elmhurst college alumni news spring 2016
SOUND EDUCATION
At Elmhurst, music students gain the skills they need to reach their potential.
fyi in this issue
02 02 W HAT’S NEW ON CAMPUS Welcoming a New President Plus: Interim President Larry Braskamp reflects on his time in o≈ce, Elmhurst cracks top 10 in U.S. News, and more. 10 T HE SPORTS PAGES Men’s Hoops Team Wins Record Success For the second year in a row, the Bluejays competed in the ncaa Division iii Basketball Championship.
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12 C OVER STORY Sound Education In the music department’s many bands, combos, orchestras and choirs, Elmhurst students master the talents and professionalism that lead to success. 20 S TUDENT FOCUS The Power of a Scholarship For many students, a donor-supported scholarship provides access to a lifechanging Elmhurst College education. 21 C LASS NOTES Where Are They Now? Catch up on what’s new with your classmates, and share your news with us.
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26 O FFICE HOURS The Value of Experience Business professor Kelly Cunningham brings 20-plus years of corporate experience to the classroom at Elmhurst.
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Celebrating Elmhurst College Fellow Alumni and Alumnae, Welcome back to FYI! After a brief hiatus, our alumni magazine is back—stronger and more vibrant than ever. In this issue, we are honored to introduce you to Troy VanAken, who will become the 14th president of Elmhurst College in July. Having served on the Presidential Search Committee, I am excited about Dr. VanAken’s leadership experience and his strategic approach. He has the vision necessary to help us navigate in a challenging environment, but also the energy and drive to unite the campus community and propel us forward. As we celebrate our new president and the accomplishments of our outgoing interim president, Larry Braskamp, we also celebrate our strong and growing alumni community. On campus and beyond, Elmhurst alumni reconnect through service and social events that allow us to share wonderful memories of how Elmhurst supported us through our college years and helped us reach our potential. This issue of FYI focuses on our world-renowned Department of Music and several of the people who make it great. Whether you have an a≈nity with the music department or not, we all can take pride in the achievements of the alumni, students and faculty who share their talents and love for music every day.
Sarah (Kiefer) Clarin ’04 Alumni Association President
Alumni Association President Sarah (Kiefer) Clarin ’04 Members of the Board Karl Constant ’07, E.J. Donaghey ’88, Mike Durnil ’71, Ed Earl ’86, Heather Forster Jensen ’08, Dain Gotto ’06, Jacque (Kindahl) Hulslander ’72 and ’82, Jenn Kosciw ’10, Liz McKee ’11, Tim O’Toole ’03, Lisa Romano ’94, Megan (Suess) Selck ’03, Bill Sir ’64, Dick Smith ’73, Rodney Stewart ’89, Frank Tuozzo ’72, Rick Veenstra ’00 Director of Alumni Engagement Samantha Kiley ’07 Associate Director E≈e Zoubouridis ’07 Assistant Director Amanda Gannon ’13 Administrative Assistant Pam Savino Office of Alumni Relations (630) 617-3600, alumni@elmhurst.edu Editor Margaret Currie Contributors Lauren Altiery, Desiree Chen, Kevin Juday, Andrew Santella Photography Fran Gregory, Roark Johnson, Genevieve (True) Lee ’09, Steve Woltmann Design and Production Anilou Price
news on campus
Welcoming a New President Dr. Troy VanAken will become the 14th president of Elmhurst College in July.
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Watch a video of Dr. VanAken’s introduction to campus at www.elmhurst.edu/vanaken.
“It's very appealing to me to be able to lead an institution that's touching so many lives in such an important way.”
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y a unanimous vote, the Elmhurst College Board of Trustees has selected Troy VanAken to serve as the 14th president of Elmhurst College. Chosen through a nationwide search, Dr. VanAken currently is the president of Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania, where he led the largest and most successful fund-raising campaign in the institution’s 150-year history. His career in higher education includes a wide range of experience, including years as a senior administrator, a mathematics professor, a business entrepreneur and an athletic director. Barbara Lucks ’73, chair of the College’s Board of Trustees, introduced Dr. VanAken to the College community at a standing-room-only event on Thursday, February 18. About 300 students, faculty, staΩ and community members gathered in the Founders Lounge of the Frick Center to meet Dr. VanAken and his wife, Annette. In his remarks, Dr. VanAken praised the College’s strong reputation, vibrant community and diverse student body, saying, “It’s very appealing to me to be able to lead an institution that’s touching so many lives in such an important way.” Under his leadership, Dr. VanAken said, academics will continue to be a priority. “But we’re also going to have a lot of fun,” he added, stressing the importance of co-curricular activities and a strong sense of community. Additional plans include launching a collaborative strategic planning exercise and strong fund-raising eΩorts. “There’s more than enough passion at this campus not just to survive but to thrive,” he said. Dr. VanAken has served since 2009 as president of Thiel College, an independent Lutheran FYI/Spring 2016
liberal arts and professional studies institution with an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. On February 6, Dr. VanAken announced that the Thiel 2016 Campaign had exceeded its $60 million goal 10 months early. Previously, Dr. VanAken served in a number of roles at Albion College in Albion, Michigan, including executive vice president, vice president for finance and management, and athletic director. A native of Michigan, he began his career in higher education as an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana. Dr. VanAken earned his bachelor of science degree from Hillsdale College, in Hillsdale, Michigan, and master’s and doctoral degrees in mathematics from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. In addition to his experience as athletic director at Albion, Dr. VanAken has assisted the NCAA and collegiate athletic conferences through committee work and served as a high school football and track coach. He also is active in economic and community development, and has started three successful technologyrelated companies. Dr. VanAken and his wife, Annette, have two children, Trey and Gabriella.
Top: Dr. Troy VanAken poses with the men’s soccer team. Bottom: Dr. VanAken and his wife, Annette, met students, faculty and staff following the formal event.
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news on campus
Short-Term Leadership, Long-Term Impact 4
As interim president of Elmhurst College, Larry Braskamp focused on celebrating students and helping them succeed.
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hroughout Larry Braskamp’s academic career, his research has centered on college students and how they learn, grow and achieve. Dr. Braskamp’s tenure as interim president of Elmhurst College has been shaped by a similar focus—putting students first. Last fall, he and his wife, Judi, threw open the doors to the President’s House, inviting every First Year Seminar class—several hundred students—to come and explore every room, from the upstairs study to the basement furnace room. During the visits, the students also took some time to discuss what it meant to belong to the College community, and to start thinking about ways to develop their interests and prepare for careers. The experience served as an introduction to Reach Your Potential, the student-focused initiative developed under Dr. Braskamp’s tenure that charts out academic and experiential pathways to prepare students, throughout their time at Elmhurst, for meaningful work and lives. During his time in o≈ce, which began on July 1, 2015, Dr. Braskamp also placed a priority on recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of students, both former and current. One of the most meaningful moments of his presidency was when the College bestowed its highest honor, the Niebuhr Medal, on renowned biblical scholar and Elmhurst alumnus Rev. Walter Brueggemann ’55. “It was such a thrill to hear him reflect on his Elmhurst days and to celebrate his life and work,” Dr. Braskamp said. At the annual President’s Community Breakfast in March 2016, Dr. Braskamp singled out students who had done impressive summer internships and research projects, as well as
alumni who had started their own companies and were pursuing their dreams. Looking forward, Dr. Braskamp has high hopes for even greater student experiences as a result of enhanced collaborations, launched under his watch, between Elmhurst College and the City of Elmhurst. Those collaborations include faculty-led research and marketing projects with local businesses, and the establishment last fall of the Elmhurst City and College Commission, which works to strengthen relationships and opportunities between Elmhurst College and City of Elmhurst residents, elected o≈cials and business and civic leaders. Once he completes his term at the end of this academic year, Dr. Braskamp says what he’ll miss most about Elmhurst College is “the everyday life of being on a college campus and seeing students learn and achieve, whether in the classroom or by performing in plays, singing or in athletics—just watching our students do so much and so well has been very rewarding for Judi and me, and we will miss that.”
