Denison Magazine 2024-25 Winter

READY FOR IT

FIND OUT HOW — AND WHY — DENISON BECAME A NATIONAL LEADER IN CAREER PREPARATION.

PLUS WHY DO WE SAY YOUR BEST YEARS SHOULDN T HAPPEN AT DENISON? ASK THE CLASS OF 1974.

Photo: Brooke LaValley

Openingshot

Big Red Weekend 2024 brought a Burpee’s Seedy Teatrical Company reunion — and an appearance by Steve Carell ’84 that brought down the house.

SEE MORE PHOTOS AND A CLIP OF CARELL LEADING HIS MINIONS:

ON THE COVER

Most 18-year-olds don’t come to college with defnitive career plans. Denison ofers many ways for students to explore their passions, discover new ones, and transform what they love into a fulflling life and career.

PREPARED FOR LIFE

Denison’s career-forward education encourages students to look to their passions to fnd the profession of their dreams.

SWASEY SWEETHEARTS

A couple married in Swasey Chapel shares their story of a match made at Denison.

DENISONIANS AFTER 50 YEARS Tese lives well-lived have deep roots on Te Hill.

SUMMER SCHOLARS

From the habits of mating mosquitoes to the physics of Irish dance, Denison’s Summer Scholars played a hand in some intriguing research.

18

Because of publishing deadlines, we’re bound to be a bit behind. Please email us with anything we’ve missed at denmag@denison.edu

22

ASK A DENISONIAN

With the help of alums, Denison students discover that if they ask, their questions will be answered.

CLASSIC DENISON

Te classics curricula may date back 2,000 years, but Denison students fnd their studies translate to today’s working world.

56

ROCK ON Denison football coach Jack Hatem’s tradition involving a rock has the program on a roll.

6 THE COMMENTS SECTION Swooning over Swasey

9 HILLSIDE CHAT

President Weinberg’s advice to graduating seniors

66 CLASS NOTES 38 THE HILL Rising rankings and record 74 IN MEMORIAM generosity

58 ATHLETICS

DENISON DOES JOURNALISM aces his homecoming

Te reach of Denison’s still-young journalism program already has grown far beyond campus.

Tennis coach David Schilling

98 LAST WORD Refections on the ‘Shorney 10’

The comments section

Tere’s nothing better than hearing from Denisonians. Send us your compliments, complaints, and brilliant story ideas: denmag@denison.edu

We may reprint part or all of your letters in this section.

THESE NOTEWORTHY MESSAGES ROLLED IN AFTER ISSUE 2, 2024:

MORE ON MOOREHEAD

Tank you for the fnely informative letter by Buck Niehof on Warren King Moorehead, fellow DU alum and pioneering archeologist of Hopewell and other mounds who did much to open up to us our impressive prehistory.

Moorehead was more than an archeologist; he was also a writer of journalism and prose-fction. His published novel writing took as its subject matter native life in its critical moment toward the end of the 19th century and is worth our reading for its support of the native cause.

BIG RED BEATS BLUE?

I have just fnished reading the current Denison Magazine, and I must congratulate you! I also have just fnished reading my University of Michigan current magazine and one is superior. Tat one is Denison's. Very proud of you and your staf! I have read many. I am old.

Mike Richards ’62

Aw, shucks.

CAREER PREP AT DENISON

CORRECTIONS

In Issue 2, 2024, we got Toni King s title wrong, an unfortunate error as we celebrated her storied career at Denison. (At least this gives us the opportunity to keep talking about her.) At her 2024 retirement, King was a full professor.

’ ’ -

Since our last issue, we ve changed Reunion dates. Despite what the previous magazine ads said, our next Reunion is June 6 8, 2025. Save the new date!

But for the readers of Denison Magazine, what I am eager to call attention to is an unpublished novel of his. It concerns Denison in the Gilded Age. It exists in typescript almost intact at the Ohio Historical Society and was discovered by the son of a DU faculty member apprenticing himself to archeology as a high schooler. It is lacking a title page and its opening. Otherwise, the typescript, with handwritten corrections, seems intact. Its protagonist is a young man attending the school in Granville. He is much more given to social life and long-distance running than to his academic studies. He is very interested in girls and visits those at the “fem sems,” the two institutions of higher education for women in the village. He attends public events, local and regional. Tere is a duel. Tere is the death of a student on a mill wheel. Several of these events in the novel are based on historical happenings. Our hero wins a long-distance race (as, indeed, Moorehead did). Te work is a “take” on the life of our school 150 years ago. It is part of our story.*

Curiously enough, there is nothing about archeology in it, although Moorehead himself, while at Denison, was already involved in the emergent science. So the novel, if it is autobiographical, is only selectively so. Even if we do not get the full Moorehead, we do get a full Denison.

*I write from unreliable nonagenarian memory, so my account may not be altogether accurate.

Tony Stoneburner

Professor Stoneburner taught English at Denison University from 1966-1992.

Teodore Decker’s recent article on real-world consulting experiences at DU was an exciting look at an outstanding opportunity for student growth and development.

Getting deeper into understanding teamwork from initial organization assignment identifcation, research and interview frsthand learning, quantitative analysis, rigorous team constant communication requirements, early and interim reviews of key issues and development of fnal conclusions, and presentation rehearsals for fnal client proposal delivery are wonderful opportunities for team members!

My post-DU time in the Northwestern MBA program pushed us into team projects early on and did so with demanding quantitative expectations, tight time demands, and presentation pressures.

Getting an early taste of real-world teamwork, along with the peer and client pressures, can be super helpful and confdence-building for the Denison Red Frame Lab consultants. Bravo to all the participants in this important program!

Chris Peifer ’70

I am curious about learning about the specifc programs the school ofers to help students fnd their career path. I know the Knowlton Center ofers these programs. Other than that, I don’t know the specifcs of the resources ofered.

When I was in school, there were no such programs.

Tom Oldham ’70

Tom, this is a great idea. You’ll find we devoted the bulk of this issue to that very theme.

As a member of the class of 1958, I have fond memories of how both of Ambrose Swasey’s gifs to Denison made lasting impressions on me during all four of my undergraduate years. With my astronomy major and a music and art history minor, two of my favorite Denison mentors were Sam Wheeler (physics department) and Brayton Stark (university organist). Tere were many warm evenings when I was working or studying in Swasey Observatory and could hear professor Stark practicing on the great Austin organ in the chapel next door. If I fnished early, I would sometimes enter the chapel to hear him playing. Te acoustics of the chapel were phenomenal when it was empty.

As I learned the art of night photography, I found the observatory and the chapel excellent subjects for

“nightscape photography.” I’ve saved one of those photos and am pleased to send it along with this reminiscence of my days at Denison. Tanks for your excellent story celebrating Swasey Chapel’s 100th birthday.

Phil Zollner ’58

Twice I visited the chapel and the university grounds when I was a young boy and a teenager to celebrate family reunions with my extended family. Afer World War II, my mother and father were married in the chapel.

Tanks to all that Denison does for humankind.

David Rankin

Rankin is the fourth son of Alice Eschman Rankin ’43, who was a daughter of Karl Eschman 1911, former dean of music at Denison.

Greetings! Afer reading the recent issue, I am responding per your request. At Denison, I sang in Swasey Chapel with the choir and occasionally with the Glee Club under Karl. I sang in a Sigma Chi quartet during my freshman year, touring alumni sites to perform.

While working at the Cleveland Clinic in the Department of Ophthalmology, I sang seven solo performances at Denison with William Osborne, spanning 1981-1995. While working at the clinic, I was also a tenor soloist in seven operas with Cleveland Opera Teater. I am still singing, including at my church, the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship of San Dieguito in Solana Beach, California.

A. Jan Berlin ’56

Tom Reed’s feature on Swasey Chapel was very interesting. However, I know of one more occurrence there that may be worth pointing out. On May 22, 1976, a certain junior student at Denison took it upon himself to repel down the steeple of Swasey. I doubt this has been duplicated very many times.

Bud Gerathy ’76

And for that, the Denison administration is grateful.

During my four years at Denison, I attended dozens of performances and speeches at Swasey Chapel, but the one whose opening I recall best was also one of my frst. When comedian Steven Wright took the stage, he paused, looked up at the organ pipes, and deadpanned, “Nice giant harmonica you have here.” It got a huge laugh, warming up the audience perfectly for his extremely dry brand of humor.

In addition to its main function as an event space, Swasey Chapel’s prominent position on campus made it *literally* central to many students’ experience at Denison. Every part of campus could be defned by its location relative to the chapel: residential and academic quads to the east and west, athletic felds and fraternity row to the north, fne arts and sorority circle to the south. Te steeple was always the frst part of campus you could see when driving north through downtown Granville. At the end of a summer or holiday break, that frst glimpse ofen provoked a very visceral reaction for me: It was welcoming me back to my home away from home.

Tim Emrick ’92

Just received my latest copy of Denison Magazine, and I thoroughly enjoyed the articles about Swasey Chapel. My family lived in Granville for many years, and I remember a little game we fve kids played on the drive home from vacation, driving down Route 661, who was the frst to see Swasey! I usually won. I also graduated from Granville High School, and the ceremony was in Swasey.

Rob McKenna ’75

I think the year was 1956 when Hal Holbrook presented Mark Twain Tonight at a convocation in Swasey Chapel. Tat was a very special memory! Tursday night chapel services were appreciated too.

Lee Brown Patterson ’59

I attended Denison from 1959 to 1963 when the college was afliated with the Ohio Baptist Convention. During those years, all students gathered at Swasey Chapel every Tursday evening for a brief religious service led by the dean of the chapel. If I recall correctly, attendance was rewarded with one-half academic credit per semester.

For many, the chapel service was not a religious event but a social one. It was a time for arranging weekend dates and, in some cases, gathering to drink to an early start of the weekend at Newark's two most popular bars, Tony's at 12th and West Main or the Horseshoe on Union Street next to the railroad tracks.

I have little doubt that I was among those who tried to arrange dates, but my fondest memory of Swasey is the two years I spent singing in the Chapel Choir. Afer a brief rehearsal earlier in the week, we led student singing from Swasey's balcony. Despite Denison's Baptist afliation, we used the Presbyterian hymnal. To this day, however, I cannot visit Swasey without hearing echoes of Lutkin's “May the Lord Bless You and Keep You,” which we sang to end every service. I hope that the college will fnd a way in this secular time to use that marvelous hymn in celebrating Swasey's centennial.

Bill Wilken ’63

As a longtime journalist and critic in Rochester, New York (now retired), I remember Swasey as the incubator of my appreciation of the magic and mystery of music. A member of the 16-member Denison Singers, the Chapel Choir (about twice that size), and the larger Concert Choir, I was privileged to rehearse in its bowels and perform in its glorious interior such great works as Bach’s B-Minor Mass, Benjamin Britten’s iconic “Ceremony of Carols,” the Mozart Requiem, and Vaughn Williams’ sobering “Dona Nobis Pacem,” among other monuments of music history.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Dr. William Osborne, then organist and choral director, literally shaped my life in the early ’70s, and I will be eternally grateful. How beautifully ftting that he has now generously contributed to the extensive restoration of its organ for this centennial celebration of its life — 21 years afer his retirement from a long and successful career.

To me, Swasey embodies all that was and is nurturing and embracing about Denison. I remember convocations, visiting speakers who awakened my mind, and looking out over candle-lit audiences attending holiday performances. And I remember climbing into its tower as bell ringer for a time. I cherished the key I was privileged to hold.

Swasey was more than a symbol for me; it was and remains a part of my heart.

To Denison we raised our song, in our beloved Swasey. And as we Singers regularly reune, I still do … at every opportunity.

Robert Palmer ’73

President Weinberg cordially invites alums, families, and friends to join us for receptions in the following cities to meet fellow Denisonians and learn the latest news from The Hill.

Feb. 10 PALM BEACH Feb. 12 NAPLES Feb. 19 DALLAS Feb. 20 HOUSTON March 10

Professor Emeritus Dr. William Osborne

After you graduate

Every August, I write a letter to our frst-year class with advice on how to get the most from your Denison experience. Last winter, a graduating senior asked if I would bookend it with advice on how to successfully navigate the world when students graduate.

I took the student up on the challenge and organized my Commencement address around five pieces of advice to graduating seniors, as follows:

USE YOUR LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION TO GUIDE YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE. We give our students an education that we hope will allow them to be the architects of their own lives. A Denison education is anchored by four attributes and a set of values.

▶ Critical thinking: the ability to use reason, rationality, and data to understand problems and issues in their complexity.

▶ Creative problem solving: the capacity to move beyond critique to innovate. Te world always needs people who can imagine paths forward and see beyond old solutions to fnd new pathways.

▶ Efective communication: speaking and writing in ways that others can hear while also knowing how to listen and hear the views of others so we can engage across diferences and learn from one another.

▶ Intellectual humility: walking through life as a lifelong learner who understands we all get things wrong and therefore should always be seeking out alternative views, facts, and experiences.

Beneath this is a set of liberal arts values: a commitment to hard work, ethics, empathy, curiosity, perseverance, humor, and an appreciation that we are part of something larger than ourselves.

SECOND, DEVELOP HABITS THAT ALIGN WITH YOUR GOALS. Denison alum and best-selling author James Clear ’08 writes, “What we repeatedly do, each and every day, ultimately forms the results we enjoy and the goals we achieve. Change your habits, change your systems, and you’ll transform your life, team, and organization.”

Clear ofen writes that we do not rise to the level of our goals, but rather, we tend to fall to the level of our habits. Our ability to be happy, successful, healthy, and

productive is shaped by the habits we have or don’t have. Your habits need to align with your goals for the kind of life you want to lead.

THIRD, DEVELOP HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. If you get the relationships in your life right, everything else will fall into place. Develop relationships with people who bring out the best in you. Shed toxic people. Surround yourself with people who are curious, grateful, and positive. Our students spend four years on a campus that is defned by relationships. Hopefully, one of the things they learn is what a healthy relationship does and does not look like.

FOURTH, BE PRESENT IN EVERY MOMENT AND BE PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED. Stay focused on the present moment, and focus all your time and attention on enjoying that moment, learning from that moment, and performing at the highest level in that moment toward whatever you are trying to achieve.

Avoid two mental mistakes. Te frst is being fxated on failure. We all experience failure. Learn from it, use it to grow as a person, and then move on. But don’t ever stay fxated on it. Te second is our fear of embarrassment, which too ofen keeps people from trying the things they most want to try. Here is a simple truth: Life gets much easier when you get over your fear of embarrassment.

FIFTH, CAREERS ONLY LOOK LINEAR BACKWARD. Find a place to start and take it one step at a time. I am ofen asked by students, “What is the best frst job?” Te answer is simple: Te best frst job is the one you can get. Your frst job is merely your frst job. Everything is a step toward something. Your career will unfold in unexpected and good ways. One fun piece of advice — make it a habit to ask people at work to share their career journeys with you. People like to talk about themselves. Tey will be happy to share. You will learn a lot.

I AM INTERESTED IN YOUR VIEWS. I plan to do this again next spring. What advice would you give graduating seniors on how to take what they learned from Denison and translate it into the life they want to live? Send me suggestions at president@denison.edu

As I fnish my 11TH year at Denison, I am deeply proud and grateful to be a Denisonian. Tis is a great college and I feel fortunate to serve it. Tank you for all the ways you support the college.

Adam S. Weinberg,

President

PREPARED FOR LIFE

DENISON’S CAREER-FORWARD EDUCATION HELPS STUDENTS DISCOVER WHO THEY WANT TO BE — AND SETS THEM ON A PATH TOWARD BECOMING THAT PERSON.

BY GINNY SHARKEY ’83

Most 18-year-olds don’t come to college with defnitive career plans. Five years ago, Sam Secrest ’23 was a political science, philosophy, and economics major who loved to write and had a passion for football.

But how would that translate to a career?

Secrest signed up for Denison’s Journey Program, where he and a career coach put together an action plan that helped him discover and land his dream job. Secrest began to build a network of people in football-related careers and connected with Max Paulus ’13, director of college scouting for the Cleveland Browns.

Sam Secrest ’23

“Our first conversation lasted 90 minutes,” Secrest says. “He helped me turn my hobby of writing about football into the practice of writing scouting reports and gave me coaching on how to make them better.”

After graduation, Secrest was hired as a film analyst with the Browns and was recently promoted to scouting assistant. He is proud to call Paulus a colleague.

Secrest’s touchdown with the Browns is testimony to Denison’s personalized and pragmatic approach to career exploration — four years packed with career-oriented experiences, including classroom learning, internships, research opportunities, and mentorship from both faculty advisors and professionals with decades of experience.

Denison is bucking the notion that career preparation is not part of a liberal arts education, a view that President Adam Weinberg says sets up false choices for prospective students. “We can deliver a life-shaping liberal arts education,” he says, “that also prepares our students to launch quickly and successfully into lives and careers and supports our alumni during career pivots.”

Trough classroom work and a variety of tailored programming, Denison’s career-forward education helps students answer three pivotal questions:

• What are my values and passions, and how do they ft into the life I want to lead?

• What career paths can help me build that life?

• How can I get what I need to enter that life successfully?

“Tis is far more than a theoretical exercise,” says vice president and chief of staf Raj Bellani. “Our people are dedicated and agile, always looking for ways to connect and deliver opportunities to students.”

Bellani leads three teams dedicated to the work: the acclaimed Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, Denison Edge skills development program, and Red Frame Lab consulting and entrepreneurship initiative.

Among the proof the model is working: Denison ranks No. 4 nationally for career services among all colleges and universities, according to the Princeton Review

“We used to benchmark against other careers centers,” says Melanie Murphy, Knowlton’s director of career communities and coaching. “Now they’re calling us.”

THE JOURNEY STARTS RIGHT AWAY.

Te college builds career-forward infrastructure and opportunities throughout the campus by linking every academic department to a career coach at the Knowlton Center. Trough this partnership, faculty and career professionals liaise to share data, provide joint programming, and hold events for students.

In addition, dozens of career-oriented programs and opportunities are built into every semester, summer, and seasonal break at Denison. With so many options — ranging from career expos and candid career conversations with alums to career pathways and internship programs — every student can build a resume that refects their individual goals.

“Each student experience scafolds onto the one before it so they build a tailor-made career and fnd their way into it,” says Ryan Brechbill, the Knowlton Center’s director of employer and alumni relations.

During his frst year on Te Hill, data analytics and fnancial economics major Suryansh Agrawal ’25 was a frequent visitor to the Knowlton Center. He landed an internship as an ESG impact investment analyst with HIP Investor Inc. and was invited to continue with them into his sophomore year.

That year, Agrawal joined the Knowlton Center’s immersive two-day career exploration Journey Program to help him “figure out my passion,” he says. “I started with 10 ideas, narrowed them down to fve, and then fnally focused on three.”

Agrawal decided on a career in data and investments, infuenced by his frst internship and by stories of how his father, who was in a similar feld, helped change lives. He joined one of Knowlton’s seven industry-related career communities, this one for students interested in financial services, consulting, and business. Each career community is led by a team of professionals and a student career ambassador who share information, resources, and internship and job leads.

Agrawal landed two more internships that helped him gain industry-specifc knowledge and build his network. An investment analyst position with Denison’s investment ofce extended into his junior year, and last summer, he lived in New York City and interned with the

investment firm CAIS on alternative investment posttrade solutions.

Now in his fnal year at Denison, Agrawal is leading his career community as a senior peer and preparing for his Chartered Financial Analyst Level I exams. He is confdent in a future in his chosen profession.

SOME STUDENTS SEEK AN EDGE.

An international student from Ecuador, David Montalvo ’23 spent hours researching companies, prepping for interviews, and talking to Denison alums. A career coach gave him advice and helped Montalvo craf his resume. “It was hard work,” Montalvo says, “but he helped keep me motivated.”

Montalvo also took advantage of a unique opportunity at Denison, spending the summer in Columbus as part of a Denison Edge business immersion program.

Denison Edge offers year-round courses and workshops taught by industry experts in areas such as analytics, business, finance, logistics, marketing, and communications. During a six-week period as a team member on a consulting project, Montalvo helped identify potential funding sources, wrote a fnancial analysis, identifed risks and ways to mitigate challenges, and conducted market research.

The experience was more valuable than the sum of its parts, Montalvo says: “It also helped me build out my resume, and I got to network with professionals in business and industry.”

SINCE 2015, DEMAND FOR 1-1 COACHING SESSIONS HAS INCREASED BY 177% , TO NEARLY 5,000 IN 2023-24.

Suryansh Agrawal ’25

David Montalvo ’23 and Post Malone, who has nothing to do with this story (but it’s a good picture).

IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THE FALL 2024 SEMESTER, KNOWLTON MET WITH

110 FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS FOR CAREER COACHING APPOINTMENTS AND HELD

829 COACHING APPOINTMENTS, AN 11% INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

Montalvo got another career boost in Knowlton’s career-readiness boot camp, a winter break program specially designed to help seniors hit the fnish line as winners. Te three-day experience was “intense,” he says. “It was 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, working on resumes, connecting with alumni, and practicing interviews.”

He was surprised by an unexpected side beneft — the opportunity to bond more deeply with his classmates. Tat feeling of connection remains. A year afer graduation, Montalvo is a policy and quality analytics analyst at Goldman Sachs — and he always answers the call when Denisonians come to him for advice and counsel.

OTHERS REFRAME THEIR EXPERIENCES.

Te Red Frame Lab, Denison’s hub for entrepreneurship and consulting, ofers students additional ways to gain realworld experience. Dozens of professionals with decades of expertise among them provide mentorship and connections, helping students workshop ideas and solve problems.

Last fall, a team of students in the Red Frame Lab’s Denison Consulting program partnered with Wendy’s International to fnd ways to increase its franchise opportunities in 20 cities, especially among women and minority groups.

The group conducted interviews, crunched data, and met weekly with Red Frame Partner-in-Residence Rosa Ailabouni. With extensive experience as a consultant, including time with Booz Allen, Ailabouni is a managing partner of RMA Strategies, consulting with international businesses.

Blake McDonald ’25, a varsity swimmer and global commerce and East Asian studies double major, found talking with Ailabouni formative to how he approaches his workplace. Tree pieces of advice especially stand out: accountability — the need to be attentive and present at every meeting; efcient meeting management; and communication, “so you can get the help you need and the project doesn’t fall of track.”

At the end of the project, McDonald’s team met with Abigail Pringle ’96, president of Wendy’s International. “Te opportunity to present your fndings and back up your evidence in front of a Fortune 500 company at the age of 20 — it doesn’t get better than that,” he says.

Te experience gave him an edge when interviewing for an international trade summer internship with KPMG, where he will return as an international trade consultant afer he graduates in spring 2025.

INTERNSHIPS, OF COURSE, ARE KEY.

Denison’s multiple resources, such as Knowlton’s internship program and the college’s Handshake platform, help students find, connect with, and land their preferred internships in 2023-24. Te Knowlton Center internship stipends funded 63 students for academic term internships and another 57 students with funding to complete consulting projects with companies through the Red Frame Lab. An additional 249 students received funding for summer 2024 internships, bringing the total invested to $822,000.

For many, those internships could be a look into a career path that doesn’t quite ft — or a gateway to a dream job.

English major Alexandra Redrick ’25 returned to campus in the fall of 2024 afer taking a gap year with the Walt Disney Company as a global public relations intern. Situated in Disney Experiences, she worked with members of the business empire — Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar among them — on campaigns that rolled out in Disney parks, stores, and cruises around the world.

Just a few days afer her yearlong internship with Disney ended, Redrick moved to Washington, D.C., for a summer internship with the Motion Picture Association, which asked her to continue her work into the academic year.

Blake McDonald ’25

Alexandra Redrick ’25

Yaz Simpson ‘23 with Jennifer Garner ‘94 (certainly more relevant than Post Malone).

“I came in green, and I learned so much,” Redrick says. “I’m excited to pick up the projects I had to leave at the end of the summer.”

Cinema and psychology double major Yaz Simpson ’23 attained a summer internship with Peter Jarowey ’09 and his L.A. flm company, Vertical, thanks to cinema professor Mark Wiskemann. Jarowey even introduced Simpson to John Petro ’99, who gave her a place to live as his house-sitter that summer.

In her senior year, Simpson met weekly with a career coach who specialized in the arts industry. “She read my scripts, reviewed my resume, and helped me build my website,” says Simpson, who returned to Vertical for a final internship after graduation — only to have her future plans derailed by the 2023 Writers Guild strike.

Fortunately, the Knowlton Center was still in her corner. Te career coach found her a job as a book editor, which helped tide Simpson over until a former boss at Vertical contacted her about an opportunity at the STARZ network.

Now a coordinator for program acquisitions at STARZ, Simpson reads, analyzes, and writes script synopses and “runs around L.A. to watch movies and write reports for the ones that work for us.”

ABOVE ALL, FEW THINGS ARE AS POWERFUL AS THE DENISON PROFESSIONAL NETWORK.

Assistant professor Julie Mujic networks and uses the Ask a Denisonian tool (read about it on p.18) to invite alums and Denison “friends” to share their sports-related career paths with her Global Sport & Proft class. Dyrol Joyner ’81, a two-time Emmy Award-winning TV sports anchor, reporter, and iHeart Sports Network anchor, was one of eight alums who responded to her invitation.

Afer sharing his own career journey, Joyner asked each student about their own career goals and followed up,

connecting them with people he knew who could help. “He was amazing — the students just loved him,” Mujic says. Joyner’s two-day visit involved meeting dozens of students, touring campus, enjoying meals with students and faculty, and participating in a global commerce fireside chat. Mujic invited Ben New ’27 to dinner with Joyner, knowing of her student’s interest in a career in sports. It was New’s first experience with networking.

“Professor Mujic told me to be direct and ask for what I was looking for,” he says.

New shared his desire to work in baseball, and Joyner passed his resume to his contacts in the Mets franchise. While he was too late for a 2024 internship, he says he’s already working on next summer.

“I appreciated his advice,” New says, “and he’s told me multiple times that if I need anything, just to let him know.”

AND ALUMS CAN TAP INTO KNOWLTON CENTER RESOURCES AS WELL.

Riley Bel Bruno ’22 enlisted a career coach to help her pivot from sales to marketing. Today, she’s a marketing operations analyst with American Express.

The coach advised Bel Bruno to educate herself and reach out to Denison’s alumni network to build a ladder

Riley Bel in this new industry.

Bruno ’22 She conducted dozens of information interviews, ultimately talking with about 65 people. Her mantra: “Never say no.”

“I learned how important — and fun — informational interviews can be,” she says. “I started getting into a groove and asking creative questions like ‘What podcasts do you listen to?’”

Eventually, Bel Bruno reached Andrew Knerr ’10, a director for product marketing at Amex. Knerr connected her with people in several roles across the company, and she spoke to a dozen on her way to landing a position with the company.

“Everyone has been so incredibly willing to help,” Bel Bruno says. “I truly believe we have one of the best alumni groups anywhere.”

MORE THAN

720 STUDENTS HAVE ATTENDED EMPLOYER EVENTS THIS SEMESTER.

Ben New ’27

BY GINNY SHARKEY ’83

How the Knowlton Center became a leader in career exploration

THE WEALTH OF CAREER PATHS AVAILABLE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS TODAY WOULD HAVE BOGGLED THE IMAGINATIONS OF THOSE WHO FOUNDED THE GRANVILLE LITERARY AND THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION IN 1831, WHEN THE MOST COMMON JOBS WERE IN FARMING, TRADES, AND TEACHING. YET FROM THE BEGINNING, DENISON’S PRIMARY GOAL WAS TO SUPPORT STUDENT ASPIRATIONS.

2018

ReMix Summit launches, designed to help Denisonians at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey.

“ReMix celebrates Denison’s alumni,” says Julie Tucker ’09, director of Family Engagement and the Denison Professional Network. “They are change agents, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.”

Knowlton pilots the Senior Career Ready Boot Camp, a three-day program to help students apply for jobs or internships.

Faculty begin to invite Knowlton Center employees to the classroom for career discussions, and all students understand they are expected to engage with the Knowlton Center.

2019

Denison awards $628,000 to 172 students in summer internships.

“My internship showed me what it’s like to work in a corporate environment,” says Youssef Bourouphael ’22, a software engineer at Google.

“Internships are critical to getting a job after college.”

Knowlton enhances its academics liaison model to strengthen Knowlton/ faculty collaboration.

Denison hosts more than 100 on-campus career programs, including expanded eforts to engage firstgeneration, economically vulnerable, and underrepresented students and young alums.

Te latest phase of career exploration on Te Hill began in 2013, when newly inaugurated Denison President Adam Weinberg launched a study that would inform the college’s 2015-2020 strategic plan. Among the key goals: How to build a visionary fouryear career model that encourages early student engagement and leverages alums and parents as key resources.

The results have revolutionized the liberal arts career model, transformed the lives of Denison students and alumni, and created a powerhouse in the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration that’s gained national attention.

Here’s how it unfolded.

2020

A second $10 million grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation bolsters internship stipends and funds projects to bridge career exploration and academics.

In the first summer of Covid, Denison builds a virtual Summer Accelerator for students to learn business essentials, work on a consulting project, and prepare for the GRE or MCAT, receiving kudos from The New York Times

Denison launches the Journey Program, where students build a personal career roadmap, integrating academics, student life, and career readiness into their Denison education. “The Journey Program was really helpful to leverage your interests, school work, classes, and other experiences to build toward what you’re looking for,” says Riley Bel Bruno ’22, a marketing analyst for American Express.

The university hosts 192 career programs.

2014

Denison establishes new partnerships with place-based internship programs, including the popular Summer on the Cuyahoga program.

“By week three, I had learned how to create advertisements and newsletters, interpret class test scores, and create policy recommendations,” says participant Andrianna Peterson ’18, now a marketing communications manager with the Cleveland Public Library.

2021

Denison Edge opens in downtown Columbus. Today, Denison Edge ofers virtual and in-person programs in finance, marketing and communication, analytics, logistics, and business to students and alums as well as new and established professionals.

Denison’s Lisska Center for Intellectual Engagement becomes a Knowlton partner in preparing students for post-graduate fellowships, including Fulbright fellowships and Goldwater and Beineke scholarships.

Knowlton launches career communities, where students explore professional paths with a dedicated coach and their peers.

2015

The university launches a strategic plan with an imperative to ensure that students succeed as they transition from the liberal arts into graduate programs and professions and articulates a nine-year career vision that includes four years of on-campus support and five years of alumni career support.

Denison receives a $300,000 grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation to fund student internships.

2016

A $10 million grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation endows internships and supports new academic programs, such as global commerce and data analytics, that renew the vigor of the curriculum and elevate Denison students in the modern career landscape.

A $9.6 million endowment from the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation endows the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration and spurs career services growth. “The job market has become incredibly complex, and old-style career counseling is just totally insuficient,” says Eric Lindberg ’93, CIO and trustee of the Knowlton Foundation.

Lisska Center for Intellectual Engagement is established.

2022

The 2022-2027 strategic plan spotlights Knowlton’s partnerships with faculty and an expanded employer relation program.

Knowlton leadership articulates a new Denison career support vision:

1. Engage students early through the Journey Program

2. Involve them in career communities, Red Frame Lab, and the Lisska Center

3. Use Denison Edge to complement liberal arts education

4. Do multiple internships, programs, and projects

5. Land that first job after graduation

6. Support alumni with Denison Edge, alumni networks, and postgraduation career coaching

Bain & Company cites Denison as a prime example of how a college can connect academic learning and skillbuilding experiences.

2017

President Weinberg wins national recognition for Denison’s work to develop innovative approaches to career development.

Denison launches the Red Frame Lab, a place for students to gain professional experience by joining a consulting team or starting their own business with mentor help.

“We can think outside the box and be flexible, and we have the ability to problem-solve and get things done that employers are looking for,” says Red Frame Lab participant Summer Aldred ’20, now executive director of the Detroit United Lacrosse Association.

2023

The Princeton Review recognizes Denison as # 3 for career services among all U.S. colleges and universities.

An $11 million gift from the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation adds fuel to career launch initiatives, bringing the foundation’s total commitment to Denison to $24 million.

Red Frame Lab’s consulting and entrepreneurship programs engage more than 2,000 students in on- and of-campus projects and have helped launch nine businesses.

New academic programs based in the liberal arts — among them applied mathematics, data analytics, digital humanities, financial economics, global commerce, journalism, and health, exercise, and sport studies — boost Denison graduates’ opportunities.

Ask a Denisonian debuts.

2024

The Knowlton Center, whose staf has more than tripled since 2013, continues to strengthen relationships with local, national, and international employers, including Amazon, Battelle, Citi, Deloitte, Google, JPMorgan Chase, McKinsey, Morningstar, NASA, Nationwide, Stryker, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Austin E. Knowlton

INTERNSHIP APPLICATIONS JOB APPLICATIONS

On Sept. 17, 2024, the Knowlton Center hosted the Big Red Career Expo, a career fair concentrating on consulting, business, finance, technology, data science, marketing, sales, and communications sectors. The event featured 29 companies and drew 432 students.

5,000 LAUNCH OF CAREER COMMUNITIES MODEL 10,000 15,000

Lisska’s leading scholars

At the Lisska Center for Intellectual Engagement, students receive expert coaching to apply for prestigious fellowships and scholarships.

Denison has been named a Top Fulbright Producer for six of the last seven years, and the Lisska Center supports students, faculty, and alums applying to many top-tier national and international programs.

While not every applicant succeeds, the process of applying for these highly competitive programs benefts students — they become well-versed in assembling a proposal and crafing an application that highlights their strengths.

Tat’s an incredibly valuable lifelong skill, says professor Diana Mafe, director of the Lisska Center: “In a post-graduate world, you’re always applying for a job or another kind of opportunity.”

Many students apply for several opportunities. Biochemistry major Abby Engler ’25, who was awarded a prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship, was also named an AMGEN Summer Research Program in Science and Biotechnology scholar, for which she spent a summer at Duke University. Tis year, she is applying for a post-graduate fellowship with the National Science Foundation.

Engler has done a lot of introspection while applying for her scholarships. “I had a chance to refect on how I got to where I am, which is something I normally wouldn’t have done,” she says. “I realized I have something to be proud of.”

FULBRIGHT GRANT, MAURITIUS MADELINE BORGER ’24

POLITICS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MAJOR WITH A MINOR IN FRENCH

FULBRIGHT GRANT, TAIWAN HANNAH DAVIES ’24

DOUBLE MAJOR IN GLOBAL COMMERCE AND HISTORY

FULBRIGHT GRANT, TAJIKISTAN SHAMSHOD KHUSEYNOV ’23

DOUBLE MAJOR IN ECONOMICS AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR, SPAIN MICAELA VIVERO

PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF DENISON’S VISUAL ARTS DEPARTMENT

BARRY GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP & AMGEN SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM IN SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY SCHOLAR ABBY ENGLER ’25

BIOCHEMISTRY MAJOR

I’m currently seeking internships for summer 2025 to gain experience in human resources…

I was curious if there is anyone that is experienced in the field of creating nonprofits...

DISCUSSIONS ON REDDIT. AS OF AUGUST 4TH, I’VE APPLIED TO 27 JOBS IN SWE, DATA SCIENCE, LITERALLY ANYTHING CS RELATED. ALTHOUGH KNOWLTON CENTER’S DENISON ALUMNI NETWORK TO SECURE A JOB BEFORE GRADUATION. THE FEAR OF NOT RECEIVING ANY JOB IMMENSELY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP! I REALLY APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE OR REFERRALS YOU CAN OFFER. DATA ANALYTICS. I’M FROM HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM.FUN FACTS ABOUT ME: I PARTICIPATED IN MASTERCHEF JUNIOR VIETNAM BUSINESS CONSULTING, WHICH IS THE CAREER I ASPIRE TO PURSUE AFTER GRADUATION. AS I PREPARE MY APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER POSITION AND YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE. I AM ALSO EAGER TO GAIN YOUR ADVICE ON HOW I CAN BEST PREPARE MYSELF FOR A SUCCESSFUL LEARNING FROM YOUR EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE.”“HELLO, MY NAME IS ETHAN TECSON AND I AM FROM CLEVELAND, OHIO. I AM A RISING LOOKING FOR SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INTERNSHIPS IN THE GREATER BOSTON AREA. I WOULD TRULY APPRECIATE LEARNING SOFTWARE ENGINEER AFTER COLLEGE. IF YOU ARE BASED IN BOSTON AND DO WORK RELATED TO SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, I WOULD ANYONE WHO WORKS IN THE TECH FIELD WITHIN THE GREATER BOSTON AREA, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY BEEN WORKING AT A COLUMBUS BASED STARTUP CALLED SKILLARC UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF HANNAH WEXNER. I AM HOPING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OR EXECUTIVE SUPPORT ROLE WHERE I CAN WORK CLOSE TO THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND LEARN BY DOING. KPIS AND PROVIDING EXECUTIVE SUPPORT IN THE BIZ DEV WORLD. I AM HOPING TO CONTINUE DOWN THAT TRACK BUT OPEN AND SOME OF MY DESIRABLES. WHAT I HAVE LEARNT TO DO AND BE GOOD AT @ SKILLARC: IDENTIFYING CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, ANALYZING THE CURRENT RECRUITING PROCESS AND IDENTIFYING GAPS, DEVELOPING INITIATIVES TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS COLLECTING FEEDBACK AND IDENTIFYING PAIN POINTS, ANALYZING DATA AND EVALUATING INITIATIVE EFFECTIVENESS, DRIVING ENGAGEMENT ENGAGEMENT SYSTEMS, MAINTAINING REGULAR CONTACT WITH EMPLOYER PARTNERS, GROWING A NETWORK OF JOB APPLICANTS, FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS WITH STAKEHOLDERS, AND MONITORING SUCCESS METRICS. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONNECTING AND WOULD FARAH FARAH, I’M CURRENTLY A LAW STUDENT AT THE MORITZ COLLEGE OF LAW ENTERING MY FINAL YEAR IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. FOR POST-GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES. I’VE WORKED IN EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION, CORPORATE AND CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAW STUDENT, MY SUMMERS REPRESENTED A CRITICAL PIECE OF MY CAREER TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT PRACTICE FIELDS IN THE CORPORATE LAW INTERNSHIP FOR THE SUMMER OF 2023, AND I’M CURRENTLY INTERNING FOR THE FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDERS. BOTH LAW STUDENTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER GRADUATION.FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS, I’VE SPENT TIME PREPARING APPLICATION MATERIALS LICENSED ATTORNEY. MY ASK IS FOR SUPPORT, CONNECTIONS OR ANY DIRECTION THAT MAY POINT ME TO A POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY. VARIOUS APPLICATION TIMELINES OR ANY DIRECT OFFER OR POSSIBLE INTERVIEWS IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE. A LITTLE MORE ABOUT FIELD, AND A GUIDING HAND WOULD BE A TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE FOR MY DEVELOPMENT AS A PROFESSIONAL. MY PRACTICE HOWEVER, I DO NOT WANT TO LIMIT MY POSSIBILITIES AND I’M EAGER TO CONNECT MYSELF WITH ANY OPPORTUNITY THAT MAY EXCITED TO CRAFT A FULFILLING FUTURE.”

