Fall 2016 Millikin Quarterly

CAMPUS NEWS: FOUR MORE YEARS, P. 2 | ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS & ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME, P. 22

FALL 2016

MILLIKIN QUARTERLY Vol. XXXII, No. 1 | Fall 2016

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

Dr. Patrick E. White INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT

Gina Bianchi ’93 PUBLISHER, EDITOR AND SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Deb Hale Kirchner DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

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Alida Duff Sullivan ’06 COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Jenell Anderson Hironimus ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jeremy Coulter ’00 CONTRIBUTORS

Shanlee Bratten Amanda Hamilton ’14 Dane Lisser Bryan Marshall ’85 Amanda Pippitt

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Millikin Quarterly (ISSN 8750-7706) (USPS 0735-570) is produced by the Millikin University Office of Alumni and Development.

POSTMASTER

Please send address changes to Millikin Quarterly Millikin University 1184 West Main Street Decatur, Illinois 62522-2084 Phone: 217.424.6383 Toll free: 1.877.JMU.ALUM

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Copyright ©2016, Millikin University

CONNECT

MillikinQuarterly@millikin.edu millikin.edu/alumni facebook.com/MillikinAlumni twitter.com/MillikinAlumni

DEPARTMENTS

2 6 7 8 12

Campus News Big Blue Sports With Your Support Looking Back Upon Reflection: Tyler Hixson ’15

ALUMNI

13 15 16 17 19 21 32

Class Notes Profile: Terri Harrington ’85 Passings Profile: Andy Grobengieser ’91 Profile: Sarah Creson Cimino ’04 Profile: Britteny Dunson ’10 My Turn: Morgan Holmes Higgins ’09

8 FEATURES

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PERFORMANCE LEARNING The heart of a Millikin education

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ALUMNI AWARDS Outstanding alumni are recognized at the Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony

24 REUNION PHOTOS

Class reunion photos and honorees

from Homecoming 2015

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

THE HEART OF A MILLIKIN EDUCATION

Ever since James Millikin this university in 1901, Millikin has been marked by a

commitment to an education that bridges boundaries of disciplines and real-world practice, not just after graduation but as soon as our students walk on campus.

founded

Performance Learning is not easy. We expect a lot of one another at Millikin. We expect hard work, creativity and an education in action from our students, faculty, staff and alumni.

When I greet new faculty, staff and students, I tell them we are so glad they are here because, as great as Millikin has been, we will be even greater in the future because of their performance. Performance Learning is full of challenges and risks that can be at times frightening but immensely rewarding. You can see that excitement in recent grad Tyler Hixson’s account of his experience on page 12 and on every page of this issue.

Photo by Millikin Marketing Department.

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ACH NEW ACADEMIC year brings great and positive change to Millikin. Our new students – including a robust first-year class of 450, a lively group of transfers and a diverse group of international students at all levels – are men and women who renew, enrich and energize the life of our university. This year we also welcome 23 new, full-time faculty plus many new coaches and staff throughout the university.

Our work on the University Commons continues, and construction on the new Workman Family Softball Field has begun (see field info, page 6). Mills and Hessler residence halls are no more, and offices have moved around campus. I might be tempted to say to those who have not been back to campus in a while, “You would not recognize the place.”

But of course you would. The spirit and energy at the heart of a Millikin education endures, becoming more vibrant each year. As we come to understand who we are and what we can become, our faculty, staff and students are coming to recognize and own the distinctive character of a Millikin education: Performance Learning.

I hope you will read this issue and take pride in Millikin – in how we are performing and creating an exciting university that looks to the future with promise, hope and a commitment to perform our best imagination of what we can become together.

As you read this issue, I hope your trust and faith in Millikin is confirmed, and even more, I hope you feel a solid commitment to our shared future. No great institution happens by accident. A great university grows and prospers when more and more people feel a deep ownership for its future. Millikin can only be Millikin if we work together to perform who we are and what we can become. We have much work to do to achieve the greatness embedded in our history, in Performance Learning, and our vision of Millikin’s future.

In the coming months, I want to enlarge the conversation about who we are as Millikin and what we can become. I would love to hear your ideas and questions, and I welcome your ownership of Millikin’s present and future success. Please talk to your friends and fellow alumni, and write to me at the address on the back of this magazine, or email me at pwhite@millikin.edu.

I welcome this widening conversation, which will itself be a form of Performance Learning that will positively shape Millikin, both now and for many years to come.

Patrick E. White Millikin University President

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CAMPUS NEWS

FOUR MORE YEARS:

TRUSTEES EXTEND PRESIDENT’S CONTRACT

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R. PATRICK E. WHITE will continue to serve as the university’s president through June 30, 2020. The announcement was made by MU’s board of trustees in the spring.

White was named president in October 2013 after serving as interim president since July of that year. His time at Millikin has been marked by many successes, including completion of the “Transform

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MILLIKIN QUARTERLY | FALL 2016

MU” capital campaign; design, conception and now construction underway for the new University Commons; and balanced budgets when deficits were projected.

“President White came to Millikin with years of diverse experience in higher education,” said James R. Neff, now retired chairman of the board of trustees. “Through hard work and collaborative leadership, he has earned the confidence of the board and the university.

The core of every decision made under his leadership is to advance the mission and vision of Millikin University and to hold forth, in his words, our ‘best imagination’ of Millikin’s future.”

Under his leadership, Millikin broke ground on the University Commons last November. The 87,000-square-foot facility is scheduled for completion in time for fall 2017 semester.

“In the coming months and years, we will continue to work together to increase enrollment and engage alumni and friends in a new commitment to Millikin’s growth and advancement,” White said. “Millikin has a great history, and in the excellence embodied in our commitment to Performance Learning, we have a great story to tell. The board of trustees, my leadership team and I are committed to leading Millikin to new heights.

“We are already moving on course to complete the extraordinary University Commons. We look to complete the design,

secure the funding and finish construction on the Center for Theatre and Dance. We will create a master plan for the future of athletics at Millikin and complete major phases of that plan by building a softball complex and a baseball complex on campus and address comprehensive needs in athletics for new and renovated facilities.

These projects will require a new capital campaign coming on the heels of our great success in the ‘Transform MU’ campaign.

We have begun the planning for that work.”

Prior to coming to Millikin, White served seven years as the 15th president of Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. During his time at Wabash, he developed a student-focused strategic plan; guided the college through the financial turmoil of 2008-09; completed a comprehensive academic program review and unqualified self-study report that led to reaccreditation; secured a number of grants to establish new programs; achieved success in the “Challenge of Excellence” capital campaign that exceeded its $60 million goal; and completed a $6 million athletics field campaign.

“I am very excited to know that Millikin will continue under the guidance of Dr. White for another four years,” said former Student Senate President Jared Rixstine, a piano performance and political science double major from Washington, Ill., who graduated in May. “Millikin has been in need of administrative stability and enhanced communication, and Dr. White has brought just that – the entire culture and atmosphere surrounding Millikin has become more positive and collegial since his arrival in 2013. Because of his hard work, the institution is better off, the students are better off, and the Decatur community is enhanced.” Q

CAMPUS NEWS

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BIANCHI RETURNS AS INTERIM VP FOR ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT Gina Bianchi ’93 was named interim vice president for alumni and development in August. She rejoins the alumni and development office following the departure of former vice president Dave Brandon, who recently accepted a position

STUDENT LIVES TRANSFORMED THROUGH SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN Millikin’s $85 million “Transform MU” capital campaign closed out at $95.7 million at the end of last year. Gifts to the campaign helped fund more than $20 million in endowed student scholarships, well exceeding the original $10 million goal.

Generous donors made contributions toward the new $27 million University Commons, set to open for fall 2017 (see above); a new Center for Theatre and Dance; and an Exercise Science and Sport Pavilion. Other donations within the successful campaign included funding toward the Millikin Fund for Student

Scholarships, faculty excellence, and building endowment and infrastructure needs. The planning phase for a new capital campaign is underway. Goals for this campaign will include completing the new Center for Theatre and Dance; building a softball complex (see details, page 6) and a baseball complex on campus; and addressing other vital needs in athletics for new and renovated facilities. Thanks to all the donors who helped “Transform MU.” Q

in the trust office of Decatur’s Hickory Point Bank.

and donor engagement at Millikin from August 2013 through August 2015. Prior to Millikin, she worked 17 years at Illinois State University (ISU) in various positions, including director of the university’s annual fund, where she and her team surpassed the $1 million fundraising goal for the first time in ISU history. She was subsequently named director of development for the division of student affairs, and later served six years as ISU’s director of alumni relations.

To give to Millikin, visit millikin.edu/give.

Bianchi previously served

as senior director of alumni

“I am honored to have this opportunity

to serve my alma mater in a new role,” Bianchi says. “I look forward to engaging Millikin alumni and friends more fully in the

MU FIRST PRIVATE UNIVERSITY TO HOST ILLINOIS-WIDE COMPETITION In May, Millikin welcomed more than 1,100 Illinois middle school and high school students, plus judges, parents and families, to campus as host of the annual Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) State Exposition.

MU is the first private higher education institution in Illinois to host the state exposition, which is the largest high school and middle school research competition in Illinois.

Throughout the event, Millikin fine arts students provided music and theatre performances, while faculty members gave talks on their teaching and research interests. Dr. James V. Rauff, MU professor

of mathematics, provided the IJAS keynote address on swarm intelligence, an interdisciplinary research area bringing mathematics, computer science, engineering and biology together to solve difficult problems.

“With over 1,100 of our state’s best and brightest and most ambitious students here on campus, this gave us an opportunity to showcase Millikin’s excellence in the sciences and the opportunities for Performance Learning across campus, while introducing hundreds of families to the warm hospitality of Decatur,” says President Patrick E. White. Q

life of this university in meaningful ways – through sharing of their talents, their service and their financial support for the benefit of this great institution. Millikin has an exciting future, and I am proud to play a part in it as we work to deliver on the promise of a Performance Learning education for new generations of students.”

Bianchi earned a bachelor’s degree

in communication and public relations at Millikin and a master’s degree in athletic administration from ISU. As an MU student, she was active in several campus organizations, played women’s softball and also served as a resident assistant.

Bianchi will serve as interim through-

out Millikin’s search process and transition to a new vice president.

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CAMPUS NEWS

DR. J. ROGER MILLER: HIS LEGACY LIVES ON

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Submitted photo.

ILLIKIN PRESIDENT J. Roger Miller, who led the university during a time of great growth and changes, died in Durham, N.C., on Oct. 14, 2015.

Dr. Miller served as Millikin’s president starting in 1971 before retiring as president emeritus in 1991 – the longest presidential tenure in university history.

His Millikin career began in 1959 as head of the music education program and director of the marching band. In 1960, he was named dean of the School of Music, then promoted to vice president of academic affairs in 1966. Shortly thereafter, then-president Dr. Paul McKay became seriously ill, and Miller served as executive vice president during McKay’s illness. When McKay died in 1971, Miller was named Millikin’s ninth president.

As president, Miller created a strategic plan for the ’70s and ’80s with a goal to carry Millikin through to the 21st century. In his planning, he said he left room for dreaming but maintained realistic goals. He was dedicated to providing students with a liberal arts education as well as practical professional skills for careers, true to the model set by university founder James Millikin that is today known as Performance Learning.

Upon retiring, Miller was quoted in the summer 1991 Quarterly: “I told faculty on numerous occasions that I wasn’t interested in being second best, that we weren’t, and it was time to quit talking as if we were.”

Miller maintained that attitude throughout his presidency. As a result, Staley Library was built, along with a new student center and four new residence halls, and a $6 million renovation of Shilling Hall was completed. The James Millikin Scholars and the Presidential Scholars programs were created under Miller, and both doubled in size during his tenure as president.

“I was convinced that when all the pieces fell together, Millikin could become a truly outstanding small university,” Miller said in that 1991 interview. “As we began to realize that dream, I think each year my commitment to Millikin grew that much more.”

For his efforts, Miller was inducted into the Millikin Medallion Society, which recognized those individuals who had the greatest impact on Millikin during the university’s first 100 years.

Miller created an endowed student award in his name, which is given out each year at Honors Convocation to a deserving senior with high scholarship who is involved on campus. His legacy also lives on with the couple’s creation of the Dr. and Mrs. J. Roger Miller Centennial Quad in the center of campus.

Miller and his family were active on campus. His wife, Arlene, completed a second bachelor’s degree at MU and hosted numerous events as First Lady. She also was involved in the “Millikin Dames,” a former group of women faculty and wives who hosted social events such as the annual holiday Cookie Party, still a tradition today.

A memorial service was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church near campus earlier this year. The Millers have four children: Gregory ’72, Deborrah ’75, John and Charles ’84; nine grandchildren, including Alexandra Miller Kamer ’13; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Learn more at bit.ly/mu-jrm. Q

MEDALLION SOCIETY MEMBERS REMEMBERED Millikin mourns the passing of Dr. Miller and three other individuals who were inducted into the Millikin Medallion Society in recognition of their lasting impact on the university.

Jack C. Allen ’49 of Decatur died Aug. 25, 2015.

Allen was dean emeritus of Millikin’s admission department where he worked for 25 years, serving 15 of those years as dean of admission and records. Allen also served on Millikin’s alumni board of directors and was active in his volunteer and financial 4

support of the university he loved. A recipient of the 2009 Alumni Loyalty Award, he also was inducted into the Millikin Athletic Hall of Fame.

Marjorie Tower of Rochester, Minn., died Apr. 17, 2016. Marjorie came to Millikin in 1981 with her husband, Wes, who was named dean of the school of music and conductor of the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra. She taught for Decatur Public Schools for 15 years, retiring in 1996. In 1999, the former K-136 practice room in Kirkland Fine Arts Center was renovated

MILLIKIN QUARTERLY | FALL 2016

and dedicated as Tower Rehearsal Hall in the couple’s honor as recognition of their financial support of Allen the university.

The Rev. Dr. William G. Bodamer Jr. of Petersburg, Ill., died Sept. 27, 2015. Bodamer joined Millikin in 1965 as chaplain and assistant professor of religion.

He served the university in many capacities, including as the chairman of the religion department. He was named MU’s first Griswold Distinguished Professor of Religion

Tower

Bodamer

in 1985 and Distinguished Faculty Lecturer in 1987. He also was the first director of Pilling Chapel. He was instrumental in starting the men’s soccer program, serving as head coach from 1986-91, and will be posthumously inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at this fall’s Homecoming (see page 23). Q

CAMPUS NEWS

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Photo by Millikin Marketing Department.

Photo from the College of Fine Arts archive.

TABOR DEAN NAMED

APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE Millikin was recently named seventh on a list of “Top 10 BFA Musical Theatre Programs” in the U.S. by OnStage blog, a theatre-based blog based in New Haven, Conn., with a weekly online readership of more than 2 million.

