Prospect Magazine, Summer 2023

DESTINATION EDUCATION

Connecting campus with the world

PHOTO BY BOB COSCARELLI

26

Elmhurst to the Emerald Isle

In Dublin, nursing students explore the Irish health care system and gain new perspectives.

24

World Class

On campus and far beyond, Elmhurst is preparing its students for a global future.

30

Jay-Term Adventures

Bluejays travel all over the world to learn and explore during January Term.

36

Warm Welcome

A partnership with Exodus World Service gives students an up-close look at a global issue.

The Magazine of Elmhurst University

Summer 2023

volume v 1, number 1

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Debra Lukehart

SENIOR DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Desiree Chen

CREATIVE DIRECTION AND DESIGN

Laura Ress Design

EDITOR

Margaret Currie

PROJECT MANAGER

Natalie Bieri ’18

CONTRIBUTORS

Emily Ayshford, Lauren Galvin, Molly Heim, Amy Merrick, Brian Moore, Andrew Santella

PHOTOGRAPHY

Jason Brown, Bob Coscarelli, Rob Hart, Victor Hilitski, Sarah Nader, Steve Woltmann

ILLUSTRATION

Bruce Hutchison, Josie Portillo, Telegramme

ALUMNI NEWS AND CLASS NOTES

Jon-Pierre Bradley, Elizabeth Gordon ’19, Andrew Knap, Colleen Radzevich, Amy Young ’21

CONNECT WITH US

We welcome your comments! Email us at marketing@elmhurst.edu.

Prospect is published twice a year by the Office of Marketing and Communications.

Elmhurst University 190 Prospect Ave. Elmhurst, Illinois 60126

© 2023 Elmhurst University

All rights reserved.

PHOTO BY BOB COSCARELLI

THE WORLD IS OUR CLASSROOM

Our mission as a university is to inspire intellectual and personal growth in our students and to prepare them to contribute meaningfully to a diverse and interconnected global society.

One of the most powerful ways we can honor this commitment is to help our students engage directly with that global society—to offer up the world as their classroom. Through our Office of Global Engagement, our study away programs are taking students to every part of the world, all year-round. At the same time, our expanded international recruitment efforts have brought nearly 180 students from 39 countries to our current student body.

In this issue, we celebrate global engagement, Elmhurst style. We introduce you to an unusual program that allows our nursing students to study for a semester in Ireland without skipping a beat from their rigorous academic schedules. We take a look at our popular international January Term trips and their concentrated impact. And we join our students as they welcome the world right here on campus.

These inspiring stories make me want to book my tickets and take my next trip. My goal is to visit 100 countries in my lifetime, and I’m halfway there!

TROY D. VANAKEN President

Cultural and Linguistic Immersion in Spain

GLOBAL CITIZENS

THE PROFESSOR

Christopher Travis

PROFESSOR OF SPANISH AND LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE

FOSTERING INDEPENDENCE

During January Term, we take a group of students to Madrid to build their Spanish-language proficiency and educate them about the architecture, art, music and cinema of Spain. Each morning, students take cultural and linguistic immersion courses. In the afternoons, we’re doing excursions such as museum visits, cooking classes and flamenco-dancing lessons. We’ve even been to Real Madrid matches. We spend time in different areas—as in Chicago, each neighborhood in Madrid has a unique personality. On the weekends, we take overnight trips to nearby cities.

In a January Term course for experienced Spanish speakers, students explore Madrid and develop their capacity to navigate a new culture.

My co-director, Jacob Hill, and I want to empower students to be independent. During orientation, we ask them to research where we’re going and choose some of our activities. We set the tone early that they are as responsible for the success of the trip as we are. In Madrid, students stay with host families, which helps them feel like part of the community.

CREATING MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES

When they see a 2,000-year-old aqueduct still standing with all its integrity in Segovia, students are pretty blown away. They are in disbelief when they see original art by Picasso or Velázquez or Goya. In Toledo, they stay in the plaza late into the evening and watch

the moon rise over the cathedral. One morning on a recent trip, I went running with two students in the countryside. We watched hot-air balloons take off, then returned over cobblestone streets.

I love reading the students’ journals halfway through the course, when I see their fears and concerns alongside their excitement, and then reading them again at the end, when I learn how they overcame those challenges. I discover little details, like their outing to karaoke night or friendships they’ve developed. The students shine in ways you may not see on campus. It’s always emotional and fulfilling to witness their growth.

BROADENING PERSPECTIVES

Recently, the majority of the students have been of Latino heritage, and they’re very interested in connecting with their culture. Plenty of these students have never left the United States. When they return, they have a different perspective.

Through the course, students develop a consciousness of social justice and an awareness of global issues. We are trying to internationalize the campus, and more students are coming from other countries. I would hope our students coming back from Madrid would be more appreciative of what those students are going through and reach out to them.

THE STUDENT VIEW

“My biggest takeaway from this trip is that there is a whole other world out there for us to explore. Traveling to Madrid, Segovia and Toledo made me wonder what the rest of Spain and Europe are like. I am definitely planning on returning to further my education as a language arts teacher and to continue checking things off my bucket list.”

— VANESSA CAMPOS ’23, MIDDLE GRADES ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS MAJOR

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER TRAVIS

CAMPUS TREES ���

Q&A

Before giving this year’s Rudolf G. Schade Lecture on History, Ethics and Law, the former six-term Republican congressman spoke with Prospect about the country’s political divides, his sources of inspiration and his advice for young people.

You were elected to your first public office, McLean (Ill.) County Board, as a college sophomore. When did you first get interested in politics?

When I was 6, I asked my parents about a campaign yard sign I saw, and they explained what it meant and what an election was. I became obsessed and was just naturally inclined toward politics, government and service. After serving on the County Board, I joined the Air Force, and when I came back from serving in Iraq, I decided to run for Congress.

Adam Kinzinger came to campus on April 20 to discuss the country’s political future.

Each spring, the kousa dogwoods on campus come alive with heavenly star-shaped blooms, and each fall their leaves turn a flaming shade of red. Legend has it that Jesus was crucified on a cross made from a dogwood, and that the trees are now short and twisted so that they can never again be used for that purpose.

You were one of only two Republicans to serve on the House special committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Any regrets? Not a single regret. I knew the costs, and I was scared to death we would fail. But I also knew that if I was asked to serve, there was zero chance I would say no. I have a 16-month-old son, and someday he’s going to read about this time in history books. And I know he will not be ashamed of his last name.

Did the experience make you more or less disillusioned about politics?

Growing up, I always assumed everybody had a red line they would

never cross. I’m not sure I believe that anymore. That doesn’t mean we’re doomed, but it’s a call to action. And I’m optimistic long term—never once has anyone come up to me and called me a name because of what I did. I believe that at our core, we all are decent people.

Who or what inspires you now?

Young people in this country—in particular, those who serve in the military and are willing to put their lives on the line. It amazes me every day that we have a volunteer military force. When you have people who don’t even remember 9/11 and are signing up, that’s pretty inspiring.

What’s your advice to college students about how to make change and get things done?

Don’t think you have to be the one to change everything yourself—understand that everybody has a little bit of an opportunity to make a difference. And if you want to run for office, don’t be afraid to lose.

HAS HTAG HIGHLIGHTS

Bluejays are flying far and wide to learn, explore, discover and grow. Visit us on your favorite social media channel to follow along on their transformative global adventures.

