Marietta Magazine (Fall 2019)

FALL 2019

THE MAGAZI N E OF M A R I E T TA COL L EG E

An Inside Look MARIETTA EARNS GREAT COLLEGES TO WORK FOR DISTINCTION

ALSO

Hundreds of alumni return for Homecoming 2019

Pioneer Park installs new Don and Sue Schaly Field

TRANSITIONS T HE COMFORTS O F H O M E

I

t’s the quintessential autumn day in Marietta — warmed by the shining sun yet cooled by a breeze just slight enough to make the trees sway in a hypnotic wave.

But our students know that things can always get better.

PHOTOS BY NATE KNOBEL

Before the 2018-19 academic year came to a close, the Student Government Association came up with a plan to make that day even better — they used SGA’s year-end funds toward the installation of permanent hammock poles and purchased hammocks for students to sign out for when they want them.

Over the summer, the College installed the poles in three locations on campus and Student Life took charge of managing the hammock program.

And now, that breeze also sways brightly colored hammocks for clusters of friends who have a few hours to spend soaking up the Marietta autumn day.

Perfect.

MA RIETTA COLLEGE BOA RD OF TRUSTEES

M ESSAGE F RO M T H E PRESIDENT

DR . WI LLI A M N. R U U D

L

istening to Braden Smith ’22 sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” while hundreds of students, faculty and staff gathered on The Christy Mall during a 9/11 remembrance ceremony was one of the most aweinspiring moments I have experienced since joining Marietta College more than three years ago.

A couple of weeks later, Judy and I attended an opening night performance by the Theatre at Marietta College and I was once again blown away with the talent on stage. The next night, I witnessed a packed Don Drumm Stadium crowd watch the Pioneers defeat rival Muskingum and then enjoyed a post-game fireworks show.

Alumni, donors and friends: Marietta College is continuing to gain a reputation as the place to be. I know you have heard me say it before, but amazing things are happening on campus and here are some pride-inducing examples.

ENROLLMENT GAINS We welcomed 387 new students to campus this fall, many of whom were among their high school’s best.

Included among this group is the first Virginia McCoy Scholarship recipient and five students who received the inaugural Charles Sumner Harrison Scholarships — all are full-tuition.

Our full-time undergraduate enrollment has increased each of the past years from 1,055 in 2017 up to 1,163 this fall. We have set ambitious goals moving forward and we plan for our enrollment to continue growing — and you can help us.

Our Admission and Alumni offices have partnered on a new program that allows alumni to refer prospective students at www.marietta.edu/alumni/refer-future-pioneer. If the student enrolls at Marietta, the student receives a $1,000 scholarship for four years in the nominator’s name.

RETENTION SUCCESS Another reason we are experiencing enrollment increases is a dramatic improvement in our retention of students from fall to fall. From 2018 to 2019, 79.3 percent of our students returned. That is up 25 percent from 63 percent in 2016.

There are multiple factors that have helped us, including an amazing commitment by Academic Affairs and Student Life. We will do a deeper look at our retention in the spring edition of Marietta Magazine.

IMPROVED RANKINGS There are dozens of publications and websites that rank colleges and universities these days, and Marietta College is typically included.

This year, we moved up three spots to No. 10 in regional college rankings in U.S. News & World Report. Marietta also moved up 73 spots in the College Factual rankings and comes in at 472nd in the nation.

GREAT PLACE TO WORK I did not need a survey to tell me what a great place Marietta College is to work, but I am proud that we were named a Great College to Work For for a second consecutive year. Even more impressive is we were recognized in 10 of the 12 categories — up from three categories last year and on the Honor Roll. You can learn more about this accomplishment starting on page 16.

I do not like to say it, but I told you so. We are doing some remarkable things at Marietta College.

BRING FORTH A PIONEER!

PR E S I D E N T R U U D O N LI N E : twitter.com/President_Ruud instagram.com/presidentruud facebook.com/MariettaCollegePresident 2

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Chair George W. Fenton Vice Chair Matthew B. Weekley ’81 Secretary Mark Miller Treasurer Michele Marra Robert M. (Bob) Brucken ’56 Brian Brucken ’94 Jan D. Dils ’90 Janice Downey Donoghue ’75 Harry H. (Hap) Esbenshade Andrew D. Ferguson ’95 James B. Fryfogle ’73 Richard A. (Rich) Galen ’68 Susan M. Cook Hayes ’98 John E. (Jack) Hopkins ’65 Mary Studders Korn ’82 Daniel Leonard ’85 Michael L. Moffitt ’91 Kevin R. O’Neill ’87 Stephanie Esparza Peloquin ’06 Marc R. Ponchione ’96 Jason C. Rebrook ’96 Leslie Straub Ritter ’85 William N. (Bill) Ruud Michael J. Salvino ’87 Charles W. (Chuck) Sulerzyski Jo Ellen Diehl Yeary ’76 Patricia (Patti) Kral Zecchi ’71 A LUMN I A SSOC IATION BOA RD OF D IREC TORS Chair John E. Hopkins ’65 Vice Chair Susan Hauck-Bell ’85 Patty Bain Bachner ’77 Marianne Candido ’85 Melissa Yusko Clawson ’05 Cody Clemens ’13 Keith Coleman ’77 Paul Geisler ’87 Jason Gromelski ’98 Michael Joliat ’06 Adam Kopp ’88 Mark Lane ’01, PA’04 Kathy Wilcox Lentner ’97 Anna Mullins ’04 Gene Neill ’16 Rocky Peck ’88 Ariel Ross ’13 Christine Zernick Suter ’84 Mark Vizza ’98 James Wilson ’69

CONTENTS

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Inside this issue 16

GRE AT CO LLEG E TO WO R K FO R

Making the Honor Roll is something worth celebrating. For Marietta College, achieving the Great Colleges to Work For Honor Roll status signifies Marietta and its people are moving in the right direction together — and Pioneer Pride can be felt in every corner of campus.

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MARI E T TA S C E N E JOU RN A L

Homecoming

24

SCORE B O O K

Amanda Hardt New baseball field

28 30

DE VE LO PM E N T S MARI E T TA M O M E N T

Memories of college life

33

C L ASS NOT E S

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EDITORS Tom Perry and Gi Smith ART DIRECTOR Ryan Zundell PHOTOGRAPHERS Laura Hatcher, Anthony Jones/Box River Studios, Nate Knobel, Tom Perry, Marc Pitler ILLUSTRATOR Derek Bacon CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jennifer Folwell CLASS NOTES Ben Dehmlow, Tom Perry, Gi Smith PRESIDENT Dr. William N. Ruud PROVOST Dr. Janet Bland EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING Kathryn Gloor M A R I E T TA The Magazine of Marietta College is published by the Office of Communication and Brand Management. The magazine serves its readers by providing information about the activities of Marietta College alumni, students, faculty and staff through the publication of accurate and balanced content that informs and stimulates intellectual discussion.

Text, photographs and artwork may not be reprinted without written permission of the Vice President of Communication and Brand Management at Marietta.

CO N TAC T U S Send address changes, letters to the editor and class notes to Marietta Magazine, 215 Fifth St., Marietta, OH 45750.

Phone: 740.376.4727 Email: marketing@marietta.edu

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N E W AN D N OTABL E

PHOTOS BY MARC PITLER

MARIETTA SCENE

(Top left) Tyler Walker ’20 was among dozens of students who participated in National Voter Registration Day on September 24th. Organized through the Office of Civic Engagement, students could register in Chlapaty Café, Kremer Amphitheatre or Gilman Hall.

(Top right) From helping relocate a local food pantry to cleaning up the banks of the Muskingum River, Marietta students — including Shea Goss ’22 — faculty and staff pitched in several hours in late September during Marietta College’s Make a Difference Day.

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(Bottom left) Men’s Rowing opened the fall racing season at the 55th annual Head of the Charles Regatta, competing in the Collegiate Eight and the Collegiate Four races.

(Middle) Music Therapy students and faculty held a Blues Jam session in Kremer Amphitheatre on October 11th.

(Bottom right) Julie Jeffries ’93 was among a host of presenters during the 2019 Mid-Ohio Valley Entrepreneurship Expo. She spoke about her experiences becoming an “accidental entrepreneur.”

LO N G BLUE LIN ES

GI SMI TH, E DI TOR

I

’ll admit, whenever my phone rings and someone on the other end asks if I have a few minutes to complete a survey, my first instinct is to tell the caller that my mother isn’t home and I’m not allowed to talk to strangers.

When TP and I came to the decision that it was time for a reader survey focused on Marietta Magazine, for a split second I had an overwhelming and irrational fear of seeing 8,153 email responses of: 553 message blocked, you are not authorized to send mail, authentication is required …but then I remembered exactly who would be receiving the email — about 8,100 members of The Long Blue Line — and I felt pretty good about my chances for a positive outcome. This edition of Marietta Magazine addresses two very important surveys: the reader survey I wrote about in the spring; and the Great Colleges To Work For survey that more than half of my fellow coworkers were sent earlier this year (it’s the main feature; you can’t miss it). I want to update you on the results of the survey you helped with.

Bear with me, I’m about to throw some numbers at you.

We had 328 people complete the survey, and that total included 308 who identified as alumni, one current student, nine faculty members, six retired faculty/staff, 19 parents or other relative, seven non-grad alumni, and 117 donors.

The magazine serves as the sole source of information about the College for 13.7 percent of the respondents, and 41 percent say that they get most of their

R EVIEW

Marietta information from the magazine. More than 78 percent prefer to read it in print and only 5.6 percent prefer online versions.

While nearly 46 percent say they spend 30 to 59 minutes reading the magazine, 7.2 percent say they throw it out immediately. More than 27 percent keep the magazine for more than a month!

Enough with the numbers — many of you provided specific comments that further explained your responses and some of you expressed concerns as to why we wanted the survey in the first place. We are not going to stop publishing printed versions of Marietta Magazine and we are not switching to a subscription-based mailer. We want you to receive your free magazine to learn about what’s happening on campus and what’s happening in the lives of alumni.

The majority of the survey takers want to see more class notes. We rely mostly on you to send us your updates (new careers, newly married, new baby, recent vacation, etc.), but we have also actively sought out updates via email and through social media. We will continue to work to expand this section, and we have added pages to each magazine to handle this content increase.

Many of you say you want shorter stories. The Journal section of the magazine is now comprised of numerous smaller stories. Some wanted no sports coverage while others say we need more in-depth seasonal coverage, so we’ll keep our Athletics to four pages and encourage alumni to sign up for free emailed updates of the sports you love by visiting: pioneers.marietta.edu/subscribe.aspx.

There are so many other great suggestions and comments that TP, Ryan and I have to think about — but we want you to know that we will continue to work to improve your magazine. Thank you so much for helping us!

COMME NTS FROM OUR R E A D E R S

Dear Editors, I was saddened to hear of Professor Buell’s death. I had him my first semester at Marietta in the fall of 1971. He was kind, gracious and gave his students confidence. Because of him there was no doubt I would head to law school.

He was great and throughout my time at Marietta, although I didn’t have him again, he always remembered me by name and would stop to talk every time.

He was genuinely interested in his students. I believe his son Michael was in my class of ’75. Professor Buell did have an impact on my life and my thoughts and prayers are with the Buell family.

Michael Salnick ’75 Lantana, Florida Dear Editors, I like the look and feel of the Marietta Magazine, which just arrived. Always more pictures, the easier and more interesting it is.

I couldn’t resist sending this photo to you. I have the Pio stickers on the back of my computer, wear the hat around town, and have an MC chair from many moons ago.

We were sitting in the Delta Lounge in Fort Lauderdale when a person came up and asked if I went to Marietta. I was stunned that he would ask a question

out of the clear blue sky; of course, I said yes and asked why he asked the question. He said he noticed the Marietta stickers on the back of my computer. He was a Marietta graduate from Dayton. We had a nice chat about how much we both enjoyed Marietta.

Had my hat on at one of my grandkids’ swim meets, getting a hot dog, and a woman asked if I went to Marietta. We had a great conversation as she said her husband went there and enjoyed Marietta and constantly told her about Marietta.

