VIRES Fall 2015

VIRES

®

A Pu b l i ca ti o n of th e F l o r i d a S tate Un i ve rsi ty A l u m ni Assoc i a t i on Fa l l / Wi nte r 2015 Vo l um e V I I , I ss ue 2

THE STAR OF CONVERSE MARKETING PLUS: Urban Bush Women & Honoring FSU’s Outstanding Young Alumni

The Moment Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015 8:02 p.m.

AND THE THUNDER ROLLS. Florida State’s football season began with a bang when lightning delayed the home opener against Texas State at Doak Campbell Stadium. FSU’s patience paid off as Everett Golson struck with four touchdown passes in his debut with the Seminoles, resulting in a 59–16 victory over the Bobcats.

AP Photo/Mark Wallheiser

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Spread: The distinctive towers of the Westcott Building are outlined by palm trees as they cast an unmistakable shadow over Westcott Plaza’s landmark fountain. The fountain is encircled by more than 25,000 commemorative bricks, many of which are engraved with Seminole legacies. Photo by Aerial Tallahassee | aerialtallahassee.com Find out more: alumni.fsu.edu/support/westcott-brick

Cover: FSU alumnus Geoff Cottrill showcases the updated Chuck Taylor from Converse — the Chuck II. As chief marketing officer, Cottrill has helped the timeless company focus on new initiatives to connect with customers and introduce the brand to another generation. Photo by Allie Cottrill

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VIRES is the first torch in the university seal and represents strength of all kinds: physical, mental and moral.

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Contents

Departments

Features

Catching Up With ...

University News Seminoles Forever Ten Questions Association News Class Notes In Memoriam Parting Shot

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Women In (Em)Power Lessons in Leadership for FSU’s Future Alumnae

Urban Legend

The Influence of FSU on Acclaimed Dance Company Urban Bush Women

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Sneaker Head

FSU Alumnus the Star of Converse Marketing

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The Alumni FSU

ASSOCIATION B. DAN BERGER (B.S. ’89)

IS PLEASED TO

introduce

College of Social Sciences Alexandria, Virginia President and CEO, National Association of Federal Credit Unions

NEWEST DIRECTORS THE

OF ITS

National BOARD:

JOHN CROSSMAN (B.S. ’93) College of Business Orlando, Florida President, Crossman & Co.

ERIC FRIALL (A.A. ’89, B.A. ’90) College of Social Sciences Tallahassee, Florida Principal, Aeson Group Black Alumni President

JACK McCOY (B.S. ’56, M.S. ’58) College of Arts and Sciences Tallahassee, Florida Retired hydrogeologist Emeritus Alumni Society Chair

ROSE M. NAFF (B.S. ’80) College of Human Sciences Tallahassee, Florida Chief Executive Officer, Florida Health Choices Inc.

CONNIE COOPER SHEPHERD (B.S. ’87) College of Communication & Information Seattle, Washington President and CEO, Cooper Consulting

SCOTT E. WIEGAND (B.M. ’90)

College of Music Las Vegas, Nevada Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Caesars Entertainment

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FOREVER

THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ed Burr, Chair Leslie Pantin, Vice Chair Kathryn Ballard Allan Bense William Buzzett Joseph L. Camps Emily Fleming Duda Susan Fiorito Joseph Gruters Mark Hillis Bob Sasser Brent W. Sembler Jean Tabares

THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Executive Committee Thomas V. Hynes, Chair S. Dale Greene, Immediate Past Chair Craig Lynch, Vice Chair Steve Pattison, Chair Elect Max Oligario, Treasurer Tamara Wells Pigott, Secretary Tom Jennings, Vice President for University Advancement and Foundation President Scott F. Atwell, Association President Mark Ellis Maura Hayes Jean C. Accius Leon Carl Adams Blythe Adreon Samuel S. Ambrose Daniel Bell B. Dan Berger James J. Bloomfield Flecia L. Braswell David Brobst Stephen T. Brown Robert Cox John Crossman Tracie Domino Kyle R. Doney John “JD” Doughney IV Eric Friall Samantha K. Garrett Michael G. Griffith Ritesh A. Gupta Jennifer M. Guy Marion Taormina Hargett Clay Ingram Jack McCoy Eric Muñoz Rose M. Naff Connie Cooper Shepherd Michael J. Sweeney James F. Thielen Heather C. Turner Scott Wiegand

VIRES®

THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Allan Bense, Chair Susie Busch-Transou, Vice Chair Edward E. “Ed” BurrOF A PUBLICATION Joseph L. Camps STATE UNIVERSITY THE FLORIDA Rosalia “Rosie” Contreras ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Emily Fleming Duda 1030 West Tennessee Street Tallahassee, FL 32304 850.644.2761 | alumni.fsu.edu

PUBLISHER: Scott Atwell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Katie Hilton DESIGNER: Jessica I. Rosenthal COPY EDITOR: Ron Hartung CONTRIBUTOR: Andrew Faught

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION STAFF: Scott Atwell Ryanne Aviña Meagan Bonnell Louise Bradshaw Brittany Christie Valerie Colvin Dia Combas Jeff Harmeling Katie Hilton Dawn Cannon Jennings Adam Kabuka Elina Kopylov Jenn Mauck Michael McFadden Stephanie McMillon Austin Moser Lisa O’Malley David Overstreet Whitney Powers Jessica Rosenthal Angie Standley Jessica Tanca Jennifer Tobias Aimee Wirth The FSU Alumni Association extends a special thank you to FSU Athletics, the FSU Photo Lab and others for allowing us to use their photographs in the magazine.

FROM THE PUBLISHER HISTORY CLASS In November, the Class of 1965 came back to campus to celebrate its 50th reunion and induction into the Emeritus Alumni Society (see page 42). This is one heck of a class — producing an FSU president in John Thrasher, two chairmen of the FSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors and collectively donating $14 million to their alma mater. Not to mention that ’65 was the first class to defeat the Gators in football. Their legacy, however, goes much deeper. The Class of 1965 included Maxwell Courtney, FSU’s first African-American graduate.

During the emeritus induction brunch, I had the privilege of sitting with Joyce Killian Godwin, a ’65 student government leader who was assigned by the university to be Courtney’s liaison. Her task was to check with him daily to help FSU leadership intervene in any difficulties he encountered. She said Courtney’s gentle nature provided the right temperament to endure the challenges of being a racial trailblazer.

After graduation, Godwin and her husband, Earl, wound up living in Washington, D.C. — the same city, coincidentally, where Courtney landed a job. Earl reminisced about a kinship he developed with Courtney over The Kingston Trio’s music, and said the couple had dinner with him just a few weeks before he died in a drowning accident in 1975.

On that same Homecoming weekend I was with Courtney’s classmate, President Thrasher, as he addressed the FSU Black Alumni Homecoming crowd and underscored his commitment to honoring their collective aspirations. Maxwell Courtney would have been proud, and I wish he could have been there to see it.

Scott Atwell (M.S. ’15) President & CEO FSU Alumni Association

Top: Courtney’s larger-than-life legacy is part of FSU’s Integration statue.

Above: Godwin and classmate Thrasher Photo by Steve Chase

THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS

VIRES® is a registered trademark of the Florida State University Alumni Association. All rights reserved. © 2015

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BRIAN A. FORD JR. (B.S. ’89) Brian Ford’s father and grandfather were chefs, so naturally he followed in their footsteps with a career shaped by the hospitality industry. Today, Ford serves up football to fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the organization’s chief operating officer. “Sports is really hospitality and entertainment,” says Ford, 47. “It’s customer service. Yes, people come to the stadium for 60 minutes of football, but it’s also about the experience — win or lose.”

TM

Ford is responsible for all aspects of the business side of the franchise, including accounting, HR, ticket sales, broadcasting, sponsorship, community relations, marketing, facilities and, yes, food and

beverage (F&B). As a student in FSU’s highly regarded hospitality program, he drove home to South Florida on weekends to work F&B at the new home of the Miami Dolphins. After graduation, he worked in six states managing F&B at venues as varied as convention centers, airports, performing arts centers and NASCAR. Ford returned to Florida in 1998 to oversee F&B at the new Raymond James Stadium and was hired by the franchise in 2006.

On the field, the Bucs have had their ups and downs, but Ford’s responsibility is to mitigate those variables — even with their predicted resurgence under former Seminole and No. 1 overall draft pick Jameis Winston.

“Our top goal as an organization is to exceed the expectations of our fans in every aspect of their experience,” says Ford, who employs analytics to track customer satisfaction. “We aspire to be viewed as the best organization in professional sports and that requires a consistent and tireless commitment to improving the fan experience. As a business model we can be affected by the outcome of a game, but we can’t be dependent.”

Ford’s wife, Judy (B.S. ’90), is also an FSU grad, and their son, Brian III, is a sophomore RA in DeGraff Hall. Their youngest son, Brandon, has applied to FSU to continue the family tradition in 2016.

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UNIVERSITY NEWS

FSU AT A GLANCE Highlights Renowned physicist joins MagLab

400

A record number of first-generation students participated in the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) Summer Bridge Program, which prepares students for FSU and the demands of college life

National Academy of Sciences member Laura H. Greene as

Expanded CARE

chief scientist

$2.2 million in federal grant money expands FSU’s CARE program with a new Student Support Services program and SSS-STEM program

No. 7 400,000 A record number of guests visited The Ringling during its 2014–15 season

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FSU graduates who will study or teach English around the world during the 2015–16 academic year with Fulbright grants

FSU College of Medicine’s ranking among the nation’s top producers of family physicians by the American Academy of Family Physicians

Top 25 FSU online graduate programs ranked among the best nationally for veterans, according to U.S. News & World Report:

No. 1, times two

No. 2 College of Education; No. 7 College of Criminology and Criminal Justice; No. 18 School in IT;

An FSU-FAMU research partnership received a National Science Foundation grant to study the genome of corn New Garnet and Gold Scholars inducted in the spring and summer

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PLAYBILL ranked FSU’s School of Theatre among the top 10 colleges represented by alumni in current Broadway productions

of Information’s online master’s program

$2.1 million

Top 10

No. 22 College of Business

Civil Rights history Strozier Library archives will soon display the nation’s largest collection of research materials on the life and murder of Emmett Till

FSU Panama City’s online bachelor’s program in computer science ranked No. 1 in the U.S. by BestColleges.com, and its applied behavior analysis graduate program ranked No. 1 worldwide on the Behavior Analyst Certification Board exam pass rates

RESEARCH

When cells are taken over by DNA viruses, it becomes difficult to kill the parasites without harming the person. FSU researchers have identified a key protein in cells that inhibits the body’s response to some of these viruses, including several types of cancer. The collaborative research between U.S. and German scientists led by FSU’s Margaret and Mary Pfeiffer Endowed Professor for Cancer Research Fanxiu Zhu and Professor Hong Li, Molecular Biophysics Graduate Program director, was published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe. The team plans to dig deeper into how this protein functions in order to find new ways to help people fight cancer and other diseases.

Read more: gonol.es/BIOcancer

Environmental evolution Guppies transplanted from a stream with predatory fish into two predatorfree streams will do more than just keep swimming; they will respond to the rapid change in environment with rapid evolutionary changes. Kimberly Hughes, professor of biological science, and a team of researchers found that 135 genes evolved in response to the new environment. The study, published in the journal Nature, opens doors for researchers to predict how other organisms will respond to rapid change, such as tumors being treated with chemotherapy. This could eventually allow doctors to predict and combat drug resistance.

Read more: gonol.es/BIOguppies

Greg Erickson

Dinosaur discovery A team of FSU and University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers has unearthed a new dinosaur. The duck-billed, 30-footlong herbivore was discovered in Alaska’s Prince Creek Formation, the farthest north dinosaurs are known to have lived.

Department of Biological Science Professor Greg Erickson and his team’s findings were published in Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.

The team expects to find additional species and learn how this new dinosaur lived in the Arctic terrain.

Artwork by James Havens courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Chemistry

Read more: gonol.es/BIOdino

Photo by Ray Stanyard

Unlocking new cancer treatments

Photo courtesy of Greg Erickson

Biology

Kimberly Hughes

Treating diabetes Type 2 diabetes is often treated based on an enzyme, glucokinase, which senses glucose and relays signals to the body. By studying how it moved and changed over time, a second way to activate the enzyme was discovered by Associate Professor of Chemistry Brian G. Miller, Carl Whittington (Ph.D. ’11) and a colleague at The Ohio State University. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could renew interest in drug treatment options for the 29.1 million Americans with diabetes who may suffer side effects of current treatments. Further research will aim to learn more about this second activation process.

Read more: gonol.es/CHEMtype2

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Education Encouraging women in STEM

Cf

Californium Element discoveries From sodium to potassium, students learn the basics of the periodic table.

But several elements remain lesser known, even to scientists. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt discovered that the man-made element californium links one part of the table to the next with properties from the three elements before and after it. This unique function will help with future research

on this and other lesser-known elements.

Published in Nature Communications and conducted in part at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, this led Albrecht-Schmitt and former graduate student Matthew Polinski to win the Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry.

Read more: gonol.es/CHEMelement, gonol.es/CHEMaward

Women are almost four times less likely to major in STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — than their male peers. A study co-written by Lara Perez-Felkner, College of Education assistant professor, and published in the journal Frontiers of Psychology found that girls rarely pursue these fields because of misperceptions that solving difficult math is a skill you either have or don’t have. To avoid missing the talent of these girls and to combat the underrepresentation of women in STEM, teachers need to encourage students that although the classwork is difficult, they can succeed in these subjects.

Read more: gonol.es/COESTEM

Engineering Engineered butterflies The “butterflies” floating around Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Biwu Ma’s lab are molecules that can emit different colors, which translate into different levels of energy. This research, conducted with Chen Huang, assistant professor of scientific computing, could lead to the development of more efficient energy products. Published in Angewandte Chemie, the research has prompted plans to control larger quantities of energy and conversion of photo energy to light, heat and more.

Read more: gonol.es/ENGenergy

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UNIVERSITY NEWS Medicine Labor and deliveries Since many women go into labor at night, when levels of the hormone melatonin are highest, College of Medicine Associate Professor James Olcese patented goggles that briefly shine a blue light into the eyes of a sleeping patient to lower melatonin levels and suppress contractions, thus preventing preterm labor. Olcese also licensed technology that combines melatonin with a lower dose of the drug oxytocin to induce labor, creating a safer delivery without the serious side effects of regular oxytocin.

Protective gear Concussions are a big concern for athletes. But most people don’t realize they are a huge problem for military and law enforcement personnel as well. To help address the problem, new high-performing protective foam is being developed by Changchun “Chad” Zeng, associate professor of engineering at FSU’s HighPerformance Materials Institute. In addition to helping prevent injury, the safer, more comfortable foam will be used to improve the comfort and fit of different devices. Unlike conventional foam, this foam gets thicker when stretched — thus helping prosthetic devices adjust to limbs, protective gear to absorb impacts and more. There are plans to use the foam to improve the life of amputees with a new prosthetic sock.

Read more: gonol.es/ENGfoam

Read more: gonol.es/COMlabor

Photo by Emilia Ungur/Shutterstock

Lighting up the LED industry Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting has been lauded for using 75 percent less energy, but not widely adopted due to high costs. That could change, thanks to Assistant Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Zhibin Yu, who developed a highly efficient LED requiring only one layer made of organic and inorganic materials. The simplicity makes manufacturing easier and less costly.

Yu’s research, published in the journal Advanced Materials, resulted in a National Science Foundation award to further study the development of organic LED displays.

Read more: gonol.es/ENGlights

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Male depression In the U.S. each year, more than 20 million adults are affected by major depressive disorder. Professor of Biomedical Sciences Mohamed Kabbaj found that testosterone must first be converted to estrogen to protect low-testosterone men from the effects of anxiety and depression. This finding, published in Biological Psychiatry, is important to finding safer, more effective treatments for depression. Kabbaj and College of Medicine colleagues Nicole Carrier (Ph.D. ’12), Florian Duclot, Huan He (Ph.D. ’09), Roger Mercer and Samantha Saland (M.S. ’12) made this discovery through the brain’s hippocampus, but will seek safer pathways not implicated in cellular growth and cancer.

Psychology Researchers (left) Courtney Yehnert and (right) Cary Stothart

Driving distractions

Read more: gonol.es/COMdepression Mohamed Kabbaj

Your phone vibrates to notify you of an email, text or update while you’re driving. These alerts can be as distracting as making calls or texting while driving, according to researchers in the Department of Psychology led by doctoral student Cary Stothart (M.S. ’13). The study, co-written by Ainsley Mitchum (M.S. ’07, Ph.D. ’11) and Courtney Yehnert (B.S. ’14), was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.

It found that participants who received notifications while taking part in an attention-demanding computer task were three times more likely to make mistakes than those without notifications. The recommendation is to turn off the phone when driving and place it out of sight.

Next the team plans to study the impact of notifications on participants using a simulator for a driving test.

Read more: gonol.es/PSYalerts See photos and video of FSU research: fsuresearch.tumblr.com @FSUResearch

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Women In POWER

Lessons in leadership for FSU’s future alumnae

By Amanda McCorquodale (B.A. ’01)

Consider this classic riddle: A father and his son are in a car accident. The father is killed and the son is seriously injured.

When the son is rushed to the nearest hospital, the surgeon says, “I can’t operate, because this boy is my son.”

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Stumped by the identity of the surgeon? So were the majority of respondents in a recent Boston University study, in which 86 percent never considered that the surgeon could in fact be the boy’s mother.

This brainteaser reveals that gender biases remain deeply rooted. No wonder, then, that for women, the glass ceiling is still in place. In the U.S., fewer than 5 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are female, and women make up only about 15 percent of oped departments, corporate boards and Congress — even though they hold half of professional positions, outnumber men on college campuses and earn more business degrees.1 If the current pace of progress continues, men and women won’t have equality in the workplace until 2095, according to the World Economic Forum — which, for perspective, is roughly around the time nanotechnology might make it possible for humans to take an elevator into space.

FSU WOMEN TAKE THE LEAD For the past three years, Florida State University’s Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI) has given future alumnae an intensive primer on how to leap over this gender gap. The three-day event connects 49 undergraduate women with female FSU faculty, staff and alumnae to unravel subtle but powerful gender stereotypes that can keep women out of leadership roles and question their capacity to lead.

“As women, we need to be educated on the gender biases we’re sure to face, not to fear them, but to challenge them and to rise above,” says 2014 program participant Brianna Watts, an FSU senior, Student Government Association member and CARE student majoring in social sciences. “After being part of WLI, I now see gender bias as a motivator to prove society wrong about what women can or cannot do.”

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Women have always played a vital role at FSU, which was the Florida State College for Women for 42 years and at one point the third-largest women’s university in the country. In recent years, that legacy of empowering women has been taken to a higher level.

Seven years ago, Women for Florida State University (W4FSU) was formed to engage alumnae who have a passion for FSU, to educate women on different ways of investing in the university and to celebrate women who are mentors and role models.

Looking to make a transformative impact on the female student population, W4FSU approached Laura Osteen, director of the Center for Leadership and Social Change at FSU. She immediately zeroed in on a Women’s Leadership Institute as a perfect complement to the center’s other programs that foster leadership, identity development and community engagement in students.

“We still live in a world that throws up barriers to women who lead or try to effect change,” Osteen says about developing WLI, which was recently honored as a program Brianna Watts of excellence by the National Association of Student Affairs. “We don’t want this fact to discourage our future alumnae, but we also don’t want them to trip up on it.”

EDUCATE

Source: gonol.es/WLstats

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RAISE THE TORCH for Florida State University

Florida State University fosters a unique environment of innovation and discovery, of creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit. But these characteristics are not just found in our classrooms or libraries, they live in our community and beyond.