BY THE NUMBERS

The University is committed to globalizing the Elmhurst experience. Here are some of the numbers that tell the story.

dennis.arreaza Four months, 13 countries and a million memories. Thanks to every person I encountered along the way who made my experience a memorable one. From being on the apex of mountains, to seeing natural phenomenons, to living childhood dreams as a soccer fanatic, to being stranded in countries and encountering language barriers. An unforgettable experience

morgan_bilancia I can't even count the amount of times I've been told

“Guten Morgen, Morgan!” (but I still Berlin, Leipzig, & Halle )

BE A HEALTH SYSTEMS LEADER

Nurses who hold doctoral degrees play a critical role in shaping the future of health care. What do health care systems leaders do? And how can a doctor of nursing practice degree help nurses prepare for high-impact leadership roles? Visit our blog to learn all that and more. Check it out: elmhurst.edu/Blog.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

179

HOME COUNTRIES AMONG STUDENT BODY

39 STUDENTS FROM INDIA

63

FIRST YEAR OF STUDY ABROAD

1968

STUDENTS ABROAD, JANUARY TERM 2023

68

STUDY ABROAD COUNTRIES

44

STUDY ABROAD CONTINENTS

7

_kayleyburke I’m sorry, the old Kayley can’t come to the phone right now

THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY

At the inaugural Psychology Department Winter Research Symposium in January, students from Elmhurst and local community colleges presented their research on topics ranging from mindfulness and self-compassion to the benefits of spending on others.

For the latter students, the symposium was the culminating event of the Elmhurst Psychological Science Bootcamp for Community College Students, a new two-week program in which students designed and conducted research with the support of Elmhurst faculty mentors. The students gained college credit and scholarships toward an undergraduate degree program at Elmhurst.

NEW FACES IN ATHLETICS

Three head coaches have joined the Bluejay family: Susie Foster (women’s soccer), Mike Murray (football) and Jason Pruitt (women’s basketball).

Before joining Elmhurst, Foster was head coach at Carroll University. Over the course of her career, she has led four teams to NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. Under her leadership, 71 studentathletes have garnered all-conference selections, and 10 have won National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region honors.

Murray comes to Elmhurst from Roosevelt University, where he was associate head coach/defensive coordinator. Over the course of his career, he has won eight CCIW championships and mentored two Division III football All-Americans,

16 All- CCIW First Team honorees, and two recipients of the CCIW Defensive Player of the Year Award.

“Sharing research findings with the larger scientific community is a critical component of being a scientist,” said Associate Professor Liz Majka, who co-led the Psych Bootcamp. “Presenting research helps students grow as scientists, and we wanted our bootcamp students to experience that.”

Also this year, Elmhurst students from a variety of departments recently presented their research findings at conferences across the U.S.

For details, visit elmhurst.edu/Research.

Over the course of his 11 years as a head coach, Pruitt has turned multiple programs into perennial title contenders. He’s coached 20-plus athletes to allconference nods, won two conference championships, and been named conference coach of the year five times. Before joining the Bluejays, Pruitt was head coach of women’s basketball at the University of La Verne in California.

AN EYE TO THE FUTURE

This spring, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the University’s 2028 Strategic Plan. What impact will the plan have? The plan will guide the University in continuing to pursue its mission, and it will ensure that we’re well positioned to navigate an evolving landscape over the next five years and beyond. Grounded in our values, the plan sets strategic priorities under six foundational pillars. These pillars provide the framework that will guide us in achieving our goals of excellence as an institution.

Now that the Strategic Plan is in place, what’s the next step?

We’re turning our attention to building a strong operational plan and transforming priorities into realities. In just two concrete examples, we plan to break ground on a new health sciences building later

this year, and significant renovations already have begun on Langhorst Field.

The Elmhurst 150 fundraising campaign has already exceeded its goal. What will this mean for the future of the University?

I’m very proud of the fact that our community has come together in such a meaningful way. So far, 6,700 generous donors have collectively given over $54 million to celebrate our sesquicentennial and to express their support for this great institution. I’m also proud that our endowment and investments have grown from about $90 million in 2016 to now approaching $200 million. That’s a huge turnaround for this institution. It means that we are better able to help students in need. We can improve our facilities and take them from good to great. And we can enhance and enrich the student experience for generations to come.

President Troy D. VanAken spoke with Prospect about the University’s goals and plans.

The University will break ground this year on an interdisciplinary building for the health sciences.

RENDERING COURTESY OF AYERS SAINT GROSS

NEWS BRIEFS

FACULTY FAREWELLS

Two esteemed faculty members announced plans to retire at the end of the 2022–23 academic year. Please join us in wishing them well.

KELLY CUNNINGHAM joined the Elmhurst faculty in 2005 after 21 years in marketing and sales at Kraft Foods. As associate professor of business and former director of the MBA program at Elmhurst, he drew on that expertise to work with students on real-world marketing projects for local organizations such as Brewpoint Coffee, Little Blessings Preschool and St. John�s Lutheran School.

MARY LOU STEWART, who joined the Elmhurst art faculty in 1997, chaired the Department of Art from 2001 to 2012 and was director of the art education licensure program for 24 years. A practicing artist with more than 30 years of experience, she specializes in abstract landscape acrylic paintings with collage elements stressing pattern and texture. Her work has received several honors and is included in museums and private collections nationally.

VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSETS and training modules are helping Elmhurst students build career soft skills, thanks to a new grant from tech giant Meta and Bodyswaps, a soft-skills training startup based in the United Kingdom.

IDEAS

WORTH SPREADING

How does public art change our perception of reality? What are the benefits of unlearning what we think we know? How can we create spaces that are more inclusive?

Those were just a few of the topics on the agenda at TED xElmhurstUniversity 2023, a program of TED Talks focused on the theme of “firsts.” Held on April 1, the soldout event featured 12 speakers, including Elmhurst students, faculty and alumni, who were chosen from nearly 60 applications.

TED x is a program of independently organized events that bring the community together in the spirit of TED’s overall mission of discovering “ideas worth spreading.”

AYANNA F. BROWN, associate professor of education, is the editor of Racial Literacy: Sociopolitical and Sociocultural Contexts for Youth, a new essay collection that helps push the field of racial literacy in new directions.

THE ELMHURST U. CHAPTER OF PHI KAPPA PHI, the national honor society, won the National Service Award in its division for a mental health awareness project at a middle school in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood.

ELMHURST’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER, The Leader, took home nine honorable mentions and 11 awards at the 2023 Illinois College Press Association conference.

HONORARY DEGREES AWARDED

At Elmhurst University’s 152nd Commencement on May 20, honorary doctoral degrees were awarded to the Rev. John C. Dorhauer, president and general minister of the United Church of Christ, and Russ Weigand ’64, a longtime trustee and generous supporter of the University.

The University celebrated its affiliation with the UCC in awarding an honorary doctor of divinity degree to Dorhauer, who has led the denomination since 2015. An author and theologian, Dorhauer (photo, center) has strong connections to the campus—he was a visiting scholar in 2015 and spoke at Elmhurst in April about the threat of Christian nationalism. His son, John Dorhauer ’08, is an adjunct faculty member in the music department.

GOING HOLLYWOOD

A trustee emeritus of the University, Weigand (right) received an honorary doctor of humane letters in recognition of his many years of service to, and support of, Elmhurst. Retired from a successful career in philanthropic consulting, Weigand is an Alumni Merit Awards winner and was on the Board of Trustees for nearly 30 years. In 2016, he and his wife, Joyce Slone Weigand, pledged $2.25 million to the University to support the work of the Center for Professional Excellence, which was renamed for him in honor of the generous gift.

NEWS BRIEFS

SAMINA HADI-TABASSUM has been appointed dean of the School of Education. She was previously a faculty member and program director for graduate programs in early childhood development and education at the Erikson Institute.

BRENDA GORMAN, professor of communication sciences and disorders, received an Exemplary Practice Award from the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association in recognition of her exceptional practices.

KJ Benedyk, associate professor and director of the University’s digital media program, was invited to the premiere of Marvel star Jeremy Renner’s new show, Rennervations. Benedyk and some of her digital media students have worked on video projects for The BASE Chicago, a West Side nonprofit that’s featured on the new show.

A WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP LUNCHEON in March featured a conversation with pioneering police officer Maha Ayesh ’13 and two University leaders: Shawna Armstrong, assistant director of athletics, and Julie Suderman, VP for business and finance.