Looking forward, Dr. Braskamp has high hopes for even greater student experiences as a result of enhanced collaborations.
For more campus news, go to www.elmhurst.edu/news.
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news on campus
Putting Students First Elmhurst’s new student-centered initiative reinforces the College’s commitment to helping students reach their potential. 6
KNOW YOURSELF. KNOW YOUR WORLD.
REACH YOUR POTENTIAL
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lmhurst College has a long, rich tradition of putting students first. In our welcoming community, students have always found the support and the academic rigor they need to achieve their personal and professional goals. To reinforce and articulate that approach, the College recently introduced a new studentcentered initiative called Reach Your Potential. An integral part of the College’s brand identity, Reach Your Potential provides a robust framework for telling the Elmhurst story and helping students prepare for purposeful lives and meaningful careers. In communications with prospective students, the phrase helps us convey the value of an Elmhurst education. On campus, the phrase provides structure for current students as they plan their pathways through college and beyond. To develop the new initiative, the College partnered with Stamats, a national leader in integrated marketing for higher education. Stamats conducted comprehensive research
among faculty, staΩ, students, alumni, prospective students and community members to identify Elmhurst’s distinctive strengths and to better understand the College’s position in the marketplace. Reach Your Potential emerged from that research as a powerful way to communicate the authentic, distinctive value of an Elmhurst education. “At Elmhurst, faculty and staΩ have always been deeply committed to guiding students as they define their values, explore their world, and determine who they want to become,” Interim President Larry Braskamp said. “Reach Your Potential gives us a new way to talk about that exceptional commitment, and gives our students a new way to think about how they’re preparing for a meaningful life and career.”
For more campus news, go to www.elmhurst.edu/news.
Campus News 7
Elmhurst Cracks Top 10 in U.S. News Rankings
For the first time ever, Elmhurst College has cracked the Top 10 list of Best Regional Universities in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings, the country’s best known and most closely followed college rankings. This year’s rankings placed Elmhurst at Number 10 in its category for 2016. The College also rose to the ninth spot on U.S. News’s list of Best Value Schools. “We are very pleased to have entered the Top 10 among best regional colleges and universities, and to have reached No. 9 on the list of great schools at a great price,” said Elmhurst College Interim President Larry Braskamp. “Year after year, our high rankings in U.S. News and other college rankings confirm the strength and success of our commitment to students— to putting them first and helping them to reach their potential.” The U.S. News rankings join several other recent, high-profile national media rankings FYI/Spring 2016
that have named Elmhurst College among the best colleges in terms of educational value and proven record of preparing students for successful careers and lives. On Money magazine’s nationwide list of Best Colleges For Your Money, Elmhurst ranks in the top 4 percent of the country’s nearly 3,000 four-year colleges and universities. And in this year’s Forbes magazine rankings, America’s Top Colleges, Elmhurst places among the top 15 in Illinois.
Elmhurst Senior Elected VP of Illinois Student Nurses Association
Kathy Wabiszczewicz, a senior nursing major at Elmhurst College, has been elected first vice president of the Student Nurses Association of Illinois (SNA), the highest elected position ever held by an Elmhurst student nurse. The SNA, a national organization with chapters at the state and local level, is dedicated
to developing leaders in the nursing field. In her new role, Wabiszczewicz serves as chair of the state association’s annual convention, giving her responsibility for planning the event, choosing speakers and preparing the agenda. Assistant Professor Barb Bostelmann, faculty advisor for the Elmhurst College SNA, called Wabiszczewicz’s election “a great honor” for both Wabiszczewicz and Elmhurst College. “This demonstrates the caliber of students we have at Elmhurst College,” she said.
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At Elmhurst, Wabiszczewicz serves as the president of the College’s SNA chapter, helping coordinate campus speakers and service projects such as Relay for Life and blood donation drives. She also enjoys mentoring other nursing students and helping in the College’s Simulation Center at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital. Wabiszczewicz said she plans to use her position at the SNA to build awareness of legislative issues aΩecting nurses and educate student nurses about the opportunities available to them.
College Awards Niebuhr and Founders Medals
Biblical scholar Walter A. Brueggemann ’55 is the latest recipient of the Niebuhr Medal, Elmhurst College’s highest honor, and the first alumnus to receive it. Rev. Brueggemann was honored at a ceremony on October 23, along with three recipients of the College’s Founders Medal: the Honorable William J. Bauer ’49, Edwin E. Sprandel ’50, and the Siragusa Foundation. Brueggemann is widely considered the foremost Christian scholar of the Old Testament. A United Church of Christ minister and professor emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, he is a prolific author, having published more than 100 books as well as numerous scholarly articles. The Niebuhr Medal was established in 1995 to honor the brothers Reinhold and H. Richard Niebuhr, esteemed Elmhurst alumni and two of the 20th century’s most influential theologians. Brueggemann credits Elmhurst for inspiring his path to scholarship: Reading Moral Man and Immoral Society by Reinhold Niebuhr “changed everything,” he says. The Founders Medal, established in 1978, is given to those who further the mission of Elmhurst College through personal service and philanthropy. William Bauer has enjoyed a distinguished judicial career. He has served on the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago since 1974, including a stint as chief judge between
In October the College presented awards to John E. Hicks Jr. of the Siragusa Foundation (from left), Edwin E. Sprandel ’50, the Honorable William J. Bauer ’49, and Walter A. Brueggemann ’55.
1986 and 1993. He previously served as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. He is known for his sense of humor on the bench and his ability to bring even the most loquacious barrister’s argument to a conclusion. Bauer also is dedicated to his alma mater, where he has served as a trustee since 1976. He has taught business law as an adjunct professor, spoken at Commencement and other college events, and endowed two scholarships. Edwin Sprandel has been an asset to the O≈ce of Development and Alumni Relations since retiring from a career in financial services, having worked at the Chicago Board of Trade and later at the brokerage firm Smith Barney. He assists the development team by contributing articles and ideas he finds by researching a variety of publications. In 2006, he established the Susan Sprandel Scholarship Fund in
memory of his late wife. While it began as an annual scholarship, he soon endowed the fund to support full-time nursing students. Sprandel has served on the Alumni Board and chaired his class reunion. The Chicago-based Siragusa Foundation has been a longtime supporter of Elmhurst College. Established in 1950 by businessman Ross D. Siragusa, the foundation supports Chicago-area organizations in arts and culture, education, the environment, and health and human services. The foundation has given more than $470,000 over 29 years in support of student scholarships at the College. An annual luncheon gives foundation leaders the opportunity to meet scholarship recipients.
For more campus news, go to www.elmhurst.edu/news.
