Centralight, Central Michigan University Alumni Magazine, Fall 2024
That Championship Season
Roy Kramer (center) poses with the championship trophy and his team after winning the NCAA DII National Championship in 1974. This year marks the 50th anniversary of that winning season.
This fall, the legendary 1974 CMU football team is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Division II national championship win.
CMU’s 1974 championship football team, coached by the iconic Roy Kramer and defensive coordinator Herb Deromedi, will be the grand marshals for CMU’s homecoming this year.
Fans and flags wave proudly before CMU took the field for the 2014 homecoming matchup with Ohio University.
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
Steve Jessmore, ’81
Adam Sparkes
Writers
Eric Baerren, ’93
Kevin Essebaggers, ’98, M.A. ’01
Jason Fielder
Dan Gaken, ’04, M.A. ’16
Andy Sneddon
Robin Miner-Swartz
Robert Wang
Research Associate
Bryan Whitledge, M.A. ’19
Editorial Assistant
Alison Foster
Vice President for Advancement
Jennifer Cotter, ’01
Vice President for University Communications and Chief Marketing Officer
John Veilleux
For advertising information
Call Cindy Jacobs, ’93 (800) 358-6903
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
Email: alumni@cmich.edu
Web: alumni.cmich.edu
Fall offers significant milestones in CMU’s history
Homecoming and football celebrate big anniversaries this
season
Marcie Otteman, ’87, Executive Director of Alumni Relations
One hundred years is a long time in many respects — it’s a full century of life and experiences. This year, CMU is marking the 100th anniversary of homecoming — an occasion certainly worth celebrating.
Centralight’s editorial team has had fun putting together this issue for you. Our invaluable, intrepid friend Bryan Whitledge, M.A. ’19, the Clarke Historical Library’s public librarian, has gathered a wealth of pictures, stories and notable tidbits from homecomings through the years. We learned about our first homecoming game — in November 1924 against Alma College — and thought it must have been a cold one for sure! We noted the changes in fashion for the homecoming courts and ambassadors throughout the years. The team sorted through the best photos of the band, floats and teams from years gone by. We hope you’ll enjoy reminiscing as much as we did.
Speaking of reminiscing: 50 years ago, the 1974 football team gave us a season for the ages, capped it off with a Division II National Championship. The team will serve as this year’s homecoming grand marshals, and this fall we’ll be celebrating just how special that team and its season were.
In 1924, the Centralites — as our students were called then — didn’t have a mascot. But the halftime celebration on the field found us trotting out a menacing dragon to intimidate the visiting team with the dragon-like power of the maroon and gold fighters.
From dragons to today, maroon and gold have been with us. I look forward to seeing you for homecoming, wearing your school colors proudly — no dragons needed!
Fire Up Forever,
Presidential search update
Our presidential search committee continues to work hard to find the next leader for CMU. You can stay up to date on the process by checking in at https://www.cmich.edu/about/universityleadership/office-president/presidential-search
Stay FIRED UP
Connect with CMU alumni at upcoming Alumni Association events across the country! Find the complete schedule of in-person and virtual opportunities here: go.cmualum.com/alumni-events
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Central Michigan University – Alumni
President Bob Davies
Experience the milestone with your fellow alumni
I often tell people that one of my favorite times of the year at Central Michigan University is commencement, when we confer degrees and celebrate the success and accomplishments of our students. Welcoming those graduates back as alumni is just as wonderful, especially as we gather to celebrate our university community at homecoming. Homecoming is a truly wonderful time at CMU, and it has been for more than a century now.
What is it about homecoming at CMU that makes it so special for alumni? I believe it’s the same thing that makes the CMU student experience so rewarding: our welcoming, friendly climate. You can feel the strong connection between and among our alumni, students, faculty and staff, and their love for this institution. Indeed, it is palpable during homecoming.
Our 100th anniversary of homecoming is a testament to decades of vibrant traditions, community building and the Fired-Up attitude that defines CMU. I hope to see you on campus Oct. 11-13 at some of the many special celebrations we have planned.
As we reflect on homecoming celebrations over the years, we also acknowledge that our alumni have played a crucial role in shaping the legacy of CMU. Your successes, contributions and unwavering
support have been integral to our journey. This homecoming is not only a celebration of CMU but also a celebration of you — our distinguished alumni.
CMU homecoming’s 100th milestone is a chance to appreciate all we have done together to build upon our founders’ vision for CMU, and to ensure it is a university we can be proud of together in the future.
In this issue, we will revisit many memories of homecomings past. As your own CMU homecoming memories come rushing back, please share them on social media using #FiredUpForever.
I hope you will join us for CMU’s 100th homecoming anniversary to create new memories we will all cherish for many years to come.
Be well and Fire Up Chips!
Bob Davies, Ph.D. President, Central Michigan University
CMU TODAY
Making a career from making music
New major gives music students an education in art’s business side
BY ERIC BAERREN
A classroom in CMU’s music school building got an upgrade over the summer to support the popularity of an interdepartmental program built around music careers.
The commercial music major pairs hands-on experience creating and recording music with practical
Uzarski steps down as head of CMU Biological Station
Kevin Pangle to take over the director role on Beaver Island
BY ROBERT WANG
In a significant transition for the Central Michigan University Biological Station (CMUBS) on Beaver Island, longserving director Don Uzarski has announced his decision to step down after a remarkable 15-year tenure. David Ford, dean of the College of Science and Engineering at CMU, has appointed Kevin Pangle, a professor in the Department of Biology and the Institute
knowledge from business courses on how to make money from making art.
The program’s goal is to provide students the opportunity to customize a music degree from courses in music, broadcasting and entrepreneurship, said Jay Batzner, a member of the School of Music’s faculty who specializes in composition and technology.
“The mixing of different disciplines is really exciting,” he said.
Musicians today have fewer traditional opportunities, like performing with orchestras, but there are more opportunities for them to forge their own paths, especially if their skills are broader than just composition.
Batzner said the school considered, “How can we equip students with knowledge and experience of recording and publishing?”
That’s where the business courses come in. The market for work in the music industry has changed considerably. A lot of the work is freelance. Students need
for Great Lakes Research, as the new director.
Uzarski’s leadership has been transformative for the CMUBS. During his tenure, he spearheaded a $30 million research program in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which created 156 jobs across 13 institutions in its first year alone. Under his guidance, the station secured 23 additional externally funded research grants, collectively worth several million dollars. In 2010, Uzarski became the founding director of the CMU Institute for Great Lakes Research, which now includes 33 faculty members and about 50 graduate students.
to know how to market their work and develop the savvy to conserve their money between gigs, he said.
Most of the degree’s infrastructure already existed, Batzner said. The most laborious task in launching the program was to pull it together.
It’s proven more popular than they expected.
They expected 10 students last fall; they signed 30. One of the program’s students also placed third in this year’s New Venture Challenge.
“It’s taking off in a really exciting way,” said.
And not just with students. Batzner said he’s secured donations to help provide resources for the program, including a gift to outfit a classroom with recording equipment.
That will provide students with a collaborative experience, learning musical concepts and putting them to use so they can receive feedback from other students. •
Pangle steps into the role of director with a rich background in Great Lakes research. A professor at CMU, his work has focused extensively on fisheries, particularly in Lake Michigan. Having taught and conducted research at CMUBS for the past 12 years, Pangle said he and his family have grown to cherish the station and its community.
Pangle plans to build on the strong foundation laid by his predecessor. His vision includes providing strategic direction and leadership across research, teaching and community outreach. He aims to expand partnerships, increase class offerings and enhance support for students, fostering a sense of belonging at the station. •
Don Uzarski
Kevin Pangle
CMU TODAY
Student research prompts state to pause the use of a pond in West Michigan
Senior project links Kent County walleye ponds to PFAS
BY ERIC BAERREN
A CMU student studying a slow-moving plume of hazardous chemical made a discovery that prompted a state agency to pause its use of a fish-stocking pond.
