Stillpoint Spring 2017

SPRING 2017

THE MAGAZINE OF GORDON COLLEGE

STILLPOINT

Transformational The Gordon community celebrates a major gift to the College

Also in This Issue Science for the Common Good: 24 Alumni Put Their Gordon Education to Work

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Do you know a student who would thrive at Gordon?

Who better to recommend future Gordon students than our alumni? You know Gordon and the students who will thrive here!

Your recommendation helps shape the future of the College and helps equip the next generation of Christian servant leaders.Â

Refer a student: www.gordon.edu/refer

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CONTENTS

FEATURE

Science for the Common Good From more seasoned alumni professionals to recent graduates whose stories show the breadth of possibilities for now and the future—here’s how 24 of our many alumni are putting their Gordon education to work in the sciences.

Introduction by Dorothy Boorse

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IN EACH ISSUE

The College Announces a Transformational Gift In February the College announced a $25 million gift that will increase its endowment by 50%, and launch and sustain a comprehensive new honors program and other strategic initiatives.

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Front with 2 Up President Lindsay Blessed to Be a Blessing

3 Inspiration

A Way of Seeing

4 Spotlight

Sophie Linnell ’18, Artist-Athlete

6 On the Grapevine

Student, Faculty and Staff News

34 Class Notes Alumni News

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UP FRONT with President Lindsay

Blessed to Be a Blessing

“Pull quote goes here. Num veleseq uismodignim zzriuscil doluptat. Cum nos duis nulput digna con volenim ent augait wis nit aut aliqui blan.”

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed, and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” —2 Cor. 9:10 Not long ago, I received a letter from an alumnus who attended Gordon back in the early 1950s, when the campus was still on Evans Way in Boston. During the first semester of his senior year he could not pay his $300 tuition bill, so he was not going to be allowed to take his finals. He and his wife were working multiple jobs, but they still could not make ends meet. The deadline was drawing near. One day he was called down to the controller’s office, and assumed that his Gordon education was coming to an abrupt end.

But instead of delivering the expected bad news, the controller, Mr. Palmer, was beaming: an anonymous gentleman had recently come in wanting to help out a needy student. “The direction of my life changed because of that man’s generosity,” wrote the alum, who went on to earn two graduate degrees, pastor several churches and serve for nearly 30 years as an active-duty Army chaplain.

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In this alum’s letter to me was a check for $3,000, designated as “a stimulus for another Gordon student to be able to continue their education in spite of a hardship.”

I’m sharing this story with you because it’s really everyone’s story. Whether we have been in dire need or have enjoyed relatively comfortable circumstances, there are at least two ways this should resonate with all of us.

The first is obvious to anyone inside private higher education: the vast majority of our students rely on some degree of financial aid, many of them critically so. But even “full pay” students do not cover the true cost of a Gordon education, which is about $13,000 more per student than the sticker price. And what’s true of individuals is often also true of institutions: Gordon College itself owes its ongoing existence to the generosity of donors; in other words, to philanthropy—a wonderful Greek

president@gordon.edu

word meaning “love of humanity,” a love expressed in actions that require sacrifice, and setting aside the desire for monetary profit.

If you haven’t already heard through social media or email, we are in the midst of celebrating a transformative act of philanthropy and honoring a donor who is already making a difference in the life of Gordon College.

You can read more about this gift—a signed, irrevocable gift of $25 million— beginning on page 6. The magnitude of the gift is different from that of the visitor to the Fenway campus, and of the 1954 alum, but the underlying desire is identical: to stimulate a lasting impact on a leading Christian institution—its people, its programs and its long-term financial health.

My second point is a direct quote from my mother: We are blessed to be a blessing. She didn’t invent this saying, of course. It shows up early on in the

www.gordon.edu/president

Twitter: @GordonPres

IN EACH ISSUE

INSPIRATION Bible, in Genesis 12:2, where God promises Abraham two things: that God will greatly bless him, and that Abraham will become a blessing for countless others. God delights in blessing us, but we are blessed for the specific purpose of multiplying those blessings for others.

We see this dynamic all through Scripture, and you will see it in this issue of STILLPOINT, in the profiles of two dozen alumni, from the 70s to the present, doing outstanding work in various science fields. They represent a continuum, from seasoned professionals to recent graduates. They were blessed while at Gordon with excellent professors who cared personally for them and helped pave the way to careers and, often, advanced degrees. But the blessing didn’t stop there. They have become a blessing for others, through activities as diverse as surgical oncology research, maintaining a federally funded lab and a steady rate of scientific publishing with student authors, practicing family medicine in a small town in upstate Maine, and developing effective catalysts for oil refining.

Knowing that we are sending out young adults like these keeps me coming to work each morning. Knowing that this gift will multiply their impact even further is thrilling!

This issue of STILLPOINT is just one way of saying, from the bottom of my heart—and, I trust, yours as well—thank you.

Soli Deo Gloria,

A Way of Seeing Paul Edwards, Chief Development Officer and Senior Vice President for Advancement Ask Paul Edwards about philanthropy and you won’t hear much that sounds like Fundraising 101. He’s been successfully raising money for 39 years, but what he really wants you to know about is the Trinity.

“Our triune God is a philanthropic God,” he says. “An ‘asking and granting’ Trinity, from before there was time and space. From everlasting to everlasting, God is a giving God.” You are just processing all of that when he adds this zinger: “Philanthropy is a way that the triune God looks at the world. Have you ever wondered what Jesus’ ‘day job’ is, right now, at the throne of heaven? He asks. That’s what intercession is: asking.”

And that, he says, is how we should see the world as well. The “asking and giving” story is built into the very fabric of the world, and the Scriptures reflect that. “Our philosophy of philanthropy is richly undergirded by a careful reading of Scripture,” he says.

“To take just one of myriad examples, the Apostle Paul tells the young pastor, Timothy, to ‘Command those who are wealthy to be rich in deeds.’ That’s stronger language than many of us are comfortable with, but, in the asking-and-giving economy of God’s universe, we are given wealth in order to do good things with it. So in that economy, it’s a joyful thing both to ask and to be asked.

“The best fundraiser in the Old Testament is Moses—when he asked the Israelites for contributions to build a tabernacle, ‘they came forward, men and women alike, all who had willing hearts; they brought the offering for the Lord for the work of the tent of meeting.’ Generations later, when King David was cast in the role of Chief Fundraiser for the Temple, the people not only gave willingly, they rejoiced in their giving.

“Like Moses and David, we need to approach fundraising believing that God goes ahead of us.”

Paul Edwards, M.Div., has served in senior leadership positions in organizations including Prison Fellowship Ministries, Promise Keepers, Hawaiian Islands Ministries and Wycliffe.

D. Michael Lindsay is the eighth president of Gordon College and professor of sociology. His most recent book is View from the Top: An Inside Look at How People in Power See and Shape the World (Wiley, 2014).

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SPOTLIGHT

Sophie Linnell ’18 THE RHYTHMS OF AN ARTIST-ATHLETE

“In design and in basketball, there are certain principles and parameters that provide the framework to be creative and go deep.”

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IN EACH ISSUE

“I SHOULD HAVE WARNED THE MANAGER,” says Sophie Linnell ’18 of the first time she skulked around the laundromat, picking through trash and dryer filters. “But they have my number now and they’re saving lint for me, so it’s cool.”

Sophie’s extensive lint collection was just one of many eclectic details that went into her art installation for “Findings,” an exhibition of student and alumni work in the gallery at Barrington Center for the Arts. The finished product, revealed on February 4, featured a series of large, intricate tree roots crafted from wood, leaves and fabric. Each started in raw form outside of Barrington, gradually morphed into recycled form (cardboard, teabags and lint) as it moved inside, and eventually turned into paper as the roots’ tips climbed up the lobby walls. “I’m interested in the human connection with the world around—how humans interact with different natural materials,” Sophie explains.

When she’s not scouring for recycled materials, this art major (design concentration) splits her time between the Barrington studios and the Bennett Center courts. As captain of the Women’s Basketball team, she says, “I’m seeing correlations between what I’m learning in art and what I’m learning on the court.”

“Design is about going into a situation and being able to think creatively about the structure of the problem, and then deconstructing it so we can think more creatively about how to solve it,” she says. “In basketball, when our coach gives us a framework, we’re so much more successful if we can be creative within that.