THE ELMHURST UNIVERSITY

E-CELERATOR INNOVATION

SPACE celebrated its grand opening in May. Located on the lower level of the library, the E-celerator provides coaching and support for student entrepreneurs who want to launch a new business or innovate within an existing one.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF ����!

PHOTOS BY SARAH NADER

2023

The University celebrated the achievements of more than 300 graduate students and 800 undergraduates on May 20 on the University Mall. Please join us in toasting our newest alumni!

As a student and volunteer, Evelinn Sanchez is sharing her passion for sustainability.

GROWING INTEREST

In seventh grade, environmental studies major Evelinn Sanchez ’23 read Michael Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which traces food systems in America and explores their ethical implications. The experience set Sanchez on a path to learning everything she could about sustainability.

In the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago where she grew up, residents experience higher rates of asthma and other health conditions caused by industrial pollution. “We face a range of environmental injustices,” Sanchez says. She became involved in the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, LVEJO, whose advocacy led to the 2012 shutdown of two of the nation’s oldest and dirtiest coal-fired power plants. As an LVEJO intern, Sanchez worked at La Villita Park, a former brownfield site that the organization helped turn into a park to add green space to the community.

At Elmhurst, Sanchez continues to promote sustainable practices and educate others about their natural surroundings. She is co-president of the Greenjays, a student organization at Elmhurst focused on sustainability on campus. The group recently hosted a tour to highlight the fact that Elmhurst is an accredited arboretum, with over 100 species of trees, including black walnuts, native maples and bur oaks. “People especially enjoyed the papaw tree, which gives a fruit that tastes like a banana,” Sanchez says.

Once a month, Sanchez and other Greenjays volunteer at the Elmhurst Great Western Prairie, one of the few natural prairie spaces remaining along the Illinois Prairie Path and the oldest living environment in Elmhurst. They work throughout the mile-long stretch to clear out invasive plants, such as buckthorn and honeysuckle, and create space for native grasses.

Sanchez plans to earn a master’s degree in conservation biology and pursue a career as an environmental field technician or field ecologist. But first, she’s doing a conservation and land management internship in New Mexico’s Lincoln National Forest, collecting endangered plant species seeds.

“Elmhurst has helped me gain the skills needed for my work,” she says. In her Environmental Studies 201 class, she and her fellow students built up nutrient-rich bioswale on campus and removed nonnative plants to help increase biodiversity.

“Being engaged in our campus as well as volunteering at the Great Western Prairie will help me prepare for my career,” she says.

Greenjays co-presidents Evelinn Sanchez and Santino Battaglia ’25 clear out invasive plants at the Great Western Prairie.

PHOTO BY BOB COSCARELLI

FACULTY

Whether he’s teaching, coaching executives or hosting his popular podcast, Lawrence “LB” Brown is finding ways to help people reach their goals.

CASCADING LEADERSHIP

Lawrence “LB” Brown, MBA ’15, and his friend Jim Kanichirayil were swapping stories about the experiences they’ve had as people of color in the workplace when they had an epiphany: What if they had known what to expect when they entered the workforce?

“And then we realized it doesn’t have to be this way,” says Brown, who spent 14 years at Allstate before joining the faculty at Elmhurst, where he’s now assistant professor of business and economics and director of the MBA program. “We can tell people about some of the things they may experience. And more importantly, we can help them navigate those issues.”

So the two launched Cascading Leadership, a weekly podcast that addresses questions of diversity and equity in the workplace while

offering insights into organizational effectiveness, talent strategy and other key leadership issues.

In addition to drawing on their own professional experiences— Kanichirayil is an HR and talent acquisition technology consultant with a doctorate in education—the hosts spotlight the leadership stories of women, immigrants, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people from other diverse backgrounds.

“We didn’t want our voices to be the only ones heard. We wanted to bring in people from different backgrounds,” Brown says. “Our goal is to hear the differences in people’s stories, but at the same time to hear the similarities. And we have found that there are recurring themes of access to opportunity, intellectual pursuit, agility and code-switching.”

Launched in early 2022, the podcast has aired nearly 100 episodes to date. With more than 25,000 downloads, it’s been recognized by Thinkers360, a global thought leadership platform.

“We thought only a handful of people would listen, but it’s been very popular,” Brown notes.

“Each individual has a lived experience, and we need to recognize that.”

At Elmhurst, Brown tries to be the coach and mentor he wishes he’d had in the early part of his own career. “I know all the things to do wrong, because I did most of them,” he says. “But now I can teach other people and show them that there are different ways to achieve.”

PHOTO BY BOB COSCARELLI

CARING KIWI

Growing up in suburban Milwaukee, Thomas Sullivan ’19 longed to leave. Not just Wisconsin, as he did when he enrolled at Elmhurst to triple major in psychology, sociology and intercultural studies, but the country altogether.

A study away trip to Australia during his sophomore year gave him his first taste of life Down Under, and going on a five-day hike in Tasmania— where the only escape from the trail was to be airlifted out—gave him a new sense of confidence. “It showed me that I don’t need to be in the U.S. to be comfortable,” he says. The experience, combined with his passion for human rights and his frustration with widespread injustice in the United States, sealed the deal: After graduation, he would head back to the Southern Hemisphere. “I said, ‘I’m literally leaving,’” he laughs. He enrolled in a master’s program in human rights in New Zealand and has lived in Auckland ever since.

With a passion for human rights, Thomas Sullivan is creating a new life in New Zealand.

Now he works for behavior management training company Maybo, teaching organizations how to manage and de-escalate conflict in the workplace. It’s a role he views through the human rights lens he cultivated at Elmhurst, where he helped deliver food through Chicago’s Night Ministry and volunteered to help migrant children.

“I’ve always been a social justice warrior, and seeing that hardship firsthand through those experiences at Elmhurst really motivated me to tackle human rights problems in a meaningful way,” he says.

And in a country that values friendliness and communal wellbeing, he’s felt more at home than ever before. He met his partner and got married last year, and he plans to eventually become a New Zealand citizen. “I always knew I wasn’t going to end up in the U.S.,” he says. “But everything has fallen into place here, and I feel really privileged to be where I am at this age.”

PHOTO BY STEVE WOLTMANN

ONE FOR ALL

Ava David put her team first on her way to becoming Elmhurst’s best sprinter ever.

Ava David ’23 is the most accomplished sprinter ever to run for Elmhurst University, but when you ask her about her stellar collegiate track career, she will respond by talking about her teammates.

“I’m grateful for the supportive team culture we have here,” says David, who has set school records in multiple sprint events, won six individual conference championships and twice earned NCAA All-America honors.

“We all motivate each other through the workouts and help each other through the hardest days. Any success we have comes from that.”

David and her teammates this year produced what Jordan Bartolazzi, director of cross country and track and field, called “our most successful women’s indoor season ever.”

The Bluejays finished second in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships, led by individual wins from David in the 60- and 400-meter dashes. And three Bluejays qualified for the NCAA Division III indoor

nationals: David, in the 200- and 400-meter dashes; Nakala Nadeau ’25, in the 60-meter hurdles; and Alyssa Rafuse ’23, in the women’s mile.

“Track is a team sport, and we’re really upfront about that philosophy in our recruiting process. It’s baked into everything we do,” Bartolazzi says. As an example, he points out that David competed in four events in the CCIW championships—a taxing workload that some athletes might balk at taking on. “That’s one of Elmhurst’s greatest athletes ever choosing her teammates and giving everything she had to make our goals a reality.”

David came to Elmhurst from Colorado Springs, Colo., an unofficial capital of high-level amateur athletics in the U.S. A digital media major, she plans to attend graduate school and pursue a Ph.D. in media analysis. She credits the friendships made on the track team with helping her feel at home at Elmhurst, where she has been active in the Black Student Union and other campus organizations.

“We wouldn’t be the people we are without the bonds we’ve built as a team,” says David. “That makes all the work worthwhile.”

