M I L L I K I N M A G A Z I N E // V O L . X X X V I // S P R I N G 2 0 2 1
SPRING 2021 // VOL. XXXVI, NO. 1
MILLIKIN MAGAZINE 2 4 6 10 18 20 22 24 25 26 28 30 32 34 37 38 40
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE PRESIDENTIAL WELCOME TOUR LOOKING BACK ON A YEAR OF COVID THINGS WE LOVE DR. GAIL FYKE MUSIC & ART THERAPY MILLIKIN ATHLETICS LOCKER ROOM PROJECT AT FRANK M. LINDSAY FIELD MILLIKIN HOMECOMING WOMEN IN ATHLETICS ALUMNI PROFILE DENNY PATTERSON ALUMNI PROFILE REAR ADMIRAL DARIN K. VIA FACULTY SPOTLIGHT KEYRIA RODGERS NURSING IN APANDEMIC ALUMNI LEGACY SCHUDEL FAMILY REGIONAL ALUMNI CLUBS CLASS NOTES MILLIKIN MEMORIALS
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UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT: DR. JAMES M. REYNOLDS VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI & DEVELOPMENT: GINA BIANCHI, CLASS OF 1993 VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT & MARKETING: SARAH SHUPENUS VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE & BUSINESS AFFAIRS: RUBY JAMES VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS & DEAN OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT: RAPHAELLA PRANGE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: DR. CRAIG WHITE CHIEF OF STAFF/BOARD SECRETARY: MARILYN DAVIS, B.S. CLASS OF 2000 & MBA CLASS OF 2011 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS: KYLEE RONEY DIRECTOR OF MEDIA RELATIONS & PUBLICATIONS: DANE LISSER ART DIRECTOR: MICHAEL RAUCH UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER: RICHARD NDEMBE SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: CARLY CONWAY, CLASS OF 2016 UNIVERSITY WRITER: KENDALL TRUMP, CLASS OF 2013 COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST: JEREMY COULTER, CLASS OF 2000 COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST: SYDNEY MCREYNOLDS, CLASS OF 2019 CONTRIBUTORS: LORI KERANS, CLASS OF 1985; ALYSE KNUST
It is the policy of Millikin University to afford equal opportunity for all persons without distinction or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, disability, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or age. Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the University. Millikin Magazine (ISSN 8750-7706) (USPS 0735-570) is produced by the Millikin University Marketing & Media Relations Office.
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©2021 Millikin University.
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PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Dr. James M. Reynolds President, Millikin University
“Millikin’s success
over the past year is directly correlated to the work and perseverance of our faculty, staff and students in the face of long odds against our ability to pull it off.” — President Jim Reynolds
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WRITTEN BY: PRESIDENT JIM REYNOLDS
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Dear Millikin alumni and friends: As I write this letter, I’ve been reflecting on the past 12 months and how Millikin and other institutions of higher learning were compelled to change almost everything we do in order to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Last March, our educational mission was tested and I believe we passed that test in ways that none of us could have imagined. In the space of 10 days, an entire curriculum and all of the Performance Learning activities on campus had to be converted to an online delivery system. Many of us hoped that this would be a temporary fix — we all wanted to believe that things would go back to normal in a very short period of time. But, as you know, the world changed dramatically and our approach to educating our students had to change during this time as well. If it’s possible to learn positive lessons during a worldwide health crisis, we have learned that we are more creative and resilient than we ever imagined. We have become adept at new learning strategies and delivery systems. We have crafted ways to connect with each other that are now part of our everyday routines. We have learned the importance of patience and grace in our lives and how much more thankful we can be. While none of us would have wished for change to come in this form, Millikin has weathered the pandemic well and we will emerge with a confidence about our future. I’ve spent much of the last eight months imagining our next steps as a University and recognize two important processes as pivotal. In March, we began a new strategic planning process to create a 3–5-year plan going forward. I want this process to engage alumni and friends of Millikin and will work with a newly created Strategic Planning Steering Committee to formulate many different ways to get input from all of our stakeholders, both on and off campus. Secondly, I will be expanding my outreach to engage more alumni and friends of Millikin in meaningful conversations about the future of our University. During the pandemic, my ability to have conversations has been limited mostly to meetings via video conferencing. While I have enjoyed the opportunity to visit with several hundred of you in this fashion, I miss having more personal contact. My goal is to be able to travel more as restrictions begin to ease and to begin a process of visiting the primary areas where large groups of our alumni are located. I value the chance to be able to sit and talk with people who have a heart for the work we do here. Our professionals in the Office of Alumni and Development will be my partners as we set up regional meetings, hopefully in the near future. Millikin’s success over the past year is directly correlated to the work and perseverance of our faculty, staff and students in the face of long odds against our ability to pull it off. This is no small accomplishment and the commitment of our campus to our mission during this difficult time gives me abundant hope for the future. For those of you who have helped support us during the past year, you have my undying thanks and appreciation!
Jim Reynolds, President
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PRESIDENTIAL TOUR
Although Jim and Sue will mark their first anniversary at Millikin in July 2021, the pandemic severely limited our opportunities to appropriately welcome them to the Big Blue Family. The Presidential Welcome Tour is an opportunity for alumni, parents and friends across the country to meet and welcome our 16th president. Jim will share his vision for the future of Millikin, and looks forward to hearing stories of Big Blue pride and addressing your questions. All events begin at 6:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Invitations forthcoming.
Los Angeles
Phoenix
SCHEDULED
FALL/WINTER REGIONAL EVENTS: Aug. 5: Decatur — Chamber After Hours
Center for Theatre & Dance, 5-7 p.m.
