spring 2016
Chippewas in Brewing up a career Central’s new fermentation science program hops on the growing craft beer trend
Central alumni keep Mackinac moving year-round
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on the cover Mackinac Island – one of Michigan’s brightest tourism gems – has about 500 year-round residents, many of whom are proud Chippewas. Many CMU alumni also own or run the island’s businesses, services and government. PHOTO BY STEVE
JESSMORE ’81
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Designing a stylish career
Central’s top-ranked fashion merchandising and design program launches careers into America’s most valuable brands.
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Paving the way
Athletic Director Dave Heeke’s decade of leadership has given CMU a “Championship Culture.”
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Brewing up business
CMU’s new fermentation science program is training the next wave of craft brewers as the industry rapidly expands in the U.S.
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Do you remember?
“Can we have class outside?” isn’t a new question from CMU students.
Executive Editor and Executive Director of Alumni Relations Marcie Otteman Grawburg, ’87 Editor
Betsy Miner-Swartz, ’86 Managing Editor
Robin Miner-Swartz
departments
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Photographer
Steve Jessmore, ’81 Writers
Cynthia Drake, M.A. ’08 Terri Finch Hamilton, ’83 Andy Sneddon
4 CMU Today Two Chippewas has been enlisted to help solve the Flint water crisis.
Research Associate Bryan Whitledge Editorial Assistants Vicki Begres, ’89 Lori Conroy
32 Hidden Central CMU’s Society of Automotive Engineers Baja Team is competing against hundreds of colleges and universities this year.
Communications Committee Tom Worobec, Chair, ’93 Rebeca Barrios, ‘00, M.B.A ’02 Kevin Campbell, ’74, M.A. ’76 Lynn Garrett, ’97 Fred Puffenberger, ’74 Bob Van Deventer, ’74 Nicole Yelland, ’05
36 Alumni news Author’s book helps kids understand how dogs assist veterans who have PTSD. 39 In Memory
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Graphic Designer Amy Gouin
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Vice President for Advancement Robert Martin 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 four 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 9498–25,000+ (2/15)
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CMU, an AA/EO institution, provides equal opportunity to all persons, including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities (see cmich.edu/ocrie). UComm 9229
Spring brings change to campus By Marcie Otteman Grawburg, ’87, executive director of alumni relations As I write this, it’s a strange January day here on campus: It’s foggy and warm with rain expected, and it feels more like March than January. This week has brought snow every day in Mount Pleasant and kept the facilities team busy clearing sidewalks, streets and parking lots. But by the time the magazine is in your hands, it will indeed be March, and signs of spring will hopefully be showing wherever you are reading this. And with spring comes change. We say goodbye to Kathy Wilbur, who has served as vice president of development and external relations for the past five years. She is returning to her role as vice president of government and external relations. We also welcome our new vice president for advancement, Robert Martin, who joined the university in February (see page 5). As we look ahead, we are excited for some outstanding alumni events around the state and across the country. In this issue, you’ll read a story that spun out of our first alumni event on Mackinac Island last fall. An abundance of CMU alumni are living on and running one of Michigan’s most popular tourist destinations. We had such a great turnout and response that we’ll be heading back for our second alumni weekend there this fall – an extraordinarily beautiful time on the island. We hope you’ll make plans to join us on the ferry, in the restaurants and more. You’ll also read about alums making strides in the growing craft-brewing industry. They’re thrilled about CMU’s new hands-on fermentation science program. It’s expected to expand from craft-beer brewing to wine and spirits, helping Michigan remain at the forefront of the industries. I hope you’ll make plans to join us at an upcoming alumni event (listed at right and on page 19), and I look forward to seeing you soon!
Calendar April 23 Endowed Scholarship Luncheon, Mount Pleasant campus
May 6 Alumni board meeting, Mount Pleasant campus 7 Commencement, Mount Pleasant campus
June 3 Great Lakes Loons baseball game, Midland 22-24 Grandparents U, Mount Pleasant campus
July 15 CMU Night at Comerica Park, Detroit 22 Michigan’s Adventure, Muskegon
August 28 NASCAR, Brooklyn, Michigan This is a small sampling of the many alumni events throughout the U.S. Please visit alumni.cmich.edu for a comprehensive list.
Forever maroon and gold!
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CMU Today CMU students help elderly recall memories through music from their teenage years Music is linked to nearly every facet of life. CMU faculty and students also have found it’s important in helping Mount Pleasant residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia remember things from their past. “Memory is affected by a lot of factors, especially those associated with emotional attachment – and music is one of those because it’s everywhere,” CMU music professor Jennifer Kitchen says.
“Working with these residents is so inspiring,” Kitchen says. “You see them responding and recognizing you when you walk in, and I just leave smiling.” The project is volunteer-based, but Kitchen hopes to raise money and work with professionals at the Music and Memory Foundation to certify the experiment. Watch a video here: cmich.ly/cmumusicmem •
CMU students map Mother Nature’s impact on wine The unique weather on Old Mission Peninsula on the northwest tip of the Mitten is key in making your glass of pinot perfect. For Central Michigan University meteorology faculty and students, the region is ripe for research to help maintain Michigan’s $300 million wine industry. Last fall, faculty and students installed a weather station in a vineyard to gain crucial insights. “This region of Michigan has a challenging environment, and there has not been much research done there,” says Marty Baxter, associate professor of meteorology. “Installing a CMUowned weather station in a vineyard allows us to monitor the rapidly changing conditions that may lead to grapevine damage.” The station collects data on temperature, dew point, wind and rainfall at Bonobo Winery in Traverse City. Real-time information is transmitted to Weather Underground, a public weather tracking service. Students analyze data and use it to make predictions and gain hands-on weather forecasting experience typically reserved for experts.
CMU alums tapped to help with Flint water crisis Two CMU alumni were appointed in January to help with different aspects of the Flint water crisis. Gov. Rick Snyder named Mike Finney, ‘87, to the City of Flint Receivership Transition Advisory Board, working to move executive authority back to Mayor Karen Weaver. “I am confident that Mike, a Flint native, will work diligently with local leaders to ensure continued financial stability,” Snyder said in a statement. Finney is the executive officer of Community Ventures of Michigan; he previously served as executive director of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced the hiring of retired Detroit FBI Chief Andrew Arena, ‘85, to help investigate Flint’s water crisis, alongside former Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Todd Flood. After Flint changed its water source from treated Lake Huron water to untreated water from the Flint River, its drinking water became contaminated with lead, creating a serious public health danger. • 44
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Bonobo Winery, owned by brothers and CMU alumni Todd, ‘91, and Carter Oosterhouse, ’00, is the only winery on Old Mission Peninsula with a weather station. Carter Oosterhouse is an HGTV lifestyle expert. Josh Rhem, vineyard manager, and winemaker Josh McCarthy each collect and analyze weather data from the station daily. Though there are other weather stations in the region, McCarthy has seen storms on the peninsula change from mile to mile, making the station even more advantageous. “We have access to other weather information in the area, but not to the level of detail we need,” McCarthy says. “We need the best information possible because weather dictates all aspects of the types of grapes we can grow here.” •
MILLARD
“I worked with one man who was fairly unresponsive and withdrawn, but when we put the headphones on, he sat up, nodded along and began sharing stories and talking with us,” says CMU senior Kelsey Mankel, of Lowell.
PHOTO BY SHANNON
Her students volunteer with 26 residents at the Laurels of Mount Pleasant, a nursing home for people with physical or cognitive limitations. Residents are given an iPod filled with popular music from their teen years, a time in life Kitchen says is correlated with a lot of emotion.
