Central Michigan University Alumni Magazine
Summer 2018
CMU’s 14th president calls past eight years ‘most rewarding professional experience’
centralight Summer 2018
On the cover Dr. George E. Ross will step down as CMU’s 14th president on July 31, leaving a legacy of growth and impact that reaches far beyond our Mount Pleasant campus. “Throughout all of my interactions with President Ross, the one quality that has stood out was that he did his best to communicate openly and honestly with me as I worked to serve students,” said Charles Mahone, former Student Government Association president. “He always made himself available for advice and mentoring to me and other students.“ PHOTO BY STEVE
JESSMORE ’81
Features
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CMU alumnae are putting their stamp on the world in fascinating jobs — some of their own creation.
The man who grew up to be president of Central Michigan University was born in the South and overcame much on his way to becoming a successful leader.
Women with unique careers
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Flipping the classroom
A growing number of professors are letting go of the lecture and flipping the classroom. It’s called active learning, where students lead and instructors support, plan, guide and reinforce instead of lecture.
The students’ president
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Fire Up for Excellence
CMU is embarking on an unprecedented $100 million fundraising campaign to secure the future of all Chippewas, and it’s off to a strong start.
Executive Editor and Executive Director of Alumni Relations Marcie Otteman Grawburg, ’87 Editor
Betsy Miner-Swartz, ’86 Managing Editor
Robin Miner-Swartz
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Graphic Designer Erin Rivard, ’07, MBA ’16 Photographer
Steve Jessmore, ’81 Writers
Departments
Terri Finch Hamilton, ’83 Jeff Johnston, ’91 Robin Miner-Swartz Gary Piatek
4 CMU Today We’re still cheering about CMU Women’s Basketball’s historic season and NCAA tournament run.
Research Associate Bryan Whitledge Editorial Assistants Vicki Begres, ’89; Lori Conroy
28 10 Within 10 Meet the newest class of Chippewas destined to do great things in the world.
Communications Committee Rebeca Barrios, Chair, ’00, MBA ’02 Scott Haraburda, ’83 Sean Hickey, ’88, M.A. ’90 Bob Van Deventer, ’74 Tom Worobec, ’93
36 Alumni News Alumnus earns his second technical Academy Award honor for computer animation.
Vice President for Advancement Robert Martin
36 In Memoriam
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Associate Vice President of University Communications Sherry Knight, ’86 For advertising information Call Cindy Jacobs, ’93 (800) 358-6903
Stay connected 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: cmich.edu/alumni/Centralight
Body contains 30% post-consumer waste
Centralight is published three times each year by the Central Michigan University Office of Alumni Relations. It is printed by Quad/Graphics, Midland, and entered at the Midland 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 9914–24,000+ (5/18)
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Your
DENty GOLOpportuni MEMORIES and FRIENDS
The
you share with your alma mater didn’t end with graduation. Continue to make new ones! Become a
Gold Member of the CMU Alumni Association today! cmich.edu/alumni
Keep the old, and bring the
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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 9794 - 2017
Coming together as Chippewas Our community cheered and comforted each other throughout our historic 125th anniversary year By Marcie Otteman Grawburg, ’87, executive director of alumni relations As the academic year closes, I usually feel as if I have one foot in the past and the other stepping forward. What a year it’s been here on campus! Our women’s basketball team made school history by making it to the NCAA Sweet 16 in Spokane, Washington. They did it after leading the MAC, then winning on a national level as an underdog 11 seed. We also faced tragedy and found strength in our community and each other on March 2, a difficult day of domestic violence right here on our campus. Leadership helped us get through it and move forward. Your support on social media made a difference, and I thank you. On the first weekend of May, we welcomed the newest graduates to our alumni family, now nearly 225,000 strong around the globe. We wish them well as they head off to accomplish much in their lives and careers. Continuing last year’s success, our College of Medicine students were well received by the nation’s residency programs, with a match rate of nearly 100 percent. As we look ahead, we’ll see big change come to Central Michigan University on July 31 as Dr. George E. Ross steps down as our 14th president and accomplished leader. A search advisory committee is working to bring the best candidates forward. Leadership is a theme in this magazine, just as it is for all CMU students. You’ll meet our 10 within 10 young alumni award winners who — in fewer than 10 years after leaving CMU — are putting their stamp on the world as they lead the way in successful careers. You’ll also read about six inspiring women who have carved unique, strong, successful paths forged by their leadership and creativity. And you will read about President Ross and how he overcame a life of struggle and hardship to become a strong, successful leader for us here at CMU. Thank you for spending another fantastic year with your alma mater as it continues to lead the way! Forever maroon and gold,
Calendar June
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Mount Pleasant Craft Beer Festival, Mount Pleasant
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NASCAR, Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan
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Congressional Baseball Social, Washington, D.C.
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Grandparents U, Mount Pleasant
July
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Grand Traverse Scholarship Golf Outing, Traverse City
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CMU Night at Comerica Park, Detroit
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Michigan’s Adventure, Muskegon
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Traverse City Film Festival, Traverse City
August
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Cubs Game, Chicago
October
Presidential search update The CMU Board of Trustees has appointed a presidential search advisory committee to assist in the search for the university’s 15th president. The committee will be aided by executive search firm Witt/Kieffer. For information about the process, visit cmich.ly/PresidentialSearch to read announcements, meet the search committee and more. •
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Homecoming, Mount Pleasant
This is a small sampling of the many alumni events. Please visit alumni.cmich.edu for a comprehensive list.
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CMU Today Historic, memorable season for CMU women’s basketball The Central Michigan women’s basketball team completed its best season in the program’s 50-year history winning the Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles and making a Cinderella run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Chippewas, seeded 11th in their 16-team region, knocked off sixth-seeded Louisiana State to open the tournament, then upset third-seeded Ohio State. LSU was ranked No. 24 and Ohio State was 10th in the final Associated Press national poll. CMU’s season ended with a loss to Pac 12 champion Oregon, the region’s No. 2 seed, in a regional semifinal in Spokane, Washington. The Chippewas’ 30 wins set a program record, and senior Tinara Moore became the first All-American in program history. In the final season rankings, CMU finished at No. 20 in the coaches’ poll, the best in program history. After the tournament, Coach Sue Guevara was named the 2018 Kay Yow National Coach of the Year, presented by CollegeInsider.com.
Coach Sue Guevara
The Kay Yow Award was established in 2010 to honor the Division I women’s head coach who embodies a winning spirit and displays great character both on and off the court. Guevara also was named the MAC Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons. •
Chippewa players, led by All-American Tinara Moore (center), celebrate their MAC Tournament championship in Cleveland.
50 years of CMU women’s basketball
A tribute to Warriner and peace Students raise international peace flag on the centennial anniversary of iconic CMU presidency Peace-minded educator E.C. Warriner began his term as the fourth president of what is now Central Michigan University in April 1918. One hundred years later, CMU students, faculty and staff raised a peace flag on Warriner Mall in his honor. Two CMU students participating in the annual ceremony are already familiar with the historic Pro Concordia Labor (“I work for harmony”) peace flag: They’ve raised it once before, halfway around the world. In June 2017, Isabella Barricklow, a junior majoring in English literatures, language and writing, and Nicholas Boles, a senior double-majoring in psychology and philosophy, were among the students who traveled to the Netherlands with philosophy faculty member Hope Elizabeth May to raise the flag at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The four-week study abroad trip was an exploration of international law and the tradition of pursuing peace through law.
Hope Elizabeth May, Isabella Barricklow and Nicholas Boles helped raise the peace flag at the Peace Palace in The Hague in 2017.
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The students raised the purple, yellow and white flag in honor of Bertha von Suttner, a peace advocate who helped to establish the Austrian Peace Society and wrote several antiwar books including “Lay Down Your Arms.” She was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. •
CMU Today Relationships are at the heart of Wojcik’s legacy in journalism After 50-plus years at CMU, Jim Wojcik’s commitment to his own three Rs — reporting, responsibility and relationships — has led to a once-in-alifetime honor. Wojcik, director of CMU student media from 1972 until 2001, was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame’s 2018 class. Wojcik also helped start the CMU Sports Network on radio and is an instructor and internship coordinator in the journalism department. Known to CMU journalism graduates going back decades as “Woj,” he’s been a mentor who laid down the fundamentals of their craft, and his networking has advanced their careers throughout Michigan and beyond. “I sometimes say that Jim was LinkedIn for CMU grads well before LinkedIn existed,” said Lorrie Lynch, ’75, features content director of AARP Media. Wojcik said his most important relationships — the ones that keep him on the job today, well past his official retirement in 2001 — are with the students he teaches and counsels. They’re relationships grounded in tough love, including the freedom for students to make mistakes “and get back up with bruises on their knees,” he said. “I don’t want you to fail in your first job. I want you to make your mistakes here.” •
New online nursing program will help RNs earn bachelor’s degree T he Central Michigan University Board of Trustees has approved a new degree that will enable registered nurses to earn their bachelor’s degrees completely online. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing will help registered nurses with associate degrees complete requirements for a bachelor’s degree. In some areas of the country, RNs with associate degrees have difficulty obtaining employment in large health care centers that prefer to employ BSN-prepared nurses. Some hospitals now require all new nurses to have bachelor’s degrees and are giving existing nursing staff deadlines for earning them. “Many RNs work toward their BSN while employed full or part time, often as a condition of continued employment, which is why we decided this needed to be an online program,” CMU Provost Michael Gealt said. The program is scheduled to launch in fall 2019. •
Meeting the mission: CMU students fill state’s primary care needs Continuing last year’s success, CMU’s College of Medicine students were well received by the nation’s residency programs. Staying true to its mission of improving access to high-quality health care in Michigan with an emphasis on rural and medically underserved regions, the College of Medicine placed nearly 100 percent of its graduates, including 75 percent in primary care and 54 percent in Michigan.
PHOTO BY STEVE
Match Day is the national release of four days of emotional buildup at medical schools across the country, when graduates open sealed envelopes at precisely 11:59 a.m. EST to find out where they will do their residencies. •
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“We are thrilled that our results in the match reflect the mission of our college: to educate and train primary care physicians for our community and for Michigan,” said Dr. George Kikano, dean of the CMU College of Medicine. “Our team’s hard work investing in student success is paying off dividends.”
MATCH DAY 2018: Future doctors Olivia Bolen and Paula Mohyi celebrate together.
CMED Match Day 2018
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CMU may be
behind you never far away but it’s
Order your CMU
license plate
today! cmich.edu/alumni 6
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 9789 - 2017
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CMU alumnae carve out enviable careers in unique fields BY TERRI FINCH HAMILTON, ’83
Sometimes you have to forge your own path. Renovate a vintage trailer and comfort a community, one steaming cup of coffee at a time. Speed your way as a world champion skateboarder and public relations professional. Produce the Grammy Awards — and a podcast that shines a light on the power of women. Re-invigorate a global sports brand. You know — typical day on the job. At least, for these six extraordinary CMU alumnae it is. See how they fired up their unique careers.
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When Robrena “Brena” Hall was 9, she cut up her dad’s robe to make clothes for her Barbie dolls and scribbled fashion designs on her mom’s TV Guide. Her 2008 degree in apparel design and merchandising from CMU surprised nobody. But fashion jobs were elusive, so Hall became a process engineer for a tier-one automotive supplier. Today she works with chemists, leather tanners, trim engineers and designers to craft perfect, beautiful car seats. “I notice everything,” Hall said from her Southfield office. “Not only the leather surface that’s visible, but what’s underneath. I notice the layers of foam and how they’re sewn together. “It’s like I can see through the seat,” she said with a laugh. She learned her technical skills at CMU. “CMU taught me to be a designer who solves problems,” she said. “A lot of people design things just to be pretty. CMU fuses design and functionality. It can’t just be pretty — what does it do? “I’m not designing fashion in New York, but when somebody gets their new vehicle and they love everything about it, I was part of that design process,” she said. Hall’s fashion dreams continue. She designed custom swimsuits, then a swimwear line. She also started a clothing company, LUV808, and created a “Love Detroit” T-shirt collection, sold at the city’s popular Eastern Market, celebrating her hometown. “Detroit is really special,” Hall said. “I love the strength of Detroit. I say love the good and change the bad.” Her tees are wearable love letters: “Detroit has stolen my heart” and “Kisses from Detroit.”