Eleanor McFarlan was researching the impact of three manmade ponds near Belmont, in Kent County, on the flow of groundwater containing contaminants dumped into a nearby landfill during the 1960s. The contaminants belonged to the family of chemicals called PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
PFAS has seen use in a broad range of consumer applications for years. Concern has emerged about its impact on human health, particularly in how they can accumulate in the body. That is in part related to how slowly the chemicals degrade.
The ponds were also used by the Department of Natural Resources for its walleye stocking program. During her research in 2023, she discovered the water had higher concentrations of PFAS than during previous testing in 2018.
“Understanding how PFAS moves in the subsurface is essential for protecting our natural resources, and this research will hopefully help others to characterize the extent of PFAS contamination in similar sites.”
The concentrations were below what is considered harmful to human health but still high enough to get the DNR’s attention. The agency performed its own tests, including on the fish.
“Although the data indicated no human health risk associated with the walleye program, walleye rearing activities have been suspended at the Belmont Ponds out of an abundance of caution,” said Ed Golder, a DNR spokesman.
The fish would have also been small enough when released that almost all of the PFAS their bodies continued to collect would have come from their new homes rather than the stocking pond, Golder added. •
Eleanor McFarlan watches as Lawrence Lemke, a member of Central Michigan University’s geology faculty, examines a well dug to check for levels of a hazardous chemical from groundwater.
Building durable happiness through relationships
Course teaches students that connections are the fruit of hard work
BY ERIC BAERREN
Building connection is critical to living a happier life, said Kirsten Weber, a faculty member of CMU’s School of Communication, Journalism and Media.
“It’s not just knowing, it’s doing,” Weber said.
Weber made knowing and doing the centerpiece of a course called Communication, Happiness and Well-being. The general education course provides students with research on how communication fuels happiness. The hands-on experience then employs the concepts.
The hands-on work is the vital part.
“You can’t just say, ‘Oh, I need to make connections,’” she said.
That was one of the big things aspiring music education student Johannah Chatman learned when she took the course during the spring semester. Building relationships that are key to happiness requires intentional work.
Exercises built into the curriculum helped translate what they learned in the classroom into valuable results, Chatman said. Journaling about gratitude and savoring important moments were two exercises that stood out for her.
Some exercises require students to break out of their comfort zone. One involves striking up five conversations with strangers – something that’s difficult for people.
There’s a belief that strangers will think that you’re weird if you try to have a conversation with them, Weber said. The research shows the opposite: when strangers chat, both parties walk away feeling more fulfilled and a little happier.
Other exercises students can choose from include meditation, random acts of kindness and a social media detox, she said. The detox helps students be more present in their lives to develop more meaningful connections to the people they’re with at that moment.
The idea for the course came when people’s connections were at their most tenuous — the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. The isolation caused people to lose some of those critical small connections critical to creating happiness.
Weber, who describes herself as an optimist, wanted to bring light into a dark situation. A podcast called The Happiness Lab gave her the idea to build a course around the intersection of communication and happiness.
Chatman said the work she did for the course worked. She developed a much better balance between her academic pursuits and her personal life. The course itself felt like a break during hectic days.
The course also provided rewards beyond satisfying general education requirements. After Chatman finished the class, the things that she said she learned helped make her personal life much more rewarding. That, in turn, has made her a happier person. •
Students in Kirsten Weber’s Communication, Happiness and Well-being course break into small groups during an exercise to help them understand the role communication plays in long-lasting, durable happiness.
CMU TODAY
Changing minds through the art of animation
NASA grant helps animators communicate climate change’s realities
BY ERIC BAERREN, ’93
Animators at CMU are investigating whether they can help scientists communicate climate change to the general public.
The biggest hurdle is figuring out how to convey the visceral fear that much of the scientific community feels. It’s not something easily expressed through an interpretation of data.
“Their hair is on fire right now, but they can’t communicate that,” said Steve Leeper, a member of the Department of Art and Design faculty. “Art can do that.”
Leeper is working with Lindsay Robertson, a 2023 graduate of the animation program, to communicate that message through the art of animation. Their project is supported by a grant through NASA. Robertson uses they/them pronouns.
Most students in CMU’s new animation major focus on conventional storytelling, character design and animated performance, hoping to get jobs in the entertainment industry, Leeper said. Animating a public service announcement would lend itself to that approach.
Robertson uses motion and sound to evoke ideas as a form of abstract art, Leeper said. Their approach positions them well to shape data into a visceral, emotional story.
The goal is an animation that cuts through what the data has to say and conveys a message about the emotional reaction scientists have to what the hard facts tell them.
Robertson brings some experience using data to create art. They addressed the generational trauma caused by fashion industry messaging about the “ideal body type” in their 2020
thesis “Sourz.” Their 11-minute film animates pages from a fashion textbook.
They have reams of data downloaded from the NASA website, Robertson said. But one of the challenges they face is getting a better grasp of what it all means.
They plan to partner with members of the environmental sciences faculty for that. They’ve held preliminary meetings with Tao Zheng, a faculty member in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, to better understand how to interpret the data.
It’ll also help shape how Robertson approaches telling the story through art. And input from the scientists they work with will help sharpen their approach to the art underlying their animation project.
A final report is due to NASA early next year, Leeper said. It’s not known what will happen to whatever Robertson produces, but it could live on in its full-length form or snippets of it could be used to underlie other pieces of media. •
CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
It’s the 50th anniversary of CMU football’s national title win
BY ANDY SNEDDON
This fall, the legendary 1974 CMU football team is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Division II national championship win.
The once-in-a-lifetime team — coached by Roy Kramer and his defensive coordinator, Herb Deromedi — recorded a remarkable 12-1 season, setting the stage for CMU Athletics to transition into Division I and the Mid-American Conference in 1975.
Under Kramer’s leadership and Deromedi’s guidance, the ’74 CMU Chippewas tallied a dominant, threegame playoff run, where CMU outscored opponents 109-34. They toppled Boise State 20-6 in a frigid quarterfinal in Mount Pleasant. Next, they defeated Louisiana Tech 35-14 in the Pioneer Bowl in Wichita Falls, Texas. And they capped their extraordinary season with a decisive 54-14 win over the Delaware
Blue Hens in the national title game in the Camellia Bowl in Sacramento, California.
Throughout the season, the team tallied 450 points while allowing just 127, including two shutouts and seven games where opponents were held to a single touchdown or less.
Highlights of the season included a 42-6 triumph over Western Michigan, marking the first time CMU defeated the Broncos under Kramer’s tenure, which began in 1967. Offensively, the team surpassed the 50-point mark twice and scored at least 40 points in four other games. Running back Walt Hodges rushed for 1,463 yards, ranking fifth on CMU’s all-time singleseason list, with his career total of 3,886 yards second in school history.
The team boasted four All-Americans: quarterback Mike Franckowiak, defensive linemen Rick Newsome and John
Wunderlich, and defensive back Tom Ray. After an opening loss to Kent State, the CMU Chippewas rallied to win 12 consecutive games. In 2004, the squad was inducted into the CMU Marcy Weston Athletics Hall of Fame, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their championship.
Kramer, Deromedi, Franckowiak, Newsome and Wunderlich also have been honored individually in the hall of fame. Deromedi succeeded Kramer as head coach in 1978, and together, they led CMU football to a combined record of 193-87-12 over 27 years.
Kramer later became the director of athletics at Vanderbilt and commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, earning induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023, joining Deromedi who was inducted in 2007.
In 2002, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and Central Michigan University signed a proclamation pledging their support for strengthening the relationship between the two entities “for the enhancement of each other’s goals and visions and for the greater good of all residents of the region, state and nation.” The proclamation included a statement of support for the university’s continued use of the Chippewas nickname. CMU’s approach to the Chippewas nickname entails using it in a respectful and honorable manner. Some of the images shown here are used only for historical context and are misrepresentative of indigenous culture and people. To show the historical accuracy of the time and how far we have come presently, it is important to remember where we have been and look forward to where we are going. This stereotypical imagery is not tolerated at CMU, and every effort to honor the nickname is taken.
