Geneva Magazine - Fall 2015 by Geneva College

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims

His handiwork

Psalm 19:1

G Fall 2015

GENEVA

MAG A Z I N E

Dr. Harry Hartley â&#x20AC;&#x2122;58 From his condominium overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Harry reflects on the remarkable story of his life: how an Aliquippa boy, with Geneva degree in hand, climbed the ranks of higher education institutions to become a deeply loved President at the University of Connecticut. It is a story that includes 31 years of service to UConn, strong fiscal leadership, 10 national championship rings, groundbreaking work to establish the Big East Athletic Conference and, most significantly, Harryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision and fight for passage of the UConn 2000 Act, allotting $1 billion for UConn to rebuild its infrastructure statewide. Geneva College awarded Harry the Distinguished Service Award in 1992, one of many awards and recognitions he has received during his career. Despite his many accolades and professional successes, Harry remains loyal to his blue-collar roots and the values of education, hard work and fiscal responsibility he learned from his parents. Because of his commitment to higher education and in appreciation of his quality Geneva College experience, Harry has partnered with Geneva through a planned gift. Perhaps you, too, have a life story rooted and grown by your Geneva education, and you wish to help others further their education at Geneva. If so, please visit Geneva.edu/give or contact the Office of Planned Giving at 724.847.6514.

His

G FALL 2015

CONTENTS

handiwork 8 I N EV ERY ISSUE

10 I N TH IS ISSUE

From the President

Full-Cycle Learning

Each Step of the Way

In Brief

Determining His Steps

A Boon to Beaver County

A Heart for Engineering

Step Forward, Take Off!

In Motion

In Service

Class Notes

In Conclusion

Geneva Magazine is published two times per year for Geneva College alumni, donors, students and parents. It showcases the college and its constituencies as they strive to fulfill the college’s mission. Opinions expressed in Geneva Magazine are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editorial review board or the official position of the college.

EDITOR Greg Wise ’95 DESIGNER Kristen Lang EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD JOLYNN FREY Dr. JAMes GIDLEY Larry Griffith ’85 Cheryl Johnston DR. Jeff Jones Dave Layton ’88 Van Zanic ’93

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Please send your correspondence to editor@geneva.edu or Geneva Magazine, Geneva College, 3200 College Ave., Beaver Falls, PA 15010.

G from the president

Geneva’s campus is beautiful. There is a pleasing

to prepare people for service to the Lord in

mixture of old and new buildings, green grass and

important ways. Christ is the center of the higher

flowers, and short distances between buildings

education provided at Geneva, and while that

that everyone appreciates when winter comes.

becomes more distinct and more special in this

Fall is here, so the staff personnel and professors

fallen world, it remains intrinsic to the mission

have returned. All impress me as earnest believers

of the institution. By God’s grace, Geneva will

in Jesus Christ: what a delight to be among

continue for another 167 years, unless the

these people, working with them.

Lord returns first.

Traditional undergraduate enrollment is strong.

I close by observing that Geneva College seeks

The incoming freshmen class is larger than

to obey Jesus’ Great Commission to teach what

Geneva’s four-year average, especially remarkable

He taught. Because Jesus has all authority in

considering that the number of graduating high

heaven and in earth, Geneva teaches every subject

school students in the Northeast continues to

with this great idea: our ascended Lord, Jesus of

decline. Transfers continue to enroll, as well.

Nazareth, is the final standard of truth, beauty, and right. We want to graduate students who are

The Search Committee that Trustee Chair Joye

full of courage because they know that Jesus is

Huston appointed has begun its work with

with them to the end, and full of love for Christ

professional thoroughness. The chair is Dr.

and country—God and neighbor—because love

Bonnie Weir, and members are drawn from the

is Jesus’ greatest commandment.

college administration and faculty, as well as from both boards. Many of its members are Geneva

As you read this issue of Geneva Magazine,

alumni. Their goal is to present a candidate

give thanks to God for your college and for the

to the Trustees for their consideration at

blessings God has given to the world through its

the February 2016 meeting.

graduates. They are people who, as they pursue their careers, create and build out of love for

Businesses that were once strong have come and

Christ and country.

gone—Bethlehem Steel, Pan Am, E.F. Hutton, Enron—and indeed, the list of once-mighty

Bill Edgar

corporations now gone is extensive. But Geneva

Interim President

has been in existence for 167 years and continues

in brief

CAMPUS NEWS

Dr. William Edgar Named Interim President Geneva College’s Board of Trustees has appointed William J. Edgar, Ph.D., as interim president. Edgar’s appointment follows the recent resignation of Dr. Ken Smith. After serving as Geneva’s president for 11 years, Smith has moved on to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, where he has been appointed Dean of the McLane College of Business. He said, “When I was recruited by the Board of Trustees, I committed to serving for eight years; it has now been 11, several

years longer than the average for college presidents. In God’s providence, I became aware of an opportunity for which I seemed particularly well suited and have decided to move in that direction.” Geneva’s Board of Trustees Chair Joye Huston noted that Dr. Smith did “good and valuable work for the college over the last decade.” Edgar is the immediate past chair of Geneva’s Board of Trustees and currently chairs its Board of Corporators. Prior to his board work for Geneva, he chaired the Board of Trustees of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He also has extensive family connections with Geneva: his son Daniel graduated from Geneva two years ago, Dr. Edgar’s parents both graduated from Geneva, and his grandparents Dr. and Mrs. John Coleman were Bible professors at Geneva for many years. He graduated from Swarthmore College with a major in history and minors in political science and philosophy. After earning an M.S. in Education at the University of Pennsylvania, with secondary certifications in social science and mathematics, he received his Ph.D. in history from the same university. Edgar conducted his dissertation research in Athens, Greece, with the help of a Fulbright Dissertation Grant. Edgar recently retired as pastor from the Broomall Reformed Presbyterian Church near Philadelphia where, aided by his wife Gretchen, he served for 34 years. For 30 of those years, he also taught mathematics at East High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Huston said, “We believe that God will continue to provide the resources that the college needs to meet the spiritual, academic, enrollment and budgetary challenges ahead of us. Our interim president, Dr. Edgar, is well suited to the task at hand.” A committee is currently conducting the search for Geneva’s next president. The committee chair is Dr. Bonnie Weir, who currently serves Geneva as a Corporator and Trustee. Other committee members are: John P. Edgar, Esq., Trustee; Larry Griffith ’85, Executive Vice President of Geneva College; Dr. Jay Neikirk, Chair of Geneva’s Department of History, Political Science and Sociology; Jay Roy, Trustee; Professor Amy Russin ’99 (MBA ’08), faculty member of Geneva’s Business Department; David Schaefer ’91, Corporator; and Dr. Melinda Stephens ’93, Geneva’s Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Chief Academic Officer.

Faculty Kudos DR. RALPH ANCIL, Professor of Economics, published “A New Take on Economic Substitution” at the Imaginative Conservative (www.theimaginativeconservative.org). JENNIFER CARTER, Registrar, co-authored a review of Today’s College Students: A Reader, published by Teachers College Record (tcrecord.org). DR. ROBERT COPELAND, Professor Emeritus of Music, presented “Music in Hermann Hesse’s Steppenwolf” at Kent University’s Invitational Conference on Historical Musicology. DR. BYRON CURTIS, Professor of Biblical Studies, composed three anthems that The Genevans recorded for the choir’s latest album, Psalms for the King: “Choral Fanfare on Psalm 24,” “Out of the Depths” (Psalm 130) and “O Lord, My Heart” (Psalm 131). DR. JONATHAN IMPELLIZZERI, Assistant Professor of Counseling, presented “Pre-blended family counseling: A prevention framework for stepfamilies in formation” at the Christian Association of Psychological Studies International Conference. BRIAN JENSEN, Dean of Student Development, and DR. KEITH MARTEL, Director of the Master of Arts in Higher Education program, published Storied Leadership: Foundations of Leadership from a Christian Perspective (2015). DR. KERRY MCMAHON, Associate Professor of Chemistry, has been composing numerous Christian songs, recently copyrighting “Do This In Remembrance of Me,” taken from 1 Corinthians 11, and “I Lift My Eyes to the Hills,” taken from Psalm 121. DR. ESTHER MEEK, Professor of Philosophy, had her essay “A Reformed View of Life and Learning: Covenant Epistemology” published in Liberal Learning and the Great Christian Traditions (2015). DR. ERIC MILLER, Professor of History, served as a Research Fellow at the Kentucky Historical Society, which provided funding for him to start a new project, “Wendell Berry and the Rise of the New Localism.” PROFESSOR ANTHONY SADAR, Adjunct Associate Professor of Science, received the “Outstanding Service to Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association” award for his nationally delivered air-modeling webinar and air-emission work on oil and gas well operations. 4