PHOTO BY STEVE
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“I love being out in the city and seeing someone wearing my shirt,” Hall said. “That’s what keeps me going. I try not to give up when it gets tough. I could have given up two years ago or last month or when the factory lost $500 worth of my fabric. “This is my way of bringing love to the world.” centralight Summer ’18 centralight Summer ’18
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When Lisa Goich-Andreadis wrote her professional bio, she finally quit making it sound pretty and just started listing things. • Senior project manager for the Grammy Awards. • Award-winning copywriter. • Major market talk radio host. • Production company owner. • Screenplay writer. • Former stand-up comedian. • Podcast host. • Memoir author. (“14 Days: A Mother, A Daughter, A Two-Week Goodbye”) Goich-Andreadis, ’85, has worked with and for some of the biggest names and corporations in the literary and
One of her latest passions: She hosts a podcast called “A Girl on the Go,” a twice-monthly interview show featuring inspiring women doing amazing things in the world. “Women are pretty extraordinary,” said Goich-Andreadis, who grew up in Detroit. “We’re smart. We have sensibilities I don’t think men have. I want to show young girls how special it is to be a girl. We’re discriminated against, paid less, face glass ceilings and are constantly up against stuff, but it doesn’t stop us. We keep going.” When she arrived at CMU to major in journalism, her goal was to be the next Barbara Walters. She soaked up classes in copywriting, broadcasting and photography.
Listening to Kenyatta Bynoe talk about basketball makes you want to grab some chips and yell your way through an exhilarating game.
“But the company had lost its way in having an emotional connection with the customer and especially with millennials,” she said.
“Basketball is fast moving — there’s always something happening,” she said. “Somebody’s always dunking. There are high-energy moves.”
The Flint native attacked everything, energized advertising, marketing and social media, redesigned the brand identity, and launched e-commerce.
She has some high-energy moves of her own. Bynoe, ’95, is vice president of global brand marketing and partnerships for Spalding, the iconic sporting goods company best known for making a whole lot of basketballs.
Bynoe dumped the static, outdated company website and reinvented Spalding.com, now a vibrant place where you can buy training equipment to improve your game, post a photo showing off your skills to win a prize or use the nickname generator to reinvent yourself (Hello, Dunk Masta Flex!).
Bynoe’s passion for the sport helped her re-energize the Spalding brand. “When I joined Spalding, the company was already more than a century old,” Bynoe said from her office in Bowling Green, Kentucky. “It was known for making high-quality sports equipment. It was a great heritage to build on.
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entertainment business including Carole King, Robert Redford, ABC, The WB and Playboy.
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Her work turned some heads: Adweek included Bynoe in its 2017 edition of “The Most Powerful Women in Sports.” “The greatest thing we have is an existing base of people who love basketball, whether they’re athletes or fans,” she said. “We take that passion and emotional
“My writing skills have traveled with me all through my career,” she said. “The Barbara Walters thing never happened, but I’m exactly where I should be. “Not in that giant Barbara Walters mansion, though,” she added with a laugh. Next up: “A Girl on the Go” inspirational videos and guidebooks to life, including one for women in their 50s struggling in their careers, featuring ways to reinvent themselves, she said. “I’m kind of an expert in that. “Part of my mission is to make sure women keep plowing through,” Goich-Andreadis said. “Look at women right now. It’s the year — and the decade — of women. “I want to pass on what I’ve learned,” she said. “Follow your heart. Follow your dreams. Never give up.”
connection and translate it to commerce.” Bynoe was planning a career as a sports journalist, but her public relations classes at CMU captivated her. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in public relations, she went on to work at Jaguar, Volkswagen, Microsoft and Jeep/Fiat Chrysler. She honed her writing and her leadership skills at CMU. Bynoe was president of the Organization for Black Unity, working with student organizations, faculty and the administration. “That required a lot of collaboration, teamwork and organization,” she said. “It helped prepare me for the leader I am today.”
JESSMORE PHOTO BY STEVE
When you order coffee from Alleah Webb, you get more than your Ethiopian pourover with coconut.
There might be a memory associated with coffee for them, she said. Maybe it reminds them of their mom.
“We make the customers feel good, so they leave happy,” she said.
“There’s a unique interaction you probably won’t get selling T-shirts.”
Webb, ’12, owns Drifter Coffee, a vintage trailer that travels around Detroit and to festivals throughout Michigan.
This passion started brewing when Webb worked at Kaya Coffee House while earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in entrepreneurship at CMU. She loved the energy there and how people gathered around coffee.
“Coffee is a really important part of most people’s day,” she said. “It’s warm, it’s comforting, it’s emotional. It can take a few minutes to make their coffee. That gives me time to talk to them, ask them questions. Maybe they showed up kind of anxious about their day. I see them start to relax. They start sharing things about their day, about their life.”
The Livonia native traveled the country visiting coffee shops and taking notes. She invested $800 in a vintage trailer her dad helped her restore. Her CMU leadership minor classes are a crucial part of the mix.
“I’d be in a group of like-minded leaders who wanted to change the world,” Webb said. “We’d be holed up in a room together, digging deep about how we can change the community around us. I think about that every day.” But it’s hard to change a community when you’re rolling around in a trailer, she said. So, she’s opening a brick-and-mortar Drifter Coffee in the Iron Ridge District of Ferndale. “If you’re doing it right, you’re not just selling coffee,” Webb said. “You’re creating a community space, a place people call their own. With that comes responsibility to make it a positive space, to help create a better community.”
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When it was time for General Motors to reinvigorate its global social media strategy, the world’s third largest automaker asked Rebecca Harris Burns and her team to write the job description for the social media superstar who would lead the charge. While part of her job in corporate communications included social media, “I wasn’t at all a social media wizard,” Burns, ’92, said. She wrote the job description for an outside expert. Then GM executives asked her to apply. What? “And they picked me,” she said. As global lead of the Global Social Center of Expertise, the Hemlock, Michigan, native works with 800 social media employees responsible for 325 different GM-owned channels, including accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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GM averages 33 mentions a minute, she said. There might be a tweet from a customer looking for a part for her Chevy Traverse or someone wondering on Facebook which truck is right for him: Colorado or Silverado? Then, Burns’ team pounces, engaging customers and solving problems. So, she’s a social media wizard now, right? Burns laughed. “I use Facebook and I have a Twitter account I pretend to use, but I don’t like it,” Burns said. “I can find Snapchat and Instagram on my phone because my kids use it. “There just aren’t enough hours in the day.” Luckily, she said, “I could choose people for my team who were good at the things I wasn’t.”
She learned a lot about communication and leadership at CMU, where she earned a Master of Science degree in administration. “It gave me a broader skill set,” she said. “I learned how people communicate. And how they don’t.” Burns has worked at GM for 28 years, following her father and grandfather. She started as an assembly line supervisor. “I like problem-solving, teaching and coaching,” she said. “I love bringing people together for a common cause.” The evolving nature of social media means she’s always thinking about what comes next. “People will continue to find new ways to communicate,” Burns said. “That’s exciting to me.”
When Loryn Roberson was a freshman at CMU, she bought a skateboard to navigate campus. “I had never been on a skateboard in my life,” she said. One year after graduation, Roberson, ’14, traveled the world as a professional downhill skateboarder and finished the 2015 season ranked third in the world. And that’s not even the biggest way CMU changed her life. The first person in her family to attend college, Roberson came from a graduating class of 86 in Beaverton to attend CMU with a Leadership Advancement Scholarship, awarded each year to 40 of about 2,000 applicants. “The 40 of us became a huge support system for each other,” Roberson said. “We’d all pile into one room together to study. It’s how I survived college.” Roberson is navigating a different kind of speed now — down snow-covered slopes — as senior communications specialist at Keystone Ski Resort in Colorado, a job she started in April. As Roberson traveled the world after graduation for skateboard competitions, she was already using the skills she learned pursuing her degree in integrated public relations. “My PR experience taught me how to craft really good emails to potential sponsors,” she said. “I used my social media skills to promote races.” When she started work at a global marketing communications agency, she used her training even more. “It’s exhausting,” Roberson said. “When a client has a crisis, you work around the clock. I love the pressure of having to deliver on time and the satisfaction of making clients look good. I love discovering a potential crisis before it hits and catching something before it becomes a disaster.” She’s using her skills in a different way at Keystone, as spokeswoman and host to journalists interested in covering the resort. “I’ll be making connections and building relationships,” Roberson said, “and I learned how to do that at CMU. Everyone there is your friend. It taught me to treat everybody like family, no matter who they are.” Roberson calls her new position her dream job. “CMU gave me the confidence to go for whatever I want,” she said. “And here I am.” •
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LESSON PLAN IS
PASSIVE NO MORE Active learning approaches and technology taking hold in CMU classrooms TEXT BY JEFF JOHNSTON, ‘91 PHOTOS BY STEVE JESSMORE, ‘81
Learn more
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Michael Garver talks with a team of his Marketing 450 students.
Professor Michael Garver’s marketing research students ponder a question projected at the front of Grawn Hall 201. It’s a tough one. With a tap on a handheld device, each silently logs an answer. Then Garver calls out, “Team up!” and the room bursts into action. Students huddle in groups of four to consider the question together. Conversation buzzes across tables as Garver plays the “Guardians of the Galaxy” soundtrack. A few minutes later, he fades the music, and each student answers again — this time with the benefit of combined wisdom. Garver reveals the results with a flourish: Initially, 44 percent got it right. After discussion, 80 percent. “We taught each other,” he tells the class. It’s called active learning, a movement at CMU where students lead and instructors support — plan, guide and reinforce instead of lecture. In Garver’s Marketing 450 course in the College of Business Administration, students watch video lessons on their own outside of class and apply their knowledge when they get together — an approach sometimes called a flipped classroom. 16
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Garver said it drives learning to have the students collaborate within their small groups while competing against other groups. “We all bounce our ideas off each other rather than just listening and absorbing,” said senior Matt Smith, of Port Huron. One of his teammates says the sharing makes a difference. “Sometimes you want to go with your gut on an answer,” said senior Jordan Hernandez, of Canton, “but then your teammates will convince you of something else.”
Letting go of the lecture No one wants to be drenched by a fire hose. “The instructor’s classlong lecture is the blast of water, oversaturating passive students who then do their best to wring their brains out into homework and exams,” said Brian Roberts, coordinator of instructional technology in CMU’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. “People tend to teach the way that they were taught,” he continued, “and many of today’s faculty were lectured to.”
In active learning, students engage with each other and do hands-on projects to understand and interpret the material instead. Lecture is used in small, strategic doses. It may sound touchy-feely, but it’s common sense: Think about your workplace, where you collaborate with colleagues all day long. “Employers tell us they want students who can work in groups,” said Anja Mueller, professor in the chemistry and biochemistry department. She chairs the College of Science and Engineering’s active learning committee. Mueller has used active learning for three years, after two years of planning the transition. She said she’ll never go back. Her students hone their study skills and read in-depth outside of class, preparing ahead of time to team up on worksheets in class. Even without lectures, Mueller makes sure they come away with the knowledge they need. “There’s plenty that I do; they just don’t see it,” she said.
TOP PHOTO: Students high-five during a quiz in the College of Medicine’s active learning classroom. BOTTOM PHOTOS: Organic chemistry students play project learning games.
