THE MAGAZINE OF ELMHURST UNIVERSITY
�5O FORWARD An ambitious future takes shape
T H E C A M PA I G N I S S U E
SUMMER ����
Summer 2022 v o l u m e v, n u m b e r
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COLLABORATIVE WORKING SPACES for Elmhurst University. For more about how the campaign will transform the campus, see page 24.
P H OTO B Y B O B C O S C A R E L L I
are a key focus of Elmhurst 150: The Campaign
I L LU S T R AT I O N S O N C OV E R A N D C O N T E N T S PAG E BY G R AC I A L A M
The Magazine of Elmhurst University
T H E C A M PA I G N I S S U E
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FE AT U R E STORY
150 Forward:
Shaping Our Future
As our sesquicentennial year comes to a close, we’re embarking on a historic fundraising campaign to support our bold ambitions for the future.
D E PA R T M E N T S
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P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E
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CAMPUS NEWS
12 COMMENCEMENT
4 14
41 ALUMNI NEWS
Sweating the Details B E YON D T H E CLASS ROOM
Chris Nieto, Chemical Bond Elaine Fetyko Page, Into the Archives
4 3 C L ASS N OT E S
Jennifer Pierce, Climate Change Catalyst
4 8 M Y C A R E E R PAT H
20 Read the magazine online at elmhurst.edu/Prospect.
I N T H E CLASS ROOM
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S P O RTS S P OT L I G H T
Rachel Rettger: Eye on a New Ball A RTS S P OT L I G H T
Founders Play
The Magazine of Elmhurst University
Summer 2022 volume v , number
1
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Jonathan Shearer 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, Molly Heim, Brian Moore, Sally Parker, Andrew Santella, Scott Steinberg PHOTOGRAPHY
Jason Brown, Bob Coscarelli, Grand Valley State University, Rob Hart, Joola USA, Sarah Nader, Adam Romanowicz, Justin Runquist, Andrew Schones, SIU Media & Communications Resources, Steve Woltmann PHOTO COORDINATOR
Lauren Altiery, MBA ’20 ILLUSTRATION
Dave Homer, Gracia Lam ALUMNI NEWS AND CLASS NOTES
Kelsey Hogan, Amy Young ’21
CONNECT WITH US
We welcome your comments! Email us at marketing@elmhurst.edu.
HISTORIC SCORER Jake Rhode capped off an outstanding basketball career at Elmhurst by earning All-America honors and smashing the team’s individual scoring record.
P H OTO B Y S T E V E WO LT M A N N
Prospect is published twice a year by the Office of Marketing and Communications. Elmhurst University 190 Prospect Ave. Elmhurst, Illinois 60126 © 2022 Elmhurst University All rights reserved.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
A TIME TO MAKE HISTORY
At Commencement, I always remind our graduates about the dual purpose of that important occasion. While it marks the end of one journey—that of an Elmhurst student—it also marks the start of the next. How appropriate, then, that this spring’s ceremony marked both the official end to our sesquicentennial celebrations and the first day of our next 150 years. Elmhurst’s sesquicentennial, and the opportunity it afforded us to delve into our past, reaffirmed that preparing students for lives of meaning and success has always been, and will always be, our mission. It also fueled the momentum for “Elmhurst 150: The Campaign for Elmhurst University,” the largest fundraising campaign in institutional history, and one that will firmly equip the University to nurture and serve future generations of students. In this issue of Prospect, we’ll introduce you to the ideas, plans and people at the heart of the campaign’s ambitious goals. With your support, the funds we raise will make a powerful impact for generations to come. Over the past year, I hope we’ve all come to realize that, just as our history has made us, we now are poised to make history ourselves. Let us commence!
TROY D. VANAKEN
President
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IN THE
CLASSROOM
THE CLASS
Exercise Physiology
SWEATING THE DETAILS
THE PROFESSOR
KEEPING IT FRESH
Heather L. Hall
This course is about looking at the effects of exercise on body systems. I created it more than 20 years ago, when we introduced our exercise science major. I’ve been teaching it so long that sometimes when I tell my friends that I have to go prepare for class, they say, “What do you have to prepare for?” But no matter how long I’ve been teaching a course, I always want to make it better. We dive into the current literature in the discipline, which is always changing. So there is always new material to add, which really helps stimulate their interest in the topic.
DEPARTMENT CHAIR AND PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF KINESIOLOGY RECIPIENT, PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING 2021
IN THE LAB
In this class, workouts are part of the scientific process, and students are both researchers and subjects.
The lab for this course is different from any other in that the students are their own research subjects. For example, we do something called the Wingate anaerobic test, which measures anaerobic power and capacity by having subjects get on a stationary bike and pedal. So while one student is pedaling, their classmates are recording data, setting the resistance and counting revolutions. Everyone has a job to do. Then they rotate through all the various lab roles. For these tests to work, everything has to be precisely coordinated and synchronized. They quickly learn the value of teamwork. PEDAL POWER
This is a class where bonds form quickly because of the nature of the work students
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do in the lab. They all have this common experience of having to pedal like crazy in front of their classmates. That has a way of bringing everyone together. THINKING LIKE A RESEARCHER
One of my goals is to help students think like researchers. I focus on the methodological process of research in our discipline and use examples from my own research so students can learn how new knowledge is created and validated. We review the current research literature and spend time learning how to effectively read a scientific article. There is a unique logic and organization to scientific articles, and understanding how to navigate them and extract the required information is an important skill. A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
To be honored with the 2021 President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching meant the world to me, especially after such a challenging time for everyone at the University. Because of the pandemic, so many of us had to learn quickly to teach in new ways. We all worked very hard to make sure students still got the support and the experiences they deserve, whatever the challenges. To have students nominate me for the award tells me that I must have provided them with what they needed during a difficult time. That gives me such a sense of accomplishment and validation.
THE STUDENT VIEW
“This is one of those classes that you just look forward to. Dr. Hall’s lectures are really well organized and clear, which is important, because she is communicating some pretty difficult concepts. And I love how active the labs are. You really have to exert yourself physically. We’re our own guinea pigs.” — NOLAN FRAAZA ’24
P H OTO B Y S A R A H N A D E R
EXERCISE SCIENCE MAJOR
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CAMPUS
NEWS
SPEAKER
Q&A CAMPUS TREES ���
George Will came to Elmhurst on March 9 to explore the political argument today.
Before giving this year’s Rudolf G. Schade Lecture on History, Ethics and Law, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, commentator and author George Will spoke with Prospect about his work, his advice for college students and his outsize book habit.
What do you want people to learn from your lecture?
Nestled near Dinkmeyer Hall are two seven-son flower trees. Named for the way its buds cluster in groups, the seven-son produces lovely jasmine-scented blossoms in late summer, followed by spectacular red seedpods in the fall.
I hope they’ll take away an understanding of the complexity of a modern society, the trade-offs and choices we make in policies, and the necessity to think clearly about the things we embrace. Freedom, equality, justice—these are complicated issues and don’t lend themselves to bumper stickers or simple slogans.
which is survival of the briefest and doesn’t last. I’ve published eight collections of my columns—they’re between hardback covers and they’re in libraries, and they’ll be around for a while.
When did you feel the most optimistic
What are you reading for pleasure?
about where our country was headed?
I’m addicted to audiobooks. I get up every morning at 5:20 and by 5:21, I’m listening to a book. I go through 100 books a year and just finished an 80-hour book—(Winston) Churchill’s enormous, million-word biography of his ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough. And I’m about to start another biography of one of my heroes, James Madison, by Jay Cost.