Hey, it’s a small world. Just never know when we will run into someone who is familiar with Marietta.

Keep up the great work.

Rich ’70 & Lynn Arnold ’71

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Because Marietta Magazine seeks to present a wide diversity of subject matter and content, some views presented in the publication may not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the official policies maintained by Marietta College.

Letters commenting on the material or topics presented in the magazine are encouraged and are available for publication unless the author specifically asks that they do not appear in public print. Published letters may be edited for style, length and clarity.

EMAIL: marketing@marietta.edu MAIL: Editor, Marietta Magazine, Office of Communication & Brand Management, 215 Fifth St., Marietta, OH 45750-4004 M A R I E T TA

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Bringing the family back together — Homecoming 2019

S

tanding in the Alumni Welcome Tent Friday night during Homecoming, Jack Hopkins ’65 proudly put his hand on the shoulder of Dave Harrison ’64 and both men smiled.

“This guy is as close to a brother to me as you could get,” Jack says.

Jack, Dave and fellow Tau Kappa Epsilon brother Cole Van De Water ’64 were together that night for the first time on campus in more than 50 years.

George Norton ’65 and Bob Brucken ’56 also joined them at their table.

“It’s a very emotion-laden trip,” says Dave, who has only been back to Marietta once — 25 years ago — since graduating. It was the first time Cole had been back in 50 years. “It’s amazing to be back with the guys some 50 years later.”

About 630 alumni and guests returned to Marietta for Homecoming 2019, and the classes of 2009, 1994 and 1969 enjoyed special reunions.

Members of the Class of 1969 celebrated their Golden Reunion. Reunion Chair Jim Wilson ’69 says the committee was made up of a handful of dedicated 1969 alumni who helped plan the special weekend with the help of Dawn Werry, Director of Alumni Relations.

“There are a lot of people from our class who haven’t been back in 50 years, so it’s pretty exciting to see their reaction,” Jim says. “What has impressed me the most about what I see on campus is what the College is offering current students.

When I graduated and went in the military, I had no idea of leadership at all. These students are learning it here and they’re going out in the community to practice it.”

In addition to a Valley Gem boat ride, the Class of 1969 enjoyed a special reception at the President’s House and a dinner in Dyson Baudo Recreation Center, where a class gift of $167,956 was presented to President Bill Ruud.

Bobbie Whitford Schwarz ’69, Dianne Gottesman Ronshagen ’69 and Susan Spinney Conklin ’69 reminisced about why they chose Marietta College, as well as the changes to campus.

“I met my husband (Andrew Schwarz ’70) here and 50 years later, we’re still married,” Bobbie says.

Jack Hartnell ’85 has stayed up to date on the changes that have taken place over the years at Marietta.

“I’ve never missed a reunion — not one,” says Jack, who was with friend Dave Schultz ’85. “There’s always somebody here you’re going to know.”

GI SMITH

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Alumni — including John Wendell ’69 (center), Margie Toth Kraft ’69 (left) and her husband James (right) dance the night away reliving hits from Woodstock ’69.

NATE KNOBEL

2019 Homecoming recap here www.marietta.edu/fl19-HCrecap-yt

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HOMECOMING COURT During halftime of the Marietta-Heidelberg game, the College announced the 2019 Homecoming King and Queen. King Ryan VanMeter (Football) and Queen Loren Coontz (Alpha Xi Delta) were crowned before a cheering crowd of proud Pioneers.

The Court Alpha Sigma Phi – Ben Hayes Alpha Tau Omega – Daniel Blaine Brother 2 Brother –James Knox II Chi Omega – Alexis Swisher Cheerleading – Liz Reed Delta Tau Delta – Michael Doran MC Athletic Training Student Organization – Jane Kubala Scholars Community – Matthew Chih NATE KNOBEL

Sigma Kappa – Cady Lenington Softball – Erin Miller

NATE KNOBEL

Women’s Lacrosse – Jessica Hill

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MCAA AWARDS RECOGNIZE SPECIAL PIONEERS Honorary Alumnus David McCullough Outstanding Young Alumna Toka Akiyama ’09 Outstanding Young Alumnus Ashley Wollman ’08 Liz Tribett Service Award Gene Haynes ’53 Distinguished Alumna Margaret Barker ’81 Distinguished Alumnus C. Brent McCurdy ’68 Hall of Honor Eileen Bowser ’50

NATE KNOBEL NATE KNOBEL

As the Pioneers were prepping for the start of the second quarter, President Bill Ruud took that opportunity to bring longtime Marietta College supporter and Lambda Chi Alpha brother Jon Wendell ’69.5 onto the field and present him with a certificate of thanks for all he does to promote the College and his fraternity chapter, particularly the Lambda Chi Pig Roast at the Harmar on the Thursday of Homecoming Weekend — a tradition he helped create in 2003.

PAINT THE TOWN BLUE

FROM KING TO HERO With all the accolades and the record-breaking moments quarterback Darrien Fields ’19 had during his senior football season, he knew something even bigger was in store for him once he hung up his jersey for good.

“Heading into my senior season, I had already made up my mind,” says Darrien, who, a year ago that same weekend, threw for five touchdowns during the 63-21 victory against Wilmington and was crowned Homecoming King.

That decision? He was giving his uncle, John Fields, one of his kidneys.

“Some people call me strong and say that must have been a tough decision, but the strength you see — that’s a reflection of the people around me; and as for the decision, it was an easy decision for me to make.

My whole family got tested, but deep down I knew I would be the one who was going to do it.”

A man of faith, Darrien reached out to ask for prayers before his surgery, which was four weeks before this year’s Homecoming. DeAnna DeForest ’08 was quick to respond.

“I had met her last year during Homecoming and I felt she cared about me; I felt a genuine love from her,” Darrien says.

DeAnna had wanted to donate one of her kidneys to her aunt, who passed away in August, but she wasn’t a match.

“So seeing someone so young being a donor touched me,” she says. “He asked for prayers, but that the procedure was bigger than him. I have been praying for him ever since. … He’s an inspiration to me.”

Four weeks after Darrien’s successful transplant surgery, the All-OAC quarterback was back on the Pioneers sidelines cheering on his former teammates and passing on his Homecoming crown during halftime.

“He went from the ‘King of the Court’ to hero in my eyes,” DeAnna says.

Winners Best residence hall: Fayerweather Hall Best office on campus: Academic Resource Center Best business: Teri Ann’s One of the Homecoming challenges this year was for the campus and local businesses to show their Pioneer Pride by decorating their spaces based on this year’s theme: Same Bricks, Different Stories.

Volunteer judges Kenzi Hall ’20, Carole Wylie Hancock ’75, Don Buckwell ’84, Courtney Wentz ’17, Erica Starr ’05, Chantal CentofantiFields and Sarah Long spent about two hours touring three residence halls, five offices on campus and 14 businesses — all decked out to welcome alumni and friends for the special weekend.

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2023 CLASS OF

This freshman class is made up almost entirely of students born after 2000 (sorry if that makes you feel old), so here are a few interesting facts:

22.9

Average ACT score

1120

Average SAT score

TOP 5 (FEMALE NAMES) Elizabeth, Mackenzie, Emily, Emma and Madison

TOP 5 (MALE NAMES) NATE KNOBEL

Andrew, Austin, Alexander, Garrett and Joseph/ Matthew (tie)

CAMPUS IS BUZZING LARGE FRESHMAN CLASS IMPROVES VITALITY OF COLLEGE EXPERIENCE Elizabeth Reid-Bey ’23 already had something in common with at least seven other freshmen in her class — the most popular female first name — though it took the Redford, Michigan, native a few weeks to feel settled into her new surroundings.

“I was a little anti-social at first,” says the Music Therapy major. “But everyone here is very outgoing and especially in our class. I really tried to stay to myself but my classmates wouldn’t let me. Everybody was asking me to come out and be social. Now I have several good friendships.”

The College welcomed 387 new students this fall, and at least 348 of them are members of the Class of 2023. Overall enrollment is up to 1,217 — 87 ahead of last year. It is the second consecutive year the College has welcomed close to 400 new students.

“These larger classes change the educational and professional experience of students and faculty alike,” says Dr. Janet Bland, Provost. “For faculty, more students mean a greater distribution of majors and thus more people in the classes. It means the ability to offer a greater diversity of courses, and to create a critical mass of students sharing a field of study within a major or department.”

Having more students builds energy and excitement across the campus, strengthening Greek life membership, adding to the number of students participating in plays, and creating more competitive varsity athletics teams.

“There are more students here, and likely more students who are interested in what you like, making for a richer campus and classroom experience,” Bland says.

Reid-Bey says she feels a special bond with her classmates every day.

“At first, my classes were a little rocky. A lot of us are used to coming from high schools where we didn’t have to study much,” she says. “You can’t do that here. Now we’re all getting into study groups and helping each other.”

2,133 miles

Furthest distance traveled by a domestic student from Stockton, California.

TOP 5 MAJORS (AS OF NOW) Undecided, Petroleum Engineering, Psychology, Pre-Medicine and Business

244

Number of high schools represented (top five are Marietta, Parkersburg, Parkersburg South, Warren and William V. Fisher Catholic)

18

Number of states represented (top five are Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Michigan)

4

Foreign countries represented (Japan, United Kingdom, Russia and Nepal)

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Freshmen Gabriel Brunck, Anna Frost, Hannah Jamelo, Emi Reindle and Artemii Stepanets will forever be linked as the inaugural recipients of the Charles Sumner Harrison Scholarship. The College has given Harrison Scholarships in the past, but they typically ranged in value from $2,000 to $5,000. Now they are fulltuition scholarships that are awarded on the student’s passion for community service, student leadership, civil service and a perceived ability to succeed academically.

The scholarship honors Marietta College’s first African-American graduate, a member of the Class of 1876. “I’ve talked with the other Harrison Scholarship winners and we are honored to be the first cohort,” Brunck says. “All we want to do is make our professors and the people in charge at Marietta proud and realize we deserved this honor.” .

NATE KNOBEL

FOCUS ON DIVERSITY

Read more: www.marietta.edu/article/harrison-scholars-2019

READY FOR THE NEXT LEVEL SALVINO ’87 TABBED TO LEAD FORTUNE 500 COMPANY DXC TECHNOLOGY Mike Salvino ’87, DXC Technology’s new President and CEO, was preparing for another meeting in what had been a whirlwind introduction to the Fortune 500 company, but he put everything on hold to make a phone call.

“I called my son, Mitchell, a freshman baseball player at Washington and Lee University,” Mike says. “I wanted to check in with him and make sure everything was going well.”

Mitchell had just sat down for dinner and the dining hall was about to close.

“I remember those days at Marietta,” Mike says. “When the basketball team rolled through, all that was left was some chicken and Froot Loops. That’s what we called ‘the grind,’ and now he’s learning it.”

Mike most recently served as a managing director at Carrick Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on the technology sector, where he specialized in technology-enabled services and coached the CEOs of portfolio companies on how to grow their businesses.

Before joining Carrick, Mike served for seven years as group chief executive of Accenture Operations, one of Accenture’s five businesses, and was a member of Accenture’s Global Management Committee. He led Accenture’s 100,000-person global Operations business, growing the business 20 percent during his final year. He left Accenture for Carrick in 2016, after spending more than 22 years at the company.

“This is an amazing opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up,” Mike says. “There’s a chance to take the company to the next level, and I’m excited to be the person who leads this amazing team of 130,000 employees into the next chapter.”

DXC Technology is the world’s leading independent, end-to-end IT services company.

“No one should be surprised that Mike was the choice for this job,” says Marietta College President Bill Ruud, who has developed a friendship over the years through Mike’s service on the Board of Trustees. “I am excited to see the positive impact that Mike has at DXC.” Read more: www.marietta.edu/article/trustee-salvino-leads-fortune-500-company

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PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Dr. Paul R. Geisler ’87 was recently recognized by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association with the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award during the 2019 Annual Convention in Las Vegas for his considerable service, scholarship and professional accomplishments since his graduation from Marietta. He and his wife, Susan, are enjoying the four seasons of upstate New York (well, three of them at least) and being empty nesters in the Finger Lakes! Paul is a Professor at Ithaca College in New York and teaches in the Department of Exercise Science & Athletic Training.