“This recognition from OnStage affirms that Millikin’s School of Theatre and Dance offers what we have long known to be excellent training and career preparation for aspiring musical theatre performers,” says Laura Ledford, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “It also places Millikin in the fine company of some of the most prestigious BFA programs in the country.”

Last year, Millikin ranked second in the blog’s “10 Most Underrated Theatre Colleges in The Midwest.”

This recognition comes at a time when plans for a dedicated Center for Theatre and Dance are picking up steam at Millikin. To date $11.5 million has been committed to the project, including a recent $2 million pledge from Julius W. Hegeler II ’50 (see related article, page 7). Q

Dr. Najiba Benabess is the new Tabor School of Business dean. She succeeds Dr. J. Mark Munoz, professor of management and international business, who served as interim dean during the search process.

Benabess previously was director of the School of Business and Management at Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., and

In other ranking news, MU is: »» An America Top College – Forbes magazine »» A Best Regional Midwest University – U.S. News & World Report »» A “Best in the Midwest” – Princeton Review »» Ranked 7th among the 20 Best Deals for STEM Degrees, Small Colleges – Great College Deals

had taught at the university since 2007.

“In addition to her experience and

excellence as a teacher and scholar, Dr. Benabess is an experienced academic leader,” says President Patrick E. White.

“At her previous institution, Dr. Benabess developed new programs in entrepreneurship and an interdisciplinary program in international business, while being very active in economic development in her community, state and region. MU’s Tabor School of Business is poised to grow and

THIS REVERSE MOVES STUDENTS FORWARD

develop further under her leadership.”

She earned her master’s degree in

economics from Western Illinois University

Millikin and Lake Land College have announced a reverse transfer agreement to benefit students who transfer from Lake Land to Millikin before earning their associate degrees. The agreement takes effect this academic year.

The agreement allows credits completed at Millikin to be transferred back to the student’s Lake Land transcript to complete requirements for an associate degree. The agreement makes it easier for students to begin study at Millikin

sooner without forgoing the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree from Lake Land. A similar agreement for students who wish to transfer to Millikin from Decatur’s Richland Community College went into effect at the beginning of the last academic year, and an agreement was recently signed with Heartland Community College.

For more information, call the Registrar’s Office at 217.424.6217 or visit millikin.edu/registrar. Q

and her doctorate in economics from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

“Millikin is a community where

educators rise beyond expectations and students are the priority,” Benabess says.

“The students bring so much energy, passion and talent to Millikin, and I’m very impressed with the alumni and community partnerships that have been established at Millikin and Tabor. My vision for the Tabor School of Business is to produce graduates who are ready to work and lead.”

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BIG BLUE SPORTS

HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE COMES FOR SOFTBALL TEAM

Rendering by BLDD Architects.

artificial turf infield and outfield surface, lights, chair back and bleacher seating for 150 people, dugouts, batting cages, restrooms, concessions area and press box.

“The addition of oncampus athletic facilities aids in the recruitment of studentathletes, as well as increasing the enjoyment of campus life for all students,” says Workman. “I hope the new field will also increase interest in the softball team, resulting in a rise in attendance at home games from both Millikin students and softball fans in the Decatur area.”

The field will be located east of Oakland Avenue on land that is currently the Big Blue’s football practice fields. Home plate will be located in the southwest corner of the field, with batters facing northeast.

The new Workman Family Softball Field will be home to the Big Blue softball program once construction is complete in spring 2017.

The new facility was made possible by a $2 million contribution from Millikin Trustee Gary Workman ’65 and his wife, Judy. The field will feature an

“I want to thank Gary and Judy for their great generosity to Millikin,” says Millikin Director of Athletics Dr. Craig White.

“Athletic facilities are very important to the future of Millikin and Big Blue athletics.

The Workman Family Softball Field will have a collegiate look that will set the tone for future athletic facilities.”

The Workman Family Softball Field will be the first-ever, on-campus home field for the softball program. In 33 seasons, the softball program has a record of 714-514-1 (.581) with four College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) titles and four NCAA tournament appearances. In 2016, under first-year Head Coach Katie Tenboer, the Big Blue went 18-20. In addition to the team’s inaugural games in the new facility, 2017 will mark the arrival of Tenboer’s first recruiting class as she works to build Big Blue softball into a program contending for the conference championship. Q

FROM COURTROOM TO COACH: MU’S NEW FOOTBALL COACH WAS ONCE A LAWYER Head Football Coach Dan Gritti, who helms his first season with the Big Blue this academic year, took a detour on his way to his coaching career. Gritti earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and U.S. history at Vanderbilt University.

In 1998, he completed his juris doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School, but something was missing.

Ultimately, his passion for becoming a coach led him on a journey from the courtroom to the football field.

Gritti came to Millikin after successfully resurrecting the football program at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. In 2013, Gritti led the Lynx to an 8-2 record and the school’s first championship in 26 years. In addition to his on-field success at Rhodes, Gritti recruited the two largest and most geographically diverse classes in program history and raised the team grade

point average from 2.8 to 3.2.

“I chose to come to Millikin because of the quality of its student-athletes and the university’s commitment to being successful in all its endeavors,” he says. “They both deserve a winning football program, and I believe that I am the person to make that happen.”

The Boston native also served as an assistant coach at the University of Chicago and Middlebury College. At both stops, Gritti was part of conference championship seasons. Gritti coached at the University of Chicago from 2009-10, serving as special teams coordinator both seasons. In the first season he coached linebackers, and in 2010 his role expanded to directing the university’s front seven. In his four seasons at Middlebury, Gritti served as special teams coordinator and coached both linebackers and defensive backs. Q

WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT COACH GRITTI: “Millikin is lucky to obtain a coach like Dan Gritti.

He is going to change the lives of your studentathletes. He changed the culture of our program.

When he recruited me, he said I would leave with a championship ring on my finger, and that is just what we did.”

– Justin Toliver May 2015 Rhodes College Graduate “Dan will not only be a passionate football coach but more importantly a passionate educator. His student-athletes will thrive on the field, in the classroom and in the community.”

– Bob Ritter Head Football Coach at Middlebury College

WITH YOUR SUPPORT

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MILLIKIN GRADUATE PLEDGES $2 MILLION TO NEW CENTER FOR THEATRE AND DANCE

Alumni, parents, employees and friends of Millikin made the third annual, three-day True Blue Scholarship Challenge fundraising campaign a success, giving more than $400,000 for annual student scholarships and exceeding the $320,000 goal. Overall for the 2016-17 academic year, commitments to the Millikin Fund for Student Scholarships topped $2.75 million.

During this year’s event, an anony-

mous donor stepped forward to offer a $160,000 matching challenge. Also, more than 15 smaller matching challenges were made by alumni and other donors, ranging from $500 to $15,000 and targeting specific graduation years or groups of alumni, parents, friends and students to encourage giving during the three days.

More than 98 percent of Millikin

students rely on some type of financial aid to attend the university, including scholarships. Annually, Millikin distributes nearly $36 million in scholarships and awards to students, more than half of the university’s annual operating budget. These scholarships are awarded to students based on academic merit, talent and financial need.

Next year’s True Blue Scholarship

Challenge will be held May 3-5.

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Web extra: For more info and videos about the challenge, visit millikin.edu/trueblue.

Photo by Grad Images.

True Blue exceeds $400,00 in donations for student scholarships

Julius W. Hegeler II receives an honorary degree during the May 2016 commencement ceremony.

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FFORTS TO CREATE a Center for Theatre and Dance on campus received a big boost with a $2 million pledge from Julius W. Hegeler II, a 1950 Millikin graduate. Hegeler, who lives in Danville, Ill., is also a trustee emeritus for the university.

Plans to create a dedicated Center for Theatre and Dance to house this signature Millikin program were announced in May 2010, and to date $11.5 million has been committed to the goal by alumni, friends, corporations and charitable foundations.

Fundraising continues for the new facility, which would give a much-needed centralized home to Millikin’s nationally recognized undergraduate theatre and dance program. This highly selective program, which currently enrolls more than 200 students, recruits talent from all over the country and increasingly from abroad. The school stages more than 50 performances annually, including musicals, plays, operas, children’s theatre and dance concerts, as well as productions through its student-run theatre company, Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre.

“We are immensely grateful to Mr. Hegeler for his investment toward providing a facility equipped with the leading-

edge technology and spaces our students need to master their crafts,” says Laura Ledford, dean of the College of Fine Arts. “Our students have the drive and the talent,” she says. “They just need the proper facility space to even better prepare them to be disciplined professionals and committed artists.

“Once we receive the entire funding needed to create it, this space will also help Millikin continue to attract and retain the best in the field and increase the university’s reputation for having one of the finest theatre and dance programs in the nation.”

Hegeler served Millikin as trustee from 1981-96 and was recognized with a 1998 Millikin Alumni Merit-Loyalty Award. A longtime philanthropist, he established the Julius W. Hegeler II Foundation in 1992. The foundation typically focuses its gifts on historic preservation, health care, the arts, education, environmental education and improving the lives of children and people with disabilities.

After earning his degree in business administration from MU, Hegeler served in the Air Force as an F-86 fighter pilot, participating in 70 combat missions – including the final mission of the Korean War. For his efforts, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, an Air Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster. Upon his return to Danville in 1955, he co-founded what became the world’s largest contract packager of chemical specialties, Peterson Filling and Packaging, which at one time employed 1,000 workers in Vermilion County. The company was sold to Corn Products (now Ingredion) in 1966; Hegeler retired as vice president of facilities planning for Corn Products in 1978.

Hegeler has served on the boards of many community agencies and organizations and held a commercial pilot’s license until 2006. He has given generously to Millikin for many years and was presented with an honorary degree at May commencement ceremonies. Q

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LOOKING BACK

Web extra: Learn more about the Liberal Arts

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Hall cornerstone at bit.ly/mu-cornerstone.

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Photos from the University Archives.

SNAPSHOTS OF THE PAST

by Amanda Pippitt

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ONTRAST OUR CURRENT age of digital photography with the time of Millikin University’s founding, when photographic images were captured as negatives on glass. The University Archives owns many prints made from these plates, but understandably only three small sets of the original — and very fragile — glass negatives.

Though not considered particularly rare or valuable, glass plate negatives — which first came into widespread use around 1880 and helped popularize photography as a hobby — suffer from many common condition issues. First, they are thin and often large pieces of glass that break easily. Second, their gelatin coating can separate, flake off the glass or suffer scratches. Coming into contact with dirt and oil from the skin can also damage the plates. And the silver particles in the gelatin can oxidize over time, which may cause fading or a shiny metallic appearance known as “mirroring.”

1 Our first glass plate image, from

about 1903, shows Eugenia Allin (woman in back row, center), Millikin’s first 8

MILLIKIN QUARTERLY | FALL 2016

librarian. She is 3 pictured with a group of faculty and students who are playfully displaying a photograph of President Theodore Roosevelt, one of the speakers at Millikin’s dedication. In contrast to more formal portraits typical of the time period, these pictures show that our predecessors definitely knew how to let loose and have some fun.

2 The second image is from a collection of unknown photographers and includes images of Liberal Arts Hall – today known as Shilling Hall – under construction (above, right), fraternity and sporting events, and what may be a parade. Some of the plates in this group are as large as 11-by-14 inches.

3 The third set of negatives was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. McCreary of Decatur in 1983 and includes images of the 1902 cornerstone ceremony for Liberal Arts Hall. The photos were taken by John B. Robinson, a professional photographer and former owner of the McCrearys’ home. This image shows the

cornerstone being lowered into place as the crowd looks on. Members of the Masonic Fraternity of Illinois supervise.

Glass plate negatives became less popular in the 1920s as paper- and filmbased negatives came into use for amateur photographers. Nevertheless, the process was still used by scientists for astronomical measurements late into the 20th century. This collection not only provides fascinating images from Millikin’s history, but insight into the challenges posed by early photography. Q Amanda Pippitt is Millikin’s access services coordinator, archivist and research instruction librarian. She has worked at MU since 2004.

Pippitt earned her master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in anthropology.

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ore than six years ago, Millikin re-articulated for a new generation its rock-solid philosophy for educating college students that stretched back more than 100 years.

Based on University Founder James Millikin’s unique vision to create a university where the practical side of learning would be embraced along with the classical – a novel concept for its time – today’s vision has been re-imagined as Performance Learning. Here’s how he described the future Millikin:

“an institution where the scientific, the

practical and industrial shall have a place of equal importance, side by side with the literary and classical.”

This distinctive educational experience can be described in a variety of ways by faculty in all disciplines, but in the end, it’s all about outcomes:

For those who aspire to achieve, only Millikin offers learning through performance – the unique approach that generates the confidence to succeed.

Within the structure of Performance Learning, students are called to partner, engage and reflect for a richer, broader and more intense and thorough preparation for successful

professional careers. In other words, a Performance Learning educational experience is a recipe for thriving in work and in life. Alumni probably won’t find this to be a raging new concept. It’s just how they were taught when they were at Millikin, whether it was five, 25 or 50 years ago. But today the concept has been adapted to fit a new generation of students.

This process often includes alumni actively participating in the process for a richer student experience and for viewing its success firsthand.

So, turn the page. Catch a glimpse of just a few examples of how Performance Learning is reflected in the education of today’s students.

School of Business Professor Larry Stapleton (center) during 1 Tabor a student work trip to the Dominican Republic.

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ach day, the power of MU’s Performance Learning educational model happens on and even off campus, ranging from sites like the big city of Chicago to a tiny village of 400 residents in the Dominican Republic (DR).

The DR’s El Mango Limpio is known for its rich culture and lush vegetation but also faces the challenges of extreme poverty and a lack of access to clean water.

But when a Millikin alum reached out to a Millikin professor, the result was a positive collaboration that benefited MU students and addressed urgent village needs.

For the past six years, business students, under the guidance of Dr. Larry Stapleton, associate professor of production/operations management, have traveled to the DR to learn and engage in social entrepreneurship. In late 2013, Stapleton was approached by Dan Watkins ’89, a business administration graduate and a pastor for Decatur’s New Beginnings Church of God. Watkins asked for help for El Mango Limpio, a mission of the church, and Stapleton saw this project as an opportunity to promote the university’s focus on Performance Learning by including his students in the plan.

“We had been working on the Millikin Microfinance Fund for four years in the Dominican Republic, helping support women entrepreneurs in poor economic situations,” Stapleton says. “Dan came up with the idea to build an Internet cafe for the village so it would be convenient for students to do their homework in the village, rather than travel long distances

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MILLIKIN QUARTERLY | FALL 2016

MU athletic training majors worked at last fall’s Bank of America 2 Six Chicago Marathon.

to another area that offers Internet and other resources.”