Dr. Wang Joins Yamaha Artist Roster Dr. Sha Wang, Geneva College piano and music theory professor, recently joined notable artists such as Alicia Keys, Tony Bennett and Justin Timberlake on the Yamaha Artist Roster. The list is comprised of accomplished artists, and acceptance onto the roster is a prestigious honor. “I am honored and humbled to join the Yamaha Artist Roster,” said Dr. Wang. “I am super excited to be working with a group of amazingly talented colleagues from the Yamaha Corporation. We have many potential projects on the horizon. I am looking forward to these collaborations.” Dr. Wang enjoys a career as an active concert pianist, as well as a professor of music and scholar in music theory. At the age of 19, she became the winner of the 16th International Young Artist Piano Competition, Washington, D.C. Since then, she has been the first-prize winner at the Long Beach Mozart Festival Concerto Competition, the grand-prize winner of the Pittsburgh Concert Society Competition, the second-prize winner of the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, and the alternate finalist at the Seattle International Piano Competition. Dr. Wang has appeared on radio stations in Chicago and Pittsburgh and on television stations in China and other parts of the world. She performed at the Kosciuszko Foundation Auditorium in NYC and was also the featured soloist at the Chicago Cultural Center. She has been the guest soloist for the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra and Pasadena Pops Orchestra and has performed for former U.S. President Ford. Also a passionate new music promoter, Dr. Wang has premiered compositions of many current composers. Her active participation in new music festivals, such as Music X and Grandin Music Festival, gave her the opportunities to work with composers such as Joel Hoffman, Martin Bresnick, Kaija Saariaho and Michael Torke.

in brief

Dr. Miller Receives CCCU Grant The Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) recently awarded an initiative grant to history and humanities professor Dr. Eric Miller. He was the lead writer of a team of six scholars working on the grant, which proposed a book that will examine evangelical Protestantism in Brazil.

involved in community and church life,” he remembered. “But Brazilian Protestantism was something I only began years later to understand in anything like an academic or historical sense; initially, it was simply what we did and who we were. In this sense it’s bound up in my own identity.”

The recipients of the grant—a team of three CCCU and three Brazilian scholars—are overseeing the writing of the book, which will feature 15 to 20 contributors. The book will look at the history of evangelical Protestantism in Brazil, as well as its political and social implications. Brazil is home to the world’s largest populations of both Roman Catholics and Pentecostals. The number of evangelical Protestants, more generally, is quickly increasing, with a total population behind only the United States. Miller says that this growth is significant: “For a country with such deep and extensive Roman Catholic roots, this is a shift of truly historic proportions.”

The idea for the book was conceived at a 2013 seminar in Brazil sponsored by Calvin College’s Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity, directed by Joel Carpenter, a historian and former provost at Calvin. The two-week event drew together 25 scholars from Brazilian and CCCU institutions. They spent time both in conventional discussions and on-site exploration, all of which centered on the rise of Protestantism and how it is affecting the social dimensions of Brazilian life, questioning whether Brazilian evangelicals were more or less likely to be politically involved, what their politics might look like, and how they might address social issues like poverty and environmentalism. “It was a completely invigorating experience,” said Miller, “and it left us with the desire to pursue further collaboration.”

The subject of Christianity in Brazil is one that is close to Miller’s own heart. His parents were missionaries to the country for 30 years, and they moved there when he was just beginning high school. “Since my parents were church planters, my siblings and I were intensively

That desire is fulfilled with the awarding of the grant, which will provide $18,000 over three years to fund production of the book. Work will include meetings and workshops among the writers, who plan to publish the book by the end of the three years. So far, the effort has been productive. “The team represents a beautiful and rich range of perspective, given the diversity of our origins and native traditions of all sorts,” Miller explained. “Yet at the same time it’s also become apparent that as Christians, we indeed share a theology and a devotion, and that as scholars in the contemporary academy we are in fact part of the same intellectual world.” The collaboration has not come without some occasional friction, but Miller said that even these difficulties advance the work. “At times what starts as conversation turns pretty quickly to debate. Our experience thus far, though, has been that the arguments and contentions have proved very fruitful. We trust that the work we do will lead to more of such fruit.” The scholars also hope that this project will set the stage for collaboration in the future. Overall, the goal of the project is to spread the knowledge of what is going on in Christianity around the world. “We hope above all that the work of the gospel will be deepened through a sharpened understanding of what is happening historically in Brazil, thus enabling Christians there and elsewhere to rethink their own vision of their work,” Miller explained. “And we hope that those outside of the Christian faith will also gain clarity regarding the meaning of Christian faith and its presence and effects in the very volatile 21st century.”

by C A L E B M C C R A K E N ’16

Full-Cycle Learning: Engineer Competitive Senior Design Projects

esigning something in the safety of a classroom under the supervision of a professor is a common experience. Designing a vehicle, structure or tool takes this experience to a higher level. Although classroom work is necessary and valuable for engineers, nothing takes the place of real-world experience. One way that Geneva addresses this need is by providing seniors opportunities to pursue a variety of engineer-design projects as members of four teams that compete around the country: Robotics, Steel Bridge, Baja SAE and Solar Splash. These teams engage realistic, open-ended problems as they work to design, fabricate and compete with a physical manifestation of their learning.

Robotics The Robotics team may be the newest, least established group, but it had the most opportunity to advance. Members completed an autonomous waiter named Wall-B, making this the first year that the team had a competition-ready robot. The 2014-15 senior design Robotics team members were computer engineers Grace Green, Michael McGregor and Daniel Keys,

mechanical engineer Andrew Sorenson, and electrical engineer Jessica Decker. Having an interdisciplinary team was essential for facing the difficult challenge of the competition. The robot had to be able to travel from a starting point to a shelf, grab a plate of food and deliver it to a doll in a wheelchair at a table. Wall-B performed its first round perfectly. The team even received extra points for having the robot carry the plate of food without spilling and for returning it to the starting line. These competitions also serve as a great place to meet and represent Geneva to other schools. Faculty advisor Leila Wallace said, “Our students did very well interacting with others and displayed their skills well. It was great!”

Steel Bridge Civil engineer Kody Oliver, a member of the Steel Bridge team, says “I have always had a passion for steel bridges. The Geneva Steel Bridge team was a great way to be involved in all stages of a scaled bridge design, fabrication and implementation.” Kody found that working with the team provided him a unique experience. “Being able to see all three phases as an engineer is rare but allowed for many important lessons to be learned through the process,” he says.

“I think engineering in itself is honoring to God.”

was the project I desired to work on as my senior project since it has automotive applications, which is what I hope to work on in the future.” He also recalls the need for team cooperation. “We all worked very well together, especially during the competition when anything that could go wrong did.”

These are the lessons he has carried with him following graduation as a bridge designer for HDR Engineering, Inc. Kody worked alongside engineers Kyle Eshelman, Nicholas Goforth, David Ritsema, Joe Hlebiczki, Paige Southworth and James Gregor to create the bridge over the course of the 2014-15 school year. Each year, competition organizers present a different scenario, so the teams start from the drawing board. Individually, the members created different designs, which were analyzed using computer software. This process yielded a final design for which they purchased materials and fabricated a bridge for the competition. James, also a civil engineer, appreciated the experience. “The project fit my interests perfectly,” he says, “I was really interested in seeing a project from start to completion.” He also enjoyed working with other senior engineers. “The team was great. We all got along well, but we were still different enough to have positive conflict in order to create better ideas.”

Solar Splash For the 2014-15 Solar Splash team, getting ready for competition meant constantly looking for ways to improve. Senior engineers Brad Alan, Tyler Harbison, Sean Pace, Matt Watson and Dylan Weaver revised the design of the solar-powered boat’s hull so that it could travel more smoothly through the water. They also worked to implement a new solar panel to improve the charging time and power management. The reality of needing to constantly upgrade designs became clear, especially to Sean, who says, “Our goal is to take a vessel and optimize its performance using our knowledge of fluid dynamics and mechanical design; objectives that will carry over to our careers as engineers.”

Baja SAE Students who compete with their designs must think on their feet to resolve the inevitable hiccups that arise. “The purpose of the senior design project is to help engineering students apply the things that they learned in their courses in response to a realistic open-ended problem,” notes faculty advisor Robe Liljestrand. The Baja SAE team designs and builds an off-road vehicle that can withstand the harshest elements of rough terrain. But the real challenge comes during the competition, which is run by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The 2014-15 team consisted of Brett Alberti, Jay Beiler, Jacob Hamberger, David Ritsema, Michael Underwood and Jonathan Antonishen [who passed away prior to the date of the competition–see page 28]. When they arrived at Budds Creek Motocross park in Mechanicsville, Maryland, they had to work around the clock to pass inspection. This kind of experience gives students a taste of the nitty gritty of automotive design. Jay recalls his reason for joining the team: “This

According to faculty advisor William Barlow, senior projects are meant to be capstone experiences for the students. “They integrate many of the things that they have learned and reduce it to practice,” he explains, “Because that is what engineers do. We really haven’t done anything until we have produced something.” From the first semester Geneva engineers are taught a design cycle that starts with the identification of a need and ends with a final physical product. Projects such as these enable students to experience the whole process. By giving students the experience of a full design cycle, these senior competitive design projects prepare them to serve God in whatever they engineer. As Professor Liljestrand points out, “Christians do not build ‘Christian bridges.’ They build solid bridges that serve the public safely for many years economically. Hopefully this project gets them started.” Professor Barlow agrees that these projects equip students for service in the Kingdom. “I think engineering in itself is honoring to God,” he said, “I think it mimics God in that He looks at need deeply. The gospel is about Him looking at our need and seeing us in a helpless state. And engineers look at need and try to come up with solutions for that. I think our whole process is God-honoring.” G

by A DA M R OW E ’14

Determining His Steps:

The Worldwide Impact of One

Civil Engineer

he son and grandson of missionaries, John “Bob” Carlsen ’72 was born in Bangkok and spent his childhood and teenage years in Thailand, Vietnam and the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia. So naturally, much about his formative years was uncommon. For example, he speaks about riding water buffalo as a child and finding bullets strewn about from the World War II Japanese occupation and the French Indochina War in Dalat, Vietnam. Bob also remembers hearing distant artillery shells while attending a school for the children of missionaries in Dalat at the beginning of the Vietnam War. Bob stepping in a helicopter to tour NATO infrastructure installations in Germany.