Sept. 21: Chicago — Northern Suburbs Sept. 22: Chicago — Downtown Sept. 23: Chicago — Southern Suburbs Oct. 20: Indianapolis Nov. 17: St. Louis Dec. 15: Nashville, TN
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ADDITIONAL TOUR STOPS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING AREAS: Bloomington-Normal, IL Champaign-Urbana, IL Peoria, IL Springfield, IL Dallas, TX Houston, TX
Fort Myers, FL Los Angeles, CA New York City, NY Phoenix, AZ Tampa, FL Washington, D.C.
PRESIDENTIAL TOUR
THE REYNOLDSES ARE HITTING THE ROAD FOR A
PRESIDENTIAL WELCOME TOUR NYC
Chicago
D.C. Decatur
Indy
St. Louis
Nashville
Dallas
Houston
Tampa
Fort Myers
CHECK FOR ADDITIONAL EVENTS IN YOUR REGION
millikin.edu/welcome-tour *Further cities may be added at a later date. Check back often. S PRIN G 2021
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BENDINGBU NOTBREAK Looking back on a year of COVID The unprecedented challenges we have all faced around the country and globally over the past year have essentially changed our way of living.
As this piece is being written, we, as a society, have been looking back on one year of the official declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic that has, and continues, to impact millions. For this writer, one question seems to be coming up more often from friends, family and colleagues … where were you when COVID-19 became a reality? March 11, 2020 … the day that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 virus a pandemic. The announcement from the WHO was a surreal moment that was filled with questions and worrisome thoughts – What do we do? Everything from work, to events, to schools and sports were put on pause. We became socially distant.
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Like all institutions of higher learning, Millikin University made the switch to online, distant learning for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester and encouraged students to stay home. In an e-mail to the campus community, past Millikin President Dr. Patrick E. White summed up his message with reinforcement by saying “we will be able to help one another thrive even in this difficult situation.” “Before the pandemic, as a cabinet leadership team we were constantly encouraged to be ‘nimble and flexible.’ I credit Dr. White with setting us up for success in this growth mindset. We were more prepared to tackle the challenges of the pandemic because we were already thinking every day about how to make Millikin better, more efficient and more student-focused,” said Raphaella Prange, vice president for student affairs.
WRITTEN BY: DANE LISSER
UT KING: Millikin Provost Dr. Jeff Aper recalls the thought of astonishment when the news of the pandemic broke. “In over 40 years of experience working in education, I had never experienced that kind of dramatic and rapid shift in what we were doing in the middle of a semester. I was worried about the strain and demand it placed on faculty to make such a monumental shift on such short notice, and I was deeply saddened at the impact on so many key events for students, especially seniors,” he said. The initial transition for Millikin University to shift to remote learning, as quickly as it did, was extraordinary. One of the most important parts of the transition was the process of providing a safe environment for the students who remained on campus, ensuring all students had access to the support services they needed.
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“It was always important for us to remain open in whatever capacity we were permitted to. We know that many students count on Millikin as their primary residence, and we were not going to abandon our students,” said Prange. “My primary worry was ensuring that any student who wished to remain at Millikin, whether on campus or not, could; and that meant focusing on removing any barriers to student persistence and staying engaged with student cases. This was certainly challenging when our team was forced to work from home. The physical distance between student support staff members and at-risk students amplified communication challenges.”
As the spring 2020 semester continued on, traditional events like Celebrations of Scholarship, Honors Convocation and Spring Commencement became virtual. Things progressed into the summer, and the University prepared for the arrival of Dr. Jim Reynolds who began his new role as Millikin’s 16th President on July 1. The future was unpredictable as the University began preparations for the fall 2020 semester. Millikin officials carefully planned for the fall by developing a thoughtful set of guidelines that provided a great deal of support and assistance for the campus community, including using multiple methods to deliver classes: in-person, online or hybrid.
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good and our compliance means that we can return to the in-person Big Blue experience sooner.”
Millikin also developed its own COVID testing plan from the ground up that included contact tracing, finding a testing partner, developing testing criteria, flagging students prior to arrival on campus and implementing testing. Communication was a key element to the plan with the University being very transparent in revealing the number of tests that were administered along with the number of positive cases. “The culture of compliance that we have been able to create and sustain is truly remarkable. I credit our success to the fact that we communicated clearly and consistently, and that all of us want to return to the Millikin experiences we know and love,” Prange said. “We know that it takes each of us to be a part of the solution. I hear student-athletes, performing students and faculty alike talk about the compromises and sacrifices they have had to make personally during this pandemic. But, the common theme is that we are all doing it for the common
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Throughout this challenging time, Dr. Aper had one word to describe the response of the Millikin community — resilience. “I think it conveys in one word a sense of a story that is about bending but not breaking,” he said. “People have been pushed hard by these circumstances, and much of what we are committed to has been disrupted and challenged. Still, we have found ways to continue, to persevere, and to support each other to try to protect each other and move forward. In the end, it is persevering in pursuit of something genuinely good and meaningful even in the face of challenge, uncertainty, fatigue, loneliness and risk that is a truly important story to remember and to tell as a saga of community and purpose.” Over the course of the year, cases on Millikin’s campus remained low and the University partnered with SHIELD Illinois to implement an on-campus COVID-19 salivabased testing program that became available to students on Jan. 11. There were certainly challenges, such as Zoom fatigue and trying to recreate student engagement programs virtually, but the University carried forward … together.