Just a year later, the cafe was in business, with students of a Millikin international business course also focused on providing Internet access, school supplies and computer training for village residents.

“On average, the people of the village are making somewhere between 300-700 pesos a day,” Stapleton says. “One trip for a student to do homework is costing 250 pesos, and what we found is a way to do it for 80 pesos ... it puts disposable income back into the community.”

Later, Watkins contacted Stapleton again to help improve the villagers’ quality of life.

“We reached out to the village pastor and missionaries in the Dominican Republic, and they came up with three basic needs — clean water, health care and education,” Stapleton says.

A team of four MU students conducted research on the first step of the plan, providing clean water. They researched everything from digging a well to collecting rainwater.

The students were able to define how much water the village would need and options for removing contaminants from the existing water supply.

“What the students are finding is that this is a life-changing experience,” Watkins says. “When you’re putting fresh water in a place that doesn’t have water, that changes things for all generations. The fact that the students are a part of that is huge.”

After visiting the village last January, the students came up with short-term and

long-term plans to provide the village with clean drinking water, as well as public health care and local education. They focused their efforts on the first phase of the plan, while also laying the groundwork for later phases so future students can pick up where they left off.

“It’s an incredible experience when you see that it’s not just a plan on paper and you’re doing something that benefits all the people in the village,” says Kiara Smail, a senior accounting major from Decatur. “We were really invested in the project while working on it in class, but it wasn’t until we got there that we realized the impact these projects are making on a huge group of people.”

Working with an even larger group of people was a project for six MU athletic training students, who volunteered as medical personnel to help with injuries and other health issues arising among the approximately 45,000 runners at last fall’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon. It was the second consecutive year Millikin students volunteered.

“This year was a different look for our students, because we were put on a mobile triage team,” says Thad Walker, exercise science and sport instructor. “We were given our own zone in the post-finish line area to look after runners who completed the race. The students would be covering the entire zone, and they would be looking for patients in distress.”

“It was amazing how many people from the medical team came together for

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graphic design major Sydney Doherty is helping curate a January 2017 3 Junior Perkinson Gallery exhibit featuring vintage rock posters of the ’60s and ’70s.

the marathon,” says volunteer Corryn Poby ’16. “You have to think fast on your feet when working with the patients, and from a clinical standpoint, it was helpful to know the difference between someone who was in pain or someone who was [just] tired from running 26 miles.”

Walker says the students learned many valuable lessons. “During the marathon, the students were on a medical team with hundreds of people such as EMTs, nurses, physicians, athletic trainers and physical therapists. It’s very much a multidisciplinary approach to health care at a big event, and there are all sorts of lessons to learn as far as application, organization and communication.”

Sydney Doherty ’18, a junior graphic design major from Lake Saint Louis, Mo., did some running of her own this summer as she worked to research, catalog and plan an upcoming January exhibit in Perkinson Gallery on how vintage rock posters of the ’60s and ’70s developed into a creative – and psychedelic – art form that symbolized a social movement.

As part of a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) project, Doherty and Associate Professor of Art Ed Walker ’85 worked with Marc Willis of Decatur, who owns an extensive collection of vintage music posters. Walker and Doherty are also working on the exhibit’s catalog book to be published through Bronze Man Books, Millikin’s student-run publishing company.

“I’ve heard many stories about the culture of the ’60s and ’70s, and it’s been

3

elementary education major Sherry Gittens ’16 participates 4 PACE in a mock interview during Boot Camp, held earlier this year.

great to delve into that time period,” Doherty says. “From a design standpoint, it’s inspiring to see that type of original art and research how the artists developed it.

It’s bringing exciting and creative energy into my own work.”

As Doherty gains experience for her future career in art, students in the School of Education polish their skills for obtaining teaching positions through an annual job Boot Camp. Earlier this year, more than 30 seniors practiced their interviewing techniques with help from more than 20 school administrators and Millikin alumni.

“An opportunity like this event is rare,” says Steffanie Seegmiller, coordinator of clinical practice for the School of Education. “The administrators want to see Millikin graduates succeed and find jobs.”

The idea for the Boot Camp started with a few alumni wanting to give back to Millikin, including Tom Mahoney ’90, superintendent of Community Unit School District No. 220 in Oregon, Ill.

“We reached back out to the School of Education and started brainstorming ideas on what we could do to give back,” Mahoney says. “The Boot Camp experience is not only about being prepared but also knowing the content of what you say and how it impacts the interviewer’s perception of what you say.”

Mahoney says the alumni were very impressed with the students.

“The quality of education the students are getting now at Millikin is just as good if not stronger [than] when I was there,” he

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says. “The candidates were very prepared, had good depth of knowledge, and put thought into the information they shared with us.”

The interviews were also an opportunity for these alumni to find candidates for future positions.

“This is a culminating activity that goes hand in hand with our student teaching,” Seegmiller says. “The students are living out all the theories and practice we talk about in the classroom. Having the opportunity to interview with administrators who are in the field and Want more Performance connected is an amazLearning stories? ing way Visit of living it out.” millikin.edu/performance

“Living it out” is just another way to say, “Performance Learning is as alive and well today at Millikin as it was in 1901.”

And for this we say “thanks, James Millikin.” Q

FALL 2016 | MILLIKIN QUARTERLY

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UPON REFLECTION

HOW PERFORMANCE LEARNING WAS MY MAJOR

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Submitted photo.

DEGREE AT Millikin is unique in its calculated approach to Performance Learning. Perhaps this is not true of all universities, but any Millikin alum can confirm it.

As I approach my final days as an undergraduate student, I can say with certainty that my experiences in Performance Learning were the base of my education.

For two years, I worked as production manager for Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre at Millikin. For students interested in combining theatre and business, this student-run venture offers an opportunity unlike any other.

When I began, I expected my responsibilities to lie solely in overseeing the technical aspects of each show. Little did I know that Performance Learning at Pipe Dreams actually meant an education in nonprofit management, event sales, development, grant writing, financial management, social media marketing, contract writing, video/audio production and even a fair bit of carpentry and electrics, among other skills. And, even though it came as a surprise, it was the finest piece of education I have ever received.

There is a certain unconquerable disconnect that strangles the classroom setting. Even when students embark on challenging individual projects, there is a safety net. Everything is done in theory, in a classroom. You can never capture the whole concept of anything until you attempt it on your

by Tyler Hixson ’15

own. Not until the safety net is burned and abandoned.

This is what Performance Learning offered me. A chance to fail. Not in theory or with something to cushion the blow.

A real chance to run a real company into the ground. And, because the risk existed, we didn’t. Pipe Dreams was a chance to work with some of the most dedicated people I have had the pleasure of knowing. We pushed every limit of what we thought we knew. Took on tasks we could never have expected. And, together, we prevailed. In the two years I was a member of Pipe Dreams, this team of intrepid college students produced eight productions — on time and under budget. We wrote and won a grant from ETC and upgraded our lighting system to the tune of around $10,000 while securing a capital donation of another $10,000 from a generous donor. We petitioned a philanthropic student organization for the money to upgrade our seating. We began paying our directors and our designers. We sold out an enormous number of high-quality theatre productions. We rebranded our entire company to fit our culture ...

And no, we did not sleep. But we didn’t need to. Because it became clear to us, as it is still crystal clear to me, that Performance Learning was what we were at Millikin to do.

My diploma reads “Tyler Hixson: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Administration; Minor: Entrepreneurship.” These words can never even come close to representing the experience I’ve gained far outside the realm of my field of study. And perhaps they shouldn’t. Q Tyler Hixson of Monticello, Ill., completed his bachelor of fine arts degree in theatre administration and a minor in entrepreneurship last December.

He was a recipient of the Scovill Prize, the highest honor awarded by the university to traditional undergraduate students, and also received the Michelle Chartier Memorial Award. A James Millikin Scholar, Hixson’s JMS undergraduate research project was an investigation into the best practices of nonprofit governance.

Founder James Millikin envisioned “an institution where the scientific, the practical and the industrial shall have a place of equal importance, side by side with the literary and classical.” Today, this is known as Performance Learning, the unique hallmark of a Millikin education carried out in an environment of support, engagement and positive challenge. Performance Learning produces graduates instilled with the knowledge to succeed and the practical experience and confidence that sets them apart.

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MILLIKIN QUARTERLY | FALL 2016

CLASS NOTES (RECEIVED JAN. 1-MAY 1, 2016)

SEND US INFORMATION You may send your news for Class Notes online, by email, or regular mail. Sorry, no phone submissions.

Online: bit.ly/your-mu-news Email: alumnews@millikin.edu.

Mail: Millikin Quarterly 1184 West Main Street Decatur, IL 62522-2084

PHOTO GUIDELINES Traditional photographic prints (made from a negative) or digital photos can be submitted to Quarterly for publication.

In general, digital photos should be taken on the highest-quality setting. Digital photos should be 4x6 inches or larger and 300 dpi.

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Warren Reckmeyer of Mount Morris, Ill., celebrated his 93rd birthday in September. Though retired for more than 30 years, he still teaches music students and directs a jazz band. In June, he and his wife, Carol, celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary at a San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals game. As part of their anniversary gift from the Cardinals’ organization and Bank of America, the couple received suite seats and threw out the first pitch to start the game.

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Betty Price Brown of Elk Grove Village, Ill., and her husband, Orville Brown ’52, celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary this year. Their first housing as a married couple was in the barracks on the MU campus.

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Doris Ryan McElwee of Arcadia, Calif., is a self-employed psychotherapist in Burbank, Calif. She writes, “At 85 years of age I’m still working – and loving it. My brain keeps up better than my body, but I still have my two private practices. Class alums traveling to southern California, give me a call!”

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Larene Carlson Kuncar of Coral Gables, Fla., is retired from Delta Airlines. Her husband, Ed, a former MU modern languages professor, is retired from G4S, an international security solutions group in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. William Sill of St. Charles, Mo., retired as a family practice physician in January 2013 after 42 years of practice. His wife, Bette Armentrout Sill ’67, retired as a laboratory technologist in January 2013, as well.

in Cincinnati, where she has taught for eight years. An organ performance major at Millikin, she still plays the organ for a local church.

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Mary Beskow Zarr of Lake Zurich, Ill., has retired from Community Consolidated School District No. 15 (CCSD) as assistant superintendent for curriculum, special services and school improvement.

She continues to serve as an education consultant and coordinator of Illinois State University-CCSD 15’s partnership in the professional development school experience in Palatine, Ill.

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Jennifer Friday of Lithonia, Ga., served as the featured speaker at Millikin’s traditional student commencement ceremony in May. She is president and principal researcher of Friday Consulting Group LLC and an assistant professor of psychology at Georgia Gwinnett College in Atlanta.

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Susan Junge Peters of Florence, S.C., served a one-year American Council on Education Emerging Leader fellowship at Armstrong State University in Savannah, Ga. She is married to Dave Peters ’80.

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Elizabeth Underhill, graduated from Bradley in December 2015.

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Marcilene Dutton of Chatham, Ill., is chief legal counsel for the State of Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System. She previously served as deputy general counsel for the Illinois State Board of Education since 2007.

’86

Scott Talbott of Danville, Ill., retired from the Danville Police Department after 26 years of service. He is a federal court security officer for the U.S. Marshal Service and also founded B & S Security, a security surveillance systems provider.

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Penny Frank of Decatur is human resources manager for the City of Decatur.

Jessica Madsen of Cincinnati returned to campus in April to teach a piano master class and help judge the 2016 Hollis Prize competition. She recently recorded composer Mark Louis Lehman’s solo piano and chamber ensemble works with piano as part of a compilation CD set of his complete works.

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Meghan Stewart Carver of Indianapolis recently published her first novel, “Under Duress.” She and her husband, Steve, have six children.

Patricia Nugent of Normal, Ill., is associate professor in teacher education at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. Her two children, Michael and

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Patrick Kinas of Chapel Hill, N.C., is a sportscaster for Westwood One. He broadcast his first Olympic Games this summer in Rio de Janeiro. He

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Dale Dykstra of Kewanee, Ill., and his wife, Donna, a retired nurse, went on a two-week vacation to Oahu, Hawaii, during the summer. He is minister at First Presbyterian Church.

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Marilyn McClain of Cincinnati completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing through Grand Canyon University.

She received her registered nurse diploma from Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing. She currently teaches nursing at Fortis College

Dave Polovina ’71, Betsy Ellis, Greg Freed ’72, Roseanne Apyan ’72 and Linda Talaga Polovina ’71 reunited at Dave and Linda’s home in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., to reminisce about the great times they had as students at Millikin.

FALL 2016 | MILLIKIN QUARTERLY

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BLUE CONNECTIONS

WE WELCOME YOUR NEWS! See below for instructions on submitting your news for an upcoming printed issue. The editor reserves the right to edit for space, style, clarity and substance. Because of the length of time between printed issues, please be sure to keep the Alumni and Development Office informed of any changes or additions to the class note you submitted, so it is up to date when published.

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Submitted photo.

CLASS NOTES SUBMISSION POLICY

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CLASS NOTES (RECEIVED JAN. 1-MAY 1, 2016)

provided the play-by-play for all 32 men’s and women’s swimming events, long-form interviews with athletes for a nightly two-hour national program and hourly daily radio updates throughout the games.

’95

Jennifer Armstrong of Dallas is associate director at the National Center for Arts Research at Southern Methodist University. She previously was the director of community arts development for the Illinois Arts Council Agency in Chicago.

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Matthew Holley of Indianapolis completed his doctorate in higher education and student affairs from Indiana University, where he also recently accepted a position as an assistant professor of family medicine.

He continues to serve as the associate director of medical student education and statewide course director for Foundations of Clinical Practice – Year One. Jeff Lilly of Indianapolis was recently elected board president of the Brain Injury Association of Indiana Inc., where he will be the voice for the association in its advocacy for brain injury survivors and their relatives and caregivers in Indiana. He previously served as board treasurer and has been a director of the association since 2012. He is director of governmental relations for RCR Technology Corp. Inc. He and his wife, Jeanne, have a daughter, Hannah.

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Andrew Meyerkord and Denise Loomis Meyerkord, both ’99, of Crestwood, Mo., welcomed daughter Hannah Elizabeth, March 4, 2015. They also have a son, Benjamin, 6. Andrew is firm administrator at Meyerkord & Meyerkord LLC. Denise is a stay-at-home mom.

Nicole Erlenborn Poer ’99 and her husband, Brad, of Kalamazoo, Mich., welcomed son Brogan Arthur, March 20, 2015. They also have a daughter, Etta, 5. Nicole is director of education and outreach at Kalamazoo Civic Theatre and a freelance director. Brad is a theatre professor at Kellogg Community College.