N AV Y B LU E & Q U OT E

“I can’t express enough what this means for my family. It means the world to me. My mom is a single parent and she has scrambled to provide for my sister and me.”

— Rebecca Guhde ’23, inaugural recipient of the Virginia McCoy Scholarship Guhde grew up in Signal Mountain, Tennessee (about eight miles outside of Chattanooga). She is majoring in Environmental Science and plans to attend law school and become an environmental lawyer.

A Marietta College education changes lives — and you could play a major role in making that possible.

Please visit Marietta.edu/give.

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MARC PITLER

STANDING OUT

OUT IN LEFT FIELD Larry Wisniewski ’78 just finished talking to lifelong friends Keith Coleman ’77 and Don Farley ’77 about the fact that he never received a physical copy of his Marietta College degree when Alumni Relations Director Dawn Werry approached the group.

The Cleveland Area Regional Association had a gathering at an Akron Rubber Ducks — a Class AA minor league team affiliated with the Cleveland Indians — during the summer, and alumni and family attending the event sat in a cluster of picnic tables out in left field of Canal Park. “(Dawn) basically stood up, walked over to us and began making this announcement,” Larry says. At that point, Dawn presented Larry his official Marietta College degree, signed by President William N. Ruud. “My wife (Patty) was there — she was in on this secret the whole time! My buddy, Keith, orchestrated this because he knew it would mean something to me.”

When Larry left Marietta the first time, it was to take care of family.

“I had to transfer during my sophomore year to Cleveland State because my dad got sick,” he says. “My father passed away during the course of that year, and one day, my mom said, ‘You need to go back to Marietta. You love that place.’ And so that’s what I did.”

The plan was to graduate with his original class, but he needed one more course to complete the degree requirements. He had to return for the following fall semester.

“So, I completed the degree in December, but at that time Marietta didn’t have a December ceremony, so I thought I’d just walk in the spring.”

Once again, sometimes life gets in the way of plans. Larry had met his future wife, Patty, and the couple were set to be married on May 6th — 5/6/78. Years passed — getting careers off the ground, kids, grandkids — but eventually, the fact that he only had a small laminated card showing he graduated from Marietta left a wide-open space on his home office desk.

“We were out one day and out of the blue he tells me about never receiving his diploma and he said, ‘It’s one of my deepest regrets in life.’ I’ve known him all these years and he never once mentioned this. I knew I had to at least try to make this happen,” Coleman says.

After the College confirmed Wisniewski had completed his degree requirements, the Advancement Office began planning with Coleman the perfect time to present Wisniewski’s degree.

“Back in ’78, I was just ready to start my life as an adult; I was ready to move on with things,” he says. “But I found myself talking about it more and more these past few years. Finally receiving it means a lot to me at this point in my life.”

Jazmyn Barrow Stover ’06, a Partner in the Cleveland office of Fisher Phillips law firm, was named to the 2019 Top 100 Lawyers List by The National Black Lawyers, an organization that focuses on highlighting accomplished black attorneys and promoting excellence in the legal profession for black attorneys across the United States through advocacy training, marketing, networking and education of lawyers. Honorees are nominated by leading attorneys and current NBL members and recognized for their outstanding reputation in the legal community.

Stover helps private and public employers in the health care, hospitality, real estate and retail industries prevent employment-related risks by emphasizing proactive workforce management.

Al Felici ’50, who turned 95 years old in October, along with his wife, Francie, enjoyed time in the Steinhagen Suite during the Pioneers football home opener against Muskingum University. A twosport athlete at Marietta, Felici excelled in both football and basketball until Coach Don Drumm made him choose one. Though he lettered in both, Felici ultimately chose football. During the September 21st Shrine Trophy Game, which the Pioneers won 31-25, President Bill Ruud presented him with a signed team ball.

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TALENTS AND TIES A business suit is not likely high on the list of what first-year students think of when packing for college — but Marietta’s Career Center Director, Betsy Knott, knows it should be.

From internship interviews to presenting at professional conferences, having access to professional business attire is important for every student to have, though many either forget or don’t have the resources to have those items readily available. That’s why building the Career Center’s Career Closet has become one of Knott’s focuses as the new director.

“We know our alumni have these kinds of items in their closets,” she says. “They maybe don’t fit anymore; they maybe have gone out of style; they don’t like them or they’re in the back of their closet. If an alum can take just a few minutes and think, ‘Is this something that someone else could get better use out of that I’m not getting anymore?’ send it to us, and we can make decisions on what we keep in our inventory.”

Sequoya Yates ’20, a student staff member in the Career Center, knew she would need business attire before she arrived as a freshman because she was a Petroleum Engineering major and would often interact with people in the industry. She wants to help fellow students who may not be able to afford to buy business clothing for interviews by providing access to proper attire.

“Right now, the priority is to just get new clothes because we don’t have a lot of variety in sizes or things student can wear,” Yates says. “I’m reaching out to alumni via email, and at Homecoming I planned a table talk with alumni to get some clothing donations.”

Another goal that Knott has set is to connect more alumni with students interested in learning about specific fields. She restructured a room in the Career Center, equipping it with a webcam/TV unit so alumni can give live web presentations to groups of students about their specific career paths — what worked, what didn’t and what they would do differently. Knott is trying to fill a portion of the spring semester’s calendar — Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings — with alumni willing to share details of their professions from the perspective of a variety of different regions throughout the country.

“We want to recruit alumni who are interested in sharing the details of their career journey, from graduation to where they are now. Students will benefit immensely from hearing about how The Long Blue Line communicated their liberal arts degree to a success story, and there are details about a range of industries that our alumni can share that I simply won’t know.”

The Big

CAREER CLOSET Support the Career Closet Mail gently used business attire to: Marietta College Career Center 215 Fifth St. Marietta, OH 45750

To connect with students during a Zoom interview, email Betsy Knott emk004@marietta.edu.

3

BREAKFAST Cheesy hash brown potatoes Yogurt bar Made to order sandwich station LUNCH Wings Chef Dave’s flank steak with creamed polenta Judy’s pizza DINNER Chicken mashed potatoes bowls BBQ meatloaf Beer-battered fish 14

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MARIETTA COLLEGE SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

From Meatloaf Mondays to Chicken Nugget Thursdays, every Pioneer generation has their favorite Gilman meal.

This year, so far, the top breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes served in the main dining hall are:

There’s nothing like being a part of a team, especially when you get to celebrate one of your teammate’s momentous accomplishments.

When Brittany Curry ’15 approached home plate during Marietta’s Alumnae Softball Game, past and present players cheered as the former second base/outfielder received her new rank — United States Air Force Captain — during a ceremony she chose to have at Marietta.

“I feel lucky to be able to celebrate such a big accomplishment with her,” says former teammate and current assistant softball coach Brianna Finck ’17.

Curry was effectively promoted from 1st Lieutenant to Captain on Oct. 2, but also wanted to share this moment with her Marietta family during a promotion ceremony. Stationed at Beale Air Force Base in Northern California, Curry is the Chief of Public Affairs for the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, and serves as a strategic communications advisor to the Colonel who commands the 9th RW and is the commander for the entire installation.

“I chose to commission into the U.S. Air Force for multiple reasons, both on a superficial and deeper level, but ultimately I wanted to grow as an individual while serving as part of a team. Growing up as an athlete, part of my identity and values involve bringing my best self into an organization for success of the group as a whole. The Air Force was where I chose to pursue that desire, and I haven’t regretted my decision.”

Growing up in a military family, Capt. Curry knew as an undergraduate Graphic Design and Marketing student that she would follow in her father’s footsteps. “My dad, who retired as an enlisted member, pushed me to pursue my education first before making any decisions, but starting my freshman year I knew the service was where I needed to be.”

Just before graduating, she was selected into the USAF Officer Training School and would commission in the Public Affairs program.

Softball coach Jenn Castle, who served as an assistant coach under Jeanne Arbuckle when Curry played, was touched that Brittany chose to include her softball family for her promotion ceremony. “As a student and now alum, Brittany has always been deeply engaged with Marietta and looking for ways to represent our institution,” Castle says. “With her choosing for this ceremony to take place on the mound, I think it reflects back to her time at Marietta and when she was a softball player. Brittany was able to grow and learn a lot of life lessons on this field, and for her it’s a place that feels like home. I am so proud of everything she has been able to accomplish upon graduation from Marietta and I just feel honored to have been her coach and now her friend.”

NATE KNOBEL

FAMILY CELEBRATION

“Whether it was the time in Alpha Xi Delta, hours on the softball field, employment in various work study jobs, dedication to the St. Jude Up ’til Dawn program, leadership studies in McDonough, internship at the Stonewall group downtown, or the investment of time into my development by the professors, faculty and staff — or all of it together — I’m a better leader, teammate and friend because of what Marietta gave to me.”

— CAPT. BRITTANY CURRY ’15

Do you know a smart, talented student who would make the perfect Pioneer?

Marietta College has an exciting new program that lets alumni nominate a high school student who is not their child for a special Long Blue Line Grant. If the child attends Marietta, they will receive a $1,000 Long Blue Line Grant in honor of the nominating alumna/us — and the grant is renewable up to four years. Keep your eyes open for great potential Pioneers — you can help us grow a stronger Long Blue Line!

Learn more at www.marietta.edu/alumni/refer-future-pioneer.

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THIS

IS A

Great College TO

WORK

FOR

MARIETTA COLLEGE ACHIEVES STELLAR MARKS FROM EMPLOYEES

I

n early March, ModernThink sent 305 emailed surveys to a random selection of Marietta College employees in order to gain insight on how they feel about working at Marietta — from facilities and teaching environment to professional development opportunities and job satisfaction. In late September, The Chronical of Higher Education published a list of the 2019 Great Colleges To Work For. Marietta College made the Honor Roll — earning “Very Good to Excellent” ratings in 10 out of the 12 categories.

“I think we have created an environment where the glass of water is always half full,” says President Bill Ruud. “I hope I’ve had something to do with that, but it’s 500 people working together and it’s 1,200 students working together to make it happen and to make themselves say, ‘Yeah, I’ve got a pretty good job. It’s a pretty good place to work.’ I know we can get it out to the rest of the world that Marietta College is a pretty great place to live, learn and work.”

STORY BY GI SMITH • ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK BACON PHOTOS BY NATE KNOBEL

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DO YOU LIKE YOUR JOB?

T

hat is a tough question to ask any employee in private. The fact that Marietta College — through ModernThink, a professional human capital consulting firm — asked a random sample of more than half of its employees that question shows the leadership is ready and willing to put a mirror up to this institution to identify its strengths and its weaknesses from the vantage point of all divisions.

“We’ve done this survey three times — first in 2013, and then backto-back years in 2018 and 2019,” says Debbie Wayland, Assistant Vice President for Administrative Services. “In 2013, we had a 35.5 percent response rate and the results were not encouraging.”

In 2013, the biggest concern was regarding Faculty, Staff and Administration Relations, though the College was on the lower cusp of several other areas. In 2018, when Marietta seemed to be headed in the right direction, the leadership decided it was time for another benchmark to verify that was the case.

“Why did we decide in 2018 that we needed to do the survey again?” Wayland says. “Because if we are serious about improving, we needed to get a benchmark to understand where we were at that point.”

Marietta earned “Very Good to Excellent” ratings in the categories of Teaching Environment, Job Satisfaction and Tenure Clarity & Process in 2018, which landed the College on the Great Colleges To Work For Recognition List.

“We did it again in 2019 and blew the thing up,” Wayland says. “I thought it would be good; I didn’t know it would be that outstanding. None of our categories overall were anything less than Very Good to Excellent. They break it down by the administration (Senior Leadership), Faculty, Exempt Professional Staff, and Non-Exempt Staff. I have no way of knowing who responded and how they responded. All I know is the response rate was more than 61.3 percent.”