Raise the Torch: The Campaign for Florida State will help us reach even greater heights. This $1 billion campaign will allow the University to improve the student experience, serve as an economic engine for the state through research and job creation, and improve the quality of life for society as a whole.

Join us today at raisethetorch.fsu.edu

Your support of this campaign will encourage our students and faculty to dream big and help them excel both in and out of the classroom. Whether your gift supports academic programs or student scholarships, you can help us Raise the Torch for our campus and, ultimately, our community.

To address the tough challenges of leading as a woman, the center, in partnership with W4FSU, created a curriculum of speakers, discussions and small-group exercises that explore frameworks of leadership, reflect on how women are taught to be women and look at the strategies of successful female leaders.

LEADERSHIP Laura Osteen

LEARNING FROM ALUMNAE At the third annual WLI, which took place in early October in Dodd Hall, one such role model was Sophia Danvers (B.A. ’97, M.S. ’99). She delivered the keynote address on her experience at Cisco Systems, where she leads a global marketing team for cloud computing as manager of integrated marketing and communications.

She credits her success as a six-time All-American on the FSU track team with helping her jump over barriers blocking her career ambitions.

“Being an athlete, I learned to push myself through things that are uncomfortable because I want that end goal,” says Danvers.

Sophia Danvers

With her bachelor’s degree in creative writing and communication, and her master’s degree in marketing/sports administration, Danvers says that she initially struggled to find her footing in the high-tech world of computer engineering.

“I wasted a lot of time feeling inadequate, even apologizing in meetings for my lack of a technology background,” she says.

“It took me a while to reconcile that my diversity in thought and perspective had just as much value, that excelling in business was not about conformity and fitting in. I started excelling once I began celebrating the things that make me unique. For so long, I was afraid of coming across as that black girl writer who was a jock.”

For WLI, Danvers and other alumnae are a rich resource of women who are leading in their personal and professional lives.

CLEARING THE CEILING The success of women such as Danvers is all the more inspiring when you consider the dynamic outlined in “The DoubleBind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Damned If You Do, Doomed If You Don’t,” a study referenced in WLI discussions to illustrate the depth of the gender gap.

In the report, researchers at Catalyst, a nonprofit advisory organization, found that not only is women’s leadership talent often underestimated and underutilized, but when women do become leaders, they are often judged by higher standards for lower rewards. They are also seen as competent or likable, but rarely both.

2014 WLI participant Megan Miller, a junior and Student Alumni Association member studying editing and writing, says the program portrayed a compelling picture of the forces that can affect women’s leadership potential.

“We looked at the role Megan Miller of women in society as conditioned through toys, represented in movies and how female politicians are more heavily scrutinized than their male counterparts,” she says.

EQUAL

Photos by Steve Chase

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POWER

It’s not just the undergraduates who are benefiting.

Jenay Sermon (M.S. ’08, M.S. ’09), an FSU doctoral student in instructional systems and learning technologies, was a small-group facilitator this year and called the event “transformative.”

Above: 2015 Women’s Leadership Institute Photo by Steve Chase Above right: Jenay Sermon (right) mentors a CARE student. Photo by Corey Wheeler (Class of 2018)

Over the three days, the group of 49 undergraduates is broken down into groups of seven to take issues deeper. “We mapped a diagram of adjectives that showed that those used for men — ‘decisive,’ ‘strong,’ etc. — are often the same adjectives used to describe an effective leader,” recalls Miller, who was so inspired by the program she served on the planning committee for this year’s institute.

In addition to exploring the restrictions of gender bias, these small-group exercises also reveal new frameworks such as the Emotionally Intelligent Leadership model, in which leadership is a learnable skill based on developing healthy and effective relationships.

“WLI made me reflect on my own life experience and realize that some of the self-doubt I had internalized may have been the result of an external bias,” says Sermon, whose graduate research focuses on goal setting and self-regulation in first-generation college students.

Over the years, women at all stages of their careers have benefited from WLI’s open dialogue, heightened awareness of gender bias and emphasis on leadership skills. But it’s the 49 undergraduates each year, future Seminole alumnae, who are poised to gain the most from establishing their intentions in their formative academic years.

“At WLI,” says Sermon, “they can Marcy P. Driscoll, dean of FSU’s look at their future College of Education, says she was Dean Marcy P. Driscoll selves and understand honored to participate in WLI last who they would like to year and facilitate these discussions.

C be, not just this semester “As someone who’s done well in my but throughout their college years and into their career, I consider it a responsibility to support careers.” She hopes this year’s young women left other women and to help future alumnae be the with the confidence to “honor their own truths, best they can be. It was so amazing to see the and be bold and assertive when you know you’re depth of conversation that these 18- to 22-yearright and believe things can be done better.” olds are willing to engage in,” she says. “It was intense, and I think it made a lasting mark.”

SUC ESS

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Let tradition drive you home.

Alumni, forever you will be a part of our unconquered legacy. Get your FSU License Plate today and support the university as a whole. All proceeds fund student scholarships and campus/community events. Rebates are available for first-time buyers. For more information visit fsu.edu/mytag

UrbAn L eg E N d FSU-influenced Urban Bush Women use dance for social change

By Kati Schardl (B.S.W. ’77)

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The Urban Bush Women ensemble is a microcosm of society — different body types, skin colors, histories and, currently, even an Urban Bush man, all moving along paths choreographed to share untold stories of disenfranchised people through dance and draw together diverse audiences.

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (M.F.A. ’79) founded UBW in 1984 as a touring company. She gathered experiences, voices and stories on the road and brought them back to New York, where they fueled her art and informed the direction it took.

Every performance by groundbreaking dance troupe Urban Bush Women is a journey through movement, music, spoken word and spirit. The dancers weave

Zollar and UBW’s challenging and innovative works have garnered international respect and acclaim, including a New York Dance and Performance Award (“Bessie”) and two Doris Duke Awards for New Work from the American Dance Festival. In 2008, Zollar was awarded a prestigious Wynn Fellowship. The following year, she was bestowed a Guggenheim Fellowship.

together dreams, hopes and fears into

More than 30 years later, the exploration and expression continues for Zollar and her dance company. And, in many ways, its first act and

a story that moves the audience and

ongoing story flow from Florida State University.

embraces a woman-centered perspective of the African-American experience.

The experience is transporting and transformative for dancers and observers alike.

Opposite: Urban Bush Women performed the world premiere of “Walking with ’Trane” at FSU’s Opening Nights in September. Photo by Bill Lax Vires 21

“I couldn’t separate or narrow the study of dance to be only about dance. ... it also had to have a political context”

I had two mentors who pointed out the strength of my choreographic voice, and I realized that was something I wanted to pursue.”

Those mentors were Nancy Smith Fichter (B.A. ’52, M.A. ’54) and Lynda Davis, both now professors emeritae with the School of Dance.

“They opened up my thinking about what it means to be an artist,” said Zollar. “From Lynda, I learned that I needed to go to art museums and concerts to expand my voice as a choreographer.

From Nancy, I got more of the philosophy.”

“I remember some of her first pieces (at FSU),” Fichter said. “We were all struck by the richness of her imagination.”

Setting the stage Zollar came to FSU in 1975 as a dancer with vision. She left in 1979 as a choreographer with a mission.

“I entered into ballet and modern dance training at the age of 20–21, relatively late for those forms,” said Zollar, who earned a bachelor’s degree in dance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. “I knew I needed more information.

“I was particularly impressed by FSU because it had such a focus at that time in terms of the creative output of the (dance) students and having a wider range of things students were doing.”

Above: Distinguished Professor Jawole Willa Jo Zollar directed her dance troupe, which includes several fellow FSU alumni, during rehearsals. Photo by Steve Chase Above right: FSU School of Dance Professor Emerita Nancy Smith Fichter was a mentor to Zollar. Photo by Jon Nalon 22 Vires

Confident in her power as a performer with a strong artistic voice, she learned what she wanted to say and how to say it as a student at FSU. “I definitely knew the dancer was my focus at the time,” she said. “In the course of being here at FSU,

Zollar’s education at FSU extended beyond the dance studio, just as her work with UBW reaches beyond dance for inspiration and purpose.

“I couldn’t separate or narrow the study of dance to be only about dance,” she said. “For me, personally, it also had to have a political context, and in that way Dr. William R. Jones (founder of FSU’s AfroAmerican Studies program) was also a mentor.

“I was empowered by the times — the black arts movement and the political movements (for) women’s and black power. Those things gave me power to understand that I was up against the system and it was not always going to be responsive to my needs as an African-American woman, and how was I going to address that? That led to my involvement in the Black Student Union.”

The political ferment and social change rippling through the cultural fabric of America was reflected on FSU’s campus in the mid- to late ’70s.

It was a transformative atmosphere, and Zollar took it all in and let it bleed into her art.

Liberty Mutual is a proud partner of Liberty Mutual is a proud partner of FSU Alumni Association FSU Alumni Association

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a Prosperous 2016!

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a Prosperous 2016!

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“At FSU, we had the BSU, some feminist groups, the Black Players Guild — there were a lot of different groups,” she said. “There were all sorts of provocative speakers and creators coming to campus, like Minister (Louis) Farrakhan. It allowed me to push my own thinking.”

“There’s a circle of connections through Urban Bush Women that started here in Tallahassee,” she said.

It was exhilarating to watch Zollar’s talent blossom, Fichter said.

“We’ve had quite a few alums in the troupe,” she said. “When we’re auditioning dancers, I rarely take a dancer I know nothing about. We’re a small company, so understanding a dancer’s work ethic and values is very important. The fact that I’ve had an opportunity to experience people for three or four years (as students) is an asset.”

“It’s really easy to say all students are unique, but the thing that hit me so much about Jawole is her unusual blend of complexity and directness.

This is mirrored in her work,” Fichter said. “The other thing is there is no demarcation between her aesthetic sense and her deep sense of social justice.

One informs the other.”

“The students at FSU are hungry (for knowledge) — if you open a door for them just a bit, they want to know more.”

The connection between dance and social movements and her time at FSU was the foundation for her life’s work — the creation of Urban Bush Women.

Noles in on the act While Zollar struck out for New York City after graduation to launch Urban Bush Women, she regularly returned to FSU for teaching residencies and ultimately joined the faculty.

Currently, she is an artist-in-residence in the College of Fine Arts’ School of Dance and holds a tenured position as the Nancy Smith Fichter Professor in Dance. Zollar earned FSU’s highest faculty accolade when she was named the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Dance in 2011.

According to Zollar, the connection with her alma mater enriches her as an artist and educator.

“I love it here,” she said. “I love the kinds of students we get. I like being part of a public institution.

“I was just at one very wealthy private school and the students were so cynical. They’ve had a lot of advantages and it has made them a bit blasé. The students at FSU are hungry (for knowledge) — if you open a door for them just a bit, they want to know more.

“Also, we have a stellar faculty who are dynamic and open, well-accomplished and collegial. We value the creative culture of our department and want to nourish it.”

This FSU influence extends to Urban Bush Women.

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The troupe regularly workshops pieces at FSU, and Zollar has welcomed School of Dance alumni and former students into the UBW fold as performers.

Two current UBW members are FSU alumni — Du’Bois A’Keen (B.F.A. ’14) and Stephanie Mas (B.F.A. ’08).

Mas grew up dancing for a competition studio in Miami, where uniformity of style and form was the norm. She chose to come to FSU because the department provided live accompanists for dance classes.

“I knew having accompanists in class would change my way of listening, responding and collaborating with music,” said Mas. “Because of that, I knew FSU was the right place for me to listen deeply and challenge my ways of thinking as an artist.”

In Zollar, Mas found a teacher and mentor who accelerated that growth.

“She required us to listen deeply so that we were not just dancing but having a conversation,”

explained Mas. “Within that conversation, she reminded us that we are individuals and that we all have a very distinct way of approaching our conversations. She made me realize the value of my distinctness and soul.”

This FSU experience with Zollar drove her to continue creative collaboration as a member of UBW. She followed her muse to New York City after graduation and, after working with artists such as Paloma McGregor, Megan Bascom and BODYART, joined Urban Bush Women in June 2013.

Having Zollar as a teacher and mentor opened the door to a new world of dance and expanded A’Keen’s personal horizons.

“I was blessed to be cast in most of the work that (Zollar) set on the student body,” he said. “(Zollar) and the UBW methodology around dance practice, the creative process, artistic practice, having a lifestyle that cultivates curiosity and using art as a catalyst for social change — it all opened me up to new perspectives that would generate a deep desire to continue researching and live as a student of life.”

Opposite: Du’Bois A’Keen Left: Stephanie Mas Photos by Steve Chase Above: Mas honed her dance skills at FSU before becoming a member of UBW.

“(The company) was creating work out of Jawole’s stories and their own, and while I was performing, I felt I could speak a truth through my movement and performance that I could never share in person,” she said. “Every time I perform with UBW, I am realizing something new about myself and therefore allowing the audience to realize something new about themselves.”

A’Keen, a latecomer to dance, auditioned for admission to FSU’s School of Dance after studying at Darton State College in his hometown of Albany, Georgia.

“Deciding to come to FSU after only training in dance for a year was the best decision I have ever made,” A’Keen said. “I was able to really deepen my dance practice as well as cultivate curiosities and relationships that would help shape my career, spirituality, worldview and future.”

After apprenticing with UBW as an intern and rehearsal assistant, A’Keen learned the company had included men before. So he did everything he could to position himself to work with UBW after graduation. After moving to New York City for a semester of study in the School of Dance’s “FSU in NYC” gateway program, A’Keen became an office assistant and social media intern for UBW. In December 2014, he joined the company as a dancer at Zollar’s invitation.

“The faculty, staff and students at FSU — both in the School of Dance and elsewhere — literally changed my life,” he said. “I would not be the artist, performer, dancer or man that I am otherwise.

“I also made so many meaningful and lasting relationships in Tallahassee that were birthed from FSU connections.”

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Jazzing it up Zollar’s latest UBW work, “Walking with ’Trane,” was co-commissioned by Opening Nights Performing Arts, the university’s performing arts series, which brought the world premiere to FSU’s Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre in the fall with A’Keen and Mas. A portion of the piece — the “Side B” of the finished work — was debuted when the troupe launched its 30th-anniversary tour with performances at FSU for the festival in 2014.

Above: A’Keen (far left) and Mas (third from right) danced for the home crowd Sept. 30 at Fichter Theatre.

Below: Zollar and Fichter embraced after an Opening Nights panel discussion. Photos by Bill Lax

“As we worked on ‘Walking,’ we started thinking of it as a concept album,” Zollar said. “‘Side A’ is the part people haven’t seen, and ‘Side B’ has changed quite a bit (since the 2014 performance).”

The work is, to quote the program notes, “inspired by the musical life and spiritual journey of John Coltrane, a composer at the forefront of jazz innovation in a racially charged America….”

Creating the work led Zollar and her co-creators — including choreographer Samatha Speis and the company itself — to dive deep into the jazz culture that flourished during Coltrane’s heyday.

“We did two weeks of research in (jazz hotbed) Chicago — embodied or experiential research where we went to jazz clubs and experimental dance performances and visited black archives,” said Zollar. “Then we would go back into the studio and find what comes out of our bodies.”

26 Vires

Zollar wanted to capture the spirit of a bebop jazz jam session in physical movement.

“We worked on (Coltrane masterwork) ‘Giant Steps,’ which is often used in musical jam sessions to separate less experienced players from more experienced musicians (in the improvisational passages),” Zollar said. “We were trying to create an improvisational structure that would make that work (as dance).”

To premiere the work at Zollar’s alma mater was a gift of great honor and respect for the place that was so crucial in shaping her art, according to Fichter.

“It’s major — because she’s a major presence in the national and international dance community,” Fichter said. “This brings very welcome recognition to the FSU dance program.”

For A’Keen and Mas, the premiere was an important step in their careers.

“For me to be a part of this work and premiere it with my dream company as a member, in honor of a musical genius, at my alma mater is completely full circle,” said A’Keen.

Learn more at urbanbushwomen.org.

15K • 5K • HALF MARATHON • 8K

LET’S GO NOLES! ARRRRGGHHH YOU READY TO RUN?

FEAR THE SPEAR!

FEB. 20 & 21, 2016

Call 813.254.7866 or register online at: www.tampabayrun.com

Each semester brings back memories as we watch a new generation of Noles share the Seminole experience and #FallforFSU.

(The late) Professor Tommie Wright, FSU Alumni Association ambassador Photo by Steve Chase

“MET 4500 with Fuelberg, MET4501 with LaSeur, MET2700 with Staley. Best non-met course easily AMH1000 — Dr. Rogers.”

Which FSU class or professor was your favorite?

- Mike McCall (B.S. ’88) Professor Lenore McWey, director of Marriage and Family Therapy Doctoral Program Photo by Sarah Gladwin

It was definitely LIS3353 (Information Technologies) with @eranderee (Ebrahim Randeree)! He embodies what it means to be a Seminole.

- Walt Bower (B.S. ’08, M.S. ’10)

Professor Wright, he loved his students so much & had so much desire to see us

Dr. Lenore McWey

all successful.

(A.A. ’92, B.S. ’93, Ph.D.

- Lori Ann Ahr (B.S. ’91)

’02)!! She was (an) amazing teacher who kept

“Dr. Klassen and Dr. M-G (Mesterton-Gibbons)! Loving the Love building #FSUmathematics” Professor Ebrahim Randeree, College of Communication & Information associate dean

- Sydney Hendricks (B.S. ’14)

“@fsuzeigler (Mark Zeigler, M.S. ’89)

28 Vires

“1973, the late Professor Juanita

was a wonderful mentor who made

Matthews (B.S. ’53, M.S. ’54),

being available to talk to students a

History and 1976 Professor

priority. … Zeigler is a professor who

Goodfellow, Risk Mgmt and

truly cares about the holistic student

Insurance, School of Business”

experience at FSU!”

- Annette Wilson

- Anisha Singh (B.A. ’09)

everything relevant and true to life. She truly cares about her students and their future careers!

- Elizabeth Kaufmann (B.S. ’12)

What are your favorite memories of Florida State? Share your photos and stories with #SeminolesForever!

/FSUalumniassociation @FSUalumni @FSUalumni

Thank You to Our New Life Members The following alumni and friends are recent* Life members of the FSU Alumni Association. Their support creates opportunities for our students, alumni and members who are and will always be #SeminolesForever.

John T. Rivers Jr. (B.S. ’89) and Monica J. Rivers

Matthew J. Stanley (B.S. ’06) Courtney A. Block (B.A. ’08)

Alexander Fals (B.S. ’94) and Monica B. Cunill-Fals

Kevin R. Pickett (B.S. ’08) and Elyse C. Pickett (B.S. ’08)

Heather A. Good (B.S. ’95) Lauren M. Spisso (B.S. ’08)

Find out more about alumni membership: alumni.fsu.edu/join

Joseph D. Kauffman (A.A. ’97, B.A. ’98) and Erika Kauffman (A.A. ’96, B.A. ’98)

Patricia A. Beshay (B.S. ’11)

Nancy S. Peterson (B.A. ’48)

Daniel V. Kennerly (A.A. ’98, B.S. ’01) and Susan E. Kennerly

Charles M. Crosby Jr. (B.S. ’11, B.S. ’13) and Lauren R. Crosby

Linda R. Presnell (B.S. ’67, M.S. ’74) and Frank M. Presnell

Davida A. Rolle (B.S. ’99)

Kaitlyn Maxwell (B.S. ’11)

Sibyl K. Simon (B.A. ’00)

Matthew T. Herndon (B.S. ’12)

Dazi S. Williams (B.S. ’02, M.S. ’03) and Cherrod J. Williams (B.S. ’05)

Lourdes Rivery (B.A. ’12, B.S. ’12) and Matthew Lytton

Jennifer E. Geis (B.S. ’03) and Eric W. Geis

Ashley D. Daniels (B.S. ’13)

Marvin Thurston (B.A. ’74) Sol M. Hirsch (M.S. ’76) and Beverly J. Hirsch Adrian K. Wells II (B.A. ’77) and Beverly T. Wells (B.A. ’74, M.S. ’76) Brian P. Battaglia (B.S. ’82) and Jason M. Battaglia (B.S. ’14) Katherine L. Nash (B.S. ’82) B. Dan Berger (B.S. ’89) and Shelby E. Berger

Allison E. Foley (B.S. ’04) Aaron M. Tankel (B.S. ’05) Veronica M. Veliz (B.A. ’05) and Rene D. Veliz (B.S. ’07) Scott Spicciati (B.S. ’06)

Andrew S. Bohn (B.M.E. ’14) and Cindy B. Bohn Friends Larry J. Clark *This list includes individuals who joined the FSU Alumni Association as Life members between April 1 and Sept. 30.

