Miamian Magazine Fall/Winter 2017 by Miami University Advancement

miami an The Magazine of Miami University

IN THIS ISSUE:

Luxembourg Camaraderie High Street Memories Ox College Revisited

Fall/Winter 2017

TRUE GAME CHANGER

Steve Fitzhugh â&#x20AC;&#x2122;86 builds trust between teens and police

FLOWERS IN THE RUFF Rachel Smith ’12, assistant professor in jewelry, metals, enameling at Kent State University, created “Chicory and Stiff Gentian Ruff,” waterjet cut aluminum with powder coat, after she decided to focus on the two wildflowers for a year because of their shapes and colors. Her 20 x 20 x 7 " piece is in the Miami University Art Museum’s exhibition of works by 73 alumni and art faculty. It runs through Dec. 16.

Staff Editor Donna Boen ’83 MTSC ’96 Miamian@MiamiOH.edu

Vol. 36, No. 1

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Senior Designer Belinda Rutherford

The Magazine of Miami University

Photographers Jeff Sabo Scott Kissell Web Developer Suzanne Clark

STORIES

18 A Good Name Summit

Copy Editor Brent Coleman

For Baltimore teens and police to get along, they must build relationships. That’s Steve Fitzhugh’s philosophy, and the 1986 Miamian is determined to make that happen.

Student Assistant Jessica Gonsiewski ’18

22 Corsets to Kona’s

Design Consultant Lilly Pereira www.aldeia.design University Advancement 513-529-4029 Senior Vice President for University Advancement Tom Herbert herbertw@MiamiOH.edu Alumni Relations 513-529-5957 Executive Director of the Alumni Association Kim Tavares MS ’12 kim.tavares@MiamiOH.edu Office of Development 513-529-1230 Senior Associate Vice President for University Advancement Brad Bundy Hon ’13 brad.bundy@MiamiOH.edu MiamiOH.edu/alumni

Remember Bagel & Deli’s Crunch ’n’ Munch? How about date nights at Miami-Western Theater? Decades of ads stir up fun High Street memories. What do records, corsets, and boars have in common? (page 22)

24 The Luxembourg Esprit de Corps

In anticipation of MUDEC’s 50th next fall, Lux alums tell of European experiences that changed their lives — for good.

IN EACH ISSUE

2 From the Hub Love and Honor Always, Coach

3 Back & Forth

To and From the Editor Are college football referees bias? (page 12)

Send address changes to: Alumni Records Office Advancement Services Miami University 926 Chestnut Lane Oxford, Ohio 45056 alumnirecords@MiamiOH.edu 513-529-5127 Fax: 513-529-1466

ON THE COVER Steve Fitzhugh ’86 on the streets of Baltimore. Page 18. Cover photo by Christopher Myers

Fall/Winter 2017

6 Along Slant Walk

Campus News Highlights

10 Such a Life

New Kind of Garden Party

12 Inquiry + Innovation Students Call ‘Foul’ Opus Web paper features FSC® certifications and is Lacey Act compliant; 100% of the electricity used to manufacture Opus Web is generated with Green-e® certified renewable energy.

14 Media Matters

New Works by Alumni

16 My Story

Old Miami, New Miami

30 Love & Honor History Set in Stone

32 Class Notes

Notes, News, and Weddings

46 Farewells 48 Days of Old

Bridge to New Adventures

Miamian is published three times a year by the University Advancement Division of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056. Copyright © 2017, Miami University. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Miamian is produced by University Communications and Marketing, 108 Glos Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056, 513-529-7592; Fax: 513-529-1950; Miamian@MiamiOH.edu.

from the hub

Love and Honor Always, Coach By President Greg Crawford

Editor’s note: This column is adapted from comments President Crawford shared at Coach Ara Parseghian’s memorial service Aug. 6, 2017. The coach died Aug. 2 at age 94.

“ As long as there’s unity, there’s strength.”

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When I told Coach Ara about the opportunity to become president of Miami last year, he responded: “I guess there’s only one place I’d let you go.” He had often told me about Miami in the years we worked together in the fight against Niemann-Pick disease Type-C (NPC). Miami is where he met the love of his life, Katie Davis ’50. He played football at Miami, he earned a bachelor’s and a master’s in education at Miami, he became head football coach here, and he served on our board of trustees. More than that, he was a living example of Miami’s deepest virtues and values extolled in our alma mater, our motto, and our legendary greeting. Our alma mater says our alumni are “sturdy hearted, pure of soul.” That’s Coach. Our motto is Prodesse Quam Conspici, a Latin phrase that means “to achieve without becoming conspicuous.” That’s Coach. Our deepest values are expressed in the phrase “Love and Honor.” That’s Coach. Coach was sturdy in his determination to defeat NPC, unwavering even after his grandchildren succumbed to the disease, with the pure motive to help NPC children and families. When he was autographing a football, Coach would often sign “Best wish” — not wishes plural, but just one — because it’s the best one. I know that his best wish was a cure for NPC. Coach achieved without being conspicuous, never calling attention to himself. Like every other boy growing up in Ohio in the 1970s, I dreamed of playing for Ara Parseghian. He was larger than life. When I wound up on his team fighting NPC, I marveled at his humility and magnanimity. You would never guess that this was the legendary coach with two national championships. He was a man who devoted his attention as well as his achievements to the service of others. When he was being honored by the March of Dimes soon after his grandchildren received their NPC diagnosis, he said,

“My greatest achievement, I like to think, is maybe ahead of me.” Coach demonstrated his Love and Honor with intense loyalty to his family — he was Katie’s husband; Mike and Karan and Kristan’s dad; a grandfather and a great-grandfather. He was loyal to his players, his alma mater, his friends, and the families suffering with NPC who needed his support. His famous lesson about unity and loyalty, reflecting Love and Honor, is my favorite quote: “You know what it takes to win. Just look at my fist. When I make a fist, it’s strong and you can’t tear it apart. As long as there’s unity, there’s strength.” I will never forget that day last October when he and Katie landed in the little Oxford airport on RedHawk One. Sixty years after Coach left, he was still a legend at Miami, and the studentathletes — not just football players — all lined up along the taxiway to welcome him with Love and Honor. While working at Notre Dame, I visited Coach’s statue near the stadium countless Ara Parseghian ’49 MEd ’54 times for inspiration when I became Miami’s head football coach in March 1951 after was facing a difficult challenge Woody Hayes left for OSU. — I found comfort in passing by that famous statue. Fortunately for me, we have a statue of Ara in our Cradle of Coaches — he’s kneeling, that fist open in what looks like a peace sign as he calls a play from the sidelines. One of my first acts at Miami was to award the President’s Medal. As I read through the high standards — someone who truly exemplified Love and Honor — there was no doubt who would receive my first one. There is no greater model than Coach Ara of living Miami’s values for our students, our faculty, our staff, and our alumni. And for me.

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Story incomplete I read with great interest your cover article about Miami graduates’ long history of volunteering in the Peace Corps (“The Humane Connection,” Summer 2017 Miamian). However, I was dismayed to reach its end and find that it failed to mention Matt Sherman ’88. Matt joined the Peace Corps before we graduated, and shipped out for Honduras in June 1988. After finishing his initial training, he learned that his grandmother died and headed back to the Peace Corps center in Tegucigalpa to make arrangements to travel home to Ohio for her funeral. Unfortunately, Tegucigalpa was rife with guerrilla activity as a byproduct of nearby Nicaragua’s civil war. On Sept. 8, 1988, as he was entering the Peace Corps compound, a guard mistook Matt for a Sandinista rebel and shot and killed him. Matt was the 201st Peace Corps volunteer to die during active duty service, and I believe, the first member of the Class of 1988 to pass away. Matt was a great guy … funny and charming. He played Euchre, loved

practical jokes, and sang off-key. He genuinely wanted to help people and was thrilled to be in the Peace Corps. One of our classmates, Jamie Wimberly, was with him in the Peace Corps the day he died. Jamie said Matt was confident he could make a difference and encouraged other volunteers to have faith in themselves. Another classmate, Mary Lynn Holtzapfel Bosway, remembered being Matt’s date at his fraternity party the night Matt won a Fly-Me contest. The two of them won a pair of airline tickets that flew them, that night, to Las Vegas. According to Mary Lynn, Matt “terrified his mom” by calling her from Vegas when she thought he was safe in Oxford. That’s how Matt was — fun to be around, a good friend, encouraging, and kind. Any story about Miami’s commitment to the Peace Corps should include Matt, who made the ultimate sacrifice. I speak for the Class of 1988 when I say we are proud of him, we miss him, and we have not forgotten him. Matthew Norton Sherman gave his life to make the world a better place, for love and honor. —Kim Lockhart ’88 Reston, Va. Peace Corps vs. Vietnam As a drafted U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, I couldn't help smiling at two dramatically contrasting stories in the summer issue: "The

Humane Connection," with the subhead "Peace Corps' strength is real people helping each other," and "Miami Friends, American Heroes," a story about two Miami grads who were friends and members of Navy ROTC who served in the Vietnam War. Being a member of Veterans for Peace, I was pleased Miamian's cover art favored the Peace Corps over the "War Corps." —Louis Pumphrey '64 Shaker Heights, Ohio Adventures ahead It was with great interest that my husband and I read the Miamian article about the Peace Corps, as we are currently serving with the Peace Corps in Gevgelija, Macedonia, in Eastern Europe! We arrived almost two years ago. Typically, volunteers serve 27 months; we are extending our service an extra year … lots of work to do, lots of people to meet, lots of adventures ahead! We are not your typical volunteers. Allan ’75 was an environmental specialist for 40 years and, upon retiring, is now in the community development sector of the PC, working with an NGO, doing environmental education and developing environmental practices in our community. I spent many years teaching all over the United States, and now I am a teacher trainer here, working with teachers of English language on how to use best practices and

Send letters to: Donna Boen Miamian editor 108 Glos Center Miami University Oxford, Ohio 45056-2480 Miamian@MiamiOH.edu; or fax to 513-529-1950. Include your name, class year, home address, and phone number. Letters are edited for space and clarity.

Fall/Winter 2017

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new ideas in their classrooms. I also work with special needs students and high school girls working on leadership skills, plus teach yoga to community members. We just celebrated 42 years of marriage and have four happy adult children and 6.5 grandchildren! We encourage anyone with questions about Macedonia or Peace Corps service to get in touch with us at kathycawrse@yahoo.com. —Kathleen Allen Cawrse ’75 Gevgelija, Macedonia

Dr. Griffith’s class was “unlike any other that I’d ever been in and made me want to come to Miami.”

Art of teaching What a pleasure it was to see the artwork by Bing Davis MEd ’67 ("Drawing on African Heritage," Summer 2017 Miamian). I was fortunate to have him my freshman year for Visuals 101. I was more nervous about taking an art class than I was my chemistry class. Bing taught us so much more than art basics. Looking at the world around us, our effects on others, and understanding people were a few of the items he quietly taught us that semester. Always encouraging, he also pushed me to do more, explore more. During my years at Miami, we kept in touch. He always had time to listen to me and mentor me. I am grateful to have had him touch my life. Thanks so much for featuring a piece of his artwork. —Linda Sturdevant Parker '80 Holland, Mich. Happy Anniversary, ILR The Miami Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and deserves a big THANK YOU from my wife and me. After we moved to Maineville, Ohio, from Michigan,

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we were introduced to the ILR program by some Miami friends. ILR was established in Oxford to provide a mentally active community for adults of retirement age. The first session, in spring 1997, was 10 courses for 76 members. By spring 2017, ILR had expanded to 1,541 courses and events for 10,202 participants in Monroe, Fairfield, Hamilton, and West Chester! Surveys indicate that 99.4 percent of the members are highly satisfied with the classes. But statistics don’t tell the whole story. It succeeds because of the people, such as Director Judy Macke and “Founding Mother” Pat Baugher, plus devoted members. Obviously, if the classes weren’t interesting, the program would shrink. For example, we took a class on the Manhattan Project about the development of the atomic bomb. It was taught by retired Miami professor John Eicher, who worked on the project. He shared his experiences and insider insights. He even passed around a “safe” uranium nugget! ILR is entertaining, stimulating, and educational. Check it out at www.MiamiOH.edu/ilr. —Dan Szuhay ’64 MEd ’65 Maineville, Ohio Dr. Griffith's class I recently came across a memorial article in our local Fort Wayne, Ind., News-Sentinel that caught my attention. How many of us visited Miami during our senior year in high school to check out the campus and attended a class or two? During such a trip with my good friend Chuck Baker ’75, we sat through Zoology 52, Principles

of Human Physiology, taught by Professor Russell E. Griffith, in Laws Hall. That class was unlike any other I’d ever been in and made me want to come to Miami. I was lucky enough to find myself sitting in the same class the next fall as a freshman pre-med student. I still have my notes from his class! —David Shakley ’75 Fort Wayne, Ind. Editor's note: Professor Griffith ’49 MA ’50 died July 12. A man of grace Thirty years ago I received my master’s in mass communication from Miami. Our commencement speaker was Ara Parseghian, who most sports fans remember as the man who brought Notre Dame back into national prominence during the 1960s and early 1970s. The 1949 Miami graduate later went on to a successful career as a college football analyst for ABC and CBS Sports. A few years after my commencement, when I was news director at WHTC-AM in Holland, Mich., I got a chance to meet the coach. I came away from the interview impressed by the way he carried himself and his willingness to answer every question this young reporter asked. I already had a high opinion of his work as a coach and broadcaster, and our interaction just added to my estimation. Parseghian began his coaching career at the ripe old age of 28 in 1951 at his alma mater, after injuries cut short his professional career with the Cleveland Browns. (His predecessor, by the way, was some guy named Wayne Woodrow Hayes, who had just left Miami to

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A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Bridging the Divide When we are quiet on the issue of race, other people come in, and they

fill the void with hatred and with anger. That’s what The Butler author Wil Haygood ’76 told a packed auditorium of people attending Miami’s Race in America conversation. That’s why Steve Fitzhugh ’86, the subject of this Miamian’s cover story, is setting up weekend retreats between Baltimore police and teens. His hope is that each will begin to trust the other. Maybe even have each other’s back. Walking those same Baltimore streets is Jeff Pegues ’92, who reports on law enforcement for CBS News. Jeff shared the stage with Wil at Cincinnati’s National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and told of his police officer friends, concerned about saving lives on both sides. So how do you fill that void? Jeff believes we haven’t acknowledged the problems yet. Until we do, we’re not going to get better. He’s written Black and Blue: Inside the Divide Between the Police and Black America to tell the facts, he says. “These are discussions that we need to have.” Wil’s latest book is Showdown, which recounts Thurgood Marshall’s contentious Senate confirmation hearing to become the first AfricanAmerican Supreme Court justice. Wil ended his part of the Saturday morning talk with an anecdote that mesmerized the audience. At age 16, he started attending a school in the suburbs so he could play on the basketball team. This meant waking up early in his Columbus projects home to catch two city buses. The first away game terrified him because the team didn’t returned to school until 11:10 p.m. The last bus back downtown made its final pickup at 11:15 p.m. “I knew it was going to take 15 minutes at a dead run to the corner to get that bus. I had to get that bus because I had to get home. There was no car in my family. “And I ran and ran as fast as I could. Then I slowed down, and it was 11:21. I knew the bus driver was gone. “When I turned the corner, I saw the yellow lights in the bus. I walked into the bus. I was breathing hard, and I said, ‘Sir, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I would have had no way to get home.’ The bus driver said, ‘I know.’ Four more times that season that bus driver waited on me.” The bus driver was a white man. “That’s the America that I love,” Wil told the audience. “ We can do better than where we’re at right now. It is heartbreaking to know that these battles continue to lead to bloodshed and injustice, so we got work to do.” —Donna Boen ’83 MTSC ’96

Andrew Sander ’02

take the head coaching job at Ohio State University.) In five years, Parseghian led Miami to two MAC titles and a record of 39–6–2. He then went to Northwestern and made the Wildcats, a traditional bottom feeder in the Big Ten, respectable. He got the attention of Notre Dame by beating the Fighting Irish four consecutive seasons. In 1964, Parseghian took over at Notre Dame, and it wasn’t long before the Irish returned to glory. In his third season, Notre Dame won the national championship with a 9–0–1 record. He kept the Irish near the top of the college football world during his tenure. In 1973, Notre Dame won its second national title under his leadership, defeating Alabama 24–23 in the Sugar Bowl. The following year, facing high expectations for another title run, the Irish had their struggles. After a lackluster 14–6 win over Navy in Philadelphia, he decided he would step down. At age 51, coaching had become too stressful for him and his family. The Irish finished the year 10–2, sending their coach out a winner with a 13-11 win over Alabama in the Orange Bowl. Parseghian posted a 95–17–4 record for a .836 winning percentage in his 11 seasons at Notre Dame, and including his tenure at Miami and Northwestern, his final coaching record was 170–58–6. In 1980, he was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Beyond the wins and championships was a man who exuded class and grace. I am thankful I got to meet him. Rest in peace, Coach. —Greg Chandler MS ’87 Grand Rapids, Mich.