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Elmhurst Faculty Members Win Grant
Philosophy professors William Hirstein, Katrina SiΩerd and Tyler Fagan have won a $55,000 sub-grant from the John Templeton Foundation in support of their research on the philosophy of self-control. Their sub-grant is part of a major $4 million award given by Templeton to philosopher Al Mele at Florida State University. The grant, which will provide high-level research opportunities for Elmhurst College undergraduates as well as faculty, supports the professors’ investigations into the determination of criminal guilt and punishment in criminal cases in the light of recent neuroscientific discoveries. The project will culminate in a book entitled The Guilty Brain. “It’s a real coup for a small liberal arts college to get this type of funding, as philosophy grants are often awarded to faculty in larger research institutions,” said SiΩerd. Five students will work with Hirstein, SiΩerd and Fagan on the project, conducting research and helping write up their results for the book. Participating students will also write a piece of publishable research on a related topic, which they will present at the philosophy student symposium this spring. Students will also be asked to submit their work to undergraduate journals and conferences. Philosophy major Kirsten Rempala ’17 said FYI/Spring 2016
she applied to participate in the research because of the opportunity to work closely with professionals in the field, and to learn the critical skills required for academic and professional work. “I’m looking forward to becoming more involved in the philosophical process, and learning what it takes to form thoughts, discuss them in a collaborative environment, put them to paper, and generate work relevant to so many pertinent subjects and fields in today’s world,” she said. In addition to gaining hands-on experience in the lab, students will be acknowledged in the book for their contributions. “This experience will make them much more exciting candidates for graduate schools and other opportunities,” SiΩerd said.
A Conversation with Dick Portillo
Dick Portillo, founder of the enormously successful Portillo’s restaurant chain, talked about his career and life during a recent appearance at Elmhurst College. During “From Hot Dogs to Top Dog: A Conversation With Dick Portillo,” the restaurateur spoke with his good friend Lee Daniels, senior advisor to the president of Elmhurst College, in front of a capacity audience of about 800 in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel on November 22.
Portillo described what it was like to open his first eatery in 1963—a hot dog stand on North Avenue in Villa Park that he built with the $1,100 that he and his wife, Sharon, had saved for their first house. The Dog House was a 6’x12’ trailer without a bathroom or running water. And Portillo didn’t know how to make a hot dog. Four years later, the stand was remodeled and renamed for its owner. Since then, Portillo’s has grown into a multi-state, fast-casual restaurant chain with a wide-ranging menu of all-American favorites and highly regarded customer-service and business models. With restaurants in Illinois, Southern California, Indiana and Arizona, the Portillo’s chain was sold to the private equity firm Berkshire Partners in 2014. As a consultant, Portillo continues to be very much involved in the business as he helps guide its growth into Wisconsin, Florida and other states. A recipient of numerous awards, he actively supports the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Camp Pendleton, California, where he once was stationed as a Marine, as well as the Chicago Diabetes Project, because of his wife’s struggle with the disease.
bluejay nation
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Men’s Hoops Team Scores Record Success For the second year in a row, the Bluejays competed in the NCAA Division III Basketball Championship. By Kevin Juday
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his spring, the Elmhurst College men’s basketball team and Head Coach John Baines closed the book on the most successful two-year span in program history with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Elmhurst was one of 19 teams to earn at-large bids to the tournament field. The Bluejays won their first-round game against the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh before falling in the second round to the eventual national champion. Just three seasons ago, Baines inherited a team coming oΩ a 6–19 overall record and a 2–12 mark in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). In his first year, Baines guided the squad to a 14–11 record, an eight-game improvement, during the 2013–2014season. Last season, in only his second year at the helm, Baines led the squad to a 20–8 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. It marked the Bluejays’ first 20-win season and postseason trip to the NCAA Tournament since the 2008–2009 season. After returning all five starters and a group of nine seniors from last year’s squad, expectations were high for the squad entering this season. The Bluejays opened the year ranked eighth in the nation, and started the year with a 16–1 record. The highlight of the season came in early January, when the Bluejays defeated No. 1 Augustana College in front of a standing-room-only crowd at R.A. Faganel Hall. The victory over Augustana’s Vikings helped propel the Bluejays up the national rankings, earning them a No. 2 rank in the D3hoops.com poll in January, the highest spot the team has ever reached in the poll. While the Bluejays stumbled a bit down the stretch in the grueling CCIW, the team reached the finals of the CCIW Tournament before earning its second consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. It marked the first time in program history the team had earned back-to-back appearances in the tournament. Elmhurst traveled to Minnesota in early March to face the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the opening round. The Bluejays broke open a tightly contested game late, earning a 73-63 victory. In its second-round contest against the University of St. Thomas, the Bluejays battled early FYI/Spring 2016
foul trouble and overcame a 13-point first-half deficit to surge in front in the second half on the strength of 33 points from senior Kyle Wuest. The game was tied with eight minutes to play before St. Thomas pulled away for a 94–81 win, ending the Bluejays’ season. Wuest, along with seniors Will Nixon and Erik Crittenden, earned all-conference accolades from the CCIW. The Bluejays finished the season with a 22–7 overall record, matching the 2000–2001 squad’s record for most victories in a season. It also marked the first time in school history that the squad posted back-to-back seasons of at least 20 wins. Baines was quick to note that character was a major factor in the team’s success. “This is a very selfless group of players that we have,” he said. “We had seven diΩerent players lead us in scoring and eight diΩerent players lead us in rebounding, and that’s very tough to do.” Baines added that this year’s seniors had participated in a historic shift in Elmhurst basketball. “This is the first time in history that our program has had two 20-win seasons and been to the NCAA Tournament for two years in a row,” he said. “Our players really bought in, and they were coachable. I think what they leave behind is showing that if you can be selfless in your play, then you can get the program in the right spot.”
“This is the first time in history that our program has had two 20-win seasons and been to the NCAA Tournament for two years in a row.”
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Sound education
In the music department’s many bands, combos, orchestras and choirs, Elmhurst students master the talents and learn the professionalism that leads to success. By Andrew Santella
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efore country music sensation Brett Eldredge started releasing strings of number-one singles and winning the Country Music Association’s New Artist of the Year Award, he was a singer in Elmhurst College’s vocal jazz ensembles. If you think an aspiring country singer would have little to learn from an education in collegiate swing, let Eldredge set you straight. He credits Susan Moninger, Elmhurst’s director of choral ensembles, with making him a more polished singer. “She taught me so many things,” Eldredge recalled during a New York City tour stop in 2013. “She used to tell me to smile on certain notes so I wouldn’t go flat. And so to this day, I’ll be smiling in the studio like a dork because of what Susan taught me. But I don’t go flat! And I have her to thank for that.” There are some two dozen student musical ensembles at Elmhurst—from choirs to combos to orchestras to chamber groups to big bands—and each has lessons to oΩer like the ones Eldredge took from his time in vocal jazz. Elmhurst produces a lot of music for a college of about 2,800 students, which means students who want to make music have plenty of chances. Some have been known to play in a half-dozen or more diΩerent groups, their commitments keeping them hopping from rehearsal to gig to practice room. “There are just a ton of opportunities to play here,” said Mike Pinto ’06, an adjunct professor who teaches guitar and jazz arranging at the College. He knows. As a student at Elmhurst, he played in five ensembles at a time, including the College’s highly regarded Jazz Band, with which he toured Europe—an experience that he says changed his life and helped him set a career path. Now an active professional guitarist, composer and arranger, he directs Elmhurst’s Lab Band, the Gretsch Electric Guitar Ensemble, the Electric Guitar Collective and a jazz combo. With so many chances to play, it’s no wonder Elmhurst student musicians work so hard at their music—not that anyone’s complaining. “That’s why we all came here, to play and to be a part of such great music.” Even more impressive than the number and variety of ensembles found at Elmhurst is their quality. Late Night Blues, one of Elmhurst’s vocal jazz groups, was invited to perform at the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival. The Concert Choir tours nationally and has performed with Andrea Bocelli and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; this spring, they played New York’s Carnegie Hall (see story, page 19). The Wind Ensemble has played at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. And in 2014, the Jazz Band won Downbeat magazine’s award for the nation’s best undergraduate jazz band. “There is a tradition of excellence here that we’re very proud of,” said Pete Gri≈n, Elmhurst’s music department chair, who came to Elmhurst in 2011 after directing the Marching Illini and other bands at the University of Illinois. As much as the student ensembles have done to advance the reputation of Elmhurst’s music program, they represent just one segment of its oΩerings. The music department is home to about 200 students pursuing degrees in music, music business, music education, music theory and composition, jazz studies and music performance. Others major in musical theatre, through the theatre department. The music education program has been especially prolific, graduating waves of educators who now direct many of the best high school and middle school bands in Illinois. Between 2006 and 2011, 95 percent of the department’s music education majors placed into teaching positions.