CMU Today
Photojournalism students chronicle immigration journeys in Michigan Fourteen photojournalism students at Central Michigan University have explored immigration in America with a project called “Fences: Faces of Migration.” The collection of photos is the culmination of a two-week annual workshop led by worldrenowned photographer Danny Wilcox Frazier, of Iowa City, Iowa. “The debate around immigration has become embroiled in hostile political rhetoric,” Frazier says. “The group project brings to light issues facing the newest Americans living across Michigan and personalizes their struggles in a country divided by politics and ideology by giving faces to the faceless.”
Photos from “Fences: Faces of Migration” were featured in nine banners that hung outside the Biosciences Building construction site. Photojournalism major Emily Mesner, of Farmington, says this was her third time participating. “Every year after the workshop I am more passionate to tell stories,” Mesner says. “The workshop pushes me to be a better person and photojournalist. I’m not sure where I will end up or what I’ll be doing after I graduate, but as long as I have my camera with me and I am telling stories, I know I’ll be fine.” See the student-created stories here: cmich.ly/fencesphotos •
Robert Martin joins CMU as vice president for advancement Robert Martin has a history of setting ambitious fundraising goals, showing future donors the impact they will have on others’ lives and helping advancement teams achieve more than they thought possible. After years of leading successful fundraising campaigns at Eastern Illinois and Auburn universities and at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Martin brings his expertise to Central Michigan University as its new vice president for advancement. He began at CMU in February.
Martin is known for continuously expanding and meeting fundraising goals, in large part by creating a vibrant culture of philanthropy surrounding the universities he serves. “Advancement is about showing people they can impact lives,” Martin said during the interview process. “One donor had his young son hand me a six-figure check. He said he was teaching his son, just as I had taught him, the responsibility and power of giving and changing lives.” CMU President George E. Ross cites Martin’s ability to turn the passion of alumni and friends into donations as key to cementing a strong, bold future for CMU and generations of students to come. •
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CMU’s top-ranked fashion merchandising and design program launches careers into America’s most recognizable brands TEXT BY CYNTHIA J. DRAKE, M.A. ’08 PHOTOS BY STEVE JESSMORE, ’81
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Most college students hope for just one promising job or internship possibility when they graduate. Fashion design major Kaitlin Slack, ‘14, had three before her senior year ended. The offers included one from her current employer, Michigan Fashion Proto, a Lansing-based short-run fashion manufacturing facility. Slack also was named a designer-inresidence at Lansing’s fashion incubator The Runway, and earned a mentorship with New York City designer Daniel Vosovik, a finalist on “Project Runway.” Slack, along with 90 percent of CMU fashion merchandising and design graduates, are raising the university’s profile as they work for some of the top American brands including Target, Victoria’s Secret and Kohl’s. Fashion merchandising and design assistant professor Michael Mamp, himself a 1996 program grad, says the department’s rigorous standards consistently earn rankings in the top 20 programs nationwide. That makes CMU uniquely positioned to launch careers
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into an American fashion industry that some say is on the cusp of exploding. WHO ARE YOU WEARING? Natalie Schild, ’05, is a lead textile designer for Target in the company’s Minneapolis headquarters. If you’ve purchased girls’ apparel from Target that includes graphics, plaids, stripes and other prints, chances are good that those are Schild’s designs. In 2013, she proposed an idea for matching family pajamas. Target produced them, and the PJs were still being scooped up during the 2015 holiday season. She also curated an artwork assortment at a Target pop-up shop in New York City, where guests could have an item printed on-demand for free. “Every product I work on is very rewarding, because Target reaches such a large audience. It’s so fun seeing people wearing my designs,” says Schild, who has traveled throughout Asia and the U.S. for her job. Fellow fashion design graduate Stephanie Todoroff, ’10, is a designer for Abercrombie and Fitch. Her work involves painting and designing assorted prints and patterns, embellishments and embroideries for a variety of women’s separates.
“I am most proud when I see the final product come together in the store,” she says. “It’s also really exciting to see people on the street wearing something that I worked on or painted.” MICHIGAN STAKES ITS CLAIM IN AMERICA’S FASHION RENAISSANCE Both Mamp and Slack say the U.S. – and Michigan in particular – is enjoying somewhat of a fashion renaissance. Consider Detroit, where the city is establishing a garment district. The Detroit Garment Group just launched the state’s first industrial sewing certificate program. And in Lansing, the Runway is Michigan’s first incubator focused only on fashion design. Slack is now in her second year there as designer-in-residence, which gives her access to industrial equipment, work space and networking opportunities. Since 2010, the American Apparel & Footwear Association has noted that overall domestic apparel manufacturing has grown more than 15 percent. Kurt Salmon, a global management consulting firm, estimates that this trend will continue for the next few years, building on a growing demand for higher-quality, Americanmade products and faster fashion.
“It is all very exciting,” Mamp says of the increased focus on domestic goods production. “And millennials are thinking differently about work and how to work than any previous generation. There is a greater focus on quality and sustainability, and these ideas are impacting the development of artisan-based fashion startups across the country.” Slack’s professional trajectory aligns perfectly with that renaissance, since she has been learning more about the manufacturing side of the industry at Proto, while launching her own ready-towear brand, Bad Latitude (badlat.com). The brand features knitwear pieces aimed at millennial-aged women who travel. Among the most popular items are an oversized infinity scarf that can double as a skirt and a craft tank that can be worn as a dress or a slip. “(Fashion) is crucial to the state, not only because it’s actually cheaper to mass-produce clothing here, but because we’re losing this skill,” says Slack, whose own brand is committed to manufacturing in-house – always. Her brand launch is already receiving positive reviews from boutiques across the country. >
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BRIGHT OUTLOOK FOR INNOVATIVE TEXTILES Beyond traditional fashions, CMU’s Fashion Merchandising and Design program also prepares students for the next wave of clothing and textiles. The smart textile market – including the use of nanotechnology in fabrics so apparel can do things such as repel water and stains – is expected to grow from $700 million to $7.7 billion by 2023, according to Transparency Market Research. CMU has been making strides in researching smart textiles and bringing students on board for years, making use of state-of-theart technologies such as a 3D body scanner, 3D replicator, thermal camera, environmental chamber, sweating thermal mannequin, virtual reality chamber and CAD lab. “This type of innovation regarding textiles is incredibly valuable to students in their future careers,” Mamp says. • MAKE IT WORK One of the many tools CMU apparel design students have at their fingertips is a lab of 3D printers. Housed in Wightman Hall, CMU’s MakerBot Innovation Center has 30 3D printers that can be used to create jewelry, sculptural work and clothing. The center is the first of its kind at a public school in the Midwest. 10
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Michael Mamp
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Chippewas abound on
Mackinac Island Michigan’s tourism gem is packed with fired-up Central grads
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Margaret Doud
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Tim Hygh
It turns out there are more than just a whole lot of beautiful hotels, work horses, bicycles, happy tourists and fudge shops on Mackinac Island. Michigan’s historic place that time forgot also is teeming with Central Michigan University alums. Dozens live there year-round. In fact, more than 30 of the approximately 240 homes are occupied by a Central grad. Even more commute or live there in the summer, working at or running everything from pubs and hotels to the arts council, the schools, the medical center and the town’s government. Even Mackinac Island’s mayor, Margaret Doud, is a Chippewa and a lifelong resident of the 3.8-square-mile jewel that attracts a million tourists annually. “Yes, it’s true. There are a lot of people on Mackinac who’ve gone to Central,” says Doud, one of roughly 500 permanent residents. “CMU has always had a great reputation and fits nicely with the people of Mackinac.”