Employers tell us they want students who can work in groups. Anja Mueller, professor of chemistry
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High-powered classrooms The setting can play a role, too. Room 135 of the Dow Science Complex, where Mueller teaches, is one of seven active learning classrooms outfitted with small-group seating and big-time technology. Mueller’s students use the Top Hat electronic response system to take quizzes. “I also often show different things on the two sets of screens, such as the worksheet they are doing on one and additional information on the other,” Mueller said. On a recent day in the similarly equipped Room 1015 of the Biosciences Building, Professor Xantha Karp watched over her 60-some Biology 112 students. They were seated in groups of five and six around U-shaped tables facing large, flat-screen monitors. Each group researched a different cell structure online and created a digital poster. By circling the room to check out each screen, everyone learned about all the cell structures. If anyone’s poster missed the mark, Karp and her teaching assistant followed up with the correct information. “The students are talking to each other. They’re engaged,” Karp said. “I really enjoy being able to walk around and talk to students one-on-one instead of just being at the front of the room.”
The students are talking to each other. They’re engaged. Xantha Karp, professor of biology
LOWER LEFT: Students use an electronic response system to log answers in Karp’s classroom. UPPER RIGHT: CMED students take a quiz during class. LOWER RIGHT: Steven Gorsich shares a moment with his biology students.
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TOP: Mark Francek gets his geography students out of their chairs for an active lesson. BOTTOM: Xantha Karp makes her rounds in the Biosciences Building’s active learning classroom.
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Something for every discipline A new biology curriculum launched last year incorporates active learning into all the department’s foundational courses, but active learning is hardly limited to sciences alone. Kirsten Weber, associate professor
of communication, uses active learning to teach writing in the College of Communication and Fine Arts. “I can tell the students in my classes are stronger writers,” she said. “They are more engaged with the material, and they are more invested in the course.”
Weber has a message for students. “If you have a professor using active learning strategies, give that person the benefit of the doubt and get involved. The more involved you are with your learning, the more you will get out of it.” •
The more involved you are with your learning, the more you will get out of it. Kirsten Weber, associate professor of communication
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THANK YOU,
Dr. Ross
CMU’s 14th president reflects on a life transformed by education and a university he helped strengthen
abusive household. By the time Ross was born on April 21, 1951, there were six brothers and sisters in their small shack in Hinds County, Mississippi, where his father was a sharecropper.
TEXT BY GARY PIATEK PHOTOS BY STEVE JESSMORE, ’81
When Ross was 4 or 5, the family moved to Washington, D.C., where his father found work in construction. His parents separated not long after, leaving his mother with the children.
The man who grew up to become president of Central Michigan University was born 1,000 miles away inside a Mississippi sharecropper’s cabin. For eight years, George E. Ross has led CMU with a humility and resilience forged from the hardships of poverty and an empathy that stems from the realization all of us have stories that shape who we are. Now, two months from stepping down as CMU’s 14th president, Ross shares the story of a life that took him from meager beginnings in the Deep South to Mount Pleasant, where he oversees one of the nation’s 100 largest public universities, its 2,600 employees, 23,000 students and 225,000 alumni around the globe.
‘We just had to survive’ His father, Eugene, married his mother, Lois, when she was 17 and eager to leave an 20
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“We just had to survive,” said Ross, who helped by delivering newspapers.
number of white teachers on one hand,” he said. “So, when I got to Beecher and saw all those white folks, I wasn’t used to it.”
A teacher saved him He went on to Flint Northern High School, where he took college prep courses and excelled in his work. His parents separated again his senior year, and his grades suffered as he considered dropping out — just as his six older siblings had.
As Ross turned 13, his parents reconciled and moved to Flint, where his father drove a city bus. Ross had 11 brothers and sisters by then, and the family was on public assistance.
But a math teacher saved him.
“We didn’t have much, but we thought that’s how everyone lived,” Ross told Flint’s MyCity Magazine in 2015. “We had parents who loved us and taught us through example to work hard.”
“Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
They expected the children to go to school, and the first thing Ross noticed as he walked into Beecher Junior High was the students. “In D.C., I could count the number of white students in my class on two hands, the
“I don’t know why Miriam Schaefer noticed me, how she figured it out,” Ross said. “But she started paying attention, encouraging me and wouldn’t let me drop out.
Because of her, Ross was the first of his siblings to earn a high school degree, and he credits her with changing the course of his life. He and his wife, Elizabeth, visited 95-yearold Miriam Schaefer in Flint a few years ago and gave her an enormous bouquet of maroon and gold flowers — a small token of appreciation for her influence.
College decisions With Schaefer’s encouragement, Ross considered college and chose Michigan State University because he had visited the campus on a ninth-grade field trip. “I didn’t know any chemical engineers, but I’d seen some on a TV show and they looked pretty cool,” he said. “I looked it up and saw they made a good salary, so that became my major.” Ross earned a scholarship but lost it after his first year because his grades were too low. He was working multiple jobs on campus to pay for his education, and by his junior year, he had trouble keeping up with chemical engineering while juggling work. A friend’s advice spurred a switch to accounting. At the start of his senior year in 1973, Ross applied to be an apprentice millwright at Oldsmobile in Lansing, making about $17,000 a year. He worked second shift after class and bought a new car. “I was very popular,” he said.
Two choices, one path As graduation approached in 1974, Ross began looking for accounting jobs. The Arthur Young public accounting firm in Detroit offered him a job paying about
$11,000 a year. At the same time, he was four months from getting his journeyman’s card at Oldsmobile — an achievement that would bump his pay there to more than $20,000. Ross debated his choices, which stumped family and friends, who thought a skilled trades job at GM with better pay and retirement at 30 years was clearly the way to go. “I chose accounting because I had worked so hard at it. It took me six years to get my degree,” he said. “In hindsight, I think I made the right choice.” Ross worked in accounting until 1986 before taking his finance skills to higher education. He continued his own education through the years, earning a master’s in business administration at MSU, a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Alabama. He participated in postdoctoral studies at Harvard. Before becoming CMU’s president in March 2010, Ross served as president of Alcorn State University, vice president for finance and administrative services at CMU, executive vice president at Clark Atlanta University, executive vice chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and vice president for business affairs at Tuskegee University.
Brandon Kukal, President Ross mentee 2012-16 He’s made a valuable impact on my life by creating a culture of being open, accessible and being genuine as a leader. That has inspired me to create personal relationships wherever I go. Charnae Sanders, Class of 2016 One of the most unforgettable experiences I’ve had with Dr. Ross and Mrs. Ross was when they traveled to Detroit to celebrate the recognition of me and Arielle Hines as recipients of the 2012 Lem Tucker Journalism Scholarship Award. Dr. Ross not only served as our president, he boldly lived up to the title by showing that his love, care and support for students has no limits. Sarah Opperman, former Board of Trustees member and chair, retired vice president of global government affairs and public policy, The Dow Chemical Co. I have had the privilege to see President Ross in action on joyous occasions such as commencement or when a student, faculty or staff member reaches a milestone, and in the most trying of times. His values and integrity do not waver. He has led the transformation to One CMU, guided expansion of online offerings and overseen the launch of our College of Medicine. He has helped to create the culture, infrastructure and resilience that will assure CMU’s success for decades to come. Barrie Wilkes, VP Finance and Administrative Services I have always appreciated how President Ross keeps students’ interests first. He frequently reminds us to make decisions with student interests as our primary influence. While he cares greatly for all faculty and staff, his love of ‘his’ students comes across every day in his words and actions.
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Home-spun leadership Ross said much of his leadership acumen comes from his father, who he describes as “the smartest man I’ve ever known.” “He gave me a lot of sage advice,” Ross said. “A lot of life lessons I used to guide my own daughter were learned from my father.” Such as: “If someone is doing well, you pat ’em on the back, let them know they are doing well. When they know they’re doing well, they’ll do better. If somebody messes up, tell them what they did wrong, show ’em how to do it right, pat ’em on the back and say, ‘Go get it done.’ When they get it done better, you let ’em know. “My father didn’t write any management books, but that’s my style,” said Ross.
Faith, illness and a new job He’s always believed in God, and a battle with cancer made his faith even stronger. Ross had just accepted the presidency at Alcorn State University in 2008 and resigned from CMU when he discovered bleeding in his gums. The day movers arrived to take their belongings to Alcorn State, Ross was diagnosed with leukemia.
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too many people were praying for him: He couldn’t give up. “Up to that point, I had debates with people on whether intercessory prayer was real, but there was no medical reason for me to walk out of that hospital,” Ross said. It’s been 10 years, and there’s been no recurrence.
Leading CMU to meet the state’s needs
During his tenure, CMU: • Broke ground in April for a $26 million Center for Integrated Health Studies that will allow expansion of programs such as physical therapy and physician assistant. Its facilities will advance an industryleading team approach to health care.
Central Michigan University under Ross’ leadership has cemented its unmistakable focus on students first. He has fueled Central’s strong sense of community, and when he’s nostalgic about what differentiates CMU, Ross highlights the university’s culture, its support of every student and its hands-on learning experiences.
• Opened a $95 million Biosciences Building in 2017 — the largest construction project in university history.
“I’ve been on campuses around the country, and there really is something special about CMU,” he said. “We care. We give students opportunities and learning experiences that help them realize who they are and how much they can impact the world.”
• Renovated Grawn Hall in 2017 and Anspach Hall in 2014.
Alcorn offered to hold the presidency for him, and CMU’s board rehired him as vice president.
Ross said alumni tell him all the time CMU and its faculty and staff changed their lives. “You don’t hear that at many universities.”
During 18 months of chemotherapy, hundreds of cards poured in from people across the country, letting him know they were praying and pulling for him. Elizabeth taped them on the walls in his hospital room, covering every inch. When he got depressed, she would remind him that
Ross’ accomplishments have helped transform CMU. The university is a leader in health care, business and STEM — science, technology, engineering and math. The way students — from traditional undergraduates to working adults — take classes and earn their degrees have
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expanded. So, too, have efforts to ensure students and families can afford degrees, as Michigan has fallen from 20th in the nation in funding of higher education to 43rd.
• Graduated its first College of Medicine class in 2017, with a 100 percent residency placement rate. • Opened its Education and Human Services building in 2009.
• Expanded its Great Lakes research, including $20 million through two grants from the Environmental Protection Agency. • Increased multicultural enrollment to 22 percent among the last two freshman classes. • Increased investment in scholarships by nearly 90 percent. • Raised more money than all previous presidents combined by changing the culture of philanthropy at CMU. In the past three years, fundraising has grown more than $9 million per year, topping more than $20 million annually.
Dr. Ross is known for wearing cowboy boots in winter and colorful, patterned socks in summer.
Leaving a legacy
Message to students
Last September, George and Elizabeth Ross donated $1 million to CMU to endow three scholarships benefitting vocal music, accounting and medical school students. It’s a level of generosity many said is surprisingly uncommon among university leaders.
Sixteen-hour work days are common for Ross, yet he routinely makes time for students — just as math teacher Miriam Schaefer made time for him.
“CMU will always have a special place in our hearts. We believe in the students here, and we believe in giving back,” Ross said. Looking ahead, Ross plans to take enough lessons to beat Elizabeth at golf. Or at least be competitive. He also wants to spend time with their first grandchild, Jorge Ross Orta, who was born in December and is named after his father and grandfather. “At the end of my days, I’d like my tombstone to say ‘Good husband. Good father. Good Big George,’” he said, referencing the name he thinks he’ll have Jorge use for him.
When he talks with them, Ross tells students he’s not special. “I’ve messed up like everybody else. Most of my siblings were smarter than me, but they made some dumb decisions, like quitting school, using drugs and alcohol,” he said. He worked hard and tried to do the right thing “even when other people weren’t looking,” he said. “You don’t think sometimes that it’ll work out, but you have to keep working at it.” Ross said CMU alumni around the world have accomplished great things: They sit as heads of major corporations and organizations, are teachers, engineers and businesspeople. “They have made a difference,” he said.