MORGAN GILMORE ’25

I’m looking for some

help with the process

of applying for grad schools.

BY TOM REED

PHOTOS BY BROOKE LAVALLEY

& JAMES SCHULLER

My aspiration is to become a software engineer to tackle real-world challenges…

Ask Away

AI PLATFORM CONNECTS STUDENTS & ALUMNI

Students don’t like to cold call alums for career advice. Ask A Denisonian helps them remove barriers and make connections like never before.

Morgan Gilmore ’25 went from skeptical to impressed in under 48 hours.

As president of Denison’s Pre-Med Association, Gilmore wanted to expand her group’s alumni network. She was searching for doctors who might participate in panel discussions, be receptive to student shadows, and ofer insight into their profession.

Trough contacts at the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, she learned about Ask a Denisonian, an online platform that connects students and alums. Gilmore provided requisite information and entered some keywords before submitting her query during winter break 2023.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said the biology and Spanish double major. “I got 10 responses within a couple of days.”

Te online engagements can lead to phone conversations, meetups, additional connections, and other opportunities.

Gilmore’s pre-med group has hosted several panel discussions featuring Denison alums from the medical profession. In the spring of 2024, she spent 20 hours shadowing Dr. Carrie Barnes-Mullett ’99, a Columbus, Ohio, pediatrician. Barnes-Mullett also agreed to appear on a career center podcast.

Te Ask a Denisonian tool has been a game changer in connecting students with Denison’s more than 30,000 alums, said Melanie Murphy, director of career communities and coaching at the Knowlton Center.

I am hoping to connect with a clinical or forensic psychologist….

Since its summer of 2023 launch, Ask A Denisonian has received more than 700 career-related questions that have been answered by more than 1,000 alums. Graduates can also make use of the network, and roughly onethird of the questions come from alums.

I want to get as much shadowing experience as I can in a variety of specialties.

“We could sit here and tell students to have long conversations with alumni, but it’s really daunting to reach out to them cold,” Murphy said. “Students don’t want to do that. Ask a Denisonian allows them to reach a whole body of alumni in their feld of interest. Te students start getting responses and think, ‘Tis isn’t so scary.’ It’s made a real impact.”

HOW IT WORKS

When Max Leisten began talking to universities about developing software for tools like Ask A Denisonian, he heard a common complaint: It’s difficult to get students

I would love to connect with any Denisonian

May I chat with you briefly working in the arenas about your tips for creating of communications a good portfolio and some and politics. websites to consider?

“I’M A THIRD- YEAR STUDENT IN ECONOMICS AND DATA ANALYTICS LOOKING FOR A SUMMER WEBSITES TO CONSIDER? SPECIFICALLY, I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE BEST PLATFORMS TO USE, ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS TO INCLUDE, NAME IS FRANCESCA GUNN AND I AM A RISING SENIOR BIOCHEMISTRY MAJOR. I WORK AS AN EMT FOR GRANVILLE FIRE AND AM PASSIONATE GRANVILLE, OHIO FOR MY LAST YEAR OF UNIVERSITY, I WANT TO GET IN AS MUCH SHADOWING EXPERIENCE I CAN IN A VARIETY OF INTERESTED IN ALL SPECIALTIES, I AM MOST INTRIGUED BY EMERGENCY MEDICINE, TRAUMA SURGERY, GENERAL SURGERY, NEUROLOGY, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO HELP A PASSIONATE STUDENT LIKE CLUBS ON CAMPUS AND ALSO WORK IN THE LIBRARY. I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT MY POST-GRADUATION PLANS, AND I WANT TYPE OF COMPANIES SHOULD I APPLY TO. ALSO, HOW DO I FIND AND APPROACH MID-SIZE COMPANIES WHO WOULD BE WILLING APPRECIATED.” “HI! I’M A JUNIOR PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR AND AM LOOKING AT PURSUING GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PSYCHOLOGY. MY ASPIRATION MAY KNOW OF SOME RESOURCES AND/OR JOB SHADOWING IN THE FIELD. I HAVE ORGANICALLY CONTACTED AND/OR SEARCHED OR SPRING. MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO HAVE A PART TIME SHADOWING OPPORTUNITY IN THE COLUMBUS, OHIO REGION WHERE ENGAGED IN VARIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROJECTS, BUT WOULD BENEFIT FROM WORKING/INTERACTING WITH PATIENTS IN MAY PROVIDE. I TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR GUIDANCE AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE! BEST JACOB” “HI - MY NAME IS ABIGAIL OPPORTUNITIES IN NONPROFIT CONSULTING, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND PHILANTHROPIC FUNDRAISING BASED IN CHICAGO. I AM EXPERIENCE TO CONTRIBUTE TO AN ORGANIZATION’S MISSION AND MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT. ANY SORT OF ADVICE, RESOURCES, OR FURTHER!” “HI FELLOW DENISONIANS! MY NAME IS RITA SNELL. I GRADUATED FROM DENISON IN 2015 WITH A BA IN PSYCHOLOGY BACK TO THE EAST COAST AFTER SPENDING FIVE YEARS IN CALIFORNIA, AND AM CURRENTLY SEARCHING FOR HR OPPORTUNITIES COMPANIES TO RESEARCH, INDUSTRIES TO REVIEW, OR IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE AWARE OF SPECIFIC OPENINGS. SPECIFICALLY, I AM LOOKING UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITIES IN RELATED FIELDS. IF ANYONE HAS ANY CONNECTIONS OR TIPS TO SHARE, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE COLUMBUS BASED STARTUP CALLED SKILLARC UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF HANNAH WEXNER. I WOULD LOVE TO WORK IN A SMALL TO INCLUDING MYSELF. THE REASON BEING OUR CEO, HANNAH WEXNER, WANTS TO MOVE TO THE NONPROFIT SECTOR AND THE CURRENT THE LONG RESTRUCTURE AND APPROVAL PROCESS FOR SKILLARC TO BE A NONPROFIT, THERE ISN’T ESSENTIALLY ANYTHING FOR NOW, I NEED TO FIND A WAY TO GET BACK ON MY FEET IN NEXT MONTH. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ANY HELP AND SUPPORT I COME UP WITH A GAME PLAN FOR THE NEXT BIG THING. I AM TRYING TO KEEP MY HEAD HIGH AND BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING THE ORGANIZATION I AM PART OF! I CAN TRULY USE YOUR MENTORSHIP! I’M MOST INTERESTED IN BEING ON THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PIGEONHOLED. GIVEN HOW YOUNG I AM TO THE WORKFORCE, I’M OPEN TO ANY OPPORTUNITIES. I ENJOY PROBLEM SOLVING AND ENFORCING DENISON CAMPUS, I WAS ENGAGED IN MANY LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS CAMPUS, INCLUDING RED FRAME LAB AND THE CONSULTING FOR YOUR HELP AND TIME! I LOOK FORWARD TO CONNECTING AND FIGURING OUT THE NEXT STEPS! “HELLO, MY NAME IS MATTHEW DENISON ALUMNI OPERATING IN THE DENTAL INDUSTRY. THIS INCLUDES INDIVIDUALS OPERATING AS DOCTORS, OFFICE MANAGERS, ORGANIZATION (DSO) WITH HUNDREDS OF LOCATIONS. MY OBJECTIVE IS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BUSINESS OPERATIONS OF DENTAL MORE AND GAIN PERSPECTIVE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING A CONVERSATION. “HI, MY NAME HARD-WORKING PERSON WITH EXPERIENCE IN EQUITY RESEARCH AND DEBT FINANCING. YOU WILL NOT FIND SOMEONE WITH MY TENACITY LEARN FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE IN FINANCE, ESPECIALLY COMING FROM DENISON. I FOLLOW UP WITH THE INDUSTRY NEWS QUITE UNDERSTAND YOU ARE BUSY, BUT WOULD YOU BE AVAILABLE FOR A QUICK COFFEE CHAT SOMETIME THIS WEEK? I AM FLEXIBLE TAKE WHAT I’VE LEARNED AND PURSUE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OPENINGS IN THE TECH WORLD. I HAVE A MASTERS IN EDUCATION ESTABLISHING CONNECTIONS IN THE BAY AREA THAT LEAD TO JOB PROSPECTS. BASED ON WHAT I HAVE NOTICED THIS FAR INTO MY SEARCH TO NAVIGATE THIS SEARCH, AND IF ARE ANY LEADS ON JOBS THAT I CAN PURSUE. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY SUPPORT I WAS AN ENGLISH WRITING MAJOR AND JOURNALISM MINOR. I WORKED WITH THE DENISONIAN IN SCHOOL AND COPYWRITING DERSTAND WRITTEN CONTENT AND HOPE I CAN APPLY THESE PASSIONS TO A REAL-WORLD JOB SOON. HOW DO I EFFECTIVELY CONNECT UNFORTUNATELY, THEY’RE NOT ANYWHERE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH PR, COPYWRITING, OR MARKETING (WHERE I’M MOST INTERESTED ANY PLACES TO START NETWORKING/SENDING A RESUME. I AM HOPING TO LIVE IN WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, AND CHARLOTTE THESE LINES OF WORK, ARE THERE ANY QUALITIES/SKILLS YOU ARE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR WHILE SCREENING CANDIDATES? DO AND HOW YOU GOT TO BE THERE. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU! BEST, THOMAS SCHLEUSNER” “HI, MY NAME IS FOREIGN SERVICE. I AM INTERESTED IN GAINING MORE INSIGHT AND PERSPECTIVE INTO THE ROLE OF A FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER.

My ask is for support,

I would love to find someone who can help me understand connections, or any direction that may point me to a possible opportunity. I would love to learn more about how those in event

consulting and explain how they ended up where they are today. management started their careers…

and alums to engage. Leisten, CEO and founder of Protopia, created a platform that makes it easy for students to ask for career advice and convenient for alumni to respond.

Te AI-driven technology funnels questions to alums who are best suited to answer them.

The Knowlton Center shows students how to craft good questions and provides them with examples. Including career interests, majors, and extracurricular activities increases the likelihood of a good match, as does adding keywords such as companies, locations, expertise, and industries.

Keywords helped unite Caro Crowder ’25, an environmental studies major, with Kristine Perry ’10, an attorney at the Environmental Law Institute, while the student was interning in Washington, D.C. After spending an afternoon with Crowder, the attorney connected them with another Denison alum, Megan Fleming ’10, a supervisory biologist for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Overall, Crowder made four direct and two indirect connections through Ask A Deninsonian. Secondary connections become common once alums get to know the student.

“I got a lot out of Denison, and it set me up for success,”

the career center and the alumni and family engagement department. It needs to be strong for good results.

“I hold up Denison as a best-in-class case study,” Leisten said. “Denison’s partnership is what many institutions are aspiring to reach.”

Students including Patrick Gavin ’26 are reaping the rewards. Gavin is a student leader for the Big Red Connections Pre-Orientation program, and last summer, the Knowlton Center asked him to promote Ask a Denisonian to incoming students.

I am looking to learn more about finance jobs at companies that Denison alumni work for in Tampa...

Perry said. “It’s very important to pay it back. I’m always happy to meet with students if they are in the D.C. area.”

Perry likes that Ask A Denisonian questions come directly to her email. Tere are no additional usernames or logins to memorize and no need to install an app.

“Te average professional uses something like 35 apps a day,” Leisten said. “I thought, ‘Why add No. 36?’”

SATISFIED CUSTOMER

Anytime Leisten meets with a new university regarding his product, he asks about the relationship between

Unfamiliar with the program, the economics major decided to test it himself. He inquired about internship opportunities in Chicago, Columbus, and his hometown of Tampa.

Gavin connected with Ann Shaler ’87, a Tampa Bay market executive at Bank of America. Te conversation went so well that Shaler introduced him to Scott Curtis ’84, who connected Gavin to a campus recruiter for the Raymond James 2024 Sophomore Showcase in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“I wish my two children had a program like Ask a Denisonian,” Shaler said. “Instead of a cold call, you have a warm handof. I really like the platform. I’ve now connected with three Denison students.”

Attending the showcase expanded Gavin’s network and granted him an early application for Raymond James internships next summer.

Gavin is not only an Ask a Denisonian pitchman. He’s now a satisfed customer.

“I tell all my friends on campus about it,” he said.

I’m just starting out working in politics and would love any advice or wisdom you can offer to help me make the most of this experience.

ALTHOUGH I LACK INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE, I HAVE SEVERAL SIDE PROJECTS ON MY GITHUB. I’M WONDERING HOW TO LEVERAGE OFFERS, EVEN AFTER APPLYING TO OVER 300 POSITIONS, IS QUITE SCARY. I’M OPEN TO ANY ADVICE, AND A REFERRAL WOULD OFFER. LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!” “HI! MY NAME IS BAO LAM, A RISING SOPHOMORE AT DENISON, MAJORING IN THEATRE VIETNAM WHEN I WAS 11. I CAN RIDE MOTORBIKES. I HAVE A PASSION FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, BUT I AM EQUALLY ENTHUSIASTIC SUMMER 2025 INTERNSHIPS, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE AN INFORMATIONAL CHAT TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO LAND A CONSULTING SUCCESSFUL CAREER POST-GRADUATION.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONSIDERING MY REQUEST. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE POSSIBILITY RISING JUNIOR AT DENISON MAJORING IN COMPUTER SCIENCE. I HAVE BEGUN MY INTERNSHIP SEARCH FOR THE SUMMER OF 2025 LEARNING ABOUT WHAT BOSTON HAS TO OFFER IN THE TECH SPACE AS IT IS THE PLACE I AM CONSIDERING TO GROW MY EXPERIENCE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN BOSTON AND WHAT IT IS LIKE WORKING FOR YOUR COMPANY. ADDITIONALLY, OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THEM! THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HELP!” “I AM A RECENT DENISON GRADUATE WITH A MAJOR IN ECONOMICS. HOPING TO JOIN A SMALL/MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISE BUT OPEN TO OTHER OPTIONS AS WELL. I AM KEEN ON PURSUING SOME FORM SINCE JANUARY, I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH SKILLARC AS A PROGRAM MANAGER, CREATING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PIPELINES TO OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL! THE FOLLOWING TWO LISTS ARE WHAT I WROTE UP TO COMMUNICATE SKILLS NURTURED OPPORTUNITIES, UNDERSTANDING MARKET PENETRATION AND TAM, DEFINING SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS AND NEEDS OF EMPLOYERS, RELATIONSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS AND BUSINESSES, EVALUATING COSTS AND ROI, SUPPORTING MANAGEMENT OF TARGET EMPLOYER ACCOUNTS, ENGAGEMENT AND CONNECTING JOB SEEKERS WITH CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, DESIGNING, EXECUTING, AND ANALYZING OUTREACH OVERSEEING DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EXPANSION OF EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING INITIATIVES, DEVELOPING RESOURCES, WOULD APPRECIATE HELP IN FINDING THE NEXT BIG THING FOR ME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EXCITED TO SPEAK SOON!” “MY WEEKS. I GRADUATED FROM DENISON IN 2022 WITH A HISTORY AND SOCIOLOGY DOUBLE MAJOR. AT THE MOMENT, I’M STARTING DEFENSE AND I HOPE TO CAPITALIZE ON MY EXPERIENCES TO BREAK INTO A ROLE THAT REFLECTS ONE OR MORE OF THOSE PRACTICE THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND NETWORK WITH MORE EXPERIENCED AND SEASONED ATTORNEYS. I’VE HAD THE FORTUNE IN OBTAINING BOTH EXPERIENCES WERE INCREDIBLE, HOWEVER, UNLIKE MANY OF MY PEERS, NEITHER ROLE INCLUDED A PIPELINE PROGRAM MATERIALS AND NETWORKING WITH MANY INDIVIDUALS TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT PROSPECTS AND FINALIZE THE START OF MY CAREER OPPORTUNITY. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE A MENTOR IN THIS PROCESS AS I FIGURE OUT MY INITIAL CAREER STEPS, ANY ADVICE AS I ABOUT ME; I’M A FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT STEMMING FROM A REFUGEE BACKGROUND. I HAVE LITTLE SUPPORT COMING PRACTICE FIELDS OF INTEREST INCLUDE NON-PROFIT ADVOCACY, EMPLOYMENT, COMPLIANCE, CRIMINAL DEFENSE AND INTERNATIONAL MAY PRESENT ITSELF. I’M GRATEFUL FOR ANYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO READ MY ANSWERS. ANY SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED, SUMMER DATA ANALYST INTERNSHIP. MAY I CHAT WITH YOU BRIEFLY ABOUT YOUR TIPS FOR CREATING A GOOD PORTFOLIO AND INCLUDE, AND ANY DESIGN TIPS THAT CAN MAKE MY PORTFOLIO STAND OUT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP AND TIME! PASSIONATE ABOUT A FUTURE IN MEDICINE. I AM FROM SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. AS I AM STARTING TO THINK ABOUT HEADING SPECIALITIES. I AM PLANNING ON APPLYING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL THIS YEAR WITH AN INTEREST IN PURSUING AN MD. WHILE NEUROLOGY, AND PEDIATRICS. I AM LOOKING TO SHADOWING TEMPORARILY OR MORE CONSISTENTLY (FOR THE SEMESTER) IF POSSIBLE. LIKE MYSELF.” “I’M ASTHA DAVE, A RISING SENIOR MAJORING IN PSYCHOLOGY AND JOURNALISM. I LOVE DANCING SO I’M PART OF WANT TO GO INTO CONSULTING. SINCE I’M AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AND THE JOB MARKET IS NOT GREAT RIGHT NOW, I’M NOT WILLING TO GIVE ME A CHANCE AS AN ENTRY-LEVEL CONSULTANT? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND GUIDANCE! IT IS VERY ASPIRATION IS TO BECOME A CLINICAL/FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST. I AM HOPING TO CONNECT WITH A CLINICAL OR FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST FOR SHADOWING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY FIELD, BUT HAVE HAD DIFFICULT FINDING AN INTERNSHIP FOR WHERE I CAN LEARN THE ROLE OF A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND/OR GAIN A PRACTICAL “HANDS ON” EXPERIENCE.” THUS FAR, A CLINICAL SETTING, EVEN AS AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY SUGGESTIONS OR RESOURCES ABIGAIL STRONGIN, AND I RECENTLY GRADUATED IN MAY, MAJORING IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES. I AM CURRENTLY SEEKING AM EAGER TO USE THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE I HAVE OBTAINED DURI MY TIME AT DENISON IN COLLABORATION WITH INTERNSHIP GUIDANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONNECTING PSYCHOLOGY (SOCIOLOGY/ANTHROPOLOGY MINOR). I AM REACHING OUT TO SEEK YOUR SUPPORT IN MY JOB HUNTING JOURNEY. I RECENTLY OPPORTUNITIES IN NEW YORK CITY. I AM NEW TO THE AREA AND STILL BUILDING MY NETWORK, SO APPRECIATE ANY INSIGHT YOU MAY HAVE LOOKING FOR MID-SENIOR LEVEL POSITIONS IN HRBP, TALENT MANAGEMENT, OR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS ROLES. I AM ALSO OPEN APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.” “I AM A RECENT DENISON GRADUATE WITH MAJOR IN FINANCIAL ECONOMICS. I HAVE BEEN WORKING TO MEDIUM SIZE COMPANY IN CENTRAL OHIO. SKILLARC WENT THROUGH A MASSIVE LAY-OFF TODAY AND MOST OF THE TEAM WAS CURRENT COMPANY STRUCTURE IS NOT A GOOD FIT FOR THAT. MY ROLE UNDER HER WAS TO BE ON THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SIDE FOR ME TO CONTRIBUTE OVER THE NEXT HALF YEAR OR POTENTIALLY MORE. SO, I GOT LAID OFF! IT WAS A SHORT BUT BEAUTIFUL COULD GET. I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF WE COULD MEET OVER ZOOM FOR A SHORT CALL AND USE THAT TIME TO RECONNECT SOMETHING BETTER OUT THERE FOR ME - I HAVE A LOT TO CONTRIBUTE AND EVEN MORE ZEAL TO LEARN WAYS TO IMPROVE FOR MYSELF DEVELOPMENT SIDE - REALLY SOMEWHERE I CAN LEARN A LOT ABOUT THE OVERALL COMPANY/INDUSTRY AND NOT FEEL LIKE I’M ENFORCING SOLUTIONS TO INTERNAL PROCESSES BUT THAT’S ALL I’VE LEARNT TO LIKE SO FAR. REALLY CASTING A LARGE NET HERE. CONSULTING PROGRAM, AS WELL AS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ARTS AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISES. THANK MATTHEW GODLEY. I GRADUATED IN THE CLASS OF 2016 AND AM NOW THE CEO OF A FINTECH COMPANY. I’M INTERESTED IN CONNECTING MANAGERS, CFOS, AND FINANCIAL DIRECTORS. THE SIZE OF THE PRACTICE CAN RANGE FROM A SINGLE LOCATION TO A DENTAL SERVICE DENTAL PRACTICES AND WHAT METHODS/STRATEGIES THEY CURRENTLY USE TO REDUCE COSTS. I WOULD ENJOY THE OPPORTUNITY NAME IS ELLIE LETU :) I’M STUDYING FINANCIAL ECONOMICS AT DENISON UNIVERSITY, GRADUATING IN MAY 2025. I AM AN INCREDIBLY TENACITY AND ABILITY TO LEARN QUICKLY. IT IS MY DREAM TO WORK IN THE M&A SPACE IN NYC, AND I WOULD LOVE TO CONNECT QUITE OFTEN SO IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO HEAR YOUR INSIGHTS ON SOME NOTABLE TRENDS, AND TRANSACTIONS YOU HAVE AND CAN WORK AROUND YOUR SCHEDULE. THANK YOU SO MUCH!“I’VE BEEN A CLASSROOM TEACHER FOR EIGHT YEARS. I AM EDUCATION AND HAVE BEGUN TAKING PROJECT MANAGEMENT COURSES TO SUPPLEMENT MY EXPERIENCE. I NEED HELP NETWORKING SEARCH (6 MONTHS), THE COMPETITION FOR JOBS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT/TECH IS FIERCE. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INSIGHT THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO OFFER. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.” “I AM A RECENT ALUMNI IN THE STAGES OF FINDING A JOB THIS FALL. COPYWRITING FOR ADVERTISEMENT MAGAZINES FOR MY NEIGHBORHOOD DURING THE SUMMER. I ENJOY CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH EASY-TO-UN CONNECT WITH PEOPLE IN THE JOB AREAS I’M SEARCHING FOR? I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE IN MY PARENTS’ INTERESTED IN WORKING). MY QUESTION TO YOU WOULD BE: IS REMOTE WORK STILL AVAILABLE FOR THESE KINDS OF JOBS? CHARLOTTE NORTH CAROLINA. ANOTHER QUESTION IS HOW SHOULD I MARKET MY SKILLS IN INTERVIEWS AND COVER LETTERS. FOR CANDIDATES? I APPRECIATE ANY AND ALL TIME YOU WOULD SPEND THINKING ABOUT MY QUESTIONS. I’M EXCITED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IS SOPHIA ELLERKMANN AND I AM A RECENT GRADUATE (CLASS 2024). I AM INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT CAREER PATHS OFFICER. I AM CURRENTLY EXPLORING MANY CAREER PATHS AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN FOREIGN SERVICE. I WOULD

I was wondering if anyone in the sports industry/marketing communications/ public relations industry would like to talk!

I am looking for software engineering internships in the Greater Boston Area.

I am looking for

with a physician assistant in the Cincinnati area.

PATRICK GAVIN ’25

RIGHT: Celia Car ‘28 said the weekend made her feel as though she has “a network now. I can walk into a dining hall and know I will see friends from my trip.”

BELOW: Chinenye Obiechina ‘28 enjoyed her weekend off-campus orientation experience. She said it allowed her to overcome a touch of homesickness.

BOTTOM: Grace Hurtado ’28 dances with a partner.

First-year orientation trips forge friendships First-year orientation trips forge friendships

BY TOM REED, PHOTOS BY BROOKE LAVALLEY

DENISON IS BUILT ON RELATIONSHIPS. THE UNIVERSITY’S NEW OFF-CAMPUS ORIENTATIONS GET THEM STARTED RIGHT AWAY.

Moving to the music’s beat, Chinenye Obiechina ’28 clasped hands with her dance partner and felt the release of pent-up anxiety.

She was surrounded by more than 25 other frst-year students learning to salsa dance as part of a Denison of-campus orientation experience. Te spacious studio echoed with the sounds of merengue, laughter, and high-fving as the instructor encouraged the salsa newbies.

An hour earlier, Obiechina had been crying, all the emotion of leaving home and saying goodbye to her parents bubbling to the surface.

“Some of the students in my group came up and hugged me before we left campus,” said Obiechina, who was part of the art orientation trip to Columbus, Ohio. “They asked me if I was OK and they reassured me that many of them felt the same way. When I got on the dance floor and started learning the moves, it felt amazing. Like a weight had been lifted. I wasn’t thinking about anything but having fun.”

INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITY

That’s the aim of the university’s program, which offered 17 trip options spanning three states.

More than 550 students spent their first weekend as Denisonians traveling off campus to bond with classmates. The trips, provided at no cost, covered a wide array of options — from whitewater rafting in West Virginia to connecting with alums and attending a baseball game in Cleveland.

For several years, Denison offered a limited number of off-campus excursions to incoming students. Nathan Graves, director of orientation and first-year experience, said students who participated in these trips often transitioned with greater ease into campus life because they had spent several days making friends on the road.

Three years ago, university leaders began discussing how to expand the program. Participation jumped from 250 students in 2023 to 559 in 2024. First-years involved in fall sports were excused.

“Tis has been an institutional priority across the college,” Graves said. “As President Adam Weinberg says, we are an institution that focuses on relationships and experiences. Tese trips get at the heart of that.”

‘I HAVE MY NETWORK NOW’

It didn’t take Violet Tuttle ’28 long to discover not everyone on the art orientation trip was majoring or even minoring in the arts.

She said high school friends attending orientation at other colleges did not have such a luxury.

“Their programs were divided into majors,” said Tuttle, a psychology major with a neuroscience concentration. “Te great thing about Denison is they want to nourish all our interests. I love art, and I got a chance to go on a trip with people who share that interest.”

Students were asked to pick their top five choices so organizers could balance the 17 experiences. Cam Bonner ’28 got his second option, and in hindsight he loved the opportunity to join the Big Red Connection group traveling to Columbus.

Bonner spent time at Denison Edge, a downtown extension of the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, and networked with about 15 alums.

“I had three really good conversations and set up a Zoom meeting with Lauren Sabo ’13, who runs a law frm,” Bonner said. “I’ve worked with Habitat for Humanity, and

when Lauren was talking to the group, she mentioned she had, too. So there was an immediate bond.”

The weekend excursions, which included student orientation leaders and faculty or staff, were filled with events and activities. The Big Red Connection featured visits to the zoo, an art museum, and a minor-league baseball game. The group also dined together and played pickleball.

The students had their evenings free. Bonner and several classmates toured downtown on scooters and watched football games together in hotel rooms.

Tuttle said the downtime allowed students to enjoy some deeper conversations about their lives.

“There was a lot of open talk,” she said. “We got to learn more about each other outside our interests.”

Most students said the primary object of the trips was satisfed by the time they arrived back on campus.

“I feel like I have a network now,” Celia Car ’28 said.

“I can walk into a dining hall and know I will see friends from my trip. I’ll be able to sit down at a table and feel welcomed.”

Students were given a guided tour of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus.

BY GINNY SHARKEY ’83

A C A SE FOR

For more than 2 , 000 years , ancient G reek and R oman

, history, mythology , and philosophers have entranced us . D enison students are meeting the material with fresh eyes — and gaining skills that resonate in today ’ s careers .

Alex Chloros ’94 trains his business analysts at PwC in techniques he learned researching and writing at Denison. Quinn Grifn ’10 applies skills attained in her Latin classes to her work as an instructional program designer. Allison Emmerson ’04 unearths new fndings in Pompeii using methods she frst learned as a classics major. How does what could arguably be considered the oldest curricula in Western education break Prometheus’ chain and metamorphose into a discipline both poetic and practical? Denison answers the question through the stories of the people who know best: classics faculty and alums.

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. –Socrates

Classics is the name used in academic circles to denote the study of ancient Greek and Roman history, culture, languages, and literatures. Denison students continue to be drawn to the classics even though “our stuf is thousands of years old,” says professor Tim Hofmeister.

Tey might be curious to learn more about the mythological world of the popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Tey might be intrigued by their Latin-class samplings of Cicero and Ovid or engrossed by democratic political discourse.

In most cases, frst-time classics students are unaware they’ve only skimmed the surface of a subject that has ignited scholars since the fall of the Roman Empire. Afer “sailing” those famed wine-dark Mediterranean seas with Denison faculty, many, like Marc Sterne ’91, declare, “Being a classics major was the best thing I ever did.”

Tis year, Sterne is traveling to Rome for the frst time. He’s elated at the prospect of visiting many of the ancient sites he’s been reading about since he landed in Hofmeister’s Age of Caesar class more than 30 years ago.

THE CL A S SICS

Sterne had planned to major in English until he encountered classical Greece and Rome. Te experience was akin to drinking from a cup of ambrosia; every sip offered a dazzling new insight. Trying to wrap his head around it all, Sterne approached his professor. “Tim explained the classics are ‘language, art, literature, theater, history, and architecture, everything rolled into one.’ I was all in.”

Enthusiasm like Sterne’s refects the genuine enjoyment and commitment Denison faculty have for their discipline and their students.

For several weeks each summer, Hofmeister lives in Greece. He knows the places, food, and culture intimately, and he generously sprinkles his observations into discussions of Homer’s Odyssey. He also relishes new opportunities to teach ancient subjects. Recently, his students compared and contrasted Homer’s characters by reading Circe, Madeline Miller’s best-selling novel.

Likewise, professor Rebecca Futo Kennedy can also be found pursuing her scholarship while living on the Aegean Sea during the summer, where she frequently guides classics majors on research projects. Back on Te Hill, she ofers fresh ways for students to connect with classical materials.

During election years, they learn the cornerstones of ancient Athenian democracy and its infuence on the modern world by researching and writing documents to create and support the mechanisms of a new, ideal democracy. Last spring, her Greek language class completed their translations of Te Bacchae by Euripides, then staged their own performance of the 2,500-yearold play.

In classes launching this academic year, students will learn about shopping and markets in the pre-modern world. Tey’ll study the Roman economy via the archaeological remains of cities and visit a 3D virtual reconstruction of Roman shops.

Travel can be a potent component of the curriculum. Many classics students have journeyed to the Mediterranean on faculty-led credited summer programs. “It’s like riding a time machine, and the landscape becomes your teacher,” Hofmeister says.

It’s also the frst time out of the country for many students. Stephen Kershner ’97 recalls his own eye-opening trip to Greece with his Denison professors, “Tey didn’t

just teach us about architecture,” he says. “Tey took us into the country and showed us the way a lot of people live. It was a whole new way to see the world.”

Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation. –Aristotle

As students contemplate their postgraduate steps, faculty advisors ofer invaluable advice and support. Te results are often life-changing. With fulfilling careers across industries and professions, they fracture the perception that these majors struggle to fnd lucrative work.

Kershner always remembered a particular career-planning conversation with his professor, Garrett Jacobsen. When Kershner, only half-joking, said he wanted to be the next Indiana Jones, “Garrett said he could get me where I wanted to go.”

Over the next four years, Jacobsen equipped Kershner with the knowledge and skills to shine through the rigors of graduate school. Though Kershner isn’t fighting evil archaeologists today, he is a professor at Austin Peay State University, teaching students ancient Greek and Latin languages and literature — just like his hero, Indy.

“What was really special about Garrett is that I wasn’t the only student he did this for. He saw his job as helping people get where they want to be in life,” says Kershner, who follows Jacobsen’s lead when advising his own students.

Former staff Cookie Sunkle and emeriti professors Garrett Jacobsen and Tony Lisska enjoy a libation in Orlando, Florida, at a meeting for college honors programs.

As an international student from Greece, classics and political science major Alex Chloros ’94 might have rested on his laurels. “You would expect someone with my background to be well-versed in classics and history,” he says. Nothing was further from the truth.

Ancient history, pardon the pun, might be, Greek to Greeks. A relatively new nation, Greece is younger than the United States, and public school history classes are dominated by the state-approved books that sometimes give a one-sided view of historical events. Ironically, Chloros learned much about his own country’s history while studying at a liberal arts college in central Ohio.

Taking classes with Hofmeister and Jacobsen and working on his senior research project on the Republican army also taught Chloros the importance of gathering information from different sources. “Learning how to compare, contrast, and interpret the sources gave me a completely new experience and knowledge base,” he says.

Chloros went on to earn his master’s in international relations from George Washington University and returned home to Greece. Today, he is a director with PwC in Athens, ofering consulting advice to local and regional public sector entities. When the associates under his direction write a market analysis, he ensures they research properly by comparing original and available

sources. “You can’t rely on one point of view and come to a correct interpretation of the market,” he says.

When Simone Drake ’97 told her parents she was majoring in classical studies, her mother had a typical response: “What kind of job can you get with that?”

Today, Drake is a professor at Ohio State University, where she earned master’s degrees in English and Black studies. Drake also earned a master’s of law from the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University and a doctorate in English from the University of Maryland.

Drake, who assigns her argumentative teenage children mandatory readings of the Allegory of the Cave from Plato’s Republic , says the knowledge she gained as a classics major was defnitely a throughline in her studies and career.

Learning the rules of Greek declensions demystifed English sentence structure. Te Sophists’ rhetoric-based arguments prepared her for law school. Drake continues to lean on those long-ago lessons when teaching her own students how to work through big questions. “Have your experiences and values,” she says, “but develop arguments to support them based on reason and logic.”

In her career as an instructional program designer, Quinn Grifn ’10 must speedily master a kaleidoscope of topics, bouncing from welding to spinal surgery to fnancial fraud detection.

She fnds the challenges similar to those she conquered while researching academic papers across the classical era’s 13-century timeframe. Ancient languages evolved just as quickly as modern languages do today, and each genera-

A NEW LIFE FOR THE OLD CLASSICS

When the Granville Literary and Theological Institution opened with 37 students in 1831, 27 were enrolled in the classical education curriculum. (The remaining 10 studied under the English curriculum.)

Over the next several decades, as the academy grew and matured, courses of study expanded to include humanities, arts, and natural and social sciences. But as the liberal arts flourished, a classical education based on Greek, Latin, mathematics, a smattering of English, and a little philosophy began to flounder, according to Denison historian Francis Shepardson.

By 1967, when classical languages professor Lindley Richard Dean retired after 46 years in the classroom, the classical curriculum had effectively been subsumed into the language and history departments. The department itself was dissolved in 1972. A span of years later, a classics committee oversaw what were now two majors: classical languages and classical civilization.

In fall 2024, the department metamorphosed yet again, into the Department of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies. Department faculty, including a new Roman archeologist, continue to collaborate with colleagues in philosophy, history, religion, and anthropology who provide courses in Greek and Roman philosophy, ancient Chinese history and philosophy, archaeology, and creation mythologies. The curriculum has expanded its oferings to include courses in Roman and Athenian law and political systems, magic and medicine, and economics and labor in the ancient Mediterranean.

Marc Sterne ‘91 selfe in front of the Circus Maximus.

tion developed its own lingo and style. Grifn, who earned a Ph.D. in classics from Ohio State University, was constantly learning new words and colloquialisms. Tat skill is foundational to her profession.

“To communicate effectively, I have to get on top of all these topics and understand new vocabularies quickly,” says Grifn, who also sings in a jazz ensemble and is writing a novel about a 17th century nun fascinated by Greek mythology. “My research background is a huge advantage.”

Spouses Allison and Nate Emmerson, classics majors from the Class of 2004, say their classical education taught them to critically engage with pieces of text and rubble before drawing theories and conclusions.

Tey employ that knowledge in very diferent careers. Nate is a senior technical specialist working in the construction feld. He evaluates information daily and forms the conclusions that best support his company’s goals.

Allison is an associate professor of classical studies at Tulane University and the director of an international archaeological project in Pompeii. As an archaeologist, she’s driven to approach the fndings with an open mind.

Te couple fondly recall their frst visit to Rome with professor Jacobsen in 2003. They return frequently, spending summers in Italy, mostly at Allison’s Pompeii project. “We still mark our passage around the Eternal City referencing that trip,” Nate says. “We ate at this restaurant or stayed at that hotel.”

“None of this would have happened without Denison and Garrett Jacobsen,” Allison says.

Marc Sterne’s broadcasting career with the Tony Kornheiser Show, both as co-producer and as the beloved character “Nigel the British guy,” is also rooted in his liberal arts education.

In addition to the “voracious reading habit” he developed as a classics major, Sterne enjoyed acting and watching baseball at Denison. He was able to lean on those skills when launching his radio career covering the Olympics even though his only previous on-air experience was “doing a William Shatner bit on a friend’s WDUB show.”

Sterne moved on to enjoy a stint as a morning show producer for the Billy Bush Show before joining former Washington Post journalist Kornheiser more than 20 years ago. “It’s a crazy work schedule and a really rewarding career,” Sterne says.

While his insatiable reading appetite provides fodder for on-air patter about everything from sleep hygiene to sports, it’s the impact the classics have made on him outside his career that matters most to Sterne.

He credits that long-ago discussion with his professor with starting him on the road to one of the greatest joys in his life: learning something purely for the sake of knowledge. “Tat conversation changed my life,” he says. “It lit a passion in me that has burned all these years.”

As classical studies emeritus professor Garrett Jacobsen walked into his department s annual awards ceremony in April 2024, he was surprised by the large number of familiar faces. Students from across his 40 year career had come to wish him well in his retirement. Many also honored his commitment to teaching by making a donation to a new scholarship in his name.

Chris Bungard 02, a classical studies professor at Butler University, was there to greet Jacobsen that day. Garrett was so supportive, and I always appreciated his willingness to let me research anything, even my senior research topic, pigs in antiquity,” Bungard said. “He opened his house to us any time our family was in Granville.

Stephen Kershner 97 spoke about Jacobsen s connections outside the classroom: Garrett helped me get a summer job at a camp for gifted kids, took me to Greece on a travel seminar class, and walked another student down the aisle. He had these personal connections with all of us. That s the kind of professor he was.

I always strove to be a teacher who learned from his students, Jacobsen said. He was the first classics professor to take his students to Greece, journeys many of them remember fondly.

He found innovative ways and new materials to connect his students to ancient texts. Even Ovid, his personal favorite, was improved upon by reading Ted Hughes’ poetic translation, a fact Jacobsen reflected on in an essay published last year in the collection Ted Hughes and the Classics.

Ten pages of Garrett s CV are service to our students, our field, and our community,” said professor Rebecca Futo Kennedy. The scholarship established in his name will honor his service by supporting student activities outside the college doing things he always encouraged them to do.

That could include opportunities to study abroad, participate in archaeological digs, or complete summer training in ancient languages.