‘It’s the best place to live’ If you head three miles up into the heart of the island, you might eventually find the home of Joan Barch, ’67. You’ll see her CMU flag flying on her porch, overlooking the Mackinac Bridge and St. Ignace from her bluff. “I’m way back in the woods, so nobody sees it, but I fly it proudly,” she says. “We really had no idea there were this many Chippewas – it’s kind of a surprise.” Barch and her late husband built their home on the island 35 years ago; eight years ago they began living there year-round to be closer to their children. Now she works with her son at Mackinac Mud Pottery. “I just couldn’t leave. It’s the best place to live on Earth.”
A retirement job in paradise You could call Peg Largo an accidental Mackinac Islander. Largo, ’80, grew up in metro Detroit and worked for 30 years in human resources in Ann Arbor.
In 2005, she married Tom Largo, who had been visiting his family’s home on the island She believes there are so many CMU alums since he was 6. Their wedding was in the on the island because the school is relatively island’s Little Stone Church; soon after that, close, relatively large, yet relatively small. the church’s director of weddings retired. CMU is about 160 miles from the island – the closest college or university with more than 20,000 students, according to city-data.com.
So Largo, who studied interior design and business at CMU, took what she calls her “retirement job.”
Mayor Doud, who lived in Calkins Hall all four years before earning a bachelor’s in education, owns the stately yellow Windermere Hotel, built in 1887. She more than once hosted CMU’s 12th president, Michael Rao, at the hotel. “He stayed with us a few times for conventions, and I talked with him quite a bit.”
Proceeds from weddings and vow renewals go to community outreach on the island. In fact, it’s taken in enough money over the years that the church has established a scholarship fund with the help of the Mackinac Island Community Foundation. Each year, up to two students on the island can receive a scholarship toward their two- or four-year college education. At least two of those students have gone on to attend CMU.
Mackinac’s top promoter Tim Hygh, ’82, is a commuter. By ferry or by plane, either one gets the broadcast alumnus from his home in Mackinaw City to the island, where he’s executive director of both the tourism bureau and the convention and visitors bureau. “That seven-minute plane ride is a pretty great value,” he says. “You get to see two Great Lakes, the bridge and the island.” Hygh is one of many there who are slowly realizing they are living and working among dozens of CMU grads. “It’s a pleasant surprise to find out that the people you’re surrounded by have this in common.”
From fudge shop to full-time RN A connection to the island started for Nicole Riccinto, ’98, back in 1995 and 1996 with two summertime gigs at Ryba’s Fudge Shop – which the Harper Woods native loved. More than a decade later in 2013, her husband, Brett, was hired as the island’s police chief. They moved their four young children to the tourism mecca, and Riccinto – now a nurse – began as one of the mere two full-time RNs working at the Mackinac Island Medical Center.
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Jenny Moiles
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Peg Largo
The child development major has a pager when she’s on call. “When it goes off, we have 15 minutes to get there by snowmobile or bike. With a snowmobile, I can be there in four minutes.”
The consummate host Todd Callewaert’s family started Ryba’s Fudge in 1951 in Detroit and in 1960 expanded the business to Mackinac Island, where he also owns the stately Island House Hotel. Callewaert, ‘84, who studied industrial supervision and management, welcomed dozens of Chippewas last fall as he hosted CMU’s first alumni weekend at the end of the tourist season in October. “Central is well-represented here. During the summer, we have approximately 20 students working here, some doing internship with the hotel,” Callewaert says. “It’s a great experience for them.”
Arts advocate for the island When Jenny Moiles was at CMU, she saw an ad in CM Life for jobs on the island. Moiles spent her college summers working at Fort Mackinac as a park interpreter, sharing stories of life at the fort, including some of the grimmer and entertaining anecdotes recounted after dark on the Ghastly Mackinac tours. She returned for one last summer after earning her degree in political science in 2014, and at the end of the summer was offered a job as an executive assistant at Mission Point Resort. A year later, she became program director for the Mackinac Arts Council.
CMU Alumni Events in 2016 This year is packed with special events just for CMU alumni and friends. Please join us! For full details and to find events throughout the year, go to cmich.ly/ cmualumnievents
March 16
Sixth annual The Villages CMU Alumni and Friends Golf and Dinner Outing: The Links of Spruce Creek in Summerfield, Florida. RSVP by March 11.
April 12
Top Golf in Austin area: Join us for a social at Top Golf in Austin, Texas. Enjoy light appetizers and free CMU swag. RSVP by April 10.
May 23
“Beauty and the Beast”: The Broadway musical comes to Saginaw’s Dow Events Center. Enjoy discounted tickets and seating with other alums. RSVP by March 30.
June 3
Great Lakes Loons game: Join us for baseball and a dinner buffet at Dow Diamond in Midland as the Loons take on the Lake County Captains. RSVP by May 20.
July 15
CMU Night at Comerica Park
October 2016
Second annual CMU Alumni Weekend on Mackinac Island •
Growing up in Saginaw, she never imagined she’d live on the island one day. “All I knew was I wanted to work for a nonprofit,” she says. “I wouldn’t have seen myself having to ride around on a snowmobile to get to work or take a boat to go to ‘the mainland.’” Moiles is heavily involved in the arts on the island. She oversees programming for the arts council, including summer art workshops, the Music in the Park series and the programs at Mackinac Island Public School. “The music and art teacher (in the Mackinac Island school) also graduated from CMU,” Moiles said. “We bond over our campus experience, the residence halls we lived in.” Moiles likes to wear her CMU gear as she walks around the island during the tourist season. “I meet a lot of people that way and hear a lot of, ‘Fire Up Chips!’ ” •
Two Central grads visiting the island in October showed they still carry their CMU IDs in their wallets after all these years. centralight spring ’16
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Mighty
beautiful One of Mackinac Island’s many ferries transports visitors from the island to the mainland under the mighty Mackinac Bridge on the last weekend of the season. While Mackinac Island is always “open,” the main tourist season runs May through October. About 500 people live on the island year-round. PHOTO BY STEVE JESSMORE, ’81
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IN THE FACE OF REALITY
PHOTO BY STEVE
JESSMORE
BY DAN DIGMANN, M.A. ’15
ALUMNA’S THEATRICAL DANCE PRODUCTION ‘HUMANITY’ TAKES STEPS TO BUILD UNITY DESPITE DIFFERENCES Tears well in Tyler Lenn Bradley’s eyes as she steps into the center-stage spotlight. More than 100 students in the Bovee University Center Rotunda’s audience absorb every word as she describes what it’s like to be judged by the color of her skin. Bradley has the only speaking role in her original theatrical dance production, “Humanity.”
PHOTO BY STEVE
JESSMORE
By the end, all of the show’s nearly 20 performers and many of the audience members are in tears.
“It’s so personal. It all comes from a true and honest place,” says Bradley, a 2015 alumna from Lansing who wrote, directed and choreographed “Humanity” her senior year. “Every dance is based on the experiences of someone I know.” The campus production unapologetically addresses important social issues such as suicide, sexism, racism, domestic violence and addiction. It’s intended to spark conversation and create a comfortable environment to talk about uncomfortable things. Bradley is now pushing to engage nationwide audiences with her show. In addition to Bradley, “Humanity” stars 2015 alumni Rebecca Zaborowski of Gaylord, Damon S.A. Hunter of Grayling and Danielle Kwiatkowski of Downers Grove, Illinois, and nearly 20 current CMU students, who dance poignant storylines to popular songs.
Bovee University Center Rotunda for CMU’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Week Unity Ball. Bradley is actively coordinating performances at other locations to increase its visibility throughout Michigan and in other states. Bradley didn’t develop “Humanity” for course credit. She saw it as an opportunity to share her perspectives and gain experience as a theater director and dancer. The production received several awards in 2015, including production of the year and best student director by CMU’s Theatre, Interpretation and Dance Program. “My hope is that the audience not only gains an awareness of these issues, but I hope that they also take a stand for these issues,” Zaborowski says. “I would very much like to see this go national because there are so many messages this performance is sending. It’s breathtaking.”