“I’ve never labeled myself as ‘the athlete’ or ‘the artist’ because I see how they go hand-in-hand, in terms of discipline and learning a craft,” she says. “I practice both every single day. It’s just the rhythm of my life.”

Photos Mark Spooner ’14

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NEWS: ON THE GRAPEVINE

STUDENT, FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS

Transformative Gift Strengthens Endowment, Launches New Initiatives A generous donor leaves a lasting impact.

The morning of Valentine’s Day, faculty and staff gathered in the Ken Olsen Science Center for a stunning announcement: The College had received a transformative $25 million gift—the largest of its kind in the history of the College and four times larger than any previous gift received.

The benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has already begun funding the signed, irrevocable gift commitment.

As a restricted gift, the donation specifically undergirds four major initiatives.

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Endowment Support Twenty million of the 25 million dollars are earmarked for the College’s endowment, increasing the value of Gordon’s endowment by nearly 50 percent.

“As so many of you know,” said President Lindsay, “adding substantially to Gordon’s endowment has been a priority for decades. This gift commitment represents a major milestone in that journey.

Serious conversations with the donor about a transformational gift began last summer. It was clear that the donor wanted to help Gordon achieve excellence and begin to shore up our financial future.

The donor wanted to leave a lasting impact and to truly transform a leading Christian institution.”

Gordon Global Honors Scholars Program Beginning in the 2018–19 academic year, the Gordon Global Honors Scholars program will become the College’s flagship four-year scholarship program, offering tuition support and substantive global experiences for a select group of students chosen to participate. Consistent with the broader vision of the Global Honors Institute, the program emphasizes the role of faith in positive global engagement and the pursuit of creative, entrepreneurial solutions. Scholars will pursue a variety of topics and cultural experiences, including cross-cultural outings; regional and international travel; and specialized courses, retreats, seminars,

ON THE GRAPEVINE

ADDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO GORDON’S ENDOWMENT HAS BEEN A PRIORITY FOR DECADES. THIS GIFT COMMITMENT REPRESENTS A MAJOR MILESTONE IN THAT JOURNEY.

expand opportunities in areas such as departmental honors. “The extraordinary generosity of this donor is a reflection of Christ,” said Barker, “a remarkable, challenging, inspiring reflection of his goodness to us.”

Center for Leadership and the Arts

Photo Mark Spooner ’14

workshops and elective opportunities.

Over the course of four years, the program will enrich students’ faith, promote intellectual maturity and strengthen leadership capabilities within the context of a tight-knit cohort and individualized assistance from faculty mentors.

Gordon Global Honors Institute One of the major goals of the College’s strategic plan, the new Institute has been in the works for more than a year. Under the direction of Dr. William Barker ’98, it will be home base for the Global Honors Scholars Program and provide additional support and cohesion for existing honors programs, including the distinguished A. J. Gordon Scholars program, Jerusalem and Athens Forum, and Kenneth L. Pike Honors, while working with a new faculty honors committee to

A new building will house the Global Honors Institute, including space for the Global Honors Scholars program, as well as additional space for music performances, public lectures and other events. This new and much-needed space will seat between 250 and 400 guests and will be used for everything from Admissions visit days to music concerts. “This is indeed a marvelous and imaginative gift,” said Provost Janel Curry, “one that will bless so many students and campus guests for years to come.”

“This is the kind of transformational gift we have prayed about for years,” said President Lindsay. “It also represents an emphatic ‘third party endorsement’ of Gordon’s mission and vision for the future, and demonstrates great confidence in the quality of our people and our programs.

It is our hope that this donor’s faith in Gordon inspires others to come alongside us in ongoing philanthropic support.”

“Twenty-five million is a huge gift,” added Trustee Lisa Forkner, “and hard for me to fully grasp. Virtually overnight, we are increasing the size of our endowment by 50 percent, and as these $5 million gifts come in each year over the next five years, we will see how much stronger we are with this kind of endowment support.”

Kristiina Boettiger ’18, a biology and chemistry major, contributed the perspective of a student who would not

be at Gordon without scholarship support.

A dual citizen of Finland and the United States and the daughter of missionaries, Kristiina has always had a sense of compassion for people and a deep desire to share the gospel with her peers. After graduation, Kristiina aspires to attend medical school to support her dream of opening a practice and of spending her free time serving on medical mission trips.

Peter Bennett, past chair of the Board of Trustees and longtime major donor, also addressed the gathering. “This gift is about Gordon’s financial future,” he said. “It will take several years before the interest earned on these restricted funds will impact the College’s bottom line. When the trustees are able to release these interest earnings, however, they will be providing additional scholarship dollars for some of the very best students, and they will help Gordon engage a new cohort of students that we are currently not reaching. That is why this is such an exciting development.”

President Lindsay lauded the ongoing contributions of faculty and staff, “who make Gordon worthy of this investment.

We want to bless our students through this. We will do this by securing the financial future of the institution, which immediately increases the value of their degree. We are also going to be able to draw a wider network of students to Gordon College than we have experienced in the past.”

The meeting ended with colorful explosions from confetti cannons, followed by a continental breakfast in the KOSC Loggia and Chairman’s Room. 

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Ian Hutchinson and Os Guinness Welcomed as Distinguished Visiting Scholars

Vining’s Shakespeare: Highlights from the Edward Payson Vining Collection

Two renowned academics are currently serving one-year appointments as distinguished visiting scholars at Gordon, hosted by the Center for Faith and Inquiry.

Ian Hutchinson is a professor of nuclear science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A nuclear engineer and physicist, he was chairman of the Division of Plasma Physics group of the American Physical Society in 2008.

A prolific author on the topic of plasma phenomena and nuclear fusion, Dr. Hutchinson previously served as editorin-chief of Plasma, Physics, and Controlled Fusion, one of the top three plasma physics journals in the world.

Author and social critic Os Guinness is a senior fellow for the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and author/ editor of more than 30 books. The son of medical missionaries in China and the great-great-great grandson of the famous Dublin brewer, Dr. Guinness played a key role in writing “The Williamsburg Charter” (1988) and “The Global Charter of Conscience,” published in 2012 at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.

Dr. Guinness will be on campus April 18 through 22 to speak about his most recent book, Fool’s Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion (2015), as well as one of his previous works on the issues of vocation and calling. 

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It was an ambitious debut for the Edward Payson Vining Collection when selections of 16th- and 17th-century sources relating to Shakespeare were featured in a special event marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. The exhibition, “Vining’s Shakespeare: Highlights from the Edward Payson Vining Collection,” was on display in Barrington Center for the Arts on campus December 9 through 15. The opening reception featured theatre artist Karin Coonrod ’76, one of the most acclaimed interpreters of Shakespeare in the country.

The exhibition, put together jointly by curator Mary-Ellen Smiley and Professor Damon DiMauro, was an exciting confluence of Shakespeare’s works, Vining’s insights and the performing arts, including an original 1632 Shakespeare second folio featuring all of Shakespeare’s plays.

A secondary focus of the exhibition was the scholarly work of Edward Payson Vining and his personal Shakespeare writings on Hamlet. “He was known in his time for his theory that the character of Hamlet was intended to be a woman,” said David Goss, director of Gordon’s Institute for Public History. The exhibition featured an excerpt from a 1920 German film in which the character of Hamlet was performed by a female actor. “Karin’s insights create a timeless thread connecting the past to the present; the archives to the living stage; and our historical location of Massachusetts to the days of live performances in the streets of Europe,” Goss said.

Coonrod serves on the faculty at Yale School of Drama and is the founder of two theater companies: the international Compagnia de’ Colombari, based both in Orvieto, Italy and New York City; and the Arden Party. Coonrod’s recent production of The Merchant of Venice in Venice, performed outdoors in the Jewish Ghetto of Venice itself, received international acclaim as an element of the commemoration of two milestones—the 500th anniversary of the formation of the Ghetto, the area of Venice where Jews were forced to live under the Venetian Republic; and the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. 