Vires 29

Thornton, vice provost and university librarian for Columbia University, stands inside Butler Library, which opened in 1934 and houses 2 million of Columbia’s more than 12 million volumes. Photo by Michael DiVito

30 Vires

TEN QUESTIONS W

ith

Ann Thornton (M.L.I.S. ’94)

For two decades, Ann Thornton served as the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the second-largest public library in the U.S. and fourth-largest in the world — the New York Public Library — where she welcomed more than 18 million visitors annually. She started a new chapter this fall as vice provost and university librarian for Columbia University, which is home to one of the top five academic libraries in North America with more than 12 million volumes. Thornton’s work puts her on the leading edge of the future of print and digital libraries for a new generation of students and society. As she undertook the newest adventure in her career, we caught up with her for Ten Questions.  How did your time as a library and information studies master’s student at FSU prepare you for your career? FSU had outstanding professors, a diversity of students and a wide variety of internship opportunities. In particular, my internship with the fledgling Tallahassee Free-Net, under the auspices of the FSU Supercomputer Computational Research Institute, was an essential experience. It taught me important lessons about inter-institutional collaboration and helped me land my first professional job as a systems librarian at the University of Houston.

Photo by Diane Bondareff

 How is running a university library different from running a city’s public library? I think the primary difference is in the audiences served. The New York Public Library is not a typical public library; both NYPL and the libraries at Columbia University support teaching, learning and research, and are engaged locally and globally. However, the NYPL supports a large number of independent researchers, including artists, writers and business owners. Columbia’s libraries are among the most used in the Ivy League, and there are thousands of students and faculty in person or online with the libraries each day.  What impact have e-books, smartphones and tablets had on libraries?

Acquiring, managing and preserving digital content requires new approaches, new business relationships for libraries and new strategies that have to be refreshed frequently. The wide adoption of smartphones and the ways people use them for information discovery and even for reading require libraries to ensure that the content we deliver is optimized for mobile devices, and we have an opportunity to enhance learning further — by providing tools and guides at the point of need.  How do you keep up with the impact of technological changes on your profession? I read! Also, professional involvements through association memberships are incredibly important. The Association of Research Libraries, in particular, has recently undertaken a strategic thinking and design process that employed a high level of engagement with members and used fresh insights into the higher education, research and information environments to explore possible research library futures.

 What do you think is the future of physical libraries and print collections? Eventually, much of what libraries collect will be in digital format, though I don’t see the print book going away just yet. Columbia has been collecting large amounts of digital content for many years, and we are also still acquiring a lot in print. The physical library is so much more than a repository for books. It is a community space, a place for public discourse, a hub for research and creativity.  What do you hope to accomplish as Columbia University’s vice provost? I want the libraries to be a dynamic and vital partner for the university in achieving its mission. I want to strengthen relationships with faculty and students and engage as many stakeholders as possible in our strategic thinking and design so that we can increase the libraries’ impact on teaching, learning and research. In the process, I hope to improve our overall organizational effectiveness through leadership development, knowledge transfer and overall staff support.  You taught people how to get online as a public training coordinator in the late ’90s.

What is the focus for librarians 20 years later? Librarians still teach a lot, though what we teach has expanded. Our specialists teach using special collections, rare books, manuscripts and other materials.

Other specialists teach how to make use of sophisticated industry-specific databases, GIS software and Raspberry Pi devices. Many of our librarians teach in the university’s undergraduate writing program. In addition to teaching, librarians are increasingly partnering with faculty and others to identify, test and develop solutions to problems — such as acquiring a particular software or dataset so that it can be applied to research and teaching. Librarians collaborate with users on a wide variety of projects, and they skillfully build collections.  Where do you see the library system in 10 years? The Association of Research Libraries’ 2033 vision — more than 10 years! — is that “the research library will have shifted from its role as a knowledge service provider within the university to become a collaborative partner within a rich and diverse learning and research ecosystem.” That shift has begun.  What started your love for libraries and information studies? My parents are active readers, and my enjoyment of libraries began at a very young age.

Before I can even remember, my sister and I were taken each week to the public library in my hometown to borrow books. My elementary school also had a delightful librarian who was a family friend. When I was a pre-teen, a librarian at a brand-new library branch near my home recommended fascinating young adult fiction that kept me reading. Beyond the encouragement of my family, the smart, approachable librarians of my youth were a strong influence.  What book are you currently reading? I’m reading “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr. For book recommendations, I like The Wall Street Journal and good librarians with similar reading tastes!

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SN

ER

K A E FSU alumnus

H

Geoff Cottril

has taken his love for sneakers to a new level at Converse

EAD

Photo by Allie Cottrill | allisoncottrillphotography.com

By Dena Levitz

In middle school Geoff Cottrill (B.S. ’85) followed in the footsteps of Andy Warhol, David Bowie and Rocky Balboa: He navigated his classes and social life while sporting the Chuck Taylor All Stars worn by these cultural icons.

The quintessential black and white canvas sneakers continued to be a staple of his wardrobe as he majored in economics at Florida State University and through the next steps in his professional life.

So when an opportunity arose to work for Converse, the maker of his beloved sneakers, Cottrill knew it would be a perfect fit.

“I received a call from a recruiting firm and immediately jumped at the opportunity,” he said. “It’s my favorite brand in the world.”

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Opposite bottom: The new Converse Chuck Taylor All Star, better known as the Chuck II Top row: Converse sneakers stand the test of time (left to right): the 1928 All Star, 1945 Chuck Taylor All Star, 1955 Chuck Taylor All Star and 2008 Chuck Taylor All Star. Photos courtesy of Converse Below: Cottrill’s Converse sneakers have been a part of his campus experience since Day One.

Cottrill has stepped up to oversee marketing of the Converse brand since joining the Boston-based company eight years ago as chief marketing officer with more than 20 years of experience. At the start of 2014 he was also named vice president and general manager of Converse brand and segments.

His primary responsibility is to steer the Converse brand in the right strategic direction by connecting with consumers to give them what they want.

With that mission in mind, July saw the release of the first new Chuck Taylor sneaker in nearly a century — the Chuck IIs. And Cottrill was, in many ways, the architect of the two-year project to update the iconic sneaker’s look and feel.

The task is trickier than it sounds, given the public’s incredible attachment to the original, which debuted in 1917. Initially, it was developed as a performance sneaker for professional athletes. Basketball superstars like Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson wore the sneakers as part of their uniforms, right along with high socks and micro-shorts.

Over time, Cottrill said, the sneaker became a broader youth culture icon, “a symbol of independence and badge of self-expression.” This change came about especially in the 1970s with the emergence of progressive new musical styles.

Soon, artists and musicians from Kurt Cobain to

members of N.W.A began outfitting themselves in Chucks, as did their fans. To this day, Chucks sell at a staggering rate of 100 million pairs a year, and musicians remain a coveted part of the customer base along with people from all walks of life.

Cottrill said what sets Chuck Taylor sneakers apart is how frequently they’ve been passed from generation to generation, since the simple design of the product has remained intact. Longtime buyers have told Converse that Chucks do one thing, above all. “The sneaker never overpowers you,” he said. “It provides an opportunity for you to be you."

Research was the first step in deciding how to revamp a product with that kind of track record.

Under Cottrill’s leadership, his marketing team engaged in a unique on-the-road adventure to see the sneakers in action. A Converse team tagged along with London-based rock band ZOAX for two weeks, riding in the group’s van as they went on tour and blending in as part of the crew.

“We were in and out, hauling equipment into gigs, breaking the musical instruments down and sort of serving as roadies,” the CMO said, explaining that bandmates were simultaneously observed and queried about their Chucks. “It was pretty clear that these guys wanted something more. One thing in particular they wanted was more comfort. They were on their feet all day.”

Vires 33

At the conclusion of this journey, his team sat down with Converse designers and shared the collective feedback. Cottrill said the resulting assignment was not an easy one: Change everything,

yet don’t change anything.

Change everything, yet don’t change anything.

In other words, don’t mess with what the public loves about the sneaker; just make it high-quality and more durable. Largely, this was achieved by tapping into the technology of Nike, the global powerhouse that purchased Converse in 2003. For the footbed, Nike’s Lunarlon foam cushioning upped the ante, and extra arch support lent added comfort. At the same time, the sneaker’s recognizable rubber toe and other signature elements were untouched.

“If you set it next to the original, you can’t tell a lot of difference,” Cottrill said. “But if you pick it up and you wear it for a couple of hours, you notice a definite difference in the way it feels and fits on your foot.”

Early reviews and sales have been encouraging.

More importantly, Cottrill believes all the hard work his team undertook to update the sneaker demonstrates what’s possible when a brand listens to consumer insights and makes decisions accordingly.

Being consumer-focused is “the thing I learned the most and learned most consistently” since he completed his studies at FSU and gained traction in the marketing world. That ascent started in 1986 at Procter & Gamble, where, for a decade, he worked in sales on a number of product lines. At Coca-Cola, Cottrill spent nine years as group director of the Entertainment Marketing Division. Just before landing at Converse, he was in a prominent position at Starbucks as the vice president of global product marketing, where he oversaw its music label. For the Tampa native, the job not only made sense from a business perspective; it also allowed him to harmonize his career with a subject that he’s loved as long as Chuck Taylors — music.

In fact, music is the focus of one of his most popular Converse initiatives: Rubber Tracks. Six years ago, Cottrill’s marketing staff focused on how critical musicians are to the Converse brand.

Rather than trying to get these artists to profess their love of the company’s sneakers through ads, Converse decided to thank them.

“The idea was simple: Open a recording studio,” Cottrill said. “We’d help them at a stage of their career when they weren’t yet signed or didn’t have a record contract and wanted to pursue their dream.”

Top row (left to right): The Chuck Taylor All Star II was unveiled in July 2015 as the first update to the Chucks in 100 years. Geoff Cottrill, chief marketing officer at Converse. The control room of Converse Rubber Tracks’ 1,100-square-foot studio in Boston, one of several Converse studios for emerging artists. Opposite center: Converse opened its new world headquarters on Boston’s Lovejoy Wharf in May 2015. Opposite bottom: An array of high-top Chuck IIs, which were updated for comfort, maintain the sneaker’s classic appeal. Photos courtesy of Converse except Cottrill

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In the four years since, Converse has opened permanent recording studios in Boston and Brooklyn, as well as São Paulo, Brazil. Additionally, the project has incorporated 50 pop-up studios.

That is, Converse takes over an established studio for a week or two and allows artists to record free of charge. Upward of 1,000 have taken advantage so far. In September, 10 famed recording studios around the world, such as the one used by the Beatles at Abbey Road, temporarily opened up their doors for Converse’s cause.

Photo by Allie Cottrill

“It’s a big global moment for us,” Cottrill said.

Also big for Converse is the brand’s presence on social media, especially on Facebook. Compared with its peers, Converse ranks as the fashion brand with the most fans and is a top five consumer brand across all sectors. And Ad Age has credited Cottrill as the “social secret weapon” for his willingness to dive into experimental marketing.

Key to the Facebook success has been a handsoff approach prescribed by Cottrill. That’s meant treating consumers “like people” and trying not to be the “big heavy-handed brand that wants to control the conversation,” he said.

The social media priority has been to watch, listen and learn to see what fans wanted to discuss and share. Then, when it felt like the appropriate time to enter the conversation, the company did.

At present, Converse is up to about 45 million fans. Its Facebook page isn’t littered with prompts asking the public to buy sneakers. Sometimes there are product stories, but there’s often conversation and messages from musicians who’ve had a good experience with the recording studio program.

“We see it every day when someone leaves the studio. They begin to communicate on their own social media channel and say nice things about us, and then as a result our network gets bigger and bigger,” he said.

Outside of his day-to-day job, Cottrill remains active in the world of music as vice chairman of the Grammy Foundation, which bolsters music education. He also is a member of the Yale Center for Consumer Insights advisory board and has been part of Kimpton Hotels’ board in order to understand an industry different from his own.

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Right: Cottrill attended a 2014 FSU football game with his daughter, Abigail (Class of 2018), who is following in her dad’s footsteps as a Seminole.

Far right: The Converse maven regularly returns to FSU for Seminole spirit.

His experiences have led to an understanding of consumers’ wants and needs, but his interest in pursuing a marketing career took shape gradually at Florida State. In 1981, he entered his freshman year as a teen who hadn’t spent much time away from home. By the time he graduated, he’d become incredibly involved on campus as vice president of Sigma Chi fraternity and Scalphunters, a club soccer player, a member of Order of Omega Greek Honor Society and a participant in London and Switzerland studyabroad programs. He also studied business, taking class after class until he decided to major in economics and minor in international affairs and British studies.

“I had some amazing professors who, to this day, have an effect on me,” he said. “It was just a great experience.”

Cottrill has stayed connected with his alma mater over the past two decades. He made a commitment to himself to come back to campus each year for at least one football game. Last year his daughter began her own journey at Florida State, so he has even more reason to return to campus and revisit his business roots.

For current students and young professionals looking to follow in his footsteps, Cottrill’s advice is: Follow your passion.

Follow your passion.

When he began at Procter & Gamble, Cottrill’s initial charge involved the selling of coffee and orange juice. “I wasn’t passionate about either of those, but I was passionate about getting up and learning and understanding that my education 36 Vires

was far from over when I graduated from Florida State,” he said. “Be curious, be optimistic. I think a good attitude and a healthy dose of curiosity are keys to being successful in anything you do.”

Along the way he has had dozens of role models, including managers who’ve pushed him and given him opportunities.

“You take inspiration from many people,” Cottrill said. “Some will teach you how to be and some will teach you how not to be. You’ll have some bosses that will be horrible, and you can learn from those kinds of bosses, too.”

Beginning at Coca-Cola, his work entered the domain of pop culture and the youngest generation’s place within it. This opportunity influenced his perspective and ignited his passions, as well.

“To understand what motivates them and drives them and to understand how they see the world differently than how your generation sees the world has always been something that is fascinating,” Converse’s CMO said. “It’s kept me young in my mind because I’m constantly being surprised by the amount of change taking place.”

Marketing the Converse brand represents a challenge within that environment — one undertaken with the task of updating the Chuck IIs. The company is 108 years old, and Cottrill’s mission is to set up the brand to thrive for 108 more.

“I used to be at a place in my career where I focused on the next job,” Cottrill said, “and now I’m focused on making sure I’m doing interesting and meaningful things, which I think we are at Converse.”

Perfect Fit: FSU alumnus Scholefield named CIO of Nike

An undeniable electricity permeates college campuses on football game days. Jim Scholefield (B.S. ’86) has experienced that feeling only once since his university days at Florida State — when he arrived at the Beaverton, Oregon, world headquarters of Nike this past summer as the company’s new global chief information officer.

A campus filled with physical activities combined with a dynamic spirit of innovation prompted Scholefield to leave his position as chief technology officer at Coca-Cola for Nike.

Scholefield’s resume is packed with positions at prominent brands like Ford Motor Co. and Northern Trust Corp. in capacities that involve tech. His new role: Create technology solutions to drive Nike’s robust innovation agenda across global business.

In addition, he will lead an internal technology revolution strategy that includes Converse (a subsidiary of Nike).

A lifelong sports fan, Scholefield appreciates that Nike doesn’t do corporatespeak; discussions are punctuated with sports analogies and everything goes back to a love of athletics. He’s thrilled to lead a team spread out across the world and to write his own playbook.

It was at Florida State that he figured out his professional path. He ultimately settled on management as his major, deciding that his business career should also include technology.

“I always had a passion for tech, so when I was at Florida State I worked in the computer lab developing technology for students with disabilities,” he said. “It was: How can we leverage tech to make their experience better?”

Now he hopes to take that training and again use technology to make experiences better — this time, for one of the largest companies in the world.

Scholefield on the campus of Nike’s world headquarters Photo courtesy of Nike

Vires 37

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Celebrating SEMINOLE TRADITIONS

ASSOCIATION NEWS

SEMINOLE KICKOFFS & AT SEA Fall began with Seminole Club® Send-Offs and Kickoff Parties, the association’s 64th Annual Kickoff Luncheon, Happy Hours and the return of Seminoles at Sea. 1. Seminole family gathered at Space Coast Stadium for Brevard Seminole Club’s® Kickoff Party.

View more photos: gonol.es/fallclubs 2. The FSU Marching Chiefs and football players, including No. 29 defensive back Nate Andrews, shared the excitement of the upcoming football season with alumni and fans at the kickoff luncheon. Photo by Steve Chase View more photos: gonol.es/2015KOL

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3. FSU President John Thrasher (B.S. ’65, J.D. ’72) prepared for football and fun in the sun with families aboard the Disney Dream during Seminoles at Sea. 4. Circle of Gold honoree Anne Hamilton (B.S. ’79), vice president of global travel for the Walt Disney Co., spoke to alumni aboard the cruise before the Noles’ Friday night game.

5. This year’s Seminoles at Sea participants enjoyed Seminole spirit along the way to Disney’s Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. View more photos: gonol.es/2015SAS

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HOMECOMING 2015 Florida State welcomed students, alumni and friends to celebrate Homecoming 2015: Garnet and Gold Age, with spirited events around campus Nov. 13–15.

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1. Homecoming Parade Grand Marshals (far left) FSU men’s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton and (far right) FSU women’s basketball coach Sue Semrau posed with this year’s Seminole Tribe royalty.

2. The 2015 Royalty Reunion brought back former FSU queens, chiefs and princesses, including FSU’s first Homecoming queen, Clara Moffitt Moorman (B.S. ’50).

Celebrating Seminoles with GARNET & GOLD

3. FSU College of Law Students marched in the parade to thank Donald J. Weidner, who will retire as dean in June 2016 after serving the law school in various capacities since 1976.

4. The FSU Flying High Circus took the night to a new level during Pow Wow. 5. This year’s Homecoming Chief Derrick Scott II and Princess Jessica Dueño were surrounded by Marching Chiefs during halftime. Photos by Steve Chase

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The Florida State University Alumni Association cordially invites you and a guest to the

AWARDS BREAKFAST Saturday, November 14, 2015

Doors open at 8:30 a.m. | Program begins at 9 a.m.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Alumni Center Grand Ballroom

1030 W. Tennessee St. | Tallahassee, FL 32304

Honoring the recipients of The FSU Alumni Association’s Bernard F. Sliger Award The FSU Alumni Association and Omicron Delta Kappa’s Grad Made Good Awards Garnet and Gold Key’s Ross Oglesby Award University Libraries and Friends of the Libraries Alumni Award for Distinguished Writing

Business Casual

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HOMECOMING AWARDS

Tickets are $15 for FSU Alumni Association Members and $20 for Non-Members. Advance payment is required

The FSU Alumni Association and Circle of ODK recognized Grads Made Good — alumni who have made a significant difference through outstanding success in their chosen fields — at the Homecoming Awards Breakfast.

