ticket services in 2018-20. •

BCA alumnus named Freep’s sports editor CMU alumnus Kirkland Crawford quickly realized that becoming a professional athlete was never in the cards, so he found a different way to stay close to sports. From an early age, Crawford, ’06, knew he wanted to be a sports journalist after noticing the reporters, radio broadcasters and TV personnel lining the sidelines at basketball games. Now, the Detroit native is leading the place he idolized growing up — the Detroit Free Press sports department. CM Life: Take us through your many experiences at the Detroit Free Press and your ascension into your current position.

Dennis Worden (left) with NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Crawford: It starts in high school. The Detroit Free Press and the Detroit public schools in concert with the Ford Motor Company fostered this high school journalism program. At the time, there were 15 or 16 high schools in Detroit that had a relationship with the Freep. So, once every couple of weeks, the high school newspaper staffs would go down to the Freep and help produce each page within a special section. That reignited a passion I had for journalism. I wanted to be a part of journalism since I was a little kid, as many people in this field find themselves. I was able to get to Central Michigan University through the Lem Tucker Journalism Scholarship, which is an incredible opportunity. I was blessed to go to CMU through the equivalent of an athletic scholarship. That was why I was so involved with extracurriculars like CM Life, MHTV and News Central. Originally published in CM Life. Read the full interview at cm-life.com. •

Centralight Summer ’21

ALUMNI NEWS CMU Chippewa heads to MAC’s Eastern Michigan athletics team Elizabeth Conard, ’10, is the new associate athletics director for Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) at Eastern Michigan University. “Elizabeth’s administrative experiences at other Mid-American Conference institutions and her leadership growth is extremely impressive and will enable her to make an immediate impact on our student-athletes,” said Scott Wetherbee, EMU’s athletics director. In her new role, Conard is part of the department’s executive staff with oversight of academic services for all of EMU’s 19 Division I sports. She guides development and implementation of programs and services that support academic achievement and integrity as well as contribute to the personal growth and career development of EMU student-athletes. She is also the department’s primary liaison for academic matters to multiple university entities including the registrar, provost, undergraduate studies, faculty and academic advisers.

The Beaufort County Community College Foundation in Washington, North Carolina, dedicated its nursing simulation laboratory in honor of Kathleen and Glenn Simpson, M.S.A. ’85, acknowledging a donation from the Simpson family. According to the Coastland Times, the Glenn and Kathy Simpson Nursing Simulation Lab helps associate degree nursing students practice on realistic mannequins as they prepare to advance to a clinical setting.

“I am thrilled to join the Eastern Michigan Athletics family and return to the Mid-American Conference,” Conard said.

Kathy Simpson started her nursing career at Beaufort County Hospital before joining the Army Nurse Corps, where she served for 29 years. She retired as the chief of nursing administration at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. After her military retirement, she served as clinical assistant professor at the East Carolina University College of Nursing and was vice president for patient care services at Vidant Beaufort Hospital.

Conard has held previous athletics roles at Valparaiso University and Ohio University. While she was a student at CMU, Conard worked as a study hall monitor and freshmen football mentor in the Student-Athlete Services department. She also has intercollegiate athletics experience in athletic communications, marketing and promotions, and recreational services. •

Glenn Simpson is a retired Army officer and health care administrator. Upon his military retirement, he was director of the medical services division of the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission, administrator for the surgery department at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and administrator at the Marion Shepard Cancer Center. •

Honors for CMU Chippewas Melanie Manion, ’98, is the new natural resources manager for Ottawa County Parks, managing more than 7,000 acres of land, including numerous riparian areas, in Muskegon County. Previously, Manion spent 10 years as the stewardship coordinator and environmental educator for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. There, she spearheaded the West Michigan Cluster of the Stewardship Network, which evolved to the current West Michigan Conservation Network.

Nursing simulation lab named for CMU alum, wife

Centralight Summer ’21

Arielle Hines, ’16, is the Center for Michigan’s first digital production specialist. The new position is responsible for maintaining Bridge Michigan’s website, its newsletters and social media, overseeing platforms that published more than 1,500 reports last year that averaged 1 million readers per month. Bridge Michigan is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization. Hines also helps produce BridgeDetroit. Prior to joining the Center for Michigan, nonprofit and nonpartisan “think-and-do” tank, Hines was a digital content producer for WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids and a reporter at the Petoskey News-Review and the Wausau Daily Herald in Wisconsin.

David Ray, M.S. ’99, has been hired by Science Applications International Corp. to lead its space business unit. As a senior vice president, he manages a unit that was recently created to combine SAIC’s civilian, defense and intelligence space operations in a single organization. Prior to joining SAIC, Ray held leadership positions at the National Reconnaissance Office, NASA and U.S. Space Force. Most recently, he was president of government and defense for FLIR Systems. He also worked at Raytheon and Booz Allen Hamilton.

John Deiter, ’95, was chosen by Chicago’s Northbrook School District 27 Board of Education as the district’s new superintendent. Deiter spent six years teaching in a classroom, followed by nearly 20 years of administrative work. Most recently, he was the superintendent of DeWitt Public Schools in Michigan for the past decade. He begins work July 1. Jannet Walker-Ford, MBA ’98, a leader with more than two decades of experience in mobility and transportation systems, has been named the national transit and rail leader for WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy. As a senior vice president, she is responsible for growing the firm’s business in the transit and rail markets; developing client relationships within state and local transit agencies, consultants, industry associations, railroads and contractors; and establishing strategies that will position WSP for major advisory, planning, design, program management and construction management assignments. Tina Cook, R.N., M.A., is the new program director at the Senior Life Solutions program in Gladwin. The intensive outpatient group therapy program is designed to meet the unique needs of older adults struggling with age-related depression, anxiety, difficult life transitions, a recent health diagnosis or the loss of a loved one. Cook, ’90, is responsible for directing and coordinating the activities of program staff to ensure quality patient care, and providing community education to create awareness of the program. Reuben Rienstra, ’98, has been promoted to chief financial officer at Troy-based Trion Solutions, a professional employer organization. He was previously vice president-corporate controller and, prior to that, director of accounting and corporate controller. Before joining Trion in 2016, Rienstra was director of financial reporting and financial systems at

Belleville-based Active Aero Group and as fixed assets supervisor for Plymouthbased Plastipak Packaging, Inc. Laura Prieskorn, ’11, is the new CEO of Jackson Financial Inc. She previously was Jackson’s executive vice president and COO. In 31 years at Jackson, Prieskorn was responsible for developing Jackson’s industry-leading operating platform, which combines low cost with superior service for clients, advisers and distribution partners, and has been a member of its executive, investment and product committees. Louis Enrique Negrón, ’01, has been named the executive director and chief operating officer of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta organization. Negrón’s mission is increasing educational and economic opportunities for Metro Atlanta youth. As an organization composed of men of color, the 100’s goal is supporting families and youth and enriching Atlanta communities. The nonprofit provides college preparatory services and mentorship to at-risk Atlanta youth through its flagship program, Project Success. Jason Dizik, ’08, was named to the 36 Under 36 list by the Detroit Jewish News. Dizik is in his fourth season as the lead game producer for the Detroit Pistons on Fox Sports Detroit and, at 35, remains the youngest producer in the NBA. He also produces Tigers games for the network where he’s been working since 2008. The six-time Emmy Award winner also produces events for FS1, B1G Network and Fox Sports Midwest. He and his wife, Emily, met at CMU and endow a scholarship for students focusing on sports media. Michael DiMaria, ’13, has been named general manager of the new lifestyle hotel Kinley Chattanooga Southside in Tennessee. With a decade of hospitality experience, DiMaria has successfully opened new hotels by focusing on brand standards and capitalizing on strengths

of the properties to create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for guests, locals and employees. He is particularly skilled in creating unique experiences, attractive to both travelers and local explorers. Karl Keller, ’08, has signed a 10-year licensing agreement with MTK Global to run MTK MMA. The move puts respected mixed martial arts figure Keller in full control of the day-to-day operations of the company as well as the long-term strategic plan to grow the brand. Keller has more than 15 years of experience as a martial arts and combat sports trainer, and he has worked with some of the biggest names in the sport across the UFC, Bellator and Strikeforce, many of whom he has also managed. Jo Ann Gross, ’96, Shepherd Public Schools music instructor, was honored as the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) State Band Teacher of the Year. Teachers are nominated from each of the 16 districts that are associated with MSBOA for the band and orchestra category. She has been educator for 25 years and teaches five different classes for grades 6-12 at SPS. Her concert and jazz bands has gained awards and recognition at MSBOA District and State Band Festival, the Alma College Jazz Festival and the Central Michigan University Jazz Weekend Festival. Poonam Kumar, MBA ’13, has joined the Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, as associate provost for academic affairs and digital learning. Prior to accepting the role at Lamar, Kumar was the inaugural director for online learning and academic innovation at Saginaw Valley State University where she established the Center for Academic Innovation to foster a culture of innovation and to provide support for departments and faculty to engage in teaching and learning innovations. •