Bob Carlsen (center) working in Uganda.

Unusual—and sometimes dangerous—experiences like these strengthened Bob’s resolve to find comfort in God’s providence at an early age. “Placing my trust in the Lord was the beginning of our walk together,” he remembers. This faith that the Lord would direct his path was reinforced by Bob’s parents. When an American G.I. who attended his parents’ Bible study asked Bob what God was calling him to be, the eighth grader gave a confident reply: “an engineer.” An engineering career may not have been what his parents had in mind for Bob, given the family’s strong history in missions. However, “They trusted the Lord to direct my path,” he says. As a senior in high school, Bob had a typically atypical winter vacation experience. Most high school and college students spend Christmas break relaxing, visiting family and friends, and perhaps engaging in seasonal work to earn some extra money. But from mid-November of 1967 through January of 1968, Bob joined a surveying expedition to the top of Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand. Bob hiked the mountain with a team of two American engineers and local porters. The trip began with an armed police sergeant escorting the newcomers, protecting them from communist insurgents and tigers. The group then traced a path up the mountainside along a river. The journey ended with Bob making an

interesting discovery: a neighboring ridge on the spine-like Inthanon Range actually surpassed the point previously assumed to be the highest peak. The believed-to-be-highest peak, which held a Buddhist shrine housing the ashes of a nineteenth century king, was almost a meter below the absolute top of Thailand. This was a landmark for Bob in many respects. After graduating high school, Bob moved to the United States to attend college. Under the recommendation of friends of his family, he decided on Geneva College. Professionally, he considers his education to have been “a great foundation” for his career. He also appreciates the social benefits of conversation and friendships with peers that he experienced in college. Most importantly, Bob is thankful for the way that Geneva helped him grow spiritually: “We had weekly chapel, we had godly professors, and the school took a stand.” Bob met his wife, Linda (Hare ’75) at Geneva. True to form for Bob, their relationship began in an unusual way. During a conversation with a mutual friend, Bob mentioned his childhood water buffalo rides, which convinced her that he was “weird.” Despite the less-than-stellar beginning, the couple married soon after Bob’s graduation. The time that Bob spent at Geneva marked an important experience for the college as well as the student. He was the first person to graduate under Geneva’s civil engineer track. Following graduation, Bob applied to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command personnel office in Washington D.C. and was accepted for a professional development position—in Thailand. Through the Lord’s provision, Bob returned to his childhood home and was able introduce his wife to his parents face-to-face. Interestingly, Bob was assigned to oversee the construction of a radar station at the same site on Doi Inthanon where he had worked four years earlier and discovered the erroneous opinion regarding Thailand’s highest point. As he supervised the project on the mountain’s summit, he may have become the only engineer to officially change a country’s topography twice. During construction of the station, the top of the highest ridge was leveled for the radar structure, establishing the shrine as truly sitting on the highest peak in fact, as well as in common opinion. For the next 20 years, Bob served as Program Manager for the NATO Infrastructure Program in Washington D.C., Germany and Belgium. In 1984, he also began serving as U.S. Representative to the NATO Infrastructure Committees and the Senior Resources Board. Then, in 1995, Bob was offered a job in the United States and bought a home in Virginia. Since returning to the states, Bob has held a series of short-term government positions that included the roles of directing the division responsible for implementing the Navy’s environmental cleanup program, Program Manager for the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation Program with Norway and Russia, and Director for Facilities Planning for the Navy.

Bob (second from right) visiting a potential radar site in northern Norway. Despite his frequent job changes and even more frequent travels, totaling over 80 countries so far, Bob finds assurance in scripture. One passage in particular speaks to his nomadic career. And Bob found it to be the only marked verse in his father’s Bible: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). Regarding the application of this verse to his life, Bob says, “I know that no matter what happens, I can trust that the Lord will determine each step of the way.” Even after a 2005 retirement from government service and move to Colorado, Bob remained busy. He encountered Engineering Ministries International after running a Google search on “Christian engineering ministries.” Bob helped the organization transition to 3D Building Information Modeling, which greatly increased its productivity, and learned about construction management for projects in Uganda. In addition, he volunteered with a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity where the Lord determined his steps would include aiding in the building of 11 homes. Bob has spent his career fulfilling his eighth-grade assertion that he would be an engineer, and the handiwork of the civil engineer can now be seen in structures across the world. But his calling to create functional buildings has not ended at retirement. Most recently, he was elected to a position on a city council with an incredibly specific platform: he expected to raise funds for an aquatic center that the community had been attempting to construct for over 30 years. His efforts, though trying, led to the funds being obtained. Construction is set to begin in October of 2015, and the community will have the aquatic center that it has long desired. His mission complete, Bob does not plan to run for re-election in 2016. As a child, Bob remembers being enthralled by the iron ring worn by many Canadian-trained engineers. He enjoyed the thought of the engineering profession symbolized by a physical item. Though he never received a ring himself, Bob’s legacy can be found in even more important physical structures, from a Thailand radar station to a Colorado aquatic center opening in 2016. And in the college in Beaver Falls that trained him as the first graduate in the civil engineering track, preparing him to go forth and plan to prepare and build. In all cases, Bob returns the glory to the Lord who determines his steps. G

by H olly V i z i no ’15

Heart

for

engineering

Photo by Marti Aiken’04 (2015)

ne evening after a night class that he was taking during his senior year in 2003, inspiration struck Joshua Woolley— he would be a heart engineer! Motivated by free pizza, the successful basketball player and Solar Splash boating competitor decided to attend a meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers at the University of Pittsburgh. There, he heard Dr. James Antaki present his development of a ventricular assist device (VAD) for the heart.

your lungs and the left ventricle pumps through the rest of your body. Rather than replace your whole heart, scientists developed a pump that supports one ventricle at a time, since usually only the left ventricle needs support. VADs are only implanted in people with the sickest hearts. Most VADs are implanted to provide support until a transplant heart is available. The VAD returns normal blood flow to the body, allowing the patients to recover from their heart failure symptoms and improve their quality of life.”

“I was instantly hooked on the application of engineering to the human body,” says Joshua.

VAD patients often arrive for their transplant in better health than they would without the device, improving the odds of a successful transplant surgery, as well as a shorter recovery time. Heart disease is the number-one cause of death in the U.S., and VADs have become the standard of care for end-stage heart failure.

God’s timing was perfect. “The last semester of my senior year, I realized I did not really want to be a mechanical engineer,” Joshua recalls. “I had some very good job offers available after graduation, but I knew something wasn’t right.” So he combined the knowledge he developed through Geneva’s engineering program with his newfound curiosity about hearts. After speaking to Dr. Antaki and conducting some personal research, Joshua learned that focusing his graduate studies in bioengineering would provide the knowledge of biology he needed to work with mechanical heart devices. “A ventricular assist device is a type of artificial heart,” explains Joshua. “From an engineering perspective, your native heart is simply two pumps placed in series separated into two sides—the right and left ventricle. The right ventricle pumps blood through

But Joshua wondered how he could make the change from mechanical to bioengineering. Fortunately, Geneva’s Assistant Dean of Students Joy (Morgan ’68) Jewell provided a path. Shortly after Joshua began making plans for graduate school, Joy approached him, pointed to him and said “Artificial hearts!” Joshua was surprised that she knew who he was and, even more so, of his newfound academic interest. Joy explained that her husband Paul ’68 had received a VAD from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) a few years earlier, which successfully transitioned him to a heart transplant. The Jewells had sustained friendships with the cardiothoracic surgeons and bioengineers of the Artificial Heart Program (AHP) at UPMC.