“Our entire employee base pulled in the same direction. We all knew what was needed to make it through this time, and knew we could only do it together,” Prange said. “The challenge became, ‘how do you provide student life and engagement when you can’t be together in any format?’ We pride ourselves in having a tight-knit and welcoming community at Millikin. How do you welcome new students during the pandemic? How do you demonstrate how special Millikin is when everything we call a hallmark is not currently happening? I think this really exposed something that we knew all along, that Millikin is an immersive experience and the value of a Millikin education extends well past the classroom.” As the academic year wraps up, university officials have already gathered to discuss preparations for next fall. In March 2021, an announcement was made that Millikin is planning to return to an in-person academic experience for the fall 2021 semester allowing students, faculty and staff to take full advantage of the University’s on-campus Performance Learning model. There is optimism for the future as the University hopes to get back to the Millikin experience we all know and love. Dr. Aper hopes that the end of the pandemic can be the beginning of a powerful sense of renewal and that the possibilities inherent all around us will seem more tangible and achievable.
“We will emerge from all of this better and stronger than before. I have said many times that the work we do here has never been more important, and I think that is most certainly and clearly true now and in the months and years ahead.” — Dr. Jeff Aper Provost, Millikin University
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MILLIKIN PLANS RETURN TO IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION Millikin University has announced plans to return to an in-person academic experience for the fall 2021 semester allowing students, faculty and staff to take full advantage of the University’s on-campus Performance Learning model. Additionally, residence halls will return to standard doubleoccupancy assignments and campus dining will offer in-person dining and spaced seating. During this transition, the continued safety and well-being of the campus community is Millikin University’s top priority. The University will continue to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as state and county COVID-19 health guidelines.
Millikin Partners with SHIELD Illinois to Offer COVID-19 Saliva-based Testing Millikin partnered with SHIELD Illinois to implement a COVID-19 saliva-based testing program available to students and employees starting in January 2021. SHIELD Illinois is a screening testing program and infrastructure that deploys the University of Illinois’ innovative saliva test across the state. SHIELD Illinois uses a saliva-based test that is easy to administer, scalable, sensitive and specific to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Current notification time for the saliva test is only six to 12 hours whereas turnaround time for currently available tests is around two to three days, or longer. The test produces rapid results at costs significantly below current alternatives such as nasal swabs. Through cost and speed advantages, the saliva tests can increase access to testing and control the spread of the virus by identifying presymptomatic and asymptomatic carriers.
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Paul Branton, Class of 1995, Returns to Campus to Show Artistic Work In 1995, Paul Branton graduated from Millikin University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Commercial Art, 26 years later, he returned to campus to show the community his artistic work as part of Millikin’s Black History Month Celebration. Branton’s exhibit at Millikin University, titled “Southside Color Theories & Half Truths,” ran Jan. 25 – March 4. He says this particular body of work relates to people he grew up with — family and friends.
Paul Branton Class of 1995
“My art is very personal to me. When people are interested in my art it is like taking a piece of myself with them,” Branton said. “Everybody sees something different in art … I can paint a picture and I don’t have to talk about it, I’m more interested in what the audience sees and how they interpret it and then I can tell them where I was coming from.” Branton has exhibited his work in many galleries in and around the Chicago region, and his work hangs in private collections across the country. Outside of visual art, Branton is a notable poet and filmmaker. Each of Branton’s pieces showcased at Millikin served a different purpose. “Each stroke is purposeful, each line, and each one was a direct energy,” he says. “I’m inspired by two things … one is people in the community around me … I am always interested in people, not only physically in how they look, but their stories and journeys. I am also deeply interested in the journey of Black Americans since their transition here.”
paulbranton.com
Millikin Celebrates Black History Month, Black Student Union Honored for Community Engagement Millikin University hosted a variety of events and programming created by Millikin students to celebrate Black History Month this past February. Among the programming was a celebration of over a century of Black students, faculty and staff at Millikin featuring a chronological timeline narrated by current Millikin Black students and staff, as well as University President Dr. Jim Reynolds. Student-led programming for Black History Month was carried out by the Millikin Black Student Union, the University’s oldest minority organization. The Black Student Union received a $1,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Macon County’s Racial Equity Fund on Feb. 5. The grant was given to support the Black Student Union’s student and community engagement, including their work with Millikin’s Black History Month Celebration.
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Millikin Professor Publishes Two Breakthrough Books for Digital Economy Dr. Wendy Kooken Named Director of School of Nursing Dr. Wendy C. Kooken has been
named director of the Millikin School
of Nursing and will begin her appointment as director on Aug. 1, 2021.
Dr. Kooken has taught at Illinois Wesleyan University since 2012. Her career at
Illinois Wesleyan has been marked by her
interdisciplinary projects, her commitment to student-centeredness, and her work for
diversity and inclusion. She recently held a
TEDx talk at Illinois Wesleyan that focused on her long-term work with men who
are homeless and her research to validate a reduction in biases of nursing students towards men who are homeless.
Prior to her time at Illinois Wesleyan, Dr. Kooken held several academic
appointments: Bradley University in Peoria,
Ill., Western Illinois University in Macomb,
Ill., Indiana University in Indianapolis, Ind., and Kansas University Medical Center. During her time at Illinois Wesleyan University she received the inaugural
President’s Award for Inclusive Excellence. “I am very excited about joining an
excellent team at the School of Nursing and inheriting a successful School of Nursing,
with high NCLEX pass rates,” said Kooken. “I look forward to learning the School of
Nursing traditions and working to think of new ways to advance nursing education at
Millikin. I am looking forward to meeting interdisciplinary colleagues and finding
ways to develop projects with nursing and other disciplines.”