Centralight Summer ’21

ALUMNI NEWS Photographer’s stunning work earns national attention In what he calls a “wonderful COVID isolation diversion,” award-winning photographer Steve Jessmore has captured some incredible wildlife images. Throughout the past year, Jessmore, ’81, has focused on nature photography — specifically, birds in flight — while he works full time as a freelance photographer. One particular photo has drawn the attention of Sony’s Alpha Universe, a website and blog featuring knowledge and inspiration about state-of-the-art imaging technology. In its “Behind the Shot” series, they highlighted Jessmore’s photograph of a northern cardinal in flight, captured in a rural area east of Muskegon.

The northern cardinal photo featured on the Sony Alpha Universe website. This was shot in a rural area east of Muskegon.

“I have a number of sites around Michigan that I like to travel to where migratory birds tend to gather,” Jessmore told Alpha Universe. “I take back roads to and from home as I travel to increase my odds of seeing something I want to photograph.” Sony dubbed it “the million-dollar photo of a cardinal in flight.” Jessmore, whose work you’ve seen in Centralight magazine over the years, is a 30-year veteran photojournalist and five-time Michigan Photographer of the Year. You can follow his wildlife imagery on Instagram @sjessmo and browse his complete body of work at www.stevejessmore.com. •

< Jessmore in his

kayak in a Torch River marsh that he hangs out in frequently.

^ Bald eagle pair at Kensington Metropark near Milford in January. 34

Centralight Summer ’21

In Memory Janet S. (Scott) Hertzler, ’34, Sterling, Mich., died Nov. 24, 2020, age 107.

Vincent D. Brown, ’36, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Jan. 27, 2021, age 105.

Ruth A. (Winslow) Sheffield, ’40, Midland, Mich., died Dec. 29, 2020, age 103.

Martha F. (Riches) Grambau, ’42, Lansing, Mich., died June 12, 2020, age 100.

Paul L. Brown, ’44, Saginaw, Mich., died Feb. 9, 2021, age 99. Jean V. (Freeland) Henning, ’44, Kalispell, Mont., died July 12, 2020, age 101.

Ava W. (Wilcox) Bond, ’45, Wellesley Hills, Mass., died Feb. 14, 2021, age 98.

Virginia M. Hensley, ’45, Battle Creek, Mich., died Nov. 4, 2020, age 97.

Rachel J. “Jackie” (Barret) Green, ’46, Morenci, Mich., died Dec. 30, 2020, age 96.

Mary L. (Larson) Schneider, ’46, Traverse City, Mich., died Dec. 2, 2020, age 96.

Marjorie M. (Woodmansee) Streb, ’47, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Aug. 18, 2020, age 94.

Nettie M. (Brown) Koch, ’48, Harrison, Mich., died Nov. 14, 2020, age 93.

Donna M. (Ingersoll) Sears, ’48, Kalkaska, Mich., died Feb. 8, 2021, age 93.

John F. Sojka, ’49, West Simsbury, Conn., died Oct. 22, 2020, age 99.

Jean (Price) Welder, ’51, Meeker, Colo., died Jan. 22, 2021, age 91. Earl E. Whaley, ’51, Sarasota, Fla., died Dec. 20, 2020, age 93.

George Ann (DePuy) Wolf, ’51, ’68 MA, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Dec. 6, 2020, age 91.

Paul B. Stowell, ’50, Jackson, Mich., died Nov. 14, 2020, age 95. Bernard T. Topham, Jr., ’50,

Saginaw, Mich., died Dec. 23, 2020, age 94.

Walter F. Wagner, ’50, Sun City Center, Fla., died Feb. 1, 2021, age 92. Bernard H. Barnett, ’51, Branch, Mich., died Dec. 5, 2020, age 95. Helen J. (Richardson) Rutledge, ’51, Roscommon, Mich., died Feb. 10, 2021, age 91.

Jack L. Sommerville, ’51, Harbor Springs, Mich., died Sept. 28, 2020, age 92.

age 86.

Harry J. Brunet, ’56, ’81 Ed.S,

age 84.

age 94.

Robert C. Kemmer, ’52, Bay City, Mich., died April 2, 2021, age 96. Armond L. Sell, ’52, Dearborn, Mich., died Feb. 25, 2021, age 90. Wilber “Bill” D. Seltz, ’52, Rochester, Mich., died Jan 12., 2020, age 90.

Treva G. (Sanderson) Timour, ’52, Tucson, Ariz., died Oct. 15, 2020, age 91.

Donna J. (Enger) Childs, ’53, Spokane, Wash., died Dec. 30, 2020, age 89.

Marilyn A. (Smith) Eckman, ’53, Holt, Mich., died Feb. 18, 2021, age 90. Jack W. Frye, ’53, Traverse City, Mich., died Dec. 8, 2020, age 94. Georgiann O. (Klosowski) Kukla, ’53, Lisle, Ill., died Nov. 17, 2020, age 89.

Margaret M. (Emmons) Love, ’53, Clarkston, Mich., died Feb. 21, 2021, age 89.

Darlys J. (Crockett) McCarthy, ’53, Edmore, Mich., died Feb. 9, 2021, age 87.

Lois L. Verity, ’53, Gainesville, Ga.,

Eldon E. Frisch, ’50, Midland, Mich., died Nov. 16, 2020, age 91. Robert C. Halboth, ’50, Frankfort, Mich., died March 6, 2021,

age 92.

Robert W. Doctor, ’59, Durand, Mich., died Dec. 12, 2020, age 83. Dolores A. (Willett) Fennell, ’59, Gladwin, Mich., died Nov. 14, 2020,

John D. Hunt, ’52 BS, ’57 MA, Grawn, Mich., died Nov. 20, 2020,

90.

96.

Newell L. Oren, ’50, Shepherd, Mich., died Dec. 14, 2020, age 92. Jean (Young) Sieloff, ’50, Tallahassee, Fla., died March 5, 2021,

Elaine A. (Smith) Beach, ’56, Ludington, Mich., died Dec. 27, 2020,

age 87.

Lansing, Mich., died Feb. 23, 2021, age 90.

died Dec. 19, 2020, age 90.

age 94.

Virginia M. (Bontrager) Sharp, ’58, ’64 MA, Goshen, Ind., died

James S. Dickerman, ’52, El Cajon, Calif., died Dec. 28, 2020, age

Dorothy J. (Rueffer) Dugan, ’50, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., died Jan. 28, 2020, age 94.

Robert C. Amble, ’56, ’61 MA, Davison, Mich., died Jan. 20, 2021,

Everett D. Vincent, ’53, Port Huron, Mich., died Feb. 4, 2021, age Lois D. (Town) Baker, ’54, Grand Ledge, Mich., died Jan. 12, 2021, age 88.

Robert W. Barnes, ’54, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Feb. 1, 2021, age 88.

Wilfred “Bill” R. Horning, ’54, Hastings, Mich., died March 8, 2021, age 88.