From 1980 to 2000—the country had put away the Cold War without a shot being fired, had lightened the weight of government, and had brought about a huge explosion of economic creativity and wealth creation. It was before the rise of identity politics and the festival of easily rubbed-raw sensitivities that are threatening to paralyze our society and extinguish the free exchange of ideas.
students today about how to make the What aspect of your work do you
most of their collegiate experience?
enjoy most?
Read. Read books. For all the chatter about new media, books remain the primary carriers of ideas, and only ideas have large and lasting consequences on humans.
I love to write. There’s a physical pleasure in putting together sentences and paragraphs. It’s much more satisfying than being on television,
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What advice would you give to college
A FULBRIGHT PIONEER
WCPE CEL EBR AT E S
SILVER
It’s been 25 years since Elmhurst established a center devoted to empowering students to meet their career goals. Today, the Russell G. Weigand Center for Professional Excellence is an integral part of campus life, connecting hundreds of students with internships, mentors, career advising and much more. In February, the WCPE kicked off a celebratory year with a gathering for students in the Founders Lounge. In May, faculty, staff, employers and friends gathered for a festive happy hour to look back on 25 years of connections.
Norbaya Durr ’22 is headed to Botswana, thanks to an award from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. With the support of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship, Durr will teach at a host institution in Botswana during the 2022–2023 academic year. A double major in biology and English who also minored in chemistry, she is the University’s ninth Fulbright student, its first recipient who is a woman of color, and the first who will be going to Africa. Martin A. Gahbauer (left), executive director of the WCPE, with Lawrence Carroll, the WCPE’s founding director.
CALLING
ALL VOICES
A new mural, “Be Bold. Be Elmhurst,” has transformed the back wall of R.A. Faganel Hall, thanks to the efforts of Elmhurst art faculty Rafael Blanco and Andrew Sobol. Watch the highlights at elmhurst.edu/MuralVideo.
Two new projects will honor the University’s 150th anniversary and leave a lasting legacy for future generations. Calling All Voices, a podcast series, amplifies the voices that have made the University what it is today; and an update to the previously published institutional narrative, An Ever-Widening Circle: The History of Elmhurst College, provides an opportunity to reexamine the University’s past and future goals. Both projects are funded in part by a two-year grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, or NetVUE. S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 P RO S P E C T M AG A Z I N E
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THIS IS OUR MOMENT CAMPUS
NEWS
On Dec. 6, 1871, the Rev. Carl F. Kranz and 14 students arrived in Elmhurst to establish the institution now known as Elmhurst University. On Dec. 6, 2021, our community came together to celebrate the pioneering spirit of our founders. For more photos of the festivities, visit elmhurst.edu/150.
SHAKE IT UP
A life-size snow globe provided a perfect backdrop for commemorative photos.
DINNER AND A SHOW Students enjoyed a special holiday dinner as part of the festivities.
SLEIGH RIDE
A horse-drawn trolley took visitors on campus tours.
ONWARD!
Visitors gathered throughout the day to watch sled dog demonstrations.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Theatre students reenacted Elmhurst’s founding through a series of vignettes. Read more on page 22.
STARRY NIGHT
Twinkling lights and a stunning ice sculpture created a festive scene on the University Mall.
POLAR EXPRESS
A professional ice carver created a sculpture of a train to commemorate Rev. Kranz’s 1871 arrival in Elmhurst.
IN COMMUNITY
A reception in the Frick Center brought the Elmhurst community together.
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CAMPUS
NEWS
WHAT A RUN!
Elmhurst athletes had a magical March, delivering team and individual performances that will go down in Bluejay history.
EU ON THE RISE RETURNS On March 10, more than a dozen Elmhurst students took the stage to compete for cash prizes at Elmhurst University on the Rise, the annual talent showcase. Hosted in person for the first time in three years, the event featured a variety of music and dance genres.
The men’s basketball team set a school record with 27 wins and finished as the national runner-up, ending the season on an electrifying run all the way to the NCAA Division III championship game. Guard Jake Rhode earned secondteam All-America honors and became the Bluejays’ all-time leading scorer. Meanwhile, wrestler Jimmy McAuliffe ’22 finished his storied career by earning All-America honors for the fourth time. And track standout Ava David ’23 sprinted to All-America honors with an eighth-place finish nationally in the indoor 200 meters. Congratulations, Bluejays!
NEW OPPORTUNITIES AS AN HSI As part of Elmhurst’s ongoing efforts to build a more equitable and inclusive community, the University recently became a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), enabling it to apply for federal grants to expand opportunities and access for Hispanic students.
NEWS BRIEFS ELMHURST HAS NAMED CHRISTINE GRENIER ’06 as its next vice president for IN RECOGNITION OF
admission. Grenier, currently
ELMHURST’S SESQUICENTEN-
senior director of first-year and international admission, will
NIAL, the Elmhurst ChamJULIE SUDERMAN HAS
ber of Commerce & Industry
CHAPLAIN H. SCOTT
JOINED THE UNIVERSITY as
recognized the University as
MATHENEY and Elmhurst
vice president for business and
Business of the Year. It also
students Alyssa Stasiuk ’25 and
finance and chief financial offi-
inducted President Emeritus
Diana Tkach ’24 spoke power-
cer. She comes to Elmhurst from
Bryant Cureton and former
fully at a community gathering
the Big Ten Conference, where
first lady Jeanette Cureton
in Wilder Park on April 6 to
she was senior VP and CFO.
into the Civic Hall of Fame.
support the people of Ukraine.
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begin her new role on Sept. 1.
CAMPUS
FAREWELLS
Before joining Elmhurst as director of elementary education, Assistant Professor DEBBIE COSGROVE spent 36 years in public education as a teacher (kindergarten through sixth grade), a principal and an assistant superintendent. Her research interests included STEM education (she was co-principal investigator on two National Science Foundation Noyce grants), partnerships, development, co-teaching, and the teaching of linguistically and culturally diverse students. As music department chair and professor, PETER GRIFFIN made the music department sing—nationally and internationally—for more than a decade. Beyond the classroom, Griffin remains active as a clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator across the country, leading clinics at state and national conferences and conventions. JULIE HALL amassed a lengthy list of honors in 28 years as volleyball head coach, but she says her relationship with her players was her greatest reward. “Any individual awards or honors I may have accomplished are entirely because of our student-athletes, and the memories and the smiles they bring me are priceless,” she said.
If you’ve heard a commercial for Coca-Cola, Sears or McDonald’s, you might have heard MARK STREDER’S work. Streder, director of music operations at Elmhurst, owns a music production studio and has played piano,
A number of esteemed faculty and staff members announced their retirements this year. Please join us in wishing them well. keyboard and electronic music with many of the Chicago area’s top musical acts. At Elmhurst, Streder also advised the Music Business Student Union. Associate Professor JOAN VILIM wanted to show students the complex world of finance to help them appreciate the real-life relevance of their work. To do that, she drew on her experience as a vice president with an insurance company and a portfolio manager with Heller Financial. At Elmhurst, she also was a valuable member of campus leadership, coordinating the Financial Literacy Program and the Business Mentoring Program. Professor THERESE WEHMAN’S dedication to early childhood education shaped her career, and her expertise is respected worldwide. At Elmhurst, she was director of the MAT in early childhood education and M.Ed. in early childhood special education programs. She has presented nationally and internationally and has published numerous articles, curriculum materials and a textbook. English Professor LANCE WILCOX is a knowledgeable authority on 18th-century British literature who has published essays, textbooks, book reviews, conference talks, poems, song lyrics and more. Wilcox’s classroom edition of Samuel Johnson’s The Life of Mr Richard Savage, co-edited with Nicholas Seager of Keele University in England, was published in 2016.