“I tell students all the time that with a CMU education, you can do anything you want and compete with anybody on the planet.” He also coaches students not to be too enamored with titles. “I’ve met Fortune 500 CEOs, I’ve met presidents from universities around the country. I’ve met elected officials. At the end of the day, they’re just regular people who work hard,” he said. “You treat everybody with respect and honor who they are as individuals, whether they are 6 years old or president of a university,” Ross continued. “Being CMU’s president is my job, it’s not who I am. I like what I’ve been able to do. I like the people I’ve met. I like the changes I’ve been able to make for students.” But at the end of the day, for all these jobs and titles, we still are somebody’s children, he said. “I’m just a kid from Mississippi, Eugene and Lois’ baby boy.” •
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SUMMER HOURS
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 24
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Being a CMU Alumni
JUST GOT BETTER. Alumni can save with education pricing on iPad® and Mac®
Photos by Ashley Corey, ‘15
989-774-7493 800-283-0234 CMUBOOKSTORE.COM
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The Campaign for Central Michigan University
BY ROBIN MINER-SWARTZ
CMU is embarking on an unprecedented $100 million fundraising campaign to secure the future of all Chippewas.
Private giving is more critical than ever to the success of CMU, said Robert Martin, vice president for advancement.
Fire Up for Excellence: The Campaign for Central Michigan University will fuel student success, program excellence, and campus and community engagement for generations. The scope is as large as CMU’s nearly 225,000-strong alumni base, with gifts coming in from across the country and around the world.
“Years ago, the state of Michigan provided enough support that fundraising wasn’t important. Those days are long gone,” Martin said.
It’s the largest fundraising effort in CMU’s history, so naturally it kicked off with a maroon-carpet gala in McGuirk Arena in April. Gifts to the campaign will allow CMU to compete at the national level, including increased scholarship opportunities and best-in-class facilities for students, faculty and staff. “What we’ve accomplished at CMU together over the past 125 years is extraordinary,” CMU President George E. Ross said. “I am proud to be part of that legacy. I ask you to invest with me to help shape the stories of so many students.” 26
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Jan Hagland, ’77, a past alumni board president and current advancement board member, has a deep appreciation for the impact donors have on the university. She and her husband, Dale, ’75, recently boosted their support by including CMU in their estate plan. “CMU is a university of extraordinary achievements, and we want to ensure that this excellence continues in the future and long after we are gone,” she said. “It is our hope that the next generation of CMU students will gain the experiences and opportunities that we were blessed with.” Mike O’Donnell, ’70, is chairman of the national campaign steering committee. “Every contribution will live on through
generations of future Chippewas, helping provide the resources and opportunities our students need to become business leaders, teachers, biologists and surgeons,” he said. Dave Keilitz sits on the campaign committee with O’Donnell. Keilitz, ‘64, M.A. ‘65, ‘75, ‘05, and his wife, Sue, recently made a significant leadership commitment to the new campaign. The field at Theunissen Stadium will be named for the Keilitz family — a tribute to the former CMU baseball player, coach and director of athletics. “I have a tremendous passion for this university,” Keilitz said. “I owe my whole professional career and everything else to this place. We’re in a position that we can give back … and we’re very happy and proud to be able to do so.” •
Give to the campaign and track its progress: http://giving.cmich.edu/campaign
JESSMORE PHOTO BY STEVE
for Excellence
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Your dollars
MAKE CHANGE STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND
$500,000+
Total $$$ awarded to CMU students in 5 years
504
Students awarded SEF dollars in the past 5 years
$102,500
Dollars raised in 2016-17 All donations to Central Michigan University’s Student Emergency Fund were matched up to $50,000 in 2017 by an anonymous donor.
2,849
Donors in 2016-17
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 Chippewas need a boost, often allowing them to stay in school through difficult circumstances.
donate.cmich.edu
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 will earn her degree in integrated public relations with a minor in public affairs this spring.
Candy Abena Boakyewaa Integrative public relations major, public affairs minor Senior, May 2018
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 9920 (5/18)
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Young alumni carry their CMU pride into new careers and communities BY REGINA ZEBELL
Now in its fifth year, the 10 Within 10 program recognizes young alumni who have used what they learned at Central Michigan University to build their careers and lead their communities. This year’s group of exceptional Chippewas is making a difference in science, medicine, global sales, public relations and beyond.
DAVID BONE, ’09 Major: General management with a concentration in human resource management Current job: Talent sourcing manager with Nestle Purina
What has been your coolest moment since graduation? I took a trip to Europe with three close friends and spent five days traveling Ireland coast to coast and seven days sightseeing in Great Britain. 28
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What are you proudest of? Receiving my bid from Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. The experiences and values I gained during my time as an active brother have helped me greatly personally and professionally. It taught me that when you surround yourself with people who hold themselves to high standards, you, too, grow to be a better person. What advice would you give new graduates? Have a healthy disregard for the impossible. I learned this in a weeklong program, LeaderShape, which the Leadership Institute holds every year. Whenever you face challenges in life — whether it be school, a job or family, there is nothing you can’t overcome. If you have a healthy disregard for the impossible, you can achieve anything. Go for it.
What has your work life taught you? Say yes to opportunities. Even if you aren’t 100 percent sure what will come from it, you will learn something about yourself. Saying yes has led me to live in five cities outside of Michigan — Philadelphia; Lincoln, Nebraska; Los Angeles; Kansas City; and St. Louis. I have gained lifelong friends, seen our beautiful country coast to coast and learned best practices that I use almost daily. Just say yes. If you could do anything right now, what would you do? Take my mother on a vacation. She hasn’t been on a real vacation in a long time. Her focus is always her family and their needs coming first. I’m a proud “mama’s boy” and would love to give her the opportunity to relax. She deserves it.
TYLER PARSON, ’09, M.A. ’11 Major: Sport management and sport administration Current job: General manager of the Lansing Lugnuts Class-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays
What is your fondest memory of CMU? The social and cultural interactions I had while I was a student. From the lifelong friends and colleagues I made, to the CMU athletic contests, concerts and campus events that brought everyone together. The value CMU brought to me extended well beyond the classroom and the piece of paper I received upon graduation. What are you proudest of? As a sport management alum from CMU, I came from a very well-respected program and have worked with or employed many fellow sport management majors. I’ve been surrounded by incredibly talented people my entire career and always made peer development a priority. What advice would you give new graduates? I would focus on two things: Be willing to move anywhere to advance your career, and check your entitlement at the door. I think there is incredible value in getting out on your own in a foreign location and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Be willing to chip in, and don’t just assume it’s someone else’s problem because of your degree, the college you went to or your employment rank. What has your work life taught you? There are a lot of very talented people and you have to constantly invest in yourself to further your career. You need to be moving forward at all times. What influences at CMU helped you succeed? I had some incredible mentors at CMU from the athletics department and professors. I’ll always remember the time they took out of their day to let me pick their brains. Now that I’m further along in my career, I realize how valuable your time can be, and the people at CMU were always available to offer advice and guidance.
ANTHONY LAZZARO, ’15, M.H.I. ’17 Major: Entrepreneurship Current job: Co-founder at Carol Health
What is your fondest memory of CMU? Leadership Safari. If I made one right decision at CMU, it was a decision I made before I even arrived on campus. Coming from a small town, I was looking forward to meeting people from different backgrounds, experiences and circumstances; Leadership Safari did just that for me. It was an incredible experience, and it made me confident that choosing CMU was the right choice. What has been your coolest moment since graduation? Seeing those I met at CMU putting their stamp on the world as alumni. There are so many alumni doing incredible things and positively impacting those around them. Keeping in touch with them throughout their journeys and hearing the passion, challenges and how they overcame them is so cool for me. What advice would you give new graduates? Every overnight success story was 10 years in the making. Things don’t happen overnight, so don’t expect them to. You have a long life ahead of you; don’t try to shortcut it. What has your work life taught you? I’ve learned not to worry about money but about the opportunity right now. Chasing money, especially early in your career, is usually a bad choice. You are much better served by building up your skills and knowledge. Taking this longer-term career view pays off in more money and more happiness. If you could do anything right now, what would you do? Eat a Goober Dog from Dog Central. If you haven’t had one, next time you’re in Mount Pleasant, take a chance and order one.
ALESIA YOUNES-COOPER, ’12 Major: Health sciences, with a focus in community development Current job: Regional program manager at American Red Cross Service to the armed forces department at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan What is your fondest memory of CMU? Volunteering with the Naval Sea Cadet Corps and the hospitality department. I was able to meet students with similar interests and campus faculty who offered me some of the best career advice. What has been your coolest moment since graduation? I met my husband at CMU just before he enlisted with the U.S. Air Force. Just months after I graduated, I joined him at his overseas duty station in Misawa, Japan. I left all I knew to live in Japan, a beautiful country full of adventure and traditional culture. Moving overseas has changed my life entirely. I earned my first post-undergrad job with the American Red Cross, and from there I knew that it was my destiny to serve our military members overseas. I have the honor of working alongside our armed forces, but I also have the opportunity to travel the world. To date, I have visited seven countries. What advice would you give new graduates? Allow your education to broaden your prospective job opportunities. Finding a job after graduation can be stressful, but it should not be limited to what is only “inside the box.” Get involved in professional leadership committees within the community or within your job. What has your work life taught you? I may hold a degree in my hand, but I will continue to learn about my field of study and more. I’ve learned to take risks in areas that are challenging to me, to assist in becoming more knowledgeable and to never be afraid to ask questions. What influences at CMU helped you succeed? My professors, counselors and peers came from a variety of places with different scholarly and personal backgrounds. The one characteristic they all had in common was kindness toward others. centralight Summer ’18
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KELLY MORSE, ’09
SEAN SPANIOL, ’08
Major: Communications
Major: Information technology
Major: Integrative public relations
Current job: Sales and communications team manager at Euromonitor Korea, a global market intelligence provider
Current job: Director of global cybersecurity incident response, Capital One Financial Corp.
Current job: Managing editor for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe’s Tribal Observer
What is your fondest memory of CMU? The first semester that I anchored on News Central 34, the student-run newscast, I also was part of the Adopt-a-Grandparent program through the Volunteer Center, and my adopted grandma would tune in to the nightly newscast at 5 p.m. to watch me.
What is your fondest memory of CMU? The day I met a beautiful girl on campus who would later become my amazing wife and best friend. Overall, I enjoyed spending time with friends, barbecuing at nearby Island Park and tailgating before football games.
What is your fondest memory of CMU? Honestly, the day I signed my major. I had no idea what direction I wanted to go or what I wanted to study. I shifted paths quite a few times. Finally, a friend suggested I consider public relations, and I soon discovered it was the perfect fit for me.
What are you proudest of? Euromonitor announced its 14th office would be in Seoul, South Korea, and because of my background working with companies across Asia-Pacific, paired with my management experience in Chicago, I got the position as team manager.
What has been your coolest moment since graduation? After graduation, I supported cybersecurity programs across the federal government. One of the coolest projects I supported during this time was a multinational effort to disrupt a global computer botnet, which businesses and consumers around the world estimated to have cost more than $100 million.
What are you proudest of? I’m proud of having several of my articles and photographs picked up by other publications or media outlets on a national level.
What has your work life taught you? No one really knows what they’re doing. Everyone is just trying to figure it out as they go along. Even those who have several degrees and decades of experience have moments of self-doubt and uncertainty. Believe in yourself and your abilities. What influences at CMU helped you succeed? Being a Leadership Advancement Scholar provided me with countless resources through the Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute. I learned so much from not only my professors, coaches and mentors associated with the institute, but also my peers in the program. If you could do anything right now, what would you do? Get more sleep!