In a special insert in The Chronical of Higher Education, Marietta was among 30 four-year colleges and universities categorized by small (2,999 or fewer students), medium (3,000-9,999 students) and large (10,000 or more students) that achieved the Honor Roll status. Only one other small college achieved a 10 out of 12 and one achieved 11 out of 12 among the 10 institutions appearing in that category. Of the 236 institutions that took part in the survey, 85 institutions rated “Very Good to Excellent” in at least one category.

The survey sampled members of administration, faculty, exempt professional staff, non-exempt staff and unspecified, so the full spec-

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Where we excelled:

Collaborative Governance

Compensation & Benefits Confidence in Senior Leadership Facilities, Workspace & Security Job Satisfaction Professional/Career Development Programs Respect & Appreciation Teaching Environment Tenure Clarity & Process Work/Life Balance (The College was not recognized in the categories of Diversity and Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship)

INTERESTING

FACT

trum of employees were represented. The overall group was asked to respond to questions regarding collaborative governance; compensation and benefits; confidence in senior leadership; diversity; facilities, workspace and security; job satisfaction; professional/career development programs; respect and appreciation; supervisor/department chair relationship; and work/life balance. Those who identified as faculty were also asked specifically about the quality of Marietta’s teaching environment and the tenure clarity and process.

“I think the College, after some bumps, has gotten on a much more positive track,” says Dr. Katy McDaniel, Faculty Chair, Chair of the History, Philosophy and Religion Department, and Andrew U. Thomas/McCoy Professor of History. “We’re not totally there yet but I think the employees of the College feel that the whole machine is working more smoothly, and that there are more opportunities. We’re not getting shut down at every turn. We are encouraged to do new things. We have new majors, new minors, and resources are not being taken away; they are actually being given to us and I think that’s why you get positivity across the board because people feel listened to.”

McDaniel joined the College in 2001, so she has seen the ebbs and flows that Marietta has experienced for close to two decades.

“We’re all in the same boat. When you get that focus — the real focus on who are we and what we are really here for — things fall into place much more and it’s just a better place to work than it was in 2013,” McDaniel says.

Regarding the areas specific to faculty, McDaniel says the improved teaching environment likely has more to do with the College providing an environment conducive to teaching rather that solely relying on the physical space in which teaching occurs.

“What I think is the best for the teaching environment, first of all, is that we are a teaching-centered institution and we have fully embraced that and we make teaching the top priority,” McDaniel says.

“And it’s in the way we talk about it … for instance, the Worthington Center (for Teaching Excellence) does so much to highlight new practices and to get not only new faculty but faculty who’ve been here a long time to think about different ways to do it. And I actually think that there’s a great willingness among the faculty to experiment with things and to try something new. And when you’ve got faculty who are often going to spend a career here, you need to feel nurtured in your own development as a teacher. It happens here and not a lot of colleges and universities can say that.”

Among the 236 colleges and universities that participated in ModernThink’s Great Colleges To Work For and the 124,349 employees surveyed, the average response rate was 45.4 percent. Marietta’s was 61.3 percent.

McDaniel also adds that the tenure process is something that starts with the hiring of every tenure-track assistant professor.

“Some institutions sort of keep it in a black box and sometimes they create enormous or never-ending hurdles,” McDaniel says. “We don’t hire people that we don’t want to achieve tenure. If you are hired on the tenure track, it’s in the best interest of the institution to make sure that you’re able to do that. We don’t leave assistant professors dangling, wondering — but our RTP (Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion) Committee starts talking to assistant professors about tenure during the new faculty orientation.”

Faculty mentors, third-year reviews by the RTP Committee and the Worthington Center are just a few of the tools that up-and-coming tenured professors have to help guide them through the process.

Dr. Alicia Doerflinger, Chair of the Psychology Department, echoes McDaniel’s sentiment that the College is headed in the right direction.

“My department has been preparing for the new Neuroscience major for quite some time but in recent years, it was never the right time to add it. The College was in a state where things were being cut across the board, so adding a new program wasn’t realistic,” Doerflinger says.

Once the College began forging a path forward, and employees were challenged by leadership to find ways to improve and grow, adding the new major became a real possibility.

“And we were able to serve another critical need in the community by adding the Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (starting in 2020),” she says.

The home base of the Psychology Department — Mills Hall — underwent extensive renovation to accommodate the 50 percent growth to the department and the addition of the Communication Department, which moved after nearly four decades of being in McKinney Hall.

Joyce Pennington’s new office in Mills Hall had a lot to live up to.

Her former office, a centrally located space in McKinney Hall, was where she spent most of the last 35 years.

“The renovation of Mills has been the best change for me personally,” Pennington says. “This year, the College renovated the first three floors, making it one of the nicest buildings on campus. When I first started in Mass Media in 1981, the campus had only one copy machine, and it was located in the bottom of Irvine. Now, I’ve got a color printer and copier just a few feet from my desk and the place is gorgeous.”

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Angie Stevens (left) and Paula Lewis cut flowers for their offices in Irvine Hall.

O

n any given day, you could walk through campus and see Jordan Becker and his crew put their creativity — and their sweat equity —on display for all of the campus and the community to enjoy.

As Grounds Supervisor, Becker, with the help of his team, has transformed the campus from a place that keeps the grass mowed and the falling leaves in check to a breathtaking landscape design worthy of any horticulture magazine’s centerpiece. In fact, plenty of the employees, students and visitors to campus remind the crew on a regular basis about their great work.

“Obviously it takes the entire team to make this work and it’s not just the grounds staff that has to be involved in these decisions,” Becker says. “It’s getting Fred Smith, the Director of Physical Plant, on board with our vision; it’s Michele Marra (Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance) who is providing the funding approval for our plans — she’s been absolutely amazing to work with— and President Ruud, who always says that campus appearance is a major part of recruiting students to Marietta, as well as student retention. The grounds 20

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department have had incredible support and I could not have done it without an amazing crew. They work really hard — and that makes a huge difference on campus.”

Becker says that Dwight Alsbach, who owned his own landscaping company in Columbus before joining the College, helps to develop a plan, vision and design for creative landscaping throughout campus — from the massive planter in front of Dyson Baudo Recreation Center to the summer cutting garden on The Christy Mall. The remainder of the team works diligently to implement the creative process, working on all aspects of the project from labor and instillation to maintenance, upkeep and adding their own creative touches.

“Without funding, the green light to be creative and the hard work of the staff, none of this would be possible,” Becker says.

Officer Christopher Hall says the same is true for Marietta College’s Police Department.

“The biggest turnaround for our department came with the promotion of Jim Weaver to Chief of Police,” Hall says. “Under Chief Weaver’s leadership, our department’s entire focus has centered around a community

“The day I took over as supervisor, the grounds team began talking about who is our actual customer — and it’s the students, faculty and staff on campus. How do we, as a grounds department, create campus involvement and present ourselves to these groups and get everybody enjoying campus grounds as much as we do? Dwight Alsbach and I came up with a cutting garden. It was something we started from seed, so there was almost no cost to the College, and it just took off. One day, we saw Akime (Sullivan), from Building Services, cutting flowers. She told us how beautiful everything was and that she was actually cutting flowers to take to students to enjoy in their rooms. When we heard that, we knew this was something that we are going to have to do every single year — and we hope to make it better each year. Hearing that feedback was so rewarding.”

Jordan Becker ’09, Grounds Supervisor

PRE-LOADED JOB CATEGORY

policing philosophy — get out and interact with students, faculty and staff members in a way that lets them know that everyone in our department is extremely approachable and helpful.”

He says the addition of a fully staffed dispatch desk enables officers to spend more time interacting and responding to needs of everyone on campus. Hall adds that the College’s leadership — particularly President Ruud, Michele Marra and Debbie Wayland — has shown tremendous support for Chief Weaver’s long-term vision for the MCPD, and that providing funding and support for the department has helped them make great strides with officer/student relationships.

TOTAL

RESPONDED

% RESPONDED

ALL Employees

305

187

61.3%

Administration

8

8

100%

Exempt Professional Staff

74

53

72%

Non-Exempt Staff

125

72

58%

Faculty

98

54

55%

“I’ve been blessed with two great jobs: the first was with the Marietta Fire Department and the second is right here,” Hall says. “They make it hard for you to want to leave. It’s a fun place to work. I have two kids who go here. The benefits the College offers and the doors we have opened to us here are incredible. We have access to the DBRC, the ball games and all the events. My wife and I go to the Kuwaiti Dinner, the Chinese New Year Celebration and the Multicultural Festival.

“I am so fortunate to work for an institution like Marietta College.”

M A R I E T TA

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C

oming from the public sector, Ruud understands the value of transparency when an institution is struggling and adjustments need to be made in order to change course.

“In the public sector, you don’t have a choice but to discuss the issues because reporters are there, the legislators are there, the governor is there, everybody is there, all the board meetings are public meetings — you have to be able to communicate what you are doing and where you are going,” he says. “We are in pretty good shape, but you know this is all about enrollment. It’s always been all about enrollment. If you regularly get 500 freshmen, a whole bunch of other issues go away because of that extra revenue.”

Wayland believes that one of the biggest turnarounds has to do with how employees are made to feel valued.

“The Administration made a concerted, conscious decision and effort to create new programs where they were needed and to provide the support around those programs to make sure they were successful — to make sure all employees understand their role includes the important work of recruitment, retention and fundraising,” Wayland says. “When an organization has a shared culture and common themes, we are all pulling in the same direction to achieve greater success.”

Empowering employees to make positive changes, offering them avenues for professional development, compensating them, supporting their ability for advancement, creating a positive work environment that also offers balance regarding their personal lives — all of this feeds into job satisfaction, Wayland says, and that care and enthusiasm changes the learning and living environment for students.

For the past two years, the new academic year has begun with a Welcome Back Picnic, a campus-wide dinner with games, prizes and other entertainment open to new and returning students, employees and their families. The College has also implemented an onboarding process that helps educate new employees on the full range of opportunities at Marietta — from tuition remission for family members to graduate school assistance to employees looking to further develop skills that will help them do their job at Marietta more effectively.

“And over the last four years, we’ve raised people’s salaries 5 percent, we’ve raised people’s contribution to their retirement 3 percent, we’ve adjusted some other salaries academically and administratively so the people believe they are at least compensated properly,” Ruud says. “We work hard to ensure that ever-rising health care costs aren’t borne by the employees. We try to tier it for health care so the lowest paid employees aren’t burdened at the same level as the higher-earning employees.”

The campus is decorated in banners celebrating the fact that Marietta is a Great College To Work For, and though the work it took to get Marietta in that Honor Roll position will continue to progress, there is an overwhelming sense of pride running throughout the College.

“Our people believe they are winners,” Ruud says. “The most powerful organ in the body is the brain. I think the change that I see is that we have been able to get everybody on campus knowing that they can do their job, and if they mess up a little bit, it’s not the end of the world. They have the freedom and the passion to try new stuff and to do new stuff, and they know that if they are successful, then collectively we are successful.”

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(Top photo) Before dawn, several times each year, Marietta employees volunteer to put up Marietta College flags throughout the downtown district to put Pioneer Pride on full display in the community.

(Bottom photo) Dr. Erick Carlson, Assistant Professor of Biology, takes advantage of a warm and sunny day in Marietta by taking his class outdoors.

Caitlin Thomas, assistant coach for Track & Field; Raquel Ravaglioli, Director of Music Therapy; Katie Evans, Coordinator of Community Based Learning; and Katy Ely, Assistant Rowing Coach, take in a Saturday afternoon football game.