SOUND EDUCATION

The student volunteers behind Elmhurst’s Jazz Festival put on a fabulous show and learn a lot in the process.

Each February, some of the most acclaimed performers in jazz converge on campus for the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival, along with a few hundred student musicians from around the country and more than 1,000 music lovers. All expect the event to proceed without a hitch.

That it generally does is a credit to the several dozen Elmhurst students who run the festival each year. All of them are volunteers. They sell tickets, generate publicity, operate cameras and soundboards, provide hospitality for guest artists, and—maybe most miraculously—find spaces for all those big tour buses in the parking lots around Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel.

“The festival could not exist without the students,” says its director, Chris Parsons ’11, who volunteered at the festival as a student, even while playing in several of Elmhurst’s jazz ensembles.

“The artists who come here play on some of the biggest stages in the world,” Parsons says. “So when they compliment us on how well run our festival is, it means a lot.”

Student volunteers come not just from the music department, but from across campus. They are directed by 15 of their fellow students chosen as section heads, covering areas including security, transportation, tickets and sound.

As if the live festival were not challenge enough, for the past three years, the event has been livestreamed, and students have run that operation too. John Havrilla, a senior majoring in digital media who managed this year’s livestream, says it was his mission to duplicate the immediacy and intimacy of live musical performance for audiences who could attend only virtually (see bottom right photo).

“We wanted everyone on the livestream to feel like they were in the room with the performers,” he says. He also found time to play saxophone in the Elmhurst University Jazz Band and to strike up a conversation with one of

his musical inspirations, saxophonist Eric Marienthal of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band.

“You can learn a lot from the performers, and you find out what nice people they are,” Havrilla says. “That makes all the work totally worthwhile.”

And if unexpected problems arise?

“The students figure it out,” says Parsons. “They know that people are counting on them and they have a responsibility. So they learn to solve problems. That’s the kind of experience any college student benefits from.”

PHOTOS BY SARAH NADER

WORLD CLASS

Elmhurst is forging new connections beyond our borders— and that’s great news for students.

Elmhurst University President Troy D. VanAken says that as a schoolboy in small-town Michigan, his idea of traveling internationally was crossing the state line into neighboring Indiana.

But today, for VanAken and for the institution he leads, a global focus is central to education. Elmhurst typically sends hundreds of students abroad each year during Fall, Spring and January Terms, as well as in the summer, to destinations ranging from Australia to Austria, and from Southeast Asia to Spain. Elmhurst also welcomes international students—179 students from 39 countries are currently enrolled at Elmhurst—to add to a diverse community.

“We don’t live regionally anymore,” VanAken says. “It’s a global environment, and we are preparing students for the world that awaits them after graduation.”

A focus on the international is nothing new at Elmhurst. The University has been sending students to study

abroad since at least 1969, when January Term was introduced. And since as far back as the 1940s, Elmhurst has provided a home to student refugees from world trouble spots.

But the University’s global focus is growing. A new Office of Global Engagement seeks to forge new connections with the world beyond campus. Elmhurst students get an international perspective on abstract classroom lessons through volunteer work such as helping refugees make new homes in the United States. And VanAken himself has dived into international student recruitment, traveling as far afield as Thailand to meet with students and heighten Elmhurst’s global profile.

“Having students here from Myanmar, from Ukraine, from all the different places our students come from—it helps all our students become global thinkers,” VanAken says. “The future is global, and our students will be ready for it.”

ELMHURST TO THE EMERALD ISLE

A tailor-made program in Dublin gives nursing students a rare opportunity to study abroad.

BY EMILY AYSHFORD

When Elmhurst nursing student Morgan Ogunleye ’23 walked down the jet bridge at O’Hare International Airport last fall and onto her flight to Dublin, she had a million thoughts running through her head.

Growing up in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, she was timid about walking to the Red Line by herself. Now, as a senior at Elmhurst, she was headed abroad for the first time in her life. What if she forgot to bring her inhaler? Was studying abroad the right decision? Should she have just stayed home and done more in student government?

“I thought, ‘Is this real life?’” she says. “I was really nervous, but it felt right. Like, ‘This is where I’m supposed to be.’”

Studying abroad can feel like a big leap for any student, but it’s especially challenging for those in health sciences. A nursing degree requires a series of steps— taking rigorous courses, undergoing real-world clinical rotations, prepping for the board exam—which can leave little wiggle room for outside experiences.

But a study away program in Dublin specifically designed for Elmhurst nursing students gets them out of that routine and offers a fresh view of a different medical system, of the world and of themselves.

Every year since 2014 (except for two years during the pandemic), a cohort of Elmhurst nursing students has spent the Fall Term studying at University College Dublin. Since nursing programs have different requirements in Ireland, Elmhurst students take specialized courses using the same content that Elmhurst teaches, allowing them to stay on track for graduation. They also experience the Irish health care system firsthand and see how nursing is done outside of the United States.

“The program is really invaluable,” says Diane Salvador, dean of the School of Health Sciences. “It exposes students both to a different culture and to a different health care system, which helps them learn and become more well-rounded adults who can bring that experience to their nursing practice.”

Morgan Ogunleye

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

ELMHURST TO THE EMERALD ISLE

LEARNING ABOUT CULTURES, BUILDING SELF-CONFIDENCE

The program teaches nursing skills while leaving room for other experiences. In addition to the specialized courses, students take a leadership course and an elective through UCD.

Ogunleye was surprised by the large class sizes— hundreds of students in a lecture hall—and by the grading structure, which involved only one final exam. Though that exam accounted for her entire grade, it also meant that she and other students felt free to hang out and explore. “In the U.S., everyone is always on their toes and stressed out trying to get their work done, but in Ireland, I didn’t have assignments every week, and I didn’t have projects due. So I could go for tea whenever someone texted me, as long as I was prepared for that final exam.”

which she says helped her venture out and meet new people. And she made a point of taking the 39A bus into the city on Sundays, picking a random neighborhood and walking around to get the vibe. “It was a different world—seeing people driving on the left side of the road, smelling the fresh air from the rain,” she says.

On the weekends, Elmhurst students and their friends often traveled to other countries, which opened their eyes to new cultures and built up their self-confidence. Ogunleye visited 11 countries in total and even traveled to London by herself. “Everyone else wanted to go to Barcelona, but I wanted to go to London, so I went and walked around the city by myself for 14 hours and saw all the sights,” she says. “The feeling that I got from that was life changing. It was the best feeling ever. Now I know if I want to go somewhere in the future, I can just go.”

A NEW VIEW TO BEGIN A CAREER

Laura Brennan, assistant professor of nursing and director of the undergraduate pre-licensure program, usually visits Dublin in October, both as a visiting professor and to check in on the students. “About that time, some of them are getting homesick, but it’s not like they can run home,” she says. Still, students rise to the occasion, rallying around anyone who needs help.

“They become such great friends, and it’s really nice to see that camaraderie,” Brennan says.

The Elmhurst students live in the dorms, meeting people from around the world. (UCD has more than 38,000 students, including 9,500 international students.)

On the Dublin campus, Ogunleye—part of a cohort of 11 nursing students who studied there last fall—joined a Christian organization and the UCD Africa Society,

Ogunleye expects that camaraderie, both with her Elmhurst cohort and the UCD students she met, to continue on as lifelong friendships. And this spring, as she prepared to graduate and look for a nursing job in pediatrics, she felt ready to get out of her comfort zone to be both a nurse and a self-sufficient adult who is ready for what life can offer.

“My ability to take risks has grown,” she says.

“I used to be boring, but now I’m down for adventure. ”

NO CLINICALS? NO PROBLEM.

The State of Illinois requires nursing students to do their clinical rotations in U.S. hospitals and health centers to be licensed here—making it difficult to study abroad.

But nursing faculty found a way for participants in the Dublin program to stay on track: by providing them with intensive clinical experiences four days a week during January Term, after they return from their semester abroad.