The production was introduced in February 2015 to a room full of classmates. Shows grew See a preview of the performance: from an invitation-only performance in the cmich.ly/humanitypromo cmich.ly/humanity16 • Townsend Kiva to the most recent, in the
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COACHING EXCELLENCE A catchy slogan might sell T-shirts or sound good coming from a politician. Applying it and getting others to believe? That takes work, team building, pragmatism, maintenance and a willingness to adapt. Most of all, it takes vision. When Dave Heeke took over as Central Michigan University’s director of athletics 10 years ago, he implemented what he calls a “Championship Culture.” “It’s about excellence,” says Heeke, who succeeded the legendary Herb Deromedi as the head of the CMU Athletics Department. “It’s about doing it the right way and serving the people we’re here to serve, our studentathletes.” Under Heeke’s direction, CMU has added two women’s varsity sports, won more than 20 championships, built state-of-the-art facilities, and expanded the footprint and influence of Chippewa athletics.
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“We have a culture here that means we’re always chasing excellence – academically, athletically and in our character,” Heeke says. “We need to be excellent every day. We need to think about it every day. We need to think about championships and academic achievement, being all that we can be, in every aspect, all the time.” The Chippewas have collected 21 MidAmerican Conference championships under Heeke. The program on the whole has been recognized as well, most recently with the MAC’s highest honor, the Cartwright Award for across-the-board excellence in academics, athletics and citizenship. Heeke views the honor from a team perspective. “We have a really high responsibility to have programs that reflect greatness, that reflect what this university is all about,” he says.
BY ANDY SNEDDON
DAVE HEEKE’S DECADE OF LEADERSHIP HAS GIVEN CMU ATHLETICS A ‘CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURE’ Academics are highly valued under Heeke’s leadership. CMU’s 462 student-athletes recorded their highest combined GPA ever – a 3.179 for the fall semester. Nearly 40 percent had a 3.5 or higher. “We’re a member of the entire university community, one that can be a point of pride and bring a lot of attention to the university,” Heeke says. “Then, hopefully, we can parlay that into more interest, additional students, the engagement of alumni and friends, and spread the message about the great things that are happening on campus.” Heeke says it’s not just what’s going on between the goal lines in a football game, “but what’s going on across campus, building academic facilities, educating young people, contributing to the state of Michigan, our economy, the entire package. It’s all of that together.”
POINTS OF PRIDE
Heeke has overseen tremendous growth and a shift in the landscape of CMU athletics, including the recent addition of two women’s varsity sports – golf and lacrosse – along with construction projects and facility upgrades.
PHOTO BY EMILY
MESNER
Cristy Freese, who came to CMU as its field hockey coach in 1986 and today is the university’s senior associate athletic director, says Heeke has built on the legacy and vision of his predecessors, Dave Keilitz and Deromedi. “He has such a great vision and a really deep understanding of every facet, and that’s what makes a great athletic director,” says Freese, who moved into her administrative role last summer. “He’s got a keen eye and a great vision for an overall athletic program. You can see what has happened in the 10 years that he’s been here. It’s truly his vision coming to fruition, and he’s building on that every year.” CMU athletics has had its share of time in the national spotlight during Heeke’s tenure. In 2013, Chippewa offensive tackle Eric Fisher was selected first overall in the NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2015, CMU basketball player Crystal Bradford was taken by the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA draft as the seventh overall pick. Both are the highest draft picks by their respective leagues in MAC history. “People and tradition, in my mind, really define the bones of an athletics program,” says Heeke, who played baseball and hockey while earning his bachelor’s degree at Albion College before obtaining his master’s from Ohio State. “That was really attractive to me, to contribute to that history.” That is the crux of who Heeke is. CMU is one of just 14 NCAA Division I institutions that has never had a major violation. “To me, compliance is integrity,” Heeke says. “We provide an experience and a training ground for young people that’s second to none, and we do it all the right way – don’t break rules, don’t take shortcuts. “That’s why this program is great, and I feel honored to be a part of that now and to have contributed to it for the past 10 years.” •
Seasons of success DEC. 8, 2005: Dave Heeke is introduced as Central Michigan University’s director of athletics NOV. 30, 2006: CMU football wins its first Mid-American Conference championship since 1994. The Chippewas also won the Motor City Bowl later that year, the first bowl win in program history. 2008: The CMU women’s programs win the MAC’s inaugural Faculty Athletics Representative Academic Achievement Award.
2009: Heeke announces an exclusive
apparel and shoe agreement between the athletics department and Adidas.
2009: CMU wins the inaugural
Cartwright Award from the MidAmerican Conference. The award recognizes across-the-board excellence in academics, athletics and citizenship. It is considered the conference’s top institutional honor.
JAN. 6, 2010: Central Michigan
football wins the GMAC Bowl, defeating Troy 44-41 in two overtimes, capping a 12-2 season that included a victory over Michigan State and a MAC championship. CMU finished ranked No. 23 in the final Associated Press poll and No. 24 in the final USA Today coaches’ poll, the first top-25 ranking in program history.
DEC. 1, 2010: The new CMU Events Center, including a complete renovation of the arena in Rose Center, opens. Heeke spearheads the $22.5 million project that includes the addition of a dynamic entryway and new practice facilities for basketball, volleyball and wrestling. 2012: The CMU field hockey team leads the nation with a 3.61 GPA.
2014: CMU earns the MAC Faculty
Athletics Representative Female Academic Achievement Award. CMU’s field hockey and softball teams are ranked in the top five nationally in team GPA.
2015: CMU earns its second
Cartwright Award as well as the Reese Award, which goes to the MAC’s top men’s athletic program, and the league’s Institutional Sportsmanship Award.
2015: Athletic department
fundraising efforts total more than $1.4 million – a record.
2015: CMU dedicates its new
$8 million soccer/lacrosse stadium.
2015: The CMU football team earns
a bid to the Quick Lane Bowl, the program’s seventh bowl appearance in 10 years.
DEROMEDI NAMED TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SELECTION COMMITTEE
Herb Deromedi, the winningest football coach in Mid-American Conference and CMU history, was named one of four new members on the NCAA College Football Playoff Selection Committee. Deromedi, the first member with MAC ties, will serve a three-year term on the 13-member committee that ranks the top 25 teams and determines matchups for the four-team football playoff and other top bowl games.
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Sawyer Stevens, ‘12, Lansing Brewing Co. head brewer
brewing CRAFTING A CAREER IN
CMU’S FERMENTATION SCIENCE PROGRAM TAPS INTO GROWING MARKET IN MICHIGAN AND BEYOND TEXT BY TERRI FINCH HAMILTON, ’83 PHOTOS BY STEVE JESSMORE, ’81
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At Lansing Brewing Co., head brewer Sawyer Stevens, ’12, describes his signature brew, the Amber Cream Ale, and we dare you not to crave an ice cold pint right now. “It’s smooth and a little bit caramelly,” Sawyer says, taking a break from his brewing duties. It has hints of toasted malt, a silky finish and a taste of history – this is the beer the original Lansing Brewing Co. served in 1897, before Prohibition closed its doors. A couple hundred miles away in Chicago, Kevin Cary, ‘06, tells about the popular craft beers at Begyle Brewing Co., a place he’s co-owned since 2011. Begyle Blonde Ale is an easy-drinking beer that uses honey from a farm just west of Chicago, he says, and Hophazardly “smells just like a fresh grapefruit.” Cary’s come a long way from his homebrewing days, bubbling up beer in his off-campus apartment while studying accounting at CMU. Both brewers learned the art and science of craft beer brewing on the job, soaking up skills from experienced brewers. Now that CMU has a fermentation science program to offer formal training in the craft they love, these beer-loving alums say cheers – it couldn’t come at a better time.