Register online at alumni.fsu.edu/awardsbreakfast or contact Whitney Powers at 850.644.7434 or wpowers@fsu.edu by Friday, November 6, 2015.

GARNET AND GOLDEN AGE F L O R I D A S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

1. Betty Lou Joanos (B.S. ’57, Ph.D. ’85), FSU Alumni Association former associate director and current board volunteer, was honored with the association’s highest honor, the Bernard F. Sliger Award.

2. Marshall Shepherd (B.S. ’91, M.S. ’93, Ph.D. ’99), University of Georgia Athletic Association professor and director for Program in Atmospheric Sciences, enjoyed the Homecoming Parade as a 2015 Grad Made Good with his son.

3. 2015 Grad Made Good Wendy Clark (B.A. ’91), president and CEO of DDB North America (effective January 2016), and her son waved to the parade crowd.

4. The Friends of the Florida State University Libraries Alumni Award for Distinguished Writing recipient was Matthew Lopez (B.F.A. ’93), screenwriter behind “Race to Witch Mountain” and “Bedtime Stories.”

5. (Left to right) ODK President Sharon Wong (Class of 2016); this year’s Grad Made Good recipients: Rodney Hero (B.S. ’75), Haas Endowed Chair and professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley; Clark; Shepherd; and Dale Burton (Ph.D. ’81), senior vice president of research and technology and CTO of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems; and FSU Alumni Association National Board Chair Tom Hynes (B.S. ’80) Photos by Steve Chase

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

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EMERITUS ALUMNI

During Homecoming weekend, emeritus alumni returned to Florida State to celebrate the 50th reunion of the Class of 1965 and their induction into the Emeritus Alumni Society.

1. President Thrasher spoke to his 1965 classmates at the Emeritus Alumni Society Induction.

2. New emeritus alumnae (left) Joanne Sanders Farley (B.S. ’65) and (right) Cherry McMullian Klappas (B.S. ’65, M.S. ’71) reminisced at the Alumni Center, which was named the 2015 Best Banquet Facility by Tallahassee magazine.

3. (Right) Jim Morrison (B.S. ’60, M.S. ’61, Ph.D. ’69) was recognized with the Commitment to Excellence Award by (left) Emeritus Alumni Society Chair Jack McCoy (B.S. ’56, M.S. ’58).

4. (Right) Billy Francis (B.A. ’86), Student Veterans Center director, recognized Jay Boda and Nathan French with the Emeritus Society Student Veteran Academic Excellence Scholarship.

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5. Emeritus alumni enjoyed a front-row view of the Homecoming Parade.

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On Sept. 11 at the Alumni Center, four exceptional Seminoles were inducted into the FSU Alumni Association’s Circle of Gold in honor of their service and achievements.

1. FSU Alumni Association National Board Directors (left) Marion Taormina Hargett (B.S. ’93) and (right) Flecia Braswell (B.S. ’86) gathered with former Circle of Gold honoree Professor Mark Zeigler (M.S. ’89).

2. Inductee Gordon Holder (B.M.E. ’68), retired U.S. Navy admiral and FSU Foundation trustee, shared his story with a crowd of Seminoles and fellow honorees.

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SEMINOLES FOREVER: Recognizing Lifelong Connections of Alumni & Friends

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3. FSU women’s head basketball coach (center) Sue Semrau celebrated her induction into the Circle of Gold with President and first lady Thrasher.

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4. (Left to right) A trio of former Circle of Gold honorees: Diane Ervin (M.S. ’72), Tommy Waits (B.S. ’56) and Betty Lou Joanos (B.S. ’57, Ph.D. ’85) 5. This fall’s Circle of Gold inductees with President Thrasher (left to right): Bob Perrone (B.S. ’75), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development computer specialist and FSU athletic records archivist for nolefan.org; Holder; Semrau, 2015 Women’s Basketball College Coach of the Year; and Marty Hall (B.S. ’73), senior CRE credit officer for BOK Financial and active in Seminole Clubs®, including as a founding member of Broward County Seminole Club® Photos by Steve Chase

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ASSOCIATION NEWS 2 YOUNG ALUMNI

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1. Jill Chandler (center), Ketchum senior account executive, with her grandmother, Bridget Chandler (B.A. ’48)

4. Pradiip Alvarez, U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs project assistant, with President Thrasher

2. Shannon Brockman (right), U.S. Navy lieutenant and pediatric intern physician

5. Stewart Moore (center), NBC Orlando anchor, and family

3. Jenna Susko, NBC Universal investigative reporter

View more photos: gonol.es/2015Thirty30

PRADIIP ALVAREZ (B.S. ’12, M.S. ’14) World Humanitarian Summit Project Assistant, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs | Panama City, Panama

MATTHEW EARL HAUER III (B.S. ’07, M.S. ’08) Applied Demographer, Carl Vinson Institute of Government Athens, Georgia

BRENDAN MATTINGLY (B.S. ’09) Doctoral Candidate Teaching Assistant, Boston University Boston, Massachusetts

SHANNON BROCKMAN (B.S. ’10) Lieutenant and Intern Physician (Pediatrics), U.S. Navy Orlando, Florida

MITCH HUTCHINGS (M.M. ’10) Assistant Professor of Voice and Opera, Greatbatch School of Music, Houghton College | Houghton, New York

AMBER McINTYRE (B.S. ’09) Foreign Affairs Officer, U.S Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor | Washington, D.C.

LAUREN CAMERON (B.A. ’11) VVIP and Corp Foreign Trainer, Wall Street English | Tianjin, China

ANDREW L. JIMENEZ (B.S. ’09) Principal, Jimenez Law Offices P.A. | Fort Lauderdale, Florida

CESAR MIZE (B.S. ’13) Communications Officer, U.S. Navy | Jacksonville, Florida

JILL CHANDLER (B.A. ’09) Senior Account Executive, Ketchum | Atlanta, Georgia

KATELYN JORDAN (B.S. ’08) Optometrist and Manager, Brooks Rehabilitation Center for Low Vision | Jacksonville, Florida

MICHAEL MOLCZYK (B.S. ’08) Chief of Operation, Task Force Lethal, U.S. Army Colorado Springs, Colorado

DAVID KENTON (B.S. ’08) Assistant Dean, Office of Minority Education, Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, Massachusetts

STEWART MOORE (B.A. ’07) News Anchor, NBC Affiliate | Orlando, Florida

NYDIA COUNTS (B.S. ’08) Senior Managing Director, Teacher Leadership Development, Teach for America | Houston, Texas BROOKE ROBERTS DRULINER (PH.D. ’14) Research Fellow, Mayo Clinic | Rochester, Minnesota HERNESHIA DUKES (B.S. ’08) Principal, KIPP Leadership Academy | New Orleans, Louisiana JAMES ENOS (B.S. ’07) Pediatric Cardiology Fellow, Children's National Medical Center Washington, D.C. LESLIE FLESNER (B.A. ’08) Actor | Tallahassee, Florida CHRISTOPHER GARDNER (B.S. ’09) Lieutenant, U.S. Coast Guard | Alexandria, Virginia RYAN GREEN (M.S. ’10) Opera Singer, Vienna State Opera and Metropolitan Opera in New York | Vienna, Austria 44 Vires

The FSU Alumni Association’s annual Thirty Under 30 Awards recognize FSU young alumni who exemplify outstanding professional and personal development.

This year's recipients celebrated at the Young Alumni Awards Dinner on Oct. 16.

Congratulations to the newest honorees! Photos by Steve Chase

TASHINEA LEE (B.S. ’08) Medical Student, Georgia campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine | Atlanta, Georgia JOSEPH MAHSHIE (B.S. ’08) Trip Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, White House Washington, D.C. PAUL MALONE (B.S. ’10, B.A. ’10) Threat Signature Collection Lead Engineer, Arnold Air Force Base, U.S. Air Force | Murfreesboro, Tennessee SARAH MANDELL (B.S. ’08) Director of Research and Programming, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering | Washington, D.C.

MARK NEIFELD (B.S. ’09) Events Manager, Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium; General Manager, Ingress Events | Arlington, Texas MICHAEL SANCHEZ (B.S. ’09) Nuclear Submarine Officer, U.S. Navy | Arlington, Virginia NICO SCAVONE (B.A. ’08) Special Education Life Skills Teacher, Worcester Public Schools Shrewsbury, Massachusetts ZACHARY SMITH (B.S. ’08) Senior Associate, Riveron Consulting; Owner of RIDE DC Washington, D.C. JENNA SUSKO (B.A. ’05) Investigative Reporter, NBC Universal | Universal City, California

Show your SEMINOLE PRIDE anywhere and everywhere!

FSU Alumni Association Members: Purchase exclusive alumni apparel, tailgating accessories and more from the FSU Alumni Reward Zone!

Log on to alumni.fsu.edu/rewards to purchase items.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

ASKEW YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD With pride, the FSU Alumni Association honored six graduates with the Reubin O’D. Askew Young Alumni Award, the highest honor bestowed upon young alumni by the association, as part of the Thirty Under 30 Awards. A distinguished panel of our directors selected the recipients based on their outstanding contributions to profession, community and university.

1. (Left to right) FSU Alumni Association National Board Chair Tom Hynes; Mahshie; Mize; Circle of Gold honoree Donna Lou Askew (B.S. ’55), who recognized these young alumni in honor of her late husband, Reubin (B.S. ’51); Enos; Jordan; Druliner; Dukes; and President Thrasher Group photo by Steve Chase. Headshots by AJ Abellera

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BROOKE ROBERTS DRULINER (PH.D. ’14)

HERNESHIA DUKES (B.S. ’08)

JAMES ENOS (B.S. ’07)

Research Fellow, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota

Principal, KIPP New Orleans Leadership Academy New Orleans, Louisiana

Pediatric Cardiology Fellow, Children’s National Medical Center Washington, D.C.

A first-generation college graduate, Druliner was an undergraduate researcher at Rollins College recruited to FSU’s Department of Biological Sciences to pursue a doctorate.

At FSU, she authored publications in cancer biology and received Best Research Publication and the Margaret Y. Menzel Award. Her groundbreaking research led to a patent filed for early detection of lung adenocarcinoma.

Dukes, a communication major, was involved with FSU’s now-Union Productions and Garnet & Gold Key Leadership Honor Society. She was also part of the Black Student Union, where she worked to connect leadership organizations on campus. Dukes was inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame for her impact on fellow Noles.

From neuroscience research to Relay for Life, FSU prepared Enos for a career in medicine.

He continued to research neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s, and earned his doctorate from Brown University in 2011.

He took his passion for public health to Latino Public Radio, health advocacy groups and colleagues, using modern media to reach broad audiences with health information.

Druliner is in a highly competitive postdoctoral fellowship at the Mayo Clinic.

She studies young-onset colorectal cancer in order to improve treatment options and early detection. Her contributions extend to the next generation as a member of the executive committee for the Mayo Research Fellows’ Association, which provides leadership and professional development for emerging scientists.

After graduation, she joined Teach for America in Atlanta, but wanted to return to her native New Orleans. She joined teachers to found KIPP New Orleans Leadership Academy, which serves more than 400 middle school students from many neighborhoods hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.

Named principal in 2015, she provides students with leadership training, life experiences and opportunities to showcase their talents as they make positive changes in their communities.

Enos completed his residency at Cornell University/New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he won the Distinguished Housestaff Award for Clinical Excellence. His impact has extended abroad, including through helping to establish a medical center and treat children in Tanzania. Currently finishing a pediatric cardiology fellowship at the Children’s National Medical Center, Enos plans to continue helping children with congenital heart disease.

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KATELYN JORDAN (B.S. ’08)

JOSEPH MAHSHIE (B.S. ’08)

CESAR MIZE (B.S. ’13)

Optometrist and Manager, Brooks Rehabilitation Center for Low Vision Jacksonville, Florida

Trip Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, White House Washington, D.C.

Communications Officer, U.S. Navy Jacksonville, Florida

A graduate of FSU’s College of Human Sciences, Jordan received a Presidential Graduate Fellowship to the University of Houston’s School of Optometry. She earned her doctor of optometry in 2012 and has been instrumental in leading a cuttingedge, multidisciplinary approach to help low-vision patients regain or maintain their independence through positions at the VA Medical Center in Houston and Charleston, South Carolina. Jordan has also served as a clinical instructor at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Jordan, an optometrist and manager of the Brooks Rehabilitation Center for Low Vision, works closely with the Florida Division of Blind Services, where she assists patients and has expanded the practice to include inpatient consultation.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in recreation and leisure administration, Mahshie kept his talents at FSU as he launched the TRUE Seminole campaign with Seminole Boosters and helped the FSU Alumni Association grow its Student Alumni Association and celebrate 100 years.

His experience took him to New York, where he established an ambassador program for publisher McGraw Hill, which became the largest in the industry within a year. In the Big Apple, he became part of the center of it all as events manager, including the New Year’s Eve Times Square ball drop, for Times Square Alliance. His latest move has brought him to the U.S. capital as trip coordinator for first lady Michelle Obama.

A mechanical engineering graduate, Mize attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and is now a communications officer for the U.S. Navy helping to safeguard national security. He joined the USS Gettysburg’s mission to support Operation Enduring Freedom, where he helped draft multinational naval public affairs guidance and greatly contributed to his ship receiving the Battenberg Cup Award.

Mize was recognized with the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for his role in the ship’s success.

Mize has been an exceptional leader, becoming the only officer of his rank to work for a fleet commander. He was also selected for the Navy’s demanding Nuclear Power Program and has served as a Spanish translator to foreign diplomats and senior military officials visiting Mayport Naval Station in Florida.

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GEAR UP

FOR GAMEDAY

Shop online at ShopFSU.com and save 10% with your alumni discount. Use promocode: FSUAA15

/FSUBookstore

indicates FSU Alumni Association Life membership indicates FSU Alumni Association membership

EMERITUS Hal Schaus (B.S. ’55, M.S. ’56), former FSU tennis player whose 75 percent singles winning percentage places him among the Top 15 on FSU’s all-time list, was inducted into the FSU Athletic Hall of Fame for 2015 as a legend.

James “Jim” Joanos (B.S. ’56), former FSU Alumni Association president, Bernard F. Sliger Award recipient and Circle of Gold honoree, and Betty Lou Joanos (B.S. ’57, Ph.D. ’85), former FSU Alumni Association National Board president and Circle of Gold honoree, were recognized with the Moore Stone Award for their support of FSU athletics.

Terry Lewis (B.A. ’65, M.A. ’66, J.D. ’78), Lewis, Longman & Walker P.A. shareholder, received The Florida Bar’s City, County and Local Government Law Section’s Ralph A. Marsicano Award for his contributions to local government law.

Stephen Montague (B.M. ’65, M.M. ’67) created the music for the newly commissioned orchestral score “The King Dances,” which premiered at the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Photo by Steve Chase

CLASS NOTES

1966–69

Ronald Jenkins (M.M. ’63), minister of music and liturgy at First Community Church in Columbus, Ohio, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary.

Howard L. Nations (B.A. ’63), of The Nations Law Firm, was selected as a member of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, which recognizes elite attorneys who represent the best of their profession.

Kenneth Russom (B.S. ’64), former vice president of business services at Flagler College (St. Augustine, Florida) and retired Marine Corps colonel, retired after 24 years with the college.

Michael Saunders (B.S. ’64), founder and CEO of Michael Saunders & Co., was recognized by The Tampa Bay Business Journal as the 2015 Business Woman of the Year in business services.

Dominic Caparello (M.S. ’73, J.D. ’75), Messer Caparello P.A. shareholder, was named a 2015 Florida Super Lawyer.

Stephen Siegel (B.A. ’73), Broad and Cassel of counsel, was named to the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Emerson R. Thompson Jr. (J.D. ’73), retired senior judge, took office July 1 as immediate past president of The Florida Bar Foundation.

Nancy Daniels (B.A. ’74, J.D. ’77), longtime Leon County public defender and the first woman to be elected public defender in Florida, was honored with the Rosemary Barkett Outstanding Achievement Award by the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.

Diahann Lassus (B.S. ’76), president and co-founder of Lassus Wherley, was named to the Financial Times 300 Top Registered Investment Advisors list and received the Women’s Choice Award for Financial Advisors and Firms from WomenCertified Inc.

John Thrasher (B.S. ’65, J.D. ’72), FSU president, Sliger Award recipient and Circle of Gold honoree, was appointed to the College Football Playoff Board of Managers, which includes 10 other university presidents or chancellors.

Karl Price (B.S. ’61) was recognized as a distinguished president of the Jacksonville Beaches Kiwanis Club for 2014–15 and elected lieutenant governor of Division 5, which includes the eight Northeast Florida Kiwanis clubs.

CLASS NOTES

Nancy Van de Vate (Mus.D. ’68) premiered her new opera in five acts, “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,” at the University of Mississippi and in Prague, Czech Republic.

William L. Colbert (J.D. ’69), Stenstrom, McIntosh, Colbert & Whigham P.A. managing partner, received the Claude L. Mullis Lifetime Distinguished Service Award from the Florida Municipal Attorneys Association.

Robert Fagan (B.A. ’69, M.S. ’72, Ph.D. ’75) retired after 36 years with the Department of the Navy, where he earned the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award.

1970s Richard Finnegan (Ph.D. ’71) was honored by his alma mater with the establishment of the Distinguished Richard B. Finnegan Professorship in Political Science and International Relations at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts, where he taught until his recent retirement.

James Olliver (M.S. ’71, Ph.D. ’75) retired as provost of St. Petersburg College’s Seminole campus in May after 26 years with the college.

Doug L. Mannheimer (B.A. ’76, J.D. ’79), Broad and Cassel partner and Circle of Gold honoree, was recognized in Chambers USA 2015 as one of the “Leaders in their Field” for health care.

Willie Meggs (B.S.W. ’73, J.D. ’76), Tallahassee state attorney since 1985, plans to retire when his current term expires in 2016.

Andy Miller (B.S. ’73), Seminole Boosters Inc. president, Sliger Award recipient and Circle of Gold honoree, received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity.

Ed Moore (M.P.A. ’76, Ph.D. ’07), president of The Independent Colleges & Universities of Florida, was recognized with the 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award from FSU’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy.

Sarah S. Clemmons (Ed.S. ’77, Ph.D. ’80), senior vice president of instruction at Chipola College, was named Jackson County Citizen of the Year.

Philippe Jeck (B.S. ’77), president of Jeck, Harris, Raynor & Jones P.A., was elected chair of the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce Inc.’s board for 2015–16.

Christopher Keirs (Ph.D. ’77, J.D. ’84) joined Blank Rome LLP as a partner of the firm’s intellectual property and technology group.

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CLASS NOTES Anne Hamilton (B.S. ’79), vice president of global travel for the Walt Disney Co. and Circle of Gold honoree, received the Professional Achievement Award from the Professional Convention Management Association.

Vicki L. Ruiz (B.S. ’77), University of California Irvine distinguished professor of history and chair of Chicano/Latino studies, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences fellow, was selected as president of the American Historical Association and awarded a 2014 National Humanities Medal

by President Obama.

TIM MUTH (B.S. ’76) In Haiti, 59 percent of the population lives on less than $2.42 per day, according to The World Bank.

Tim Muth, an international business instructor at the Florida Institute of Technology, is working to improve those stats. Since 2005, he has traveled to the Caribbean nation three times a year to allocate funds for school supplies and teacher salaries in a trio of villages rife with corruption.

“Our hope is that, through education, people can elect better officials, demand better services and make it a better country,” Muth says. “Think of the worst structure you’ve ever seen in your life, and that’s what most of the schools look like.”