“It has been a good experience for us,” says Jeanne Burda, assistant professor of nursing and health sciences. “Now they have all the information from their courses, and they can show us how much they’ve learned. They hit the ground running quickly and ask deeper questions.”

JAY-TERM ADVENTURES

From opera in Prague to surfing in Brisbane, students pack a world of learning into the month of January.

BY ANDREW SANTELLA

Emma Germann ’23 is a study abroad veteran. A music education major, Germann has enrolled in courses that took her to Jamaica, where she worked with young musicians in Montego Bay, and to South Africa, where she helped out in primary schools in Cape Town.

So when she heard that a 2023 January Term class was heading to Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic to take a deep dive into music history, there was no doubt in her mind where she had to be.

“Study abroad has been on my radar from the start,” Germann says. “It’s an amazing way to learn and experience the world.”

Germann was one of 17 students enrolled in Mozart, Beethoven and Beyond: The Music and Culture of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Germann and her classmates visited the grand concert halls and historic churches of Vienna, Prague, Berlin and Dresden to experience musical masterworks in the spaces where they were first performed. In the process, they learned about the cultural, political and artistic contexts from which Europe’s great music emerged.

They saw a production of Antonín Dvořák’s opera Rusalka in Prague; attended a concert at the renowned Gewandhaus in Leipzig; and visited that city’s St. Thomas Church, where J.S. Bach served as music director. But the course did not limit itself to music history. In Prague, they visited the city’s Jewish Quarter, site of some of the most tragic and shameful

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

JAY-TERM ADVENTURES

persecutions in European history. And in Dresden, the cultural capital and artistic home of Richard Strauss, they learned about the World War II Allied bombing of the city in 1945, which killed some 25,000 people and reduced the core of the city to rubble.

“Some of our students hadn’t known about the bombing, but being there in the rebuilt city, we were able to have some excellent discussions about the moral dimensions of war,” says David DeVasto, associate professor of music theory and composition, who co-taught the course with Christine Summers, lecturer in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Culture.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

The course was one of four J-Term programs to hit the road in 2023, with a total of nearly 70 students enrolled.

They were the first Elmhurst students to reap the benefits of studying abroad in more than two years, since courses were grounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting travel restrictions.

“Study away is the single most transformative experience a student can have in college,” says Mary Kay Mulvaney, professor of English and director of Elmhurst’s Honors Program. “This year was a restart for us.”

January Term has long been a prime time for study abroad at Elmhurst. The very first J-Term, in 1969, featured a “study tour” of the art and architecture of ancient Greece. In the years to follow, January Term became the most popular time for Elmhurst students to study abroad.

Part of the appeal of January Term travel may be the chance to escape the Midwestern midwinter, as veterans of recent courses in places such as Jamaica and Costa Rica can attest. But the lure of studying abroad, wherever the destination, runs much deeper than that.

Germann, who was doing her student teaching at Glenbard East High School in Lombard in the spring, says she was able to incorporate some of what she learned on the trip into her classroom work at the school.

A LIFE-CHANGING TRIP

Even after Danielle Dobies ’12 returned from a January Term course in India in 2011, India remained very much with her.

“I couldn’t get the experience out of my head,” says Dobies, a visual artist in Chicago’s western suburbs. “All the beauty, but also the poverty and hardship. It was like I had seen the full range of humanity.”

The trip inspired the work that became her senior art thesis: a large mosaic mural on seven panels, swirling with color and scenes from the streets of New Delhi and the temple caves of Ellora.

The trip also set her on the path to her current work as a muralist, sculptor and art educator. Her commissioned public murals grace schools, libraries and community centers around the Fox River Valley. She credits Professor of Art Lynn Hill, who taught the January Term course in India, and Professor Emeritus John Pitman Weber, who introduced her to mosaics, as inspirations.

“If not for Elmhurst, I would not be doing this,” she says.

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT JAY-TERM ADVENTURES

For students with commitments to jobs or sports, the shorter January Term courses are a more practical fit than semester-long trips. And, as with all of Elmhurst’s study abroad offerings, financial assistance is available. Germann, for example, says that she received scholarships to help fund all of her study abroad trips.

THE WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS

The options for students are diverse. This year, 14 students enrolled in Sports and Exercise Psychology in Australia, a course that explores how the business of Australian sports and recreation differs from the American version.

Students visited Australian croquet and cricket clubs to learn about the British influence on Australian sporting life. They took surfing lessons in Brisbane and learned about the sport’s importance in Australia, where nearly one in 10 people participate. They visited the world’s largest koala sanctuary, where they got to know some very cute marsupials. And they learned about the contributions of Aboriginal people to Australian sporting culture.

“Our students were able to see some very real differences in the way sports and recreation are delivered in Australia, as compared with the U.S.,” says Mick Savage, professor emeritus of kinesiology, who led the course with Josh VanArsdall, associate chair and associate professor of psychology.

“Some of them were surprised to learn, for example, that there are no big-money, university-sponsored sports in Australia. That’s just one example of the way study abroad helps expand perspectives and understanding. It is an important part of creating effective citizens of the world.”

More options are on the way for next year. And that means more unforgettable experiences for Elmhurst students.

“We’re ramping back up,” Mulvaney says. “I have been doing this for 20 years, and the thing I hear over and over from students is how the experience of studying abroad changed their lives.”

WARM WELCOME

Helping refugees settle in to their new homes gives students a personal perspective on a worldwide issue.

BY MARGARET CURRIE

As part of Timothy Hazen’s Politics of International Relations class at Elmhurst, students explore the history, facts and figures behind political refugees: the countries they come from, the conditions they’re fleeing and the global infrastructure that supports their journey to a new country.

Then they get a personal look at how those abstract numbers play out in the lives of real human beings.

In partnership with Exodus World Service, a nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing volunteers to welcome refugees, Hazen’s students meet with refugee families in the Chicago area and help them acclimate to their new homes. Some participants tutor children who are struggling to learn English, while others put together “welcome packs” of apartment necessities such as dishes and shower curtains.

“What’s really powerful about this experience is that it helps students understand the global events of forced migration in places like Southeast Asia or sub-Saharan Africa in a different way,” says Hazen, assistant professor of political science. “They see that these are people and families who live in our area and in our community.”

Juan Sandoval ’22, a triple major in political science, urban studies and philosophy, tutored a 7-year-old from Eritrea as part of Hazen’s class. Helping the boy adjust to a new culture and learn an entirely new language was challenging but rewarding, Sandoval says, and it gave him a deeper appreciation for what it means to be a refugee.

“We read so much about wars and political instability in other parts of the world, but we don’t realize that some of the refugees from those countries are literally within our own backyard,” Sandoval says. “Working with Exodus World Service gave a face to the idea of refugees and gave me a stronger level of empathy and compassion.”

SETTLING IN

Hazen is one of several faculty members who work with Exodus to create experiential learning opportunities for Elmhurst students as part of the University’s Service Learning program. Last fall, some 60 students volunteered for Exodus.

Ryan Predki ’26, who participated in the project as part of his Exploring Chicago First-Year Seminar, helped a family from Ukraine settle in to a new home. Bringing bedsheets, laundry supplies, towels and other essentials, Predki and two classmates visited with the family and learned more about their experience. “Meeting the family really spoke to me, because both of my parents immigrated from Poland,” Predki says. “That helped me put myself in the family’s shoes and draw lines between their experience and my own.”

Erum Raoof ’26 visited a family from Syria. In addition to the household essentials that are part of every welcome pack, Raoof “went a little bit extra” and brought a toy for each of the family’s three children.

“They were so happy when they saw the toys, and it felt really nice to do something for them,” Raoof says. “The

project opened my eyes to the things we don’t see here in America—the things that go on in other countries where people are really suffering.”

Jody May, director of programs and education at Exodus, notes that one of the joys of working with college student volunteers is that they come from a wide range of walks of life—from not knowing much about refugees to having personal experiences with the refugee journey.