“She offered to drive me to UPMC to meet some of the staff,” says Joshua. “Soon I was meeting the chief cardiac surgeon and touring the hospital with the director of the program. Next I was standing in surgery watching a patient have a ventricular assist device implanted. They hired me as a biomedical engineer at AHP, and I absolutely loved working with the patients.” Through the AHP program, Joshua met Dr. Harvey Borovetz, the Chair of the Bioengineering Department, who advised him to apply for the Ph.D. program at Pitt and helped him through that process, all the way to admission. “Without Joy’s help, I would not have been introduced to my job with AHP, and there is no way that I would have been accepted to Pitt,” says Joshua. “Pitt is a top bioengineering program, and I had nothing on my resume that would set me apart. God worked through Joy, and my journey started at Geneva.” While completing his graduate work at Pitt, Joshua continued to work as a biomedical engineer during the evenings and nights. “I worked directly with the patients implanted with the ventricular assist devices, making sure that the device was optimized to the patient and providing assistance in emergency situations. It is a difficult time for patients, and God enabled me to show His love and goodness to these families, helping them to carry that burden and give them hope. During other instances, I helped them grieve.” Joshua strove for godly obedience in many areas throughout graduate school. “Academia can be a pretty ruthless and competitive environment,” he says. “Everyone is fighting for the same grant money, and you are always racing to be the first to make a scientific breakthrough to advance your career. In this environment, there is always the temptation to gain advantage at any cost. I made sure to always be above reproach in my studies and glorify God with my work.” The effort to always achieve excellence in research was recognized. Joshua won a number of awards: NIH Training Fellowship Award (2007-2009), NIH Travel Fellowship (2011), Gordon Research Conference Travel Fellowship (2007, 2009, 2011) and ASAIO Paul Malcheski Young Investigators Award (2007). Joshua continues to be active with ASAIO, an international academic society for artificial organ development. He has most frequently presented his research at the ASAIO annual conference, and he was named the assistant program chair for the 2016 meeting. His past research focused on blood interactions with artificial surfaces in VADs, while his most recent studies involve anticoagulation (blood clot prevention) strategies for pediatric VAD patients.

Reprint courtesy of Berlin Heart.

Joshua has been first author on four peer-reviewed publications and first author for a book chapter in a physician’s textbook for VADs. He has also participated as a contributing author on 12 other peer-reviewed publications. In March 2014, Joshua completed his doctorate studies after successfully presenting his thesis “ Immunological and Hemostatic Responses to Ventricular Assist Device Support.” While completing his thesis, Joshua began in his current position as Clinical Affairs Specialist for Berlin Heart, Inc., a role through which he helps provide clinical support for children supported with VADs. “Implantation of a pediatric ventricular assist device is a relatively uncommon surgical procedure,” says Joshua. “On the day of the surgery, I offer guidance for the surgeon on implanting and optimizing the device so that it will provide the best support for the patient. I train the patient’s doctors and bedside caregivers on the device and consult with doctors to coordinate blood thinners and medications to ensure proper function of the pump.” Joshua interacts with the families for shorter visits than he did at UPMC, but he still strives to honor God by remaining available to answer questions until the patient receives the transplant. “Many of the physicians have become friends as we share dedication and passion for these patients,” he says. Joshua and his wife Danila (Kennedy ’03) Woolley have been married 11 years. In October of 2014 they welcomed their daughter, Tirzah Elise Woolley. Their family lives in Pittsburgh, where Joshua continues to heal hearts for God’s glory and finds joy in a vocation that started at Geneva College. G

Reprint courtesy of Berlin Heart.

by J E S S I C A D R I S CO L L ’14

Each Step of

the Way

od blessed Danielle Davis (ADP ’07, MSOL ’11) with an entrepreneurial spirit that shaped her life and led her to pursue a number of business ventures. “When you are an entrepreneur, you are one from a very young age,” she says.

Programs. Geneva was a perfect fit for Danielle to develop her innate talents. “I love Geneva,” she says, and explains that the scriptural foundation and passionate teachers allowed her to grow in her faith while building marketplace skills.

Her first foray into business ownership was a printing company, which she began at age 22. “My first official business actually came as an accident,” Danielle says. This venture evolved into a business-development service geared to small businesses. However, as a single parent, providing support for her two children was her priority. She realized that she was missing some necessary skills to operate the business and so returned to the workforce while continuing college.

A business-related degree may have seemed like the logical choice, but the Lord provided a different direction. “I felt like God was calling me to ministry,” says Danielle, so she chose to pursue a degree in community ministry. And as always, God’s reasoning eventually made sense: “I learned that a community ministry degree is strongly related to social services, and from there it clicked.”

Danielle was attending community college at the time. But despite her desire to develop her business skills, she hadn’t yet pursued a degree. “Every time I considered finishing my bachelor’s, it just seemed so intimidating,” she says. In effect a permanent student at her local community college, Danielle’s advisors pushed her toward completing her degree. Based on recommendations from her advisors, as well as a desire to successfully meet the challenges she faced, Danielle chose to complete her degree at Geneva College through the Adult Degree

Danielle had already been working in the social service field for years. And her business ventures had always revolved around helping others. “My previous for-profit business should have been a non-profit since I was always giving things away to people,” she explains. As Danielle began looking for ways to fulfill her desire to help in new ways, God presented yet another clear call. “Geneva’s Master of Science in Organizational Leadership caught my attention everywhere I went,” says Danielle. She felt a master’s degree was needed to continue her path, but again felt intimidated. However, she knew that achieving this goal was necessary.

While enrolled in the organizational leadership program, God’s plan began to become even clearer. Danielle says that the program was a blessing. “I don’t know what I would have done without my classmates and caring professors during this time,” she says, pointing to challenges she faced that included an illness in her immediate family and the loss of a job. During this time, Danielle received an offer from the executive director of Pittsburgh Community Services Inc. (PCSI) to work in a temporary position. The mission of PCSI is to help those in poverty throughout the Pittsburgh area. Soon after she started, Danielle had the opportunity to serve fulltime for one of the organization’s newest programs, the Micro-Business Institute (MBI): “I knew this was a mandate from the Bible—to help the poor.” Eager to answer the call, Danielle began developing curriculum, business coaching, consulting, establishing partnerships and searching for funding opportunities. “It definitely increased my skill set and how God could use me,” she says. “God accomplished so much through me during my time there.” Danielle found working at the Micro-Business Institute fulfilling; but when a new opportunity at a local housing authority was presented, she accepted the position. She assists in an initiative to ensure businesses owned by minorities have access to government contracts. This led to an assignment as Project Manager for the housing authority’s new faith-based engagement initiative, and Danielle feels privileged to work with clergy and leaders in community development. But Danielle experienced God’s pull toward entrepreneurship once more. “I felt like this was a call on my life, but I did not have confidence to pursue it any further until MBI” she says. “There, I felt comfortable and was still living out my passion.” Throughout her time at MBI, Danielle’s clients from her earliest work encouraged her to re-establish her consulting business because they did not qualify for services provided by her department. “The Micro-Business Institute’s money has limitations,” she explained. “This was a challenge to me because I wanted to help some of the individuals that we had to turn away.” As a result, Danielle opened a consulting and training business, Davis Consulting Solutions. Her company motto is “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Danielle chose this because many of her clients are unaware of the resources available to them. “A lot of programs and individuals will tell you what to do, but they don’t teach you how to do it and let it become part of your natural behavior,” she explains. “I see such a gap in people not knowing where to go that it drives me to make sure people have what they need.” This is the heart of Davis

“I knew this was a mandate from the Bible—

to help the poor.”

Consulting Solutions—providing clients with the resources and training so that they can advance their future. Reflecting on her journey, Danielle sees the perfection of God’s plan. “When I first started the business it appeared as though the idea was half insane, but during the process I learned that it was perfect,” she says. “No matter how hard I tried to get away from it, I couldn’t because it was His purpose.” While the path may have been rough, Danielle couldn’t be happier. “The awesome thing is that God was preparing me for this the whole time,” she says. Danielle has a joy from her work with which few others can identify. “It has to be something you don’t mind getting up early for, going to bed late for and it doesn’t feel like work.” Danielle has also found a deep joy in learning. And Geneva’s ADP and MSOL programs have prepared her well to pursue continuing education. Recently, Danielle enrolled in Point Park University’s new Ph.D. program in Community Engagement, which is designed to help business leaders work with communities. Danielle always warns job-seekers not to choose their business based on the amount of money the will make. She believes that each person has a career calling that will leave them feeling rejuvenated. “We were not created to just exist,” explains Danielle. “Those things that God has wired us to do are the same things that God has graced us with the ability to gain wealth.” G

by g re g W i se ’ 95

A Boon to

Beaver County

eneva College has a rich history of being an important and active member of the local community. The Harmony Society, which was settled not far from Beaver Falls, donated the land for Geneva’s campus in order to “enhance the town’s prestige and economic prosperity.” Since that time, Geneva has brought students to the area from faraway places by providing high quality and affordable Christ-centered education. These students provide thousands of service hours to nonprofit organizations and neighborhoods every year. And from the heart of Beaver County to the other side of the world, Geneva graduates excel as leaders in their chosen fields and make a lasting impact on the world. This influence now has a unique opportunity for regional growth as Shell Chemical Appalachia assesses the likelihood and makes the initial investment in building a world-scale petrochemical complex in the nearby Monaca area. The proposed ethane “cracker” plant will convert ethane from the abundant Marcellus shale natural gas liquids into chemicals such as ethylene, which is then used to produce products such as plastics, tires and antifreeze. With site development currently underway, the project is estimated to provide up to 10,000 construction jobs. Once completed, hundreds are expected to be employed at the plant alone, with many more jobs created throughout the region at ancillary businesses.