Central Michigan University’s national championship football team poses for a team photo ahead of their iconic season in 1974.
Running back Walter “Smoke” Hodges dodges a tackle in CMU’s homecoming win against Western Illinois. Hodges tallied 1,463 rushing yards on 251 carries in 1974.
CMU emerged victorious in the 1974 home game against the Dayton Fliers.
Centralight was proud to promote the accomplishments of the 1974 CMU
football team.
A referee confirms a touchdown for CMU in the championship game against Delaware in the Camellia Bowl.
players
coordinator
CMU
(from left) Richard Newsome, Mark Bennett and Paul Fleszar pose with defensive
Herb Deromidi on the field.
Homecoming in 1974 brought snow ... and a decisive 58-7 win over Western Illinois.
CMU went head to head with Boise State in the quarterfinals game, winning 20-6.
CM Life coverage of the football team’s historic run documented the enthusiasm leading up to the championship game.
Return of the CHAMPIONS
Iconic team and coaches serve as homecoming grand marshals
The legendary 1974 CMU football team, coached by the iconic Roy Kramer and his defensive coordinator, Herb Deromedi, will be the grand marshals for CMU’s homecoming this year.
Returning team members will join Kramer, Deromedi and [other team staff] leading the parade before the current roster takes on the Ohio Bobcats at [time] on Oct. 12 in Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
The game will be played on the field named in honor of Kramer and Deromedi in 2022.
“It is a tremendous honor, and very humbling, to be recognized alongside my mentor back then, and still now, Roy Kramer,” Deromedi said in 2022 when the naming was announced. “I am so grateful for my time at Central Michigan and all of the men I was able coach and all of the people that have been so impactful in my life. … However, this is really a celebration and recognition of the hundreds of young men who represented the pride and tradition of the Maroon and Gold.”
This is sure to be a memorable homecoming parade, so mark your calendar to join us in Mount Pleasant!
Herb Deromedi
Roy Kramer
Rekindle past friendships, explore campus and honor traditions at CMU’s 100th anniversary of the first homecoming Oct. 10-13. Here are some of the key events of weekend. Visit go.cmualum.com/ cmuhomecoming for more information and updates. Times are subject to change based on game time, announced two weeks prior to the event.
OCTOBER 12
9:30 a.m. - Community coffee and doughnuts
Begin your homecoming celebrations in the Powers Hall Lobby! Complimentary coffee and doughnuts are available for the community. Meet up with old friends and new, and watch the parade on Washington Street together.
11 a.m. - Homecoming parade
The annual homecoming parade begins in Parking Lot 22 and travels through campus before heading north on Main Street to downtown Mount Pleasant. Folding chairs and a tent are provided on Washington Street.
3:30 p.m. - Football game kickoff (tentative)
Make sure to wear your maroon and gold to show your CMU spirit!
Cheer on the CMU Chippewas as they take on the Ohio University Bobcats with fellow alumni! You may purchase game tickets at https://cmich.evenue.net/list/FB or call (989) 774-3045. For more Homecoming details, scan the QR code.
THE CROWD
Members of CMU’s cheer team race across the field to rev up the 2014 homecoming crowd before the team took down Ohio University in a 28-10 win.
PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE JESSMORE, ’81
HOMECOMING
This year marks a century of CMU celebrating school spirit in all its maroon and gold glory
Homecoming at CMU has been a beloved tradition since its earliest days.
The first homecoming wasn’t connected to a football game. Instead, it was part of the spring commencement festivities in June of 1918.
This year, CMU marks the 100th anniversary of the first homecoming as we know the event today.
The 1924 celebration coincided with a football game, where Central defeated Alma 13-0. During halftime, a group of students took to the field in a large dragon costume, which led to the football team being called the Central Dragons until 1926.
Homecoming parades, courts and other traditions have evolved over the years — and there actually have not been 100 homecomings (see Page 29) — but the maroon and gold spirit has endured.
So, whether you remember the days of dances and residence hall decorations, crowning a queen, or racing around campus for the Medallion Hunt, we hope you’ll enjoy this look back on a century of CMU homecomings.
And we can’t wait to see you on campus as we celebrate our 100th in October.
1924 Excitement was high for CMU’s first homecoming in 1924, as reflected in the student newspaper.
1924 Central students paraded as a dragon during halftime of the first Homecoming game. This led to the team being known as the “Dragons” through the 1926 season.
1935 The 1935-36 yearbook documented the highlights of the festivities in the fall of 1935, including “the longest parade in recent Central history” that held up traffic for nearly half an hour and a dance featuring Nate Fry’s orchestra.
1952
The Homecoming Court passes through campus on a float featuring an outline of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
1946 Jean Chisholm, CMU’s first homecoming queen.
1960
The 1960 homecoming game pitted CMU against Eastern Michigan, with Central coming out on top 28-0.
1964 The drumline marches through downtown as part of the 1964 parade.
1985
1972
Connie Wilson, 1972 Homecoming Queen, and her court travel down Bellows Street during the parade. Wilson, the university’s first Black Homecoming Queen, said in a CM Life article that she “ran to see if it was possible.”
1976
Robin Diebel (center), 1976’s Homecoming Queen, with her court.
The 1982 Homecoming Court included John Nader and Jodie Urban (front) as king and queen.
Keith Sutherland and Wendy Smith served as the king and queen of 1985’s homecoming court.
1994
The 1994 court donned matching CMU sweatshirts for their ride in the parade. Homecoming king and queen Brad Huguely and Jenise Collins are featured on the float’s elevated platform.
1986
The 1986 court rides on a float through town during the parade. Danny Brooks and Julie Johnson (hard to see, tucked in the back of the float) were crowned king and queen.
CMU’s first Homecoming Gold Ambassadors, replacing the Homecoming Court.
2013
The 2013 Homecoming Gold Ambassadors.
2013 The Chippewa Marching Band parades through the streets of Mount Pleasant for 2013’s homecoming parade.
Unusual CELEBRATIONS
Homecoming at CMU has adapted with the times throughout its 100-year history.
In 1943, 1944 and 1945, World War II put many campus happenings on hold, among them the homecoming football game. In 1946, however, homecoming came back bigger and better than ever at Central with the addition of a new tradition — the Homecoming Queen.
In 1971, it wasn’t a global war that shook up homecoming traditions, it was the spirit of the times. The Student Alumni Association decided to eliminate the parades, dances, residence hall decorations and even the homecoming court. It was reported that students didn’t particularly care about the court and there were not enough parade participants to make that tradition worthwhile.
The Student Alumni Association wanted to try something, so they organized a carnival, a bazaar and a “style show” instead. The only homecoming events they held onto from previous years were the pep rally and the football game.
This experiment proved both controversial and short-lived. An editorial in CM Life following homecoming weekend reported that returning alumni were unimpressed with “coming home” to a Ferris wheel ride, and many felt there was a lack of school spirit.
In a rebuttal, the co-chairs of the homecoming steering committee offered explanations for their decisions. For example, the co-chairs felt the Homecoming Queen did not really represent the CMU student body, but rather she represented the group that sponsored her.
They said Miss CMU, a student chosen from among all CMU students in a pageant the previous spring, would be a
It’s sink, swim or paddle frantically for all the participants in the annual cardboard boat race.
better representative of the CMU student body than the queen and her court.
The students in 1971 might have been a onto something — in 1997, CMU did away with homecoming royalty altogether in favor of Homecoming Ambassadors.
The 2020 homecoming was another unusual event. With the COVID-19 pandemic changing so much about our lives, homecoming didn’t involve a football game or a parade or a pep rally. Instead, the Office of Student Activities and Involvement created the “Fired Up Challenge” with events like virtual trivia, a virtual concert and a campus photo challenge. Some traditions continued, though tweaked to fit the times, such as the virtual Medallion Hunt and the Special Olympics Homecoming Virtual 5K walk/ run participants completed on their own.