“These young people develop an empathy for people who are different from themselves,” she says. “We see these great connections happen between the students and the refugee kids as they’re going through homework, reading together, playing games together—just doing life together.”

A STRONG TRADITION

Established in 1998, the partnership with Exodus ties in directly to the University’s mission of responsible citizenship, says Mary Walsh, chair of the political science department and director of Service Learning.

“This experience allows students to put a personal face on abstract concepts,” she says. “And it immerses them in a relationship with people who offer new perspectives on history, on oppression, on world politics, on culture, on the different ways people can live and the different challenges they face.”

Michelle Reidy, coordinator of Service Learning, says the project gives students a concrete way to be part of

the solution to a global problem. “That stays with you, long after you’ve said your goodbyes,” she says.

“It might stay with you when you walk into the voting booth, or when you have your own kids and you want them not to be afraid of different people.”

The University’s partnership with Exodus World Service is one of several in the Service Learning Program at Elmhurst that engage students with the global community.

Through a partnership with global nonprofit Feed My Starving Children, students pack nutritious meals for children worldwide who are at risk of undernutrition. In partnership with Islamic Circle of North America

A partnership with Exodus World Service connects students with refugee families from all over the world.

MONGOLIA MYANMAR NEPAL NIGERIA PAKISTAN PERU PHILIPPINES RUSSIA SAUDI ARABIA SOUTH KOREA SPAIN SYRIA UKRAINE

Relief, students work with refugees and others, teaching life skills, serving clients at food pantries and helping create outreach and social media campaigns. Students also work alongside refugees and immigrants to provide tutoring services, homework help or mentoring through World Relief Chicagoland.

Each of these opportunities gives students a broader perspective on the challenges facing the world and fosters an appreciation for global engagement.

“In my classes, I emphasize that nothing happens in isolation,” Hazen says. “The hands-on learning opportunity is a concrete way to show students that everything is interconnected.”

LASTING LESSONS

Many of the students who volunteer with Exodus stay involved even after their course has ended. Even for those who don’t, the experience often has a lasting impact on their view of the world and on their personal and professional goals.

Sandoval, now a graduate student in public policy at the University of Michigan, plans to pursue a policy career to promote economic development in communities like Chicago’s Belmont Cragin neighborhood, where he grew up.

“Most of my passion for this work was developed at Elmhurst,” he says. “The courses I took got me interested in policy, and the Exodus experience made me look at the world in an even larger picture.”

BRINGING THE WORLD TO ELMHURST

In 2017, the Elmhurst student body included 19 students from outside the United States. This academic year, 131 international students enrolled, bringing the total to 179 students from 39 countries, ranging from Albania and Bangladesh to Nigeria and Uzbekistan.

The increase is part of a deliberate effort to globalize the Elmhurst experience both on campus and beyond. Even during the pandemic, when many institutions saw international numbers drop sharply, Elmhurst’s global enrollment continued to grow.

“In a world that is more interconnected than ever, to not have global awareness is a deficit,” says Tony Marotta ’05, director of global engagement. “It’s eye-opening to be able to exchange culture, and to understand not only our differences but also our similarities—and where we can come together.”

Minh Dinh ’23, a double major in digital marketing and communication from Vietnam, notes that his Elmhurst education has had a powerful impact on his life. “The academic knowledge I’ve gained here has changed me into a better person,” he says. “I’m looking forward to sharing that experience with everyone back home.”

UNITED KINGDOM UZBEKISTAN VENEZUELA VIETNAM ZIMBABWE

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ALUMNI NEWS

Hall of Famers

The Elmhurst University Athletics Hall of Fame has a new look, thanks to a generous gift from John Quigley ’77, president and CEO of the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Located in the lobby of Faganel Hall, the sleek new display will honor outstanding student-athletes for their contributions to the Bluejays. Quigley was sports editor of the student newspaper as an undergraduate at Elmhurst and later served as the University’s sports information director.

Jaying It Forward

Elmhurst students, faculty, staff and alumni came together on March 30 to celebrate #JayItForward Giving Day and support the Elmhurst experience. In just 24 hours, 340 donors contributed nearly $330,000 to fund student scholarships, academic programs, athletics facilities and much more. Thanks to all the generous members of our community who participated in Giving Day 2023!

Did You Know?

During World War II, when many U.S. universities refused to admit students of Japanese heritage, Elmhurst opened its doors to four American students of Japanese descent who had been sent to relocation camps in California. They were the first students of Asian background to attend Elmhurst.

BLUEJAY GATHERINGS President’s Circle members came together this spring for a series of events across the country, including a get-together in Naples, Fla. (left), and a Chicago Cubs spring training game in Mesa, Ariz.

JOIN US FOR AN OPEN HOUSE!

Tuesday, June 27, 2023 5:00-7:30 p.m.

RSVP TODAY elmhurst.edu/ChooseElmhurst

EXPAND

A graduate degree from Elmhurst University opens the door to a world of opportunities.

In partnership with expert faculty and inspiring classmates, you’ll grow your network, expand your horizons and gain the confidence to tackle challenges head on.

Apply Now! elmhurst.edu/Apply

FREE COURSE

Elmhurst University undergraduate alumni who enroll in a graduate degree program can take their first course for free.

Learn more at elmhurst.edu/FreeCourse.

CLASS NOTES

1960s & 1970s

Hon. Louis Apostol ’69 was reappointed public administrator of Cook County by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Apostol has served Illinois in appointed positions for 32 years under six governors and has practiced law for 43 years. In 2022 he was elected to the Chicago Bar Association Board of Managers.

John Helt ’73 and Cindy Helt Cordes ’74 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 30, 2022. They were married between semesters at Elmhurst, where they met in 1970.

Lee Ann Bauer ’79 has found her perfect beach town in Port Aransas, Texas, after more than five years on the road in an RV. She purchased an RV site in a new resort to serve as home base from which to continue traveling.

1980s & 1990s

Tom Walsh ’80 retired in June 2022.

Steve Klenke ’83 and his band, Sunstone, released their original song, “Marquette County Line,� in early 2023. The band is currently working on an album called Phoenix

1940 Elmhurst women competed in intercollegiate tennis and participated in intramural field hockey, volleyball, basketball, badminton, table tennis and archery.

Rita Winters ’73 moved to St. Louis in 2013 after her second marriage and earned a certificate in creative writing from Washington University in St. Louis in 2020. She also published a short story in Mensa’s magazine and wrote two plays that were produced by First Run Theatre in St. Louis.

Richard Mangnall ’74 and Linda Ness Mangnall ’75 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel on Dec. 22, 1972. They live in Dyer, Ind., and are both retired.

Andre Robinson ’83 became a first-time homeowner in March 2022 in Chicago’s Hyde Park area. He is also celebrating 30 years as a case manager in the social service field.

Christina Collins ’92 received Northwestern Mutual-Chicago’s Childhood Cancer Impact Lemon Award in Feb. 2022.

Paul Lubenkov ’96 wrote a book called Tap Dancing on the Razor’s Edge. It was one of the books featured in the University of Arizona Poetry Center as part of the 50-year celebration of the university’s MFA program in creative writing.

1960 Dedicated in 1959, Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel hosted Commencement for the first time the following year.

Charles Argianas ’77 is the founder of Argianas & Associates, which joined Jones Lang LaSalle’s global litigation support division in Jan. 2023. JLL is one of the oldest real estate service firms in the world and has offices in 80 countries.

Michael Pavlik ’96, director of bands at York High School, has been awarded the prestigious Chicagoland Outstanding Music Educator Award by Quinlan & Fabish. York’s band program is consistently recognized as one of the most outstanding and respected music programs in Illinois.

1934 Elmhurst College received accreditation from the North Central Association, prompting a campus-wide celebration.

CLASS NOTES 2000s

Tom DuFore ’04 completed his doctoral degree in business administration at Indiana Wesleyan University in December 2022. A finalist for outstanding doctoral project, he was the student speaker at graduation.