What are you proudest of? Using the foundation of knowledge I obtained from CMU. I am proud to live an enjoyable life with my wife and family while maintaining a productive career. What advice would you give new graduates? Develop short-term and long-term career goals and identify a mentor to support you through the process to achieve those goals. What has your work life taught you? I’ve learned the importance of looking ahead and preparing for change. When well-prepared for change, opportunity exists to create a competitive advantage.
Know a recent grad who’s doing amazing things?
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NATALIE SHATTUCK, ’11
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What advice would you give new graduates? Seize every opportunity, but never settle. What has your work life taught you? It is incredibly rewarding to do something you have a passion for and excel in. It never feels like a day of work. They say time flies when you’re having fun, and because of that I’ve learned to live in the moment and be grateful for everything — even the challenges — each day brings. If you could do anything right now, what would you do? Focus more seriously on music, magically land a recording contract (because it’s that easy, right?), buy a tour bus and perform around the world.
Nominate them for next year’s 10 Within 10 awards: cmich.ly/cmu10in10
ABIGAIL DIAZ, ’14
SCOTT STEWART, ’15
STEVEN HOOL,’10, M.D. ’14
Major: History, anthropology
Major: Integrative public relations
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Current job: Education coordinator of student experiences at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
Current job: Communications and development manager at Oakland Integrated Healthcare Network
Current job: Resident physician, Yale Diagnostic Radiology
What has been your coolest moment since graduation? I teach a program at MSI called “Live from the Heart.” We livestream an open-heart surgery being performed at a local hospital. Students from all over the country can watch this surgery live and talk with the entire surgical team throughout the procedure. The students can ask the surgeon, anesthesiologist or the perfusionist (operator of the heart-lung machine) about their role in the operating room — all while watching this world-class team work on a heart.
What is your fondest memory of CMU? Walking into my residence hall on move-in weekend. Knowing that CMU was my new home, with my new family to come and the life-changing experiences waiting for me, was more impactful than I could have imagined.
What are you proudest of? I’m leading the charge in accessibility and inclusion in education. I believe meaningful science engagement should be accessible to learners of all abilities. I’m passionate about making museums welcoming for everyone, being a fierce advocate for my brother, who has disabilities. I’m proud that I have helped in some small part, within my sphere of influence, to break down systematic barriers of oppression that prevent all people from feeling welcome in museums. What advice would you give new graduates? Be a “yes” person. Take every single job, every opportunity, every connection you can. I said yes to new jobs, responsibilities and challenges and also to late nights, long commutes and changing uniforms in Ubers in between jobs. It has all been worth it. What has your work life taught you? Radical empathy. This job and this workplace have exposed me to such diversity, and I think of the museum as a microcosm. I truly believe that the way we move forward and get better is to practice radical empathy. If you could do anything right now, what would you do? I’d really love to be having pizza at The Bird.
What are you proudest of? Being able to help grow the integrative public relations program by implementing a new and improved curriculum during my last year on the IPR Council. Post-college, I am proud of being able to build our marketing and development program, including gaining over $4 million to grow and expand our services for the community. What advice would you give new graduates? Connect with your community and find a new home. After I graduated, it was a difficult transition from having my closest friends barely a mile away from me at all times to having them many miles and hours away. Staying in touch is important — but so is finding that new community. What has your work life taught you? Upon graduation, you have at least 45 more years of work ahead of you — that’s a long time! If you spend it doing something you hate, you will regret it. Learn what you are passionate about and get involved. What influences at CMU helped you succeed? My greatest influences revolved around the programs I was involved in and the mentors I had alongside them. Jim Wojcik, my adviser when I was president of CMU’s Public Relations Student Society of America chapter, continues to play a significant role in my life. The Alternative Breaks program had the most significant and profound impact on my life and my career trajectory.
What is your fondest memory of CMU? My senior year, I took an evolution class with Dr. Swanson. He allowed rebuttal for points back on the exam. I was excited to write my rebuttal; however, he wanted the rebuttals to be turned in some time later. I couldn’t wait that long to make my case. I realized that showing up at Dr. Swanson’s office would be pretty selfish, so I offered him a deal: I wouldn’t accept any points toward my exam if he allowed me to make my case right then in his office. He accepted. What are you proudest of? Being chosen as a chief resident for Yale Diagnostic Radiology. What advice would you give new graduates? Pursue a subject beyond what you have talent for. Pursue the field that you find yourself willing to go above and beyond. What has your work life taught you? No job is perfect, and all jobs make you endure a grind that, while you are in the middle of it, can seem meaningless. It’s always good to take a step back and look at what you’ve accomplished. What influences at CMU helped you succeed? All my professors were ready to help when I needed it. I also got lucky with some great roommates (one of which I was blindly matched with on Day One) who continue to encourage me through the years. •
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CMU ALUMNI don’t just adapt to the evolving world,
THEY SHAPE IT. No matter where your journey takes you, CMU’s flexible learning paths and innovative programs help you lead the way.
Bachelor’s, master’s, doctorates and certificates Online, on campus, at locations near you.
cmich.edu/online 877-268-4636 · cmuglobal@cmich.edu
CMU is an AA/EO institution, providing equal opportunity to all persons, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities (see cmich.edu/OCRIE). 47128c 4/18
Alumni News Young Alumni board President Michael Zeig, ’08 East Lansing Vice president Scott Hillman, ’10 Chicago Past president Ashleigh (Klipper) Laabs, ’07 Royal Oak Directors Cyril Agley, ’09 Grosse Pointe Michael Decker, ’07 Beverly Hills Morgan (Curtis) Hales, ’06, M.A. ’11 Farwell Eric Johnson, ’11 Mount Pleasant Anthony Lazzaro, ’15 Grand Rapids Danielle Leone, ’10 St. Clair Shores James (J.J.) Lewis, ’06 Thousand Oaks, California
Jennifer Lopez, ’10 Royal Oak Gregory Marx, ’08 Troy Brittany Mouzourakis, ’11 Royal Oak Jason Nichol, ’12 Chicago Kelly Pageau, ’08 Chicago John Reineke, ’09 Oxford, Ohio Joshua Richards, ’08 Lake Orion Michelle (Curtis) Rush, ’07 St. Joseph Christine Simon, ’13 Grand Ledge Jeffrey Stoutenburg, ’10, M.P.A. ’13 Midland Michael Wiese, ’09 Grand Rapids
Alumni board President Thomas Olver, ’98 Mount Pleasant Vice president Nathan Tallman, ’07, M.A. ’09 Auburn Hills Past president Ryan Fewins-Bliss, ’02, M.A. ’04 Bath Directors Rebeca Reyes Barrios, ’00, MBA ’02 Canton Carrie Baumgardner, ’99, M.A. ’02 Durand Lisa (Laitinen) Bottomley, ’97 Kentwood Megan Doyle, ’03 Chicago Jacalyn (Beckers) Goforth, ’82 Beverly Hills Laura Gonzales, ’79, M.A. ’89 Mount Pleasant
Scott Haraburda, ’83 Spencer, Indiana Sean Hickey, ’88, M.A. ’90 Chelsea Bret Hyble, ’82, M.A. ’86 Mount Pleasant Linda (Scharich) Leahy, ’82 Midland Scott Nadeau, ’89 Dexter Frederick Puffenberger, ’95 Mount Pleasant Kandra (Kerridge) Robbins, ’90 Portland Darryl Shelton, ’85 Grand Rapids Amy (Rousseau) Uebbing, ’86 Rochester Matthew Uhl, ’00 Grandville Robert VanDeventer, ’74 Saginaw Bradley Wahr, ’03 Mount Pleasant Thomas Worobec, ’93 Dearborn Heights
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Alumni News CMU alumnus earns second Academy Award technical honor for digital animation work Joe Mancewicz, ’91, received his second Academy Award for Technical Achievement this year for the design, architecture and implementation of the Rhythm & Hues Construction Kit rigging system. This toolset provides a novel approach to character rigging, enabling 15 years of improvements to production efficiency and animation quality. Character rigging uses computer programs to form skeletons by creating a series of bones that deform and animate specific parts of a character. Mancewicz has worked on such films as “The Incredible Hulk,” “X-Men: First Class” and “Snow White and the Huntsman.” He was a key part of the team that earned Academy Awards for special effects for “The Golden Compass” (2007) and “The Life of Pi” (2012). Mancewicz earned his Bachelor of Science in physics from CMU and an M.S. from the University of Michigan before working for nearly two decades in the visual effects arm of the film industry.
Joe Mancewicz, ‘91
His first Academy Award for Technical Achievement came in 2014 for the work he and his colleagues did on the Voodoo application framework, proprietary animation software designed by Rhythm & Hues. That technology provides a robust character animation process that streamlines artists’ workflows and enables work to happen across departments in parallel. •
Ford’s new Thirty Under 30 class includes a Chippewa Ford’s Thirty Under 30 program is a yearlong course matching nonprofits with Ford Fellows who are dedicated to community service. The third class of the philanthropic leadership program includes Robert Voisin, ‘15, a process engineering specialist at Ford Motor Co. Voisin’s cohort will address homelessness. These younger Ford employees from the United States and Canada will work with nonprofits to help people needing shelter for themselves and their families. The employees take time away from their jobs to better understand how nonprofits address major community issues. They work collaboratively with the sector and provide a new perspective on how nonprofits might engage with the next generation of donors and volunteers. • Robert Voisin, ‘15
Alumna inspires at-risk kids through sewing Kala Wilburn, ‘07, is teaching fashion to children in Flint who have lost a loved one or know someone who has experienced loss. Her program, Fashion Against Violence, was featured in the April issue of Good Housekeeping magazine as part of a segment honoring everyday heroes. The piece was written by Centralight contributor Cynthia Drake, M.A. ’08. Wilburn founded the free program in 2011, and in seven years it’s helped more than 100 kids learn basic sewing and modeling skills, giving them a chance to work with designers behind the scenes at runway shows. To join, kids write essays describing their personal experience with violent crime. “Kala sees her life in those essays and herself in the kids,” Drake wrote. In 2011, Wilburn’s younger brother, Antonio, was shot in an unsolved murder. She vowed to honor his life by doing something good for their community. A number of the young people who have been through Wilburn’s program now work in fashion or study it in college — just as Wilburn did at CMU. • 3434
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Kala Wilburn, ‘07
Alumni News Inaugural Centralis Scholar becomes lieutenant colonel in U.S. Army Michelle D. Barbee has been promoted from major to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. Originally from Detroit, Barbee, ’94, earned her degree in political science from CMU, where she was in the first class of Centralis Scholars and the only African-American student in her cohort. Barbee is assigned to the assistant secretary of the Army for financial management and comptroller, working in the Pentagon. Her promotion ceremony took place in April in her hometown, at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. •
Honors for Chippewas CMU Trustee Joseph B. Anderson Jr., chairman and CEO of TAG Holdings LLC, was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the 2018 Black Engineer of the Year Awards in Washington, D.C. The entrepreneur and decorated Army officer rose to prominence after his role as a platoon leader in Vietnam. TAG Holdings LLC, serves the aerospace, automotive, defense, construction and other industries that require manufacturing and supply chain management services. Anderson also is on the boards of directors of Rite Aid Corp. and Business Leaders for Michigan. In 2013, he received an honorary doctor of commercial science degree from CMU. The Michigan State University Foundation named Jeff Wesley as executive director of its wholly owned venture investment subsidiary, Red Cedar Ventures. Wesley’s focus will be on managing and growing the company’s venture investment portfolio of companies commercializing intellectual property created at MSU. Wesley, ‘85, was with Two Men and a Truck, from 2008 to 2017, holding the positions of CFO and then CEO. As executive director of Red Cedar Ventures, Wesley will provide strategic planning advice and executive coaching
Lt. Col. Michelle D. Barbee, ‘94 (left), with Joyce Baugh, CMU professor emeritus.
to both new companies and startups already within Red Cedar’s investment portfolio. He will assist portfolio companies in raising outside funding aimed at scaling up MSU-based companies. Spencer Long earned the distinguished Silver Beaver honor from the Boy Scouts of America. The award is given to registered Scouts of exceptional character who have provided distinguished service. Long, ’08, M.A. ’10, is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow. Within the Pathway to Adventure Council, he has held several leadership roles and is the Pathway to Adventure Council vice president of program. Lester Booker Jr. was named one of the Michigan Chronicle’s 40 Under 40. The award celebrates African-Americans who inspire others through vision and leadership, exceptional achievements, and participation in community service. Booker, ’08, M.S.A. ’10, is the assistant manager of diversity communications for General Motors in Detroit. He was chosen from hundreds nominated for their success as a businessperson, community activist, philanthropist or entrepreneur in greater Detroit. In 2015, he was named one of CMU’s 10 Within 10.