A version of this content was written by Bryan Whitledge and Casey Gamble for a Clarke Historical Library blog post in 2020.
ALUMNI NEWS
Central Michigan University Alumni Association Board of Directors
President
Scott Nadeau, ’89, Dexter, Michigan
Vice president
Erica (Lagos) Romac, ’13, Carmel, Indiana
Past president
Kandra (Kerridge) Robbins, ’90, Jena, Louisiana
Directors
Brooke Adams, ’11, Detroit, Michigan
Lester Booker Jr., ’08, MSA ’10, Canton, Michigan
Lisa (Laitinen) Bottomley, ’97, Kentwood, Michigan
Sean Hickey, ’88, M.A. ’90, Traverse City, Michigan
LaMarcus Howard, ’09, M.A. ’12, Flint, Michigan
Bret Hyble, ’82, M.A. ’86, Mount Pleasant, Michigan
J.J. Lewis, ’06, Muskegon, Michigan
Nathan Tallman, ’07, M.A. ’09, Macomb, Michigan
Abby M. (Hagland) Watteny, ’02, Berkley, Michigan
For a full listing including emeritus board members please see go.cmualum.com/ alumni-board
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
Todd Regis
Denise Williams Mallett
For a full listing of Board of Trustees meeting schedules please see https://www.cmich.edu/bot/Pages/default.aspx
From tragedy to triumph: CMU alumni lead nonprofit transforming mental health in northeast Michigan
As undergrads, trio sought a fitting way to honor a lost friend
BY JASON FIELDER
CMU alumni Gavin MacDonald, ’20, MS ’21, Nick Poli, ’20, and Kevin O’Brien, ’20, are lifelong friends from Alpena, Michigan.
All three have full-time jobs in the Grand Rapids area, but in their spare time they’re leading a growing nonprofit called The Sunset Project. It’s an organization committed to investing in the betterment of northeastern Michigan through creative-based and mental health programs.
The nonprofit was born out of a tragedy. While taking part in their freshman orientation campus tour in the fall of 2016, they received news that their friend and former Alpena High classmate Sawyer Boyd had taken his own life.
“That is a moment that will stick with me forever,” O’Brien said. Their grieving process planted the seed for what would eventually become The Sunset Project.
“Shortly after Sawyer’s passing, Gavin came into our dorm room and said, ‘There must be something we can do to turn this into something positive,’ ” Poli said.
CMU Trustee Plawecki to receive public service award
Recognition honors extraordinary dedication to democracy
BY KEVIN ESSEBAGGERS
The State Bar of Michigan announced CMU Trustee and alumnus Edward J. Plawecki Jr., ’75, is a recipient of the 2024
They began planning a path to support young people in need; O’Brien and MacDonald chose to major in psychology.
“Sawyer’s death was a huge reason why I went into the mental health field,” said O’Brien, who is a youth and family outpatient therapist.
The trio launched The Sunset Project in 2021. Today, the organization has three core programs:
• Focus45 is a community investment program that aims to help people in northeast Michigan through developing, implementing and supporting creative-based projects.
• The Northeast Michigan Wellness Initiative (NEMWI) is a mental healthfocused program that raises awareness, ends stigmas, and educates about mental health through in-school programming and involvement in community events.
Frank J. Kelley Distinguished Public Service Award. The honor is awarded annually to state bar members who have served in public office in a way that significantly contributed to the nation, state and the recipient’s community, and to those who “demonstrate the highest standards of integrity, fairness, leadership, excellence, dedication to principle and dedication to the ideals of democracy.”
• The Sawyer J. Boyd Creatives Grant provides people ages 16 to 23 with funding to purchase goods and/or services to expand their creative passion, hobby or career.
In three years, The Sunset Project has awarded nearly $20,000 in grants and helped implement mental health awareness initiatives and programs throughout northeastern Michigan. MacDonald, Poli, and O’Brien believe the project would likely not exist without their time together at CMU.
“It gave us all great educations to start the foundation of The Sunset Project,” MacDonald said. “CMU also created a positive environment for us to be curious and explore, and it was the glue that kept us all together throughout this process and still to this day.”
•
Plawecki earned his degree from CMU in education with majors in mathematics and history. He was appointed as a trustee in October 2018 by then-Gov. Rick Snyder to serve an eight-year term beginning in January 2019.
Plawecki will receive the Frank J. Kelley Distinguished Public Service Award during the State Bar of Michigan’s awards luncheon on Sept. 19. •
Gavin MacDonald (from left), Nick Poli and Kevin O’Brien created the nonprofit The Sunset Project in honor of their friend and former Alpena High classmate Sawyer Boyd.
ALUMNI NEWS
CMU alumnus and founder of Gus Macker celebrates 50th anniversary of the event
Iconic tournament started in a Michigan driveway
BY DAN GAKEN, ’04, M.A. ’16
A pickup basketball game in a Lowell, Michigan, driveway in 1974 launched the Gus Macker phenomenon.
‘79
Growing up, neighbors and friends would join Scott McNeal, ’79, and his younger brother Mitch for basketball games at their home.
When North Carolina State snapped UCLA’s seven-year championship run en route to winning the 1974 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, March Madness hit the McNeal house hard.
Scott McNeal wanted to play against other people during spring break, so they invited classmates to enter a tournament. In all, 18 of McNeal’s classmates paid the $1 entry fee to play in the first Gus Macker.
But, wait. Who is Gus Macker?
“We didn’t have a name for it, but my name is McNeal and my friends called me ‘Mac,’ a friend threw Gus on the front, and it became ‘Gus Macker,’ ” he said.
McNeal’s mother typed up the first brackets and put that nickname at the top. It’s been Gus Macker ever since.
Today, Macker Basketball operates three-on-three tournaments across the U.S., with as many as 30,000 players participating annually.
The event still honors the spirit of those early days in the driveway; it’s a
celebration of basketball, community and the spirit of competition. And, like that first tournament, anyone can play.
The 2024 Gus Macker at CMU was the 15th annual held on the Mount Pleasant campus. For the past 14 years, the tournament has been planned collaboratively with a Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services Administration class (RPL) taught by Tim Otteman, ’89, M.A. ’91, Ed.D. ’08.
Students enrolled in the class coordinate with Macker Basketball staff to secure facilities, market the event and manage tournament logistics.
CMU Recreation and Event Management student Madison Moore said because of her experience planning the class, “I have learned to rely on the people around me. We were made to be in a community and work together because we are much stronger together than we are on our own.”
This article originally appeared in Epicenter Mt. Pleasant. This abridged version was reprinted with permission. Read the full story at https://www. secondwavemedia.com/epicenter/ features/Gus-Macker.aspx •
Scott McNeal,
Alumni give back to students through real-world experiences, mentorship
Wakeling Gendron Entrepreneurial Scholars Program closes its first year with lasting impact
The Wakeling Gendron Entrepreneurial Scholars Program, founded by CMU alumni Stephen Wakeling, ’03, and Erin Gendron, ’06, started the way many entrepreneurial ventures do — by using interests and talents to fulfill opportunities.
Having been involved in the New Venture Challenge in past years, the two weren’t strangers to coaching students and recent graduates. Then, 2020 hit.
“From the number of phone calls I received from students and recent alumni asking me about how to deal with the changing world, it became clear that these young people need more of this interpersonal help,” Wakeling said. “We realized they need a different kind of mentor.”
Through their passion for coaching and mentoring combined with their vast business experience, Wakeling and Gendron saw an opportunity to give back
‘Jane
Goodall of penguins’ wins coveted Godman-Salvin Prize for ornithological work
Dee Boersma has devoted more than 50 years to groundbreaking research
BY JASON FIELDER
Dee Boersma, ’69, has been named the 2024 winner of the Godman-Salvin Prize by the British Ornithological Union. Since 1922, the BOU Council has awarded the prestigious honor to an individual for distinguished ornithological work. Boersma is one of very few women to have received it.