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Phoebe Bowers of Decatur is an associate judge for the 6th Judicial Circuit, 14

assigned to cases including traffic, orders of protection, DUI and forcible entry. She is a member of the board of directors of Baby TALK, a nonprofit child development organization in Decatur, and recently served a term as president of the Decatur Bar Association. She formerly worked as a partner in the Decatur firm of Fuller, Quigg and Bowers.

Marybeth Drechsler Sharp of Lafayette, Colo., is executive director for the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS), a consortium of 43 professional associations in higher education.

She authored two introductory chapters about history and the ongoing professional use of CAS in higher education and student affairs in the ninth edition of CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education. She recently received the William L. “Bud” Thomas Jr. Award from the University of Maryland’s department of counseling, higher education and special education. The award recognizes outstanding higher education professionals who mentor graduate students with a concentration in student affairs.

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Denise Smith of Sullivan, Ill., is an assistant adjunct professor of management for Millikin’s Tabor School of Business. She is also director of people services at St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur.

’03

Bobbi Mielcarski and Tim Weber ’05 were married Aug. 15, 2015. Bobbi teaches music at the Science & Arts Academy in Des Plaines, Ill. Tim is RA systems specialist at Medline Industries. They live in Arlington Heights, Ill.

’02

Roberto Hernandez of Cicero, Ill., won season 17 of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” He competed with his twin brother, Luis Hernandez ’02, who was eliminated during week 10 of the competition but won the at-home competition.

The brothers are traveling across the country to share their story and motivate others.

Matthew Sprauge of Watervliet, N.Y., is senior digital content producer at Time Warner Cable (TWC).

He oversees both web and social

MILLIKIN QUARTERLY | FALL 2016

media platforms and is involved in the planning and execution of special projects for TWC news sites in Albany, Hudson Valley, Syracuse and Binghamton, N.Y. Sprague joined TWC News in October 2015 after eight years at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.

Ellen Tillman of Decatur recently published her book “Dollar Diplomacy by Force: NationBuilding and Resistance in the Dominican Republic.”

’04

Alex Mueller and Emily Laughlin Mueller, both ’04, of Washington, Ill., welcomed daughter Evangeline Jenesis, March 2, 2016.

’05

Jeff Farber of Washington, D.C., is an adjunct instructor for Millikin’s School of Theatre and Dance.

’06

Lance Brooks of Denver placed fifth in the men’s discus throw at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials in July.

Henry Kappler, previously of O’Fallon, Mo., is director of bands at Buffalo Grove High School in Buffalo Grove, Ill. William Richards of Queens, N.Y., works for a specialty pharmaceutical corporation in New York. He recently completed an executive MBA with a concentration in management and finance from Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y. He married his wife, Amyka, in 2010, and has two sons, Isaiah and Ian.

’07

Sarah Davis married William Campbell, Aug. 29, 2015. They live in Los Angeles.

Amy Warters and Seth Lemons were married Dec. 19, 2015.

Amy is vocal music director for Hillsboro Junior High and Senior High Schools. Seth is a correctional officer at Graham Correctional Facility. They live in Hillsboro, Ill.

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Casey Henderson of Decatur is Internet sales and leasing specialist at Crown Toyota Scion in Decatur.

Julie Fults of Chicago recently competed on the NBC reality show “Spartan: Ultimate Team

Challenge.” The show features teams of five competing in physical challenges with massive obstacles. She has competed in more than 100 U.S. and international obstacle course races (OCR) and endurance events and recently won the 21-mile BattleFrog Xtreme endurance OCR in North California, which features more than 90 obstacles and has gains of 5,000 feet of elevation. She has qualified for her second OCR World Championships. She is a financial management consultant with KPMG in Chicago.

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Joel Kim Booster of Plainsfield, Ill., was featured in Brooklyn Magazine as one of Brooklyn’s 50 Funniest people and appeared on Conan O’Brien’s show on TBS in June. He made his television stand-up comedy debut in January as part of Bianca Del Rio’s Comedy Cabaret from Aspen Gay Ski Week. He’s performed at numerous comedy clubs and festivals, and has been featured at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, RIOT LA, the Brooklyn Comedy Festival and the New York Comedy Festival, where he performed on Comedy Central’s “7 Minutes in Purgatory.” Paper Magazine recently called him one of their “10 Comedians You Need to Know.”

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William Manley of Decatur served as the commencement speaker at Millikin’s DNP/MBA commencement ceremony in May. He is vice president of operations support at Archer Daniels Midland Co. Edward Purdy of Springfield, Ill., is an adjunct instructor in exercise science and sport at Millikin.

Katie Salvacion married Zach Verde, Sept. 26, 2015. Katie is digital marketing coordinator for Save-A-Lot food stores. Zach is information security coordinator at Panera. They live in St. Louis.

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Sarah Malone of Nashville, Tenn., is membership coordinator at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

Lindsay Quick of Mattoon, Ill., is graphic design and marketing coordinator for the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce.

ALUMNI PROFILE

PAVING THE WAY

by Shanlee Bratten

Submitted photo.

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ERRI HARRINGTON ’85 of Baltimore has combined a career in commercial real estate with a passion for her community. In 2015, she was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women. Nominated for the award twice before, she says the competition is steep: “The third time’s a charm!”

Maryland’s Top 100 Women are chosen from among 400 nominees who act as strong mentors and dedicate themselves to the betterment of their community. “Mentoring other women and community involvement are critical factors in receiving this award,” says Harrington. One of her goals is to pave the way for women in commercial real estate. She is currently senior vice president at MacKenzie Real Estate Services in Baltimore, and she earned her master’s degree in business from Loyola University Maryland in 2004.

Working in commercial real estate since 1993, Harrington says she is pleased to have made a name for herself in the Baltimore area while working in a male-dominated profession.

She has been named a CoStar Power Broker multiple times over the past several years, an industry recognition for top producing brokers in the market. Harrington says one of her goals is to educate women who are seeking a career in commercial real estate by providing information about the business and how to make a place for themselves in it. She says that, in her experience, very few people — and even fewer women — know how to succeed in the industry. “Many people do not know there is a whole profession built around commercial real estate,” she says.

Harrington’s career is closely tied to economic development.

In fact, she brokered the transaction that brought the first supermarket to downtown Baltimore’s Central Business District and has been involved with some of the more notable transactions and development projects in the city. Another way she encourages economic development in her community is through photography. By photographing various locations around Baltimore, she communicates the attributes she sees in the city to people who have never been there. Some of her photographs have even been sold at a nonprofit auction; she also posts them to her Facebook and Instagram pages. “I try to educate people outside the city and show them what Baltimore really is about,” she says.

Harrington credits a lot of her interests to her time as a Millikin student: “I was always promoting the school when

I was there, and I guess that introduced me to the skill of promoting where I live now.” At MU, Harrington was a resident assistant as well as a member of Millikin Alumni Student Hosts (MASH), an organization that fostered alumni-student relations (now known as the Royal Blue Ambassadors). She credits her knack for photography to her art major. “I attribute a lot of what I do to my Millikin days,” she says, “My affection for Millikin runs really deep.”

Prior to entering commercial real estate, Harrington was an award-winning weekend radio news anchor at WPOC-FM/ Clear Channel Baltimore from 1987-2007, top in its market.

Before that, she completed an internship with Decatur’s WAND television station that led to her two-decade career in radio.

Harrington also holds positions on several boards and committees, including the Foundation Board of Bon Secours Health System, the University of Baltimore Real Estate and Economic Development Advisory Board, and the Greater Baltimore Committee Leadership and the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore boards. Q Shanlee Bratten of Decatur completed a writing internship for the Alumni & Development Office. A Bradley University graduate, she is teaching in Spain this fall.

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PASSINGS (RECEIVED NOV. 1, 2014-MAY 1, 2016)

PASSINGS Editor's Note: See complete memorials for all individuals listed in this section at bit.ly/mu-memorials (unless an obituary notice was unavailable). Photos are included when available. For those without website access, please call the Alumni and Development Office at 1.877.JMU.ALUM, and we will gladly mail you a printout of any requested memorial.

Erma “Blondie” Bosler Dillion Jack Franklin March ’46 of ’42 of Salisbury, N.C., Sept. 6, Algoma, Wis., March 13, 2016.

2015.

Patricia Stitt Ott ’46 of Mt. Jean Farthing Erickson ’42 of Vernon, Ill., Nov. 2, 2015.

James Perley of Portland, Coopersville, Mich., Dec. 28, Ore., March 30, 2016. He was 2014.

Ruth Purdue Smith ’46 of dean of arts and sciences Decatur, formerly of Springfrom 2001-04.

George Fathauer ’42 of Deca- field, Ill., March 23, 2015. tur, Dec. 22, 2014.

Richard “Dick” Pobanz of Juanita Howland Turney ’46 McKinney, Texas, Feb. 22, Edwin “Ed” Wait ’42 of Rogof Clinton, Ill., March 20, 2016.

2015. He taught physical edu- ers, Ark., Sept. 20, 2015. cation at Millikin from 1991-94.

Marylou Carnegie Vita ’46 of FRIENDS William “Bill” Hickman ’43 of Savannah, Ga., June 5, 2015.

Bernadine Nemyer Murfin Russell Tiede of Decatur, Decatur, Dec. 20, 2015. of Greenville, S.C., formerly professor emeritus of music, Robert Wisner ’46, Oct. 29, of Decatur, Jan. 8. The family May 7, 2015. He taught music Veda DeVore Huffman ’43 2015. requested memorial gifts be education and applied French of Arcola, Ill., formerly of made to the Walter W. Murfin horn and tuba at Millikin for 25 Mahomet, Ill., March 27, 2016. Paul Best ’47 of Decatur, Dec. Memorial Scholarship Fund years. The family requested 12, 2014. at Millikin, c/o Alumni and memorial gifts be made to William “Bill” McGaughey Jr. Development, 1184 W. Main the Dr. Russell Tiede Memorial ’43 of Decatur, Dec. 3, 2014.

Jack Brown ’47 of Blue St., Decatur, IL 62522.

Scholarship Fund at Millikin, A 2007 Alumni Loyalty Award Mound, Ill., Dec. 1, 2014. c/o Alumni and Development, recipient, Bill also served on Marjorie Emshoff Tower of 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL the Millikin alumni board for Frederica Massey Harvick ’47 Rochester, Minn., formerly of 62522. three years and served as his of Southern Pines, N.C., Feb. Decatur, April 17, 2016. (See class reunion chair.

1, 2016. related article on page 4.)

Laurin Wollan Jr. of Richmond, Va., July 4, 2015. She Robert Owens ’43 of SpringMary White Hancock Monet Barbara Woodrum Wilson was a Millikin history and field, Ill., Nov. 12, 2014. ’47 of Shelbyville, Ill., March of Decatur, former Tri Delta political science professor 20, 2015. housemother, July 23, 2015. from 1962-64.

Robert Driskill ’44 of Eugene, Ore., June 15, 2015.

Kenneth Park ’47 of Decatur, FORMER ALUMNI Nov. 6, 2015.

FACULTY AND STAFF Caroline Walker Manock ’39 Roberta “Bert” Kern Durnil Richard Bennett of Greenville, of Clinton, Ill., March 4, 2016. ’44 of Decatur, Jan. 9, 2016.

Oral Woltmann Rice ’47 of Pa., March 5, 2015. He taught Woodinville, Wash., May 17, chemistry at Millikin from Julia Thornton Carter ’40 of Marjorie Funk Knoop ’44 of 2014.

1961-63.

Oak Ridge, Tenn., Nov. 9, 2014. Charleston, Ill., Nov. 29, 2014.

Caroline Adams Williams ’47 Alfred Blickenderfer of Ruth “Toni” Kilbey Newton Anna Herschberger Major ’44 of Long Creek, Ill., Sept. 22, Decatur, May 6, 2016. He was ’40 of Arlington, Texas, Nov. of Wheaton, Ill., Feb. 9, 2013.

2015. an adjunct professor of violin 22, 2014. in the preparatory department Helen Wood Binkley ’45 of Eloise Hurtt Williams ’47 of from 1982-2005.

Murl Sickbert ’40 of Colorado Decatur, Jan. 6, 2016.

Decatur, April 30, 2015.

Springs, Colo., Jan 29, 2015.

William Bodamer Jr. of Frank M. Goode ’45 of Ann Shirley Miller Billings ’48 of Petersburg, Ill., Sept. 27, 2015. Annabel Voigt Dirks ’41 of Arbor, Mich., formerly of Decatur, Feb. 3, 2015.

(See related articles on pages Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 4, 2015. Northlake, Ill., Nov. 2, 2014.

4 and 23.)

Katherine McKeown Joseph Hopson ’41 of San James “Doc” Kane ’45 of Bradshaw ’48 of Springfield, Larry Calhoun of Jacksonville, Antonio, Texas, Jan. 21, 2016.

Bozeman, Mont., Oct. 11, 2015. Ill., April 20, 2014.

Ill., March 28, 2015. He was a Millikin art instructor from Julia Tuttle Owen ’41 of Deca- Marian “Mally” Moeller Mary Alice Daniel Cary ’48 of 1963-70. tur, Nov. 29, 2015.

Shellabarger ’45 of Decatur, Indianapolis, Sept. 26, 2015. formerly of Warsaw, Ind., Sept.

Rosemary Foley of Decatur, Miriam Lux Batchelder ’42 of 15, 2014.

Vernon Estes Jr. ’48 of Kansas Aug. 3, 2015. She worked in Oswego, Ill., Oct. 12, 2015.

City, Mo., March 22, 2016.

Millikin’s library in the 1970s.

Gene Cottle ’46 of Decatur, Evelyn “Margo” Lineback Nov. 23, 2015.

Elizabeth “Betty” Auer Dennis Kollross of Chatham, Blades ’42 of Mission, Kan., Krushas ’48 of Jacksonville, Ill., May 25, 2015. He was Nov. 19, 2014.

Joseph Lowery ’46 of BelIll., Nov. 5, 2015.

Newman Center chaplain from leville, Ill., Dec. 19, 2014.

1992-2004.

Mildred Wise Minick Carroll Malcolm Mathias ’48 of Blue ’42 of Decatur, Nov. 27, 2014.

Mound, Ill., Sept. 3, 2015.

16

J. Roger Miller of Durham N.C., president emeritus, Oct. 14, 2015. (See related article on page 4.)

MILLIKIN QUARTERLY | FALL 2016

Milburn Smith ’48 of Charleston, Ill., Oct. 6, 2015.

Robert Wilson Sr. ’48, of Louisville, Colo., formerly of Quincy, Ill., Feb. 18, 2016.

John “Jack” Allen ’49 of Decatur, Aug. 25, 2015. (See related article on page 4.)

Theodore Bean ’49 of Quincy, Ill., Jan. 10, 2015. He was a 1978 Alumni Merit-Loyalty Award recipient.

Jeane Abshier Briesacher ’49 of Belleville, Ill., Nov. 23, 2015.