Wil Haygood ’76 (left) and Jeff Pegues ’92 leading a conversation on Race in America. They were introduced by Elizabeth Wiecher Pierce ’93, CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

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Seeking Painless Performance Professors use sensors to measure whether a student is overusing various muscles as she plays. Their feasibility pilot study suggests people may reduce injuries by incorporating the Alexander Technique, which teaches a way to rid the body of harmful and unnoticed tension.

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Whether sitting at a computer, operating a

jackhammer, or playing a violin, anyone can be affected by repetitive motion injuries. “We tend to organize ourselves around the tools in our hand or the object we’re working on and forget to pay attention to our own kinesthetic self,” said music professor Harvey Thurmer. “And then we get in trouble.” It’s not easy unlearning a habit, something psychology professor Jay Smart takes particular interest in. His lab examines kinematics — the way thought and strategy reveal themselves in physical movement. Thurmer and Smart joined with kinesiology professor Bill Berg to collect numerical and experiential data on collegiate string players to

determine if they generate more muscle activity than necessary. Previous studies were exclusively quantitative or qualitative and focused solely on professional musicians. The three Miami professors published their initial findings in the June 2017 Medical Problems of Performing Artists journal. Co-authors are Rachelle Wolf MM ’14 and Henry Cook PhD ’15. The team discovered that to truly measure the benefits of the Alexander Technique (AT), they would need a larger sample of collegiate musicians. A method that reduces unnecessary muscular and mental strain, AT is about unraveling the way people think to change the way they move, and it’s not just for artists.

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Learning From Each Other Miami Tribe and University reach new milestone in relationship Kara Strass always felt connected to her Native American ancestry because of her grandmother’s stories, but it wasn’t until she came to Miami University that she discovered other aspects of her identity. As she pursues a master’s in student affairs in higher education, Strass is learning the Myaamia language and more about her Miami Tribe’s history and culture. The graduate assistant at the Myaamia Center — a research-focused collaboration between the tribe and university — works with the 31 undergraduate Myaamia students taking classes on the Oxford campus. “The language, culture, and games, and extending that kinship network, all of those have been really important to me coming to a deeper understanding of who I am,” she said. Strass is part of the first generation in nearly 100 years learning to speak the language. (Myaamia is “Miami” in the Miami language.) The center is leading this language and cultural revitalization effort. Director Daryl Baldwin credits the relationship between the two Miamis —the sovereign tribal nation and the public educational institution — with reaching this significant milestone.

I’M GLAD YOU ASKED Hard to believe now, but some of us yearned for home and our high school buddies when we started college, so we wanted to know:

When did Miami start to feel like home?

The minute I stepped foot on campus. It just felt right. Miami Tribe Chief Doug Lankford (right) and Miami University President Greg Crawford sign an agreement.

This fall the tribe and the university embarked on a collaborative agreement to increase recognition of the relationship, which spans 45 years and is rooted in common geographic, historic, educational, and cultural interests. A new, jointly designed Myaamia Heritage Logo is part of that agreement, which Miami Tribe Chief Doug Lankford and Miami University President Greg Crawford signed Oct. 21. The Myaamia word neepwaantiinki, which means “learning from each other,” embodies the core understanding of this relationship. It captures the desire to mutually engage with each other by creating opportunities for learning and sharing.

“ It’s when you build a product for yourself and you have ideas of elegance and simplicity … that you get the greatest, best products.”

Megan Rux ’18, Chicago, Ill., strategic communication and international studies

After getting more involved with student organizations on campus. Remy Groh ’18, Cleveland, Ohio, art education and art

When I started hanging out with the people in my dorm. We’re all still friends today. Benjamin Prout ’18, Oakwood, Ohio, accountancy

—Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer and speaker for Miami’s Farmer School of Business 2017 Anderson Distinguished Lecture Series.

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NOTEWORTHY

Suzanne Kunkel MA ’79, professor of sociology and gerontology and director of the Scripps Gerontology Center, and Allen McConnell, professor of psychology, each has been awarded the title of University Distinguished Professor by Miami’s board of trustees. Kunkel is a gerontologist and demographer who works on problems associated with the long-term care of elders. Her projections of population aging and the impact on long-term care needs include a focus on global aging and the consequences of a rapidly aging society on less-developed regions of the world. McConnell, an experimental social psychologist, explores how relationships with entities such as families and pets affect health and well-being, how people decode others’ nonverbal displays, how non-conscious and conscious beliefs affect judgment and behavior, and how self-knowledge influences emotions, goals, and actions. Melissa Thomasson, the Julian Lange Professor of Economics at Miami, testified on Capitol Hill Sept. 6 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affair about the evolution of the health insurance market in the U.S. and its effect on health-care costs. She touched on why the United States has an employment-based system of health insurance, how the system leads to rising health-care costs, and how the past can inform present health-care policy.

miamian magazine

RISING RANKS

21st #1 among public colleges and universities in U.S. for four-year graduation rate; first among publics in Ohio.

for public undergraduate teaching nationwide, from 2018 U.S. News & World Report.

Yes, and ... Miami’s new alumni director is a “Yes, and” person. Kim Pohlman Tavares MBA ’12 has always been eager to tackle far more than her job description. Need an events planner? The youngest of seven will take that on. How about manager of advancement’s IT staff? She’s open to it. That’s how an international politics major from George Washington University ended up at PBS handling media relations and crisis communications. Then, in 2009, she left Washington, D.C., to become Miami’s advancement communications director. It was one of the hardest decisions she’s ever made. One of her best, too, she says, as she and her husband, Justin, thoroughly enjoy raising their son, Quinn, 10, and daughter, Amelia, 6, close to family. Tavares relishes excitement and challenges, and she’s taking on more of both with her promotion this fall to associate vice president for advancement. In doing so, she’s filling a void created when Ray Mock ’82 MS ’83 retired this summer. Among her new challenges is this social media question: With Facebook now connecting alumni, what is the role of the alumni office?

Kim Pohlman Tavares MBA ’12

Remember that “Yes, and”? “We can jump right into that Facebook conversation with them,” she says. One of her advantages is Oxford and all the on-campus activities available to alumni. She also envisions alumni programs around the country focused on career and service-oriented networking. But first, the self-described “laid back Type A” is visiting key volunteers and good friends of Miami to find out what they’re looking for in their alma mater. She not only handles change easily, she encourages it. “I’m an optimist about stuff. I’m, ‘Let’s try it. Let’s see what’s going to happen.’ ”

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Puuuuuuull!: The extremely intense, highly competitive Puddle Pull kicks off Greek Week every fall. During the week’s numerous events, Miami’s 46 sororities and fraternities promote relationships through service projects, such as Crop Walk for Hunger and a blood drive, as well as sporting events. In 2016-2017, according to the Sorority Life Annual Report, 5,428 or 33 percent of Miami undergraduates participated in Greek life. Their community service hours totaled 20,360, and they raised $371,442 for philanthropies.

5 Kids at Miami — at Same Time! John and Jennifer Ridge have five chil-

dren attending Miami. Really. “It’s close, it’s convenient, it’s a great school, especially for business,” said Jennifer, a dermatologist in Middletown. “They have ‘gone off’ to college, but we still have many opportunities for family time,” said John, an entrepreneur. Connor, 24, is studying architecture and design. Christian and Hannah, 22, each earned a bachelor’s from Miami and are pursuing master’s degrees here. He majored in accountancy and finance

and is seeking a master’s of accountancy. Having earned a degree in English education, Hannah is pursuing a master’s in experience design. Cameron, 21, graduates from the Regionals in December with an associate’s in business. Olivia, 17, a high school senior, takes classes at Miami’s Middletown campus. When Dr. Ridge tells patients what her kids are up to, “They say, ‘Well, you better find something else on me to treat because you need the money.’ ”

MARCHING IN GRAND STYLE The Miami University Marching Band debuted its new uniforms for Family Weekend’s home crowd Oct. 7. Discussing the first major design departure in two decades, band Director Stephen Lytle says the jacket is intentionally modern with a split collar and multitoned fabric, yet it preserves traditional elements such as the beveled M. “Now our external look matches our pride in serving the Miami community.”

such a life

NEW KIND OF GARDEN PARTY Everyone who attended this garden party at the presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home came dressed for crunches and triceps dips instead of sugar cookies and chip dip. Exercise enthusiasts who extol the importance of staying fit, President Greg and Renate Crawford are opening up Lewis Place several Saturday mornings each semester for MOVE Outdoor Bootcamp. MOVE (Miami & Oxford Value Exercise) is run by recreational sports. No RSVP required. Just show up and sweat. Black leggings optional.

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inquiry + innovation

Students Call ‘Foul’ Study finds bias in football rulings on the field

By Elizabeth Jenike MA ’14

When you’re a frustrated football fan, a phrase you probably utter a lot is, “Come on, ref!”

Mike Macey ’17, Mickey Whitford ’17, and professor Rhett Brymer are no different — except that they have access to big data analytics tools, and the skills to use them, to back up their frustrations. In 2013, Brymer, the John Mee Endowed Assistant Professor of Management at Miami, decided sitting on the sidelines as a fan wasn’t going to cut it, so he set out to find what, if any, biases existed in college football (CFB) officiating. He started sorting through mountains of game films from 2005 to 2012. His resulting study was presented at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Bloomberg Businessweek contributor Bryan Gruley picked up the story. His article, “Do College Football Refs Have It In for Your Team?” ran in the Dec. 1, 2016, issue. It turns out there’s more than one way to determine bias in referees. The traditional way, used by the NCAA officiating teams, is for monitors to view game film and judge how good or bad certain calls are. They also watch for any systemic biases, such as referees throwing games or tournaments. The second way, which Brymer ascribed to, was to use data analysis to make the same determinations.

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38,000 observations As a follow-up to his earlier study, Brymer collected data from every major college football game played from 2012 to 2015. He entered more than 38,000 observations into one Excel sheet. Each observation represented an instance where a penalty was called on the field. Here’s where Macey and Whitford got involved. Undergraduate students at the time, they took a data analysis course in spring 2015 taught by Waldyn Martinez, assistant professor of information systems and analytics. Martinez mentioned Brymer’s research as a way that data analytics can be applied to the real world, and the students’ ears perked up. Just the day before, Macey, an accountancy and analytics double major, had told Whitford, a supply

inquiry + innovation

To read “Exploring Discretionary Foul Biases in Major College Football Officiating,” go to www.fsb.miamioh. edu/fsb/rhett/football.pdf.

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officials favoring flagship teams with high prestige, officials favoring home teams, officials calling in-conference games differently than out-of-conference games, and officials changing their tendencies from year to year. “Mickey and Mike did the heavy lifting,” Brymer said. And they did it for no class credit, no pay. “Once we got the finalized model, it was all about making it more interpretable and including the right parameters, such as year or performance,” Whitford said. “We did a lot of the computation and data analysis. Then Dr. Brymer made sense out of the numbers.”

chain and operations management and analytics double major, that he wanted to do some sort of analytics project. Whitford shared that he was throwing around the idea of doing something in sports analytics. This project seemed too serendipitous to pass up. They got in touch with Brymer. Examining the evidence The students’ main task was to take the data — the incredible 38,000+ observations — and turn them into something readable. The analysis took them close to nine months. They examined the evidence of officiating biases that are commonly speculated: conference officials protecting constituent teams that have a viable chance to make the CFB playoffs (or other top bowl game),

Stop the clock They found evidence of conference officials protecting top teams, particularly when those teams were flagship programs, historically the best programs from each conference that, not coincidentally, were the conferences’ top revenue generators. They also found variance in officiating due to conference affiliation, type of game called (i.e. in-conference vs. out-of-conference), year, home team favoritism, and the game’s betting line. One of their biggest findings was that on average, college football referees are 10 percent less likely to throw discretionary flags — for penalties such as holding, unsportsmanlike conduct, pass interference, or personal fouls — on teams more likely to go to the playoffs or that have winning traditions. The researchers observed that these teams, which they called “protected flagships,” did especially well in the Big Ten conference. In their paper, Brymer, Whitford, and Macey wrote, “Officials certainly are cognizant of the teams playing in the game, and the implications for each team winning and losing. Thus, impartiality is a serious question with CFB officials given their affiliations as conference employees.” In stark contrast, the vast majority of other high profile sports’ officials are managed by one governing body overseeing all officials, eliminating parochialism. “Our study shows ample evidence,” Brymer said, “of biases among conference officials.”

“ We believe our study tests only one of many potential ways officials can affect the outcome of the games.” —Rhett Brymer, the John Mee Endowed Assistant Professor of Management

Elizabeth Jenike MA ’14 is a digital content specialist in information technology services at Miami. Her article is reprinted with permission from the Farmer School of Business Winter 2017 edition of The Journey, edited by Addie Rosenthal .

Fall/Winter 2017

media matters

Scent of Struggle Author believes people want to help others, but fail to see problems Anne Montgomery’s The Scent of Rain follows Rose as she flees her abusive polygamous community and an upcoming marriage to a man older than her father. Adan is running from cruelty in the foster care system. Thrown together in their quest for better lives, they question whether they can trust anyone, including each other. Her YA fiction book is based on real people and true events, says Montgomery ’77, forever the reporter.

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Anne Montgomery’s third novel, The Scent of Rain,

delves into heavy topics — child abuse, slavery, and forced marriage. In her 18th year as a journalism teacher, she wants her readers to follow the same advice she gives her students at Phoenix’s South Mountain High School: Pay attention to what’s going on around you. “When I first became a teacher, this kid was late every day. Finally, I took him outside and said, ‘Hey, you can’t be late every day. You’re going to be a failure in life.’ I gave him my whole spiel. He said, ‘I’m really sorry. I’m homeless. I don’t know where I’m going to sleep every night.’ “I just crumbled. Maybe if I’d paid more attention, I would have noticed that his clothes weren’t clean or that he was kind of shy.” Montgomery ’77 majored in communications at Miami and became a sports reporter. She worked at

five TV stations, including ESPN, but as she neared the age of 40, she says, she was no longer considered pretty enough to be in front of a camera. “Aged out” of TV, she started writing, then teaching. That’s when she discovered she was dyslexic. “Here I am teaching kids who have reading disabilities, and I went, ‘Holy crap! They just said I was stupid and lazy when I was a kid.’ ” Her brother bet her she’d flunk out of Miami, which motivated her to work harder. Maybe that’s why, to this day, she can’t slow down. The start of the school year is extra hectic for her as she also referees freshman and JV football, not an easy job at age 62 in the hot Phoenix sun. But she enjoys it. “We have gangs in our school, and kids who think they can be intimidating,” she says. “But honestly, when they see me on the football field, it gives me a bit more street cred.”

media matters

Going to México David Greegor ’65 CreateSpace In Dave Greegor’s Peace Corps memoir, you will get a glimpse of the hilarious side of the Mexican bus system, Christmas in an extremely poor community, and the author’s Mexican papá. Going to México evokes reasons why so many people love México and why living there changed Dave’s life forever. Crossroads: Unexpected Encouragement and Direction in Lot’s Story Beyond Brimstone Lana Welcher Christian ’78 Christian Faith Publishing Mention Lot’s name and most people think only of fire and brimstone. Sodom’s destruction is so cinematic, its story so intense, we assume there’s nothing else to learn. As we peel away the fire and brimstone event, we learn who Lot is as a person. We see him weather four major crossroads of life. God’s messages at each juncture are full of universal truths for everyone. Great Question! Doug Collins MTSC ’92 Innovation Architect Publishing We hear there is no such thing as a bad question. There are, however, questions that miss the point, lead the witness, or confuse people. They leave us scratching our heads, or worse, uninterested. This book

helps leaders of businesses, groups, programs, and initiatives ask more onpoint, better-framed, and betterphrased questions, which yield better results. The Alexander Scriabin Companion Lincoln Ballard ’98 Rowman & Littlefield This go-to guide for students, music lovers, and pianists interested in the Russian mystic’s music, provides discussions of his musical and philosophical influences, overviews of his major works for solo piano and orchestra, and critical essays on four major topics in his reception history. Co-author Matthew Bengtson addresses issues of performance practice for pianists of all abilities. Red Light Run: Linked Stories Baird Harper ’01 Scribner When two cars collide in a leafy Chicago suburb, Hartley Nolan is not the person police expect to find behind the wheel. After all, he barely drinks; everyone knows his wife’s the alcoholic. But the bigger question is what brought Sonia Senn, dead at the scene, back

to her hometown in such a hurry that night? In 11 tightly linked stories, Red Light Run pulls us into the inner lives of a host of characters to untangle the mounting forces that carry them to their fates. Cicada Summer Maureen Leurck ’01 Kensington People keep a house alive. Alex Proctor has seen the truth of this in every rundown property she’s bought and renovated since her divorce. Her newest project is a dilapidated, century-old house a few blocks from Geneva Lake, Wis. Amid rooms brimming with debris, Alex finds treasures from a longago love story. Maybe everything she’s learning in this house could give her room for a second chance with her ex-husband. Walking with Miss Millie Tamara Bundy MAT ’09 Nancy Paulsen Books In this historical fiction, middlegrade debut about the friendship between a white girl and an elderly black woman in the 1960s, Alice is angry at having to move to Rainbow, Ga. — a too small, too hot, dried-up place. Then she’s put in charge of walking her elderly neighbor’s dog. But Clarence won’t budge without Miss Millie, so Alice and Miss Millie walk him together. These strolls open Alice’s eyes to all sorts of new things to marvel over.