GIVE TO THE FUND: SUPPORT.DENISON.EDU/GARRETTJACOBSEN

Banking on

VERY FEW BANKS ARE OWNED BY WOMEN. SO ILARIA HUGHES RAWLINS ’92 HELPED START ONE.

BY ANDREW SHARP PHOTO BY BROOKE LAVALLEY

Aclass at Denison helped nudge Ilaria Rawlins ’92 toward a new career path. Decades later, she’s CEO of one of the few women owned banks in the country.

Rawlins leads the soon to open Fortuna Bank, based in Grandview Heights, Ohio, a suburb on the west side of Columbus. Te bank boasts more than 65% female ownership, and part of its mis sion is to provide better support, education, and mentoring for women entrepreneurs.

When Rawlins was young, she dreamed of being a TV anchor like Jane Pauley. When she came to Denison, she started out as a communi cation major. But afer a junior year economics class piqued her interest in business, Rawlins ended up working in banking afer graduation.

Some of her experience included working with a startup bank, and when she was approached about the CEO role, she thought, “Tis is exactly what I’d love to do. I’d love to get back into a small community bank where we have the time and capacity to build relationships.”

Lisa Berger, who tapped Rawlins for the position, came from a career in commercial real estate law and had also founded a title company. A few years ago, she began research ing bank ownership statistics.

“I found the numbers absolutely startling,” she says. Berger discovered that out of nearly

4,800 banks in the United States, fewer than 20 were owned by women, and she was only able to fnd two intentionally founded by women.

Rawlins and other Fortuna organizers say women in business often don’t have the per sonal connections in banking that men do, so they may not get personalized attention when they apply for loans — and they get turned down more ofen.

Tis, despite research fndings that women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men.

In addition to having fewer connections in banking, women also may be more hesitant about taking risks.

“Women just aren’t presented with invest ment opportunities the way men are,” Berger says. “Tey don’t make those investment deci sions, so they’re just unsure. Tey’re nervous to do it.”

Fortuna board member Lori Kaiser has been a business owner for more than 30 years and is well acquainted with some of the challenges women can face.

“I went in to get loans,” she says, recalling a memory from the early ’90s, “and was told to bring my husband along.” Even when she pointed out that her husband wouldn’t be involved in the business, bankers ofen asked for him to be present.

While many women are starting businesses, Kaiser points out that these enterprises are ofen small — basically self employment situ ations. A bank like Fortuna could take these businesses to the next level, fueling growth in local communities.

Te founders emphasize that they want For tuna to be a community bank for everyone, but with a role addressing the gap in support for women.

Women are often passionate about their products and services but sometimes lack experience and knowledge of elements such as compliance, taxes, and hiring, Kaiser says. “We want more women to make the leap to growing and scaling and to creating real wealth.”

It initially appeared that fortune might not be on Fortuna’s side. Weeks afer they submit ted their business plan to federal regulators, Silicon Valley Bank failed, sending shockwaves through the industry. At the time, business leaders and government officials were ner vously remembering the 2008 economic crisis and worrying about domino efects.

Fortuna did end up getting approval but was required to raise at least $20 million to get started. Finding that capital with a majority of women investors was not easy. Rawlins calls it “probably the hardest professional time in my life.”

her vision

“We talked to anybody who wanted to hear anything about it,” Berger says. “Ilaria and I probably gave 1,000 speeches.”

To bring more people in, they lowered the minimum investment to $10,000, well below typical levels. Fortuna now has nearly 350 investors, ranging from those small entry level stakes to $1 2 million shares. Tat larger base of investors provides a referral network of brand ambassadors who have a vested interest in the bank’s success, Rawlins notes.

Personal networks, including Denison con nections, were big in rounding up support.

“I’m not a Denison grad, but I have met a lot along the way — and wow, are they a tight knit community,” Berger says.

By the end of 2024, it all finally came together — fnal touches on hiring, construc tion, setting up the vault, and bringing in furniture. Fortuna was scheduled to open its doors in December, with a grand opening planned for January 2025.

It’s not where Rawlins thought she would be when she started her communication major, but she’s found satisfaction in her career. “I fell in love with banking,” she says, “and the abil ity to build relationships with people at pretty monumental times in their lives.”

BY THEODORE DECKER

THE WINNERS OF OUR SWASEY SWEETHEARTS SWEEPSTAKES

MET AND MARRIED ON THE HILL.

The route to visit Andy Boyd’s parents takes the Boyd family right through Granville, and Andy ’00 and Hannah ’01 have been known to point out to their children the steeple of Swasey Chapel rising above the trees, far atop Te Hill.

Tat’s where we were married, they say.

And from the back comes the exasperation of children who have heard more than once the origin stories of the adults in their lives.

“We know!” they say.

Ah, youth. Te time will come when they cherish the backstory of Mom and Dad. Life works that way.

Andy and Hannah Boyd were the winners of Denison’s Swasey Sweethearts Sweepstakes, held as part of the college’s celebration of Swasey Chapel’s 100th birthday in 2024. Te Boyds, chosen from a feld of couples who married in Swasey, won a vow-renewal ceremony in the chapel, a two-night stay at the Granville Inn, dinner for two, and a $250 gif card to Village Flower Basket.

The Boyds were married in Swasey on Aug. 5, 2001, joining a Denison tradition that dates to the frst wedding at Swasey on May 17, 1924.

Te Boyds hail from diferent small towns in Ohio and met during Hannah’s frst year. Andy was a junior. He was majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. She was majoring in political science with a minor in French. Tey both belonged to a group then called Campus Crusade for Christ, now part of Central Ohio Cru.

Tey hit it of and got to know each other better on a Florida spring break trip with the group.

“Andy’s birthday was soon afer the trip, and I went out on a limb and baked him a birthday cake in the dorm kitchen at Smith and took it over to him in Huffman,” Hannah says. “Afer that, he asked me on our frst date. Te school year wound down pretty quickly afer that, and we wrote letters back and forth all summer.”

Andy says he fell in love with her charm, beauty, and strength of character. Tey were a couple his senior year and stayed together afer he graduated and began working as a nurses’ aide with an eye on medical school.

Hannah, still on campus for her junior year, realized she had the credits to graduate a year early.

“Andy was a member of the Denison Hilltoppers, and when he came back to visit in the fall of my last year, I got my serenade from the Hilltoppers to ‘Only You,’” she says.

She didn’t know that Andy had even bigger plans that fall, although there was a last-minute wrinkle.

On a big night in November 2000, “he wanted to go for a walk, and it was frigid,” Hannah says. “I was like, ‘Mmm, I don’t really want to go for a walk. If the stars are out, I’ll go.’ And I knew they probably weren’t.”

Andy went outside to check. She was correct.

“They’re not out,” he confirmed to her. “Just come anyway.”

His planned route took them toward Swasey.

“That’s where I proposed to her, under the pillars,” Andy says.

Hannah and Andy were married the following year, on a blisteringly hot day the following August. Swasey was the obvious venue for their nuptials.

“That’s where we first held hands, and that’s where Andy proposed,” Hannah says.

Te day afer their St. Lucia honeymoon, Andy had his white-coat ceremony marking the start of medical school at Ohio State University. Tey eventually moved to McArthur, a rural and medically underserved part of Ohio where Andy still works as a family doctor at a community health center.

Hannah worked in politics for several years afer college but now homeschools their four children, Samuel, 17; Levi, 16; Naomi, 14; and Ruth, 11.

Samuel is deep into his college search. He and his parents recently toured Denison, and so far, Big Red is still on the table.

Now married 23 years, Hannah and Andy were reminded how much Denison means to them.

“It was really fun to be back on campus and see things again,” Hannah says. “Denison was instrumental for both of us. It is a big part of our story together.”

A few more sweethe arts

SHERYN MOORE ’92 & THOMAS HAYS

“I met my husband during the 1993 wedding reception of Semmes Wright ’91 to her husband, Christopher Calvert. I was a bridesmaid, and Tom was the best man. I heard his eloquent speech given at the rehearsal dinner and knew I had to meet this man! So the next day at the wedding reception, I asked Tom to dance — and we’ve been dancing ever since. Tanks, Denison, for being a place where I made friendships and memories lasting a lifetime!”

SHARON DEVANE KNODE ’87 & STEVE KNODE ’90

“My husband and I were married in Swasey in May 1996. We met as cast members in Denison’s 1987 production of Te Agreeable Surprise (and yes, it was.)

Dr. William Osborne played the organ at our wedding. Although we were married in mid-May, it snowed the morning of our wedding. We had arranged a horse-drawn carriage to take us from the chapel to the Granville Inn for the reception, but the drive was too icy for the horse. We took photos in the carriage, then had to get out and walk down the hill! Gotta love Ohio weather.”

Moore and Hays on their wedding day, joined by four Denisonian bridesmaids:

Susan Moore ’91, Gwynneth Livesay ’93, Semmes Wright ’91, and Barb Bowin ’92

Dave Abbott ’74 & Jan Roller ’76

Sitting in a downtown Cleveland restaurant, about a mile from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Jan Roller ’76 tells the story behind her husband’s Bob Dylan-inspired music video to promote his 50-year class reunion.

Dave Abbott ’74, seated across from his wife, laughs at the memory of donning a jean jacket, wig, and pair of shades while singing Denison-centric lyrics to the tune “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” The co-chair of the reunion committee even made fashcards with buzzwords from the song, just as Dylan had for his iconic black-andwhite video.

“Jan flmed it on her phone, and our middle son, a production manager in animation for Warner Bros., did all the editing,” Abbott recalls. “It was fun, but fipping those cards in time with the music was really hard.”

He’s not sure how he landed on the idea, only that the alumni ofce asked him to make a video urging classmates to attend the milestone event. Abbott wasn’t about to disappoint a university that transformed his family’s life.

“I enjoyed Denison, but it wasn’t my best four years because I was lucky enough to work at jobs I really enjoyed,” Abbott says. “As time goes on, I’ve appreciated Denison more because I recognize the impact it’s had on us. It’s made us see possibilities and how to attack those possibilities and make them realities.”

CLEVELAND’S POWER COUPLE

Roller is a well-respected trial lawyer, a tireless champion for civil rights, and a civic leader who’s sat on prestigious boards, including serving as past president of The City Club of Cleveland — the community’s citadel of free speech.

“Denison opened the world to me, period,” says Roller, who fought for women’s equality while working in a Massachusetts district attorney’s ofce. “It gave me my frst female role models. It provided that liberal arts education, that curiosity, that broader breadth of knowledge that allows you to move confdently through your life.”

Abbott has worked as a Swiss Army knife for his adopted hometown, occupying various prominent roles in helping Cleveland emerge from its darkest days in the 1970s and assisting in its cultural renaissance two decades later.

As a Cuyahoga County administrator, he played a vital part in the Gateway project that delivered new stadiums for the Guardians and Cavaliers in the 1990s and kept Major League Baseball in Cleveland.

Te civic entrepreneur was the executive director of the Cleveland Bicentennial Commission, the president of an

urban renewal organization that transformed University Circle neighborhoods, and the president of the philanthropic Gund Foundation — a vehicle for social change.

In the late 1990s, Abbott even served as director of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, where his kindred spirit, Dylan, was enshrined in 1988.

“Denison teaches you to be a lifelong learner and a problem solver,” Abbott says. “Tose traits have been invaluable in my career.”

‘QUALITY OF TEACHING STICKS WITH YOU’

Roller began dating her future husband in high school, and their relationship blossomed at Denison, where they both majored in political science. Afer, they attended law school, although Abbott worked as a newspaper reporter in Cleveland for several years before enrolling.

At Harvard Law School, Abbott’s appreciation for Denison began to grow.

“Te quality of teaching at Denison was so much greater than it was at Harvard Law School,” Abbott says. “Te law school hires brilliant scholars who are experts in some esoteric aspect of the law, which is fascinating, but a lot of them cannot teach as well as the professors at Denison. That quality of teaching sticks with you, and from what I know, it’s only gotten better.”

At his 50-year reunion, Abbott earned praise from fellow alums for his parody video. Turnout was great, and talk of their time on campus supplied plenty of laughs. But Abbott noticed that classmates he engaged were less interested in reliving their Denison glory days and more focused on how their time on Te Hill set them up for success.

“Tere was some reminiscing and telling crazy stories that I had forgotten,” Abbott says. “I thought there would be more of that, but it was really about what we have been doing and what we’ve accomplished since leaving Denison.”

Watch Dave’s video

photo by brooke lavalley

Martha Kimball Cathcart ’74

“A liberal arts education taught me this important skill and facilitated my career in research.”

medicine. Te Cleveland Clinic was one of just 13 institutions to be awarded the inaugural four-year grant.

She later renewed that grant and submitted the Howard Hughes-funded program for grant support from the National Institutes of Health. Tat federal funding continues today.

Cathcart has been a tireless advocate for medical and graduate students. She is the daughter of the late Rolla Grattan Kimball, an Upjohn researcher who helped increase the supply of penicillin for American troops fghting in World War II.

“I emulated my mother,” Cathcart says. “She was a chemistry major at a time when very few women were in the feld.”

Martha Kimball Cathcart ’74, a professor emerita of molecular medicine at Cleveland Clinic, enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a scientist, educator, and trailblazing role model.

Cathcart is internationally renowned for her research, and she’s traveled the globe speaking at prestigious conferences.

While discussing her Denison education and the intellectual horsepower it provided, Cathcart cites a discipline not involved in scientifc study. Te power of the pen.

“Scientists have to be excellent writers, and that’s something that ofen gets overlooked in their training,” Cathcart says. “You have to be able to write manuscripts and apply for grants that fund your research, and you have to do it in a way that can be understood. I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but a liberal arts education taught me this important skill and facilitated my career in research.”

In addition to running a research laboratory, Cathcart was involved in graduate and medical education. She served on the committee to form a new medical school at the Cleveland Clinic.

As a professor, she applied for and won a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 2006, which has funded the school’s novel graduate program in molecular

Cathcart has championed the cause of women advancing their careers in scientifc research. She remains the only woman not a medical doctor to serve on the Cleveland Clinic Board of Governors.

At national and international conferences, fellow women researchers express their admiration and gratitude for Cathcart’s eforts. As a young scientist, she recalls older women in the feld “taking her under their wing” at national meetings.

Fify years afer graduating from Denison, she also pays tribute to her former biology professor Philip Stukus, who fueled her love of research.

“What I took from that time was the importance of applying yourself to a problem, owning it, and becoming an expert because you’re at the forefront of knowledge,” Cathcart says. “I embraced that approach, and I practiced it my entire life.”

Dudley Brown Jr. ’74

If anyone at his 50 year reunion could have made the case that Denison was the best four years of his life, it was Dudley Brown Jr. ’74.

Brown starred on the men’s basketball team, fnish ing his career as the program’s third all time leading scorer. Remarkably, he remains the Big Red’s 10th leading scorer despite having played in an era before the 3 point shot.

“I didn’t know this stuf until my daughter alerted me to these facts in 2014,” Brown said.

Tis is Brown’s humble way of saying athletic fame didn’t defne him at Denison or in the years afer he lef Te Hill.

Te Toledo, Ohio, native enjoyed a long and produc tive career in fnance — and his time at Denison set him on the path to success.

“I loved my time there, but I had a goal in mind,” Brown said. “Denison taught me that it didn’t matter where you came from, it’s all about where you are going.”

Brown turned down an athletic scholarship at Western Michigan University because it didn’t have the academic pedigree of Denison. He majored in economics and spent three summers working in a Columbus, Ohio, bank chaired by Denison benefactor Don Shackelford ’54.

Shackelford served as an important role model for Brown and William J. Harris ’74, a Big Red teammate who also worked summers at the bank.

Brown recalls Shackelford taking him to lunch and explaining how to grow a business. Inspired by the “Denison taught mentorship, Brown attended the Kellogg School me that it didn’t of Management at Northwestern University before launching into a career in fnance. matter where

“I didn’t know what a certificate of deposit was,” you came from, Brown recalled. “I didn’t understand the idea of mort gages and how homes were valued. Tose three sum it’s all about mers at State Savings Bank were my introduction to the where you are world of money and fnance. It led me to think this is the arena I want to be in for the rest of my life.” going.”

DENISON MAGAZINE

Dudley Brown, right, with friend Henry Wilkens at a community event in Evanston, Illinois.

Los Angeles Superior Court judge Dean Hansell

’74 got married for the first time two days after his 70th birthday.

“My husband is an actor, and his acting studio has the motto ‘Dreams have no expiration date,’” Hansell said. “Tat proved to be the case for us. Being married is a new journey.”

Dean Hansell ’74

Before his appointment as a superior court judge in 2016, he was an assistant attorney general for the state of Illinois, a prosecutor for the Federal Trade Com mission, and a partner in several large international law frms. He sits on the law board of Northwestern’s law school.

Hansell works in a metropolitan area of more than 12 million residents and estimates legal briefs have been fled in his court in more than 30 languages.

“I developed empathy and the ability to relate to many diferent types of people at Denison.”

At an age when most are reflecting on their life’s achievements, Hansell is still out there achieving. He was appointed a superior court judge at age 64 and recently became a grandfather.

Hansell can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

“I’m not sure what my expectations were afer grad uating from Denison, but I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of remarkable experiences,” said the founder of the Los Angeles chapter of the Gay and Lesbian Alli ance Against Defamation and the vice chair of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, which has more than 70 libraries.

Hansell acknowledges one of his best decisions was enrolling at Denison at a time when his parents wanted him to attend Northwestern University, where he had been accepted. (As it turned out, Hansell went to law school at Northwestern afer Denison, so everyone in the family got to claim victory.)

But Hansell smiles with satisfaction when revealing that his parents eventually conceded he made the right call coming to Te Hill.

Denison instilled in Hansell a curiosity that continues to serve him as a judge. Te university’s environment also played a key role in his career arc.

“Every day you meet diferent people,” Hansell said. “I developed empathy and the ability to relate to many different types of people at Denison. A small resi dential community does that. Had I gone to a larger school, the inclination probably would have been to self segregate into groups who were just like me.”

Hansell’s appreciation of diversity includes his taste in fashion. Te judge owns more than 100 bow ties. He brought several with him to his 50th class reunion, which he co chaired with Dave Abbott ’74.

At age 72, Hansell shows no signs of slowing down.

“Working on the reunion committee was such a treat,” he said. “We’re already looking forward to our 55th reunion.”

Robert Knuepfer ’74

Denison promotes the value of being a lifelong learner, of never retiring your curiosity or idling the desire to discover new passions.

Robert Knuepfer ’74 embodies those ideals. At age 64, afer a long and distinguished career in mergers and acquisitions, Knuepfer enrolled at the University of Chicago Divinity School to pursue a master’s degree in divinity.

“I became an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, atoning for my prior sins as a lawyer,” he joked. “It might take the rest of my life to get even.”

Surrounded by students in their 20s, Knuepfer studied ancient Greek and Hebrew to read the scriptures. Afer 38 years as an international partner at Baker & McKenzie LLP, he found himself working as a chaplain in the emergency room and intensive care units of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

“I would have one hand on a gunshot wound and the other hand on a Bible,” he said.

Knuepfer treasured his time at Denison, serving as Alpha Tau Omega president and interning at the White

House on an ATO scholarship. But it’s the overarching lessons he gleaned from Te Hill that made the rest of his life so fulflling.

“Denison teaches you to take chances, to explore new ideas,” said Knuepfer, who earned a doctorate at the Chicago Teological Seminary. “It’s OK not to know everything — just open your mind to learning.”

Knuepfer serves as an associate pastor at the Union Church of Hinsdale, Illinois. Te father of four laughed as he recalled telling his wife about his stunning career pivot.

“I wish I had a great story like Martin Luther being knocked of his horse by a lightning bolt,” he said. “Tere was always a knock on the door. I was slow to answer it, but I fnally did. It was a function of signifcance and helping people with their spiritual life.”

Denison friends said Kirsten Edwards ’77 wanted to make a diference. “She was a striver,” said Carol

Carmody ’77 (inset).

DENISONIANS GIVE LIFE TO FRIEND’S FINAL WORK

Kirsten Edwards ’77 didn’t live long enough to see her novel published. So her friends stepped in.

Within days of her friend’s death, Trish Skuse Cadwallader ’76 received permission to search her condo.

She scoured the Columbus, Ohio, residence looking for a laptop that contained a manuscript belonging to her former sorority sister, Kirsten Edwards ’77.

Edwards had been a successful attorney for decades, but in 2017 she devoted herself completely to one of her greatest passions. She earned her master’s degree in English from Ohio State University at a time when most her age were counting the days to retirement. She also taught courses in creative writing at Ohio State.

As part of her master’s thesis, Edwards wrote a semi-autobiographical novel, Up on Cedar Mesa. Her sorority sisters knew how much the book meant to her.

“Kris was such a dynamic person, and there were so many dimensions to her life,” Cadwallader said. “She loved to write, and when she fnished her book, we kept asking when she was going to publish it.”

A recurrence of breast cancer — Edwards was initially diagnosed in 2016 — altered her timetable and priorities. She died in 2022 without ever seeing her novel in print.

Tat’s when her friends from Denison got involved.

They were determined to shepherd the project to completion. Tey also dedicated themselves to honoring Edwards’ memory by establishing an endowed scholarship fund to ensure future Denisonians could pursue their love of creative writing.

All they needed was the blessing of her mother, Mary Jo Edwards, who happily granted it.

“I was thrilled, but I wasn’t surprised,” Edwards’ mother said. “Because Kris was a part of a group that would do anything for each other.”

Denison is a place that fosters connections — and friendships that last a lifetime. Sometimes beyond.

‘ONE TOUGH COOKIE’

Carol Lovell Carmody ’77 met Edwards in the fall of 1973 as her assigned roommate in Sawyer Hall. Tey joined Kappa Alpha Teta, and their circle of friends expanded to include Cadwallader, Diane Prine Stewart ’77, and Jane Norton Keating ’77.

Tey studied together and partied together and came of age alongside one another. Tey all recognized special qualities in Edwards.

“Kris was such an interesting person,” Carmody said. “She was very attractive and smart as a whip, and she wanted to do stuf that made a diference. She was a striver.”

Edwards earned a law degree from Wake Forest University and began her career as an attorney. She

Lovell

BY TOM REED

practiced corporate law and, by her friends’ accounts, hated almost every day of it. Edwards changed her focus and found her sweet spot representing clients with environmental concerns.

She loved nature and animals and loathed anything made of plastic. She traveled the country, living in New York, Utah, and New Mexico before returning to her native Columbus.

But Edwards felt most at home behind a keyboard, where she had been writing short stories throughout her days as an attorney and small business owner. She felt so at peace working on her novel at Cadwallader’s Buckeye Lake cottage that her friend gave Edwards a key and asked only that she lock up when leaving.

Not even the hardships and uncertainties of cancer could dull her enthusiasm and writing ambitions.

“I kept some of her student reviews,” said her sister Kathleen Edwards Rose. “One student wrote, ‘Her dog died, she has cancer, and she still showed up to every class. She’s one tough cookie.’”

‘AN UNBELIEVABLE GIFT’

Unable to read Up on Cedar Mesa because of her failing eyesight, Mary Jo Edwards invited the author over to read it aloud.

Over the course of several days, mother and daughter sat together as Edwards painted vivid images of the rugged Southwest landscape that serves as the story’s backdrop.

“I loved it,” Mary Jo Edwards said.

When Edwards’ breast cancer returned and spread to other parts of her body, family and friends were stunned by its aggressiveness.

“We thought we had more time, and I think Kris thought the same,” her sister said. “We were at a loss, just treading water afer her death. When her friends at Denison swooped in and told us of their plans, it really meant something to the family.”

Cadwallader educated herself on self-publishing, and Carmody, a former associate vice president of fnancial afairs at Boston University, took the lead in establishing a scholarship in Edwards’ name.

With the assistance of Cadwallader, Stewart, and Keating, the group raised $250,000 for the Kirsten D.

Edwards ’77 Endowed Scholarship Fund for Creative Writing at Denison.

The first recipient, Lucy Dale ’27, met Edwards’ mother on a Zoom call in 2023.

“It was wonderful,” Mary Jo Edwards said. “Kris’s middle name is Dale and Lucy’s last name is Dale, which I thought was an interesting coincidence.”

Cadwallader asked friends Julie Peters, an editor, and Jodi Kennedy, a graphic designer, to help with the book. They agreed to work for free. Edwards’ academic advisor, Lee Martin, a distinguished professor of English at Ohio State, volunteered to write the foreword.

“I remember her dedication to her craf and the way she sat on the edge of her chair and leaned toward me with such intensity when she sought my advice when writing Up on Cedar Mesa ,” Martin writes. “She wasn’t afraid to do the hard work. She had a story to tell, and she wanted to make it ours, so we’d know the world the way she knew it. What greater gif can a writer make?”

Up on Cedar Mesa explores the intertwining forces of love and nature. The main character, Micah, a young woman drawn to the wild beauty of Utah and New Mexico, fnds herself torn between her professional commitments in New York and her love for an adventurous man who’s dedicated to preserving the West.

Te book is available on Amazon. Everyone who contributed to the scholarship fund will receive a copy.

“It’s an unbelievable gif … made possible by the bond Kris had formed with her friends at Denison,” Mary Jo Edwards said. “Tat’s where she wanted to go from the time she was in high school, and this is a reminder of what a special place it is.”

Kathleen Edwards Rose and her mother, Mary Jo Edwards, in front of a tribute to Kirsten Edwards ’77. The inscription is written by Jack Edwards, the brother of Kirsten and Kathleen.

Highlights from Te Hill

Rising rankings

Denison continues to climb in national rankings, refecting the growing momentum of a university that saw record applications and fundraising in 2024.

In 2025 U.S. News rankings, Denison is ranked the #4 most innovative of the nation’s more than 200 liberal arts colleges, up from #6 last year. Overall, Denison is ranked No. 36 among national liberal arts colleges — up 19 places since 2016 and three since 2024 — according to U.S. News , the leading producer of college rankings.

Te Princeton Review also recognized Denison as #4 for career services among all U.S. colleges and universities. (Read more about our career-driven education on pages 10-17!)

A selective Class of 2028

Applications to Denison rose again in 2024, to 15,012 from 14,579 the year before, making this another record-breaking year. And more students than ever before — 1,941, a 21% increase applied early decision, indicating Denison was their top choice for higher education.

Denison offered admission to 17% of its Class of 2028 applicants, and 621 students arrived for the fall 2024 semester.

Record generosity

Denison set a new fundraising record in fscal year 2024, receiving more than $60.5 million in philanthropic support from over 8,900 donors. Gifs to the university’s annual fund, which help cover the costs of daily operations and funding for strategic opportunities, contributed to the success of the fscal year that ended June 30, 2024. Nearly 8,400 donors gave over $7.8 million to cover needs as diverse as lab equipment, gear for athletics teams, lighting for stage performances, and materials for studio art classes.

An extraordinary gift

A $7 million gif from David Reese ’62 and his wife, Weezie, will help ensure that a life-shaping Denison education remains accessible for all admitted students. Te Reese family’s transformative gift will enhance their endowed scholarship fund, which is dedicated to reducing student loan debt and ensuring that Denison can meet 100% of the demonstrated need for talented students from all backgrounds.

In recognition of this gift, the college will rename the newly renovated and expanded Beth Eden to Reese House in honor of David’s late father, Everett David Reese.

“I’m proud to honor my father’s legacy and support Denison in a way that makes a true impact on students,” David Reese said. “Denison has always been an important part of our family, and I hope this gif helps future students thrive as they chart their own paths.”

A special visit

Denison welcomed former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to Denison University for class discussions and an onstage conversation on Oct. 23, 2024, as part of the Lugar Lecture Series. Te series — established by the Class of 1954 in honor of their distinguished classmate, the late Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) — has brought speakers to Te Hill including Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Sen. Olympia Snowe, and former U.S. defense secretaries Robert Gates and Leon Panetta.

Back on the Path

A 15-foot-tall amalgamation of geometric curves and arcs rendered in steel, Path by Alexander Liberman was missing from campus for more than a year as Denison Museum director Megan Hancock led its conservation. Freshly bufed and shined to reclaim its former glory, Path returned to campus just ahead of Reunion 2024.

‘An

abiding love for Denison’

THROUGH MEDALS NOW ON DISPLAY, RICHARD LUGAR ’54 HOPED FUTURE DENISONIANS WOULD REALIZE THEY, TOO, CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.

Though his decades of public service fre quently placed him on the national and inter national stage, the late Sen. Richard Lugar ’54 was not one to seek the limelight.

Lugar, a Denison trustee, Rhodes Scholar, and six term senator from Indiana, received several honors for his leadership on issues such as nuclear nonproliferation, global food inse curity, and bipartisan governance.

He was humbled but not motivated by such recognition.

“My dad was always a dedi cated public servant frst and foremost and never really sought these accolades,” John Lugar says.

Two of the honors that Richard Lugar most appre ciated now are displayed at Denison, a place that remained close to his heart until his death in 2019.

Hanging on the fifth floor of Burton D. Morgan in the Admission Welcome Center is Lugar’s Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented to him in 2013 by President Barack Obama, and the regalia marking him a Knight Com mander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, presented by Queen Elizabeth II in what became known in Lugar family shorthand as “the knighting award.”

“These were the ones that he talked about the most,” brooke lavalley John Lugar says. “He preferred for them to go to Denison.”

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor.

During his long run as a U.S. senator, Lugar was known to reach across the political aisle to tackle some of the most complicated and important problems facing the nation and world, such as the global dismantling of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.

Lugar co sponsored the Nunn Lugar Act with Georgia Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn, and by the time Lugar lef ofce, the program had

resulted in the deactivation of 7,600 Soviet nuclear warheads, the destruction of 900 inter continental ballistic missiles, and the removal of all nuclear weapons from the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Belarus.

“Dick Lugar never compromised his princi ples in anything we did together, nor did I,” Nunn once said. “We found ways to work together because we examined the facts and let the facts have a bearing on the conclusions, and I’m afraid in today’s political world too ofen

people start with the conclusions and then hunt facts to justify them.”

Lugar credited Denison with laying the foun dation for this style of governance and teaching him the importance of intellectual humility.

“Tat was in his DNA, and it’s in Denison’s DNA,” says Raj Bellani, Denison’s vice presi dent and chief of staf. “It’s all about connect ing with one another and building strong, deep relationships.”

Born in Indianapolis in 1932, Lugar was an Eagle Scout and graduated at the top of his classes at both Indianapolis Shortridge High

School and Denison. At Denison, where he played cello and was the student body co presi dent with his future wife, Charlene.

“My dad had an abiding love for Denison,” John Lugar says.

Other memorabilia and items were given to Denison’s politics and public affairs depart ment. At Denison, the Lugar Program has helped launch interested students into lives of public service since 1996, and the Lugar Lec ture Series has brought world renowned speak ers to Te Hill for 20 years.

Looking back on the many eulogies for his father, John Lugar says one word that stood out was spoken by former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels: pure.

“You can’t say that often about a person in this day and age,” John Lugar says. “That was the highest compliment, and that’s what he was.”

Lugar enjoyed the academic rigor and deep relationships of Denison. He also discovered the wisdom of intellectual dis agreements marked by civility, not bombast.

“Tose are the sort of tools that Denison provided him, that he took to his Rhodes Scholarship,” his son says.

In discussions about gifing the Presidential Medal of Freedom and knighting award to Denison, Lugar and his family agreed that the memorabilia might serve as inspiration for generations of Denisonians.

True to form, Richard Lugar saw the medals not as a means for new students to remember him and his accomplishments, but to look inward and wonder what they, too, might accomplish.

“Tat was the idea at the end of the day,” John Lugar says. “Tis is what Denisonians can do. Tey can go out and change the world.”

– THEODORE DECKER

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BY TOM REED AND THEODORE DECKER

F S A R U D E C R O

Mosquito mating habits. Modern romance novels.

The physics of Irish dance. For Denison’s Summer Scholars, the weeks between school years are a prime time for going deeper into a subject that intrigues them. Here are just a few of the research topics from the summer of 2024.

PHOTOS BY BROOKE LAVALLEY & JAMES SCHULLER

JULIA PANDALEON ’27

MAJOR: PSYCHOLOGY

Julia Pandaleon ’27 did not expect to spend her frst summer at Denison collecting ants in deadwood and observing their behaviors in the lab and their natural environment.

But when the psychology major with a neuroscience concentration saw an opportunity for meaningful research, Pandaleon grabbed a pair of forceps and went to work.

For fve weeks, she chronicled the diferences in behaviors of social parasite ants and their host ants. Pandaleon was guided by Franne Kamhi, an assistant professor of psychology who’s done extensive research on the social behavior of ants.

Kamhi said Pandaleon’s research ofers insight into how the brain works and how a species can adapt to diferent environments and patterns of social behavior.

Pandaleon developed a jeweler’s touch, using forceps to lif the six-legged buggers into petri dishes. She monitored aggression levels, grooming and feeding habits, and the willingness of ants to communicate with one another through their antennae.

“It’s been fun,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about the process of doing tests, ensuring their accuracy, and making sure there’s no bias in the testing. It’s been really interesting.”

BETSY BAAH ’27

MAJOR: EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

To the uninitiated, the pile of pebbles looks ft for landscaping jobs around the house.

Denison student Betsy Baah ’27 knows better. Tis isn’t pea gravel. It’s poop, dating to the dawn of the dinosaurs.

Some fossilized pellets may be from dinosaurs themselves, but visiting assistant professor Morrison Nolan in the Earth and environmental sciences department notes they were most likely produced by early crocodile relatives about 200 million years ago.

Regardless of the source, the fossilized feces known as coprolites can yield invaluable information on the physiology of individual animals and the ecosystems of ancient Earth.

As a Summer Scholar, Baah identifed and selected samples collected in the Petrified Forest National Park and prepared them for chemical and 3D analysis. The research taught the biology major myriad scientifc skills and led her and Nolan to conduct testing on the samples at collaborating labs at Princeton and Virginia Tech.

Not many researchers share this space, Nolan said, which means their fndings are truly breaking ground.

“We are on the cutting edge of ancient coprolite geochemistry,” he said with a grin.

“I wasn’t sure I’d get into this,” said Baah, who came to Denison from Columbus, Ohio. “But it’s been really interesting to learn all this about these animals and how they relate to modern animals.”

ABIGAIL GREENLEAF ’27

MAJOR: ENGLISH

What goes into creating a modern love story? Abigail Greenleaf ’27 spent part of the summer writing her own with the help of visiting assistant English professor Jennifer Leonard ’09.

“Working with professor Leonard was so much fun,” said Greenleaf, an economics major minoring in creative writing. “It was really nice to be given time to read books and take what I learned and apply it to the story I wrote.”

Greenleaf met Leonard in 2022 at the Reynolds Young Writers Workshop, which Denison has hosted for nearly 30 years. When the first-year student who grew up reading romance novels approached Leonard with the idea, the professor encouraged her to pursue it.

Greenleaf read several books, starting with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, tracing the evolution of female protagonists.

“With the rise of the modern feminist movement, there’s been a lot more agency given to female characters,” Greenleaf said. ”Tey have more freedom to live independent lives.”

In other words, Greenleaf’s main character, May, who’s moved to a small town afer getting laid of from a big-city marketing job, isn’t searching for her Mr. Darcy to save the family from fnancial ruin. May adapts to her new surroundings and meets a man who owns a construction company. Both characters work through their own unresolved issues.

Leonard monitored Greenleaf’s progress, reviewing the material in the story and ofering insight. Tey discussed how, in literary fction, the plot is a function of character rather than a character being a function of plot — as can sometimes be the case in genre romance.

“Abbie brought depth, rigor, and incisive detail to the page,” Leonard said. “I am grateful for the chance to work with — and be inspired by — such a dedicated and intrepid student.”

PHIL KOUTSAFTIS ’26

HYANGYOO KIM ’25

ANA PINEDA ’26

TYLER DISTENFELD ’25

In a Talbot Hall lab, four Denison students spent their summer thinking big about shrimps.

Phil Koutsafis ’26, Hyangyoo Kim ’25, Ana Pineda ’26, and Tyler Distenfeld ’25 combined their skills in biology and data analytics to delve deeper into the mysterious world of tiny sea creatures known as sponge-dwelling snapping shrimp.

Tese shrimps, about as big as your pinkie fngernail, are the only marine animals known to be eusocial. Eusocial animals live and work together in colonies led by a queen, much as bees do.

Te students worked under the guidance of assistant biology professor Solomon Chak (see page 48), a leading expert on the fascinating crustaceans and the curator of a massive collection of snapping shrimp species from around the world.

At first blush, this research may seem niche, but Chak said understanding the genetics and sociality of these animals can yield much broader scientifc insights into evolutionary biology particularly how and why some species evolved eusociality, in which they have a division of labor in reproduction and cooperate to defend themselves when threatened.

Te students, through Chak’s collection, had huge amounts of genomic, morphological, and ecological data at their fngertips, and Chak encouraged them to pursue research questions that personally appealed to each of them.

“We all took it in diferent directions,” Koutsafis said.

He and Distenfeld learned a new coding language, and all four students learned to run a laboratory. Tey also accompanied Chak to the Dominican Republic to collect snapping shrimps in the wild, giving them frsthand experience of the rewards — and challenges — of feldwork.

“Tis was a really valuable experience, especially as an undergraduate,” Kim said.

ELLIE MARTIN ’26

MAJOR: VISUAL ARTS

AMY NGUYEN ’26

MAJOR: VISUAL ARTS

Amy Nguyen ’26 and Ellie Martin ’26 wanted others to learn about the legends and folklore of their respective homelands. They spent most of their summer break in a Bryant Arts Center studio, drawing images, writing scripts, and designing layouts to illustrate their stories. Each produced a graphic novel under the direction of visual arts professor Ron Abram.

Martin, a Detroit native, focused her comic book on the formation of Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes, the native legend surrounding it, and her family experiences at the lakeshore park. Nguyen worked on an anthology of autobiographical comics about her life growing up in Vietnam, incorporating Vietnamese folklore she researched for the project.

“This project was my opportunity to introduce some of the well-known Vietnamese folklore to people at Denison,” Nguyen said.

In fall 2023, both students took the professor’s course in contemporary comics — Abram has been teaching it for two decades — and liked it so much that they wanted to produce their own graphic novels.

Martin and Nguyen loved the frequent feedback they received from Abram and the resources made available, including access to the spacious senior studio. Each student planned to self-publish her work.

“I’ve never had this much time to make art,” Martin said. “It’s nice to have the room and fexibility to work on diferent parts of the book at one time. It’s been a great experience.”

DONNA CHANG ’26

MAJOR: COMMUNICATION

As a girl in Taiwan and Guam, Donna Chang would accompany her mother on trips to the mall. Tey would go from store to store, looking at the themed displays that might be trying to sell them beachwear, wedding dresses, or Christmas gifs.

“She really enjoyed window shopping,” Chang said.

Now Chang will view such displays with a more critical eye than ever.

She and her mentor, associate professor of communication Alina Haliliuc, spent much of their summer in New Albany, Ohio, at Easton Town Center, an outdoor mall not far from Denison that bills itself as “the Midwest’s premier shopping, dining, and entertainment destination.”