His mission trips, part of the Hearts Out to Haiti effort, are sponsored by Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Melbourne, Florida.

Muth, who earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting, says his FSU experience helped him adapt to any situation, no small feat in infrastructure-challenged Haiti.

“It gave me a foundation to not be afraid of change, and to embrace learning all my life,” he adds.

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Floyd R. Self (B.S. ’77, J.D. ’86) joined Berger Singerman law firm in Tallahassee as a partner and member of the government and regulatory team.

David Yon (B.S. ’77, J.D. ’80), Radey Law Firm shareholder, was recognized in Chambers USA 2015 and named a 2015 Florida Super Lawyer for insurance coverage.

Ron Bradley Sr. (B.S. ’78) was inducted into the Allstate Hall of Fame, which includes fewer than 60 agents in the company’s history.

Michael Cherniga (B.S. ’78, J.D. ’81), Greenberg Traurig LLP shareholder, was recognized in the 2015 edition of The Legal 500 United States for health care and health insurers.

Mary Warshauer (B.S. ’78) became the third vice president of the nonprofit National Garden Clubs Inc., one of the largest volunteer gardening organizations in the world.

John Wells (B.S. ’78, B.S. ’79), associate professor in Virginia Tech’s Integrative STEM Education program, was honored by the national Council on Technology and Engineering Teacher Education as Educator of the Year.

Douglas Rillstone (B.S. ’79), Broad and Cassel partner, was recognized in Chambers USA 2015 as one of the “Leaders in their Field” for environmental law and named a Florida Super Lawyer for the 10th year.

J. Thompson Thornton (B.A. ’79, J.D. ’82), Thornton, Davis & Fein P.A. partner, was named a 2015 Florida Super Lawyer.

1980s Jeffrey Askins (B.S. ’80), an LPL-affiliated advisor at Six Pillars Financial Advisors, was recognized as a top financial advisor and named to LPL’s Director’s Club.

Charlie Barnes (B.A. ’80) was recognized with the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity Loyalty Award for his longtime dedication and devotion to the fraternity, for which he serves as secretary of the Delta Lambda Alumni Association and recruitment advisor on the Delta Lambda Alumni Advisory Board.

Peter P. Charnetsky (M.S.W. ’80), former Broome County (New York) Family Court judge, joined Tully Rinckey PLLC as managing partner in Binghamton, New York.

Verdenia Baker (B.S. ’79, M.P.A. ’82) was selected as the first African-American and first female county administrator in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Julie L. Ozanne (B.A. ’80), professor of marketing in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, was named professor emerita by the university’s Board of Visitors.

Ed Burr (B.S. ’79), CEO of GreenPointe Holdings LLC, was elected chair of the FSU Board of Trustees and chairman of the Jacksonville Civic Council.

William Butler (B.S. ’81), founder and principal of Real Estate InSync, joined the Capital City Bank Board of Directors.

Clark Jennings (J.D. ’81), assistant attorney general in Florida’s Department of Legal Affairs, received The Florida Bar’s Claude Pepper Outstanding Government Lawyer Award.

CLASS NOTES

Bob Bowman (B.S. ’87), swim coach of Michael Phelps and new Arizona State University coach, was named the U.S. men’s swim team head coach for the 2016 Olympics

by USA Swimming.

Photo by Alan Storey

Michael Mattimore (J.D. ’81), Robert E. Larkin III (B.S. ’91, M.S. ’92), Mark L. Bonfanti (J.D. ’03), Jason Vail (J.D. ’05) and Matthew Stefany (J.D. ’12), a team of lawyers from Allen Norton & Blue P.A., for the second year in a row were Overall Best BBQ Champions at the Boys Town of North Florida Smoke-Off.

Stephen Senn (B.S. ’86, J.D. ’89), Peterson & Myers P.A. shareholder, was reappointed to a three-year term on the board of The Florida Bar Foundation.

Andy Stern (B.S. ’82) was promoted to director of the National Weather Service’s analyze, forecast and support office.

Penny Walker Bos (B.S. ’83), a 32-year veteran of Florida politics, was appointed executive director of the League of Women Voters of Florida.

Koren Colbert (B.S. ’84), Bay County Sheriff’s Office criminal investigations lieutenant, and FSU Adjunct Instructor Charla Perdue (B.S. ’03, M.S. ’11) began teaching classes for FSU Panama City’s new Bachelor of Science degree program in crime scene investigation in the fall of 2015.

James Etscorn (B.S. ’84), BakerHostetler Orlando managing partner, was selected for membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates and was recognized in 2016 Best Lawyers in America as Lawyer of the Year for litigation-intellectual property.

Photo courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics

Lisa Getson (A.A. ’83, B.A. ’84), health care executive, was named to The First Tee of Orange County’s Board of Directors.

JAMES O. BORN (B.S. ’83) Formerly with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Florida Department of Law Enforcement, James O. Born turned to writing to set the record straight.

Ric Gregoria (B.S. ’84) was appointed president of Sarasota-based law firm Williams Parker.

Dominic C. “Donny” MacKenzie (B.S. ’84, J.D. ’87), Holland & Knight partner, took office July 1 as president of The Florida Bar Foundation.

“I was reading novels that were so silly compared to what I was doing in real life,” Born says. “Now I realize there’s a lot more to writing than just being realistic. You’ve got to entertain, and you really have to know how to write, which I learned along the way.”

Lori Heyer-Bednar (B.S. ’85) was named the first woman in Roetzel & Andress LPA’s history to manage the firm’s largest practice group (business litigation).

The recipient of multiple law enforcement awards, including the Silver Medal of Valor, he writes books that tie in his former career plus his time at FSU.

John R. Jenkins (J.D. ’84, B.S. ’00) was named executive director of Bonita Springs Utilities Inc.

Alan Hooper (B.A. ’85), Hooper Construction president and CEO, was honored by Sun Sentinel Co. LLC with a 2014 Excalibur Award as Broward Small Business Leader of the Year.

Bradley Saxton (B.S. ’85), Winderweedle, Haines, Ward & Woodman attorney, was named a 2015 Florida Super Lawyer and 2015 Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine, and recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2016.

Denise Dell-Powell (B.S. ’86), Burr & Forman LLP partner in Orlando, was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the Florida Commission on the Status of Women for a two-year term.

Tamara Wells Pigott (A.A. ’87, B.S ’88, M.S. ’90), FSU Alumni Association National Board director and executive director for the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau in Southwest Florida, graduated from Destination Marketing Association International’s executive program in destination management.

Campus settings routinely pop up in his books, most prominently in “Escape Clause,” which won the gold medal in the inaugural Florida Book Awards in 2007. Born, who has written two fictional thrillers with television personality Lou Dobbs, was also named one of Florida’s most intriguing people in 2009 by Florida Monthly magazine.

As to how FSU impacted his career from law enforcement to best-selling author, the Palm Beach County resident says, “In every possible way.”

Vires 51

CLASS NOTES

Anne L. Webster (M.S. ’69) compiled and edited correspondence from World War I in “Mississippians in the Great War: Selected Letters.”

SEMI

Seminoles around the country are showcasing their talents as authors, performers, directors and more. Send your updates to fsualum@alumni.fsu.edu along with a high-resolution image of the book cover, movie poster or playbill!

Josephine “Jo Ann” Lordahl (Ph.D. ’70) wrote “Princess Ruth: Love and Tragedy in Hawaii” and “A Secret Kept in Hawaii.”

NOLE

SHELF

Kenneth A. Polcyn (Ph.D. ’70) published an autobiography, “My Life Remembered,” which includes his U.S. Army experiences and the founding of Communication Technology Applications.

George Waas (J.D. ’70) wrote “On Third Thought….

Further Reflections on Retirement and Other Things–A Mini-Memoir,” and was appointed vice chairman of The Florida Bar’s Journal and News Editorial Board.

Harriet B. Turner (B.A. ’42) wrote the fictional story “The Breathless Ones,” which looks at the secrets of a veteran journalist and military wife.

Richard Lukas (B.A. ’57, M.A. ’60, Ph.D. ’63) released a revised edition of his book “The Forgotten Holocaust: The Poles Under German Occupation, 1939–1944” in the Polish language.

Breathless Ones

*****Filler Text for Placement Only*****

“Facerrum imus, endis sintionsedit omnimpo resequiae laut moluptasit aboreratur ant fugit eatibus molo molori acia accus autatissi que nobit experep tationes ipiet dese iuscillo exceri adis aborem voluptatur”

Breathless Ones

orem ipsum dolor sit amet, “On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble that are bound to ensue; and equal blame belongs to those who fail in their duty through weakness of will, which is the same as saying through shrinking from toil and pain. These cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish. In a free hour, when our power of choice is untrammelled and when nothing prevents our being able to do what we like best, every pleasure is to be welcomed The standard chunk of Lorem Ipsum used since the 1500s is reproduced below for those interested. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from “de Finibus Bonorum

The

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The Breathless Ones

Shauna Vey (M.F.A. ’78), New York City College of Technology/CUNY associate professor, wrote “Childhood and Nineteenth-Century American Theatre: The Work of the Marsh Troupe of Juvenile Actors.”

Robert Blagojevich (M.A. ’79) wrote “Fundraiser A: My Fight for Freedom and Justice,” about his experience being a defendant in the criminal trial of his brother Rod, a former governor of Illinois.

Florida Founder

William P. DuVal Frontier Bon Vivant

James M. Denham

— Fugit Eatibus “Facerrum imus, endis sintionsedit omnimpo resequiae laut tationes ipiet dese iuscillo exceri adis aborem voluptatur molo molori acia.”

— Fugit Eatibus

Libby Ware (B.A. ’76) wrote “Lum: A Novel,” which tells a fictional story of life in the Virginia Blue Ridge during the Great Depression.

Harriet Turner

Author’s Photo

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, “On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble that are bound to ensue; and equal blame belongs to those who fail in their duty through weakness of will

Joel R. Gecht (Ph.D. ’78), IMPACT Solutions president and CEO, wrote the psychological suspense fiction novel “Amanda Memories.”

Harriet Turner

Jeffrey A. Cantor (Ph.D. ’82), retired provost and acting vice president of Pensacola Junior College, wrote “21st-Century Apprenticeship: Best Practices for Building a World-Class Workforce.”

Carol Lucille Hummel (B.S. ’58) rewrote her book “We Hitchhiked Around the World Except in the Middle East and South Asia.”

Fiction/Psychological

Fiction/Psychological

Ambitious but naive, Brian Roberts is set on a career path that will lead Ambitious but naive, Brian Roberts to a psychology degree, financial is set on a career path that willstability, lead to and emotional fulfillment.

His marriage a psychology degree, financial stability, to hometown sweetheart and emotional fulfillment.Nancy His marriage seems to assure a fine future. to hometown sweetheart Nancy seems Butassure whena fine beautiful to future.green-eyed Amanda Wagner, a deeply troubled young woman, But when beautiful green-eyed Amanda becomes his patient, the future Wagner, a deeply troubledbecomes young woman, beblurry. Her dependency on Brian becomes comes his patient, the future becomes blurry. Her him. The need and the obsession an aphrodisiac for dependency on Brian becomes aphrodisiac for arean mutual.

Brian goesneed on to him. The andbecome the obsession are mutual. a successful Hollywood TV talk show doc, but he flounders Brian goes on to become a successful Hollywood in the pretentious and posh world of Beverly Hills, celebrity, TV talk show doc, but he flounders in the pretentious and money.

And worst of all, Brian and Nancy and posh world of Beverly Hills, celebrity, and money. are drifting apart.

Then while making her final decent, worst of all, Brian and Nancy are drifting apart.

Amanda is found deadAnd and Brian as the Then while emerges making her finalprime decent, Amanda is found suspect.

Nancy sets out to vindicate Her quest, however, dead andBrian.

Brian emerges as the prime suspect. out will leadNancy her tosets darkest the corners Amanda’s tortured to vindicate of Brian.

Her quest, however, willwill leadnot heronly to the past and determine Brian’s fate, but will ultimately darkest corners of Amanda’s tortured past and willenigma not only unlock the trapped within Amanda’s family determine Brian’s fate, butlineage. will ultimately unlock the enigma trapped within Amanda’s family lineage.

“Gripping! A captivating story…intriguing characters…

“Gripping! A captivating Gecht has a hit with Amanda.” story…intriguing characters…

—Roni Proter, The CW Network TV Affiliate, Dallas Gecht has a hit with Amanda.”

—Roni Proter, The CW Network TV Affiliate, Dallas “Amanda Memories…is riveting and keeps you turning the pages…

“Amanda Memories…is riveting youand won’t believe it all turns out…” keeps you how turning the pages…

—Fern Mallis, Senior Vice President, IMG Fashion you won’t believe how it all turns out…”

—Fern Mallis,

Lee Austin (B.S. ’62) wrote “Poetry That Rhymes” and “Patriotic Poems.”

isit our Web Visit siteour at www.AmandaMemories.com Web Visit site our at Web www.AmandaMemories.com site at www.AmandaMemories.com

lishing TheCrossing Line Publishing The Line Publishing d, OH Cleveland, 44122 OH 44122

—Fern Mallis, Senior —Fern Vice President, Mallis, Senior —Fern IMGVice Fashion Mallis, President, Senior IMG Vice Fashion President, IMG Fashion

—Roni Proter, The—Roni CW Network Proter, The TV—Roni Affiliate, CW Network Proter, Dallas The TVCW Affiliate, Network DallasTV Affiliate, Dallas

“Gripping! A captivating “Gripping! story…intriguing A captivating “Gripping! story…intriguing characters…

A captivating story…intriguing characters… characters…

Gecht has a hit with Gecht Amanda.” has a hit with Gecht Amanda.” has a hit with Amanda.”

Fashion

l R. Gecht, JoelPh.D. R. Gecht, is Joel a psychologist Ph.D. R. Gecht, is a and psychologist Ph.D. CEOis ofa psychologist and a CEO of and a CEO of a ological psychological consulting firm. psychological consulting His writing firm. consulting isHisinspired writing firm.byis Hisinspired writing by is inspired by ssional encounters professionalspanning encounters professional threespanning encounters decades;three from spanning decades; early three fromdecades; early from early a doctoral on as student a doctoral atonThe asstudent aFlorida doctoral atState The student University Florida at State The to Florida University State toUniversity to resent day theaspresent a pioneer day the in as present the a pioneer behavioral day as in athe health pioneer behavioral care in thehealth behavioral care health care . He andarena. his wife, Heboth andarena. his native wife, HeNew and bothYorkers, his native wife,New have bothYorkers, four native New haveYorkers, four have four and reside sons in Cleveland, and reside sons Ohio. in and Cleveland, reside inOhio.

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ychological Fiction/Psychological

52 Vires

ious e, Brian but Ambitious Roberts naive, Brian but naive, Roberts Brian Roberts hathat career is will set path on leada that to career willpath leadthat to will lead to logy financial a degree, psychology stability, financial degree, stability, financial stability, ent. tional and Hisfulfillment. emotional marriage His fulfillment. marriageHis marriage eart town toNancy sweetheart hometown seemsNancy sweetheart seemsNancy seems . a fine to assure future. a fine future. lhen green-eyed beautiful But when Amanda green-eyed beautiful Amanda green-eyed Amanda ubled a deeply Wagner, young troubled awoman, deeply young betroubled woman, young be- woman, beisfuture patient, comes becomes the his future patient, blurry. becomes the Her future blurry. becomes Her blurry. Her ncy becomes dependency on Brian an becomes aphrodisiac on Brian an for becomes aphrodisiac an for aphrodisiac for need obsession him. andThe the areneed obsession mutual. and the areobsession mutual. are mutual. ecome goes on Brian a to successful become goes onHollywood atosuccessful become Hollywood a successful Hollywood how he flounders TV doc, talk but show inhethe flounders doc, pretentious but he in the flounders pretentious in the pretentious erly world Hills, andofposh celebrity, Beverly world Hills, and of Beverly money. celebrity, Hills, andcelebrity, money. and money. nrstand ofAnd Nancy all, Brian worst areand ofdrifting all, Nancy Brian apart. are anddrifting Nancyapart. are drifting apart. rilefinal making Then decent, while herAmanda final making decent, isher found final Amanda decent, is found Amanda is found esBrian as dead theemerges prime and Brian suspect. as the emerges prime Nancy suspect. assets the out prime Nancy suspect. sets out Nancy sets out ate r quest, Brian. to vindicate however, Her quest, Brian. will however, lead Her her quest, to willhowever, the lead her will to the lead her to the corners anda’s darkest tortured of Amanda’s corners pastof tortured and Amanda’s will not pasttortured only and will past not only and will not only e,e but Brian’s determine will fate, ultimately Brian’s but will unlock fate, ultimately but the will enigma unlock ultimately the enigma unlock the enigma within a’s family trapped Amanda’s lineage. within family Amanda’s lineage.family lineage.

Visit our Web site at www.Ama ndaMemories.com Visit our Web site at www.AmandaMemories.com

Crossing The Line Publishing Cleveland, OH 44122 Crossing The Line Publishing Cleveland, OH 44122

“Amanda Memories…is “Amanda riveting Memories…is and “Amanda keeps riveting Memories…is you turning and keeps the riveting pages… you turning and keeps the you pages… turning the pages… you won’t believeyou how won’t it allbelieve turnsyou out…” how won’t it allbelieve turns out…” how it all turns out…”

Senior Vice President, IMG

Joel R. Gecht, Ph.D. is a psychologist and CEO of a of a psychologic JoelalR.consulting Gecht, Ph.D. and CEO firm. is Hisa psychologist writing is inspired by by professiona l encounters psychological consulting firm.

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He in and his wife, both Cleveland, Ohio.native New Yorkers, have four sons and reside in Cleveland, Ohio.

James M. Denham (B.A. ’80, M.A. ’83, Ph.D. ’88), Florida Southern College professor of history and director of the Lawton M. Chiles Jr. Center for Florida History, wrote “Fifty Years of Justice: A History of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District for Florida” and “Florida Founder William P. DuVal: Frontier Bon Vivant.”

CLASS NOTES Keith Slade (M.F.A. ’93), FSU Film School cinematography instructor, was gaffer on the Sony Pictures and TriStar faith-based film “War Room.”

Montego Glover (B.F.A. ’96) joined the cast of “Les Miserables” on Broadway as Fantine.

James O. Born (B.S. ’83) wrote “Scent of Murder,” which details the lives of police and their canines.

(Read more on page 51.)

Julie Strauss Bettinger (B.S. ’83, M.A. ’09) and Luke Murphy (B.A. ’11) co-wrote “Blasted by Adversity: The Making of a Wounded Warrior,” which tells Murphy’s story as an Army infantryman who survived an IED blast and became an advocate for wounded veterans.

Elam Stoltzfus (B.S. ’88) directed the multiple Telly award-winning documentary “Coastal Dune Lakes: Jewels of Florida’s Emerald Coast,” which was nominated for a 2015 Suncoast EMMY® Award for music, photography and writing. Joey Dickinson (B.A. ‘14) edited it, and Elam’s son, Nic (B.S. ’12), wrote the screenplay and a companion coffee-table book.

Lu Vickers (B.A. ’87, M.A. ’89, Ph.D. ’97) co-wrote “Remembering Paradise Park: Tourism and Segregation at Silver Springs” with Cynthia Wilson-Graham about the formerly racially segregated park in Central Florida.

JR Harding (Ed.S. ’96, Ed.D. ’99) wrote “ADA Adventure: A Quadriplegic’s Journey,” which is an autobiography installment.

Michael Sabbag (B.S. ’88), vice president of talent management at learn.com, wrote “Developing Exemplary Performance One Person at a Time.”

Stephen Engle (Ph.D. ’89) edited “The War Worth Fighting: Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency and Civil War America,” a volume of original essays from Civil War and Lincoln scholars.