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Dr. J. Mark Munoz, professor of
management at Millikin, is a fan
of learning new things and gaining new perspectives. This passion led
him to publishing two breakthrough
books this past winter that will serve as important guides for the digital economy.
Munoz’s latest books, “The
Handbook on Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Process Automation [Policy and Government
Applications]” (Anthem Press
2021), and “The Economics of
Cryptocurrencies" (Routledge 2021), were both published a week apart.
For “The Handbook on Artificial Intelligence [AI] and Robotic Process Automation,”
Munoz worked with co-editor Al Naqvi,
CEO of the American Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Inc. The book specifically
looks at what approaches countries should take to succeed in an AI economy. Munoz reached out to top thinkers around the
world to contribute ideas on the role of AI in the creation of viable country strategies, economic development and governance.
For “The Economics of Cryptocurrencies,” Munoz teamed up with Michael Frenkel, professor of macroeconomics and
international economics at the WHU–Oitto Beisheim School of Management, to craft a book aimed at exploring the economic
implications of the use of cryptocurrencies. The pioneering book provides up-to-date
and in-depth analysis on the topic and helps readers better understand the challenges and opportunities brought about by cryptocurrencies.
“For me, each book that I work on is a journey towards new knowledge – a research adventure,” Munoz said.
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STUDENT ATTORNEYS WIN 2021 MOOT COURT COMPETITION
Millikin student attorneys took home top honors at the 2021 Model Illinois Government (MIG) Moot Court Competition held Feb. 26-27. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition was held virtually on Zoom. SUPPORT
TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS LIKE MOOT COURT VISIT:
The MIG Moot Court competition simulates arguments at the Illinois Supreme Court level. During the competition, teams of attorneys argue their case before a panel of student justices and legal professionals. The simulation helps pre-law students prepare for professional school by helping them understand the process of legal proceedings and to attain legal skills. This year, two teams of Millikin student attorneys participated in the competition. Team one consisted of students Hannah Prochnow, a sophomore environmental studies and philosophy (pre-law track) double major, and Reena Riley, a junior
sociology and philosophy (pre-law track) double major with a minor in criminal justice. Team two consisted of students Oluwafunke Odufuwa, a senior political science major with Spanish and pre-law minors, and Christina Hoving, a junior philosophy (pre-law track) major. The team of Odufuwa and Hoving were named the 2021 Moot Court Champions, while the team of Prochnow and Riley were honored with the award for Outstanding Moot Court Team. In addition, student Christina Hoving was honored with the individual award for Best Oral Argument.
millikin.edu/give
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Alum’s Passion for Home Design and Décor Leads to Successful Business Millikin University graduate Kate Dawson, Class of 1996, attributes her successful career to the fact that she’s very passionate about what she does — creative interior design. After graduating from Millikin with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre, Dawson moved to New York where, for 11 years, she performed on Broadway, off-Broadway and regionally. The West Orange, N.J., native also did voiceover work for dozens of movies and televisions shows. She wrote, produced and performed a one-woman show from 2009-11, and coproduced a children’s book and CD called “Over the Moon: The Broadway Lullaby Project.” Flash forward: Dawson and her family moved to the suburbs. She then discovered she had a knack for finding great items from retail stores and bringing them together to create a beautiful living space. After a friend, who loved how Dawson decorated her own home, asked her to decorate her office, she knew what her calling was.
In January 2019, Dawson officially launched her business which specializes in combining items people already own with unique and fabulous items from places like T.J. Maxx, Home Goods, Home Sense, Wayfair.com, Tuesday Morning, garage sales, estate sales, antique shops and more. Once all the items have been curated, Dawson transforms the room into the space people always dreamed of. In addition to decorating, Dawson also offers consulting services and shopping trips to find the best decorative items to enhance a room or space.
EXPLORE KATE DAWSON'S BOLD DESIGNS AT:
decorwhore.com
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Kate Dawson Class of 1996
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MARY BLACK APPOINTED INTERIM PROVOST
Mary Black, associate professor of theatre
Theatre, Brown County Playhouse and
Dance, has been appointed to serve as
programs. Black is actively involved in
and director of the School of Theatre &
interim provost next academic year following the retirement of Dr. Jeff Aper. A national
search will be conducted next fiscal year to appoint a replacement Provost.
Mary Black’s primary area of expertise is in
technical direction, but she is an experienced scenic, lighting and sound designer as
well. Her past credits include technical
work at Indiana University Theatre and
Opera programs, Iowa Summer Repertory
the University of Iowa Theatre and Opera the United States Institute for Theatre
Technology [USITT] and has published and presented at USITT national
conferences and through the USITT
Tech Expo. In 2009, she was awarded the
“In my time with her, Mary impressed me with her working knowledge of the University and her thoughtful consideration of the issues we face. She is someone who will provide a great deal of passion and commitment to the work in our Provost Office, and I look forward to serving with her over the next year.” Dr. Jim Reynolds, Millikin President
KM Fabrics Technical Production Award
through USITT. She also designs scenery
and lighting for local productions, including credits at the Station Theatre in Urbana
[Ill.] and the Decatur Park District Best of
Summer Stock program for Decatur youth.
Wins Golden Microphone Award Millikin University student-run radio
Junior theatre majors Sam Laro and Alex
“I’m always pleased when we get
a Golden Microphone Award at the 81st
Award for Best Specialty Show for “Big Blue
when we win especially for Best Specialty
station 89.5 WJMU The Quad received Annual Intercollegiate Broadcasting
System (IBS) Media Conference and
Awards on March 6. The campus station’s programming and student staff also
received finalist nominations for four
Golden Microphone Awards for their work done in 2020.