MAKING THE HONOR ROLL CATEGORY

2013

2018

2019

(2019 FAS+ 4-year)

Job Satisfaction/Support

76%

83%

86%

73%

Teaching Environment

70%

83%

89%

66%

Professional Development

72%

81%

79%

68%

GRADING SCALE:

Compensation, Benefits & Work/Life Balance

68%

76%

79%

69%

Facilities

74%

81%

86%

71%

0%-44% (Poor)

Policies, Resources & Efficiency

58%

68%

79%

60%

Shared Governance

71%

78%

85%

59%

Pride

78%

86%

90%

76%

Supervisors/Department Chairs

74%

80%

81%

74%

Senior Leadership

64%

77%

82%

59%

Faculty, Administration & Staff Relations

53%

72%

80%

59%

Communication

62%

71%

74%

57%

Collaboration

64%

77%

79%

61%

Fairness

64%

71%

75%

59%

Respect & Appreciation

65%

75%

77%

62%

Survey Average

67%

77%

81%

65%

45%-54% (Warrants Attention) 55%-64% (Fair to Mediocre) 65%-74% (Good) 75%-100% (Very Good to Excellent)

INTERESTING

FACT

Marietta College rated higher in every category than the 2019 Faculty, Administration and Staff (FAS)+ Benchmark.

M A R I E T TA

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SCOREBOOK

PION E E R ATH L ET I C S

Passion Project A M A N DA HA RDT ’ 13 HELP S P IT T S BURG H HO M ELES S T HRO UG H P UM P e d TO RUN P RO G RA M

NATE KNOBEL

A

24

manda Hardt ’13 has been making some changes lately. Big, life-altering changes.

“This is the first time I’ve ever lived alone,” she says. “I went backpacking at Glacier National Park in Montana on my own. I’m trying to be more independent. I think these changes have really helped me grow as a person.”

Another modification has been her renewed passion for community service. Amanda, who ran cross country at Marietta College, is a board member and runs the social media for PUMPed to Run in Pittsburgh. The program works to help homeless people, who are often isolated, form friendships, encourage self-sufficiency and build resilience.

Amanda and other mentors travel to homeless shelters around Pittsburgh at designated times to go for a walk or run with someone living at the shelter.

“One participant that I walked around the Pittsburgh area with said she felt we had an instant connection because we have the same name,” Amanda says. “We talked about some goals and how she could reach those goals. But in the end, I think she was appreciative to have someone walking with her and no one was judging her.”

Hardt, an avid runner who shares her exploits on her own social media accounts, loves running around the city.

“I know some places that are cool to look at while running,” she says.

Colleen Cadman, a fellow board member, says Amanda hit the ground running and she has made a positive impact on the organization.

“Her super bubbly personality, and her enthusiasm for running and mentoring other people is amazing,” Cadman says. “It’s

great to have her involvement. I know she’s helped with a lot of other things, and we’re excited that she’s dedicated time with PUMPed to Run.” In recent years, Amanda volunteered at the Pittsburgh Marathon’s children’s race and as a finish line spotter at a recent PUMPed to Run 5K. “I’ve always been that ‘super fan’ at watching other people run. Watching other people meet their personal best is really fulfilling for me,” she says. “I’m a very loud person and I know how it feels when you are running and tired, and having someone cheering you on is really inspirational.”

Amanda earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising & Public Relations and is now a marketing specialist with PNC Bank. She believes her experience at Marietta helped develop her desire to volunteer in her community.

“I was really involved in high school, but fortunately Marietta helped me get more involved in the community and I really loved it,” she says.

As a student, Amanda volunteered at the Humane Society, was a youth soccer coach at the Marietta Family YMCA, participated in park clean-ups and helped with the fundraising for a women’s shelter.

“I had a lot of opportunities and I was able to see the impact,” she says. “Also, I have become involved in groups after College while connecting it with my career. I’ve been a part of the United Way of Southwestern PA for the past two years. I am grateful for what I learned at Marietta, and to work at a place that encourages us to get involved.”

TOM PERRY

Watch Amanda’s story at www.marietta.edu/fl19-hardt-yt

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CELEBRATE Winter Weekend 2020 on campus February 7-8 It doesn’t matter if snow is falling outside or the sun is shining, Winter Weekend at Marietta College is always a great time to visit campus and reconnect with outstanding Pioneer athletes.

Winter Weekend 2020 is scheduled for February 7-8 and the highlight is the induction of five former student-athletes into the Marietta College Athletic Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees are Doug Huffman ’92 (baseball), Alan Varrasso ’96 (football), Jen Tinkler ’97 (softball), Mike Eisenberg ’07 (baseball) and Amanda Carraher ’09 (tennis/ basketball).

The Hall of Fame banquet wraps up an exciting weekend that also includes a basketball doubleheader featuring a women’s game against Ohio Northern at 1:00 p.m. and a men’s game against the Polar Bears at 3:00 p.m.

At halftime of the women’s game, the College will honor the 1989 women’s soccer team that won the Ohio Athletic Conference championship. The Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized during halftime of the men’s game.

Alumni and friends are also encouraged to attend the alumni games for volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball. Of course, if you are an alum of one of those programs you are encouraged to participate in the action.

Register online at pioneers.marietta.edu or call Wendy Thieman at (740) 376-4665.

TOM PERRY

M A R I E T TA

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SCOREBOOK

PION E E R ATH L ET I C S

Get to know

M E N ’ S ROW ING COACH G REG M YHR

N

MARC PITLER

o one needs to tell Greg Myhr. He’s well aware of the lofty expectations in his first-year as Marietta College men’s rowing coach.

Myhr is ready to put in the hard work to get the Pioneers back on top. He’s also asking his rowers to do the same, and he’s excited to have three 8s hitting the Muskingum and Ohio rivers daily this fall, laying the groundwork for speed in the spring season.

Myhr enjoyed meeting with alumni of the program and learning more about the storied history of men’s rowing during Homecoming festivities in October. Now he’s focused on recruiting and coaching his rowers as they prepare for the 2020 season — just one year away from celebrating 150 years of men’s rowing.

What was it about Marietta College men’s rowing that attracted you to this position?

MYHR: Everyone I met and spoke with about Marietta College and Marietta men’s rowing exuded an enthusiasm and expansiveness that I haven’t seen matched elsewhere. There is a pervasive sense here that this is a terrific place to be — and that everyone is working hard to make it even better. No one is talking about limits — only, “What can we do now, and how do we get there?” That’s a terrifically exciting environment to be a part of.

How much did you know about Marietta’s storied history in rowing before you applied for the job?

MYHR: I knew this was an old program, and I knew Marietta was a founding member of the Dad Vail. But I’m embarrassed to say that I really didn’t fathom the extent to which Marietta is woven into the fabric of U.S. collegiate rowing history. I also didn’t realize how many legends of rowing in this country rowed at Marietta. I keep learning more, and it’s truly astounding.

Can you talk about your immediate goals and long-term goals for the program?

MYHR: We have a mandate to get Marietta back to the grand finals, medaling and winning the Dad Vail Championship. It’s hard to say how long it will take to get back there — in some respects, that’s a tall order as there are very good programs in the league that will work very hard to stay in front of us. We were in the third-level final this past spring, so we 26

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have a way to go. But the team seems willing to work hard and the support from the College and alumni is extraordinary. We need to grow our national exposure in terms of racing and recruiting, and we need to get to a place where we are sending 8s — every year — to the IRA National Championships; sending crews to the Henley Royal Regatta when we’re fast enough; and putting our athletes back on the U.S. National and Olympic teams. I’m not so naive to think there won’t be challenges along the way, but I really do feel that the sky is the limit here at Marietta.

Maintaining a strong relationship with rowing alumni is important for sustained success. How have you been received by the alumni and do you have any plans of how you hope to develop those relationships?

MYHR: This is truly an extraordinary group of alums! I’ve only just met a handful so far, but I’ve heard from many more and everyone is being incredibly supportive. I think the more we can tie the alums and the history of Marietta Rowing to the current team, the better it is for everyone. It is such an enormous advantage to be part of a team with as much history as Marietta, and getting to know the alumni makes it all the more real. I think for the alums, connecting with the current team and seeing that we’re doing much of the same things that they did when they rowed here reconnects them to the team in a powerful and visceral way. I expect to be in regular contact with the alums with team updates, and less formally, just connecting on a personal basis.

TOM PERRY

PLAY BALL! R E N OVAT ED BAS EBA LL FACILIT Y RENA M ED

MARC PITLER

D O N A N D S U E S CHA LY FIELD AT P IO NEER PA RK

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t was later than normal, but by mid-October you could finally hear the sounds of baseball emanating on Mulholland Drive.

Following five months of renovations, which included the installation of a FieldTurf playing surface and raising portions of the field as much as three feet, Don and Sue Schaly Field at Pioneer Park was open for action.

“There’s a level of excitement right now surrounding the program that we haven’t had for a couple of years,” says Brian Brewer ’93, who is in his 17th season as the skipper of Marietta College’s baseball team. “Our hope is that this translates into community excitement, stronger recruiting and more time to work with our student-athletes on the field.”

Any critics of switching from natural grass to FieldTurf only need to speak with Sue Knicely Schaly ’62 for some perspective. Her late husband, Hall of Fame baseball coach Don Schaly ’59, believed baseball was meant to be played on grass, but she says he was also realistic.

“He knew if you lived in this part of the country, the best way to go is turf. I’m sure Don would be very pleased because the end result is very beautiful,” she says. “He would really appreciate the field being raised so it was level. He always thought the field wasn’t level.”

One of the first stops for former big-league player and manager Jim Tracy ’78 made during Homecoming weekend was to the renovated baseball complex.

“I was blown away by it,” says Tracy, who initiated the project a few years back. “I don’t know how recruits can’t be impressed and want to play here.”

Also included in the renovations was the addition of an 8-foot, dark green ChampionWall (that was moved in 10 feet to 400 feet in center field), larger, step-down dugouts and a pole-less backstop with net and padding.

The project was made possible by a lead gift from The Spartan Foundation and Hap and Meg Esbenshade, and other generous gifts from alumni and friends.

“It was Hap who saw the wisdom in recognizing the Schalys, while also returning the stadium name back to Pioneer Park,” says Bill Ruud, Marietta College’s 19th President. “We are excited that we will get a chance to officially recognize Hap and Meg Esbenshade, the Schaly family and many others this spring at a home baseball game.”

Current members of the Etta Express are looking forward to running out onto one of the best Division III facilities in the nation this spring.

“He knew if you lived in this part of the country, the best way to go is turf. I’m sure Don would be very pleased because the end result is very beautiful.”

“I’m really excited about the new turf and I know that a lot of the other guys are too. It’s been fun to follow the progression throughout the summer and into the fall on the live stream,” says utility player Isaac Danford ’21. “The new surface gives us a facility that is comparable to, if not better than, some of the top programs in the nation throughout all divisions. It should bring a lot of excitement to the program, the school and the community.”

The coaching staff is excited to work less on the field and more with the student-athletes.

“Everything about this is 100-percent positive,” Brewer says. “There is no more tarp duty, no more edging, cutting, raking or lining the field. There is zero upkeep that will fall on the players.”

TOM PERRY M A R I E T TA

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DEVELOPMENTS

A DVA N C EM EN T N EWS

lives

well-lived

L AM B DA C H I A L PH A’ S S U M M ER GAT HERING S HOWS T HE S T RENGT H O F LO NG -LAS T ING FR IENDSHIPS

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us to invite more guys. Everything is self-contained here.”

Attendance at the event has grown in recent years as more fraternity brothers want to attend.

“Some have come only once and others are here almost every Scott ’80. year,” says Randy Roberts ’79. “Now it is the one thing that is on my “It’s great to see you, man,” Scott says. “How have you been?” calendar every year that I have to schedule everything else around.”

A few minutes later, Peter Maercklein ’78 charged in and the welIf it wasn’t for Dominic Suarez ’79, Roberts may not even know coming roars from his fraternity brothers echoed around the room. about the annual reunion.

On a warm, late-summer weekend in September, 31 brothers from “He rode up my driveway on a bicycle looking like he was from the Marietta College’s chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha reunited at Oglebay Tour de France to see if it was me, and he made sure I knew about Resort & Conference the reunion,” Roberts Center in Wheeling, West says. The friends had Virginia. They started lost touch, but Suarez rolling in on Thursday thought he’d see if his and by early Friday afold friend lived at the ternoon pretty much address he found online everyone who had and they have remained RSVP’d was on site and connected since. the chalet was trans“I’ve been coming formed into the old LCA for the last five years,” fraternity house that Roberts says. was affectionately called Bill Ruud, Marietta “The Green Castle.”