Ralph Dombroski ’49 of Decatur, Feb. 11, 2016.

Thirza “Sandy” Sanders Eyers ’49 of Brighton, Ill., April 4, 2015.

Willard “Bill” Helme ’49 of Blue Eye, Mo., Dec. 6, 2014.

Jack Herington ’49 of Jacksonville, Fla., April 9, 2016.

Gerauld “Gerry” Hopkins ’49 of Elmhurst, Ill., and Rancho Mirage, Calif., March 19, 2015.

Helma Foor Koslofski ’49 of Maroa, Ill., April 17, 2016.

James Linn ’49 of Decatur, March 11, 2015.

Beverly Marquardt Lotz ’49 of North Aurora, Ill., May 13, 2015.

Robert Lutes ’49 of Mountain Home, Ark., June 18, 2015.

Betty Ping Nash ’49 of Richland, Wash., April 15, 2015.

Jack Parker ’49 of St. Petersburg, Ill., Jan. 9, 2016.

Nina Pick ’49 of Indianapolis, Nov. 1, 2015.

David Pittman ’49 of Taylorville, Ill., Dec. 30, 2014.

Eleanor Owens Rutherford ’49 of Decatur, Nov. 22, 2014.

Bettye Long Wilson ’49 of Washington, Ill., Feb. 9, 2015.

ALUMNI PROFILE

MUSICALLY AMPLIFIED

MILLIKIN QUARTERLY: Andy, what keeps you motivated and gives you the most satisfaction?

ANDY GROBENGIESER: I would say without a doubt that the sheer variety of work is what keeps me motivated. There are some days when I’ll spend the morning at home arranging sheet music, the afternoon in a rehearsal studio in Manhattan accompanying singers’ auditions at the piano, and the evening in a Broadway theater with a baton in my hand. And then the next day is something completely different. I can trace that variety all the way back to my days at Millikin, where the commercial music program allowed me to stretch myself across a number of disciplines, from classical piano to jazz ensembles to recording studio projects.

MQ: What is your most memorable moment and/or proudest accomplishment so far?

AG: As far as a memorable moment, I’ll always go back to the night in 2009 when I got to perform with Sir Paul McCartney as part of a one-night-only concert benefiting the Actors Fund.

It was surreal to hear Paul’s voice atop my piano accompaniment. Proudest moment was probably in 2008 when my parents saw me conduct a show on Broadway for the first time, Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” [Andy worked with lead Sierra Boggess ’04 during his time with that show].

MQ: How did your time at Millikin prepare you for what you’re doing today?

AG: As relevant as all of my classroom work was, what stands out about my experience at Millikin is the sheer number of performance opportunities I had with ensembles, both large and small. There’s only one way to become a better musician, and that is to interact, play and communicate with other musicians constantly. There was a philosophy that everyone gets placed in an ensemble of some sort from day one, and it’s incredibly valuable to get that kind of performance experience in addition to academic work.

MQ: Did any particular Millikin professors or administrators make a special impact on your learning experience?

AG: I’ll single out just a few: Judith Mancinelli, my piano instructor, who took me in as a rather undertrained pianist right out of a small-town high school and treated me as if I could play anything. She presented me with challenging material and pushed me to perform it in recital in front of my peers. Steve Widenhofer, who broadened me into a jazz and commercial pianist and got me heavily involved in performing ensembles of all types. Dave Burdick, who treated me as a collaborator and professional as much as a student, inviting me onto professional gigs in the real world. All three I consider to be personal mentors. Q Submitted photo.

1991 GRAD ANDY GROBENGIESER is a New York City-based music director and creative professional. Earlier this year, he answered a few questions:

Currently working as assistant conductor/keyboards for Broadway Disney’s “Aladdin,” Andy Grobengieser ’91 previously worked as assistant conductor/keyboards for Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” associate conductor/keyboards for “Ghost the Musical” and associate conductor/keyboards for Elton John’s “Lestat.” He has toured with a number of major national tours, including Disney’s “The Lion King,” “Shrek the Musical,” and most recently, “Peter and the Starcatcher.”

He has also performed in several Broadway pit orchestras over the past decade, including “Newsies,” “Les Misérables,” “The Full Monty,” “A Chorus Line” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.”

Since 2001, Grobengieser has been an arranger and transcriber for Hal Leonard Corp., the world’s largest publisher and distributor of printed and digital sheet music. He also works as a professional transcriptionist for various film, television and theater projects, including Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken on his latest TV project, ABC’s “Galavant.”

A commercial music graduate from MU, Grobengieser completed a master’s degree in music theory in 1993 at The University of Texas – Austin, where he also completed subsequent doctoral work. He spent three years on the adjunct music theory faculty at Pace University in Manhattan, N.Y., and has served as a contributor to several academic textbooks.

Grobengieser returned to campus in April to conduct master classes for students, a visit made possible by a grant from the Amherst F. Hardy Foundation.

To read the extended interview with Andy, visit millikin.edu/alumni/andy-grobengieser.

Q

PASSINGS (RECEIVED NOV. 1, 2014-MAY 1, 2016)

Troy Achenbach ’50 of Taylor- Allen Pryor ’51 of Springfield, ville, Ill., May 21, 2015.

Ill., Oct. 29, 2015.

Fountain Dixon ’53 of Decatur, Aug. 11, 2015.

Helen McEnvoy Blount ’50 of Naples, Fla., Jan. 6, 2016.

William Gross ’53 of Mt. Zion, Ill., Dec. 3, 2014.

Daniel Engel ’50 of Miami, Oct. 29, 2014.

Martin “Mutt” Henry ’50 of Lawrence, Kan., Oct. 25, 2015.

Don Sexton ’51 of Fairview Heights, Ill., formerly of Belleville, Ill., Sept. 11, 2015.

William “Bill” Raupp ’50 of Decatur, March 24, 2015.

Robert “Bob” Reed ’50 of Sullivan, Ill., Jan. 14, 2016.

William “Bill” Rotz Jr. ’50 of Decatur, May 26, 2015.

Cyril “Cy” Wadzita ’50 of Phoenix, April 7, 2016.

Edward Borders ’51 of Sierra Vista, Ariz., July 26, 2015.

Alfred Braun ’51 of Toledo, Ohio, Feb. 12, 2016.

Benjamin Farrar ’51 of Port Byron, Ill., formerly of Rock Island, Ill., April 24, 2015.

Betty Farley Ploeger ’51 of Monticello, Ill., Oct. 24, 2015.

Donald Pruemer ’51 of Dieterich, Ill., Oct. 12, 2014.

18

Dale Livingston ’57 of Catlin, Ill., Jan. 7, 2016.

Jeanne Fitzgerald Johnson ’53 of Bloomington, Ill., Dec. 20, 2014.

Alma Curtis Howland ’55 of Monticello, Ill., June 6, 2015.

Loren “Larry” Watson ’51 of Greenville, S.C., Aug. 9, 2014.

Margaret Odell Minick ’53 of Alpharetta, Ga., Dec. 22, 2015.

Rosemary Lacey Jewell ’55 of William Palmer ’57 of East Huntsville, Ala., Nov. 29, 2014. Peoria., Ill., Feb. 20, 2016.

Ernest Novack Jr. ’57 of Noblesville, Ind., Dec. 29, 2014.

Frances “Fran” Wolke Minton Daniel McLaughlin ’55 of ’53 of Decatur, July 13, 2015.

Metamora, Ill., Sept. 30, 2015.

Lawrence “Larry” Peters ’57 of Decatur, April 26, 2015.

George Purcell ’53 of Murphysboro, Ill., Feb. 11, 2015.

Donna Scarbrough Rouley ’55 of Elgin, Ill., April 21, 2015.

Anthony “Tony” Viccone ’57 of Decatur, Aug. 27, 2015.

Mary Lynn Maddox Van Praag-Maxwell ’53 of Decatur, Sept. 21, 2015.

James Thomas Jr. ’55 of Broken Arrow, Okla., June 15, 2015.

Paul Heyduck Jr. ’58 of Huntingdon, Tenn., Nov. 9, 2015.

JoAn “Jo” Augenstein Christerson ’52 of Decatur, Feb. 28, 2016.

Carolee Garrison Williams ’53 of Glenwood, Iowa, Oct. 1, 2015.

Mary Hubbell Word ’55 of San Barbara Beals McNeil ’58 of Diego, Feb. 28, 2015.

Marshfield, Mo., April 5, 2015.

Edna LaVonne Booher Custin ’52 of Harlingen, Texas, May 19, 2014.

Orie Ballion ’54 of Sun Lakes, Ariz., formerly of Decatur, Jan. 9, 2016. The family requested memorial gifts be made to the history department at Millikin, c/o Alumni and Development, 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522.

Marian Andersen Dickinson ’52 of Henderson, Nev., formerly of Decatur, Jan. 30, 2016.

Joan Weilepp Saas ’50 of Columbus, Ohio, May 12, 2015. Donovan Durland ’52 of Decatur, March 3, 2016.

Ruth Richardson Stiver ’50 of Goshen, Ind., Sept. 2, 2015.

George Greanias ’52 of Santa Barbara, Calif., Nov. 24, 2014.

Robert Tryner ’50 of South Bend, Ind., Jan. 8, 2015.

Dean Holcomb ’52 of Decatur, Jan. 29, 2016.

Michael Venezia Sr. ’50 of Monmouth Beach, N.J., April Kenneth Jones ’52 of Spring9, 2015. field, Ill., April 11, 2016.

Harrell “Hal” Voigt ’50 of Mattoon, Ill., Feb. 22, 2014.

Alice Turner Houran ’55 of Decatur, May 26, 2015.

Charles Linder ’57 of Petaluma, Calif., Dec. 23, 2015.

Lois Sidwell ’51 of Decatur, Sept. 23, 2015.

Walter Kostenski ’50 of Decatur, Dec. 2, 2014.

LaVerne Weldy White ’51 of Mt. Zion, Ill., Feb. 13, 2016.

Robert Lins ’50 of Deerfield, Ill., Feb. 9, 2014.

William “Bill” Berry ’52 of Marion, Ill., Jan. 7, 2015.

Nancy Sanders Parkin ’50 of St. Charles, Ill., formerly of Virginia “Ginny” Herron Fontana, Wis., and Aurora, Ill., Cannon ’52 of Decatur, March Nov. 4, 2014.

19, 2016.

Kenneth Phillips ’50 of Paris, Ill., June 18, 2014.

Patricia Smith Hogan ’55 of Worcester, Mass., Jan. 28, 2014.

Robert Parker ’58 of Decatur, Sept. 18, 2015.

Frances Juanita Sublette Ballance ’56 of Decatur, Nov. 14, 2014.

Robert “Bob” Ritchard ’58 of Arvada, Colo, formerly of Decatur, Dec. 31, 2015.

James Esque ’56 of Rolling Meadows, Ill., April 23, 2014.

Barbara Gire Stites ’58 of St. Elmo, Ill., Sept. 2, 2015.

William Fisher ’56 of Robbins- Harold Walton ’58 of Whitedale, Minn., Nov. 6, 2015. hall, Pa., formerly of Decatur, March 13, 2016.

Barbara Gregory Mahaffa Donald “Don” Kuhn ’56 of ’54 of Iowa City, Iowa, Feb. Gordonsville, Va., formerly of John “Jack” Benton ’59 of 28, 2016.

Blue Springs, Mo., April 18, Titusville, Fla., Aug. 29, 2015.

2015.

The family requested memoSarah Peacock Matthews rial gifts be made to Millikin, ’54 of Geneva, Ill., formerly of Robert Lefley ’56 of Estes c/o Alumni and Development, Glen Ellyn, Ill., Sept. 21, 2015.

Park, Colo., April 29, 2014.

1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522.

Gene Carlock Meurlott ’54 of Jack Martie ’56 of GeorgeMary “Jane” Fearheiley Gainesville, Fla., Oct. 11, 2015. town, Ky., Jan. 10, 2015.

Beverly Sprague Chapman Lawson ’52 of Decatur, Jan. ’59 of Decatur, formerly Shel20, 2015.

Eugene “Bud” Scherer ’54 of Ron Naughton ’56 of Spring- byville, Ill., May 8, 2014. The Decatur, July 22, 2015. field, Ill., Dec. 4, 2014. family requested memorial Herbert Quarles ’52 of Washgifts be made to Millikin, c/o ington, D.C., Dec. 8, 2014.

David Snyder ’54 of New Marilyn Morgan Pennypacker Alumni and Development, Orleans, Dec. 26, 2015. ’56 of Normal, Ill., formerly of 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL Robert Schaub ’52 of Decatur, Hopedale, Ill., and Maroa, Ill., 62522.

Aug. 14, 2015.

James Viani ’54 of Kansas Feb. 2, 2016.

City, Mo., Sept. 4, 2015.

Gerald Goldman ’59 of SavanPatricia Rebbe Schurman ’52 Nancy Walker Watson ’56 of nah, Ga., April 3, 2016. of Greenview, Ill., Jan. 2, 2015. Kathryn Coen Wikoff ’54 of Springfield, Ill., formerly of Mt. Bradenton, Fla., Dec. 15, 2014. Vernon, Ill., April 24, 2015.

Gayle Muirheid Huffman ’59 Fred Stolley ’52 of Decatur, of Decatur, Feb. 7, 2016.

Feb. 1, 2015.

Sue Sullan Johnson Yount ’54 James “Jim” Brown ’57 of Mt. of La Grange, Ill., July 23, 2015. Pulaski, Ill., Jan. 17, 2015.

William Innis ’59 of Secaucus, A. Louis Waltens ’52 of DecaN.J., formerly of Union City, tur, Aug. 28, 2014.

James Hallek ’55 of Albuquer- Jack Kerwin ’57 of Taylorville, N.J., Nov. 4, 2015. que, N.M., May 6, 2015.

Ill., June 12, 2015.

Robert Boyd ’53 of Naples, Duncan MacGregor ’59 of Fla., Nov. 29, 2015.

Norcross, Ga., Dec. 1, 2014.

MILLIKIN QUARTERLY | FALL 2016

David Gobert ’54 of Carterville, Ill., March 13, 2015.

James Acklin ’56 of Paris, Ill., Aug. 23, 2015.

ALUMNI PROFILE

MORE THAN A CHECKUP

by Amanda Hamilton ’14

Submitted photo.

W

HEN SARAH CRESON CIMINO ’04 became a dentist with the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, fondly known as the “Tooth Truck,” in Springfield, Mo., she saw it as a temporary job until she could start her private practice. She committed to 18 months, saying, “Nobody stays in public health very long.”

Almost six years later, Cimino has changed her mind about the Tooth Truck and has no intention of leaving. “I fell in love with their mission,” she says.