POETRY Travelers Aid Society Jeff Sirkin ’92 MA ’98 Veliz Books

Jeff Sirkin reveals treasures in the mundane: a conversation at a bar, a plumber at work, mornings with family reading the Cincinnati Enquirer. Music appears throughout as a kind of soundtrack, including songs by Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, and Bob Dylan.

Fall/Winter 2017

my story

Old Miami, New Miami MY STORY is a place for you to share reminiscences and observations about everyday happenings. Submit your essay for consideration to: Donna Boen, Miamian editor, “My Story,” 108 Glos Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056 or Miamian@ MiamiOH.edu. Please limit yourself to 900 words and include your name, class year, address, and home phone number.

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By Pat Holweger Glynn ’60

During a visit to Oxford several years ago, I drove past the once stately building on the southwest corner of College and High, and I wondered if current students and faculty even looked twice at the old place. The red brick was faded, and the wood trim needed a good coat of paint — sort of like me. But in 1956, both of us were beautiful. I was a Miami freshman in the blush of youth, and that grand, block-long building was my dorm. Known as Oxford College, it started as a separate school for women in 1849, but by my time, it was housing Miami freshman women. And it was gorgeous.

Bowden Postcard Collection, Miami University Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives

my story

On the ground level were our foyer, living room, several sitting rooms for receiving visitors, our housemother’s and student adviser’s living quarters, and best of all — the ballroom. Yes, a ballroom. Floor-to-ceiling windows, parquet floors, chandeliers — it was a room out of the 19th century, a room for romantic waltzes and satin ball gowns and orchestras playing Strauss. It was a room used by my fellow freshmen and me for dorm meetings and mixers. We lived on the second floor where things were decidedly modern by 1956 standards. We’re talking radios and hi-fi here, folks — definitely cutting-edge, mid-20th century technology. With two ladies per room, two beds, two desks, two single closets, and 12-foot ceilings, it was “the living end,” as we liked to say back then. Memories? You haven’t lived until you’ve studied in your own recessed alcove in the corner of the living room. (It was your own, provided you got there first.) You haven’t lived until you’ve assembled with the entire dorm for evening vespers at 9, everyone in pj’s, robes, and slippers, with pink foam curlers in their hair so they’d look perfect the next morning. Vespers consisted of readings and songs, sometimes poetic, often biblical. All-but-forgotten affairs today, these were led by our counselors. Most of us found ourselves part of the program at least once. These monthly gatherings were, in retrospect, food for the freshman soul. You haven’t lived until you’ve shared every meal with your friends and frenemies, seated at a linencovered table for eight, waiting to be served breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This was where we were instructed in the “finer things” that many of us did not know and did not even know we were supposed to know. Pass from left to right, please. Salad fork, dinner fork, soup spoon, teaspoon. Napkin on the left, and then in your lap as soon as grace was said. Grace was the “Doxology” — sung by all as we stood at our chairs before sitting down. Can you hear it? ... “Praise God from whom all blessings flow ...” You haven’t lived until you’ve walked eight blocks to class, leaving earlier than anyone else on campus because you were the farthest away; or walked Uptown for a movie, leaving later than anyone else on campus because you were the closest. You haven’t

lived until you’ve “received” visitors in one of the front parlors because the visitors were male and not permitted elsewhere in the dorm. As I drove past this relic several years ago, it occurred to me that although I hate to admit it, I am no longer young — perhaps pushing the outer limits of what is euphemistically referred to these days as a “senior citizen.” It also occurred to me that I had a story to tell, a story of a lifestyle that could only be called “Old Miami.” Our rooms had no phones. If someone called you, a student working the switchboard notified you via the intercom system. You walked down to the lobby to take the call in a phone booth. Curfew was 11 on weeknights and midnight on Friday and Saturday. Breaking curfew meant you were confined to the dorm after dinner for a specified time. Decades have rolled by, decades during which both of my children graduated from Miami. Now my granddaughter is a sophomore at my alma mater. She is experiencing “New Miami,” a lifestyle as alien to me as Amazon Echo. Oxford College is no longer a Miami dorm. It has been leased to the city, restored, remodeled, and repurposed as the Oxford Community Arts Center. And it’s still a grand old dame. My granddaughter lives in a coed dorm, enjoying the companionship of her friends, regardless of their gender. She eats in whichever dining hall she chooses, using her student ID like a credit card. Dining halls now are food courts or buffets. There are no linen tablecloths, and no one cares which utensil you use. Her handy little student ID buys books and delivery pizza and earns discounts at local boutiques and stores. Curfews are unknown, although “quiet hours” are suggested. What’s a housemother? Dorms are managed by resident assistants, or RAs. Students arrive in the fall with their microwaves, mini-fridges, computers, flatscreen TVs, and cellphones. So many changes! My granddaughter enjoys her life at Miami, just as I did in 1956. Toasted rolls are still a hit, as are football, basketball, and now hockey. She loves the beauty of the campus as the seasons change. She is, however, a student at “New Miami.” That’s as it should be. OUR Miami, here’s to thee!

This was where we were instructed in the “finer things” that many of us … did not even know we were supposed to know. 1958

2017

Pat Holweger Glynn ’60 of Middletown, Ohio, is a retired teacher and former part-time librarian at Franklin-Springboro Public Library. She studied education, political science, and English at Miami.

Fall/Winter 2017

A GOOD NAME SUMMIT

Steve Fitzhugh â&#x20AC;&#x2122;86 is promoting healing between Baltimore youth and police BY BETSA MARSH

miamian magazine

Christopher Myers

Fall/Winter 2017

Learn more about the Good Name Summit at www.hopeandrescue foundation.org/a-good-name

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Surely there’s a catch, and the teens know it’s baked into the equation. They have to share their meals, cabins, and conversations with 10 Baltimore police officers all weekend long. Who thought this was a good idea? That would be Steve Fitzhugh ’86, motivational speaker, author, and certified engagement coach for the National Football League. He’s devoted to defusing tensions between law enforcement and urban communities. And for the second year he’s invited these two groups, so often squared off across a cultural crevasse, to Covenant Village Retreat to talk together, work together, and maybe reconsider their positions. Fitzhugh brings a yin-yang perspective to the conflict that sometimes roils in Baltimore. Personally, he knows what it is to be a ninth-grade kid, living poor with three siblings and a single mother in Akron, Ohio, to have a dad who was around but not active in his life.

A father of two daughters, Fitzhugh calculates that from his parents’ divorce when he was a second-grader to today, he’s lived in a home with a responsible adult male for only five months. That’s when he and his wife, Karen Broussard Fitzhugh, stayed with her father while waiting for their home to be built. “Five months,” Fitzhugh mused. “Most of the young men I work with don’t even get that. They’re devoid of all those influences, so I try to pour all that on them and expand their world view.” For the broader, societal perspective, he also draws from experience. “I’ve been to Zimbabwe, places that have no government infrastructure. I realize how important it is to have order and structure. We just need to build relationships.” During the boys’ retreat — which Fitzhugh has branded A Good Name Summit — the youth and police hike, compete on mountain courses, and work on projects. This year, each cabin assembled a hexagonal picnic table. To source materials, Fitzhugh reached out to his Miami network. As a young college football and track star in the early ’80s, he needed a summer job. Miami linked

POLICE CRUISER PULLS UP TO THE CURB. THIS COULD MEAN TROUBLE. BUT WHAT IF IT COULD MEAN SOMETHING ELSE? WHAT IF IT MEANT A LIFT TO THE BALTIMORE RAVENS FOOTBALL HEADQUARTERS, A TOUR, AND A HOT-WING DINNER? FOLLOWED BY A TRIP TO THE PENNSYLVANIAN COUNTRYSIDE TO HIKE, BUILD, AND BOND WITH 29 OTHER INNER CITY NINTH-GRADERS.

During a weekend at a Pennsylvanian wilderness camp, Baltimore youth and police learn to understand each other better

Fitzhugh with Alan Robbins ’69, a pioneer in recycled plastics. Robbins created a “paint-up, fix-up” job for Fitzhugh around the alum’s Akron house, and his wife cooked for the kid. “I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to feed an athlete,” Robbins said with a laugh, “but he was eating ferociously.” The pair reconnected recently when Robbins provided recycled table kits for the retreat. “The six-sided table,” he said, “facilitates conversation very well between the students and police. “Steve’s a faith-based guy, who works with the toughest kids you can imagine. This has bloomed out to the Ravens, and he’s doing a lot of good in the world.” The Ravens were natural teammates for Fitzhugh on this project, and not just because he’s a former Denver Bronco defensive back and a current NFLer. The Ravens were as close as a call to their head coach, Fitzhugh’s old Miami teammate, John Harbaugh ’84. Fitzhugh captained the football and track teams and was Miami’s defensive MVP in 1985 when Harbaugh won the

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Football Scholar Athlete Award. Harbaugh, honored in Miami’s Cradle of Coaches, went on to lead the Ravens to victory in the 2012 Super Bowl. “ ‘Whatever I and the Ravens can do,’ ” Harbaugh told Fitzhugh, “ ‘let me know.’ ” Although a couple of years ahead of him at Miami, Harbaugh well remembers Fitzhugh as a freshman. “The rookies had to get up and sing or do a skit,” Harbaugh recalls. “Most of us were nervous, and we fumbled around out there. Steve comes out in a top hat, tails, a cane, and tap shoes, and sings the “Miami Fight Song” like Fred Astaire. I thought, ‘This kid’s got it.’ ” Their friendship has grown since their undergraduate days on the team and in The Navigators, a campus Christian group where they were mentored by Jim Coltharp ’83 MA ’86. Now executive director of Comcast NBC Universal, Coltharp remains connected to Fitzhugh as the first and sustaining donor for A Good Name Summit. “Even when he was 19, Steve was very strong in his faith,” Coltharp recalled of the lad from Cuyahoga Falls’ Walsh Jesuit High

ALL YOU REALLY ARE AND ALL YOU REALLY HAVE IS YOUR NAME. A GOOD NAME ALWAYS BRINGS REWARD.” School who earned a master’s from Howard University School of Divinity. “We want to bring hope to the different arenas of our lives — that’s a significant thing that drives our friendship.” Coltharp encourages Fitzhugh in his effort to roll out A Good Name Summit in every NFL city. “It’s a tragedy that some young men think the corner they’re selling drugs on is the world,” Fitzhugh said. After the young men complete four annual retreats, he hopes they will say, “Not all officers are like that,” when they hear someone disparage police. And he hopes officers will return the favor by saying, “Not all students are like that. Maybe you can give some consideration for what they’ve been through.” Over 35 years, Coltharp has marveled at Fitzhugh’s own evolution. “Steve has a passion for seeing lives transformed, as his has been transformed.” Cincinnati freelancer Betsa Marsh is a frequent writer for Miamian.

Fall/Winter 2017

1927

1917

CORSETS TO KONA’S Vintage ads take us on a trip through Uptown Oxford's past 1917

1918

These days, students on Miami’s Oxford campus head Uptown to Kofenya Coffee to slug down cappuccinos while they cram for finals. A hundred years ago, it’s doubtful undergrads ordered a six-shot Americano while studying, but they still wanted a “whiz-bang” place to hang out. If ads in the 1917 Recensio yearbook are any indication, Burkie’s was one such haunt with its deviled crab and 20¢ plate lunch. The Purity Confectionery, the new guy on the block in 1917, sought its scoop of the market with a full line of candies, fountain drinks, and ice cream. Just like their customers, Uptown establishments have come and gone. Anybody remember Horizon Records? What about Bash Riprocks or Looney T-Birds? How about Muther’s with its oversized front window, where you could eat fried eggs while watching the world walk by? Zwick’s and its corsets are no more, and Hosack’s is long gone, too, although the former jewelry store’s streetside clock remains a local icon. The timepiece is only a few steps from today’s Brick Street Bar, which premiered as the Miami-Western Theater on Sept. 23, 1938. Miami-Western offered up Milk Duds and movies for 50 years before its screen went dark. Another longtime business, Snyder’s, closed in 2006 after selling photo, office, and art supplies for 110 years. Students nowadays know that space as Wild Bistro. Most certainly, some veterans of the red-brick crowd have kept their doors open. John McFall ’41 and Joe Beimford’s establishment, which started selling 20¢ bottled beer in 1946, still serves food and drink as Mac ’n Joe’s. The ads on these two pages, culled from numerous editions of The Miami Student and Recensio, reflect the changes Uptown has experienced. We pored through 100 years of material and settled on at least one ad from nearly every decade. Strong contenders included Tuffy’s, Bagel & Deli, Bruno’s, the White Swan, a hamburger joint nicknamed the Dirty Duck; Roy Young’s College Shop, and the Miami Co-op and DuBois bookstores. And don’t forget DiPaolo’s square pizza, Skipper’s with its cheese fries, and Al and Larry’s, which begat Attractions, which begat 45 East, but is closed now as well. Finally, we settled on ads with fun art or unusual sayings. “Dope” obviously meant something different a hundred years ago. My, how times change. Ads, too.

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Esprit de Corps T H E LUX E M B O U RG

Alumni share their MUDEC adventures

I Vichie81/Shutterstock

nventive undergraduates attending Miami’s Luxembourg campus have made their field studies come alive the past 49 years, witnessing the return of 52 American hostages from Iran and the funeral of former President Charles de Gaulle, the biggest such event in French history. A few also skipped the end-of-semester banquet to head to London for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding. Three students even talked their way into press briefings at the Reagan-Gorbachev Geneva Summit. Attending the daily media sessions, they were tempted to ask questions but feared being thrown out. Pioneering the way for those overachievers, 41 students boarded a transatlantic liner in New York Harbor Aug. 12, 1968. They were the first class to attend what was then called the Miami University European Study Center in Luxembourg. “The experience of two world wars and the dramatic social upheaval in the 1960s convinced many that global peace and understanding should be advanced through study abroad,” states Miami’s website regarding the John E. Dolibois European Center. To establish this international site, a small group of administrators and faculty studied several countries, including Japan, Switzerland, and Austria. They wanted a location where the campus would enjoy a high degree of support from the local community and its leaders. It was John Dolibois ’42, vice president for development and alumni affairs, who suggested his native country, a grand duchy bordering France and Germany. Its central location would provide easy access to all major capitals and cultural centers. When Dolibois proposed the landlocked country in the heart of Europe, many had no clear idea where it was, recalled Warren Mason, professor emeritus of political science. “In fact, it was some time before the Oxford Post Office could be convinced that mail for Luxembourg should not be sent to Germany,” said Mason, the center’s first director, in the Fall 2008 Miamian. Throughout its nearly five decades, Miami’s Luxembourg campus has undergone many changes, of course. At one point, there was serious discussion of closing it because of expense. Classes moved to the Château de Differdange. And the university trustees renamed it the Miami University Dolibois European Center, aka MUDEC (pronounced Mew-deck), to honor the vice president and ambassador for his service. What hasn’t changed is its esprit de corps, shared in the following pages by Luxembourg alumni, in their own words.

