Menlo Advantage Magazine Winter 2018

Women’s Voices Ring Out 45 Years On

WINTER 2018

A Note on Diversity– Just as genetic diversity strengthens the gene pool, a diverse community crisscrossed with the talents of different sorts of people becomes creative and dynamic. Menlo College is just that kind of environment. Our students and faculty celebrate their mix of ethnicities, social and economic backgrounds, nationalities, sexual identities, and even those who break more toward Adele than Daft Punk.

“Different perspectives in the classroom make for exciting discussions,” says one literature professor.

“In any given debate, we may hear from a student from Pakistan, one from East L.A., and another from Silicon Valley. Anyone can find a place at Menlo—quiet students and those with lots to say; those who want to be the next Steve Jobs and those who want to work in nonprofits.” At a time when many national groups are trying to drown each other out, Menlo College continues to be an oasis of conversation that bolsters the powers of both speaker and listener.

Many warm and enlightening conversations took place between new and former students, faculty, and staff during Orientation Day, 2017.

Photos: Andrey Poliakov

ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE | WINTER 2018

Women’s Voices Ring Out

The women of Menlo College—students, faculty, and administrators—are making an impact on our campus and around the world. In the feature articles of this issue, we celebrate those who are taking part in the national conversation on women and power, and those who contribute daily by demonstrating their talents, their sense of themselves, and their leadership.

In This Issue 1 From the Acting President 3 Getting Their Stories Heard 4 Letters to the Editor Features: Women’s Voices 5 Menlo Man Meets Menlo Woman 7 Trustee’s Insights About Women 8 Women Students at Menlo 8 Women Alumni Make Their Mark 9 Women Also Know Stuff Faculty and Classroom 11 Faculty News 13 Women in the Classroom 14 Resident Assistants Teach Leadership 15 Speakers on Campus 16 Voices in the Classroom 35 The Importance of Financial Aid 42 Ethical Action Internships 17 Internship Program Expands/

Handshake Platform 18 Focus on Interns Student Life 20 Thoughts on the Handmaid’s Tale 21 A Remarkable Oak—

Zewudie Alamerewu 22 Class Presidents 23 Student Innovators 24 Design Thinking and Innovation

25 Rising Scholars 27 Clubs 28 SafeSpace 29 OAKtoberFest 31 New Spaces 34 Oak Press New Faces and Goodbyes 33 Alma Clayton-Pedersen 37 Beloved Dean of Libraries 38 Say Hello 39 Dorothy Skala 41 In Memoriam: Jan Dykstra and

Richard Stephens Art 43

Athletics 45 47 49 50

Michael Pauker Retrospective

Athletics News Featured Athletes Hall of Fame Oak Teams Soar

PUBLISHER Steven Weiner EDITOR Pamela Gullard CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Aaron Gillespie Jodie Austin Erik Bakke Brian Brownfield ’17 Rosetta Clay Terri Givens Pamela Gullard Deborah McCabe Melissa Michelson Marianne Neuwirth Zach Osborne Bruce Paton Andrea Peeters Angela Schmiede Jaagriti Sharma ’18 Steven Weiner DESIGN Marsha Gilbert PHOTOGRAPHY AND GRAPHICS Andrey Poliakov OaksSports.com Justine Fiesta ’19 Hunter Dupee ‘18 EDITORS Linda Smith Linda Teutschel ACTING COLLEGE PRESIDENT Geir Ramleth ’87 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Thomas (Tom) Byers Alma Clayton-Pedersen Andrea (Andy) Cunningham Howard (Howie) Dallmar ’74 James (Jim) A. Davlin Chris Garrett ’94 J. Michael (Mike) Gullard David C. Irmer, Sr. ’58 Micah Kane ’91 Connor Limont ’75 Jordan Long ’09 Larry Lopez ’84 Sean Mendy T. Geir Ramleth ’87 William (Bill) Redmon Laurie Shaw Tyler Edelstein Tuttle Benjamin (Ben) Wagner Emeriti Trustees John Henry Felix ’49 Julie Filizetti Charles “Chop” J. Keenan III ’66

The Menlo Advantage, published by the Menlo College Office of the President, brings news of the college and its community to alumni, parents, and friends.

1000 El Camino Real, Atherton, California 94027-4301 Tel: 800-55MENLO, editor@menlo.edu, www.menlo.edu

A Message from Menlo College Acting President Geir Ramleth I am a member of the Menlo College class of 1987. Since 2005, I have been engaged with the College, first as an advisor, then as a trustee, and for the last three years, I have chaired the Board of Trustees. In July of this year, I also agreed to serve as the acting president. I now engage with students more closely than ever before, and I will be forever grateful to Menlo students for inspiring me to help Menlo be the great college current students and alumni all deserve.

Driving many of our current initiatives is our determination to fully embrace an improved version of the “Silicon Valley concept” – one that is strongly coupled with diversity and ethics.

By doing so, our graduates will have opportunities to exercise the skills and experiences they gain from Menlo in innovative meccas around the world. And the value of our approach will continue to rise in parallel with the geographic reach of our graduates.

Our community’s response to the disasters that have taken place across the globe in recent months has underscored yet another attribute of the Menlo student. Many of the hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, landslides, and in particular, the incredibly destructive fires right in our backyard, have touched the lives of our students, alumni, and employees. Through it all, I have seen resilience, determination, and caring demonstrated by our community. I have never been more proud to be an Oak. Additional points of pride are found in the topics addressed in this issue of the Menlo Advantage Magazine. There can be no doubt that the decision made 45 years ago to admit women to Menlo has borne fruit many times over. It was also the juncture when the College began to embrace diversity in all its forms. Today, 90 years after our founding, the Menlo College community is a vibrant tapestry of people from all walks of life, from all corners of the world, and we are all the richer for it.

As descriptions of the activities as varied as orientation and OAKtoberFest attest, Menlo College today is as spirited as ever. I encourage you to visit the campus to see our newly renovated facilities and reconnect with your alma mater. More vitally, I encourage you to engage with our current students and recent alumni so you too can be inspired to help Menlo prosper. Whether you refer a prospective student, engage with current students or alumni, or donate much-needed financial support, you will be paying it forward – doing good deeds for others, to keep the cycle going.

November 2017 1 WINTER 2018

Photograph: Andrey Poliakov

Thor Geir Ramleth ‘87

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Getting Their Stories Heard

By Steven Weiner, Advantage Magazine Publisher For the first half of our 90 year existence, Menlo College was dedicated to the education of men, by men. In the early 1970s, female students and female educators became part of the fabric of Menlo College. We’ve never looked back.

Forty-five years later, leadership positions on campus are dominated by women. The provost, all six deans, the president of the Faculty Senate, and the president of the Student Government Association share a single trait: they’re all women.

Even as women are gaining a foothold at Menlo College, men are continuing to dominate the field of business. Women hold only 4.2% of CEO positions in America’s 500 biggest companies, and under 20% of board seats in Fortune 1000 companies. Close to home, of the 75 largest IPOs from 2014 to 2016, nearly half went public with no women on their boards, while another 25% had only one woman board member. At the undergraduate level, female representation in business studies nationally is declining. And we don’t need to look far to find examples of the challenges women face when they enter the business world. Whether the setting is Hollywood or Silicon Valley, from board rooms to the C-suite, women still struggle to have their voices heard.

At Menlo, where 90% of our students are business majors, we’re charting a path for others to follow. With this issue of our magazine, we show the experiences of women thriving in the Menlo environment; women everywhere can find inspiration in their success, especially since it occurs in the midst of the most vibrant area for businesses anywhere. The women who are making their mark on Menlo are ensuring there’s a path for the next generation of women in business to realize their dreams.

Is Menlo College stronger because of the roles of women on our campus today? Is the College more relevant? We are convinced that the answer to both questions is decidedly yes. The stories Menlo women share in this issue make our case.

News Flash!

Menlo College Graduates Earn Top Salaries!

A recent report from PayScale cited Menlo College as #17 on a state-wide report of “best California four-year colleges by salary potential.” There are 264 four-year colleges and universities in California.

Not surprisingly, schools that award large numbers of STEM degrees (in science, technology, engineering and mathematics) produce graduates with high earnings. Accordingly, Stanford, Harvey Mudd, and the California Institute of Technology are all in the top ranks. With that as context, we were particularly pleased to see Menlo College in the top 20 out of the 264 schools surveyed, in a tie for #17 with Pomona College, and outranking USF, USD, Scripps, and many other schools.

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Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, Congratulations to all involved with our anniversary issue of the Menlo Advantage Magazine. I was once again reminded of our institution’s greatness to so many alums.

We keep doing the good and important work of educating young minds today, and our traditions will be acknowledged in years to come. How exciting for these young people starting their advanced education with us!

This is a time they will never forget. Dorothy Skala took me around campus, introducing me to my professors and staff. Those memories are with you a lifetime. Let’s make them extraordinary.

David C. Irmer ‘58 Sausalito, California

Dear Editor: Over the weekend I read the publication of the 90th Special Anniversary issue of the Menlo Advantage Magazine. Of interest was the section on The Forties. It brought back a lot of memories.

My brother, Allan, and I were enrolled by our parents during World War II in the fall of 1942 in Menlo School as boarders from Hawaii.

There probably were 10 of us from Hawaii. The Louis Lurie family living in Atherton made their home our home away from home, which was much appreciated.

After serving 2 years in the Army Air Force I returned to Menlo JC in 1946 for 1 year, transferring to College of Pacific in 1947 and graduating in 1950 with a degree in Civil Engineering. Again there was a good group of students from Hawaii. That year I roomed with Bob Lurie and we have been close friends since then. His mother and dad invited me that Christmas to join them for the holidays on a trip to Chicago and New York by train. Quite an experience for a young man from Hawaii.

Menlo was a great education for me, with many good memories during the forties.

Bob Clarke ‘47 Honolulu, Hawaii

What do you think?

Email: editor@menlo.edu Or write to:

Tribute to a Well-Loved Tree A lovely oak tree outside the library presided over many generations of Menlo College students, shading them on their way to study, sheltering them as they sat on benches under soaring limbs, and providing beauty to everyone hurrying to class. In October 2017, a giant branch fell, and we subsequently learned the tree had to come down. We all miss its magnificent presence. And we are reminded to look up into the forest of other stately trees on campus and give them thanks.

Photograph: Judy Wasmann

Editor, Advantage Magazine Menlo College, 1000 El Camino Real, Atherton, CA 94027 MENLO COLLEGE

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Menlo Man Meets Menlo Woman Soon after the founding of Menlo College in 1927, president Lowry Howard introduced the concept of the “Menlo Man.” In this all-male institution he wanted students to exhibit “constructive ideals and habits that will mark the ‘Menlo Man’ when he goes elsewhere.”

The ideal of the “Menlo Man” prevailed for four decades. As late as the 1960s, a student editorialist wrote to his peers, “Let’s be prepared to face [that big ugly thing called life] with confidence and with the state of mind that whatever happens, we as men will be able to accept, combat, and conquer.” A macho code, indeed.

By the 1960s, the all-male student body was mostly white and wealthy. The large campus parking lot was crowded with Impalas and Corvettes as “Menlo Men” debated which car makes attracts the most “girls.”

Then came the revolution. Calls for civil rights and women’s rights swept the nation. Betty Friedan’s seminal book The Feminine Mystique woke men and women to the destructive impact of confining women to mother/housewife roles. Women wanted education. And some of the men at Menlo began to demand their presence.

The administration listened, forming a commission to study the prospect of coeducation in the summer of 1969. After much serious debate, the all-male commission concluded that “education for life and leadership in the 1970s can best be realized in a learning situation that includes both sexes on a normal, equal, and wholesome basis.”

However, the committee agreed that admitting women would necessitate some additions to the curriculum, namely ballet, bowling, tennis, and “more curricular offerings in the Fine Arts.”

The first class of women arrived at Menlo College in 1971. Howard Hall was transformed into a women’s residence, and “Miss Rita M. Grammann” was hired as the first Dean of Women. The women excelled in their classes, and some may have even enjoyed bowling.