ON THE GRAPEVINE

Embracing the Uncomfortable: A Conversation with Gerry Newkirk ’69

Tom Lake ’01 Releases Book on 2016 Election for CNN

By Billy Jepma ’18

It was a perfect sunny day in Iowa when a rush of wind from Donald Trump’s landing helicopter blew off Thomas Lake’s straw hat. He was onsite at a Trump rally, conducting research for Unprecedented: The Election That Changed Everything, released by CNN this past December. It was not the first or the last time that the 2016 presidential candidates would blow him away.

Gerry Newkirk ’69, retired CEO, has lived a life of high risk and high reward, but his motto has always been simple: make decisions, own them and don’t look back. As a part of Gordon’s “Conversations with the President” series, President Lindsay sat down with Newkirk for an hour-long conversation that ranged from Newkirk’s student days to his later business ventures as an owner of Tractor Supply Company (TSCO), a leading U.S. retailer offering products for home improvement, agriculture, lawn and garden maintenance, and livestock, equine and pet care.

A history major at Gordon during a time when it enrolled only about 500 students, Newkirk cited past president Richard Gross as a “constant mentor” and “a leader providing practical leadership in a very, very difficult period of history.”

It was an influence that would prove formative later on in Newkirk’s life. Shortly after graduating he went to serve in the military, marrying Gai (Webber) ’71 on his return.

After a stint in retail, Newkirk eventually began working for TSCO. Early on during his time there, however, sales dropped precipitously, losing the company millions in profits.

With the company in trouble, Newkirk and several colleagues decided to make the daring move of buying the struggling company outright in an attempt to revitalize it with a new focus. They had to borrow over $20 million to make the purchase, but with equity sponsors and other measures, they made it work.

Successfully converting Tractor Supply Company from a private to public business after purchasing it, Newkirk said, was his biggest risk and biggest financial success. Newkirk said that his motto, “I weigh my future options and I very rarely look back,” worked for him then, and continues to do so today.  Pictured above (L to R): Michael Lindsay, Gerry Newkirk and Richard Gross.

Though he’d most recently been a successful feature writer for Sports Illustrated, he was hired by CNN specifically for this project in June of 2015. The editors liked the idea of his fresh perspective on the “political circus” and his track record for telling a good story. “First and foremost, we wanted to tell a story that people would want to read about: one of the wildest, most surprising elections in American history,” Lake said.

He and the editorial team took a step back and saw the book as an opportunity to take a snapshot of the country: “What is America in 2016?”

By chronicling observations and interviews, Lake synthesized the flurry of events surrounding the 2016 presidential race, capturing the dynamics and giving insight into the many candidates’ minds.

In simply telling the story, Lake set a vivid and vital backdrop for the political events of this race.

“There are moments that resonated with me as a person, and many of those make their way into the book because I hope they would resonate with readers in the same way,” he said.  SPRING 2017 | STILLPOINT 9

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New Master of Science in Financial Analysis to Launch

Building upon a growing undergraduate program in finance and an impressive base of successful financial professionals who are staunch supporters of the College, Gordon will launch a new Master of Science in Financial Analysis program this year. This rigorous one-year graduate program aims to provide students from various liberal arts disciplines a pathway to launch their business careers and enhance their preparedness for professional advancement.

Taught by seasoned industry practitioners, students will learn essential business and analytical skills within a framework of strong Christian values and high ethical standards. This program will also provide a strong foundation for students interested in pursuing professional credentials such as preparing for the Chartered Financial Analyst® I and II exams.

“This program creates a classic win-win-win opportunity,” says John Truschel, CFA®, who is a principal and portfolio manager for Mercer Investment Management. “For the graduates, it is a win as they gain skills, insights and wisdom to help launch them into a successful career. For Gordon, it is a win that broadens and deepens our Kingdom impact and our contribution to the common good. And for the financial services industry it is a win that introduces market participants with both practical skills and a biblically shaped ethical compass that is desperately needed.”  www.gordon.edu/graduate/finance

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Grad Ed Has Turned 20!

An idea spearheaded by education professor Tony Pitkin in the late 1980s, graduate education came to fruition at Gordon in 1996. Twenty years in, its offerings have expanded from one degree with two tracks to two degrees with a total of 36 tracks, taught by 50 faculty members with deep field experience. The reading licensure, introduced in 2002, continues to be the biggest program, in part because of its unique science-based approach and its accreditation by the International Dyslexia Association.

After Pitkin’s retirement, Professor Muriel Radtke, a key player in the program’s initial launch, took the helm. Professor Malcolm Patterson then served as director until 2008, when current director Janet Arndt stepped in. Arndt believes the future of graduate education is bright. “We read the current research with great interest for what is on the horizon in teacher education,” she says. “Virtual learning rather than brick and mortar— what will be the role of teacher preparation in that venue?” 

2014 Conference at Gordon Leads to Anthology The Hermeneutics of Hell (Palgrave MacMillan, 2017) features an international set of established and up-and-coming authors, many of whom first presented their chapters at a conference of the same name hosted at Gordon College in the fall of 2014. The co-editors of the book, former Gordon German professor Gregor Thuswaldner and former dean of faculty Dan Russ, led the conference.

This collection of essays analyzes global depictions of the devil from theological, biblical and literary perspectives, spanning the late Middle Ages to the 21st century. The chapters explore demonic representations in the literary works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Dante Alighieri, Charles Baudelaire, John Milton, H. P. Lovecraft, and Cormac McCarthy, among others.

The text examines other media such as the operas Orfeo and Erminia sul Giordano and the television shows Breaking Bad, The Sopranos and Mad Men. 

ON THE GRAPEVINE

Faculty Books Marv Wilson recently published volume IV of the Dictionary of Daily Life in Biblical and Post-biblical Antiquity (Hendrickson, 2016). This final volume (“O–Z”), coauthored with Edwin Yamauchi (Miami University, Ohio), includes extensive entries on such diverse topics as “Plants & Flowers,” “Sanitation,” “Taxation,” “Trade,” “Widows & Orphans” and “Wild Animals & Hunting.” Last month, the Chinese translation of Dr. Wilson’s textbook Exploring Our Hebraic Heritage was released in Hong Kong.

Originally published in 2013 in Mohr Siebeck’s academic series Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, Steve Hunt’s work (along with co-editors D. Francois Tolmie and Ruben Zimmermann), Character Studies in the Fourth Gospel: Narrative Approaches to Seventy Figures in John, has been re-published by Eerdmans.

New communication arts associate professor Christine Gardner’s first book, Making Chastity Sexy: The Rhetoric of Evangelical Abstinence Campaigns (2011), will be followed by a second, dealing with her most recent project on the rhetoric of LGBTQ identity at Christian colleges. An article from her research for the book (“‘Created this way’: liminality, rhetorical agency, and the transformative power of constraint among gay Christian college students”) was recently published in the journal Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies.

Susan Bobb (psychology) recently published, with colleagues at the Universität Göttingen in Germany, a chapter in the book Cognitive Control and Consequences of Multilingualism, edited

by John W. Schwieter (part of a series on bilingual processing and acquisition put out by John Benjamins.) The chapter presents the findings of a research study on toddlers in a bilingual German-English school immersion setting.

Dorothy Boorse (biology) published “Poverty and Climate Change” in Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church (Hendrickson, 2016). The book collects the work of biblical scholars, theologians, biologists, environmental researchers and activists.

She also published “A Fumbling Journey” in the anthology How I Changed My Mind About Evolution: Evangelicals Reflect on Science and Faith (IVP, 2016).

John Skillen (senior advisor for global education) published Putting Art (back) in Its Place (Hendrickson, 2016), an account of how pre-modern European artists always did their work in the midst of particular communities. Skillen offers readers a compelling call to foster a vibrant culture of the arts by restoring and cultivating active and respectful relationships among artists, patrons, scholars, communities and the art they create.

Chad Stutz (English) recently published Evangelicals and Aesthetics from the 1750s to the 1930s, as part of Paternoster Press’s Studies in Evangelical History and Thought series. It provides the first extended account of the intellectual history of aesthetic discourse among British and American evangelicals from the awakening of a modern aesthetic consciousness in the 18th century to the fundamentalist-modernist controversy of the early 20th century.

Mark Cannister (Christian ministries) published the chapter “Recognizing the Importance of Educational Philosophy” in Teaching the Next Generations: A Comprehensive Guide for Teaching Christian Formation (Baker Academic, 2016). Sharon Ketcham (theology and Christian ministries) also published a chapter, “Faith Formation with Others.”