William F. Matson, ’54, Saginaw, Mich., died April 10, 2021, age 89. Richard H. Ebert, ’55, Roscommon, Mich., died Feb. 7,

Carol N. (Mikesell) Klein, ’56, Houston, Tex., died Feb. 23, 2021, Ralph M. Leonard, ’56, ’58 BA, Helena, Mont., died Jan. 16., 2021, age 89.

Marilyn F. (Friday) Rolph, ’56, Portage, Ind., died April 29, 2020, age 85.

Patricia J. (Bryant) Wahlton, ’56, Oconomowoc, Wis., died Dec. 12, 2020, age 86.

Jerome F. Allore, ’57, ’74 MA, Traverse City, Mich., died March 1, 2021, age 85.

Theodore G. Davenport, ’57, Lake City, Mich., died Dec. 18, 2020, age 85.

Marilyn M. Fritz, ’59, Las Vegas, Nev., died Nov. 1, 2020, age 82. James P. King, ’59, Indian River, Mich., died March 13, 2021, age 87. Ruth M. (Bedford) Leinweber, ’59, Grand Blanc, Mich., died March 6, 2021, age 84.

Alton E. McKee, ’59, Linden, Mich., died Nov. 22, 2020, age 88. Robert W. McLelland, ’59, Fort Gratiot, Mich., died Feb. 19, 2021, age 88.

Lynn F. Smith, Sr., ’59, Suttons Bay, Mich., died Feb. 8, 2020, age 87.

Verne C. Summers, ’59, Dewitt, Mich., died Dec. 7, 2020, age 93. Richard L. Williams, ’59, ’66 MA, Fruitport, Mich., died Nov. 9, 2020, age 87.

Charlene M. (Squires) Kromer, ’57, Linden, Mich., died Feb. 27, 2021,

2021, age 90.

Jack M. Lewis, ’57, Adrian, Mich.,

age 82.

age 85. age 85.

died April 10, 2021, age 89.

Roy L. McNeill, ’57, ’70 MA, Midland, Mich., died March 11, 2021, age 91.

Elaine F. (Field) Owsley, ’57, Dexter, Mich., died Oct. 26, 2020, age 85.

Harold L. Patrick, ’57, Arlington, Va., died Nov. 19, 2020, age 85. James H. Prough, ’57, ’64 MA, Shelby Township, Mich., died Nov. 27, 2020, age 88.

Ronald H. Rolph, ’57, Portage, Ind., died Nov. 17, 2020, age 86. Lois A. (Green) Sandbrook, ’57, ’72 MA, Blanchard, Mich., died Jan. 31, 2021, age 86.

Robert H. Schild, ’57, Green Valley, Ariz., died Dec. 11, 2020, age 90.

Doris A. (Nelson) Lea, ’55, Cadillac, Mich., died Nov. 14, 2020, Richard Jay Mathewson, ’55, Norman, Okla., died Dec. 3, 2020,

Kathryn C. Moessner, ’58, ’76 MA, Grand Haven, Mich., died Dec.

age 86.

18, 2020, age 84.

Albert G. Tennant, ’55, Holland, Mich., died Feb. 10, 2021, age 87. Ruth M. (Leach) Wiechmann, ’55, Flint, Mich., died Feb. 15, 2021, age 87.

Marguerite J. (Starr) Schmitzer, ’58, Cayce, S. C., died Oct. 29, 2020, age 83.

age 87.

age 83.

Janice L. (Hansen) Feaster, ’57, Grandville, Mich., died Nov. 6, 2020,

Phillip A. Serrin II, ’57, Annapolis, Md., died Jan. 29, 2021, age 85. Gale M. Ahearn, ’58, Fort Gratiot, Mich., died Nov. 14, 2020, age 91. Roy E. Ellsworth, ’58, Saint Johns, Mich., died April 9, 2021, age

2020, age 90.

March 28, 2021, age 99.

88.

Kenneth H. Schumacher, ’58, White Lake, Mich., died March 26,

William G. Carrothers, ’60, ’65 MA, Anchorville, Mich., died Feb. 6, Ernest H. Mainland, ’60, Petoskey, Mich., died Jan. 12, 2021, Fredric W. Tuckey, ’60, Cass City, Mich., died Dec. 20, 2020, age 83. Patrick P. Arsenault, ’61, Littleton, Colo., died March 23, 2021, age 82.

Alan L. Bryant, ’61, ’64 MA, Bay City, Mich., died Jan. 2, 2021, age 82. Margaret A. (Nugent) Kalcher, ’61, ’83 MA, Manistee, Mich., died Nov. 15, 2020, age 81.

Wanda L. (Heier) Lamphere, ’61, Durand, Mich., died Dec. 27, 2020, age 81.

Arlen C. Matson, ’61, Traverse City, Mich., died April 11, 2021, age 87. Archie J. Miller, ’61, Big Lake, Alaska, died Nov. 1, 2020, age 83. Thomas J. Oberliesen, ’61, ’79 MA, Worthington, Ohio, died Feb. 11, 2021, age 86.

Jerry D. Ohlrich, ’61, Cadillac, Mich., died Nov. 16, 2020, age 81. Paul W. Schultz, ’61, ’64 MA, Lexington, Ky., died Jan. 14, 2021, age 82.

Daniel B. Shepard, ’61, Midland, Mich., died Nov. 18, 2020, age 83. Helen M. Bendes, ’62, Adrian, Mich., died Dec. 16, 2020, age 80. Iva D. (Holshoe) Black, ’62, Zephyrhills, Fla., died March 20, 2021, age 100.

William L. Boshans, ’62, Gardner, Mass., died March 21, 2021, age 86.

2021, age 84.

Centralight Summer ’21

In Memory Julie A. (Ruonavaara) Donovan, ’62, Gould City, Mich., died Dec. 31,

Jeanine A. (Ryan) Mulders, ’64, Munger, Mich., died Feb. 23, 2021,

Doris E. (Ballinger) Riddle, ’62, Ithaca, Mich., died Dec. 8, 2020, age

Phyllis A. (Tomaszewski) Rabish, ’64, Pinconning, Mich., died Nov. 15,

Margaret E. (Crockett) Royer, ’62, ’67 MA, Vestaburg, Mich., died

Gordon W. Robinson, ’64, Horton Bay, Mich., died Jan. 7, 2021, age 81. Susan F. (Bryan) Simmons, ’64, Portland, Mich., died Jan. 12, 2021,

2020, age 79. 99.

Dec. 22, 2020, age 93.

Joan M. (Blacklock) Zatkovic, ’62, Owosso, Mich., died Nov. 13, 2020, age 94.

Robert C. Baker, ’63, ’69 MA, East Lansing, Mich., died Dec. 20, 2020, age 83.

Carolyn E. Dieterle, ’63, Swartz Creek, Mich., died Nov. 6, 2020, age 79.

Sara K. (Dove) Dipzinski, ’63, Lake Orion, Mich., died Mar. 1, 2021, age 79.

Peter E. Dixon, ’63, Pigeon, Mich., died Nov. 4, 2020, age 79.

2020, age 90.

age 78.

Rachella G. (Mills) Moore, ’63, ’74 MA, Stanton, Mich., died Nov. 14, 2020, age 79.

Richard L. “Dick” Smith, ’63, Bogart, Ga., died Dec. 18, 2020, age 80.

Charles T. Vannorsdall, ’63, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Dec. 28, 2020, age 96.

Lloyd A. West, ’63, ’69 MS, Hemlock, Mich., died April 19, 2021, age 83.

Thomas R. Barry, ’64, Whitehall, Mich., died Dec. 13, 2020, age 80. Duane A. Carr, ’64, Lakeview, Mich., died Dec. 6, 2020, age 81. Marcella J. (Lotridge) Criner, ’64, Owosso, Mich., died April 6, 2021, age 96.

Richard J. Haeusler, ’64, ’68 MS, Bark River, Mich., died Nov. 6, 2020, age 79.