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“The music faculty includes members of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, nationally known arrangers and composers, and critically acclaimed performers in a variety of musical genres.”
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A Milestone Birthday for Elmhurst’s Jazz Festival One of Elmhurst’s best-loved campus events is preparing to celebrate a milestone anniversary: The Elmhurst College Jazz Festival will turn 50 next year. Born as a regional qualifier in the short-lived, competitive American College Jazz Festival, the Elmhurst event flourished after the national festival’s demise in 1973. Under the leadership first of then–Dean of Students Jim Cunningham and later of Jazz Studies Director Doug Beach, the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival grew into a premier event by emphasizing education. Some educators call it the best college jazz festival in the nation. Each year, the nation’s best college ensembles perform in front of some of jazz’s greatest professional talents, who oΩer detailed critiques and honor top performers and bands. Each night of the festival, professional headliners wow the students with their own performances in the intimate Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel. Over the years, the festival has hosted Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Bellson, Maynard Ferguson, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Clark Terry and many other greats. Watch for upcoming announcements about the 50th presentation of the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival.
Music education majors begin teaching in a public school in the spring term of their first year. Elmhurst is also one of a few colleges that mandate three conducting courses, a requirement that provides students with deep experience conducting bands, choirs and orchestras. To cite just one award-winning alumnus, Mike Pavlik ’95 is director of bands at York High School and was recognized last year as a quarterfinalist for the national music educator award presented by the Grammy Foundation and the Recording Academy. Those alumni-directed school programs have in turn been a rich source of talented music students enrolling at Elmhurst. Ask Elmhurst student-musicians how they learned about the College, and many will tell you that their high school band director was an Elmhurst grad. Those alumni endorsements resonate with Gri≈n and the Elmhurst faculty. “Our alumni know from their own experience at Elmhurst what a special place this is,” Gri≈n said. “It’s the highest compliment to our faculty and to the programs we oΩer here that our alumni point their own students toward us.” Music education majors also contribute to the music program’s growing international reputation. Student groups travel to Jamaica and Australia to work with high school students. Professor Judy Grimes has been leading the annual Jamaica trips for more than 20 years, bringing students to teach—and learn from—young people in the financially challenged schools around Montego Bay. “We work with wonderful Jamaican teachers, and many of the Jamaican students go on to become teachers, lawyers, doctors and leaders in the community,” Grimes said. “We share our approaches to teaching music, and our students learn that music really is an international language.” Like so many of Elmhurst’s music faculty, Grimes—winner of the Illinois Music Educators Association’s lifetime achievement award and the author of hundreds of journal articles—is at once impressively accomplished and passionately dedicated to her students. “We have some of the best in the business on our faculty,” says Gri≈n. The music faculty includes members of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, nationally known arrangers and composers, and critically acclaimed performers in a variety of musical genres. More impressive still is their commitment to their students. These professors work at Elmhurst because they love teaching in a close-knit community of musicians and scholars. Students come to know them as mentors and come to value them as partners in their musical development. “There are so many amazing teachers at Elmhurst, it kind of blows your mind how good they are,” said Chris Conway, a 2015 graduate who is now director of music licensing for Loop Community. “The best thing is that they’re really welcoming, too. They want to help you do your best.” Conway credits his work with guitarist and adjunct professor Frank Portolese with helping him grow as a musician and as a professional. “He changed my life. He makes you work, but he’s also there for you every step. He had a huge impact on the way I learn and on my whole work ethic.” The work ethic of Elmhurst music students is audible. Walk past Irion Hall any afternoon and there is a good chance you’ll hear the sound of singers and instrumentalists developing their talents in practice rooms or working with professors in lesson rooms. To maximize students’ development as musicians, the music department allows typical full-time students to take as many as three weekly lessons with diΩerent instructors at no extra charge—an unusually generous arrangement.
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Alumni of Note You’ll find graduates of Elmhurst’s music programs rocking every corner of the music industry. Here are just a few.
“both Sarah Vaughn and Minnie Ripperton,” says Jazz Times. Right at home: Monique says Elmhurst “just felt right from the start. I felt safe at Elmhurst.” Eclectic: For her senior recital at Elmhurst, she sang Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia”and the Sister Sledge disco classic “We Are Family.”
Brett Eldredge
Current gig: Touring in support of his album Illinois, which debuted at number one on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Latest honors: Eldredge received two Academy of Country Music award nominations for 2016: New Male Vocalist and Male Vocalist of the Year. In 2014 he won Best New Artist honors from the Country Music Association. On a roll: Eldredge released a string of four consecutive number-one singles, starting with “Don’t Ya” in 2013. On his time at Elmhurst: “It had a cool vibe and a good sense of community. It reminded me of my small town. I felt so comfortable there.”
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Kris Myers
Current gig: Drummer for jam band Umphrey’s McGee. Elmhurst influence: Jazz Band Director Doug Beach “was one of the single most important people in my life. He teaches you to play with intensity.” Real-world education: Myers says the Jazz Band’s full performance schedule prepared him for a life in music. “You couldn’t ask for a better education. You develop a professional work ethic very quickly.” Doug Beach on first hearing Myers play: “He was young, he was green, and I don’t want to make myself sound like a prophet, but when he was finished playing I said to someone, ‘This kid’s going to be great.’ Now people ask me if I know Kris Myers. He’s getting to be really well known.”
Typhanie Monique
Current gig: Supporting her debut album as a solo performer, Love Is, with shows across the United States. Critical buzz: “A potentially major artist,” says the Chicago Tribune’s Howard Reich. Evokes
Fred Gretsch
Current gig: CEO of The Gretsch Company, a renowned maker of guitars and drums founded in 1883. Investing in Elmhurst: “As a night school student at Elmhurst, I appreciated the course oΩerings and flexible schedule while I was working a full-time day job. You might say the College and I invested in one another over those early years, and it’s been fun to continue the relationship musically in the years since.” Making music history: George Harrison’s classic riΩs on “I Feel Fine” and “Day Tripper” were created on Gretsch guitars. So were Who guitarist Pete Townshend’s power chords for “Who’s Next.” Advancing education: Gretsch funds scholarships for Elmhurst students and the William and Sylvia Gretsch Recording Studio, named in honor of his parents. He also sponsors the high school invitational at the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival.
Katie Kailus
Current gig: Editor, Music Inc. magazine. Kudos: Winner of a 2015 She Rocks Award from the Women’s International Music Network, in recognition of her work at the magazine. (Other winners included singer Colbie Caillat and ’80s hitmakers the Bangles.) What she loves about her work: “I love meeting people and hearing their stories. As a writer you get to turn that into something other people can benefit from.” On being a role model for women in a male-dominated industry: “At some point it just kind of snapped into place and I understood that I could do this job. I have the chops. I want other women to know that they can be leaders in their own right, too.”