The men greeted the new arrivals with enthusiasm and some trepidation. As one student editorialist pondered, “ . . . won’t it seem awkward, calling them women instead of girls.” They quickly learned, however, to admire the intellectual gifts, the athletic abilities, and the sense of humor of their new classmates.

As Frances Mann-Craik (SBA ’76) explained: “Menlo College had opened its doors to women . . . just one year before I arrived. While many professors thought we’d be a distraction, what they found were studious women who did their homework, participated in class and generally put academics first (well, most of that was true).”

Today, women make up 44% of the student body; they participate in eight varsity sports, and have helped create a vibrant campus for exactly half—45 years—of Menlo’s 90-year existence.

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School of Business Administration Women’s Collective 1979.

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Ways for Women to Step Up When Needed

By Dr. Terri Givens, Provost

Photograph: Andrey Poliakov

So you made it through graduation and have been offered the job of your dreams, but you don’t have all the qualifications for the job—what do you do? You may face many instances when you are trying to do something you have never done before (parenthood comes to mind). This is not the time to step away; rather, it’s your chance to step up.

Here’s my advice, taken from my own career and from mentoring successful women and men: 1. Speak to trusted advisors who know you well to help you decide if you are capable of doing the job despite your inexperience.

2. Once you take the position, find peers to learn from. For example, when I took the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Curriculum position

at the University of Texas, I sought out other vice provosts who had experience.

Often a job isn’t just about the tasks you have to do; it is also about learning the culture of the office, learning to work with the boss (the provost, in my case), and understanding the many layers of working in a large organization.

3. Find examples of women in business. As I grew into the vice provost position, I read books by women like Carly Fiorina, who had her flaws, but was a pioneer as a woman leading a large corporation in Silicon Valley. I joined networking groups for women in business, so I could learn more about the community and gain strength from other women executives.

4. Draw lessons from friends and family. Perhaps one of my most important heroes in this regard was my older sister Rhonda Brown. She was a manager for many years at IBM, and I learned a great deal from her, from the way she handled being a working mom, to dealing with difficult bosses and employees. She has always been a leading light in my life.

Despite all the challenges I faced as a Vice Provost at UT Austin, it was one of the most fulfilling times of my life. I had a steep learning curve, but it has led me to other successes, a wide circle of colleagues I admire, and a position at Menlo College where I enjoy passing on the lessons I have learned.

Menlo College Trustee Shares Insights about Women in Silicon Valley

By Dr. Deborah McCabe

On August 25, 2017 Deborah McCabe, Professor of Marketing, spoke to marketing strategist Andy Cunningham about being a professional in Silicon Valley and about Cunningham’s new book.

Menlo College trustee Andy Cunningham graduated from Northwestern University in 1979. Five years later, she came to Silicon Valley to work for Regis McKenna, Inc., a marketing and public relations firm, where within a year she led the launch of the Apple Macintosh. Over the years, Andy has successfully founded and led a number of companies with a client list that includes not only Pixar and NeXT, but also IBM, Motorola, and HewlettPackard. She has been a leader among men.

When asked about gender issues she might have experienced upon entering the male-dominant technology industry, she shared, “The 80’s in Silicon Valley had none of the stuff we think of now regarding gender issues. There was no bro culture or bullying. Anyone could be in business in Silicon Valley. Age didn’t matter, gender didn’t matter, whether you were gay or straight didn’t matter. What people cared about was your expertise.”

Looking at the current role of women in tech, Andy said, “Things have taken a step backwards from those early days. The industry and country have changed. We need to return to celebrating different points of view” and remember that “diversity of all kinds is the magic for getting great results.”

Andy’s advice is for women to synchronize their image and their substance. “Behave like you belong. Take gender out of the issue and remember who you are is value-added.”

Andy’s long-held belief in the importance of synchronizing a person’s image and substance works for companies as well as individuals. Her new book, Get to Aha!: Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition, just published by McGraw-Hill (2017), helps firms act in accordance with their DNA. The road to great marketing is through great positioning, which, in turn, comes from understanding your company’s DNA. Only then will a company create an authentic way to position itself in the market, one that resonates loudly with its target audience.

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Women at Menlo College

By Jaagriti Sharma ’18, Student Body President I am 5’5,” on a good day, and around one hundred and fifteen pounds.

By societal standards, I am a small woman, but this is something that I rarely feel, except when I am surrounded by predominately male crowds. For a long time, I didn’t understand this or discuss it Photograph: Hunter Dupee comfortably—it didn’t seem right to feel like less because I am a smaller woman. However, in interviewing women for this article, I came to find that this feeling of being smaller, both in stature and in mind, is very common amongst women.

Consciously and unconsciously, we compensate for it. We straighten our postures, we speak louder, we smile less or more and we are aware that it is an inevitable feeling, anthropologically engrained into our species.

But this awareness is a feeling that empowers, especially at Menlo College, because here at Menlo, being a woman means something large. Women on campus are aware of each other and proud to belong in our community of women. Our community of Menlo College women is a community that every woman contributes to and can be proud of belonging in. We are a community with strong, successful women and together our women have voices that empower.

“My name is Kaylin Swart and I am an Olympic athlete from South Africa. I work three jobs, am on the Women’s Soccer team, the Menlo leadership council, the board of the American Red Cross Club, and Menlo College Futsal Club. I will never stop advocating for my peers and I am proud to be a woman.”

“My name is Sophie Harriman. I am the resident assistant of Kratt 3rd floor and have previously served as Sophomore Class President. I work an average of sixty-five hours a week, strive to be a role model for others and I am proud to be a woman.”

“My name is Brianna Pasoquen-Rabago and I am a Junior Accounting major. I am the Junior Class President, a Student Ambassador, an Officer for DECA and the Gay Straight Alliance Club. As a colored lesbian woman, I strive to be an advocate and I am proud to be a woman.”

“My name is Amelia Hartley. I have served on the board of the Student Government Association, Black Student Union and work two jobs. As a member of the Menlo community, I advocate for survivors of sexual assault. I am a woman in business, an unequivocal feminist and I am proud to be a woman.”

My name is Jaagriti Sharma and I am the Student Body President. I have been on Student Government for the past three years and am the president of the Women’s Business Society. I have managed the marketing strategies of eight different organizations, work four jobs and travel to developing countries to advance their business economies. I will never stop advocating for the good in people and I am proud to be a woman.

Menlo Women Making Their Mark Divya Nag ‘14 Divya Nag ‘14 was chosen as one of Forbes’ 30 under 30, people under age 30 who are not only smart entrepreneurs, but also make the world a better place. “I signed up to do stem cell research at the Stanford School of Medicine. I had no research experience prior to applying for this position, but I convinced the lead scientist to take a chance on me. Before long, I was doing research on taking skin cells and turning them into beating heart cells in a dish,” said Nag. “Within 2 years I had 17 publications on the research. I had found what I was truly passionate about: building technologies that impact people. I co-founded Stem Cell Theranostics in 2011 with 3 other co-founders.”

“Menlo College completely changed my life,” said Nag. At Menlo, she learned about organizational behavior and management 101. She said that Menlo gave her more than just the ability to understand how to make financial statements, how to incorporate a company, and what laws startups need to follow. “Menlo College gave me confidence, something that is truly invaluable,” said Nag. “That’s amazingly powerful.”

Carla Esparza ‘09 No. 1 in her weight class in the world, Carla Esparza ’09 was the first Invicta Fighting Championships Straw-weight Champion in Women’s Mixed Martial Arts. “There’s a goal you aim toward, and the accumulation of training and hard work all come together when you have your hand raised!” said Esparza.

“From day one it was clear that Carla had a special drive and determination about her,” said Director of Athletics Keith Spataro. “She was clearly destined to make her mark.”

Esparza has fought stereotypes about female fighters throughout her life.

While enrolled at Menlo College, Esparza studied jiujitsu at world-renowned Gracie Academy. By junior year she was training at Team Oyama, a fitness and Mixed Martial Arts fighting studio in Irvine, where she started cardio kickboxing. She said that “day after day, we are changing people’s minds” about women. Even better, she says, “I feel grateful to be doing what I love.”

Ali Tyson Taufoou ‘07 The LEMO Foundation is a nonprofit organization that educates and inspires at-risk youth to unleash their potential in academics, athletics, and life skills. Shortly after she graduated from Menlo, Toufoou founded the foundation with her husband, David Taufoou. She leads LEMO’s academic activities as the Director of Education. Speaking about her guiding principles, she said that “with the right structure, support and resources, all kids can thrive academically.” She is single-focused on creating an equal opportunity for kids to be successful, and to close the academic gap in under-resourced communities.

A Missouri native, Taufoou was a four-sport athlete in high school, competing in volleyball, basketball, soccer and swimming. In 2007, she graduated magna cum laude from Menlo College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration as well as all-league honors in volleyball. She still keeps a foot on the court, currently as the Assistant Volleyball Coach here in Atherton, at Sacred Heart Preparatory.

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Women Also Know..

By Dr. Melissa Michelson, Professor of Political Science

Much like Menlo College, the field of political science—and academia in general—used to be a boys-only club. Over time, however, women started earning advanced degrees, becoming professors, and writing books and journal articles. The stereotypical college professor, however, remains that of a white, middle-aged man with a tweed jacket and elbow patches.

Men certainly outnumber women in faculty positions, notably so in political science, where women hold only 29% of full-time faculty positions. Yet, even taking into account the imbalance in the number of men and women political scientists, men have disproportionately outpaced women in reaching prominence in the field, and are more likely to be contacted by the media when journalists need an expert to reflect on political news.

In February 2016, frustrated by the lack of inclusion of women experts, a group of female political science professors, including me, launched the Women Also Know Stuff project. Our aim was to help overcome the implicit bias that leads to this disproportional prominence of men in the field and bring increased visibility to the expertise and contributions of female political scientists.

“Nobody wants to be told that they’re not treating men and women equally. To be told that you have implicit biases, that women might be unfairly discriminated against and that you have to do something about it, is telling somebody that they’re part of the problem, that they’re sexist, that they are not treating people fairly.

And I think that makes people defensive.”

Professor Melissa Michelson, quoted in the October 4, 2017 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education in an article on whether universities should ban single-gender discussion panels.

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.. “Stuff” Women’s underrepresentation is not a “men-versus-women” problem.

Rather, men and women alike hold implicit biases about gender that shape their attitudes and behavior, including the tendency to think of— and reference—men rather than women as experts. Implicit bias is an established phenomenon whereby subconscious attitudes and stereotypes influence a person’s perceptions of others and can manifest in non-deliberate discriminatory behavior.

We want to help folks overcome this implicit bias. Over the past 18 months, we’ve generated an active Twitter feed (you can follow us at @ womenalsoknow) and a crowd-sourced website (WomenAlsoKnowStuff. com), where women can list their publications and areas of expertise. This makes it easier for journalists and scholars to find experts when they need them.

Most importantly, it’s working. After only a few weeks, nearly 1,000 women political scientists with expertise in more than 80 topical areas added their names and profiles to our website, which now has been viewed more than 80,000 times by more than 15,000 unique visitors. Our Twitter account has 12,600 followers, and has made over 50 million impressions. Every week, we hear from women experts and journalists that they are using our site to make connections.

We’re also getting noticed by the profession. Our work has been funded by grants from a variety of professional organizations, and last year we were awarded the Jane Mansbridge prize by the Women’s Caucus of the American Political Science Association.

Working on this project is a lot of work, but I don’t regret a minute of it. The work helps me feel more connected to women in my discipline. It is helping me build a scholarly community that makes me personally happier and more fulfilled.

Prime Example Number One: Melissa contributions - B Professor Michelson’s Melissa Michelson A former student’s perspective

Brownfield

Brian Brownfield ‘17 I’ll be honest. I waited as long as I could before taking Melissa Michelson’s Campaigns and Elections class. Social science had never set my heart ticking. In the fall of 2016, my senior year at Menlo College, I finally enrolled. As it was election season, for once, my procrastination was rewarded.