Tapping into excitement over craft brewing The craft beer industry is exploding, both in Michigan and around the country. In 2014, craft brewing in Michigan contributed $1.85 billion in economic impact, up 84 percent from two years earlier, according to the Denver-based Brewers Association, an industry trade group.
CMU’s new one-year, 16-credit certificate program in fermentation science includes a mix of biochemistry, chemistry and microbiology, with lecture-based and hands-on laboratory courses that cover brewing from farm to glass. Students also complete a 200-hour internship. The program includes a unique partnership with two Mount Pleasant brewing companies, including Hunter’s Ale House, where students brew their own beer on site. Want to taste it? Head on over. All of this comes at a perfect time, says Scott Graham, executive director of the Michigan Brewers Guild, the nonprofit trade association representing the craft brewing industry in Michigan.
“As this industry continues to grow, where will all the resources come from?” Graham says. “The industry needs skilled manpower. So this new CMU program is a good Nationwide, craft breweries contributed development. More and more people will $55.7 billion to the U.S. economy in 2014 and be employed by the beer industry in resulted in more than 424,000 jobs, Michigan – not just brewers, but in sales and according to the Brewers Association. administration, packaging, production of CMU alumni involved in the craft beer hops, too.” industry say it’s keeping them hopping. Michigan-made beers account for 6.5 They could use more skilled brewers. percent of all the beer sold in Michigan, Clink your glasses – here they come. Graham says.
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“I think it will go past 20 percent,” he says. “The growth has been increasing, and it will continue to grow.”
The art and science of brewing Graham learned the craft of brewing at the world-renowned Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago in the 1990s. He served as an apprentice at the Frankenmuth Brewery under Fred Scheer, a Germantrained master brewer, so Graham knows the importance of hands-on training. CMU’s partnership with Mount Pleasant breweries for real-life brewing experience is a great idea, he says. “You need a lot of technical know-how,” Graham says. “Making beer may sound glamorous and charming, but a brewer is a highly trained, highly skilled janitor. Everything has to be extremely clean and sanitary. That’s a big part of it.” The more training, the better, he says. “It’s good for beer and good for beer quality.” Exactly, says Cordell DeMattei, CMU’s director of fermentation science. “It’s easy to turn away a new beer drinker if they pick up a beer that’s not good,” DeMattei says. “Our goal is to provide
quality brewers who make quality beers to help the industry be even better.” The job potential for graduates of the program is huge, he says. “It’s amazing how many breweries have opened up, and there’s no end in sight.” Back at the Lansing Brewing Co., Sawyer Stevens says CMU’s program will make it easier for the graduates to get a foot in the door at breweries in an increasingly competitive market. “When I started out, people were mostly learning on the job,” he says. “Soon, there’ll be more of a call for people with more formal education. “It’s a complex science,” he says of brewing. “More formal training lends legitimacy and helps to show we’re a serious industry. Sure, it’s fun, but you’re in it to sustain a business. You have to be serious.” Beer lovers know what they like, but they don’t often understand all that goes into their favorite brew, Stevens says.
how to manipulate the process if something goes wrong. There’s a whole lot of cleaning and sanitation. You need this perfect mix of physical and intellectual skills. You have to do both.” Consistency is crucial, DeMattei points out. Learning that is a big part of the program. “It’s not that difficult to make good beer once, but to do it repeatedly takes a lot of skill,” he says. “You’re dealing with varied
That’s good news for CMU alumni Marta Dennis, ’76, and Tim Dennis, ‘88, owners of Walloon Lake Winery in Petoskey. After decades working in education, the couple opened the family-run winery in 2014. They grow cold-hardy grapes and produce about 15 wines, including their popular Randall’s Point Red, with a hint of cinnamon and the fruity Blackbird Blackberry that smells like blackberry cobbler. Now, they’re in the process of getting their beer license and may send their son to CMU’s program so they can add craft beer to their lineup.
ingredients with each crop. You need to know how to adjust to make the beer taste the same each time.”
Wine, anyone? Right now the fermentation science program focuses on craft beer, but DeMattei says it could expand to the production of wine and spirits, too.
“That’s why we call the program “There are so many fine details that make up fermentation science and not craft brew the big picture,” he says. “Fermentation science,” he says. time, temperature, yeast cell count. Knowing
“We decided it would be nice to have both,” Marta says. “Sometimes a couple comes in and the wife really loves wine, but the husband would rather have a beer.” While the craft beer industry flourishes, it hasn’t exactly left wineries in the dust, Marta says. “We’re just a small, family owned winery, but we’ve been overwhelmingly busy,” she says. “If CMU ends up offering a certification for wine, a lot of wineries will be looking for people like that,” Tim says. “You always need more help.” > centralight spring ’16
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Doug Maxon
CMU begins Michigan’s first fermentation science program Doug Maxon, of Beal City, has been homebrewing beer since 2008, but since he started in CMU’s new fermentation science program, he hasn’t brewed a drop at home. “I’m kind of a snob now,” the 36-year-old retired Marine says. “I know everything has to be just perfect.” Precision. Chemistry. Microbiology. Consistency. Brewing craft beer is an exact science, and the 14 students enrolled in CMU’s first class of the fermentation science program are learning it all. In addition to their class work and lectures in the Dow Science Complex and Brooks Hall, students are getting real-world experience at Mountain Town Brewing Co. with CMU alumnus Jim Holton, ‘95, at the helm. Hunter’s Ale House also offers a place for students to make beer on site for customers. “I’m over the moon about this,” owner Cheryl Hunter says. “It’s such a great move that CMU has made. There aren’t enough knowledgeable brewmasters, and it’s slowing down the production of breweries.
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“Having a school program is vital, and good for the state of Michigan, as the state builds on the business of brewing,” Hunter says. “I hope the university gets even deeper into it, looking at all aspects of the business, including the growing of hops and barley.
“They’ll check the grain and hops, take samples from the tanks and take them to their own labs for testing to see if the yeast is reacting. They’ll open a bottle from the cooler and learn how we inhibit bacteria growth.”
“So much goes into a pint of beer,” Hunter says. “Here, they’ll learn it all, from tank to glass.”
Ultimately, he plans to put these new brewers to work.
The program appeals to students both in and outside the sciences as well as to brewery employees looking to advance their careers, says Cordell DeMattei, CMU’s director of fermentation science. Most of the students are in their 30s, he says. Graduates of the certificate program will have the knowledge they need to take industry certification tests. At Mountain Town Brewing Co., Holton is excited about teaching students what he knows. “There are things you just can’t learn in class,” Holton says. “They’ll get in here and touch the beer, feel it, see what’s in there. They’ll learn from the taste and the smell.
“Selfishly, it means I can get good intern help,” Holton says. “They’ll learn and help me out at the same time. And when they leave, they’ll have not just classroom experience, but field experience.” Eric Rippke, of St. Johns, can’t wait. He’s been a water and soil analyst for 13 years. At 39, married with two kids, Rippke has been looking for a new career. When he heard about CMU’s new program, he knew that was it. “I love biology, and I love chemistry,” he says. “Beer has both.” Plus, he loves beer, especially a good nut-brown ale. “As more breweries open and each one gets bigger, they’ll need people like us.” •
Fermentation science program student Chris Lehr removes spent grain from a specialized brewing container called a mash tun at the brewing facilities at Hunter’s Ale House.