“Our faculty are heavily involved in the business, and they get their students involved, too. It leads to all kinds of professional opportunities.” A Big Honor in the Big Apple “It’s a really cool thing for the students, because it allows them to draw on so many diΩerent perspectives,” Pinto said. Students say they appreciate the latitude they are given to explore new instruments or learn about subjects outside their major. Senior Scott Stolarz came to Elmhurst with experience singing in high school choirs in Naperville. But at Elmhurst, he became interested in jazz and classical saxophone, and ended up playing that instrument in combos and other ensembles. “I like that they don’t restrict what you can do,” Stolarz said. “They give you the freedom to explore.” Elmhurst students also benefit from their professors’ deep involvement in the music industry. Conway credits his position with Loop Community to a conversation he had with one of his music business professors, Tim Hays, at a student performance at Fitz’s Spare Keys in downtown Elmhurst. “Our faculty are heavily involved in the business, and they get their students involved, too,” Gri≈n said. “It leads to all kinds of professional opportunities.” Elmhurst students intern and find full-time work at some of the most highly regarded enterprises in the music industry. Stolarz began working as a summer intern at the Ravinia Festival soon after his sophomore year at Elmhurst. After graduating this spring, he will become production coordinator there, supervising a staΩ of six. Other internship sites include B96 Radio, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Universal Records and House of Blues. The professional opportunities are nearly limitless, thanks to the College’s proximity to Chicago, one of the world’s music capitals. “Our location is a huge plus for us, because of the sheer number of companies, large and small, in and around Chicago,” Gri≈n said. “Our students find internships, they find part-time work, and quite often that part-time work leads to full-time work.” Indeed, Elmhurst music alumni have found success in Chicago and far beyond. Operatic tenor David Kuebler has sung leading roles in opera houses around the world, performing at La Scala, New York’s Metropolitan Opera and many others. Katie Kailus is the award-winning editor of Music Inc. magazine. B96 deejay and performing artist Justin Roman is a winner of Songwriter of the Year at the Chicago Music Awards. Jim Kryshak is a rising tenor with the Vienna State Opera in Austria. Chris Siebold tours with Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion radio show band. Singer Typhanie Monique is one of the rising stars of Chicago’s jazz scene. Fred Gretsch is head of the legendary Gretsch Company, maker of guitars and drums played by some of the world’s most famous musical artists. It’s a good bet Elmhurst isn’t finished producing great music professionals. Today, about 200 students in the music department stand ready to follow their alumni role models on the road to success.
FYI/Spring 2016
According to one of entertainment’s oldest one-liners, the surest path to New York City’s storied Carnegie Hall is “practice, practice, practice.” It also helps to be a member of Elmhurst College’s Concert Choir. The choir, under the direction of Susan Moninger, made its Carnegie Hall debut on March 18, as one of 18 student choirs from 11 states and Canada invited to participate in the 2016 Choirs of America Nationals for Top Choirs. The 53-member ensemble participated in two days of vocal workshops and master classes at the legendary venue in midtown Manhattan. In the event’s climactic Friday night concert, the Elmhurst students sang as part of a festival choir, then were featured in “spotlight” performances that won enthusiastic applause from the audience and from the other participating choirs. During its visit to New York City, the choir also performed at the National 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan, singing the American composer Moses Hogan’s reverent “Hear My Prayer” on the windswept plaza between the two reflecting pools that mark where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood. The choir’s singers called their Carnegie Hall appearance uniquely memorable. “It’s the pinnacle for any performer,” said senior Kipa Kaupu. “We’ve had some incredible opportunities, but there is nothing like Carnegie Hall.” “All you have to do is think of the history of the place and all the artists that have performed there,” said senior Gina Carlson. “No matter what else we do, we’re always going to remember this.”
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The Power of a Scholarship “I appreciate being recognized for my hard work,” says Will, a basketball player who has a passion for helping people manage their financial resources. “My scholarship is a sign that the College sees potential in me and believes in me.” For many students like Katelyn and Will, a scholarship can spell the diΩerence between attending Elmhurst and missing out on the lifechanging opportunities an Elmhurst education provides. That’s why the College is deeply grateful to donors like Lori and Steve Tompos, whose support for Elmhurst scholarships helps bridge the financial gap for students like Katelyn and Will. “We were both blessed to pursue our education with scholarship support and a lot of love from our families,” says Steve Tompos, senior director of strategic change and communications for McDonald’s Corporation. “Knowing how important that financial support is, we wanted to give today’s young people the opportunity to do the things we’ve been able to do.” His wife, Lori, an adjunct faculty member in the College’s business department and a 2015 graduate of its MBA program, agrees. “Education is the key to unlocking your future,” she says. “Never has it been more clear how important education is.”
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Photos: Genevieve Lee
Alumni support plays a vital role in helping Elmhurst College students reach their potential. Visit give.elmhurst.edu to make your scholarship gift today.
Donors Lori and Steve Tompos (above) support scholarships for Elmhurst students like Katelyn Ditzler and Will Nixon.
K
atelyn Ditzler ’16 has landed on the Dean’s List every semester at Elmhurst College. A “super involved” student who participates in everything from Student Government Association to the cross-country team, she aspires to a career in law so that she can help people navigate the criminal justice system. But if it hadn’t been for her Presidential Scholarship, Katelyn says, she wouldn’t even be at Elmhurst. “There’s no way I would have been able to aΩord an Elmhurst education without that award,” says Katelyn, a triple major in criminal justice, political science and urban studies. “I’m very proud that the College saw me as someone worth investing in.” Will Nixon ’16 agrees. A finance major from Plainfield, Will says his scholarship made it easier for him to attend Elmhurst.
To learn more about how you can get involved at Elmhurst, go to www.elmhurst.edu/alumni.
Class Notes Let us hear from you! Send a note to alumni@elmhurst.edu or call us at (630) 617-3600. Better yet, stop by the O≈ce of Alumni Relations on the first floor of Lehmann Hall. 1960s–1980s Arthur Buikema ’62, Distinguished Professor of Ecology at Virginia Tech, retired recently after teaching biology for 48 years. The recipient of more than 12 local, national and international teaching awards, he was also a senior Fulbright lecturer at NUST in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and a senior scientist at the USEPA. He writes that he’s forever indebted to the education he got at Elmhurst College under the mentorship of Dr. John A. Jump. He and his wife, Alison, love to travel and sample exotic cuisines. Phyllis (Breitenbach) Bottoms ’68 enjoys creating greeting cards. Her husband, Robert Bottoms ’68, continues as a transitional interim pastor. She writes that her four grandchildren (including 2-year-old twins) are a joy. Craig Smith ’73 recently retired from Georgia College in Milledgeville, Georgia, after 30 years as a professor of special education and associate dean of the John H. Lounsbury College of Education. During his career, Dr. Smith also served on the Georgia State Professional Standards Commission for eight years. In retirement Dr. Smith will continue consulting with the Queensmill School in London, England, on issues related to the education of children with autism. William S. Stob ’73 recently released his second Bible commentary, Unraveling the Mystery of the Mystery Parables: An Interpretation of the Parables of Matthew Thirteen in Light of Christ’s Message to the Seven Churches and the Evidence of Church History, on Kindle.
FYI/Spring 2016
Celeste (Olson) Branding ’74 and Jack Branding ’74 celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in August. Celeste has retired from Aurora University, where she served as associate vice president, chief information and chief technology o≈cer. Kay (Connolly) Davis Diblik ’81 displayed her artwork in the College’s 10th Annual Alumni Art Exhibition. She hopes to initiate meetings of art alumni to foster a sense of community and to encourage graduates to continue pursuing their interest in art. Barry Richert ’81 is the author of two radio dramas that were showcased recently on WGN Radio Theater. The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas: There Goes the Neighborhood was narrated by Stacy Keach, and Fangoria’s Dreadtime Stories: The Dark Enforcer was narrated by Malcolm McDowell. Barry was interviewed during the November 15 broadcast, which is available for streaming on WGN's website or as a podcast. Joe Herrera ’83 and his son, Nick Herrera ’12, were both nominated to the Geneva High School Athletic Hall of Fame for 2015. James Magrini ’83, adjunct professor of Western philosophy and ethics/senior academic advisor at College of DuPage, published his second philosophical monograph: New Directions in Curriculum as Phenomenological Text: Continental Philosophy and Ontological Inquiry (2015).