The book champions the role of teaching as a necessary skill for ministers and future ministers.

Jennifer HeveloneHarper (history) has published a chapter, “The Letter Collection of Barsanuphius and John,” in Late Antique Letter Collections: A Critical Introduction and Reference Guide, just out from University of California Press (2017).

Bringing together an international team of historians, classicists and scholars of religion, this volume provides the first comprehensive overview of the extant Greek and Latin letter collections of late antiquity (ca. 300–600 C.E.). 

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Science for the Common Good From more seasoned alumni professionals to recent graduates whose stories show the breadth of possibilities for now and the future—here’s how 24 of our many alumni are putting their Gordon education to work in the sciences.

Nights in the lab, days in the outdoors; titrations, calculations and gel electrophoresis; robots and heart monitors and respirometers: these are the experiences that make us who we are—if we are scientists, that is. Since 1962 our Division has sent out nearly 2,000 graduates with natural science, mathematics and computer science majors (plus many non-majors now working in science fields). They are curing cancer, producing cleaner energy, running medical device companies, starting nonprofits to protect the environment, developing cleaner chemistry techniques, making films, protecting corals, doing aquaculture, and saving the lives of sick kids. We are thrilled to have been a part of their education.

Come see how just two dozen of them are now serving the common good through science.

—Dorothy Boorse ’87, Professor of Biology

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SCIENCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

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A Short History of the Sciences at Gordon Let’s take a trip in a time machine and go back to 1961, when biology and chemistry were first offered as majors, and taught by Dick Wright and Jack Haas, respectively.

By 1963 the College added a math-physics major; in 1967, it was split into two separate majors. Computer science

arrived as a major in 1983. Jerry McNatt and Dale Pleticha drove physics forward; Dick Stout, Russ Bjork, Jon Senning and Irv Levy were at the helm for math and computer science. Recreation and leisure studies (now recreation, sport and wellness) and movement science (renamed kinesiology in 2006) began in 1987, with Mike Givens, Peggy Hothem and Peter Iltis leading the way.

Russ Camp and Tom Dent, joined by Jane Andrus from Barrington, were the stalwarts in biology. These are just some of the pillars of science at Gordon over the years.

As the 20th century sped through its final decade, new faculty arrived, some retired, and voila! In 2002, the Center for Balance,

Mobility and Wellness opened. In 2003, Irv Levy sparked the Chemistry Department’s emphasis on green chemistry. In 2008, the cramped labs of Emery Hall gave way to the wide-open spaces of the Ken Olsen Science Center. By 2009, the Bowden Engineering Lab was up and running. State-of-the-art biotechnology equipment was purchased with a 2014 grant while 2016 saw a new anatomy and physiology lab. A greenhouse space and several laboratories for psychology await completion. By 2015 the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science Division had coalesced into its current form.

Karina Scavo ’13 Gordon major: biology Marine biology Ph.D. student and teaching fellow, Boston University “There’s always hope! While the news about current environmental issues, especially coral reefs, has been depressing lately, scientists are making great discoveries about the resilience and adaptive strategies of species.”

Book on her nightstand: The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America (thanks to Dr. Keller’s ornithology class).

Fun fact: “My local friends in Belize helped me make a spear so that I can kill invasive lionfish in the mangroves, and also to help protect me from the crocodiles.”

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Karina Scavo flits between Boston and Belize, researching coral reef recovery and reassembly. She’s particularly interested in the role of mangrove habitats as potential refugia* for coral reefs in danger of succumbing to the global reef degradation.

“I have always been drawn to the sea,” she says, “and have always dreamed of being a marine biologist. But besides being challenged to make observations, ask questions and develop hypotheses and experiments about this environment that I have always cherished, I love how

intimate my work becomes when I work with the local people of the places I visit.

I have learned so much from them about the value of the marine environment for their livelihoods. Working with them has really inspired me to add this other personal element to my work—to not only study life in the sea, but also understand the relationship between the sea and the people.” *an area where conditions have enabled a species or a community of species to survive after extinction in surrounding areas.

SCIENCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Dante Rutstrom ’80 Gordon major: chemistry Advanced materials technology vice president, Eastman Chemical Company | Kingsport, Tennessee

Has lived in three countries (China, Singapore, USA) and travelled in over 40 countries. Speaks “a little Mandarin and a fair amount of Japanese.”

Gordon mentor: “Dr. Jack Haas made chemistry fun—we would occasionally find time to blow things up. Even more important, he taught us how to balance science and faith.”

Can’t live without his family, with sports— Patriots, Bruins, Celtics, and Sox—a distant second.

Big dream: Hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Little-known fact about Dante: Once attended a Gordon sports banquet in a skirt.

“I get excited about bringing new products to market that help solve real-world problems,” says Dante Rutstrom, who holds a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Tufts University. “At Eastman, we develop materials that have a strong sustainability emphasis. As our CTO, Steve Crawford, stated recently, ‘Sustainability really drives our innovation platform and our innovation strategy. We see that as an opportunity to keep developing new products that make our planet healthier while optimizing consumer safety and meeting their high expectations for performance.’”

Dante appreciates that Eastman allows him to be a bit of a Renaissance man—his roles there have included stints in lab chemistry, business management, regional/global assignments, and technology management.

He especially enjoys helping employees achieve their career goals, while also

positioning them to make significant contributions to Eastman’s success.

Not long ago Dante had the privilege of leading the development—from inception through commercialization— of a material called Tritan™ co-polyester, a new-tothe-world polymer, one of Eastman’s most successful new product launches. “In fact, if you go into any major sporting goods store and check out the clear water bottles, you are likely to see the Tritan™ name on the bottle or package!”

But perhaps you’re wondering about that sports banquet.

“It was sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a ‘themed’ event,” Dante explains. “We were challenged to wear a costume or outfit reminiscent of early 20th-century sports attire. My roommate, Ed Burgess, and I improvised by borrowing some kilts from the women’s field hockey

team. Seating assignments were pre-arranged, though, and we were horrified to find ourselves at the head table with President Richard Gross, and the guest speaker for the evening, Mike Andrews, former second baseman for the Boston Red Sox. Ed and I tried to figure out an escape, but it was too late. Fortunately, Mike had a good sense of humor and even made a reference to us during his speech. If you search through the old Tartan archives, you might even find an article and photo of Ed Burgess in his skirt. I was too fast to get caught on camera.”

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Nathan Rines ’02 Gordon majors: physics, computer science Engineering manager, BAE Systems | Greater Boston

Mentor: His uncle, Dave Rines ’88, also a physics alum and a fellow BAE Systems employee.

Books on his nightstand: The Signal and the Noise, Nate Silver; No Easy Day, Kevin Maurer and Matt Bissonnette.

Formative: “In the La Vida program I learned about: 1) Forging meaningful bonds with a group of people that I had not chosen. 2) The difference between want and need. I learned that going two weeks without ever really feeling full at the end of a meal is not the end

of the world. 3) That being alone for 48 hours with no food, just water, one set of clothes, a sleeping bag, and a small sheet of plastic suspended overhead to provide shelter from the rain is totally doable.”

Can’t live without Amazon Prime. (“What I really love is the combination of Amazon Prime on my smartphone and the little bit of shortterm memory loss that comes along with having three kids.”)

Big dream: To someday own his own business.

“I love that what I do serves a truly important mission,” says Nathan Rines. “I work in the Electronic Systems sector of BAE Systems, Inc. and our motto is ‘We protect those who protect us.™’ As a company primarily serving the U.S. defense market, one might think that a motto like that is just a nice tagline, but it really is more than that.

It is an integral part of the workplace culture. It always breaks our hearts to hear the stories of men and women who serve our country in the military and end up making the ultimate sacrifice.

The stories you don’t tend to hear, about the ones who return home safely to their families, are the ones that we endeavor to help enable by producing the best equipment in the world.”

Among other projects, Nathan had the opportunity to help design and build a laser that is part of an infrared countermeasure system that

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protects helicopters from shoulder-fired missiles. “As we were fielding systems, a long-time friend of mine who is in the Army was being deployed to Afghanistan as a pilot of those very same Chinook helicopters.

Protecting those who protect us doesn’t get much closer to home than that.”