“It’s a big honor,” Boersma said. “It’s a British award so I was especially honored. It’s not very often that Americans get it. It’s like a lifetime achievement award for people in my job.”
It’s the latest of many awards and distinctions Boersma has earned for
in a unique way. They started the Wakeling Gendron Entrepreneurial Scholars Program at the start of the 2023-24 academic year.
“We thought a lot about what sorts of things we could provide that would have the biggest impact,” Gendron said. “A few key things we wanted to include were coaching sessions, networking and relationship building.”
The program started with a trip to Wakeling and Gendron’s home base: Atlanta.
“I didn’t have crazy expectations going into it, but our first trip to Atlanta blew my hair back,” said Fenton sophomore Mela Hammond. “Stephen and Erin were very much interested in what we all wanted to get out of the program, and they tailored the trip around that.”
Additional trips to Detroit, Traverse City and to Austin for the South by Southwest Conference followed. Wakeling and Gendron introduced the students to other entrepreneurs, connected with
teaching and her contributions to science. In 2006, she received the Distinguished Service Award from the Society for Conservation Biology, and in 2009, she won a Heinz Environmental Award. Other honors include being chosen as a Pew Fellow in Conservation and the Environment, a Leopold Fellow, AAAS Fellow, a Fulbright Senior Fellowship to the University of Otago, New Zealand, the Pacific Seabird Group Lifetime Achievement Award, a Lifelong Learning Award from the University of Washington, and election to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2021.
Many awards and honors stem from her 50-plus years of work researching and
them as a group and one-on-one for guidance and mentorship, and exposed them to different networking opportunities. Regular cohort meetings ensued, where students planned their own events to share their learnings with their peers.
“Stephen and Erin are just so studentcentric. They’re so open to sharing the lessons they’ve learned in life and business,” said Julie Messing, director of CMU’s Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurship faculty member. “Their level of involvement has been incredibly impactful for the students.” •
protecting penguins. Some call her the “Jane Goodall of penguins,” a distinction Boersma takes pride in.
“Who wouldn’t want to be compared to Jane Goodall?” Boersma said. “She’s amazing! And she’s still at it.”
Why has she dedicated so much of her life to studying and preserving penguins?
“They’re equals,” Boersma said. “I don’t know anyone who thinks they’re ugly. I found them really interesting.”
She holds the Wadsworth Endowed Chair in Conservation Science at the University of Washington, and since 1998 has been a professor of biology and an adjunct faculty member in the women’s studies department.
From 1970-1974, Dr. Boersma served on CMU’s Board of Trustees. At the time, she was the youngest member of any of Michigan’s higher education boards. •
Stephen Wakeling (left) and Erin Gendron.
Honors for CMU Chippewas
ALLISE NOBLE, ’10, designed a mural for Art Seen, a community art project in downtown Midland, installed on the side of Pizza Sam’s. Noble said the restaurant was looking for a mural that told a story about gathering and community. “This mural says, ‘We need everyone for our community to grow,’ ” she said. Noble said art is a way to be involved in the community, find peace and grow.
JANNET WALKERFORD, ’98, has been appointed to lead advisory and planning business for WSP, a leading engineering, environment and professional services firm. With a focus on equity, sustainability and community building, WalkerFord has served in executive leadership and strategic adviser roles on groundbreaking programs and projects for large transit and rail and transportation agencies across the U.S.
JAMES REAUME, ’20, has been named president and CEO of Bay Future Inc., a countywide economic development organization in Michigan’s Bay County. Reaume was previously the economic development manager with Bay Future. He is a decorated Army veteran and an active member of the Michigan Economic Developers Association, among other organizations.
NICHOLAS HEDDY, ’05, was named president and chief commerce officer of Pax8, the leading cloud commerce marketplace. He will continue leading Pax8’s global sales, experience, marketing and community teams as well as supporting the company’s CEO in building the technology marketplace of the future.
DARYL LAWSON, ‘83, was named the founding chair and director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Nevada, Reno. Lawson previously worked as an associate professor at Elon University in North Carolina and professor at Western Michigan University. He has also collaborated with research projects at CMU.
MIRANDA POWELL, ’23, a longtime employee of the McLaren Central Michigan outpatient clinic, has been awarded a scholarship to advance her career as a physician assistant. She has been working as a medical assistant at the clinic and now is enrolled in CMU’s program, aspiring to provide direct patient care in interventional radiology or general surgery.
SHRUTI BAHADUR, ’04, is among a group of Dow Chemical leaders honored on Involve’s Empower Future Leaders list. INvolve is the technical service magazine for the rubber industry. Bahadur, honored as a global
leader, is the head of the company’s employee experience and employee resource groups. The award aims to showcase leaders who are breaking down barriers at work for people of color within global businesses.
JENNIFER STIEFEL, ’02, the president and co-founder of Heritage Distilling Company, is partnering with the Coquille Indian Tribe to establish a distillery at the Mill CasinoHotel and RV Park in Coos Bay, Oregon. It is the first distillery to be established on Native American tribal lands in Oregon. Through Heritage, Stiefel and her husband, Justin — company co-founder and CEO — are working with numerous tribal communities in Oregon to expand economic growth opportunities for the tribes.
TRICIA KEITH, ’93, will begin serving as president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan on Jan. 1, 2025, following current CEO Daniel Loepp’s retirement. She will become the company’s first female chief executive and only the third president and CEO to lead the Blue Cross enterprise in the past 40 years. Keith currently is executive vice president, chief operating officer and president of emerging markets for BCBSM. She has been with the company, holding several senior executive roles, since 2006.
KENYETTA HAIRSTONBRIDGES, ’03, has been named president and CEO of the Tampa Downtown Partnership, a private nonprofit working to advance Tampa’s
downtown district. She most recently was COO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. During her 19-year tenure at the DEGC, Hairston-Bridges was instrumental in driving the organization’s successes and expanding its services.
MATHIAZAGAN GURUSAMY, ’98, has been named chief strategy officer for Lantronix Inc., a global provider of compute and connectivity solutions. He will spearhead the company’s strategic planning and execution of growth opportunities, manage merger and acquisition activities, and drive go-to-market strategies that address key Internet of Things technology trends to bolster the company’s growth.
JENNIFER RICHMOND, ’96, has been appointed chief strategy officer of Wood, a global leader in consulting and engineering. This newly created role is designed to bring together the functions critical to the company’s strategic growth and delivery.
BRAD MAKI, ’99, was named registrar of Wake Forest University, bringing nearly two decades of higher education experience, most recently as senior associate registrar at the University of Michigan. At Wake Forest, Maki advises on academic policy matters and administration, collaborating with partners across the university and in the college and professional schools. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership from CMU.