Easton was built on the idea that consumers would fock to an outdoor, throwback shopping experience like they might have in the retail district of a bustling small town. Twenty-fve years later, it remains a draw for shoppers throughout central Ohio.

Chang was intrigued by the developers’ attention to detail in their eforts to sell this narrative to shoppers. She and Haliliuc spent long days recording data including the size of the sidewalks, trafc patterns, location of plantings and park-like spaces, and organization of the many commercial tenants.

“You can tell how carefully designed a place this is,” Chang said.

They watched shoppers in these public spaces, chronicled their interactions, and reviewed existing research on urban planning and similar commercial developments.

“We sought to answer the question, ‘What kind of life is being sold to us here?’” Haliliuc said. “What are they promising, and how are those promises laid down in brick and mortar and cloth?”

Tere were some revelations.

What they may have found most interesting is that even amid Easton’s contrived world, interactions between people were frequent and authentic. Tat is no small beneft in an increasingly disconnected and rootless society, they said.

“We were a little enchanted by a sense of playfulness,” Haliliuc said. “Tere are a lot of what we call ‘Instagram-able places.’

It’s a highly fabricated environment, but it still makes room for a type of public dwelling. It’s a form of place-making in a kind of non-place.”

DEA BRAHIMAJ ’26

NICKAWN NAMDAR ’26

MAJOR: BIOLOGY

Tey peered through microscopes and witnessed the arc of a cell’s life. Tey fell into the rhythm of lab work and came to rely on each other’s strengths. Tey celebrated their successes and shared one particularly crushing setback.

Dea Brahimaj ’26 and Nickawn Namdar ’26 spent their summer working alongside assistant biology professor Cristina Caldari, researching the efects of cannabidiol, or CBD, on fat cells.

CBD is wildly popular among U.S. consumers, marketed as a remedy for everything from anxiety to pain. It has shown real promise in various treatments, but little is known about how it afects fat cells and obesity.

Caldari said some studies have found that CBD can modulate infammation and fat production in cells, but much remains undiscovered. Tis line of research is timely and could have real impacts on human health.

“It’s a super-applicable feld of research,” Namdar said. “People really care about this.”

Te students raised fat cell cultures, introduced CBD to them, and observed what happened.

Teir research hasn’t gone perfectly. At one point, their cell samples were contaminated by an unknown source, forcing them to scrap everything and start over. It set them back several weeks and was a major blow for the students, but Caldari said even that was a valuable learning experience.

Tis is a real lab, she said, not some classroom simulation. Sometimes things go sideways, and you persevere regardless.

“Tis is the best summer experience I’ve had,” Brahimaj said. “It’s good to know that we’re researching something that impacts people’s lives.”

BIANA QIU ’26

MAJOR: BIOLOGY

Biana Qiu ’26 loves to paint, but she’s not used to working on surfaces as small as the tip of a mosquito’s abdomen.

“It took me 40 or 50 times to get the hang of it,” said Qiu, a biology major.

Armed with a delicate touch, a tiny brush, and a microscope, Qiu contributed to the ongoing work of Susan Villarreal, an assistant professor of biology whose research focuses on insect behavior and ecology.

Qiu spent the summer assessing the mating habits of mosquitoes based on size, large and small. One task was applying fuorescent dye — the kind used in car engines to fnd leaks — to half the male mosquitoes in the sample group. Tey were put in a chilled petri dish to temporarily numb them and prevent them from fying away.

Afer a brief mosquito mating period, Qiu donned a pair of protective glasses and checked under the microscope for fuorescent dye on the abdomen with the aid of a special fashlight. She then performed surgery to determine if the female had sperm. Using the status of the dye for the inseminated females, Qiu was able to assess which male size the female mated with.

The professor was impressed with Qiu’s precision when it came to dyeing, dissecting, and removing reproductive organs with forceps.

“I noticed right away that Biana was very careful with her techniques,” Villarreal said.

Villarreal’s research focuses on the mosquito Culex pipiens, which transmits West Nile virus. Te research on mating habits and behaviors helps inform diferent strategies to control mosquito populations and curb the spread of disease.

“I feel like I’m building on my skills as a scientist,” Qiu said. “I’ve learned so much in this lab that I would not have learned just by attending classes. I was intrigued to work with professor Villarreal because of her passion for the subject.”

LINH LUU ’25

MAJOR: ECONOMICS

The research that Linh Luu ’25 conducted as a Summer Scholar — an exploration of information theory and its possible applications in economics — is something few others are digging into.

That she is doing it as an undergraduate is nothing short of remarkable, assistant economics professor Pedro Cadenas said.

“It’s rare to see an undergraduate student taking an interest in these topics,” Cadenas said. “All of this, it’s at the margins of the discipline.”

Information theory, introduced in 1948 by engineer Claude Shannon, is a way to mathematically describe the transmission of data and communication of information.

While that may sound esoteric, the principles of information theory led to breakthroughs that have helped drive our current information age, from cellular technology to the development of compact discs.

“Linh discovered the incredible importance that information theory has in today’s world and wanted to learn more about it,” Cadenas said. “Soon we were discussing possible applications to economics.”

With Cadenas, Luu reviewed existing research on information theory and entropy, a measure of disorder in a system. She used data simulations to determine the usefulness of information theory in answering economic questions and also had a test subject in mind.

“I wondered, how can I apply information theory to measure income inequality, compared to other existing inequality measures,” she said. “Inequalities matter … they might impact political representation, health services, and the opportunity to access resources.”

“We thought the best way to start her journey was to frame it in a very narrow form and agreed that she would extend it as far as she wants, based on her curiosity,” Cadenas said.

Tat was an exciting prospect for Luu, who plans to continue the research as her senior thesis.

CAROLINE SCHUMACHER ’25

JUNAID IMRAN ’25

MAJOR: PHYSICS

First things frst. Neither is a dancer.

“I did ballet for like two years when I was 3,” Caroline Schumacher ’25 said.

Schumacher and Junaid Imran ’25 split their Summer Scholars research time between a physics laboratory in Olin Hall and their popup dance studio in Mitchell Recreation and Athletics Center.

“We’re studying a specifc jump in Irish dancing, a movement known as a ‘zoom,’” Schumacher said. “While you’re in the air, you do a 360.”

Te physics majors found a faculty mentor in associate professor Melanie Lott, chair of Denison’s physics and astronomy department and the author of Biomechanics of Dance

Lott danced when she was younger, and the physicist carried her love of the art form into her research interest in biomechanics.

More recently, she turned her scientifc eye from ballet to Irish dancers, who have been less studied in terms of their biomechanics but are particularly prone to injuries.

In their studio, Schumacher and Imran record their volunteer dancers using body sensors, six cameras, and other sophisticated equipment.

“We collect data from every single one of the dancers’ movements,” Imran said.

Back in the lab, they crunched the data and used it to create computer animations of each jump. Tey studied the dancers’ horizontal and vertical movements, the twisting motions they employ to rotate while airborne, and the forces exerted on their bodies from start to fnish.

Teir fndings might inform better Irish dance instruction but also can yield broader insights into injury prevention.

Te study has introduced them to the breadth of scientifc research, from feldwork to data analysis.

“I’m asking them to do a lot, and they’re doing it,” Lott said.

DENISON MAGAZINE

HAIMANOT ASSEFA ’26

MAJOR: GLOBAL HEALTH

The road to discovery can be a long one. In the case of Haimanot Assefa ’26, it involved a data set of 13 million hospital patient discharges.

The global health major spent her summer researching whether socioeconomic status explains the racial disparities in postoperative hysterectomy complications for women with endometriosis.

It was an ambitious project, one aided by the guidance of associate global health professor Ehab Farag.

While taking a Global Health 100 course, Assefa learned about endometriosis — a painful condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.

“It really piqued my interest,” Assefa said. “Certain races are more likely to get surgical complications afer a hysterectomy. But I couldn’t fnd any article that showed why.”

She contacted the National Inpatient Sample, the country’s largest publicly available all-payer inpatient care database, and received voluminous 2020 and 2021 reports for a $300 fee. Te student had no previous experience with statistical analysis, but Farag helped her set parameters that whittled 13 million discharges to about 6,000 involving women with endometriosis-related hysterectomy complications.

Assefa worked about seven hours a day for 10 weeks on her project. Te professor taught her how to employ mediation analysis to factor in race/ethnicity, complications, median household income for patients’ ZIP codes, and primary insurance status. Tey also worked together to select and control for 10 variables, including age, length of stay, and hospital networks.

Her research suggests socioeconomic status does not contribute to the racial disparity in the outcomes. But without pertinent information on patients’ education and occupation types, she believes her fndings remain incomplete. Assefa hopes to add that material to her ongoing research.

Ten weeks of hard work did lead to one defnitive conclusion.

“I like doing research — that’s what I’ve learned,” said Assefa, who’s on a pre-med track. “I like fguring things out and putting the pieces together.”

SHAINA KHAN ’25

ARYAH RAO ’26

MAJOR: COMPUTER SCIENCE

Te furrowing of eyebrows. Te tilting of heads. Te touching of lips or other parts of the face.

How do you spot signs of confusion? And, just as important, when is the right time to ofer assistance?

Tese are the questions Shaina Khan ’25 and Aryah Rao ’26, a pair of computer science majors, are looking to answer. Tey spent months, including a good portion of the summer, researching how people express confusion while performing small cognitive tasks.

It’s all part of a long-term project under the direction of computer science assistant professor Matthew Law.

“We want to understand what it looks like when a person is working on a problem, and they reach an impasse, and they may want help,” Law said. “Te objective is to create more timely, proactive help. Te counterexample is a digital assistant that’s always asking, ‘Do you need help?’ over and over again. Tat gets really annoying.”

Khan and Rao invited fellow students to Ebaugh Laboratories to participate in a study using cameras, computers, puzzles, and games. Students were given three puzzles to solve, with a 10-minute time limit for each. Te researchers focused on the subjects’ facial expressions, body language, and speech.

Afer completing the tasks, the subjects watched replays of their work and explained what they were feeling as their expressions and body language changed.

“We look for patterns,” Khan explained. “It involves lots of data collection. We look for particular body language and make sure we know what the students are experiencing in the moment so we can collect the most accurate information.”

Te research is ongoing and part of a collaborative efort with students and professors from Cornell University, where Law earned his doctorate in information science.

“Teir big-picture goal is to support future development of predictive models that enable timely and relevant proactive help from digital assistants,” Law said.

No matter where the arts fit into your life and experience, Arts ReMix is for you. Mark your calendars and plan to join us back on The Hill! Take part in interactive workshops, film screenings, book readings, student performances, arts facilities tours, and so much more. As part of Arts ReMix, we invite you to join us on March 6 for a conversation with the legendary actress, dancer, and singer Rita Moreno.

You won’t want to miss this gathering of some of our most creative, imaginative, and influential alums.

MARCH 5 - 8, 2025

No small task

ASSISTANT BIOLOGY PROFESSOR SOLOMON CHAK BROUGHT A COLLECTION OF 40,000 SHRIMP SPECIMENS AND SOME VERY BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT EVOLUTION.

t this very moment in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, living inside certain sponges on

ABY THEODORE DECKER PHOTOS BROOKE LAVALLEY

kaleidoscopic coral reefs, is a species of tiny and remarkable shrimp named afer a Denison University professor. For the discoverer of the species — Seattle University biologist Kristin

Hultgren — naming Synalpheus chaki for assistant biology professor Solomon Chak was an obvious choice. Chak is a leading expert on a group of crustaceans known as snapping shrimp.

Chak was fattered when Hultgren called to tell him her idea for the species name, which was registered in 2022. He is also modest, pointing out, “Te world of crustacean research is a small one.”

Snapping shrimp in particular may be small, but they are a fascinating organism that Chak believes might help unravel much grander mysteries about evolution on Earth.

Certain species of these shrimps are eusocial, dividing labor and reproductive duties in colonies led by a queen. Chak describes it as “organized, collaborative, sacrifcial, altruistic behavior.”

Tis behavior alone is not unique; all ants and termites and many wasps and bees are eusocial. But only some snapping shrimp species are. Eusocial and non-eusocial snapping shrimps coexist, sometimes inside the same host sponge, and the biological evidence so far suggests this split happened fairly recently, at least in terms of evolution.

Tat raises an obvious and as-yet-unanswered question: Why?

A more personal question regarding Chak might be: Why would one of the scientists most ardently pursuing answers to this oceanic mystery work and teach so far from the deep, blue sea?

Tat puzzle seems to deepen when you learn that Chak took his frst academic steps toward snapping shrimps even farther from the sea.

Iowa.

It was there, as an undergraduate, that Chak enrolled in an animal behavior course and joined his professor’s research into the population genetics of freshwater mussels found in the Mississippi River. From there he went to Wyoming, where he studied the genetics of land snails.

Ten he returned to his hometown of Hong Kong, where he worked as a research assistant at the Swire Institute of Marine Science. He learned to scuba dive by necessity and spent much of a full year in the cold and ofen murky water surrounding Hong Kong, getting up close and personal —sometimes too close and personal — with an especially prickly research subject: sea urchins.

“I got spines all over my hands,” he says with a laugh. While there, he met a shrimp researcher from Chile who introduced him to some unusual shrimp behaviors. “Tat’s how I started to think about shrimps,” Chak says. “Shrimps actually have a lot of diversity in social systems as well.”

He also realized he wanted to pursue his Ph.D. and landed back in the United States at the College of William and Mary. His advisor was Emmett Dufy, the

frst person to describe eusociality in the shrimps that Chak now studies.

“He’s now at the Smithsonian, doing much bigger things,” Chak says.

When Dufy lef for the Smithsonian, he gave his vast collection of snapping shrimp specimens to Chak. Tere are about 40,000 specimens, though Chak said the collection isn’t as overwhelming as it sounds, given the diminutive size of the specimens.

“We’re still working and getting data out of it, so we’re keeping it here (at Denison) for now,” he says. “Tey should eventually go to a museum.”

Snapping shrimps, of which there are about 160 described species worldwide, are known to fercely defend their host sponges when threatened and get their name from their habit of snapping an oversized for them, at least — claw loudly enough for humans to hear it.

Chak knows this research may seem niche, but he says unraveling the genetics and sociality of these animals can yield much broader scientifc insights into evolutionary biology — particularly how and why some species developed eusociality, in which there is a division of labor in reproduction and cooperation to defend themselves when threatened. Even humans share some eusocial traits.

“Why would a ‘selfsh’ animal behave altruistically, which is one characteristic of human society?” Chak says.

With ants and termites, there are no living noneusocial species to compare the eusocial species with. With snapping shrimps, there are. Of the 45 species in the Caribbean, nine are known to be eusocial.

“How would these animals come to cooperate and not reproduce for their own sake and instead help the colony, and how could such behavior evolve?” Chak says. “Tat has long been a question in animal behavior and evolutionary biology.”

Biologists dating to Darwin have pondered this same question.

Te quest for answers takes Chak a few times each year to warm seas around the world, particularly the Caribbean, as he did in the summer of 2024 with a group of Denison Summer Scholars.

Tey collected various snapping shrimp species from the waters around the Dominican Republic — including a new eusocial species that the research team frst discovered in March of Puerto Rico.

It’s not ofcial yet, but they plan to pay it forward by naming the species afer a female scientist famous for her marine research in the Dominican Republic.

Solomon Tin Chi Chak

Chak joined Denison in 2023. His research centers on animal behavior, evolution, genomics, and marine biology.

Thank you for being part of our Denison community!

“Te Reporting Project won a national Journalistic Impact Award in the annual competition.”

Journalism at Denison is ‘the real deal’

Burgeoning program takes students of Te Hill and places them in the role of working community reporters.

BY THEODORE DECKER

PHOTOS BY BROOKE LAVALLEY

On the top floor of Barney-Davis Hall, in a space that resembles a dorm room as much as a newsroom, a team of student reporters dives into another semester of community journalism.

Tis is the Monday afernoon meeting for the staf of Te Reporting Project, the nonprofit news organization of Denison’s journalism program that sends student journalists of Te Hill and out into Licking County to report on news as it happens. It is a crown jewel of the college’s growing journalism program.

The meetings are held in what students call the “J-Space,” a lounge for the journalism program with workstations, overstufed couches, and strings of party lights.

At this particular meeting, there is cake. Te staf is celebrating a big win just secured in Chicago, and not in a student contest. The Reporting Project won a national Journalistic Impact Award in the annual competition sponsored by the Local Independent Online News Publishers organization. They don’t drag out the fanfare.

#DENISONPROUD

Tere is news to cover.

“Did everyone see Donna’s story today?” asks Julia Lerner, their managing editor. “It’s a great example of, ‘I don’t care that there was a meeting, I care what was said at the meeting, what happened at the meeting.’”

Te students talk about what they’re working on and pitch new stories. Lerner and other attending faculty ofer suggestions and talk deadlines.

An arm goes up.

“Y’all don’t need to raise your hands,” Lerner says, smiling. Her point is one ofen driven home by faculty: Tis isn’t a classroom exercise. Don’t think of yourselves as students but as working journalists who are serving a community purpose, flling a void in one of America’s many news deserts.

“People talk about how the news industry is dying,” Lerner says. “I would argue that the news industry is changing, and I think Te Reporting Project is evidence of change for the better.”

Barney-Davis was built in 1893, and the building honors that past with dark wood paneling, creaking foors, and transom windows above the faculty ofce doors.

But the motto of the journalism program housed here points squarely to the future.

“Facts. Empathy. Place. Te next generation of storytellers.”

THE MAGIC SAUCE

Te program has come a long way in a few short years.

Denison has long ofered journalism classes, and more recently had concentrations in narrative nonfction writing and narrative journalism. But faculty kept hearing from students who wanted more, says professor Jack Shuler, the

journalism program director.

“Tey see history happening, and they want to document it in a way that isn’t just a tweet,” Shuler says. “Tey’re not buying into the myth that journalism is dying. I don’t believe that either, because I don’t see it dying. I see it happening, and more young people need to be doing the work.”

Denison approved the major and a minor in 2020. Both were offered to students beginning in the 2021-22 school year.

Student interest was swift. By the start of the 2024-25 school year, the department had about 90 majors and minors, Shuler says.

Shuler says the department crafed the major to stand apart from traditional journalism schools and lean into the liberal arts approach to education.

“That’s what the liberal arts does,” Shuler says. “It teaches you how to research, distill ideas, and talk to people. And that’s exactly what jour-

“We’re not a technical training school,” says journalism professor of practice Doug Swift, who specializes in documentary and multimedia storytelling. “We’re a place where students grow inwardly in the liberal arts way and also learn the modern landscape of journalism.

“We’re growing whole people,” Swif says. “That is what prepares them for a career, whatever career they choose. Tat’s the magic sauce.”

‘GET OFF THE HILL’

The course title in the catalog is Experiential Reporting, but the faculty and students know this class by another name.

Tey all call it “Get of Te Hill.”

It’s a philosophy that runs through the program. Good journalism

doesn’t happen in a classroom. You have to get out, explore the world, and talk to people.

In fall 2024, Experiential Reporting meant Swift leading trips off campus to report on Licking County farm life. Other classes in the course catalog included professor of practice Alan Miller’s Telling Stories about Place: Rural America and Opinion Writing taught by Pulitzer-winning columnist Connie Schultz, who joined Denison as a professor of practice in 2023.

Shuler and Swif had batted around the idea for Te Reporting Project — online at TeReportingProject.org — for a while. Tey knew students were producing quality work and deserved a place to showcase it beyond Barney-Davis Hall.

Supported in part by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Te Reporting Project gradually found its footing as a steady source for local news in Licking County.

The staff of 10 student reporters fan out across Licking County to cover local news, including big, ongoing stories such as the construction of a massive Intel computer-chip campus on what used to be 1,000 acres of farmland and forest. That coverage helped to win the recent award in Chicago.

Denison students also have broken stories on a local middle school administrator accused of fostering a culture of intolerance and bullying and gaps in National Weather Service radar coverage that leave some rural communities with little or no warning of dangerous storms.

Te faculty reports for the site, too, ofen sharing bylines with their students. Students not on staf can see their stories published on the site if their reporting passes muster.

With Lerner’s arrival in 2023, The Reporting Project site grew to include a weekly newsletter with more than 1,000 subscribers. Access to the news is free, and the team aims to post at least one new story a day. Lerner says they were consistently exceeding that in the fall of 2024.

As a result, Te Reporting Project has seen a steady increase in donations from readers, alums, and friends to help support the nonproft news organization now that the Mellon grant has been expended.

Local newspapers hammered by years of declining circulation and shrinking staf, such as Te Advocate in Newark and Te Columbus Dispatch, have come to depend on the reporting.

The Reporting Project has been highlighted by the Center for Community News, a University of Vermont effort that documents and supports university-led local news reporting.

A 2024 analysis by the center found that “student-reported stories were often more in-depth and complex than the coverage produced by professional journalists at other local news outlets, and that they were meeting critical information needs in their communities.”

Emma Baum ’26 spent the summer of 2024 working for The Reporting Project. She had been digging into the story about dead zones in Ohio’s weather radar coverage, and she knew she needed more.

“Studentreported stories were often more in-depth and complex than the coverage produced by professional journalists.”

Miller, who began teaching at Denison in 1999, went full-time after retiring in 2022 as the Dispatch editor, a post in which he also oversaw Gannett’s network of 21 daily papers across Ohio. Te professor of practice said Denison students are filling a necessary watchdog role when traditional media can’t.

“The smaller the paper, the fewer resources,” he says. “And the editors of smaller papers are really happy to have the stories and photos that we are producing. Tat also ups the game for the students. They know I’m not the only one who’s going to read their work.”

Ten an EF-2 tornado tore through the rural community of Frazeysburg, 25 miles east of campus. Baum knew what she had to do.

Get of Te Hill.

She hopped in her grandparents’ Honda CRV and drove to Frazeysburg, where rows of corn gave way to ruin. The community had been blindsided by a tornado spun up by an unwarned storm.

On her own, Baum documented the experiences of the shaken residents of Frazeysburg.

“Tat was a really powerful experience,” she says. “I had not expected people to be that generous with their

As part of a Reporting Project assignment, Owen Baker ’25 and Andrew Theophilus ’25 (pictured above) traveled to Hebron, Ohio, to cover the Hot Rod Drag Week at the National Trail Raceway in September 2024.

DENISON MAGAZINE

“A journalism degree at Denison will take you a long way.”

time and their stories, especially in the middle of chaos.

“I realized what my story was missing,” she says. “It needed people. It needed a heart.”

BURSTING THE COLLEGE BUBBLE

Current journalism students and recent alums say such shoe-leather reporting, strong mentorship from faculty, and stellar career guidance from assistant journalism director Beth Lossing prepare them for life, regardless of the career path they choose.

“You need storytellers in every feld,” Lossing says. “Knowing how to take esoteric language and tell a story that can reach a general audience, that’s a skill, and a much-needed one.”

By the time Jack Nimesheim ’24 graduated from Denison, he had interned at The Advocate , The Dispatch , and U.S. News & World Report

A fourth internship afer graduation at the Chicago ofce of Zeno Group, a global public relations frm, led to a full-time job a few months later.

Nimesheim loves the job, which involves pitching stories to reporters.

“A journalism degree at Denison will take you a long way, even if you decide not to go into reporting,” he says. “You learn how to write, speak well, and communicate verbally — at a time when a lot of students don’t know how to do that — and get really creative with research. Tese are skills that can help you with any number of felds.”

Miller, a newsman to his core, loves the reporting he does alongside his students, but he knows the lessons they’re learning will serve them even if they pursue other careers.

“Tey’re not only learning how to do journalism, but they’re learning how systems are supposed to work, when systems don’t work, how government

and business and transportation fit together or don’t,” he says. “They’ll be better at whatever they do because they learned to communicate in this way and learned to research and report in this way.

“I’ve met a lot of really smart people in my time as a reporter who would be a heck of a lot more efective if they had maybe taken some journalism courses,” he says.

Andrew Theophilus ’25, a staff reporter at The Reporting Project, didn’t imagine his years in college would include having local elected officials on speed dial and taking his calls.

“If you talk to students, they will tell you that college is a bit of a bubble,” he says. “What journalism does, it pops that bubble. It truly has shaped my college experience.”

Caroline Zollinger ’25 covers the nearby village of Alexandria, population 500, and her reporting on proposed industrial development there prompted concerned residents to mobilize and protect their smalltown way of life. It’s safe to say that Alexandria has not seen this much consistent attention from any news organization in decades.

“It makes me feel good, like I made a difference in their community,” she says.

Zoe Meyer ’24 and Jack Reaney ’22, now working journalists, say the Denison program was invaluable.

“Journalism parlays well with the liberal arts, with the type of person who is very open-minded and curious,” says Reaney, who reports for Explore Big Sky, a Montana news outlet.

“I am someone who is very much a generalist,” says Reaney, who studied creative writing and economics at Denison but didn’t discover journalism until his senior year. “I had drive. I just didn’t know where to take it. Journalism was the place.”

Meyer works for the Sierra Sun , a newspaper covering the Lake Tahoe region. She’s covering a little of everything, and while the pace of smalltown newspapering can be relentless, she likes that her work matters.

“I feel a sense of pride in what I do, and I absolutely love delving into people’s stories on a daily basis,” she says.

Tat’s what the journalism faculty see back on Te Hill from their students.

“No one is doing what we’re doing in Licking County, and without us, lots of people would not know what’s going on in their communities,” Lerner says.

“Students know that when they write something, it’s going to go out into the world and make an impact,” Shuler says. “It’s not just for a grade. Tey’re contributing to the greater conversation. Tey’re a part of this community. What they’re doing matters.

“Tis is the real deal.”

BIG RED SPORTS

BY TOM REED

FALL

HIGHLIGHTS

DENISON COLLECTED FOUR REGULAR-SEASON

CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SOCCER, FIELD HOCKEY, AND VOLLEYBALL. THE PREVIOUS BEST

FALL SHOWING WAS THREE TITLES IN 2018 AND 1998.

Big Red athletic programs enjoyed an unprecedented fall haul. Never had Denison won four regular-season fall sports conference championships since joining the North Coast Athletic Conference in 1984. But the Big Red wrapped up an outstanding autumn by winning outright titles in women’s soccer and volleyball and sharing the honors in field hockey and men’s soccer.

At press time, not all fall sports seasons were complete.

1 MEN’S SOCCER The Big Red qualified for the NCAA tournament for the third time in four years and earned the team’s first regular-season title since 2003, a fitting sendof to the Class of 2025.

“This senior class has changed the trajectory of the program in many ways,” said coach Brandon Bianco, in his fifth season with the program.

At press time, Denison had advanced into the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1979 with home tournament wins over Anderson University and Ohio Northern University.

2 WOMEN’S SOCCER Overcoming adversity was the theme of the season. The Big Red won the conference under second-year coach Sarah Brink despite losing four players to serious knee injuries. Center backs Kate Dalimonte ’25 and Sarah Sollinger ’26 anchored a defense that allowed just nine goals in 17 regular-season games.

VOLLEYBALL Denison won its second NCAC title in program history, fulfilling a promise players made to themselves in the summer.

“At the beginning of the year, they set a goal of winning the conference championship, and they really held themselves accountable to that,” said coach Carter Cassell, in his seventh season.

Setter Alice Kempf ’26 and outside hitter Claire Hamilton ’27 were among the team’s standouts.

3 FIELD HOCKEY The Big Red won seven consecutive games to reach the conference final. Emma Gebhart ’27 was named NCAC Ofensive Player of the Year, leading the conference with 15 goals, and Tabitha Chandler ’27 earned NCAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

FOOTBALL The Big Red said goodbye to a program legend and hello to a dynamic playmaker. Trey Fabrocini ’25 became Denison’s all-time leading rusher, surpassing the mark of Chris Spriggs ’87 (4,248 yards). Meanwhile, first-year quarterback Tyler Green ’28 threw for more than 2,000 yards and was the presumptive conference newcomer of the year.

WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY

Jane McNamara ’28 earned NCAC Newcomer of the Year honors, finishing 18th in the conference meet. Fiona Martinelli ’27 was Denison’s top finisher, placing 15th. Overall, the Big Red was fifth, two spots higher than 2023.

MEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY The team lost its top two runners to injury, but Nathan Bertman ’25 had a strong showing in the conference meet, finishing 22nd. Hudson Jones ’28 placed 37th.

A

BIG RED FOOTBALL RENAISSANCE HAS COINCIDED WITH COACH JACK HATEM’S NEW TEAM TRADITION CELEBRATING A BELOVED OLD COACH, WOODY HAYES.

Every new football season on The Hill starts with the same old story — one that coach Jack Hatem never gets tired of telling.

It involves a gridiron icon, a granite stone, and a forklift. It involves a nod to tradition, the power of belief, and the most serendipitous 50-yard drive in Big Red history.

Not that Hatem goes into all these details as he gathers his players around the Woody Hayes rock before their

BY TOM REED first practice.

glorious past. Among his first acts was to ask players to touch the Hayes rock — a gift from Denison’s graduating classes of 1935-37 — before and after every practice and on game days.

“The idea was a collaboration between me and the players at that time,” Hatem recalls.

Few American sports lean harder into traditions than college football. Picture Notre Dame players tapping the

“Play Like A Champion Today” sign before games and Ohio

BY State players singing “Carmen Ohio” to fans after games.

“This rock is here in honor of a famous Denison Big Red

But for every enduring tradition, there are hundreds of football alum, Woody Hayes,” Hatem tells his players on a

cloudless August evening. “Woody played here, he coached others that fall flat or fade away. here, and he went on to become one of the all-time greatest coaches in college football. This rock is our touch-in. When we walk by, especially before practice or a game, we touch that rock. It says we’re all in for the Big Red.”

To reverse years of losing, after being named head coach in 2010 Hatem was desperate to find a link to the program’s

“You never know if things like this are going to work,” Hatem says.

His vision helped launch a Big Red renaissance. Denison posted a 47-83 record in the 13 years before the 2010 season. They are 92-50 since Hatem took charge,

PHOTO

BROOKE LAVALLEY

including two conference titles, a 2018 NCAA playof berth, and 11 consecutive winning seasons.

“Once you touch the rock, you let all your problems outside of football go for a few hours,” says receiver Josh Aiello ’24. “You focus on the goals you’re working toward. It’s a commitment to the team.”

PLUCKED FROM OBSCURITY

The origin of many famous sports traditions features a bit of good fortune and timing. In the case of the Hayes rock, heavy machinery also was required.

When the stone arrived on campus in the early 1990s, it was placed just outside the stadium gates — about 50 yards from its present location.

“A lot of people didn’t know it was down there,” says former athletic director Larry Scheiderer. “I don’t remember anyone talking about it.”

Hatem makes it his mission to educate all incoming Big Red players on Hayes’ legacy at Denison.

“I’m kind of a college football history nerd,” says defensive back Jack Nimesheim ’24. “Knowing that Woody Hayes represented the program where I’m playing is really special to me.”

A TRADITION, AN EMOTION

On game days, alums and parents of players form a human tunnel before the start of home games. Players and coaches run through the crowd touching the rock on the way to the field.

“It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it,” says Hatem, the second-winningest coach in program history.

The tradition has become so ingrained that many players and coaches touch the rock each time they pass it. The habit isn’t restricted to current Big Red members.

In 2007, the same year Hatem was named Big Red “I absolutely love it,” says former running back Brian Mason defensive coordinator, the university completed a stadium ’09, the Indianapolis Colts’ special teams coordinator. “Every renovation project. The architects relocated the Hayes time I come back to campus, I make sure to touch it.” stone to a position of prominence on a pathway between

Mason is one of seven Denison alums currently working in the the locker room and the field.

NFL as a coach, scout, or data analyst. The school has never

“They needed a big forklift and these thick straps around the boasted so many former players in the league at one time. rock to secure it,” recalls former head of athletic It’s a tribute to Hatem’s desire to couple the program with

communications Craig Hicks. “But they couldn’t have found

a better spot for it.” its past glories. It’s also evidence of the rock’s hold over the Big Red.

UNIVERSITY OF WOODY

Hatem grew up in nearby Lancaster, Ohio, adoring the Ohio State Buckeyes and their legendary coach.

Many longtime football fans know Woody Hayes as the Michigan-hating, down-marker shredding force of nature who stalked the Buckeyes’ sidelines for 25 years, leading them to three national titles. What a lot of fans don’t realize is that Hayes played tackle for the Big Red from 1933-35 and coached them to back-to-back undefeated seasons in 1947-48.

“As I’ve gotten older, I don’t just tap it,” Nimesheim says. “It’s more like a firm embrace.”

In his office, Hatem’s voice cracks as he describes quiet moments when he stands beside the rock and talks to his coaching idol.

“I’ll put my whole hand on it, and I’ll say, ‘Coach, I’m still here.’”

“Once you touch the rock, you let all your problems

outside of

football go for

a few hours.”

David Schilling comes ‘home’ to transform men’s tennis

THE

BIG

BY TOM REED

YEARS

THE

T“Success to me is winning the national championship.”

RED HAVE WON

80 MATCHES IN FOUR COACH MAUREEN HIRT FACED MORE THAN A FEW CHALLENGES

UNDER SCHILLING

’89,

INTENSITY — AND THE EXPECTATIONS.

WHO’S PUMPED UP THIS BASKETBALL SEASON — AND EMERGED THE VICTOR.

im Cianciola ’22 recalled the relentless running and full-throttle intensity of the first week of men’s tennis practice under coach David Schilling ’89.

Cianciola was part of the search committee tasked with selecting a new coach in 2020. He favored Schilling, a longtime Ohio State University assistant coach, but four years later, Cianciola laughed about the memories of those early culture-shifting training sessions.

“He had us working hard,” Cianciola said. “I can remember thinking, ‘Did I make a mistake with my choice?’ But it didn’t take long to see how coach Schilling’s plan was going to pay of for us.”

Cianciola blossomed into an All-American under Schilling’s guidance, and the Big Red program has enjoyed its most successful stretch, posting an 80-16 record and qualifying for four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

In 2024, Denison reached the NCAA Division III Elite Eight for the first time in history, and Schilling aspires to win a national championship in the next two seasons with his junior-laden nucleus.

“David’s vast experience in Division III and Division I made him the quintessential candidate to take a strong program to the next level,” Denison athletic director Nan CarneyDeBord said. “He has done just that.”

#DENISONPROUD

‘A SPECIAL PLACE’

Schilling had opportunities to become a head coach during his two-decade stint with the national powerhouse Buckeyes but didn’t act on them.

When the Denison job came open in 2020, Schilling was intrigued. He previously had coached at the College of Wooster and Kenyon College and knew the Division III talent level was vastly improving.

In researching the Big Red vacancy, Schilling was impressed by the leadership of President Adam Weinberg and the direction of the athletic department under Carney-DeBord.

“I kept hearing amazing things about the leadership team at Denison and how much support there is for athletics,” he said.

Schilling played on four consecutive NCAC title teams and had a treasure chest of great memories from his time on The Hill.

“This is a special, special place for me,” he said. “There’s a great sense of community here. It just felt like I was coming home.”

TEAM CAMARADERIE

Schilling looks for three traits in Big Red players: a willingness to work, a desire to compete, and a commitment to support teammates.

Every coach is searching for talent, and Schilling is no

exception. But it’s the intangibles that often change cultures and transform good programs into great ones.

“In junior tennis, you’re playing for yourself — it’s about the individual,” said Kael Shah ’26, who became the first player in program history to reach an NCAA singles final in 2024. “In college tennis, you’re playing for a team, and the energy you bring to the court is important to the team’s success.”

The Big Red play a heavy metal brand of tennis — harddriving and loud. Schilling has players shouting encouragement to teammates on match days.

Ethan Green ’26, who reached the 2024 NCAA doubles semifinals with Shah, said the emphasis on team building in a sport not known for it was an adjustment. But he likes the camaraderie Schilling has created. Jacob Patterson ’26, who competed in the NCAA singles competition, also touts the advantages.

“I didn’t realize as much as I do now how much the support of my teammates can help me in a close match,” Patterson said. “That support can really make a diference.”

A HIGH BAR

Schilling is familiar with the art of coachspeak, but he doesn’t dabble in it.

When asked to define team success, given last season’s achievements and the returning players on the roster, Schilling will not bore listeners with talk of “the process” or “doing the right things.”

“Success to me is winning the national championship,” he said. “I’m unapologetic about that, and if we don’t do that over the next two years — no matter what school records we set or new heights we reach — it will be a little disappointing for me.”

DENISON MAGAZINE

The Big Red lost in the 2024 NCAA team quarterfinals to eventual national champion University of Chicago. Patterson and Shah lost to the eventual national champion in singles competition. It was the same for Shah and Green in doubles action.

Coming so close to glory produced a mixture of pride and pain. Now, it’s about raising expectations to take the next step.

It’s said within sporting circles that good is the enemy of great. Schilling said the Big Red cannot be satisfied with the team’s historic 2024 run.

Denison is led by its three outstanding juniors: Shah, Patterson, and Green. The program also welcomes back talented Andreas Chapides ’26, who missed all last season with a knee injury.

“It’s going to depend on these three juniors and Andreas to set the tone,” the coach said. “You can continue to progress and gain confidence, or you can spend the year patting yourself on the back. We’re going to talk a lot about maturity this year.”

Green and Shah added to the Big Red’s run of historic firsts in the fall of 2024. Green reached the final of the ITA Cup singles competition and combined with Shah to do the same in doubles. Previously, Denison never had players advance to the semifinals in either event.

Schilling says there’s no “secret sauce” in building a national title contender. He believes, however, that players learn the most when someone’s keeping score and something’s riding on the outcome.

“When I came here, we set the bar very high,” Schilling said. “We still have work to do.”

Te Big Red play a heavy metal brand of tennis — hard-driving and loud.

THE BASEBALL STAR WHO DOESN’T ACT LIKE ONE

ERIC COLACO’S SELFLESS COMMITMENT LED TO A RECORD-BREAKING SEASON AND NATIONAL HONORS. AS A SENIOR, HE’S HUNGRY FOR MORE.

As a child, Eric Colaco ’25 fell asleep at night

CONQUERING ADVERSITY clutching his baseball glove to his chest — a

The essence of Colaco’s competitiveness can be illustrated security blanket made of leather, lace, and dreams. in one sequence — the one in which he was injured against Spalding University on March 5, 2023.

His mother, Amy, cannot recall how long he clung to the mitt, but baseball’s grip on her youngest son only

Diving back to first base to avoid a pick-of attempt, tightened. While he played other sports growing up in something he’s done hundreds of times, Colaco jammed suburban Cleveland, only one was his passion. his right shoulder and immediately felt a surge of pain. Instead of coming out of the game, he stole second base Amy remembers how a family babysitter failed to convert on the next pitch.

Colaco, a diehard Guardians supporter, into a Yankees fan.

BY TOM REED

After receiving assurances from doctors that he could do

“Eric is very loyal,” his mother said. no further damage to his shoulder, Colaco remained in Denison baseball coach Mike Deegan and the Big Red have the lineup. He didn’t miss a game during his sophomore

learned all about Colaco’s love of the game and his unwavering commitment.