The Tooth Truck is a 250-square-foot, fully equipped dental office on wheels. Cimino, two dental assistants and an office manager park the truck mainly at schools, providing dental care to children who qualify for free or reduced school lunches and lack access to a dentist or dental insurance. Cimino and her colleagues have permission to bring children out of their classes for appointments.

“We see children who haven’t been to a dentist in years or have only been for an emergency,” says Cimino. Patients are not charged for services — less than half of their funding comes from Medicaid, with the rest coming from local community support and a commitment from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks. “Dentistry is one of the last things to get paid for when money is short,” says Cimino. “How can you focus in class when your mouth hurts? You can’t eat well. You can’t focus. Sometimes we can fix the painful tooth in one visit.

It’s great to be allowed to do that.”

Although the Tooth Truck is fully equipped, it brings with it a unique set of challenges. Cimino and her colleagues all have a commercial driver’s license for the 40-foot truck. Each day they drive to their location and set up. At the end of the day, they have to secure everything with tie-down straps.

“There is absolutely no space,” Cimino laughs. Her personal office is a drawer in a file cabinet, and she eats lunch in the children’s waiting area. A hardback Clifford book often makes a tabletop for her meal.

For Cimino, the inconvenience is worth it, because her job is more than dentistry. It’s a chance to help improve a child’s self-esteem. During the school year, Cimino sees approximately 250 children a month, most of them between ages 3 and 14.

Repairing a chipped front tooth is one of her most rewarding procedures, one that brings an immediate response from a child: “They grab the mirror and want to show every teacher they

pass and their friends. After school, they run out to the car, and I see the mom take the child’s head in her hands to look at the repaired tooth.”

She remembers one 14-year-old girl who came into the Tooth Truck. “She was very well-spoken and beautiful, but every time she talked to you, she would hold her hand over her mouth,” said Cimino. When Cimino examined her teeth after her cleaning, she realized why. With cavities in 26 of her teeth, the girl was too embarrassed to show them when she talked. As they fixed cavities over several appointments, Cimino says, “I could see her confidence blossom.” Each visit, a little more of her personality would come out, and she stopped covering her mouth when she spoke.

Often she will let the children listen to a movie while she is working on their teeth, turning appointments into a fun break from school. She comments on their new shoes or asks about soccer practice. She and her colleagues take notes on the child’s interests, so they can ask about them at their next visit.

“They might not get much individual attention at home or in a busy classroom,” says Cimino. “So when they come out to the Tooth Truck, we make sure they feel like they’re the most important person at that time. We want them to know they are remembered and that we care.”

Cimino lives in the Springfield, Mo., area with her husband, Justin, and their two children: Adelaide, 4, and Alexander, 1. Q Amanda Hamilton ’14 works as a marketing specialist for HSHS Medical Group and enjoys occasionally writing for Quarterly.

Q

PASSINGS (RECEIVED NOV. 1, 2014-MAY 1, 2016)

Harmon Mitchell ’59 of Rockford, Ill., Sept. 1, 2015.

Marjory “Marge” Gordon ’60 of St. Louis, Dec. 28, 2015.

William “Bill” Hurt ’60 of Springfield, Ill., Aug. 17, 2015.

Kenneth Moore ’60 of Washington Township, Ill., April 14, 2016.

Penelope “Penny” Glisson Conway ’63 of Oswego, Ill, formerly of Big Rock, Ill., June 19, 2015.

Roger Gadberry ’63 of Decatur, Jan. 7, 2016.

F. Earl Garner ’63 of Blue Mound, Ill., Feb. 22, 2016.

Irvin Martin ’63 of Tacoma, Wash., Oct. 22, 2015.

Marvin Schlosser ’60 of Decatur, July, 11, 2015.

Roselyn Nichols McHatton ’63 of Springfield, Ill., Feb. 27, Richard Sebok ’60 of Carmel- 2016. by-the-Sea, Calif., March 7, 2016.

Maxine Stogsdill Mussulman ’63 of Rockford, Ill., formerly Richard Warnick ’60 of Monti- of Decatur, July 27, 2015. cello, Ill., Feb. 13, 2015.

Stephen Shride ’63 of Milton, Sandra Anderson Aldridge W.Va., Oct. 18, 2014. ’61 of Terre Haute, Ind., May 5, 2015.

Richard Schmitz ’63 of Fayetteville, Ill., March 2, 2016.

Susan Shelton Bishop ’61 of Muscatine, Iowa, June 7, 2015. James Walker ’63 of La Jolla, Calif., Sept. 28, 2014.

Cynthia Dickey ’61 of Tustin, Calif., Sept. 19, 2015.

Judy Logan Ingram ’64 of Brighton, Ill., May 20, 2015.

Richard Hebenstreit ’61 of Decatur, Feb. 25, 2016.

Lawrence Radliff ’64 of Vandalia, Ill., July 23, 2015.

Nancy Lukacs ’61 of Hurst, Texas, formerly of Decatur, Helen “Nikki” Niklich Tribout Jan. 8, 2015. ’64 of Belleville, Ill., Aug. 3, 2014.

David Petersen ’61 of Knoxville, Tenn., March 21, 2016.

Richard Ward ’64 of Decatur, Dec. 1, 2014.

Thomas “Poppy” Taylor ’61 of Dillsburg, Pa., Feb. 24, 2015.

John Buchanan ’65 of Danville, Ill., Oct. 1, 2015.

Jerry “Toby” Tobias ’61 of Decatur, Oct. 11, 2015.

Michael Garrett ’65 of Palmdale, Calif., Nov. 23, 2014.

Joan “Jo” Gluck Young ’61 of Decatur, March 4, 2015.

Jack Hopkins ’65 of Maroa, Ill., Feb. 24, 2015.

Patricia Major Carson ’62 of Kettering, Ohio, July 14, 2015. James “Jim” Wiles ’65 of Macon, Ill., Nov. 27, 2015.

Mary Elrich Hendricks ’62 of Lacombe, La., Oct. 22, 2015.

Dolly Kerns Bollero ’66 of Vernon Hills, Ill., March 13, John Mumma ’62 of New2015. burgh, Ind., Sept. 13, 2015.

Stephen Craig ’66 of SaraGloria Kerley Slack ’62 of sota, Fla., Jan. 2, 2015.

Decatur, July 14, 2015.

James Rossiter ’66 of Sioux Malcolm Stewart III ’62 of City, Iowa, March 10, 2015.

Moweaqua, Ill., Nov. 18, 2014.

Wanda Shepherd Thompson Joseph “Joe” Boyd ’63 of ’66 of Haines City, Fla., Nov. Amarillo, Texas, Feb. 9, 2016.

23, 2014.

20

MILLIKIN QUARTERLY | FALL 2016

Norma Horn Walton ’66 of Decatur, Jan. 5, 2016.

William Pifer ’72 of Eureka, Ill., Chris Keneipp-Osman ’82 of April 23, 2015.

Mt. Carmel, Ill., July 17, 2014.

Benny “Ben” Wattelet ’66 of Shawnee Mission, Kan., Sept.

12, 2015.

William “Joe” Weingand ’72 of Decatur, Feb. 13, 2015.

Christopher “Chris” Mackey ’82 of Elwood, Ill., Nov. 5, 2014.

Stephen Boltz ’73 of Rochester, Ill., formerly of Decatur, May 23, 2015.

Bennet Brunell ’84 of Simpsonville, S.C., April 2, 2015.

Roy Armes ’67 of Edgerton, Wis., Feb. 10, 2014.

Melissa McClure ’85 of Chillicothe, Ill., Dec. 7, 2014.

R. Michael “Mike” Campbell ’67 of Mt. Prospect, Ill., Feb. 2, 2016. He and his wife M. Susan Campbell ’68 received the 2016 Alumnus of the Year Award. (See more page 22.)

M. Bobette Pfeffer Gerlach ’73 of Springfield, Ill., April 13, 2016.

Colleen Edie Delgado ’67 of Decatur, Dec. 28, 2014.

Robert “Bob” Stortzum Jr. ’73 of Sullivan, Ill., Feb. 11, 2015.

Phillip Pelipada ’92 of Chicago, Sept. 8, 2015.

Glenn Hunt ’74 of Palmyra, Ill., April 16, 2016.

Jeffrey Long ’93 of Decatur, Dec. 4, 2015.

Evelyn Kimpel Kelley ’74 of Birmingham, Ala., Aug. 4, 2015. Carolyn James Steward ’93 of Decatur, Oct. 23, 2014.

Christopher Craig ’75 of Santa Fe, N.M., April 8, 2015.

Ryan “Scoop” Benton ’98 of Sullivan, Ill., formerly of Gloria Davis Martin ’75 of Decatur, July 17, 2015.

Decatur, March 7, 2016.

Ronald Miller ’99 of Dalton Chris Udell ’75 of Plainfield, City, Ill., formerly of Dixon, Ill., Ill., March 7, 2016.

Dec. 13, 2015.

Robert “Bob” Deere ’68 of Pana, Ill., Jan. 8, 2015.

John “Hondo” Hetz Jr. ’68 of Decatur, April 16, 2015.

Charles Vrabel ’68 of Springfield, Ill., April 11, 2015.

James Bilyeu ’69 of Fairfield Bay, Ark., formerly of Decatur, Aug. 3, 2015.

Gaylon “Geff” Borders III ’69 of Flora, Ill., May 9, 2015.

George Long ’69 of Cape St. Claire, Md., Feb. 27, 2015.

Stanley Swedell ’69 of Germantown Hills, Ill., formerly of Peoria, Ill., March 23, 2016.

Janet Bosak Munz ’73 of Mt. Prospect, Ill, Nov. 19, 2014.

Kenneth “Ken” Canny ’76 of San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 16, 2016.

Herman Blasing ’77 of Ely, Minn., Jan. 26, 2015.

Bonnie Gunst Uhler ’69 of Tremont, Ill., Nov. 22, 2015.

Laura “Sis” Velchek Heinicke ’77 of Elk Grove Village, Ill., May 27, 2015.

Dennis Garrett ’70 of Taylorville, Ill., Sept. 5, 2015.

Mark Nolan ’78 of Peoria, Ill., Jan. 18, 2015.

Henry “Hank” Scobell ’70 of Illiopolis, Ill., Sept. 10, 2015.

Gregory Hjort ’79 of Decatur, Jan. 26, 2015.

Ronald Stewart ’70 of Tucson, Margie Griffin Hurst ’79 of Ariz., Oct. 15, 2014.

Lovington, Ill., formerly of Taylorville, Ill., April 28, 2016.

Nancy Clark Stockdale ’70 of Arlington Heights, Ill., March Keith Wellman ’79 of Free31, 2016. land, Wash., June 20, 2014.

Patricia “Pat” Boehm Pelger ’71 of Peoria, Ill., Nov. 5, 2015.

Jim Downs ’80 of Pana, Ill., June 16, 2015.

John Wiley ’71 of Indianapolis, Feb. 19, 2015.

Scott Dunham ’80 of Naperville, Ill., formerly of Elmhurst, Ill., and St. Charles, Ill., Nov. 6, 2014.

Richard Norvell ’72 of Crawfordsville, Ill., Nov. 27, 2014.

Carol Young Wilhite ’80 of Pittsboro, Ind., May 11, 2015.

Ray Johnson ’86 of Tallahassee, Fla., March 20, 2015.

Diana Kemp Anglin ’89 of Danville, Ill., May 9, 2014.

Tanya Kenney Childs ’02 of Decatur, Jan. 8, 2016.

Brian Schnurstein ’03 of Portage, Mich., May 19, 2015.

Megan McKee ’04 of Peoria, Ill., May 14, 2015.

Steven Holthaus ’05 of Chicago, formerly of Decatur, April 15, 2015.

Kathy Adams Isaac ’05 of Clinton, Ill., Oct. 24, 2015.

Joe Clark ’06 of Orlando, Fla., Nov. 16, 2014.

Kirk ZuHone ’07 of Mattoon, Ill., April 20, 2015.

Kevin Renderman ’09 of Chicago, Jan. 30, 2015.

Louis Tuttle ’15 of Springfield, Ill., Jan. 27, 2015.

ALUMNI PROFILE

DUNSON TAKES THE LEAD

MILLIKIN QUARTERLY: Why did you choose MU? BRITTENY DUNSON: I grew up always going to small, private and religious schools. I wanted an experience where I could really be more than a number and have some hands-on learning. I also had a friend who already attended MU who put me in touch with Jessica Barrientos (now Jessica Pickle) who was an admissions counselor at the time. She sold me! She gave me such one-on-one attention throughout the recruitment process that I just knew that if how she treated me was any reflection on the school itself, I would love it. I was right.

I visited and auditioned for the School of Music and fell in love with the people and campus!

MQ: What activities did you participate in as a student at MU? BD: Everything humanly possible. I worked for Kirkland Fine Arts, admission, office of student programs and media relations. I was secretary of Multicultural Student Council, the views section editor (and Illinois College Press Association award winner) for the Decaturian, MilliSTAT member, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity’s Miss Gold 2009, member of the 2009 Homecoming committee board and a chartering sister of the Iota Delta chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority Inc., the first Greek organization of its kind at MU. I was member No. 13, and we now have 46 members. I was also nominated as Senior Woman of the Year.

MQ: What are some of your accomplishments since graduating from Millikin?

BD: I have grown from being a receptionist in 2010, to an assistant in 2012, and now lead talent acquisition for the world-renowned Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. A true testament of hard work, hustle and dedication! I also am a mother to a beautiful, smart, spunky 3-year-old. I take pride in remaining very active with the organization I helped start, Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority Inc., by helping the women grow their chapter at MU as their chapter adviser.

I was recently invited to serve on the Millikin Association Alumni Board, with my term beginning this fall.

MQ: Would you talk about your recent visit to campus and about your experience engaging with current students?

BD: I love current MU students. Regardless of when we attended Millikin, we all share a certain spirit about our openness and creative drive. It’s refreshing!

During a visit to campus to speak as a member of a panel for Sister Circle, I met a student who approached me to tell me about her passions. Through her proactive approach, I was able to get her an internship at the Museum of Science and Industry. It’s inspiring!

Submitted photo.

BRITTENY DUNSON ’10 is talent acquisition lead at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. In this new role, she heads up all hiring across the institution, including establishing processes, employment branding and bringing in world-class talent.

MQ: Who is your most memorable MU professor or staff member and why?

BD: I had what feels like every class of my junior and senior year with Dr. Nancy Curtin, associate professor of communication. She is a fabulous woman, and she is so dedicated to what she teaches. I also can’t watch the movie “Office Space” without thinking of her!

T-Dunk (Dr. Thomas Duncanson, professor of communication) was another. I would go into his office and explore my life and often get metaphorically knocked in the head.

And finally the angel that was the late Dr. Priscilla Meddaugh, former assistant professor of English.