In Memory
Eunice A. (Sutherland) Burgess, ’49, Houston, Texas, May 11, 2024, age 98
Evelyn M. (Elliot) Ritenour, ’49, Northville, Mich., Mar. 27, 2024, age 97
Dorthy A. (Prohaska) Gibbs, ’51, Spring Arbor, Mich., Apr. 11, 2024, age 94
Elsie M. (Rawson) Fessler, ’52, Naples, Fla., Apr. 20, 2024, age 94
Jean A. (Detzur) Brinkman, ’53, Roscommon, Mich., Apr. 3, 2024, age 92
Ann (Powell) Walters, ’53, Overland Park, Kans., Apr. 4, 2024, age 94
Eva E. (Crawford) Curtis, ’54, Fenton, Mich., May 2, 2024, age 92
Marjorie A. (Holzhausen) Miller, ’54, Searcy, Ariz., May 5, 2024, age 91
Mary L. Stout, ’54, Milford, Mich., Jun. 12, 2024, age 91
Ruth J. (Cook) Gardner, ’55, ’60 MA, Charlotte, Mich., Apr. 23, 2024, age 91
Richard J. Snell, ’55, Kingston Springs, Tenn., Mar. 27, 2024, age 91
Joseph P. Swallow, ’55, Alpena, Mich., Apr. 20, 2024, age 92
Richard M. Bronson, ’56, ’77 MA, Montgomery, Ala., Jun. 10, 2024, age 90
June M. (Voss) Everett, ’56, Caledonia, Mich., Apr. 30, 2024, age 89
Rosilyn J. Buschle, ’57, Alma, Mich., Apr. 26, 2024, age 88
Keith E. Feight, ’57, Mount Pleasant, Mich., Jun. 23, 2024, age 92
Alayne B. (Rader) Olson, ’58, Aurora, Neb., Apr. 1, 2024, age 88
Leigh M. Stanley, ’58, Lake City, Mich., Mar. 31, 2024, age 92
Virginia S. (Selle) Turney, ’58, Scottsdale, Ariz., Apr. 6, 2024, age 87
Mary J. (Martus) Zielke, ’58, Battle Creek, Mich., Jun. 1, 2024, age 88
William J. Buerkel, ’59, Linden, Mich., Jun. 2, 2024, age 90
Raymond A. Feher, ’59, ’64 MA, Signal Mountain, Tenn., May 4, 2024, age 88
Janet S. (Rossman) Wolfe, ’59, Deming, N.M., Apr. 7, 2024, age 84
Ronald G. Brookens, ’60, Midland, Mich., May 19, 2024, age 94
James D. Dowsett, ’60, Davison, Mich., May 3, 2024, age 87
Marvin L. Hauck, ’60, ’67 MA, Frankenmuth, Mich., May 22, 2024, age 86
Bryon Rempp, ’60, ’65 MA, Crystal, Mich., May 3, 2024, age 91
David L. Jones, ’61, ’71 MA, Whitehall, Mich., Jun. 8, 2024, age 84
June E. Licence, ’61, Grand Island, N.Y., May 19, 2024, age 85
Mark E. Rudman, ’61, Venice, Fla., May 2, 2024, age 87
France M. (Bacon) Wyatt, ’61, ’71 MA, Frankfort, Mich., Jun 9., 2024, age 92
Kenneth E. Gutow, ’62, ’63 MA, Gross Pointe, Mich., May 15, 2024, age 84
Donna M. (Block) Hildner, ’62, Frankenmuth, Mich., Apr. 23, 2024, age 89
JoAnn McCracken, ’62; ’66 MA, Rochester, Minn., Mar. 28, 2024, age 83
Bruce C. Monson, ’62, Sarasota, Fla., Apr. 7, 2024, age 84
Janet A. (Boyle) Northup, ’62, ’63 MA, Midland, Mich., May 27, 2024, age 85
Venila K. (Ubele) Quackenbush, ’62, Blanchard, Mich., Apr. 20, 2024, age 91
Barbara M. (Fordyce) Thomas, ’62, ’65 MA, Traverse City, Mich., Jun. 15, 2024, age 84
Russell J. Armstrong, ’63, Greenville, Mich., May 15, 2024, age 83
Frances L. (Spencer) Kinnunen, ’63, Crossville, Tenn., Jun. 18, 2024, age 81
Richard H. Strader, ’63, Plainwell, Mich., Feb. 20, 2024, age 84
Jon E. Walkup, ’63, ’71 MA, Deckerville, Mich., Apr. 28, 2024, age 83
Florence E. (Wallaker) Bixby, ’64, Frankfort, Mich., Jun. 15, 2024, age 102
Claude L. Blamer, ’64, 86, Central Lake, Mich., May 18, 2024, age 84
Richard P. Brown, ’64, Saginaw, Mich., Apr. 10, 2024, age 86
James S. Grant, ’64, Saranac, Mich., May 2, 2024, age 82
Mary C. (Foley) Howe, ’64, Stonington, Maine, Jun. 15, 2024, age 81
Jerry T. Seitz, ’64, Bonita Springs, Fla., May 11, 2024, age 90
John E. Switchulis, ’64, Stanwood, Mich., Jun. 11, 2024, age 82
Sandra J. (Mills) Tenkel, ’64, Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich., May 18, 2024, age 81
James R. Lundberg, ’65, Macomb, Mich., Jun. 4, 2024, age 85
Thomas M. Waligorski, ’65, Dearborn Heights, Mich., Jun. 22, 2024, age 81
David T. Rosevear, ’66, ’70 MBA, Clearwater, Fla., Apr. 22, 2024, age 83
Garry L. Veit, ’66; ’70 MA, Midland, Mich., Apr. 20, 2024, age 88
Elizabeth F. Clark, ’67 MA, Columbus, Miss., Jun. 7, 2024, age 93
Gailen D. Peterson, ’67, ’77 MA, White Cloud, Mich., May 3, 2024, age 84
William L. Smith, ’67, Vernon, Mich., Apr. 1, 2024, age 78
Donald R. Youngs, ’67, Clinton, S.C., May 7, 2024, age 87
Richard A. Hall, ’68, Cass City, Mich., May 20, 2024, age 78
Warren R. Howard, ’68, Lawrence, Mich., Jun. 23, 2024, age 78
James G. Kunisch, ’68, Gaylord, Mich., Apr. 11, 2024, age 78
Susan M. Linzer, ’68, ’75 MA, Saginaw, Mich., Apr. 16, 2024, age 78
Rodney C. Miller, ’68, Middleton, Mich., May 18, 2024, age 77
Claude D. Rummer, ’68, ’70 MA, Fennville, Mich., May 21, 2024, age 82
Sheryl L. (Wiederhold)
Sheleny, ’68, Fort Gratiot, Mich., Jun. 22, 2024, age 77
Alan J. Stevers, ’68, New Boston, Mich., Jun. 27, 2024, age 78
John D. Stipe, ’68, Caledonia, Mich., Jun. 6, 2024, age 78
Shirley A. (Biggs) Urkshus, ’68, New Baltimore, Mich., May 9, 2024, age 78
Karen N. Yahr, ’68, ’70 MA, Grawn, Mich., May 31, 2024, age 77
Helga (Gofredo) Anderson, ’69, Marshall, Mich., May 16, 2024, age 77
Lee A. Austermann, ’69 MA, Sturgis, Mich., Jun. 13, 2024, age 88
Stephen T. Bourgeau, ’69, Alto, Mich., Jun. 20, 2024, age 77
Paul D. Dell, ’69; ’78 MA, Saginaw, Mich., Apr. 14 , 2024 , age 80
Mercedes A. Mathers, ’69, Boyne City, Mich., Apr. 28, 2024, age 77
Dennis L. Zuver, ’69, Sparta, Mich., Feb. 2, 2024, age 77
Clarence A. Gaertner, ’70, Muskegon, Mich., Jun. 11, 2024, age 77
Laurence J. Kelley, ’70, Roscommon, Mich., Jun. 2, 2024, age 78
Lola R. (Josifek) Stratton, ’70, Petoskey, Mich., Apr. 7, 2024, age 76
John R. Wittmuss, ’70, Niles, Mich., May 2, 2024, age 76
Kathryn A. Bremer, ’71, ’74 MA, Essexville, Mich., Jun. 2, 2024, age 74
Sandra L. Coveart, ’71; ’94 MA, Midland, Mich., Mar. 17, 2024, age 75
Timothy P. Grill, ’71, Punta Gorda, Fla., Arp. 23, 2024, age 74