Fall/Winter 2017

C’est merveilleux! Susan Groner Steele ’75

Bellbrook, Ohio Just looking at the photograph brings back the aroma of the tea. Jasmine. My favorite. Like drinking the sweet nectar of flowers. I can see the tea cakes and tortes in the long glass cases and myself leaning over them, my image reflected in the glass as I decide which delicacy tempts me most. The photograph is of a little tea room on the Grande Rue of Luxembourg City. It is here, in this haven of whipped cream delicacies, that I sipped my tea and savored in contented repose the adventures of my life in Europe. I discovered the tea room on one of my long walks through the winding, spiraled streets of Luxembourg, an ancient city where Roman aqueducts loom from its crags, and lofty castles cling to the riverbanks; I felt a medieval charm. It was winter when I arrived in Luxembourg as a student at Miami University’s European Study Center. The wind would push me along as I wound through crooked alleys, past the patisseries and boucheries, to that little tea room. Gilded mirrors reached to the 20-foot ceiling, adorning walls and illuminating the ladies of Luxembourg in their austere dark coats and hats, talking in rapid staccato in their native tongue of Letzeburgesch. I look at another photo, taken by a friend, and see my reflection in the

The Grund in central Luxembourg City.

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Beatrice and JeanClaude (Susan Steele’s French friends from Paris) and Ray Borazanian ’74 (right).

mirrors as I hail a matronly waitress. “Une taste de thé, s’il vous plait,” I request confidently in French. Foreign languages had intrigued me since early high school. They seemed to me the passport to exotic ports and peoples of far-off lands. I remember sitting in the warmth of that little tea room, my boots damp from the snow caking the sidewalks outside, and thinking how my image in those golden mirrors was actually a reflection of an inner dream that had taken form years before and had now become reality. I had started my journey to that tea room with my first “bonjour” and a thirst for discovery that had to be quenched. Another photo from my European pilgrimage grabs my attention, and I remember that heady expectation of discovery as I stand on the platform of La Gare de Luxembourg. The photo was taken at 3 o’clock in the morning by a fellow student, and though sleep is barely out of my eyes, it reflects a carefree and

“ I had started my journey to that tea room with my first ‘bonjour’ and a thirst for discovery that had to be quenched.” — SU SA N GRO N E R STE E L E ’ 75

independent spirit, from my backpack to tousled hair. The train announced its arrival with a shrill whistle, and then we were on board and swept across the ground on silver threads. I never outgrew my love of the trains in Europe. Perhaps it was because they were so new to me, or perhaps it was

because I never knew what I would find around each bend. The train rattled and shook, and the portly man across from me, his chin bouncing against his chest, would breathe out little puffs of air and then snore loudly. Dawn slowly lifted the curtain of night, bringing us solace from the snoring, but also a breathtaking panorama of the Alps, as the train pulled into Davos, Switzerland, a ski village deep in the mountains, accessible only by rail. It was here that we would eat fondue at the auberge de jeunesse; it was here that we would hike around a snow-covered lake at midnight with a bottle of Riesling & Sylvaner; it was here that we would wake up with ice-cold natural spring showers, devour crusty black bread smeared with real butter and homemade jam, and then head for the exhilaration of the slopes. Davos was meant to be mine for years. It was just one stop on many trips of discovery that I would take in my life. I was as free as my dreams, and with that thought, I danced around the crystal lake and lifted my face to the moon and shouted, “Libres! Nous sommes libres! C’est merveilleux!”

‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ Constance Unger ’83

New York City It is the music that brings back the memories! Farewell Party for the Rue Goethe Cave in December 1981. Onward to Avenue Monterey’s Cave! Spinning records left by students in the 1960s and ’70s — Rolling Stones, The Supremes, Grateful Dead, and Bob Dylan, along with modern European 1981 hits — Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love,” The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me,” Queen & Bowie’s “Under Pressure,” especially during exam week, and Falco’s “Der Kommissar.” In May 1982, The Clash sent us off with “Should I Stay or Should I Go” as students packed to head home, and others traveled some more!

R.I.P. Rob Nessle ’83 and Doug Conaway ’83, who always made the parties fun!

We Are Family Chris Connolly ’83

Missouri City, Texas I was in Lux fall of ’82. Thanksgiving was a difficult time because we were all away from our families and all of the holiday’s traditions. We decided to make the day as “American” as we could. While Professor Lingle prepared a turkey dinner for 100, 30 or so of us headed to a nearby park for what else? A game of touch football. The weather was perfect, typical of a fall afternoon in Oxford. What I remember most was that, just prior to the start of the game, we lined up and sang our national anthem. Many of the other people enjoying the park stopped to listen and try to figure out what we were doing. Their confusion continued as we began playing. There were quite a few “fans” who stood and watched what I would imagine was their first American football game. The postgame meal was fantastic. While many of us had made lifelong friends by then, that day we all became family.

Bittersweet Memories Beth Karmol Casey ’80

Perrysburg, Ohio I studied in Luxembourg spring semester of 1979. My story is bittersweet. Yet the gratitude I have for the staff at that time is immeasurable. I remember saying goodbye to my mom at the Toledo, Ohio, airport, about to embark on a trip no one in my family had even come close to doing at that time. I’d wanted to go to Luxembourg since I’d heard about this program during my sophomore year. I convinced my parents I could do this in my major (retailing!) and still graduate in four years! I flew to NYC, and there I met a fellow Miami student. We realized we were

Celebrate MUDEC’s Golden Anniversary Please mark your calendars now for the 50th anniversary of the Miami University John E. Dolibois European Center. The festivities take place in Luxembourg Oct. 7-11, 2018. Miami will organize blocks of hotel rooms, oneday field trips, and formal activities during the evenings. For details, go to MiamiAlum.org/MUDEC50.

on the next long flight together — to Iceland, then to Luxembourg. My first friend that semester! When we got to Luxembourg, my luggage did not arrive with me — the first anxious moment being so far from home. I lived with Jacque and Unii Fayaud, a wonderful couple who lived in Bridel. Jacque was French and Unii was from Norway. Their three children were grown. However, their son Frederic lived at home most of the time. They were amazed at the traveling I did, and how far I would venture on weekends! Germany, Switzerland, etc. I spent my 21st birthday in Paris having a beer on the Eiffel Tower with some great new Miami friends. The Cave was awesome; we had many laughs there. The classes were interesting and amazing. The professors made history and the art and architecture of Europe come alive.

Fall/Winter 2017

“ We didn’t seem to have any fears at that point in our lives. We returned to Luxembourg, ready to buckle down for finals.” — B ET H KARMOL CAS EY ’80

During our spring break, I traveled with Meg Labar down through Italy and then to Greece. After Athens, we decided to keep going and found the most remote Greek island possible. Two young girls without a care in the world — in Greece speaking no Greek, and in a village where no one spoke a word of English. So hard to believe now that I did that 39 years ago! We didn’t seem to have any fears at that point in our lives. We returned to Luxembourg, ready to buckle down for finals and then the big dance at the end of the semester. Two days after returning from this wonderful spring break, I received a call from home that my mother had been killed in a car accident. I was alone at the time in the house — the family I was with had gone to Paris for a business meeting. Somehow I managed to call the school — and within a very short time, Dr. Stiller (dean of Miami’s Luxembourg campus at that time) arrived with several of my classmates. From there they took care of me. Maisy Dumont (assistant director for administration) quickly arranged for my return flight home. They did anything and everything they could to try to help me at this devastating time. Many friends and students came out to spend the night. Jacque and Unii came home as quickly as they could. I had to leave prematurely and under the worst circumstances ever.

miamian magazine

Left: Ed Spaulding and friends at Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Below: At Brandenburg Gate, behind Berlin Wall.

But the Miami Lux family was there for me, and I will never forget them. Through my tears and shock, I hope I said thank you to all of you that day when I left Luxembourg. And I want you to know, I was able to return with my husband on our 10th wedding anniversary. We went back to the home I lived in and visited Unii. Bittersweet memories for sure. I will always be grateful that I had that opportunity to study in Luxembourg.

Don’t Blink Ed Spaulding ’86 MBA ’88

Wilder, Ky. I was over there in fall ’84-spring ’85. Before the Eurozone, different countries, currencies, and cultures. Different languages and trains to everywhere on exacting schedules. Avenue Monterey our new home with 105 new arrivals, we landed in Luxembourg via Icelandic Airlines through the capital of Reykjavik. Felt like we were pets at a shelter getting picked up by our host families off the street corner in front of the school. I definitely felt like I hit the lottery with Maga Mertzig. I am not sure what she would come to think of me at the start, but by the time I had to say goodbye, she had coined me Le Tigre and cried when I had to leave. I don't know if I blinked for the first six months, not wanting to miss anything. I had the pleasure of making a handful of best friends in short order and went on to visit over 25 countries for what turned into one five-day weekend after

another. Our professors were awesome and understanding as long as the demands of class work were met with the same effort and fervor we put into our travels. Studying architecture for six credit hours each semester, who could have scripted a better backdrop than the masters who built the churches and monuments of antiquity that seemed to be on every corner. As a chemistry major, I enjoyed my first back-to-back straight A semesters. My parents would have liked me to do that before my junior year, but it was a nice way to boost the GPA and see the world. We climbed to the top of one of the Great Pyramids of Egypt, only to be chased by police. We were again chased by police in Stockholm, not knowing that jaywalking across a major highway was a no-no. We were detained at Checkpoint Charlie going into East Berlin, behind the wall, my first strip search, until TSA agents in America after 9/11. Had the opportunity to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg at the height of the Cold War and was detained at the border of Greece and Turkey on our way to see the Hagia Sophia because of the unending feud between these two nations that never makes the press. We survived several bomb attempts, where we had to evacuate our hotel rooms in the middle of the night, while police searched the building. “Reaganomics,” as they coined it back in the day, gave us the strongest dollar in the history of the U.S. and made this

MUDEC’s Château de Differdange is a 15th century castle.

experience one for the ages. It made this conquest of Europe possible and gave me the chance at friendships and memories that will not fade. What an adventure!!!

Time of Our Lives Stephanie Siemers Bloemer ’81

Cincinnati I spent the school year in Luxembourg in 1979–1980. I left for Europe not knowing a soul. I soon found there was an instant bond that came with being in this small, unique, and compatible group. Within weeks, I had made some of my closest and truest friends. Traveling, dancing at Lord Nelsons, our wild and crazy trip with Dr. Alain Meyer to Strasbourg, and simply hanging out in The Cave at The Center are just a few of the adventures that created this bond. To this day, 38 years later, I still enjoy and treasure these relationships. When we’re together, it is so hard to believe that almost four decades have gone by. One of the best parts of my Luxembourg experience was my host family. I was assigned to the Koellers,

a young family with three boys, 16, 12, and 6. I was their fifth student. I truly became part of their entire family. My Lux mom, Marie Rose, had two sisters in Lux and three brothers who lived in the States. As a result, sons, grandchildren, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family members have made many trips to America, which has allowed us to see each other over the years. My family and I have traveled to Luxembourg numerous times. This lifelong relationship with my second family has been a joy beyond words. Just this past week, my husband and I saw my youngest daughter, Emily ’19, off to Luxembourg. She is living with my same host mom, living in my same house, and sleeping in my same bedroom! Emily is somewhere around Marie Rose’s 70th student. There have been many MUDEC students that are second generation, but I think we could be the first parent and child to live with the same host family. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this. Sometimes I have to pinch myself. Did I really spend a year traveling throughout

Europe, have once-in-a-lifetime experiences, meet some of the greatest people I know, make the best of friends, and live with a wonderful host family? I truly thank God (and my parents) for the opportunity to have experienced one of the most magnificent years of my life. To quote perhaps our most colorful and beloved fellow student, “In 50 years it will be hard to believe that for one brief shining moment, we were all here together at MUEC.” Thank you, Miami and Luxembourg, for giving me the time of my life!

More Lux online! Tony Alexander ’99 has visited 65 countries, and counting, because of the travel spark his Lux experience ignited. To see more stories and photos sent in by Tony and other Luxembourg alumni, go online to MiamiAlum.org/Miamian.

Fall/Winter 2017

love & honor

History Set in Stone New Legacy Circle celebrates Western College for Women By Josh Chapin ’02 A new memorial on Miami’s Oxford campus tells the story of Western College for Women, 1853– 1974. Dedicated at the June reunion, the Legacy Circle focuses on the college’s seal. The compass points radiating from it symbolize Western’s global emphasis.

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Judy Dudman Henderson WC ’62 found herself putting up her hand once again. As the

Western College Alumnae Association (WCAA) board members discussed plans for a monument to their beloved alma mater, the conversation turned to fundraising and a volunteer to lead it. Then, silence. Henderson had just finished a major project for a university in Malawi, Africa. She knew what it would take. “OMG,” she thought. “I am going to raise my hand.” She did and said, “I’ll do it.” She knew she would have plenty of support. “When you take on a big challenge, you recognize you’re not taking it on all by yourself, that you’re with everybody else. It’s a matter of getting the story out.”

love & honor

Highlights of their college’s story are now engraved on spoke-shaped stone benches, a new gathering place at the hub of Western campus, thanks to the dedication of its alumnae. Located behind Patterson Place, the Legacy Circle effectively communicates the long and illustrious history of Western College for Women as it encircles a two-dimensional version of the school’s seal. Condensing Western’s 121 years of cutting-edge education and progressive thinking was no small feat. “We worked on my dining room table and spent hours trying to write the story and cut it down,” said Sylvia Stanfield WC ’65. “How many spaces do we have? We don’t have enough room. How do we capture the story so students take the time to read it? They aren’t going to take the time if it’s too wordy.” Made possible by donations from Western alumnae, the memorial spells out a distinguished past that traces back to Western Female Seminary, chartered in 1853. It tells of the inclusion of international students in the early 1900s, the planting of victory gardens during World War II, and its hosting of Freedom Summer volunteers who traveled south in 1964 to register African-American voters. Western’s story is of an advanced, diverse, and multidisciplined university ahead of its time. Stanfield hopes students enjoy learning about Western’s history as much as its alumnae enjoyed preparing it for them. After closing in 1974 for financial reasons, Western’s campus became part of Miami. Ray Mock ’82 MS ’83, executive director emeritus of the Miami University Alumni Association, was a member of Miami’s track and cross country teams. With the distance course running through Western, he became well

acquainted with that part of campus, often referred to as the university’s most idyllic area. “For me, this was always the peaceful spot,” Mock said. “Across the road was where all the stress was and the fretting about exams and papers. When I needed to get away, I walked over to the Western campus. I enjoyed this area immensely. “I couldn’t be more pleased that we now have this permanent record of the impact of Western College in this area and the tremendous value it has brought over the years to Miami University.” After raising $350,000 in 11 months, the WCAA tasked Robert Keller ’73, Miami’s university architect emeritus, with designing the tribute. Marjorie Lloyd Liggett WC ’39 supplied the largest single donation, $100,000. “The board has had many years discussing this, ensuring that the story of Western College is on there,” said Sharry Patterson Addison WC ’61. “It was definitely a collaborative decision led by everyone, and we are extremely proud of the end result. “I hope you get a feeling of how Western is really bonding with Miami, and how Miami really has tremendous respect for Western and our history and our traditions. We were many, many years ahead of our time.” Western and Miami will further strengthen their bond in 2024 when Western’s final graduating class celebrates its 50th anniversary. The Miami University Alumni Association then will support Western alumnae. “Come and sit in the evening,” Stanfield said of the circle. “It adds to the peacefulness and sereneness of campus. We could not ask for a better legacy of our work.” Josh Chapin ’02 is assistant director of editorial services in Miami’s university advancement division.