What grabbed me immediately was that I learned the most through engaging discussions. ‘Learning through others’ was the operative phrase in the classroom, and it soon became my operative phrase in life. Professor Michelson brought home the advice I’ve heard repeatedly over the years: start a discussion to become more informed. The class quickly became something worth waking up for three mornings each week. I was engaged, I learned, and I was left wondering why I had waited so long. Thank you, Professor Michelson!

My experience is a mere hint of the influence she has at Menlo College and beyond. Among her many publications, Professor Michelson has co-authored four books, the most recent of which, Listen, We Need to Talk: How to Change Attitudes about LGBT Rights (Oxford, 2017), served as the launching pad for a national book tour. She publishes articles in such top peer-review academic publications as American Political Science Review and Journal of Politics. She has peer-reviewed funding from the National Science Foundation, among other sources. She sponsors conferences, and is a sought-after commentator and speaker. And she has been recognized for her contributions with numerous awards and honors, including most recently the Jane Mansbridge Award in 2016 for improving conditions for women in political science and the Adaljiza Sosa-Riddell Mentoring Award. Her Menlo College honors include the Dean’s Scholarship Award in 2013 and again in 2015.

The link between discussion and becoming informed that was made so clear in Professor Michelson’s classroom? The weekly “Hot Topics” lunches that she co-hosts with Provost Terri Givens reflect her determination to demonstrate that link outside of the classroom as well. The concept is simple. The effect is incredible. It might sound mundane, but her actions and efforts are hardly that. Melissa Michelson is prime example number one of the importance of women to Menlo College, and beyond.

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Photographs: Andrey Poliakov

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F ac u lt y N ews Emphasizing Collaborations Adjunct Professor Caroline Casper was recently chosen as a finalist in the Glimmer Train 2017 fiction open contest for her short story "These Kinds of Afflictions," and has a new short story, "How to Stay Addicted to Validation," that will be published in The Lindenwood Review in February 2018. Casper's stories have appeared in The Rumpus and Carve Magazine, where her short story “Eminence” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and was the first-place winner of the story South Million Writers Award. Casper was also accepted into the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, where she studied with writers Lauren Groff, Samantha Chang, Edward Hirsch and Eavan Boland, among others.

Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Adjunct Professor Andy Dolich is co-author of a newly published book, 20 Secrets to Success for NCAA Student-Athletes Who Won’t Go Pro (Ohio University Press). The book provides a game plan for student-athletes through key transitions at each stage of their careers, from high school through college and beyond. The vast majority of student-athletes dreaming of athletic stardom won’t make it to the pros. Yet, the discipline and skills they’ve developed while balancing a sport and academics make them ideally suited for satisfying careers elsewhere.

Adjunct Professor Shalini Gopalkrishnan led Menlo students in the course Introduction to Entrepreneurship to launch their startup web site in October. She also published “The Role of Humor in Startup Success: The Mediating Role of Team Performance in Organizational Psychology 2017” and won Best Teaching Team at the Experiential Classroom XVI for entrepreneurship.

Adjunct Professor Pamela Gullard’s short story “Move It Closer to the Center” was published in the spring 2017 issue of Sou’wester, called Don’t Leave Unattended.

Adjunct Professor Lauren John recently earned a teaching certificate from the University of California at Santa Cruz in English language learning (TESOL). At Menlo, she supports the Writing and Oral Communications Center and the Intensive Writing Lab (IWL) programs. While she specializes in English language learning, the Intensive Writing Lab program offers all Menlo College students extra support to excel in their English classes.

Professor of Finance Dima Leshchinskii mentored several start-up companies working with the GSVlabs, an organization dedicated to “bringing together the brightest minds from all over the Global Silicon Valley.” Under his guidance, several of his mentees held focus groups with Menlo College students, and one-on-one interviews with students and employees. One of the GSVlabs companies, ImpactEd, will partner with Menlo College this coming year to engage students to work on real-life cases, in real time.

Professor of Economics Craig Medlen writes in a paper soon to be published in the Journal of Post-Keynesian Economics about how excess “free cash” elucidates Thomas Piketty’s understanding of the recent rise in inequality of wealth and income. Another forthcoming article by Dr. Medlen, to be published in the Journal of Economics, addresses the “great escape” of U.S. multinational affiliates and its contribution to the U.S. trade deficit. Dr. Medlen has also been solicited by Routledge Press to write a book, to be entitled Free Cash, Capital Accumulation and Inequality.

Assistant Professor of English Lisa Mendelman recently published an article on Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping (1980) and representations of feeling and femininity in the Irish Journal of American Studies. This summer, she delivered papers in Boston (on the science of race and addiction in 1930s America) and Amsterdam (on the aesthetic of racial laughter), as well as chaired panels and ran seminars on related modernist topics at each of these international conferences.

Professor of Political Science Melissa R. Michelson spoke this year at 39 campuses around the country about her book on LGBT rights (Listen, We Need to Talk, Oxford University Press). In August, Michelson co-hosted a workshop funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on Women of Color in Political Science; in December, Michelson will co-host another workshop funded by the NSF, the second in a series on Muslim American Politics. Dr. Michelson’s article on contemporary Muslim American Politics was just published in the journal Politics, Groups, and Identities. She also has a forthcoming article in the journal PS: Political Science & Politics on the impact of the Trump candidacy and early administration on Latino political attitudes and behavior. Also this year, Dr. Michelson received research grants from the Dr. Philip M. Kayal Fund for Arab American Research and the American Political Science Association (APSA), and she was awarded APSA’s Adaljiza Sosa-Riddell Award for Exemplary Mentoring of Graduate Latino/a Students in Political Science.

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Professor of Management Leslie Sekerka’s (right) research in the field of applied ethics and adult moral development in the workplace has led this year to four publications that address leadership, human resource practices, and innovations in shaping the future of management. Her scholarship probes the contours of moral courage, self-regulation, and moral markets. She has broadened her focus from the individual to macro level, applying systems thinking toward reshaping the social context. A $21,000 grant from the James Hervey Johnson Educational Charitable Trust enables her to continue with her children’s ethics series. Being a Better Bear: Flying Higher with Ethics, the second book in the series, is about reporting unethical behavior. A website helps to promote the initiative (http://childrensethics.com/).

Adjunct Professor Arthurlene Towner (bottom right with Sheri Burns, SVILC Executive Director, lower left, and Patricia Kokes, SVILC Board President, middle) received the Education Partner Award at the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC). The award recognized Dr. Towner’s Disability Studies class for offering “an elective class to help business and psychology students gain a deeper understanding of disability, disability culture, and the inequities that people with disabilities experience at work, school, within their families, and in the community at large,” according to SVILC Executive Director Sheri Burns. SVILC promotes independence, equality, choice and pride for people with disabilities of all ages and cultures, and provides support to build their capacity to live freely in the community.

Professor of Global Studies Marianne Marar Yacobian’s recent accomplishment is her social justice work with Menlo College alumni. After the 2016 presidential election, a grassroots volunteer organization called LEADAC was formed, wherein Menlo College alumni and students alike could work together to fight for human rights and equity. The aim is to dismantle oppressive systems through alliance building and advocacy work. Recent projects include refugee human rights, LGBTQ alliance building, national parks and recreation awareness, and working with 10 Books a Home to encourage literacy in high poverty areas. Co-founders of LEADAC are alumnae Samantha Tongo '13, Victoria Schultz '14, and Jessica Shepardson '14.

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Teaching Students to Value Each Others’ Talents

By Dr. Marianne Marar Yacobian, Associate Professor of Global Studies Change is slow and history plays a major role in how our institutions operate; Menlo College is no exception.

Women were not admitted to Menlo College until 1971, a time when almost all the faculty members were male. To date, we’ve never had a woman serve as President of Menlo College. Though 60% of the faculty are now female and women make up 44% of the student body, as a historically all-male institution, patriarchy abounds. This is not a reality that is unique to Menlo College; it’s everywhere! What is unique to Menlo College is the community. We have small class sizes, and just like the ‘80s sitcom “Cheers,” this is a place “where everybody knows your name.” As such, we can’t escape patriarchal trends without discussing them and without questioning our roles in their perpetuation or alleviation.

As an educator, activist, scholar, and mother of young sons, I’m always cognizant of the role that sexism plays in most societies. I’m simultaneously aware that notions of gender are fluid social constructs. As an educator, I work hard to encourage the women in my classes to speak out, but I’m deeply aware of the need to create a safe space for them to be able to do so. We can’t just tell women to lean in without encouraging any men who try to dominate to lean back. For too long, the burden has been on women to prove their worth, as opposed to a collective commitment to dismantling oppressive, misogynistic institutions and modes of operation.

In my classes, we address these issues with an acute understanding of our own privilege and disenfranchisement.

From there, we build bridges that ultimately end up setting the stage for empathy. Once we’ve created a safe space, we’re closer to building allies. What this means is that I have a responsibility to call out students when they are exhibiting willful privilege or uncertainty. I have to hold students accountable. I ask questions about who was taking notes during group work and why. I ask questions about segregated group presentations. I ask questions about what it means to have a woman professor holding you accountable. The answers don’t matter, really. It’s the asking that highlights the status quo, which is oftentimes met with resistance and discomfort. That’s the call, though, to hold each other accountable and to ask the tough questions.

Photograph: Andrey Poliakov

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Menlo College resident assistants: (back row, left to right) Niko Dugay, Braxton Liddell, Joe Alvarez, Brad Sawin, Colton Wirth, Ty Lauderdale, Elliy Gorelik, Chris Gray; (front row left to right) Kalea Gabriel, Maya Mogensen, Hannah Hudson, Tanvi Mathur, Hunter Dupee, Tess Mirt, Sophie Harriman. Photograph: Katie Lathrop

How Resident Assistants Teach Leadership by Example

By Joe Alvarez ‘18, Resident Assistant, Kratt Hall Second Floor

A core component of the student leadership program at Menlo is the 15 resident assistants who are the primary points of contact within the residence halls in particular, and more broadly, throughout the campus community. Every day, these leaders demonstrate leadership through their actions, in the classroom and out. “Demonstration by example” are words the entire team lives by. Keeping detailed calendars and accountability plans, being approachable, spending time listening, and being a role model are all traits each of them demonstrates daily. “As resident assistants, we are really visible on campus and we recognize the ways in which our actions are a reflection of the campus community. Having conversations with our students about what good decision-making looks like happens from time to time, but students seeing our team in action happens continuously.”

Menlo College Earns Princeton Review Recognition For the ninth straight year, Menlo College is ranked as one of the 2018 Best Colleges, according to The Princeton Review. It is one of select schools that The Princeton Review recommends as “academically outstanding and well worth consideration in your college search.” Go Oaks!

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Journalism Club Sponsors Noted Speakers

By Erik Bakke, Director of the Writing Center and Advisor to the Journalism Club As well as supporting the student-run, online newspaper the Menlo Oak Press, Menlo College’s Journalism Club helps bring to campus speakers with expertise on important contemporary issues.

These exciting speakers bring Menlo students and faculty into the national conversation on topics that affect us all. The Journalism Club is grateful for the generous support of Menlo’s Writing & Oral Communication Center.

In 2015, Dr. Marianne Neuwirth, Director of Oral Communication Programs, invited Dawn E. Garcia, the director of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships at Stanford, to talk about journalism. Garcia discussed the power of journalists to shed light on issues previously hidden from world view. Later in the year, New York Times reporter Steven Lee Myers spoke and fielded questions about his newly published book The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin.

In 2016, the Journalism Club collaborated with the Black Student Union, Art Club, Net Impact Club, and Art Committee to bring social artist and MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” recipient Rick Lowe to campus. Like Ms. Garcia, Lowe emphasized how an individual’s creative work can have outsized impact on society. Other journalists invited by the Journalism Club include local writer Michael Habeeb and Tom Gibboney, who was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford, the editor of the Palo Alto Weekly, and the managing 15 W INT ER 2018

editor of the Anchorage Daily News at the time it won a Pulitzer Prize. This year, in collaboration with the Diversity Task Force, the Journalism Club helped host a talk by Jeff Chang, the Executive Director of the Institute for Diversity in the Arts at Stanford. Mr. Chang discussed numerous cultural topics of the day, including the connections between contemporary music and the Black Lives Matter movement. He also invited questions about his most recent book We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation. The Journalism Club’s current president, Menlo Oak Press Chief Editor Valentino Stradford, looks forward to continuing to help bring dynamic speakers to campus in the coming year.