As the county and surrounding areas undergo a dramatic transformation caused by this emerging emphasis on energy resources, Geneva is ideally positioned to pave the way through community partnerships and workforce preparation. In addition, Geneva fully appreciates humanity’s obligation to God’s creation. Faculty members emphasize the importance of responsible stewardship of our resources, our time, our relationships, and our safety and health. This biblical worldview will be evident in the contributions to this industry made by many Geneva graduates, as it already is through the involvement of Shannon Debes ’98, Community Liaison Officer for Shell Chemical Appalachia. With the company currently proceeding in its efforts to develop the proposed petrochemical complex, Geneva Magazine spoke with Shannon, who graduated with a degree in broadcast communication and minor in political science, about her job with Shell and her work as founder and principal of Stratecom Solutions.

What are your duties as Shell’s Community Liaison Officer? My role with the proposed petrochemical facility in Potter

Township, Beaver County, is somewhat unique, as the project is still in the evaluation phase and has not yet received a final investment decision. The absence of an operational project creates an exciting dynamic though, as my responsibilities include the development of a framework for community engagement that would already be present in an established project. To construct it requires collaboration with staff members who perform our engineering, environmental, non-technical risk, government, social performance and corporate communications functions. There is a continuous loop of communication that involves sharing the story of the project, receiving the community’s input, consulting with team members to provide answers sought by the community, and sharing those local perspectives with the project team so they have a keen understanding of the community’s values, concerns and aspirations for the project. Our collective efforts as a corporate team support Shell’s global goal—to help meet the energy needs of society in ways that are economically, environmentally and socially responsible.

in political science. Dr. Wollman believed in me and identified strengths and characteristics I wasn’t able to see in myself as a student. He wrote a letter of recommendation that played a major role in my securing a spot at Georgetown University’s Institute on Political Journalism between my junior and senior year of college—an experience of a lifetime. Dr. Farra had a talent for distilling concepts within the realm of leadership into digestible material teenagers could understand and apply to the world around them. The beauty of what he did wasn’t fully realized until I grew older, re-read the material and was able to appreciate it for its complexity as a professional in the workplace. Sam Siple worked in the public relations office, where I had a job as an intern throughout my four years at Geneva. Mr. Siple took me along with him to marketing meetings with Pittsburgh radio and TV stations, and built my courage and confidence to apply what I had learned in real-world settings.

What do you enjoy most about working on this project? On a broad level, I enjoy the challenge, the variety and my colleagues. From a day-to-day perspective, there aren’t many jobs where you can show up for work in steel-toe boots and a hard hat, and leave in a suit and heels. I am proud to be a part of a project that prioritizes being a good neighbor. As such, even in the event the proposed petrochemical facility does not receive an affirmative final investment decision, Beaver County will benefit from a developmentready site, which Shell has taken care to be a good steward of as part of its permitting and pre-decision processes.

What is Stratecom Solutions and why did you create the company? Stratecom Solutions offers public involvement, strategic planning, community planning, data gathering and analysis, conflict mediation, crisis communication, and media management services to government, nonprofit and private sector clients. I worked as a radio news reporter for several years after graduating from Geneva, which fulfilled a lifelong dream. A few years into my career, as much as I truly enjoyed the work, I felt called to be more engaged with people— not only sharing their stories, but working alongside them as they shaped their communities and set goals for the future.

Can you tell the readers about your Geneva experience? I certainly made friends to last a lifetime! I keep in touch with many of my former classmates, and in my career, have become close friends with alumni who passed through Old Main’s halls several years before and after I did.

How did your Geneva education prepare you for your career? Geneva’s comprehensive approach to its core curriculum created a solid foundation that enabled me to build a career across several fields. As a student, I would have been content to take classes that focused solely on my major. As a graduate with the benefit of reflection, I’ve put to use courses in geology, economics and political philosophy that I may not have realized the full value of at the time I took them, despite enjoying them. Additionally, the ethical framework interwoven in every course by each professor guides Geneva graduates to conduct their business with the highest level of integrity, and to expect the same in their relationships with others, while leading the charge to foster those standards in the workplace.

What kind of impact do you hope to make through your work, both with Shell and through Stratecom? I hope to continue working with communities—local, regional, and corporate—as they reflect on their status and practices and contemplate how to best grow to serve future generations. Any impact resulting from any initiative I’ve been privileged to be a part of will always be attributable to the efforts of a team. It is a reality I count as a blessing, reminded that without counsel, plans fail; but with many advisors, they succeed. G

There were several influential professors and staff members who fostered my growth and development at Geneva—most notably Dr. Jay Neikirk, Dr. David Wollman, Dr. Harry Farra and Sam Siple [’85]. Dr. Neikirk and Dr. Wollman’s classes were challenging, growth-inducing, and inspiring—so much so that I added a minor

by C A L E B M C C R A K E N â&#x20AC;&#x2122;16

Step Forward TAKE OFF!

John is holding a DJI Phantom II outfitted with R Cubed Engineeringâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s All Weather Sense and Avoid System (AWSAS). This system uses Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) to monitor and detect other aircraft that are providing their GPS coordinates over the 978MHz and 1090MHz frequency standards for aviation in the United States. AWSAS was the first system to use ADS-B to perform autonomous collision avoidance maneuvers between two UAS. This technology is a key enabler for flying safely in the National Airspace System (NAS) under Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BLOS) conditions.

ohn Daniels ’79 has worked in many areas throughout his long career in aviation. “Subject-matter expert” is a fitting descriptor for a man with so many in-depth capabilities. And Geneva College can be described as the runway from which he took off. Before arriving at Geneva, John had some background in both accounting and computer science, but was not sure which direction to take. His faculty advisor said to him, “Well, you are going to do both.” In fact, John pursued a triple major in data processing, accounting and business administration. A man who likes to stay busy, he also found time to play intramural sports and work at the cafeteria to pay for tuition. Throughout his time as a student, John considered the routes ahead of him. “Up until about my senior year, I wasn’t sure what path I wanted to go,” he remembers, “Computer science or accounting? I think it was in my senior year that I kind of finally realized that the computer science path was the way to go for me.” So after graduation, John worked with other Geneva graduates at Ohio Edison in Akron, Ohio. But he only stayed there for about nine months. Originally from the New Jersey shore, John could not stand being landlocked and decided to move back home. Immediately upon returning to his hometown of Ventnor, NJ, an employee headhunting firm informed him of a position at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Center (FAA’s national R&D facility), which was only 15 miles from home. He earned the job and began to use his knowledge of computers to support a real-time air traffic control system. John started at an entry-level position and worked his way upward. Eventually, he began traveling across the country fixing air traffic control issues with the FAA’s En-Route Backup system. “I really loved working on that system,” says John, “and I supported it for probably about 25 years.” John became recognized as a subject matter expert in aviation due to his broad experience in automation, security, safety management and many other domain areas associated with the National Airspace System (NAS). In the early 2000s, the FAA began modernizing a lot of their systems, including the one John worked on. The initiative was called NextGen. “Everything is an acronym when you work for the government,” laughs John. During this transition, he stepped into a full-time management role, enabling him to use his technical expertise to assess business opportunities. An engineer at heart, John enjoys the challenge of integrating new technologies and increasing safety and security capabilities in a federated environment. John currently serves as Vice President of Federal Programs for Enterprise Engineering Services (EES). A few years ago John perceived a trend in the world of aircraft and flight. He says, “One of the movements I saw coming was

“Geneva was very instrumental in helping form my technical capabilities.” Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones.” EES has been actively collaborating with government, industry, and academia to address the safe integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). EES also supports the transformation of secure and efficient information sharing in a trusted cross-enterprise framework. EES began collaborating with companies that had more subject matter expertise in UAS technologies. The firm then began to work out how to safely integrate these unmanned aircraft systems into the whole national airspace system. “We are well positioned with a number of companies doing a lot of test integration of these capabilities,” he remarks. John identifies Geneva as shaping primary areas of his life and career. “Spiritually,” he says, “through not only my relationship with the Lord, but also with people. I am still very close with a lot of Geneva alumni and I count that a blessing to be able to interface with other Christian Geneva alumni and families.” John enjoys coming back to campus when he can for events such as homecoming. “Secondly, Geneva was very instrumental in helping form my technical capabilities,” he explains, “When I first went to Geneva is when the computer industry was just starting to take off.” But John is still not satisfied unless he stays busy. He has kept up with accounting standards and does tax returns for family and friends. John credits Geneva for providing a solid foundation to support technology advancements and also serve functionally in the church. John is an avid fisherman and spends his spare time boating and on the beach with family whenever he can. John and his wife Debbie have three children: Sean, Eric and Dana. John and Debbie are active members of Beacon Evangelical Free Church in Galloway, NJ, where John serves as Finance Chairman. G

in motion

athletic news

Golden Tornadoes

Top 10 2

Geneva athletics used technology in a new way with the implementation of “Men’s and Women’s Student-Athlete of the Week” video interviews. With an assist from the Communication Department and Professor Richard Talbert, the Golden Tornadoes produced oneon-one interviews with weekly award winners. Those interviews were posted on the Athletics Web page, Geneva.edu/athletics, throughout the year.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) has become a focal point of the entire athletic department. Growing at a fast pace, FCA has attracted close to 100 student-athletes during the 2014-15 school year. From a group that consisted of only a handful of students just a year ago, FCA has grown in leaps and bounds during the past year. Attracting speakers from across the region from the professional ranks and beyond, FCA has established itself as one of the strongest groups on campus. “Quite simply, FCA embodies everything that we are about at Geneva College and within our department,” said Director of Athletics Van Zanic ’93. “Reaching well beyond the scoreboard, the life lessons and values that these student-athletes are gaining through FCA will last forever.”