Gary Hayden ’87 is vice president of human resources for Fenix Parts, Inc., a Westchesterbased recycler and reseller of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) automotive products. Karin Fox ’88 earned certificates in web design, graphics and C+ programming in May of 2014. She’s currently doing website design and support. 1990s Carole Rider ’91 recently completed her Ph.D. in educational leadership at the University of Southern Mississippi. Her dissertation, Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Abilities to Respond to an Active Shooter Incident, received the College of Education's Outstanding Dissertation Award. Paula (Akouris) Burzawa ’92 released her second novel, Tasso’s Journey, on February 17, 2015. Christina Collins ’92 was recognized by Northwestern Mutual with membership in its 2015 Forum Group, which recognizes individuals for outstanding work in helping clients plan for and achieve financial security. Approximately 5 percent of Northwestern Mutual’s 6,000 reps are invited to join the exclusive Forum. Christina, a wealth management advisor, is associated with the McTigue Financial Group in Chicago, and this is the first time she has received this honor. Lisa (McAuley) Mrahi ’93 was recently promoted to the role of administrative specialist in Career Services at the University of West Florida (UWF). After almost two years on staΩ at UWF, Lisa was also selected to participate in the 2015–16 LEAD Program, a year-long
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alumni catching up
leadership development program sponsored by the O≈ce of the Provost and Executive Vice President. Participants will develop strategies to help them flourish as leaders and team players across campus. Lisa Oddo ’93, ’09 is the author of a chapter for a book called Strong Women Overcoming Mediocrity that is scheduled to be released in spring of 2016. 22
Regional Clubs Go Big The Elmhurst College community encompasses more than 23,000 alumni, parents and friends across the globe. Wherever you live, the College oΩers numerous ways for you to reconnect, engage with the College and get to know today’s Elmhurst students. In the past six months, the Elmhurst College Alumni Association has hosted monthly events in the Chicagoland area as well as across the nation. In the fall, we held two events in the St. Louis area with more than 30 alumni in attendance. In February, we welcomed alumni to a series of events in Florida, including a reception in Naples hosted by Barbara Lucks ’73, chair of the College’s Board of Trustees. On March 14, some 30 alumni gathered in Arizona to watch the Cubs compete in spring training. Later that week, alumni in the New York area joined us at Carnegie Hall for a rousing performance by the Elmhurst College Choir. Join us for an upcoming event! Go to www.elmhurst.edu/alumni to see what’s coming up.
Wendy (Lindeen) Zielke ’99 is a neurosurgery/ spine surgery team leader at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. She is also the subject matter expert for the hospital’s Cerner computerized charting, which she designed and implemented with another nurse. Wendy has been married to Rich Zielke for 13 years, and they reside in New Lenox. 2000s Jason Churchill ’03 has accepted a one-year appointment as vicar at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood. Jessica Loustaunau ’03 was named director of special education and student services for Prairie Crossing Charter School in Grayslake in July 2015. William (Bill) H. Smith ’04 returned to his alma mater in October of 2013 as a student services representative in the School for Professional Studies. In that role, he works closely with nontraditional undergraduate students, counseling them in financial aid and academic advising. He enjoys helping students realize the dream of a college degree, just as he did. Andy Thompson ’04 was named Illinois High School Lacrosse Association Person of the Year. A coach with the St. Charles Lacrosse Club for the past 12 years, Andy is also one of the founders of New Wave Lacrosse. Bethany Moslener ’05 graduated from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in July 2015 with an M.A. in psychology and a concentration in applied behavior analysis. She has accepted a job as a lead care team member at Autism Home Support Services.
Erin (Bufton) Fecske ’07 was recently honored by the American Academy of Neuroscience Nurses with the 2016 Excellence in Patient Care Award. The award recognizes excellence in clinical practice for a nurse caring for neuroscience patients in either an inpatient or outpatient setting. An active member of the Academy’s Kansas City chapter, Erin serves the pediatric epilepsy population as a nurse practitioner at Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics. Jessica Vaillancourt ’07 was named Illinois Outstanding Young Teacher of the Year by the Illinois Communication and Theatre Association, the state’s largest professional a≈liation for theatre, speech, debate and communication teachers. Andrew Behling ’09 is starring as Lucas in Neil Simon’s hit comedy, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, at First Folio Theatre in Oak Brook. Andrew also starred in Cymbeline and Richard iii at First Folio Theatre and in the National Tour of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with the Classical Theatre Project of Toronto. Aimee Dujua ’09, ’14, works as director of admissions for American InterContinental University. Marissa Parker ’09 is working in communications and marketing at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Michele Fournier ’10, a marketing and communications specialist with Assurance Agency, was recognized by her employer as Employee of the Year. Jessica Sullivan ’10 earned a master’s degree in liberal studies–English with highest distinction in December 2014 from Valparaiso University. In May 2015 she received her JD from Valparaiso University Law School. D. Josiah Montgomery ’12 was admitted to the M. Div. program at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He previously served as associate college organist at Elmhurst College and as organist at First United Methodist Church of LaGrange.
To submit your news, go to www.elmhurst.edu/classnotes.
Mary Sedlack ’12 graduated from Elmhurst with a degree in nursing. After working in CCU at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital for two years, she spent last year as a traveling nurse, experiencing patient care in other states and getting an opportunity to travel. Liliana Gomez ’13 graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago Jane Addams College of Social Work program on May 8, 2015. Her studies focused on mental health. Brian Reher ’14 was recently promoted to power systems product support sales representative at Patten Industries in Elmhurst. Melissa Sedlack ’14, who majored in education and Spanish at Elmhurst, is now teaching Spanish and French at a junior high in Wheaton. She had a challenging first year creating curricula for two languages, but she loved the junior high environment and has been hired on permanently! Births Susan (Salatino) Changnon ’96 and Gene Changnon welcomed their daughter, Juliana Michaela Changnon, on October 24, 2015. Laurie Rich Salerno ’00 and her husband, Anthony J. Salerno Jr., welcomed their second child, June Bonnet Salerno, in March. June and her 2-year-old brother, Anthony, are making their mother wish she'd taken a child psychology class or two at Elmhurst. Derek Frer ’02 and Jasmine Seng ’02, ’06 welcomed their daughter, E≈e Eleanora Frer, into the world—their first and only Bluejay! She was born in London, England, where Derek and Jasmine have lived for five years. JeΩrey Logan ’04 and his wife, Cathi, welcomed a daughter, Rebecca Lynn Logan, on February 3, 2015. Brandi (Blume) Warnock ’04, ’06 and her husband, Matthew, welcomed their daughter, Aubrey Grace Warnock on June 21. She joins her brother, Logan (8), and sister, Ava (5). Haley (Riley) Martin ’05 and Chris Martin ’06 welcomed their son, Camden Andrew, brother of Riley, on February 6, 2015.