A PERFECT CADENCE

Theresa Hall ’06 started a new job at an IT help desk for Burger King and Popeyes. She is also about to release the fifth book in her vampire series, published under her maiden name, Theresa Van Spankeren.

Alex Reveles ’12 started an academy for youth wrestlers in the Denver metro area.

James Kastrantas ’14, MSCIS ’17, and his wife, Miranda Santiago ’15, MSCIS ’17, welcomed their second child, Vivian Kastrantas, on Oct. 14, 2022. Their son, Xavier, is excited to have a new sister.

Ella Bracero ’16 (left) and Brooke Schrager ’14 know music can be a positive force in a child’s development. They also know music lessons are out of reach for many kids. That’s why they started Cadence Music, a Chicagobased nonprofit that provides private-lesson scholarships for kids in need. “It’s such a joy to have everyone come together and share the gift of music knowing that we’re breaking down any and all barriers so everyone can have access to top-notch music education,” says Schrager, who studied K-12 music education at Elmhurst. Bracero and Schrager, who launched Cadence in August 2022 as the nonprofit arm of Lessons By Brooke & Company, say their Elmhurst education gave them the foundation that made the venture possible. “When I graduated, I had no idea what I wanted to do in the music industry,” says Bracero, a music business major at Elmhurst. “I just jumped in and used the skills and experiences I had from Elmhurst to find my way here.”

Henry Rauschenberger ’06 joined the board of directors of the Adult Literacy Advocates of Greater Baton Rouge, La. He and his wife, Abby, live with their twins, Harlan and Etta, in Baton Rouge, where Hank is an attorney with the law firm Jones Walker LLP.

Karen Hurula ’07 started a new role as interim director of the Wheaton College Counseling Center in August 2019. In January 2021, she was offered the permanent position and is the first woman to hold this position at Wheaton College.

2010s

Dr. Veronica Popp ’10 is a visiting assistant professor of English at the University of St. Francis.

Edward McMurray ’15 recently joined the corporate practice of Levin Ginsburg law firm in Chicago, where he brings years of experience in various accounting and legal compliance positions in IT consulting. McMurray focuses on corporate mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate transactions, and general corporate advice for nonprofit organizations.

Kara Jachcinski ’16 married Evan McGuire on Oct. 29, 2022. They had a small ceremony at the Hidden Goat in Chicago.

Shelby Zwolinski ’17 and her husband, Ben, welcomed their first child,

CAMPUS HISTORIAN RETIRES

Mark Wakely ’87 was a fixture on the Elmhurst University campus for more than 42 years—first as a student and then as a staff member—and even earned the unofficial title of campus historian and tour guide. Now he’s become an indelible part of that history himself, retiring in January after 35 years in the role of services manager. In addition to that role, he led the University’s “Behind the Scenes” tours for prospective students and their parents. He enjoyed selling the Elmhurst experience: “I can’t think of a better place to get an education,” he says. In retirement, he’ll have more time to put his bachelor’s degree in English to use. He’s an author with two young adult novels to his credit: An Audience for Einstein (2005) and A Friend Like Filby (2021).

Eli Keith, on Nov. 30, 2022. Eli weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 19 inches long.

Lizzie Maranto ’18 married Erik Maranto ’17 on Jan. 21, 2023.

Jordan Stibal ’19 is engaged to Luke Maslanka ’20, who proposed in front of the Gates of Knowledge on campus.

Joseph Jimenez-Monaco ’21 recently finished writing the book that he started during his final semester at Elmhurst. He is currently interviewing publishing agents.

Sarah Tanios ’21 graduated from pharmacy school and accepted a postdoctoral fellowship with AbbVie and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in affiliation with Purdue University.

Kelsey Clark ’22 is in a master’s program in speech-language pathology at St. Ambrose University. She recently obtained a certificate in brain injury fundamentals from the Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists. This certification will help her provide therapy for individuals with traumatic brain injuries.

Carrie Ostergard ’22 currently works for Elmhurst University as an admissions counselor. She plans to start the University’s MBA program in Fall 2023.

A BROADWAY DREAM COME TRUE

Lauren Carr ’19 has clear memories of Oct. 3, 2022. That was the day the Broadway hopeful stopped hearing “no” and heard a “yes.” She fulfilled a dream when her agents told her she had been cast in New York, New York. “I cried a lot,” she says. “I right away just started thanking God. When I got off the phone with my agents, I had to call my biggest supporters, who are my parents.” Carr and her castmates began rehearsals in February in anticipation of an April 26 opening. “Just being in the room alone with legends in the Broadway industry is something you dream and pray about but you never believe could come true,” says Carr, who earned her degree in musical theatre. “I’m still in shock when I walk in the St. James Theatre.”

FIT TO PRINT

Ask any journalist what a dream job would be, and writing for The New York Times is likely to be near the top of the list. For Megan Kirby ’13 , that dream is reality. In December 2022, her work appeared online and in the print edition of the prestigious newspaper.

“It’s a real confidence boost,” says Kirby, who wrote about a Chicago pop-up market called Thick Mall featuring secondhand clothing for people sizes L and up.

“It was a huge opportunity and something I’ve been hoping for and working toward for a long time.” In the wake of the story, Kirby appeared on WBEZ Chicago’s Reset program with Thick Mall founder Jovana Savic. “I was geeked out about that,” says Kirby. At Elmhurst, Kirby earned an English degree and worked on the student newspaper, The Leader, serving as managing editor her senior year.

A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

In September, the Illinois Communication and Theatre Association recognized Anthony Zoubek, MA ’10, with the Edith Marjorie Harrod Award, the organization’s lifetime achievement honor for educators still working in the field. A month later, School District U-46, the second largest in the state, recognized Zoubek with its Accent on Achievement award. Accolades are nothing new to Zoubek, who holds a master’s degree in English studies from Elmhurst. In 2011, he won ICTA’s Jerry Mathis Young Teacher Award for maintaining the speech program at Bartlett High School, where he also teaches English. Zoubek credits his Elmhurst professors with setting him up for a successful career. “Elmhurst revived my interest in lifelong learning,” he says. “The faculty tapped into my intellectual curiosity, taught me advanced research skills and reinforced the importance of pragmatic thinking.”

IN MEMORIAM

LEGACY DONOR

A longtime donor with family ties to Elmhurst University that go back to the early 1900s, Elizabeth Klick Postula ’47 died Oct. 31, 2022. She was 97. With a bachelor’s in Christian education, Postula led a life of service and philanthropy. She volunteered in the University’s Office of Institutional Advancement for 10 years and was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary. Postula also was a loyal donor, earning the Alumni Merit Award in 2008. Elmhurst was a constant in her family’s life. She met her late husband, Jim, while pursuing her degree. Her father graduated from Elmhurst in 1911; her three sisters, four nephews and two grandchildren also attended the University. Outside of the University, Postula was a secretary at St. Peters United Church of Christ in Elmhurst for 10 years and an active member of the church for more than 70 years.

WWII VETERAN AND ORTHODONTIST

Reinhardt J. “R.J.” Schoppe ’53, a World War II veteran and a longtime dentist specializing in orthodontics, died Oct. 29, 2022. He was 94. Schoppe’s life after high school took him to the South Pacific, where he served as a radioman aboard a destroyer during WWII. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1947 and then attended Elmhurst University under the G.I. Bill. Schoppe earned his doctor of dental surgery from University of Illinois Chicago. He was a founding partner of the Aurora Dental Arts Building in 1965, practicing there for 27 years, and also taught clinical orthodontics. In his free time, Schoppe enjoyed the outdoors, especially hunting, fishing and golf.

LIFELONG LEARNER

A self-described lifelong Bluejays fan, Marilyn Nielsen ’70 died Dec. 9, 2022, at the age of 74. After graduating with a bachelor’s in Spanish, Nielsen continued learning throughout her life, taking piano and horseback riding lessons, auditing courses at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and writing a book, Grandpa’s Schoolhouse Home, about her childhood visits to her grandfather’s one-room schoolhouse. Nielsen also was a poet and worked at Villa Park Library, where she inspired a love of reading in her family and her community.