As a sophomore, the speedy outfielder played almost the entire season — through an NCAA regional appearance — with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Following recovery from shoulder surgery, which jeopardized his return in the spring of 2024, Colaco worked his way back to lead the Big Red to their best season in program history, falling just short of a World Series appearance.

Colaco, reigning D3Baseball.com Division III Player of the Year, isn’t satisfied.

“Getting to an NCAA Super Regional for the first time was really cool,” he said. “But we have the talent on this team to get back. Having a chance to win a World Series is something I want to experience. I really want to do it with this team.”

#DENISONPROUD

season, leading the Big Red in hits (76), home runs (10), and stolen bases (38). His only concession on ofense was sliding feet rather than head first.

“As soon as I realized I could still swing a bat, there was no way I wasn’t playing,” said the two-time NCAC player of the year.

What Colaco wasn’t expecting to do, however, was play the field again late in the 2023 season. The injury made throwing the ball a challenge.

But when one of the team’s starting outfielders got hurt, Colaco relinquished his role as designated hitter, grabbed his mitt, and returned to his natural position. He didn’t commit a single error as Denison went 36-10 and qualified for the NCAA tournament.

“The reason we all rave about Eric is he’s a special player and a special person,” coach Mike Deegan said. “It’s hard to put into words what he’s meant to the program. When your best players are that selfless, it’s tough for others to complain.”

TRIUMPHANT RETURN

In the final weeks of the 2023 fall semester, Colaco sat in Deegan’s office for an emotional meeting. Months after shoulder surgery, the outfielder was not close to returning to action.

Everything else about his life on The Hill was great for the economics major. But he had chosen Denison not only for a quality liberal arts education but also for the chance to play a sport that still made him feel like that kid who slept with his glove.

“It was a tough time,” Amy recalled. “Any parent can appreciate what it’s like to see their child struggle. Eric came home for the holidays and started seeing a physical therapist.”

That was the turning point. Colaco worked diligently on his rehab and continued with the Denison training staf. He felt his shoulder grow stronger. His range of motion returned.

He singled in the season opener and finished the year ranked first among Division III players in doubles (28), second in runs (79), and third in hits (89) and stolen bases (42). The Big Red won a school-record 42 games and reached the super regional final series.

Deegan was thrilled to see Colaco’s eforts rewarded with national player-of-the-year recognition.

“He’s a star at this level that doesn’t act like a star,” Deegan said. “He pours himself into the team.”

Colaco spent the summer of 2024 playing for the Chillicothe (Ohio) Paints of the Prospect League and was voted its top player by league managers. The outfielder looks to lead the Big Red to a national title in 2025 before playing professionally.

“He’s gonna be a pro player, I have no doubts about that,” Deegan said. “It’s just a matter of getting the right opportunity. He’s got the talent and drive to be a pro.”

THE DENISON ALUM BEHIND POLE-VAULTING GOLD

James Baker ’20 helped an Australian pole vaulter soar to Olympic gold. The lessons he learned in the HESS program set him up for success.

BY TOM REED

James Baker ’20 was aware of Denison s reputation as a national swimming and diving powerhouse when he chose to attend the university. But it was a fledgling academic program that sealed his decision.

I committed to Denison on the promise of HESS,” said Baker of the health, exercise, and sport studies department, which began ofering classes in 2016. His commitment helped produce a gold medal winning performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Baker has been working for an Australian sports institute while pursuing a doctorate in biomechanics at the University of Western Australia. With the world watching, one of his athletes, Nina Kennedy, struck gold in the women s pole vault.

James wants to be on the international stage working with the best athletes, said HESS associate professor Eric Winters. He achieved his dreams early in his career.

While at Denison, Baker was part of back to back NCAA men s swimming and diving championship teams (2018 19). The Honeoye Falls, New York, native takes as much pride in adding to the burgeoning legacy of HESS.

Baker, a President s Medalist, said his liberal arts education provided the broad based foundation for his career in sports science. He spent two summers on The Hill working with Winters, professor Steven Doty, and associate professor Melanie Lott both of the physics and astronomy department — on a project that played a vital role in Baker landing his current position at the Western Australian Institute of Sport in Perth.

Baker participated in a biomechanical study of youth baseball players throwing pitches using sophisticated camera technology making him an ideal candidate to work as a biomechanist at the sports institute affiliated with the University of Western Australia.

It s a testament to Denison that coming out of an undergraduate school, he had the skills, knowledge, and experience to step into an important role, Winters said.

Since arriving at the institute, Baker has worked exclusively with Australia’s top pole vaulters. He stayed up late to see Kennedy win gold in the Olympic final. A few hours later, he was back at the institute — bleary eyed but proud.

DENISON MAGAZINE

The Gentlemen of Stone Hall, all Class of 2004, from left: Alex Moffat, Nic Covey, Frank

Five friends, one couch, 150 cheese balls

TWENTY YEARS LATER, THE ROOMMATES OF STONE HALL 105 RETURN TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN.

Tat year, their last at Denison, their couch had a name. Tey called it Patch MacDougal.

Patch had — and here you would clear your throat — “character.”

“It was orange plaid, with hints of brown, green, and mustard,” says Frank Ward.

“I think that was real mustard,” Alex Mofat says.

Twenty years have passed since this group of friends Ward, Moffat, Nic Covey, Phil Palmer, and John Hammond — moved out of their senior year suite on South Quad.

On May 30, 2024, they moved back in for Denison’s Reunion.

You might have thought them an odd mix of students on campus, and they have followed wildly diferent professional paths since leaving Denison.

At Denison, Covey and Ward were DJs on the student-run radio station. Mofat and Palmer played rugby. Covey, Hammond, and Ward were Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity brothers. Ward and Covey led student government, and Moffat served in the student senate. Moffat waited tables at both the Buxton Inn and a nearby Olive Garden. Palmer was a volunteer frefghter in Granville.

Today, Covey, a former Kroger executive, is a vice president of strategic relationships at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Palmer is a newly retired career frefghter pursuing his MBA. Moffat is an actor and comedian who spent six years as a regular on Saturday Night Live. Hammond is the deputy chief of staf for Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb. Ward is a founding partner of the Poplar Group, a public afairs and strategic consulting frm with ofces in Austin and Nashville.

THE GENTLEMEN OF STONE HALL AND THEIR CHEESE BALLS

By Friday morning of Reunion, as they prepare for a 9:40 a.m. tee time at the Denison Golf Club, it already feels as though they never lef.

Two of the five are wearing custom “Stone 105” golf shirts. Mofat emerges from one of the bedrooms wearing a thermal undershirt patterned with cherries and raggedly cut into a crop top. His hair appears to have been shocked upright by electricity.

“Why are we doing this so early!” he shouts, brushing his teeth with foaming ferocity.

Tese fve knew each other throughout their time at Denison, but it wasn’t until their senior year that they all moved into Stone 105, a two-bedroom suite with high ceilings, wood foors, and huge, arched windows.

“It felt like the classic college experience,” Covey says.

Te room has changed some since they lived here, they say. Te kitchen and bathroom were fipped, and the bathroom used to have a tub.

“It served as an extra bed,” Palmer says.

Tey slip into the fast and easy banter that comes with being friends this long.

BY THEODORE DECKER

They’ve peeked into their old room, Stone 105, occasionally through the years — “sometimes to the current residents’ delight, other times to their confusion,” Covey says — but this is their frst chance to make it wholly their own again, if only for the weekend.

#DENISONPROUD

They recall how they installed in the room an abandoned arcade-style basketball “pop-a-shot” game that they snagged from a Granville curb and threw into, or maybe on top of, Palmer’s car.

“A ’96 Nissan Pathfnder,” Palmer says. “Gold. Manual transmission. Great car.”

And they refect on Ward’s creature comforts, including his “legendary” towel warmer.

Ward, Philip Palmer, and John Hammond.

“Frank’s mother cleaned out the Sharper Image catalog several years running,” Hammond says.

Ward maintains that as a native North Carolinian not accustomed to Ohio winters, this was more necessity than luxury.

Tey made Room 105 their own. Christmas trees were strictly forbidden, which of course meant they had a fnely decorated one stowed in a closet.

They loved the location of their hall, down The Hill. They felt close to the heart of Granville and refined as seniors, entertaining guests with magnum bottles of Yellow Tail merlot and hors d’oeuvres.

“We probably ate 150 port wine cheese balls that year,” Covey says. (Ward disputes this estimate as “far too high.”)

Tey brought both the Yellow Tail and the cheese balls

with them to Reunion, along with Jameson whiskey, the official libation of the Stone 105ers.

THIS IS NOT AN ARTICLE ABOUT FRANK’S COUCH

But what of Patch MacDougal?

Presumably, Patch — that storied couch Ward and Hammond procured on East Quad for $43 during their frst week at Denison — long ago ascended to the great thrif store in the sky.

At the close of senior year, “we had like a two-week long discussion about who was going to take Patch,” Hammond says.

Tere was talk of hauling Patch to the top of Sugar Loaf Hill for a fnal Granville sunset, or of giving it a proper

burial at sea in Ebaugh Pond.

“I thought that’s what happened,” Mofat says, laughing at the idea that their “dumb couch” was dominating the morning conversation.

“It’s not a dumb couch,” Ward says.

“You’re right,” Mofat says. “It was a very smart couch.”

As Ward remembers it, they watched as Patch was hauled of late in the day of their commencement by the Denison University recycling program, the same program he and Hammond had bought it from four years earlier.

“We think Patch is still out there and has likely provided a respite to many a fortunate Denisonian since,” Ward says.

“Tis is now an article about Frank’s couch,” Palmer says.

Maybe on the surface it is. But beneath the dated upholstery, it’s a story about that time in your life when you have found your adult self and your frst adult friends, and you set of together on whatever comes next. Covey points out that their time at Denison was only the spark of something greater.

As is the case with so many Denison friend groups, the Stone Five didn’t go their separate ways afer graduation.

Tey now have “Stone Fwives” — their words, not ours — with 11 children among them. Ward married Marion, an ’03 alum. Covey was introduced to his wife, Meghan, through a Denison friend. Moffat married Caroline, whose mother, a 1974 Denison grad, was in town for this same Reunion. Palmer married Gwen, an ’04 alum he got to know years afer graduation.

Hammond, in a turn of events no one saw coming, married Ward’s sister, Victoria.

Te friends have shared milestones and made time for last-minute meet-ups. During one joint 40th birthday celebration along the Pacifc coast in 2022, they established and have been paying into a Denison scholarship aimed at students who exhibit the diverse interests and skills of a Denisonian. Tey hope to have it fully funded in two years, Ward says.

“In the time since we’ve graduated, we’ve had 20 years to go through life’s ups and downs together,” Covey says. “Te table was set during our senior year at Denison, but our friendship has really been built since then.

“My wife found some old Denison papers from me, including a card from Frank. Te tenor of his card was, ‘I hope we stay in touch.’ It’s 20 years later, and I talk to Frank Ward three times a week now.”

Ward isn’t afraid to say it.

“I think there’s a true, genuine love for one another,” he says. “It’s something I cherish. I can’t imagine my Denison experience without these guys.”

Mofat can’t resist.

“Our friendship has aged,” he says, “like a fne port wine cheese ball.”

“Te table was set during our senior year at Denison, but our friendship has really been built since then.”

Brooke LaValley

Celebrating Reunion?

HERE ARE TWO EASY WAYS TO JOIN YOUR CLASS IN GIVING BACK TO DENISON!

1

Make a gift that supports future Denisonians and will be celebrated during the Alumni Convocation.

2

Join your Reunion class committee to connect with friends and classmates and help plan a memorable celebration of your shared history and achievements.

Reunion Recap

REUNION 2024 KICKED OFF WITH THE ESTEEMED CLASS OF 1974 (THERE THEY ARE AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT) AND ROLLED INTO A WEEKEND OF HUGS AND LAUGHTER, REFLECTION AND RECONNECTION.

ClassNotes

1950 s

“Te world is so diferent, but Denison is still holding on to the strong traditions that have stayed a part of my entire life.”

1953 Herb Brown , of Columbus, Ohio, published his third novel, Darkness Lies In Wait , a character-driven, psychological thriller — the terrifying story of a woman pursued by a man whose dark side has been unleashed by her accusation of rape, inspired by the facts of a case argued before him when he was a justice on the Ohio Supreme Court. In addition, Brown’s seventh play, Te Drums of War, about the relationship between Winston Churchill, Harry Hopkins, and Franklin Roosevelt, played at the Abbey Teater in Dublin, Ohio, in January 2024. A revival of his play You’re My Boy, about the relationship between Richard Nixon and Dwight Eisenhower, will play at the Abbey Teater for two weeks in June 2025.

1956 Dave Jones , of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, hung up the stethoscope just shy of age 90 and afer over 25 years of volunteering.

1960 s

1961 Pam Maull Wiley, of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, writes that as her first great-grandson, Mateo, was on the way, she was cast in a play, We All Fall Down , for the Sarasota Jewish Teatre. “I thought my performing and directing days were over, but no! And I had the time of my life making the audiences laugh — oh, how I have loved doing that.” She returned to the stage several months later, presenting poetry in action as an actor. “I am now 85, loving every day,” she writes. “Te world is so diferent, but Denison is still holding on to the strong traditions that have stayed a part of my entire life. I was profoundly fortunate to have been university-educated at DENISON.”

1963 Rick Taylor, of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, has released Ida Mae And Her Passage To Chautauqua , a book that’s already received several favorable endorsements. Learn more at readricktaylor.com

the brothers who have passed on — Frank Dahl, Dave McLennan, Norm Westerhold, Bill Carleton, and Tom Africa — by meeting at the Phi Lodge for a toast to the departed. “Te next reunion will be in July 2025,” he writes. “We would be happy to supply a recent photo so that everyone can see how little we have all aged!”

1965 Bruce Cumings retired from teaching in the history department at the University of Chicago.

1967 Tom Furlong , of Alexandria, Minnesota, is a retired journalist who spent his adult life working for newspapers in Illinois and Southern California, including 27 years as a reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times. He’s also a veteran who spent more than three years as a Navy ofcer during the Vietnam War. His new book, Te Red Widow: A Story of Journalism, Treachery, Betrayal and Murder, is a fast-paced thriller that draws heavily on the author’s 37 years in the chaos of a dying American newspaper business. Kirkus Reviews calls the novel “a well-plotted thriller that will keep readers engrossed to the very end.” Te narrative takes place over 15 years, starting in the days just before Sept. 11, 2001, and features an unhappy reporting couple stationed in Sydney, Australia, for the mythical New York Herald

1968 Tom Demo, of Fairlawn, Ohio, was a starter on the 75-and-over national champion team at the National Masters Basketball tournament in Coral Springs, Florida. This was his sixth national championship, keeping alive his streak of winning in age groups of 60, 65, 70, and now 75. He has been on five U.S. World Champion teams and is looking forward to the World Masters Championship next year in Switzerland.

Desmond Green , of Cincinnati, runs a higher learning center, Reverence for Life University.

1970 s

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1964 Dave King , of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, reports that every two years, the pledge class of 1964 Phi Delta Teta gathers in Granville to celebrate their friendship and brotherhood. Their numbers have dwindled, but those remaining include Gordon Rheinstron, Bill Marks, Mike Snyder, Dave King, Greg Gibson, Bill Kramer, Craig Standen, Bill Keogh, Roger Ames, Ben Rader, and Riley Morgan (names in no particular order, King notes — “certainly not GPA”). Tey also remember

1970 Ed Morris , of Lawrence, Kansas, retired in 2024 after 49 years as a faculty member at the University of Kansas, the last 20 in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science. He is now a professor emeritus. He describes his tenure as “often the best of times, occasionally the worst of times, but in all, a heck of a time.” In 2025, he will receive the Career Achievement Award from the Society for the History of Psychology of the American Psychological Association. In 2026, he will receive the Distinguished Service to Behavior Analysis Award from the Society for the Advancement

Te songwriter who stuck

He was at Denison for only a year, but Layng Martine Jr. lef an impression.

BY SUSAN SZYKOWNY

Malcolm Gladwell famously asserted a theory of “sticky” ideas, those concepts that are interesting enough to remain in our consciousness afer even a brief exposure to them. Some members of the Class of 1964 were lucky enough to meet a remarkably “sticky” person, someone whose single year in Granville was outpaced in every way by the impact he continues to have on the guys he met at the other end of Smith Hall. Te year was 1960, and three frst-year athletes, hailing from Ohio, Iowa, and Connecticut, found themselves connected by campus housing and their sports, track and football. Neal Zimmers, John Lowenberg, and Layng Martine Jr. hit it of immediately, bonding over many of the same frst-year experiences that still feel universal. At the end of that year, though, Zimmers and Lowenberg had to bid adieu to Martine, who headed back east.

Remarkably, their friendships not only endured over the ensuing 60 years but expanded in ways that drew other Denisonians into Martine’s orbit.

Lowenberg, a lifetime Denison trustee, is efusive about Martine, sharing stories about his friend with tremendous animation. Today, the friendship that began in Granville is characterized by travel together, regular telephone conversations, and presence at important life events. Lowenberg speaks of the twinkle in Martine’s eye, his big smile, his kindness and generosity, and refers to him as “the most memorable character” in his life. Zimmers emphasizes his character, writing, “I remember him as a fne halfack and sprinter, but more importantly as a great guy. He was a good friend. We knew with his talent that he would go far.”

It turns out that Martine went far enough in his ultimate career, songwriting, to be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Denisonians of every vintage are likely to be familiar with some of his hits, from the last song Elvis Presley recorded, “Way Down,” to “Rub It In” — a tune that was, with a slight lyrical modifcation, destined to endure for 17 years as an earworm for Glade air fresheners (“Plug It In”). Boasting a back catalog of some 600 tunes, Martine’s career stretched from New York to Nashville.

Martine’s presence in the music industry was hard won. He didn’t play an instrument until he was 23, and the idea of writing songs didn’t come to him until he was around 20 years old. He pitched early songs a cappella, inside bars and studios in New York City. Martine made lasting and positive impressions on others and, over time, wrote for an

enormous range of artists, including The Pointer Sisters, Reba McIntyre, and Barry Manilow. Troughout it all, he, Lowenberg, and Zimmers stayed in touch.

Martine’s friends also admire his devotion to Linda, his wife of nearly 50 years, who was paralyzed in 1993. When the accident interrupted what had felt like a charmed existence, Martine wrote a wildly popular “Modern Love” column for the New York Times , capturing the couple’s resilience and joy: “And we’ve learned that alongside great loss we can still have a great life. We want it so badly, and we love it so much.”

In 2020, Lowenberg sent Lifetime Trustee Mark Dalton ’72 a copy of Martine’s autobiography, Permission to Fly . Dalton mentioned it at a gathering, only to learn that someone present was a Nashvillian and a friend of Martine’s. Introductions were made on the spot, and another Denison connection evolved. Dalton regularly meets with Martine and has learned that Don Taylor ’80 is also Martine’s neighbor and friend.

In the continuing story of a firstyear who “stuck,” President Adam Weinberg’s assertion that relationship is in the DNA of Denison finds articulation.

JUNE 5–7, 2025 A 50th Reunion celebration for the Class of 1975

JUNE 6-8

Celebrating the Classes of 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2000, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2020 Registration opens in JANUARY

Early bird registration MARCH 31

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Class Notes

1970-1988

of Behavior Analysis. He remains in Lawrence near immediate family, friends, and colleagues.

Tom Oldham , of Houston, writes that he is “extremely grateful for the various members of the Denison faculty who helped me develop the skills that enabled me to have a very satisfying career as a lawyer and law professor. I enjoyed serving on the 50th reunion planning committee for our class, where I had the opportunity to learn a bit about the post-Denison lives of various classmates. Rosemary and I are now spending a lot of time in Pacifc Grove, California, on Monterey Bay, which is a spectacular place.”

1971 Ralph Lindeman , of Bethesda, Maryland, won an Ohio history book award given by Bowling Green State University for his book, Confederates From Canada — John Yates Beall and the Rebel Raids on the Great Lakes The book, published by McFarland & Co., focuses on Confederate efforts to inflame anti-war sentiments in northern states during the fnal stages of the Civil War by conducting raids from Canada, including a raid on the Johnson’s Island prison camp near Sandusky, Ohio.

1973 Afer she had four children — “one at a time,” she notes, “thank you” — Val Hartman Miller, of Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, entertained her late nights by reading romance novels. “And then I got the crazy idea to try to write one, counting on my BA in English. My friend was trying to do the same, so we melded our diferent talents together to write a historical romance and got an agent to market our work. An editor at one of the big publishers took our book then lost it in a shufe of personnel, and she was one of the casualties.” Ten years later, Miller had written seven novels, with two more in various stages of completion. She now has her frst published contemporary romance, Te Perfect Melody, by Cate McCombs. It is 938 pages, the equivalent of a three-book series, except without the yearslong wait for the second and third installments, she writes, noting: “Six more books are in the works, all contemporary romances and considerably shorter.”

“We

have started or improved nearly 4,000 small libraries in 13 sub-Saharan Anglophone countries.”

New science fiction from Keith McWalter, of Granville, Ohio, asks, “What if boomers lived forever?” In Lifers , McWalter explores society’s growing fascination and the potential consequences of prolonging human lifespan while pondering the age-old question: What is the meaning of existence? Based on nonfction works such as Chip Walker’s Immortality, Inc. and Andrew Steele’s Ageless, McWalter delivers a genre-blending speculative fction novel grounded in the trajectory of our current society.

1972 Richard Brunk , of Caldwell, Texas, retired from the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps in 2012 and full-time parish ministry in 2019. He continues to provide interim ministry and mentoring for pastoral students. He began mission work in Seine Bight Village, Belize, which was the subject of the Doctor of Ministry dissertation he completed in May 2024, graduating on June 6, 2024.

Helen French Graves , of Scituate, Massachusetts, went snorkeling off the Antarctic Peninsula. Here she is in the foreground, wearing three layers of clothing under a dry suit and searching for penguins during a daily swim while in Antarctica in December 2023 . “My father told me, if I went anywhere, to go to Antarctica,” she writes. “He was so right.”

1974 Phil Moshier, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, was honored at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Northern Chapter’s annual gala in November 2024. Moshier’s son, Mike, has been living with Crohn’s disease for his entire adult life, and Mosier has supported him as both a caregiver and volunteer with the foundation. He has served on the local board and as chair of the annual golf outing and contributed significantly to the progress of the foundation’s mission.

1975 Chris Bradshaw, of Portola Valley, California, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the nonproft he started, the African Library Project. “Using the industriousness and compassion of American and Canadian volunteers and the hard work and passion to develop the countries of our African partners,” he writes, “we have started or improved nearly 4,000 small libraries (just 17 more to go) in 13 sub-Saharan Anglophone countries.” Bradshaw said his junior year abroad attending Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone and then traveling solo across western and central Africa inspired his work.

Ginny Csider, of North Olmsted, Ohio, retired from corporate consulting and is having a blast working parttime selling furniture.

JD Daly, of Chelsea, Michigan, enjoyed reuniting with Stephen Curl ’75, Ray Yourd ’75, Neil Smith ’76 , Mark Beckstrand ’77, Fred Harned ’77, and Andy Gamble ’78 at the MerleFest bluegrass festival in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Daly reports he met Curl’s new bride, Karen Hamilton Kelly, for the frst time.

Afer earning an MFA from the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing at Spalding University in 2013, Mary Mueller Knight , of Lexington, Kentucky, published her debut novel, Saving Wonder, with Scholastic Press in 2016. The novel garnered awards including the Green Earth

Book Award, a People’s Choice Award, and a Sigurd Olsen Nature Writing award. Her follow-up novel, intended for ages 9-12, What Te Seahorse Told Me, was published in August 2024. Knight speaks at schools and conferences around the country. She is grateful to the Denison English department faculty who taught and encouraged her, including Paul Bennett, Dom Consolo, Bill Nichols, Ken Marshall, and Dick Kraus. Her Denison education, she says, set her up to thrive.

1976 Carley Evans , of Summerville, South Carolina, known as Val during her time at Denison, is a poet and novelist who has written 17 novels. She retired in 2020 afer 25 years of working as a medical speech language pathologist for MUSC in Charleston, South Carolina. She has taken up portrait oil painting and enjoys walking, biking, and geocaching.

Mark Wilhelm, of Mineral Point, Wisconsin, retired from the Mayo Clinic as a consultant in infectious diseases.

1978 David Jonas , of Alexandria, Virginia, reports that he intends to watch one Denison men’s tennis team match annually. Jonas is a big fan of the team, which has come a long way since 1978. He came to Denison last year to watch a doubleheader match, which the team won handily. He credits that win to his teaching the team the latest tennis tips and tricks from the 1970s (a joke, he insists). Jonas hit some balls with the team and is shown here with Jack Bulger ’23 and Andy Mackler ’24 at Denison’s new indoor tennis facility. Tis year, Jonas traveled to Atlanta in March to watch the team play the higher-ranked Emory University. Jonas predicts that with the superb coaching of David Schilling ’89, the team will be No. 1 in Division III within the next fve to 10 years — and he hopes to be there to see it happen.

Steve Matteucci, of Phoenix, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Fellow Denisonian Jim Oelschager ’64 received the award in 2020.

Rick Maxson , of Boerne, Texas, is permissions editor for Tweetspeak Poetry (TS Poetry Press in Ossining, New York.) His book of memoir/poems, Under the Pearl Moon, was published December 2023. He’s also appeared in publications including Tania Runyan’s How to Read a Poem: Based on the Billy Collins Poem “Introduction to Poetry” and How to Write a Form Poem: A Guided Tour of 10 Fabulous Forms, as well as in Sara Barkat’s Earth Song: A Nature Poems Experience . His poem “Birds in Home Depot-December” has also appeared on The Poetry Foundation’s Te Slowdown podcast.

1980 s

1980 Barry Dubinsky, of Loxahatchee, Florida, is a partner at the multistate law frm Hickey Smith Dodd PA.

Bob Grove , of Newark, Ohio, marked his 11th year with the Licking County Prosecutor’s ofce, in charge of the fle room as the imaging technician and fle clerk for the ofce. He’s hoping to retire in the next few years.

Charlotte Hamilton , of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, completed a master’s in library and information sciences at the University of South Carolina and is working as a reference/interlibrary loan librarian at the Charleston County Public Library.

Mark Shaw, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, marked 40 years of starting companies in the environmental feld, helping prevent or clean up toxic waste, and developing advanced technologies.

Mike Vogan , of Henniker, New Hampshire, retired from teaching and took a position in the fnancial aid ofce at New England College.

1982 Twenty years after discussing taking a trip together, four friends from the Class of 1982 fnally did. Mary Ellen Watzka Chardavoyne , Jane Salisbury Hogenkamp, Caroline Cooke , and Suzanne Landon spent several days sightseeing, e-biking, and eating their way across Austin, Texas. Landon reports it was a great way to have fun and reconnect with old friends.

1984 Kathi Kiebler, of Burke, Virginia, received a master’s of library and information science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

1987 Joe Burke , of Rocky River, Ohio, was elected to a six-year term as judge of the Rocky River Municipal Court beginning Jan. 1, 2024.

1988 Deidra Brown Reese , of Westerville, Ohio, recently became the voter engagement director for the Ohio Organizing Collaborative and was appointed to

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Class Notes

the National Social Action Commission of Delta Sigma Teta Sorority, where she helps develop training, civic engagement, and policy statements on behalf of the international sorority.

1989 Dean Weaver, of Temperance, Michigan, is an adjunct professor of business law at Concordia University Wisconsin.

1990 s

1992 Oliver Ade, of Northbrook, Illinois, is senior vice president, partnership engagement leader for Ascot Group.

1993 J. Mackey Gallery in East Hampton presented “Beyond Your Glittering Eyes,” a solo exhibition of works by artist Ellen Gurley Ball, of Greenwich, Connecticut. Ball’s exhibition employed large-scale mixed media paintings to explore the tension between women’s empowerment and entrapment by beauty standards and conventional expectations.

Travis Brady, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, published Make Room for Healing: 40 Tips from a Breast Cancer Survivor , a nonfiction book sharing all the information she wished she had when she was frst diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.

Heather Cunningham , of Sunnyside, New York, spent a year helping to develop a new play, Bettye And Te Jockettes Spinning Records At Te Holiday Inn by Christie Perfetti Williams, which premiered in New York City’s Gene Frankel Teatre on May 3, 2024. Retro Productions, for which Cunningham is the producing artistic director, produced the play, and Cunningham brought Bettye to life on the stage.

Cama Bonneau Piccini , of Orlando, was appointed vice president of HR operations for North America for Thales Group. Thales is a global leader in new technologies for the aerospace, space, defense, security, and transportation markets.

Elizabeth Clark Thasiah, of Ventura, California, was appointed vice president of the Santa Barbara Foundation. “Denison has played a significant role in shaping my professional journey,” she writes, “and I am eager to give back to the community that has given me so much.”

1995 Adero Robinson , of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, was named CEO of Communities In Schools of Ohio.

1996 Steve Eaton is co-founder/principal at Ripple Capital Group in Denver.

1997 Kellam Ayres , of Middlebury, Vermont, shares that her debut poetry collection, In the Cathedral of My Undoing , was published by Gunpowder Press and chosen by Gary Soto as the winner of the Barry Spacks Poetry Prize.

1998 Afer 23 years at Upper Arlington City Schools, most recently as the chief operating officer, Chris Potts joined Ohio State University as director of facility planning in the university’s Ofce of Planning, Architecture, and Real Estate.

1999 Molly Dinan McIlvaine , of Brunswick, Georgia, was sworn in as chief judge of Glynn County Juvenile Court in January 2024. She presides over dependency, delinquency, and domestic cases.

Anna Spain Bradley, of Los Angeles, was appointed by President Joe Biden as one of four U.S. delegate members to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Panel of Conciliators at the World Bank. Established in 1966 and based in Washington, D.C., ICSID is the world’s leading institution devoted to the settlement, through arbitration and conciliation, of international investment disputes. “Conciliation, as one of the essential methods for resolving international disputes, has an illuminating history and a promising future,” Spain Bradley says. “I am deeply honored by this appointment.” She will serve for a renewable term of six years.

2000s

2000 Marriages: Beau Mullenix and Annie Couyoumjian ’01 married on May 1, 2024, and live in Chicago.

2003 Kate Dimancescu , of Concord, Massachusetts, is writing her third nonfction historical narrative and is delighted by how fellow Denison alums are making this book’s journey from print towards publication an amazing one. She writes: “ Emily Merrell ’09 deserves special recognition for the virtual Denison ReMix events she has thoughtfully hosted, which have provided rewarding virtual opportunities to engage and interact with other Denison alums and members of the Denison University on-campus team.” She also sends a shoutout to Debbie French ’03 for the chance discovery she made in a New Hampshire antiques shop that she, Dimancescu, and fellow friend Aja Gibson (who was initially Class of 2003 before transferring to Temple University) stopped

into in July 2014, which set the stage for Kate exploring Dennison Manufacturing Co. — stories she would have otherwise not come across. Tese connections, including an unexpected link to friend Michael Khoury ’03 , may very well pop up in her third book.

Meghan McDonnell Martin, of Blacklick, Ohio, is a staf nurse in the operating room at the Ohio State University James Comprehensive Cancer Center. She writes that she has been married for almost 20 years to a certifed journeyman electrician and project manager with Jess Howard Electric. Te two have a daughter, a dancer and cheerleader who just entered college; and a son, who is a senior in high school and plays alto sax in the marching band.

Kerry Farrell , of Columbus, Ohio, has been with Ohio State University Physicians since 2018 , embedded within a primary care clinic where she sees patients for psychotherapy.

2004 Births: Matt Streicher, of North Royalton, Ohio, welcomed a son, Ryan Streicher, on Jan. 1, 2024.

Morgan Harrison is an architect in Dallas working for LPA Design Studios. Her work focuses on educational, civic, and cultural projects. For the past two years she has also served as the vice president of the Board for Preservation Dallas.

2005 Maggie Glover, of Los Angeles, will soon release Out of the Woods: A Memoir of Blood, Rust and Recovery in (and out) of Pittsburgh , about the author’s journey through addiction, generational trauma, and redemption in Appalachia that explores the complex interplay between regional identity, family dynamics, and the path to sobriety, published by University Press of Kentucky.

2007 Eric Ahnmark ’07 and Matthew Morrell ’06 , members of Lambda Chi Alpha, reunited to run the Eugene Marathon in April 2024. Ahnmark (3:35:47) bested his big brother Morrell (3:38:29) in a run they’ll never forget.

Danny Hodgkinson, partner at the law ofce of McCollum Hodgkinson & Nikitas, began a one -year term as the president of the Lake County Bar Association (LCBA). Hodgkinson, of Lake Forest, Illinois, is a longtime LCBA leader and has previously chaired the Criminal Law Committee, served as a member of the Judicial Selection Committee, and has been a speaker at the LCBA Criminal Law Conference.

2008 Katie Berta , of Tempe, Arizona, published her frst book in March 2024 and in August started as a visiting assistant professor of creative writing at Oberlin College.

2009 Marriages: Meghan Damico , of Ellicott City, Maryland, married Mark Antonino on Aug. 17, 2024. In other exciting news, Damico was inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in April 2024. Damico was a four-year letter winner and a three-time ITA All-American in singles as a member of the Big Red tennis team. In 2007 and 2008, she won back-to-back North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors afer going 14-4 at No. 1 singles, and in 2009, she was the ITA National Senior Player of the Year.

2010s

2010 Jake Mihalov, of Pittsburgh, writes that he and his wife are launching Butterfat Gelato, a one-of-a-kind gelato shop. “Over the past three years, we have evolved Butterfat Gelato from a local delight to a nationally recognized brand,” he writes. “In 2023, we hit a high note — Butterfat Gelato was crowned the most popular gelato favor in the country by people’s vote at the Gelato Festival World Masters in Los Angeles. A truly proud moment for us.”

Teresa Young Pinheiro, Greenville, South Carolina, was hired as associate director for the Bridges to a Brighter Future program at Furman University.

2011 Belkis Schoenhals, of Columbus, Ohio, was promoted to principal city planner with the City of Columbus Planning Division and received her AICP certifcation from the American Institute of Certifed Planners.

2012 Births: Jerome Price and Cheree Price ’13 , of Pickerington, Ohio, welcomed a baby girl, Cherelle Kathleen Price.

Meg Gaertner, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was promoted to managing editor at North Star Editions, where she oversees the acquisition and development of picture

Butterfat Gelato was crowned the most popular gelato favor in the country by people’s vote at the Gelato Festival World Masters.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

A record-breaker on the court, Jordan Holmes ’17 still excels of it

Te undersized center led the Big Red to an NCAA tournament berth before applying lessons learned at Denison to her career pursuits.

BY TOM REED

Seven years later, the NCAA records established by Jordan Holmes ’17 still stand, as does her belief that Denison set her up for success after she grabbed her last rebound and blocked her fnal shot. Holmes is pursuing a doctorate degree in organizational psychology at Michigan State University and working remotely as a talent assessment strategist for Honeywell.

“Denison challenged me to be an autonomous thinker and discerning moral agent,” she said. “Playing basketball taught me the importance of leadership, teamwork, collaboration, resilience, and feedback. All these things are very applicable to the workplace and research I’m doing today.”

At Denison, Holmes became the frst woman in Division III history to record more than 1,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, and 500 blocked shots.

Relying on her long arms and knack for timing leaps, Holmes set Division III records for career rebounds (1,711) and blocked shots (642) — feats made more remarkable by the fact she’s 6 feet tall, undersized for a center. She also helped the 2015-16 Big Red team qualify for the NCAA tournament

with an at-large bid.

“Jordan was a valuable player for us,” said Denison deputy director of athletics Sara Lee, who coached Holmes. “We didn’t have to double team because we knew Jordan would protect the rim.”

Holmes’ achievements earned her special mention in Sports Illustrated ’s “Faces In Te Crowd” section in 2017 and, in that same year, she was featured on the cover of Denison Magazine. She remembers almost every moment of her photoshoot.

“There’s a backstory to that,” Holmes said, laughing. “I actually passed out during the middle of the Denison photoshoot. I don’t know if it was the lights fickering or what. If you look closely, I’m a little bug-eyed in the picture.”

Holmes, a Pittsburgh native, was recruited to play professionally in Europe but changed course following her father’s cancer diagnosis. She worked as a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and accelerated her plans to attend graduate school.

Lee connected her with former Denison basketball player Kinsey Bryant-Lees ’13, an assistant professor of industrial and organizational psychology at Northern Kentucky University, where Holmes earned a master’s degree.

A psychology major at Denison, Holmes is focused on applying psychology to the workplace to improve the well-being of individuals and organizations. Among her projects, she’s working with the Michigan state patrol on the recruitment and retention of minorities and women.

When her busy schedule allows, Holmes travels the Midwest visiting former Big Red teammates. She was recently honored by the North Coast Athletic Conference, which named her to its 40th anniversary women’s basketball alldecade team.

She marvels at the strides she made on and of the court in four years at Denison. Holmes arrived as a shy teenager, barely speaking to Lee during practices, and lef the program a self-assured, two-time All-American.

“I don’t know if Coach Lee knew what kind of player she was getting, and I’m not sure I knew myself what impact I could have,” Holmes said. “She was invested in my development as a player and a person, and that allowed me to spread my wings.”

books, middle grade, and young adult fiction for the Flux and Jolly Fish Press imprints. In March 2024 , she married Joseph Martin at the St. Paul College Club.

Christina Myers Wake, of Dublin, Ohio, graduated from Ohio State University with a Master of Arts in Educational Administration in May 2024.

2013 Marriages: Elyse Dolan Brackenbury and Will Brackenbury ’15 were married in Chicago on July 22, 2023.

2014 Marriages: Emily Bell Claffey, of Clifton Park, New York, married Garrett Clafey on June 17, 2023.

Grace McQueen is a senior resourcing analyst in planning and portfolio management at Apple in Austin, Texas.

2015 Megan McCormick, of Nashville, is a Ph.D. student in the Community Research and Action program at Vanderbilt University. She uses participatory and qualitative approaches in research with and alongside young people to explore the place-based experiences of power-building in schools and neighborhoods.

Heather Grimm , of Evanston, Illinois, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Teatre and Drama at Northwestern University.

Lauren Schechtman is a senior copywriter at FCB in New York.

2018 Marriages: Hannah Barends Loy and Conor Loy ’19, of Ithaca, New York, married on June 24, 2023, at Swasey Chapel. Te couple reports it was a wonderful celebration surrounded by many of their Denison friends.

Rene Guo , of Canandaigua, New York, is director of intercultural programs and initiatives at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Margarita Uriostegui , of Waukegan, Illinois, is an admissions counselor at Lake Forest College.

2019 Marriages: Alexa Meller, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, married Matthew Paley on Aug. 17, 2024.

2020s

2020 Marriages: Will Ackermann, of Columbus, Ohio, married Abbie Enders on Nov. 5, 2023.

Alex Balogh , of Apple Valley, Minnesota, is offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Carleton College.

Ben Bowers , of Ada, Ohio, is a project archivist at the Case Western University Archives.

Maeve Price , of Watchung, New Jersey, is a ffh-grade teacher at Francis Parker School.