College’s 19th President, “It’s like a fraternity joined the group for party from the 1970s, some golf on Friday. but now were all in our “It was an honor to 60s,” says a smirking Bill be invited to join these Corwin ’78, who makes distinguished members the chili. The number of of The Long Blue Line,” attendees ranges each Ruud says. “It is amazyear from 30 to 40. ing to see them continue John Lubimir ’79, Bruce Kinney ’79 and Bill Kingzett ’79 share some stories during the 21st annual Don Ritter ’81 adds, to strengthen the bonds “We typically move out to Lambda Chi Alpha summer reunion at Oglebay Resort & Conference Center in Wheeling, West Virginia. they formed as students the porch and it can go and remaining loyal to pretty late into the night — sometimes the morning.” their roots.”

This was the 21st annual gathering of the group and 15th at Oglebay.

It is rare for someone outside of the fraternity to be invited.

It started small with eight “Choppers” gathering in Cleveland for a “We had a brother one year ask if a Marietta grad that a lot of us Browns-New York Giants game. The only three to attend all 21 are were friends with could join us, and we reminded him this is for forJosh Murray ’78, Bruce Kinney ’79 and Corwin. mer Lambda Chis only,” Corwin says. “It’s the friendships and bonds “I was back on campus in 1998 for our 20th reunion and we had that we made as fraternity brothers that brings us together each year.” such a great time that we wanted to do it again next year,” Murray Ritter says it was a diverse group of young men who made up says. “We thought it would be fun to do it every year and it was typiMarietta’s Lambda Chi Alpha chapter, and they have a special cally based around a sporting event. But there were a lot of logistics connection. with that, so we decided we needed to find a place that we could “You have to remember that we all worked together in the house meet every year. Once we decided to have this event here, it helped to cook the food, clean the house and fix something when it broke,”

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ith two pots of “welcome chili” simmering on the stove, Billy Sieber ’80 walked through the front door of Hess Cabin and was greeted with a big hug from fellow Marietta College Lambda Chi Alpha brother Kevin

G21 ATTENDEES

he says. “If you weren’t a member of Lambda Chi, you just don’t understand the connection we have.”

If you are lucky enough to attend, you get to hang out and listen to the Lousy Candles Band jam. Brian Hennessey ’76 (keyboards), Rich Lohmann ’81 (banjo), Corwin (guitar and lead singer), Kinney (drums) and Ritter (guitar) play music from legendary artists like Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and The Byrds.

With each passing year, though, they also honor members who have passed away. This year, they paid tribute to Bob Emmons ’77, who attended his first reunion last year but died in May. “We spent a lot of time talking about Bob and how fortunate it was that we had a chance to reconnect before he passed,” Kinney says. “We included his favorite song, ‘Come and Get Your Love,’ on this year’s Gathering CD, played it during the closing ceremonies on Saturday night and, of course, sang the altered lyrics, ‘Gummons Get Your Love’ before a long, tearful toast to say goodbye.”

The foundation of the Lambda Chi Gathering is “Old friends are proof of a life well-lived.”

Almost 50 years later, the bond between these Marietta College brothers is still making a positive impact on their lives.

TOM PERRY

Lambda Chi Alpha Gathering recap www.marietta.edu/fl19-LCAG21-yt

M A R I E T TA

PHOTOS BY TOM PERRY

Members of the Lousy Candles Band — Don Ritter ’81, Bruce Kinney ’79, Bill Corwin ’78 and Brian Hennessey ’76 — play a few tunes from the 1970s.

Dean Bottorff ’79 (Moon Township, Pennsylvania) Greg Michael Carroll ’82 (Reston, Virginia) Dave Colbert ’78 (Palatine, Illinois) Bill Corwin ’78 (Kalispell, Montana) Bruce Downie ’78 (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) Doug Ehrman ’82 (Westerville, Ohio) John Forcier ’78 (Leesburg, Virginia) Herbert “Burry” Gowen ’77 (St. Augustine, Florida) Brian Hennessey ’76 (Aiken, South Carolina) Jeff Hupp ’80 (Katy, Texas) Larry Johnson ’83 (Vestal, New York) Bill Kingzett ’79 (Roaming Shores, Ohio) Bruce Kinney ’79 (Hudson, Ohio) Frank Lattanzi ’78 (Laurel, Maryland) Rich Lohmann ’81 (Chesterfield, New Jersey) John Lubimir ’79 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Peter Maercklein ’78 (Centerville, Virginia) Steve Monzel ’78 (Salisbury, Maryland) Josh Murray ’78 (Ashland, Massachusetts) Rick Norris ’77 (Phoenix, Arizona) Dominic Suarez ’79 (Yardley, Pennsylvania) Don Ritter ’81 (Farmers Branch, Texas) Randy Roberts ’79 (Villanova, Pennsylvania) Lou Rood ’76 (Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania) Jay Schofield ’77 (New York, New York) Kevin Scott ’80 (Cincinnati, Ohio) Roger Shands ’79 (Lake Forest Park, Washington) Billy Sieber ’80 (Englewood, Colorado) Mike Tietjen ’79 (Belvidere, New Jersey) Mark Vertino ’78 (Rockaway, New Jersey) A.J. Zukowski ’79 (Simsbury, Connecticut) 29

LAURA HATCHER

MARIETTA MOMENT

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D EF I N I N G M EM ORI ES OF COL L EG E L I F E

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lthough he graduated in 2010, Phil York remains in regular contact with his Marietta College professors in the Political Science Department, Dr. Mark Schaefer and Dr. Mike Tager. Both were on speed dial when he heard of his latest appointment at the Kennedy Center.

When asked why he remains in contact, he first replied with a laugh. “First of all, I cannot believe it has been nearly 10 years since I graduated from Marietta College, so let’s start there!

Second, I remember emailing my professors about the latest news of my internship search, and later news of my graduate school acceptance and initial course work at Texas A&M. Over the years, I even became of a donor to Marietta and asked for my gifts to be designated to the Political Science Department. I want other students to be equally inspired to pursue their dreams, wherever their paths may lead. My professors did that for me during my time at Marietta and continue to be a source of support and friendship.”

York reflects on his Marietta experience and how it prepared him for his career.

“The political science training is a perfect complement to the broader liberal arts education that Marietta College offers; I have no doubt that I was prepared for this role because of this education. The Kennedy Center is not only a focal point for our nation’s culture and arts, but it is also often the stage for critical international conversations. From the stone from which the building was constructed to diplomatic gifts in the halls that celebrate President Kennedy’s legacy, staff members are reminded of this unique confluence of arts and politics, daily. A conversation about the latest ballet trends with a donor can easily lead into the topic of geo-political politics. An artistic event I staff can host a Grammy award-winning artist and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Given my appreciation for the arts and politics, this is a dream job for me. Marietta College prepared me to serve in this unique context.

I became a donor to Marietta because I want The Long Blue Line to be filled with alumni who are also ready and equipped to pursue their dreams and to contribute their time and talents to our country and to our global community.”

PHIL YORK ’10 Phil York graduated cum laude from Marietta College in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Business Leadership Certificate, and earned distinctions as a member of three national honor societies: History, Political Science and Leadership. After Marietta, York pursued his nonprofit professional development at the Bush School of Government at Texas A&M University, where he graduated in 2012. While at the Bush School he interned at two Bryan-based nonprofits; his efforts earned one client $350,000 through private pharmaceutical grant applications. He also served as a graduate assistant under the direction of Bush School Dean and former Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, Andrew Card.

Beyond Texas A&M, York’s professional experience led him to senior fundraising positions at Habitat for Humanity chapters in Texas (Waco and Bryan) and Maryland (Carroll County) where he raised funds to build safe and decent housing alongside hard-working families.

York now serves as a development manager of designated campaigns at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., where he leads a team of three fundraising professionals. His most recent development efforts contributed to the successful $250 million fundraising campaign to complete the Center’s capital campaign of its first ever building expansion in its 50-year history.

Do you have a defining Marietta Moment you would like to share?

Send us a description of your experience. Email: marketing@marietta.edu MAIL: Editor, Marietta Magazine, Office of Communication and Brand Management, 215 Fifth St., Marietta, OH 45750

M A R I E T TA

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AFFORDABLE WAYS TO GIVE

to Marietta College

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Include Marietta College in your will or living trust.

One of the most popular and easiest ways to support Marietta College’s future is to remember us in your will — and it’s easy. Ask your attorney to draft a codicil or an amendment to the existing document. Don’t have a will or trust? Ask your attorney to craft a new document that includes your gift.

Name Marietta College a beneficiary of a retirement account.

This is an effective and tax-smart way to support Marietta after your lifetime. If your loved ones are the beneficiaries of your retirement plans, federal income taxes can erode a significant amount of what they will receive. To set up this gift, contact your plan administrator for a change-of-beneficiary form.

Add Marietta College, along with the percentage you would like us to receive, on the beneficiary form.

Then return it to your plan administrator.

Designate us as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy.

This is a low-cost way to make a sizeable gift to Marietta College. You likely bought the insurance policy to protect the financial stability of your family. If your circumstances have changed and you no longer need the policy for its original purpose, we hope you will consider making Marietta a beneficiary so we can use your gift to support our students after your lifetime.

Provide support with your bank and brokerage accounts.

Most states allow you to designate loved ones and cherished places to benefit from your bank account after your passing. Simply put, this is one of the most direct ways to prolong your support for Marietta College. For the College to benefit from your checking account, savings account or CDs, you must make them payable on death* to Marietta College. To leave us funds from a brokerage or investment account, you must place a transfer on death* designation on them.

Create an IRA charitable rollover.

The IRA charitable rollover is now permanent and is a terrific way to make a tax-free gift to Marietta College using your qualified retirement plan. This gift may also satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD). * State laws govern payable-on-death accounts and transfer-on-death accounts. Consult with your bank representative or investment advisor to consider these types of gifts.

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If you have questions or want more information about any of these affordable options, please contact Marietta College’s Office of Advancement, (740) 376-4446 or visit giftplanning@marietta.edu.

Ed Schultz ’66 lives with his wife, Mickey, on Keuka Lake of New York’s Finger Lakes region, where they are retired from owning a jewelry store. Ed stays active playing tennis, skiing and spending time with former Marietta College friends, and participating in the Alpha Sigma Phi Delta chapter alumni association. He and his wife also volunteer to help teach English to local immigrants. One of his fondest connections with Marietta College was being able to march in President Ruud’s inaugural as a 1966 alumni representative.

Grant Callery ’68, Jackie Machan Callery ’71 and Rob Dyson ’68 submitted photos of Marietta alumni remembering D-Day during a visit to Utah Beach and the front of the church at Ste. Mere Eglise, where a paratrooper was caught on the steeple.

Dr. Edward Jordan’s family is steeped with long-time connections to Marietta College; both his father and grandfather were valedictorians at Marietta. After graduation, Ed earned his Ph.D. from Syracuse University, taught at the college level and worked overseas as district manager and technical representative in the oil industry. Ed also taught high school science and math for 25 years, in the midst of which his wife, Laura, his sixth-grade daughter and he took a year off to travel around the world

for as cheaply as possible. Now retired, they live on 45 acres on which he has created an arboretum with about 80 different tree species and various structures.

As he celebrates 50 years in The Long Blue Line, Paul Adams ’69 is working to endow a scholarship in honor of Jerry Evans, a former Marietta College professor.

At Marietta, Adams was the captain of the track & field team and earned the prestigious Way-Weigelt Award. He is a finance writer near Boston. He loves spending time with his grandchildren, making return trips to Marietta and raising money for cancer research. A cancer survivor himself, Paul still participates in the PanMassachusetts Challenge, a state-wide bike ride that has raised nearly $700 million toward cancer research since 1980.