NEWS BRIEFS THE LINCOLN ACADEMY
ELMHURST’S GRADUATE
OF ILLINOIS recognized this
NURSING PROGRAM is
year’s recipients of the Order
among the top 135 in the
of Lincoln, the state’s highest
nation, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News &
honor for professional A FAMILIAR FACE ON CAMPUS,
achievement and public ser-
SONALI RAJPUT ’22, a
Glen Brittich was named
vice, during a formal ceremony
biochemistry major and first-
director of athletics after serv-
on campus on April 30.
generation college student,
ing in other leadership roles
was named 2022 Senior of
in the department for the past
the Year during an awards
three years. He also spent
ceremony on May 10.
six years as an assistant foot-
See the full list of winners:
ball coach.
elmhurst.edu/StudentAwards.
World Report.
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CELEBRATING OUR GRADUATES
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E
RST UNIVER
SI
T Y
LM
HU
2022 Nearly 850 Elmhurst students celebrated earning their degrees during Commencement on May 21, officially joining the University’s alumni network and embarking on the next stages of their lives. Held amid periodic rainfall on the University Mall, the joyful ceremonies closed out a yearlong celebration of Elmhurst’s sesquicentennial. Let’s congratulate our newest alumni! See the highlights at elmhurst.edu/Commencement.
I L LU S T R AT I O N B Y DAV E H O M E R
BEYOND T H E C L A S S RO O M
STUDENTS
After chemistry major Chris Nieto connected with Elmhurst faculty members, he found his path—and new opportunities.
CHEMICAL BOND
Chemistry was one of those subjects “I even played video games with one of chemical additives and their potential that just didn’t click for Chris Nieto ’21. them. And those relationships led to adverse effects, then compiled that Looking back, he says the field was “a information into a central database. more opportunities.” bit of a challenge.” But the chemistry professors at Elmhurst seemed a little The experience developed Nieto’s One of those opportunities was quirky—just the type of people he ability to digest scientific material conducting research with Associate liked—and Nieto was never one to shy Professor Colleen Munro-Leighton. and share it in a simple, effective away from a challenge. way—skills he relied on in his role as Working in the lab to use a catalyst to a peer tutor to other undergraduates. functionalize hydrocarbons—which So he stuck with it, ultimately beAnd it will continue to help him as could lead to greener processes— coming a chemistry major, serving as he enters a Ph.D. program in hopes opened his eyes to the possibilities president of the Chemistry Club and of ultimately becoming a chemistry that lie within chemistry research. befriending those quirky chemistry professor who conducts synthesis research. faculty after earning their respect by He also landed an internship at being a diligent worker. Argonne National Laboratory, where he worked on a project called Respon- “I really enjoy the learning process,” he says. “Chemistry is so useful and sible Innovation for bioPlastics in “Once they understand how versatile in so much of what we use the Environment that aims to promuch effort you put into it, in day-to-day life, and I really enjoy vide manufacturers with a reference you develop a relationship with sharing that with students.” framework to help them consider the them,” he says. effects of plastics on the environment. Nieto worked with a cohort in Argonne’s Environmental Science Division to collect information about
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BEYOND T H E C L A S S RO O M
FACULTY
INTO THE ARCHIVES Elaine Fetyko Page calls herself “the librarian of stuff ” at Elmhurst University. More formally, she is known as University archivist and head of technical services at Elmhurst’s A.C. Buehler Library. In this role, she oversees the century-old yearbooks, sepiatoned photographs, handwritten business correspondence and other memorabilia in the University’s Rudolf G. Schade Archives and Special Collections.
“The archives are our institutional memory,” Page says. “The things preserved here help us tell the University’s story.”
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Items from the archives have featured prominently in the University’s 150th anniversary celebration, with appearances in a recent exhibition at the Elmhurst History Museum and in the sesquicentennial issue of this magazine. The archives are a resource for students, too, notably those in Professor Robert Butler’s annual historiography course, which sends them into the archives searching for untold stories from the University’s past. The archives include more than 500 linear feet of documents: college catalogs, administrative records, minutes of Board of Trustees meetings, student newspapers, even a collection of vintage postcards of campus.
As Elmhurst celebrates its sesquicentennial, archivist Elaine Fetyko Page helps a community tell its story.
Page says she finds the collection of yearbooks especially intriguing. “Because they’re created by the students themselves, they offer a valuable perspective,” she says. “They’re like a snapshot of the campus life of their time.” And after more than two decades managing the archives, Page says she’s even grown accustomed to the looming presence of what may be the institution’s most celebrated artifact—the original costume of Elmhurst’s mascot, which greets her every time she enters. “Victor E. Bluejay has finally stopped scaring me,” she laughs.
P H OTO B Y B O B C O S C A R E L L I
BEYOND T H E C L A S S RO O M
ALUMNI
CLIMATE CHANGE CATALYST
Data shows that we need to remove gigatonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to avoid the catastrophic effects of global climate change. Jennifer Pierce ’18 just might have one solution for that. She’s part of an award-winning team that has proposed a novel carbon-sequestering technique: feeding waste biomass to microbes. As a graduate student in biological sciences at Southern Illinois University, Pierce is working on a project that can liquefy biomass— including leaves, food scraps, sewage and grass clippings—through a system called oxidative hydrothermal dissolution (OHD), pioneered by partner company Thermaquatica Inc. In natural systems, that biomass would eventually decompose, and the carbon it contains would be recycled back into the atmosphere as CO2. But with OHD, the waste biomass is converted into a liquid and can
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then be pumped into porous rock formations deep underground. In these underground formations, the subsurface microbes would consume it and effectively sequester it for millennia.
Last year, the team won $125,000 in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal Student Competition sponsored by the Elon Musk Foundation, and the money could potentially be doubled this year if the research has shown progress. “It’s so rewarding knowing that the research we are doing could help climate change,” Pierce says.
“I feel like I’m helping to open doors for Black women to come into research and do amazing things.” At Elmhurst, Pierce had dreams of becoming a dentist and took several
Jennifer Pierce is part of a team that won $125,000 for innovative work on burying carbon.
science courses, where professors taught her to always choose routes that expanded her mind. But she also loved the classes she took on race and identity, so she ultimately became an intercultural studies major and a dance minor. “I just fell in love with learning about people and relationships, which will probably be useful as a dentist, because you spend your day talking to people,” she laughs. Her plan was to enroll in dental school this fall after finishing her master’s degree, but her research has been so successful that she’s considering holding off for a bit so she can continue it. And she still takes time to dance after a long day in the lab. “It’s super therapeutic for me,” she says. “It gets my mind off the complexities of science.”
P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F S I U M E D I A & C O M M U N I C AT I O N S R E S O U R C E S
SPORTS SPOTLIGHT
P H OTO B Y S T E V E WO LT M A N N
2018
EYE ON A NEW BALL A former Elmhurst tennis champ turns pickleball pro.