Saviano won the Golden Microphone
Broadway,” a weekly production aired on
Sunday evenings from 6-8 p.m. WJMU, as a
station, received a finalist nomination for Best
College Radio Station at an institution with an enrollment under 10,000 students.
The national IBS finalists are selected from
thousands of entries in over 50 categories, and finalists represent the top three to five percent of entries judged in any individual category.
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nominations, but I’m particularly proud Show,” said Sam Meister, instructor of communication and WJMU general
manager and faculty advisor. “I’m also very proud that we were nominated for Best
Station on a campus with less than 10,000 students. I think that speaks a lot to what
we have … the quality of our students, the
quality of work they put together and what we can do with our facilities.”
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MAY 16, 2021
MILLIKIN TO HOST IN-PERSON GRADUATION CEREMONIES Millikin University will celebrate the Class of 2021 with two inperson graduation ceremonies on Sunday, May 16, at Kirkland Fine Arts Center on Millikin’s campus.
Undergraduate and graduate students, including doctoral students, will be honored during the ceremonies.
MAY 16 9:30 A.M. » College of Arts & Sciences » Tabor School of Business » Master of Business Administration (MBA)
MAY 16 2:30 P.M. » » » »
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College of Fine Arts College of Professional Studies Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
MILLIKIN COMMUNITY MEMBERS WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH THE GRADUATION CEREMONIES THROUGH A PUBLIC LIVESTREAM ON MILLIKIN’S GRADUATION WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE.
FOR MORE DETAILS, VISIT: millikin.edu/graduation
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MILLIKIN AWARDED FOR OUTSTANDING DEVELOPMENT Millikin University was named the recipient of the 2020 Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce Award for Outstanding Development on March 25, 2021.
millikin.edu/CTD S PRIN G 2021
The Outstanding Development Award goes to the organization who has grown their business in the last 12 months and created a positive impact on the local community. Millikin was recognized for the completion of its new Center for Theatre & Dance. The awards are traditionally announced during the Annual Chamber Awards Luncheon but were announced via social media due to COVID-19 restrictions. The awards are held to honor member businesses, agencies and individuals for their outstanding performances, quality customer service and business distinctiveness. Opened in August 2020, Millikin University’s Center for Theatre & Dance is an architectural marvel located at the former site of the Richards Treat University Center. The $29 million project, which broke ground in May 2018, features a 260-seat flexible theatre,
including an orchestra pit, balcony and tech gallery with a tension wire grid. The center was designed by Decaturbased architecture firm BLDD. The Center features lighting and sound labs, a costume studio, a costume classroom, collaboration spaces and offices and support facilities for current staff with room for growth. It also includes four acting studios, two dance studios, two design classrooms and practice rooms as well as all-new modern theatre equipment and LED lights. 17
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INSPIRATION MEETS MUSIC... MEETS ART THERAPY Dr. Gail Fyke
Two years ago, Dr. Gail Fyke’s son was successfully recovering from brain surgery at a New York area hospital, when inspiration struck … an idea for a unique research project that is now helping people in the Decatur community.
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Dr. Fyke’s son, Austin, went through many complementary therapies during the summer of 2020 as part of his surgical recovery process, including music therapy. After visiting the health care team in New York, Fyke took a trip on the subway and saw a poster with the words “Sing for Hope.” The poster was promoting the Sing for Hope initiative — one of New York City’s largest public art projects, bringing artist-painted pianos to parks and public spaces of the city for public enjoyment each June. The Sing for Hope pianos are donated to schools, health care facilities and community centers, enriching lives for years to come.
“I wanted to do that,” Fyke said. The assistant professor of nursing contacted Dr. Neal Smith, associate professor of music at Millikin, to help get her idea up and running. In the fall of 2020, the Public Painted Pianos Project in Macon County was officially launched. As part of the project, local artists paint pianos that have been donated and Fyke finds places in the community to adopt the pianos for public use. Among the places was a local assisted living center in Decatur where Fyke, along with undergraduate fellows from the Millikin School of Nursing, are conducting research on the response to music and art therapy in senior citizens who have dementia.
WRITTEN BY: DANE LISSER
“I think it makes all the stressful days so rewarding when you have that closeness with patients. Nursing requires resiliency and a passion for wanting to help others.” - Zakari Briggs, Senior Nursing Major
“I received grant funding in August [2020] that helped the project pick up pace since things were slowed down due to COVID-19,” Fyke said. “When we put out the word for piano donations, we were overwhelmed with the response we received, especially from local artists in Macon County.” During the research study, recent Millikin graduate Jessica Reynolds, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2020, helped collect data for Fyke from October to November. “Jessica would hold 15-minute sessions with the residents over the course of five weeks. Each resident is given five sessions to be shown the piano … they are asked scripted questions, listen to two simple songs, and we record their responses and offer them a chance to touch the piano and see what it does,” Fyke said. During the piano sessions, Reynolds was hoping to find a link to the residents’ past. “Sometimes they forget who they are, and to see them go to almost an emptiness and then be able to bring back life and enjoy the music is an incredible experience,” she says. Reynolds worked at the facility prior to the project and had permission to work with the residents during COVID-19 restrictions. “I’ve been working with these people for six years, and they are amazing. It’s harder around the families than it is on us because we only know them in their dementia. I got a chance to see who they are now and I saw a glimpse of who they were,” she said. Some of the songs that Reynolds would play for the residents were very recognizable tunes, including “Happy Birthday” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” “Just little songs that everybody will recognize and maybe trigger something in their minds,” Fyke said.
