Marietta Magazine (Spring 2016)

SPRI NG 2016

GOING GREEK FRATERNITIES & SORORITIES FOSTER STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

THE MAGAZINE OF MAR IE T TA COLLE G E

ALSO: Students create internship opportunities through fictional oil & gas company Remembering the ’66 Dad Vail sweep

PHOTOS BY NATE KNOBEL

Transitions

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emember that warm spring day in the 1970s when someone thought it was a good idea to land a hot air balloon on campus and throw a huge party?

After a few years of having a Doo Dah Day-less campus, plans are in the works to bring it back. On April 15, after students wrapped up their All Scholars Day presentations, the campus was treated to a Doo Dah Day Launch Party on the Harrison Lawn and neighboring parking lot.

Though Doo Dah Day won’t officially return until April 2017, students received a taste of what’s to come next year as they enjoyed food, games, prizes, free hot air balloon rides and, of course, a commemorative T-shirt.

MARIETTA COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Me ssag e f ro m the Pres ident

D R . J O S E P H W. B R U N O

Chair George W. Fenton

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Vice Chair Patricia (Patti) Kral Zecchi ’71

eing a part of Marietta College’s

Secretary

history is an honor that Diane and I

William H. Donnelly ’70

will always cherish.

Treasurer

When campus and the extend-

Dan Bryant

ed Marietta community welcomed my family

Robert M. (Bob) Brucken ’56

in 2012, and we began to learn the workings

Joseph W. Bruno

of the College, we both agreed that it was an

T. Grant Callery ’68

exciting time to be at Marietta. As my tenure

Christopher Cortez ’71

comes to an end in just a few short weeks after

Harry H. (Hap) Esbenshade III

Patricia G. (Pat) Curtin ’69 Andrew D. Ferguson ’95

writing this, I know that great things will con-

Barbara A. Perry Fitzgerald ’73

tinue to happen for our students as they utilize

James B. Fryfogle ’73

their liberal arts education in their professional

Matthew J. Macatol ’97

and personal lives.

C. Brent McCurdy ’68 Michael Milone

It has always been the desire of this Administration, the Board of Trustees, Faculty and Staff to strive to make the College’s educational experience challenging, enriching and

Michael Moffitt ’91

On May 18, the Board of Trustees announced that Dr. William Ruud was offered and accepted the post at Marietta College’s 19th President. Additional information is posted on page 9.

enduring for our students. In order to preserve the core values, which make Marietta one of the

Kathleen Mitchell Murphy ’82 Cathy A. Percival Jason C. Rebrook ’96 Ronald E. (Ron) Rinard ’72 Toni M. Robinson-Smith Michael J. Salvino ’87 Edgar L. Smith Jr.

best liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, we can’t be afraid to take the way we’re used to doing things to

Charles (Chuck) W. Sulerzyski

task. One way we make ourselves accountable for upholding the College’s core values is to go through the

Elliott Thrasher ’62

accreditation review process.

Measures to re-affirm the College’s accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission began just as I arrived. The effort was led by Provost and Dean of the Faculty Janet Bland, who, with a team consisting of a cross-section of campus volunteers, spent countless hours collecting data, educating the campus throughout the process, and writing and submitting the report to the HLC ahead of the review team’s visit to campus.

The response we received from the HLC was positive, as you’ll read in the article featured on the inside back cover of this edition of the magazine. We learned a lot about ourselves during this process — what

Dale L. Wartluft ’63 Matthew B. Weekley ’81 Jo Ellen Diehl Yeary ’76 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Andrew D. Ferguson ’95 Vice Chair Brooke A. Exley ’11

we’re doing well and what needs to be improved.

The struggles that Marietta College has had are shared throughout higher education — in addition to rising costs, fewer students are choosing to attend small to mid size colleges and fewer are staying at the same college for all four years. Our ability to adjust how we approach the overall education of our students will allow us to rise to these challenges.

There will always be change happening in places as dynamic as Marietta College. People come and go, programs are enhanced, buildings rise and fall; but it’s the enduring spirit that inhabits a liberal arts education — and what it means to be a part of Marietta College’s history — that will never change. I am confident

Patty Bain Bachner ’77 Timothy J. Bennett ’85 Amanda Burtt ’02 Marianne Candido ’85 Keith Coleman ’77 Frank D. Fleischer ’71 S. Jason Gromelski ’98 John E. Hopkins ’65 Tia Knowlton Lane ’98 Kathy Wilcox Lentner ’97

that the entire Marietta College community — our students, staff, faculty, leadership and alumni — will unite

Dan Leonard ’85

to meet the needs of the next generation of students and will emerge from these challenges stronger than

Jennifer Roach Offenberger ’86

ever.

Jazmyn Barrow Stover ’06

Thank you for the opportunity to be your 18th president. Best wishes moving forward.

2 < SPRING 2016

Stephanie Esparza Peloquin ’06 Mark J. Vizza ’98

Contents

SP RING 2016 | I SSU E 19

20 6 11 8

12

22

14 Inside this issue

EDITORS Tom Perry and Gi Smith

This edition of Marietta, The Magazine of Marietta College explores the impact that the College’s

PHOTOGRAPHERS Robert Caplin, Carnegie Science Center, Brian Cohen, Aleah Esparza, Peter Finger, Nate Knobel, Mark Pimentel, Pirates Charities, Jeff Schaly

ART DIRECTOR Ryan Zundell

eight Greek organizations have on campus and in the community.

Marietta’s eight fraternities and sororities share their stories on how being members of these organizations has helped them become better students and better community members. Locals

CLASS NOTES Cheryl Canaday, Mandee Young PRESIDENT Dr. Joseph W. Bruno

also share their stories of how the Greek system has stepped up to help city and county residents

PROVOST Dr. Janet Bland

during their times of need through philanthropic work.

VP FOR ADVANCEMENT Angela Anderson

Bucking the stereotypes of fraternities and sororities in movies and other media, Marietta College’s

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT Brandee Norris

Greek system remains a stellar example of how these organizations connect young college students and foster them to be hardworking, productive citizens, as well as lifelong friends.

4 | M A RIE T TA S C E N E New and notable campus & alumni updates

7 | JOURNA L 10 | RE GIONA L A S S O C I AT I O N S Mid-Ohio Valley group receives charter

20 | P IONE E RS Athletic news

COVER BY MARTHA NAPIER

24 | DEVELO P MEN TS News from our Advancement Office

26 | MA RIETTA MO MEN T Alumnus describes his professional journey in the broadcast industry

28 | TH E LO N G BLU E LIN E Class notes

M A R I E T TA The Magazine of Marietta College is published twice a year by the Office of Strategic Communications & Marketing. 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 Executive Director of Strategic Communications at Marietta.

CON TA C T U S Send address changes, letters to the editor and class notes to Marietta Magazine, 215 Fifth St., Marietta, OH 45750.

Fax: 740-376-4509 Phone: 740-376-4709 | 1-800-274-4704 Email: alumni@marietta.edu

M A R I E T TA > 3

MARIETTA SCENE

NATE KNOBEL

ALEAH ESPARZA

N E W A N D N O TA B L E

> NEW VENUE Marietta College’s Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble performed its Spring Concert, John Philip Sousa: Looking Back and Planning Ahead, in the newly renovated Peoples Bank Theatre in downtown Marietta.

> RECORD SEASON

ROBERT CAPLIN

Men’s Tennis (player Chase Leisure ’16 shown) set a program record this spring with 10 wins. The seven-man roster, which includes four lettermen, is led by Head Coach Mike Carpenter and Assistant Coach Mike Miller.

> EASTERN TEXAS REGIONAL ASSOCIATION Alumni lent a hand to those in need during the Houston Community Service Day on April 16. To learn more about upcoming Regional Association events, please visit http://longblueline.marietta.edu/node/269

> BEISER FIELD STATION Benjamin Reed ’16 (left, walking with Dr. Dave McShaffrey) conducted a non-volant small mammal survey at the nature preserve and presented his findings during the 2016 All Scholars Day.

NATE KNOBEL

JEFF SCHALY

> MEET A SCIENTIST DAY

4 < SPRING 2016

Dr. Katy Lustofin and fellow science faculty spent a spring day with 189 local fifth graders as part of the MC2 Science Collaborative between the College and Marietta City Schools.

RE VIEW

COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS

DEAR EDITOR,

We have heard from many of our friends who read of the Art & Betty Buell Endowment for Communication award in the winter issue of Trailblazer. We’ve heard from my faculty colleagues sending words of congratulations and we’ve talked with former students who send kind words about their years at MC and about their close relationships with us. They’ve told us about their accomplishments and about their professional and personal growth. They’ve told us with heartfelt depth of appreciation why MC means so much to them. We marvel in their joy.

We are surprised — and genuinely pleased — with the responses prompted by the article. Betty and I have been fortunate enough to reap the benefits of this praise, but we are cognizant of the fact that many thousands over the years contributed to the Marietta College we all have come to respect and love. Students, faculty, administrators, colleagues and many others contribute immeasurably to the institution that this past year ranked seventh in the nation as one that clearly offers an abundant measure of “value added” to its degree. Marietta is a nationally ranked school that promises — and ever continues to deliver — a top-notch college degree.

Although they might shy away from such praise because of their modest natures, Jack and Andy Hopkins, the creators of this generous gift, deserve much credit for their thoughtfulness.

ART AND BETTY BUELL DEAR EDITORS AND MARIETTA COLLEGE ALUMS,

Recently, Andy and I have been pleased to hear from friends, family and former classmates about the honor bestowed on Art and Betty Buell through the Buell Endowment for Communication. It has been a joy to hear from them and to

Lo n g B lu e Lines

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recount their memories, particularly of Art Buell, and of their time at Marietta. Of course, we were pleased we had the ability to recognize Art and Betty shortly after they relocated back to Marietta and during their lifetimes.

It is our hope that other alums, as time, circumstances and resources permit, will likewise choose to recognize a member of the faculty and/or staff who had a particularly important impact on their success at Marietta and beyond. Art and Betty were two of the people who influenced my academic, personal and ultimately professional endeavors. They embody the spirit of, and all that is exceptional about, Marietta College.

Please join us, as you are able, to recognize your favorite faculty or staff member and help make the Marietta College experience available to the young men and women who now follow us as Marietta students.

JACK HOPKINS CLASS OF 1965

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: mariettamagazine@marietta.edu FAX: 740-376-4509 MAIL: Editor, Marietta Magazine, Office of Strategic Communications & Marketing, 215 Fifth Street, Marietta, Ohio 45750-4004

GI SMITH, EDITOR

his might look like a run-of-the-mill Long Blue Lines column, but it actually started out as an email. And, if you’ll notice, Ann Nicely ’04 isn’t the one writing it (see pic, right, taken way back in yonder times). Another giveaway that it’s me is that I’ve completely backed into the news I’m about to share (cue hazard lights flashing and the beeping of a reverse-driven forklift): my friend and colleague, Ann, has decided to leave her position as Director of Alumni Engagement, and Cheryl Canaday, the Office Coordinator, has retired.

GI SMITH I should have asked you to sit down before reading that last part, though, in my defense, I did back into the story, so you had plenty of time to brace yourself.

Alas, back to my story. I had my email open and began writing to Ann to ask when she planned to have her Long Blue Lines column ready. I had CC’d Cheryl as a backup. That’s when it hit me. Ann told me she was leaving her position on May 11 to pursue a new career and to spend more time with the American counterparts of the British royals Prince George and

Princess Charlotte (yes, Ann’s little ones are that cute). Cheryl, who has helped develop what is now the Office of Alumni Engagement, will successfully complete her career at Marietta College right about the time you receive this publication. Brandee Norris will continue to lead Alumni Engagement efforts and Debbie Lazorik has also stepped in to help with planning.

It pained me to have to delete the email to my respected colleagues. It pains me to have to break the news to many of you. It also pains me to be the only column to appear on pages 4 and 5, which, in the future, could lead to the same issue we had a couple editions ago when I had to fill “The hole on page 5.” As luck would have it, we received a couple of great letters to fill that space this time. I’m definitely going to lean on you to keep that space filled, as I’m afraid TP will make another push to fill it with his unpublished haiku poetry.

Nobody wants that.

Though everyone who worked with Ann and Cheryl or who enjoyed the many events they planned will miss them, what they’ve created — a wellplanned and organized Office of Alumni Engagement — remains strong and here for you.

Cheers to Ann and Cheryl!