Rev. Fred R. Zimmerman ’38

Oct. 15, 2022, Sylvania, Ohio

Harry Horst Jr. ’45

Jan. 19, 2023, Mount Prospect, Ill.

Rev. James L. Britt ’50

Jan. 18, 2023, Bowling Green, Ky.

Marjorie Kroehler ’50

Jan. 1, 2023, Muncie, Ind.

Rev. Dr. Marvin G. Albright ’52

March 25, 2022, Pleasant Hill, Tenn.

Gladys Kincaid ’53

Nov. 8, 2022, Gobles, Mich.

Ronald E. Branding ’56

Nov. 23, 2022, Valley Park, Mo.

Philip G. Weis ’58

Feb. 8, 2023, Orlando, Fla.

Jill S. Cockrell ’60

Dec. 3, 2022, San Jose, Calif.

William M. Cozzens ’61

Feb. 7, 2023, Oconomowoc, Wis.

Marian C. Crane ’61

Oct. 4, 2022, Mendota, Ill.

Donald D. Riemer ’61

Feb. 24, 2023, Cave Creek, Ariz.

Frances Whitburn ’61

Nov. 30, 2022, Menomonee Falls, Wis.

Robert E. Carney ’62

Oct. 29, 2022, Sevastopol, Wis.

Rev. Kenneth Press ’62

Nov. 11, 2022, Lake Bluff, Ill.

Sarah A. Press ’62

Jan. 18, 2023, Lake Bluff, Ill.

Robert M. Edwards ’63

Jan. 8, 2023, West Chicago, Ill.

David P. McNulty ’63

Oct. 4, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Elnora M. Mila ’63

Aug. 13, 2022, Sautee Nacoochee, Ga.

Roger W. Scott ’63

July 20, 2022, Tucker, Ga.

Douglas Rose ’64

Jan. 15, 2022, Midway, Ark.

Dr. Donald M. Plautz ’65

April 10, 2022, Charlottesville, Va.

FUNDRAISER AND ‘FRIENDRAISER’

Lawrence P. “Larry” Fricke was more than a fundraiser for Elmhurst University. He was a “friendraiser,” according to Chaplain H. Scott Matheney. Fricke died Feb. 2, 2023, at the age of 97. In his 31 years volunteering at Elmhurst and working in the Office of Institutional Advancement, Fricke raised millions of dollars for the University. He received the University’s Founders Medal in 1996 and in 2015 was named the inaugural Volunteer Emeritus by the Board of Trustees. “Larry was so dedicated to Elmhurst University, not only when he actively volunteered here but even after his (second) retirement,” President Troy D. VanAken told the student newspaper, The Leader. “He was always steadfast in his support.” Before he lent his fundraising talents to Elmhurst, Fricke had a successful 35-year sales and management career at Revere Copper & Brass.

THE VOICE OF THE RAYS

Longtime White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays announcer

Dave Wills ’88 died March 5, 2023. He was 58. After graduating with a bachelor’s in speech communications and urban studies, Wills quickly progressed in his broadcasting career and built a reputation for professionalism in the industry. He was the face and radio voice of the Kane County Cougars baseball team; called basketball games for the University of Illinois Chicago; hosted pregame and postgame radio shows for the Chicago White Sox; and was the voice of the Tampa Bay Rays since 2005. “He loved his family. He loved his work. And we all loved him,” former Rays and Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon told the Tampa Bay Times. During his time at Elmhurst, Wills pitched for the baseball team.

Rolland F. Boldon ’67

Nov. 13, 2022, La Grange Park, Ill.

Carl R. Fredrickson ’67

Oct. 19, 2022, Elmwood Park, Ill.

Ronald A. Mueller ’67

Nov. 27, 2022, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Joan Swanson ’68

Jan. 1, 2023, Centennial, Colo.

Dr. Thomas L. Schmidt ’70

Nov. 13, 2022, Prairie Village, Kan.

Rev. Robert C. Treichel ’70

Nov. 18, 2022, Charles City, Iowa

Hileria T. Godfrey ’72

Dec. 2, 2022, Chicago

POPULAR LECTURER

Gary Smith ’99 was part of the Elmhurst University community for more than 45 years, most recently as a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems. He died Oct. 19, 2022, at age 70. Smith joined the University in 1977 as adjunct professor. Later, he enrolled as a student and earned a bachelor’s in business administration. He became a full-time lecturer in 2013 and director of the degree completion program in information technology in 2014, a position he held until 2021. Outside of Elmhurst, Smith was an information technology manager at CNA. He loved music and played the clarinet and saxophone.

Charles Devere ’82

Nov. 26, 2022, Bellingham, Wash.

Danny L. Goeres ’85

June 15, 2022, The Villages, Fla.

Jeffrey C. Crowell ’86

Oct. 11, 2022, Naperville, Ill.

Andrew D. Metcalfe ’74 Oct. 1, 2022, Oakland, Calif.

Edward R. Mueller ’74 Sept. 13, 2022, Elmhurst, Ill.

Laura B. Moran ’76 Feb. 1, 2023, Denver

Ruth A. Carlson ’78 Nov. 14, 2021, Elk River, Minn.

Adrienne B. Kosin ’80 Nov. 14, 2022, Algonquin, Ill.

Paul Norwich ’80 Oct. 24, 2022, Tarentum, Pa.

Marianne M. Lopez ’81 Feb. 8, 2023, Lexington, Ky.

Michael A. Lany ’86

Jan. 1, 2023, Glendale, Ariz.

Richard Blake ’87

Dec. 1, 2022, North Riverside, Ill.

Shirley J. Degenhart ’88

Dec. 8, 2022, Villa Park, Ill.

Barbara Fiebrandt ’91

Sept. 15, 2022, Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Jon M. Miccolis ’99

Nov. 15, 2022, Freeport, Ill.

Judy A. Hill ’03

Nov. 18, 2022, Johnsburg, Ill.

Audrey E. Westphal ’05

Jan. 22, 2023, Romeoville, Ill.

FROM MUSIC TO MUSEUMS

Former alternative rocker

Lance Tawzer ’92 followed an untraditional path to storytelling.

I didn’t follow the traditional route and head right to college after high school. Instead, I toured with a couple alternative rock bands for a few years. Eventually, I thought I had better look into getting a degree, and I started at Elmhurst at age 24 as a music business major. I was an RA in Schick Hall and a DJ at WRSE. As I was older and paying for my own education, I took my studies seriously and was very involved in college activities, including the Jazz Festival and Earth Day. I did need to work on the side and started doing graphic design for an ad agency and interned at Warner Bros.

While at Elmhurst, I was involved with a new band called the Lupins. We later were signed to a record deal, toured and had a song on the Dumb and Dumber movie soundtrack.

Through this band I ended up working as a DJ at the alternative radio station Q101, where I met my future wife, Samantha James. The band eventually broke up and it was time to get a “real” job. I used my graphic design experience and applied it to the museum design industry. This led to me working on the “Underground Adventure” exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago. I enjoyed being part of the creative process, and the museum industry felt like important work.

I was lucky enough to work on many museum exhibits around the country but was ready to have more ownership of exhibits and wanted to move into a curator role. This led to me coming back to Elmhurst as the curator of exhibitions at the Elmhurst History Museum. I have always been inspired

by the way museums can play a role in social justice and be a trusted voice in the community.

In my current role as director of exhibits and shows at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill., I feel fortunate to be able to interpret one of our most important presidents and his impact on our country.

My time at Elmhurst set me on the path to a career curating stories that are relevant and engaging while serving the local community. Museums are among the last entities that have been able to maintain integrity and trust, and museum professionals like me want to make sure they stay that way.

190 Prospect Avenue

PROSP E CT THE MAGAZINE OF ELMHURST UNIVERSITY SUMMER ���� VOLUME