Nathan sees evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, changes happening in the field of infrared sensors and lasers. “In my current role as a program (or project) engineering manager, I am not doing much basic research, but rather applying the research of others to the development of new products and systems. In my most recent role, I was responsible for a group of engineers doing sensor design. The team includes industry-recognized

SCIENCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Julia Frugoli ’88 Gordon majors: biology, chemistry Associate chair, Alumni distinguished professor in the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University Clemson, South Carolina

subject matter experts in the areas of microbolometer (or uncooled) long-wave infrared sensors and lownoise, visible-light CMOS image sensors. The CMOS (complementary metaloxide-semiconductor) image sensors are similar in nature to the ones used in most digital cameras, except optimized for performance in extremely dark conditions.

Or as we say in New England, it works even when it’s wicked dark. There is more work to be done, but we are beginning to approach the point where we can detect single photons (the quantum of light).”

Dreams of sustainable energy sources, clean water and clean air.

Can’t live without her garden.

Her (unusual) Gordon experience in ten words: “I attended Gordon while married with three children under six.”

A professor of genetics and biochemistry, Julia Frugoli lives and breathes science, quite literally—her home is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum Certified house, the highest certification given to environmentally conscious buildings, and her family raises most of their own vegetables, eggs and chicken.

“Few people look at the natural world and see the levels of complex interactions that give us the abundance and beauty we often take for granted,” she says. “I get to think about it every day and design ways to ask how it works.”

After graduating from Gordon, Julia earned a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Dartmouth College.

As a research chemist with U.S. Army Natick Research conducting research on biomimetic materials for soldier support applications, she received three commendation awards for research performance.

pride in teaching curious minds, maintaining a federally funded lab, and a steady rate of scientific publishing with student authors.

It was her mentors at Gordon—particularly the late Thomas Dent (biology), Marv Wilson (biblical studies), Russell Camp (retired, biology), John Haas (retired, chemistry), and Irv Levy (chemistry)—who largely inspired her to become a professor, herself.

“I get to train the next generation of scientists to ask questions and make decisions based on data,” Julia says.

“Critical thinking is a gift that can be developed. The best way to honor the truth is to use it, and that’s what science does—finds it and uses it.”

Her postdoctoral work took place at Texas A&M University, researching the plant side of molecular genetics. She continues to be passionate about research, and takes

SPRING 2017 | STILLPOINT 17

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Steven Byler ’02 Gordon major: biology COO and managing director, GrowthLab Financial Services, Inc. | Greater Boston “Dr. Dorothy Boorse consistently challenged me to open my mind about the intersection of faith, science and the environment. I still think of topics and ideas she pushed her students to think through and I’m grateful for her leadership.”

Once convinced his not-yet girlfriend (now wife of 12 years), a political science major, that he was savvy about international elections, thanks to an international relations Core course.

Enjoys woodworking and spending time outdoors with his three boys (and with Gordon friends on an annual adventure trip).

Interesting fact: Parents are missionaries in South Sudan.

Studied abroad in Belize and has fond memories of 80-foot cliff diving, catching sharks and looking for jaguars in the rainforest.

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With a degree in biology and several years of professional research experience at Harvard School of Public Health, Steven Byler traded the medical lab for a different sort of lab—a “growth” lab for businesses.

“As I was interviewing for medical school,” he explains, “I enrolled in some graduate classes at Harvard that turned me on to the way I could impact people through business, and I was excited by that.”

When the biologist-turnedbusinessman made his career pivot, he had to overcome a lot of past expectations of himself and what he had envisioned doing with his life.

“But dropping the medical school aspirations and picking up business school applications was the best thing for my career and has led me on an exciting path.”

Now he owns a business that helps other business owners grow their ideas. GrowthLab Financial Services serves the multi-faceted needs of expanding businesses through accounting, consulting and analytics. From entrepreneurs testing new ideas to small business owners refining

existing ones, Steven and his team help them understand their finances and build their strategy.

“I get to manage my business while also influencing the ideas and trajectory of others’ businesses.”

SCIENCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Megan Stark ’13 Gordon major: physics Physics Ph.D. student and teaching assistant, Northeastern University | Boston “I really enjoy the constant challenge that studying physics brings. There is always so much more to learn and understand. I guess if I were to sum it up I would say that I enjoy the pain of the struggle to understand.”

Has worked on a dark matter detection experiment called LUX-Zeplin and plans to continue research on particle physics.

Loves books (and collects them at a faster rate than she reads them!), running, hiking and her newfound rock-climbing hobby.

Currently reading Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot, Fidelity by Wendell Berry and, of course, a smattering of physics textbooks.

Fun fact: “I am a vegetarian because I do not like the environmental impacts of the meat industry.”

Mentor who made a difference: Dr. David Lee. “He has really been the one to push me to continue in physics whenever I have felt defeated.”

Margot Lee ’15 Gordon major: biology Research associate, Siemens Healthcare | Norwood, Massachusetts Books on her nightstand: The Shack; Story of Your Life and Others; Belichick and Brady; and The Tao of Bill Murray. (“I have broad interests.”)

Loves “working with a great group of inspiring and intelligent scientists from all backgrounds who have helped build upon the foundation of learning I received at Gordon.”

“Dr. Ming Zheng took me under his wing and I’m so thankful for that. My first research experience was working with him from sophomore to senior year on his agricultural biotechnology research.

Aside from advice and constructive criticism, he actively encouraged me and let me know he prayed for me and my future. That kindness and positive reinforcement from people I looked up to had a big impact on me and my life post-graduation, and it’s something I’ll always be beyond grateful for.”

Can’t live without her dog, Bear, which she adopted a few months after graduation.

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Jonathan Lopez ’03 Gordon major: biology Pediatric neurologist, Seattle Children’s Hospital and University of Washington | Seattle, Washington “A bit of schooling, training and curiosity is enough to recognize patterns among reams of seemingly disparate facts, statistics, physiological values and other data. But at the end of the day, interpretation and translation of those patterns into something useful to the patient and family in front of me is more art than science. The muse is unchanging, but the artist and scientist can mature over time. I guess that’s why they call it the ‘practice’ of medicine.”

Fun fact: Classically trained in violin, but recently made the transition to fiddle as part of “an absolute ruckus” called Evergreen Shakers (enjoy responsibly @evergreenshakers).

Enjoys anything Star Wars (except the prequel trilogy), Sufjan Stevens and REM sleep.

Mentors who made a difference: Dorothy Boorse, Irv Levy and Russ Camp, and his brother, Rob Lopez ’99.

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After completing medical school at the State University of New York, residency at Loma Linda University (CA) and fellowships at the University of Colorado and Stanford University Hospital, Jonathan Lopez brought his pediatric neurology expertise to Seattle, where he handles cases of drug-resistant epilepsy and uncontrollable seizures in children and teens.

He’s researching new, more accessible treatment methods as alternatives to brain surgery, the only existing cure and an out-of-reach option for many.

Alicia Heelan Gladden ’07 Gordon major: kinesiology General surgery resident, University of Colorado | Denver

SCIENCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Megan Azadian ’16 Gordon major: kinesiology EMT, Cataldo Ambulance Company | Boston “Being a first responder to an emergency often makes you the highest level of care in a situation.

Since I am in the Greater Boston area, I am doing a lot of 911 calls—sometimes up to 15 per day. This is an intimidating but amazing opportunity for real learning and experience (not to mention a lesson in responsibility!). Eventually, I hope to be the person at the hospital waiting to receive and treat the patients who are being brought in.”

Enjoys podcasts, including “Pod Save America,” “Science Vs.,” “Embedded,” “Ungeniused” and the new “Career Day.” Big goal: Wants to be an emergency medicine PA. Mentor who made a difference: Adam Broughton ’04, emergency medicine PA and cadaver lab instructor at Gordon.

Fun fact: “I responded to a federal agent who accidentally shot himself in the rear when he forgot to engage the safety on his gun. He was okay; his worst pain was the loss of pride.”

Books on her nightstand: Greenfield’s Surgery and the Journal of Surgical Education (don’t worry, she likes Harry Potter and The Hunger Games too).

Can’t live without her family, her friends and her golden retrievers, Ezekiel and Remington.