M A R I E T TA > 5

ALUM NI & C A MP U S N EWS

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B I G I D EA S From tiny toys to intricate tools, the Physics Department’s 3-D printers provide opportunities to create just about any small object out of plastic.

> ON CAMPUS

High-tech tools PHYSICS M AJORS BE NE F I T F ROM ACCE S S TO 3 -D P R I N T ER S

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efore heading off to complete his final two years in the 3-2 Dual Engineering Degree Program, Jonathan Kadowaki was able to use one of the newest tools in the Physics Department — a three-dimensional printer — as part of a collaborative research project with Professor Dennis Kuhl.

“I am an Applied Physics major and I am also participating in the 3-2 Engineering Program,” Kadowaki says. “I will be going to Case Western Reserve University this fall to study Mechanical Engineering. I used the 3-D printer to develop a model of an effusive gas doser before we actually build it. This was part of my capstone project.”

Kuhl says the gas doser they built would be used in an ultrahigh vacuum system in the Surface Lab. Kadowaki designed the gas doser through computational modeling.

“Now that he has a doser design, I have asked him to build a 3-D model of it using the 3-D printer, so that we can make sure everything fits the way it is supposed to fit before we hire a machinist to build the actual doser,” Kuhl says. “I also believe that learning how to make a 3-D prototype will be very valuable for Jonathan as he goes on in mechanical engineering.”

Having access to the printer has added to Kadowaki’s skill set.

“Using the 3-D printers has allowed me to become familiar with CAD (Computer-Assisted Drawing) software, which is commonly used in a lot of professions,” Kadowaki says. “3-D printers are also common in industry as well, so being familiar with them is also a plus.”

The Physics Department is home to three 3-D printers. Associate Professor Craig Howald brought the first 3-D printer to the Physics

Department a few years ago. He had purchased one on his own and brought it into his lab in Rickey.

“I bought it thinking it would be of use to me personally but also that it would be useful to me as a physicist,” Howald says. “So it’s always been set up in the Scanning Probe Microscope Lab, which is where I do my research. I never thought about keeping it at home because most of the stuff I was going to use it for was going to be either directly physics or indirectly physics.”

More recently, members of the Society of Physics Students at Marietta applied for and received funding to purchase a printer through the Student Government Association. A third printer was also purchased by the SPS. Though the 3-D printer hasn’t changed what Howald teaches, it has, at times, enhanced how he teaches.

“It’s moving me away from making complicated diagrams on the board,” Howald says.

Rather than drawing diagrams, he designs them on a computer and then prints them so students have a tangible representation of the object. Howald says he hopes to incorporate using the tool more frequently.

“The driving force behind research is never the tools that you use to do research,” Howald says. “It’s the research questions you have. The real key — the important takeaway — is that having tools that allow you to do different things allows you to think differently, and so creativity is encouraged by having more tools.”

GI SMITH

6 < SPRING 2016

ROBERT CAPLIN

Journal

> ALUMNI

Bright ideas A L UMNUS HELPS DE VE LOP NE W F ORM ULAS W I T H R EC YC L ED MAT ER I A L S

PHOTOS BY NATE KNOBEL

O

ne of Seth Cressey ’10’s clients came to him with a bit of a challenge last year.

Naturally, Cressey, who is a chemist with Niche Polymer in Ravenswood, West Virginia, thought he and his development team could shed a little light — or a lot — on the answer, which is what led to Lux 101.

“The Lux-grade plastics were simply an answer to a problem,” Cressey says.

“One of our customers was interested in a UV-stable polymer compound that would have night visibility. I thought, ‘We can do that.’ The Lux-grade polymers have a wide application, from safety, marine and automotive to construction and 3-D printing. Lux polymers are superior to glow-in-the-dark paints in terms of longevity, reliability and versatility.”

Niche Polymer LLC is a customer compounder of thermoplastic engineering resins and a toll compounder, providing an array of proprietary thermoplastic compounds such as nylon, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, ABS and PCABS, Cressey says. Though he hesitates to call what his company does “inventing,” he is confident that his team’s ability to come up with and test formulas through sound principles of chemistry helps to bring reliable solutions to his customers’ needs.

“The new materials I am most passionate about are in recycling,” Cressey says.

“Niche prides itself in using as much recycled material as we can in our formulations. Using recycled material in engineering resins that need to be reliable is no easy task. I truly enjoy the challenge of using [recycled products] in new materials.

It is like a chemist’s puzzle.”

After Cressey came up with the Lux solution, he emailed his former professors in Marietta’s Chemistry Department to share the good news along with some fun photos. Dr. Jim Jeitler, Associate Professor and Chair of the Chemistry Department, had Cressey in class and worked with him on a capstone research project that studied ways to make the explosive triiodide more stable.

“He is definitely a character,” Jeitler says. “He has a touch of mad scientist in him, which can be a good thing. Seth is creative and willing to try new things, which is a huge asset when you are working to develop new formulations and processes. I always enjoy working with Seth because I never know what I will be doing.”

Jeitler tries to keep in touch with his former students, often connecting with them through his wife, Michelle, who is a math and computer science instructor at Marietta, via Facebook. It was Cressey, however, who reached out to Jeitler last year after needing help analyzing some of his samples.

“Dr. Jeitler is probably the most intriguing inorganic chemist in the ParkersburgMarietta area,” Cressey says. “When I came across a problem that I knew Dr. Jeitler could help me with, I did not hesitate to call him up. The Mid-Ohio Valley has a relatively small scientific community, so collaboration is key to getting anywhere.”

Cressey plans to keep in touch with many of his former mentors.

“My professors at Marietta were exceedingly helpful to me … wonderful people.

Knowing to call people who can help is a good skill set to learn at a young age, so I keep my professors close by,” he says. “Dr. Jeitler, Dr. (Kevin) Pate, Dr. (Suzanne) Parsons, Dr. (Steve) Spilatro are four professors I certainly plan to keep in touch with throughout my professional career.”

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C R EATI V E T H I N KI N G Seth Cressey ’10 and a small team of scientists developed a UV-stable polymer in their Ravenswood, West Virginia lab.

GI SMITH

M A R I E T TA > 7

Journal

ALUM NI & C A MP U S N EWS

> ACADEMICS

Remembering what makes Marietta special 20 02 ALUM NA RE LI S HE S DAY M E E T I NG W I T H C U R R EN T STU D EN T S

NATE KNOBEL

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HAPPY RETURNS Jerry Tardivo Alcoser ’02 was excited to be on campus for a day this spring as a Visiting Executive for the McDonough Leadership Program.

erry Tardivo Alcoser ’02 was overcome by nostalgic memories as she watched students take their seats in a small classroom in the McDonough Center.

“It is a completely different (college),” she says. “The essence is still there, but as I walk around and see all these new buildings, the feeling is just amazing. The campus is as beautiful as always and I feel like I am 20 again.”

Jerry, who is the manager of business development and planning for Chevron Deepwater Exploration and Projects Business Unit in North America, returned to Marietta in February as a Visiting Executive for the Leadership Program. She met with a variety of students throughout the day to share her views and experiences, including a Global Leadership class.

“This is something I’m very passionate about. I think it is wonderful, and I wanted to do it for quite some time. I wanted to come back here one day and share experiences and learnings,” she says. “I have worked for some great leaders, and having the opportunity to transfer those learnings to younger generations can be powerful.”

The students were also grateful for what they took away from Jerry’s visit.

“The more I listened to Jerry, the more I realized she is who I want to be when I grow up,” says Katie Plas ’17. “She seems to have everything together, her morals in check, and the ability to be a wonderful leader, mentor and role model, especially for young engineers trying to figure out where they stand.”

Katie is one of about 40 women currently majoring in Petroleum Engineering at Marietta. Jerry says she was one of three women in the entire program in 2002, and her graduating class had only 12 people in it. In recent years, the program graduates 80 or 90 students.

“We were a very small, close-knit family, so it was great being able to interact with everybody,” Jerry says. “I have always been one of the few women, if not the only woman, in the room, and usually the youngest.

When I was hired by Chevron in 2002, I was the only woman in the room and younger by about 20 or 30 years.”

Now she is seeing a change in the industry.

“There is a positive trend, and you can see more women sitting around the table in leadership roles; however, it is still challenging to find them across the energy industry, which is not as diverse as we would like to see it,” says Jerry, who during her career has worked in Kansas, Texas and Louisiana.

She also worked overseas for four years in Angola, where she met her husband, Luis. They have a 2-year-old daughter, Eva. “I was given the opportunity to work internationally with five years of experience, which I was very excited about,” Jerry says. “When I was in Africa, I was working with people from 14 different countries, and they spoke different languages. I had to lead that team, and I believe my experience at Marietta helped prepare me for this. I’m proud of the work we did as a team.”

TOM PERRY

8 < SPRING 2016

> ACADEMICS

> ON CAMPUS

Northern Iowa leader named 19 th President

Land & Energy Management program bolstered by AAPL accreditation

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D R I V I N G F O R C E Tina Thomas ’78 and Greg Delemeester were the catalysts behind earning accreditation for the Land & Energy Management program.

major’s curriculum builds on the strength of a rigorous business core, then includes disciplines such as geology, environmental science, communications and writing, and mathematics and computing to create a balanced program designed to meet the field’s diverse needs.

Ulam is spending the summer in Midland, Texas, doing an internship with Endurance Resources. He is excited about the future of the program as well as his future.

“Our program is building a foundation of knowledge in the land industry, but also in the oil and gas industry as a whole,” Ulam says. “Professor Tina Thomas’ help has been extraordinary during the process of gaining accreditation. In addition, she also provides us with great insight ranging from career advice to the ins and outs of the industry. I feel the hands-on projects and real-world scenarios will give students an edge when they enter the competitive business world.”

ROBERT CAPLIN

t’s rare that you’ll find Professor Greg Delemeester overly worked up about anything.

Maybe if he hears someone say something negative about 1980s alternative rock band Echo & the Bunnymen, but typically he’s pretty cool and collected.

However, back in March when he learned that Marietta College’s Land & Energy Management program had earned accreditation from the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL), Delemeester wanted to run around and tell everyone. He had good reason to be excited, as Marietta became one of only 12 accredited programs in North America and the only liberal arts college to hold this distinction.

“This is recognition that our students will be educated and held to high standards in the critical areas of business, law, science, communication and ethics,” says Delemeester, coordinator of the major. “AAPL accreditation enables successful graduates to earn three ‘credit years’ toward the five-year work experience necessary to sit for the Registered Professional Landman certification exam. Furthermore, AAPL accreditation allows our students to be eligible for scholarships made available to accredited programs.”

The accreditation begins this fall, the same schedule for the revised 2016-17 Land & Energy Management curriculum. The most notable change is the addition of a negotiations and ethics course that will be taught by instructor Tina Thomas ’78, who has a law degree and also more than two decades of experience in the oil and gas industry.

Students in the program shouldn’t notice any serious changes, but they do understand the importance of accreditation.

“The accreditation is one of the most important achievements for the Land program and all of the students within it,” says Ryan Ulam ’18, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. “This allows Marietta College to be recognized on a national scale, joining a handful of schools with an AAPL accredited program. Because of this, more opportunities will be available for current and future students.

Ultimately, the accreditation adds great value to our degrees.”

Created in 2014, the Land & Energy Management

ust as Marietta Magazine was headed to press, the Board of Trustees announced that Dr. William Ruud, who is finishing his three-year presidential term at the University of Northern Iowa, accepted the offer to serve as Marietta College’s President.

Dr. Ruud, his wife, Judy, and their dog, Fuzzy, officially arrive at Marietta on July 3. Tim Cooper ’73 is currently serving as Interim President.

“I think the alumni base will be reinvigorated by the energy and enthusiasm that Dr. Ruud has for higher education,” says George Fenton, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “His experience in higher education — from strengthening enrollment and fundraising to teaching and leadership skills — is impressive. I believe the Marietta College community will be pleased with the talents that Dr. Ruud and his wife Judy, who is an attorney and educator, bring to the table. I hope you join me in welcoming the Ruuds.”

TOM PERRY

M A R I E T TA > 9

ALUM NI & C A MP U S N EWS

NATE KNOBEL

Journal

MID-OHIO VALLEY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION Lead Volunteer: Chris Law ’10 Co-Lead Volunteers: Jennifer Roach Offenberger ’86 and Kevin Knab ’12 Visit longblueline.marietta.edu to learn more about upcoming events

> ALUMNI

Close to home MID- OHIO VALL E Y RE GI ONAL AS S OCI AT I ON R EC EI V ES C H A RTER

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he March 31st gathering at The Adelphia Music Hall in historic downtown Marietta was a night Gene Haynes ’53 believes was a long time in the making.