Barry Chasen ’69 continues to recommend baseball players to Coach Brian Brewer. “Having played for Coach Schaly for four years, it is a time I will never forget. (Jeff Schaly) should write a story on the fact that his father, brother John and I are all in the American Baseball Coaches Association, and how many schools the size of Marietta have three former players in a sports Hall of Fame as coaches.

The ABCA is the largest baseball coaches association in the world, with more than 10,000 members, and it covers about 25 countries. As of today, there are about 33 high school coaches in there, as it is dominated by college coaches, and I am most fortunate to be one of those people, having coached high school baseball for 34 years, along with coaching for four summers in summer baseball. We represent Marietta College rather well.”

Richard Miles ’69 has been living in a different Marietta: the Atlanta, Georgia, suburb. He travels to Croatia multiple times each year, where he owns a property on the island of Hvar. In his spare time, he has taken up sailing and recently took the Miles family on a voyage to the Bahamas.

Freshman roommates Carolyn “Lyn” Hall ’72, Marcia Miele Branca ’72 and Roz Ruby ’72 had a summer mini reunion in Margate, New Jersey. The group extends a message to friend Robbie Newell ’72 — “If you read this, Robbie, contact us. We would like to see you at our next reunion!”

Edward Lieberman ’73, who is the mayor of the Village of Sea Cliff, was elected the 2019-20 Nassau County Village Officials Association (NCVOA) President during the

annual meeting in June. He is a former Nassau County Assistant District Attorney, where he served as senior trial attorney, chief of the Civil Rights unit, and member of the Official Corruption and Special Investigations Bureau. He later established a private practice specializing in criminal law. He and his wife, Kathie Roberts Lieberman ’75, have two children and three grandchildren.

While on vacation in Paris over Memorial Day weekend, Thomas Kovacevich III ’74 and Mary Ann (Sycz) Kovacevich ’74, Tiffany Kovacevich ’09 and Taylor Kovacevich, ran into Dominic Suarez ’79. Waiting for the next train at the Museum d’Orsay metro station, the Kovacevichs asked if he and his family needed help navigating the metro.

They chatted about where they lived in the U.S., and he mentioned that he went to a small college in southeast Ohio. It was an exciting chance encounter 6,424 miles from campus.

CLASS NOTES

Ross Lenhart ’66 lives in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, where he enjoys volunteering at Brookgreen Gardens, visiting the Georgetown (South Carolina) Historical Society, and playing golf and tennis.

Lenhart still stays in contact with his friends from Marietta College and is neighbors with Peg Howell ’77.

Steve Stefany ’75 is now retired after 36 years of audio engineering for ABC Radio Network. He and his wife, Laura, live in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with their son Will, who started college this fall. Steve likes to spend his time volunteering and working on various video projects, which have recently included school and church interviews. The Stefany family recently returned from a trip to Switzerland and Germany, and they plan to keep traveling near and far as they enjoy Steve’s retirement.

Following her years at Marietta, Amy Golino ’80 worked as a stockbroker for 13 years in the World Trade Center. After having three children, she went back to school at Boston University to complete a Culinary Arts certification program. She is currently a Culinary Analyst consultant who works in research and development M A R I E T TA

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CLASS NOTES

of a prestigious appliance company. Amy and her large, blended family reside in the White Mountains of Lovell, Maine.

Dr. Christopher Ingersoll ’85 was named the founding dean of University of Central Florida’s College of Health Professions and Sciences. Previously, he was the Vice Provost for Health Sciences Affairs and Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at the University of Toledo.

Dan Gautschi ’91 has been named Managing Principal for the Healthcare Consulting Practice at Crowe — providing finance & reimbursement, revenue cycle and internal audit services nationally to the healthcare provider industry.

Previously, he served as the Healthcare Revenue Cycle Practice Leader. Crowe is a public accounting, consulting and technology firm that combines deep industry and specialized expertise with innovation.

The firm applies cutting-edge technology to make smarter software and services for clients. With offices around the world, Crowe has more than 4,000 personnel delivering exceptional client service while upholding our core values and strong professional standards. In 2019, Crowe was named to Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies To Work For” list for the second consecutive year.

Acclaimed actor Timothy J. Cox ’99 has been keeping busy with numerous film and theatre projects in 2019. He starred in the dark comedy film “Doll It Up,” which has received much acclaim and has been accepted in more than 15 film festivals all over the world. His latest film, the drama “Miss Freelance,” has already received great reviews and is about to begin its festival run. Cox calls New York City his home, where he lives with his wife Jamie and their 2-year-old son, Spencer.

Mark Lane ’01, PA’04, recently completed an orthopaedic surgery fellowship at the University of Missouri and joined First Settlement Orthopaedics in Marietta as an orthopaedic surgeon. Mark and his wife, Tia ’98, MALL’02, are excited to be back in Marietta with their three children, Ethan, Emma and Evan.

Valerie Tharp Byers 2004, MAP’06 (Chi Omega) was awarded her Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Sam Houston State University in August 2019. Her dissertation, titled “SelfPerceptions of Adjunct Faculty about their Roles at a Select Community College

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Jay Foraker ’01 (ATO) and his father, Dan Foraker ’73 (ATO), were recently in the UK for a reunion and took the opportunity to reconnect with fellow Marietta alumni, Charles Paul Staley ’66 (ATO) and Megan Staley ’99 (Chi Omega). Dan is in the natural gas business and lives with his wife, Kathi, in New Lexington, Ohio. They are the parents of Ann F. Nicely ’03 and Margaret F. Graham ’08. Jay is an Assistant Vice President in Risk Management at Brown Brothers Harriman in Boston. Megan’s parents were visiting her in London, where she has lived since 2015. Paul is retired from teaching and school administration, and lives with his wife, Barbara, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Megan works in the liquefied natural gas business for Total Gas & Power. She will be on assignment with the trading team in Geneva until March 2020, then will join the LNG team in Paris starting in April 2020. Pictured from left to right are Paul, Megan, Jay and Dan. System,” was a phenomenological qualitative study focused on the current use of adjunct faculty in higher education and the emphasis these faculty placed on their roles in terms of their levels of performance and effectiveness. Valerie celebrated her graduation with family and friends, including fellow Marietta College alumni Tim Byers ’06 (Lambda Chi Alpha), Stephanie Esparza Peloquin ’06, Matthew Peloquin ’06 (Lambda Chi Alpha) and Paul Byers ’09. Valerie currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation, which advocates and funds research directed toward a cure and treatment options for patients with Sanfilippo Syndrome.

Kim Chavers ’08 was named the women’s rowing coach at Michigan State University in September, following a three-year stint working with the novice rowers at Indiana University.

Matthew Rucker ’07 and Marissa Barnhart Rucker ’07 welcomed their second son, Dylan Hart Rucker, on April 24, 2019. The couple also have an older son, Trevor Hite Rucker, 4. They live in Dallas, Texas, where Matthew is an Executive Vice President at Montage Resources and Marissa is a stay-at-home mom.

Michael Daugherty ’09, who has worked at Electronic Arts in Chicago, was promoted to Senior Manager of eSports Sponsorship Strategy & Activation.

Adam MAEd’09 and Andrea Arnold Eichhorn ’09 welcomed their son, William Reed Eichhorn, on April 3, 2019. They also have a daughter, Areana Grace Eichhorn. The couple reside in Marietta, where Andrea is a kindergarten teacher and Adam is a business teacher and a running backs coach for the Pioneers.

Laura Aldrich ’10 was commissioned as an officer (Ensign) in the U.S. Navy on May 15, 2019. She completed Officer Development School in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 5. In August, Aldrich began her Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at the U.S. military’s Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland. Aldrich is proud to serve her country and is looking forward to helping active duty and veterans cope with mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Laura resides in Washington, D.C.

Connor Walters ’13 was named Head Crew Coach at Saint Ignatius High School in May. He works in communications at the school and teaches a senior-level course on journalism.

Joe Mahoney ’13 shared a photo of a Marietta College reunion in Nashville, Tennessee that included 25 Pioneers. The photo was taken May 11, 2019, and the majority of the group graduated together in 2013. “We had an unofficial five-year reunion last year in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, and we had such a great time that we want to try to do it again every summer. This May, we got together for both a reunion and a combined bachelor/bachlorette party for David Hughey and Jen Braun who graduated in 2013 and were married in July,” Joe says. The photo includes Kristen Sutton Mahoney ’12; Bill Hamilton, Brenna Goethel, Sean Pottmeyer, Tyler Haskin, Andrew Brown, Jen Braun, David Hughey, Cameron Tope, Lauren Franko, Elli McSwain, Andrew Wimmer, Zack Kaegi, Kelly Sommers Robinson, Joe Mahoney, Joe Pavicic, Alex Toth, Matt Boothe and Kaitlyn Ciminillo Boothe — all Class of 2013; Mattie Stowell, Paige DeVriendt, Jon Keener and Cody Broughton — all Class of 2014; Abby Romesberg ’15; and Mary Ervin ’16.

This summer, Kylee Hamilton ’12 studied coral reef ecology and the conservation of marine systems along the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Kylee, an intervention specialist at Lancaster High School, lives in Lancaster, Ohio, and is a graduate student in Miami University’s Global Field Program.

R. Drew Schulte ’12 was promoted to Regional Manager of the Western U.S. at Athlinks Services, a company based in Louisville, Colorado, that brings race organizers, timers and athletes together to provide a better race experience.

CLASS NOTES

Kathryn Patton ’10 married David Myerson on May 17, 2019, in Houston, Texas.

Members of The Long Blue Line who are pictured at the wedding are Erin Patton Mensh ’11, Jeremy Jones ’07, Beth Bennon Jones ’07, Brittany Metcalf ’13, Frank Patton ’73, Tim Byers ’06, Dr. Valerie Tharp Byers ’04, MAP’06, Kati Roberson ’10, Kathryn Patton, Corey Jean Gartenhaus ’10, Rachel Cabin ’11, Ally Janakis Cooley ’11, Bill Patton ’66, Abbey Sullivan ’09, James Metcalf ’15, Danielle Stein ’12, Barbara Lantelme Metcalf ’79 and Jim Metcalf ’79. Kathryn is working as a Field Engineer with Chevron in Houston, Texas.

Kelsey Schenck ’16 and Benjamin Burkhart ’14 were married on June 22, 2019, surrounded by many fellow Marietta College Alumni. Pictured from left to right are Cody Reese ’15, Hayden Weihl, Westyn Bennington ’17, Julie Normand ’13, Nora Kessler Silipena ’98, Kellen Quinn ’15, Cari Koelsch Schafer ’13, Megan Wrbas ’16, Paige Meyer, Tyler Baltzel ’15, Nathan Schafer ’12, Kelsey Schenck Burkhart, Matt Bergene ’15, Benjamin Burkhart, Matthew Roberts ’15, Maddie Griffiths Roberts ’15, Briana Kelley Jenkins, Katie Transue ’16, John Hanna ’16, Karl Grant ’15, Rebecca Burkhart Reese ’16, Dane Sellers and Ryan Gontero ’13. Kelsey works as a Probation Officer with the Superior Court of New Jersey.

Hannah Tumolo ’14 is a Senior Lease Abstract Analyst at YRCI for the Department of State contract. YRCI is a professional services firm located in the greater Washington, D.C. area.

Stephanie DeAngelis ’15 was recently promoted to Suites Food and Beverage Manager at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The arena is home to the NHL’s Caroline Hurricanes and North Carolina State University’s men’s basketball.

Isiah Barbra ’18 is the Visitor Experience Program Coordinator for Destination Cleveland. He is responsible for supporting key community affairs related initiatives and helps to strengthen Cleveland as a destination city.

Derek Krieg ’19 is an Engineer I with Anadarko Petroleum Company in Denver, Colorado.

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IN MEMORIAM 1930s Harriett L. Deuel Elliott ’37 of Palmyra, Pennsylvania (1/18/2019).

1940s Fay L. Spies ’46 (Chi Omega) of Lower Salem, Ohio (2/14/2019).