Virginia A. Barkett (M.S. ’92) wrote “Song of the Season,” in which a child explores the sights and sounds of seasons through a farm.

Kevin Harvey (B.A. ’98) wrote “All You Want to Know About the Bible In Pop Culture: Finding Our Creator in Superheroes, Prince Charming, and Other Modern Marvels.”

Justin Bowen (B.A. ’99) and Michael Fatica (B.F.A ’09) are ensemble cast members in the 2016 Broadway revival of “She Loves Me.” Sarah Cowperthwaite (B.A. ’00) was a producer for “Live From New York!,” a documentary that chronicles the 40-year history of “Saturday Night Live.”

Vires 53

CLASS NOTES

Liconya “L.S.” Gilbert (B.A. ’07) wrote “The Silence is Killing Me: Overcoming Depression in a Faith-based World.”

TRACI

Mike Evariste (B.M. ’03) performed at Nederlander Theatre in New York this fall as part of the ensemble cast in “Amazing Grace,” which tells the true story behind the creation of the song.

Barry Jenkins (B.A. ’03, B.F.A. ’03) wrote the script for “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue,” a story about coming of age during the war-on-drugs era in Miami, which he will direct for A24 indie distributor.

TRACI

Young-Byron Traci Young-Byron (B.F.A. ’01), former Miami Heat dancer and owner of Young Contemporary Dance Theatre, is featured in Lifetime’s docu-series “Step It Up,” which follows her as a dance teacher.

Wes Ball (B.F.A. ’02) will direct 20th Century Fox’s “Fall of Gods,” an epic Norse fantasy.

Carla Jean Whitley (B.S. ’02), features reporter at Alabama Media Group, wrote “Birmingham Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Magic City.”

B

Bb

Jeff Strickland (Ph.D. ’03) wrote “Unequal Freedoms: Ethnicity, Race, and White Supremacy in Civil War-Era Charleston.”

Keisha Ansley (B.F.A. ’05) finished her third season on TNT’s “Rizzoli & Isles” as a second assistant director.

Caite Hevner Kemp (A.A. ’05, B.F.A. ’06), 2012 FSU Alumni Association Thirty Under 30 and Askew Young Alumni Award recipient, was the projection designer for the world premiere of “Waterfall: A New Musical” at the Pasadena Playhouse in California.

Alex Durham (B.F.A. ’07) won a 2015 Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing for Reality Programming on Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch.”

Valerie Wetlaufer (M.F.A. ’09) won a Lambda literary award for lesbian poetry for her book “Mysterious Acts by My People.”

Tif Hassler (M.S. ’10) produced “Homeless,” the story of an 18-year-old who navigates his way through life in a shelter after his grandmother’s passing, with her husband, Clay (M.F.A. ’10), as screenwriter, director and director of photography.

Alphonso Horne (B.A. ’10, B.M. ’10) served as associate music director for a new off-Broadway jazz musical “For the Last Time.”

Burt Reynolds, Sliger Award recipient and Circle of Gold honoree, co-wrote “But Enough About Me: A Memoir” with Jon Winokur.

Find books to read by fellow Seminoles at goodreads.com/FSUalumni

Is your book not on the list?

Send us a copy, and we’ll add it to our office alumni author bookshelf and to the list online!

54 Vires

Ramon de la Cabada (B.A. ’88, J.D. ’91), Miami attorney, was elected to the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Board of Directors.

Bruce McNeilage (B.S. ’88), co-founder of Kinloch Partners LLC and Harpeth Development LLC, and Ray Hensler (B.S. ’90), Hensler Development Group president, were featured in The Tennessean for their impact on the rise of condos in Nashville.

Kim Davis Wilson (B.A. ’88, M.B.A. ’89), president and CEO of Bank of Early and One South Financial Inc., as well as chair, president and CEO of One South Bank, was elected to serve a two-year term as an at-large member on the board of the Georgia Bankers Association.

Alexander S. “Alex” Douglas II (J.D. ’89), ShuffieldLowman partner, was named a 2015 Florida Super Lawyer.

Sean Pittman (A.A. ’89, B.S. ’90, J.D. ’94), Circle of Gold honoree, was recognized with the 2015 Leadership Florida® Distinguished Member Award.

Matt Raulerson (B.S. ’89) joined the Southwest Florida law firm of Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz P.A. as a trial attorney focusing on civil litigation.

Clara Reynolds (B.S. ’91, M.S.W. ’93) became CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. Jeffery D. Seay (B.A. ’91), FSU news/ research writer and editor-in-chief of State Faculty-Staff Bulletin, is serving as 2015 co-president of the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement in Blountstown, Florida.

Nancy Simon (B.S. ’91) and her husband, Dave, patented hands-free stands for tablets, books and e-readers through their company, LEVO. Pat Carter (B.S. ’92), former Florida State tight end, was inducted into the FSU Athletic Hall of Fame for 2015.

Benjamin “Ben” Crump (B.S. ’92, J.D. ’95), Parks & Crump law firm founder and partner, was sworn in as the 73rd president of the National Bar Association.

Gregory Meier (B.S. ’92), ShuffieldLowman partner, was named a 2015 Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine.

Joe Ostaszewski (B.S. ’92, M.S. ’03), former FSU defensive lineman and Wear Your Soul Foundation co-founder, teamed up with “The Doctors” TV show to help an obese teen and overweight family overcome food addiction.

Peyton Woodroffe (B.S. ’92) joined TLC Engineering for Architecture’s Gulf Coast Operations division as director of business development.

Sara Blakely (B.S. ’93), founder of Spanx and recent investor in the Atlanta Hawks, was named

by Forbes as one of “The World’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs of 2015.”

Todd Combs (B.S. ’93), Berkshire Hathaway Inc. portfolio manager, was highlighted in Bloomberg News for his lead role in Berkshire CEO Warren Buffett’s deal to purchase Precision Castparts Corp. for $37.2 billion.

Lynne S. Crosby (M.S. ’93) was named assistant provost and assistant vice president of academic affairs at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee.

John Rivers (B.S. ’89) is the founder of 4Rivers Smokehouse, which was recognized as No. 5 in the book “The 100 Best Barbecue Restaurants in America” by Johnny Fugitt.

Nanette Schimpf (B.S. ’89), vice president of Moore Communications Group, was named FPRA Capital City Chapter president.

1990s Travis Miller (B.S. ’91, J.D. ’94), Radey Law Firm shareholder and president, was recognized in Chambers USA 2015 for insurance law.

Mark Pritchett (Ph.D. ’91) was named president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

CLASS NOTES

John Crossman (B.S. ’93), FSU Alumni Association National Board director and president of Crossman & Co., had his company recognized as a Top Sales Firm by the CoStar 2014 Power Broker Awards and awarded ONYX magazine’s Publishers Award for promoting real estate education in historically black colleges and universities.

Luann Powers Gliwski (B.S. ’93) joined a team of professional interior designers at Romanza Interior Design.

JIM RUSSELL (B.S. ’91) Over the course of 200 miles, Jim Russell proved that mental illness doesn’t have to be a barrier to success.

On June 11, the FSU Police Department major and FSUPD Cycling Team member bicycled to Panama City, pedaling back to Tallahassee the next day for his “Unconquered Ride.”

“I melded my personal journey and the university motto into one thought,” he says. “It highlights the idea of hope for me, that there’s always some new thing I can attain and some new challenge I can conquer,” says Russell, who was diagnosed with major depressive disorder in 2010 and aims to shatter the stigma of mental illness.

A fine arts major when he enrolled at FSU, he switched to criminology after going on a ride-along with his police officer brother-in-law.

“The education I got at FSU gave me the ability to discover my interest and find my niche in life,” says Russell, now in his 23rd year on the force. “Police work has been the best means for me to be an advocate and to make a difference in the world.”

Vires 55

CLASS NOTES

Candi Obrentz (B.A. ’93) received a design patent for her invention RestoPresto®, a small pouch that converts to a durable, water-repellent mat.

Sabrina Vickers (B.S.N. ’93), Chaffe McCall LLP partner, was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2016.

Suzanne H. Van Wyk (M.S.P. ’94, J.D. ’94), an administrative law judge with the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings and FSU College of Law Alumni Association board member, was reappointed to the board of The Florida Bar Foundation.

Richie Beyer (B.S. ’95), Elmore County (Alabama) engineer, was named Rural County Engineer of the Year by the National Association of County Engineers.

Ryan Dorrell (B.S. ’95) is co-founder and CTO of AgileThought, which made the INC 500/5000 list for the eighth consecutive year. The company includes COO Jeff Alagood (B.S. ’94) and President and CEO David Romine (B.S. ’96).

Michelle Albert (B.S. ’98, M.Accg. ’99) was promoted to partner at Ernst & Young LLP, where she is a member of the company’s transaction advisory services practice.

Jennifer Fitzgerald (B.A. ’98, M.S.P. ’01) is the CEO and co-founder of online insurance broker PolicyGenius Inc., which was launched in 2014 and secured $5.3 million in Series A funds to help individuals find insurance.

Roberto Vargas (J.D. ’98), Jones, Foster, Johnston & Stubbs P.A. shareholder, was named a 2015 Florida Super Lawyer for business litigation and recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2016.

Joe Gruters (B.S. ’99), FSU Board trustee and Sarasota Republican Party chairman since 2008, won the role of vice chair of the Republican Party of Florida, which will provide him a larger role in preparing the GOP for the 2016 presidential election.

Photo by Andrew Wardlow Photography

Joel Erdmann (Ph.D. ’95), University of South Alabama director of athletics, will serve as chair of the Division I Baseball Committee during the 2015–16 academic year.

CAROL EDWARDS (Ph.D. ’92) For Carol Edwards, it’s a Seminole homecoming.

In August she became dean of FSU’s Panama City campus and its College of Applied Studies.

As an art education doctoral student in the early ’90s, Edwards would catch an FSU van to Panama City to teach prospective teachers the role of art in elementary school.

“It was like the circle coming all the way closed,” Edwards says of her new posting. For the past eight years, she was professor of art education and dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Texas Tech.

As dean, she’ll lead a campus that in 2009 was in danger of shutting down because of funding shortfalls. But now there’s talk of adding residence halls and expanding programs.

“It’s a pivotal time for the Panama City campus,” she says, “and I feel fortunate to be a part of it.”

Edwards says her early days teaching in Panama City were formative.

“I didn’t know it then, but I was gaining leadership skills,” she adds. “They’re the foundation for everything I have done over the years.”

56 Vires

Agustin Corbella (M.P.A. ’96) was promoted to senior director of Greenberg Traurig LLP’s government law and policy practice in Tallahassee.

Rebecca Post (B.A. ’96, M.A. ’97), vice president of business operations at Post Insurance & Financial Inc., won the Communicator of the Year Award from the Florida Public Relations Association Treasure Coast Chapter in the nonprofit category.

Jean Bates (B.S. ’97, M.B.A. ’08), co-owner of Lucy & Leo’s Cupcakery, opened a second north-side location in Tallahassee and celebrated the business’ six-year anniversary.

Cindy Crawford (B.S. ’97), Greenspoon Marder Law senior counsel attorney in West Palm Beach, was selected to the 2015 Class of Leaders in the Law by the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.

Gigi Rollini (B.A. ’97, J.D. ’03, M.P.A. ’03), Messer Caparello P.A. shareholder and attorney, was recognized by the Florida Association for Women Lawyers as one of Florida’s Extraordinary Women, named a 2015 Florida Super Lawyer in appellate law and a 2015 Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine.

Betty Jeanne Taylor (B.S. ’97, M.S. ’99), University of Texas assistant vice president for strategic initiatives, received the university’s 2015 President’s Outstanding Staff Award.

J. Cameron Yarbrough (B.S. ’97) joined Gunster law firm in Tallahassee as a government affairs consultant.

Diane Langlois (Ph.D. ’99), painter, had her work featured at Agora Gallery in New York as part of “Beyond Borders: An Exhibition of Fine Arts from Canada.”

Ernest L. “Buddy” Levins (B.A. ’99) was appointed to the position of regional shellfish specialist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Marc Ostroff (B.F.A. ’99, M.B.A. ’00) was promoted to CFO at visual effects studio Atomic Fiction.

Ryan Young (B.S. ’99), Emmy Award-winning journalist, joined CNN’s Chicago bureau as a national correspondent.

2000s Erin Blumer (B.S. ’00) joined the law firm of Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt P.A.’s estate planning and administration division.

Ginger Barry Boyd (J.D. ’00), Broad and Cassel partner, was named a 2015 Florida Rising Star.

Coronta V. “Tay” Cody Sr. (B.S. ’00), former FSU cornerback and member of the 1999 National Championship team, was inducted into the FSU Athletic Hall of Fame for 2015.

Allison Harrell (B.S. ’00, M.Accg. ’01), Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. shareholder, was appointed to the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship’s Outreach Fellows Program at FSU, where she will share her expertise with smallbusiness owners and nonprofit leaders within North Florida for a year.

Ed Mansouri (M.S. ’00), CEO of Ucompass, which is the technology company behind WeatherSTEM, donated a new weather data system to protect FSU and enhance research capabilities at FSU’s main and Panama City campuses, Coastal & Marine Laboratory and The Ringling.

Jason Hamilton Mikes (B.S. ’00), founder of Hamilton Mikes P.A. in Naples, Florida, was named a 2015 Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star.

Brett Oldford (B.S. ’00) joined The Wantman Group’s Land Development Division as director of municipal engineering.

Jill Ashton (B.S. ’01) was named director of development for Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

Esmeralda Garcia (B.A. ’01), former FSU track and field athlete, was inducted into the FSU Athletic Hall of Fame for 2015.

Melanie Baum (B.F.A. ’03) graduated in May with a Master of Divinity degree and The Mary Long GrierHugh Davies Award in Preaching from Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey.

Nick Lucena (B.S. ’03) won the AVP Manhattan Beach Open beach volleyball tournament in California in August.

Luke Savage (B.S. ’03, J.D. ’06) was promoted to partner in the Miami office of Allen Norton & Blue P.A., where he practices labor and employment law.

Brandi Stuart (B.S. ’03, M.S. ’05), former FSU softball player, was inducted into the FSU Athletic Hall of Fame for 2015.

George Reasner (M.F.A. ’04) was director of photography on a live concert shoot in June in Los Angeles for Grammy-winning country band Lady Antebellum, with a team of camera operators that included Brian Hoodenpyle (M.F.A. ’95), Rory King (M.F.A. ’96) and Paul Mayne (M.F.A. ’97).

KIRK ENGLEHARDT (B.S. ’94)

Holly Bauman (B.S. ’06), ARCADIS roadway engineer, was recognized by Engineer News-Record with the “Top 20 Under 40” award as a remarkable young professional in design and construction.

Playing trumpet for the FSU Marching Chiefs and directing research communication at Georgia Tech seem completely different. But don’t tell Kirk Englehardt.

“Being in the marching band helped me learn how to balance multiple big projects,” he says.

“You’re taking your classes, studying for tests and practicing five nights a week. And then all day Saturday you’re doing football games or traveling.”

John Mula (D.M. ’01), master gunnery sergeant, performed on “Late Show with David Letterman” during a taping of the show with first lady Michelle Obama as a member of “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band playing the clarinet.

Monica Surrency (B.A. ’01, M.S. ’14) was promoted to senior instructional designer at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide Campus.

T. John Costello Jr. (B.S. ’02) joined Wollman, Gehrke & Solomon P.A. in Naples, Florida.

Zachary Gill (B.A. ’02), Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz P.A. partner, was recognized

by Florida Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in personal injury litigation for the fourth consecutive year.

Scott Knapp (B.S. ’02), Broad and Cassel partner, was named to The Florida Bar’s Seventeenth Circuit Grievance Committee “J.”

Photo by Laura Ferreira

Mindy Perkins (M.S. ’01) was named president of VR Systems, an elections management technology provider for which she has worked for 14 years and previously served as executive vice president.

Steven Rickards (D.M. ’01), Marian University Indianapolis private instructor of voice, was awarded a Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship by the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

CLASS NOTES

Photo by Rob Felt, Georgia Tech

Vanessa Fuchs (B.S. ’01), senior associate athletic director/senior woman administrator and former FSU women’s basketball player, was named DI Administrator of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators.

Grasford W. Smith (B.S. ’02), Jones, Foster, Johnston & Stubbs P.A. shareholder, was named in the Daily Business Review’s 2015 Class for Rising Stars (40 under 40) and a 2015 Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star in business litigation.

Etienne Charles (B.A. ’06), Michigan State University assistant professor of jazz studies, received a Guggenheim Fellowship for Music Composition.

Taylor Collins (B.S. ’06), vice president of Professional Benefits Inc., was named one of 20 of the 2015 Employee Benefit Adviser Rising Stars for professionals ages 35 and under by Employee Benefit News.

Englehardt faces similar demands at Georgia Tech, where since 2012 he’s created and managed strategic communication around the university’s more than $700 million research efforts.

He helped develop the university’s Integrated Strategic Communication and Marketing Plan for Research, which in 2014 drove a 15-percent increase in industry-sponsored research.

Englehardt, who starts a new position in January as vice chancellor for marketing and communication at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, still takes time to watch the Marching Chiefs online to stay connected to his beloved alma mater. “Many of the friends I made through Marching Chiefs are still part of my life,” he says. “We’re a family that shares a deep passion for all things FSU.”

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CLASS NOTES

Nicole Dial (B.A. ’06) became the university relations representative at DreamWorks Animation in Glendale, California.

Patrick Downes (B.S. ’06, M.B.A. ’08), 2014 FSU Alumni Association Thirty Under 30 Award recipient, was named CEO of Coral Gables Hospital after serving the past four years as the COO of Hialeah Hospital.

Eric Policastro (B.S. ’06) joined Deans & Lyons LLP law firm in Dallas as a trial attorney.

Beckie Share (B.S. ’06, M.S. ’11) was named head of lower school by Episcopal Day School of Christ Church Parish in Pensacola.

Gabe Crook (B.S. ’07) joined Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. in the assurance services department.

Ellison on the set of “Good Morning America.”

MARQUIS ELLISON (B.S. ’05) From the day Marquis Ellison first knotted one in 2011, he’s been hooked on bow ties.

“It’s an elegant, distinguished look,” he explains. “If you want to stand out, bow ties are the way to go.”

Ellison’s product has hit home: His bow ties can be purchased at the FSU Bookstore.

58 Vires

2010s Lucy Brabham (B.S. ’10) was named associate head of lower school at Episcopal Day School of Christ Church Parish in Pensacola.

Terin Barbas Cremer (J.D. ’10, M.B.A. ’10), 2013 FSU Alumni Association Thirty Under 30 Award recipient, was named the chief human resources officer of Bankers Financial Corp.

D.C. Reeves (B.S. ’07) was named the inaugural sports director for BlabTV, which reaches the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama.

Jennifer Aronson (B.A. ’08) joined Tully Rinckey PLLC’s Rochester, New York, law office as an associate.

Kathleen DeGuzman (B.A. ’10) earned a doctorate in English from Vanderbilt University.

Jake Howse (B.S. ’10) relocated to St. Petersburg with SecurAmerica, where he will serve as business development manager for Florida.

But it’s about more than appearances. A portion of proceeds goes toward research on Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel condition that Ellison has, and breast cancer, which claimed his aunt.

“That really lit the fire for me,” says Ellison, who left FSU with advice that guides him. “Never be complacent. And always think outside of the box.”

Michael Belanger (B.A. ’09) was promoted to corporate communications senior advisor at Dell’s headquarters in Texas.

Joshua Mikel (B.A. ’07) won the 2015 Essential Theatre Playwriting Contest for Georgia playwrights with his play “Lillian Likes It.”