“We’ve been trying to get something like this started for quite a few years,” says Haynes, who attended the official chartering ceremony for the Mid-Ohio Regional Association with a group of alumni friends.

For more than a decade, Haynes and his friends living in the Wood County, West Virginia area have gathered informally to support the various Marietta College athletic teams, including hosting tailgate parties outside of Don Drumm Stadium during football season.

“We’ve had a lot of fun planning events over the years,” Haynes says.

“The event itself is the capstone.”

During the ceremony, President Joseph W. Bruno presented Lead Volunteer Chris Law ’10, Co-Volunteers Jennifer Roach Offenberger ’86 and Kevin Knab ’12, and Volunteer Jerry Biehl ’79 with a framed charter.

Nearly 90 alumni, faculty and staff registered to attend the event, which also welcomed plenty of walk-in guests.

“As Jerry Biehl has often said, this Regional Association has something that no other Regional Association has, and that is the College,” Law says. “This is the largest chartering event for any Regional Association so far, so I’m pretty ecstatic.”

The development of the Regional Association program was one of the

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initiatives set forth by the Marietta College Alumni Association Board of Directors several years ago, Offenberger says. “[We wanted] to connect more of the alumni with what’s going on with the College,” she says. “It made sense to have one here because we’re in the midst of the hubbub and we have a nice quantity of alums in the area.”

Though it’s taken a lot of work to get the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Association off the ground, Offenberger says the workload was manageable.

“Once we pulled together a team of volunteers and identified people who wanted to make it successful, we all took a piece of the work and made it happen,” she says. “This has been a real team effort.”

Initially, the College and MCAA Board identified 10 cities that could potentially sustain a Regional Association.

“The Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Association is the fourth to earn a charter,” says Ann Nicely ’03, ’05. “Prior to this, Washington, D.C., New England and Eastern Texas were also chartered. We’ll soon expand the program into New York City and Pennsylvania, as well as support volunteers with the development of programs in other regions. It’s a very exciting time for the Alumni Office.”

GI SMITH

> ALUMNI

Meaningful achievements

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B R I TTANY M ARTIN ’16

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PHOTOS BY NATE KNOBEL

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amily and friends gathered for a weekend of special events celebrating the achievements of 250 men and women, now officially Marietta College alumni. The 179th Commencement Ceremony highlighted Jewett Prize Orator Carlos Nucete ’16, who presented his incredibly moving speech, My Story. He describes growing up impoverished in Merida, Venezuela, and his decision to join his father in the U.S. to better his life.

“In 2009 at the age of 18 years old I set foot into U.S. soil with no notion of the English language, no family members besides my father and no friends,” Nucete says. “As I was getting out of that airplane I promised myself I would become a completely different person from the trouble-making teenager I had been; I would become a success story. Seven years later I stand here with just a little notion of the English language, but with a great family called Marietta College.”

Gene Neill ’16 earned second place honors with his speech, 10 Spaces With Just Enough Green Lights.

Elaina Eakle ’16 earned valedictorian honors, while Eric Parsons ’16 is class salutatorian. Dr. Ann Bragg, Associate Professor of Physics, won the Outstanding Faculty Award, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and award-winning author Helene Cooper delivered the keynote address.

> ACADEMICS

Organizational Social Responsibility program coming to Marietta

M

arietta College’s Dr. Ben Ebenhack is well aware that today’s employers are demanding not only that employees exhibit corporate social responsibility values, but also that they inspire colleagues with these guiding principles.

That’s why he thinks the time is perfect for Marietta to add a new minor and certificate program in Organizational Social Responsibility.

“This can add a very marketable skill to the portfolios of students from any major at Marietta,” says Ebenhack, Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering. “Marietta College has chosen to seize the opportunity to take leadership in this emerging interdisciplinary field. It is noteworthy that, even before the minor was established, Marietta had drawn attention from the corporate world and another major academic institution as a potential partner in planning and optimizing both the theory and application of Social Responsibility optimization.”

The program begins this fall.

“This is a cutting-edge program that will give students a strong foundation in this booming field,” says Dr. Gama Perruci, Dean of the McDonough Center for Leadership and Business. “Organizations are clamoring for employees who are well versed in the latest thinking in this

area. Our OSR graduates will certainly be prepared to contribute actively to organizations’ social responsibility initiatives.”

The new program, which will be housed in McDonough, is a strategic partnership across campus that includes Petroleum Engineering, Communication Studies, Leadership, Education, Biology and Environmental Science.

Ebenhack is confident that Marietta’s OSR program will prepare students from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds to take a role in optimizing Social Responsibility initiatives.

“In light of the enormity of some international project budgets, the Social Responsibility investments present an opportunity to support significant — and sustainable — development,” Ebenhack says.

The certificate requires 13 credit hours and is designed for students who have a general interest in Organizational Social Responsibility issues. The minor requires 19 credit hours and is for students from any major who are interested in developing a more thorough understanding of OSR issues and applications than what is offered through the Certificate.

TOM PERRY

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Journal

ALUM NI & C A MP U S N EWS

> ON CAMPUS

Inspiring young minds ALUM NA ORGA NI Z E S PROGRAM T HAT US E S B A SEB A L L TO P R O MO TE STEM ED U C ATI O N

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PIRATES CHARITIES

I

t was one of those Aha! moments for Lee Ann Davis Wainwright ’08 as she watched a group of youngsters listen intently to a presenter in the Carnegie Science Center.

The children were learning about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects — covering concepts such as Bernoulli’s principle — and they couldn’t get enough.

Through Grand Slam Science, which Wainwright helped to bring to the Carnegie’s “Science on the Road” program, the students were connecting the dots of how math and science apply to the game of baseball, and they were having a blast.

“What blew me away was it was both girls and boys who were climbing over each other to volunteer during the assembly — it was great to see them excited,” she says.

Wainwright knows how important it is for children to develop an early interest in STEM education. In fact, it’s one of the facets of her job as the Policy, Government & Public Affairs Representative for Chevron. So when she was invited to be a Chevron Volunteer Leader for the Volunteer Program during Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans in 2013 and observed the NFL’s Science of Football educational program, her first thought was about how she could foster a similar program back to Pittsburgh.

“When I returned from that trip I called my contacts at the Pirates and Pirates Charities organization and asked if they had ever thought about a Science of Baseball program,” Wainwright says.

Soon after, the Carnegie Science Center came on board and developed the Grand Slam Science Program, which had a similar feel to another educational program for which Wainwright had garnered support.

The first time Chevron partnered

>

COMMI T MEN T T O ED U C AT I O N Lee Ann Davis Wainwright ’08 (shown third from right) accepted an award on behalf of Chevron for the company’s support of Pirates Charities.

with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pirates Charities for an educational program was in 2013, when Wainwright — with Chevron — and Neal and Becca Huntington invested in the Fantasy Baseball Math Program. It taught math skills using baseball statistics to fourth through eighth graders. Teams of students competed during a fantasy season, which culminated in a tournament at PNC Park. The top team was invited back to throw out the first pitch during a Pirates game.

Having grown up in a small town near Marietta, Wainwright understands the challenges of having access to programs that reinforce the value of a STEM education. Programs like Grand Slam Science, which travels to schools in the Pirates Territory, can reach small, underserved schools and help inspire young people to become interested in math and science. Although her and her husband’s (Sean Wainwright ’07) children, Lydia and Finnley, are young, Wainwright says it’s nice to know that corporations are investing in ways to develop educational programs that will benefit them and other children. Since Grand Slam Science was introduced in 2015, more than 80 schools and 20,000 children have participated in the program, which is a major

point of pride for Wainwright.

In 2015, Chevron received the Corporate Donor of the Year Award from Pirates Charities. Also that year, Wainwright received one of the Women in Energy Leadership awards from the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Lori Smith, one of Wainwright’s instructors at Marietta, isn’t surprised that her former student’s work has been recognized for its impact.

“I’m so proud of Lee Ann,” Smith says. “She had the same creativity and passion as a student at Marietta College. I remember when she set up a mock disaster drill with Marietta Memorial Hospital for our Introduction to Public Relations class to participate in. As a student in that class, she went above and beyond, and provided her fellow students with a wonderful real-life learning experience.”

Though Wainwright began her Marietta career planning to go into broadcast journalism, an internship and part-time job in Marietta Memorial Hospital’s marketing department with Jennifer Roach Offenberger ’86 steered her career path elsewhere. Wainwright enjoyed being involved in the community and the educational programming involved with marketing and public relations, so she

> ACADEMICS

“She had the same creativity and passion as a student at Marietta College. I remember when she set up a mock disaster drill with Marietta Memorial Hospital for our Introduction to Public Relations class to participate in. As a student in that class, she went above and beyond, and provided her fellow students with a wonderful real-life learning experience.”

CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER

— LORI SMITH, INSTRUCTOR

switched her major to Advertising/PR. Even while working at Chevron, she continued her education at Kent State University, earning a graduate degree in public relations in 2015.

Patty Paytas, Senior Vice President for Community & Public Affairs and Executive Director at Pirates Charities, has worked closely with Wainwright over the past few years. She says Wainwright’s passion and drive for bringing educational opportunities to children make her stand out.

“That distinguishes her,” Paytas says. “Lee Ann becomes the face of Chevron for us. When Lee Ann approaches us with something, we absolutely listen.”

GI SMITH

Students develop pseudo company to enhance education opportunities

F

aced with dwindling opportunities for internships, friends Aaron Dillon ’17 and Jon Hinson ’17 started brainstorming ways they could gain experience in the oil and gas industry.

“That’s when we came up with the idea of Energy Business Alliance,” says Dillon, who is majoring in Petroleum Engineering and Energy Business Management. “We knew we weren’t alone. We knew we had classmates who wanted more industry experience.”

The interest was overwhelming. More than 60 Marietta College students — majoring in Petroleum Engineering, Geology, Land & Energy Management, Marketing, Management and Communications — met for eight weeks during the spring semester to discuss the fictional oil and gas company they named Putnam Oil & Gas. “We approached this as if we owned and operated 262 vertical wells producing out of the Clinton sands and possessed the deep mineral rights for all of that acreage,” says Hinson, also a Petroleum Engineering major. “At some level, all of this was made up, but we were dealing with real numbers and reallife scenarios. We were looking to gain some more experience and help set ourselves apart.”

No grades. No extra credit. No paycheck.

Dillon and Hinson, who won the College’s inaugural PioBiz competition with their start-up business Thunder Resources, took the lead on this project because they hoped future employers would be impressed by their initiative.

Wes Casto ’09, who owns and operates Casto Petroleum Engineering in Marietta, took notice.

“Aaron and Jon show an interest in entrepreneurship that rivals my own.

They want to know how oil companies are structured and run, not just how to

be an engineer,” Casto says. “I didn’t even ponder that concept until I was well out of school. I’m also amazed that they earn excellent grades and still find time to participate in numerous extracurricular activities like crew, student government, EBA, etc.”

Casto acted as the industry liaison for EBA, and his goal was to develop scenarios that the students were unlikely to experience in class.

“These practical lessons were meant to ground their academic coursework in the context of current industry practices,” Casto says. “I developed a fictitious story of a family-owned oil and gas company in Ohio who had to learn how to evaluate their older conventional assets and also assess the potential value of the Utica Shale under their leasehold.”

This allowed the students from all the different disciplines to learn about the data, software, technology, personnel and capital required if they were to do this on their own. At All Scholars Day in April, about 15 students involved in EBA presented their research — including a report about proved, developed, producing wells.

“I learned so much about the larger scope of the industry and the upper management,” Hinson says. “The research that goes into making an educated decision on the direction of a company is far more complex than any of us understood. We took a business management approach and we discovered that it took all of the geologists, landmen and engineers to make this decision.”

Following the All Scholars Day presentation, Dillon was confident of one thing: “It wasn’t an internship, but I can guarantee you we learned a lot.”

TOM PERRY

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> Alpha Tau Omega brothers Patrick Moran ’18 (left) and Cameron Connelly ’18 ride along the section of the Marietta Bike Path that their fraternity volunteers to maintain throughout the year. The fraternity also utilizes their cycling skills to raise money to support the national philanthropy, multiple sclerosis.