9 (l-f) (Rawding) Shroads, Nesmith, Dr. Kim Gall, Murray, Muschette,Cobbs

A student-athlete doesn’t often continue his or her playing career into the professional ranks. However, this spring, graduating men’s soccer stand-out Bryan Butler signed a professional contract with the Evergreen Diplomats in Bowie, MD. Butler, who completed his college eligibility last fall, finished as one of Geneva’s top goalkeepers ever. He helped lead Geneva to four consecutive trips to the PAC postseason, as well as two trips to the NCCAA national tournament.

The Golden Tornadoes celebrated their athletic past last fall when they welcomed back several of the all-time greats to ever wear Geneva jerseys. Those jerseys were retired in a stirring ceremony during Geneva’s season finale football game and again that evening at the men’s and women’s basketball openers. Three of the greatest running backs to put on a Geneva jersey, Willie Murray ’97 (#32), Melvin Cobbs (#32) and Gerard Muschette ’11 (#22), were each

honored alongside basketball standouts Nancy (Paxton ’89) Gary (#45), Jennifer (Rawding ’06) Shroads (#13) and Troy Nesmith ’97 (#20). The three football jerseys were hung in Reeves Field while the basketball jerseys now have a new home inside Metheny Fieldhouse.

On the final day of the women’s basketball season, Heidi Mann became just the 12th player in women’s basketball history to reach the 1000-point plateau for her career. Even more impressive, Mann became the fourth player in Geneva’s history to reach the mark prior to her senior season. Mann, who also stars for the Geneva women’s soccer team, is on pace to perhaps finish in the top five on Geneva’s all-time scoring list by the end of her senior campaign.

Outstanding performances from an impressive freshman class seemed to be the norm in 2014-15. In football, freshman defensive back Nate Cannon certainly took home his share of recognition. Cannon earned ECAC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2014 with an outstanding opening season. Cannon pulled in a conference leading seven interceptions while finishing second in the PAC with an average of 15.6 yards per punt return. Additionally, Cannon finished the season with 41 tackles, which was good enough for first-team All-Conference recognition and an invitation to the ECAC national banquet this past spring.

Geneva’s volleyball team enjoyed yet another historic season, and one of the main reasons for that success was the play of freshman Erica Hughes. In her first collegiate season, Hughes was twice named Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) player of the week and three times honored by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) as the Division III Rookie of the Week. At season’s end, Hughes was named a first-team All-Conference selection with 434 kills and 30 blocks for the season.

The women’s volleyball team continues to carry the torch of excellence for the Golden Tornadoes’ athletic department. Matching the school record for victories in a season, Geneva’s volleyball team finished the year with a record of 27-10. Despite a loss in the PAC tournament, the Golden Tornadoes continued their season into the ECAC post-season. Geneva’s volleyball team brought home the school’s first-ever ECAC title as they captured the South Region championship with a victory over Carnegie Mellon University in the finals.

Records continued to fall in the men’s track and field record book. Most notably, the men’s 4 x 100 relay team comprised of Ryan White, Cameron Unrath, Aaron Tedys and Josh Guiser set a new outdoor record with a time of 42.21. The 4 x 100 relay team took home the gold medal at the PAC championship meet while also breaking the stadium record at Grove City College.

The 2014-15 school year proved to be another outstanding campaign in the classroom for Geneva’s student-athletes. A record 59 studentathletes achieved a 3.6 GPA or higher during the fall semester and were recognized on the PAC honor roll. Geneva’s 59 awardees marked the highest number of honors by any school in the conference.

in service

by H olly V i z i no ’15

Dr. Romaine Jesky-Smith As she talks about teaching, education professor Dr. Romaine JeskySmith ’74 lights up. She loves her students and career tremendously, but after 36 years at Geneva College, she felt that it was the right time to retire. Jesky-Smith departed after the spring 2015 semester. Jesky-Smith says that her retirement was announced rather humorously. While she was at a Pirates game last fall, a friend secretly had the news displayed on the scoreboard. “I looked up at the board and there was a huge announcement that said ‘Congratulations Dr. Jesky-Smith, enjoy your retirement!’ I thought, ‘If this was a surprise, it isn’t now because 39,000 people just saw it.’” Jesky-Smith’s educational journey both started and ended at Geneva. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1974 and taught fifth grade in the Blackhawk School District for a five years. “I absolutely loved it,” she says. “It was good preparation for me coming here to teach pre-service teachers because I knew what it was like to be in the classroom every day.” Jesky-Smith earned her Master of Education as a Reading Specialist while she was still teaching at Blackhawk. Around that time, she started teaching part time at Geneva. When a full-time position opened, JeskySmith was hired permanently and has been teaching in Geneva’s classrooms ever since. However, she says she never got tired of this place for a second because of her love for her students and colleagues.

10 20

After she started teaching full time at Geneva, Jesky-Smith got her Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in Curriculum and Instruction. She wanted to make sure she was fluent in the newest methods as she taught her pre-service teachers. Many of her courses were devoted to technology. “In the early 1980s, we knew technology was going to be incorporated into the classroom more and more,” she remembers. “For that reason, I started a computer lab on campus for education students. We’re talking about the old Apple IIe at the time. We knew that it was going to be important for our students to know how to use computers to help students learn and to enhance lessons.”

In 1996, Jesky-Smith took a sabbatical and retrained in math and science. “Up to that point I taught language arts,” she says. “And I enjoyed the switch.” On the first day of her math education classes, she says that many of her students expressed their fear of math, even at the pre-k to fourth-grade level. “They are scared to do it, let alone teach it.” For Jesky-Smith, helping her students understand math rather than simply knowing the procedure was a great reward. “Conceptual knowledge is as important as procedural knowledge,” she says. “It was always my hope that my students would take that into the classroom and show kids the meaning behind math.” And Jesky-Smith loves that she was always able to witness growth as she watched her students progress through college. In her field experience course, which is the step before student teaching, she would announce that on the last day, they would be teaching an entire morning in the classroom on their own. “I would see the look of fear in their eyes, sometimes almost tearful. And I knew after doing it for so many years, observing probably over 2,000 students, that they would be fine. Recently, I was talking with a student who was telling me how much she loved teaching the whole morning. She said that by the time she got there, she knew she could do it. And I loved being a part of that journey with her.” Jesky-Smith has also applied her expertise to writing several scholarly articles and reviews that have been published in various publications. After working in education for so long, Jesky-Smith has seen how the education system has changed and adapted her teaching methods to best prepare her students. “The standards have been raised for teachers, and much more is expected, from students as well. We have elementary-age kids doing math that people 20 years ago would have said they couldn’t do. In some ways the higher standards have reminded us that maybe we can expect more. That’s the positive end,” she says. Jesky-Smith enjoyed the challenge of adapting to the changes in the education system over the years. But retirement certainly won’t mean boredom. One of the main things she looks forward to is spending more time with her mother, who resides in a local nursing home. She also enjoys interacting with the residents and would like to devote time to volunteering there. She especially connects with those who have dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. “I might have the same conversation with them five times, but I love that I’m able to have an impact on their day even if they don’t remember it. Although it can be heartbreaking, I often leave there feeling like I’ve made a difference.” She also hopes to travel more. Jesky-Smith traveled extensively with her late husband Dr. Paul Smith, Professor Emeritus of English at Geneva from 1966-2005. The couple visited nearly every national park in the United States, and she would like to revisit some of her favorite spots like Glacier National Park in Montana. “I also want

“Conceptual knowledge is as important as procedural knowledge. It was always my hope that my students would take that into the classroom ...” to travel more internationally since I’ve seen so much of the United States,” she says. First on the list is Rome, which she plans to visit next summer with her friend and former colleague, English professor Dr. Lynda Szabo. So as she departs Geneva after 36 years, Jesky-Smith takes comfort in her favorite scripture verse, Romans 12:1 from The Message: “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-towork, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.” On her last day in the field for an observation this spring, Jesky-Smith recalled walking up the stairs to the school next to a kindergartner. “I thought, ‘Isn’t this an interesting juxtaposition. Here’s a child starting the beginning of his educational career and I’m walking up parallel, step for step, at the end of my educational career.”

21 25

class notes

1965

1973

1969

1974

Marlene (Herr) Miller—See Miller ’63 Carolyn (Joy) Harding—See Harding ’71

Class Notes are available on Geneva.edu. Visit the site to learn about fellow classmates, and submit an update so they can remain connected with you.

1948

Evelyn (Bergan) Meeder recently received Weichert REALTORS highest award, the President’s Cup, at the Southeastern Awards Program. Evelyn was a top Realtor in Louisville, KY, before her move to Sun City Hilton Head, SC. Evelyn has been a Realtor for the past 36 years.

