ALUMNI
ALUMNI
CLASS NOTES 1960s E. Lee Weir, MA ’63, Bedford, Iowa, is an independent marketing consultant. Before that, he was a graphics communications professor at Clemson University and University of Central Missouri. His accolades include the Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications’ Dr. Richard F. Hannemann Service Award in 2017 for his time, energy, and expertise to advance collegiate graphic communications education. William Moser, ’67 MA ’69, Muncie, won the Top Academic category at the 2nd Annual Awards to Honor Supply Chain Professionals in Central Indiana. Moser is an assistant professor of marketing at Ball State.
1970s John R. Hall, ’72, Indianapolis, a deputy mayor under then-Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and former director of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s Indianapolis field office, has been inducted into Shortridge High School Alumni Association’s Hall of Fame. Cathy Moss, ’72, Louisville, Kentucky, was elected second vice president of International Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. Since 1869, the Philanthropic Educational Organization has helped more than 109,000 women pursue an education by providing almost
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$345 million in awards, grants, loans, and scholarships, plus owning Cottey College. April (Thruston) Oldham, ’79, Indianapolis, and her daughter, Sarah Clayton, ’07, Indianapolis, took the field together as part of a large reunion of alumni band members, Cardettes, and color guard with the Pride of Mid-America Marching Band during Ball State’s 2019 Homecoming.
1980s Michael C. LaFerney, MA ’80, Haverhill, Massachusetts, has authored an article, “The Ecopsychological View of Seasonal Affective Disorder.” LaFerney is a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist at Arbour Senior Care. Gregory Fehribach, ’80 MA ’83, Indianapolis, began an initiative with Eskenazi Health in 2013 to match Ball State students with internships in Indianapolis’ health care system. The initiative has expanded to a program that includes other universities and mentoring. In 2019, Eskenazi renamed the program as the Gregory S. Fehribach Center at Eskenazi Health. Fehribach is a distinguished fellow in inclusive excellence at Ball State.
Ezell Marrs, AA ’81 BS ’87, Indianapolis, was appointed vice president of enrollment management at Martin University. He most recently was director of admissions. Marrs also serves as president of Diversity Roundtable of Central Indiana and is a board member of Indianapolis Uplift Foundation and A-Way-Out Ministries. Linda (Roberts) Pett, ’82, North Potomac, Maryland, reunited with other members of Delta Gamma sorority at the Indiana Motor Speedway. It’s been nearly 40 years since graduation, and Delta Gamma no longer has a chapter on campus, but more than 20 former members gathered to celebrate. Carolyn (Compton) Friend, ’86 MA ’88, Tipton, Indiana, has practiced speechlanguage pathology for more than 35 years and has been with Tipton Community School Corp. for 26 years. Erik Deckers, ’89 MA ’90, Orlando, Florida, released a humor novel, Mackinac Island Nation. He also has published several books about personal branding and social media marketing.
uring the tumultuous autumn of 1969, a small group of Ball State students marched in unison to protest the Vietnam War as part of the Vietnam Moratorium Committee (VMC). This October, members of the original group hosted a conference and reunion commemorating the 50th anniversary of that event, which was part of the largest protest demonstration in U.S. history and culminated with a march on Washington, D.C. “Antiwar activism at Ball State, though not as massive or militant as that at other universities, nonetheless attracted national press coverage,” said Mary (Munchel) Posner, ’71, who led Ball State’s VMC chapter in 1969 and 1970. Posner collaborated with Michael Doyle, associate professor of history emeritus, in organizing the 2019 event to rekindle interest among young people about the power of promoting peace and social justice, and also to honor veterans who died in the war. Panels included faculty as well as alumni who were involved in the original VMC group. David Harris, a well-known antiwar activist, gave the keynote address. Because of her work on the conference, Posner was invited to speak in November 2019 at the Vietnam Peace Commemoration Committee held in Washington, D.C. A clinical psychologist, Posner resides in Tell City, Indiana.
1990s Beth J. Brown, ’91, Plainfield, Indiana, reunited with Troy Crum, ’92, Plainfield, Indiana, at the Ball State-Indiana University football game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Brown befriended Crum when he was a freshman, and she was his “big sister.” Ryan C. Sheppard, ’96, Fairfield, Connecticut, was reappointed to serve on the Advisory Council of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants. Sheppard is a partner in Knight Rolleri Sheppard CPAs in Fairfield. David A. Northern Sr., ’97, Champaign, Illinois, is the CEO/executive director of the Housing Authority of Champaign County and was elected senior vice president of Public Housing Authorities Directors Association.
Ball State’s third Hurlbut Hall alumni reunion took place this Fall in Muncie. It offered Hurlbut residents from the 1970s and 1980s a chance to rekindle friendships and make new memories. Hurlbut is (so far) the only Ball State residence hall to hold an official reunion. Back in 1975 it
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Ball State University Alumni Magazine
became the first University residence hall to offer coed living accommodations on alternating floors. All three reunions were organized through social media, with help from the Alumni Association. Ann (Zondor) Hentschel, ’83, was the reunion’s chief organizer.
In our previous issue, we noted the passing of Edwin Dale Shipley, ’68 MA ’71, longtime leader of the Ball State University Alumni Association, who died on May 17, 2019. The article failed to mention that among his surviving children is Staci Shipley Knigga, MAE ’11. We apologize for the omission.
Peter D. Sampson, ’99, Greenwood, Indiana, is among 25 semifinalists for the 2020 Music Educator Award out of more than 3,300 nominations. He teaches at Whiteland Community High School. Ten finalists for the award, from the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum, will be announced in December 2019. The seventh annual winner will attend the 62nd Grammys in Los Angeles, plus get a $10,000 honorarium and a matching grant for the winner’s school. Alan W. Wilson, ’99 MA ’00, Evergreen, Colorado, will oversee Avant Global’s strategy, organizational development, talent and operations, plus manage its private equity fund as the company’s new president. Avant Global is a venture capital investment, business advisory, and private equity fund management firm based in Santa Barbara, California.
2000s Kareema Boykin, ’01, Indianapolis, and Claire E. Lacy recently met while volunteering at an Indy BackPack Attack event. The group
Mary Posner (above left) and Michael Doyle stand in front of some of the thousand-plus origami cranes folded by volunteers for display at the event. At left, Posner lights a memorial flame at the start of Vietnam Moratorium day on October 19, 1969.
KEEP IN TOUCH Submit Class Notes and In Memoriam entries by filling out the online form at bsu.edu/forms/alumni/ submitclassnote. Alumni, please visit bsu.edu/alumni and click “ALUMNI DIRECTORY” to update your information. All Ball State family and friends, please email bsuupdate@bsu.edu with address updates.
collects supplies to help kids succeed in school. Boykin shared her experiences at Ball State with Lacy, who is a freshman. Lacy showed Boykin the chirp sign, which is fairly new, and a Ball State app that would let her reconnect with Ball State. A wonderful example of current students and alumni working together in the spirit of giving back to others.
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