> Chi Omega is the oldest sorority on campus. Chapter President Kali Miller ’18 (left) and Amanda Barbee ’17 spend a little time chatting on the steps of the historic house on Fifth Street.

14 < S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

> Providing more than 1,200 volunteer hours to the community, being involved in multiple organizations and maintaining rigorous academic course loads, the members of Marietta College’s Greek community also find time to have fun.

GIVING, LIVING, GOING GREEK

F R AT E R N I T I E S A N D S O R O R I T I E S M A K E P O S I T I V E S T R I D E S D E S P I T E C H A L L E N G E S A N D S T E R EOT Y P E S

> Alpha Sigma Phi brothers Joshua Man ’16 (left) and Brandon Davis ’16 enjoy a friendly game of pool.

> Alpha Xi Delta sisters (from left) Sydney Gregory ’17, Kate Reid ’16, Emily Drabeck ’17 and Courtney Streeter ’18 spend time on the side porch of their Fifth Street house.

W R I T T E N B Y G I S M I T H | P H OTO S B Y R O B E R T C A P L I N , P E T E R F I N G E R A N D N AT E K N O B E L M A R I E T TA > 15

C

ody Dobbs ’18 had no intention of participating in Rush Week as a freshman.

“I was really against being in a fraternity, to be honest,” he

says.

He saw the movies, he read the news: frat boys were wild, heavydrinking social elitists who cared only about themselves.

Instead, Dobbs would navigate his freshman year on his own.

“I graduated from Warren High School and when I came here, I knew I wanted to focus on getting a good education,” he says. “I didn’t really know anybody here for a few weeks, so I got used to eating alone. The transition was stark.”

One afternoon, while Dobbs was eating alone in Izzy’s, two students — both members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity — invited him to a cookout that evening at the house.

“I told them I wasn’t interested in joining,” he says. “But they said,

of our members is struggling, we are there to help. You’re put on an Academic Game Plan to make sure you’re learning the material and you develop good study habits.”

For members who have academic success, the chapter recognizes them during a scholarship dinner.

“We are working toward True Merit, which is a big deal because it means you’re a top chapter in the country,” Dobbs says. “Our members know what’s at stake if your grades go down.”

Paige Meyer ’18, Sigma Kappa’s Vice President for New Member Education, says joining a sorority made her realize she wasn’t living up to her potential as a student. The Pittsburgh native began her Marietta College career as a petro major and soccer player, but had to retire from the field early after blowing her knee out for the second time.

“Your first year is the hardest,” she says. “But after I initiated, my

‘Just stop by, it’s free food.’ I thought they’d really try to work on getting me to join when I got there, but they didn’t. We just talked. They wanted to get to know me as a person.”

grades skyrocketed. I felt connected with people outside of my major and outside of my team. It was really nice because even though we’re all very unique — not the blonde-haired, big drinker sorority girl stereotype — we share the same values. We’re supportive of each other; we want to help each other succeed and we have expectations that we know we need to meet.”

Those expectations include taking on leadership roles, giving support to members who are struggling and participating in philanthropic work.

Sigma Kappa’s charities include the Sigma Kappa Foundation; Inherit the Earth, which focuses on the environment; gerontology issues; Maine Sea Coast — CODY DOBBS ’18 Mission, which provides resources and necessities to small islands off the coast of Maine; and the What Dobbs learned was that the ATOs had some of the highest Alzheimer’s Association.

GPAs on campus, and that more than 90 percent of them were also “We also host Caitlin’s Run and Caitlin’s Bake-Off to raise money petroleum engineering majors like Dobbs. Plus, they had a vested infor the Caitlin Yager ’16 Scholarship,” Meyer says. Yager was a Sigma terest in philanthropies, both local and national, including support for Kappa at Marietta who died in a car accident in December 2013. people with multiple sclerosis. “None of what I learned about Greeks “She was someone who embodied what Sigma Kappa is all about. at Marietta fit the stereotype of what I saw in movies,” he says.

She was a leader and she was a caring person who always looked for Approximately 20 percent of the student body at Marietta is affiliways to make someone’s day better.” ated with one of the eight Greek organizations on campus. Currently, Though Meyer didn’t know Yager, they were still connected through Marietta has four male fraternities — ATO, Alpha Sigma Phi, Meyer’s “Big Sister,” Jessica DiAngelis ’17, who was Yager’s “Little Lambda Chi Alpha and Delta Tau Delta — and four female sororiSister.” ties or fraternities — Chi Omega, Sigma Kappa, Alpha Xi Delta and “Being a member of a sorority, you get to learn about all types of Theta Phi Alpha. people and you also get to be a part of something that connects you Greek organizations at Marietta provide structure for their memfor life,” Meyer says. “A woman that I’ve worked with (in Pittsburgh) bers, as well as support. Dobbs, who is the ATO President, says acafor quite a while just recently learned that I was a Sigma Kappa. She demics are taken very seriously. said, ‘I’m a Sigma Kappa, also.’ Just like that, I knew we shared a lot “I receive grades for everyone mid-semester,” he says. “So if one of the same values. We have a connection.”

“

I receive grades for everyone mid-semester. So if one of our members is struggling, we are there to help. You’re put on an Academic Game Plan to make sure you’re learning the material and you develop good study habits.

“

16 < S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

VALUING THEIR HISTORY, TAKING PRIDE IN THEIR PHILANTHROPIES Greek Life has grown up with the College, providing a social outlet for students. Vernon McGrew’s In the Various Branches of Useful Knowledge, features some of that history.

“Nationally-affiliated Greek-letter social fraternities began at MC on a permanent basis in 1855 with the formation of a chapter of Phi Gamma Delta,” McGrew writes. “It was followed within five years

by Alpha Sigma Phi and the local Alpha Digamma, which in 1920 became a chapter of Alpha Tau Omega, reviving a chapter originally established in 1890. Delta Upsilon arrived in 1870. Sororities started in 1907 with a forerunner of Chi Omega. Marietta’s first fraternity did not thrive, however. Phi Gamma Delta died in 1859, was revived in 1878, and died again in 1897.”

McGrew says that as the College grew and evolved, so did the need for these social outlets. “The College’s isolation from larger cities with all their attractions for the young emphasized the central role the Greeks played,” McGrew writes.

Like all the fraternities and sororities on campus, Jimmy Wharton ’17, President of Delta Tau Delta, says a great deal of emphasis is placed on learning the history of their chapters. In April, members of Marietta’s Delt chapter conducted the Rite of Iris Ceremony, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the recognition of Beta Delta Epsilon — a local fraternity — being nationalized as the Epsilon Upsilon chapter of the international fraternity, Delta Tau Delta.

“Beta Delta Upsilon was originally founded because Greek life on campus was in trouble,” Wharton says. “The President and the Dean at that time wanted to change that culture, so they selected the best and the brightest male students and then began looking at national fraternities that could be brought to campus. The first three fraternities were rejected because they didn’t accept Jewish students. In 1966,

>

Delta Tau Delta brothers (including Baffour Nkrumah-Ababio ’18, pictured) commemorated the Rite of Iris ceremony, originally celebrated in 1966, on campus in April.

Delta Tau Delta had no religious restrictions.”

The Rite of Iris ceremony celebrated the 1966 establishment of Beta Delta Epsilon, which was initiated as a chapter of Delta Tau Delta in 1967. Members of that initiated class were on hand in April for the 50th anniversary celebration of Beta Delta Epsilon, which followed the original initiation ceremony. Next year, the chapter will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Delt chartering.

“The 2017 anniversary will be during Homecoming,” Wharton says. “Our alumni are taking care of the planning. With 50 years of alumni, we’ll see a lot of them coming back.”

Though Belle Huffman ’18 knew she had her choice when it came to pledging to a sorority, one house in particular held a special meaning to her growing up.

“My mom (Laurene Pottmeyer Huffman ’91) is an Alpha Xi and I grew up learning about the sorority and its values,” she says. Her father, Doug ’92, also graduated from Marietta. “My mom definitely wanted me to choose a sorority that fit me and my personality, so she didn’t put any pressure on me. But I knew the moment I walked into the [Alpha Xi Delta] house that I fit in best with that group. It felt like I was walking into my second home.”

Huffman, who is Alpha Xi’s Chapter Life Vice President, was privy to a little of the sorority’s history as a child.

“Mom told me all about George,” she says.

Apparently, the ghost of George White, the late governor of Ohio who used to live in the Alpha Xi house, still guards the home from men with bad intentions. If a young man trips as he’s walking up the front stairs, it’s George’s way of informing the sisters that the guest’s intentions don’t meet George’s standards.

M A R I E T TA > 17

sorority and fraternity members have contributed about 1,200 hours of service to the campus and the community in any given year. In addition to service, Greek Life also contributes money toward their charities.

“For example, Sigma Kappa recently hosted a Pancake Dinner and raised over $500 — more than they raised during both of their philanthropy events in the fall,” Knobel says. “Delta Tau Delta also increased their philanthropic presence this year with their annual Delta Queen event, and raised over $600 for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). As a community, we also added a philanthropic arm to the annual Greek Week competition. So in addition to spending an afternoon serving the community, Greek Life was able to donate $200 and over 400 non-perishable food items to the Gospel Mission Food Pantry.”

Nathan Smith ’17, President of Alpha Sigma Phi, says his fraternity’s philanthropies include RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), Big Brothers Big Sisters, Aware Awake Alive (alcohol poisoning prevention), Homes for our Troops and the Humane Society.

These relationships provide opportunities for members to learn about these charities, help others and develop leadership skills.

“We have so many opportunities to help our community and our national philanthropies, to help make a difference in the lives of others,” Smith says. “By supporting these philanthropies, learning about them and planning events, we become more involved in our community and we develop better leadership skills.”

>

Makenzie Wilson ’16 (left) and Hailey Bennett ’18 (right) spend a little time in the Theta Phi Alpha common room. The fraternity for women no longer has a chapter at Marietta, but its members are accepted into the national fraternity.

> Sorority and fraternity members competed in the Greek Olympics in early April. Alpha Sigma Phi earned the Overall Winner trophy. Community support for the week’s events brought in $200 and 429 non-perishable food items, which supported the Gospel Mission Food Pantry.

“George would also visit the third floor and shook my mom’s doorknob,” Huffman says. “It’s something fun for us. There’s tons of history in the house and in the sorority. It’s important for us to know our history.”

For Huffman, it’s also nice to know that the values haven’t changed over time.

“Our values are leadership, scholarship, friendship and service,” she says. “Our philanthropy is Autism Speaks, which is very close to my heart. I’m the oldest of five kids and I’ve grown up loving kids. I know an amazing kid who is affected by autism, so I want to help raise awareness.”

Laura Knobel is the Coordinator of Campus Involvement and works closely with all the Greek Life chapters on campus. She says

18 < S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

CHALLENGES AHEAD For the current members of the Alpha Sigma Phi and Theta Phi Alpha, joining these national organizations was a significantly more involved process than joining in Rush Week.

Though the Sigs were the second Greek social organization on campus, the chapter had been suspended in the mid-1990s. With help from alumni and the national organization, the fraternity was able to return to campus, receiving a new charter.

“To colonize, we had to get 17 men, complete a number of service hours, donate ‘X’ amount of money and maintain a 2.75 GPA,” Smith says. “It took us one year, when normally it takes colonies two years. On April 6, 2013, we chartered.”

Receiving the official charter was one of the most meaningful events Smith has experienced at Marietta.

“Being a founding father means a lot to me,” he says. “Knowing that I helped bring back an organization that matters to so many people and being a part of such a historic event, it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Makenzie Wilson ’16, President of Theta Phi Alpha, says her fraternity for women was started from scratch. Theta Phi didn’t exist on

“

“

Our values are leadership, scholarship, friendship and service. Our philanthropy is Autism Speaks, which is very close to my heart. I’m the oldest of five kids and I’ve grown up loving kids. I know an amazing kid who is affected by autism, so I want to help raise awareness.

— BELLE HUFFMAN ’18 campus until the local sorority, Omicron Chi Theta, began gearing up to colonize with the national fraternity in 2013.

“We colonized on Feb. 8, 2014, and, unfortunately, we were closed on April 5, 2016,” Wilson says. The current members were invited to initiate on campus prior to the end of spring semester, which formally accepted them into the national fraternity. “We are members of Theta Phi Alpha, but we just don’t have a local chapter.”

For Theta Phi Alpha, the closure came down to numbers.