After a national search, Kent State University selected John M. Rathje as its vice president for information services and chief information officer. Rathje, ‘88, M.S. ‘97, previously was associate vice chancellor and chief information officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He joined Kent State in March. Rathje previously worked at CMU, starting in 1996. He spent seven years as director for application development before joining the College of Medicine, first as interim director for technology and later as the assistant dean for technology. He joined the University of Arkansas in August 2015. Brigadier General Darren L. Werner was promoted to one-star general, making him one of only 141 Brigadier Generals in the Army’s active component. He is the director for strategy, plans and integration within the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff G-4, where he will develop policies used by more than 250,000 logisticians in the Army. Werner, ‘89, completed two tours of duty in Iraq, including in 2003, when he supported the troops who captured Saddam Hussein. He has served in all three components — Active Army, Army Reserve and Michigan National Guard. He was commissioned with 5,700 other officers that year; only 37 of them have become generals. •
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DICK ENBERG, ‘57
National icon, sports broadcaster and philanthropist Dick Enberg died of a heart attack Dec. 21 in his home in La Jolla, California. He was 82. In addition to his bachelor’s degree, CMU awarded him an honorary degree in 1980. He was inducted into the CMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993. Enberg remained a huge booster long after his graduation, most recently serving as honorary chair for the Fire Up for Excellence Campaign for CMU.
NINA NASH-ROBERTSON
Nina Nash-Robertson, who was director of choral activities and music professor emeritus at CMU for 35 years, is remembered for providing students the opportunity to sing outside the U.S. and to appreciate each day. She died of a brain aneurysm on Jan. 6, eight months after retiring from CMU. She was 70.
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JESSMORE PHOTO BY STEVE
PHOTO BY STEVE
JESSMORE
In Memoriam LOUISE PLACHTA, M.S. ‘92
Former CMU First Lady Louise Plachta, who in recent years entertained Morning Sun readers with a weekly column of wisdom and commentary, died Feb. 2 after a short illness. She was 92. Plachta was a supporter and benefactor of countless CMU programs and students who, along with her husband, Leonard, made the donations that saw the university’s main auditorium in Warriner Hall named for them.
BILL SERRIN, ‘61
William Serrin Jr., a former Detroit Free Press reporter whose reporting on the 1967 riots helped the newspaper win a Pulitzer Prize, died on Feb. 22 of a heart attack in his Boca Raton, Florida, home. He was 78. Serrin, a Saginaw native, was inducted into the CMU and Michigan journalism halls of fame.
In Memory Adelaide (Schmitt) Iverson, ’33, Menlo Park, Calif., died Dec. 20, 2017, age 105. Rosemary (Dickinson) Asbury, ’39, Rochester, Mich., died Sept. 8, 2017, age 99. Rose I. (Moody) Cohoon, ’39, Shepherd, Mich., died Feb. 28, 2018, age 102. Geraldine E. (Tulloch) Bertovick, ’41, Gaines, Mich., died Feb. 10, 2018, age 99. Ardith L. (Wingeier) Westie, ’42, Empire, Mich., died Jan. 12, 2018, age 95. Jeanne A. (Lynch) Orszag, ’45, Lansing, Mich., died Jan. 16, 2018, age 93. Elizabeth A. (Martini) Hassen, ’46, Freeland, Mich., died Dec. 19, 2017, age 93. Rosemary (Lawless) Bettman, ’47, East Lansing, Mich., died Nov. 13, 2017, age 92. Kathron M. (Eldred) Guyott, ’47, Midland, Mich., died Jan. 19, 2018, age 93. Bernard L. Wilson, ’49, Traverse City, Mich., died Jan. 30, 2018, age 93. Irene R. (Bulla) Olczak, ’50, Ubly, Mich., died Feb. 1, 2018, age 100. Jerry F. Simowski, ’50, Farmington, Mich., died Oct. 10, 2017, age 93. William D. Smith, ’50, Cadillac, Mich., died Oct. 3, 2017, age 94. Mary A. (Gordon) Poag, ’51, Richardson, Texas, age 88. Barbara D. (Reed) Crawford, ’52, Monticello, Ind., died May 27, 2017, age 87. John W. Gabrion, ’52, Zeeland, Mich., died Dec. 8, 2017, age 89. Joan M. (Bullard) Harper, ’52, Norman, Okla., died Oct. 19, 2017, age 87. Kathleen A. (Flynn) Jackson, ’52, M.A. ’86, Cass City, Mich., died Dec. 21, 2017, age 87. Dale L. Miller, ’52, Louisburg, N.C., died Feb. 22, 2018, age 88. Margaret “Sheila” (Maule) Faunce, ’54, East Lansing, Mich., died Aug. 20, 2017, age 85. Joyce E. Hoffer, ’54, Englewood, Colo., died Nov. 2, 2017, age 85.
Dick Enberg, ’57, La Jolla, Calif., died Dec. 21, 2017, age 82. Lornie Kerr, ’54, M.A. ’59, Traverse City, Mich., died Oct. 28, 2017, age 85. Katherine E. (Blackmer) Lucas, ’54, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died March 22, 2018, age 85. Frances C. (Blue) Steele, ’54, Ionia, Mich., died Oct. 23, 2017, age 85. Dennis W. Sundholm, ’54, Panama City Beach, Fla., died Feb. 6, 2018, age 86. James A. Lefler, ’55, Bay City, Mich., died Oct. 22, 2017, age 86. Donald E. Newberg, ’55, Ludington, Mich., died Oct. 30, 2017, age 88. Beverly J. Behrens, ’56, Clarkston, Mich., died Feb. 27, 2018, age 83. Harold L. Hatherly, ’56, Pontiac, Mich., died Dec. 26, 2017, age 83. Fred H. Lowery, ’56, M.A. ’63, Lansing, Mich., died Oct. 30, 2017, age 87. Timothy J. Burdon, ’57, Oakland, Mich., died Dec. 8, 2017, age 82. Kenneth L. Nichols, ’57, Bluffton, Ind., died Nov. 24, 2017, age 90. Thomas S. Stark, ’57, Alma, Mich., died Feb. 10, 2018, age 85. Vincent E. Troyer, ’57, Bad Axe, Mich., died Jan. 15, 2018, age 87. William E. Milliron, ’58, M.A. ’66, Hale, Mich., died Nov. 17, 2017, age 83. Thomas J. Olson, ’58, M.A. ’68, Shepherd, Mich., died Jan. 14, 2018, age 83. George F. Raymer, ’58, Spring Lake, Mich., died Oct. 30, 2017, age 82. Patricia G. Rennert, ’58, Saginaw, Mich., died Nov. 4, 2017, age 82. Marsha J. (Frederick) Schell, ’58, M.A. ’61, Traverse City, Mich., died Dec. 8, 2017, age 81. Gordon W. VanWieren, ’58, Ed.S. ’70, Sarasota, Fla., died Jan. 19, 2018, age 84. Nathan E. Whitford, ’58, Spring Arbor, Mich., died Jan. 6, 2018, age 82.
Ruth N. (Bergeron) Donnelly, ’59, Hale, Mich., died Dec. 17, 2017, age 96. Kenneth G. Fegan, ’59, M.A. ’69, Pinconning, Mich., died Nov. 20, 2017, age 84. Robert D. Hodges, ’59, M.A. ’63, Oscoda, Mich., died Dec. 25, 2017, age 83. Vincent B. Nelson, ’59, Vero Beach, Fla., died Jan. 4, 2018, age 82. Ruth J. (Strouse) Schunk, ’59, M.A. ’70, Clare, Mich., died Jan. 5, 2018, age 94. Douglas D. Solosky, ’59, Midland, Mich., died Sept. 27, 2017, age 83. Aliene A. (Gardner) Thurston, ’59, Vassar, Mich., died Nov. 7, 2017, age 101. Carolyn M. (Nix) Gesche, ’60, M.A. ’65, Rock Hill, S.C., died Nov. 30, 2017, age 79. William J. Kelly, ’60, Salem, Mich., died Jan. 15, 2018, age 81. Joanne M. (Hyatt) Stroebel, ’60, Auburn Hills, Mich., died Feb. 11, 2018, age 80. Claude P. Wightman, ’60, Richmond, Mich., died Nov. 7, 2017, age 79. Robert L. Wolff, ’60, Hilton Head Island, S.C., died Dec. 25, 2017, age 84. Mary E. Lewis, ’61, Saginaw, Mich., died Oct. 23, 2017, age 85. Ernest C. Schneider, ’61, M.A. ’67, Saginaw, Mich., died Feb. 1, 2018, age 85. William G. Serrin, ’61, Boca Raton, Fla., died Feb. 22, 2018, age 78. Nancy R. (Rose) Stewart, ’61, Mio, Mich., died Nov. 15, 2017, age 78. Robert F. Watson, ’61, Mesick, Mich., died Jan. 6, 2018, age 78. Sondra (Deephouse) Metzler, ’62, Grand Haven, Mich., died Nov. 17, 2017, age 77. Kenneth V. Prygoski, ’62, Wyandotte, Mich., died Oct. 12, 2017, age 78. William J. Strickler, ’62, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Feb. 18, 2018, age 77.