The Miami University Alumni Association once again highlighted 18 outstanding individuals to receive the university’s annual 18 of the Last 9 Young Alumni Award this fall. Honorees for 2017 are James Earl Cox III ’14, Corrylee Drozda ’12, Kimberly Forster ’13, Jessica Gephart ’11, Brice Hamill ’03 MArch ’12, Ibukun Ibraheem ’16, Bethany Bowyer Khan ’10, Austin Mace ’15, Michael Markesbery ’15, Alec Martinez ’09, Sean McVay ’08, Anna Middleton ’11, Ryan Perhala ’09, Cristina Rue ’11, Kevin Samy ’09, Sami Schalk ’08, Marisa Schnaith ’09, and Preethi Srinivas MS ’10. Now in its fifth year, the program recognizes 18 exceptional Miami alumni who graduated in the past nine years. Selected from more than 150 nominees, the recipients exhibit achievements and demonstrate passions in fields ranging from medicine and politics to sports and technology. They returned to Oxford to be recognized at an on-campus ceremony Oct. 27. “To me, the best part of this program is the opportunity to bring these extraordinary young alumni back to campus,” said Kim Tavares MBA ’12, new executive director of the MUAA. Each year, the 18 of the Last 9 honorees speak to classes, meet with student groups, and reconnect with the faculty. “We recognize them for their accomplishments, but their presence also inspires the students, faculty, and staff they meet when they are here,” Tavares said. “It’s a great connection for the entire Miami family.” Since 2013, nominations for this honor have come from throughout the Miami community with the focus on alumni who have started a business, been recognized in their field, or had a significant influence on a movement. For more about each of the 2017 honorees, go to www.MiamiAlum.org/18of9.

Fall/Winter 2017

Miami University Libraries, Frank Snyder Collection

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Harvey Minnich, dean of Miamiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ohio State Normal College, talks into a Dictaphone, 1912. During his 26 years as dean, he modernized Miamiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teacher eduction program. The Normal College went through several name changes from its opening in 1902. Today it is known as the College of Education, Health & Society.

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On the 75th anniversary year of her graduation, Hedi Politzer Pope wrote to share fond memories about her happy marriage, settling in Alexandria, Va., with their daughter and son, and opening her dance studio. “I came to Miami as a foreign student on full scholarship, escaping from Vienna, Austria, which had recently been taken over by Hitler. ... Life at Miami U. became a life-saving experience.”

Reunion ¶ “Being the fortunate recipient of maternal genes,” Robert Klima writes, “I have now reached the age of 96 and am in contact, via computer, with three of my classmates.”

John and Kay Winterhalter

Krizek ’65 of Prescott, Ariz., aren’t retired, simply redirected. John is chairman of Prescott Community Access Channel, producer of documentary films, and facilitator of history classes for the Osher Lifetime Learning Institute at Yavapai Community College. Kay, retired as a psychologist with the Los Angeles Unified School District, is a mediator for Yavapai County Superior Court, community coach for the Yavapai County Reentry Project, and on the board for People Who Care. They credit Miami’s Southern California Chapter for merging them.

William Spaur, medical

officer with the U.S. Navy 1959-1988, retired to Chesapeake, Va., on the Gilmerton Canal.

“Alumni Weekend 2017 is well past, but the memories linger,” writes Herb Pence, who sent in a photo of these seven Sigma Phi Epsilon Brothers at their 60th

reunion: Ed Dressel of Columbus; Bill Templin, Elkhart, Ind.; Jim Draper,

Scottsdale, Ariz.; Herb, Manchester, N.H.; Don Lorenz, Hilton Head Island, S.C.; Dave Lehman, Elkhart, Ind.; and Dave Lynch, Pittsburgh. With two exceptions due to death, all are married to their first wife, and four are Miami Mergers.

Rose Wallace Kellum of Richlands, N.C., ended 50 years of teaching in June 2017. She retired from full-time teaching in 1994 after 28 years and has spent the past 22 tutoring elementary students in math and reading. During her career, she taught in Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and North Carolina. ¶ Patricia Breen Lang ’60 MEd ’64, speaker for a hooding ceremony Aug. 11 on Miami’s Oxford campus, was presented an Hon LLD for her achievements. After earning a master’s, she worked as a teacher and therapist in mental health. She later built a property management company with her husband. The couple committed a minimum of $1 million to establish the Patricia and Stephen Lang Support Fund for graduate-level research — particularly for female students. “It was at Miami University, especially in graduate school,” Patricia said, “that I learned to believe in myself, that I could achieve anything I set out to achieve, that I could succeed at anything into which I put forth effort, and that there is nothing I need to fear.”

Chuck and Berta Wiggins

Pettis met Bill Vockell ’59 during a joint rehearsal of Atlanta Vocal Project and Tampa Heralds of Harmony Sept. 30, 2017, in Valdosta, Ga., in preparation for the Sunshine District Barbershop Contest this past October 2017.

See photo in online Miamian class notes, MiamiAlum.org/Miamian.

Ken and Roberta Bistline

Carpenter ’63 MEd ’68 of Beavercreek, Ohio, were surprised in July with a Miami-themed 50th wedding anniversary party, given by daughter Jenny ’93 and Tim Kroft ’93 and son Kenny ’98 and Monika Carpenter. Ken and Roberta were married July 8, 1967, in Miami’s Sesquicentennial Chapel. Guests of their anniversary party were treated to a performance by the Carpenter/ Kroft band — Jenny, Tim, and Kenny were all four-year members of Miami’s band. Grandchildren Katie and Alyson Kroft and Charlie and Tom Carpenter performed “The Miami Fight Song.” It was “love and honor,” for sure. ¶ Steve and Lois Loesch Hirst ’74 MEd ’80 received the Grand Canyon Historical Society Pioneer Award at Grand Canyon National Park July 8. They were recognized for helping the Havasupai Tribe of Arizona successfully regain ancestral land. Lois has focused on preschool through adult education. Steve’s scholarship on the Havasupai includes his award-winning books I Am the Grand Canyon and Lauren Greasewater’s War. They’ve also created a Havasupai tribal genealogy. In addition, Steve and Lois received the first Lee Albertson Award for Best Presentation, “Recovering Lost Stories: the Havasupai Photograph Project,” at the 2016 GCHS symposium. ¶ Gilbert Kessler of Westlake Village, Calif., sent in a photo of ZBT Fraternity Brothers, who got together in Cleveland this summer for a wonderful reunion weekend. Attending were C. Lissauer ’60, G. Kessler ’62, B. Wilson ’60, G. Elconin ’61, P. Rippner ’60, L. Zipkin ’61, W. Lashovitz ’61, M. Eisner ’60, S. Norman ’60, R. Tasner ’60, C. Bregstone ’60, L. Bulman ’60, T. Weil ’62, J. Marks ’61, P. Rothenberg ’60, R.

SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE Please send news of your life to: Donna Boen, Miamian, 108 Glos Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056 or Miamian@MiamiOH.edu. Include your name, class year, address, and phone number. For more class news, go online to MiamiAlum.org/ Miamian.

Fall/Winter 2017

class notes

Published by Thomas Nelson, the work is a 640-page alphabetized compendium of cultural artifacts of interest to Christians. Having taught Sunday School in the Southern Baptist Church for many years, Jon has said he’s encountered an unfortunate bent of anti-intellectualism. He has presented a definitive plan to correct that.

67 John Swann ’65 MEd ’67 (left) and Bob Hart ’63 (right) traveled to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in September to visit with dear friend, classmate, and teammate Scott Tyler ’65 (center). During the 1960s, they were all members of Tribe Miami, the athletic fraternity of varsity letter-winners from all Miami sports. Scott is a member of Miami’s Athletic Hall of Fame for football and track and field.

Weitzner ’60, B. Mielziner ’62, E. Frank ’60, T. Saidel ’61, N. Silverstien ’62, S. Frankel ’60, D. Bernstein ’60, G. Resnik ’60, and W. Shapiro ’62.

¶ William

North retired from the Central

Intelligence Agency after a career as a clandestine operations officer. He served abroad for the agency in Asia and the Middle East, as well as working in the Washington, D.C., area. He and his wife, Cheryl Conradis, live in Atlanta and continue to travel abroad, enjoying France, Italy, Istanbul, and the Caribbean Islands.

Reunion ¶ Internationally acclaimed vocalist and composer Jay Clayton, born Judith Colantone, gave a rare Twin Cities performance at The Dunsmore Room at Crooners Lounge Sept. 20. Known for jazz and new music, she presented from her most recent Sunnyside album Harry Who?, a tribute to songwriter Harry Warren. She is credited with being among the first singers to incorporate poetry and electronics into her improvisations. ¶ Jon Widener, MD, a retired orthopedic surgeon in Orange Beach, Ala., is the author of The Nexus: Understanding Faith and Modern Culture (2017).

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Rob Price’s work, “The Curious Sheep,” was in the Northwest Art Center’s “Americas 2017: All Media exhibition.” Sixty-five artists submitted 202 works for consideration in the national juried show. His was among 30 selected, displayed in the Hartnett Hall Gallery at Minot State University Aug. 15-Sept. 28. Rob retired from teaching at the University of Wisconsin–Stout in 2000 and is a practicing artist in his community of Menomonie, Wis. ¶ Five members of the Class of 1967 — Nancy Wiese, Sue Vraney Goodfellow, Diane Perlmutter, Peggy Finn Sengers, and Joanne Hoffman Wilson — who lived together in Ox College freshman year — got together for the first time since their undergrad days this October in Greenville S.C. Diane writes, “It was like we had just seen each other yesterday. Great fun.”

Reunion ¶ Ted Goble of Bratenahl, Oho, has a new title. He is first vice president-wealth management and senior consultant for Merrill Lynch in Cleveland. Ted and wife, Nancy, celebrate their 44th anniversary this December. They’re looking forward to the Class of 1968 50th in June.

Richard Mayer,

Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California-Santa Barbara, has

been chosen by the Association for Psychological Science (APS) to receive the 2018 James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award. The highest honor conferred by the APS, this award recognizes distinguished APS members for a lifetime of outstanding contributions to applied psychological research. He returned to Miami’s Oxford campus this fall to give a colloquium on how psychologists use video games and multimedia for education. He has devoted his career to formulating principals of instruction that teach people how to apply what they learn to new situations.

Oakland County (Mich.) Circuit Judge James Alexander was honored at the Michigan Judges Association Annual Meeting with the 2017 Hilda Gage Judicial Excellence Award. At the event the judge received a touching introduction from his son, Scott, through a video message. The award recognizes Circuit and Court of Appeals judges who have excelled in trial and docket management and legal scholarship and contributed to their profession and their community. Jim is currently assigned to the Oakland County Business Court and co-chairs the Michigan Judges Association’s civil law committee. He also serves on the state bar’s judicial council. ¶ Evelyn Small wrote a first-person article for The Washington Post June 15, 2017, on the eve of what would have been Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham’s 100th birthday. In the article, “Katharine Graham at 100: Inside the making of one of the greatest Washington memoirs ever,” Evelyn shares entertaining and insightful details about working with Katharine on her Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Personal History. Evelyn worked for

class notes

See photo in online Miamian class notes, MiamiAlum.org/Miamian.

Fall/Winter 2017

class notes

Cynthia Keller Knotts ’76 writes, “My husband was invited to Miami’s 2017 Navy Commissioning Ceremony in May to commission a former JROTC cadet. Our daughter and granddaughter accompanied us to Oxford. After the ceremony, we thought we would introduce our granddaughter to Upham Arch. It was a glorious day!” Under the arch are Lt. Col. Kenneth Knotts Jr. ’78, USMC 1978; Vivian Grace Stites (Class of 2036?), and Cynthia.

The Washington Post Co. for 25 years as a senior researcher and contributing editor of Book World.

Phil Baker sent in a photo

of the 10th annual summer get-together at Mike Lafferty’s place at Norris Lake, Tenn. Attending were Phil Baker ’71, Steve Scharrer ’70, Joe Scholler ’71, Frank Kavanaugh ’72, Gary Dunkle ’72, Mike Lafferty ’71, Mike O’Brien ’71, and Chip Brewer ’71. All are Phi Tau brothers except Steve, an SAE. They spent the time golfing, boating, laughing, drinking beer, and embellishing stories from their glory days at Miami. ¶ Cindy Diller Fields, formerly CEO of Victoria Secret Direct, has started an online dress business, cynthiafields.com. Her new venture offers quality dresses for professional and working women.

Yvonne M. Davis of Cincinnati, after having been a legal market analyst for over 20 years, has launched an “on demand” research business, ResearchINC. The company offers analysis and market intelligence services to small- and medium-sized businesses. See more on her LinkedIn profile.

miamian magazine

Reunion ¶ Oxford College roommates and friends from fall 1969 lost touch as lives and careers became busy. Sharon Hess Buse writes, “Multiple moves across the country and new last names had us lost from each other since 1973. Through some magic, and luck, we have located each other in the past two years. We finally reunited in July 2017 in Ann Arbor, Mich. It was like we had never separated.” At the reunion were 1973 classmates Alice Drobat Reece of Port Huron, Mich.; Donna Wissinger Haub, Beaverton, Oregon; Sharon, Casstown, Ohio; and Marianne Higgins Mansfield of St. George, Utah.

Claudia Anderson, a profes-

sor in The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago, has been teaching voice and speech in the performance department since 2001. She was promoted to full professor in 2016. A Designated Linklater Voice Teacher, she recently traveled to Scotland’s Orkney Islands for advanced voice and text work with Kristin Linklater. Earlier this year, she was awarded a research/creative leave of absence to write and rehearse her theatrical concert, combining folk songs from the Irish and Scots tradition with personal narrative. Performances were in September at The Irish-American Heritage Center in Chicago.

William Cannon has a new novel out. Running to Duncan’s Field (Dog Ear Publishing, 2017) is a memoir from two teachers, a man and his pet. Frank Boxer is in his waning years at Pines Environmental High School in Amene, Mass., as the school administration and “state standards” seek to remove

him from the classroom. Duncan is a 16-year-old Dachshund approaching the twilight of his dog-zen experience. Together, they seek to absolve the other through love, wisdom, and humor. William and Duncan live in East Walpole, Mass.

Susan Jackson, owner of Jackson Interiors, earlier this year completed two major remodeling projects — her own home, a conversion of a 1927 downtown Cincinnati office building; and an 1880s historic townhouse in Covington, Ky. Susan began her career in Houston designing furniture and interiors. She moved back to Cincinnati to return to her roots and family and started her company while working as an adjunct instructor of interior design at Miami. ¶ Allan Mitchell of Cleveland, who was in Navy ROTC in college, retired from the North Royalton (Ohio) Fire Department as a fire inspector, paramedic, and firefighter after more than 25 years. Now he’s traveling the country in his motor home. ¶ Mike Radice has written Professional Money Raising for Schools: How to Attract Millions, a beginner’s book for an emerging development program or a professional director new to the school environment. It sets aside the assumption that grants and candy sales are the ways to go and puts the focus on cultivating people. Mike has more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit management and money raising. He once collected a $1 million gift from a group of Catholic nuns. ¶ M. Celeste Simon, who studies cancer cell metabolism, tumor immunology, and the influence of oxygen availability and deprivation on tumor growth, received a National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award. The award funds her basic biomedical

class notes

research on cancer metabolism and renal cancer. Celeste is the Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh Professor in the department of cell and developmental biology and scientific director of the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. She and colleagues found a metabolic enzyme halts progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Reunion ¶ Dan Williamson, founder and CEO of Aspen Medical Products, leading provider of spinal braces, won the 2017 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award under the health care and community category in Orange County, Calif. Dan attended the June 16, 2017, gala with his wife, son, and four daughters. They were joined by his team at Aspen, which has secured more than

50 patents for spinal bracing technology that reduces pain and increases strength, flexibility, and stability in patients with spinal deficiencies. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., it is the leader in the design, development, and marketing of upper and lower spinal orthotics.

Daniel Shaffer of Centerville,

Ohio, earned a silver medal in the track and field competition at the National Senior Games in July in Birmingham, Ala. He ran in six events. Dan has been a CPA in the Dayton area since 1981 and has operated his own CPA firm since 1990. He is married to Kim and has two children, Sara, 35, and Eric, 32.