Rachel Rettger ’19, MBA ’21, is no stranger to racket sports. Growing up, she spent much of her time playing tennis, building the skills to qualify for the state tournament in high school. She even enrolled at Elmhurst to join the women’s tennis team, coached by her longtime mentor Anthony McPherson. But ask her about tennis now, and she admits that she’s retired. That’s because in less than two years she has gone from newbie to pro in one of the country’s fastest growing sports: pickleball. “Everyone thinks it’s an old-person sport,” she says. “But you’d be shocked at how much skill it takes at the highest
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SUMMER 2022
P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F J O O L A U S A
2022
levels. It’s faster paced than tennis, with more back and forth.”
“It was really exciting,” she says. “I’m focused on playing at the professional level from here on out, to break into the top rankings.” She recently joined the sales and marketing team of table tennis company JOOLA and plans to compete Rettger first tried the sport when a friend invited her to a game in August 2020. A month later, she competed in her in pickleball tournaments around the country on weekends. first tournament. She was hooked, and soon found herself If all goes well, she hopes to move to a warmer locale to be back at her old practice grounds of Centre Court in Hanover closer to the top pickleball competitors. Park, working to better understand pickleball techniques and strategy. “As a student-athlete at Elmhurst, I had to develop a mental toughness to manage both tennis and school,” she says. The following June, she competed in a regional tournament in “That experience definitely helped make me into the person Indiana, where she qualified for nationals. Then in December, I am now and is helping to push me to the next level she and her partner won the mixed doubles title at the 2021 in pickleball.” Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championship. S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 P RO S P E C T M A G A Z I N E
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P H OTO S B Y S A R A H N A D E R
ARTS SPOTLIGHT
FOUNDERS PLAY Students performed theatrical vignettes to celebrate Elmhurst’s earliest days.
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When the Rev. Carl F. Kranz arrived with 14 students in Elmhurst in 1871 to establish the Elmhurst Proseminary, he probably did not imagine that students from the school would be celebrating his achievement 150 years later. But on a frigid, blustery day in December, the Sesquicentennial Players, an ad hoc troupe of 13 Elmhurst students in period costumes and fake mustaches, gathered near the University gates to deliver a dramatic version of scenes from the University’s founding. The performance, one of the highlights of Elmhurst’s Founders Day celebration, proved as educational for the performers as it was for their audience. “I didn’t know anything about how the school came to be,” said Regan Bobich, a first-year student playing the role of
Rev. Kranz. The experience “made me appreciate how much Elmhurst has grown and how far we have come.” She and the other performers had been recruited for their roles by Tim Ahlberg, assistant director of admission and the performance’s director and writer. Drawing on memoirs, letters, yearbooks and other resources from the University’s Rudolf G. Schade Archives and Special Collections, Ahlberg created a half-dozen vignettes portraying campus life in the proseminary’s earliest days. Scenes described students’ daily schedule (rise at 5:30 a.m.) and proseminary rules of conduct (no hoarding of molasses). While the details were scrupulously researched, the perform-
ers allowed themselves some dramatic license, as in a comic and climactic tug of war for control of the speaker’s podium between Kranz and local philanthropist Thomas Bryan. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said first-year student Jessica Sanderson, who portrayed Bryan. “It was a challenging acting exercise, but also one you could have a lot of fun with.” And just as Kranz’s original students had, the Sesquicentennial Players braved bitter cold to deliver their performances. “They were real troupers, and I’m proud of all of them,” Ahlberg said. “They were an important part of an important day.” Watch the performance at elmhurst.edu/150Recreation.
I L LU S T R AT I O N BY G R AC I A L A M
BY ANDREW SANTELLA
1 5 O F O R WA R D
SHAPING OUR FUTURE As Elmhurst celebrates its proud history, the time has come to take an ambitious path.
This sesquicentennial year has given all of us who love Elmhurst University a reason to celebrate its proud history. But it’s also been an occasion for looking forward and making ambitious, future-oriented plans. On Dec. 6, 2021— the 150th anniversary of the arrival in Elmhurst of the Rev. Carl F. Kranz and 14 students to establish what would become Elmhurst University—President Troy D. VanAken announced a record $50 million fundraising campaign to realize those plans. “The point of this campaign is to shape our future,” VanAken said. “While our goal is ambitious, we set it because we believe it’s achievable—and because it’s what we need to lay a solid foundation for Elmhurst’s future.” The Elmhurst we know today emerged from the trials and the triumphs of the generations who preceded us. We have each done our part to create this Elmhurst. Now each of us who feels a sense of connection to Elmhurst has the chance to help build an even greater institution. This new Elmhurst will provide opportunities that the University’s founders could scarcely have imagined. It will draw on technologies only now emerging and will teach new disciplines as well as timeless ones. This new Elmhurst will extend its reach to students from an ever more diverse range of backgrounds. But at the heart of this education will be a familiar set of commitments—to preparation for making meaningful contributions to the world, to education informed by enduring values, and to belief in the transformative power of the relationship between teacher and student. Elmhurst 150: The Campaign for Elmhurst University will help us sustain academic excellence, build on our historic strengths and extend our reach. And it will give the Elmhurst community the chance to help shape the institution for years to come. S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 P RO S P E C T M AG A Z I N E
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JOINING HEALTH CARE FORCES A collaborative vision of health sciences education reinvigorates a historic campus landmark.
Memorial Hall is one of the most historically significant buildings on Elmhurst’s beautiful campus. Opened in 1922 as Memorial Library, the building honors the 900 young men of the Evangelical Synod who lost their lives in World War I. (The original plaques honoring the fallen can still be seen in the building’s lobby.) Since the 1970s, the building has been home to the University’s nationally recognized nursing program. Now, in this space that provides a direct link to Elmhurst’s proud history, students will work collaboratively to prepare to meet the health care needs of tomorrow.
Experts predict a global shortage of health sciences professionals in the decade ahead. That shortage is already being felt in many locations, including the Chicago area. More than half of respondents to a recent CVS Health-Harris Poll National Health survey said they have personally experienced the effects of staff shortages in hospitals and other health care facilities. And more than half of the nation’s long-term care facilities have slashed new admissions
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The Campaign for Elmhurst University will transform Memorial Hall into a state-of-the-art hub for the University’s health sciences programs—including the nursing, occupational therapy and speech therapy departments, as well as Elmhurst’s first doctoral program, the doctor of nursing practice.
“The scenario puts students in a situation where they have to trust themselves and rely on each other. It’s a vulnerable position, but it’s so meaningful, and it really helps them understand other disciplines.” — A S S I S TA N T P RO F E S S O R L AU RY W E S T B U RY
End-of-Life Lessons An interprofessional experience brings together students from across the disciplines for a meaningful simulation exercise. Caring for a patient at the end of life is a powerful experience that leaves a lasting impact. It’s also a highly collaborative
process that involves professionals from just about every health care field. To help students prepare for this reality, Assistant Professor Laury Westbury created an exercise that brings together students from across the health professions to “care for” a simulated patient near death. Students from nursing, speech-language pathology and occupational therapy work together to transition and accommodate the
“patient” and their family through the final moments of life. “Each of the disciplines brings a different and essential piece of the caring puzzle,” said Westbury. “The simulated learning experience and debriefing postactivity give students the opportunity to learn from each other and put all those puzzle pieces together for meaningful learning.”
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because of staff shortages, according to the American Health Care Association/ National Center for Assisted Living.