“The art was left up to the artists in terms of designs. I’m hoping the colors of the pianos will trigger the residents and spark their interest.” Fyke says the combination of art therapy and music therapy studies is a rare entity. “There have been music therapy studies and art therapy studies, but there have been no combinations as far as I know. This is my first research study and I’m looking forward to building on it,” she says. Helping to build on the project is senior nursing major Zakari Briggs, of Decatur, who took the baton as Fyke’s research assistant after Reynolds had graduated. Briggs is actively recruiting residents for the study and collecting data. “Music is powerful. Music is something everybody loves and we are hoping this is something that can help the residents,” Briggs said. “It may be just touching the keys or being around others while the music is playing, it’s therapeutic for them.” The connection with patients is the reason Briggs decided to become a nurse. “I think it makes all the stressful days so rewarding when you have that closeness with patients. Nursing requires resiliency and a passion for wanting to help others.”
L E AR N MO R E
millikin.edu/music
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19
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
WRITTEN BY: KENDALL TRUMP, CLASS OF 2013
AT H LE T ICS RE PO RT
MILLIKIN ATHLETICS There’s no doubt that in the past year, COVID-19 has impacted every part of Millikin students’ lives. From canceled events to virtual learning, no part of the college experience has remained unaffected. Millikin University student-athletes
Senior forward Jordan Hildebrand was also
While tradition has football games played
First Team and she earned CCIW Player
pushed Millikin football to play a shortened
a unanimous choice for the All-Conference of the Week honors in March. Sophomore
forward Bailey Coffman was named to the All-Conference First Team as well.
have become familiar with the struggles
With CCIW rules prohibiting fans at
pandemic all too well.
an unfamiliar atmosphere during their
Canceled practices became canceled
Blue wrestling won its second consecutive
of practicing and competing through a
games and eventually canceled seasons for many Big Blue student-athletes.
But while sustaining the motivation to continue the hard work necessary to
meets, Millikin’s wrestling team faced
in the fall, pandemic precautions have
spring season. On March 20, with limited spectators permitted at Frank M. Lindsay
Field in Decatur, the Big Blue men opened their season with a 38-28 victory over the
Illinois Wesleyan Titans. This win broke a
ten-game losing streak against the Titans.
competitions. Despite the new territory, Big
Following their victory, members of
CCIW Wrestling Championship on
Kenneth Williams, sophomore Jorge
February 13 at the Carver Center in Rock Island, Ill.
Millikin’s offensive line including senior Hernandez, junior Alex Vogt, senior Sauvignon Hayes and junior Brandt
Williamson were named to the D3football.
be successful during a time filled with
Along with winning his fourth CCIW
remained disciplined and focused. Their
brought a national championship honor
championships, honors and record-
Title in the 165 pound weight class at the
Through the struggles constantly presented
athletes this spring season.
(NWCA) DIII Coaches Association
Millikin University athletics have shown
Notably, the Millikin women’s
Iowa on March 12-13. Birt, as well as
uncertainty, Millikin’s student-athletes
Championship, senior Bradan Birt also
dedication is easily seen through the
back to Decatur, winning the National
breaking victories achieved by Millikin
National Wrestling Coaches Association
basketball team won the 2021 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Women’s Basketball
Tournament Championship by
National Championships in Coralville, senior Logan Hagerbaumer and sophomore Peter McCusker, earned MWCA AllAmerican honors at the event.
defeating Illinois Wesleyan 72-59
The Millikin University baseball team saw a
Decatur. This victory marked the first
10-1 overall record and a CCIW record of
women’s basketball since 2005. The
21. Since that victory, the Big Blue men
11-3 record.
winning six straight games and improving
Additionally, three members of
CCIW competition. The 2021 season marks
on March 9 at Griswold Center in
historic start to their 2021 season, posting a
CCIW tournament win for Big Blue
3-0 after defeating North Park on March
team finished their season with an
have continued their impressive season,
the women’s basketball team were
named to the CCIW All-Conference Women’s Basketball First Team.
Freshman guard Elyce Knudsen was
named CCIW’s Newcomer of the Year as a unanimous First Team selection.
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their record to 12-3 overall and 5-2 in
com National Team of the Week on March
23. Linebacker David Jones was also named to the team for his performance in the win. by COVID-19, weather and uncertainty,
discipline, patience and perseverance. The success of these teams, along with such
teams as women’s soccer, women’s tennis and softball, is evidence of the Big Blue spirit. While Big Blue Athletics continue their
hard work and success in both the classroom and competition, Millikin University is
dedicated to supporting them. Through the
new locker room project, Millikin is aiming
to construct a new freestanding building for
its athletes that will both alleviate congestion at Griswold Center and allow the University to host CCIW championship competitions.
the best start to Millikin’s baseball season
since 1947, when the Big Blue went 10-1 before finishing the year 10-5.
S U PPO R T
TO SUPPORT ATHLETICS, VISIT
millikin.edu/give 21
LOCKER ROOM PROJECT AT FRANK M. LINDSAY FIELD
“The facility represents something truly invaluable to our sport. Track & Field doesn’t typically have a social & cultural center,
outside of just meeting at the track. Our sport is unique in that we are several teams within a team, and there aren’t enough
opportunities to bring the various event groups together. This new space would create a sense of unity within our event groups, providing a venue through which we would truly
cement the future of the program. It would allow us to host large-scale meets and provide the support that our Track & Field athletes need to be successful.”
Andrew Craycraft
Director of Track & Field/Cross Country
Millikin University’s plan to build a new locker room at Frank M. Lindsay Field aims to directly benefit the heart of our athletic programs: student-athletes. With their success and futures in mind, Millikin’s investment will
renew our commitment to Big Blue teams and athletes, and act as a draw for the next generation of MU student-athletes.