Top: Rick Lowe, artist and community organizer, with Ngozi Harrison Above: Steven Lee Myers, author and journalist. Photographs: Andrey Poliakov

Access, Power and Women:

Cultivating Voice and Presence in the Classroom

By Dr. Marianne Neuwirth, Director of Oral Communication Programs

“If you don’t have a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

- Shirley Chisholm, first African American Congresswoman

Women first earned their place in the educational system in 1803 at a private institution in Massachusetts, paving the way for women’s voices to be heard in the public realm. But it wasn’t until 1847 that a woman was allowed to speak in public at Oberlin College (Parsons, 2013). Since that time, many impressive female orators have spoken on behalf of science, politics, and human rights. In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton spoke at the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, NY, accompanied by the tireless and equally impressive orator, Susan B. Anthony.

Even though there has been a litany of impressive female speakers and leaders over the past century, including many right here in the Bay Area, there are still gaps in women’s visibility and access to positions of power.

Since the education system often serves as a conduit to positions of influence, it is useful to consider some of the different ways that women and men may learn within its sphere (Tannen, 1991; Barkworth, 2017): • Variation in processing information: Learners may focus on facts and status, or on relationships and networks, so it’s wise to highlight how these different aspects are relevant to the subject matter being taught, and adjust content and lesson delivery according to the audience at hand.

• Speaking styles: Many women wait to speak until invited to do so, and often use more qualifiers when stating a claim, whereas men have been socialized to claim the floor and assert their views without much equivocation. Knowing these potential differences can help educators adapt when conducting discussions and giving feedback.

• Attribution for success: Women are more likely to attribute their success to hard work or luck, whereas men are more likely to believe that their skill comes from inherent talent or ability.

Educators can modulate their feedback to help balance potentially uneven attributions of perceived failure or success.

Menlo College has taken the initiative to not simply ride the wave of established momentum, but to actively establish a path of successful self-expression for all of its students.

References: Barkworth, G. (2013, February 25). Do men and women “do public speaking” differently? Retrieved from: https://goddessofpublicspeaking.com.au/blog/do-menwomen-do-public-speaking-differently/ on September 11, 2017.

Hall, R. M. and Sandler, B. R. (1982, February). The classroom climate: A chilly one for women? Project on the status and education of women by the Association of American Colleges, pp. 1-22.

Parsons, E. (2013, February 1). Women and Public Speaking in the 19th Century.

Retrieved from: http://commons.trincoll.edu/edreform/2013/02/women-and-publicspeaking-in-19th-century/ on September. 15, 2017.

Romano, R. (1994, Fall). Gender issues in teaching: Does nurturing academic success in women mean rethinking some of what we do in the classroom? Speaking of teaching. Stanford University Newsletter on Teaching, 6 (1), pp. 1-6.

Rutgers University. (2010, August). Address by Elizabeth Cady Stanton on Women’s Rights. Retrieved from: http://ecssba.rutgers.edu/docs/ecswoman1.html on September. 14, 2017.

Tannen, D. (1991, June 19). Teachers’ classroom strategies should recognize that men and women use language differently. The chronicle of higher education.

“Women in Education.” (2016). Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved from: http://www. encyclopedia.com/history/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/women-education on September 15, 2017.

Dr. Angela Schmiede addresses an internship class.

Photograph by Andrey Poliakov.

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INTERNSHIPS THROUGH MENLO Menlo’s Internship Program Expands

Los Angeles and the Hawaiian Islands, Here We Come!

By Zach Osborne, Director of Internships & Career Services Since the launch of Menlo’s Academic Internship Program in 2013, all internships for which Menlo students earned academic credit have taken place in the Bay Area. Keeping our interns ‘close to home’ has allowed us to enhance the educational experience with an overlapping seminar class and professional staff visits to the internship sites. Now that we have a few years under our belt, we’re taking the program we’ve built, and fine-tuned it here in the Bay Area and on the road!

In the summer of 2018, we plan to offer a pilot group of students the opportunity to complete internships in Los Angeles and the Hawaiian islands—both areas that significant numbers of Menlo students call home. We are working now to develop relationships with local alumni (notably Micah Kane ’91) in both areas to secure locations to serve as seminar classrooms, instructors, and local internship sites where Menlo College students can gain valuable professional experience and make significant contributions as summer interns.

If you live in Los Angeles or Honolulu and have internship referrals or would like to discuss hosting an intern in your organization, please contact Dylan Houle, Associate Director of Internships and Career Services at dylan.houle@menlo.edu.

This summer, the Office of Internships & Career Services adopted a new career services platform – Handshake.

Handshake offers a variety of benefits, including a vastly improved interface for potential employers and students alike. Coincident with the deployment of Handshake, Menlo College became more visible to employers, increasing the number of job opportunities targeted for Menlo students. Also facilitating increased employer engagement is the ease with which employers are able to sign up and enter information about job opportunities. The Handshake platform, available at http://handshake.menlo.edu, is available now for use by all current students and all Menlo College alumni.

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Summer Intern Spotlights The summer of 2017 saw nearly 150 interns from Menlo College engaged in internships at a wide variety of sites throughout the Bay Area—here are highlights from three students’ experiences.

Emily Abrams – Marketing – Class of 2018 At Teak, a branding and content studio located in the San Francisco Financial District, Emily was responsible for assisting the digital media planner with a wide variety of work, including running Google/Bing paid search campaigns; planning, budgeting, and executing ad campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; and much more.

Emily continues to work and learn at Teak, where she’s taken on the role of media analyst during her senior year. She plans to join the Teak team full-time after her May graduation.

“

I wish there was a way to implement Menlo College’s Internship Program into every school. Not only is having an internship in the field a resume builder that sets a foundation for future employers, but it is the best way to be immersed into your major of choice prior to committing to a full-time job postgraduation.

– Emily Abrams

”

Kait Fitzpatrick – Marketing – Class of 2018 Kait spent this past summer interning with 3Q Digital, a digital marketing agency located in San Francisco that specializes in paid search, paid social, conversion rate optimization, and strategy. Among a wide variety of responsibilities, Kait led consulting projects for clients in such areas as strategic growth assessments, competitive assessments, media gap analyses, MarTech stacks, onboarding/ conversion flow analyses, retention marketing capture and analyses, UX analyses, building and analyzing customer journey maps, and customer intelligence (designing, executing, and analyzing surveys).

Upon completing her summer internship at 3Q Digital, Kait was offered a promotion to growth consultant on the Strategy Team, a position she will hold throughout her senior year. Upon her graduation from Menlo in May, she hopes to join the 3Q Digital team full-time.

“

It was extremely rewarding when the Strategy Team would hear positive feedback from a client, and I could see the direct impact that my research and analysis had on the final deliverable.

– Kait Fitzpatrick

”

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INTERNSHIPS

Continued

Rachna Gandhi – Finance – Class of 2017 Rachna gained hands-on experience this past summer as an intern with Marcus & Millichap, a commercial real estate brokerage specializing in investment sales, financing, and advisory services. Rachna worked directly with the First Vice President of Investments, and in addition to researching potential investments worth $2-10 million dollars, reaching out to potential clients, and analyzing how different tenants and locations impact property values, she earned her California real estate salesperson’s license.

Rachna has continued to work with Marcus & Millichap as she completes her final year at Menlo College. She will join the team of investments associates when she graduates in May—making her the only woman on that team.

“

One of the first things I learned from my internship was that relationships are key. Relationships and networking are always a stepping stone to more opportunities. Who I knew and who I had connections with helped me gain a position at this company. I learned how to negotiate with clients, create effective marketing materials, reach out to potential clients and create relationships with them, how to use all the resources that are given to me to increase the odds of closing more deals, and overall what successful brokers do and how they got there. The commercial real estate business takes years to learn and I still have much more experience to gain, but I am glad that I found a company that has one of the best training programs nationwide that gave me a mentor who wants to see me succeed in the long-run.

– Rachna Gandhi

”

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Revisiting Gilead: The Handmaid’s Tale in the 21st Century

By Dr. Jodie Austin, Professor of English

Image: Hafuboti/CC-BY-SA-4.0

In a memorable scene from Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale, the narrator Offred recounts the moment she finds a mysterious etching in her bedroom cupboard left by the previous occupant: I knelt to examine the floor, and there it was, in tiny writing, quite fresh it seemed, scratched with a pin or maybe just a fingernail, in the corner where the darkest shadow fell: Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.

I didn't know what it meant, or even what language it was in. I thought it might be Latin, but I didn't know any Latin. Still, it was a message, and it was in writing, forbidden by that very fact, and it hadn't yet been discovered. Except by me, for whom it was intended. It was intended for whoever came next.

Condemned to a life of servitude, Offred finds solace in the message, which is revealed to be a rallying cry in a Latinate construction, roughly translated as "Don't let the bastards grind you down." Given that Offred and many of her female peers have been reduced to female vessels valued only for their fertility, the phrase takes on special significance: the "bastards" represent, at once, the oppressive patriarchy of Gilead and the reality of soul-crushing despondence. Notably, Margaret Atwood describes the novel as an "anti-prediction"— that is to say, a ward against its realization.

In the Spring of 2017, members of the Menlo College community selected The Handmaid's Tale as the common book for the college's incoming first-year students. During the deliberation process, the committee considered the success of the recent Hulu adaptation of the book, as well as the novel's resurgence in popularity on Amazon.

Notably, references to the novel, including the phrase "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum," have appeared at recent civil-rights rallies throughout the U.S. In short, the book has had a lasting impact on

American society. For the information-hungry women in both fictional and non-fictional spaces, this enigmatic message represents a signal sent from a long-distant past.

As students in the 21st century, first-years at Menlo have the privilege of being able to translate this phrase, understanding its meaning as a message of hope. Although the phrase is ultimately explained by the book's Commander to be based on a mere "schoolboy joke,"— i.e. locker-room humor— Atwood's readers have effectively reclaimed it as a declaration of power. The novel's message resembles the strong statement read aloud in the courtroom during the trial of convicted rapist Brock Turner at Stanford University, a mere six miles from Menlo College. In her letter to the court, the victim, Emily Doe, admonished against the creation of a culture "that suggests we learn that rape is wrong through trial and error." Her own message, as she concluded, was addressed "To girls everywhere— I am with you."

Such recent events suggest that the dystopian vision described by Atwood is not yet entirely beyond the realm of disbelief, and progress has yet to be made before women in the 21st century, within Silicon Valley even, are regarded beyond the scope of their bodies. At Menlo College, our aim is to graduate students with an eye on the past while they look toward the future. Students and instructors at Menlo bear the responsibility of being exceptional citizens in a tumultuous time. In this regard, literature provides a beacon. As Atwood's novel demonstrates, the power of "literacy" goes beyond the simple ability to read and write, encompassing the capacity for hindsight and foresight as well.

In heeding literary history, attentive readers ensure that such messages will not be hidden "in an old house, behind a wall" but discussed widely in the classroom for the sake of "girls"— and men— "everywhere."

Reference: Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. 1st Anchor Books ed. New York: Anchor Books, 1998, p. 52.

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A Remarkable Oak

By Aaron Gillespie Menlo College student Zewudie Alamerewu ’20 is a native of Oda Ch’eba, Ethiopia, with a remarkable story. Zewudie’s hometown is a small, rural village in central Ethiopia that lacks electricity and other basic amenities. At age 12 he learned he had a lifethreatening condition known as tuberculosis of the spine, or Pott’s Disease, which affects less that 2% of patients who contract tuberculosis. The disease, if not treated, is inevitably fatal. Local treatment was not available, but when Zewudie was 16, his parents were able to take him to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, where Ethiopia-based American doctor Rick Hodes arranged for Zewudie to travel almost 3,000 miles in order to receive life-saving surgery in Ghana. Dr. Hodes’ work on behalf of patients like Zewudie is the subject of an HBO documentary “Making the Crooked Straight.”