Teresa Gotzes Allen has been ranked No. 1 on the GlobalGurus.org list of the world’s

See photo in online Miamian class notes, MiamiAlum.org/Miamian.

customer service experts for the second year. Owner of Common Sense Solutions, a customer service training and consulting firm, Teresa is often asked to share her service expertise at meetings and events worldwide and is listed as one of the Top 10 Speakers for 2017 by Speaking.com. ¶ Christina Brandewie MA ’80 of Cincinnati created the Honeycomb Exposed Bracelet, featured in the January 2017 MJSA Journal, (Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America) as one of the international winners from the 5th Foldforming Competition in 2016. ¶ William Leuby, Hamilton Capital Management senior vice president, has been named one of the Best Financial Advisers For Doctors by Medical Economics magazine. Bill of New Albany, Ohio, has been selected for the list multiple times. He was also named to Best Financial

Fall/Winter 2017

class notes

Reunion ¶ Jeffrey Marks is taking over day-to-day operations as publisher at Crippen & Landru Publishers, a firm that produces volumes of single-author mystery short story collections by both contemporary and successful classic authors. ¶ Susan Stapleton PhD ’83, dean of the Western Michigan University Graduate College, is the university’s interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. She holds a joint appointment as professor of chemistry and biological sciences and has been a faculty member at WMU since 1990.

Thirty-six years after meeting as incoming freshmen in 2-Alley at Dorsey Hall in 1981, these 1985 classmates gather as lifelong friends for another reunion in Keystone, Colo.: (front row, l-r) Joanne Warncke Mack, Jennifer King Churchfield, and Colleen Metzgar McNutt; (back row, l-r) Ginger Otis Vance, Robyn Sweet Smith, Lisa Brennan Perez, and Suzanne Muth Schell.

Advisers For Dentists by Dental Practice Management magazine. An attorney, CPA, and certified financial planner, he has been a senior member of Hamilton Capital’s wealth advisory team since its inception in 1997. It is based in Columbus. ¶ Jeff Williams sent in a photo of 1980 classmates Al Molina, Lee DeWald, Steve Brown, Joe Martello, and Jeff with Miami President Greg Crawford at the annual Fiji “Pig Dinner” in the Armstrong Student Center April 22. This year’s event was a milestone as it marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Fiji house at Miami. President Crawford, the featured speaker, shared his vision for Miami and fielded questions from the 200+ Miami Fiji alumni and active members in attendance.

Anne Carroll is the new dean of the College of Business at Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pa. She comes to KU from Rider University where she was the chair of the finance and economics department. She holds a doctorate and a master’s in insurance and risk management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Lee-Ann Williams Stephens

graduated May 28 from Bethel University in Arden Hills, Minn., with a Doctor of Education in educational leadership. Her dissertation focuses on the lived experiences of black and brown students who take AP classes. She is a racial equity and instructional coach with the St. Louis Park (Minn.) Schools.

Mike Kondalski won Best

Writer/Playwright in Georgia Voice magazine’s 2017 Best of Atlanta: Arts and Entertainment for his book, The Crown Is Mine, written under his pen name, Berlinda Wall. His novel brings together different worlds when a small-town Georgia boy arrives in Atlanta to compete in a drag pageant. ¶ Todd Schwartz is executive director of the European American Chamber of Commerce in Cincinnati. He and his wife, Nancy Sunderland Schwartz ’85, live in Cincinnati.

Steve Kirkpatrick EdS ’87 of

Mount Laurel, N.J., retired as a New Jersey school psychologist in June 2017 after 30 years in the Hamilton Township (Mercer County)

School District. He is relocating with his wife to Cape May, N.J., to enjoy the beach. ¶ Michael O’Guinn was promoted to major general in the U.S. Army and is serving in Washington, D.C. He has five deployments in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. He commanded a trauma hospital in eastern Afghanistan in 2007-2008, and in 2010-2011, he commanded all Army medical forces throughout Iraq. In August, he celebrated his 30th wedding anniversary with his wife, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Monica O’Guinn. ¶ Beth Grimm Whelley, senior vice president and managing director of Fahlgren Mortine’s Dayton office, has been recognized as a PR News Top Woman in PR. Beth is an agency leader in integrated communications, internal communications, media training, public affairs, crisis communications, and community relations.

Reunion ¶ Michelle Walters Francisco of Grove City

Ohio, has been elected the 2019 chair of the Memorial Tournament Volunteer Committee for Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The 30-member committee is responsible for recruiting and coordinating more than 3,000 volunteers for the PGA event hosted annually at Muirfield Village Golf Course in Dublin, Ohio. Volunteer hours result in a charitable donation benefiting the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, last year surpassing $1.6 million. Michelle is in her 24th year with the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation. ¶ Jill Barth Reed shared about the 1986-1987 McBride Hall RA Staff reunion. They met in Oxford in October 2016 to celebrate 30 years of friendship and fun. Attending were Kathy Turner Sawyer ’89, Kathy Madden McNary

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’89, Suzanne Grassel Shoger ’89, Laura Graves Cox ’89, Dawn Rice Hatton ’88,

and Jill Barth Reed ’88. Chris Cover Patterson, Kristen Gundler Blade ’88, and Janet Gloekner Walden ’89 were unable to attend, but they provided well wishes and updates electronically. ¶ Kimberly Smith Rief, along with her sister and mother, founded the Omega Learning Center franchise system (omegafranchise.com) and a national accreditation through AdvancED. With 12 centers in seven states, Omega Learning Center is the country’s only AdvancED accredited national tutoring franchise system and the only K-12 private school franchise in the U.S. The center has developed proprietary curriculum, OutpAce, which is aligned to national curriculum standards. Omega Learning has also developed an assessment, MyStudyStyle, to determine a student’s primary learning style (auditory, visual, or tactile) and a trademarked tutoring system. Kimberly is CEO of Omega Learning Center Franchisor. ¶ Cliff Schwandner is executive vice president, account director at Leo Burnett, a global advertising company headquartered in Chicago. He has account responsibilities for Altria Digital, Nestlé Purina PetCare Dog Chow and Pro Plan brands, Beretta USA, and The Art Institute of Chicago. Leo Burnett was recently awarded 14 Cannes Lions and a Grand Clio for its campaign work on The Art Institute of Chicago’s Van Gogh’s Bedrooms Exhibition.

Steven Remy rigorously

researched his new book, The Malmedy Massacre: The War Crimes Trial Controversy (Harvard University Press, March, 2017). During the Battle of the Bulge, Waffen SS soldiers shot 84 American prisoners near the Belgian town of Malmedy, the deadliest mass

execution of U.S. soldiers during World War II. The bloody deeds of Dec. 17, 1944, produced the most controversial war crimes trial in American history. Drawing on newly declassified documents, Steven revisits the massacre, and the decade-long controversy that followed, to set the record straight. He is associate professor of history at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York. ¶ Jim Sherman of Glenview, Ill., after a 26-year career at Ernst & Young, joined Avionos as its CFO in 2016. Chicagobased Avionos is a digital strategy, software integration company specializing in cloud-based technologies focused on digital commerce. It has grown at triple digit levels since inception in 2014. ¶ Ned Sormaz is a clinical nurse specialist for the cardiovascular and medical intensive care units at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus. He earned an MSN, adult gerontology clinical nurse specialist, from Kent State University earlier this year.

Douglas Baker is chief financial officer of Learning Care Group of Novi, a for-profit early education and care provider, operating more than 900 schools across the U.S. and internationally. Doug leads the finance, IT, and real estate functions. ¶ Linda Kuhel Erkkila, general counsel and executive vice president of human resources for Safeguard Properties, the largest mortgage field services company in the U.S., has been named a 2017 Woman of Influence by HousingWire magazine. She has made a huge impact on the company as a strategic leader in both the legal and human resources departments. Safeguard Properties, headquartered in Valley View, Ohio, preserves vacant and foreclosed properties in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Guam.

See photo in online Miamian class notes, MiamiAlum.org/Miamian.

Rich Benenson is a member

of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s executive committee, which guides the firm’s strategic direction. A senior litigator and co-chair of Brownstein’s litigation department, he is known for defending companies in complex litigation, antitrust, consumer protection, business torts, class actions, and securities matters. ¶ Denise Dunn-Trakshel ’91 ’96 is controller and director of accounting for Higher Education Servicing Corp. of Arlington, Texas. HESC supports programs, services, and events to help students and families plan and prepare for college, career, and lifelong success. ¶ Jason Robinson has a new book, Don’t Ignore the Signs of God’s Grace (Independently published, Feb. 2, 2017). He writes, “In the winter of 2010, I authored a work that was truly divinely inspired. The piece was finally released in print and e-book form in the spring of 2017. The work is spiritual in nature and origin and addresses the plight of modern humanity, as humanity struggles to find the path to enlightenment, focus, and life eternal.” ¶ Robin Hart Ruthenbeck ’91 MS ’93 is the new dean of students at Kenyon College, having come from Macalester College, where

Laura Miller ’91 ’92 MAT ’11 of Bidwell, Ohio, seen here nearing the finish line, completed her first Ironman 70.3 mile triathlon in Delaware, Ohio, July 30, 2017, in 6 hours 49 minutes. She swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 miles, and ran/ walked 13.1 miles.

Fall/Winter 2017

class notes

Travis Linville ’99, an artist and educator who works primarily in alternative and historical photographic processes, returned to Miami’s Oxford campus this fall to give a tintype demonstration. “What a blast — to get to visit my alma mater and do a workshop with the students of the guy who got me hooked on photography. So great to see Jon Yamashiro and the great students at Miami.”

she was assistant dean of students since 2014. At Kenyon, Robin oversees health and counseling services, as well as the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. She also manages oversight of individual student issues and conflict resolution with students and families and works closely with partners across campus to enhance student life. ¶ Chicago attorney Richard Saines was awarded France’s national Order of Merit for his contributions in tackling climate change. The award, which makes the Baker & McKenzie executive a chevalier (like a knight), was presented at a private ceremony at the Chicago home of the French consul general. He worked with French and American officials for more than a year leading up to the Paris Agreement, aimed at strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change. ¶ Eric Schwarz is senior wealth director for BNY Mellon Wealth Management. Based in Cleveland, he focuses on business development, particularly with individuals, intergenerational wealth transfer, business owners, and business transition strategies.

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Jeff Bieber ’92, Nicole Weber Crowley ’92, and Sean Garry

’92 met up at a lacrosse tournament in Potomac, Md., this past summer. ¶ Julie Koschik, a CPA, is a tax manager for Dyke Yaxley in Cleveland. She applies her 20 years of practice serving U.S. entrepreneurs to help clients navigate through the life cycle of their businesses. Julie is well versed in collaborating with businesses of all sizes and levels of ownership from sole proprietors to large investment partnerships. ¶ Peter Lortz MS ’92 is interim president at South Seattle College through June 30, 2018. He had been vice president of instruction at South since January 2015. ¶ Miami merger Mike Rajewski and Tricia Basden of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., celebrated their 25th anniversary touring Ireland last May.

Reunion ¶ Jennifer Rankin Byrne is vice president,

corporate communications, for PBS in Arlington, Va. She oversee developing and leading an overarching strategy to communicate the organization’s priorities and initiatives; managing relations with business, consumer, and trade press; and heading an internal communications program. She also has oversight of PBS’s events team. ¶ Francesca Muccini MA ’93, associate professor of Italian at Belmont University in Nashville, won the Last Annual Vol State Road Race 2017, a 500K (314 miles) run across Tennessee (beginning at Dorena Landing, Mo., and ending in Castle Rock, Ga.) in 4 days, 4 hours, 18 minutes, 5 seconds. Only the second woman to win the race, she crushed the previous woman’s course record and her time is 9th on the list of fastest times ever, man or woman. ¶ Kevin Smith is a vice president and treasurer for Unity Financial Life Insurance Co. in Cincinnati. Joining the company last March, he oversees all

the accounting duties, including investment accounting and general ledger accounting and preparation of all filed financial results.

Chris Cramer, on behalf of

CytoSorbents Corp., recently accepted the Product Leadership award from Frost & Sullivan at its annual award gala in Nashville. Chris is the vice president of business development for CytoSorbents. ¶ Jeff Hendren is general manager of North America for CAST, a leader in software analysis and measurement. In his new role, he is responsible for driving customer success and adoption of CAST software analytics in the North America region. His focus is cross-industry, including retail, oil and gas, and energy. ¶ Chuck Leonard MA ’94 is a professor of theater teaching for the Honors College at George Mason University. After earning a master’s in directing from Miami, he later served as director of theater for one of Miami’s regional campuses. As a teaching artist, he has worked with Wolf Trap Institute and Interact Story Theater. His job allows him to teach while keeping active as a director, actor, and set designer. ¶ Nora Loftus, a partner in Cleveland-based Frantz Ward’s construction practice, is a member of the construction panel for the American Arbitration Association, the nation’s leading provider of alternative dispute resolution services. She has significant experience in construction-related matters, including bid protests, professional negligence claims, and insurance coverage issues. ¶ Joni Wright Sims sent in a photo of the 23rd annual reunion in Michigan City, Ind., with the following members of the Class of 1994: Joni, Peter Wilson, Nicole Kalkbrenner Staskowski, J.D. Watson, Eric Learned, Kristin Finlay Sneeringer, and Peter Gates.

class notes

Hara Charlier MS ’95 has joined the Brainerd Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors. Hara became president of Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Minn., in July 2016. She lives in Nisswa, Minn., and is actively involved in the community and its schools.

Jason Busch is director of

the Jason Jacques Gallery in Manhattan. He collaborates on the exhibitions, publications, and sale strategy for the gallery’s programs in modern and contemporary ceramics and design. The 2018 exhibition season is scheduled to include a show featuring the work of early 20th century French ceramists. ¶ Stacy Moore of St. Clairsville, Ohio, is a private banking and mortgage loan specialist at Home Savings. She is responsible for residential loan origination, as well as providing customer service and consumer products to private banking

clients. ¶ Christa Jankoski Skiles of Hyde Park, is a senior account executive with Rasor Marketing Communications in Cincinnati. She has experience in developing social media content, branding strategies, institutional messaging, advertising, and public relations.

Tony Packo III is vice presi-

dent of strategic operations for Hylant Insurance, a full-service insurance brokerage with 14 offices in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, and Florida. Tony has operational oversight of the risk practice and service groups and oversees client engagement strategy. ¶ John Whitaker is a senior associate in the Washington, D.C., office of Quinn Evans Architects, an award-winning architectural and planning practice. He is currently on the design teams for the NASM modernization, as well as Old City Hall in Richmond, Va.

See photo in online Miamian class notes, MiamiAlum.org/Miamian.

Reunion ¶ Jed Enlow has been named partner at the Chicago office of Leavens, Strand & Glover. He had been of counsel with the firm for a number of years while serving as a production attorney for the award-winning Steve Harvey daytime television show. He focuses his practice on entertainment and media law. ¶ Brett Johnson is vice president of acquisitions for the West and Midwest for Passco Cos., which specializes in the investment, acquisition, development, and management of commercial properties throughout the U.S. He is based in the firm’s Denver office.

Adam Auvil is vice president

of investor relations for CNO Financial Group, a holding company headquartered in Carmel, Ind. CNO’s insurance subsidiaries — principally Bankers Life and Casualty, Colonial Penn Life Insurance, and Washington

Fall/Winter 2017

class notes

begins while they are still enrolled at DPCR and includes teaching lessons within the college readiness class. DePaul Cristo Rey is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.

Tracy Geagan

Calling Sara Arcaro Ziemnik ’99 a “rock star among teachers,” the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has named her the 2017 National History Teacher of the Year. Sara teaches AP U.S. history and world history at Rocky River High School in Rocky River, Ohio, a suburb west of Cleveland.

miamian magazine

National Insurance — primarily serve middle-income pre-retiree and retired Americans. ¶ Catherine O’Connor Hurley sent in a photo of “Stonehouse” housemates, Class of ’99, who reunited in Puerto Vallarta in February 2017 to celebrate turning 40: Jennifer Stubert Wilkerson, Meg Bentley, Marcia Biederman Hightower, Catherine O’Connor Hurley, Lizzy Harris Elliott, Megan Feezle Oster, Adrienne Browne Kersey, Nikki Leynor, Jill Heenan Blackburn, and Kelly Collins. ¶ Jessie Russo Lobaza sent in a photo of a Class of 1999 Girls trip to Asheville, N.C. Having a blast celebrating were Kelly Marriott Pojman, Sarah Rodewald Gard, Amy Lindhorst, Jessie Russo Lobaza, Jessica Hair, and Carrie Evans Kohmann. #Greenhouse #Boredofed ¶ Larisa Wright has joined the DePaul Cristo Rey (DPCR) staff as fulltime college success coordinator. Her role is to support the school-wide goal that all of its students graduate from college. She serves as the main point of contact for all DPCR alumni who are in college — building relationships with them, as well as with the colleges and universities they attend, to ensure each student’s successful journey to college graduation. Her role with students

Oboist Jennifer Cook Pifer and pianist Joshua Pifer MM ’00 are husband and wife and the musical group Duo Echo, which began playing when the two started dating while at Miami. Their group’s name comes from their interest in performing pieces equal for both players. They choose music with a lot of back and forth, trading off roles. Jennifer specializes in chamber music and is an advocate for the performance of music by living composers. She teaches oboe and reed making in her private studio. Joshua, a senior lecturer at Auburn University, teaches piano skills, functional piano, music skills and applied piano.