FYI/Spring 2016
Kristy Langstraat-Bolte ’05 and Darrell Bolte welcomed their first child, Kathryn Rose Bolte, on March 29, 2015. She is named after her grandma, former Elmhurst College employee Kathryn J. Langstraat. Annie (Matich) Horn ’07 and Dave Horn ’07 welcomed their daughter, Elliana Joy Horn, sister of Hope, on October 27, 2015. James Ludvik ’07 and Katie (Godbey) Ludvik ’09 welcomed their son, James Henry Ludvik, on November 24, 2014. Susan Martin ’08 and her partner, Wendy Montgomery, welcomed their first child, Raegan Marie Martin Montgomery, on May 4, 2015. Brian Ranger ’08 and Sarah (Williams) Ranger ’09 welcomed their daughter, Madison Rebecca Ranger, on December 12, 2015. Allie (Baumbach) Bickel ’09 and Zach Bickel welcomed their daughter, Elizabeth Lee Bickel, on April 12, 2014. Kevin Davey ’09 and Mary Kate (Rand) Davey ’09 welcomed their first child, Hutson Paul Davey, on November 27, 2014. Matt McKinnis ’09 and his wife, Dana, welcomed their daughter, Elise Elizabeth McKinnis, on February 18, 2015. Samantha (Rivera) Miller ’09 and her husband, Craig, welcomed their son, Asher Robert Miller, on February 18, 2015. Jennifer (Paul) Cramer ’10 and her husband, Bill, welcomed their son, Noah William Cramer, on January 24, 2015. Matt Bacaling ’11 and his wife, Dana, welcomed their daughter, Hazel Juliette Bacaling, on December 12, 2015. Marriages & Anniversaries Michelle DeFranco ’07 married Paul DeLuca on October 3, 2015. Linas Saulys ’08 married Kimberly Smith ’08 on June 7, 2015. Stephanie Ferrini ’10 married Evan Michel ’10 on September 6, 2015.
Dan Hamilton ’10 married Kiley Ancona ’11 on July 18, 2014. Michele Matthews ’10 married Luke Firsching in May 2015. Laura Matthews ’11 was in the bridal party. Brittany Meding ’10 married Phil Dorjath on May 30, 2015. Elmhurst College alumni in attendance included Danielle Haehn ’11, Annice Coughlan ’12, Matt Rohde ’13, Bruce Hill ’76, Brittany Socha ’14, Mark Weeden ’13, Amy Hatfield ’96, Marge Bartels ’05, Jean Hill ’91, Jake Meding ’12, Joanne McKlusky ’11, Whitney (Roth) McHugh ’13, Matt McHugh ’12, Charlie Van Slyke ’66, Meera Advani ’10 and Brianne Harris ’12. Seth Bullington ’12 married Katie Hayslette ’12 on February 14, 2015. Matthew Erickson ’12 married Alana Lewandowski ’12 on June 20, 2015. Jessica HerΩ ’12 married Zach Samson on January 10, 2015. Jared Kafader ’12 married Amberly Ward ’12 on June 27, 2015. Deaths David C. Prescott ’39, of Stevensville, Michigan, on September 6, 2014 Dr. Frank G. Uhrig ’39, of Chillicothe, Ohio, on February 28, 2015 The Hon. Paul W. Schnake ’40, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, on November 12, 2014 Jeanette (Mueller) Eils ’41, of Elmhurst, on May 11, 2015 Samuel E. Pobanz ’41, of Eugene, Oregon, on April 28, 2015 Claire G. (Gatti) Guistolise ’42, of Lombard, on July 3, 2014 Vincent DeRose ’43, of Melrose Park, on February 13, 2015 Paul Haefner ’43, of McLean, Virginia, on September 7, 2015
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alumni catching up
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Walter E. Tiefenthal ’42, of Green Valley, Arizona, on November 30, 2013
Carol L. (Weigand) Williams ’49, of Saint Ansgar, Iowa, on February 1, 2015
Robert E. Burckle ’57, of Tucson, Arizona, on January 27, 2015
Spencer Duckworth ’44, of Sacramento, California, on June 2, 2015
Calvin Fischer ’50, of Tucson, Arizona, on June 27, 2015
Phebe A. (Ernst) Husek ’57, of Pittstown, New Jersey, on January 30, 2015
Dr. Ralph T. Jans ’44, of Machias, Maine, on May 5, 2014
Dorothy A. (Cluever) Nemec ’50, of Monticello, Minnesota, on June 17, 2014
Devic R. “Vic” LeHuray ’57, of Geneva, on March 9, 2015
Gudrun (Andres) Avale ’45, of Marion, North Carolina, on September 23, 2014
Richard T. Newman ’50, of Sun City West, Arizona, on June 16, 2015
Wallace Reifsteck ’57, of Lincoln, on September 9, 2015
Fern (Cluever) Graham ’45, of Big Bear Lake, California, on May 28, 2015
Carolyn M. (Maisch) Tator ’50, of Highland, on May 17, 2015
Nancy A. (Schlink) Walker ’57, of Wilson, Oklahoma, on November 18, 2014
Meredith M. (Michael) Simmons ’45, of Colorado Springs, on January 26, 2015
Mary (Domermuth) Brooke ’51, of Bradenton, Florida, on September 2015
Walfred Berg ’58, of Clinton, Iowa, on November 5, 2013
Rev. George Sonneborn ’45, of St. Louis, on July 10, 2015
Joan L. (Herzfeld ) Brune ’51, of Peoria, on September 3, 2015
Judith J. (Groves) Kuehl ’58, of Grinnell, Iowa, on March 20, 2015
Edith “Darline” (Howell) Velarde ’45, of Kelseyville, California, on January 8, 2015
Dr. Richard J. Davies ’51, of Peotone, on May 27, 2015
Anita (Puknaitis) Pukelis ’58, of Oak Park, on August 19, 2015
Jane A. (Hein) Feierabend ’46, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on June 16, 2015
Doris A. “D.A.” (DeBruine) Volle ’51, of Portland, Oregon, on April 16, 2015
Frances (Hamach) Schneider ’58, of Flossmoor, on August 26, 2014
George W. Timmer ’46, of Sun City, Arizona, on August 24, 2014
Marily J. (Holst) Wells ’51, of Anderson, Indiana, on April 2, 2015
Joan (Panos) Stanger ’58, of Greenwood, Indiana, on April 5, 2015
Rev. Theodore A. “Ted” Brown ’47, of Pleasant Hill, Tennessee, on February 23, 2015
Robert Faganel ’52, of Bonita Springs, Florida, on August 22, 2015
Lila M. (Schyberg) Burton ’59, of Schaumburg, on March 30, 2015
Bernadine C. (Pearce) Kluge ’47, of East Peoria, on March 23, 2015
Ruth M. (Hachmeister) Hanck ’53, of Elmhurst, on January 6, 2015
William Meyer Lee ’59, of Marshall, Michigan, on September 15, 2015
Keene Randall Lebold ’47, of Columbus, Ohio, on October 3, 2015
Henry J. “Hank” Kindl ’53, of Villa Park, on January 20, 2015
Wayne P. Lindquist ’59, of Naples, Florida, on July 31, 2015
James Postula ’47, of Elmhurst, on September 25, 2015
Duane “Dewey” Meyer ’53, of Grinnell, Iowa, on October 19, 2015
Rudolph Schoppe ’59, of DeKalb, on August 2, 2015
Rudolph Raber ’47, of Saint Louis, on September 24, 2015
Robert R. Williams ’53, of Glenview, on May 31, 2014
Rev. John A. Schulthise ’59, of Owensboro, Kentucky, on May 11, 2015
Katel (Hedin) Rigmore ’47, of Freeport, on May 18, 2015
Fred W. Creedle Jr. ’54, of Republic, Missouri, on February 16, 2015
Marjorie (Klassy) Schnierer ’60, of Chicago, on August 16, 2015
Lester H. Brune ’48, of Peoria, on June 12, 2015
Frances J. (Hahn) Francis ’55, of Franklin, Indiana, on February 21, 2015
Rev. Richard E. Halvorsen ’61, of Fresno, California, on February 19, 2015
Vance Kincaid ’55, of Gobles, Michigan, on October 14, 2015
Jeanne (Nichols) Dvorak ’62, of Plainfield, on October 28, 2015
Joyce C. (West) Torpe ’55, of Winfield, on July 18, 2015
George E. Warner ’63, of River Forest, on October 8, 2015
Caroline L. (Sturm) Wirkus ’55, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on April 5, 2015
Ellen Schmidt (Groeneveld) ’64, of Birmingham, Alabama, in August 2015
Evelyn (Dammerman) Kolze ’48, of Lindenhurst, on October 19, 2015 Dr. James E. Fisher ’49, of Fort Myers, Florida, on January 9, 2014 Harold H. Kiehne ’49, of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, on July 28, 2015
For more alumni news, go to www.elmhurst.edu/classnotes.