Marian L. (Scherer) Kingsley, ’63, Midland, Mich., died Jan. 22, 2018, age 98. Charles M. Stallman, ’63, Detroit, Mich., died Jan. 2, 2018, age 78. James G. Baker, ’64, Manistee, Mich., died Sept. 21, 2017, age 79. Velma F. (White) Haines, ’64, Gladwin, Mich., died Nov. 12, 2016, age 100. Charles W. Parks, ’64, Rockford, Mich., died Jan. 21, 2018, age 78. Douglas M. Denney, ’65, South Lyon, Mich., died March 8, 2018, age 75. Alice L. (Nelson) StaffordEgelus, ’65, Cadillac, Mich., died Sept. 13, 2017, age 97. Ivah E. (Graves) Sundholm, M.A. ’65, Panama City, Fla., died Jan. 24, 2018, age 86. Vito J. Surian, M.A. ’65, Saginaw, Mich., died Dec. 19, 2017, age 84. Charles E. Gripton, ’66, MBA ’67, Detroit, Mich., died Oct. 25, 2017, age 75. Pamela G. (Petersen) Reed, ’66, M.A. ’80, St. Louis, Mo., died Nov. 15, 2017, age 74. Dean G. Shipman, ’66, Traverse City, Mich., died Jan. 16, 2018, age 75. James W. Watkins, ’66, St. Petersburg, Fla., died Jan. 8, 2018, age 73. Doralee M. (Boesch) Zeneberg, ’66, Traverse City, Mich., died Jan. 3, 2018, age 74. Mary M. (Burde) Brookens, ’67, Blanchard, Mich., died Jan. 12, 2018, age 73. Linda K. (Freeland) Edwards, ’67, Grand Haven, Mich., died Nov. 13, 2017, age 73. Donald R. Ellis, ’67, MBA ’68, Oscoda, Mich., died Sept. 13, 2017, age 75. Marguertie A. (Raquepau) Matzke, ’67, Birch Run, Mich., died Jan. 20, 2018, age 97. Diane R. Seleen, ’67, Providence, R.I., died Oct. 6, 2017, age 72. John A. Wahr, ’67, M.A. ’72, Freeland, Mich., died Oct. 5, 2017, age 72. David M. Bradfield, ’68, M.A. ’70, Detroit, Mich., died July 30, 2017, age 70. centralight Summer ’18 centralight Summer ’18
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In Memory Doris M. (Diegel) Kerrins, ’68, M.A. ’80, Brown City, Mich., died Dec. 9, 2017, age 93. Dennis C. Osborne, ’68, M.A. ’73, Marshall, Mich., died Nov. 7, 2017, age 72. Lloyd G. Strang, ’68, M.A. ’71, Kalkaska, Mich., died Oct. 17, 2017, age 82. Leslie A. (Kelley) Waddell, ’68, Virginia Beach, Va., died Jan. 14, 2018, age 71. Brenda J. (Deering) Case, ’69, Beulah, Mich., died Dec. 6, 2017, age 70. Gilbert F. Couillard, ’69, Bay City, Mich., died Sept. 6, 2017, age 71. Robert T. Hansen, M.A.’69, West Bend, Wis., died June 3, 2017, age 85. Wilda J. (Miller) Hillman, ’69, Cadillac, Mich., died Jan. 20, 2018, age 95. Anna Jean (Robertson) Lewis, ’69, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Nov. 2, 2017, age 82. Vivian J. (Byce) Mellon, ’69, Lupton, Mich., died Oct. 7, 2017, age 95. O’Neil J. Newkirk Jr., ’69, M.A. ’76, Scottville, Mich., died Dec. 7, 2017, age 70. Harry J. Pestrue, M.A. ’69, Tacoma, Wash., died June 28, 2017, age 78. Saundra (Jones) Torns, ’69, M.A. ’70, Saginaw, Mich., died Jan. 11, 2018, age 71. Loretta M. (Cory) Adams, ’70, M.A. ’72, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Feb. 22, 2018, age 93. Gale K. (Parker) Commerson, ’70, Rochester, Mich., died Nov. 14, 2017, age 70. Carol S. (McWain) Goodenough, ’70, East Jordan, Mich., died Dec. 26, 2017, age 69. Kay M. (Abrahamson) Jones, ’70, Blanchard, Mich., died Feb. 9, 2018, age 69. Walter L. Kerley, M.A. ’70, Watertown, N.Y., died Jan. 11, 2018, age 78. Ellis N. Olson, ’70, Cheboygan, Mich., died Dec. 4, 2017, age 79. David J. Schmidtke, MBA ’70, St. Petersburg, Fla., died Nov. 25, 2017, age 78. 38
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Maryann M. (Gigliotte) Theisen, ’70, Sterling Heights, Mich., died Nov. 20, 2017, age 69. Richard A. Crosby, M.A. ’71, Pensacola, Fla., died Dec. 10, 2017, age 75. Florence S. Decker, ’71, Saginaw, Mich., died Dec. 7, 2017, age 96. Joyce A. (White) Holton, ’71, Rockford, Mich., died Nov. 20, 2017, age 68. Sue K. (Weston) Manning, ’71, Concord, N.H., died Nov. 1, 2017, age 68. James L. Matteson, ’71, Bridgeport, Mich., died Feb. 8, 2017, age 69. Ralph M. McGivern, MBA ’71, Midland, Mich., died Nov. 7, 2017, age 82. Robert H. Miller, Ed.S. ’71, Key West, Fla., died Jan. 10, 2018, age 74. Roger J. Petri, ’71, M.A. ’78, Turner, Mich., died Oct. 30, 2017, age 69. Paul R. Repath, M.A. ’71, Alpena, Mich., died Nov. 23, 2017, age 79. Tommy E. Thompson, ’71, Fort Myers, Fla., died Feb. 13, 2018, age 75. Ronald F. Witucki, M.A. ’71, Bay City, Mich., died Jan. 7, 2018, age 74. John D. Anderson, MBA ’72, Saginaw, Mich., died Jan. 24, 2018. Helen C. (Harris) Bulger, ’72, Marietta, Georgia, died Jan. 21, 2018, age 68. Ada J. (Muma) Eifler, M.A. ’72, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Dec. 6, 2017, age 83. Kathleen L. Feick, ’72, Petoskey, Mich., died Aug. 25, 2017, age 67. Thomas E. Finch, ’72, Tucson, Ariz., died Nov. 8, 2017, age 82. Marian F. Fordyce, ’72, Ann Arbor, Mich., died Feb. 10, 2018. Michael D. Hartzler, ’72, Ann Arbor, Mich., died Oct. 18, 2017, age 68. Nathaniel D. Joiner, ’72, Albuquerque, N.M., died April 25, 2017, age 71. Harris Stevens, M.A. ’72, Petoskey, Mich., died Jan. 9, 2018, age 85.
John J. Szott, M.A. ’72, Saginaw, Mich., died Dec. 12, 2017, age 70. Daniel E. Bolle, ’73, Bellaire, Mich., died Feb. 2, 2018, age 72. Wilson F. Millar III, ’73, Albuquerque, N.M., died Nov. 4, 2017, age 66. Arthur C. Urban, ’73, Traverse City, Mich., died Sept. 24, 2017, age 66. Harry L. Burns, M.A. ’74, Jenison, Mich., died Dec. 7, 2017, age 91. Dwight D. Fitzgerald, ’74, Fenton, Mich., died Dec. 23, 2107, age 65. Eugene C. Hendrickson, ’74, Floyds Knobs, Ind., died Nov. 6, 2017, age 65. Frank H. King Jr., M.B.A. ’74, Midland, Mich., died Sept. 10, 2017, age 75. George Krach, M.A. ’74, Saginaw, Mich., died July 20, 2017, age 87. David F. Morford, ’74, M.A. ’80, St. Louis, Mich., died March 4, 2018, age 74. Robert J. Rudder, M.A. ’74, Columbus, Ohio, died Oct. 2, 2017, age 74. James M. Aanestad, M.A. ’75, La Plata, Md., died Dec. 15, 2017, age 79. Garald F. Allen, M.A. ’75, Venice, Fla., died Feb. 13, 2018, age 100. William G. Beckwith, ’75, Big Rapids, Mich., died Sept. 5, 2017, age 65. Sally G. (Granger) Frederick, ’75, M.A. ’83, Saginaw, Mich., died Dec. 29, 2017, age 84. Rex A. Karsten, M.A. ’75, Cedar Falls, Iowa, died Dec. 11, 2017, age 67. Davis T. Moorhead, M.A. ’75, Clemson, S.C., died Dec. 21, 2017, age 88. Thurlow Pruyne, M.A. ’75, Mount Holly, N.J., died April 17, 2017, age 65. Dennis R. Corbin, ’76, Kalamazoo, Mich., died March 7, 2018, age 64. Howard E. Edmonson, M.A. ’76, Jackson, Miss., died Oct. 17, 2017, age 88.
Robert M. Jacobson, MBA ’76, Strongsville, Ohio, died Dec. 9, 2017, age 66. Penny L. (Schuster) LaVigne, ’76, East Liverpool, Ohio, died Sept. 22, 2017, age 63. Colleen F. Montalbano, ’76, M.A. ’84, Saginaw, Mich., died Dec. 5, 2017, age 62. Barbara L. (Zuckerman) Osentoski, ’76, Caro, Mich., died Sept. 21, 2017, age 63. Richard P. Owen, M.A. ’76, Cary, N.C., died Nov. 4, 2017, age 77. Janet M. (Richardson) Richardson, ’76, Sun City West, Ariz., died Oct. 15, 2017, age 62. Harold J. Suggs, M.A. ’76, Macomb, Mich., died July 31, 2017, age 74. Julie A. (Kukuk) Tass, ’76, Iron Mountain, Mich., died Nov. 18, 2017, age 63. James W. Thomason, M.A. ’76, Jacksonville, Fla., died Feb. 2, 2018, age 76. Richard J. Zavodsky, M.A. ’76, New Boston, Mich., died Jan. 8, 2018. Eileen N. (Beleski) Drislan, M.A. ’77, Goose Creek, S.C., died Jan. 28, 2018, age 83. Leonard D. Kulik, M.A. ’77, Chicago, Ill., died Jan. 14, 2018, age 80. Judith A. (Morton) Plowman, ’77, Kalamazoo, Mich., died Oct. 18, 2017, age 63. Paul J. Sheridan III, M.A. ’77, Wilmington, Del., died Nov. 30, 2017, age 66. Stephanie L. (Larsen) Wright, ’77, Chelsea, Mich., died Dec. 16, 2017, age 63. Michael M. Flynt, M.A. ’78, Miramar Beach, Fla., died Dec. 22, 2017, age 72. H. Marlene (Nolan) Hales, ’78, Clare, Mich., died Nov. 11, 2017, age 79. Robert J. Hunt, M.A. ’78, Alpena, Mich., died Nov. 3, 2017, age 68. Lee J. McKay, ’78, Battle Creek, Mich., died Oct. 1, 2017, age 62. Michael W. Moeller, M.A. ’78, Plain City, Ohio, died Oct. 20, 2017, age 64.
Samuel N. Rudnick, M.A. ’78, Flint, Mich., died April 2, 2017, age 82. David C. Runyan, ’78, Muskegon, Mich., died Jan. 21, 2018, age 69. Delbert M. Fend, ’79, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Dec. 29, 2017, age 60. Joan R. Giesecke, M.A. ’79, Sarasota, Fla., died Oct. 9, 2017, age 96. Craig D. Hansen, ’79, New York City, died Feb. 16, 2018, age 61. John C. Mulhall, M.A. ’79, Monroe, Wis., died Nov. 20, 2017, age 91. Robert H. Parsons, ’79, DeWitt, Mich., died Feb. 22, 2018, age 61. Sharon K. (Wolverton) Prinz, M.A. ’79, Merced, Calif., died Feb. 10, 2018, age 75. Karen S. (Downing) Asher, ’80, Midland, Mich., died Jan. 6, 2018, age 60. Maureen E. (Moore) Blair, ’80, Shelby, Mich., died Nov. 28, 2017, age 59. Dorothy R. (Roberts) Carroll, M.A. ’80, North Augusta, S.C., died Dec. 14, 2017, age 83. Charles W. McBrayer, ’80, Sebewaing, Mich., died Nov. 4, 2017, age 60. John B. Mills, M.A. ’80, Gadsden, Ala., died Nov. 8, 2017, age 78. Teresa J. (Orvis) Williams, M.A. ’80, Saginaw, Mich., died Oct. 11, 2017, age 65. David H. Baim, M.A. ’81, Albany, N.Y., died Oct. 16, 2017, age 79. Chuck C. Curtiss, ’81, Oakland, Mich., died June 15, 2017, age 58. Gregory D. Earhart, ’81, Ada, Mich., died Nov. 24, 2017, age 58. Charles M. Norman, M.A. ’81, Jeddo, Mich., died Oct. 21, 2017, age 78. John J. Riffee, M.A. ’81, Edinburg, Va., died Nov. 2, 2017, age 74. Kristina L. Valentine, ’81, Holland, Ohio, died Jan. 25, 2018, age 58. Anthony L. Bellotte, M.A. ’82, Glen Burnie, Md., died Dec. 11, 2017, age 78.