Ken Crabiel returned to

Miami’s Oxford campus this fall to present “Design Excellence [and] Its Common Element” for Miami’s department of architecture + interior design. Ken, who leads CannonDesign’s corporate/commercial market in St. Louis, revealed how the “human element” of design remains invaluable amid technology innovations, business volatility, and evolving societal norms. ¶ Andrew Goehl accepted a threeyear national office rotation with Ernst & Young that has relocated him and his family from Seattle to Cleveland through the summer of 2020. Andrew and his wife, Shala, welcomed a son, Silas James, Feb. 15, 2015. “Big sister Leni, born in December 2013, is excited to have a little brother around, probably to hold her dolls and purses more than anything, but we’re all exited nonetheless!” ¶ Married: Tracy Perna and Scott McNary, July 29, 2017, in Columbia

Station, Ohio. Amanda Dlouhy Sanuk ’00 was the matron of honor. Tracy is

a preschool special education teacher for Adams 14 Schools in Commerce City, Colo., where her classroom has attained model status for autism from the Colorado Department of Education. Scott is a talent acquisition adviser for Kiewit. They live in Denver.

Born: to Abby Schwartz Brigadoi and Chris, their

second child, Elizabeth Marie, May 4, 2017. They live in Minster, Ohio. ¶ Gary Burke was promoted to partner in Ernst & Young’s fraud investigative and dispute services practice. He works in the Dallas office. ¶ Jackie Brown O’Brien received a full scholarship to attend the Honeywell Educators at Space Academy at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., this past summer. STEM coordinator in the Indian Hill School District, she joined 100 peers from around the globe for the intensive space camp program. Created in partnership with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, this professional development program empowers the educators with supplemental teaching techniques through simulated astronaut training and innovative educational tools that help bring science to life in the classroom. Jackie lives in Cincinnati with her husband, Rob. ¶ Zachary Siegal is vice president of strategic development for Olympic Steel, a leading national metals service center, headquartered in Cleveland.

Reunion ¶ Alison Goebel is executive director of the Greater Ohio Policy Center, responsible for charting the center’s strategic direction, directing the research, advocacy and outreach teams, and securing resources. She is also co-author of a new report, “Revitalizing

class notes

America’s Smaller Legacy Cities.” “It’s no coincidence that Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen chose Allentown, Pa., and Youngstown, Ohio, respectively, as symbols of the demise of a certain kind of American dream.” ¶ Laquore Smith Meadows MS ’03, director of the Franklin County office of Ohio State University Extension, joined 45 other college and university leaders for the fall kickoff of the yearlong American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program. Fellows observe and work with senior officers at their host institutions, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest. Laquore is focusing on promoting collaboration between Ohio State and Central State, a historically black university. ¶ Born: to Alex Parker and Lauren Williamson, William Lamonte, Jan. 15, 2017. Alex is a digital news editor at the Chicago Tribune. Lauren is news editor at Chicago magazine. ¶ Sara Robertson, GBQ’s director of marketing, has been selected to join the Class of 2018 for Leadership Columbus. The program shapes future community leaders. Sara oversees all marketing strategy for the accounting and consulting firm’s six offices. ¶ Adam Rucker is a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson in the firm’s Los Angeles office. As a member of the business litigation practice group, Adam focuses his practice on life, health, and disability litigation for both ERISA- and non-ERISA-governed employee benefit plans. ¶ Will Woodward ’03 MBA ’13 is chief financial officer of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. He also has a new son, Landen, born in June 2016, who joined big sister Bailey, 2. They live in Loveland, Ohio.

Lisa Hanasono ’04 MA ’07

was recently tenured and promoted to the rank of associate

professor of communication studies at Bowling Green State University. ¶ U.S. Navy Lt. Ryan Salcido has arrived back in Yokosuka, Japan, for a tour at Battle Force Seventh Fleet (CTF-70), serving as the command’s electronic warfare officer. Joined by his wife, Fouzia, and two boys (ages 7 and 4), Ryan was previously stationed in Atsugi, Japan, and Honolulu. Assigned on board the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), he has deployed numerous times to support theater security and cooperation in the western Pacific. He encourages fellow alumni to drop him a line at salcidojones@gmail.com if they find themselves in Tokyo. ¶ Born: to Jason ’04 ’12 and Kristyn Petersen Walters, Joshua James, March 1, 2017, joining big brothers Jonas and Micah in Oxford.

Eric Donaldson of Lodi,

Calif., produces sparkling wines under his own label. He also provides custom services to produce méthode champenoise-style sparkling wines for other wineries, according to an article by Ted Rieger in the September 2017 issue of Wines & Vines. His LVVR Sparkling Cellars wines were recognized by Wine Business Monthly as one of 10 “Hot Brands of 2016.” He leases 4,000 square feet of production space within The Tuscan Wine Village, a winery co-op in Lockeford, east of Lodi. ¶ Erik Reynolds co-authored The Advisor’s Guide to Disability Insurance (AGDI) with R. David Watros and Tamra Barraclough. It is designed as an educational resource for professional advisers, including ABA members, who are involved in the evaluation, purchase, and management of disability policies on behalf of clients. Erik is manager, corporate benefits at M Financial Group. He and his wife, Anna Dodds Reynolds ’04, live in Beaverton, Ore., with their two children.

See photo in online Miamian class notes, MiamiAlum.org/Miamian.

Kate Loeffelman Black is

policy adviser for the FCC, with primary responsibility for media issues. She joins the office from Emily’s List, where she was chief of staff. She is co-author of Represent: The Badass Woman’s Guide to Running for Office and Changing the World, scheduled to be published by Workman Publishing in 2019. ¶ Robyn Graves Lytle, who lives in Chicago, opened up a new small event space in June 2017. She writes, “In October 2015, my wife, Michelle, and I purchased a building that used to be a tin shop in the early 1900s and was most recently an old auto garage. After a full gut rehab and over a year of construction, we converted the building into a live/work space. We now live on the top floor with our 6-monthold daughter, and on the first floor we opened our business, a small event space called The Lytle House (www. thelytlehouse.com). We preserved as much architectural detail as possible, and we love owning a piece of Chicago history and getting to watch people celebrate important life events in our space!” ¶ Married: Sarah Makowski and Andy McGuire ’05, Oct. 15, 2016, in Oak Island, N.C. They live in Chicago. Their marriage completes the Miami

Amber Platowski ’02 studied desert and marine landscapes this past summer through ecological and social field methods in Baja. A biology teacher at Marine Leadership Academy in Chicago, Amber took the graduate course in pursuit of a master’s degree from Miami’s global field program.

Fall/Winter 2017

class notes

in August from COO to CEO at Tampabased North American Roofing. ¶ Joliana Yee, a graduate student at Loyola University in Chicago, will be the next director of the Asian American Cultural Center at Yale, starting in January. She is pursuing a doctorate in higher education. Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Joliana was a first-generation international undergraduate student at Miami.

09 Marianne Wellendorf Matthes ’03 runs a nonprofit charity in honor of her first child, who was stillborn in 2012. “This was a huge shock to our family, and I decided to start a non-profit in her memory,” Marianne says. Elizabeth’s Book Drive collects new and used children’s books throughout the year and gives them away on Elizabeth’s birthday, July 25. It has handed out more than 38,000 books to children in need.

Merger trifecta for the McGuire siblings: Stephen Mikolajczak ’98 and Heather McGuire Mikolajczak ’98, Andy McGuire ’05 and Sarah Makowski McGuire ’06, and Ryan McGuire ’96 and Heather Daly McGuire ’96.

Lindsey Goble has changed law firms. She is now an associate in international tax at DLA Piper in New York City. She advises on corporate integration, IP migration, and supply-chain planning, primarily for U.S.-based multi-national companies in various industries. ¶ Born: to Nicolas and Candice Burns Hoffmann ’08, Naomi Elizabeth, Sept. 14, 2016.

Reunion ¶ Andy Bahr is a mortgage banker for The Federal Savings Bank in Chicago. TFSB is the largest veteran-owned and operated, privately held, federally chartered bank in the nation. ¶ Meghan Bartley of Norwood, Ohio, has been promoted from client lead to senior client lead for 84.51°, a powerhouse in pioneering customer engagement in Cincinnati. She is responsible for working with manufacturers to grow their categories and brands at The Kroger Co. and beyond. ¶ Kelly Wade was promoted

miamian magazine

Born: to Scott Allen and Lydia, daughter Hazel Faye, Jan. 11, 2017. Their son, Sawyer Lee, was born March 21, 2014. ¶ Alana Gerson was honored with the Tree of Life Award during the Jewish National Fund’s annual award dinner in Southern Ohio and Kentucky. The humanitarian award is given in recognition of outstanding community involvement, dedication to the cause of American-Israeli friendship, and devotion to the peace and security of human life. ¶ Bryan Rosenberg has been named to the sixth annual Double Chai in the Chi: 36 Under 36 list of young Jewish movers and shakers in Chicago. (The letters of the Hebrew word “Chai,” which means “life,” also represent the number 18.) It is presented by the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago’s Young Leadership Division and Oy!Chicago (www.oychicago.com). Bryan is director, office investment sales at commercial real estate and capital markets firm HFF. He is passionate about mentoring younger associates in the office. He also enjoys helping new college grads with an interest in real estate find their best path and has done so by volunteering with DePaul University’s real estate program. ¶ Josh Slonim is the new Turpin High School varsity boys basketball coach in Cincinnati’s Forest Hills Local School District. He played on the 2004 Turpin

basketball team that earned a 19-5 record and won a league title and sectional championship. ¶ Don Somers of Walnut Hills, Ohio, has been promoted from senior analyst to analysis manager at 84.51°, a Cincinnati powerhouse in pioneering customer engagement. He is responsible for improving merchandising processes and embedding customer experience within merchandising.

Born: to Brian Boyer and Olivia, Mary-Lisa “Marli” Catherine, June 14, 2017. Mom, Dad, and baby are all doing well in Wooster, Ohio. ¶ Married: Melissa Daley and Michael Belman, July 22, 2017, in Kirtland, Ohio. They live in Fayetteville, Ark., where Melissa is an analytics and insights senior manager at Procter & Gamble and Michael is an audit manager at BKD. ¶ Married: Jennifer Layton and Keith Chiarelli ’11, July 1, 2017, in Miami’s Sesquicentennial Chapel. They live in Hoboken, N.J., and work in New York City. Jennifer is in advertising and Keith is a CPA. ¶ Married: Hannah Welsh and Kyle Stefancin ’09, Sept. 2, 2017, in Delaware, Ohio. Hannah is a registered dietitian for Compass Group. Kyle is regional director for Ducks Unlimited. They live in Chicago.

Born: to Derek and Kayla Evans McClary ’10, Jude Steinher,

July, 6, 2017, joining big brother Carter, 1, and their dog, Sam. Dad and Mom are hoping for two future Miamians! [Editor’s note: And they don’t mean Sam.] ¶ Married: Brianna Mulligan and Joe Rabe, July 29, 2017, in Connecticut. Brianna and Joe, who met their freshman year at Miami, live in Washington, D.C. Brianna works in public relations and Joe is in his orthopedic surgical residency at Georgetown University Hospital. ¶ Jared Sheehan,

class notes

CEO of Venice, California-based startup PwrdBy, and his team were recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the winning recipients of the 2016 FDA Naloxone App competition. They won with their prototype OD Help, a mobile app designed to connect potential opioid overdose victims with a crowd-sourced network of naloxone carriers. ¶ Married: Lauren Thomas and Jon Niehaus, May 27, 2017, in Plymouth, Ind. Lauren is a pediatric physical therapist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Jon is an IT vendor management specialist for Veritiv. They live outside of Cincinnati.

Married: Lillian Bales and David Schwartz, July 1, 2017, at Miami University. They met at Miami in German class. ¶ Adam Ortman is a regional manager with Anytime Fitness. The first in his family to earn a college degree, he was hired as a personal training manager with Anytime Fitness two months after graduating. He is part owner of eight locations, overseeing 30 team members, earned 11 certifications, and been named Personal Trainer of the Year. ¶ Married: Jennifer Ressler ’12 MEd ’16 and Andrew Martin, June 3, 2017, in Cincinnati, where they live. Jennifer is a second-grade teacher at Lakota Local Schools. Andrew is a resident physician at the Jewish Hospital. ¶ Ellie Thompson, who is a PhD candidate at Northwestern University, received a National Research Service Award (F31 Fellowship) in June from the National Institutes of Health to support her doctoral dissertation research.

Reunion ¶ Born: to Mike and Tisha Menchhofer Grote

’00 PhD ’13, Elis Rose Ann, Feb. 2,

2017, joining Fira, 4, and Tyce, 2, in Wyoming, Ohio.

Jyotsna Sharma is an associate analyst at 84.51°, a powerhouse in pioneering customer engagement. She is responsible for conducting analysis and developing insights for the customer-driven supply chain in-stock team. She lives in Cincinnati’s Hyde Park. ¶ Shuting Zhao MArch ’15 of Monfort Heights has joined Hixson Architecture/Engineering in Cincinnati as a designer. Shuting, a native of Anyang, China, is responsible for the development of projects from preliminary design through construction documents.

Allie Eckes is marketing

coordinator for Nashvillebased Average Joes Entertainment. ¶ Danielle Mužina MFA ’16 had a show, “NESTING: A Solo Exhibition,” at the ZAINA Gallery May 9-June 16. “While nesting involves the intention of fixing things into place, it is always improvisational. Nests are temporary structures pieced together with fragments; the project of home is inventive, disjointed, and, most importantly, ongoing.” Danielle is an assistant professor of painting at Murray State University. Born in the United States, she maintains strong connections with her family in Croatia. She has studied painting abroad at the Jerusalem Studio School in Civita Castellana, Italy, and has received several grants and awards for her thesis work in painting and her research in poetry. ¶ Married: Madison Ross and Mason Monheim, July 22, 2017, in Sandusky, Ohio Madison is employed by Olentangy Local School District. Mason is attending dental school at Ohio State University. They live in Columbus.

Ian Marker, who lives in Cincinnati’s Oakley neighborhood, and Autumn Grace Peterson,

See photo in online Miamian class notes, MiamiAlum.org/Miamian.

who lives in Milford, Ohio, have joined Rasor Marketing Communications in Cincinnati as account associates. Ian joins Rasor with social media, economic development, and event media management experience from his time interning at the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce. Autumn Grace has experience as a writing consultant at Miami’s Howe Writing Center and in marketing, advertising, and public relations from previous internships. Both are assisting clients with strategic communication, creative strategy, and market research. ¶ The following have Fulbright Teaching English Assistant grants for this academic year: Eric Moenich in France, Jennifer Tassaro in Mexico, and Graham von Carlowitz in Germany. ¶ Kelsi White, a Miami field hockey student-athlete alumna, received one of the Mid-American Conference’s highest honors when she was named the female recipient of the Bob James Memorial Scholarship Award Aug. 31. The $5,000 postgraduate scholarship recognizes one female and one male student in MAC schools who have achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.50 and displayed good character, leadership, and citizenship. Kelsi is attending law school at the University of Denver.

Katey ’12, Ryan ’15, and Megan Bundy ’15 brought a slice of acoustic Americana to Miami’s Homecoming Weekend celebration, performing their beautiful folk harmonies Uptown Friday evening. Cincinnati natives, now Nashville transplants, the siblings recorded their debut album, Louisiana Avenue, in 2015. “The Bundys” are busy writing new songs these days.