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Hidden Central:
Peak Performance Team Chippewa Performance – CMU’s Society of Automotive Engineers Baja Team – is competing internationally this year. Central is going head to head with hundreds of college and university teams from around the world as they each engineer and manufacture a one-passenger off-road vehicle that can successfully withstand rugged terrain. Students will design, build, test, promote and race the vehicle. The design must be tough enough to survive hours of driving over and PHOTO BY STEVE JESSMORE, ’81
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even through rocks, ditches, mud, obstacles and sometimes water. Each team’s project will simulate real-world planning, and logistical and manufacturing challenges involved in introducing a new product. Performance will be measured by success in events throughout the year described in the Baja SAE Rules. Events are subject to event-site weather and course conditions. CMU’s team will compete in Cookeville, Tennessee, in April and in Rochester, New York, in June. •
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Alumni News
Connect with Chippewas with a push of an icon CMU Alumni: Fire Up Chips – the free mobile application from the CMU Alumni Association – updates you on alumni events, news and networking opportunities on your mobile device wherever you are. Available for free download on the App Store and Google Play. Get connected today.
cmich.edu/alumni
centralight spring winter ’16 ’10 3434 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 9483
Alumni News Alexia earns international engineering honor Barry Alexia, ’78, is one of 26 members of Rockwell Collins’ inaugural class of fellows.
RAY SKOWRONEK -- THE MACOMB DAILY
Alexia is the director of strategic technology at the Iowa-based company, providing design, production and support of communications and aviation electronics for military and commercial customers worldwide. The title of engineering fellow is recognized internationally as a designation for a senior master of their engineering field. Alexia’s work focuses on electronic warfare, electronic intelligence and signals intelligence. CMU sports fans may recall Alexia’s days as a star on the track and field team. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996 as “one of the finest hurdlers ever to wear the maroon and gold.” He was an all-American in 1978 for the 400-meter hurdles and qualified for the Olympic trials in 1980. •
‘See What Stacey Started’ drawing sessions inspired by fellow Chippewa As a student majoring in sculpture and design at CMU, Brian Lewandowski met fellow art student Stacey Skiera, who convinced him to attend a figure drawing class – even though he says he hated drawing people. “She was my inspiration and the reason I have been doing mainly figurative work for over 20 years now,” says Lewandowski, ’94. Skiera died in 2004 after battling multiple sclerosis. In 2013, Lewandowski launched “See What Stacey Started,” a weekly, live model drawing session at the Phoenix Cafe in Hazel Park, north of Detroit. “I never had the chance to tell her how much of an influence she was on my life,” Lewandowski says. “She started my interest in drawing the figure, and we have centered our drawing sessions around the idea that anyone is welcome and capable of doing the same.” To celebrate more than two years of “See What Stacey Started,” Lewandowski coordinated a group exhibition showcasing the artwork created during the weekly sessions. The June 2015 show benefited the Michigan chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. •
Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham (from left), with Capt. Elizabeth Darga, appointed to undersheriff, succeeding retiring Undersheriff Kent Lagerquist.
Darga promoted to Macomb County undersheriff Elizabeth Darga, M.S. ‘95, was promoted in January to Macomb County undersheriff, the No. 2 position in the department, which has 250 sworn law enforcement personnel. She is the second-highest ranking woman in the department’s history, succeeding Kent Lagerquist, who retired after 41 years. “It’s an honor. I’m humbled by the appointment,” Darga tells the Macomb Daily. “I’m truly grateful to the sheriff for having the confidence in me to appoint me to be his right-hand person and be one of the leaders in this department.” •
Chippewa women make waves in the auto industry Every five years since 2000, Automotive News has compiled the list of 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry, recognizing top female executives at automakers, suppliers and dealerships. Three CMU graduates made the 2015 list: Felicia Fields, M.S.A. ’90, is group vice president of human resources and corporate services for Ford Motor Co. She’s a Global Campus alumna with a degree in general administration. Tania Pratnicki Young, M.A. ’83, is plant manager at the Dundee Engine Plant for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Her business management degree is from CMU’s Global Campus. Marlo Vitous, ’88, is director of product development purchasing for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. She earned a B.S. in logistics management and a B.A. in marketing. •
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Alumni News ‘Ranger’ helps kids understand how dogs can assist veterans
Roberts will be inducted into Country Radio Hall of Fame
Laura Cassar, ’91, teamed up with Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs to write a children’s book about a dog with an important job.
Tim Roberts, ’82, will be inducted into the 2016 Country Radio Hall of Fame this summer, an honor that recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the country radio industry.
In “Ranger: A PTSD Service Dog,” kids learn about the important ways service dogs help veterans navigate life after returning home. The book was released on Nov. 11 – Veterans Day. Cassar, a freelance writer and stay-at-home mom from metro Detroit, wrote and self-published the children’s book “Night of 1,000 Pumpkins” before she was approached by a Guardian Angels Michigan representative to write “Ranger.” She and illustrator Gail Diedrichsen donated their time and talent so all proceeds from the book can go to train and place more service dogs. The 32-page, illustrated book is appropriate for elementary-age children. It tells Ranger’s story, from training to placement with his soldier, from Ranger’s point of view. You can order the book here: cmich.ly/rangerptsd •
Roberts is CBS Detroit operations manager and program director of WYCD/WOMC/WDZH in the Motor City. He oversees all programming, promotions, production talent, music and operations for the stations as well as six HD radio formats. During his tenure, WYCD has been honored with two Marconi Awards and was named Station of the Year by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. As a School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts student at CMU, Roberts worked for four years in various capacities at student-run radio station WMHW-FM. This experience led him to intern at WRIF-Detroit as well as work at WCEN-AM/FM and CMU Public Radio. Roberts is chair of the School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts’ Advisory Board and participates in BCA career fairs, Mentoring Days, the Alumni Radio Takeover and numerous other alumni functions. •
Chippewa wins Silver Lion at the Cannes Film Festival for her viral film Grand Rapids native and CMU graduate Andrea Mileskiewicz is the woman behind the viral video “World’s Toughest Job.” Mileskiewicz, along with art director and partner Blake Winfree and their team, were honored with a Silver Lion at the Cannes Film Festival in France last June. They won in the category of best viral film. The video honoring mothers and motherhood was created for American Greetings Card Co. The company enlisted the Mullen Agency in Boston where Mileskiewicz , ’04, is a creative director and copywriter.
Author Laura Cassar holds a photo of her father, who was a Navy pilot. She dedicated “Ranger: A PTSD Service Dog” to him.
The mission was to create an online, mobile-friendly message to promote American Greetings’ products. The video, which follows the format of a job interview for a full-time position with no breaks or pay, is surprising and emotional. It has more than 25 million views. The project has resulted in several accolades for Mileskiewicz and the Mullen team. In addition to the Silver Lion, they won the best-of-show Addy Award from the Boston Ad club and were honored with a nationally acclaimed Webby Award in the category of advertising media/social. See the video here: cmich.ly/toughestjobcmu •
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Alumni News CMU professor emeritus highlights life of Revolutionary War hero in new historical fiction novel Richard Fleming, CMU professor emeritus, celebrated the end of 2015 with the nationwide release of “Wetzel,” his new historical fiction novel. Fleming paints a picture of the life of Lewis Wetzel, described as the Daniel Boone of northwestern Virginia, as he came of age near the end of the Revolutionary War. Wetzel was an important participant in the 20-year war between the woodland Indian nations and the settlers of western Pennsylvania, western Virginia and Kentucky.