1959

Margaret Ann “Maggie” (O’Neill) Regney is a retired high school teacher and realtor. She and husband Bob live in Lynchburg, VA.

1962

1970

Frank Bendekovic is retired and resides in Alliance, OH. Dr. Wayne R.C. Hentschel, D.O. has accepted the position of Medical Director of the Centers for Occupational Health at Crozer-Keystone Medical Center in Chester, PA. Dr. Hentschel lives in Garnet Valley, PA.

1963

Byron and Marlene (Herr ’65) Miller have two children and reside in Naperville, IL.

David Reed resides in Galion, OH, with wife Laura. Marilyn (Pascoe) White and her husband Paul reside in Carnegie, PA. They have been married for 37 years.

1975

James Washington retired from the Irvington School System after serving 36 years as a teacher, assistant principal and principal. While principal, he also served as the administrator’s union president. Jim and his wife reside in Edison, NJ. Patricia (Mishler) Wolfe has retired from ExxonMobil. She has a personal goal of writing a Christian devotional. Her husband Daniel is also retired and they reside in Pearland, TX, with their dog and three wonderful cats.

1976 Dr. Michael Hink was inducted into the Lawrence County Historical Society Sports Hall of Fame on April 26, 2015. Mike played football at Geneva, where he lettered for four years, was captain his senior year and was selected an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention in 1969. He was named one of Geneva’s All-Time Top 100 football players, 1890-2001. Mike retired in 2006 as superintendent of schools for Neshannock Twp. School District. He and wife Marilyn (Shaner ’71) reside in New Castle, PA. Bob and Jane (Kidd ’72) Rak reside in Ellwood City, PA. Bob is a retired social studies teacher from Riverside High School. He now substitutes for kindergarten through 12th grade and is an assistant boys and girls varsity basketball coach at Riverside. Jane is a preschool teacher at Concord United Methodist Church. They have been married for 42 years. Their daughter and son-in-law and two granddaughters reside in GA.

Dr. Bruce Bowman won the Texas State Senior Games for tennis. He won in the men’s singles and mixed doubles in the 75 to 79 age bracket. While a student at Geneva, Bruce played on the tennis team coached by Cliff Aultman.

Meg (Elliott ’73) Garber—See Garber ’76

1971

Ronald Harding is now retired. He and wife Carolyn (Joy ’69) reside in Upperco, MD. Marilyn (Shaner) Hink—See Hink ’70 Gary Stewart resides in Fort Mill, SC, with wife Patti.

1972

Jane (Kidd) Rak—See Rak ’70

Jane (Laudig) Calhoun is a member of the Phoenix Symphony Chorus. She resides in Litchfield Park, AZ.

Dr. Steven Garber authored Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good (IVP). Like his earlier The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior (IVP), it was one of Christianity Today’s “Books of the Year,” as well as being chosen “Book of the Year” by Byron Borger of Hearts and Minds. The principal of the Washington Institute, Steve lives near Washington, D.C. with his wife Meg (Elliott ’73).

1977

Diane (Davis) Gennaro and husband John reside in Aliquippa, PA. John recently retired as mechanical technical maintenance from ArcelorMittal.

1978

Marilyn (Williams) Wilt resides in Media, PA, with husband Robert. They have two children, Kathryn and Nick. Marilyn is an emotional

support teacher at Rose Tree Media School District.

1982

Karen-Susanne (Budnick) Whitlock and husband William have two children, Alexandra and Nathanael. The Whitlocks reside in Coatesville, PA.

1984

Carlos Leon is in upper management at UPS. He and wife America reside in Doral, FL. Carol (Moore) VDuran joined Sandia National Laboratory in 2015 as a Principal Project Controller, in support of our nation’s defense program. She resides in Albuquerque, NM, with husband Victor and too many cats.

for “Amine-Based Shale Inhibitors and Methods” for oil drilling, fracturing and well treatment. He has two daughters and resides in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

1993

Mark Sampson (DCP #023) recently completed the certification requirements for the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). In addition to working at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Mark is a student in the Master of Theological Studies program with an emphasis in biblical counseling. Mark and his wife Sharon both counsel at the Biblical Counseling Institute at the seminary.

1998

Sarah (Zwinger) Gibbs—See Gibbs ’99

1986

1999

1987

Jaime (Smith) and Rob Godek welcomed Simon Matthew into the world on March 11, 2015. He joins big sister Sadie. The Godeks reside in Oviedo, FL.

Jean (Radcliff) Ruhlen traveled with seven others from Woodside Bible Church to Kashmir, India, on a mission trip in September 2014. It was a life-changing experience as they tried with limited use of words to share the gospel. Jean resides in Waterford, MI, with husband Matt and daughters Amina and Karima.

Matt and Anne (McCready ’03) Boyle welcomed their fifth child, Callie Joan, on May 11, 2015. She joins big brothers Tyler, Cameron and Derek and big sister Bria. The Boyle family resides in Shawnee, KS.

1988

Kenneth and Sharon (Lapp) Faulk were united in marriage. They reside in Aliquippa, PA.

Joseph Monahan is the holder of two patents

Patricia “Patty” Tinkey (MAHE) is a professor in the Modern Languages Department at Grove City College. She and husband Larry reside in Grove City, PA.

2003

Anne (McCready) Boyle—See Boyle ’00

2004

Amy (Totten) Lassiter and husband Elliott welcomed son Nathan Robert on February 9, 2015. The Lassiters reside in Monroeville, PA.

2005

Tania (Chipman) and Jason Brower have two sons, Luke and Ethan, and reside in Columbia, SC. Tania received an M.A. in Spanish from the University of South Carolina.

Rebecca “Becky” (Douthitt) Saymansky is a Business Education Teacher at New Castle School District. She and husband Gary have three children, Aci, Brook and Jimmy, and reside in Darlington, PA.

1991

2002

Byron (DCP #108) and Sarah (Zwinger ’98) Gibbs were married on December 23, 2012. The couple met while attending Victory Family Church in Cranberry Township. Byron has an MBA from Waynesburg University and Sarah has an M.S. from Robert Morris University. Sarah is the Director of Admissions at Grove City College.

2000

David Marshall announces the graduation of daughter Chelsea Marshall ’14. Chelsea joins sister Ashley Marshall ’11 and father David as Geneva graduates. David is the Facilities Director for Lower Dauphin School District in Hummelstown, PA. He and wife Pamela have three daughters and reside in New Cumberland, PA.

College). He continues to work as a policing practitioner with the Darien Police Department in CT, where he serves as an Acting Lieutenant. Jeremiah and his wife Nadia reside in Bethel, CT, with their four children: Tayler, Hunter, Skyler and Amber.

Jeremiah Johnson recently completed his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice at the City University of New York Graduate Center (John Jay

Barry Leicher is the Executive Pastor at New Life Christian Ministries in Saxonburg, PA. Laura “Leslie” (Turner) Leicher is working for Life Choices, a crisis pregnancy center in Butler, PA. She welcomed daughter Laura Grace in June 2014, joining twin brothers Scott and Barry (affectionately nicknamed Tiger and Bear).

2007

Faith (Armstrong) Walker and her husband welcomed son Silas Allen Walker on January 14, 2015. The family resides in Pittsburgh.

2006

Benjamin Roberts married Eliana Qiao on February 21, 2015. The couple resides in Bloomington, IN. Laura (Capper) and Rob DePietro welcomed Grace Anne into the world on April 30, 2015. She joins big brother Carson.

2009

Emily (Chismire) Maddox, a special education teacher at the Dorchester County, MD, Sandy Hill Elementary School was selected as “Teacher of the Year” for 2015-16. Tressa (Cashdollar) McCune—See McCune ’08

2008

Tiana (Sebastian) Proudfoot and husband Michael have expanded their family in a crazy way. Levi Jordan Pengfei and Joshua Nathaniel Ziqiao were adopted in China in January 2015. They joined big sister Nadia Joy Kabahumuza, adopted in Uganda in 2012. Together, the three siblings welcomed Charis Eliora on March 3, 2015. Going from one child to four within six weeks and becoming a family has been a fun and challenging journey. The Proudfoots live in VA, where Michael is a youth and associate pastor and Tiana consumes many cups of coffee to keep up with the kids. Jeffrey and Holly Robinson announce the birth of their first child, Clayton Joseph, born April 9, 2015. In July, the family went back to Tanzania to continue serving a Bible translation project in the Mara region. Jeff is a Scripture Use Coordinator for Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Tesni (Searles) Freed graduated in May 2015 with a Master of Arts in Professional Writing from New England College, where she was the sole recipient of the President’s Graduate Studies Award. This award is presented to the student who best exemplifies professional leadership and academic excellence. Tesni recently started as a full-time Development Associate at the New Hampshire Association for the Blind, a nonprofit organization in Concord, NH. She and husband Brian reside in Hooksett, NH.

Marissa (Kudlik) and Matthew Harrington were united in marriage on August 24, 2014. The couple resides in Loveland, CO. Tristan and Robyn (Weber) Moran reside in Fort Worth, TX. Robyn recently graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is continuing her medical training in internal medicine at Plaza Medical Center in Fort Worth.