Following successful surgery, the relationship Zewudie formed with Dr. Hodes was one that would prove to be the catalyst needed for the bright, energetic, and personable Zewudie to begin to receive an education for the first time, at the age of 16. From there, it was a fast path to the United States for high school and now, college. Zewudie became an Oak in the 2017 spring semester.

He has quickly assimilated to life at Menlo College.

When not attending class and studying to earn a degree in business management, he can often be found working his on-campus job at the Campus Store. Zewudie plans to return to his native Ethiopia after graduation in order to give back by way of founding a technology business.

“The village I was born in is very small, so most people don’t know how to use technology,” said Zewudie. “My plan is to start a computer training school where I can bring people to train and teach how to use technology. My bigger goal is to open a school. I had never been to school until I met my doctor. There are no schools in my city.”

Many supporters have helped Zewudie pursue his dream. Philanthropist and lawyer Mary Louis Cohen, Dr. Hodes, host families, friends of friends, complete strangers, and more have generously provided financial assistance to allow Zewudie to complete his education. For more information on how to help, or to learn more about his journey, visit - https://www.youcaring.com/ zewudiegebeyehualamerewu-722957.

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Photograph: Andrey Poliakov

Student Features

Class Presidents

Blake Barbre – Class of 2018 (top left): After graduating from Menlo, I intend to go to the University of Nevada to obtain my MBA. A few of my strengths include my drive, ability to access resources, and great people skills.

I look forward to utilizing these skills to ensure that the class of 2018 has information about the different paths they can take after Menlo. I want to work with all campus partners to create a positive perception about Menlo so that our seniors are excited about giving back to the community.

Brianna Pasoquen-Rabago – Class of 2019 (top right): I strive to build genuine relationships that go past business cards and handshakes. I hold this expectation for myself in my professional, social, and academic life. I also hope to serve as a living example that you can have fun in college while maintaining high academic achievement.

John Paine – Class of 2020 (bottom left): I am a finance major and an athlete here at Menlo College. After college I will pursue a career in financial consulting and strategic planning. During my time at Menlo, I hope to help build a stronger community and to inspire and instill pride in Menlo students. And… Go Oaks!

Bhrycen Asuncion – Class of 2021 (bottom right): Aloha! I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, and chose to attend Menlo College because the moment I stepped on campus, I instantly fell in love. As Freshman Class President, I anticipate making the year positive and fun for the freshman class. This will include group activities, fun events, and exercises that bind us together. I cannot wait to see what this year has in store for us!

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Student Pioneers in Innovation

By Dr. Angela Schmiede, Dean of Academic and Professional Success, Academic Affairs

While names like Apple and Tesla typically come to mind when thinking about innovation in Silicon Valley, Menlo students are also making names for themselves as pioneers in innovation. Below are just a few examples of the ways in which students are infusing their Menlo experience with innovation and entrepreneurship.

• When Menlo provided 25 tickets for students to attend the 2017 Startup Grind Global Conference, Jaagriti Sharma ’18 jumped at the opportunity to attend, and left the three-day event with two internship offers in hand. This past summer, she interned with Christine Souffrant Ntim, a ‘Forbes 30 Under 30’ recipient, who is the director of Startup Grind Dubai. As part of her internship, Jaagriti flew to Haiti, where she helped coordinate the Haiti Tech Summit. She reported, “With participation by over 40+ media outlets, 600+ attendees and the President of Haiti, the conference was a success. I am now discussing the work and travel I will do for our next conferences in Dubai, Ghana, and again in Haiti in the next year alone.”

• While it would be tempting to spend an entire summer in Hawaii just relaxing, Thanthawat (Ethan) Moengchaisong ’19 spent last May creating and pitching new business ideas through a Maui Startup Weekend competition hosted by the Maui Economic Development Board. He and his team placed third in the final pitch round of the competition, with their plan to create a wearable device that would alert wearers to hazards in the ocean. The experience motivated Ethan to bring a similar event to Menlo College, and he is currently working with faculty and staff to explore the possibilities of hosting a Menlo College Startup Weekend.

• This past March, Maxwell Barnes ‘18, Jessica Carlson ‘19, Yasmin Gomez ‘20, and Russell Perkins ‘20 became Menlo’s first University Innovation Fellows (UIF) through Stanford University‘s d.School UIF program. The four Menlo students engaged in six weeks of rigorous training that culminated in a three-day Silicon Valley Meetup at Google, Microsoft, and Stanford, where they immersed themselves in learning about innovation with University Innovation Fellows from around the world. As change agents at Menlo, the team spearheaded efforts to create an Innovation Center on campus that will serve as a maker space, creative classroom, and inspiring event venue. You can learn more about Jessica Carlson’s experience as a University Innovation Fellow at www.menlo.edu/UIF. Left to right: Yasmin Gomez ‘20, Dr. Angela Schmiede, Jessica Carlson ‘19.

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• With internships at GSV Asset Management, Brand Capital, and the Times Group of India under his belt, Maxwell Barnes ‘18 (right) wanted to create a formal path for Menlo students to build their networks and their entrepreneurial leadership skills. As founder and president of the Pioneer Club, he and his fellow club members have collaborated with GSVlabs to create a Trailblazers project through which members will be matched with Silicon Valley CEOs as mentors. Maxwell is also writing a book on internships with support from his mentors, including branding guru, Guy Kawasaki.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our Pioneer Club COO & Treasurer, Kait Fitzpatrick ‘18, who was offered a position in LinkedIn’s Business Leadership program. This program is an 18-month rotational program structured to facilitate the transformation of early-career talent into future business leaders of LinkedIn. Kait was one of 60 people from across the United States to be selected for this program. Congratulations Kait!

New Class Sharpens Business Imagination

By Dr. Bruce Paton, Professor of Management When Menlo College updated its Entrepreneurship curriculum last spring, one new addition was a class called Design Thinking & Business Innovation.

Dr. Bruce Paton piloted the class this fall and moved it into the Innovation Center as soon as it opened.

The Design Thinking & Business Innovation course challenges students’ thinking about what innovations are and where they come from. The course draws on the work of Bay Area design firms like IDEO and frog design, and social innovators from around the world.

“Design thinking” refers to a set of tools and ideas to identify and understand the needs of potential users for new products and services. Design thinking tools have been used to perfect Silicon Valley products, ranging from the original computer mouse to the newest smart phones, and to address social issues around the world, like bringing financial services and medical care to rural villages.

Paton believes that the most exciting innovations come from applying innovative techniques to unexplored real world opportunities.

Students in the course interview and observe potential customers to understand everyday challenges they experience. Design thinking tools help students collect and work with the resulting insights. Experience with processing insights, generating ideas and prototyping potential solutions help Menlo students ground their innovations in unmet needs of real world users.

Students in the class confront at least three barriers to innovative thinking. The first is the myth that innovations spring fully formed from flashes of inspiration. The course requires students to build quick, “low-fidelity” prototypes to test ideas before they are fully developed, and then to iterate based on the feedback gained from making the idea visible.

The second barrier is what design thinkers call “functional fixedness.” In this mindset, would-be innovators think of products and services as fixed in their current form, instead of identifying ways to configure products and services in novel combinations.

When asked to break a tablet computer into components and then reconfigure them, one team in the class envisioned thumb-drivesized tablets that interacted with displays built into classroom whiteboards. The team got very animated about the possibilities that innovation would create for new teaching and learning methods.

The most difficult barrier for Menlo students is the belief that resources must precede innovations. The course reverses that logic by focusing on the creative sparks that constraints can trigger.

“The course itself is a prototype,” says Paton. “The tools we use and the innovations that students create may be a little rough around the edges. They will learn to refine their ideas in the rest of our Entrepreneurship courses. But Menlo students will know that their innovations are rooted in people’s real needs.”

Photographs: Andrey Poliakov

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Rising Scholars Summer Math and English Bridge Program Meets the Challenge

By Erik Bakke, Director of the Writing Center and the Intensive English Program In the summer of 2016, former Menlo College Math Center Director Dr. Brandon Johnson created a bridge program to give incoming Menlo College students extra help with mathematics. This summer, 2017, Dr. Johnson and Writing Center & Intensive English Program Director Erik Bakke co-directed Menlo College’s Rising Scholars Program--a math and English bridge program.

First-year students, particularly those who tested into Beginning Algebra and/or Introduction to College English, were invited to spend the ten days preceding new student orientation building upon their foundational math and writing skills. For the duration of this summer’s Rising Scholars Program, sixteen students were able to live in the residence halls, eat in the dining hall, and participate in all program activities for a nominal fee, thanks to the generous support of the Trustee Scholarship Fund.

The program focused on collaborative learning through problem-solving and on reading and writing activities with minimal lecture content. Dr. Johnson and Mr. Bakke organized and led the program’s events and co-taught classes with English professor Dr. Jodie Austin and math professor Dr. Michael Laufer. Student tutor Zacchaeus Beatty worked as an assistant. Dr. Shilpa Dasgupta also co-taught sessions just as she was joining Menlo College as the new Math Center Director. She will co-direct future Rising Scholars programming with Mr. Bakke. Dr. Johnson left Menlo College to join his family in Hawai’i and is now teaching on O’ahu.

During the Rising Scholars Program, students’ classroom study was supplemented with on-campus, hands-on projects and with day trips that provided opportunities for real world application of skills. Students particularly enjoyed the trips to the San Jose Tech Museum, where they considered the intersections of their career interests with the world of Silicon Valley tech, and to San Francisco 25 WINTER 2018

and the SFMOMA, where they stretched their quantitative skills by mentally deconstructing Alexander Calder mobiles and Chuck Close paintings. While sitting in Caffe Trieste, students worked on their on-demand communication skills by closely observing their surroundings and writing about their impressions and thoughts in real time.

The Rising Scholars Program provides students with the opportunity to retake math and English placement tests to become eligible to enroll in higher level courses.

More importantly, the Rising Scholars Program provides students with the opportunity to begin meeting the course requirements of the math and English curriculum and hone their quantitative reasoning, reading, and communication skills. The Menlo College Writing Program is moving away from standardized testing and towards portfolio review as an evaluation tool. Some of the Rising Scholars students were able to test into Math 101 and/or English 101, and some others were able to change level through appeal; they presented their portfolios to faculty and argued their readiness and the quality of their work.

Faculty have commented that the Rising Scholars were particularly ready to dive into the fall semester on the first day of class, and this sentiment has been echoed by the participants. First-year Menlo College student and Rising Scholar Esther Funez summed up the 2017 program, "Being able to participate in the Rising Scholars Program enabled me to find ways I needed to improve in both English and math. This program also assisted with my transition from high school to college, making the transition much smoother than I had anticipated." Members of the Center for Academic Success have applied for a Department of Education grant to allow for further expansion of the program, and Menlo College will welcome the next group of Rising Scholars in the summer of 2018.

Students at the San Jose Tech Museum (2017 Rising Scholars event) and SFMOMA. Photographs: Brandon Johnson

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Events & Clubs on Campus One of the priorities of Menlo’s Office of Student Affairs is to create an environment in which student voices are heard, their interests are explored, and their passions discovered. This year, there are more than 30 clubs on campus, all with the similar objective of uniting a group of people for a specific cause or purpose. Between resident assistants, peer mentors, and the Student Government Association, there are no fewer than 40 events a month that give students the opportunity to socialize and participate in organized activities—including ski trips, Ultimate Frisbee, disaster relief fundraisers, karaoke, dances, and more. With even more organized events this year than ever before, the 2017-18 academic year is anticipated to be filled with happiness and school spirit.

Ashlee Hunt, MCSGA Club Coordinator Caitlin Sorensen, MCSGA Director of Programming Photographs: Andrey Poliakov

Pacific Islander Club

Frisbee Club

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Women’s Business Society

DECA

Middle Eastern Club

Helping Launch Shelby’s SafeSpace The Office of Student Affairs team includes mental health professionals to provide on-site counseling and other support services. The opening in September 2017 of nearby Shelby’s SafeSpace provides yet another resource for Menlo students. The nonprofit organization was launched by three local women with the aim to end the stigma that often prevents discussion about mental health.