MQ: What advice do you give to current Millikin students about preparing for life after graduation?

BD: Take advantage of the unique opportunity you have NOW to shape who you are and add value to the world around you.

You will never again get the opportunity to start an organization or travel the world with some of the best resources in the world at your disposal, like you do at MU. Get messy, make mistakes – at least you are in a position to do so in a safe haven of people who truly care about your future.

Don’t settle! If you work your *** off, and you still fail, ask why and push harder. Never settle for what you’re given unless you know you did all that you could.

MQ: Anything else you would like to share with the Millikin community?

BD: I would not be the person I am today if it weren’t for the bubble that shaped me. I am forever grateful for having my blood turned Millikin blue. Q

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HOMECOMING 2016: ALUMNI AWARDS & ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

2016 ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR AWARD:

THE LATE R. MICHAEL CAMPBELL ’67 AND M. SUSAN CAMPBELL ’68

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HE LATE R. Michael Campbell ’67 and M. Susan Campbell ’68 are co-recipients of the 2016 Alumnus

of the Year award, the highest alumni award presented by the university.

The Campbells have demonstrated a strong commitment and dedication to Millikin for more than 30 years through generous financial support and service.

They have provided decades of faithful support to The Millikin Fund for Student Scholarships. Additionally, they provided significant support to both the “Advancing the Vision” and “Transform MU” capital campaigns, including support for enhancements to Frank M. Lindsay Field.

They frequented Chicago-area alumni events, and often served as event hosts.

Mike also served as a member of the Millikin board of trustees for nine years and was an ambassador for all things Millikin, often encouraging recruitment and networking opportunities for MU.

Mike died Feb. 2, 2016, at age 70, following a multiyear battle with colon cancer. Prior to his death, Mike had built a successful career in business and real estate. He worked in mergers and acquisitions for G.D. Searle Pharmaceuticals Co. from 1969-72 and began to work in real estate equity investments at Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. in 1973. In 1983, Mike founded Campbell Properties LLP, a commercial development company in Mt. Prospect, Ill., with properties in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Tennessee, and served as owner and general partner until his death.

Mike completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Millikin in 1967. In 1969, he completed an MBA at Northern Illinois University, and later received the 1973 Graduate Honors Award from the College of Business at NIU.

An active community leader, Mike also was a founding member of the board of directors of Mt. Prospect National Bank and served as the bank’s director for nearly a decade. He also served on the board of directors at Northwest Suburban Bancorp, headquartered in Mt. Prospect.

1 Extended biographical information on the 2016 Alumni Award recipients and Athletic Hall of Fame inductees can be viewed online at millikin.edu/homecoming.

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Mike was a deacon, trustee and elder at First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights, Ill., where he also served as president of the personnel committee.

Sue attended Millikin from 196467, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. She later completed an associate degree in nursing from Harper College in 1985 and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She loved her career in nursing, working as a nurse at Northwest Community Hospital and later as an obstetrics and gynecology office nurse. In 2000, she retired from nursing after completing 10 years of triage nursing for a medical group in Arlington Heights.

Sue was also a leader within their community. Like Mike, she served as an elder and trustee at First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights. She served on the church’s personnel and gardening committees, and worked with the Youth Sunday School and Youth Club. She also served as a volunteer for the Public Action to Deliver Shelter (“PADS”) community program and Mt. Prospect’s chapter of the Infant Welfare Society.

Mike and Sue have two daughters, Sara Campbell Zientara and Alison Campbell, and five grandchildren. Mike’s brother is Steve Campbell ’71. Q

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HOMECOMING 2016: ALUMNI AWARDS & ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

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CAROLE MEDAL ’72 MERIT-LOYALTY AWARD Carole Medal ’72 of Arlington Heights, Ill., is the executive director of the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Ill. In 2013 she received the Illinois Library Association Librarian of the Year award and in 2009 was winner of the National Medal for Museum and Library Services, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a library in the United States. She has served as president of both the Illinois Library Association and the Library Administrators Conference. She holds a master’s degree in music from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in library science from Indiana University.

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MICHAEL A. KASPER ’95 MERIT AWARD Michael A. Kasper ’95 of Elmhurst, Ill., serves as the CEO of DuPage Medical Group (DMG), the largest, independent, multispecialty physician group in the Chicago area. He also serves as CEO of BreakThrough Care Center, a joint venture between DMG and Humana that provides intensive outpatient care for those suffering from complex and chronic health conditions. In 2011, he was named to the Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40” list, and Modern Healthcare magazine included him on its 2012 “Up and Comers” list, recognizing his significant impact in the health care field. He holds a master’s degree in health administration from Indiana University.

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DAVID G. DIXON ’83 LOYALTY AWARD David G. Dixon ’83 of Chicago is Wells Fargo’s managing director for U.S. Corporate Banking. For over 20 years, he worked for J.P. Morgan Securities and its predecessors as an investment banker.

He holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and serves as an adjunct professor at DePaul University, teaching corporate finance. A former Young Alumnus Award recipient, Dixon belongs to the Millikin Investors Society and is a generous donor to his alma mater. He

helped spearhead the effort to honor Millikin Professor David H. Marshall through the naming of an ADM Scovill classroom in his honor.

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TREVOR BATES ’02 YOUNG ALUMNUS AWARD Trevor Bates ’02 of Tiffin, Ohio, is currently a professor and associate dean of the Division of Health Services at Heidelberg University in Ohio.

A recent recipient of Heidelberg’s Faculty Member of the Year award, he has achieved the credentials of National Athletics Trainers Board of Certification, Certified Athletic Trainer and Illinois Licensed Athletic Trainer. Throughout his career, he has provided educational and/or clinical services at the high school, NJCAA, NCCAA, and NCAA levels. He earned a master's degree from the University of Illinois and is completing his doctorate in health science degree at A.T. Still University of Health Science.

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WILLIAM G. BODAMER JR. MEN'S SOCCER The late Rev. Dr. William G. Bodamer Jr. is being recognized posthumously for his contributions to the Big Blue men’s soccer program. Instrumental in starting the men’s soccer program, he served as head coach from 1986-91. He currently ranks second in the Big Blue record book for career coaching wins with a career record of 37-63-3 (.373). Bodamer joined the Millikin staff in 1965 as chaplain and assistant professor of religion. He served the university in many roles, including as chairman of the religion department for much of his career. (See page 4 for more about Dr. Bodamer.)

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RACHEL COOK ’08 VOLLEYBALL Rachel Cook ’08 of Normal, Ill., was three-times MVP for Big Blue volleyball.

She served twice as team captain and found her way onto three different CCIW All-Conference teams. Chosen for the ESPN Academic All-America Team, she ranks in the Big Blue’s top 10 in a number

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of statistical categories, including season blocks, career hit percentage, blocks in a match, and hit percentage in a match.

A member of multiple all-tournament teams, she received the Offensive Award her freshman year and claimed Most Kills and Most Blocks two years in a row.

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KEVIN CRANDALL ’85 FOOTBALL Kevin Crandall ’85 of Rochelle, Ill., earned accolades as a football standout, serving as team captain for a Big Blue team that went 8-1 his junior year. That same year he was named MVP and was chosen for both the CCIW All-Conference First Team and Second Team Kodak All-American. After Millikin he became the athletic director/head football coach at Rochelle Township High School in Rochelle, Ill. In 2012, he was inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

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SHELLEY SMITH DAIGH ’93 SOFTBALL Shelley Smith Daigh ’93 of Mt. Pulaski, Ill., graduated with a 31-7 record as pitcher for the Big Blue softball team, boasting ERAs of 1.84 (1989) and 1.58 (1990). She was twice named to the CCIW All-Conference First Team and served as captain of her team in 1990, the same year Millikin was CCIW champion.

In addition, she was named to the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional All-American Second Team twice. In 1991, she played in Europe as part of the Chicago Fire USA Team All-Stars.

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JAMES H. WHITE ’85 FOOTBALL James H. White ’85 of Decatur can claim an impressive list of accomplishments from his time with Big Blue football. Two years in a row he was chosen as a CCIW All-Conference First Team Linebacker.

He served as captain of his junior-year team, which finished the season 8-1, with two defensive touchdowns to his credit. His career stats include 52 solo tackles, 98 assisted tackles, three fumble recoveries and four interceptions.

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HOMECOMING 2015

Class of 1950

Class of 1955

Class of 1960

CLASS OF 1950, Row 1: Jim Butts ’51, Peg Butts (spouse of Jim Butts), Betty Godwin Watkins, George Kuhns. Row 2: Richard Templeton.

CLASS OF 1955, Row 1: Lyn Ryerson Stengel, Ruth Butts Murray, Ellen DeGroot Whitrock ’54, Carole Getz Killpatrick. Row 2: Sara Dingman Kileen, Sid Smith ’54, Pat Lowry Balvanz, Sandy Gobert Sampson. Row 3: Joe Killpatrick, also ’55 (spouse of Carole Getz Killpatrick), Gerry Balvanz (spouse of Pat Lowry Balvanz), Clint Whitrock, Dick Dechert ’54.

CLASS OF 1960, Row 1: Barbara Borders Boston ’61 (spouse of Bryce Boston), Judy Tucker Cain ’59, Carol Davelis (spouse of Chuck Davelis), Barbara Witzeman McCoy. Row 2: Bryce Boston, Clara Henson Peters ’59, Jack McCoy ’59 (spouse of Barbara Witzeman McCoy). Row 3: Dale Brown ’61, James Myers, Chuck Davelis.

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HOMECOMING 2015

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Class of 1965

Class of 1970

CLASS OF 1965, Row 1: Mary Ann Suter Tilton, Margaret Bensen, Kathy Matthias Shearer, Margie Browning (spouse of George Browning), Karen Lepp Baird, Sue Hinton Hinkle, Linda May Downs. Row 2: Pam Peterson Amato ’67 (spouse of Ron Amato), Ron Amato, Steve Livesey, Parker Rosenquist, George Browning, Gerald Marietta, Dave Blue, Laura Marietta (spouse of Gerald Marietta).

CLASS OF 1970, Row 1: Sharon Beall, Kendra Otwell Newland, Millikin Associate Professor of Nursing Sheila Jesek-Hale, Nancy Harry Berry, Mary Hancock Wirch.

Row 2: Judy Withers Elton, Mike Newland, also ’70 (spouse of Kendra Otwell Newland), Ed Breed, William Berry, also ’70 (spouse of Nancy Harry Berry), Millikin Professor of Nursing Mary Jane Overbay Linton.

Reunion photos by D.R. Roberts Photography.

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HOMECOMING 2015

Class of 1975

Class of 1980

CLASS OF 1975, Row 1: Sheryl Hill (guest of Joyce Hill), Joyce Hill, Jackie Rivers. Row 2: Beverly Harris Poff, Cindy Hodges Ogden, Joanne Herbst Holobinka, Mary Jenner Ferriell. Row 3: Cindy Pape, Eric Bremer, Tom Jodis, Tom Ferriell, David Larson.

CLASS OF 1980, Row 1: Steve Hippler, Rita Wood Hippler (spouse of Steve Hippler), Don Neunaber, John Petko, Jim Avers, Mike Lengacher. Row 2: Norman Hoback ’78 (spouse of Heather Reid Hoback), Heather Reid Hoback, Tom Hughes, William Pellot, Jim Schock. Row 3: Steve Durham, Kevin Deary, Anne Deary ’79 (spouse of Kevin Deary), Steve Bates, Jerry Fromm, Mike Reif.

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HOMECOMING 2015

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Class of 1985

Class of 1990

CLASS OF 1985, Row 1: Shannon Black Marshall ’05 (spouse of Bryan Marshall), Cynthia Smith Dodge, Terri Harrington, Denise Arjmand Walsh, Shelby Casey, Chris Nuelle Detwiler. Row 2: Millikin Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information and Athletic Communication Bryan Marshall, Cheryl Young Dampeer, Millikin Head Women's Basketball Coach Lori Kerans, Marv Dampeer, Leann Williamson, Dan Moore, Mary Delatte Rous, Mike Osbourne, Marta Eden (spouse of Bruce Eden), Tom Schenck, Scott Detwiler ’84 (spouse of Chris Nuelle Detwiler), Phil Rous, also ’85 (spouse of Mary Delatte Rous). Row 3: Jeff Kapp, Scott Sarran, Chris Vela, Tim Poelker ’86, Bruce Eden, Mark Kern, Bill Beaman, Kirk Kettelkamp.

CLASS OF 1990, Row 1: Stacey Swan Begg, Kristen Hood Wilkins, Julie Schotanus, Dana Hails Dry, Vicki Blasucci Knepler, Georgann Grabiec Ross, Kathy Schnarr Hayden.

Row 2: Anna Hollister Dyson, Gina Griffiths Coonrod ’91 (spouse of David Coonrod), David Coonrod, Lewis Cline, Julie Beamer Pfeifer, Jeanne Kottke Kleist, Rick Dusek, Suzanne McConkey Smalley. Row 3: Tammy Fletcher Bergland, Chris Bullock, Troy Elbert, Bob Bergland, Lois Walker, Michele Carmichael.

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HOMECOMING 2015

Class of 1995

Class of 2000

CLASS OF 1995, Row 1: Katelynn Cawthon ’19 (daughter of Gretchen Ozee Cawthon), Gretchen Ozee Cawthon, Keira Smith, 4 (daughter of Vicki Becker Smith), Vicki Becker Smith, Ella Johnson, 6 (daughter of Cindy Miceli Johnson), Cindy Miceli Johnson, Audrey Schnepp Moore, Ian Moore, 8 (son of Audrey Schnepp Moore).

Row 2: Deroan Zirkle Peters, Gretchen Fritz, Lauren Gornall Saeger, Cyndi Cazzell Johnson, Cheryl Babcock Chandler, Brent Johnson ’94 (spouse of Cyndi Cazzell Johnson), Caitlyn Johnson, 8 (daughter of Cyndi Cazzell Johnson and Brent Johnson), Natalie Moore, 10 (daughter of Audrey Schnepp Moore and Steven Moore), Steven Moore, also ’95 (spouse of Audrey Schnepp Moore), Cindy Turner Wagner, Fiona Solkowski Becker. Row 3: Mark Peters ’93 (spouse of Deroan Zirkle Peters), Ryan Thomason, Jonathan Saeger ’98 (spouse of Lauren Gornall Saeger), Patrick Schrappen, Ian Toberman, Jill Anderson Branyan, Joel Zuiker, Rob Schultz, Doug Becker (spouse of Fiona Solkowski Becker).

CLASS OF 2000, Row 1: Heather Wells Giannino ’05 (spouse of Anthony Giannino), Lily Swanson, 4 (daughter of Megan Holt Swanson), Megan Holt Swanson, Oliver Coleman, 7 (son of Alison Bilyeu), Alison Bilyeu, Ian Coleman, 4 (son of Alison Bilyeu), Alissa Schultz Kantola, Madeline Kantola, 2 (daughter of Alissa Schultz Kantola).