Gordon E. Harrington, ’64 MA, Pinellas Park, Fla., died April 1, 2021, age 88.

Karen L. (Carlson) Heide, ’64, ’90 MA, Wolverine, Mich., died Jan. 4, 2021, age 78.

Dennis E. Martin, ’64, Fort Gratiot, Mich., died Dec. 2, 2020, age 81.

Janet E. (Foglesong) McGee, ’64, Melbourne, Fla., died Jan. 23, 2021, age 81.

Sharon L. (Kerridge) Miller, ’64, ’73 MA, Saginaw, Mich., died Nov. 28, 2020, age 78.

Centralight Summer ’21

Patrica A. (Prayner) Duthie, ’67, Canton, Mich., died Feb. 27, 2021, age 76.

Gerald E. MacFalda, ’67, Saline, Mich., died Aug. 2, 2020, age 80. Harry J. McCaffrey, ’67 MBA, Midland, Mich., died Dec. 11, 2020,

83.

Clarence (Bud) F. Weavers, ’64, South Daytona, Fla., died March 31, 2021, age 79.

Judith A. (Johnson) Weber, ’64, Durham, N. C., died Feb. 7, 2021, age 78.

David E. Wood, ’64, Davison, Mich., died Dec. 8, 2020, age 77. Thomas H. Brown, ’65, ’66 MBA, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Feb. 23,

age 80.

died Jan. 18, 2021, age 75.

Richard T. Vander Laan, ’64 MA, Pella, Iowa, died Dec. 26, 2020, age

80.

Katheleen E. (Thayer) Jackson, ’63, ’66 MA, Clare, Mich., died Feb. Nancy L. (Bush) Looman, ’63, Fennville, Mich., died Feb. 15, 2021,

Lois J. (Larson) Driscoll, ’67, ’70 MA, ’89 MAH, Interlochen, Mich.,

Donald E. Krueger, ’67, ’69 MA, Hemlock, Mich., died March 21, 2021,

Mary G. (Matzelle) Willis, ’64, Fenton, Mich., died Feb. 6, 2021, age

17, 2020, age 80.

age 82.

Leonard R. Tyler, ’64 MA, Au Gres, Mich., died March 5, 2021, age

Dennis J. Donoghue, ’63, ’65 MA, Boise, Idaho, died Nov. 26, 2020, age 82.

age 85.

John E. Tobin, ’66, Dearborn, Mich., died Nov. 17, 2020, age 76. Marilyn A. (Vatter) Wendorf, ’66, Decker, Mich., died Jan. 16., 2021,

78.

2020, age 77.

Barbara L. (Perkins) Campbell, ’65, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., died Jan. 22, 2021, age 78.

Susan C. (Kirby) Flading, ’65, Northville, Mich., died Feb. 27, 2021, age 77.

Brenda L. (Mularz) Gary, ’65, ’73 MA, Beaverton, Mich., died Dec. 15, 2020, age 84.

Edward B. Hugan, ’65, Holly, Mich., died Oct. 25, 2020, age 77. Linda M. Lane, ’65, Port Huron, Mich., died April 15, 2020, age 76. Larry F. Morlock, ’65, ’69 MA, Evart, Mich., died Feb. 8, 2021, age 78.

Paul G. Peterson, ’65, Hastings, Mich., died Jan. 21, 2021, age 77. Robert J. Quinn, ’65, ’70 MA, Maryville, Tenn., died Dec. 20, 2020, age 77.

Barbara L. (Hiemstra) Ringquist, ’65, Stanwood, Mich., died Feb. 10, 2021, age 79.

Jean E. (McClure) Hirschenberger, ’66, Saint Charles, Mich., died Nov. 29, 2020, age 90.

Frank S. Hissong, ’66, Harrisonburg, Va., died Aug. 17, 2020, age 76.

Eugene Lukshaitis, ’66, ’67 MA, Grand Blanc, Mich., died April 17, 2021, age 80.

Michael J. Olk, ’66, ’74 MA, Bay City, Mich., died April 3, 2021, age 79.

age 75.

age 89.

Louis C. Nordlund, ’67, ’70 MA, Ravenna, Mich., died Dec. 19, 2020, age 76.

Thomas F. Sager, ’67, Traverse City, Mich., died Jan. 16., 2021, age 75. Janet E. (Howey) Surrett, ’67, Troy, Mich., died Dec. 3, 2020, age 75. Stanley T. Bodzick, ’68, ’74 MA, Levering, Mich., died March 30, 2021, age 75.

Robert W. Brott, ’68, Traverse City, Mich., died Jan. 13, 2021, age 75. Kent G. Korber, ’68 MA, Alligerville, N. Y., died Feb. 19, 2021, age 77.

Robert J. Kruse, ’68, Port Huron, Mich., died Jan. 4, 2021, age 78. Edward S. Lariccia, ’68 MA, Akron, Ohio, died March 19, 2021, age 79. Maurine J. (O’Connor) Larson, ’68, Grayling, Mich., died Nov. 9,

James E. Earle, ’69, Lake Orion, Mich., died Jan. 5, 2021, age 75. Kathleen A. Foster, ’69, Traverse City, Mich., died Nov. 6, 2020, age 73. Linda S. (Mitchell) Kimble, ’69, Aurora, Colo., died Nov. 8, 2020, age 74.

Robert J. Kohtz, ’69, ’72 MA, San Jose, Calif., died Feb. 19, 2021, age 74. Thomas F. Kotzian, ’69, Shelby Township, Mich., died Nov. 28, 2020, age 73.

Judy I. Matthews, ’69, Clifford, Mich., died Feb. 8, 2021, age 73. Richard W. McKenzie, ’69, Bullhead City, Ariz., died Feb. 26, 2021, age 74.

Joyce A. (Menees) Roof, ’69, Salisbury, N. C., died April 6, 2021, age 74.

Jack C. Taylor, ’69, Fenton, Mich., died March 30, 2021, age 81.

Andrew B. Brown, ’70, Muskegon, Mich., died Nov. 13, 2020,

age 80.

Howard J. Conrad, ’70, Summerfield, Fla., died March 14, 2021, age 73.

Marcia A. (Marzonie) Elsner, ’70, Plymouth, Mich., died June 29, 2020, age 72.

Donald W. Haist, ’70, ’76 MA, Holland, Mich., died Dec. 13, 2020, age 72.

Maryann (Holmquist) Hamilton, ’70, ’79 MA, Traverse City, Mich.,

died Dec. 19, 2020, age 86.

Debra L. (Morse) Knoll, ’70, ’74 MA, Oakley, Mich., died April 16, 2021, age 72.

Judi A. Mason, ’68, ’72 MA, Hawthorne, Calif., died March 17,

Douglas C. Noble, ’70, ’77 MA, Clio, Mich., died Nov. 5, 2020, age 73. Gwendolyn J. (Ahman) Sievert, ’70, ’76 MA, Spring Lake, Mich.,

William K. McKenzie, ’68, Livonia, Mich., died Feb. 27, 2021,

James M. Sweeting, ’70 MA, Estero, Fla., died Feb. 13, 2021, age

Karen S. (Hepfinger) Miracola, ’68, Harbor Beach, Mich., died

Matilda K. (Kaarle) Szaroletta, ’70 MA, Saginaw, Mich., died Dec.

Wendi T. (Stevens) Mitchell, ’68, Oxford, Mich., died Nov. 25, 2020,

Julie L. (Broton) Waclawski, ’70, Rockford, Mich., died Jan. 25, 2021,

Kathy J. (Sonderegger) Wassel, ’68, Brighton, Mich., died March 18,

Charles A. Bobay, ’71, The Villages, Fla., died Oct. 30, 2020,

Alice M. Ahlschwede, ’69 MA, Saginaw, Mich., died Jan. 16., 2021,

Mary A. (Henshaw) Bunting, ’71 MA, Traverse City, Mich., died Jan

Larry L. Ashley, ’69, ’73 MA, Farwell, Mich., died Dec. 31, 2020,

Paul P. Caswell, ’71, Escanaba, Mich., died Dec. 18, 2020, age 71. Frederick K. Curtis, ’71 MS, Owosso, Mich., died Nov. 13, 2020,

2020, age 76.