“Patient-driven care is all about interprofessional collaboration,” said Brenda Gorman, professor and chair of communication sciences and disorders at Elmhurst. “Teamwork fosters better health outcomes and reduces costs. That’s one reason employers value graduates who have proven the ability to function in teams, like the graduates of our health sciences programs.”
ONE-STOP HELP The Elmhurst University Speech-
“I had a stroke about two and a half years ago, which left me with
Language-Hearing Clinic provides
aphasia, apraxia and agrammatism (my three A’s). The Elmhurst
speech and language evaluations
University Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic has helped me a lot to
and therapy for individuals of all
improve my speaking. I still have a long way to go, but I can speak
ages with communication difficulties.
more fluently than I could when I started. The clinic doesn’t take a
In addition to serving the community,
cookie-cutter approach—it tailors my sessions to my special needs
the clinic gives students the opportu-
and abilities. It has helped me with all of my three A’s.”
nity to engage in hands-on learning.
– CLIENT, ELMHURST UNIVERSITY SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING CLINIC
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Elmhurst has emerged as a regional leader for health sciences instruction, offering dynamic new programs to prepare the skilled health care professionals who are in such high demand. The reimagined Memorial Hall will provide 22,500 square feet of additional space for health sciences education, including facilities for such cutting-edge technologies as virtual reality simulations. It will also foster collaboration and teamwork among students from different areas of health care. In flexible new classrooms, labs and collaborative spaces, students and faculty will work together across the disciplines and learn to function in multiprofessional teams.
“Our goal is to further this important understanding so that children can receive timely testing and critical intervention that directly affects their quality of survivorship.”
Sharing Critical Knowledge Elmhurst researchers are examining the impact of chemotherapy on children—with the ultimate goal of improving lives.
For pediatric cancer patients, lifesaving chemotherapy treatments can have devastating side effects on cognitive functions such as processing speed, memory and attention. Students and faculty at Elmhurst are tackling this problem through research designed to advance understanding in the field.
“Our work stands squarely on the shoulders of nurses who deliver chemotherapy to these children and first recognized this problem,” says Diane Morean, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders. “We look forward to being positioned to share knowledge and experience between our disciplines in a common space.”
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GAME CHANGERS Reenvisioned athletic spaces ensure continued opportunities for students to learn, compete and grow.
Transformative education happens not just in classrooms, laboratories and libraries. The first generations of Elmhurst students knew this when they carved the school’s first athletic fields from the potato and cabbage patches bordering campus. Throughout the University’s history, our gymnasiums and playing fields have been the sites of wins and losses, but also of lifelong friendships formed and lifetime lessons learned. Today’s Elmhurst students know Langhorst Field and R.A. Faganel Hall as places to practice, train, stay fit, enjoy a pickup game or participate in intramural play. These facilities also serve as a public face of the University for many spectators, prospective students and other visitors to campus. Each year, more than 500 Elmhurst students compete on one of the University’s 20 NCAA Division III varsity teams. Hundreds more compete in intramural and club sports. The Campaign for Elmhurst will raise $2 million to ensure that the University’s athletics and recreation facilities will be of a quality commensurate with its first-rate academic offerings.
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The University recently added a new indoor track, competition floor and bleachers to Faganel Hall. It also plans to provide Langhorst Field with a new surface, track and video board. All of these improvements will enhance the experiences of student-athletes and spectators, and improve the University’s ability to recruit prospective students.
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BUILDING AN ENDURING FOUNDATION By expanding our endowment, the campaign secures a future of sustained excellence.
The impact of a great teacher is enduring. Elmhurst’s history is distinguished by a long line of teachers whose intellect and passion continued to inspire their students long after graduation. Like teaching itself, our endowment is a perpetual benefit. It grows through the accumulation of gifts and bequests that are invested to advance the University’s mission for generations to come. Just as a teacher’s work shapes student lives, endowments and restricted funds create a positive link between past, present and future.
Endowed funds are unique in that the total amount of the gift is invested. Each year, only a portion of the income earned is spent; the remainder is added to the principal to grow the endowment. One way these funds bolster our mission is by allowing us to recognize some of our most inspiring and productive faculty. Endowed professorships and chairs help the University reward and retain the most influential professors, providing a steady stream of support for faculty teaching and research.
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The endowment offers a dependable, perpetual source of funding to strengthen teaching, student scholarships, study abroad and other transformative experiences. It is a collection of assets that are invested to support our institution’s mission.
“The endowed chair is an acknowledgment that the University values faculty who are enhancing their students’ learning. It’s a validation that what you’re doing counts.”
Enhancing Opportunities For Beatriz Gómez Acuña, an endowed faculty chair is a gateway to expanded learning opportunities for students.
When Spanish Professor Beatriz Gómez Acuña was offered the Theophil W. Mueller Endowed Chair in 2019, she knew she wanted to leverage it for student learning. First, she created new opportunities for service learning and community engagement. Now she and her colleagues are developing a Latino studies program
that will bring together coursework from criminal justice, history, English and Spanish. She’s also exploring ways to increase access to study abroad. “I saw the Mueller chair as a chance to explore new ways to have an impact on our students,” Gómez Acuña said. “It has a clear connection with the values and the mission statement of Elmhurst.”
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For example, Avraham Baranes, the Howard L. Willett Jr. Distinguished Chair for Research in Business and Economics, researches the role of economic and public policy in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, seeking lessons that will help us contend with future crises. Avraham Baranes
Nancy Lee
Endowed funds also support the work of Nancy Lee, the Niebuhr Distinguished Chair of Christian Theology and Ethics, an internationally distinguished biblical scholar and the founding director of Elmhurst’s Niebuhr Center. She has also co-led an annual service-learning course that brings Elmhurst students to Cape Town, South Africa, to learn, study and serve. Our endowment is a catalyst for excellence that makes it possible for the University to extend its impact—to reach what sixth president H. Richard Niebuhr, Class of 1912, called “an ever-widening circle.”
ACCESS TO THE WORLD For many students, going abroad is the highlight of their Elmhurst experience. From teaching in South Africa to studying sustainable development in India, international experiences expand students’ understanding of the world and their place in it. Endowed funds play a key role in enabling these transformative experiences by providing the funding that many students rely on for their overseas adventures.
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“I think we’re put into people’s lives for a reason. I love seeing people grow into the humans they were meant to be.”
Creative Connector Evan Caverly wants to help a hurting world, one human encounter at a time.
A music major who minors in dance, Evan Caverly ’22 takes a distinctive approach to life. “One of my philosophies is giving space for people to do what they love, to be seen and heard in the ways that they feel that they need to,” says Caverly, a first-generation student who identifies as nonbinary.
Caverly leads and collaborates with this goal in mind, serving as an orientation student leader, a tenor in the Concert Choir, president of Late Night Blues Vocal Jazz Ensemble and more. A self-described lifelong learner, Caverly is attending Elmhurst with the support of several endowed scholarships, including the Presidential and Whitener Scholarships.
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UNLEASHING POTENTIAL The Annual Fund extends the transformative opportunities of an Elmhurst education to more students.
Elmhurst’s students are a diverse group, but they have at least one thing in common. Last year, every one of Elmhurst’s full-time undergraduates received some form of financial aid. The Annual Fund is at the heart of the University’s commitment to ensure financial support for students in need. From across the economic spectrum and around the world, Elmhurst students bring a diversity of perspectives and experiences that enrich our entire community.