Rev. Jerry W. Suhrheinrich ’65, of Winter Park, Florida, on October 31, 2014
Lezah Barnett-Collins ’75, of Chicago, in April 2015
Gerald Lavengood ’66, of Villa Park, on September 17, 2015
Sylvester Smith Jr.’75, of Decatur, on November 12, 2013
Nicholas J. Posegay ’66, of Glen Ellyn, on April 15, 2015
Lora S. Van Zyl ’75, of Villa Park, on March 1, 2014
Norma (Allison) Kohlmann Seaman ’66, of Fort Myers, Florida, on August 14, 2014
John R. Newton ’76, of Newport Beach, California, on June 20, 2015
Ellen (Kolman) Bentz ’67, of New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 22, 2014
Mary V. Frohne ’78, of South Bend, Indiana, on April 25, 2015
Dennis M. Dee ’68, of Elgin, on March 1, 2015
Joseph Hribik ’79, of Lombard, on October 3, 2015
Mary (Hohl) Steinmaus ’68, of New Straitsville, Ohio, on August 23, 2015 William Fraccaro ’70, of Bolingbrook, on June 16, 2015 Frank W. Frodyma ’70, of Downers Grove, on October 21, 2015 Joel R. Grollmus ’70, of American Canyon, California, on April 17, 2015 John Mindrum ’70, of Louisville, Kentucky, on May 16, 2015 Margaret L. Novosad ’70, of Elmhurst, on March 26, 2015 John H. Teschner ’70, of New York City, on February 14, 2015 Timothy J. Billings ’71, of South Amboy, New Jersey, on August 31, 2014 Daniel Parat ’71, of Little Rock, Arkansas, on September 30, 2015 Rev. Jerry W. Paul ’71, of O’Fallon, on May 20, 2015 David Chancey ’72, of Ventura, California, on June 29, 2015 Judith A. “Judy” (Meyers) Franciosi ’72, of Normal, on February 20, 2015 Robert T. Horder ’73 of Arlington Heights Eleanor J. (Greenholt) Horder ’74, of Arlington Heights, on December 1, 2014 Cheryl (Samek) Robish ’74, of Lombard, on February 12, 2014 FYI/Spring 2016
Carl J. Butler ’83, of Crystal Lake, on April 20, 2015 David Lange ’83, of Marengo, on September 30, 2013 Nancy (Nelson) Martin ’83, of Stapleton, Alabama, on September 3, 2015 Jeannine (Fournier) Orphan ’83, of Oak Park, on August 12, 2015 Kevin Gallagher ’85, of Lake Zurich, on December 1, 2014 Sally A. Lufkin ’85, of Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 22, 2014 Joseph F. “Jody” Mathews ’87, of Glen Ellyn, on February 2, 2015 Marcella Reck ’87, of Mount Prospect, on November 28, 2013 John R. Riccio ’87, of Coloma, Michigan, on August 1, 2015 Thad Puig ’93, of Darien, on July 2, 2013 Joanne Finzel (Cermak) ’98, of Glen Ellyn, on September 7, 2015
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Alumna Recognized by National Magazine Women of Distinction Magazine has recognized Heather McCarthy ’02, a teacher and the co-founder of a company that produces personalized books, as a distinguished professional in her field. McCarthy’s business, Someone Special Uniquely Personalized Books, creates customized picture books to help parents of children with special needs explain their children’s conditions. McCarthy launched the business shortly after her daughter, who has a rare metabolic condition, started school. McCarthy wanted to find a way to talk about the condition with her daughter and her daughter’s classmates and teachers, so she created her first personalized picture book. The business grew from there. The business currently produces 12 books that can be personalized for children with autism, cerebral palsy, diabetes, Down syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, food allergies, hearing impairments and more. “We also have a personalized book for children without disabilities who want to learn about acceptance and friendships,” said McCarthy. Someone Special Uniquely Personalized Books has been listed as an educational resource by The Epilepsy Foundation, Autism Speaks and FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education).
faculty o≈ce hours
The Value of Experience Kelly Cunningham worked at Kraft Foods for 20-plus years before joining the business faculty at Elmhurst College. Here, he talks about his career path and how his corporate experience informs his teaching. 26
but until you go through an actual acquisition there’s a lot you don’t understand. Those are the things I can share with students. I can talk to them about real-world situations like how a product is developed: Where does the idea come from? How is the brand name created? How do you go from an idea to a product on a retail shelf? Do your students engage in real-world experiences themselves? Absolutely! Every semester I select a few students to work with me on an independent study project. Last fall, for example, I worked with a group of students to develop a marketing plan for a preschool that faced some marketing challenges. This term, I’m working with a group of students to develop a positioning strategy and marketing plan for Brewpoint CoΩee, a small business in downtown Elmhurst. For each project, the students are present at client meetings, they develop the project deliverables in collaboration with me, and then they make the presentation to the client. That real-life experience is tremendous— and when they go on job interviews, that’s what the interviewer wants to talk about.
What was your role at Kraft? My career at Kraft spanned a variety of functions—I spent 15 years in sales, five years in marketing, and a year and a half in supply chain. I moved five diΩerent times during my time there, too. I started in Spokane, then moved to Portland, then San Francisco, then White Plains, New York, then back to San Francisco, and finally Chicago. It was a great company to work for, and being involved in so many diΩerent areas gave me a broad perspective on the business world. What prompted you to leave the corporate sphere? In the back of my mind, I always wanted to teach college—it was a real passion of mine. So after 21 and a half years at Kraft, I left the company, opened my own marketing consulting business, and started to teach part time. The part-time teaching job led to a full-time opportunity here, and I’ve been teaching at the College now for 10 years. How does your corporate experience inform your teaching? I apply my experience to my teaching every day. For example, you could talk a lot in class about acquisitions and mergers and how that happens,
What role do you play in career development for students? I get very involved in helping students find internships. My career at Kraft was very successful, so we’ve placed many students at Kraft, including students who have done a six-month internship and been hired on full time. We’ve sent dozens of students on internships at Wirtz Beverage Illinois, through a partnership I had with them. Being engaged with businesses outside the College, I’m able to form partnerships that lead to internship opportunities for our students—and as I tell my students, many times those internships turn into full-time positions at very big companies. What’s rewarding about teaching at a place like Elmhurst? The students here at Elmhurst want to be in the classroom. That makes it worthwhile. Teaching young men and women right before they start their careers means you can really have an impact on what they’re doing and how they view the business world. I stay in contact with many students after they graduate, and as a professor, there’s nothing better than getting an email from an alum who’s thanking you for something you did in the classroom or helping them with a career opportunity. That’s extremely rewarding.
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