2020, age 73. age 75.

Dec. 19, 2020, age 74. age 74.

2021, age 74. age 82. age 74.

Dorothy A. (Babcock) Boehm, ’69, Springfield, Ill., died March 14, 2020, age 73.

Patricia K. (Dolph) Danke, ’69, Arcadia, Mich., died Feb. 4, 2021, age 87.

died March 28, 2021, age 92. 81.

18, 2020, age 92. age 72. age 71.

4, 2021, age 83.

age 85.

Roy A. Davis, ’71, Midland, Mich., died Dec. 1, 2020, age 71.

David C. Felk, ’71, Lapeer, Mich., died April 6, 2021, age 81.

Gary R. Gage, ’71, Saginaw, Mich., died Jan. 5, 2021, age 71.

Marsha D. (Street) Mazany, ’71, ’76 MA, Freeland, Mich., died Dec. 20, 2020, age 72.

Marylou (McMall) Morin, ’71, Bay City, Mich., died Nov. 15, 2020, age 71. Nancy J. Pizzala, ’71, Pontiac, Mich., died Dec. 18, 2020, age 71. Patricia A. Teter, ’71, ’78 MA, Saginaw, Mich., died Feb. 23, 2021, age 73.

Deborah L. (Oldenhouse) Trefelner, ’71, Livingston, Tex., died Dec. 12, 2020, age 71.

Robert B. Zapolski, ’71, Holt, Mich., died April 11, 2021, age 72. David J. Coffey, ’72 MA, Freeland, Mich., died Nov. 10, 2020, age 75. Thomas W. Dobberstein, ’72, ’79 MA, Royal Oak, Mich., died Feb. 7, 2021, age 74.

Dennis R. Hayes, ’72, ’78 MA, Indian River, Mich., died Nov. 22, 2020, age 72.

John D. Johnson, ’72, Oceanside, Calif., died Jan. 10, 2021, age 71. Robert M. Johnson, ’72 Ed.S, Midland, Mich., died March 7, 2021, age 89.

Daniel R. Krieger, ’72, Ionia, Mich., died April 13, 2021, age 71. Richard W. Kuse, ’72, Saginaw, Mich., died Feb. 26, 2020, age 70. Kenneth J. McMullen, ’72, Big Rapids, Mich., died Nov. 12, 2020, age 70.

Cindy J. (Edwards) Moore, ’72, Lake City, Mich., died Nov. 28, 2020, age 70.

Kerwin A. Paesens, ’72, Farwell, Mich., died Jan. 22, 2021, age 70. Julianne S. (Young) Peace, ’72, ’81 MBE, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Jan. 26, 2021, age 70.

Gail M. Ross, ’72, Brighton, Mich., died March 9, 2021, age 71.

Jerry L. Appledorn, ’73, Wyoming, Mich., died Feb. 15, 2020, age 73.

Clyde A. Chapman Jr., ’73, Saginaw Twp., Mich., died Dec. 20, 2020, age 72.

Patrick J. King, ’73, Fenton, Mich., died Nov. 10, 2020, age 69.

William J. Kirker, ’73, Midland, Mich., died Dec. 21, 2020, age 80. John A. Moberg, ’73, ’01 MA, Escanaba, Mich., died Nov. 23, 2020, age 69.

John E. Moerlins, Jr., ’73,

Tallahassee, Fla., died Feb. 10, 2021, age 69.

Freeman “Butch” Nelson, ’73 MA, New Philadelphia, Ohio, died Nov. 8, 2020, age 81. Robert S. Notestine, ’73, Petoskey, Mich., died March 30, 2021, age 71.

Donna J. (Neumann) Polus, ’73.

’79 MA, Gaylord, Mich., died March 26, 2021, age 79.

Kurt R. Schwamberger, ’73, Canadian Lakes, Mich., died Feb. 26, 2021, age 74.

Keith Spycher, ’73, Brooklyn, Mich., died Jan. 1, 2021, age 70. Vicky S. (Romine) Stott, ’73, Fenton, Mich., died Jan 11, 2021, age 69.

Patricia A. (Mack) Tarrant, ’73, Plymouth, Mass., died Dec. 23, 2020, age 69.

Russell R. Wakefield, ’73, Clio, Mich., died Nov. 21, 2020, age 70. Steven C. Whisler, ’73, Henderson, Nev., died March 13, 2021, age 69.

Larry J. Wilson, Sr., ’73 MA,

Columbus, Ohio, died April 12, 2021, age 81.

William A. Heath, ’76, Cadillac, Mich., died Jan. 15, 2021, age 88. Bert L. Hillborg, ’76, Vassar, Mich., died April 7, 2021, age 67. Patricia D. Kline, ’76 MA, Mendon, Mich., died Dec. 15, 2020, age 75.

William C. Martin, ’77 MA, ’78 Ed.S, Marquette, Mich., died Dec. 21, 2020, age 81.

Alan L. Nagy, ’77 MA, Conway, S.

C., died Dec. 31, 2020, age 74.

Daniel J. Ruohomaki, ’77, Neenah, Wis., died Jan. 23, 2021,

George R. Kortbawi, ’76 MA, Anderson, S. C., died Dec. 22, 2020,

age 65.

Frank J. Lenart, Jr., ’76 MA, Fort

77.

Vincent W. Mattis, ’76 MA, Trenton, N. J., died March 5, 2021,

67.

age 83.

Leavenworth, Kans., died Dec. 25, 2020, age 74. age 85.

Alan L. Mitchell, ’76 MA, Port Charlotte, Fla., died Nov. 28, 2020, age 79.

Mary Lou (McDermott) Pease, ’76 MA, Midland, Mich., died March

Larry K. Salters, ’77 MBA, Saint Louis, Mich., died April 4, 2020, age Michael J. Sasgen II, ’77, Chicago, Ill., died April 5, 2021, age James L. Steiss, Jr., ’77, Green River, Wyo., died March 20, 2021, age 67. Elaine E. Thompson, ’77 MA, Alpena, Mich., died Dec. 23, 2020, age 92.

Ronald M. Tucker, ’77, Clio, Mich.,

8, 2021, age 84.

died Nov. 28, 2020, age 67.

Elizabeth A. Cowen, ’74, Ypsilanti, Mich., died March 31, 2021, age 67. Catherine A. (Habes) FordTilmann, ’74, ’84 MA, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died March 21, 2021,

Roy G. Pulver, ’76, ’80 MPA, Okemos, Mich., died Oct. 25, 2020,

Bernard G. Walsh, ’77 MA, Hamburg, N. Y., died Feb. 20, 2021,

James B. Schumaker, ’76, Saint Johns, Mich., died Feb. 5, 2021, age

Donald J. Daniels, ’78 MA, Manassas, Va., died Feb. 28, 2021,

Donald D. Metcalf, ’74 MA, Alma, Mich., died March 13, 2021, age 79. Donald E. Prichard, ’74, ’79 MS, New Port Richey, Fla., died Nov. 6,

Robert E. Taylor, ’76 MA, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Dec. 26, 2020,

Robert A. Dash, ’78 MA, Harrisburg, Pa., died Jan. 26, 2021,

Ellen (Steere) VanDeMark, ’76 MA, Sheridan, Mich., died Dec. 19,

Michael J. Rathburn, ’74, Ithaca, Mich., died Feb. 22, 2021, age 68. Dale L. Strong, ’74 MA, Granbury, Tex., died Nov. 26, 2020, age 86. Michael J. Visscher, ’74, Holland, Mich., died March 25, 2021, age 70. Donald C. Wixson, ’74, Sandusky, Mich., died Nov. 5, 2020, age 73. Timothy J. Babcock, ’75, Petoskey, Mich., died Jan. 14, 2021,

2020, age 97.