Jo Ann Jastrzab, ’71, Saint Charles, Mich., May 4, 2024, age 76
Paul C. Nielsen, ’71, Berkey, Ohio, May 25, 2024, age 74
Suzanne M. (Bradford) Stewart, ’71, Grand Rapids, Mich., Feb. 27, 2024, age 75
Susan D. (Taylor) Wolfe, ’71, Jackson, Mich., Mar. 16, 2024, age 76
Ronald R. Cabic, ’72, ’77 MA, Eaton Rapids, Mich., May 25, 2024, age 75
Kay L. (Green) Frahm, ’72, Frankenmuth, Mich., May 17, 2024, age 74
Robert D. Hogan, ’72 MA, Merrill, Mich., May 15, 2024, age 85
Marjorie J. (Leonard) Maxwell, ’72, Cedar, Mich., Oct. 22, 2023, age 73
Arlie D. McMahan, ’72 MBA, Sellersville, Pa., May 12, 2024, age 88
Steve Naber, ’72, Holland, Mich, Jun. 27, 2024, age 74
Anna M. Nash, ’72, East Tawas, Mich., Apr. 30, 2024, age 74
Marvin L. Neubecker, ’72, West Branch, Mich., Jun. 19, 2024, age 75
Dayton D. Stone, ’72, Jupiter, Fla., May 10, 2024, age 77
Jane M. Alderink, ’73, Mount Pleasant, Mich., Apr. 25, 2024, age 73
Nancy (Nampa) Borg, ’73, Northville, Mich., May 6, 2024, age 71
Sandra J. (Wingle) Daggett, ’73, Elsie, Mich., Jun. 12, 2024, age 73
Gregory J. Johnroe, ’73, Midland, Mich., Jun. 29, 2024, age 72
George E. Mika, ’73, Houghton Lake Heights, Mich., Jun. 2, 2024, age 72
John D. Wood, ’73, Traverse City, Mich., May 9, 2024, age 74
Minerva C. (Crantz) Allen, ’74, Dodson, Mo., May 24, 2024, age 90
Frederick Armstrong, ’74 MA, Grove City, Ohio, May 3, 2024, age 80
Terry L. Bond, ’74, Mount Pleasant, Mich., Jun. 19, 2024, age 73
Robert J. Desjarlais, ’74; ’83 MA, Daggett, Mich., Mar. 27, 2024, age 71
Charles W. Driest, ’74, Fredericksburg, Va., Jun. 5, 2024, age 73
Lana S. Eberhart, ’74, Clare, Mich., May 1, 2024, age 72
Jeanne F. (DeYoung) Plant, ’74, Forsyth, Ga., Apr. 30, 2024, age 72
Robert J. Shearer, ’74 MA, Bay City, Mich., Mar. 18, 2024, age 79
Robert C. Wiedlund, ’74, Dayton, Ohio, Apr. 12, 2024, age 94
Janet D. (Springett) Williams, ’74, ’79 MA, Midland, Mich., Apr. 21, 2024, age 72
Mary J. Beckett, ’75 MA, Grand Rapids, Mich., May 18, 2024, age 85
Albert Canonaco, ’75 MA, Clearwater, Fla., Jun. 4, 2024, age 86
Darrell W. Hoff, ’75, Jasper, Mich., Apr. 4, 2024, age 71
Kathy L. McAllister, ’75, Allendale, Mich., Jun. 21, 2024, age 72
Carol J. (Dosson) Peters, ’75, Breckenridge, Mich., May 19, 2024, age 87
Robert J. Radina, ’75 MA, Kalamazoo, Mich., May 10, 2024, age 89
Beth A. Wilson, ’75, ’78 MA, Hilton Head Island, S.C., May 27, 2024, age 71
Dennis W. Wuolle, ’75, ’77 MBA, Essexville, Mich., May 30, 2024, age 77
Tony R. Ellis, ’76 MA, Irmo, S.C., Apr. 1, 2024, age 79
Donald E. Golm, ’76, Jackson, Mich., Apr. 8, 2024, age 70
Dennis R. Parks, ’76, Niles, Mich., May 9, 2024, age 70
In Memory
Jack M. Schutt, ’76, ’8 MA, Kingsville, Mont., May 27, 2024, age 71
Melba J. (Phillips) Acheson, ’77 MA, Papillion, Neb., May 8, 2024, age 84
Edmond Dandeneau, ’77, Dayton, Ohio, Mar. 25, 2024, age 81
Blanch W. Donakowski, ’77, Alpena, Mich., May 25, 2024, age 98
John J. Farrell, ’77 MA, Blue Springs, Mo., May 15, 2024, age 77
Gilbert H. Fredrick, ’77 MA, Baxter, Tenn., Apr. 27, 2024, age 85
Bruce W. Larkin, ’77 MA, Presque Island, Mich., Dec. 9, 2023, age 74
Earl W. Wiesinger, ’77 MBA, Castle Rock, Colo., Apr. 8, 2024, age 82
Henry A. Wilson, ’77 MA, Dayton, Ohio, Apr. 16, 2024, age 96
Karen S. Burch, ’78, Shepherd, Mich., Apr. 25, 2024, age 69
Theodore C. Cors, ’78 MA, Williamsburg, Va., May 31, 2024, age 86
Bobby R. Hurst, ’78 MA, Birmingham, Ala., Jun. 4, 2024, age 84
Stephen G. Kupka, ’78 MA, Lusby, Md., May 2, 2024, age 79
Rebecca L. (Thorsby) Lehotzky, ’78, Perry, Mich., May 10, 2024, age 69
Mary T. (McDowell) Lempke, ’78, Petoskey, Mich., Mar. 29, 2024, age 79
George M. Neil, ’78 MA, Marietta, Ga., Jun. 3, 2024, age 86
Janice K. Nielsen, ’78, Mount Pleasant, Mich., Jun. 17, 2024, age 69
James R. Woosley, ’78 MA, Lexington, Ky., May 15, 2024, age 78
James M. Bates, ’79 MA, Williamsburg, Va., Jun 1., 2024, age 68
Clifford Cooks, ’79 MA, Fairfax Station, Va., May 2, 2024, age 73
James M. Gass, ’79 MA, Edmond, Okla., Jun. 13, 2024, age 83
James O. Grimm, ’79 MA, Eustis, Fla., May 25, 2024, age 96
Massoud Karbassi, ’79, ’79 MA, Palm Bay, Fla., May 29, 2024, age 80
Judith A. (Patton) Killman, ’79 MA, Maryville, Tenn., Mar. 17, 2024, age 80
Timothy F. McCormack, ’79, Ellicott City, Md., Jun. 2, 2024, age 66
George E. Merritt, ’79, New Baltimore, Mich., Jun. 5, 2024, age 82
Thomas M. Paulson, ’79, Muskegon, Mich., Apr. 15, 2024, age 67
Paul E. Couture, ’80 MA, Tampa, Fla., May 17, 2024, age 82
William G. DiSessa, ’80, Holly, Mich., May 26, 2024, age 66
Palle I. Larsen, ’80 MA, Dayton, Ohio, Feb. 23, 2024, age 89
Thomas J. Lorenc, ’80 MA, Lakewood, N.J., Mar. 26, 2024, age 78
Gerard J. Migda, ’80, ’88 MA, Skandia, Mich., Jun. 25, 2024, age 67
Samuel A. Richards, ’80, Mount Pleasant, Mich., Jun. 12, 2024, age 68
Luther D. Solverson, ’80 MA, Augusta, Ga., Apr. 26, 2024, age 82
Don G. Tonti, ’80 MA, Cass City, Mich., Apr. 26, 2024, age 87
Ronald L. Greenway, ’81 MA, Gaylord, Mich., Apr. 15, 2024, age 76
Rodney G. Holt, ’81, Ypsilanti, Mich., Apr. 29, 2024, age 69
John M. Mason, ’81 MA, Chester, Va., Apr. 22, 2024, age 77
Peter C. Thompson, ’81 MA, Duncannon, Pa., Jul. 2, 2024, age 75
Pamela J. Crouch, ’82, Boyne City, Mich., Apr. 9, 2024, age 64
Richard F. Humphreys, ’82 MA, Heath, Ohio, Jun. 27, 2024, age 91
Josita M. Karnish, ’83 MA, Saginaw, Mich., May 12, 2024, age 87
Albert E. Kennedy, ’83 MA, La Plata, Md., Mar. 31, 2024, age 76
James A. Kuntz, ’83, Plymouth, Mich., May 18, 2024, age 63
Robert G. Larson, ’83 MA, Cary, N.C., Jun. 13, 2024, age 78
Ann L. (Hickman) LaVier, ’84, Midland, Mich., May 31, 2024, age 63