Row 2: James Waller, Anthony Giannino, Gavin Giannino, 2 (son of Heather Wells Giannino and Anthony Giannino), Greg Swanson (spouse of Megan Holt Swanson), Ben Coleman (spouse of Alison Bilyeu), Amelia Coleman, 1 (daughter of Alison Bilyeu), Brian Kantola (spouse of Alissa Schultz Kantola), Jay Schleppenbach.

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HOMECOMING 2015

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Class of 2005 CLASS OF 2005, Row 1: Lauren Hunt Donofrio, Karla Briggs Samuelson, Danielle Peifer Lora, Lori Landacre Leeper, Lisa Landacre, Kristine Boomer, Rachel Heft, Brianne Dilbeck. Row 2: Meridith Ewers, Katie Steimann Weber, Karen Bunker Skolmoski, Felicia Davis Jiardina, Tailynn Jiardina, 3 (daughter of Felicia Davis Jiardina), Jessica Revak Muzzupappa, Sara Wormley, Julie Nagy Hankley, Heather Wells Giannino. Row 3: Jennifer Davis, Andrea Jones Breath, Traccye Starling Love, Julie Appel Solliday, Ella Appel, 7 (daughter of Julie Appel Solliday), Gretchen Karcher (spouse of Zach Godsil), Tamara Drew, Gavin Giannino, 2 (son of Heather Wells Giannino and Anthony Giannino), Anthony Giannino ’00 (spouse of Heather Wells Giannino).

Row 4: Vanessa Bettcher Lent, Sabrina Lent, 4 (daughter of Vanessa Bettcher Lent and Spencer Lent), Spencer Lent, Chad Howard, Daryl Luster, Zach Godsil, Ian Gatton (spouse of Tamara Drew).

CLASS OF 2010, Row 1: Molly Pearce Heise, Brynn Traughber Howard, Stephanie Hodges Peoples, Sophi Jesek Wakefield. Row 2: Curt Hale, Tim Martin, Chase McCall.

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HOMECOMING 2015: ALUMNI AWARDS & ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

2015 ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR AWARD: ELTA TURNER COOKE ’52

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LTA TURNER COOKE ’52 received the 2015 Alumnus of the Year award, the highest alumni award presented by the university.

Now an emeritus trustee, her service to

Extended biographical information on the 2015 Alumni Award recipients and Athletic Hall of Fame inductees can be viewed online at millikin.edu/awards.

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Millikin has included three consecutive terms as a member of the board of trustees, from July 2005 through June 2015.

As a board member, she served on the facilities committee and the alumni and external development committee. She also has advocated for Millikin to prospective students as an alumni representative in both Illinois and Florida.

Cooke has provided decades of faithful support to The Millikin Fund for Student Scholarships. As a member of Millikin’s Patrons Society and the Big Blue Club, Cooke enthusiastically supports the university’s fine arts and athletics programs. She was one of the lead donors for the Frank M. Lindsay Field turf renovations and additions, a project within the “Transform MU” capital campaign. She has also been a supporter of the Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award and the new University Commons building project.

Cooke is also a member of the Investors Society, an organization for those who have included the university in their estate planning, and has endowed two scholarships at Millikin. The Elta T. Cooke Percussion Scholarship supports outstanding MU percussionists, and the Elta Turner

Cooke Scholarship supports students with demonstrated financial need, with strong preference given to female students enrolled in the Tabor School of Business.

She is also a member of the Millikin Associates, a citizens’ group that serves as an important link between the university and the area community.

As a Millikin student, Cooke studied business and accounting and was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Her late husband, Darrell Simms Ozier ’52, was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and the two met as MU students.

When Ozier passed away in 1985, Cooke, who had been a partner in their business, became president of Ozier Investments in Champaign, Ill. The company was instrumental in the economic growth of Champaign, developing several subdivisions and apartment complexes, in addition to owning six laundromats/ dry cleaners in the city. She served as president until her 1993 retirement, then returned to her farm in Clinton, Ill., to raise and train Arabian horses of the Blue Star bloodline. She currently divides her time between Clinton and her winter home in Port Orange, Fla. Q

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HOMECOMING 2015: ALUMNI AWARDS & ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

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DAVID J. RATHJE ’58 MERIT-LOYALTY AWARD David J. Rathje ’58 of Decatur, Ft. Myers, Fla., and Sanibel, Fla., is founder and chairman of Rathje Enterprises Inc., d/b/a Bodine Electric of Decatur, one of the largest full-service electrical companies in the Midwest. He also founded The Kelly Group, a Midwest company specializing in general contracting, contract maintenance and metal fabrication. A faithful Big Blue supporter, Rathje has contributed to Millikin’s “Advancing the Vision” and “Transform MU” capital campaigns. He has established an endowed scholarship and has also made leadership-level contributions to the new University Commons building project and several memorials.

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JOHN BINGHAM ’70 MERIT AWARD John “The Penguin” Bingham ’70 of Willow Springs, Ill., has motivated countless individuals with his passion for running. He is a former magazine columnist for Runner's World and has written several books, including “The Courage to Start: A Guide to Running Your Life.”

Most recently, he co-founded Marathon Expeditions, a company that creates “running vacations.” He is retired as owner and founder of John Bingham Racing.

Bingham founded Decatur’s Penguin in the Park 5K Run/Walk, and through his personal contributions and proceeds from Penguin in the Park entry fees, he funds the John “the Penguin” Bingham Scholarship, given annually to a Millikin exercise science and sport student.

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NORMAN ’78 AND HEATHER REID HOBACK ’80

LOYALTY AWARD Norman Hoback ’78 and Heather Reid Hoback ’80 of Belleville, Ill., have been consistently generous with their time, talents and treasures on behalf of their alma mater. The Hobacks are members of Millikin’s Investors Society and donated to the Campaign for Science and the Alden Trust Challenge during the “Advancing the Vision” capital campaign. The Hobacks have also contributed to the Douglas E.

Zemke International Fellows Program, the Class of 1978 Scholarship and the Chemistry Fellows Fund. They also faithfully support The Millikin Fund for Student Scholarships each year, often maximizing their giving through the matching gifts program at their employers.

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CHRISTINE LAPORTE ’07 YOUNG ALUMNUS AWARD Christine LaPorte ’07 of Oceanside, Calif., teaches mathematics at Cathedral Catholic High School. She also serves as a SuperCamp facilitator for Quantum Learning Network, where she teaches academic, life and career skills at teen-based summer camps. She holds a professional membership in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and has completed her single subject clear teaching credential and a cross cultural, language and academic development certification from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. A former Presidential Scholar, LaPorte was an active campus leader. She continues to support her alma mater as a fundraising class agent and though support of The Millikin Fund for Student Scholarships.

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NATHAN CARDEN ’03 WRESTLING & FOOTBALL Nathan Carden ’03 of Rockford, Ill., was an award-winning, two-sport Millikin athlete. A defensive lineman and four-year letter winner for the MU football team, Carden was co-captain and most valuable player in 2002. He was also a member of the wrestling team and CCIW heavyweight champion in 2000, 2002 and 2003. He finished second in the conference tournament in 2001. A two-time runner up in the regional tournament, Carden was a national qualifier alternate for the NCAA national championship in 2002 and a national qualifier in 2003. In recognition of his outstanding athletic career as a student, Carden was recipient of the 2003 Lindsay Medallion.

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COREY JEFFERSON ’02 TRACK AND FIELD Corey Jefferson ’02 of Lewisville, Texas,

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was a four-year letter winner and award-winning sprinter for the Big Blue track and field team. Named the team’s MVP in 2002, Jefferson holds several Millikin records and was a member of the 2002 400-meter relay team that set the outdoor record (41.45). He earned All-Conference indoor honors for his 2002 first-place finish in the 55-meter dash, and All-Conference outdoor honors in 2001 and 2002 for his performances in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. After earning berths in both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Division III championships in 2002, Jefferson’s fourth-place finish in the 100-meter dash at the outdoor championship earned him All-American honors.

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SHERI TIMMONS RECK ’91 SOFTBALL Sheri Timmons Reck ’91 pitched the first perfect game in Big Blue history in 1991.

In her four years with the Big Blue, Reck held the team’s best earned run average. She set numerous school records, including most innings pitched in a career, fewest hits allowed in a season, and most victories in a career. Reck earned spots on the CCIW All-Conference teams in 1988, 1989 and 1990. A member of the Big Blue’s 1988 and 1990 CCIW championship teams, she was named to the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional AllTournament Team and to the NCAA Division III All-Region First Team in 1991.

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NATHAN WALLICK ’07 FOOTBALL Nathan Wallick ’07 of Washburn, Ill., holds the Big Blue record for career rushing yards and owns all the MU records for rush attempts. He holds second- and fourth-place spots for best rushing performance in a season, and is No. 8 and No. 10 in rushing performance in a game.

Captain of the football team in 2007, he was named most valuable player during his sophomore, junior and senior years.

Wallick is ranked fourth in career rushing for the CCIW and was All-CCIW First Team in his sophomore, junior and senior years and was named to the AllConference Second Team as a freshman.

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MY TURN

THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT

Photos by Morgan Holmes Higgins ’09.

by Morgan Holmes Higgins ’09

by

began helping our friends and their neighbors pack. A call came that the fire had jumped the highway and was heading for us. It was a jumble of cars, pets, haphazardly packed suitcases and palpable fear. Driving in a caravan out of the dense smoke was such a relief, but there was no telling what we had left behind.

That night, more than 2,000 people in our community couldn’t return home.

Many had trapped pets; others couldn’t locate loved ones. Dozens stayed behind despite mandatory evacuations, battling heat and ash without power or cell The Erskine Fire as seen from the backyard of Morgan Holmes Higgins ’09. service, trying to save any property they could. We stayed with friends, but many HEN WE MOVED TO the beautiful Kern River slept in shelters and campgrounds that night.

Valley four years ago, we learned early that

As darkness fell, we sifted through Facebook feeds, waited summer and fires just go together. The first for hourly newscasts and watched mountainsides glow like time we panicked and ran home to pack. We dying campfires. We didn’t sleep much. found our neighbors sitting in the driveway with cold drinks,

The next morning we were blessed to catch a glimpse of watching helicopters and air tankers drop water and flame our home still standing in the background of a newscast. We retardant on the advancing line. After seven years of drought, found out later our next-door neighbor had lost everything, there are small fires in visual range every few weeks. There and although the flames came within two feet of our house, have been close calls, a few barns and fences lost, but the it was saved. Most people had to wait days to get word from crews defend us so well that we have adapted to this new neighbors or firefighters. Fourteen days later, after burning normal. Which is why it was so hard to know when to react 280 homes and 50,000 acres, the Erskine Fire was contained. that day in June.

It was six days before we could return home. Donations

We heard about a small brush fire around 4 p.m. Just 20 started pouring in, first locally, then nationally by semi-trucks. minutes later, we saw flames cresting the ridge next to our The response was so large that our church started a nonprofit neighborhood. As I took pictures from our deck, the sky filled to coordinate the effort. Some took calls and triaged, while with smoke. The sun became an eerie red, and the air lost what others sorted food, clothing and toiletries in our church-gymlittle humidity it had. Text messages came in telling us to water turned-warehouse. As the roads reopened and the power lines down the roof in case of flying embers. The pace of the fire were repaired, the real work began. Surviving homes were didn’t seem to slow as it descended the mountain. deep-cleaned, while others sifted through ash with screens,

The smoke was thick, and we worried about our 8-monthsearching for valuables that may have survived. old’s breathing, so we packed a few essentials “just in case,” as

It’s been two months since the fire, and the scars may be we left the house for a party. But we wouldn’t tell anyone we visible for years. We are rebuilding one day at a time. As with had packed. We didn’t want to be the “Midwestern wimps.” any tragedy, we find ourselves thankful for things we used to

As we left, the fire was burning dangerously close to homes take for granted. Our firefighters are our heroes. Our neighbors and still moving fast. People were letting horses run free down have become comrades. Our community is more united, and the road toward the main highway. The smoke was so thick in our “things” feel less essential. No matter what the next fire places that we couldn’t see across intersections. Neighbors had may bring, we stand together, thankful. Q donned masks to direct traffic. It was then that we knew this fire was different.

Morgan Holmes Higgins ’09 is a physician assistant at Rural Health

Our friends’ house is five miles from our home, but downClinic in Mt. Mesa, Calif. She and her husband, Matt, have a son, wind of gusts that were still 50-60 mph. Within minutes, we Everett, now 10 months old.

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Photo by Alida Duff Sullivan ’06.

Dear Class of 2016,

Welcome to our newest members of the

Millikin University Alumni Association!

Best wishes for a life of professional success, democratic citizenship in a global environment and personal lives of meaning and value!

Sincerely, Your 2016-17 Alumni Association Board Officers: »» President Kelley Steers Wessler ’08 »» Vice President Paul Lidy ’04 »» Secretary Carrie Young ’98 The mission of the Alumni Association is to establish and enhance the bond between alumni and the university. Through cooperative efforts with MU’s alumni and development office, we strive to: »» cultivate communication and fellowship among alumni »» encourage alumni support and service to the university »» support students in the transition to alumni status.

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Decatur, Illinois Permit No. 127

Office of Alumni and Development 1184 West Main Street Decatur, Illinois 62522-2084 millikin.edu/alumni

STAY TRUE TO MU! Did you know you are automatically a member of the Alumni Association for life after you have completed 12 or more academic credit hours at Millikin?

And there are NO annual dues!

Here’s how to make the most out of your membership ...

Stay Connected

»» Facebook: facebook.com/MillikinAlumni »» Twitter: twitter.com/MillikinAlumni »» LinkedIn: bit.ly/MU-LIn »» MyMillikin: my.millikin.edu (Access your Millikin email and the online alumni directory.) »» Website: millikin.edu/alumni (Find MU resources, including an alumni events calendar.) »» Millikin’s Alumni Magazine: FREE for alums! »» Out of the Blue: Monthly e-newsletter for all alums »» Career Center: millikin.edu/career (Alumni career services available.)

Keep in Touch

»» Update Your Info or Submit Your News: bit.ly/your-mu-news

Stay Involved

»» Attend an Event: bit.ly/mu-events »» Attend Homecoming: millikin.edu/homecoming »» Refer a Student: bit.ly/mu-refer »» Be a Volunteer: bit.ly/mu-volunteer »» Make a Gift: millikin.edu/give »» Join a Regional Club: bit.ly/mu-regional

Prefer to reach us by mail or phone? Just write the address above, or call our friendly staff in the Alumni & Development Office at 1.877.JMU.ALUM (568.2586).