Eugene J. Driscoll, ’78 MA, Woodbridge, Va., died March 12,

Allie L. Waldron, ’76 MA, New Freedom, Pa., died Jan. 18, 2021,

Diana B. (Edgmon) Hall, ’78, Syracuse, N. Y., died Dec. 25, 2020,

James P. White, ’76 MA, Fulton, Ky., died April 7, 2021, age 83. Ronald N. Anderson, ’77 MA, Wauwatosa, Wis., died Feb. 25, 2021,

Ann L. (Bohnenstengel) Hofelzer, ’78 MA, Charleston, S.

age 77.

2020, age 68.

age 68.

Alan R. Kunsemiller, ’75 MA, O’Fallon, Ill., died Dec. 17, 2020, age 74.

Daniel P. Mayville, ’75, Rochester Hills, Mich., died Jan. 12, 2021, age 68. Charles D. Pinkard, Sr., ’75 MA, Collinsville, Va., died Oct. 31, 2020, age 73.

Tony Pump, ’75 MA, Tawas City, Mich., died Dec. 1, 2020, age 77. Ron A. Roby, ’75, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Dec. 29, 2020, age 67. Daniel J. Stapula, ’75, Fort Worth, Tex., died March 18, 2021, age 69.

Toni A. Barnes, ’76, Kalamazoo, Mich., died Dec. 5, 2020, age 66. Dallas R. Hanna, ’76 MA, Williamsburg, Va., died Nov 16, 2020, age 82.

Paul H. Hasz, ’76 MA, Port St.

Lucie, Fla., died Feb. 28, 2021, age 82.

James R. Hathcock, ’76 MA, Auburn, Ala., died Dec. 28, 2020, age 87.

age 66. 66.

age 91.

age 78.

Amy R. (Bailey) Barnes, ’77, Jenison, Mich., died April 16, 2021,

age 76. age 77.

age 83.

2021, age 78. age 74.

C., died Dec. 3, 2020, age 85.

George F. Jennings, ’78 Ed.S.,

Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Jan. 4, 2021, age 86.

Ruthann (Sanders) Barnes, ’77, ’81 MA, Mount Pleasant, Mich.,

Robert T. Richey, ’78, Saginaw, Mich., died Dec. 1, 2020, age 67. Barbara K. (Janiske) Sardo, ’78, ’93 MA, Bay City, Mich., died Jan. 12,

Charles L. Broomall, ’77 MA, Somers Point, N. J., died Jan. 31,

Joan M. (Milton) Savage, ’78 MA, West Columbia, S. C., died Dec. 1,

Robert J. Brown, ’77 MA, Cicero, N. Y., died Dec. 13, 2020, age 72. Michael L. Ferguson, ’77 MA, Pensacola, Fla., died Jan. 18, 2020,

Mary K. Tomic, ’78 MA, Canton, Ohio, died March 17, 2021, age 89. Wayne R. Bordeau, ’79 MA, Hanahan, S. C., died Nov. 6, 2020,

Daniel R. Golinski, ’77 MA, Lowell, Mich., died March 31, 2021, age 76. Wilson W. Grooms, ’77 MA, Indian Trail, N. C., died April 10, 2021,

Cheryl L. (Bies) Dennert, ’79, Hart, Mich., died Feb. 23, 2021, age

Richard W. Kalishek, ’77 MA, San Antonio, Tex., died July 10, 2020,

age 84.

Donald C. Kittinger, ’77 MA, Evansville, Ind., died Dec. 10, 2020,

2020, age 92.

age 65.

died Nov. 26, 2020, age 80. 2021, age 90.

age 81.

age 68. age 79. age 87.

Richard S. Laur, ’77, Standish, Mich., died April 25, 2020, age 66.

2021, age 76.

2020, age 82.

age 77. 63.

Isabel M. (Perea) Ewing, ’79, Shepherd, Mich., died Dec. 18, 2020, Edward B. Howe, ’79 MA, Sterling Heights, Mich., died Dec. 1, Anthony W. Howett, ’79 MA, Fostoria, Ohio, died March 25, 2021, age 79.

Centralight Summer ’21

In Memory Calvin M. Saunders, ’79 MA, Charlotte, N. C., died Nov. 9, 2020,

Gary L. Brendtke, ’82 MA, Ypsilanti, Mich., died Dec. 12, 2020,

Glenn N. Hojem, ’85 MA, Cottage Grove, Wis., died Dec. 13, 2020, age

Brian J. Boutell, ’89, Grosse Pointe, Mich., died Dec. 5, 2020, age

Thomas J. Swindlehurst, ’79, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Dec. 1,

Charles R. Bruer, ’82 MA, Madison, Ala., died Dec. 15, 2020,

Karen L. (Williams) Kaufmann, ’85, Ann Arbor, Mich., died Nov 1,

Richard A. Kent, ’89 MSA, Plymouth, Ind., died Jan. 31, 2021,

Joanne (Zajicek) Balderson, ’80 MA, Woodsboro, Md., died Dec. 30,

Carolyn F. (Deuschle) Crotser, ’82, Colorado Springs, Colo., died

Rhoda M. (Fluegge) MacKezyk, ’89, Columbia, Tenn., died Jan. 9,

Barbara J. (Odine) Borth, ’80 MA, Big Rapids, Mich., died Jan. 25,

Barbea M. (Balla) Heiman, ’82 MA, Beulah, Mich., died Dec. 23,

Katherine A. (Klieman) Muehleisen, ’85 MA, Marine City, Mich., died April 12, 2021, age 86. Michael J. Norman, ’85, Louisville, Ky., died Jan. 31, 2021, age

Vincent J. DiDonato, Jr., ’80 MA,

Patrick H. Kailing, ’82 MBA, Reed City, Mich., died April 8, 2021, age 71. Rosemary A. (Farawell) Prindle, ’82 MA, Milford, Pa., died Nov. 30,

Thomas J. Huber, ’86, Rainbow Lake, N. Y., died Feb. 11, 2021, age 58. Lary T. Schlaack, ’86 MA, Kalkaska, Mich., died Dec. 11, 2020,

Francis W. Sisunik, ’82 MA, Troy, Mich., died Feb. 1, 2021, age 78. Robert A. Smith, ’82 MA, New Braunfels, Tex., died Nov. 30, 2020,

Bonnie L. (Hargadon) Smith, ’86, Ithaca, Mich., died Jan 9, 2021,

Nathan Burleson, Jr., ’83 MA,

2021, age 91.

David C. Finn, ’83 MA, White Lake, Mich., died April 3, 2021, age 83. Harry H. Grindrod, ’83 MA, Cave Spring, Ga., died Jan. 17, 2021, age 70. David M. Horton, ’83, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Feb. 1, 2021, age

age 79.

2020, age 76.

2020, age 68. 2021, age 76.

Collegeville, Pa., died March 1, 2021, age 68.

Robert W. Duggleby, ’80 MA, Columbia, S. C., died Feb. 25, 2021, age 82.

Bonnie A. Faber-Unwin, ’80 MA, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Feb. 7, 2021, age 75.

William J. Gates, ’80 MA, Longwood, Fla., died Sept. 17, 2020, age 80.

Gregory K. Gebben, ’80, Lake Mary, Fla., died Nov. 18, 2020, age 63. Joel H. Harris, ’80, Irons, Mich., died Dec. 21, 2020, age 76.

Robert T. Heck, ’80 MA, Washington, Mich., died Feb. 24, 2021, age 79.

James R. Jones III, ’80 MA, Mendham Twp., N. J., died Oct. 26, 2020, age 76.

Stephan A. Jones, ’80, Hope, Mich., died Jan 21, 2021, age 70. Diana K. (Marshall) Kelly, ’80, ’84 MA, Bellaire, Mich., died Nov. 9, 2020, age 63.

Bruce M. Miiller, ’80, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Nov. 11, 2020, age 68.

William J. Murphy, ’80 MSA, Seminole, Fla., died Jan. 7, 2021, age 80.

James R. Sandlin, ’80 MA, Ortonville, Mich., died Jan. 27, 2021, age 79.