James E. Ryan, ’84 MA, Burton, Mich., Jun. 1, 2024, age 81
Elizabeth H. (Hartel) Treiber, ’84, ’89 MA, Unionville, Mich., Jun. 11, 2024, age 61
Janet M. Zedan, ’84, Farmington Hills, Mich., May 31, 2024, age 61
James “Jim” L. Hitpas, ’85, Mt. Pleasant, Mich., Jul. 17, 2024, age 67
David E. Abbott, ’86, Grand Rapids, Mich., Jun. 9, 2024, age 60
Linda K. (Backus) Billette, ’86, Clarkston, Mich., May 13, 2024, age 60
Bianca N. (Nielsen) Armitstead, ’87 MSA, Suffolk, Va., Jun. 13, 2024, age 93
Daniel S. Dobie, ’87, Royal Oak, Mich., May 24, 2024, age 61
JoAnn M. Gibes, ’87 MA, Boyne Falls, Mich., Apr. 24, 2024, age 80
Kurt F. Schatz, ’87 MSA, Temple, Texas, Jun. 29, 2024, age 75
Randy D. Hardin, ’88 MA, Dixon, Ill., Apr. 1, 2024, age 72
Allan R. Pohl, ’88 MSA, Lansing, Mich., Jul. 3, 2024, age 68
John H. Morgan, ’89, Petoskey, Mich., Jun. 15, 2024, age 66
Kristen J. (Cavanagh) Visscher, ’89, Holland, Mich., Apr. 22, 2024, age 56
Beverly A. (Slauson) Block, ’90 MA, Grand Rapids, Mich., May 31, 2024, age 83
Donna J. (Czerwinski) Mercer, ’90 MA, Essexville, Mich., May 4, 2024, age 75
Michael G. Thodoroff, ’90, Flushing, Mich., Apr. 23, 2023, age 74
Peggy S. (Borch) Barber, ’92 MA, Bay City, Mich., Jun. 12, 2024, age 57
Spencer W. Briney, ’92, Macomb, Mich., Apr. 1, 2024, age 85
Mary O. (Horton) Bischoff, ’93 MSA, Dearborn, Mich., Mar. 19, 2024, age 73
Lucy (Jackson) Estes, ’93 MSA, West Bloomfield, Mich., May 28, 2024, age 87
Brian M. Rossi, ’93, Harrison Township, Mich., May 16, 2024, age 53
Kenneth R. Grandon, ’94, Livonia, Mich., Apr. 21, 2024, age 54
John S. Hatton, ’94 MA, Vikers Heights, Ontario, May 23, 2024, age 76
Frank H. Howe, ’94 MSA, Windham, N.H., Apr. 8, 2024, age 75
Aija K. (Kuplis) Straumanis , ’94 MA, Midland, Mich., May 17, 2024, age 85
Christine L. Blackledge, ’95, ’11 MSA, Lansing, Mich., May 15, 2024, age 71
Martha (Eller) Blount, ’95 MSA, North Augusta, S.C., Apr. 8, 2024, age 73
Paul E. Edwards, ’95 MSA, Flint, Mich., May 24, 2024, age 67
Barbara E. (Bethune) Brown, ’96 MAH, Fenton, Mich., Jun. 8, 2024, age 86
Erin L. (Goffnett) Timmons, ’96, Mount Pleasant, Mich., Mar. 12, 2024, age 67
John F. Kunter, ’97, Grand Rapids, Mich., Jun. 2, 2024, age 52
Douglas E. Gaertner, ’98, Kalamazoo, Mich., Jun. 11, 2024, age 48
Kirk P. Hansen, ’98, Ypsilanti, Mich., May 14, 2024, age 49
Jennifer R. (Baker) Maciejewski, ’98, South Lyon, Mich., Jun. 1, 2024, age 48
Corey R. Chupp, ’00, Athens, Ohio, May 8, 2024, age 46
Audrey J. (Lloyd) Mitchell, ’02, Fort Gratiot, Mich., May 9, 2024, age 44
Edward E. Turner, ’02 MSA, Woodbridge, Va., May 2, 2024, age 61
Blaine A. Varner, ’02, Sumter, S.C., May 21, 2024, age 59
Deborah D. (Vinsant) McMorries, ’03 MSA, Nacogdoches, Texas, Mar. 28, 2024, age 67
Amy L. Popp, ’04 Au.D., Plano., Texas, Jun. 15, 2024, age 57
Clinton S. Burhans, ’05, ’07 MA, Midland, Mich., May 31, 2024, age 67
Carol R. Solesbee, ’05 MSA, Georgetown, Texas, Apr. 13, 2024, age 72
Janet (Lord) Wesner, ’05, St. Johns, Mich., Jun. 8, 2024, age 72
Selena D. (Cook) Magnusson, ’06 MA, Chickamauga, Ga., Jun. 6, 2024, age 51
Keith D. Krzyszton, ’08; ’19 MBA, Atlanta, Mich., Apr. 13, 2024, age 42
Ashley R. Amann, ’09, Grand Rapids, Mich., May 15, 2024, age 37
Tamara K. Gumz, ’10 Au.D., Plymouth, Wis., Jun. 22, 2024, age 61
Brett T. Schuelke, ’13, Big Rapids, Mich., Jun. 21, 2024, age 33
Jack A. Neymeiyer, ’14, Bay City, Mich., Apr. 8, 2024, age 35
Nathacha S. Rock, ’14 MSA, Richmond Hill, Ga., Jun. 21, 2024, age 46
Michael J. Ostrander, ’16, Clinton Township, Mich., Jun 7., 2024, age 30
Makenna S. Morse, ’19, Holt, Mich., Apr. 21, 2024, age 27
FACULTY/STAFF
Debra J. Andrews, Mt. Pleasant, Mich., May 31, 2024, age 69
Colleen Campbell, Flint, Mich., Apr. 11, 2024, age 93
Sandra Daris, Clare, Mich., May 28, 2024, age 74
Lana Eberhart, Clare, Mich., May 1, 2024, age 72
Roger Feling, Mt. Pleasant, Mich., Apr. 24, 2024, age 87
Frank Frick, Vestaburg, Mich., Jun. 8, 2024, age 95
Beverly Gallagher, Mt. Pleasant, Mich., Jul. 4, 2024, age 84
Connie Grove, Coleman, Mich., Apr. 15, 2024, age 81
Keith Helferich, Grand Rapids, Mich., Mar. 28, 2024, age 89
Michael Marn, Rockford, Mich., Apr. 29, 2024, age 72
John Paisley, Beal City, Mich., Jun. 4, 2024, age 92
Carol Peacock, Mt. Pleasant, Mich., Apr. 21, 2024, age 73
Susan Welsh, Mt. Pleasant, Mich., Mar. 23, 2024, age 91
DO YOU REMEMBER
Enduring COLORS
Central Michigan University was founded in 1892, and our beloved maroon and gold colors have been around nearly as long.
The earliest known appearance of what would go on to be our iconic colors was at a debate in 1897, when Central’s participants wore what were called “crimson and gold” colors.
In the 1915 yearbook, the lyrics to one of the school songs call out the colors:
“Hail, Central Normal! Oh, students bold, our emblem of maroon and gold, unfold. Our hearts shall ever be loyal and strong!”
The student newspaper first mentions maroon and gold in the form of table decorations for the football banquet in 1920. By the early 1920s, the Central Normal Life — the student newspaper — refers to the sports teams as “the maroon and gold.”
The student body voted to make maroon and gold the official school colors in 1924.
In 1997, when CMU shifted from a homecoming king and queen to instead having the Homecoming Gold Ambassadors, they chose call the court the Maroon Ambassadors; the two people selected to preside over the court were dubbed the Gold Ambassadors.
A 2006-07 fundraising effort led to the installation of 55 maroon and gold street signs across campus.