Elmhurst’s commitment to financial aid is especially important in this time of social and financial strain. The nationwide dropout rate for college students is nearly 40 percent, and the most frequently cited reason for leaving school is financial hardship. Elmhurst’s Annual Fund functions as a safety net for hardworking students at risk of leaving the University for financial reasons. With its support, students are able to continue their education without interruption.
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We are committed to making Elmhurst accessible to deserving students, regardless of financial need. Thanks to the Annual Fund, Elmhurst is able to welcome a growing number of students with limited means but unlimited potential.
“Teaching is a passion for me. It reminds me that even in a time of COVID-related challenges, I can do what it takes to succeed in life—and make sure that I benefit the lives of my students.”
Extra-Special Education Constantine Paschos is leveraging his love of teaching to inspire students—and bring a more human touch to tomorrow’s classroom.
For Constantine Paschos ’23, teaching isn’t just a career—it’s a calling. A special education major at Elmhurst, Paschos has a passion for helping people embrace their talents. “Students with disabilities may often be overlooked, but have so much potential,” he says. “Being a teacher means being a helping hand to get them the extra support and assistance that they need to thrive.”
Paschos credits Elmhurst with helping him recognize his full potential too. A recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship and other financial support, he says the school’s commitment to supporting students was a key factor in his ability to attend Elmhurst. Now he’s constantly looking for ways to pay it forward.
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The Annual Fund is an investment in the students who will become the teachers, the managers, the entrepreneurs, the scientists and the health care leaders of tomorrow. It extends the transformative experience of an Elmhurst education to talented students from a variety of backgrounds, allowing the University to welcome a more diverse student body and creating a campus community that reflects the world Elmhurst graduates will serve. The Annual Fund also helps Elmhurst meet its most pressing immediate needs. It gives the University the flexibility and agility to seize emerging opportunities and respond to evolving circumstances. Your support of the Annual Fund allows us to help our students pursue their passions, hone their intellect and develop the skills the world needs.
REALIZING A DREAM Incoming first-year student Alejandra Galvan grew up watching her parents work grueling jobs and make endless sacrifices to give their children a better future. Now she’s one step closer to realizing those ambitions, thanks to a four-year, full-tuition American Dream Fellowship award from Elmhurst. Funded in part by annual giving, the award is designed to help firstgeneration college students achieve the American Dream. Watch Alejandra’s winning video at elmhurst.edu/AmericanDream.
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“Finding success in life is all about your motivation and mindset—and Elmhurst is great about working to ensure that students enjoy more positive experiences on every front.”
Personal Rebranding Chelsea Manzano aims to use the power of marketing and social media to educate, empower and lift up future generations of digital natives.
For marketing major Chelsea Manzano ’22, social media is more than a pastime— it’s an obsession. “It’s a big part of who I am,” she says. “But I’m a firm believer that what you share online defines your experiences on social networks.” After graduation, Manzano plans to leverage her marketing and entrepreneurial skills to promote mental health
and uplift others via social platforms. As the recipient of several scholarships, she says Elmhurst is an especially great fit for her because she’s funding her own education. “If you’re a student in need of financial assistance, you don’t have to worry,” she notes. “There’s always someone there to help.”
M A K E Y O U R G I F T elmhurst.edu/ PresidentsCircle
EMPOWER JOIN AN ELITE GROUP OF LEADERS WHO ARE TRANSF ORMING STUDENT LIVES.
The President’s Circle at Elmhurst University honors our most generous donors. Together, these alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends empower more students to benefit from a life-changing Elmhurst education. WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN THE PRESIDENT ’S CIRCLE WITH AN ANNUAL GIFT OF $�,��� OR MORE. In a historic campaign year, your gift means more than ever.
ALUMNI NEWS Back on the Road with the President
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President Troy D. and Dr. Annette VanAken were delighted to be able to hit the road once again, traveling to 14 cities across the country to share the sesquicentennial spirit. Whether in Atlanta, Tampa or Denver, alumni and friends gathered to reconnect and hear updates about the University during this year’s President’s Road Trip. The VanAkens highlighted the “Elmhurst 150” fundraising campaign, the largest in institutional history. By supporting the campaign, President VanAken said, “You will help to give more Elmhurst University students a lifechanging education, and you will strengthen this remarkable institution for those who will follow.”
AT L A N TA
See more pictures from the President’s Road Trip at elmhurst.edu/RoadTripRecap. C H I C AG O
C H I C AG O
WA S H I N G TO N , D . C .
A Great Day to Be a Jay Alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students came together on May 5 and raised more than $299,000 during #JayItForward Giving Day 2022. That amount significantly exceeded this year’s goal of $250,000, and included gifts from 584 unique donors who made 632 contributions. Proceeds from the 24-hour fundraiser also put the University in range of setting a new fundraising record for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. Money raised during #JayItForward Giving Day supports student scholarships and other campus initiatives. S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 P RO S P E C T M A G A Z I N E
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A P P LY B Y AUGUST 15 S TA R T CLASSES ON AUGUST 29
CONNECT A graduate degree from Elmhurst University offers a powerful return on investment—and on experience.
F R E E COURSE
In partnership with expert faculty and inspiring classmates, you’ll expand your connections, build a bridge between learning and work, and gain the confidence to tackle challenges head on. Apply Now! elmhurst.edu/Apply
Graduate Studies
Alumni of Elmhurst undergraduate programs can take their first course toward a graduate degree for free. Learn more at elmhurst.edu/FreeCourse.
CLASS NOTES 1960s & 1970s
Elaine Thomopoulos ’61 is the editor of Modern Greece ( ABC-CLIO, 2021), a thematic encyclopedia of the history and contemporary challenges of Greece.
1917
A record-breaking number of bicycle owners on campus prompted the founding of the Cyclobatai student organization.
1971
The Centennial Ball on April 30 celebrated Elmhurst’s first 100 years with a spectacular centennial cake.
Carol Klass ’64 makes large crewelwork quilts using a freehand process. One of her quilts was recently featured in a fabric art exhibit at Collington, a continuing-care retirement community near Washington, D.C. Another appeared in the facility’s annual resident art magazine. Dennis Klass ’64 is the author of Culture, Consolation, and Continuing Bonds in Bereavement: The Selected Works of Dennis Klass (Routledge, 2022) and an editor of Continuing Bonds in Bereavement: New Directions for Research and Practice (Routledge, 2017). The Rev. Don Smarto ’71 was featured in the Mind of a Monster podcast episode “Seeking Justice” about Ed Kemper, who was known as “the Co-Ed Killer.” The episode aired on Oct. 26, 2021. Charles Grippo ’72 was featured in a Forbes article about the future of marketing stage plays to the non-Broadway market.
1922
Students came to Elmhurst from as far away as Texas, Nebraska, Oregon and India. Today’s student body is even more geographically diverse. CO RRECTION
The Fall 2021 issue of Prospect misidentified the year that the football team broke a 22-game losing streak and paraded through downtown Elmhurst. The victory happened in 1956, not 1958.