Mentor at Gordon: Dr. Michael Givens (retired, kinesiology). “He was my advisor and never doubted my ability to become whatever I wanted,” she says. “I’d come to him with all sorts of crazy ideas and he only ever provided support and wisdom.”

For Alicia Heelan Gladden, being a surgeon is about everyone but herself. She loves taking care of patients, aims to influence other surgeons’ work, admires her mentors and hopes to be one, herself. “I love being with people in times of need and feeling like I can make a difference in their lives,” she says.

Alicia is fulfilling this mission in her clinical work as a general surgeon in addition to conducting research in breast surgical oncology,

focusing on outcomes and reconstruction after various surgeries for breast cancer.

She sees it as opportunity to influence both patients and her colleagues: “I hope my research will help surgeons make more personalized recommendations for their breast cancer patients.”

surgeons have served as her mentors, and she hopes to do the same for medical students and residents in the future. “Women are still very underrepresented in surgery,” she says, “but that’s changing!”

Medicine is constantly changing, Alicia says, and that leads to the exciting opportunities of new techniques and technology, like robotic surgery. The increasing number of women in surgery especially excites and motivates Alicia, she says. A handful of female

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Kate Kirby ’10 Gordon major: Spanish Director, Kindred Planet Productions | Orono, Maine (Some) books on her nightstand: Unbowed: A Memoir by Wangari Maathai; Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain; Bible, Gender, Sexuality by James V. Brownson.

Her Gordon experience: On occasion, she could be seen skateboarding across Gordon’s campus in her wetsuit after surfing at Good Harbor Beach before class.

Fun fact: She learned to ride a motorbike in the Southeast Asian country of Timor-Leste during a political protest (accidentally). She fell in love with biking, and took a solo two-week motorbike trip through Bali.

Aptly, an airport served as the location of Kindred Planet Productions’ official founding in 2013, while Kate Kirby was en route to La Paz, Bolivia with two friends. There, they would record how the consumption of quinoa impacts Bolivian growers for her first documentary film project, a colorful and controversial 31-minute documentary called Quinoa Soup.

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“From Bolivia, to Laos, to Wabanaki territory, to Standing Rock, to Gordon College, KPP has taken on a life of its own over the past four years,” Kate says, “but its core mission has remained the same: to raise awareness and inspire change by bringing into focus stories from the margins.”

Overseeing organizational management and film production at KPP, she has produced multiple documentaries with varied topics. The Nibezun Project is a series of short films about the process of buying back sacred tribal land to establish a place for healing and cultural revitalization; Elephant Keeper goes behind the scenes at an elephant conservation center

in Laos; and a collaboration on two short films highlights the diverse stories of LGBTQ+ Gordon College alumni.

Currently, KPP is working on a film that follows “Woli,” a seven-year-old water protector, on her journey from Maine to Standing Rock.

At Gordon, a diverse set of minors—environmental studies, biblical and theological studies and Latin American studies—helped give Kate a strong platform for her future work, and a trio of influential women empowered her: Dr. Ivy George (sociology) helped her begin to deconstruct the systems and narratives that

perpetuate oppression; Dr. Dorothy Boorse (biology) supported and mentored Kate in her presidency of the student club Advocates for a Sustainable Future; Jo Kadlecek (communication arts) spent an entire summer helping Kate to cultivate storytelling skills that she uses to this day.

“From a young age,” Kate says, “I felt a powerful sense of responsibility to do what I could with my many privileges to make a positive impact.”

SCIENCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Ed Brown ’75 Gordon major: English Founding director, Care of Creation Inc. Lausanne catalyst for Creation Care Madison, Wisconsin

Author of: Our Father’s World and When Heaven and Nature Sing.

Currently reading Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers; just finished Hot Water by P. G. Wodehouse—he has read out loud to his wife, Susanna, every night for almost 35 years now.

Fun fact: Is a “pretty decent” cook of Indian, Chinese and American food. “There are very few things that can’t be improved with red wine or garlic or both.”

Ed Brown arrived at Gordon in the fall of 1971, just over a year after the first Earth Day celebration. “The environmental crisis (along with the effects of the Vietnam War) were very much with us both on and off campus,” he says. “I’m sure Gordon had an influence on how I saw these issues.”

Although Ed majored in English, he eventually found himself working in environmental studies and natural sciences. He was convicted of three things: 1) the environmental crisis is real and worse than most of us realize; 2) the scientists have done their job of identifying the problems; but 3) scientists can’t change society—that will have to be done by business, government, education and in particular by the Church.

For five years, Ed served as the chief operating officer of Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies, where Dorothy Boorse (biology) serves on the board. The institute offers environmental science programs for students and adults. In 2005 he founded Care of Creation Inc., whose mission is to mobilize the church around the world to care for God’s creation.

Care of Creation has been successful in implementing the Farming God’s Way program in East Africa, which integrates biblical discipleship with sound agricultural principles, greatly reducing food insecurity and poverty. Additionally, Care of Creation is involved in forestry management, beekeeping, and training in the use of fireless cookers. Two of Care of Creation Inc.’s

primary partners are the World Evangelical Alliance and the global Lausanne Movement. On their behalf, Care of Creation founded and Ed directs the Lausanne/WEA Creation Care Network, with contacts now in 50 countries.

“What could be more exciting than being in a position to recognize these truths and to lead the global church in waking up to this reality? I’m excited by the fact that the world and the church clearly need this message, and by the enthusiastic response we are seeing from Christians in many different parts of the world. There is a sense that the Holy Spirit is moving, and those of us guiding this movement are simply watching as God wakes up his people.”

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Francis Vigeant ’04 Gordon major: economics Founder and CEO, KnowAtom | Greater Boston

Mentor: Ann Seavey, Academic Support Center, Gordon College.

Currently reading Grit by Angela Duckworth.

What surprised him about life post-college: “That there is comfort and danger in spending too much time with like-minded people.”

Fun fact: He designed the largest solar microgrid in South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation.

“I love that challenges (and their solutions) are always evolving. The role of the human mind is crossing an exciting threshold,” says Francis Vigeant, who has crossed a lot of thresholds in his own life. As a child he attended public schools in Lowell, Massachusetts, and struggled with learning difficulties. After graduating from Gordon, he taught math at Lynn Classical High School.

Early on, though, he began to rethink the way students— particularly those in challenging urban settings— are taught basic concepts of science and mathematics.

“I started with a simple question: how can I take this thing our students need to know and make it important to them?”

The answer to that question began to emerge in 2005 with Vigeant’s founding of KnowAtom, a curriculum and professional development program that aims to make state standards for science fun and engaging for students and manageable for the teachers charged with educating them.

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The success is palpable: the City of Lynn saw a 25 percent increase in standardized science test scores when it adopted KnowAtom curricula in its public elementary schools.

The stakes are high, he notes.

“The deepening integration of artificial intelligence and robotics is leaving behind only the most creative, evaluative and analytical tasks for people. The implications of this for teaching, learning

and working in our post-knowledge society are profound; the definition of ‘proficient’ in almost every profession or content area is now defined by one’s ability to develop and use content to solve problems, not merely understand or apply knowledge.”

SCIENCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Cassandra Freyschlag Siler ’08 Gordon major: chemistry Science teacher, The Cambridge School San Diego, California

Big dream: To convince evangelicals that they should be part of (and leading!) the environmental movement.

Mentors from Gordon: Marv Wilson (in particular his Heschel seminar), Elaine Phillips (and many lunches in Lane!), Irv Levy and Ron Kay. Fun fact: Claims she owes her marriage to performing Mozart’s Requiem with the Gordon College Choir—she enjoyed it so much that she performed it again during graduate school. Her nowhusband was in the choir, too, and it was during the long hours of rehearsals that they became friends.

“What I really love is solving puzzles,” Cassandra Freyschlag Siler says. “Even though research can be slow and frustrating, part of the joy is in persevering through a difficult problem and getting results in the end.”

Her current puzzle is finding ways to engage students with course material in her science classes. Cassandra’s solution?

Building model catapults and trebuchets with her eighthgraders to study motion; developing new materials to teach chemistry; and leading deep discussions about nuclear weapons.