From left, Justine Louise Fiesta ‘19, Dean Andrea Peeters, and Jessica Carlson ’19 join in the celebration of Menlo Park-based Shelby’s SafeSpace.

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THIRD ANNUAL OAKtoberFest SUCCESS Over 1,200 alumni, students, faculty, staff, and other guests made Menlo College OAKtoberFest 2017 a grand event—a day packed with games, a live taping of Angie Coiro’s popular show “In Deep” with author and Menlo Trustee Andy Cunningham, food trucks, and more. Ribbon cutting ceremonies were also part of the mix, marking the official inauguration of new facilities on campus. And it was a standing room only event the

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previous evening, when Menlo College inducted the 2017 Hall of Fame Class. Alumni and current students came together to toast this year’s inductees.

Capping the weekend was the 50th reunion of the class of 1967. People across campus volunteered their time to make the weekend a grand success– two very special days when all members of the Menlo community felt particularly proud to be an Oak. Photographs: Andrey Poliakov

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New Faces and New Spaces

By Dr. Angela Schmiede

As we welcomed the new faces of the Class of 2021, the College was busy constructing new spaces to enhance the student experience at Menlo. While some projects were less visible, such as new roofs for the Haynes-Prim Pavilion and Florence Moore Hall, other projects will significantly support how our students engage in sports, express their creativity, and build community—with each other and with alumni. Many alumni toured the new spaces during OAKtoberFest and said how lovely the campus looked. If you weren’t able to come in October, stop by for a personal tour!

Athletic Department Those of you who spent your freshman year in Kratt Hall will be amazed to see the transformation of the lower level of Kratt into beautiful office space and conference rooms for coaches and other Athletics staff.

Gullard Family Academic Success Center Thanks to a generous donation from trustee Mike Gullard and Literature Instructor Pamela Gullard, the College was able to renovate the front half of the Administration Building. The goal of the project was to provide students with one-stop service in a contemporary setting from an array of student support teams: Academic Advising, Disability Services, the Math Center, the Writing and Oral Communication Center, Peer Tutoring, and Internships, Career Services, and Study Abroad.

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Top: Innovation Center construction

Bottom: New Menlo Athletics office

Innovation Center The beakers and test tubes are gone, but students, faculty, staff, and alumni will now be able to maximize their creative potential in the new Innovation Center, located in the former “FloMo” chemistry lab.

Sports Pavilion With a modern new interior, new bathroom and shower facilities, and a concession stand and coffee bar dubbed “The Acorn,” everyone can enjoy watching wrestling matches or participating in dance, yoga, and other classes in the recently converted Student Union across from the gym. The Acorn is expected to be jumping on game nights.

Next spring we will also unveil the new Student Union in the former Menlo School side of the dining hall, remodeled public restrooms, improvements to the Admissions Building lobby, and new outdoor plazas to take advantage of the California weather. None of these much-needed campus improvements would have been possible without the gift from the Gullard family, along with additional support from an anonymous alumnus. These gifts are making it possible for Menlo College facilities to more closely mirror those around them in the evervibrant Silicon Valley. As much more needs to be done, we hope all alumni will consider adding their financial support to the Menlo College capital improvement fund.

Below: Sports Pavilion during renovation Photographs: Andrey Poliakov

Right: M monument sign installation

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Alma Clayton-Pedersen Joins the Menlo College Board of Trustees Dr. Clayton-Pedersen was appointed to the Menlo College Board of Trustees in October. She is CEO of Emeritus Consulting Group, a Chicagobased firm that uses organizational development principles to assist nonprofit, public and education entities in enhancing their efficacy for the public good. Her storied career also includes roles as Vice President for Education and Institutional Renewal and Senior Scholar for the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U). She directed AAC&U’s partnership with the Pathways to College Network, which focuses on college access and success for underserved students. At Vanderbilt University, Clayton-Pedersen served in senior administrative roles within student affairs, academic affairs, athletic affairs and Vanderbilt’s public policy center.

She also served as a research associate and an assistant professor of the practice in human and organizational development.

During her nearly 35-year career in education, Dr. Clayton-Pedersen has directed projects funded by the BellSouth, Ford, George Gund, James Irvine and Lumina Foundations, as well as the Carnegie Corp of New York, the Lilly Endowment, the Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE), the National Science Foundation and the Metropolitan Nashville Government. She served as Secretary of the United Way of Middle Tennessee and Vice Chair of Metro Nashville Social Service Commission and has consulted on higher education in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and China.

She advises foundations, businesses, regional consortia and national associations. She holds a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and both the M.Ed. and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University.

Accounting Program Wins Statewide Recognition The career advice and placement company Zippia set out to evaluate institutions of higher learning to determine which programs offer the best career opportunities for accounting majors. Their findings? Out of the 206 accounting programs in California, Menlo College is ranked as the sixth best.

As Zippia said in their announcement, “If you go to one of these schools, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.”

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Menlo Oak Press:

Menlo College’s Student Newspaper

By Erik Bakke, Director of the Writing Center and Advisor, Menlo Oak Press Menlo College’s first school newspaper was published in 1928, a year after the founding of the college. The paper’s name changed a number of times but kept with the familiar oak theme: El Roble Blanco (1930), Oak and Acorn (1936), The Oak (1969), and The Menlo Oak (1975).

In 2009, The Menlo Oak moved online, but it did not survive the move. Finally, the defunct student newspaper was revived in 2014 by Taylor Morrow ‘16 as Menlo Oak Press. As Morrow wrote, “The first step to publishing a new paper for Menlo College was forming the Journalism Club. The Club’s focus during the spring semester of 2015 was to increase awareness and involvement with the paper in order to create something the Menlo College community would read.”

During that semester, the online Menlo Oak Press was in full swing, publishing an issue that included interviews with CEO Michael Buhr and also Kelly Burke of Stanford GOALS; articles on a student internship panel, moving off campus, Menlo’s sports programs, student government, Menlo’s Luau, student clubs; and a Mexican restaurant review, a movie review, and a fashion column. Also in 2015, Morrow and the Journalism Club helped the Bowman Library with their journalism exhibit entitled “Black and White and Read: News Reporting at Menlo.”

Assuming the Menlo Oak Press chief editorship in 2016, Valentino Stradford ‘19 encouraged students to participate in the newspaper, “Do not be afraid to share your educated opinion or to use this organization as a tool to hone your skills ffor the future . . . . And if you don’t want to write, then you should still read and support the work of your peers.”

Photograph: Andrey Poliakov

In addition to his continued support of the Journalism Club and student writing, Valentino’s tenure has been defined in part by his interest in politics. The election of 2016 has provided ample opportunity for articles ranging from Stradford’s “The Upcoming Election for The 45th President of the United States: How We Got Here” to Lucrezia Povero’s “No Publicity Is Bad Publicity: How The Media Helped Trump To Win The Election” to Jaagriti Sharma’s “Gorillas, Booze and Anger.” The paper also continues with a variety of other lively articles including movie reviews, discussions of life on campus, and fashion commentary. The Journalism Club and Menlo Oak Press have attracted the interest of yet another new class of students, and as Stradford looks to his next steps after graduating from Menlo College, he has begun the process of finding the next chief editor for Menlo’s student newspaper.

Valentino Stradford ‘19, president of the Journalism Club and Menlo Oak Press chief editor

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THE IMPORTANCE OF FINANCIAL AID Trustees Fund Four-Year Scholarships Trustee David Irmer ‘58 and Trustee Emeritus Chop Keenan ’66 both stepped up last year to support student scholarships, each funded at a level sufficient to offset the tuition expense for the entire four-year tuition of one student each. Trustee Irmer’s scholarship is supporting three students, whereas one student is the beneficiary of Keenan’s scholarship.

Trustee Irmer’s scholarships are making it possible for the following students to attend Menlo College: Young Woo An (Peter) ’19 (A) is a marketing major from Clovis, California. His academic achievements have earned him a spot on the most recent Dean’s List. He is also garnering recognition for his role as a student-athlete: he was in the spotlight last year after he vanquished his Stanford opponent at the 2016 Roadrunner Invitational.

Logan Eaton ’19 (B) is also a California native, from nearby Oakdale, California. A finance major and student-athlete, Eaton started out his Menlo wrestling career on a tear with 17 takedowns. Wrestling at 125 pounds, Eaton more recently bested the wrestler who is ranked #5 in the Cascade Conference, who happens to be his teammate Cody Cabanban ’20.

A

“Given the complexities of today’s economy, more than ever, organizations and their individuals require greater attention to what it means to become a ‘mindful’ leader who can drive innovative potential around a humanistic focus,” said Professor Nicole Jackson. “Logan Eaton and Peter Young have exhibited the qualities of understanding organizational behavior in action, skills demanded of today’s – and tomorrow’s–leaders.”

Joseph Jauregui ’19 (C) hails from Fresno, California. A regular on the Dean’s List, Jauregui has a 3.97 cumulative GPA. He is accomplished as a wrestler as well. He achieved an impressive 11-1 season last year, losing only to a Division I All-American. He is currently ranked #1 in the Cascade Conference and #9 overall in the NAIA.

“Joseph Jauregui demonstrates a thirst for knowledge and a willingness to engage in thoughtful discussions.

He asks challenging questions, serves as an effective member of a team, and possesses excellent written, verbal, and critical thinking skills,” said Professor Arthurlene Towner.

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B

Head Coach Joey Martinez ’03 said, “Trustee Irmer’s support allows me to have stellar talent on the team, and more importantly, makes it possible for three outstanding young men to pursue a college education here at Menlo. These three young men are making major contributions to our success, and they join me in expressing thanks to Trustee Irmer.”

Trustee Keenan’s scholarship recipient is Salomé Cordinier ‘21, (D) a recent recruit to the women’s basketball team. A graduate of Lycée Honoré d’Estienne d’Orves in France, she played at the national level in France starting when she was only 15 years old.

She recently placed second at the U20 National Final Four and won the University Athletic Commission Prize for athletic and school performances. Cordinier is continuing a family tradition: both her mother and father played professional handball, and her father participated in the 1996 Olympics. Her bother is a professional basketball player in France and was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2016.

Coach Shannon Spataro said, “We are thrilled that Salomé is coming to Menlo. She is an exceptional student and a very talented and hard-working basketball player. Salomé will have an immediate impact on our program.”

C

The generosity of David Irmer ‘58 and Chop Keenan ’66 makes it possible for these four students to realize their dreams of a Menlo College education. Many more of our students need support, and we welcome donations of any level to make it possible for other deserving students to receive financial aid and continue their education. Please make an impact and give a gift to our scholarship fund. 100% of funds raised go directly to support our students.

Supporting scholarships at Menlo College ensures you will make a difference in the life of a student. Use the enclosed envelope to make a donation, or go to www.menlo.edu/ways-to-give or contact the Office of Alumni Engagement & Development at (650) 543-3823.

Thank you for your support.

Your gift matters.

“My Menlo College education opened up doors for me, and I want to do the same for the students of today. My donation allows me to share my success with others, and seeing Menlo students succeed is the gift I get in return,” said David Irmer ’58.

D

Photographs: Aaron Gillespie and OaksSports.com

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Happy Retirement, Linda Smith

Just as those of us in the Menlo community miss the presence of the mighty oak that stood outside the library, we will soon miss another beloved pillar of the college—Dean of Library Services Linda Smith. After twelve years of helping to build the library into one of the most welcoming and helpful resources on campus, Dean Smith will retire this December 2017.

Dean Smith is a Renaissance woman with interests in art, literature, book design, other cultures, and whatever questions students and colleagues pose to her. As such, she is the perfect leader for one of the Bowman Library programs students love most—the personal librarian. Seniors writing theses and others are assigned one librarian to help with research. “I think our personal interactions are the best of what we do at Bowman,” Dean Smith says. “This runs the gamut from quick student questions about printing to our work as personal librarians giving yearlong, individualized help finding resources.”