Harry Augensen ’73 was appointed the first director of the Widener Observatory at Widener University in 2014, and continues to serve in that capacity following retirement. Andrea Nicolopoulos ’79 was named to the 2022 Forbes Best-in-State Women Wealth Advisors list. S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 P RO S P E C T M AG A Z I N E
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CLASS NOTES
TEDx COMES TO ELMHURST On April 23, the Elmhurst community gathered for the inaugural TEDxElmhurstUniversity event, a daylong program of enlightening TED talks featuring members of the University community and others. Based around the theme “The Sky Is Not the Limit,” lecture topics ranged from fostering creative problem-solving within organizations to self-care and emotional literacy. Alumni speakers included Susan Frick ’85, who spoke about the need
1980s & 1990s
Mitch Langeler ’87 was recently named the first chief people officer at Cornerstone Restaurant Group. In his new role, he plans to ensure that the values of the organization remain in place.
for a national conversation about loneliness and Alzheimer’s disease; Jacob Hill, MBA ’12, who addressed how to change your mind about organizational change; and Jessica M. Sullivan-Wilson ’10, who talked about grief in the midst of life. Launched in 2009, TEDx 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.”
Joe Schissler ’96 has been named vice president of sales at WTI Inc., a clean-food production company in Jefferson, Georgia.
Diane Johnson May ’90 was named executive vice president and chief human resources officer of Campbell Soup Company in October 2021. Jennifer Martyn ’90 was appointed to the position of associate judge in the 18th Judicial Circuit Court in DuPage County. Randy Mariani ’94, founder and CEO of V.I.P. Valet Services, continues to support the Elmhurst University community by hiring student-athletes as valet and coat check staff for events across Chicagoland.
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2000s
D. Scott Tharp ’05 published his second book, Decoding Privilege: Exploring White College Students’ Views on Social Inequality (Routledge, 2021). Layla Saleh ’06 is the associate editor of Protest, a new international journal of global protest movements.
Anne Heither ’97 published her first children’s book, Cocoa, the Mixed-Up Rabbit (Drew Senesac, 2021). John Watson ’98 was recently hired as vice president of industry relations and business development for the IAPMO Group.
Laura Zimmerman ’06 completed training to become a certified Pietra Fitness instructor. Adam Dickens ’12 was recently featured on 720 WGN-AM in Chicago in a conversation about his business, Dickens Candles, which produces sustainable candles made with handpoured soy wax in upcycled beer bottles.
EMERGING AS A LITERARY TALENT for Starving Things,” appears in the When Meghan O’Toole ’17 opened the email announcing she had won the Winter 2021–2022 issue and on the journal’s website. She credits Elmhurst prestigious 2021 Emerging Writer’s English Professor Janice Tuck Lively Contest for fiction from literary for helping her develop as a writer. journal Ploughshares, she was driven to tears. “I literally had to step out of the “Dr. Lively was the first person who really sat me down and said, office and go for a walk because I was ‘You can actually do this and you bawling my eyes out,” said O’Toole, should put your energy toward this,’’’ who majored in English at Elmhurst. O’Toole said. “I was so happy.” O’Toole’s awardwinning short story, “Good Food
Lisa Lockett ’13 welcomed her first child, Logan Levi Lockett, in July 2021. Britt Gottschalk ’18 founded a biotech startup company, Geno.Me, and raised $400,000 in seed funding to advance medical research and bring data transparency to patients. Kyra Baltas ’21 was admitted to the Global Field Program, a part-time master’s degree program at Miami University focused on wildlife conservation. As part of her first global field course, she traveled to Baja, Mexico, to study desert and marine landscapes through ecological and social field methods.
CONNECT WITH US Share your news with your classmates! Go to elmhurst.edu/ClassNotes to submit your updates.
SHARING A HISTORY Lori Sarocka ’88, Terry Gerardi Batura ’94 and Jenny Schroeder ’01 are colleagues at Elmhurst Hospital, where they work as clinical resource nurses. They were having lunch together one day in December when it hit them: All three graduated from Elmhurst University’s nursing program.
“I found it interesting that three nurses from different eras at Elmhurst all were chosen for leadership positions within the organization,” Sarocka said. “The faculty did an excellent job of mentoring and encouraging us to seek out knowledge.” This year, the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences celebrates 50 years of preparing students for ethical practice and leadership in professional nursing.
LEADING A HISTORIC CHURCH
Jason Churchill ’03 became part of the storied history of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Ithaca, New York, on March 5 when he was installed as co-pastor and campus chaplain for Cornell University and Ithaca College. While earning his bachelor’s in political science and geography at Elmhurst, Churchill worked with the chaplain’s office alongside the Rev. H. Scott Matheney. “The office of the chaplaincy was perhaps the most valuable part of my education at Elmhurst,” Churchill said. In 2016, he earned a master of divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Before attending seminary, Churchill put his student government experience and political science degree to work in political campaigning. S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 P RO S P E C T M AG A Z I N E
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IN MEMORIAM FAMILY TIES
FORMER TRUSTEE
Richard Stanger ’58, H ’19, a third-generation Elmhurst alumnus whose family connections to the University date back to 1887, died March 2, 2022. He was 86. Stanger graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and history and was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree in 2019. His father, Robert Stanger, was Elmhurst’s ninth president, and his grandfather, Christian Stanger, served on the faculty from 1896 to 1948. Stanger Hall is named after Robert and Christian. Richard Stanger went on to lead a long, distinguished career as a minister. While at Elmhurst, he excelled as a member of the basketball and tennis teams, resulting in his induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982. He also met his wife, Joan Panos, while attending the University.
Dorothy Koenig Powers ’49, a former University trustee, died Oct. 8, 2021, at the age of 94. After graduating from Elmhurst, Powers spent much of her career in the medical field. After earning a master’s degree in bacteriology from the University of Chicago, she conducted research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta from 1954 to 1956 and later served as chair of the New Jersey Hospital Rate Setting Commission. She was committed to service and philanthropy. For 30 years, she was active in the League of Women Voters, where she was first vice president of finance. She was a recognized University donor, joining the President’s Circle in 2019–20, and earned the Alumni Merit Award in 2006.
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Gertrude Demien ’47 October 16, 2021, Wentzvillle, Mo. Dorothy Stoerke-Peters ’48 November 27, 2021, Columbia, Mo. Norma Pepmeier ’50 October 1, 2021, Waterloo, Ill. Rev. Richard E. Sova ’50 October 9, 2021, Westchester, Ill. Martha Kerber ’51 September 23, 2021, South Haven, Mich. Rev. Alvin F. Volle ’51 November 2, 2021, Happy Valley, Ore. Shirley A. Tretow ’52 October 6, 2021, Oshkosh, Wis. Jeannette B. Pearce ’53 December 3, 2021, Indianapolis Greta Schramm ’53 February 18, 2022, Riverside, Ill. Esther Schultz ’53 February 10, 2022, Lake Barrington, Ill. Marie “Terri” Doyle ’54 November 16, 2021, Hudson, Wis. Dr. E. Patrick Lira ’56 March 13, 2022, Lake Mills, Wis. Lester Weiner ’56 January 1, 2022, Amesbury, Mass. Nona B. Moreland ’58 February 25, 2022, Mobile, Ala. Jo Anne Schmitt ’60 December 15, 2021, Mount Vernon, Ind. Sheldon R. Olsen ’61 February 24, 2022, Wheaton, Ill. Robert S. Tibbles ’61 December 22, 2021, New Buffalo, Mich. Vincent W. Seegers ’62 February 11, 2022, Carmel, Ind. Barbara (Dahl) Canady ’63 October 25, 2021, Cadiz, Ky.
CHOREOGRAPHER
Ronald A. Cram ’66 December 1, 2021, Westfield, Ind.