Mitch Rotondo, of Nashville, is a principal producer at Commercial Insurance Associates.

Elizabeth Toigo and Austin McManus got engaged May 25, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. Tey met in 2018 as students on Te Hill.

2021 Shortly afer graduating, Dana Randall started as an intern at Chicago Artists Coalition, where she is now the communications and resources manager. She writes that her senior year experience at the Denison Museum showed her that she wanted to work in the arts afer graduating.

2016 Marriages Sami Steinkamp and William Cornell , of Los Angeles, were married Oct. 14, 2023. The wedding party included 10 Denison grads.

2017 Births: Mary Unkovic Rose and Kyle Rose ’16 welcomed their frst child, Jack Rose, in April 2024.

2022 Michael Ball, of Washington, D.C., was awarded the U.S. Department of State’s prestigious Tomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. After completing graduate school at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Ball will begin his career as a U.S. diplomat.

Obituaries

WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE CLASS NOTES AND OBITUARIES AT DENISON.EDU/ MAGAZINE.

1942

Becky Corey Phipps , 101, of Albany, Ohio, April 16, 2024. A ferce advocate for education, history, and literacy, Phipps was a feminist before the word had a defnition. She met her husband in high school and married him in 1942, the year she graduated from Denison. Te pair moved home to Chardon, Ohio, where their frst daughter was born. A second followed. Phipps got her teaching certifcate and taught high school English and American history in Ashtabula, Ohio, for 19 years. Along the way, she also received her master’s degree from Edinboro University. She told stories, corrected the grammar of total strangers (she’d probably have feedback on this obit), and opened doors to other ideas and other cultures. She was preceded in death by her husband, Chuck Phipps, and daughter Susan Phipps Sedlac, and is survived by daughter Elizabeth Phipps Stills, four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

1943

Libby Ruddick O’Brien , 100, of Winter Park, Florida, March 6, 2022. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Teta.

1944

Martha Morgan Borchers , 101, of Columbus, Ohio, May 19, 2024. At Denison, she majored in economics and was a member of Kappa Alpha Teta, remaining active in her chapter well into her 90s. Afer raising three children, she received her master’s degree in education from Ohio State University and worked for the Columbus City Schools until her retirement. She was an accomplished seamstress, lifelong learner, and avid golfer with a hole-in-one to her name. She was preceded in death by her husband, George Borchers, and is survived by her son, Mark Borchers (Kathryn); two daughters, Sue Kear (Jody) and Emily Swickard (Richard); nine grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Tom Doeller, 101, of Phoenix, March, 28, 2024. The product of a home where hymns and classical music dominated, he surreptitiously listened to jazz under the cover of darkness in his bedroom with a needle in his mouth to play records spun by hand. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Delta Teta, but he and his trombone were “invited” to join the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1943, and he became a pilot trainer with the Flying Training Command at Randolph Field. He married his high school sweetheart, Helen Wilcox, while stationed in Texas, and returned to Denison to graduate in 1947. Te couple had four daughters, and

upon Helen’s death in 1970, he became a single parent. Doeller sold Yellow Pages advertising while keeping his passion for music alive. He sang in church choirs and barbershop quartets and hosted a jazz show on the radio. He married Lois Marks in 1979. He is survived by his wife; daughters, Barbara Driscoll, Rebecca Bennett, Kathleen Doeller, and Melinda Piña; two stepdaughters, Diana Morris and Terry Marks; eight grandchildren; and fve great-grandchildren.

Richard Hickam , 97, of Bloomington, Indiana, Sept. 6, 2023. Upon his graduation from Indiana University, he went to work for the university as an accountant, retiring afer 41 years in a variety of administrative positions. He was a lifelong Mason and active in civic and community afairs. He is preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Phyllis, and survived by three daughters, Becky Houghton, Ann Linthicum, and Kathy Mishler (Steve); six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.

Milo “Mike” Lude , 101, of Tucson, Arizona, March 14, 2024. A Michigan farm boy who attended a one-room schoolhouse, Lude went on to become the longest serving athletic director at the University of Washington. He attended Denison and then Hillsdale College, where his education was interrupted by World War II. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lude joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He returned to Hillsdale afer the war, graduated, and three days later married the love of his life, Rena Pifer. Lude made athletics his chosen career. He coached football at the University of Maine, University of Delaware, and Colorado State University. He served as the athletic director at Kent State University, Auburn University, and the University of Washington, where he was inducted into the athletic hall of fame. He kept busy in retirement and at 93 decided to go skydiving. Lude was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Rena, and his brother, Ron. He is survived by three daughters, Cynthia, Janann, and Jill; their husbands; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

1948 Betty “B.J.” Wills , 96, of Alden, Michigan, Nov. 2, 2023.

1949 Nancy Henneberger Matthews , 94, of Missoula, Montana, Jan. 7, 2022. She was the wife of a diplomat and ardent supporter of the arts in Missoula. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. Afer a full life as a Foreign Service spouse, she began her own career with Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C., where she organized major art exhibitions from many countries. While at Meridian in 2005, she collaborated with the Montana Museum of Art & Culture at the University of Montana to foster cultural exchange with China. Afer her retirement, she

moved to Missoula. She was largely responsible for securing a signifcant collection of works that once belonged to the Montana copper mogul, U.S. Sen. William Clark. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harrison Freeman Matthews Jr., and a son, Freeman Luke Matthews. She is survived by her sons John Clinton Matthews and Timothy Stirling Matthews; daughter, Elizabeth Matthews Johns; 10 grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Kathy Qualen Roberts , 96, of Rolling Hills, California, April 26, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Teta.

1950Molly Jones Brown, 96, of Lexington, Virginia, May 26, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Teta. Jones Brown took great joy in sharing with others the wonders of nature, proven by her founding of the Waddell Elementary School Roots & Shoots Garden in Lexington. She was preceded in death by her high school sweetheart and husband, Dirck Brown ’50. She is survived by her daughters, Julia Winser Fiorino, Anne Sherwood Pundyk, Mary Brown, and Jeanne Dexter; four grandchildren; and a niece and nephew.

Berrill Jacobs , 95, of West Hartford, Connecticut, May 31, 2024. Jacobs was known throughout his life as a creative problem-solver, something he proved even as a boy of about 11 years old when he saved himself and a companion during the 1944 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus fire that killed at least 167 people in Hartford. While many of the 8,000 attendees panicked, charging down the bleachers in a mad dash for the exits, some of them blocked, Jacobs grabbed his companion and rushed up instead. They jumped from the top of the bleachers and crawled along the tent edge until they found a space large enough to squeeze through. Jacobs was a gifed pianist and performed with a small band at venues along the Connecticut shore. At Denison, he was a member of Delta Upsilon and an economics major. He went on to earn his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Finance. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and retired afer a long career in accounting. Jacobs was preceded in death by his sister and brother-in-law, Joan and Morton Blumenthal. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Sheila; children, David Jacobs (Fernanda), Gary Jacobs, and Terry Walters (Chip); and six grandchildren.

Dottie Cooper Kutchera , 96, of Cincinnati, May 26, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She graduated from Ohio State University, where she met and married her husband of 57 years, Richard Kutchera. She was a teacher who was happiest outside, sitting under the gazebo and watching the birds. She was preceded in death by her husband; son James Richard; and brothers,

Donald Tritt PROFESSOR EMERITUS

IN MEMORIAM

Donald Tritt, who welcomed students into his family home and helped some cope with life-altering setbacks, died June 12, 2024, at age 93.

Tritt served Denison in a dual capacity, as an educator and a practitioner of psychology. He joined the university in 1959 as a clinician and part-time faculty member. He taught classes while serving as the director of counseling and psychological services for 18 years before becoming a full-time faculty member in 1982.

By the time Tritt retired in 1995, he had built a reputation for taking an interest in the lives of his students, even those who left Denison before graduating. He invited entire classes to his house, where he taught courses on his back deck and served dinner prepared by his wife, Marilyn.

“He loved the interaction with his students, and it kept him invigorated,” his daughter, Barbara Kitchen, said. “They would get into deep discussions, and it involved mutual sharing and exploration. It was a different time and a special time.”

His work as a practitioner played a vital role in the lives of students. In 1961, Tritt helped first-year student James Cayton deal with a horrific car crash that saw him launched headfirst through the windshield.

After recovering from facial injuries, Cayton returned to the classroom, only to see his grades plummet. While friends and family members thought Cayton was not working hard enough on his studies, it was Tritt who understood the student was dealing with brain trauma. The professor remained in contact with Cayton after he left Denison and encouraged him to resume his academic pursuits.

Cayton became a clinical psychologist and opened a unit at a psychiatric hospital that specialized in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I thank God for having Don Tritt in my life,” James Cayton said. “He was the one person who understood what I was going through.”

Tritt was a second-generation Swiss who frequently visited friends and family in Europe. He combined his heritage and love of teaching by directing a five-week summer cross-cultural program in which Denison students lived with Swiss families and backpacked across the country.

“It was his way of promoting understanding and communication across cultures,” Kitchen said. “He was very passionate about learning and encouraged us to explore our passions.”

Tritt is survived by his daughter and two sons, Stephen ’84 and Jeffrey ’88 , as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

– TOM REED

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Obituaries

1950–1953

Bill and Don Cooper. She is survived by three children, B.J. Novak, Chuck Kutchera (Holly), and Valerie Hooper (Mark); 11 grandchildren; and fve great-grandchildren.

Ruth Calvert Parks, 95, of South Lyon, Michigan, July 26, 2023. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. Francy Plusch Stewart , 94, of Eugene, Oregon, Dec. 23, 2022.

William “Luke” Utter, 94, of Columbia, South Carolina, Feb. 28, 2024. Te son of a Denison professor, Utter was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and a theater major who met the love of his life, Dixie Campbell Utter ’49, on stage there. Afer graduation, the couple and a group of other actors barnstormed across New England and Europe, performing plays in towns and on military bases. Afer two years in the U.S. Army, Utter came home to Dixie and married her. Tey moved to Denver, where Utter earned his master’s degree in theater and was drawn to the new world of television broadcasting. He worked for Denver TV stations as a cameraman, producer, and director. Te family moved back to Ohio in 1957, where Utter helped to start the public TV and radio stations for Miami University in Oxford. He is survived by his wife of 70 years; son, William Arkell Utter; daughter, Kate Utter Mills (Jim); six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

1951

David Black, 93 , of Miami, Aug. 6, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of the American Commons Club and received his degree in fne arts. He earned his MFA from Columbia University, and his service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War took him to Germany and an unusual opportunity. Tere he and Adrian Hall, a fellow soldier and theater enthusiast, co-founded the Seventh Army Repertory Company, which produced and toured theater productions across Europe featuring casts of military men and women. In New York, he helped to create the New York Shakespeare Festival, growing it from a struggling free theater into one of the country’s leading regional companies. He eventually settled in Miami as managing director of the Coconut Grove Playhouse. He was preceded in death by his sister, Frances, and his life partner of 60 years, Herbert C. Stannard III. He is survived by siblings James, Robert, and Ray; brother-in-law, Robert Hedlund; and many nieces and nephews.

Robert Ball , 92, of Milton, West Virginia, May, 3, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of the American Commons Club. He taught Sunday school at the Milton Baptist Church for more than 70 years. He was preceded in death by his older brother, Lewis G. Ball, and his younger sister Elizabeth Ann Ball Wallace. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mary Ellen Frazier Ball; daughter, Mary Elizabeth “Libby” Ball; sons, Charles David Ball, John Frazier

Ball (Sherria), and Robert “Bob” Lincoln Ball (Michele); two grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

John Gibbs , 96, of Uhrichsville, Ohio, July 15, 2024. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Denison before being drafed into the U.S. Army. For years he was the owner of Gibbs Chevrolet & Buick in Uhrichsville. An avid fisherman, he relished his annual trips to Cranes Lochaven Wilderness Lodge on the French River in Canada and on Hen Island in Lake Erie with his best friend, Hud Hillyer. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary, and his daughter, Challis Gibbs. He is survived by his wife, Esther; his son, John “JJ” Gibbs (Jill); step daughter, Beth Durnell (Brad); a step son, Alan Welch (Lisa); three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren, and other loving family.

Bob Lockhart , 94, of Madison, Wisconsin, Feb. 26, 2024. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He was drafed into the U.S. Army during the Korean War and chosen to be in the U.S. Army Security Agency simply because he knew how to type. His time in Germany cemented his childhood interest in architecture. He worked as an apprentice for two years under architect Herbert Fritz, who had himself apprenticed under Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1961, Bob met his soulmate, Clarence Cameron, a wildlife artist known as “Te Owl Man” for his owls sculpted from soapstone and bronze. Lockhart and Cameron were partners for 63 years, marrying in Vermont in 2013 just months before the U.S. Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal across the nation. Lockhart was preceded in death by his sister, Jean. He is survived by his husband; two nieces; a nephew; and numerous great-nieces and -nephews.

Susie Olin Lowey, 93, of Murrieta, California, Jan. 26, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma.

Richard Sweeney McLaughlin , 96, of Naperville, Illinois, Oct. 30, 2022. At Denison, he was a member of Kappa Sigma. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and spent his career teaching in Hinsdale, Illinois, schools. He was an active member of the Filipino-American Community of Illinois, the Iligan-Lanao Association of the Midwest, and the Lano del Norte Association of Illinois. He was preceded in death by his frst wife, Janet; children Rich and Kim Lowell; and siblings, George and Charlotte. He is survived by his wife, Tita; children Peter (Cris), Lisa (Brendan), Maville, and Merlie; and 11 grandchildren.

1952

Carol Swisher Bigelow , 93, of Chicago, June 11, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She worked as a teacher, retail buyer, and hospital gif shop manager. She was also a lifelong volunteer. She was preceded in death

by her husband, Bill, and brother, Jack Swisher. She is survived by her daughters, Pamela Bigelow and Penny Golden (Steven); four grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and her cat, Betty.

Ann Moyers Elleman , 93, of Raleigh, North Carolina, April 28, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi and met her husband of 56 years, Tomas Elleman ’53 . After Denison, she earned her master’s degree in speech pathology at Ohio State University. She raised the couple’s three children for 25 years, then went back to school at North Carolina State University, where she was head of the Speech, Hearing and Language Clinic until her retirement in 1993. Preceded in death by her husband, she is survived by their children, Rebecca Hodge, Bruce Elleman, Debra Misna, and their respective spouses; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Til Helvenston, 93, of Livonia, Michigan, March 4, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. He started his career in the sash and door business and later was president frst of Cuckler Buildings in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and then Star Buildings in Oklahoma City. He loved to read, and it showed in his vocabulary and penchant for crossword puzzles. He was a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy. He was preceded in death by his brother, Brad. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Elaine; three children, Mark Helvenston, Eric Helvenston, and Kirk Helvenston (Lee Ann); three grandchildren; a great-grandson; and a sister, Elizabeth Ernst.

Carol Thorp Karl , 94, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, April 22, 2024. At Denison, she belonged to Chi Omega and Shepardson Club, studied organ performance, and met her husband, Russell Karl ’49. She was music director of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills for 57 years and the longtime music director of the Tapestry Choir. She was the piano accompanist for many Pittsburgh-area music groups. She was awarded the Keystone Salute, the highest honor bestowed by the Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clubs. Karl was preceded in death by her husband and is survived by her children, Jocelyn Hladycz (Jacob), Adrienne Gerber (William), and Alison Peters (Sherwood); six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Nancy Baylor Ronemus , 92, of Jacksonville, Oregon, Jan. 13, 2023. Growing up in Springfeld, Ohio, she split her time living in the Heaume Hotel that was built and operated by her grandfather and on her uncle’s farm in nearby Enon. She ofen said she was raised by the merchants of Springfeld, and she was a common sight roller skating from store to store. On the farm she learned to care for and ride horses, milk cows, and shear sheep. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Teta. She was married to Tor G. Ronemus for 29 years, and they

remained best friends even after their divorce, often having a Sunday morning cup of cofee. She ofen said their honeymoon at Camp Kooch-i-ching, a wilderness canoe camp on the Minnesota-Canada border, was one of the best summers of her life. She was preceded in death by her ex-husband and is survived by their four sons, Eric (Anne), Michael (Kim), Andy (Tracie), and Kyle (Amby); and nine grandchildren.

Wanda Tomas Stubbart , 94, of Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 27, 2024. She was born with an innate musical talent and at Denison majored in music education. She also was a member of the Shepardson Club. She taught music in Columbus elementary schools and was known to give out CDs of her electric piano performances to anyone who wanted a copy. She accompanied anyone who asked her to, even at the last minute; she was an outstanding sight reader. She also worked as a technical typist, eventually delivering training courses around the world. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Bonita. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Stubbart; children, Dale (Terry), Robin, and Laura (Kent); and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Beverly Brown Telfer, 90, of Columbia, South Carolina, March 15, 2022. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She was the assistant to the dean of Wittenberg University, where she met her husband, James. She worked for the frst retirement community in the country. She is survived by her husband of more than 50 years, James; a daughter, Ann Alexander; and two grandchildren.

1953

Walter Denz , 93, of Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 27, 2024. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and was discharged a staf sergeant. He and his wife of 66 years, Barbara, raised their family in Newark. Denz served in the banking business for 37 years. He was preceded in death by his wife and sisters, Ruth Jones and Esther (Arthur) Ghiloni. He is survived by his fve children; 12 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

Ardis Salisbury Devine , 90, of Dripping Springs, Texas, June 6, 2022. At Denison, he was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi.

Helen James McDonald , 93, of Nevada City, California, July 16, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She married J. Dean Parnell, with whom she had three children. After the marriage ended, she became active in the holistic health feld, founding the Whole Life Center and School in Palo Alto, California. She helped design her beloved home, Bluestone, and made it a center for meditation, women’s groups, and healing circles. She was inspired by the Buddhist, Suf, and Native

& Obituaries

American traditions. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bruce C. McDonald; daughter, Cherie Vandenburgh; and grandson, Catono Perez. She is survived by her children, Laurel Parnell and James Parnell; six grandchildren: and seven great-grandchildren.

George Mullan , 92, of Chuckey, Tennessee, March 24, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of the American Commons Club. He spent his professional life as an engineer at Eastman Kodak Co. in Rochester, New York. He was an avid bowler, bridge player, and square dancer with his wife, Peggy. He was preceded in death by Peggy and a son, Alan. He is survived by children Virginia McAvinney (Bill), Shirley DeGraf (Carl), and Richard (Roxanne).

Ann Kinney Troop, 92, of Cave Creek, Arizona, Nov. 11, 2023. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega. Afer Denison she earned a master’s degree in mathematics and statistics from Stanford University and was one of the frst women hired by IBM as an engineer. She was preceded in death by her husband, James W. Troop; son,

IN MEMORIAM

William McConnell

LIFE TRUSTEE

William McConnell ’55, whose success in banking was powered by intellectual curiosity, even

temperament, and commitment to routine, died Aug. 14, 2024, at age 91.

In the competitive world of fnance, McConnell excelled through his sharp mind and wit. He oversaw the tremendous growth of Park National Bank with a gentlemanly approach, never denigrating peers who didn’t share his vision.

McConnell treated people with dignity and respect during a 55-year career that saw him ascend to Park National chairman and CEO and become one of just two Ohio bankers to chair the American Bankers Association.

“He was always looking for something to like about someone,” said his daughter, Jennifer Wynne McConnell. “Tat was his superpower.”

McConnell used his intellect to get where he wanted to go. When his parents asked him what university he wanted to attend, he mentioned schools in Arizona, knowing his folks couldn’t bear being that far apart from him. Tat’s how the Zanesville, Ohio, native landed at his frst choice, Denison.

On The Hill, he met his future wife, Jane Cook McConnell ’56 , and became good friends with Don ’54 and Teckie ’56 Shackelford , who, like McConnell, devoted their lives to serving and promoting Denison.

“In the 70 years I was around Bill McConnell, I never saw him lose his temper,” Don Shackelford

James Howard Troop; and brother, Foster Kinney. She is survived by her daughters, Linda Louise Troop and Cynthia Hufnagel; seven grandchildren; and sister, Betty Faella (Anthony).

Ken Wilson , 92, of Wallace, North Carolina, May 2, 2024. A son of Swedish immigrants, he lost his mother when very young and grew up during the Great Depression. He was shaped and infuenced by his church, school, library, and the YMCA, and he made it his life’s mission to pay that forward throughout his life. He announced Boardman (Ohio) High School football games for 19 years. He served as a medic in the U.S. Army at Fort Monroe, Virginia. He was a born salesman and spent his career as a regional sales manager for the Standard Register Co. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Mary Jane “Mimi” Paulino Wilson; sisters, Dorothy Loveland and Gloria Snyder; and brother, Edward Carlson. He is survived by his second wife, Joan Tims Wilson, whom he met in the skybox at a Youngstown State football game. He is also survived by his three children, Sallie Burns (Bo),

said. “You could have a free-flowing exchange of ideas with Bill even if he didn’t agree with you.”

Former Park National CEO Dan Delawder said McConnell was vital in transforming the bank from an institution with two Licking County branches and $50 million in assets to a four-state operation that today boasts 85 branches and close to $10 billion in assets.

McConnell touted the importance of routine in both his professional and personal life. Long before jogging became trendy in the 1970s, he could be seen running through the streets of Granville each day. He was also a voracious reader, and when audiobooks became popular, he literally consumed literature on the run.

At home, McConnell always ate the same breakfast: granola, fresh fruit, milk, honey, and orange juice.

“No matter how busy he was, we sat down for dinner every night at 6 p.m., and dad would drink one beer,” his daughter said. “If you fnished your dinner, you got two cookies.”

McConnell emerged as a community leader with many philanthropic interests. He championed Denison in multiple roles and joined the Board of Trustees in 1986.

“My parents blossomed at Denison,” his daughter said. “And they were major proponents of education as a way of helping people better their lives.”

– TOM REED

Kenneth J. Wilson Jr. (Donna), and Jon J. Wilson (Kelli); six grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Barbara Basinger Wise , 93, of Hudson, Ohio, June 24, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She became a nurse and met the love of her life, Jack Voight Wise, while he was interning at Cleveland City Hospital. She was preceded in death by him; a son, Douglas Wise; grandson Peter Wise; and two brothers, Jon Arden Basinger and David Ray Basinger. She is survived by two children, John Wise (Polly) and Susan Strahan (Sam); and four grandchildren.

1954Judith McCracken Clark , 91, of Mystic, Connecticut, March 7, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She was employed as a secretary for President Dwight Eisenhower for just a few days before meeting her future husband, William M. Clark. He preceded her in death. She is survived by her son, Douglas Clark; and her brother, George Herbert McCracken Jr.

Rosemary Akin Hajost , 92, of Lancaster, Ohio, July 7, 2024. She graduated from Denison with a degree in theater and was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She was one of the founding members of the Lancaster Playhouse and even appeared on stage at age 85, portraying Florence Foster Jenkins in Glorious . Hajost was a founding member of the West After School Center and the Mentoring Moms, a group for new single mothers. She later became a Lancaster City school board member, contributed to the Lancaster County parks, and helped her husband build the Ohio Glass Museum. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard Hajost, and a brother, Todd Akin. She is survived by sons, Scott (Theresa), Brian (Elizabeth,) Bradley, and Bruce; daughters, Cynthia Hajost (Kerry,) and Becky Hajost-Brown (Eric); and 14 grandchildren.

Eddie McNew, 91, of Irvine, California, July 14, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Delta Upsilon. While stationed with the U.S. Army in Tokyo during the 1950s, he met a fellow soldier, Alex Toth, who became a lifelong friend and later introduced him to the love of his life, Louise. Tey had three children and were married 60 years until her death in 2017. McNew had a long career in sales for steel-making companies. A self-professed history buf, he became fascinated with Don José Andrés Sepulveda, a leader of the Pueblo de Los Angeles. Tanks to McNew’s research and advocacy, the City of Irvine honored Sepulveda’s ties to the city by establishing Sepulveda Vista Point. A road to the park is to be named afer McNew.

James Roush , 92, of Geneva, Illinois, Aug. 26, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Beta Teta Pi. He served in the U.S. Navy and worked for Borg Warner, and later in

industrial real estate. He was an accomplished folk artist. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Anne Roush ’54 ; three children, Stanley J. Roush III (Kimberly), Katherine Keller (Lawrence), and Julia Faville (Andrew); seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Sudie Durstine Schumacher , 90, of Carlsbad, California, Dec. 12, 2022. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma.

Sara Stuntz Warren , 89, of Farmington, Michigan, April 29, 2022. She was known for her positivity, demonstrated when health challenges that surfaced as a young woman led to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She worked for many years as an antiques dealer, eventually opening Warren’s Country Corner, well-known in Farmington for its Christmas displays and the warmth of its potbelly stove. She read voraciously and, during her fnal years, spent much of her time reading or making trips to the Les Cheneaux Community Library in search of another good book. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter R. Warren; her brother, Richard Stuntz; and her sister, Martha Stuntz. She is survived by her children, Rex Conroy (Marie), Bruce Conroy, Tom Conroy (Denise), and Beth Conroy-Tashjian (Anthony); 12 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. 1955

Kobbie Kalbfleisch, of Burlington, Vermont. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Delta Teta. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Anna “Pinky” Bell Kalbfeisch ’55

Nancy Mitchell Long , 90, of Columbus, Ohio, March 27, 2024. She fought an almost lifelong battle with lung disease. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega. She earned her master’s degree in counseling from Stanford University and spent many years teaching at Columbus State Community College, Ohio State University, and elsewhere. She was the wife of professor Ronald K. Long for 64 years. She is survived by her daughters, Marilyn Roddy (Patrick) and Susan McAndrews (Davin); six grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.

Jack Williams , 90, of Germantown, Tennessee, March 19, 2024. He was born in Granville and at Denison was a member of Beta Teta Pi. He spent most of his career in senior management in the feed-manufacturing industry, ending with several years as general manager for Caribbean Broilers Ltd. in Kingston, Jamaica. He served in the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard. He was preceded in death by his wife, Doris George Williams ’56 . He is survived by his sons, Russ (Josie) and Allan (Susan); his daughter, Lauren Williams ’88 (Trent Souder); a sister, Pat Burkhardt ’52 ; fve grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

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Obituaries

1956–1957 1956

Sally Gaskill Brenner, 89, of Newtown, Pennsylvania, May 2, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She earned her master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania and went on to teach junior high English and history. She enjoyed raising and training horses and dogs, including service dogs. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ronald J. Brenner. She is survived by her children, Carol Salzer, Nancy Knutsen (Norman), Katherine Graham (Larry), and Richard Brenner (Jennifer); 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Janet Kendrick Cassebaum , 88, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dec. 22, 2022. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi. She lived in Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, for almost 40 years, serving as an elder of the Portland Presbyterian Church and on the board of directors of various civic groups. Afer she and her husband retired in 1998 to Ann Arbor, Michigan, she became deeply involved with the University of Michigan. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, William C. Cassebaum; daughters JoAnn Weisel (John) and Ellen Geldbaugh (Mark); and three grandchildren.

Norma Hudson Feid , 90, of Sarasota, Florida, Aug. 3, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta and met her future husband, Robert B. Feid ’56 . Four years afer his death in 1990, she remarried to Tomas Funk, who died in 2002. She belonged to clubs for tennis, investments, bridge, and books. She had a quick wit, a sharp sense of humor, a fair for art, and a love of dogs. She was preceded in death by her two husbands. She is survived by her children, Lorrie Feid Dickinson (Gary), and Jim Feid (Billie Shadowens); three grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

Jane Knecht MacEllven , 89, of Te Villages, Florida, March 15, 2024. She and her husband, David H. MacEllven ’55 , ran Carriage Trade, a specialty gift shop in Vermont. In 1984 they moved to Texas, where they had a small ranch and raised Hereford cattle. Twenty years later they moved to Te Villages. She loved to golf and made her frst and only hole-in-one at the age of 82. She was preceded in death by her husband; brother Frank W. Knecht III; and granddaughter Sarah Cayaban. She is survived by her sons, Mark (Pam), Scott (Cookie), and Gregg (Claire); brother Jim Knecht (Pat); her sister, Sue Meredith; seven grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandson.

Charles Williams , 88, of Johnstown, Ohio, Oct. 19, 2023. He was an accountant and financial advisor, local government ofcial, and football and basketball referee. He was one of the early employees at the Newark Air Force Station. He is survived by his wife of almost 64 years, Norma; children, Steve and Lisa (Mark); seven grand-

children; fve great-grandchildren; a sister, Darlene; and stepsister, Clara.

1957

Art Baker, 88, of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, April 9, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. After earning his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, he served as a surgeon in the U.S. Army for two years during the Vietnam War at Camp Zama in Japan, treating soldiers fresh from the front. He specialized in vascular surgery and eventually became chief of surgery and chief of staf at Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. He played piano and tended his gardens with the same care and dedication he brought to his patients. He even produced his own Indian Hill chardonnay with grapes grown in his micro-vineyard on Ogden Avenue. He is survived by his wife, Margie Moore Baker; children, Arthur Deane Baker (Bonnie), Kathryn Moore Baker, and Andrew Davis Baker; grandchildren; and extended family.

Dick Beck, 88, of Crossville, Tennessee, May 19, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Kappa Sigma. He served in the U.S. Army for three years and later worked as an insurance adjuster, in publishing, and at the CIA. He enjoyed good barbecue and the music of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Emmylou Harris. He was preceded in death by his siblings, Rosalie Bevins Beck and William Paul Beck. He is survived by his partner of 33 years, Mary Kotek; children, Arthur Geary Beck and Laura Jean Beck; three grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Joe Donithen , 88, of Newburyport, Massachusetts, March 5, 2024. A banker by trade and a musician at heart, he played drums in high school and in a dance band at Denison. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He became president of Marion County Bank at age 33, one of the youngest bank presidents in the state of Ohio. He also served as president of Marion Federal Savings and Loan and as CEO of United Bank in Bucyrus. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jane Donithen, and a brother, Steve Donithen. He is survived by his children, Susan Donithen Seabrook ’86 (Randall) and David Wilson Donithen ’88 ; and four grandchildren.

Brian Ehrle , 89, of Evergreen, Colorado, May 14, 2024. He was a wonderful singer and at Denison was in Mu Sigma, where he received the Men’s Music Honorary. He also was a member of the American Commons Club. He waited tables at The Granville Inn during college. He met his wife, June Kriebel Ehrle ’61, at Denison, and they married in 1961. He received his master’s degree in social work at the University of Michigan and also enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. His voice garnered him some fame in the service, as he sang for thousands of servicemen and women. He and June had three chil-

dren, and they remained friends even afer their divorce. Ehrle worked for the United Way and later for the state of Colorado, and also tapped into the restaurant skills he learned in Granville to wait tables as a second job at many fne dining restaurants, including the Stanley Hotel and the Brook Forest Inn. He is survived by his three children, Lauren Ersland, Eric Ehrle (Jenna), and Stacy Wingard (Steve); and four grandchildren.

Larry Fairchild , 89, of Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 28, 2024. He was a standout athlete in high school in football, baseball, and basketball, with his talent on the court earning him All-Ohio honors. At Denison, he lettered in several sports and was a member of Beta Theta Pi. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Berlin Wall crisis. He worked as a salesman for Anchor Hocking Glass and then spent 31 years as an executive with Lazarus Department Stores in Columbus. He served as the president of the Lancaster High School Alumni Association for two decades. He was a Scoutmaster for six years and an usher for Ohio State University football games for 16. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Jack, Douglas, and Craig. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Connie; his children, Matthew (Audrey) and Dianna; fve grandchildren; and brother Bill.

Nancy Bryan Fischer, 88, of Clearwater, Florida, May 4, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She went on to earn her master’s in social work at Smith College. While interning at a Cincinnati hospital, she met her husband of 51 years, Ron Fischer. His career in trauma surgery and academic medicine meant they moved many times over the years. She became a regular volunteer reading tutor and also volunteered for a nonprofit that provided support and counseling to families suffering from childhood abuse. She was preceded in death by her husband and their son, Craig P. Fischer. She is survived by their daughter, Shannon M. Fischer; three grandchildren; and siblings, William Bryan and Betsy Hegyes.

Gary Gieringer, 89, of Englewood, Colorado, May 7, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Beta Teta Pi. He went on to medical school and volunteered as a flight surgeon with the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he established a medical practice catering to the underserved residents of the city’s West Side. He researched family genealogy and traveled the country, satisfying his interest in Native American and Revolutionary and Civil War history. He was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy, and his youngest son, Bret Schuyler. He is survived by his daughters, Anneliese Gieringer and Christiana “Kippy” Christenson; son Grant Gieringer; and fve granddaughters.

Bob Kent , 89, of Granville, Ohio, and Fort Myers, Florida, July 12, 2024. He had deep ties to Denison, Granville,

and Licking County. He met his wife of 68 years, Joan Burrows Kent ’57, at Denison, and he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He and his brother, Tom, owned and operated Newark Concrete, and their red and yellow trucks were a familiar sight on Licking County roads. Kent owned and operated the Granville Inn for many years afer buying it in 1976. Ten years later, he formed a partnership that bought the Granville Golf Course, adjacent land, and the Bryn Du Mansion. He created the housing development now known as the Bryn Du Woods. Also on the property was the historic Alligator Mound, which he encircled with a road for public viewing and donated to the Licking County Historical Society. In 1966, Gov. Jim Rhodes proclaimed him an Outstanding Young Businessman of Ohio. He was preceded in death by a brother, Tom Kent. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Joan B. Kent; children, Robert N. Kent Jr. (Elaine), James R. Kent (Sue), Kate Kent (Karen), and Jef Kent ’85 (Linda); 11 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and his sister, Barbara Gage.

Donna Lewis Tegtmeyer, 89, of Granville, Ohio, Aug. 6, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega. She worked at her alma mater as the May Term and internships coordinator from April 14, 1977, until her retirement on June 28, 2002, and engineered the 1989 transition from the required January-term program to the May Term (now the Denison Internship) program. She was awarded an Alumni Citation in 2007. In Granville, she served on a Citizens’ Advisory Committee for the Granville Board of Education and was elected to four terms on the school board. She received the Granville Rotary “Service Above Self” award in 1995. Tegtmeyer was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, John D. Tegtmeyer ’56 , and is survived by her children, Deb Tegtmeyer (Kevin Clouse), Judy Tegtmeyer ’84 , and Patty Tegtmeyer Riley ’90 (Dave); four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Cathy Woolston Van Benthuysen , 88, of Te Villages, Florida, March 14, 2024. She discovered a love for travel and fashion at 15, when she would take the trains from her home in Trenton, New Jersey, to Manhattan for modeling school. She attended Centenary Junior College and then Denison, where she studied religion and was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She worked in radio and television, which led to her interviewing Martin Luther King Jr. She volunteered for many organizations including Red Cross soup kitchens, and in 1975 she found her calling in serving the P.E.O., a nonproft organization that helps women achieve their educational goals. She was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Kelly McCallion, and is survived by her husband, Herbert Leonard Van Benthuysen; two daughters, Elizabeth Cook (Hugh) and Judith McCallion; her brother, J. Rogers Woolston; three grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters.

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Obituaries

1958–1959 1958

Bob Baxter, 87, of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, April 20, 2024. He developed his strong work ethic while delivering newspapers as a boy in Massillon, Ohio. At Denison, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Charles H. Roan. He retired as a lieutenant. He spent much of his career at Rhode Island Hospital Trust National Bank in Providence and was known as a “belt and suspenders” guy who made measured and safe decisions. He loved red cars, gardens full of blooming perennials, and greeting strangers on his daily walks. In 2002 he was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. An experimental treatment gave him another 22 years, and he savored every day of it, taking pleasure in a glass of wine and a good piece of blue cheese. He is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Mary Jane “Susan” Baxter; fve children, Brook Anne Baxter, Lee Robert Baxter (Lynn Gray), Kirby Murphy (Paula D. Rasco), Kevin Kennedy Murphy (Theresa Tevyaw), and Christine Kennedy Murphy Costello (Kevin); and seven grandchildren.

Susan Alles Carter, 87, of Traverse City, Michigan, July 13, 2024. She grew up in Detroit and married her husband of 58 years, Ford Rodman Carter III, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. The couple lived in Florida for 30 years and spent summers in Michigan. She was skilled in ceramics, knitting, and needlework, and particularly enjoyed making doll clothes. She was preceded in death by her husband; a grandson, Anthony Scaglione; her siblings Virginia, Russell, and Judith; and her son-in-law, William Scaglione. She is survived by her fve children, Susan Blaire Scaglione, Jane Marie Rice, Hunter Tompson Carter (Cesar Augusto Zapata), Alleson Christie Hamelin (Paul Laurent), and Jonathan Andrew Carter; her sister, Nancy O’Hara; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Ginny Kearney Frey, 87, of Syracuse, New York, March 22, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She supported and volunteered at many community organizations, including the Everson Museum of Art, the Syracuse Stage Guild, the Alzheimer’s Association, and CODfsh, a service providing free transportation to seniors to medical appointments. She is survived by her daughters, Ruth Frey and Anne Frey (John White); and “recruited relative,” John Svensson.

Robert Kern , 86, of Charlevoix, Michigan, June 14, 2023. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He served the Charlevoix community on numerous boards and committees. He enjoyed trips to Beaver Island, nights spent at the backyard fre pit, and dancing with his wife, Joyce, to Dixieland jazz. He was preceded in death by a son, Jason Wallace Frabis, and grandson David Kevin Frabis. He is survived by his wife; their children, James Kern (Teresa), Kristen Wright (Alan),

Kevin Frabis (Renee), and Jennifer Danforth (William); and seven grandchildren.

Betsy Brown Lewis , 87, of Denver, Colorado, Feb. 27, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She was preceded in death by her husband, William “Bill” Lewis ’58 . She is survived by her son, Paul Zaentz-Lewis ’92 ; and her cousin, Sally McLennan Bubb ’61

Tom Pieratt , 87, of Cincinnati, Oct. 5, 2023. He was an Eagle Scout and, at Denison, a cheerleader, member of ROTC, and brother at Lambda Chi Alpha. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, stationed at Fort Yukon in Alaska and honorably discharged as a captain. He revitalized his father’s real estate and property management company, Pieratt Investments LLC, and supported many civic organizations. He loved fne scotch, sweet desserts, dry humor, and old cars. He was preceded in death by his frst wife, Jean Black, and is survived by his second wife, Helena Pieratt; stepdaughters, Andrea Taylor (Jef), Alicia Paul, Aileen Westerkamp (Steve), and Amy Schmalz (Larry); six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

David William Scott , 87, of Springfeld, Illinois, March 16, 2024. He was president of Phi Delta Teta at Denison. He received his master’s degree in history from the University of Wisconsin and his Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University. He also studied at the London School of Economics. Scott taught American government courses at Northern Illinois University and joined the staf of the Illinois State Board of Education as a senior policy analyst in 1974. He served as vice president and president of the Illinois State Historical Society and earned its Lifetime Achievement award. In 2018, he edited a book commemorating the bicentennial of Illinois statehood. He loved to travel and with his wife, Virginia, visited 35 countries and all 50 states. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Herbert and Richard. He is survived by his wife of 59 years; daughters, Margaret Izzo and Elizabeth Budinger (Charlie); four grandchildren; nine nieces and nephews; sister-in-law, Joan Scott; and brother-in-law, William Riser.