2010

Elise Grybos resides in Portsmouth, VA.

Matthew and Tressa (Cashdollar ‘07) McCune welcomed the birth of their son, Murray Gene McCune, on December 6, 2014.

David and Julia (Urbanski ’11) Callahan welcomed daughter Ailee Elizabeth on January 8, 2015. The Callahans reside in Phoenix, AZ.

2013

Dan King was recently awarded the Bruce Perry Volleyball Ambassador Award during the annual Florida Region Awards Ceremony. He is an assistant coach for the Nova Southeastern University volleyball team.

Cameron and Heidi (Palmer ’14) Davies were married on May 30, 2015 in Enon Valley, PA.

Amanda (Griffith) Yarger—See Yarger 2012

Micah and Amanda (Griffith ’10) Yarger welcomed daughter Regan Mae Yarger into the world on June 27, 2015. Micah was recently promoted to Manager of Corporate Communications & Government Affairs for PGT Trucking.

2011

Katie Blumberg resides in Mars, PA. Julia (Urbanski) Callahan—See Callahan ’10

2014

Zachary Harvey and Emily Crain are engaged to be married in August 2015.

Brenna (Garda) Hamming—See Hamming ’12 Ashley Marshall—See Marshall ’87

2012

Nicholas and Brenna (Garda ’11) Hamming were married on July 19, 2014 and reside in Hollidaysburg, PA. Aaron O’Data accepted a position at the University of Pittsburgh as a Biographical Research Officer in the office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement. In this capacity, Aaron prepares documentation on individuals and corporations requested by the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor.

Heidi (Palmer) Davies—See Davies ’13 Marie Scott (DCP #024) recently graduated from Liberty University with distinction, earning a Master of Arts in Public Policy with a concentration in International Affairs. She is a paralegal for Michael P. Malakoff, P.C. Marie has three children, Andrew, Felicia and Trevor, and resides in Pittsburgh with husband Robert.

Chelsea Marshall—See Marshall ’87

Katelyn (Slagle) Miller—See Miller ’14

Class Notes Information To share your news, visit Geneva.edu/class_notes and click on “Update Form.” High-resolution pictures of at least three megapixels in size may be submitted in JPEG format. You may also mail your news and photos to: GENEVA COLLEGE Office of Alumni Relations 3200 College Avenue Beaver Falls, PA 15010

Zachary and Katelyn (Slagle ’13) Miller were married in July 2015 in Altoona, PA.

Inclusion of all items in Class Notes is at the discretion of Geneva College, in accordance with the community standards of the institution.

Photos appear before the corresponding class note.

2015

Jonathan and Anne (McEllhenney) Robel were united in marriage on December 20, 2014. The couple resides in Ephrata, PA.

class notes

In Memoriam

40s Kenneth D. Finney ’40 on January 29, 2015 Florence V. (Ecoff ’40) Kennedy on March 4, 2015 Henry “Hank” E. Pence ’40 on March 4, 2015 Bertha M. (Gault ’40) Van Ryn on February 15, 2015 Virginia M. (Guldbrandsen ’42) Felker on March 13, 2015 Janet (Gardner ’45) Dawson on March 25, 2015 Ruth (Schnebly ’45) Dawson on June 9, 2015 Elizabeth “Libby” M. (Gissel ’46) Orr on April 30, 2015 Albert C. Hardies Jr. ’47 on April 15, 2015 John R. Rumisek ’47 on February 25, 2015 Myrna D. (Bristol ’47) Tinstman on February 4, 2015 Florence (Cooper ’49) Craig on March 5, 2015 Oscar L. Jackson Sr. ’49 on February 15, 2015

50s Dr. Paul D. Lambert ’50 on February 1, 2015 Dr. Robert J. Farls ’51 on April 26, 2015 Kenneth E. Price ’52 on January 24, 2015 Donald E. Bradshaw ’53 on June 17, 2015 Frederick K. Gumpf ’53 on June 23, 2015

Dr. Michael P. Nido ’53 on June 12, 2015

Stanley W. Hosking ’61 on April 1, 2015

Susan J. Salopek ’89 on March 13, 2015

Robert D. Sweringen ’53 on March 8, 2015

Gerald E. Seaburn, Ph.D. ’62 on January 12, 2015

90s

Harry W. Beightley Jr. ’54 on May 30, 2015

William F. Born ’63 on February 19, 2015

Rocco R. Bovalino Jr. ’54 on May 19, 2015

Raymond P. Colwell ’63 on June 23, 2015

Nellie N. Masser ’54 on June 5, 2015

Dr. Henry A. Tumpa ’63 on April 8, 2015

Harvey R. Robinson ’54 on April 25, 2015

Howard A. Buffington ’64 on March 3, 2015

Dr. Sam N. Castronovo ’55 on June 5, 2015

Charles B. Long ’67 on May 24, 2015

A. Kathryn “Kay” (Follette ’56) Orr on February 13, 2015

Harry C. Raab ’67 on February 1, 2015

Friends

Edward G. MacKenzie ’57 on June 12, 2015

Fawn (Virgin ’69) Fulton on April 30, 2015

Edward L. Kuriger on February 12, 2015

George E. Conway ’58 on February 14, 2015

Rita Jo (Chuey ’69) Nicol on May 1, 2015

Mary Jane Kuriger on May 21, 2015

William E. Hodgkinson ’58 on December 13, 2014

Robert F. Shively ’69 on May 8, 2015

Beverly J. O’Leary on June 21, 2015

John “Jack” Keeley ’58 on February 21, 2015

70s

Ralph P. Miller ’58 on March 24, 2015 Frank C. Sofelkanich ’58 on February 24, 2015 William B. Albright ’59 on April 21, 2015 Everett P. Bryant ’59 on May 23, 2015 Paul H. Gault ’59 on February 27, 2015

John A. Yellenik ’98 (DCP #087) on May 18, 2015

00s Peggy Sue Younkin ’05 (DCP #184) on April 3, 2015

10s Jonathan R. Antonishen ’15 on March 23, 2015

Linda M. (Elder ’70) Monico on February 3, 2015 Kathleen J. (May ’72) Guza on May 17, 2015 David A. Dorn ’73 on June 9, 2015 Charles E. Keefer ’73 on May 27, 2015 Nancy L. (Craig ’77) Tundel on June 2, 2015

60s

Robert J. Bower Jr. ’79 on May 19, 2015

Daniel R. Dinello ’60 on March 5, 2015

80s

George Banyas ’61 on March 27, 2015

Thomas E. Burkhart ’97 (DCP #073) on March 1, 2015

Katalin “Katherine” A. Nemeth ’84 on February 9, 2015

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in conclusion

Jonathan “Anto” Antonishen (1992–2015)

The sudden passing of senior Jonathan Antonishen ’15 on Monday, March 23, 2015 deeply saddened his many friends in the Geneva College community, including classmates, professors, teammates and coaches. Known by many as Anto, Jon majored in engineering and participated in football and track and field. The 22-year-old from Acme, PA, had died of natural causes after falling ill while studying with friends in the Student Center. The Geneva College community gathered for a weekly chapel service during the spring semester to mourn this unexpected loss and celebrate cherished memories. At Commencement, the college awarded Jon a posthumous bachelor’s degree in engineering. Geneva offers deep condolences to Jon’s parents and brother, and holds to the promise that he is at peace in Heaven with his Lord Jesus Christ.

“Jon came to Geneva with a genuine desire to learn— to learn about himself, his God and how to use the abilities God gave him. Jon was a big guy with a tender heart who will be missed by all of us in the engineering department.”

Dr. David Shaw ’83, Professor of Engineering

“I played football with Jon at Geneva for four years. He was one of the most encouraging people I had the privilege to know. While my heart breaks for his life being cut short so close to graduation and with so much left to accomplish, I know God has a purpose for this higher than our own understanding. Anto will be in my heart ... throughout my life as I remember him as my brother in the GT Family.”

Travis Rogan ’15

“Jon was a great, down to earth guy who genuinely cared about the people around him. I think I speak for most of the senior engineers when I say that he was a blessing to have in class and talk to in the hallways. He will be missed very much, and our prayers go out to his family and friends.”

Brooke Wible ’15 “Thank you, Anto, for being a shining example of what it means to be a true student-athlete. You have touched so many classmates, teammates and friends on Geneva’s campus during the past four years and you will never be forgotten. The Geneva community mourns with the Antonishen family, but also celebrates the amazing young man that Anto was and the great impact that he made on our campus. God Bless you!”

Van Zanic ’93, Athletic Director

G E N E VA CO LLE G E

Fall-Winter 2015

CELEBRATION W E E K E N D

Events for Alumni October

6 Alumni & Friends Gathering, Philadelphia, PA

8 Alumni & Friends Gathering, Woodbridge, NJ 20 Alumni & Friends Gathering, Fairfax, VA

November

MAY 6-7, 2016

10 Alumni & Friends Gathering, Rochester, NY

January

9 The Wizard of Oz – Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA

Join us for reunion events and a special dinner program.

FEbruary

26 The Blue Man Group – Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA

Geneva.edu/alumni

und F

1956 and 1966 CLASS REUNIONS

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