“

Photograph: Andrey Poliakov

Linda Smith’s enthusiasm is key to her work. When helping me research new titles for my literature class, she had an almost child-like glee about finding new books.

“

Lowell Pratt, Literature and Coordinator of Adjunct Faculty

Some students may not know that Dean Smith also helped spearhead another important resource at Menlo—the art committee that brings art and artists to campus. Active on the committee since its founding in 2007, Dean Smith was co-chair for the exhibit 85 Artists 85 Years, which celebrated Menlo’s history by asking artists to create original work for each of those years.

(The lovely exhibit catalog is in the library, of course!) Dean Smith says, “I think being in the business world doesn’t negate the need for art or the love of art. It’s important to expose students to art as another way of thinking.”

Her own art, which she calls an “avocational interest,” includes such evocative objects as a handmade book combining memoir, descriptions of her own sewing projects, and historical research about clothing. She looks forward to getting back to her art in retirement. “I don't want to say too much about future plans, but one project relates to time and my morning commute from San Francisco.”

She explains further, “Funny as it sounds, I’ll miss my morning drive along the beautiful San Francisco watershed. That commute has contributed to my creative life.”

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What else will she miss? Without missing a beat, she says, “The wonderful students.” A wistful moment passes and she adds, “I’ll miss the faculty and staff and the intellectualism on campus.

I’ve been exposed to so many subjects and ideas that I might not have otherwise encountered.” Likewise, Linda, we in the Menlo community will deeply miss your creative, graceful and centered presence.

“

I can think of few people I’ve met who are consistently fair, supportive, mindful, informed, professional, creative, and inclusive. I am grateful that someone who has contributed so much to Menlo will have the opportunity to enjoy the retirement she so richly deserves. We will all feel Linda’s absence, but we wish her many days of joy, health, and happiness in the years to come.

“

Leslie Sekerka, Professor of Management

Introducing New Faculty and Staff to Menlo We are pleased to welcome several new faculty and staff who started work on campus the 2017-18 academic year.

In order to be more responsive to student needs, we expanded our academic advising team with the addition of Patty Lev as Director of Academic Advising, and Mike Palmieri as Academic Advisor and Disability Services Specialist. We also recently welcomed Dylan Houle as our new Associate Director of Internships and Career Services, and Shilpa Dasgupta, our new Math Center Director. These new faces come with new spaces -areas in the Administration Building were modified to accommodate the Center for Academic & Professional Success, including the Gullard Family Academic Success Center.

Kristen Lee joined Academic Affairs as our new Director of Institutional Effectiveness. She will be working with offices across campus to help with data collection for accreditation processes, enrollment, assessment, and program review. And Qi Huang joined the College as our Technical Services Librarian.

Professor Nicole Jackson is new to Menlo College as of the fall semester. A U.C. Berkeley PhD, Professor Jackson was most recently on the faculty at the University of Connecticut, where her research examined organizational and leadership ambidexterity – the need to balance exploitation of competencies with the need for innovation. Additional areas of expertise she brings to Menlo include organizational change and policy/ program evaluation.

In support of our plans to expand the scope of our sports management program, Andy Dolich was appointed as our Entrepreneur in Residence. He brings impressive credentials as a noted American sports executive with more than three decades of experience in the professional sports industry, including executive positions in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. We have four new head coaches this season: John Carrion – baseball, Denise Sheldon – women’s volleyball, Joey Railey – club baseball and intramurals, and Mike Givens – golf.

Newly minted PhD Andrea Peeters, Dean of Student Affairs, proudly displays her diploma.

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In Memory – On September 7, 2017, Menlo College lost a treasure with the passing of Dorothy Skala, Director Emerita of Alumni Relations.

What was supposed to be two years of work to pay for home renovations starting in 1955, became a storied 54-year career.

Dorothy began her career as an assistant to John “Judge” Russell. Through the years, she served Menlo College in many roles, culminating as Director of Alumni Relations upon her retirement in 2009. Throughout, she exhibited great dedication and a passion for students and alumni.

Karl Buder ’66, vividly remembers visiting Menlo after his tour of duty in Vietnam. “I could see in her eyes the joy of seeing me back home. She gave me the biggest hug and kiss with a hearty welcome home!” These types of greetings were common, and especially endearing at that time.

In 1971, when Menlo College accepted its first female students, Dorothy became a confidante and eventual friend to many of the young women. The intelligence, tenacity and spirit of these women made an impression on Dorothy. She consistently encouraged and supported them in their goals to succeed in life. Frances Mann Craik ’76, remembers her fondly, “She was our mom as she welcomed each of us home to campus, and welcomed our children, and grandchildren too.”

In her book “Dorothy Skala Remembers Menlo College,” she shared stories from her tenure at Menlo, the wild student pranks and collegial relationships with faculty and staff.

Through all of those recollections, her affinity for Menlo College rang clear.

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Dorothy was loved by faculty and staff alike, but particularly by students and alumni. Even in her later years, she attended alumni events and fondly remembered her time at Menlo.

She will be missed and her memory will be cherished forever.

–– Dorothy Skala In Honor of Dorothy There are a number of ways in which you can honor Dorothy and support her legacy to Menlo College. This summer, the Office of Alumni Engagement and Development relocated to the former Academic Success Center (adjacent to Bowman Library). With the family’s blessing, Dorothy was made aware of plans to name the new alumni center in her honor, as the Dorothy Skala Alumni Center. She took great pride in the honor. Also, a few years ago, a scholarship was established in Dorothy’s name: the Dorothy Skala Scholarship Fund.

“Dorothy, your tireless efforts for our school are over, but will never be forgotten.

I’m most happy your scholarship fund will carry on your work.” –Joseph “Joe” Justice ’66 This coming spring, there will be a celebration of Dorothy’s life at Menlo College with her family; alumni and the entire Menlo community will be invited to attend. This will be a special tribute to Dorothy, her legacy, what she meant to the College and the College’s appreciation of her and her service.

“The BEST of the best…this woman lived a FABULOUS life. I am honored to have been a small part of it. Love you, Dorothy Skala.” –Lexie Plate ’80 You can show your support with a gift in honor of Dorothy by visiting: www.menlo.edu/ways-to-give/ or using the attached envelope. Be sure to designate ‘Dorothy Skala Scholarship Fund’ and/or ‘Dorothy Skala Alumni Center’ when making your gift.

Menlo College Director of Alumni Relations with John Turco ‘51 in Singapore.

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IN MEMORIAM Menlo Bids a Fond Goodbye to Professor Jan Dykstra At 10:00 AM on Sunday, December 3, 2017, friends and family of Jan Dykstra gathered on the Menlo College campus to honor the memory of Jan Dykstra, a beloved professor in the Menlo College Language and Social Science departments. Professor Dykstra taught Menlo students for 33 years, from 1963 through his retirement in 1996.

Michael Lilly ’66 remembered Professor Dykstra as one of the best professors Menlo College has ever produced, and a peerless student mentor. “I remember him conducting lectures at that open air venue many times,” said Lilly. “He was the only professor while I was there that used it for that purpose. Jan was one of those perfect professors who connected with students – who brought his subject alive and made us want to hear more.”

Professor Dykstra was still living on campus for his 90th birthday celebration in 2015. At the community gathering to honor the milestone event, Professor Dykstra regaled the guests with descriptions of the 17th and 18th century AngloDutch, his 20th century encounter with actress Elizabeth Taylor, his 21st century interactions with Menlo College students, and more. He attributed his longevity to “the youthful influence of the students.” He recalled that when he joined Menlo in 1963, “I was given a little apartment on campus, and dorm supervision was assigned as part of my duties. I had to stop a party more than once!”

Grateful alumni have honored him with the creation of the Professor Jan Dykstra Scholarship. To support this scholarship, please donate online at www.menlo. edu/ways-to-give/ and remember to designate your gift for the “Professor Dykstra Scholarship” where indicated. Or call our development office at 650.543.3823.

Richard A. Stephens ’47, 1925 – 2017 An alumnus of Menlo College and Stanford University, Richard Stephens ’47 died on June 6, 2017, at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. Best known as the mastermind behind the Academy of Art University, he oversaw the Academy’s growth from 50 to more than 5,000 students during his tenure as president. In 1992, Mr. Stephens was succeeded as president by his daughter, Elisa Stephens.

Born in San Francisco, Mr. Stephens became one of the largest landowners in the city, with more than 1 million square feet and an estimated value of well over $100 million. The family started to collect antique cars in the 1990s, and the collection ultimately became part of the Academy of Art Automobile Museum. There are now 200 vintage cars in the museum, including some that are among the rarest and most valuable in the world.

As a young child, Mr. Stephens and his family lived in Paris, where his father studied art at the Academie Julian. In 1929, Mr. Stephens’ father founded the Academy of Art in San Francisco. The younger Mr. Stephens attended Burlingame High School, and then joined the Navy during World War II. After the war, he enrolled at Menlo College, and subsequently obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree and his Master’s in education from Stanford University in 1951. That same year, he joined the Academy of Art as president, a role he held for the next 41 years.

For 36 years, Mr. Stephens lived in Hillsborough. He retired in 1995, and that same year he moved to Woodside. He was married to the former Susanne Conwell from 1958. In addition to his wife, Mr. Stephens is survived by his daughter Elisa Stephens and his grandson Richard Stephens Conlon.

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Carrying the Message of Ethical Action to the World

By Dr. Leslie Sekerka, Professor of Management Over the summer, Professor Sekerka presented her research to scholars around the globe. She thanks the James Hervey Educational Trust for helping sponsor her efforts to build moral strength in everyday life.

My tour began in Baltimore, MD at the Eastern Academy Management meeting where I presented a study examining ethical consumption.

Menlo students provided the data for this work, engaging in an online reflective exercise to deconstruct why they chose to buy (or not buy) an unnecessary product purchase. The activity prompted millennial participants to think more about why they’re buying something they do not need, and to learn how to become more intentional in their consumer decisions.

I then traveled to Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, where I was selected to conduct a master class on teaching business ethics to other professors in the field of management. My innovative technique, Balanced Experiential Inquiry, designed to enhance moral self-awareness, was hailed as a valued contribution to the gathering.

Next up—the United Kingdom. I presented research on Islamophobia as a workplace ethical issue at the European Academy of Management (Glasgow, Scotland) and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (London, England) Conferences. Reviewers found the Sekerka and Marar Yacobian scholarship to be insightful. I also met with staff members at the Runnymede Trust. As a leading independent race equality think tank, the meeting stimulated insights to advance future research on discrimination in organizational settings by international policies that address stigmatization, specifically Anti-Muslimism.

At the Humanistic Management and Academy of Management Conferences in Atlanta, GA, I led sessions on responsible leadership in research and pedagogical advances, including a Professional Development Workshop on “Ethics as a Daily Deal,” which led to insights that will help advance Menlo’s curriculum. My work on moral competencies is highly valued and will continue to be advanced. At present, my professional moral courage scale is being used nationwide for management training throughout the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Exploring this focus on a global scale provides exciting prospects for future research in performance metrics and ongoing adult moral development.

Alumni Spotlight: Natalie Leesakul ‘13 While in Scotland, I had the pleasure of visiting Menlo alumni Natalie Leesakul. She graduated from Menlo magna cum laude with a double major in International Management and Marketing (2013). As a business student in Silicon Valley, she witnessed the legal struggles of startups. She decided to combine her interests in an effort to learn about the interface of business and law in the tech industry. Natalie is currently finishing up her LLM (Master of Laws) in Innovation, Technology and the Law at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She is fascinated by the regulations of new technologies and the ethical issues arising from using Artificial Intelligence in the digital world. As she completes her dissertation, Natalie is interning for the Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute at the University of Nottingham. This opportunity leverages her research, which examines the role of consumer law in the governance of targeted advertising algorithms.

Natalie describes her reflections on Menlo with us: “One of the biggest advantages Menlo offers the student is a family-like community where students can have lifetime mentorship and support from their professors.