1959

Bill “Bush” Bushnell , 86, of Cueca, Ecuador, Jan. 31, 2024. One of the key fgures in the Los Angeles theater scene of the 1980s, he was the driving force behind the infuential but short-lived Los Angeles Theatre Center, a four-stage complex in a renovated bank building on Spring Street. At Denison, he studied theatre and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He moved to Los Angeles and supplemented his theater work by directing the flms Te Four Deuces and Prisoners, along with an episode of the TV show Te Waltons. In early 1978, he and Waltons star Ralph Waite were flming On the Nickel, a movie written and directed by Waite about life on

Skid Row. Tey had ofces downtown at the Alexandria Hotel on Spring Street, and Bushnell’s view of a once-beautiful old bank building falling into ruin prompted him to think, “Why doesn’t somebody do something?” And so he did, but it didn’t come easy. “Twice in the next 41 years, I walked away from the project throwing my hands in the air,” Bushnell later told the Los Angeles Times. Te theater placed an emphasis on new work from playwrights of color and marginalized communities, a legacy that continued with the Latino Teater Company, which was created as a lab under Bushnell and the LATC. Bushnell also worked as a disaster relief employee with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, telling the Times in 2003, “I had perfect training for working on disasters — 35 years in the theater.” While doing this work for FEMA, he met Leita Hulmes, a geologist. Tey married and retired to Ecuador.

Gwen Rusk Canfeld , 86, of Nutley, New Jersey, March 23, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi. For years, she taught children with special needs and was later a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood. She was a pianist and singer, and as a young adult, she sang with the Westminster Choir College. Later, she sang for several seasons with the Choral Art Society of New Jersey in Newark. She volunteered for several decades with the League of Women Voters and championed low-income senior housing until the week of her own death. She loved to spend time with family anywhere but especially at “Noisy Brook,” the family cabin in central Maine. She was preceded in death by her son Bill; her brother, Whit; and her partner, Bill Bowes. She is survived by her sister, Mary; sister-in-law, Pat; two children, Laura and Doug; and eight grandchildren.

Jason Jasonides , 86, of Athens, Greece, summer 2024. At Denison, he was a member of the American Commons Club. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Jasonides; two children, Marcus Jasonides ’96 and Alison Jasonides; and a grandson, Asher Jasonides ’23.

Tom Rice, 86 , of Bexley, Ohio, and Vero Beach, Florida, April 25, 2024. He played golf at Denison and was a member of Beta Teta Pi. He also met Jean Waugh ’60 on a blind date, an event that would result in their 60-year marriage. He entered the U.S. Marine Corps and fnished his service as a captain in 1962. He had a 44-year career in banking, and his children remember the early days when he was manager of a branch on East Broad Street in Columbus and they would accompany him in their pajamas to make night deposits. He eventually served as president and CEO of Bank One Trust Co., executive vice president of Bank One Trust Co., in charge of high-net-worth clients, and senior trust ofcer at JP Morgan Chase. Right up until the end, he could recount the precise details of every eagle and hole-in-one he ever made. He served on various boards, including those of the Columbus Foundation, Delta Dental,

Doug Mabie ’86 TRUSTEE

IN MEMORIAM

Doug Mabie ’86, whose love of Denison permeated so many facets of life, died Sept. 12, 2024, at age 60.

“Family, friends, fun, and philanthropy were his four cornerstones,” friend Chris Lindblad ’86 said. “Denison was at the heart of all four.”

Mabie had a successful 35-year career in wealth management but is best remembered for his warmth, generosity, and playful spirit. He was happiest surrounded by friends and family, preferably on a dance foor where the 6-foot-6 Mabie was the life of every party.

At Denison, he met his wife, Annie Ravenscrof Mabie ’87, sitting on a ledge outside Slayter Hall. Te couple married at the Philadelphia Zoo in 1990 and had three children: Rachel ’16 , Heather, and Ross. Mabie was active in the Phi Delta Teta fraternity and graduated with a degree in economics before earning his master’s in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Back in his native Chicago, Mabie immersed himself in community service. He started the Springboard Foundation, which aims to improve the quality of life in the city’s economically challenged neighborhoods. Over the years, Springboard has awarded millions in grants to deserving educational programs.

“My dad was very much a volunteer,” Rachel Mabie said. “Tat was a constant drumbeat through his adult life.”

He was so passionate about serving his alma mater that family members jokingly dubbed it his “fourth child.” In 2014, he joined the Board of Trustees and worked on the investment, student life, and honorary degrees committees.

“If Denison needed something, Doug was the frst to raise his hand,” board member James Glerum Jr. ’82 said. “He was deeply proud of what Denison stands for and the tangible gains we have made in various rankings and national recognition.”

Mabie promised to remain silent when Rachel was applying for colleges, but on the morning she received her letter of acceptance from Denison, he broke his vow in spectacular fashion, marching down the stairs of the family home dressed in Big Red gear.

At his daughter’s 2016 commencement, he was among the speakers, telling the audience, “To say this is one of the biggest thrills of my life is an understatement.” Mabie handed Rachel her diploma on stage.

“I don’t think it gets any better than that,” she said.

Mabie loved golf, bike-riding, rock and roll, and his beloved Chicago White Sox. Anyone who witnessed his dancing never forgot the sight.

“His moves were ridiculous, arms failing in the air, always in the middle of the foor,” Rachel Mabie said. “People would just stop and watch. He brought us all so much joy.”

– TOM REED

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Obituaries

1959–1961

the Alzheimer’s Association, and Gladden Community House. He was preceded in death by his wife and his sister, Nancy Rice Bott. He is survived by three children, Kimberly Francisco Rice Wilson ’84 (James), Courtney Elizabeth Rice Bosca ’87 (Christopher), and Jefrey Tomas Rice ’94 (Pamela); and six grandchildren.

James “Ted” Rowe , 86, of WiIlmar, Minnesota, June 30, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Delta Chi. He earned his master’s degree at Bowdoin College. In 1969, he was recruited to what is now Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota, where he taught math for 33 years. For 30 years he authored a local newspaper column for bridge players titled “Holding Hands with Ted Rowe,” and when interest in card-playing waned, he changed gears and wrote a general interest column, “Oh Fiddlesticks.” He was preceded in death by his wife, Aileen Rowe; brother, Donald Rowe; and brother-in-law, James Ross. He is survived by his stepchildren, Bill Paterson (Deb), Sally Ingle (Ron), and Anne Matz (Dale); four step-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

Annette Lodge Winters , 86, of Greensboro, Georgia, Feb. 23, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She and her young family lived in Guatemala, Panama, Chile, Ecuador, and Venezuela, assuring that she became fuent in Spanish. Afer returning to the United States, she began teaching elementary school children in Fairfax County, Virginia, including ESL students. She is survived by her three children, Betsy Michelena (Juan), Tom Winters (Shauna), and Rick Winters (Liza); two siblings, Nancy Lodge and Tom Lodge (Marilyn); eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

1960

Diane Downs Aureden , 85, of Oak Blufs, Massachusetts, July 20, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega. After graduation, she earned her master’s degree at the University of Michigan and her Ph.D. in American studies from George Washington University. Her career in higher education spanned nearly 50 years, largely as a professor of English at Drexel University. She and her husband, Timothy Aureden, had known each other from early childhood but didn’t marry until 1974, afer their frst marriages had ended in divorce. Tey raised their blended family in Philadelphia and created traditions around each holiday. In the fall, she taught the neighborhood children how to wax leaves. On President’s Day, she baked cherry pie. At Christmas, she sang carols at the piano until even the most recalcitrant teen relatives felt inspired to join in. She was preceded in death by her husband and a son, David Aureden. She is survived by her brother, David Downs; sons Kevin and Timothy Aureden; daughters, Anne Betz, Elizabeth Aureden, and Julia Schad; and 16 grandchildren.

David Kraf , 85, of Fort Myers, Florida, May 21, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha and met his future wife, Carol Houser ’59. He spent his career in group insurance, mostly in the Cincinnati area with Mutual Beneft Life. He is survived by his wife of 63 years; his brother, William Krafft (Lois); his children, Kent Kraf ’83 (Diane), Brett Kraf (Karla), Tad Kraf (Holly), and Kara Owens ’91 (David); 10 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Peter Lardner, 85, of St. Augustine, Florida, 2024. He grew up on both coasts, in Newport Beach and Santa Monica in California, and in New York City and New Milford, Connecticut. At Denison, he was a member of Delta Upsilon and met his future wife, Nancy Gibson ’60. He received his Ph.D. from Arizona State University and taught biology at Dickinson College, the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland, and starting in 1976, at Flagler College. He was passionate about the environment and reptiles of all kinds. He is survived by his partner, Wanda Hall; former wife, Nancy Lardner; sons, Eric Lardner (Jane) and David Lardner (Cathy); and two grandchildren.

Linda Sofel Nef, 85, of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, July 26, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She went on to earn master’s degrees in English and library science and was a teacher and librarian at North Canton Hoover High School for 35 years. Nef was an outstanding golfer who, at 21, became the club champion at Congress Lake Country Club and was hitting balls straight down the fairway even during her last round. She was a deacon at Christ Presbyterian (USA) Church in Canton, Ohio. She volunteered at libraries and as a groundskeeper at golf courses. She is survived by her children, Katharine Kase (Raymond) and Steven Nef (Mary); six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and her sister, Susan Hood.

Bob Rixom , 87, of Vero Beach, Florida, July 28, 2024. He loved sharing tales of his Denison lacrosse days and his shenanigans as a Sigma Chi brother. He especially enjoyed telling the story of meeting Woody Hayes ’35 , by then an Ohio State University coaching legend and a Sigma Chi brother who was surprised to fnd Rixom, a kid from Michigan, living in his old room. Te unapologetic Michigander went on to earn his master’s degree in education administration from the University of Michigan and was delighted when his Wolverines were crowned national champions that same year. Rixom began his career teaching fourth grade in Detroit and was named superintendent of schools for Boyne Falls, Michigan, at age 30. He retired as dean of students at Southport Middle School in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and was an amateur meteorologist who had a keen interest in Florida weather and tracking storms — a hobby that led his family to dub him “Doppler Bob.” He refereed high school and college basketball and football games, including a few coached by

another legendary and fery coach, Bobby Knight. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Judy Rixom; sons, Shane Rixom (Margaret), Kyle Rixom, and Brett Rixom (Jessica); stepchildren, Shawn Vadala (Rebecca), Beth Zerilli (Sal), and Amy Henderson (Chris); and 12 grandchildren.

Ellen Montgomery Clague , 85, of Ash Fork, Arizona, July 30, 2024. At Denison, she met the love of her life, Stanley Clague ’59. Tey married in the Poconos and she took to the role of a military wife, raising their four children around the world, from California to Maine, Iran to Germany. She was a talented artist; purple was her favorite color. She was preceded in death by her husband and two sons, Scott Clague and Bradley Clague. She is survived by her brother, James Montgomery; son Stanley Clague; daughter, Wendy Williams (Douglas); six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

James Jeffery, 85, of Toledo, Ohio, Nov. 23, 2023. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and played varsity tennis. A sharp civil trial litigator, he practiced law for 55 years with Spengler, Nathanson, LLC, of Toledo. His law school at the University of Toledo designated him a distinguished attorney in 2004, and he served as president of both the Toledo Bar Association and Ohio State Bar Association. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Pamela Jefery Van Riper; sisters, Emily Pollard and Ellin Bick (Gerald); and nephew, John Bick. He is survived by his wife, Kristin; son, Tom (Andrea); daughter Jill Biggs (Bill); son-in-law Ned Van Riper; and nine grandchildren.

1961

Katie Boles Pew, 84, of Charlotte, North Carolina, Sept. 30, 2023. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma.

Dave Teobald , 85, of Ketchum, Idaho, April 4, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Chi. He served in the U.S. Air Force, then went to work for the Aetna Group in Pittsburgh. He excelled at consulting, which took him in the mid-1980s to California, where he established Teobald and Associates and then Netshare Inc. But his heart belonged to the Sun Valley, where he resided for 30 years and served on numerous boards and foundations. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Rawlings; brother, John W. Teobald ’67; daughter, Cynthia L. Teobald; son, David B. Teobald Jr.; three grandchildren; and the remaining two of the “Tree Amigos,” his lifelong friends, William Cormack and Fritz Kern.

Joan Conger Allen, 84, of Herriman, Utah, April 10, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She was a real character, someone who would don a fancy robe and wig and with fair, and dump a jumbo bag of peanut M&Ms into a bowl. It was a dish for any occasion, and certainly better than the one later accidentally invented by visiting grandchildren who preheated her oven only to

discover the long-unused appliance was being used to store her ever-growing collection of shoes. At 64, she traveled to New Zealand with her granddaughter and for reasons known only to her, jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. Tis did not go without incident, as shortly into the freefall she vomited into the face of the tandem jumper who was fastened to her back. She promptly passed out for the rest of the plunge. During the opening ceremonies of Gay Games Sydney 2002, she sat in the stands dressed in American fag attire and bejeweled sunglasses, a fag in each hand. She was known to be dramatic: Rushing her dog to the vet and stuck in trafc, she once called 911 for a police escort and was denied. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Allen, and is survived by her two children, Wendy Rash (Yancey) and Todd Hafner (Stephen); seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Katherine Hinkle Foster, 83, of Austin, Texas, March 17, 2023. She was preceded in death by her brother, Robert Chamberlain Hinkle, and half-brother Allen Alwood. She is survived by her daughter, Mary Katherine Temple (Herbert MacDonald); second husband, John Cokeley Foster; half-siblings Howard Ferrell Alwood, Edna Chloe Alwood, Mary Elizabeth Alwood, and Cheri Alwood Crawford; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Beth Watson Jenkins , 84, of Sherborn, Massachusetts, Feb. 22, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She met her husband in Philadelphia, married in 1962, and moved to New England in 1966. She worked as a sofware developer for Honeywell in the 1960s and 1970s and was an accomplished equestrian, teacher, and judge of dressage. She was a charter member of the New England Dressage Association, serving on its board of directors and competitions committee. Jenkins is survived by her husband, Frank; children, Christopher, Jonathan, and Sandra Beauregard; and four grandchildren.

Martha Motsch Milstead , 83, of Cape May Courthouse, New Jersey, July 17, 2022. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She was a real estate agent for 40 years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Milstead, and is survived by her sons, Michael Milstead (Nicole Fox Milstead), Christopher Milstead (Alex McNees), and Douglas Milstead (Amanda); and nine grandchildren.

Jeanne Goepper Whitty, 83, of Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 23, 2022. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She taught at the Kentucky Home School for Girls for several years before staying home to raise her children. Whitty was a skilled knitter who took home many blue ribbons from the Kentucky State Fair. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dick. She is survived by her sister, Nancy Farley; daughter, Gigi Hildenbrand (Kenny); son, Roy (Gwen); two grandchildren; and many other family members.

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Obituaries

1962–1965

Letitia “Letty” Bryce, 83, of Ashland, Virginia, March 16, 2024. She hailed from a Denison family, with Denisonians including her mother, Margaret Lepper Bryce ’32 , and uncle, Robert Lepper ’36 . At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Teta. She had a long career in education, frst in student affairs at Cornell University and Quinnipiac College, then in the Panama Canal Zone. For nearly 30 years, she was a psychologist and counselor in Prince George’s County, Maryland. She treasured her cottage on the Severn River near Annapolis, where she entertained friends lavishly and which she rebuilt afer it was fooded by Hurricane Isabel. She is survived by her twin brothers, George and Jerry Bryce ’67; niece, Danielle Bryce ’03 ; and by eight other nieces and nephews.

Debbie Ridlon Culbertson , 84, of Towson, Maryland, Aug. 28, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. She moved to Boston and met her future husband, Tomas Leon Culbertson, a seminarian at the Episcopal Divinity School. She bred Siamese cats while completing her master’s degree in counseling from John Carroll University, then started her counseling career at Resource, Inc., an organization dedicated to helping women get into the workforce. At Goucher College in Towson, she developed programs that expanded the college’s non-traditional oferings and public profle. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Emory Culbertson; her daughters, Meghan Culbertson ’90 (Adam Mekler) and Eliza Milne (Arryn); and four grandchildren.

Bob Hagler, 84, of Spring Valley, Ohio, Aug. 3, 2024. A career prosecutor and jurist, he spent 40 years on the bench and retired as the longest serving Common Pleas Court judge in Ohio. At Denison, he was a member of Beta Teta Pi. Afer law school at Ohio State University, he returned to his hometown of Xenia, Ohio, and served as assistant prosecutor of Greene County and a judge of Greene County’s juvenile and probate courts. He also served on the Ohio Youth Commission Advisory Board, Greene County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board, United Way, and as past president of the local branch of the American Red Cross. He was recognized by the Ohio Senate in 2011 and the Ohio House of Representatives in 2013 for his dedication to the highest traditions of American jurisprudence. He was preceded in death by his brother, Bill Hagler (Marcia), and the mother of his children, Karen West Hagler. He is survived by his children, Burt Hagler (Roxann), Jef Hagler (Tami), Tracy Elam (Doug), and Jenni Grooms (Mike); 10 grandchildren; two sisters, Mary Jo Morrow (John), and Ellen Brower (Paul); and friend Suzie Miller.

Steve Harman , 84, of Dayton, Ohio, Aug. 15, 2024. He died of a rare neurodegenerative disease known as progressive supranuclear palsy, which his loved ones hope

you will Google. He was born on Feb. 4, the same day as his father, Richard C. Harman ’35. At Denison, he swam and played hockey. He also was a major contributor to his Sigma Chi fraternity and later became a trustee and “Life Loyal Sig.” He enlisted in the U.S. Navy afer college. In Vietnam, he directed naval gunfre in the Central Highlands and was awarded a Bronze Star. He was a proud family man who relished the outdoors, canoeing, Scouting, and a good dad joke. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Carolyn Harman; his sisters, Rebecca Harman ’66 and Kathleen Seitz ’69 (James); daughter, Stephanie; son, Stephan Harman (Kim); and two grandchildren.

Ken Lund , 83, of Hernando, Florida, Sept. 3, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Delta Teta. He trained as a U.S. Navy pilot and in Vietnam was a member of the historic Seawolves, a Navy helicopter attack squadron. He piloted a helicopter gunship in support of river patrol boats and received a Distinguished Flying Cross during his service there. His biggest aviation thrill was his frst carrier landing on the USS Lexington in a T-28 Trojan. Afer the war, he few for United Airlines until his retirement in 2000. His family was second to none; he would engineer his fight schedule around his daughter Aimee’s University of South Florida cross country season, and would fy in for events at his daughter Laura’s alma mater, Purdue University. He is survived by his wife, Brit Lund; daughters, Laura Dumovich (Ken) and Aimee Salemi (Joe); four grandchildren; his sister, Lenore; and brother, Jon.

Barbara Crowell Mossner, 84, of La Grange, Illinois, Feb. 25, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Phi. She was a special education teacher known for her generous spirit and love of all wildlife, especially the feline kind. She was preceded in death by her husband, Alfred Edward Mossner Jr., and two brothers, Richard Soderlund and Dennis Edward Crowell. She is survived by her nieces and nephew.

Barb Hedrick Schirmer, 83, of Bloomfeld Hills, Michigan, May 17, 2024. She majored in French at Denison and fondly recalled games of bridge in the student union. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and proud of that afliation throughout her life, one she shared with two daughters and two granddaughters. At Denison, she also met her frst husband, John Elden Bowman ’61. She later received a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Wayne State University and worked as a therapist. Her second husband, Robert Hamilton “Ham” Schirmer ’62 , was a longtime friend from both her high school alma mater, and Denison. Tey spent the last 19 years of her life together. Her favorite place was her cottage on Walloon Lake, Michigan, where she delighted in long chats on the dock and daily walks to her overlook, which she afectionately named “Te Mountaintop.” Schirmer was preceded in death by her brother, Alan Marshall. She is survived

by her three daughters, Katie, Karen, and Mimi; stepchildren, Alli, Mark, and Catherine; three grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; and brother, Jim Hedrick.

1963

Kay Henderson Hailstone , 81, of Phoenix, May 26, 2022. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta.

Linda Holbrook , 82, of Kirkland, Washington, April 6, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega.

Rex Throckmorton , 82, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 17, 2024. He spent his formative years in the closeknit community of St. Paris, Ohio, where in high school he was elected class president, played football and basketball, ran track, edited the yearbook, and starred in the senior play. He worked from age 12 on, delivering papers, mowing grass, bottling honey, selling ice cream, inspecting airplane lights, and — his favorite of all — running the projector at the family-owned theater. At Denison, he majored in psychology and was a member of both Delta Upsilon and the U.S. Air Force ROTC program. While waiting tables in the women’s dining hall, he met Barbara Poore ’62 , who would become his wife of 62 years. He went on to law school and after graduation joined the Cleveland firm of Squire, Sanders and Dempsey. Eight months later he was called to active duty in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a captain in the Judge Advocate Generals Corps. Afer his honorable discharge, he joined the frm of Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin, and Robb in Albuquerque, where he later served as president and managing director and worked until his retirement. He served as president of both the New Mexico State Bar and the Albuquerque Bar Association and in 1997 was honored as the Albuquerque Bar’s Outstanding Lawyer of the Year. He was preceded in death by his brother, Don. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; sons, Scott Throckmorton (Susan) and John Trockmorton (Robin); four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his sister, Ann Wiant (Keith).

Judy Lamphere Smith , 81, of North Richland Hills, Texas, Dec. 22, 2022. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. After graduation, she decided on a big change of scenery and moved to Austin, Texas, to become an elementary school teacher. In search of an apartment, she knocked on the door of a maintenance man and was answered by a good-looking Texan wearing glasses and peeling a potato. His name was G. Lynn Smith. They married, and afer his graduation from law school they decided on a move to Dallas. Afer losing their frst child, they decided to adopt. She enjoyed volunteering and was a proud member of the Northwood Women’s Club, where she was known as the queen of centerpieces, many of which became hot auction items. She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years; siblings, James, Jane, and Linda Lamphere; and infant son, Todd Alan Smith.

She is survived by children Jennifer Smith Workman (Tim), Wendy McAleer, and “sort of” son Devon Bass (Nicole); and four grandchildren.

Larry Smith , 82, of Oxford, Ohio, July 12, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Chi. Afer graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Seattle. He received his mortuary science degree, his funeral director’s license, and then joined his father at Marshall Smith Funeral Home. He was a deacon at the Oxford Presbyterian Church, and his family hosted Miami University ice hockey players Rick Kuraly and Tom Terwilliger, who became part of the family. He was a passionate sailor and enjoyed many trips to the Caribbean, where he earned his large ship captain’s license. He is survived by his younger sister, Judy A. Smith; his daughter, Jaimie A. Smith; son, David A. Smith (Donna); and two granddaughters.

1964

Jim Zimmerman , 81, of Beachwood, Ohio, April 26, 2024. Afer Denison, he earned his law degree from Case Western Reserve University. He worked as a lawyer for two years before becoming a professional investment advisor. He was a member of the American Contract Bridge League and served as its president. His skill and dedication to the game earned him the title of “life master” in bridge. He is survived by his brother, Larry Zimmerman (Marilyn); nieces, Kristin Skidmore (David Jr.) and Karin Larkins ’93 (Stuart); and four great-nieces and -nephews.

David Parker, 83, of Petersburg, Michigan, July 6, 2024. He served in the Michigan Air National Guard for 30 years and was a dedicated employee of the Ford Motor Co. for over 42 years. He enjoyed boating on Lake Hamilton, shooting pool, and playing golf and cribbage. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Parker; three children, Christy Bomba (Teodore), Jamie L. Parker, and Bryant David Parker (Jamie Marie); four grandchildren; and many other family members.

1965

Hank Hoyt , 82, of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, Aug. 28, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Afer graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in Army Intelligence in Germany. He worked as a news reporter frst for the Gloucester Daily Times in Massachusetts, and then for the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey. He earned his master’s degree in library and informational sciences from Rutgers University and worked as a corporate information specialist. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Elizabeth Sklar Hoyt; two sons, Charles Hoyt and Eric Sklar Hoyt; two grandchildren; and siblings, Elizabeth Bayles, Phil Hoyt, Frances Hoyt, Paul Hoyt, and Alex D. Hoyt.

Vogt Wilkison , 82, of Ellensburg, Washington, July 9, 2023. At Denison, he was a member of Sigma Chi.

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Obituaries

1965–1970

Phil Wyatt, 80, of Breckenridge, Colorado, and Dana Point, California, April 4, 2024. He was a proud member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and served as an ofcer in the U.S. Navy. He had a long career in the medical device industry, founding an innovative company, Medical Associates Network, Inc., that designed and patented equipment to better serve the health industry. He is survived by his wife, Wendy, and four sons, Christopher, Daniel, David, and Michael.

David Burdett , 79, of Bryan, Texas, May 24, 2023. At Denison, he was a member of Kappa Sigma. He was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy and as a naval fight ofcer, few the A-3 Skywarrior, and served during the Vietnam War on two aircraf carriers, the USS Guadalcanal and Ticonderoga. He practiced law in Dallas and in 1982 purchased a retail sporting goods store in Hearne, Texas. He taught hunter safety and was an NRA certifed instructor and an NRA training counselor. He was passionate about teaching history, especially Texas history, the American Revolution, and the Civil War. After Burdett was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he became one of the frst members of Rock Steady Boxing-College Station, part of a nonproft organization that helps people with Parkinson’s improve their quality of life through ftness. He enjoyed shooting sports, leatherworking, and banjo-playing, although he drove his family crazy because he knew only one song from memory. He is survived by his wife, Kathy; his children, Barry, Amanda, and Andrea; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and other family.

1966

Don O’Connell, 79, of Wallace, North Carolina, Sept. 2, 2024. At Denison, he played lacrosse and was a member of Beta Teta Pi. He was a U.S. Navy pilot for 20 years, serving three tours in Vietnam with the Seawolves, an attack helicopter squadron. He was preceded in death by his sister, Martha Stein. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Janice Darlene Curry O’Connell; his sons, Justin O’Connell (Sarah) and Ryan O’Connell; three granddaughters; brother, Chuck O’Connell ’65 (Sandy); sisters Cathryn Lowe (Roger), Susan O’Connell, and Anne Knoch (Carl); and numerous extended family and friends.

Sam Pratt , 79, of Plain City, Ohio, March 5, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta who played basketball and hockey, ran track, and boxed. He went on to law school but never practiced law, instead spending his 30-year management career at Timken Steel. He passed nearly every summer of his life on the shores of Cayuga Lake in upstate New York. He skied in Aspen, sailed to the Bahamas, and snorkeled in the Cayman Islands. He is survived by his wife, Betty Jeanne Pratt; four children, Lucy Pratt Ott (Pat), Gavin Pratt (Julie), Stephanie Lindsley (David), and Ryan Pratt (Ally); and 12 grandchildren.

Charles Gedge , 79, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, Oct. 22, 2023. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He taught generations of students, from fourth grade to graduate school. He is survived by his wife, Karin Erdevig Gedge; sons, Frederick George Gedge II and Charles Howell Gedge III; and three granddaughters.

1967

Ed Season, 78, of Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 20, 2024. At Denison, he was a wrestler and member of Sigma Chi. He went on to medical school at Ohio State University and spent four decades as an orthopedic surgeon. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve, attaining the rank of major. He looked forward to winter ski trips out West and tranquil summers spent on Chautauqua Lake in upstate New York. He was preceded in death by a brother, James Season, and nephew, James Penney. He is survived by his wife, Linda Season; daughter, Kimberly McMillan (Robert); son, Christopher Season; three grandchildren; brother Willie Season (Cherie); and a sister, Margie Season.

1968

Robert Fullerton , 79, of Greensboro, North Carolina, May 11, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He entered the U.S. Air Force as a pilot during Vietnam, and later few for American Airlines. He lived for a time in a house he built on Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith, New Hampshire, where he was a member of the Meredith Mountain and Chowder Society and a loyal Rotary Club member who organized two ice fshing derbies. He is survived by his wife, Eva M. Fullerton; sons, Jef (Ann) and Brett (Amy); three grandchildren; and brother, William Fullerton.

Tom Tudor, 78, of Fairfax Station, Virginia, Nov. 29, 2023. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Delta Teta. He served as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force.

Sherry Marston Wise, 76, of Burkesville, Kentucky, Oct. 23, 2023. At Denison, she was a member of Chi Omega. She spent much of her life in Indianapolis and was a psychiatric therapist and the owner of Alpacas of Cedar Ridge. She was preceded in death by her sister, Susanne Mennella. She is survived by her husband, Donald H. Wise; children, Michael Toby Wise (Pamela), Kerri Susanne Whitaker (Matt), and Jeremy Michael Wise; and 11 grandchildren.

Robert Young , 77, of New London, New Hampshire, July 16, 2024. He was the son of Wendell Young ’31 and Telma Young ’29. Afer Denison, he received his Ph.D. in communications from Ohio University and taught at New York University. Tere, he met his future wife, Donna Teach. She introduced him to New Hampshire, and they were married on the shore of Little Lake Sunapee. He was a doting father and true home chef who, afer cooking some elaborate and delicious meal, would

relax by doing the dishes while watching a cooking show. He was preceded in death by his brother, John, and sisterin-law, Becky Teach. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Donna Teach Young; son, Matthew Young (Hannah); daughter, Stephanie Jennison; four grandchildren; and other family.

1969

Kristine Johnson Benedict , 76, of Cecil, Pennsylvania, March 22, 2024. At Denison, she joined Pi Beta Phi. She was a member of the Cecil PTA and an ofcer of both the Mt. Lebanon Hockey Association and the Canonsburg Soccer Association. She enjoyed cooking, baking, and needlework. She is survived by her husband, Charles R. Benedict Jr.; children, Julie Welch, Melissa Benedict, and Charles R. Benedict III (Jessie); fve grandchildren; and sibling, Eric Johnson (Mary).

Steve Bennett , 77, of Hinckley, Ohio, April 16, 2024. He died afer a long battle with progressive muscular atrophy, thought to be a rare variant of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Delta Teta.

John Eckert , 77, of Fort Myers, Florida, Feb. 25, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha.

Steve Myrberg , 77, of Barrington, Rhode Island, June 16, 2024. He majored in biology at Denison and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He moved to Boston afer college to work in a tissue-typing lab at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, as one of the very frst techs in a new feld of laboratory science. Afer 10 years there, he moved to Rhode Island and was co-owner of Anderberg’s Appliance for the next 25 years. Ten he changed gears again, working as a special needs teacher at the Bi-County Collaborative School. He was a Scout leader and sofball player. He is survived by his wife, Kathy Marie Gelsomino Myrberg; four children, Matthew Hartley, Meg Hartley McKitchen, Katrin Iken (Joel), and Sven J. Myrberg (Lisa); brother, Donald Myrberg (Hoeung); and seven grandchildren.

Paul Sandusky, 77, of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, April 20, 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. Afer Denison, he received his master’s of divinity at Duke University, North Carolina. He spent his life teaching and in social service work and the ministry. He worked in many other addiction and behavioral health roles and was the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2006 H. J. Heinz Community Service Award. He began the frst alcohol highway safety program in Fayette County. He is survived by his beloved wife, Susan “Janie” Bigham Sandusky; children, Shawn Travis (Tony), Bryn Sandusky (Tammy), Andrew Culver (Stephanie), Adam Culver, and Gregg Culver (Tanja); nine grandchildren; a great-grandson; brother, Stephen Sandusky (Patricia); and many other family and friends.

Bob Schlau , 76, of Beaufort, South Carolina, June 20, 2024. He was a runner in high school and at Denison, and throughout his life would complete 71 marathons. He qualifed for and competed in the 1984 and 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon and was inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He served six years as an ofcer in the U.S. Navy. He earned two master’s degrees and taught at Ohio State University and the College of Charleston. In 1983, he joined Merrill Lynch and enjoyed a 35-year career as a wealth management advisor. He became involved in Charleston civic affairs, serving on the board of the Charleston Symphony for 10 years, including a term as president. He is survived by his wife, Jan Price Schlau; his brother, Bill Schlau ’72 (Karen); two sons, Scott Schlau and Ben Schlau (Miriam); two granddaughters; a stepdaughter, Jennie Crider (Charlie); and other family.

Jacob Garvin Warden Jr. , 76, of Tahoe City, California, April 1, 2024. He spent most of his childhood in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where he met his frst wife, Peggy Niner Warden ’69. At Denison, he majored in English and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He served three years in the U.S. Navy, principally as the ofcer in charge of a diving-demolition team. His service included Secret Service support assignments during the 1972 presidential election. He graduated with an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and spent 45 years in the banking and fnancial services industry, including nearly 20 years with Cornerstone Capital Advisors, the boutique consulting frm he cofounded in Pittsburgh. He was most proud of his work as interim CEO of the Pittsburgh Penguins and interim CFO for Tollgrade Communications. He met his second wife, Sharita, in 2004. Tey fell in love with the Tahoe basin, eventually retiring to their mountainside home in Tahoe City. He is survived by his wife; six children, Jake, Erin, Julia, Reid, Austin, and Liz; eight grandchildren; brother, Steve; frst wife, Peggy; and many other relatives.

1970

Sue Conrath Mullen , 74, of Georgetown, Texas, March 16, 2023. At Denison, she pursued her love of literature and joined Kappa Alpha Teta. She earned a master’s degree in curriculum and began teaching elementary school. Tat love of education led her to work in sales for Childcraf/World Book Encyclopedia. She had a lifelong love for learning, reading, and mentoring children, especially those who came from underprivileged circumstances. She volunteered with the Goodwill GoodGuides, Peoria Reads, and Kiwanis Club programs. In 2016, Goodwill Industries International named her the Volunteer Leader of the Year. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ricky Mullen. She is survived by her sister, Heidi Conrath.

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Obituaries

1971–1974

1971

Barbara Brennan Johnson , 74, of Bellingham, Washington, Feb. 19, 2024. Growing up in New York, she followed the lead of her mother, Joan Brennan ’46 , and enrolled at Denison. On The Hill, she earned degrees in sociology and anthropology and met her frst husband, Karl Johnson ’71. Te couple moved to California, where she added a master’s degree and taught at the Montessori School. She also loved traveling to Ireland because of the music, people, and the predominant place it held in her genetic heritage. She’s survived by her second husband, Steven; daughter, Nell Lee (Trent); son, Lucas Johnson (Megan); sister, Nancy Brennan; brother, Charlie Brennan; and three grandchildren.

Vern Lamplot, 72 , of Flagstaf, Arizona, Jan. 5, 2022. Afer earning a degree in history on Te Hill, he joined the Air Force and retired from duty as a launch ofcer. In his second act, he worked as a television news reporter, and later reinvented himself again as an author of fctional books about the Southwest. His wife, Joby, preceded him in death by 43 days. He’s survived by his siblings, John, Cindy, and Mary Lou; daughter, Missy (Jason); stepchildren, Steve (Lisa) and Lisa; and grandchildren.

Nancy Louise Shiffler, 75, of Ann Arbor, Michigan., May 29, 2024. She developed a love of nature as a child and carried it through her entire life. She graduated from Denison with a degree in psychology and earned master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Michigan. While she served as a director of research and assessment in Ann Arbor Public Schools, her true passion was the Michigan Sierra Club, becoming one of its most recognized volunteer leaders with 40 years of service. She is survived by her brothers, Ron Shifer (Molly), Bruce Shifer (Nancy), and Barry Shifer (Pam), as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Bill Sliger Jr. , 75, of Elk Rapids, Michigan, April 27, 2024. Nicknamed “Pug,” he graduated from Denison with a degree in economics and enlisted in the Coast Guard. Te gregarious sea dog, a member of Phi Gamma Delta, settled in northern Michigan and loved to be near water. He made a living selling advertising and assumed he’d be a lifelong bachelor before marrying Jane Luxton in 1987. He’s survived by Jane; their children, Melissa Ellis (Christopher), Ryan DeLiso (Susan), Ian Sliger (Katie) and Calli Sliger; grandchildren; and his sister, Sally Martin ’75 (John).

David Jones , 75, of Roswell, Georgia, July 31, 2024. Te Kappa Sigma member lived by the mantra, “relationship before task.” His consulting career featured stops in Columbus, Ohio, Boston, and Atlanta. He attended Denison but graduated from Ohio State University. His entrepreneurial spirit ran deep, and afer retirement, he obtained a master’s of fnance from Georgia State and

started Clifop Financial Partners. He is survived by his wife, Claire; his sons, James Jones (Amy) and Scott Jones; his stepsons, Justin Davis (Kelly) and Ryan Davis (Katie); and three grandchildren.

David Liederman , 75, of Katonah, New York, July 4, 2024. An innovator and entrepreneur, he reimagined the chocolate chip cookie and built an empire with his sweet confections. Afer his frst year at Denison, he spent time in France and befriended the owners of the Troisgros restaurant in Lyon. While at law school, he began taking night classes in a culinary program at New York Technical College. Although he passed the bar and joined a law frm, his passion for fne dining took him back to France, where he became a line cook at Troisgros. Americans working overseas in French restaurants were a rarity in the 1970s, and he parlayed his expertise into the creation and manufacturing of Saucier, an alternative to bouillon cubes. While on a publicity tour for Saucier, he visited a chocolate chip cookie store in San Francisco and was unhappy with his purchase. He returned to the kitchen and began tinkering, substituting irregular pieces of dark Swiss Lindt chocolate for standard chocolate chips. A cookie magnate was born. He opened his frst store, David’s Cookie Kitchen, in New York, rebranding the product as “chocolate chunks.” Te chain grew to more than 100 stores nationwide and in Japan and was eventually bought by Nestlé. According to Te New York Times, he understood his love for food contributed to his poor health and, in 1990, he wrote a book called David’s Delicious Weight-Loss Program . In addition to his wife, Susan; his brother, and the two grandchildren, the Beta Teta Pi member is survived by his daughters, Katie Liederman and Elizabeth Liederman Rossi.

1972

Richard Byrne , 73, of South Salem, New York, March 16, 2024. A sailor from a young age, he raced boats in Larchmont Harbor of the coast of Westchester County. He earned a history degree at Denison and was a member of Beta Teta Pi. A longtime president of Trade Association Management, he married in 1980 and started a family. He’s survived by his wife, Ellen; daughter, Kelly Skarupa (Brad); two sons, Peter Byrne and Taylor Byrne (Mary); a grandson; and two sisters, Barbara Esau (John) and Karen Watt (Michael).

David J. Hixon, 74, of Westerville, Ohio, May 17, 2024. He began his collegiate experience at Denison and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon before earning a degree at Ohio State University. A longtime banker, he spent his free time playing tennis, reading, and playing cards with friends. Married in 1974, he and his wife Brenda raised two children. He was preceded in death by his daughter Jennifer L. Mangino; and brother, Mark A. Hixon. He’s survived by his wife; daughter Emily Patrick; and grandchildren.