“Enrollment was a big issue because there weren’t enough female students coming in,” Wilson says. “A lot of people can’t afford to do more beyond paying their tuition. Plus, it was a constant influx where there was no gain and no loss in membership. We weren’t growing our numbers. “ The College’s dip in enrollment has affected all of the fraternities and sororities at Marietta.

“Our biggest challenge is the numbers,” says Matt Unkefer, President of Lambda Chi Alpha. “Right now, we have 11 members, plus four incoming members. Low enrollment makes it hard to recruit.

Some of the younger members are stepping into leadership. A few of us hold multiple offices trying to run things.”

Rather than reduce the number of philanthropies Lambda Chi helps with, the chapter actually finds ways to do more.

“One of our big philanthropies is Feeding America. First Congregational Church — I believe we are their biggest donation,” Unkefer says. “We do Finals Breakfast, asking participants to bring in non-perishable food items. We recently started helping out with the Bauer Fund. Many of us have bought a Grant Speed T-shirt and donated to the fund. During the big snowstorm, (Dr. Bill Bauer) posted that he was snowed in and couldn’t get out of his driveway. We grabbed shovels and shoveled him out. It was bad out, but we wanted to go help Dr. Bauer; he’s been our advisor for quite some time.”

Fraternities and sororities at Marietta have found support and guidance from alumni, many of whom have faced similar problems as

have a lot of guidance from their alumnae.”

Wharton says the Delts provide a State of the Chapter update to the alumni association board to keep alumni in the loop.

“In the early 2000s, membership was low,” Wharton says. “They had only eight active members. The president at that time, Matt Dole, got in touch with alums and began planning ways to grow the fraternity. It went from eight to 45 members, so essentially Matt Dole with the help of alumni helped save the fraternity.”

Alumni provide financial support to their chapters, opportunities for skill development, encouragement and advice.

“Our chapter advisors are Bob Ferguson, Chris Law ’10 and Rick Neel ’73,” Wharton says. “Bob has been our chapter advisor for 41 years. I talk to our advisors a decent amount and they listen to what we’re doing.”

Smith says the interaction his house has with alumni is one of the best aspects of being in the fraternity.

“They’ve helped us tremendously,” Smith says. “They bought all the members fleece jackets, provided funding for conferences, including sending six guys to Virginia Beach for the national conference.

They’re also very generous with their time.”

While every organization has its struggles, there is also plenty of fun. From formal dances to Greek Week competitions, fraternity and sorority members carve out a little time to break loose.

“We have a pool table in the house,” Dobbs says. “Oh, and we had a little beach party after midterms (spring semester). Actually, it was huge. Twenty tons of sand brought in with wheelbarrows. It took us four hours to get it in, four and a half to get it all out. We timed it …

We can’t have ragers, and we don’t. It was an open party and everyone had fun.”

Somehow overshadowing the beach party talk, Dobbs says he and a few of the other members of Alpha Tau Omega have been working on a nice sunroom that has transformed an unused space into one with random, comfortable couches, a large glass coffee table and a

undergraduate students.

“The Chi Omegas have a very active alumnae base. It’s one of the largest,” Knobel says. Chi Omega is the oldest sorority on campus and supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “The national organization puts a lot of decision-making power in the local chapter, and they

fancy crystal candy dish.

“It’s a really nice sitting room now,” Dobbs says. “Every time I see that candy dish sitting there, I can’t help but smile.”

Not exactly the animal house you’ll see in movies.

M A R I E T TA > 19

Scorebook

ROBERT CAPLIN

PIONEER

AT H L E T I C N E W S

Striking the right balance

SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM

W

ith the sun beginning to set, the brilliance of the lights from inside Legacy Library is clearly greater than it was just 30 minutes earlier. Some students study alone, while others do research on one of the computers on the first floor.

One flight of stairs up, you’ll find Corey Hunsberger ’16 off in a corner by himself. The Washington, Pennsylvania native is there almost every evening. It’s part of a routine he developed soon after he arrived on campus, and the system has worked well for him.

This fall, the 6-foot-2 defensive back was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America Division III Football Team. It was the first time a Marietta football player made the first team since Matt Wurtzbacher ’84 in 1983.

“I never really thought about myself as being an All-American, so I was a little bit shocked,” says Hunsberger, who was one of only five football 20 < S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

Academic All-Americans to have perfect 4.0 grade point averages.

Hunsberger, a Petroleum Engineering major, is like many other studentathletes who attend one of the 451 Division III schools — where balancing academics and athletics becomes a top priority. Rarely, if ever, will you hear the term “one-and-done” when referring to D-III athletes. Instead, you find student-athletes who work just as hard in the competitive arena as they do in the classroom.

“I played three sports in high school and traveled throughout the summer playing,” Hunsberger says. “But none of that really prepared me for the challenge of balancing football and my academics.”

It took Hunsberger about eight weeks to finally find a rhythm that worked for him.

“The hardest part was developing a habit. High school was easy, but now I was in class during the day, then practice, and you had to run back

Haney-Cech says Marietta’s student-athletes should be commended for the dedication it takes to be an athlete and a scholar.

“While many students are using the weekend to rest and hang out on Friday night and Saturday, then spend Sunday focused on coursework, student-athletes may be on a bus for hours to hit the field/court/ water for competition before returning home exhausted,” Haney-Cech says. “They all have the same due dates and deadlines, with athletes having to sometimes turn work in or take an exam early to accommodate their game schedule.”

It’s a price that Hunsberger says was worth it so he could play football at the collegiate level.

“I don’t regret a day,” he says. “I have one more year, and we want to be part of the resurgence of Marietta football, and I’m earning a Petroleum Engineering degree from an outstanding liberal arts college.

Why would anyone complain?”

TOM PERRY

ROBERT CAPLIN

and go right to dinner before it closed,” he says. “Then I realized I still had to study and do homework. The toughest part was making myself go to the library and get it done. We may have shorter classes, but there’s a lot more work.”

Amanda Haney-Cech, Director of the Academic Resource Center, and her team help provide academic services that benefit all students — including a good number of student-athletes. Haney-Cech says she didn’t quite comprehend how busy the student-athletes are until she worked with the baseball team during her first year at Marietta.

“There would be some mornings that they would have to be up at 6:30 to take the tarp off the field, attend classes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., be at the training room by 1:30 to prepare for a 4 p.m. game,” she says.

“Then help put on the tarp after the games, leaving the field around 10:30 or 11 at night.”

Therefore, the ARC works on time-management skills with all students. “I will tell students that they have taken a full-time, 40-hoursa-week job when they become students,” says Haney-Cech. “The student-athletes on our campus have essentially taken on two full-time jobs.”

Women’s basketball player Morgan Liedtke ’16 will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education after three years.

She entered Marietta with enough credits to be considered a sophomore after taking classes at a community college during high school.

Liedtke is excited to begin her career as a teacher, but she knows she’s going to miss playing her senior season for the Pioneers.

“I have mixed emotions,” says Liedtke, who earned Academic AllOhio Athletic Conference honors this winter while carrying a 3.7 GPA. “I’m going to miss being in the college atmosphere. The faculty at Marietta have been great and I have really made connections with them. But I’m excited to get out in the real world and teach and make some money.”

Over the past 12 months, 47 Marietta College student-athletes have been named Academic All-OAC. In the fall, the men’s soccer team received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award, while forward Taylor Reasoner was the first soccer played named to the All-East Region scholar team.

Men’s soccer coach Joe Bergin ’86 is enjoying the winning attitude and commitment to success on the field, but he also embraces the importance of having a team that succeeds in the classroom as well.

“It’s part of the presentation we make to prospective student-athletes and their parents. We know academics is an important part when a family is going to make a financial commitment,” Bergin says. “This is a real point of pride for our program. We are definitely winning more and we’re going to keep getting better, but I’m also proud to say we have a lot of guys carrying high GPAs — 3.8s, 3.9s and 4.0s. We have smart student-athletes who take personal pride in their academics.”

Evan Brockmeier ’13 earned first-team Academic All-American honors in 2013 as a member of the Marietta baseball team. As a member of two national championship teams, Brockmeier says the demands of class work and workouts with the team helped prepare him for a career with Chevron in Bakersfield, California.

“What I was able to accomplish academically and athletically is a tribute to the coaches and professors at Marietta,” he says. “You had to prioritize what needed to be done and by what date. The biggest thing I learned was not to be afraid to fail. I look at it now as you are going to win or you are going to learn. If you have the right mindset, you really aren’t losing.”

ARC SERVICES • • •

•

•

Individual student meetings — one-on-one meetings with students to evaluate personal areas of need.

Small group meetings — some teams operate in small groups within the squad, or send all of the members of one class at the same time.

Workshops on predetermined topics — typically, the topics include time management, note-taking, exam preparation and test-taking, organization skills, stress management, etc.

Monitored study tables — students come in either individually during set times, or as teams on a scheduled basis to participate in study sessions monitored by a lab assistant to ensure that the time is used wisely.

Mid-semester academic status reports — individuals set meeting times with their professors to discuss current academic progress, areas of strength and areas of opportunity for improvement.

M A R I E T T A > 21

MARIETTA COLLEGE’S 1966 CREW Men’s Varsity Heavyweight 8+ Cox - Bill Hornbrook Stroke - Charles Edwards 7 - Terry Morris (deceased) 6 - Jim Byer 5 - Jack Vultee 4 - David Plumb 3 - Charles Busler 2 - Bill Burnham Bow - Dave Nystrom Men’s Junior Varsity Heavyweight 8+ Cox - Bill Barnes Stroke - Frank Wright 7 - Tim Jenkins 6 - Bruce LaLonde 5 - Gordon Hayward 4 - Peter Frankel 3 - Skip Gundlach 2 - Pete Creede Bow - Steve Littler Men’s Freshmen 8+ Cox - Jay Ray (deceased) Stroke - Jud Burke 7 - Tom Hammer 6 - Tom Feaster 5 - Charles Forrester (deceased) 4 - John Terzaken 3 - Bob Cartlidge 2 - Bob Howard Bow - David Stage

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Boys of ’66

MARIETTA’S DOMINANCE REMEMBERED 50 YEARS AFTER SWEEPING DAD VAIL

A

ssembling near the east bank of the Schuylkill River, dozens of former Marietta College rowers and family were preparing to take a group photo when one of them yelled the inevitable: “Throw the coxswains in the river.” They began to laugh, and the stories of rowing supremacy started to flow among these brothers of the boat, who gave it their all for legendary Marietta coach Ralph Lindamood.

They were back in Philadelphia to be honored at the Dad Vail Regatta on May 13 and 14 for the 50th anniversary of their dominance at the Vails, and to celebrate with College officials and friends at the Vesper Boat Club along Boathouse Row. In spring 1966, Marietta was home to the best collegiate rowers in the U.S. Lindamood’s boys dominated the 2,000-meter course and won gold in the Varsity 8+, Junior Varsity 8+ and the Freshman 8+. The Pioneers swept the Dad Vails. It is arguably the greatest assemblage of rowers in Marietta College history — six are

currently members of the Athletic Hall of Fame — and for one weekend, 23 of the 27 original members celebrated.

“That was a very special time in our lives,” says Jim Byer ’66, captain of the Varsity 8+. “I was a freshman on the 1963 Dad Vail champ, but that group had nothing on us. Marietta also won gold in 1967, but you can ask any of those guys and they’ll tell you that the 1966 boat is the best.”

Dave Nystrom ’67, who was on both championship boats, explains it this way.

“The 1966 boat felt like it had a motor,” he says.

“It just glided and all of us could feel it. When we got to the starting line, I’m not sure we were the best.

Georgetown probably had better athletes than us. But we knew no one was in better shape and we were not going to lose.”

Byer and a few other rowers wore the T-shirts they donned in 1966, while others wore the replicas that

NATE KNOBEL

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P R O U D P I O N EER S (Clockwise, starting in top left) Jim Byer ’66, captain of the Varsity 8+ shell, talks about legendary coach Ralph Lindamood and Marietta’s sweep of the 1966 Dad Vail Regatta during a special ceremony at the 2016 Dad Vail in Philadelphia on May 13; Bruce Coffin ’67 presents Dave Nystrom ’67 with a wooden slide as a thank-you for his work in organizing a successful reunion weekend; Commemorative plate presented to the members of Marietta’s three championship shells; Pete Creede ’68 speaks with Jack Vultee ’68 while watching races on Saturday; Peter Frankel ’67 is joined by Skip Gundlach ’69, Gordon Hayward ’66 and Bill Barnes ’69 at the Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia.

were handed out Friday night at Vesper. During the gathering, Bruce Coffin ’67 honored Nystrom for being the catalyst of such a successful reunion.