PHOTO BY STEVE
JESSMORE
Although “Wetzel” is classified as historical fiction, it traces Wetzel’s life over more than 20 years, featuring events and the rich history that occurred in the upper Ohio River Valley, Kentucky, Ohio and down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. According to Wills de Hass, a historian in the mid-19th century, “Wetzel’s efforts were without parallel in border warfare.” Marty Sytsema (left) and Dave VanAndel
Alumni make big moves in physical therapy As owners of a successful, multifunctional physical therapy clinic, CMU alumni Dave VanAndel and Marty Sytsema know it takes a strong foundation to be successful. VanAndel and Sytsema each earned their master of science degree in physical therapy from The Herbert H. & Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions in 1997. They went on to work for the same physical therapy practice in different locations. In 2005, they opened their own performance and wellness solutions clinic in west Michigan’s Spring Lake, called i’move. The two met as part of the first class in the physical therapy program, and they credit CMU for their originality and purpose in their treatment approach. Since they started practicing on their own, VanAndel and Sytsema have welcomed CMU interns, knowing they will come into the clinic well-prepared and passionate. “It’s such a strong program, and they give us people who are really passionate to learn in this type of environment,” VanAndel says. As their clinic grows, VanAndel and Sytsema reflect on the faculty and staff who encouraged them to stay dedicated to advancing the profession.
Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available through bookstores nationwide and online at Amazon. Fleming has degrees from Northwest Missouri State and Florida State University, including a doctorate in mathematics. After 42 years as a professor of mathematics at the University of Missouri, the University of Memphis and CMU, he retired and began to indulge in a lifelong love of history. He lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife, Diane. •
“As I get more into the practice, I catch myself saying, ‘Hey, my professor taught me that, and this is how she would have done things,’ ” Sytsema says. “To this day, we still have great role models who are so invested in our profession and in moving it forward. You can truly tell it’s a passion that all of our instructors had, and they inspired us to be the same way, too.” •
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Alumni News Young Alumni board Young Alumni regional fellows California San Francisco Bay Courtney Duvendack, ’10 court.duvendack@gmail.com Chicago Spencer Long, ’08, M.A. ’10 spencer.long@gmail.com Michigan Holland Briana Hartline, ’09 bhartline@sentinel.com Metro Detroit Emily Lamoreaux, ’07 emily.lamoreaux@gmail.com Mid-Michigan Megan Lawless, ’08 adelm1me@cmich.edu Florida Miami Adam Romano, ‘13 aromano734@gmail.com Orlando Raychel Cesaro, ‘05 RCesaro@holocaustedu.org Mara Shorr, ‘05 marashorr@thebestmbs.com NYC/New Jersey/Philadelphia Michael Waas, ’05, M.A. ’07 michael@terracycle.com Ohio/Oxford Tylere Presley, ’12 tylere.presley@betathetapi.org Texas Austin Dan Rathke, ’07 rathk1dj@gmail.com Washington, D.C. Colleen Scheidel, ‘10 schei1ce@cmich.edu
Alumni board President Ryan A. Fewins-Bliss, ’02, M.A. ’04 Bath Vice President Brian Jones, ’90, MBA ’94 Midland Past President Jan (Keegan) Hagland, ’77 Berkley Directors Rebeca Reyes Barrios, ’00, MBA ’02 Canton Carrie Baumgardner, ‘99, M.A. ‘02 Lansing Kevin Campbell, ’74, M.A. ’76 Midland Lynn Garrett, ’97 Detroit Jacalyn (Beckers) Goforth, ‘82 Beverly Hills Laura Gonzales, ’79, M.A. ’89 Mount Pleasant Daniel Herzog, ’91 Saginaw Bret Hyble, ‘82, M.A. ‘86 Mount Pleasant Linda (Scharich) Leahy, ’82 Midland Scott Nadeau, ‘89 Dexter Thomas C. Olver, ’98 Mount Pleasant Frederick Puffenberger, ‘95 Mount Pleasant Kandra (Kerridge) Robbins, ‘90 Portland Whitney Robinson, ‘03 West Bloomfield Darryl Shelton, ’85 Grand Rapids Nathan Tallman, ’07, M.A. ’09 Auburn Hills Robert VanDeventer, ’74 Saginaw Bradley Wahr, ‘03 Mount Pleasant Thomas L. Worobec, ’93 Dearborn Heights Nicole (Williams) Yelland, ‘05 Clarkston
PHOTO BY STEVE
JESSMORE
President Ashleigh (Klipper) Laabs, ’07 Royal Oak Vice president Michael Zeig, ’08 East Lansing Past president John Kaczynski, ’03, M.P.A. ’08 Lansing Directors Michael Decker, ‘07 Beverly Hills Morgan (Curtis) Hales ’06, M.A. ’11 Clare Spencer Haworth, ’12 Charlotte, North Carolina Scott Hillman, ’10 Chicago Eric Johnson, ‘11 Mount Pleasant Danielle Leone, ‘10 St. Clair Shores James (J.J.) Lewis, ’06 Thousand Oaks, California Jaime R. Leyrer, ’10, M.P.A. ’12 Saginaw Jennifer Lopez, ’10 Royal Oak Gregory Marx, ’08 Troy Brittany Mouzourakis, ‘11 Dearborn Heights John Reineke, ’09 Oxford, Ohio Michelle (Curtis) Rush, ‘07 Saint Joseph Jeffrey Stoutenburg, ’10, M.P.A. ’13 Midland Michael Wiese, ‘09 Grand Rapids
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In Memory Geraldine (Swarthout) Riall-Jackson, ’41, White Lake, Mich., died Oct. 27, 2015, age 96. Jessie E. (Booth) Becker, ’45, Gladwin, Mich., died Dec. 20, 2015, age 91. Alice E. Fitzgerald, ’47, St. Joseph, Mich., died Nov. 12, 2015, age 94. May Jewel “Stevie” (Stevens) Hoffman, ’47, Gainesville, Fla., died Sept. 30, 2015, age 90. Jean (Chisholm) Ryan, ’47, St. Joseph, Mich., died Sept. 29, 2015, age 91. Robert P. Ryndress, ’49, Bradenton, Fla., died Oct. 17, 2015, age 93. Jean L. (Bonnett) Blake, ’50, Jackson, Mich., died Dec. 22, 2015, age 90. William D. Fitzgibbon, ’50, Alma, Mich., died Jan. 2, 2016, age 93. Christopher Hopkins, ’51, M.A. ’59, Bay City, Mich., died Oct. 7, 2015, age 93. Donna M. (Jensen) Powell, ’51, M.A. ’70, Grand Blanc, Mich., died Aug. 12, 2015, age 85. Virginia (Hollar) Gies, ’52, Hastings, Mich., died Dec. 8, 2015, age 85. Frederick M. Nightingale, ’52, Kalamazoo, Mich., died Oct. 6, 2015, age 91. Thomas G. Westhoff, ’54, Saginaw, Mich., died Dec. 14, 2015, age 83. Beverly J. (Beck) Hatherly, ’55, Pontiac, Mich., died Oct. 7, 2015, age 82. John P. Miller, ’57, M.A. ’60, Cascade, Mich., died Oct. 30, 2015, age 80. Dalthea G. (Double) Black, ’58, Atlanta, Mich., died Nov. 18, 2015, age 79. Richard K. Peters, ’58, Williamston, Mich., died Dec. 23, 2015, age 78. Ward W. Schanhals, ’59, Central Lake, Mich., died Oct. 13, 2015, age 79.