Fall/Winter 2017

farewells 1940s Juanita E. Carter ’40, Los Angeles, Calif., Aug. 2, 2017. Patricia Jennings-Hart ’40, Jacksonville, Fla., July 26, 2017. Martha “Marty” Hader Hunter ’43, Fort Thomas, Ky., Aug. 12, 2017. Joan Metcalf Schaefer ’43, Los Angeles, Calif., Sept. 3, 2017. George Dales ’44, Kalamazoo, Mich., Sept. 27, 2017. Jeanne Morris Sinclair ’46, Morris Plains, N.J., Aug. 27, 2017. Dorothy “Dotey” Caldwell Noyce ’47, Lewisburg, Pa., Aug. 10, 2017. Pauline Howard Plettner ’47, Cincinnati, Ohio, May 16, 2017. Merle Bairstow Snodgrass ’47, Toledo, Ohio, June 7, 2017. Dorothy Durieux Antel ’48, Westlake, Conn., May 14, 2017. Robert C. Burns ’48, Fairfield, Ohio, May 25, 2017. Donald M. Wilder ’48, Medina, Ohio, May 4, 2017. Charles R. Beust ’49, Oakwood, Ohio, July 12, 2017. John Macsai ’49, Evanston, Ill., Aug. 11, 2017. Frederick H. Ruscher ’49, Monroe, Ohio, July 21, 2017.

James E. Longnecker MEd ’57, Grove City, Pa., Sept. 23, 2017.

David G. Klepper ’66, Salina, Okla., July 29, 2017.

Donald E. Wolf ’51, Mount Healthy, Ohio, Feb. 18, 2017.

Richard W. Vogt ’57, Port Charlotte, Fla., June 30, 2017.

Richard F. Kuehne ’66, Marietta, Ga., Aug. 27, 2017.

Marjorie Hoffman Loop ’52, Visalia, Calif., June 23, 2017.

James G. Young ’57, Dublin, Ohio, June 8, 2017.

Richard D. Shapiro ’66, Beavercreek, Ohio, July 29, 2017.

Virginia Oxley Clayton ’53, Rexford, N.Y., Oct. 7, 2017.

Robert D. Clark Jr. ’58, Northville, Mich., Sept. 19, 2017.

Maurine E. Weigand Caron ’67, Bettendorf, Iowa, June 12, 2017.

J. Peter Hieronimus ’53, Bella Vista, Ark., June 17, 2017.

Monte F. Dewey ’58, Durham, N.C., Sept. 20, 2017.

David L. Sheets ’67, Hilton Head Island, S.C., June 4, 2017.

Richard K. Nelson ’53, Edgewater, Fla., Sept. 3, 2017.

Connie Rifkin Vendeland ’58, Torrance, Calif., May 15, 2017.

Catherine Rentsch Fey ’68, Oxford, Ohio, May 27, 2017.

Margie Struble Arnold ’54, Mansfield, Ohio, June 27, 2017.

Patsy Gilley Brown Kent ’59, Dublin, Ohio, June 6, 2017.

James W. Grywalski ’68, Cornelius, N.C., May 26, 2017.

Dale R. Hines ’54, Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 19, 2017.

Donald C. Nichols ’59, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, July 5, 2017.

John W. Kensinger ’68, Denton, Texas, July 26, 2017.

Lawrence L. Loughead ’54, Westerville, Ohio, July 25, 2017. Thomas G. Winkhart ’54, Massillon, Ohio, May 24, 2017. Barry M. Erickson ’55, Pinehurst, N.C., Aug. 7, 2017. Don D. Fess ’55, Carlsbad, Calif., May 16, 2017. Delores Vigard Gardner ’55, Kalamazoo, Mich., April 2, 2017. John E. Hof ’55, Carmel, Ind., July 9, 2017. Ronald W. McReynolds ’55 MA ’57, Warrensburg, Mo., Aug. 6, 2017.

1960s Bethel Kay Lemmerman Hooven ’60 MEd ’62, Oxford, Ohio, July 10, 2017. Larry Beer ’61, Santa Fe, N.M., May 29, 2017. James G. Nichols ’61, Batavia, Ohio, Aug. 16, 2017. Richard B. Ritter ’62, Wellington, Fla., Aug. 26, 2017. William A. Hoagland ’63, Bay Village, Ohio, May 29, 2017. Carol Froehlich Hussey ’63, Holland, Ohio, June 28, 2017.

John A. Stottlemyer ’55, Worthington, Ohio, Oct. 12, 2017.

Howard Klehm ’63, Marion, Ohio, July 8, 2017.

Ronald A. Hilfinger ’56, Maumee, Ohio, Sept. 1, 2017.

John H. Barnhart ’64, Hoover, Ala., Sept. 16, 2017.

David E. Quimby ’56, Indianapolis, Ind., July 6, 2017.

Dennis A. “Denny” Marcin ’64, Southport, N.C., Sept. 20, 2017.

Judith Eibling Ackerman ’57, Avon Lake, Ohio, July 3, 2017.

James L. Blount MA ’65, Hamilton, Ohio, Aug. 22, 2017.

John R. “Jack” Thornbury ’50, Longmont, Colo., July 3, 2017.

Robert H. Brady ’57 MBA ’61, Grand Rapids, Mich., Sept. 6, 2017.

Larry R. Menchhofer ’65, South Bloomingville, Ohio, May 4, 2016.

Joseph P. Buchanan ’51, Dayton, Ohio, June 27, 2017.

Betty Jane Bekeny Downie ’57, Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 7, 2017.

Jane Diehl Crawford ’51, Ithaca, N.Y., July 23, 2017.

Janet L. Evans ’57 MEd ’65, Waynesville, Ohio, Aug. 26, 2017.

Ernest W. Hirschfeld ’51, St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 1, 2017.

Alan H. Fine ’57, Brooklyn, N.Y., July 8, 2017.

Mary P. Van Atta ’49, Piqua, Ohio, July 4, 2017. Richard L. Voss ’49, Cincinnati, Ohio, May 9, 2017. 1950s Arthur L. Bloom ’50, Ithaca, N.Y., May 31, 2017.

Donald R. Koman ’51, Naples, Fla., Dec. 10, 2016.

miamian magazine

Robert J. Salstrom ’65, Denver, Colo., June 17, 2017. Rosemary Gortz Clark ’66, Wichita Falls, Texas, May 6, 2017. Kathryn Lynnell Bordewisch Connolly ’66, Natick, Mass., Aug. 10, 2017.

Paul L. Posner ’68, Clifton, Va., July 5, 2017. Thomas L. Shanyfelt ’68, Genoa, Nev., Sept. 16, 2017. Anne Thrapp Taulbee ’68 MEd ’70, Youngsville, N.C., July 31, 2017. Richard W. Bock ’69, Medina, Ohio, Aug. 3, 2017. 1970s Roger A. Raulin ’70, Mount Lebanon, Pa., May 10, 2017. Richard W. “Dick” Rutter ’70, Alameda, Calif., July 24, 2017. R. Thomas Wagner ’70, Kansas City, Mo., June 14, 2017. Robert E. Honeysucker Jr. MA ’71, Cambridge, Mass., Oct. 7, 2017. Philip D. Miller ’71 MS ’73, Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 8, 2017. Alan R. Bayowski ’73 MGS ’80, Niles, Ohio, May 9, 2017. Jan Stueve Lucas ’73, Cincinnati, Ohio, June 5, 2017. MaryEllen Brate Johnson ’74, Antioch, Tenn., Aug. 20, 2017. Richard D. Link ’74, O’Fallon, Mo., May 31, 2017. John T. Scherz ’74, Florence, Ala., Aug. 17, 2017. Geoffrey A. Cross ’75, Louisville, Ky., Aug. 18, 2017.

farewells

Michael Donnally ’75, Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 17, 2017. Gregg R. Reink ’77, North Canton, Ohio, Sept. 5, 2017. James H. Riddell Jr. ’77, Avon Lake, Ohio, June 12, 2017. Victoria Hinkle Wannemacher ’77, Middletown, Ohio, Aug. 25, 2017. Stefanie Yova Yazge ’77, Greensburg, Pa., June 29, 2017. Sarah Argo Clark ’78, Bainbridge, Ohio, May 23, 2017. Nancy Bohart Combs ’78, San Clemente, Calif., Sept. 1, 2017. Dan W. Cullison ’78, Ellerslie, Ga., June 20, 2017. Mary K. “Kathy” Lowe MS ’78, Midlothian, Va., Aug. 3, 2017. Dorothy McConville Spohn MEd ’78, Cincinnati, Ohio, Aug. 5, 2017. 1980s Sheryl Eichinger Chambers ’80, Lisle, Ill., May 22, 2017. Frank A. Jones ’82, Leesburg, Va., Sept. 21, 2017. Steven L. Mills ’82, Mountain Lakes, N.J., July 2, 2017. Eric C. Newkirk MFA ’82, Lewis Center, Ohio, May 8, 2017. Penny Fremont Donahue ’83, Powell, Ohio, Sept. 12, 2017. Dawn Tron Elliot ’83, Kennesaw, Ga., May 16, 2017. David S. Ponder ’84, Lakeland, Fla., Sept. 3, 2017. Peter J. McHugh ’85, Sylvania, Ohio, July 31, 2017. Barbara Allen Wagner ’85, Bradford, Ohio, July 13, 2017. Karen DeLorenze Minix-Bare ’86, Loveland, Ohio, June 7, 2017. Cheryl D. White ’87, Peoria, Ariz., June 2, 2017. Bradley V. Rovtar ’88, Marion, Ohio, May 4, 2017.

David M. Boone ’89, Baltimore, Md., Aug. 25, 2017. 1990s Christopher C. Coleman ’90, Cincinnati, Ohio, July 9, 2017. David S. Carr ’91, Fairfield, Ohio, May 16, 2017. Darlene Watson ’91, Groveport, Ohio, Sept. 6, 2017. Ann Forrest Dickey ’92, Minneapolis, Minn., Sept. 13, 2017. Andrew B. King ’92, Lima, Ohio, May 9, 2017. John L. “Lee” Paton ’92, Powell, Ohio, July 19, 2017. Elizabeth L. Christian ’93, Somerville, Ohio, July 15, 2017. John D. Pichette ’93, Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 1, 2017. Brenda Jones Burress ’96, Hamilton, Ohio, July 29, 2017. Megan Fields Brinner ’98, Treasure Island, Fla., April 15, 2017. 2000s Kimberly Bruce Vernekar ’00, Huber Heights, Ohio, Sept. 22, 2017. Brian K. Wilking ’00, Cincinnati, Ohio, July 20, 2017. Andrew J. Niehus ’01, Isle of Palms, S.C., Aug. 13, 2017. Susan M. Shepherd ’01, Monroe, Ohio, Sept. 1, 2017. Rebecca Perkins Frye ’02, Trenton, Ohio, June 21, 2017. Wilson S. Adams IV ’03, Upton, Ky., June 28, 2017. Melissa Dalton Hudson ’05, Camden, Ohio, Sept. 12, 2017. Becky L. Reed ’05, Fairfield, Ohio, Aug. 20, 2017. John P. “Jay” Surface ’05, Middletown, Ohio, June 19, 2017. Laura Maricle Cheek ’06, Hamilton, Ohio, Aug. 17, 2017.

Michelle Brunswick Hausen MTSC ’08, Columbus, Ohio, April 9, 2017. Tonya N. Rutherford ’11, Middletown, Ohio, May 28, 2017. Lisa J. Alba MA ’14, Tacoma, Wash., May 3, 2017. Alexander M. Latvanas ’16, Powell, Ohio, May 7, 2017. Brian M. Carlsen ’17, Euclid, Ohio, Sept. 23, 2017. Zachary A. Heuple ’19, Vienna, Va., Sept. 26, 2017. FACULTY, STAFF, AND FRIENDS Helen D. Bogan, Oxford, Ohio, June 13, 2017. Former head secretary for math department. Leonore N. Ganschow, Minocqua, Wis., May 19, 2017. Professor emerita of educational psychology, 1981–1998. Kenneth M. Glass, Oxford, Ohio, Oct. 21, 2017. Professor emeritus, associate dean, School of Education, 1963–1987. Lloyd A. Goggin MBA ’63, Oxford, Ohio, Oct. 15, 2017. Retired in 1982 after 35 years, became comptroller in 1947, treasurer in 1956, and vice president for business affairs and treasurer in 1966. Ice arena named in his honor. Russell E. Griffith Jr. ’49 MA ’50, Sarasota, Fla., July 12, 2017. Professor emeritus of zoologyphysiology, 1949–1989. Jean P. Harrington Hon. ’98, Cincinnati, Ohio, July 1, 2017. Miami trustee, 1989–1998. Benjamin F. Plybon, Indianapolis, Ind., July 22, 2017. Professor emeritus of mathematics, 1966–1993. Marie Boggs Sutton ’78, The Villages, Fla., Aug. 25, 2017. Associate comptroller emerita, 1961–1992.

O B I T UA RY A RA R . PAR SEG H IAN ’49 Ara Parseghian ’49 MEd ’54, who guided Miami football 1951-1955, died Aug. 2, 2017, at his home in Granger, Ind. He was 94. “Ara demonstrated amazing grace and leadership in life, as well as on the football field,” said Miami President Greg Crawford, Notre Dame’s dean of science when he met the legendary coach nearly a decade ago. Elected to the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame in 1980, Parseghian led Miami to a 39-6-2 record (.859) over five seasons, winning the Mid-American Conference championships in 1954 and 1955. He lettered in football, basketball, and baseball, earning All-Ohio honors in 1946 and 1947 in football. After graduation, he played one season with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. His pro career was cut short due to injury. He returned to Miami in 1950 to assist Woody Hayes and became head coach in 1951 when Hayes departed for Ohio State. After coaching eight years at Northwestern, he moved to Notre Dame in 1964. He led the Fighting Irish to a 95-17-4 record (.836) over 11 seasons and won two national championships. He ended his coaching career with a record of 170-58-6. Parseghian was part of the charter class of the Miami Athletic Hall of Fame in 1969 and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980. He received an honorary doctorate from Miami in 1978 and served on Miami’s board of trustees from 1978-1987. He is also one of the members of Miami’s Cradle of Coaches and is honored with a bronze statue in the south end zone of Yager Stadium.

In Memory of… If you would like to make a contribution in memory of a classmate, friend, or relative, send your gift to Miami University in care of Wendy Mason, Advancement Services Building, Miami University, 926 Chestnut Lane, Oxford, Ohio 45056 or call Wendy at 513-529-3552. More classmates are remembered online at MiamiAlum.org/Miamian.

Fall/Winter 2017

days of old

Bridge to New Adventures Built in the heyday of horse and buggy, Oxford’s

Oxford’s Black Covered Bridge, restored in 1999, is one of Ohio’s longest covered bridges at 209 feet. Within sight of state Route 732 heading north out of town, it is unique for its combination of two truss types in a single structure.

miamian magazine

Black Covered Bridge is once again enjoying steady traffic — although these days it’s more likely bikes and baby strollers. That’s because the 1869 bridge — one of the few remaining covered bridges in southwest Ohio and the only one in Butler County on its original site — is a key component of a new cycling and walking trail in Oxford. Make that around Oxford. In June, more than 100 people braved the rain to celebrate the grand opening of the recreational trail’s first section. The 1-mile Black Bridge Connector, funded by Clean Ohio, starts at Kelly Drive on the north edge of town and runs parallel with state Route 732. It then veers left to cross over the bridge and turns right to run beside Four Mile Creek to Bonham Road, on the east side of Yager Stadium. The next two segments will be constructed between 2019 and 2021. They will extend from Bonham to south of the horse stables, cross state Route 73 and head over to Peffer Park and Talawanda High School, both on state Route 27 south. A small, dedicated group of Oxford residents, with help from city planners and Enjoy Oxford, has been working since the 1990s to make this trail system possible. The plan for Oxford Area Trails is to eventually pave a 12-mile path around the entire city — connecting parks and schools and people.

Black and white 1950s photo by George R. Hoxie, courtesy of Smith Library of Regional History. Color photo courtesy of Enjoy Oxford.

Fall 2016

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID

Burlington, VT 05401 Permit No. 396

LUXEMBOURG

ESPRIT DE CORPS See page 24