“It’s exciting and important to be training students to both be science literate and to not be scared of science as a possible threat to their faith,” Cassandra says. “Part of being a scientist is being able to interpret data and make conclusions—these are incredibly important skills

that seem to be decreasing within our society.”

Formerly, Cassandra was an assistant professor at Seattle Pacific University, and earned her Ph.D. at Harvard University, where she studied surface chemistry, designing chemical reactions (hence the nuclear weapons) in ways that require less energy and produce less waste.

“Materials chemistry and nanotechnology (both of which depend critically on the reactivity of their surfaces) are advancing in really amazing ways that contribute to both energy (e.g. for new battery technologies) and catalysis (e.g. being able to design a catalyst theoretically and then make it),” she says.

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Samuel Boorse ’88 Gordon majors: chemistry, philosophy Senior project leader, Rive Technology Greater New York City

Fun fact: Sam is the brother of Dorothy ’87 (professor, biology) and Anna Boorse ’90.

(Besides family) can’t live without coffee.

Confession: “It’s probably time for me to come clean on hoisting a bicycle up the flagpole on the quad in the middle of the night during finals week at the end of my sophomore year,” he says. “It did create some puzzled looks the next morning and there may even be a picture around somewhere . . .”

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It’s still a point of contention between the Boorse siblings that Sam (a chemistry and philosophy major) did not need to take a biology course, while his sisters (both biology majors) were required to take chemistry. They have all done just fine—in fact, Sam was particularly surprised by his academic preparation for graduate school and a Ph.D. at Cornell. “I was able to work shoulder to shoulder with some of the best and brightest in the world and not feel inferior or unprepared,” he said.

The diversity of science and its intellectual challenges energize Sam. Now a senior project leader at Rive Technology, he is developing effective catalysts for oil refining. The company is currently developing next

generation zeolites used in catalysts for fluid catalytic crackers, one of the most important conversion processes used in petroleum refineries worldwide. Sam, specifically, develops ways to modify raw zeolites to increase their porosity to allow better molecular diffusion and, thus, greater catalytic efficiency.

Considering the larger picture of his work, Sam identifies three important scientific breakthroughs necessary in energy production in order to continue meeting the world’s energy needs: First, an increase in the efficiency of photocatalytic splitting of water for hydrogen production; second, stimulated radioactive decay (forcing radioactive decay rather than waiting for it to

happen naturally); and third, greater efficiency catalysts for CH4 + coal => liquid fuels.

“My ‘big dream’ is really less about what I want to do myself and more about what I hope for the world in regards to energy production for the future generations,” Sam says.

“Any one of the three would be a major leap forward and I would love to participate in any of them but would be glad to simply see any of them come to fruition.”

SCIENCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Anan Copty ’94 Gordon major: physics Founder and CEO, NIMD Ltd. (Noninvasive Medical Devices) | Jerusalem Books on his nightstand: Talent is Over-Rated, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and Steve Jobs.

Can’t live without his family. “Love being with them as much as possible.”

“The learning curve is big, the roadmap is not always clear and all this involves taking big risks,” says Anan Copty.

“I love that.” The device his startup is developing uses microwave radiation from a small antenna, which heats and kills cancer tumors. “We

Meredith Phipps ’10 Gordon major: kinesiology Pediatric nurse practitioner | Austin, Texas Mentors who made a difference: Gordon kinesiology professor Sean Clark, who helped her find the nursing profession. Dr. Anne Derouin at Duke University, who encouraged her on the path to becoming a PNP. Can’t live without Diet Coke.

are continuously optimizing this device. We have tested it on mice injected with cancer and have received great results with tumors going down to zero volume after only a few days from the treatment. This allows non-surgical intervention for tumors related to breast, headand-neck and skin cancers.”

Anan hopes that his product will reach cancer patients all over the world. After that?

“Perhaps another startup in a similar direction.”

Meredith Phipps currently divides her time between SportsSafe, a pediatric concussion clinic, and After Hours Kids, an after-hours urgent-care facility, both in Austin. She works mostly with middle- and high-school athletes with concussions.

“They are very motivated to get better, truly love their sports, and it’s exciting to be able to clear them to return,” she says.

“Unfortunately, sometimes concussion recovery can take months. While that is frustrating for our patients, I enjoy the relationship that we build and when they are finally fully better and can return to their sport, I’m so excited along with them. I relate to many of my patients as well, having played sports through high

school and at Gordon. I hope I can encourage my patients through that connection.”

Concussion management has changed significantly over the past few years. Her office is currently researching new tests and data that can better treat concussions, and is one of the first in the Austin area utilizing a transcranial doppler ultrasound in concussion management.

“We know so little about the brain and what complications brain injuries can cause,” says Meredith. “I’m fascinated by the current research about concussions and looking forward to what future research will tell us.”

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Charles Day ’04 Gordon major: biology Research fellow at University of Minnesota—Hormel Institute | Rochester, Minnesota “As a scientist, I have an exciting opportunity to discover the cellular basis for the formation of brain cancers, which will hopefully lead to the development of new, more effective treatments for this disease.”

Books on his nightstand: Over the Edge of the World

by Laurence Bergreen, and Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus by Kyle Idleman.

Can’t live without time spent with his wife, Evalina, and children, Ellie and Benton.

Big dream: Kayaking the perimeter of Lake Superior.

Mentor who made a difference: “Dr. Russell Camp, who said, ‘Don’t ever convince yourself that you have arrived.’ The longer I am in academic science, the more that quote means to me.”

Extracurricular activity at Gordon: Young Life.

Fun fact: “My wife and I are home renovation buffs. After a difficult day in the lab it’s great therapy to come home and sand drywall or run new plumbing lines.”

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“I am drawn to science because of the thrill of discovery,” says Charles Day, who did his graduate training at Harvard and Vanderbilt Universities.

“Working in biomedical research, I can satisfy my curiosity while knowing that I am laying a foundation for new or improved medical treatments.”

Currently, fewer than one in five children diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer survive five years post-diagnosis. “The vast majority of cancerous tumors are composed of cells with the wrong number of chromosomes, a major contributing factor to cancer formation and progression.

Working with mutations common in pediatric brain cancer, my lab has identified for the first time cancerassociated mutations that lead directly to the gain and

loss of whole chromosomes.

Our current effort is aimed at gaining a detailed understanding of how these mutations function and if these mutations are found in other cancer types.”

From his Gordon days, Charles recalls many late nights in Emery and MacDonald working on lab assignments. “One assignment involved the class pulling an all-nighter to purify a single protein out of spinach.

There was a great sense of accomplishment when we successfully purified the protein, and a tremendous bond that formed among my classmates that lasted well past our time at Gordon.”

SCIENCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Spencer Carson ’10 Gordon majors: physics, math Scientific account manager, Genedata Lexington, Massachusetts “It’s exciting to support scientists in drug discovery and therapies at big pharmaceuticals, nonprofits and academic institutions. I’m constantly learning on the job about the drug-discovery pipeline, from early compound selection all the way to preclinical trials, and also about the techniques and methodologies involved in this process.”

Gordon mentors: Dr. Dale Pleticha and Dr. David Lee. Doctoral research (biophysics, Northeastern University): Explored nextgeneration techniques for DNA sequencing and profiling.

His Gordon experience in five words: “Thoughtprovoking, fun and lifelong friendships.”

Most surprising thing learned post-college: “How much easier life was in college while not realizing it at the time!”

Currently reading Trapped Under The Sea by Neil Swidey (in all his “free time” with a six-month-old at home).

Can’t live without his wife, Sara, and son, Charlie.

Etc.: Football fanatic (Go Broncos!), political junkie and loves to travel.

Marya Goettsche Spurling ’08 Gordon majors: biology and Spanish Family physician, Skowhegan Family Medicine and Redington Fairview General Hospital | Skowhegan, Maine

“I think it’s been long enough that I can share this: A couple friends and I planned our own Winter Ball alternative and snuck into Frost Hall at night, planning to spend the night there with popcorn and hot cocoa and play games.

It seems so innocent, but technically was breaking and entering!

Unfortunately we were busted by a Gordon Police officer who was letting a student into the building to turn in a paper that was due by the next morning. I still have a scar on my knee from slamming it on the floor trying to hide!”

Loves taking care of people at all stages of life— from conception through end-of-life.

Can’t live without real maple syrup.