Even though I already graduated from Menlo, I am able to stay connected with many of the faculty and still go to them for guidance and wisdom, to help guide my career path. My meeting with Professor Sekerka was an incredible experience and I would not have been able to sustain this sort of professional and personal relationship had it not been for the close familial community that Menlo has to offer.”

Natalie Leesakul ‘13 with Guy Kawasaki, author, speaker, entrepreneur, and evangelist Photograph: Andrey Poliakov

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Why Art Now?

By Erik Bakke,

Director of the Writing Center Artwork by Michael Pauker

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The question sometimes arises, “What benefit does studying art offer the business or psychology majors of Menlo College?” Answering is a bit like explaining why there is more than one font, “Why not just Helvetica?”

But, an answer does reside near the heart of what it means to be human. Humans invent. The imagination that founds businesses, creates Super Bowl ads, studies the mind, heals the sick, invents C++, and prototypes smartphones is the same imagination that created the earliest art.

In ancient times, art and technology were inseparable. The 30,000-year-old Chauvet Cave paintings of lions, rhinoceroses, and deer were likely less rarified aesthetic exercises than tools used to make sense of the world–similar to the holistic achievements of early Chinese calligraphy, Egyptian and Mayan pyramids, and Renaissance perspective drawing.

Here, now, as Menlo students engage in close reading of texts and exercises in critical thinking, they are immersed in spoken and written words (digital and otherwise), and it is easy to imagine they are learning to invent the future solely through words. But lo, take away everything but words, and you have lost the world. Today’s visual culture lexicons (software interfaces, video games, paintings, roads and buildings and signage, memes, Instagram photos, billboards, fashion, product design, medical apps, movies, sculptures, drawings, graphical representations of numerical data, and the rest) convey the contemporary world as much as words do. Like language, visual culture is inexorably linked to observing, understanding, imagining and shaping society, and this is why we teach art at Menlo.

“Why not just Helvetica?”

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New Athletics Office Spaces Named for Generous Donors Thanks to the generous gifts of supporters, the coaches and other staff, the Oaks have a state of the art workspace to call their home. The project was completed in the spring of 2017. The completely refurbished space includes a trio of conference rooms, a team video/meeting room, and new television monitors throughout the facility. The updated office space has provided the department the opportunity to house all coaches and staff in the same area, and includes room for future growth. The generous support of Robert Blair Mack ’74 was recognized with naming several of the new spaces in his honor. The Bud Presley Film Room, and the Ray Solari and Caitlin Collier Conference Rooms were named in honor of a trio of legendary Menlo Athletics coaches, also thanks to the financial support of Robert Blair Mack ‘74. A group of men’s soccer alumni provided support to name the Señor Carlos Lopez Office of Compliance and Student Services in honor of the now-deceased great soccer coach and former Menlo College president. Menlo Athletics extends a sincere thank you to all who helped make this project possible!

Menlo College Earns NAIA Recognition Only 5% of the 249 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics member institutions receive the Gold Star Champions of Character award. In 2017, Menlo College was once again among those elite institutions. It was the eighth consecutive year Menlo College has been recognized as one of the NAIA Champions of Character.

Go Oaks!

The mission of the Champions of Character program is to help student-athletes and their coaches embody five core values: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership—on and off the playing field. Each of the 249 NAIA member institutions is measured on a demonstrated commitment to Champions of Character and earns points in character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition, and character promotion.

In the 2016-17 academic year, 45% of student-athletes at Menlo College maintained a 3.1 grade point average or higher. Student-athletes also spent time during the season volunteering for a number of different organizations, and earned a total of 25 individual awards for academics or service.

Menlo Athletes Serve Their Community Members of the men’s basketball team collected new, unused items and supplies for donations to our local Ronald McDonald House in September. The basketball team has a long track record of supporting the mission of the Ronald McDonald House to directly improve the health and well-being of children.

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Athletes Bike to Raise Funds to End Homelessness Women from the Menlo College soccer team joined with the men of Menlo’s wrestling team to put their fitness to the test for a good cause in September. The Oaks raised $2,000 in the LiveMoves San Mateo Bike-a-Thon to raise money for a local organization that aims to break the cycle of homelessness.

The 42 Menlo athletes biked a combined 255 miles at Basecamp Fitness in Burlingame, establishing a new facility record. “We were excited to have this opportunity to help people in need in our area, and to push ourselves physically at the same time,” said Javier Gonzalez ‘18. Director of Wrestling Joey Martinez added, “This was a great opportunity to get our student-athletes to work together to help those in need in our community. I’m proud of the way our students joined together to put their best effort forward.

They made a difference.”

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ATHLETICS Almost 40% of Menlo College students are on a varsity team, and many more yet are active in recreational, intramural, or club sports. Strong student engagement combined with a well-managed athletics department mean that sports are an incredibly positive force on campus – on the field and off.

We credit the athletics program with the development of leadership skills, school pride and loyalty, effective time-management training, and more. There’s a full house at almost all home games, and the infectious spirit that brings to our campus is the envy of schools everywhere. To suggest the multi-faceted roles our student-athletes play on campus, profiles of three of them follow.

Kaylin Swart ‘18 A senior goalkeeper on the Menlo College Women’s Soccer team, Kaylin Swart has been nationally recognized for her efforts on the pitch.

Swart has been named an NAIA All-American in each of her two seasons with the Oaks and appears to be well on her way to a third such honor. Swart is the all-time career leader in shutouts, saves and goals against average in Menlo Women’s Soccer history and has the potential to be the first three-time All-American in program history. In addition to her play at Menlo, Swart spent the summer of 2016 as an alternate on her native South Africa’s Olympic team. She trained with the squad all summer and traveled with the team to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 games.

“Kaylin is not only an exceptional player but also a caring teammate and a charismatic personality. She’s a joy to be around on and off the field.”

Head Coach Robin Hart

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Caitlin Sorensen ‘19 In addition to being an impact player on the women’s soccer team, Caitlin Sorensen ’19 gives generously of her time in Student Government and campus clubs. She was Freshman Class President, is currently the Student Government Director of Programming, and she is the club president of Oakie’s Army and Serving our Society.

Sorensen was appointed to the Golden State Athletic Conference Student Athlete Advisory Committee this year. She was also selected as the Golden State Athletic Conference’s winner of the Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character award, which is given to one student-athlete who excels in campus and community leadership and academic achievement, and who embraces the NAIA’s five core values. She’s managed to do all this while excelling in the classroom and earning a place in the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.

“Caitlin is someone who can do it all.

She juggles a lot of different roles and does so exceptionally, with confidence and poise.” Head Coach Robin Hart Solin Piearcy ‘20 While only in her second year at Menlo, Solin Piearcy ‘20 has already established herself as an invaluable member of the Menlo College women’s wrestling team, and a contributor to campus life more broadly. Piearcy came to Menlo as one of just 11 women in California to place in the high school state wrestling tournament in each of her four seasons on the mat. She put the exclamation mark on her prep career as a senior when she won the state title.

At Menlo, Piearcy continued her success with a fifth place finish at nationals last year, and becoming only the second freshman in the last three seasons to earn All-American status. Solin is also a peer mentor, the Vice President of the Art Club, and a member of both the Pacific Islander and Jujitsu Clubs. She has also made the Dean’s List every semester.

“Solin is a true example of what we expect of our student-athletes – a champion in the classroom and on the mat.

Head Coach Joey Bareng

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ATHLETICS Announcing the Menlo College Athletics 2017 Hall of Fame Class Kathy Imwalle (A) - a staple in Menlo College Athletics for over 12 years, she retired in 2014 as the Assistant Athletics Director and Business Manager under Athletics Director Keith Spataro. “When I first came to Menlo in 2002, I immediately felt a connection to the other coaches. I loved being part of the immense growth of athletics over the next 12 years,” said Imwalle.

A

Reggie Christiansen ’98 (B)- a major figure in the college baseball landscape, Christiansen recently completed his seventh season as head coach at Sacramento State University. As a student-athlete, Christiansen was a standout on the field. Among others, he held the record for career home runs at Menlo until 2013. “I was shocked and humbled when I got the phone call. I’m looking forward to being back on campus and having my kids see where I played and went to school.”

E

Bill Ochs ’68 (C)- a two-sport standout on both the baseball and soccer fields, Ochs impressed on the baseball diamond as a slick-fielding infielder who consistently hit above .300; on the soccer field, he led the team with 18 goals in the 1967 season and earned All-Conference honors. “It’s an honor to be inducted,” said Ochs. “It was a whole lot of fun playing with (Boza) and it’ll be a lot of fun receiving this honor with him as well.”

B

Paul Shank ’68 (D) - a football standout, Shank earned All-Conference honors. As the team’s primary kick returner, he led the team in all major statistical categories in that realm. Off the field he was elected the Menlo Student freshman class vice-president in 1967. He is now a Certified Physician’s Assistant in Yuba City, where he also coaches the Yuba City High School boys’ soccer team. “When I got the call saying I was in, I was jumping in the air in excitement.” said Shank.

F

Jorge Boza ’68 (E) - Boza was one of the most prolific goal scorers in Menlo College soccer history. A native of Lima, Peru, Boza was known as being a steadfast ball handler with a rocket shot, and he led the team in scoring with 13 goals in 1966. Boza is currently the president of TPS Global, LLC/TPS Armoring. Noted Boza, “To receive a lifetime honor like this is very exciting and humbling.”

C

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Enrique Ybarra ’91 (F) – a native of Seville, Spain, Ybarra was arguably the most prolific goal scorer in the long and storied history of the Menlo College men’s soccer program. Ybarra turned an entrepreneurial class assignment into City Sightseeing, the world’s largest excursion sightseeing bus tour operator. He has also always been one to give back to Menlo College. He was one of the founders of the annual Señor Carlos Lopez Alumni soccer game which takes place on campus each fall. He also spearheaded the Menlo College European Alumni Chapter.

Caitlin Collier (G) - the first women’s basketball head coach who, over the course of 10 seasons, made the women’s basketball program a nationally-recognized team in the NAIA. Upon receiving news that she was to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Collier said, “I was surprised, humbled and excited, and it instantly brought back memories. Keith [Spataro] has been an incredible AD and a good friend, so to hear the news from him was awesome.”

G

Oaks Teams Soar The fall season for the Oaks is still underway as this issue goes to press, and the Oaks are already giving the Menlo community much to celebrate.

In a first for Menlo, women’s volleyball advanced to the conference semifinals after winning their playoff game against The Master’s Mustangs in four sets. All-GSAC honor winner Maggie McDonald ’19 recorded a game-best 16 kills for the Oaks. The Oaks lost the semi-final match against the topseeded Westmont Warriors on the following day, but by that time they had already made Menlo history, winning 22 games this season—the most wins for the Oaks since 1991. It was an auspicious debut for new coach Denise Sheldon.

Continued on page 52.

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ATHLETICS

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Continued from page 50.

Under Shannon Spataro’s leadership, women’s basketball remains undefeated with 9 season wins. Men’s basketball also launched the season in style. Led by head coach Kaniela Aiona, the Oaks have won 9 of their 11 games so far this season.

Our wrestling program director Joey Martinez leads both the men’s and the women’s teams.

Under his leadership, men’s wrestling is now ranked #4 in the nation, while our women’s wrestling team, under head coach Joey Barang’s leadership, is ranked as the 7th best team in the nation.

Congratulations to all the staff and students who work so hard to bring Menlo glory.

Photographs: Aaron Gillespie and OaksSports.com

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Non Profit Org US Postage PAID Denver, CO Permit No 3280 1000 El Camino Real Atherton, CA, 94027-4301 www.menlo.edu

2018 EVENTS February 3

the

OAKS Alumni Game Watch Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings Sacramento, CA

February 21

For more information contact the Office of Alumni Engagement and Development at alumni@menlo.edu or 650.543.3914.

www.menlo.edu/events

OAKS-In-Industry Networking Event Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company San Carlos, CA

March 24

Vegas Night Menlo College Campus

April 14

Pacific Islander’s Club Lu’au Menlo College Campus

April 19

Honors Convocation Menlo College Campus

April 28

All-Athlete Banquet Menlo College Campus

May 5

Commencement Menlo College Campus