In 2014 he created Marquis Rashoid, a New York-based firm that makes handcrafted bow ties and pocket squares. His bow ties were featured during New York Fashion Week that fall. As creative director/designer, Ellison has developed more than 100 designs.

As a fashion merchandising major at FSU, Ellison initially wanted to peddle T-shirts after taking a class on running a small business. During the course, Tallahassee business owners shared their startup experiences.

Michael Vente (B.A. ’08, B.S. ’08), who earned master’s degrees in international administration and public policy from the University of Denver in 2014, joined the Colorado Department of Higher Education as a research and information policy officer/analyst.

Carisa Champion-Lippmann (B.S. ’08), 2014 FSU Alumni Association Thirty Under 30 and Askew Young Alumni Award recipient, and Nova Southeastern University medical student, was appointed to the American Osteopathic Association Board of Trustees as its student representative.

Katie Tona (B.S. ’08) is co-owner of the beauty salon Just Blow It–Blow Dry Bar & Boutique, which opened in Orlando this past June.

Eric Mennel (B.A. ’10), Gimlet Media producer, won an Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association for a story he did while working for WUNC-National Public Radio in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on a state-sponsored eugenics program and the difficulty of victim compensation cases.

Kate Pankoke (B.S. ’10) designed fashion for Olympian Tara Lipinski to wear at the 2015 Kentucky Derby.

Lindsey Simmons (B.S. ’10) and Kristin Moody (B.S. ’12), Kappa Alpha Theta alumnae, launched Hidden Arrow, an online shopping experience that provides hand-selected clothing and accessories.

Laura Westerman Tanner (J.D. ’10), Burr & Forman LLP associate, was selected to the Hillsborough County Bar Association Leadership Class of 2015–16.

Peter Tragos (B.S. ’10, J.D. ’13) was named a partner in the Law Offices of Tragos, Sartes & Tragos.

Madison VanVeelen (B.A. ’10) was elected to the board of Pal Craftaid, which sells fair trade goods and redirects profits to support health and education ministries in Palestine/Israel.

Patrick Gines (B.F.A. ’11), partner and creative director at Frame production company, Bryan Zhang (B.F.A. ’11), Frame director/editor, Peter K. LeVake (M.F.A. ’13), Frame production manager, and Ines Michelena (B.F.A. ’15), Frame production assistant, produced “Raise the Torch: The Campaign for Florida State,” which received a Bronze 2015 CASE Circle of Excellence Award for Fundraising–Long Videos.

Elvaro Jimenez (B.S. ’11), Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles application systems programmer, is co-owner, general manager and COO of Isabella’s Pizzeria, which opened in Tallahassee this summer.

Melanie Leitman (J.D. ’11), Messer Caparello P.A. attorney, was named a 2015 Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star.

Christian Stewart (B.S. ’11), former FSU basketball player, earned her doctorate of audiology from the University of Tennessee and completed a clinical externship at Veterans Administration Hospital in Decatur, Georgia.

Pradiip Alvarez (B.S. ’12, M.S. ’14), 2015 Thirty Under 30 Award recipient (see page 44), was named one of 30 finalists for the Kruger Cowne Rising Star program, which will send a young global leader into space.

Christina Campagnola (B.F.A. ’12) was promoted to coordinator in the Independent Film Group at the Agency for the Performing Arts in New York.

Jessica Goldbaum (B.M. ’12) was selected as one of five American musicians to participate in the International Cultural Exchange for Classical Musicians and will be placed in a 10-month residency performance program with the Sarajevo Philharmonic in Bosnia.

Beau Moultrie (B.S. ’12), Crossman & Co. associate, represented Wells Fargo Bank in the $1.2 million property transfer of New London Professional Park in Snellville, Georgia, to Shalom New London LLC. Michael Simpson (M.D. ’12) joined Baptist Medical Group’s hospitalist program and physician network; he will care for patients at Baptist and Gulf Breeze hospitals.

Rebekah Suellau (M.S. ’12, M.F.A. ’12) attended the Dramatists Guild National Conference as one of 10 recipients of the Dramatists Guild Fund #WriteChange Scholarship based on essays.

CLASS NOTES

C. Tyler Capo (B.F.A. ’13) joined Falcon’s Treehouse in Orlando as an editing assistant.

Ritisha K. Chhaganlal (J.D. ’14) joined The Health Law Firm as an attorney in Altamonte Springs, Florida.

Amanda Jansen, Helen Kraus, Brittany McEwen and Sonja Townsend (B.S. ’14, M.S. ’14), graduates of FSU’s Exceptional Student Education combined bachelor’s and master’s degree program, spent the summer in India to train volunteer teachers to work with special-needs students.

Stephanie DeLorenzo (M.S.P. ’15) was hired as the disaster program manager of the Northern South Carolina chapter of the American Red Cross.

Colleen Quigley (B.S. ’15), former FSU track and field athlete, was honored as one of 57 Division I female student-athletes to be named 2015 Woman of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Brad Stoddard (Ph.D. ’15) was named an assistant professor of religious studies at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland.

FRIENDS Lucy Ho, FSU Opera’s costumer for 45 years until retirement in 2014, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from FSU in recognition of her service to FSU and Tallahassee, where she owns AZU and MASA restaurants.

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JOE STRECHAY (M.S. ’11) Like the fictional superhero he mentored, Joe Strechay knows the challenges of being visually impaired.

Earlier this year, Strechay was a “blindness tech” for “Marvel’s Daredevil,” a Netflix program about a blind superhero. On set, he taught actor Charlie Cox how to accurately portray a blind character.

At 11, Strechay started losing his eyesight to a genetic disorder that affects the retina. By 19, he was legally blind. But the condition emboldened him to be a resource for the more than 7.3 million visually impaired Americans.

Recently, Strechay became director of the Bureau on Blindness and Vision Services for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. From 2009–15, he worked for the American Foundation for the Blind’s CareerConnect, which offers advice on navigating the employment process.

“You want to make sure you sell yourself first, and then also address your disability in a tactful and practical way,” he says.

Strechay credits his master’s degree in education with a focus on visual disabilities with providing the foundation for his career. “The FSU program was definitely about making a difference in the lives of children and adults.”

Vires 59

Photo courtesy of the American Foundation for the Blind

Tansy Michaud (B.F.A. ’11) launched a boutique camp and travel brand for women, Village and Wild.

Lee Warwick (B.S. ’12) was designated an information professional in the U.S. Navy, a position that accounts for only 1 percent of naval officers, after earning his master’s degree in information systems management from American Sentinel University.

IN M EMORIA M 1930s Jean H. (née Haselton) Lenkerd (B.A. ’32) Kathleen L. (née Long) Tew (B.A. ’33) Wava G. (née Godwin) Howard (B.S. ’35) Barbara B. (née Bell) Marcoux (B.S. ’35) Rosa A. (née Doub) Nash (B.S. ’35) Carlena W. (née Walsh) Gray (L.I. ’37, B.A. ’44) Sue W. (née Whitaker) McNevin (B.S. ’37) Mae W. (née Whitten) Persons (B.S. ’37) Jane K. (née Cralle) Hall-Witt (B.A. ’38) Ethel A. (née Ashburn) Lambrecht (L.I. ’39)

1940s Eleanor S. (née Scott) Brandon (B.S. ’40) Evalena R. (née Rader) Cates (B.S. ’40) Hilda A. (née Alagood) Blitch (B.S. ’41) Rudine L. (née Light) Dykes (B.A. ’41) Eloise S. (née Steele) French (B.A. ’41) Jenn G. (née Gilbert) Van Brunt (B.A. ’41) Joan W. (née Weaver) Walker (B.A. ’41) Ruth M. (née May) Braden (B. ’42) Marguerite L. (née Lowe) King (B.A. ’42) Sadie L. (née Lentz) Lobo (B.S. ’42) Frances H. (née Howze) Pickard (B.A. ’42) Lenoir D. (née Dekle) Warren (B.A. ’42) Mary R. (née Rhame) Aucremann (B.S. ’43, M.S. ’46)

DAVID WARD-STEINMAN (B.M. ’57) One of FSU’s “100 Distinguished Graduates,” David WardSteinman was an accomplished composer, music professor and pianist. He died April 14, 2015, at age 78.

After earning his Bachelor of Music from FSU, he received his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton and Fulbright Senior Scholar to Australia.

Ward-Steinman served 42 years as a Distinguished Professor at San Diego State University. Since 2003, he’d been an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

He is survived by his wife, Patrice Madura WardSteinman; two children, Matthew and Jenna; and three grandchildren.

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Annie C. (née Cannon) Lewis (B.A. ’43) Geraldine G. (née Galloway) Randle (B.S. ’43) Jean L. (née Lloyd) Berry (B.S. ’44) Beverly Dew Cady (B.S. ’44) Octavia L. (née McGeachy) Coker (B.S. ’44) Nina W. (née Watson) Cottrell (B.S. ’44) Charlotte J. (née Jordan) Logan (B.S. ’44) Frances R. (née Rogers) McKenzie (B.A. ’44) Priscilla G. Reynolds (B.S. ’44) Minnie J. (née Reynolds) Starks (B.A. ’44) Virginia P. (née Palmer) Swindal (B.A. ’44) Frances C. (née Choate) Carlson (B.S. ’45) Doris E. Dunn (B.A. ’45) Virginia U. (née Updike) Herndon (B.S. ’45) Betty L. (née Boynton) Shelfer (B.S. ’45) Bonnie L. (née Kindig) Swenholt (B.S. ’45) Carolyn B. (née Bailey) Willis (B.S. ’45) Betty L. (née Henneke) Adams (B.S. ’46) Lillian A. (née Ardd) Ashton (B.S. ’46) Barbara B. (née Bell) Kidd (B.A. ’46) Elizabeth A. (née Bishop) Miller (B.A. ’46) Ethel E. (née Eassa) Ritchie (B.A. ’46) Carolyn E. (née Abrams) Russell (B.A. ’46) Roesetta D. (née Darling) Boliek (B.S. ’47) Coline (née Gunn) Cain (B.S. ’47) Ruth E. (née Ervin) Davis (B.A. ’47, M.A. ’48) Sarah C. (née Griffin) Harrison (B.A. ’47) Rachel C. (née Chambers) Peacock (B.S. ’47, M.S. ’58) Alice W. (née Wheeler) Robotham (B.M. ’47) Marvis C. (née Core) Fordham (B.S. ’48) Kathleen W. (née Wagner) Funderburk (B.S. ’48, M.S. ’62) Hilda E. (née Grant) Winterle (B.S. ’48) William H. Byrom (B.S. ’49) Dan H. Dolack (B.S. ’49) Rachel C. (née Chesnut) Harrison (B.A. ’49) Carol M. (née Murrell) Hiers (B.S. ’49) James B. Howard (B.S. ’49, M.S. ’56) Florence L. Lyles (B.A. ’49) Milton P. McArthur (B.S. ’49) Robert B. Moler Sr. (B.S. ’49) Edna A. (née Wamble) Nichols (B.A. ’49) Hildegarde A. Pacetti (B.S. ’49) Howard S. Patton (B.S. ’49, M.S. ’50) James M. Phillips Jr. (B.A. ’49, M.A. ’52) Murray H. Voth (B.S. ’49, M.S. ’51)

1950s Mary Vivian Atkinson (B.A. ’50) Lawrence E. Bodkin Sr. (B.S. ’50) Margaret H. (née Hodgson) Buford (B.S. ’50) Jan M. (née Morgan) Colcord (B.S. ’50) James Q. Collier (B.S. ’50, M.S. ’51) Gilmore M. Cox (B.S. ’50) Carlos E. Deason (B.S. ’50, M.S. ’53, M.M.E. ’70) John C. Dicks Jr. (B.S. ’50) Bettye M. (née Myrick) Dupree (B.A. ’50) Allan G. Gimbel Sr. (B.S. ’50)

Charles D. Hickman (B.S. ’50) Miriam H. (née Haynes) Holland (B.A. ’50) Giles O. Lofton III (B.S. ’50) Robert M. Mangham (B.S. ’50) William Daniel Lee Pryor (M.A. ’50, Ph.D. ’59) Nettie A. (née Rankin) Revell (B.S. ’50) Doris L. (née Wolfe) Swaney (B.S. ’50) Marvin A. Urquhart Jr. (B.S. ’50) Camilla B. (née Bartley) Weems (B.S. ’50) Sarah J. (née Hinton) Wieland (B.S. ’50) Jane T. (née Taprell) Wynn (B.S. ’50) Jennie L. Adams (B.S. ’51) Allen R. Booth (B.S. ’51) Ann J. (née Jackson) Courson (B.S. ’51) Zada V. Hamilton (B.S. ’51) Jane R. (née Reese) Poston (B.S. ’51) Nancy T. (née Tribble) Benda (B.S. ’52, M.S. ’69) Wayne W. Benner (B.S. ’52) Herbert J. Seckel (B.S. ’52) Yvonne T. (née Tomasello) Stahl (B.S. ’52) Joanne H. (née Hempstead) Stanfill (B.S. ’52) Ralph J. George (B.S. ’53) Peggy P. (née Page) Gilbert (B.S. ’53) Barbara R. (née Ruth) Jones (B.S. ’53) Donald S. Langellier (M.M.E. ’53) Joseph F. Lester (B.S. ’53) Shirley A. (née Allen) McDaniel (B.S. ’53) Betty G. (née Gaskin) Owens (B.S. ’53, M.S. ’92) William B. Petry (B.S. ’53) Miriam S. (née Shannon) Blount (B.S. ’54) Roger M. Busfield Jr. (Ph.D. ’54) James P. Crowther Jr. (B.S. ’54) Kenneth J. Cruger (B.S. ’54) Jean W. (née Wetherell) Crutchfield (B.S. ’54) Norbert G. Didier (B.S. ’54) Dolores D. (née Dobbin) Ewing (B.S. ’54) Charles E. Gray Jr. (B.A. ’54) Patrick R. Kelly (M.A. ’54) Joanette H. (née Hart) McMillan (B.S. ’54) Clynch Newsome Jr. (B.S. ’54) Frank S. Shaw Jr. (B.S. ’54) Paul H. Wragg Jr. (B.S. ’54, Ph.D. ’81) Joanne C. (née Cusack) Crane (B.A. ’55) Robert R. Crittenden (B.S. ’55) Gladys W. (née Wiggins) Foster (B.S. ’55) Charlie M. Harrison (B.S. ’55) Christopher A. Johnson Jr. (B.S. ’55) David T. Kennedy (B.S. ’55) Bert McIntosh (B.S. ’55) William F. Perry Sr. (B.S. ’55, M.S. ’56) Dorothy R. (née Gray) Richter (M.A. ’55) Alfred O. Shuler (B.S. ’55) Norman J. Smith (B.S. ’55) Betty L. Struth (B.S. ’55) Gloria W. (née Worthing) Wrenn (B.S. ’55) S. Beatrice (née Cruce) Coleman (B.S. ’56) Shelby C. Creagh (B.M. ’56) William H. Edwards (M.S. ’56) Martha T. Lanier (M.S. ’56)

ROB ERT M. “BOB” J O HN SO N (B.S. ’58) Emma B. (née Buck) Lee (B.A. ’56) Thomas B. Lukers (B.S. ’56) W.S. Martin (B.S. ’56) Kenneth W. Nelson (B.M. ’56) Patricia P. (née Potter) Strickland (B.S. ’56) Mary D. (née Davis) Wade (B.S. ’56) Donald O. Alford (B.S. ’57), former FSU Alumni Association National Board director and 2014 Commitment to Excellence Award recipient from the Emeritus Alumni Society, died May 4, 2015, at age 79.

Alan H. Drake (M.M. ’57, Ph.D. ’65) J. Harvey Hall Sr. (B.S. ’57) Donald F. Hampton (B.S. ’57) Horst R. Heinemann (B.A. ’57) Elisabeth S. (née Stainer) Lannuier (B.A. ’57) John L. Morat (B.S. ’57) William L. Osterhoudt Sr. (B.S. ’57) Shimer Z. Pinckney (B.S. ’57) Donald F. Rutledge (B.S. ’57) Alfred H. Tebault Jr. (B.S. ’57) Don R. Westbrook (B.S. ’57) Susan K. (née Kirkconnell) Coursen (B.A. ’58) Kathleen T. (née Thomason) Crawford (B.S. ’58) Bill F. Fitzpatrick (B.S. ’58) Grover P. Hopkins (B.A. ’58) Wallace E. Jones (B.S. ’58) William C. Kilian (B.S. ’58) Roy T. Loyd (M.S. ’58) James E. Mahoney Sr. (B.S. ’58, M.S. ’61) Shirley H. Rachels (B.S. ’58) John W. Rogers Jr. (B.S. ’58) Phillip J. Sarris (B.S. ’58) Robert B. Somers (M.A. ’58) Jeremiah J. Sullivan (B.A. ’58) Mary L. (née Anderson) Watford (B.S. ’58) Desse P. (née Pinckard) Anthony (B.S. ’59) Barbara J. (née Rogers) Axon (B.S. ’59) Patricia C. (née Clark) Barfield (B.S. ’59) Charles S. Blosch (B.M. ’59) Kathleen L. Borland Buckman (B.S. ’59) Robert L. Campbell (B.S. ’59) Patricia M. (née Mickler) Dawson (B.S. ’59) Karolyn B. (née Bardin) Diefenbach (B.S. ’59) Lee W. Finks (M.A. ’59) Houston L. Ham Sr. (B.S. ’59) Johnna S. (née Sandusky) Harris (B.A. ’59) Virginia J. Hayden (B.S. ’59) Philip J. Kendal (B.S. ’59) Sidney G. Kennedy III (M.M. ’59) Marcial V. Lavina (M.A. ’59) Mildred P. (née Penton) Richbourg (B.S. ’59, M.S. ’73) Barbara L. (née Levsky) Rosenblum (M.A. ’59) Lavinia W. (née Williams) Shaver (B.S. ’59) Wesley C. Whiteside (Ph.D. ’59)

1960s Gary S. Bailey (B.S. ’60) Wesley G. Benton (M.S. ’60) Royce M. Bonds (B.S. ’60) George John Cajoleas (B.S. ’60) Gary G. Dubois II (B.S. ’60) William J. Elmore Jr. (B.S. ’60) Edgar T. Fields (B.S. ’60) Franklin L. Jones (B.M. ’60, M.M.E. ’75) Bruce E. Miller (B.S. ’60) Charles E. Mire (B.S. ’60) Janellen O. Music (B.S. ’60) Patricia M. (née Murrell) Pratt (B.M.E. ’60) Lois J. (née Colley) Thomas (B.S. ’60) James A. Wilkinson Jr. (M.S. ’60) Neil G. Carn (B.S. ’61, M.S. ’62) Eldon G. Elam (B.S. ’61) Charles R. Freed (B.S. ’61) David E. Harrington (M.S. ’61) Joan M. (née Moore) Harrison (B.S. ’61) Jacqueline O. (née O’Hare) McCormick (B.S. ’61) Carol E. (née Ellinor) Miller (B.S. ’61) Ann R. (née Roberson) Morris (Ph.D. ’61) William A. Thomas (B.A. ’61) D. Jack Ewalt Sr. (B.S. ’62) Douglas O. Shank (B.S. ’62) George M. Trebour (B.A. ’62) Rhonda M. Causey (B.S. ’63) Henry G. Cox Jr. (B.S. ’63) Gary E. Darby (B.S. ’63) Richard L. Derby (B.S. ’63) Thomas C. Gavlick (B.S. ’63) Faye E. (née Owens) Grant (B.S. ’63, M.S. ’77) Kenneth R. Murray (B.S. ’63) Andrew P. Torres Jr. (B.S. ’63) Joe K. Trauerman Jr. (M.S. ’63) Harman D. Burck (Ph.D. ’64) Elaine L. Coffin (B.A. ’64) Marilyn L. Heistand (B.S. ’64, M.S. ’68) Donald R. Matthews (B.S. ’64) George R. Miller (B.A. ’64) Nathan C. Miller (Ph.D. ’64) Judith N. (née Nealing) Powell (B.A. ’64) Susan M. (née Burkhart) Ramaeker (B.A. ’64, M.S. ’71) Lionel W. Roberts (M.A. ’64) Barbara D. (née Davis) Barket (B.S. ’65) Thelma B. (née Bates) Cabaniss (B.S. ’65) Donald W. Davis (B.M. ’65) Phillip R. Jacowitz (B.S. ’65) David B. Norman (M.S. ’65) John M. Tomas (B.S. ’65) David P. Bashor (B.S. ’66, Ph.D. ’72) Elton E. Burgstahler (Ph.D. ’66) Barbara E. Eidson (M.S. ’66) Marabeth M. (née Miller) Farmer (B.S. ’66) Lawrence A. Finn Jr. (B.S. ’66) Marvin P. Harm (M.S. ’66) Robert W. Lockett Jr. (B.S. ’66)

From Depression-era Barberton, Ohio, to public service in Sarasota, Robert M. “Bob” Johnson was a vital advocate for the state’s arts and education and for Florida State University.