There is no doubt that additional locker room space is needed for our
athletic programs to continue to grow and thrive. The construction of this new facility will solve several existing issues while also allowing Millikin to host CCIW and NCAA competitions. Congestion in
Griswold’s locker rooms will be alleviated and the immediate needs of Big Blue football and men’s and women’s track and field teams will be met. The new facility will offer Millikin home teams field-level access and is designed to feature 120 lockers with the ability to convert to
TIMELINE GOALS RAISE $2 MILLION BY DEC. 2021 BREAK GROUND SPRING 2022 COMPLETION BY FALL 2022
two 60-locker spaces with a divider.
Competitive sports remain an important part of Millikin’s ongoing mission of Performance Learning, especially during the challenges
posed by the ongoing pandemic. Since August 2020, it has been my
goal to secure as many contests as possible and to make those contests meaningful for our student-athletes.
Gathering funding for the construction of this facility will go a long
way toward achieving this goal, and we need your help. You can make an impact on the future of Big Blue athletic programs and studentathletes by supporting the Frank M. Lindsay Field Locker Room project.
— Dr. Craig White, Athletic Director
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
N OR THWEST PER SPECTIVE
C O A CH ’S PE RS PE CT IVE
“In this day and age where facilities are king, a new locker room will allow Millikin to be more often in the hunt for the quality young men that make such a positive impact on campus through athletics and their participation in the community. This project will signify a renewed commitment by the University to all student-athletes, showing that they are an integral and treasured part of the Millikin experience.” — Dan Gritti, Head Football Coach
“The addition of the Locker Room at Frank M. Lindsay Field would help the athletic department and our program immensely, as the incoming studentathletes would see that the University sees the athletic department and the student-athletes as important contributors to life on campus and something they are committed to improving.” — Paul Anderson, Head Men’s Soccer Coach
“We’re very excited for the new locker room project as it will give
the athletes a comfortable area to prepare for games and training.”
— Ian Doherty, Head Women’s Soccer Coach
S U PPO R T
SO UTHE A S T P E R SP E C T IVE
MAKE AN IMPACT AT millikin.edu/give/capital-projects
S PRIN G 2021
23
H O ME CO MING
COME GROOVE WITH MU Millikin is looking forward to offering a hybrid Homecoming Celebration Weekend October 1-3, 2021, that will include both inperson and virtual events. This year’s Homecoming theme, Big Blue Rewind, invites you to turn back time,
reconnect with friends and celebrate our
shared history of Millikin. Whether you’re from the vinyl, 8-track, cassette, CD, iPod
JOIN US FOR A FEW OF THESE SIGNATURE EVENTS & MORE: FRIDAY, OCT. 1 » ALUMNI AWARDS CEREMONY DINNER SATURDAY, OCT. 2 » CENTER FOR THEATRE & DANCE
OPEN HOUSE AND TOURS
» HOMECOMING PARADE » ALL-MILLIKIN LUNCH » CLASS REUNION PHOTOS ON THE QUAD
*celebrating reunions for class years ending in 0, 1, 5 and 6
» BIG BLUE FOOTBALL VS. CARTHAGE » MULTICULTURAL GREEK COUNCIL STEP SHOW
or streaming generation ... Homecoming promises to provide a mixtape of sweet memories, both old and new!
SUNDAY, OCT. 3 » CLASS OF 2020 REUNION BRUNCH
& CHAMPAGNE TOAST
» ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
INDUCTION LUNCHEON
L E AR N M O R E
A FULL LIST OF EVENTS WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER JUNE 1
TO VOLUNTEER AS A CLASS CHAIR, OR TO ORGANIZE A REUNION GATHERING OF YOUR OWN, PLEASE EMAIL MBERRY@MILLIKIN.EDU.
millikin.edu/homecoming
Campus and guest safety will be a priority, and we will adhere to all institutional and state recommendations regarding social gatherings.
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
WRITTEN BY: LORI KERANS, CLASS OF 1985
WO M E N W E A R B LU E Creating opportunities to celebrate 50 years of women’s athletics at Millikin University has not been easy.
Thankfully, Harriett Crannell, physical
In 2021-22, we will finally be privileged
Women’s Athletics Association (WAA),
intercollegiate athletics at Millikin
Frustratingly, the pandemic shut down the
at Millikin for women who wanted
to celebrate this momentous occasion in
intramurals and WAA play days and helped
can’t help but note that it seems a little
equity in intercollegiate athletics. In the
more than 50 years ago wasn’t easy, either.
me-down football jerseys discarded by the
Participating in intercollegiate athletics,
own vehicles to away competitions and
education professor and advisor to the
stood up, spoke out and persisted in taking
up the cause for women’s athletics, refusing to accept “no” as the final answer.
Coach Crannell blazed a Big Blue trail
exciting year of activities we had planned
to compete, forged the path beyond
2020-21. Disappointed as we may be, we
light the path as women journeyed toward
fitting, since the start of women’s athletics
early years, women’s teams wore hand-
often referred to around Millikin as
“wearing the blue,” is a privilege reserved for individuals willing to do absolutely
to celebrate the inception of women’s
University, a year late, and likely through a hybrid of in-person and virtual
celebrations. Nonetheless, we will have an amazing celebration and we will
share smiles, tears and gratitude for the
women who have worn the blue for the past 50 years; their family and friends
who sacrificed to make it possible; and
the coaches, administrators and faculty
who believed that women deserved the privilege of wearing the blue.
freshmen football team, often drove their
As we celebrate these first 50 years, it
packed their own food for pre- or post-
up, speak out and advocate for equitable
game meals.