1973

Phil Lovell , 73, of Paradise Valley, Arizona, Aug. 9, 2024. A captain of the Big Red soccer team, he was always a man of action, still playing pickleball in the final weeks of his life. A member of Sigma Chi, he graduated with degrees in math and economics before earning an MBA at Northwestern University. He worked at Price Waterhouse for two years in Chicago, but in 1974 moved to Phoenix and embarked on a long career in industrial real estate. In 1983, he married Betsy Garland Lovell, and together they had two daughters, Annie and Wendy. He’s survived by Betsy; his first wife, Diane Larson-Lippard ’73 ; his children; his brother, Rob; and his sister, Carol Carmody ’77. Among his nieces is Nelle Carmody ’22

1974

Nancy Rae Leko , 72, of Hilton Head, South Carolina, June 20, 2024. Education was at the center of her life. She earned a degree in Spanish on The Hill before adding master’s degrees from Middlebury College and John Carroll University. While backpacking throughout Europe, she fell in love with Spain and its culture, making Madrid her home for several years. Afer returning home, Leko spent 30 years in education, teaching Spanish and working as a guidance counselor at Cleveland South High School when she wasn’t spoiling her cats. She’s survived by her sister, Linda S. Strelcheck ’70 (Steven), and her two nieces and their families.

Ken Lorentzen , 72, of Batavia, Ohio, March 11, 2024. Denison was in his heart until his final days. In lieu of fowers, he asked donations to be made to the Denison University Financial Aid and Scholarships Fund. He graduated with degrees in history and political science before attending Wayne State University Law School. He enjoyed a long career as a banker. He is survived by his wife, Lee; frst wife, Linda LaRue ’76; his daughter, Ann Blecher ’08 (John); his two grandchildren; and his brother, James.

Gerd Papritz , 71, of Westerville, Ohio, July 8, 2024. A native of Austria, he graduated from Denison with an economics degree and from Xavier University with an MBA. He worked at JP Morgan Chase for 36 years as an investment advisor. Cleveland sports were a passion. His survivors include his wife of 44 years, Penny Papritz; daughter, Hannah Papritz; and sister, Renee Papritz. He was preceded in death by a son, Kristian Papritz.

Sarah Secor Gess , 70, of Perrysburg, Ohio, Dec. 3, 2022. She worked as a paralegal in Toledo, Ohio, for several law frms afer graduating from Bowling Green State University. In 1980, she married Tomas Gess, and the couple had two children, Emma and George. She loved walking, gardening, and animals, having rescued at least three dogs and fve cats. She is survived by her two children and extended family, including nephew Samuel Wallace ’16

James Oelschlager ’64 LIFE TRUSTEE

IN MEMORIAM

James Oelschlager ’64, who made a living in the stock market but took more pleasure investing in people, died Sept. 29, 2024, at age 81.

One of Denison’s most generous donors, Oelschlager and his wife, Vanita, changed lives, bankrolled scholarships, and fnanced dreams. While the couple dined with heads of state such as Ronald Reagan, Margaret Tatcher, and Mikhail Gorbachev, their aim was to enrich the lives of those unable to aford a seat at the table.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Oelschlager learned of a frefghter named Douglas Oelschlager (no relation) who had perished at the World Trade Center. He contacted the widow and made sure the college tuition of her two young daughters was covered.

“Tere were hundreds, if not thousands, of examples of my father helping people under the radar,” said his son, Mark.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Oelschlager used savings from his thriving paper route to make his frst stock market investment. By 1980, he had been named Money magazine’s top portfolio manager in the nation.

Education was a primary focus for Oelschlager, who earned a degree in economics on Te Hill. His alma mater was among his chief benefciaries. Former Denison President Dale Knobel said Oelschlager was given a small sum of Denison’s endowment in the 1990s to invest through Oak Associates, a frm he co-founded in Akron, Ohio.

“It was so successful that it became a signifcant portion of our endowment,” Knobel said. “I guess we would attribute probably $100 million worth of gain.”

Te family’s $18 million donation — the largest gif from an individual at the time — enabled the construction of the Samson Talbot Hall of Biological Science in 2003. Te couple established the Jim and Vanita Oelschlager Fund for the teaching of economics at Denison.

“Characteristically of Jim, he didn’t want his name on the building,” Knobel said.

The Oelschlagers also gave $50,000 each to 20 colleges to create student-managed stock funds, according to the Akron Beacon Journal

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1973, Oelschlager was active on the boards of the Akron City Hospital Foundation and the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. For years, he and his frst wife, Jo Ann ’64 , hosted family picnics and theater outings for MS patients. His nonproft Oak Clinic for Multiple Sclerosis currently treats 2,300 patients.

“My father was a good athlete growing up; he ran track at Denison,” his son said. “He was a very active person, and the disease lef him in a wheelchair the last 40 years of his life. But I never heard him complain. He never allowed it to impact him negatively or prevent him from helping others who were less fortunate.” – TOM REED

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Obituaries

1975–1988

1975

Patty Simpson Deely, 70, of Indianapolis, June 24, March 4, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. A kid at heart, she assisted in the publication of a newspaper for children, written by children. Te Peanut Butter Press was a hit with Indianapolis kids and parents in the 1980s and 1990s. “We set the stories up, arranged to get the kid reporters, got the rental van to transport them, and got all the permission slips signed, and took the kids out for the stories,” Deely told WRTV-Indianapolis in 2022. Kid reporters went on assignments to pig farms, the Indy 500, and WrestleMania, and rode on the Goodyear Blimp. When the movie Hoosiers needed extras on the set, Deely got her reporters a cameo. She was preceded in death by her brother, Jack, and is survived by her husband, Daniel; children, Sean and Eddison; stepsons, Daniel and Matthew; and siblings, Carter and Barbara; and extended family, including Katherine Eschelbach ’01

Karol Daniels Ostberg , 70, of Newburyport, Massachusetts, March 3, 2023. Before embarking on a long career in the public and private fnancial sectors, she earned a degree in history on The Hill. Needing a break from fnance, she took an eight-year hiatus and co-owned a San Francisco sports bar. She was an ardent fan of Broadway and a strong advocate for programs that allowed women to both work and care for their families. Survivors include her brother, Richard F. Ostberg; her sisters, Karin Montlack (Marc) and Kristin W. Ostberg (Dale); and nine nieces and nephews.

1976

Guy Casey, 72, of Decatur, Illinois, Feb. 12, 2024. After graduating from Denison with a degree in history, he continued his education at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and began practicing law in 1981 in Illinois. He was preceded in death by his mother, Naoma Casey.

Vicki Fox David , 70, of St. Petersburg, Florida, June 16, 2024. At Denison, she earned a degree in biology and served as president of Delta Gamma. After getting her MBA from the University of Toledo, she worked for various companies in the sofware industry. She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Darryl David; sister, Kim Fox ’80 ; and four nephews, including Oliver Moertl ’13.

David Rowley, 70, of Porter Beach, Indiana, May 30, 2024. At Denison, he graduated with a degree in geology. A respected research geologist, he sought to understand the history and constant motion of Earth’s tectonic plates. Rowley made significant contributions to the felds of paleogeography, paleoaltimetry, the formation of the Himalaya-Tibet Plateau, and the central role of heat from the Earth’s core in driving tectonic movement. His work earned him recognition from the American

Geophysical Union, where he was named a fellow in 2018. He was a tenured professor at the University of Chicago, serving as chair of the geophysical sciences department. He raised three children, Jason, Jenny, and Gia, in suburban Chicago with his first wife, Renee. He also helped raise his stepdaughter, Molly, with his second wife, Nancy Joseph. He was preceded in death by brothers Don and Robert. He is survived by his wife and stepdaughter; his children and their mother; and brother Roger (Carise).

Michael Schilke , 70, of New York, Aug. 9, 2024. Anyone who caught his well-attended backyard performance of Mary Poppins knew he would grow up to be an actor. Schilke spent one year at Denison before transferring to the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, where he studied theatre, opera, and voice. Afer graduation, he traveled the globe with the Pan-Am Airways Singers. In 1978, he moved to New York, a place he called home for 46 years. As a singer and actor, he appeared in numerous regional productions and worked at Madison Square Garden for 34 years. In 1993, he met his partner, John Mainieri, and they spent three decades raising their family of pugs. He is survived by his partner as well as his siblings, Carol Indian (Robert), Mary Sill (John), James Schilke (Gail), Karen Mowry (Ray), and Richard Schilke (Igaitte).

1978

Steven Warren Moll , 67, of Sequim, Washington, April 25, 2024. At Denison, he earned a degree in biology and was a Kappa Sigma member. A Navy vet and a physician, he was fond of a Bruce Lee quote: “Te key to immortality is frst living a life worth remembering.” His life was rich with adventure and service to others. He was a physician, parachutist, marathoner, scuba diver, and world traveler. While serving in the Navy, he was a “Devil Doc” for the Marine “Devil Dogs” while deployed in Iraq and Kuwait. He dedicated 23 years of service to the country and retired as a commander before working as a family physician in Sequim, where he also raised Black Angus beef on his farm. He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Lauren Doyle; daughter, Keely; and two grandsons.

1979

Michele Christen Antoniewicz , 67, of Jupiter, Florida, July 1, 2024. Afer earning a history degree at Denison, she worked as a fashion buyer and product developer for May Merchandising Co. in its women’s sportswear division. She was known for her selfess nature, donating a kidney to her husband, Ron. Travel and adventure were constants in her life, as she journeyed to Asia and India for work while living in various cities across the United States. She is survived by her husband; her mother, Rosemarie Christen; her sister, Caroline Boucher (Peter); and her brother, Joe Christen (Jill).

Michael Lewis , 67, of Forney, Texas, June 27, 2024. At Denison, he earned a degree in geology and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He flew more than 140 missions for Angel Flight, a nonprofit charitable organization that provides service for patients. He is survived by his wife, Amanda Lewis, the former mayor of Forney.

Marc Richard Litt , 67, of Jacksonville, Florida, Aug. 10, 2024. He began his pre-med track at Denison, earning a degree in biology. While on Te Hill, Litt was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. Afer a residency at Johns Hopkins University, he spent more than 30 years as an interventional cardiologist at Jacksonville Heart Group/Baptist Health. A true renaissance man, he enjoyed hiking in national parks, traveling, painting landscapes, reading history books, attending Jacksonville Jaguars games, and going to concerts. He is survived by his wife, Sheri; his sons, Alex Litt (Sarah) and Michael (Christy); his sisters, Karen Litt Lippes and Rori Litt Stevens; and his grandchildren.

1980 Tomas Grasselli Fowler, 66, of Old Lyme, Connecticut, July 22, 2024. Afer spending his youth in England, he returned to the United States and studied art history at Denison. A man of impeccable style, Fowler enjoyed a career as a retail buyer, specializing in fine stationery and decorative goods. He honed his merchandising expertise at Shreve, Crump & Low in Boston and subsequently worked at Potter & Mellon and his own store, the Writing Room, both in Cleveland. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Elizabeth Traynor Fowler; their daughter, Mary Williams Grasselli Fowler Lovejoy (Donald); and siblings, William H. Fowler II (Deborah), Robert S. Fowler (Constance), and Marya Fowler Muehlegger (Marty).

Jonathan Tad Heyman , 66, of Alexandria, Ohio, Sept. 11, 2024. Heyman, known as “Tadley,” was a member of Beta Teta Pi fraternity who made and kept many good friends from college. He started a successful business with a Denison friend in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, where he lived for many years. He returned to Ohio in 2017. Heyman collected antique cars and custom Jeeps and enjoyed golf and watching sports. He is survived by his siblings and their spouses, Shan Heyman Burchenal ’75 (Caleb), Kimberly Heyman Reynolds ’78 (Buzz), and Christopher Patrick Heyman ’85 (Elizabeth); and several nieces and nephews.

Mary Riblet Milano , 65, of Arlington Heights, Illinois, May 29, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Pi Teta Phi. Afer earning a degree in biology, she attended medical school at Rush University, where she met her husband, Michelangelo Milano. She completed a residency at Northwestern University and became

a pathologist. Milano is survived by her husband; children, Giancarlo ’07, Michelangelo, Christopher, Julia Johnson ’14 , and Luisa Cohen ’17; and sister, Constance Konjevich ’87

Lisa Jean Kincaid , 65, of Fishers, Indiana, Aug. 4, 2024. She earned degrees in biology and English at Denison, where she was a member of Alpha Phi. After college, she worked for more than 40 years as an insurance loss control specialist. She married Ron Kincaid and the couple had one child, Andrew. Among her hobbies, she enjoyed gardening, traveling, reading, playing bridge, and working on her family’s genealogical history. She was preceded in death by her husband and is survived by her parents; her son; her sister, Amy Collins (Mike), and her brother, Robert Breese (Mari).

1983

Tim Maloy, 62, of Glen Echo, Maryland, Nov. 7, 2022.

1984

Matthew Chamberlain , 60, of East Norwich, New York, Feb. 21, 2023. He was a member of Phi Delta Teta.

1986

Greg Roscoe , 59, of Beachwood, Ohio, March 15, 2024. Graduating with a degree in political science, he enjoyed a long career in sales. A four-year letter winner on the Big Red football team, he played on the 1985 conference championship team that qualified for the NCAA playoffs. He also belonged to the Delta Upsilon fraternity. He married Mary Bertsch Roscoe, and the couple had three children: Rebecca Thompson (Adam), Patricia Roscoe and Claire Roscoe.

1987

George Bernier, 59, of Newton, Massachusetts, Aug. 6, 2024. He enjoyed a distinguished 30-year career in Washington, D.C., working in government and related entities. His job history included a stint as a senior legislative assistant to former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, as well as posts with the Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, and the consulting frm of Van Scoyoc Associates. At Denison, he earned a degree in classical civilizations. He is survived by his mother, Mary Jane (Marron) Bernier, and sister, Elizabeth Lamont.

1988 2024. At Denison, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. Described by family as a “bigger than life character,” he graduated from Denison with degrees in history and political science. He served as CEO of Solis Re Agency Inc., a boutique underwriting platform.

James Downey, 58, of Miami, July 1,

&

Obituaries

1989–2024

Tabitha Friedman , 57, of Winter 1989 Springs, Florida, April 16, 2024. After earning a degree in English literature, she worked as a contract manager for Verizon and Central Square. Music was a passion, and the Grateful Dead was her band. She is survived by her husband, Mike; her twin daughters, Brooke and Brielle; her parents, John and Jan Geismar; and her brother, Matthew Geismar.

1999

Freeze Aydin Levy, 45, of North Canton, Ohio, July 31, 2022. At Denison, she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega. Children were at the heart of everything she held dear, especially her son, Jack. Two decades afer earning a degree in English literature at Denison, Levy went back to school to get a master’s degree in early childhood education. She had intended to begin teaching in the fall of 2022 before succumbing to leukemia. Friends recall her sunny disposition and willingness to help others. She was preceded in death by her sister, Evlin Aydin, and her father, Metin Aydin. She is survived by her husband, David; her son; her mother, Marilyn Aydin; siblings, Kaan Aydin (Essie), Alexandria Aydin, and Anastasia Dunigan (Lucas); and other family.

Angie Brubaker Wilt , 47, of Dublin, Ohio, June 2, 2024. At Denison, she was a member of Delta Gamma. Graduating with a degree in English literature, she was a profile in courage and perseverance during a long battle with breast cancer. She met her husband, Joseph Wilt ’99, in astronomy class at Denison, and the couple spent more than 20 years together. Despite her illness, she was known to put the needs of others ahead of her own. She is survived by her husband; her parents, Carl and Elaine Brubaker; her sister, Stephanie Cape; and her godchildren, Julian Cape, Cecelia Duesler, and Nicholas Duesler.

2002

Maxim ilian “Max” Wright , 44, of Princeton, New Jersey, Sept. 12, 2024. Wright was a member of the Beta Teta Pi Fraternity, played varsity football, and was a four-year letterman on the lacrosse team, reaching the Division III Final Four in ’99 and ’01. Tere isn’t a person who knew Wright who could forget his easygoing demeanor, vibrant smile, and profound love for his family and friends. Wright was a friend to all, a world traveler, entertainer, and equal parts skeptic and believer. He is survived by his parents, Rick and Margaret Walker Wright ’73 ; brother, Walker, and sister-in-law, Caitrin, and their two sons, Cooper and Sawyer; uncle John C. Walker ’71; aunt Diane Mueller Walker ’72 ; and cousin Anne Simpson Truitt ’99

2003

Diane Skinner, 41, of Zimbabwe, Aug. 10, 2022. A tireless advocate for the preservation of African wildlife, she served as the executive director of Painted Wolf Foundation. She led eforts to conserve African wild dogs, chimpanzees, elephants, rhinos, pangolins, and other charismatic fauna. Through a long body of work addressing international policy, community conservation, and NGO interventions, she navigated the delicate balance of human/wildlife confict. Afer graduating from Denison, she began her career with the Jane Goodall Institute in 2003. She is survived by her husband, Nicholas Dyer; her mother, Margie Skinner; and her sister, Debra Skinner.

2009

Maritza Webb , 37, of Indianapolis, July 31, 2024. A psychology and theatre double major, she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega and went on to graduate from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law. She worked as an attorney at the public defender’s ofce, assisting in family reunifcation. Webb loved her dogs, Star Trek , over-the-top travel adventures, show tunes, theater, and themed gatherings with her friends. Survivors include her parents; siblings, Christopher Webb (Megan) and Mallory Mason (Will); and stepsiblings, Morgan Mullis (Luisa), Sara DiCamillo (John), and Ashley Mullis.

2012

Matt Mackowski , 34, of Pittsburgh, Aug. 2, 2024. He earned a degree in art history from Denison and a master’s in data analytics from Georgia Tech in 2023. At Denison, he was a member of the swim team. Blessed with a sense of curiosity about other cultures, he spent a year teaching English in South Korea. He held great appreciation for art, music, travel, and food. Completing Te New York Times daily crossword puzzle was among his small joys. He is survived by his wife, Alexa Shupp Mackowski; his father, John Mackowski (Linda); his mother, Pamela Mackowski Logan (Peter); and brothers, Michael Mackowski (Rebecca) and John J. Mackowski (Savannah).

2024

Zoe Hines, 22, of Port Clinton, Ohio, July 30, 2024. A political science major and member of Kappa Alpha Teta, she was an enthusiastic volunteer for causes that inspired her. Following her parents’ lead, she participated in political campaigns from a young age. Among her favorite quotes was one from Martin Luther King Jr.: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” She graduated from Port Clinton High School in 2020 as one of the top 10 students in her class, and is remembered for her compassion and generous spirit. She loved to travel with her family and adored her dog, Bentley, who brought her joy and comfort. She is survived by her parents, Adrienne and Scott Hines, and twin brother, Avery.

Former faculty/staf

Carol Lee Lookenott , 89, of Granville, Ohio, July 9, 2024. A longtime Granville resident, she worked various jobs, including in Denison’s alumni ofce. Afer marrying her high school sweetheart, she raised three children. Carrying on her mother’s passion for history and genealogy, she was a member of the Granville Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. She and her husband, Lloyd, were avid campers. She was preceded in death by her husband of 69 years, and a brother, Dale Hill. She is survived by fve siblings: Betty Kennedy, Donald Hill ’56 , Tomas Hill (Donna), Robert Hill (Donita), and Diane Sanborn. She also leaves behind three children, Debra Hall (David), Linda Hinton (Clyde), and Mark Lookenott; six grandchildren; and extended family, including nieces Stacey ’81 and Elise ’06 Copenhefer ; and nephew Michael Blaney ’78 .

Edward Smith , 84, of Granville, Ohio, May 18, 2024. He spent nearly 40 years at Denison, working three decades in the old bowling alley at Slayter Hall. Longevity defned his life as evidenced by his 53-year marriage to Rachel. He was a member of the Jersey Pullers Tractor Club for more than 30 years and part of the Land of Legend Antique Tractor Club. For nearly two decades, he was afliated with 4-H. He is survived by his wife and siblings Shirley Sullivan, Gerry Whitehouse, and Don Smith (Telma). He was preceded in death by his sister Revella Brumage and three brothers-in-law.

Betty Watts , 90, of Granville, Ohio, May 25, 2024. A longtime Denison employee, she worked briefly in university general administration and spent 30 years as a secretary in the physics department before retiring in 2000. She spent much of her life living on farms as her father and brothers trained harness-racing horses. In 1954, she married Charles Watts, and the couple celebrated 60 years together before her husband’s death. She is survived by two sons, Philip J. Watts (Barb) and Steven L. Watts (Nance); four grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband and her brothers, Jacob Cartnal and Kenneth Cartnal.

Friends

Patricia Barclay, 94, of Granville, Ohio, March 9, 2024. At age 40, she returned to work as a teacher in the Newark, and later Granville, school systems. She taught home economics for more than 20 years, inspiring hundreds of students with her expertise and passion for cooking, sewing, and other household skills. Married for 60 years to Ted Barclay, she was half of a much-beloved couple in Granville. Ted coached athletics for 35 years at Denison, serving as head coach for six varsity programs while also working in athletic administration. Barclay was

preceded in death by her husband and is survived by their sons, Bruce (Dorothy), Brian (Danielle), Jefrey (Beth); and eight grandchildren. Survivors also include a sister, Mary Kay Palmer, and brother, Lewis E. Linzell.

William Bausch , 79, of Damariscotta, Maine, March 14, 2024. A Princeton University graduate, he earned a degree in aeronautical engineering and began his career designing helicopters at Sikorsky Aircraf in Connecticut. He also served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT and earned his pilot’s license for small aircraf. Moving to Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1985, he met his second wife, Mary K. Bausch ’66 , and they remained there for nearly 20 years. He was predeceased by his sister, Barbie. Survivors include his wife; his sister, Carolyn Bausch; and his children, William Bausch (HaMy Vue), Jefrey Bausch (Jenna), and Betsey Bausch Beamer (Paul).

Kathleen Bowman, 80, of Charlottesville, Virginia, Nov. 21, 2023. A frst-generation college graduate, she believed in the value of education and generously provided fnancial support for her children and grandchildren. The University of Minnesota graduate, who earned master’s and doctorate degrees, taught English at Hamline University and Reed College before transitioning to academic administration. She also held several senior administrative positions at the University of Oregon until she was selected as the president of Randolph Macon Woman’s College, where she served for 12 years. She is survived by her three children, Susan Harms, William Bowman, and Geofrey Kamizuru-Bowman; grandchildren; and a brother, Tomas Gill.

Patricia Ann Creighton , 90, of Bradenton, Florida, May 27, 2023.

Charlotte Ann Fisher, 84, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, June 5, 2024. She was a member of the Helen Hunt Club, the Junior Service League, Wapakoneta Country Club, and Shawnee Country Club. A mother of three, she was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Fisher Jr. She is survived by her daughters, Kimberly A. Frazier (Jefrey) and Tina M. Koenig (Jef); and son, John P. Fisher (Jodi).

Chuck Gillespie , 80, of Indianapolis, April 7, 2024. An avid reader and collector of books, he worked as a librarian for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, a law frm, and the Lilly Endowment. A lifelong resident and supporter of Indianapolis, he championed the city’s arts and cultural scene. He is survived by his sister, Joann Weisell (Robert); and brothers, Douglas B. Gillespie (Mimi) and Alan R. Gillespie (Leanne).

Ava Guerrera , 94, of Santa Rosa, California, Oct. 6, 2022. A citizen of the world, she visited or lived in 85 countries, including a six-month stay in Afghanistan with the Peace

&Obituaries

Corps. Her career was diverse because she ofen worked only long enough at a job to earn money to travel again. Her employment history consisted of positions as a researcher for Encyclopedia Britannica , engineering assistant for PG&E, a member of the Squaw Valley Olympic Organizing Committee, personal assistant to the executive director of the San Francisco Opera, and an assistant for the National Safety Council. She met her husband, Sam Guerrera, in college. She was preceded in death by her brother, Herbert Boswau ’55 , and sister, Hildegarde Duval. She is survived by her husband; her son, Christopher Guerrera (Nora); and daughter, Nancy Guerrera (Keith Bueckendorf).

Bennet L. “Ben” Harris , 92, of State College, Pennsylvania, July 25, 2023. Afer serving in the Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean War, he owned and operated Material Handling Equipment and Sales, which specialized in industrial manufacturing. A Fenn College graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering, he loved college sports and rooted for Penn State University. For many years, he volunteered as an usher at Nittany Lions football games. He also liked Ohio State. He was preceded in death by his frst wife of 29 years, Norma, and brothers, William, Donald, and Richard Harris. He is survived by his second wife, Louis Harris ’56 , and two children, Jennifer Herd (John) and James B. Harris (Molly).

Joyce Horton , 90, of Bowling Green, Ohio, June 17, 2023. An accomplished residential and commercial real estate agent, she helped countless families fnd their dream home. She was also involved in retaining and attracting businesses for Bowling Green. Married for 68 years to George Horton ’53 , she and her husband shared a love of golf and travel. She was preceded in death by her husband; brother, Frank Richard; sister, Catherine; and daughter, Jennifer Cofman. She’s survived by her son, Gary R. Horton (Denice); and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Phoebe Reese Lewis , 94, of Milwaukee, Jan. 26, 2024. The sibling of Denison benefactors David Reese ’62 and Tekla “Teckie” Shackelford ’56 , Lewis worked as a travel agent and was active in numerous civic organizations. A graduate of Smith College with a degree in English literature, she was a lifelong learner. Her wedding to John Dowley Lewis on Nov. 25, 1950 in Newark, Ohio, coincided with one of the region’s most ferocious storms, depositing fve feet of snow in some areas. She was a tireless booster of the arts no matter where she lived and was heavily invested in Smith College, where she served in various capacities, including the Board of Trustees chair from 1989 to 1994. Smith College honored her with the John M. Greene Award for her years of service. Her hobbies included writing, trav-

eling, and playing tennis. She was preceded in death by her husband and a brother, John Reese. She is survived by her children, Lloyd Lewis, Tekla L. Metz, Meredith Lewis Degen, Graham Lewis, and Bradley Lewis; 12 grandchildren; her sister, Teckie; and brother David.

Timothy Logar, 82, of Amherst, Ohio, Oct. 22, 2023. Dedicating his life to education, he worked as a teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent in northeast Ohio. He earned his undergraduate degree in education at Bowling Green State University and obtained his master’s degree in school administration at University of Akron. Logar was preceded in death by brothers Tom and Dick Logar and sisters Gertrude Gross and Margaret Kosonovich. He is survived by his wife, Jane; their sons, Timothy D. Logar (Kim) and Matthew R. Logar (Amy); their daughter, Patricia Kramer (Jon); and grandchildren. He is also survived by brother Lloyd Logar, and sisters Paulette Hayslett and Susan Hammond.

Clarence L. Maxwell , 89, of Plain City, Ohio, May 16, 2022. A graduate of Ohio State Medical School, he worked as a plastic surgeon for more than two decades. At Ohio State, he met Ruth Brown, who was his wife for 66 years. Te couple had four children, Lisa Callahan (James), Lynne Quinn, Laura Jochem (Victor), and James Maxwell (Kathy).

Bob Miller, 96, of Winter Park, Florida, July 17, 2024. Dedicated to growing a family business started by his father, he helped run Miller Hardware in Winter Park for decades. Along with his wife, Mary G. Miller ’47, he loved to square dance, travel and host bridge parties. He’s survived by his son, Steve, and two grandchildren. Patricia Newcomb , 97, of Hancock, New Hampshire, March 8, 2024.

Robert Reiser, 82, of Easthampton, Massachusetts, Nov. 4, 2023. A writer, stage performer, activist, and academic, he believed, “We never get too old to dream.” Te New York native earned college degrees in drama and playwriting and was immersed in the city’s theater scene during the 1960s and 1970s. He briefy moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980s to write and perform on the late-night skit comedy, Fridays , before returning to New York, where he became an activist to clean up the Hudson River. Trough this work, he met folk singer Pete Seeger and together they wrote two books, Carry It On and Everybody Says Freedom . He became an English professor at the City University of New York while also developing a passion for writing children’s books. He is survived by his wife, Sandy LeFebre; his brother, John; children, Robin and William; and one grandson.

Martin J. Reitz , 93, of Walworth, New York, Aug. 10, 2023. A man known as “Uncle Marty,” Reitz loved to

grow orchids and play the organ. He served as organist at many weddings and for various churches. He was preceded in death by his wives, Rosemary ’48 and Eleanor; and siblings, James Reitz (Betty) and Marjorie Coleman (Ronald). Surviving are his son, Daniel Reitz (Alex Rodriguez); daughter, Diane Abrams (William); and stepchildren and grandchildren.

Leon Snow, 93, of Le Sueur, Minnesota, Nov. 3, 2023. Farming dominated his life from childhood, and he passed on his love for the outdoors to children and grandchildren. Snow found comfort in bailing hay, cutting wood, riding horses, and raising cattle. An Army veteran, he worked at Le Sueur Inc. and the Green Giant Agricultural Department. In retirement, he worked part-time for Sanof Animal Health in Le Sueur. Beyond farming, he stayed ft by walking the streets of Le Sueur no matter the weather. His frst wife, Mary Ann, died in 1982 and his second wife, Elizabeth ’51, died the following year. He was also preceded in death by siblings Harold Little Snow, William Brown Snow, Ruth Irene Tellijohn, Helen Catherine Heath, and Raymond George Snow. He is survived by his children, Randy Snow (Julie) and LeAnn Snow, and grandchildren.

Margaret Ehrich Stone , 77, of Lafayette, Colorado, Jan. 27, 2024. A lifelong learner, she earned two master’s degrees and a doctorate in adult and higher education from the University of Missouri. She worked for several state hospitals before transitioning to a career in higher education. Her family life revolved around her husband, Kenneth Stone, and their twin boys. She was preceded in death by her husband; her brother, Tomas Roger Ehrich; and her parents, Helen ’29 and William Ehrich. She is survived by her sons, Erik Stone (Kate) and Kevin Stone (Elizabeth), and fve grandchildren.

James Bennett Touse , 92, of Hillsdale, Michigan, Jan. 27, 1931. A Navy veteran, he graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in business administration and owned the Touse Company Inc. for 30 years. He was preceded in death by Ann K. Touse ’51, his wife of 63 years; their two daughters, Gayle Lennon, and Karla Benzing; and one son, Peter Touse. He’s survived by three grandchildren.

Naomi Weinberg , 95, of Great Neck, New York, June 28, 2023. She married Norman Weinberg and had three children, Ellen, Judy Kanfer, and Jon Weinberg (Jessica). She was preceded in death by her parents, Florence and Rabbi Irving Miller.

Kathryn Seedoff Whitehead , 99, of Marion, Ohio, Feb. 4, 2024. Troughout her life, she embodied the spirit of perseverance. As a young woman, Whitehead aspired to be a nurse, but marriage, World War II, and family

caused her to defer her dream. Not to be denied, she returned to nursing school in her mid-50s and graduated with honors from Marion Technical College in 1979. She joined her husband, Dr. Bill Whitehead ’38 , in his private family practice. Tey later brought hospice care to Marion and opened the city’s free health clinic. When an eye disease nearly lef her blind in 1998, she was determined to help others sufering from similar afictions by sharing information about low vision services. Her Eyeto-Eye Low Vision meetings in Marion celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2023. She was preceded in death by her husband and is survived by their fve daughters, Delia Pinyerd, Margaret Bien, Anne Conley (Terry), Jane Nelson (Brad), and Lucia Faust (Alan).

Kimberly Ann Woodyard , 61, of Seminole, Florida, March 22, 2024.

THE LAST WORD

The Shorney 10

FRIENDSHIP

FBY HEATHER LUCHAK KUNKEL ’82

IN DENISON

ebruary 2023 — I sit on the same big sofa in my family room that the pajama-clad “Shorney 10” had lounged on while chatting away last weekend.

The quiet is deafening.

The “girls” have flown home to Ohio, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, and Texas. I have the sectional to myself, now, while I fold from the mound of our laundered bedsheets. I reflect on the three-day reunion at my house, more than 45 years after we all lived on the first floor in Shorney Hall, and 40 years since we’d last seen each other.

It’s been a couple of days since we said a teary goodbye in my driveway, yet I remain in awe of the weekend’s impact. As I climb onto the ladder to remove the red and white Denison banner hanging across the windows, I think back to our beginning.

Ours is a coming-of-age story in the fall of 1978, when 10 girls moved onto the first floor of Shorney. As we bade farewell to our parents until Thanksgiving, we drifted into each others’ rooms and bonded immediately. We named ourselves the Shorney 10: Heidi, Jill, Joan, Margaret, Michele, Mike (for Michele), Patty, Sallie, Tracey, and me — Heather.

We were different in many ways, but the same in our vulnerability, loyalty, and support.

Together, we were “little sisters” at ATO, went to parties, and ate at Saga. Together, we sang to Pure Prairie League’s “Amie” — cowboy hats on heads and hairbrushes as mics — danced to Earth, Wind & Fire, and huddled over popcorn poppers. Together, we had midnight seances wearing Lanz nightgowns in the graveyard during finals. Together, we laughed and cried through boyfriends, heartbreak, and homesickness.

Our friendship persevered, even though we went our separate ways later at Denison and for the next 40 years with virtually no contact — until I volunteered my house for a reunion, where seven of the Shorney 10 committed to convening on Presidents Day weekend 2023.

Six women flew out of six cities and arrived here in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. After a welcome champagne toast, the Shorney 10 settled into our liv-

ing quarters throughout the house — reminiscent of dorm living. We kicked of the celebration with Friday dinner and Open Mic Night at a local tavern, where we performed “Amie” like the old days — hairbrushes in our grips — accompanied by guitar and piano.

We spent our days strolling, shopping, antiquing, laughing, and making a friendly spectacle of ourselves wherever we went, telling the elevator version of the Shorney 10 story to all we encountered. We had themed dinners at home — Tex-Mex night and then Mardi Gras night, when we dressed in costume and acted our assigned parts as we unraveled a New Orleans-themed murder mystery.

Te weekend was full, but the best times were spent lazing in our pajamas, talking for hours over breakfast and dinner tables, or FaceTiming with the three of the Shorney 10 who were unable to make the reunion.

Nothing had changed in many ways. We each still have our individual gestures and quirks from 1978, and we share the same interest in and support for one another.

Everything had changed in other ways. We’ve had careers, marriages, divorces, children, grandchildren, hardships, and tragedy.

In our extended and, at times, wistful conversations, we wondered how our lives would line up with those we’d predicted decades earlier when we each recorded, aloud, our hopes and dreams for the future.

That cassette tape exists somewhere.

Perhaps it was serendipity in 1978 that 10 girls looking for themselves found each other first. Perhaps we fell into one another’s arms to navigate — together the tumultuous time in our lives that would ultimately lead us to find ourselves.

We were a security blanket of sorts. Like the one you discover in a chest of keepsakes in the attic. You pick it up — it feels, smells, looks the same. Its weathered softness draws you again to its comfort, and you are enveloped by its warmth.

We were that for each other in 1978. We were that for each other in 2023. We continue to be that for each other — now, more than ever.

That is the essence of the Shorney 10.

The Shorney 10, from left: A LIFELONG

ROOTED

front row — Heidi Hughes, Jill Priest, Heather Luchak, Michele Seeger; middle row — Patty Hunt, Tracey Biederman, Margaret Lebens; back row — Sallie Stone, “Mike” LeFevre, Joan St. Sauveur.

Denison University Society of the Alumni

ORGANIZED IN 1846

ALUMNI ADVISORY BOARD

Ali Teopas Spungen ’08

PRESIDENT

Mark Morawski ’90

PRESIDENT- ELECT

Elizabeth Williams

Daugherty ’86

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Demi Johnson ’11

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Michael Piper-Younie ’00

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Frank P. Ward, III ’04

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Alicia Jamison Henry ’05

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Amy Hardesty Gillies ’92

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Ali Gakenheimer ’20

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Chuck Emrich ’83

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Jim Hartenstein ’74

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Manda Alexander Klein ’04

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Ryan Polk ’17

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Amy Sibert Lovett ’84

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Elizabeth Fenner

Yassenof ’08

MEMBER-AT-LARGE

ANNUAL FUND VOLUNTEERS

Amy Gillies ’92

ANNUAL FUND CHAIR

Mike Trigg P’25

FAMILY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL CHAIR

DENISON UNIVERSITY CONTACTS

Adam Weinberg

740-587-6281 • president@denison.edu

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

Libby Eckhardt

740-587-8575 • eckhardtl@denison.edu

VICE PRESIDENT OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

Greg Bader

740-587-5534 • baderg@denison.edu

VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES, please call 740-587-0810

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Lewis (Lee) A. Sachs ’85 (Chair), James L. Anderson ’85, George Bodenheimer ’80, Cynthia Ooten Booth ’79, Colleen Boyle ’24, Ashley Edwards Bradley ’93, Daniel J. Brickman ’80, Marcus Colwell ’84, H. Tim Ewing ’89, Jesse Felker ’23, Jeremy J. Flug ’83, Jefrey (Jef) A. Forbes ’87, Kristen Fitzwilliam Giarrusso ’84, James T. Glerum Jr. ’82, Lauren S. Haarlow ’90, Matthew J. Harrington ’84, Jeryl D. Hayes ’04, Crystal Roberts Jezierski ’94, Jefrey Johnson ’81, Richard A. Kienzle ’85, Suzanne B. Kriscunas ’72, Marc B. Lautenbach ’83, Eric Lindberg ’93, Jefrey Masten ’86, Amy Todd Middleton ’93, William C. Mulligan ’76, Stephen Polk ’78, Abigail E. Pringle ’96, Vivian Quaye ’03, George V. Russell ’88, Arthur P. Steinmetz ’80, Tomas E. Szykowny ’79, Gregory N. Taylor ’86, Jamie K. Torsen ’77, Susan D. Whiting ’78

LIFE TRUSTEES

Mary Jane Le Van Armacost ’62, Charles A. Brickman ’54, Walter F. Burke ’71, John A. Canning Jr. ’66, Janet Crown ’85, Mark F. Dalton ’72, Paul A. Dimitruk ’71, Michael D. Eisner ’64, John V. Faraci Jr. ’72, Martha Dunbar Hall ’81, Dana Hart ’76, Ro Nita Hawes-Saunders ’73, W August Hillenbrand, Thomas E. Hoaglin ’71, David J. Hooker ’72, Paul W. Hylbert ’66, Charlotte Power Kessler ’65, John D. Lowenberg ’64, Sharon Smith Martin ’65, Steven P. Matteucci ’78, Donald B. Shackelford ’54, Gary V. Simpson ’84, John N. Taylor Jr. ’57, Joseph H. Tomas ’56

Editor

Lori Kurtzman denmag@denison.edu

Designer

Mark Pinkerton

Photo Editor

James Schuller

Obituaries Editor

Theodore Decker Staff

Kristy Bellofatto

Taby Arthur Fogg ’14

Brooke LaValley

Tom Reed

Ginny Sharkey ’83

Denison Magazine (ISSN 1042-1645) is published two times a year by the Denison University Office of University Communications, 100 West College St., Granville, OH 43023

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