Biggest surprise about post-Gordon life: “That it’s actually most of life!

In college I thought I was at the apex of my life, but having friends of all ages and generations since college has broadened my outlook on my own life.”

Feels nostalgic about the smell of bait, thanks to days spent on her father’s lobster boat.

For her 30th birthday she traveled to County Cork, Ireland, with two best friends from Gordon—a trip they had been planning since graduation.

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FEATURE

ALUMNI

Glenda Javier ’96 Gordon major: chemistry High school chemistry teacher Methuen, Massachusetts

Fun fact: This year she celebrates 20 years of teaching chemistry.

Her Gordon experience in five words: “Stretched and strengthened by faith.”

For Glenda Javier, it is her students’ “aha!” moments that make teaching high school chemistry most worth it. “Seeing a wave of understanding wash over his or her face is priceless and makes my job so very fulfilling,” she says. It is an opportunity, she believes, to help her students fall in love with chemistry.

Glenda fell in love with chemistry at Gordon. During those years, she says, spending time with people in varying circumstances and learning how to teach a difficult subject to a “sometimes hostile” audience brought out her compassion. She uses this strength to mentor teachers, helping them to create lessons that help students better access concepts of chemistry, whether the students are struggling readers, ESL or needing special education.

“This compassion has made me a better teacher, a better mentor and definitely a better chemist,” she says.

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SCIENCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Mekdes “Duni” Getaneh ’14 Gordon major: biology Clinical research coordinator, Dana Farber Cancer Institute Adult Leukemia Program; executive board member, National Alzheimer’s Buddies | Boston

Can’t live without travel.

“I can’t imagine life without being able to travel to a new place, learn a new culture, learn a new language and eat new food,” she says.

Gordon highlight: Her “American Family” of nine with ethnicities including Jewish, Korean, Italian, Irish and Ethiopian.

Biggest surprise postGordon: Realizing the value of Gordon’s unique community, and its quality of education comparable to that of Ivy League schools in the area.

It’s hard for Mekdes “Duni” Getaneh not to feel attached to clinical research. “It is always exciting and warms my heart to see my patients respond well to a treatment,” she says. Duni learns various techniques of diagnosing leukemia and the available treatments at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Adult Leukemia Program. Under the supervision of a principal investigator, she currently oversees trials designed for patients with acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and chronic myeloid leukemia.

“What I love about clinical research is being able to provide care for patients while advancing our current medical knowledge and improving drug discovery,” Duni says.

“Clinical research gives cancer patients an opportunity to fight their cancer with the latest, most effective therapy available, and that fact makes me love what I do.”

the National Alzheimer’s Buddies, Inc., to combat social disengagement and isolation.

Her vision for the project began to develop during her sophomore year at Gordon, working with a woman who was battling Parkinson’s disease. Duni served as her companion—someone with whom she could share time, stories and meals. The entire experience, Duni says, was transformational.

The overwhelming success of Gordon College Alzheimer’s Buddies sparked Duni and her colleagues to start National Alzheimer’s Buddies (NAB), which initiates chapters across the nation. She now serves on the executive board of NAB, and advises Gordon’s own chapter. “Gordon kind of laid the foundation for starting Alzheimer’s Buddies chapters everywhere. Gordon supports its students’ ideas and aspirations,” Duni says.

She dreams of becoming a medical doctor, and dedicating her knowledge and skills to care, advocacy, leadership and research— specifically researching understudied conditions in behavioral endocrinology in order to discover effective therapeutic options.

In 2014, Duni developed the first Gordon chapter of

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STARTERS

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ALUMNI

Mollie Enright ’15 Gordon major: chemistry K–12 program manager, Beyond Benign, Inc. Greater Boston “I love that my work makes a measureable difference in the world by empowering both teachers and students to care for the planet through chemistry.”

Fun fact: Mollie is a competitive equestrienne.

Can’t live without Barry’s Tea. Gordon experience in five words: “Turning my passions into actions.”

On any given day, Mollie Enright may be helping high school students create blackberry solar cells or teaching middle schoolers about upcycling fishing nets into shoe fibers. As program manager for Beyond Benign, she is revolutionizing the way chemistry is taught.

Mollie trains teachers and volunteers, develops curricula, and raises awareness about safe, sustainable and environmentally-friendly methods of practicing chemistry.

“Only by teaching green chemistry at the K–12 and higher education levels,” Mollie says, “can there be complete and systematic change throughout all of the chemical industry.”

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She was inspired to pursue sustainable solutions by her chemistry professors at Gordon, including the inimitable Irv Levy, as well as her one-on-one research project with Dr. Jennifer Noseworthy (biology).

“Because green chemistry is cross-disciplinary, it is relevant in almost every area of chemistry and sustainable science,” she says, “and new discoveries are consistently being made” in this relatively new field brimming with potential.

Mollie recently traveled to Belém, Brazil, as part of an effort by the American Chemical Society’s Global Innovation Imperatives program to bring green chemistry education to the country’s remote Amazonian locations. Alongside 15 fellow chemistry professionals from around the world, Mollie worked to assess the state of chemistry education

and create a plan to utilize Brazil’s incredibly diverse and abundant natural resources for green chemistry practices.

“It’s really wonderful to be working to implement a philosophy of environmental stewardship across so many sectors.”

SCIENCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Christopher Smith ’04 Gordon major: math Business intelligence engineer, Strategic Healthcare Programs Santa Barbara, California “If you love working with data, BI is a great field to be in.”

All in a day’s work: “Learning business processes, performing database administration tasks, architecting data warehouses and data models, building data mining models, designing reports, and the list goes on.”

Languages spoken besides English include SQL, MDX, Java and DAX. Mentors: “Drs. Veatch, Senning and Stout all played a significant role in maturing me as a student, teaching me how to learn, and laying the foundation for my career.”

Things he can’t live without: “At work, dual 24-inch monitors (nerd alert, I know). At home, probably my mountain bike. Or peanut butter.”

“The field of Business Intelligence (BI) represents a blend of information technology, data science and business,” says Chris Smith, who has been with Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) since 2015. “This makes every workday unique; there is very little monotony. And I’ve developed a well-rounded, data-driven skill set.”

Of his time at Gordon, Chris recalls a particular course, Operations Research, taught by Dr. Mike Veatch. “It demonstrated how mathematics could be used to make better business decisions,” he says. “I remember learning about how the U.S. military used operations research to determine the most efficient

and effective way to move equipment and personnel to various strategic destinations.

It was one of my favorite classes at Gordon, and it opened my eyes to the world of applied mathematics— which eventually led me to a career in BI.”

SHP improves the quality and optimizes the performance of home health agencies, hospices and home infusion pharmacies by providing real-time actionable analytics, benchmarks and dashboards.

One of the ways it does this is through predictive analytics.

“I’m currently researching ways to improve the accuracy of an algorithm that predicts the risk of a home-health patient being hospitalized in the near future. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and hospitals closely follow these kinds of hospitalization statistics, making this a crucial metric for SHP’s clients.”

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ALUMNI NEWS

SAVE THE DATE September 29–30, 2017 THERE’S NOTHING LIKE FALL IN NEW ENGLAND Mark your calendars for a weekend of fun activities, traditions and connecting with classmates. See you this fall!

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255 Grapevine Road, Wenham MA 01984-1899 www.gordon.edu

April 21–22, 2017 Join us for a community-wide celebration of those who have formed the College’s strong foundation, from A. J. Gordon to professors, students and alumni of the distant and recent past; from the first classes of missionaries to the present-day faculty, staff and students.

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Friday, April 21

Founder’s Festival

Gospel Experience 5th Anniversary Worship Concert

Join us as we celebrate our heritage with live music, a Scottish fare lunch and family-friendly activities such as face painting, Children’s Highland Games, lawn games, kids’ crafts, and more. Our student-led sustainability groups will host a number of Earth Day activities including sampling honey made on campus, and assembling your own take-home herb garden.

God’s Chosen Gospel Choir Saturday, April 22

Music Mania Workshop Students pre-K through grade 6 are invited to discover music and movement using a beloved piece of children’s literature as a theme for games, singing and instrument exploration.

Learn more at www.gordon.edu/foundersfestival

The Richard F. Gross Lecture Featuring Os Guinness, Christian author and social critic.