Thomas J. Ferguson, ’81 MA, Ventura, Calif., died Jan. 8, 2021, age 72.

Eugene Parker, Sr., ’81 MA,

Langhorne, Pa., died Jan. 1, 2021, age 73.

Janice M. Sjostrom-Crawford, ’81 MA, Lanexa, Va., died April 13, 2021, age 69.

Dorellen E. Smith-Belleau, ’81, Remus, Mich., died Feb. 25, 2021, age 65.

Calvin Street, ’81 MA, Mitchellville, Md., died Sept. 25, 2020, age 86.

Allan J. Suing, ’81 MA, Sherwood Forest, Md., died Jan. 29, 2021, age 82.

Max J. Bokelman, ’82 MA, Cupertino, Calif., died Jan. 12, 2020, age 88. 38

Centralight Summer ’21

age 74. age 77.

Oct. 18, 2020, age 60. 2020, age 74.

2020, age 68.

age 80.

Palmdale, Calif., died August 1, 2020, age 89.

62.

Jayne A. (Thornburg) London, ’83 MA, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Dec. 2, 2020, age 73.

Melvin E. Nace, ’83 MA, Duncannon, Pa., died March 16, 2021, age 79.

Patricia A. (Jansen) Wenzler, ’83, Dublin, Ohio, died Dec. 15, 2020, age 59.

Jane Pomper DeHart, ’84 MA, Auburn Hills, Mich., died Jan. 6, 2021, age 64.

Richard A. Micketti, ’84, Lambertville, N. J., died Dec. 27, 2020, age 64.

Julia A. (Fitch) Moran, ’84 MA, Alden, Mich., died Feb. 21, 2021, age 74.

Maurice A. “Tony” Mouzon, ’84 MA, Muscatine, Iowa, died Dec. 26, 2020, age 68.

Jeffrey E. Robb, ’84, Sarasota, Fla., died Feb. 2, 2021, age 65. Brian K. Yoder, ’84, Pasadena, Calif., died Jan. 9, 2021, age 59. Rebecca L. (Putnam) Bank, ’85, Freeland, Mich., died Jan. 17, 2021, age 69.

Russell “Gus” E. Danner, Jr., ’85,

Fort Collins, Colo., died April 17, 2021, age 58.

Tammi (Sparks) Ewing, ’85, Marshall, Mich., died March 25, 2021, age 58.

Mark G. Goense, ’85, Traverse City, Mich., died Dec. 6, 2020, age 60.

74.

2020, age 84.

60.

age 84. age 78.

55.

age 72.

2021, age 52.

Alva L. McDaniel, ’89 MSA, Newark, Ohio, died March 25, 2021, age 75. Michael E. Murphy, ’89, Williamston, Mich., died Jan. 7, 2021, age 55.

Deborah A. (Jones) Scott, ’89, New Castle, Ind., died Feb. 23, 2021, age 53.

Marjory C. (Johnson) Ahrens, ’90 MA, Harbor Beach, Mich., died

Clinton (Dick) R. Tooley, ’86, Traverse City, Mich., died April 5,

Dec. 3, 2020, age 82.

Laura J. (Gustafson) Wisneski, ’86, Hudsonville, Mich., died Nov.

age 75.

16, 2020, age 57.

Janice E. (Bell) Grandy, ’90, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Jan. 5,

Karyn M. (Billings) Courter, ’87, Essexville, Mich., died Dec. 15, 2020,

2021, age 75.

Randy R. Radford, Sr., ’90 MSA,

age 58.

Brett A. Covert, ’87, Sulphur, La.,

Anne P. (Yakel) Alban, ’90 MSA, Damascus, Md., died Nov. 6, 2020,

Hyattsville, Md., died March 12, 2021, age 69.

Jeffrey W. Middlebrook, ’87, North Barrington, Ill., died Jan. 1,

Julie A. Spurr, ’90, Midland, Mich., died Feb. 23, 2021, age 54. Barry B. Baker, ’91 MSA, Ormond Beach, Fla., died Dec. 7, 2020, age 69. Raymond J. Werner, ’91 MSA, Yellow Springs, Ohio, died Dec. 21,

Kenneth E. Rastall, ’87 MAT, Proctor, W. Va., died Dec. 29, 2020,

Kristin K. (Larson) Jimison, ’92 MSA, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.,

John W. Setterlind, ’87, Parker, Colo., died Jan. 24, 2021, age 58. Carl D. Smith, ’87 MSA, Venice, Fla., died March 8, 2021, age 80. Darren B. Acton, ’88, Clare, Mich., died Feb. 24, 2021, age 55. Margaret “Peg” S. (Assmann) Bailey, ’88, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Jan. 9, 2021, age 64. Michael D. Fitzgerald, ’88, Riverview, Mich., died March 30,

Lisa M. (Heric) Lapham, ’92, Midland, Mich., died Nov. 3, 2020,

died Feb. 17, 2021, age 57.

Maura A. (Weir) Hamilton, ’87 MA, Kettering, Ohio, died Nov. 11, 2020, age 63. 2021, age 55. age 59.

2020, age 72.

2020, age 81.

died April 3, 2021, age 69. age 49.

George A. Ruby, ’92 MSA, Solon, Ohio, died Jan. 30, 2021, age 85. Edward S. Brouhard, ’93 MH, Rochester, Mich., died Feb. 8, 2021, age 73.

Craig A. Dunker, ’93 MSA, Spencer, Tenn., died March 20, 2021, age 63.

Richard B. Evans, ’93 MSA, Troy, Mich., died Feb. 5, 2021, age 74. Harold “Hal” D. Heistand, ’93, Saugatuck, Mich., died Dec. 20,

James R. Hogan, ’88 MSA, Minot, N. Dak., died April 15, 2021, age 75. Elbert W. Jones, ’88 MSA, Farmington, Mich., died March 16,

2020, age 71.

John A. Kovacs, ’88 MSA, Fairborn, Ohio, died Dec. 2, 2020,

age 70.

2021, age 74. age 85.

Timothy J. Roberts, ’88, Utica, Mich., died Nov. 16, 2020, age 54. Jodi L. Skrobak, ’88, Petoskey, Mich., died Dec. 12, 2020, age 54. Robert H. Wickman, ’88, Hudson, Fla., died Dec. 15, 2020, age 77.

Norma L. Petrie, ’93 MA, East Jordan, Mich., died March 27, 2021, Carl A. Roper, ’93 MSA, Richmond, Va., died August 9, 2020, age 76.

John S. Wilson, ’93 MSA, Summerville, S. C., died Dec. 27, 2020, age 66.

Derek A. Boczkowski, ’94, Rochester Hills, Mich., died March 5, 2021, age 49.

Lisa M. Fredericks, ’94, Broomfield, Colo., died April 10,

Franklin E. Wise, ’98 MSA, Horseshoe Bend, Ark., died Jan. 17,

Darryl L. Nicholson, ’05, ’11 MSA, New Boston, Mich., died Oct. 31,

William R. Haas, ’94, ’98 MA, Saginaw, Mich., died March 11, 2021,

Alicia M. (Blue) Bellmore, ’99, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died April

Kristopher P. Repshinska, ’06, Pigeon, Mich., died March 12, 2021,

Keith L. Licht, ’94 MSA, East Palestine, Ohio, died Dec. 8, 2020,

Brenda J. Robinson, ’99 MSA, Dayton, Ohio, died April 15, 2021, age 67. James R. Kissane, ’00, Midland, Mich., died Dec. 27, 2020, age 49. Kevin J. Remenap, ’00, Grandville, Mich., died April 9, 2021,

James H. Stephens, ’06 DHA, Statesboro, Ga., died Feb. 4, 2021,

Gayle Shoup-Frost, ’00, Alma, Mich., died March 7, 2021, age 71. Yolanda G. Adkins, ’02 MSA, Upper Marlboro, Md., died Feb. 21,

age 39.

Roberta D. (Schleicher) Carr, ’02 MSA, Milford, Mich., died March 8,

2021, age 59.