Alumni News Diana G. (Sparkes) Frederick, ’60, M.A. ’63, Saginaw, Mich., died Oct. 7, 2015, age 79. John Gelski , ’62, Cleveland, Ohio, died June 3, 1015, age 75. Robert A. Pankonin, ’63, Monterey, Calif., died Nov. 13, 2015, age 79. William D. Punches, ’63, Gun Lake, Mich., died Oct. 19, 2015, age 75. Robert J. Hirn, ’64, Cass City, Mich., died Oct. 28, 2015, age 73. William H. Granlund, M.A. ’65, Gaylord, Mich., died Oct. 26, 2015, age 87. John M. McFall, ’65, Saginaw, Mich., died Dec. 12, 2015, age 77. Deedra L. (Weinert) Thurow, ’65, Ludington, Mich., died Oct. 29, 2015, age 72. Deborah S. Kohn, ’67, Traverse City, Mich., died Dec. 22, 2015, age 72. Richard B. Parr, M.A. ’67, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Dec. 28, 2015, age 72. Velma (Swartzendruber) Esch, ’68, Fairview, Mich., died Nov. 6, 2015, age 93. Louis A. Graham, ’69, Muskegon, Mich., died Nov. 5, 2015, age 68. Paul J. Michalke, ’69, Sterling, Mich., died Nov. 29, 2015, age 69. Constance M. (Mates) Newkirk, ’69, M.A. ’74, Scottville, Mich., died Jan. 4, 2016, age 69. Betty J. (Gilbertson) Kelly, ’71, Lachine, Mich., died Dec. 1, 2015, age 85. Mary L. Momber, ’71, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Nov. 17, 2015, age 66. Brian J. Vincent, ’71, Castle Rock, Colo., died Nov. 3, 2015, age 66. Michael W. Rumisek, ’72, M.A. ’77, Owosso, Mich., died Dec. 12, 2015, age 66. John R. Thompson, ’72, West Branch, Mich., died Nov. 1, 2015, age 68. Marion M. (Hill) Wilson, ’73, Smiths Creek, Mich., died Nov. 10, 2015, age 64.
Andrea K. (Wrozek) Brietzke, ’74, Jackson, Mich., died Oct. 17, 2015, age 63. Richard Pullen, M.A. ’74, Wyoming, Mich., died Dec. 20, 2015, age 69. William R. Bricker, Ed.S. ’75, Marietta, Ohio, died Dec. 22, 2015, age 79. Janet L. Gillespie, ’75, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Aug. 28, 2015, age 65. Jeanette C. (Strasel) Nobles, ’75, New Era, Mich., died Dec. 20, 2015, age 62. Richard D. McKay, ’76, Vienna, Va., died Nov. 14, 2015, age 61. Charles E. Slamer, ’76, Lansing, Mich., died Dec. 19, 2015, age 61. Fonda M. (DeWitt) Dutcher, ’78, Rochester, Minn., died Nov. 16, 2015, age 77. John J. Shepherd, ’78, Hartland, Mich., died Oct. 27, 2015, age 60. Nancy A. (Mitchell) Fasan, ’79, Farmington, Mich., died Dec. 9, 2015, age 59. James M. Hembree, M.A. ’79, Inverness, Fla., died Oct. 27, 2015, age 77. Gregory P. Mack, M.A. ’79, Newport News, Va., died Nov. 2, 2015, age 68. Merritt F. Bongard, ’80, Stanwood, Mich., died Dec. 1, 2014, age 72. Deborah S. (Payne) Kallman, ’80, Grand Rapids, Mich., died Nov. 9, 2015, age 57. Thomas F. Denio, ’81, Troy, Mich., died Oct. 16, 2015, age 85. Alan P. Parker, MBA ’81, Kalamazoo, Mich., died Nov. 19, 2015, age 63. Mary M. (Manley) Brown, M.A. ’82, Amarillo, Texas, died Dec. 17, 2015, age 92. Connie M. (Buch) Biederman, M.A. ’83, Candler, Arizona, age 69. Rodney D. Elliott, ’83, Grass Lake, Mich., died Oct. 19, 2015, age 57. Michael R. Lingo , ’83, East Lansing, Mich., died Dec. 9, 1015, age 61.
Edwin C. Madden, M.A. ’83, Newark, Ohio, died Oct. 16, 2015, age 69. Timothy S. Oonk, ’83, Zeeland, Mich., died Nov. 10, 2015, age 56. George VanCleve, MBA ’83, L’Anse, Mich., died Nov. 14, 2015, age 78. Allan C. Rusten, M.A. ’84, Kennett Square, Pa., died June 29, 2015, age 87. Joyce M. (Gildner) Alley, ’87, West Branch, Mich., died Nov. 12, 2015, age 70. Beverly S. (Specht) Gammage, M.S.A. ’88, New Castle, Del., died Nov. 8, 2015, age 80. Milton E. Johnson, M.S.A. ’89, Norristown, Pa., died Oct. 1, 2015, age 60. Jacquelyn D. (Kociemba) McNutt, M.S.A. ’90, Little River. S.C., died Oct. 25, 2015, age 72. William R. Tillen, ’90, Bay City, Mich., died Oct. 5, 2015, age 49. Pamela L. (Thompson) Boomer, ’92, M.A. ’93, Lakeview, Mich., died Oct. 9, 2015, age 45. Eric D. Moots, ’94, Clinton, Mich., died Dec. 6, 2015, age 43. Keith J. Dassow, M.S.A. ’96, Mansfield, Texas, died Oct. 14,2015, age 55. Allen C. Goetzinger, ’99, Elwell, Mich., died Nov. 9, 2015, age 67. Cherie L. (Bell) Bell-Swarts, ’02, Clare, Mich., died Nov. 9, 2015, age 41. Cheryl P. (DeMarco) Mellor, ’05, Bayfield, Colo., died Nov. 17, 2015, age 34. Michael Morehouse, ’05, Oxford, Mich., died Dec. 16, 2015, age 37. Carol J. (Ritchison) Walker, M.A. ’05, Conyers, Ga., died Dec. 9, 2015, age 66. Ryan A. Whiston, ’06, Waterford, Mich., died Oct. 26, 2015, age 32. Craig L. Althouse, ’10, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., died Jan. 24, 2015, age 27.
FACULTY Richard B. Parr, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Dec. 28, 2015, age 72. Helene Zimmerman, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Oct. 11, 2015, age 82. STAFF James D. Powell, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Jan. 30, 2016, age 81. Joan Ruddell, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Oct. 4, 2015, age 77. Ouita Russell, Haslett, Mich., died Dec. 13, 2015, age 96. Frances Sheets, Farwell, Mich., died Dec. 15, 2015, age 95. Shirley J. Smale, Mount Pleasant, Mich., died Dec. 24, 2015, age 87.
centralight winter spring ’16 ’10
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Do you remember?
1962
When spring breaks and the temps start to climb, everyone from seventh graders to college seniors can’t wait to spend time outside. Luckily, CMU professors over the decades have been willing to take their classes into the many courtyards of the beautiful Mount Pleasant campus. •
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centralight spring ’16
HISTORICAL LIBRARY
Taking it outside
2000 PHOTO COURTESY OF CLARKE
1972
Providing ways to
ensure a secure life Alan and Arlene Quick support the Central Michigan University Events Center and studentathletes through their gift of a life insurance policy.
Alan and Arlene Quick
Alan is a retired College of Education and Human Services professor and was a university administrator for 25 years, and Arlene worked as a student teacher supervisor and also as a substitute teacher at the CMU Lab School. The couple always saw CMU as more than an employer – they saw it as a place that provided them a home and a place to raise their children. Before Arlene passed away in 2012, the Quicks donated a life insurance policy future gift to support the Events Center and CMU student-athletes. “We have always been sensitive to the university and its financial needs,” Alan said. “We want to give back and help out the place where we worked and the place we call home.”
Give today for the future
Like Alan and Arlene, you too can help students in an incredibly special way. To learn more about this and additional ways you can give to Central Michigan University, contact:
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 9491
Ted Tolcher, Associate Vice President Development and External Relations 989-774-1441 ted.tolcher@cmich.edu
giftplanning.cmich.edu centralight spring ’16
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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID MIDLAND MI PERMIT NO. 260
centralight
Carlin Alumni House Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI 48859