“Maybe now you’ll stop emailing us 10 times a day,” says Coffin, who presented Nystrom with a wooden slide (crew seat) festooned with Marietta College logos. “This started in early October when we got together in Maine, and Dave asked us, ‘What would it be like to get us all together at the Vails for the 50th anniversary?’ What I’ve learned is that after 50 years we still have the same bond that we did back then. We’re brothers.”

The bond was always present for Frank Wright ’67. For about 50 years, he has maintained a “small” piece of Marietta rowing history. When his rowing career came to an end, he purchased an oar from Lindamood. He brought it to the celebration and donated it to Marietta men’s coach Phil Schmehl.

“I think I paid $35 for it,” Wright says. “Coach Lindamood raised thrifty to an art form. If you wanted an oar, you had to buy it. My parents bought it for me as a gift.”

Vesper Boat Club member John Strobeck ’79, who wanted to provide the perfect setting for the gathering, secured the location that made the Friday night event possible. Marietta’s Advancement staff,

along with interim President Tim Cooper ’73, also welcomed many eras of alumni.

“This is the best real estate in Philadelphia,” Strotbeck says. “There is a culture of greatness at Vesper, and I’d like to see that culture of greatness return to Marietta rowing. With the commitment to a new boathouse at Marietta, I think we are starting to see the greatness return.”

For 48 hours in Philadelphia, Marietta rowing was at its best again.

On the Saturday of Dad Vail, many of the original rowers were joined by “ringers” to fill out three shells to a do a row-by of the grandstand.

They may have been rowing slower, but the thrill of victory was still on their faces as the same announcer from 1966 was on hand to make the call.

“Rowing is the most bonding experience, and we have a real dedication to Marietta College,” Byer says. “The College meant a great deal to us, and we were proud to represent it as the finest rowing team in the nation. Marietta College changed all of our lives, and for that, we are proud to be Pioneers.”

TOM PERRY

M A R I E T T A > 23

Developments

A D VA N C EMEN T N EWS

Honor thy

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etween his family, his practice, his musical interests, his alma mater and his two hometowns, Dr. Victor Ruby ’42 made time for everything that mattered to him, even if it meant turning the 12-hour drives to and from Marietta from his New Jersey home into the only vacations his family took as his six children were growing up.

“We’d leave Atlantic City on Thursday and drive through the night to Marietta,” says his son, Leon ’69.

“In the early days, it was a 12-hour drive. I remember staying in the Lafayette Hotel — that’s where you stayed back then — and running up and down the halls when I was 6 or 7 years old. We always had to be back (in Atlantic City) by 7 o’clock Sunday evening for him to do his show. He hosted a classical music program for 40 years. His on-air name was Victor Travis because, back then, it was not appropriate for a doctor to advertise.”

In addition to interviewing talented classical musicians, Victor also interviewed doctors, which reflected another passion in his life. Victor was a successful medical doctor who married a talented soprano, Sonia Binder, while he was studying medicine in Philadelphia. The couple had six children: Edward ’67, Leon, Marianne, twins Samuel ’72 and Rosalind ’72, and Richard ’74, who is deceased.

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father

RUBY CHILDREN ESTABLISH AN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP IN MEMORY OF THEIR LATE FATHER

His children recently honored the memory of their late father by establishing the Dr. Victor M. Ruby Memorial Endowed Fund to support the Dr. Victor M. Ruby Memorial Scholarship. The endowed fund will benefit a student attending Marietta College who is a graduate of Atlantic City High School, or any high school in Atlantic County, New Jersey, or Marietta High School.

“Although I chose not to go to Marietta College, it would have been impossible to grow up in our home and not understand the warmth and positive regard with which my father viewed Marietta College,” Marianne says. “I believe it would be difficult for you to find an alum who had such a strong attachment and gave so much of himself to the school. It would also have been impossible for me not to join my siblings and contribute to the scholarship in his honor.”

Victor spent most of his childhood living in Atlantic City and then moving to Marietta just as he began high school. His grandfather, the Rev. Susman Ruby, lived in Marietta, so the Pioneer City was a familiar place. After graduating from Marietta High School, he enrolled at Marietta College, majoring in Biology and developing a lasting friendship with Professor Harla Ray Eggleston. Victor played violin for the College orchestra and rowed for men’s crew. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and entered Jefferson Medical

No amount of money could ever express or represent my feelings for or my indebtedness to Marietta College. If I could live my life over, the one thing I would not change would be the four years at MC. — DR. VICTOR M. RUBY ’42 (1920-88) IN AN UNDATED, HANDWRITTEN NOTE TO MARIETTA COLLEGE College in Philadelphia. After medical school, he entered the U.S. Army Medical Corps in the Philippines. He interned for two years at Hahneman Medical College, completed his residency at the University of Pennsylvania in internal medicine and then established his medical practice in Atlantic City.

“I knew (Professor Eggleston) as well as I knew any of the teachers I had when I was going to Marietta College,” Leon says. “My father graduated magna cum laude, and he had a sister — Leila Epstein — who also attended Marietta and graduated summa cum laude … Education was very important to him.”

Leon says his father, who was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 1984, helped recruit new students from the New Jersey area for Marietta College, including his own children.

“I had great professors during my time at Marietta,” says Samuel, who also attended Jefferson Medical College like his father and his brother, Edward. “Dr. (Hans-Georg) Gilde, one of my chemistry professors, was a terrific person, as was Dr. (Les) Anderson and Dr. Jim Murtha. My father was so enamored with Marietta College and had a great relationship with his professors … Trips to Marietta meant dropping off (tobacco) pipes to Dr. Eggleston, sitting in the Gun Room at the Lafayette Hotel, sitting on the banks of the Ohio watching barges or stopping to get macaroons that you couldn’t get in Atlantic City. Marietta is full of warm memories.”

After five of their six children attended Marietta, Victor and Sonia established scholarships that benefited future students studying in the same fields as their children.

“Oh my goodness ... my father lived and breathed Marietta! He loved his life there and talked about Marietta to his children frequently,” says Rosalind. “Basically, we all knew we were going to Marietta, except my sister, Dr. Marianne Ruby, who was an educational rebel, choosing Douglas College in New Jersey. I believe he loved the fact that five of his six children attended Marietta College. When I discovered that my parents established

>

FA MI LY T I ME Dr. Victor Ruby ’42 (far right), his wife, Sonia (far left), and their children often visited Professor Harla Ray Eggleston during long weekends to Marietta.

scholarships in each of our names, I was touched and honored. It reminded me that philanthropy is central to my parents and what wonderful people they were. Always very generous setting aside money and time for others, they were terrific role models.”

The Ruby family frequently returned to Marietta to visit and participate in events, including Sonia performing as a soloist in the College’s annual Messiah performance.

Leon says that during his most recent class reunion, he read correspondence between his mother and the College regarding his parents’ financial support of Marietta and decided that establishing a scholarship honoring his father was something that would be meaningful to his father. His siblings agreed.

“Two years ago my mother died, and her estate allowed us to comfortably consider honoring our father,” Rosalind says. “Our wish was to establish a scholarship in his name, since he loved Marietta College. In addition, my dad worked hard to pay for our educations, and we felt it would be something he would respect, support and honor ... especially at Marietta. A good example of our paying it forward to honor my dad and supporting the college he adored.”

GI SMITH

M A R I E T T A > 25

DEFINING MEMORIES OF COLLEGE LIFE

MARK PIMENTEL

A M ar ie t t a Mo m ent

>

ST U D EN TS WO R KI N G AT WC MO (From left) Kevin Younes ’78, Mark Pimentel ’78, Robert Friedman ’78, Deborah Green Roberts ’78, Marysue Mosher Knowles ’78, Joe Quinn ’78, John Forcier ’78, Francis Lattanzi ’78 and Steve Ruden ’78.

Mark Pimentel ’78 BIOGRAPHY Mark is Vice President and General Manager of WGCL-TV and WPCH-TV in Atlanta. He has worked at 15 television stations, doing everything from anchoring, reporting, producing and news directing to his current role. His career has taken him to 12 cities and 15 stations — from Boston to Baltimore to Atlanta. He and his wife, Victoria, have two sons, Hutch and Donovan. Among his awards are 13 regional Emmys, two Columbia DuPont awards and one Silver Medal from the New York Film Festival.

Little did I know that spending hundreds of hours in the basement of Andrews Hall in the mid-’70s while attending Marietta would be the best investment in my broadcasting career that I could make. The equipment we had was, for the most part, hand-me-down, especially in TV where we produced news in black & white while the world had discovered color years earlier. I was a DJ, a live sports cameraman, did play-by-play on radio for baseball, I was a newscaster on radio, and then TV, and I did most of this even as a freshman. I was a student when we added WMRT-FM to existing WCMO-FM and WCMO-TV. These stations provided an invaluable training ground to those who wanted to work in broadcast because we had a wealth of practical experience when we graduated. I must admit I always wondered who watched the 6 p.m. news we produced daily on cable. It was awful; I imagined we were entertainment for Marietta residents.

But the defining moment for me was when I was named News Director of Radio as a sophomore, and then News Director of TV as a junior. I didn’t realize it at the time, but learning how to manage a staff of 30 to put on an

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

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evening newscast five days a week on cable propelled my career in broadcast management. I learned how to manage people and their egos and class schedules, and still put on a show every night.

Today, I run WGCL-TV, the CBS affiliate in Atlanta, along with WPCH, an independent TV station. I’ve been a Vice President/General Manager for the past 20 years, a job I never imagined doing. I was, after all, a newsman. As I worked in the gray battleship surroundings and already outdated equipment in Andrews, I set my eyes on being a great TV reporter. The education I received at MC is not to be overlooked; I had great classes in history, political science and journalism that helped prepare me for a life as a journalist. In retrospect, I should have had more business and econ courses, but I ended up learning that on the job. In the 1980s, MC built new broadcast facilities — McKinney Mass Media Center — that currently house WCMO-TV and the radio stations. Most importantly, the updated facility still provides the great hands-on experience we had. I started working in radio when I was 15 in my hometown of Ithaca, New York, so I thought I would become the world’s next great sportscaster. As I looked at colleges, I chose Marietta because of the hands-on opportunity that MC provided. Other journalism schools produce fine journalists, but the students often don’t touch equipment until they are upperclassmen. I wanted to work in broadcast, not just sit in a classroom. MC was perfect for me.

After working briefly as a TV reporter I held several news management jobs over my 18 years in news, ending as a News Director in Atlanta. I am one of the estimated 5 percent of TV General Managers that come from news; about 90 percent come from sales backgrounds. But for me it all goes back to the basement of Andrews Hall and what I learned there.

Send us a description of your experience.

EMAIL: mariettamagazine@marietta.edu

MAIL: Editor, Marietta Magazine, Office of Strategic Communications & Marketing, 215 Fifth Street, Marietta, OH 45750

Impacting Lives Emily Donnelly Schuck ’97 and ’07 When she sits down with prospective students and their parents, Emily Donnelly Schuck knows the information she provides to them can tip the scales on whether or not they choose Marietta College.

Schuck, who earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Marietta, had been the College’s Director of Student Financial Aid Services since 2013 and is now the Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management. With more than $18 million budgeted toward financial aid, the $2.15 million in gifts to The Marietta Fund goal helps the College meet the needs of many families. “If we didn’t have that money, we wouldn’t be able to attract the talented students who are here today,” she says.

Emily’s experience as a student and employee is why she proudly makes a donation each year. Emily is The Marietta Fund.

“In order for us to communicate how affordable Marietta College really is, we talk to families about the generous donations that people make,” Emily says. “We tell them how the donations are one of the ways we are able to make a Marietta College education more affordable. Every day I see how important scholarships and grants are filling in the gap or making the decision easier for a student to enroll at Marietta.”

To find out how You Are The Marietta Fund and make your gift today, visit www.marietta.edu/Give.

M A R I E T T A > 27

T H E L O N G BL UE L I N E > CL ASS NOTES

> O N SHELVES NOW After a technical career, including teaching math and petroleum engineering at Marietta, and serving as Academic Dean and consulting for 20 years, James A. (Jim) Murtha ’60 retired to devote his time to writing short fiction and non-fiction. Jim has had three stories published in Houston Writers Guild and Houston Writers House anthologies. He has recently published The Adventures of Kalamazoo, an adult fiction book.