He died Aug. 31, 2015, at age 80.

At FSU, Johnson flourished in Sigma Chi fraternity, FSU’s Flying High Circus, Garnet and Gold Key, Torchbearers and ROTC before earning a bachelor’s degree in political science.

He served in the Air Force, then pursued a Master of Divinity degree at Duke University and obtained his law degree from the University of Florida in 1964.

After practicing law, Johnson became a member of the Florida House (1970–76, 1982–84) and Senate (1984–92).

His work led to the preservation of Sarasota’s Myakka River, the establishment of New College of Florida and FSU’s partnership with The Ringling.

Johnson worked at Johnson, Browning & Clayton law firm until his death and was active with Sarasota Seminole Club®. He secured funding for FSU’s prestigious National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and Mote Eminent Scholars. The FSU Alumni Association recognized him in 2012 as a Grad Made Good.

He is survived by his wife, Pat; children Jeannene Mironack, Cecilia Troutt, Michael Lucci and Kathryn Sperber (A.A. ’91); and several grand- and great-grandchildren.

Robert L. McSpadden (B.S. ’66, M.S. ’69, Ed.D. ’86) Robert Gene Parish (B.S. ’66) Cherie J. (née Johnson) Shirley (B.S. ’66) Imogene F. (née Freeman) Smith (B.S. ’66) Mary J. Switzer (B.A. ’66) Anne H. (née Hair) Williams (B.A. ’66) Ernest L. Woodward (Ed.D. ’66) Donald M. Allen (B.A. ’67) Eugene R. Armstrong (B.A. ’67) Marion D. Dutton (Ph.D. ’67) Virginia K. (née Keegan) Ellson (M.S. ’67) Duane A. Franceschi (M.S. ’67) George W. Hillegass (B.S. ’67) Henry T. Janowski (B.S. ’67) Kay F. King (Ph.D. ’67) Janet A. (née Almand) Mauney (B.A. ’67, M.A. ’69, M.A. ’89, Ph.D. ’01) Irene E. (née Edwards) Maylan (M.S. ’67) Edward D. Mobley (Ph.D. ’67) Virginia L. (née Gerlat) Murdy (B.S. ’67) Barry C. Rogers (B.S. ’67) Gail G. (née Gladney) Smith (B.S. ’67, M.S. ’75) Karen W. (née Walker) Albert (B.S. ’68) Timothy G. Broxson (B.S. ’68) Vires 61

Kay H. (née Harris) Cromwell (B.S. ’68) Claudia A. (née Meyer) Donnell (B.S. ’68) Olivia B. (née Boudreau) Farrell (B.S. ’68) Howard E. Figler (Ph.D. ’68) Dale E. Hamilton (B.S. ’68) Comer E. Hobbs (B.A. ’68) Walter L. Hunt (B.S. ’68) Ronald W. McNett (B.S. ’68) Robert H. Moorer (B.S. ’68) Ellen F. (née Braterman) Pease (M.S. ’68) James S. Smiley (B.S. ’68, M.S. ’71) Robert E. Underwood (B.S. ’68) Randal E. Arno (B.A. ’69) Consuelo B. (née Blake) Baker (B.A. ’69, M.S. ’77) Benjamin J. Bond Jr. (B.A. ’69) James G. Feiber Jr. (J.D. ’69) Louis F. Gainey Jr. (B.S. ’69, M.S. ’72, Ph.D. ’76) Nancy E. (née Hahn) Hopkins (B.S. ’69) Betty B. (née Baucum) Jackson (M.S. ’69) James R. Langley (B.S. ’69) William G. Lee (B.S. ’69) Paulette C. (née Dietrick) Lukaszewski (M.M.E. ’69) Gayle S. (née Curry) Murphy (B.S. ’69) Howard D. Pryor (M.S. ’69) Earl S. Rhodes (B.S. ’69, M.S. ’71) Mary G. (née Gramling) Spooner (B.S. ’69) William N. Thurston (M.A. ’69, Ph.D. ’72) W. Daniel Weaver (B.S. ’69) Michael A. Woodson (B.S. ’69) Judith E. (née Edwards) Young (M.A. ’69)

1970s Robert J. Allen (B.S. ’70) Shirley M. (née Myers) Barrett (B.S. ’70) Martha H. (née Hodgens) Bishop (B.M. ’70) James E. Carlton (B.S. ’70) Jeffrey P. Chapman (B.S. ’70) Susan F. (née Foster) Dellcioppia (B.S. ’70) William L. Dennis (M.S. ’70) Norma J. (née Fulks) Dickau (Adv.M. ’70) Richard L. Dugger (B.S. ’70) Jesse R. Loftin Jr. (B.S. ’70) Paul R. Mills Jr. (Ph.D. ’70) William B. Muench (J.D. ’70) Alexander G. Paul III (B.S. ’70) Janet E. (née Linham) Sanders (B.S. ’70) Charles P. Smith (B.S. ’70) Linda H. (née Holmes) Stock (B.S. ’70) Elizabeth E. (née Eppele) Swanson (M.S. ’70) Joseph R. Wagner (B.S. ’70, M.B.A. ’72) Henry M. Warren (B.S. ’70) Connie L. (née Woolley) Denham (B.S. ’71) Robert F. Donaldson (B.A. ’71) Lynn S. Grefe (B.S. ’71) Donald S. Haynes (Ph.D. ’71) Judith A. Petersen (J.D. ’71) Holland K. Rogers (B.S. ’71) Keva A. Schein (B.S. ’71) Patricia K. (née Kiefer) Scholl (B.S.N. ’71) Gerald W. Skipper (B.S. ’71) Ellen E. Vanta (B.S. ’71, M.S. ’73) Satu H. (née Heinonen) Bonham (B.S. ’72) 62 Vires

Anne M. Crew (M.S. ’72) Mary T. Glynn (M.A. ’72, Ph.D. ’73) Terry Goldman (M.S. ’72, Ed.S. ’75) Kathlyn H. (née Haefner) Hare (B.S. ’72) Thomas D. Hinson (B.S. ’72) Carla L. (née Stich) Houston (B.S. ’72) Candace A. (née Anderson) Koester (B.S. ’72) Barbara J. Mitchell (B.S. ’72) Walt G. Turner (B.S.W. ’72) William R. Walberg (B.S. ’72) David T. Cooney (Ph.D. ’73) Dave M. Durrenberger (B.S. ’73) Stephen L. Maxson (B.S. ’73) Gloria G. Miles (Ph.D. ’73) Raymond A. Moore (B.S. ’73) Christine (née Downey) Moser (B.A. ’73) William L. “Bill” Oliver Jr. (M.S. ’73, Ph.D. ’78), a minister and FSU’s first director of Cooperative Education in the Division of Student Affairs, died Feb. 4, 2015, at age 84.

Pamela K. Frazier (B.S. ’74, J.D. ’86) Madolyn B. (née Buffington) Johns (B.S. ’74, M.A. ’79) Phillips T. Kimball Jr. (J.D. ’74) Louis M. Lyda II (B.M.E. ’74) Donald L. Oliveros (B.A. ’74) Claudine Payne (M.A. ’74) James E. Ray (B.S. ’74) John S. Robertson Jr. (Ph.D. ’74) Sally R. Rogers (M.A. ’74) James Z. Sherrod (B.S. ’74) David P. Skelton (B.S. ’74) Nancy D. Stutts (M.A. ’74, Ph.D. ’79) Robert P. Theis (M.S. ’74) Ronald R. Dupree (B.S. ’75) Joseph L. Gilbert (B.S. ’75) Robert McHarg (B.A. ’75) Byron P. Palls (Ph.D. ’75) Craig O. Palmer (B.A. ’75) Janet K. (née Tarpley) Scott (B.S. ’75) Christine V. (née Wilcox) Sharron (B.S. ’75, M.S. ’77) Larry J. Strickland (B.S. ’75) Leslie D. Strong (Ph.D. ’75) Phyllis W. (née Wolkins) Yon (M.S. ’75) Charles O. Aplin (Ed.S. ’76, Ph.D. ’79) William R. Browning (B.S. ’76) Sharon E. Frink (B.S. ’76) Marion J. Johnston (B.S. ’76, M.S. ’76) Helen B. Mahs (Ed.S. ’76) Cynthia E. (née Anderson) Nunez (B.F.A. ’76) Russell G. Patterson III (B.S. ’76) Richard D. Pincus (B.A. ’76) Karl E. Stupski (B.S. ’76) Sarah J. Bartko (B.S. ’77) Janell Brabenec (B.S. ’77) Lorraine K. (née Kellogg) Capria (B.S. ’77) Philip W. Doganiero (A.A. ’77, B.S. ’79) Karen T. (née Tealey) Keroack (M.S.W. ’77) Gary R. Love (B.S. ’77)

John B. MacDonald (B.A. ’77) Donald T. Rowland (B.S. ’77, M.B.A. ’78) Daniel R. Schmidt (B.S. ’77) Peter J. Wolek (B.S. ’77) Brenda C. Bennett (M.S. ’78) Doretha R. Calhoun (B.M.E. ’78) Jeffrey E. Flynn (B.S. ’78) Mary S. (née Shultz) Henderson (M.S. ’78, Ph.D. ’85) Lyman E. Holler (B.S. ’78) Frederick G. Pullen (B.S. ’78) Kathleen M. Ricou (B.A. ’78) Susan E. Urban (B.S. ’78) Douglas A. Witt (B.A. ’78, M.A. ’79) Peter D. Bianchi (B.S. ’79) Catherine L. Gillette (B.S. ’79) Mary H. Jackson (B.S. ’79, B.S. ’80) Paula A. (née King) Siragusa (B.S. ’79) Shelley F. (née Forman) Swancey (M.S.W. ’79)

1980s Patricia A. Paterson (J.D. ’80) Sarah Whitmer Foster (Ph.D. ’81) Joy J. Greiner (Ed.S. ’81, Ph.D. ’84) Richard Marion (B.S. ’81) Vincent V. Versurah Sr. (B.S. ’81) Thomas C. Gallamore (B.S. ’82) Clifford D. Johns (B.A. ’82) Richard L. Keith (D.B.A. ’82) Manuel D. Lujan (M.M. ’82) Maureen Noonan (B.S. ’82) Robert P. Whitaker (B.S. ’82) Rhonda K. (née Snell) Wilson (A.A. ’82, B.S. ’85) Frank Woodrich (Ph.D. ’82) Robert Austin III (B.A. ’83, M.P.A. ’95) Mary A. Jones (B.S. ’83) David E. Mayo (B.S. ’83) Arnold C. Penland Jr. (Ph.D. ’83) Orren R. Smith (J.D. ’83) Gary W. Tinsley (J.D. ’83) Mark S. Katic (A.A. ’84) Charles M. (née Cleveland) Taylor (B.S. ’84) Jeana B. (née Feazell) Crevasse (B.A. ’85) Ronald O. Davis (Ph.D. ’85) Lynn K. Harvey (Ph.D. ’85) Nora E. Lang (M.S. ’85) Mary J. (née Jones) Marchant (M.S. ’85) Darby D. Thompson (B.A. ’85) Daniel J. Cucchi (B.S. ’86) Charlotte S. (née Sharpe) Daly (M.A. ’86, Ph.D. ’89) James H. Evans Jr. (Ph.D. ’86) Rene G. Sager (B.A. ’86, M.B.A. ’88) Larry R. Vinson (Ph.D. ’86) Walter T. Howard (Ph.D. ’87) Vicky C. (née Roland) Persons (B.A. ’87, M.S. ’97, Ph.D. ’02) Connie M. (née Liftin) Ashey (B.S. ’88) Terry G. Warren (B.S. ’88) Elizabeth G. Wills (M.F.A. ’88) Jennifer E. (née Cervone) Zighelboim (B.S. ’88) Daniel H. Brenner (M.S.W. ’89) Bonnie J. Wells (B.S. ’89, M.S. ’89)

1990s

2010s

Sarajane W. (née Waite) Burton (M.S.W. ’90) Neil L. Christie (M.S.W. ’90) Richard E. Hoe (B.S. ’90) Karen S. (née Parks) Milton (M.A. ’90, M.S. ’94) Casey L. Shaffer (B.S. ’90, M.S.W. ’91) John T. Tracey (B.S. ’90) Robert J. Dawkins (B.S. ’92) Edward A. Flagg (B.A. ’92, M.A. ’94, Ph.D. ’98) Margaret A. Glasmacher (B.S. ’92) Theresa McGuire (B.S. ’92, B.S. ’94) Lori A. McQueen (Ed.D. ’92) David A. Rainwaters (M.A. ’92) Robin M. Tubbs (B.S. ’92) Adansi A. Amankwaa (Ph.D. ’93) Jeanne S. (née Scott) Armstrong (B.A. ’93) Eric E. Dueno (B.A. ’93) Charles A. Gifford (B.S. ’93) Jacob K. Johnson Jr. (B.S. ’93) Valerie L. Nall (B.S. ’93) Robert E. Peeples Sr. (B.S.N. ’93) Bobby L. Adams (Ph.D. ’94) Brian A. Desouza (B.S. ’94) David L. May (M.S. ’94, Ph.D. ’96) Katharyn F. (née Sutcliffe) Smith (B.S. ’95) Matthew W. Register (M.S. ’96) Andrew H. Smyth (B.S. ’96) Christopher D. Buch (A.A. ’97) Mary J. Delahunty (M.S.W. ’97) Thomas M. Stadius (B.S. ’97) Durwin A. Parish (A.A. ’98) Christina B. Sutch (J.D. ’98) Matthew W. Simpkins (B.M. ’99, M.M. ’01) Gayle G. (née Gayoso) Yates (M.Accg. ’99)

Brenda C. (née Carder) Blackwell (M.S. ’10) Donald C. “D.J.” Menz (B.S. ’10) William C. Howell (B.A. ’11) Timothy F. Simpson (Ph.D. ’11) Aleksander W. Peterson (J.D. ’13)

2000s Nelson E. Almeyda (B.A. ’00) Joseph S. Christiansen (A.A. ’00, B.S. ’02) Ashley M. Phelps (B.A. ’00) Charles B. Walker (B.S. ’00, M.S. ’05) Todd D. Foege (B.S. ’02) Laura Floyd Lytle (B.S. ’02) Jeffrey S. Parker (M.S. ’02, Ph.D. ’03) Christine Johnson (B.A. ’04, J.D. ’07) Juanita James (B.S. ’05, M.S. ’05) Andrew P. Rightler (B.S. ’05) Steven P. Baker (B.S. ’06) Cameron H. (née Huster) Beck (B.M. ’06) Kelly D. Holton (B.S. ’06) Sarah E. (née Rodgers) Rucki (B.A. ’06) Imo I. Akpan (B.S. ’07) Christina M. DeSantis (B.S. ’07, M.S. ’10) Dylan J. Whitley (B.S. ’07) Caleb J. “Josh” Halley (B.S. ’09), who portrayed FSU’s Osceola from 2004–07, died June 25, 2015, at age 33.

Lauren M. Hannon (B.S. ’09) Jennifer A. Schmidt (B.S.N. ’09)

Amy R. Grabina (B.S. ’14), former FSU Campus Recreation Intramural Sports and Sport Club supervisor, died July 18, 2015, at age 23.

Forrest C. Madewell (M.M.E. ’14)

Faculty/Staff William R. Brueckheimer Keithenia C. (née Cobb) Crumbie Evan E. Dussia II Pamela S. (née Marshall) Flood William T. Gaupin Larry K. Gross Alfred H. Grundon Jr. Joann M. (née McDaniel) Harper Annie T. Harris Thomas L. Hills Robert E. Hodges Jr.

Kurt G. Hofer Tracey A. Holmes Sr. Fate Jones Leroy Leon Frederick Leysieffer, who joined FSU in 1964, was a professor emeritus of statistics and served as a department chair, Faculty Senate president, acting and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, associate vice president for academic affairs and associate provost. He died April 14, 2015, at age 82.

Norma (née Spangler) Mastrogiacomo Sammie L. McGriff Alberta U. Overfield Nancy K. (née Kimberly) Owens George E. Reid Elston E. Roady David F. Schrader Jesse H. Shabazz Yize Shao John S. Waggaman Marc L. Weinberg Laurin A. Wollan Jr.

DUR ELL “DOC” PE A DEN JR. Durell Peaden Jr. was key to the creation of the FSU College of Medicine through his efforts to address physician shortages and underserved communities in Florida. He died June 23, 2015, at age 69.

Peaden graduated from Tulane University in 1968, earned a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1973 from Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Mexico, completed a family medicine residency through the University of Florida, and received a juris doctor from Faulkner University’s Jones School of Law in 1987.

He went from serving as a doctor in his hometown of Crestview, Florida, to serving in the Florida House (1994–2000) and Senate (2000–10). Peaden sponsored legislation creating the FSU College of Medicine and was crucial to establishing Florida A&M College of Pharmacy’s Crestview campus. As a Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine board member, he helped establish a Dental School campus in DeFuniak Springs.

Above: President Emeritus Sandy D’Alemberte (left) and Peaden (right) were instrumental in the creation of FSU’s College of Medicine. Photo by Colin Hackley

In recognition of his accomplishments, Peaden was inducted into the FSU Alumni Association’s Circle of Gold. The College of Medicine honored his legacy and generosity by naming its auditorium after him.

Peaden is survived by his wife, Nancy, and sons Durell III (Trey), Tyler and Taylen, along with grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Vires 63

64 Vires

FIFT Y ON THE 50 Seminoles Forever isn’t just a phrase — it’s a way of life for clarinetist Curtis Falany (B.S. ’69) and his wife, flutist JoEllen (B.S. ’69, M.S. ’70).

The Falanys helped found the FSU Marching Chiefs Alumni, which brought together hundreds of former Marching Chiefs this November for their annual tradition of returning to Doak Campbell Stadium for a Homecoming pre-game THE BANDIT IS BACKperformance. This marked Curtis’ 50th consecutive year taking the field.

Sixty years after he first stepped onto the FSU football field as a fleetfooted halfback, BurtView Reynolds, returnedgonol.es/MCApics Nov. 22, 2014, to lead the more78,photos: most hallowed of Seminole football traditions — planting Osceola’s spear at midfield. It was a sequel ofMiguel sorts for the Hollywood legend, who first had the Photo by A. Olivella Jr. (B.S. ’75, J.D. ’77) honor of throwing the spear in the mid-1980s. Photo by Octavio Jones

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