Kenneth von Heidecke ’74 was known around the world for his award-winning choreography of operas and ballets. He died Dec. 11, 2021, at the age of 68. Von Heidecke’s career in ballet began in 1975, when he appeared in Maria Tallchief ’s world premiere performance of George Balanchine’s Orfeo ed Euridice. He later became choreographer at Lyric Opera of Chicago before founding Von Heidecke’s Chicago Festival Ballet and Von Heidecke School of Ballet. His ballet company is well known for its annual touring Nutcracker, a tradition in the Chicago area and across the country. In 1996, he was the ballet master for the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team.
Kathryn Elaine Gerber ’68 October 15, 2021, Princeton, Ill.
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Rev. Dr. Fred R. Krauss ’68 November 17, 2021, Aurora, Ill. Warren C. Phillips ’68 January 31, 2022, Naperville, Ill. Robert L. Kostal ’69 December 6, 2021, Wilmington, Ill. Stephen Loomis ’69 October 21, 2021, Dayton, Ohio William T. Caprel ’71 January 10, 2022, Sarasota, Fla. James E. Dowding ’71 January 23, 2022, Shrewsbury, Mass.
Robert A. Faust ’71 October 13, 2021, St. Louis Lee (Savitt) Halvas ’71 January 11, 2022, Clearwater, Fla. Elsie G. Moore ’72 February 21, 2022, Tempe, Ariz. Nancy Shockey ’72 October 13, 2021, Breckenridge, Colo. Robert R. West ’72 January 21, 2022, Tarpon Springs, Fla. Robert J. Zettek ’72 October 7, 2021, Boise, Idaho Elizabeth A. Jager ’73 October 28, 2021, Clearwater, Fla. Kenneth M. Gryzik ’77 December 23, 2021, Schaumburg, Ill. Richard W. Hatfield ’77 November 16, 2021, Sterling Heights, Mich. Mary L. Ringenberg ’77 January 16, 2022, Glen Ellyn, Ill. Bruce D. Williams ’79 September 16, 2021, Eagle Point, Ore. Dennis M. Bingham ’80 February 9, 2022, Oak Park, Ill. Jerome Czech ’84 January 26, 2022, Chicago Ronald W. Kuczuk ’85 September 29, 2021, Woodstock, Ga. Stefan Stasiuk ’85 October 31, 2021, Park Ridge, Ill. Nancy L. Agler ’86 September 23, 2021, Oak Forest, Ill. Francisco J. Hernandez ’86 December 15, 2021, Coconut Creek, Fla. Barbara Kuhlmann ’87 October 12, 2021, Rocksprings, Texas Jeffrey A. Stenberg ’88 October 9, 2021, Chicago Sylvia A. Bogart ’92 October 11, 2021, Buffalo Grove, Ill. Thomas D. Enders ’94 October 6, 2021, Kenosha, Wis. Martha L. Vazquez ’94 September 21, 2021, Bloomingdale, Ill. David W. Fletcher ’95 January 14, 2022, Glendale Heights, Ill. Jennifer L. Zajda ’00 December 12, 2021, Cicero, Ill. Brent N. Fohrman ’11 December 10, 2021, Mooresville, N.C. Kellie W. Brennan ’17 January 27, 2022, Lisle, Ill.
PION EERING
DIVERSITY DIRECTOR Richard Hazley, the University’s first director of diversity and multicultural affairs, died Jan. 4, 2022, at the age of 71. Before joining Elmhurst’s administration, Hazley had already established himself as a successful advocate for students and diversity. In a career that spanned more than 30 years, he held many administrative positions at higher education institutions, including admissions coordinator at Roosevelt University, director of recruitment at Dawson Technical Institute, director of admissions and veterans affairs at Olive-Harvey College and CEO of Trinity Higher Education Corporation.
C RUS A DE R F OR
CIVIL RIGHTS A writer with a passion for civil rights and missionary work, Lester Weiner ’56 died Jan. 1, 2022. He was 86. After he graduated from Elmhurst, Weiner and his wife, Kay Niles, spent 11 years working as missionaries in Africa, where he taught English, Latin and general studies. His love of writing, especially poetry, became well known. One of his poems, “Southern Sonnet,” about the injustices facing Black Africans, resulted in his deportation from what was then Rhodesia. Upon his return to the United States, Weiner continued to write and fight for civil rights. In 1967, he worked with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Operation Breadbasket to boycott Sealtest Dairy in protest over the lack of jobs for Black workers.
LIFELONG MUSICIAN Jeff McMillin ’82, a well-known Chicago-area jazz musician and educator, died June 29, 2021. He was 63. McMillin graduated with a bachelor’s in music education, a degree he put to good use throughout his life. A trumpet player, McMillin was a founding member of the Joliet Junior College Community Band and also played with the JJC Jazz Band, the Joliet American Legion Band and the Brass Tracks Jazz Orchestra. He had served as band director at Glenwood Academy in Glenwood, Ill., since 1995. While at Elmhurst, he traveled with the jazz band to Greece and Romania, where he played music in the streets. S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 P RO S P E C T M AG A Z I N E
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MY CAREER
PATH
ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY Nicholas Schroeck ’02 has spent his career facing off with polluters and protecting those whom pollution hurts the most.
As an environmental lawyer, Nicholas Schroeck (left, with Robert Burns from Friends of the Detroit River) has helped protect the Detroit River from pollution.
Dr. Andy Prinz talked me into becoming an urban studies major. I was interested in politics and law, but he taught me about the development of cities and the impact of governments on how people interact with each other and the environment. Now I practice and teach environmental law, and so much of the work I do relates to that interaction. At the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, I’m an associate dean of experiential education and an associate professor of law. I direct the Environmental Law Clinic, where students gain experience with real clients. We focus on environmental 48
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justice, trying to give a voice to lowincome communities of color that have been marginalized and exposed to high levels of pollution. I think about Dr. Prinz all the time. He was a legend and had a profound impact on my career path, and I try to be as good a mentor as he was. A lot of our work at the clinic is around transitioning to clean energy. We also helped the prosecution in the Flint water crisis. I’m proud of the work we have done holding heavily polluting facilities accountable. Last fall, we helped pass a new ordinance that protects the Detroit River from polluters. We humans do not have a
great track record of thinking about sustainability in the long term, but my students are fired up about trying to address climate change. It makes me think back to the Rev. H. Scott Matheney, who was another mentor to me at Elmhurst. He encouraged me to have a career that not only is professionally rewarding, but that nourishes me as a whole person, that leads to a more just and equal society. In environmental law, it’s very rare to pop the Champagne in celebration of a big win, but we push for incremental changes that will ultimately lead to a better world.
I’m an annual donor to Elmhurst. Here’s why. I always dreamed of studying abroad but didn’t know if it was possible for me. But thanks to scholarship support, I went abroad three times while I was at Elmhurst. It was an eye-opening experience that changed my life. As an annual donor, I know that my gifts will help open doors for today’s students. When we all come together and pitch in, we can make a real difference.
SHANNON DALE ’ 1 1
Vice President, Elmhurst University Alumni Association Board
M A K E YO U R A N N UA L G I F T Annual giving is a great way to support the transformative experiences that are at
PHOTO COU RTESY OF GR AND VALLE Y STATE U NIVERSIT Y
the heart of an Elmhurst education. Together, we can make a tremendous impact.
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J O I N U S AT H O M E C O M I N G T O C O N N E C T, R E M I N I S C E A N D C E L E B R AT E YO U R B L U E J AY FA M I LY. Interested in hosting a reunion? Contact us at alumni@elmhurst.edu.