2021, age 48. age 69.

age 73.

Daniel A. Mahlebashian, ’94, Novi, Mich., died March 31, 2021, age 59.

Kirk S. Woodruff, ’94, Newport, Mich., died April 6, 2021, age 72. Connie B. Alfes, ’95, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Jan. 4, 2021, age 52.

Marvin C. Haire, ’95 MSA, Clinton, Md., died March 7, 2021, age 67.

Paula A. (Tarien) Mutch, ’96, ’03 MSA, Macomb, Mich., died March 9, 2021, age 65.

Sandra E. (Crowder) Pace, ’96 MSA, Bel Air, Md., died Nov. 22, 2020, age 52.

Kenneth Rogers, ’96, Clarkston, Mich., died Feb. 16, 2020, age 81. Christina D. Shilling, ’96, Clare, Mich., died Jan. 18, 2021, age 46. Georgina Aggrey, ’97, East Lansing, Mich., died Dec. 27, 2020, age 65.

Karen L. Herington, ’97, ’99 MA, Six Lakes, Mich., died Dec. 15, 2020, age 59.

Jennifer L. (Maxbauer) Johnson, ’97, ’99 MA, ’04 BSED, Interlochen, Mich., died March 1,

PHOTO BY STEVE JESSMORE/

STEVE JESSMORE PHOTOGRAPHY

2021, age 46.

2021, age 81.

11, 2021, age 46.

age 44.

2021, age 59.

2020, age 61. age 44. age 73.

Marcia R. Lewin, ’10 MSA, Kennesaw, Ga., died Dec. 11, 2020, age 56.

Stacey L. (Elliott) Pariona, ’11, Waterford, Mich., died Dec. 21, 2020, Antonio L. Jordan, ’12, Lansing, Mich., died Nov. 26, 2020, age 32. Timothy E. Mink, ’12 MSA, Chesterfield, Mich., died April 11,

Rita M. (Lopez) Ehemann, ’03 MSA, Overland Park, Kans., died

Carol L. Johnson, ’13, Augusta, Ga., died Dec. 2, 2020, age 56. Shane Jeffrey-Daniel Spencer, ’13, Tampa, Fla., died June 1, 2020,

Donna T. Witherspoon-Clark, ’03 MSA, Dayton, Ohio, died Jan.

Taylor S. Zurick, ’14, Clinton Township, Mich., died Sept. 5, 2020,

J. Bernice (Renault) Davis, ’04 MSA, Belcourt, N. Dak., died Nov. 9,

Matthew P. Morgan, ’15, Okemos, Mich., died Feb. 3, 2021, age 30. Richard Yamin, ’19, Saint Clair, Mich., died Dec. 2, 2020, age 43. Kate E. Black, ’20, Allen Park, Mich., died Feb. 24, 2021, age 25. Eric M. Borg, ’20, Canton, Mich.,

2021, age 58.

Feb. 24, 2021, age 71. 18, 2021, age 53. 2020, age 78.

Daniel W. Rohrbach, ’04 MSA, Dayton, Ohio, died Dec. 1, 2020,

age 57.

Susan J. (Andrews) Carlisle, ’05 MA, Barrie, Ontario, died March 25, 2021, age 58. Holly M. Davis-Webster, ’05 MA, Jackson Springs, N. C., died Nov. 13,

age 29. age 29.

FACULTY Donald S. Backus, ’92, ’94 MA, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Sept. 9, 2014, age 63.

Robert H. King, ’66, ’68 MS, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Nov. 14, 2020, age 80.

Earl R. Nitschke, ’56 BS, ’63 MA, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Dec. 2, 2020, age 90.

Robert R. Slocum, Jackson, Mich., died June 28, 2020, age 89. Joan S. Kimball Yehl, ’68 MA, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died April 16, 2021, age 92.

RETIREE Lillian Earns, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Dec. 13, 2005, age 78. Dorothy M. Harvey, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Jan. 25, 2020, age 92.

Clyde Jennings, Jr., Mount Pleasant, Mich., died May 27, 2018, age 89. Shirley A. Lampky, ’71, South Haven, Mich., died March 3, 2015, age 82.

JoAnn Wilson, Mecosta, Mich., died Oct. 15, 2014, age 83.

STAFF Sarah J. Kunik, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died March 29, 2021, age 42.

died Jan. 19, 2021, age 23.

2020, age 54.

Centralight Summer Winter ’20 Centralight ’21

DO YOU REMEMBER Rural education efforts

BLOOMED CMU’s Appleblossom Club began in 1927 as a way for education students to encourage rural school districts to consolidate. The club’s adviser was Maurice L. Smith, an education professor and head of the rural department, who was interested in turning one-room school houses into larger grade schools, high schools and, later, middle schools. It was an effort to standardize grading and improve education by having specialist teachers help students focus on subjects more thoroughly. Highlights of the club’s programming each year included plays, musical performances, bus trips throughout the state and country, and production of a newsletter with information useful to teachers in rural schools. Participating in the Appleblossom Club – named for Michigan’s state flower — was volunteer work for CMU students, with many working on consolidation activities in their hometowns. At one point, one-eighth of CMU’s student body belonged to the club — which would be the equivalent of about 2,300 CMU students belonging to one organization today. By the mid-1950s, Michigan had 75 consolidated school districts, and the one-room school house concept was beginning to disappear. The Appleblossom Club disbanded in 1953. •

Centralight Summer ’21

Recognizing student

SUCCESS

Michael R. Murray, ’75, and Pamela Wasko Murray, ’77, ’83, appreciate the championship culture at Central Michigan University and support students who cultivate it.

One of Michael and Pamela Murray’s fondest memories during their time at CMU was the 1974 football season when the Chippewas won the Division II Football Championship. The accomplishment amplified the Murrays’ sense of Chippewa pride, leaving a lasting impression on the couple. As a result, they created the Michael R. Murray and Pamela Wasko Murray Football Championship Endowment, which helps CMU maintain a football championship culture.

Pamela Wasko Murray, ’77, ’83, and Michael R. Murray, ’75

The Murrays want to ensure that future students have the opportunity to benefit from the same experiences that they shared on campus. So, they established two student scholarships through their estate plan, one for the College of Business Administration and another for the College of Medicine. The scholarships will be used for tuition-related expenses, internships or residencies. “CMU networking connections helped us to further develop both professionally and personally in ways that we would have never dreamed throughout our college experience,” the Murrays said in a statement. Spirit of giving back Michael and Pamela Murray support students in developing the academic foundations of their careers. To learn more about providing assistance to students and recognizing their success at Central Michigan University, contact: Jennifer Cotter Executive Director of Development, Advancement Central Michigan University, Carlin Alumni House Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 989-774-7155 • jennifer.cotter@cmich.edu

mycmulegacy.org CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity for all individuals, irrespective of gender identity or sexual orientation and including but not limited to minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities. UComm 10342

Centralight Summer ’21

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID MOUNT PLEASANT, MI PERMIT NO. 93

Centralight

Carlin Alumni House Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI 48859

CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

Your dollars

MAKE CHANGE Student Emergency Fund

dollars have been awarded

870

Students awarded dollars

$272,954

Dollars raised in 2020-21

3,437

Life is full of twists and turns — events that can threaten a student’s college education. At CMU, our Student Emergency Fund is there when our CMU Chippewas need a boost, often allowing them to stay in school donate.cmich.edu through difficult circumstances.

The Student Emergency Fund allowed Candy Boakyewaa to realize her dream of achieving a college degree. Due to insufficient financial aid, she was in danger of being dropped from her classes in her senior year. With support from donors, Candy earned her degree in integrative public relations with a minor in public affairs.

$1,082,542

Candy Abena Boakyewaa, ’18 Integrative public relations major, public affairs minor

CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity within its community. CMU does not discriminate against persons based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, sex, sex-based stereotypes, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran status, or weight. (see cmich.edu/ocrie). UComm 10076 (4/2021)

Donors in 2020-21