“Kalamazoo behaves like an ordinary cat — some of the time. He purrs, bats tinfoil balls, chases birds and mice, is finicky about his food, twitches his tail, cleans himself, and sleeps a lot. But Mooze – as Jim calls his cat-buddy — also plays guitar, paints, rides a Harley, types on a laptop, and sails in the Gulf. Jim never knows what Mooze, as he calls his cat-buddy, will do next.”

The book is available on Amazon.com and has garnered multiple five-star reviews.

Murtha is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Marietta and currently lives in Houston, Texas.

Chuck Hoey ’66 is sorry he cannot attend his 50th anniversary reunion at Homecoming in October. He recently received an honorary doctorate degree in Education from the Shanghai University of Sport. After having worked in Switzerland for the past 12 years, he is now consulting for the university on a major museum project as honorary curator. Chuck says he never could have imagined his interest in table tennis, highlighted by battles in the “Pit” with the great Cyrus During ’65 and other classmates, would end up many years later creating an international museum, worldwide exhibitions, presentations to royalty and Olympic presidents, and Hall of Fame honors. Chuck has also continued his passion for chess. While his competitive days ended long ago, he stays current by studying all the games from important tournaments via online live coverage. His best games are included in more than 50 national and international publications.

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Elsie Dickson Barks ’45 provided an update over the winter. “I am 92 years old, went to MC only two years, transferring from pre-medicine to journalism, but I retain very happy memories of my time there, as well as at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, where I earned my degree and subsequently served as an instructor. I retired at the end of 2014 as publisher of Barks Publications, Inc., the family business founded by my late husband in the 1960s, having spent nearly 70 years as a journalist.”

Dianne Wehrs Vezza ’61 has moved from Marietta to 150 Schiller St., Apt. 702, Elmhurst, Illinois 60126. She is going to miss her friends very much but hopes they will keep in touch.

scarves and more. She is also actively involved with the New Hampshire Weavers Guild as morning workshop registrar and co-chair of membership. Regionally, she is a co-chair of Facilities Management for the biennial New England Weavers Seminar scheduled for July 2017 and 2019.

She’s hoping to connect with Bobbie Irwin ’70 at some point in her weaving career. When not weaving, she spends time with her son, Will, and her two grandchildren, Wesley, 16, and Katie, 14, who she says are growing up all too quickly. She would love to hear from fellow Marietta alumni.

David H. Harrison ’64 officially retired on March 1, 2016, after 36 years of teaching, four years as executive director for a youth soccer program and 10-plus years as administrative assistant to the founder of an HIV/ AIDS prevention program.

The Rev. David Huffman ’66 is a Catholic priest who is now the pastor of the four Catholic churches of Lawrence County, Ohio. Those churches are St. Joseph, St. Lawrence, St. Mary in Ironton and St. Ann in Chesapeake.

Anne Marshall Rehm ’70 and her husband, Bill, spent two months in the fall of 2015 in New Zealand. Highlights of the trip include tree ferns, kiwi birds, Moeraki boulders, many botanical gardens and bird sanctuaries, Auckland’s War Museum, Hot Water Beach, Maori culture, blue penguins, Ohau’s baby seals, a jet boat ride and learning to maneuver a Segway. They also biked for 12 days and hiked for 14 days.

They witnessed New Zealand’s jubilation when the All Blacks rugby team won their second world championship.

Deborah Stohn ’70 is enjoying her first two and a half years of retirement by turning her hobby of hand weaving into a part-time business. After joining an artist’s cooperative, she has been immersed in weaving to supply the store with all manner of traditionally woven house linens, baby blankets,

The latest portrait painted by Yvette La Follette Mazza ’71 is of Andy Wolf ’71, who was set to be honored on May 14, 2016, for his 40-plus years of coaching at Anderson High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school’s track is being named the Andy Wolf Track at the Charles Brown Stadium. After the official dedication and reward ceremony, Andy will lead his former and current track team members in a run around the track for old time’s sake. The painting will hang on a wall in the Anderson High School with a bio about Andy.

Joyce Mixer Caputo ’71 retired as Superintendent of Schools for the Mohawk Central School District. She continues to enjoy her retirement with her husband, Amico Caputo, by working for school districts in New York

TH E L O N G BL U E L I N E > C L ASS NOTES

Harry “Buddy” Palatiere ’75 sent in this newspaper clipping from when he was a student working in the Office of Admission with Ross Lenhart ’66 and the late Bev Ellis ’55. “I was a 1975 graduate of Marietta with a BS in Biochemistry, along with my brothers David ’75 and Sal ’75 — we are triplets and all graduates of MC. Forty-one years ago I married Sue Haynes Palatiere ’74. For the past 40 years, I have been employed by Colonial Heights Public Schools. For 29 years I taught Honors and AP Biology. I also spent five years coaching football and volleyball. For the past 11 years I have been the Systems Technology Integration Specialist, helping teachers integrate technology into their curriculums.

Sue and I live in Colonial Heights, Virginia.

We have a son, Russell, who works in the medical field. We enjoy golfing, the beach and traveling.”

State and traveling. Joyce’s new passion is piecing quilts for friends, family and her two grandchildren.

Doug Bonham ’74 checked in and said he and Lisa had a wonderful trip last October to Maine and part of New Hampshire. “We arrived in time to see the leaves in fall bloom. So pretty!”

Sheryl Vaneff Weber ’74 retired this past July from teaching 32 years in the Mansfield City School District. “I finished my career, after spending 10 years as a principal, at the high school teaching U.S. history and U.S. government. Since then I ran for and was elected to our school board and took office in January. I am volunteering at Hospice of North Central Ohio at their resale store in Mansfield. I have also trained for two of their other programs.

I continue to be active at St. Peter’s parish in Mansfield and have become more involved in my docent position at Oak Hill Cottage. I recently became an advisor for Alpha Lambda chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta at Ohio State University. I am hoping to do some traveling in the future, but for now I am very busy. I would like to let all my Alpha Gam sisters know that we are planning an Alpha Gam reunion for Homecoming 2017, so spread the word. It would be great to have a large number of our sisters return for this event. I would enjoy hearing from other

MC graduates who were at MC when I was there.”

G. Andrew Maness ’75 has just completed his 30th academic year as faculty at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. This year also represents the 50th anniversary of his first paid gig.

Deborah Glasgow Adam ’76 retired from public school teaching in 2013 after spending 37 years at New Lexington City Schools. She continues to teach two days a week as an adjunct instructor at Central Ohio Technical College in Newark, Ohio.

Deborah’s husband, Martin Adam ’75, informally retired from public accounting in November 2015 and is now the CFO/CAO of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio in Nelsonville, Ohio.

He is enjoying the change and doesn’t miss tax season at all. Deborah and Martin continue to live in New Lexington, where they are kept busy with their grandson’s activities.

Kirk Morehead ’80 (Delta Upsilon), Ph.D., MBA, was recently appointed as the System Director, Planning, Administrative Lead for Digestive Health at Summa Health in Akron, Ohio.

Joanne E. Duggan ’81 was promoted to executive vice president and residential mortgage manager earlier this year. With nearly 30 years of service

with S&T Bank, Joanne has been critical to the growth of the mortgage loan division, partnering with business and commercial customers to meet their needs. She currently volunteers with the Redevelopment Authority of Indiana County, serving as an active board member.

Chris Rust ’82 has moved back to Parkersburg, West Virginia. He retired from his previous career and has taken a position as Vice President of Advanced Analytical Solutions.

After earning degrees in Computer Science and Information Systems and working in the field for several years, Jay McDougal ’88 enrolled in medical school and obtained a degree in Internal Medicine. He now practices at a clinic in Athens, Ohio. Jay and his wife Sarah live in Stockport, Ohio.

Megan Edwards ’94 was recently promoted to Senior Vice President at the National Geographic Society. She and her husband, Rich, reside in Arlington, Virginia, and have three kids, Lauren, 10, Mia, 8, and Will, 8.

Anna Custer-Singh ’95 just moved to Farmington, Connecticut, in January from northern Virginia for her husband’s job. Anna and her husband, Abhi Singh, celebrated five years of marriage in March. Anna says some

Dr. Abdullah Alajmi ’95 recently reached out to Emeritus Professor Dr. Bob Chase with the news that Dr. Alajmi was appointed Chair of the Petroleum Engineering Department at Kuwait University.

After earning his undergraduate degree from Marietta, he worked for Kuwait Oil Co. for two years.

He continued his education at Penn State University, earning his doctorate in petroleum and natural gas engineering in 2003. He began his affiliation with Kuwait University in 1997, when he was a postgraduate student working in the Department of Petroleum Engineering.

Marietta alumni friends who were raised in New England were very helpful in giving advice about where to live, including Dave Owens ’84. Anna and Abhi are settling in and learning all of the family-friendly attributes of the area, including museums, arts centers and children’s play areas. Their son Samir turns 4 in May. Craig Sundstrom ’07 says, “My family relocated to Ohio in January as my wife Michelle began her tenure as Vice President for Enrollment Management at the University of Mount Union. In April 2016, I started at Government and Regulatory Affairs Manager at Apex Clean Energy, Inc., an independent company focused on building utility-scale renewable energy facilities.”

M A R I E T T A > 29

T H E L O N G BL UE L I N E > CL ASS NOTES

Jamie Drake Duck ’02, PA’06 is one of only 220 certified physician assistants nationally to recently earn a specialty credential called a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

Dr. Mark Lane ’01, PA’04 and Tia Knowlton Lane ’98 are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Emma Rayah, born on Dec. 15, 2015. She joins big brother Ethan, who just turned 3. Proud grandparents are Michael and Teresa Knowlton of Antioch, Ohio, and Ted and Najet Lane of Marietta, Ohio. Greatgrandparents are Allen Pryor of New Matamoras, Ohio, and Grace Rock of St. Clairsville, Ohio.

Duck, who graduated from the Marietta College PA program in 2006, is employed

by Team Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton. She was awarded a CAQ in Emergency Medicine, a distinction earned by meeting licensure, education and experience requirements and then passing a rigorous exam in the specialty.

She is one of only 27 certified PAs in Ohio, and almost 1,000 nationally, to earn a CAQ since the program’s inception in 2011.

“All certified PAs have demonstrated their knowledge across the broad base of medicine,” says Dawn Morton-Rias, Ed.D., PA-C, president and CEO of NCCPA. “Those who have taken the extra step to earn a CAQ have demonstrated additional expertise and experience in their chosen field of practice.

The rigorous education and certification processes, and commitment to certification maintenance at the highest level, contribute to the high demand for PA services in every clinical setting and specialty area.”

CAQs are offered to certify PAs in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, hospital medicine, orthopedic surgery, nephrology, pediatrics and psychiatry.

Jacquelyn Elwell Wiedemer ’04 (Alpha Xi Delta) married Eric C. Wiedemer on May 9, 2015, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. Jacke is the North American Aftermarket Sales Coordinator for Horton Inc. Eric is Vice President & General Counsel for Hinkley Lighting. The couple live in Rocky River, Ohio.

30 < S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

Diana Hackenburg ’09 has joined North Carolina Sea Grant as a science writer and editor. Hackenburg will share information developed through Sea Grant’s research projects and outreach partnerships with a variety of audiences through Coastwatch magazine, the Sea Grant website, social media, and other products and communications formats.

Claire Berlin ’09 purchased her first house with her partner Dan in June 2015 in Little Hocking, Ohio. They currently live about two blocks away from Claire’s good friend and fellow Marietta College alumna, Ashley Hill Rittenhouse ’08. Claire says it’s been fantastic to live so close to Ashley, see a lot more of each other and get to see Ashley’s son, Levi, grow up.

In May 2015, Claire became involved with the lifestyle blog and magazine for the Mid-Ohio Valley known as Clutch MOV, for which she writes and photographs a variety of topics. In July 2015, Ian Kelley, Jessy Offenberger Kelley ’08’s husband, flew Claire to New York City for the weekend to surprise Jessy for her birthday. It was the first time Jessy and Claire had seen each other since Marietta College Homecoming a few years prior. In March 2016, Claire and Dan became proud puppy parents and adopted a female Australian cattle dog named Jinx. Claire says they may be sleepdeprived but their hearts have tripled in size since Jinx wriggled into their lives.

Adam ’09 and AnaRosa Stender Hopkins ’09 announce the birth of their son Alden Fitzgerald Hopkins, who was born Oct. 18, 2015.

On April 18, 2016, Scott Burnham ’11 (Delta Tau Delta) ran his inaugural Boston Marathon.