Marjorie L. (Sanger) Golden, ’82, St. Louis, Mich., died Dec. 24, 2017, age 76. Jose Ocasio, M.A. ’82, Republic, Mo., died Feb. 27, 2017, age 71. Judith M. Oginsky, ’82, Owosso, Mich., died Feb. 1, 2018, age 60. Gordon G. Smith, ’82, Katy, Texas, died Oct. 24, 2017, age 61. John W. Vogt, M.A. ’82, Granger, Ind., died Oct. 18, 2017, age 70. Laurence J. Bathurst, ’83, Greenville, Mich., died Nov. 23, 2017, age 62. Amy S. Disher, ’83, Lakeview, Mich., died Jan. 22, 2018, age 57. Gary M. Drabik, ’83, Madison, Wis., died Jan. 5, 2018, age 59. Mary E. (Niebauer) Massoglia, M.A. ’83, Marlette, Mich., died Nov. 1, 2017, age 79. Ronald C. Sweany, M.A. ’83, Annapolis, Md., died Sept. 15, 2017, age 81. Ben Watson, ’83, Memphis, Tenn., died Feb. 7, 2018, age 63. Jann G. (Hartwig) Wolf, ’83, Clare, Mich., died Oct. 25, 2017, age 75. Michele R. (Delay) Bowman, ’84, Muskegon, Mich., died Feb. 18, 2018, age 57. Shelton Caulder, M.A. ’84, Clinton, N.C., died Oct. 25, 2017, age 69. Gerald D. Machul, ’84, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Dec. 23, 2017, age 69. Frederick A. Nerone, M.A. ’84, Naples, Fla., died Sept. 22, 2017, age 72. Richard K. Schneider, M.A. ’84, Grosse Pointe, Mich., died Jan. 27, 2018, age 82. Mary L. (Stretch) Williams, M.A. ’84, Beaver, Ohio, died Dec. 22, 2017, age 85. Raymond T. Rigmaiden, M.A. ’85, Bend, Ore., died Jan. 15, 2018, age 75. Larry J. Sims, ’85, Detroit, Mich., died Oct. 31, 2017, age 65. Kevin J. Sperry, ’85, Houghton Lake, Mich., died Oct. 7, 2017, age 55. Patricia A. (Kliss) Boike, M.A. ’86, Grand Blanc, Mich., died Sept. 8, 2016, age 79.
David J. Burley, ’86, Hanover, Mich., died Sept. 21, 2017, age 56. James T. Concannon, M.S.A. ’86, Philadelphia, Pa., died Dec. 29, 2017, age 57. Peter J. Niles, M.A. ’86, Columbus, Ohio, died Dec. 29, 2017, age 79. Earl J. Spoors, MBA ’86, Remus, Mich., died March 25, 2018, age 68. Joellyn S. (Knickerbocker) Malmquist, ’87, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died March 28, 2018, age 55. Keith G. Matowitz, M.A. ’87, San Antonio, Texas, died June 18, 2017, age 75. Timothy M. Smith, ’87, Detroit, died Jan. 16, 2018, age 54. Nona R. (Marley) Becker, M.A. ’88, Petoskey, Mich., died Oct. 4, 2017, age 85. Troy Kinsel, M.S.A. ’88, Nashville, Tenn., died May 18, 2017, age 54. Shelly M. (Mortensen) McKenney, ’88, Midland, Mich., died Jan. 7, 2018, age 51. Kathleen E. (Edwards) Selby, M.A. ’88, Marinette, Wis., died Nov. 13, 2017, age 84. Mark R. Chaney, M.S.A. ’89, Clarksville, Tenn., died May 18, 2017, age 68. Ronald W. Christopher, M.S.A. ’89, Brandon, Miss., died June 28, 2017, age 75. Benjamin D. Howells, M.A. ’89, Flint, Mich., died Dec. 16, 2017, age 78. Carlotta A. (Zaborowski) Oldham, M.S.A. ’89, Beaver, Ohio, died Dec. 10, 2017, age 74. Carol L. (Phillips) Bourns, ’90, Clare, Mich., died Feb. 4, 2018, age 75. Mona C. (Christensen) Moore, M.A. ’90, Prudenville, Mich., died Sept. 24, 2017, age 82. Brian G. Sullivan, ’90, Pinckney, Mich., died Jan. 4, 2018, age 51. James E. Best, M.S.A. ’91, Jackson, Mich., died Feb. 14, 2018, age 71. Robert J. Myers, M.S.A. ’91, San Antonio, Texas, died Oct. 25, 2017, age 64. Ernest R. Tesluck, M.S.A. ’91, Yale, Mich., died Nov. 30, 2017, age 78.
Buck Hendrickson, ’92, Pembroke, Va., died Nov. 19, 2017, age 69. Inara F. Kurt, M.A.H. ’92, Traverse City, Mich., died Nov. 14, 2017, age 74. Patricia J. (Wolfe) Edgar, ’93, Ithaca, Mich., died Dec. 5, 2017, age 57. Eileen R. (Reilly) Fralinger, M.S.A. ’93, Woodland Township, N.J., died Jan. 23, 2018, age 62. Karen M. FredericksonPeabody, M.A. ’93, Thompsonville, Mich., died Sept. 6, 2017, age 65. Nancy “Mikki” (McClurg) Garrels, M.A. ’93, Big Rapids, Mich., died Dec. 4, 2017, age 75. Kristin M. Greenfelder, ’93, Chesaning, Mich., died Oct. 21, 2017, age 46. Mazie B. (Buggs) Parker, M.S.A. ’93, Atlanta, Ga., died Nov. 21, 2017, age 65. Phillip Powell, M.S.A. ’93, McDonough, Ga., died Sept. 30, 2017, age 71. Michele J. (Stroh) Hebner, ’94, Escanaba, Mich., died Jan. 5, 2018, age 50. James L. Ruth, ’94, Denver, Colo., died Dec. 27, 2017, age 46. Terry N. King, M.A. ’95, Sheridan, Mich., died Dec. 6, 2017, age 60. Rose M. (Meyer) Anderson, M.S.A. ’97, Salina, Kan., died Sept. 20, 2016, age 75. Kelly K. (Rachuba) Baumann, ’97, Cumming, Ga., died Jan. 28, 2018, age 44. Cynthia S. (Smith) Johns, M.S.A. ’97, Lakeland, Fla., died Dec. 24, 2017, age 64. Leslie B. (Blount) Medders, M.S.A. ’97, Bartow, Fla., died Sept. 8, 2017, age 65. Heather M. (Yetzke) Metz, ’97, St. Joseph, Mich., died Dec. 17, 2017, age 43. Dennis R. Thorne, M.S.A. ’97, Omaha, Neb., died Nov. 28, 2017, age 50. Judith Lynne (Zylstra) Hamilton, M.S.A. ’98, Genesee, Mich., died Nov. 15, 2017, age 69. Debra K. (Gepford) Lackie, ’98, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Jan. 11, 2018, age 59. centralight Summer ’18
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In Memory
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Faculty G. Jeffrey Barbour, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Oct. 10, 2017, age 73. Thomas P. Conklin, Saginaw, Mich., died Sept. 22, 2017, age 68. Joseph Wayne DeBolt, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Oct. 11, 2017, age 77. Robert H. Miller, Ed.S. ’71, Key West, Fla., died Jan. 10, 2018, age 74. Charles E. Reed, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Oct. 26, 2017, age 89. Nina M. Nash-Robertson, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Jan. 6, 2018, age 70.
Staff Mari B. Potter, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Oct. 3, 2017. Margie M. Fountain, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Oct. 6, 2017, age 90. Ronald Gishpert, died Dec. 13, 2016, age 70. Leona Ouderkirk, Shepherd, Mich., died Oct. 7, 2017, age 89. Leone H. Weber, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Nov. 10, 2017, age 99. Roland L. Clink, Midland, Mich., died Dec. 9, 2017, age 92. Paula Holland, Alma, Mich., died Dec. 24, 2017, age 77. David Burdett, Pulaski, Va., died Jan. 10, 2018. Louise A. (Szynal) Plachta, M.S. ’92, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Feb. 2, 2018, age 92. Joellyn S. (Knickerbocker) Malmquist, ’87, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died March 28, 2018, age 55.
JESSMORE
Eric M. Gouldthorpe, M.S.A. ’10, Madison Heights, Va., died Jan. 26, 2018, age 43. Rachel M. Kaser, M.S.A. ’11, Macomb, Mich., died Dec. 16, 2017, age 30. Alison A. (Gough) Orrison, ’11, Deckerville, Mich., died Oct. 24, 2017, age 32. Irving Mager, M.S.A. ’12, Annapolis, Md., died Nov. 11, 2017, age 81. Candice L. Dunn, M.A. ’13, Sterling Heights, Mich., died May 9, 2017, age 35. Michele V. (DeClark) MacDonald, ’13, Three Rivers, Mich., died Oct. 25, 2017, age 52. Daniel J. Knape, ’14, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Sept. 16, 2017, age 26.
PHOTO BY STEVE
Tex R. Minter, M.S.A. ’98, Portsmouth, Va., died Jan. 13, 2018, age 32. C. Deane (Williams) Roberts, M.S.A. ’99, Orlando, Fla., died Jan. 6, 2018, age 70. Benjamin A. Currie, M.A. ’01, Midland, Mich., died Feb. 17, 2018, age 41. Rose M. (Garrity) Minch, M.S.A. ’01, Beaver, Ohio, died Jan. 8, 2018, age 77. Richard L. Ward, M.S.A. ’01, Schertz, Texas, died Jan. 7, 2018, age 57. Cynthia Janos-Hudgens, M.S.A. ’02, Fraser, Mich., died Dec. 28, 2017, age 66. Tricia A. (St. Onge) Smith, ’02, Davison, Mich., died Oct. 30, 2017, age 38. Michelle R. Bachamp-Taylor, ’03, Longmont, Colo., died Nov. 21, 2017, age 42. Sheri K. McDonald, M.S.A. ’03, Orange Park, Fla., died Feb. 25, 2017, age 54. Patricia A. Zatina, ’03, Grosse Pointe, Mich., died Sept. 18, 2017, age 62. Betty B. (Bailey) McCauley, M.A. ’05, Lapeer, Mich., died Jan. 10, 2018, age 75. Alice K. (Peterson) Petrimoulx, ’05, Shepherd, Mich., died Dec. 21, 2017, age 42. Jennifer L. (Heinz) Gasco, ’07, Cross Village, Mich., died Feb. 17, 2018, age 40. Patrick E. Hackett, ’07, Brighton, Mich., died Dec. 2, 2017, age 91. Lucas A. Hicks, ’07, Muskegon, Mich., died Oct. 9, 2017, age 33. Danyel L. Vander Wall, ’07, Ludington, Mich., died Jan. 25, 2018, age 32. Sarah K. Lago, ’08, Dewitt, Mich., died Dec. 10, 2017, age 31. Kelly R. (Erney) Lemay, ’08, Lansing, Mich., died Jan. 27, 2018, age 33. Debra S. McGlothlin, M.S.A. ’08, Conowingo, Md., died April 2, 2017, age 62. Stephen L. Pearce, M.A. ’09, New Orleans, La., died Dec. 4, 2017, age 70.
The gift that gives back The Dale and Karen Wernette scholarship helps more than students Dale Wernette, ’67, MBA ’72, chose to attend CMU because of its friendly atmosphere and inviting faculty. During his time on campus, he studied business, joined Alpha Kappa Psi and served as a resident assistant in Robinson Hall. Today, Wernette is giving back to the university so students can have the same opportunities he did. The Dale and Karen Wernette Scholarship, created through a tax-free IRA rollover, will be given to a College of Business Administration student who demonstrates financial need. Dale Wernette, ’67, MBA ’72
“I wanted to support CMU students and young adults following in my footsteps,” Wernette said. “The IRA rollover option became permanent and a way to make such a gift. There were great tax benefits.”
Give today for the future Like Dale, you too can help students in an incredibly special way. To learn more about this and additional ways to give back to Central Michigan University, visit giftplanning.cmich.edu or contact: Ted Tolcher, Associate Vice President Office of Advancement 989-774-1441 ted.tolcher@cmich.edu 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 9638
giftplanning.cmich.edu
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID MIDLAND MI PERMIT NO. 260
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Carlin Alumni House Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
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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 9917 (4/18)
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