1950s Elizabeth L. Yankeelov Legg ’50 (Sigma Kappa) of White Township, New Jersey (6/8/2019). Survivors include her husband, Gilbert E. Legg ’50, a daughter, Deborah Legg Chapin ’75, and a sister, Dorothy Yankeelov Gerard ’52.

Els Boekman Thayer ’50 (Phi Beta Kappa) of Grand Rapids, Michigan (7/21/2019).

Nicholas M. Cindea ’51 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Spring Lake, New Jersey (8/3/2019). Survivors include his wife, Luane Armeny Cindea ’53.

Sara K. Hendershot Holland ’51 (Chi Omega) of Monroe, Ohio (7/13/2019).

John K. Mellen ’51 (Delta Upsilon) of Davidson, North Carolina (5/6/2019).

John P. Vetrano ’51 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Franklin, Massachusetts (6/5/2019).

Sara J. Racer Dennis ’52 (Chi Omega) of Marietta, Ohio (6/23/2019).

Survivors include a son, Michael R. Dennis ’80, and a granddaughter, Shandra Dennis Porreca ’06.

William W. Bedilion Sr. ’54 of Little Hocking, Ohio (6/13/2019). Survivors include a son, William W. Bedilion ’06.

Robert F. Evans ’54 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Novi, Michigan (5/20/2019).

Jeane C. Gainer Falkenbury ’54 (Alpha Xi Delta) of Charlotte, North Carolina (6/10/2019).

Richard B. Blumencranz ’55 of Sarasota, Florida (6/1/2019).

Richard L. Jennings ’55 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Raleigh, North Carolina (7/10/2019).

John R. Henning ’56 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Charleston, West Virginia (5/4/2019). Survivors include a niece, Janet Henning Hudspeth ’71, and great nephew, Christian J. Hudspeth ’12.

Jo Gandee Smith ’56 of Parkersburg, West Virginia (8/6/2019).

James E. Nangle ’57 (Delta Upsilon) of Zanesville, Ohio (7/22/2019).

36

FA L L 2 0 1 9

Dean J. Weinstock ’58 of Uniontown, Ohio (5/15/2019).

Frank A.B. Brendel Jr. ’59 (Delta Upsilon) of Burkesville, Kentucky (3/13/2019).

James H. Cameron ’59 of Zanesville, Ohio (7/26/2019).

1960s William P. Teare Jr. ’60 of Michigan City, Indiana (6/8/2019).

David D. Boney ’61 of Nelsonville, Ohio (5/28/2019). Survivors include a granddaughter, Jessica D. Mick ’13.

Cavendish Q. McKay (February 28, 1973–June 11, 2019) The Marietta family suffered a tremendous loss in late spring when Dr. Cavendish McKay, Associate Professor of Physics, died unexpectedly on June 11, 2019.

A beloved professor and respected colleague, Dr. McKay was known by his peers as a great teacher and a brilliant physicist. He earned the College’s Innovative Teaching Award and taught a broad range of courses.

Dr. McKay is survived by his wife, Sarah, and their five children, his mother and stepfather, and his siblings.

Daniel R. Harrington ’61 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of North Olmsted, Ohio (8/4/2019).

Ramona I. Sharp Shipley ’69 of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (2/14/2019).

Donald E. Cobb ’62 of Morrison, Colorado (7/30/2019).

Barbara E. Anderson Tegeler ’69 (Sigma Sigma Sigma) of North Platte, Nebraska (1/17/2019).

Carl H. Johnson ’62 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Austin, Texas (5/29/2019).

1970s

Ralph W. Applegate ’64 of Shalimar, Florida (6/23/2019).

William J. Fritsche III ’70 of Paonia, Colorado (6/3/2019).

Robert W. Knight ’65 (Tau Kappa Epsilon) of Simsbury, Connecticut (5/4/2019). Survivors include a stepbrother, Ross W. Lenhart ’66.

John E. Selser ’70 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Wayne, New Jersey (7/18/2019).

Bruce L. Miller ’65 of Marietta, Ohio (7/9/2019).

Randle L. Bules ’66 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Roswell, Georgia (6/8/2019). Survivors include his wife, Anne Wilson Bules ’66.

Partricia L. Moore Lesh ’66 (Chi Omega) of Bay Village, Ohio (2/9/2019). Survivors include a daughter, Samantha Lesh Ogden ’95.

Richard L. Roe ’66 of Madison, Wisconsin (7/6/2019). Survivors include his wife, Barbara Kuhl Roe ’67.

Anne Eesley ’68 of Evart, Michigan (7/27/2019). Survivors include sisters Jeanne Eesley Kamiab ’65 and Margaret Eesley ’74, a nephew, Charles E. Eesley ’01, and a brother-in-law, Khosrow J. Kamiab ’65.

Carol J. Shailer Hoyt ’68 (Sigma Sigma Sigma) of Conway, South Carolina (1/6/2019). Survivors include an uncle, Kurt P. Stocker ’60.

Sally A. Fiske ’69 of Baltimore, Maryland (6/5/2019).

Millie M. Miller Huffman ’69 (Alpha Xi Delta) of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (5/30/2019). Survivors include her husband, Robert L. Huffman ’68.

Christine R. Cunningham Morrison ’71 of Marietta, Ohio (6/15/2019).

Survivors include her husband, Kirk C. Adie ’72, and a sister, Melissa Hill Grande ’89.

Nicholas B. Brown ’72 of Trenton, New Jersey (6/16/2019).

Jeffrey A. Gilar ’72 (Delta Upsilon) of Naperville, Illinois (5/15/2019).

Barbara A. Knuppel Heap ’72 (Sigma Kappa) of Kinnelon, New Jersey (8/7/2019).

Phyllis J. Carder Baker ’76 of Marietta, Ohio (7/8/2019). Survivors include a sister, Rita Carder Walters ’57, and a son-in-law, Frank J. Valenziano ’78.

Evakay F. Foulke Sweeney ’76 (Sigma Sigma Sigma) of Cape Coral, Florida (5/6/2019). Survivors include a brother, Charles W. Foulke ’78.

Mark W. Wharton ’76 of Macksburg, Ohio (5/19/2019).

Robert H. Emmons ’77 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Huntington, New York (5/7/2019).

Joseph A. Castelli ’78 of Ripley, West Virginia (5/6/2019). Survivors include his father, Joseph T. Castelli ’59.

David R. Casto ’79 (Phi Beta Kappa) of New Albany, Ohio (6/24/2019).

Survivors include his wife, Kathleen Olson Casto ’82, a son, Brian D. Casto ’09, a sister, Debra Casto Taylor ’81, and his mother, Barbara Fulmer Casto ’55.

Alan E. Amos ’73 (Phi Beta Kappa) of Westerville, Ohio (7/2/2019).

John B. Dugdale ’79 (Tau Kappa Epsilon) of Darien, Connecticut (5/6/2019).

Henry M. Litzinger ’73 of Zanesville, Ohio (6/20/2019).

Robert S. Roberts ’79 of Pikeville, Kentucky (3/27/2019).

Frederick W. Peters ’73 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Claremore, Oklahoma (11/17/2018).

Margaret S. Calkins Van Auken ’79 of Akron, Ohio (8/30/2019).

Percival S. Hill IV ’74 of Naples, Florida (2/28/2019).

Lewis K. Hanson III ’92 (Delta Upsilon) of Powell, Ohio (8/4/2019).

Jay I. Malamut ’74 of Basking Ridge, New Jersey (10/30/2018). Survivors include a sister, Sherry Malamut Kaderli ’72.

Missy K.J. Hall Garoza ’94 of Marietta, Ohio (8/15/2019). Survivors include her father, David L. Hall ’77.

Theodore J. Suczynski ’75 (Tau Kappa Epsilon) of Durham, North Carolina (5/24/2019).

1990s

2000s Sarah-Brooke P. Mankins Nutini ’06 (Sigma Kappa) of Huntington, West Virginia (7/16/2019).

MARC PITLER

ANONYMOUS GIFT HAVING AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT IN THE SCIENCES

T

hrough booms and busts and struggling for resources to rebuild and maintain a historically thriving and respected program, Dr. David Jeffery ’89 worried at times that the work that he was doing in Geology was sometimes getting overlooked.

The perseverance has paid off and is evident in the bright outlook, excitement and vision now permeating the Geology Program. The icing on the cake came as a surprise, though, when he received the Gilde-Grose Distinguished Professor of Science award during the 2019 Founders Day celebration.

“I didn’t expect it all,” says Jeffery, who returned to his alma mater in 2003. “This really does provide important support and encouragement for all of the hard work and trying to recruit students into the program as well as maintaining significant outreach within the community. This will really help out while we are trying to open up a new chapter in not just being able to provide a solid foundation in geology, but also offer opportunities to focus in exciting fields like paleontology, engineering geology and petroleum geology.

This recognition and the generosity of the donor makes me feel appreciated for the work that I’m doing at Marietta College.”

The professorship, along with a considerable amount of other funding, was made available through an anonymous donation from a Marietta College alum. While many of the large donations to the College are public, there are also a good number that are given anonymously. The award includes a two-year stipend as well as funds for enhancing department equipment and professional development.

“Anonymous gifts are those that exemplify the altruistic nature of our donors. They are given out of a desire to make a difference and perpetuate the unique and lasting experience that makes Marietta College such a special place,” said Doug Evans, interim Director of Major Gifts. “Transformative

gifts like those that established the Gilde-Grose Distinguished Professor of Science endowment are testaments not only to the impact our faculty have on the lives of our students but to the nature of that impact. Dr. Hans Gilde and Dr. Herschel Grose inspired generations of students, both majors and nonmajors, to study in the sciences and to apply the scientific method to the world around them. That’s why it was important to the donor that the endowment provide recognition and resources to the faculty member honored with the title, as well as provide funding to enrich the academic experience for students who study and conduct research within that professor’s scientific field. This has allowed for the purchase of materials, equipment and resources that might not otherwise have been able to provide without such generous support.”

Jeffery plans to use some of the existing funds to attend the American Association of Petroleum Geologists conference in Houston and, as part of his professional development, present his findings from his continued research on Silurian Reefs.

“Everyone in the department is excited about our future, and how we can utilize these funds to grow the program,” he says.

Dr. Janet Bland, Provost, is excited that donors are recognizing the great work that the current faculty are doing with today’s students.

“The selection of Dr. David Jeffery for this honor is indicative of the donor’s wishes to highlight an outstanding member of the sciences faculty who engages students in a profound way,” Bland says. “The great thing about the selection process is that the committee includes graduating students, who can certainly speak to who among the science faculty have had an impact on their education.”

TOM PERRY

OFFICE OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT 215 Fifth Street Marietta, OH 45750-4004

Return Service Requested

ANTHONY JONES/BOX RIVER STUDIOS

THE PRO GR ESSIVE PIONEER

Tara Van Ho ’00 HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT EARNED THE BEST INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH IMPACT AWARD FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX FOR HER WORK ON SYRIA

“The Principles on Reconstruction in Syria is perhaps the most important thing I’ve done so far, and may be the most important thing I ever do. We know that conflict is cyclical and that the reconstruction process in a place like Syria can either institutionalize past war crimes and create the conditions for new conflicts, or it can institutionalize respect for human rights and set conditions for long-term sustainable peace. Unfortunately, in situations like Syria, leaders tend to take the former path. It can be easier and quicker and it lets those in power move on quickly. We were able to ensure those who fund the reconstruction understand they have legal obligations that require them to take the latter path instead, and that in doing so they will help create the conditions for a more sustainable peace. It’s an important win, but I know it’s one we will have to fight for time and again.”

B I O G R A PH Y: Dr. Tara Van Ho is a lecturer at the University of Essex’s School of Law

and Human Rights Centre (UK). After graduating from Marietta, she studied law at the University of Cincinnati. She also has an LL.M. in International Human Rights Law and a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Essex. She is the co-President of the Global Business and Human Rights Journal, and one of the leaders of the Essex and Human Rights Project. Dr. Van Ho has served on several panels at the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights. This year, she was recognized by the University for her work to ensure the reconstruction efforts being made in Syria comply with human rights laws.