It is the third marathon he has completed. He was cheered on by his wife, Rachel Worthington Burnham ’12, and Lauren Yanko ’11. Burnham completed the 26.2-mile race in 2:45:55, placing him 291st out of 26,639 finishers.

TH E L O N G BL U E L I N E > C L ASS NOTES > IN MEMORIA M

> A L U MNI NOTE

Wollam recognized by international fraternity In February 2016, Ashley Jennings Wollam ’08 was honored with the William Fraering Award for Alumni Service from Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity. The award is given to young alumni for serving as chapter advisors, division vice presidents or house corporation officers, or who have rendered otherwise praiseworthy service to the fraternity.

Wollam was instrumental in re-energizing Delta Tau Delta’s New England alumni chapter when he lived in Boston. He also advised a new colony at Boston University, seeing the new chapter through to installation. He is currently an advisor to the chapters at Marietta College and at the University of Cincinnati, sits on the governance committee for the fraternity and has served as parliamentarian for the past three conventions. Wollam also serves on a learning committee that has advised and shaped the direction of member development for the fraternity and is a frequent facilitator working with multiple educational programs.

“Ashley brings a mind for leadership and motivating young men that is unmatched. He thinks critically about his own experience as a member, but more importantly about where we are going as an organization, and who the men are who are taking us there,” says Fraternity volunteer Jeff Pelletier.

>

A L U MN I SERV I C E Ashley Jennings Wollam ’08 (left) accepts the William Fraering Award from Delta Tau Delta Northern Division President Mark Starr (center) and Jeff Pelletier (right), chapter advisor at The Ohio State University.

IN

MEMORIAM

> 1930s James S. Lamp ’38 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Winter Park, Florida (1/5/2016).

> 1940s Frances Weaver Fillippone ’43 of Placentia, California (7/20/2015).

Survivors include her husband, Walter R. Fillippone ’42 (Lambda Chi Alpha).

Madalynne Moore Rogers ’43 of Vero Beach, Florida (1/17/2016).

Daniel Nofsinger ’05 and Jessica Kalus Nofsinger ’05 are proud to announce the birth of their third son, Owen Charles Nofsinger. Owen was born on June 28, 2015. His older brothers Cael Daniel and Liam Michael love their new little brother. The Nofsinger family lives in Navarre, Ohio, where Daniel works as a Senior Account Manager for DXP Enterprises and Jessica is a stay-at-home mom for their three young sons.

Donald L. Ciolli ’47 (Delta Upsilon) of Avon, Indiana (9/1/2015).

Frances Moyer McGirr ’48 (Chi Omega) of Pelham, Massachusetts (11/19/2015).

Helen Matthews Cannon ’49 of Piketon, Ohio (5/24/2015).

Survivors include her husband, John L. Cannon ’49.

> 1950s Charles R. Cooke ’50 (Delta Upsilon; Phi Beta Kappa) of Lancaster, California (1/22/2016).

Don L. Curtis ’50 (Delta Upsilon) of Columbus, Ohio (3/2016).

Raymond T. Keegan ’50 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Naples, Florida (12/22/2015).

Jack L. Morse ’50 (Delta Upsilon) of Rockville, Maryland (5/2015).

Billie E. Yester ’50 (Delta Upsilon) of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas (1/27/2016).

M A R I E T TA > 31

T H E L O N G BL UE L I N E > I N MEMORIA M

IN

MEMORIAM

(CONTINUED)

John P. Christy ’51 of Marietta, Ohio (3/11/2016).

Hans Mynlieff ’56 of Tucson, Arizona (10/17/2015).

Paul R. Greten ’63 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Marietta, Ohio (3/19/2016).

John E. White ’78 of Parkersburg, West Virginia (2/20/2016).

George C. Fagert ’51 of Canal Fulton, Ohio (3/4/2016).

Algie E. “Gene” Gault ’57 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Heath, Ohio (3/6/2016).

Rona Levine Kantor ’67 of San Jose, California (8/8/2015).

> 1980s

Anne Kittredge Daugherty ’51 (Chi Omega) of Nashville, Tennessee (2/14/2016).

David L. McKenna ’57 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Marietta, Ohio (2/26/2016).

Barbara Ely Darby ’68 of Huntsville, Alabama (3/14/2016). Survivors include her husband, Franklin S. Darby ’69.

William E. Snyder ’51 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Columbus, Ohio (4/2/1016).

William R. Goff Jr. ’53 of Parkersburg, West Virginia (2/27/2016).

Harley H. Hopkins ’54 (Delta Upsilon) of Madison, Mississippi (2/18/2016).

Survivors include his wife, Barbara Smith Hopkins ’54 (Chi Omega).

Gabriel G. Jeantheau ’54 of Weston, Connecticut (4/11/2016). Survivors include his brother, Jean P. Jeantheau ’58.

Mary Jones Hugus ’55 (Chi Omega) of Lancaster, Ohio (3/25/2016).

Dr. Frederick R. Voner AUG. 13, 1952—MARCH 7, 2016 For three decades, Dr. Fred Voner was a staple in the Petroleum Engineering and Geology Department, and one of the driving forces behind the development of the first-year program.

The beloved professor was still teaching a full load of courses as his health deteriorated and maneuvering to his favorite spots — and people on campus — became increasingly difficult.

Sadly, on March 7, 2016, the College learned that Dr. Voner had died from 32 < S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

> 1960s Donald R. Piatt ’60 of Beallsville, Ohio (2/29/2016).

Robert T. Sherman Jr. ’60 (Phi Beta Kappa) of Glenview, Illinois (6/9/2015).

Gordon A. Bayne ’61 of Camden, New Jersey (3/2/2016).

Russel C. Klaus ’61 of Edgewater, Maryland (12/16/2015).

Kenneth M. Lobdell ’61 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Fort Myers, Florida (3/26/2016).

Dudley C. Brown ’62 of Cumberland, Maryland (3/26/2016).

undiagnosed liver cancer. He was 63.

“He told me in January that he hoped he could teach for at least two more years,” said Wendy Bartlett, his longtime friend and Geology instructor.

“I told him I couldn’t imagine teaching without him.”

Voner began teaching at Marietta College in 1982, after Warren Steel retired. He and Dr. Dwayne Stone collaborated on trips to Utah every summer to search for dinosaur fossils, with one trip resulting in Voner’s group discovering an Apatosaurus skull still attached to vertebrae, which is still considered a rare find.

Voner grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, one of four children of the late Frederick and Rita Flynn Voner.

His father’s family— whose name was Vona, not Voner — immigrated from Italy and his mother’s family immigrated from Ireland. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Maine-Farmington and his master’s

> 1970s

Keith M. Turner ’80 of Vienna, West Virginia (2/15/2016).

> 1990s Louise McAtee Zimmer ’91 of Marietta, Ohio (12/21/2015).

Ronald F. Carlson ’72 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Friday Harbor, Washington (2/12/2016).

John L. Givens ’94 of Cambridge, Ohio (3/14/2016).

George L. Sauer ’72 of Jackson, Ohio (3/19/2016).

Janice K. Pottmeyer ’94 of Lowell, Ohio (4/23/2016).

Virginia Lee Arkins Milefsky ’73 of Funkstown, Maryland (1/17/2016).

> 2000s

Charles L. Bigley ’76 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Yardley, Pennsylvania (2/6/2016).

Joshua R. Pearce ’05 of Mentor, Ohio (4/13/2016).

> FACULTY

John A. Weinlein ’76 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Lancaster, Pennsylvania (2/22/2016). Survivors include his wife, Margaret McKinney Weinlein ’76 (Alpha Xi Delta).

Elizabeth Matthews Gilchrist Cummings (Music) of Marietta, Ohio (2/21/2015).

and doctorate degrees from Miami University in Ohio.

His wife, Lee Voner, survives. On April 10, a special memorial was conducted on campus. Mrs. Voner requests for donations to be made in Dr. Voner’s memory to Marietta College’s Geology Department in lieu of flowers.

Dr. Amash arrived on campus in fall 1969 to serve as an Associate Professor of Modern Languages. He previously taught at Elon and Pfeiffer colleges, after earning his undergraduate degree from Juniata College, his master’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and his doctorate from the University of North Carolina. He also earned a degree from the University of Dijon, France, where he frequently took Marietta students. He taught French literature at that university during the summers for 15 years. In 1984, he was recognized with the Outstanding Teaching Award. Three years later, he was awarded a Fullbright Scholarship to the University of Aleppo. He retired from Marietta in 1990, after receiving a heart transplant.

Among his survivors are his sons Dr. Roland Amash ’87 and Edward Amash, and daughters Jeannie Amash ’82 and Caroline Amash Drobnick ’84.

Dr. Paul J. Amash AUG. 8, 1933—APRIL 20, 2016 Dr. Paul J. Amash was a man of many languages.

“He spoke eight to 10 languages,” says Dr. Lester Anderson, Emeritus Professor of Physics and longtime colleague of Dr. Amash’s. “He was very scholarly but he could also work on his own car. He’d worked in a garage in Lebanon, squeezing ultimate performance out of racing cars. He was a very practical man.”

Sadly, Dr. Amash died earlier this spring, on April 20. He was 82.

Marietta earns reaffirmation through Higher Learning Commission

A

fter undergoing an extensive review process, Marietta College was recently awarded reaffirmation of its accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission.

“They praised us for our assessment of student learning outcomes for our campus involvement and accreditation, for the measures we have put in place to work on our enrollment challenges, and they said what we hear often but we should really pay attention to: this is a very special place,” says Dr. Janet Bland, Provost and Dean of the Faculty. “They’ve reaffirmed our current open pathway. We’ll continue to provide supplemental reports, but we’re very pleased with what they’ve had to say.”

The reaffirmation will last for 10 years and is through the HLC, one of six accrediting commissions in the country. The HLC website — which can be found at: https://hlcommission.org — provides information regarding Marietta’s status.

“The College’s accreditation teams started out with 10 co-chairs for the five criteria three years ago,” says Jaclyn Schwieterman, Associate Professor of Athletic Training and co-chair for one of the criteria. “During that time, those co-chairs were working with Janet to figure out what info we needed. From there, we added people each year. I would say every department ended up being represented on each committee.”

Bland began leading the reaffirmation process in 2012 and continued throughout the fruition. The accreditation committee was charged with developing a five-section report that examined how the College operates and communicates within the campus and surrounding communities.

“It took a lot of people to collect and write the document. The campus as a whole came together to do this,” Schwieterman says. In addition, the College identified and presented a Qualitative Initiative that targeted a specific area for improvement. That focus was on the First-Year Experience program.

In October, a review team sent by the HLC visited the College to observe its operations and meet with members of the campus community. After that visit, the peer review team compiled its findings and sent a report to the College’s leadership that also included news of the 10-year accreditation extension.

“I want to thank the many people across campus for their dedication and help during this process,” Schwieterman says. “In some way, all employees/ departments were involved, whether it was sending a document, sitting on a committee, or attending an info session on the accreditation process.”

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> T H E P RO G RESSIVE PIONEER

Megs Schreck Yunn ’06 CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS HAS HELPED ALUMNA BECOME A PITTSBURGH HERO TO THOUSANDS B I OGRAPHY: Megs Schreck Yunn’s professional desire to work in high-

er education was short-lived after meeting a young girl named Beverly, who shared that she had never had a birthday party — or even a slice of her own birthday cake. That chance meeting in March 2011 inspired Yunn to start Beverly’s Birthdays, a Pittsburgh-area non-profit that provides birthday celebrations for homeless children. The organization, which began in 2012, now has four employees, with Yunn serving as Executive Director since 2015. Roughly 10,000 children’s birthdays have been celebrated through Beverly’s Birthdays since its creation in 2012. In October, Yunn was recognized by Family Circle magazine as a “Local Hero.” Yunn lives in the Pittsburgh area with her husband, Mike, and two sons Wyatt, 3, and Lincoln, 1. They are expecting a daughter in July.

> “Every party has its own unique flavor. The most personally rewarding part is getting the opportunity to interact with these families and you see their resilience is so strong. It has allowed me to not only count my blessings, but, probably going into this, I had some preconceived notions about the families. But this has opened my eyes, and every family is unique. It is really an honor that they let me come into their family and help. I have had many moms say, ‘Thanks for not letting me be a failure.’ I’m blessed to be able to help and provide for them. Our goal is to make sure every homeless child in Pittsburgh has the opportunity to receive our services.”