anything to represent the University
Coach Crannell was a visionary and leader
blue takes commitment, selflessness and
athletics at the national level (first the
participating in intercollegiate athletics
Women, then the NCAA). Coach Crannell
to men. Women were expected to be
recognition of women’s Athletics in the
intramurals … but we were not.
conference level (1986).
and the Big Blue family. Wearing the
not only at Millikin, but also in collegiate
sacrifice. Before 1970, the privilege of
Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for
at Millikin University was afforded only
played a key role in leading toward the
satisfied by physical education classes and
NCAA (1981) and eventually at the CCIW
is important that we continue to stand opportunities. Let’s reflect upon those who have made our journey possible:
coaches, faculty, administrators, family,
roommates and friends. I will forever be grateful for my coach, academic advisor and mentor Harriett Crannell, who
inspired opportunity and equity, and for the incredible significance of women wearing the blue.
S AV E T H E D A TE
WOMEN IN ATHLETICS CELEBRATION WEEKEND MAY 13-15, 2022 S PRIN G 2021
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A LU MNI PRO FILE
SPEAKING WITH THE STARS Answering questions instead of asking them in an interview setting takes Millikin University alumnus Denny Patterson, Class of 2013, out of his comfort zone. As the celebrity interviewer for OUT FRONT Magazine, Colorado’s premier LGBTQ publication, Denny has interviewed hundreds of well-known names including actors, musicians, athletes, icons and influencers about their lives, accomplishments and experiences as members of the LGBTQ community.
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
WRITTEN BY: KENDALL TRUMP, CLASS OF 2013
ALU MNI PRO FILE
Denny Patterson Class of 2013 Denny is no stranger to journalism, having been an active member of Millikin University’s newspaper, The Decaturian. While he pursued an English degree with a concentration in journalism, along with a Theater minor, Denny was immersed in Millikin’s culture and day-to-day happenings as he reported on campus news and student life. During his time on the newspaper, he began as the features editor and worked his way up to news writer and finally senior editor. Denny was responsible for the LGBTQ corner of The Decaturian, while also authoring a column, “Brutally Honest,” which addressed issues impacting Millikin faculty, administration and student life. “I received a lot of great feedback from that column, not only from students, but from professors and the administration as well,” said Denny. “That one was my baby. I really had some passion behind that column.” Denny attributes much of his educational and professional success to the teaching and guidance of two Millikin University professors, Dr. Scott Lambert and Dr. Stephen Frech. “They wouldn’t let me fail,” Denny said. “They were always very encouraging and just kept giving me that extra push that I needed.”
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Taking the lessons he learned at Millikin, Denny approached his career following graduation with an attitude of doing the hard work necessary to make himself successful. Following a brief period with a newspaper in Granite City, Ill. and six years as a digitization specialist with Ancestry. com, Denny saw the opportunity to pursue his passion in journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Denny was connected with OUT FRONT Magazine through networking and friendships with fellow Millikin alumni. Soon after, he was hired on as a freelancer for South Florida’s OutClique Magazine, where he eventually became the publication’s senior lifestyle writer. Once he started interviewing celebrities, he began researching, writing publicists and pursuing more interview opportunities before connecting with well-known figures. “My first OUT FRONT cover story was American figure skater Adam Rippon in June 2018. After that, I started getting a lot more hits and bringing in a lot more people,” Denny said.Among the other names Denny has spoken with during his career are fashion designer Christian Siriano, singer and actor Billy Porter, actress and LGBTQ activist Laverne Cox, filmmaker John Waters, singersongwriters Olivia Newton-John and Melissa Etheridge, actor Tituss Burgess and television personalities Tim Gunn and Ross Mathews.
During his conversations with celebrities, Denny strives to stand out from other interviewers by asking distinctive questions and focusing on LGBTQ issues. “I enjoy being a voice for these people,” said Denny, when asked about the most rewarding part of his career. “Not just to promote their projects, but to promote what they are doing to help the community, because they are advocates as well.” Denny says that he’s come a long way since his undergraduate dreams of writing a gossip column or becoming a theatre critic. In the short span of his career, he has written nearly two hundred celebrity interview pieces and plans to continue reaching out to see which big names he can land next.
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Rear Admiral Darin K. Via Class of 1987
Rear Admiral Darin K. Via, Class of 1987, has lived a life of firsts. He was the first Expeditionary Medical Facility director “in theater” during Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he helped lead field hospitals coming online in Al-Nasiriyah, Iraq. He was the first Navy surgeon to be selected as U.S. Central Command surgeon. The first medical flag officer to be activated as deputy director of Chief of Naval Operations N44, which “plans, programs, budgets and executes the deployment of all Navy medical capabilities.” And the first Navy commanding officer of a NATO “Role Three” field hospital, providing injured soldiers access to much-needed specialty care. During this role with NATO he was also “double hatted,” serving as the commander of Task Force Medical South, which was responsible for all health and supporting services across Southern Afghanistan during an influx of 35,000 U.S. troops as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. This included establishing blood-banking capabilities, medical logistics support capabilities and immediate resuscitative surgical care for combat casualties. “If anything I was groomed for in my entire career, it was that position. Because all of the other jobs — trauma anesthesiologist, resuscitologist, educator, leader — all brought me to a pinnacle, a point which was perfect for that job.”
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
Via, who currently serves as commander of Naval Medical Forces Atlantic and the senior market manager of the Tidewater Military Health System, was also deployed during 9/11 as part of the “critical core,” providing respite for first responders and firefighters who worked at ground zero. And this list of accomplishments only scratches the surface of a comprehensive, continuing record of service. Ironically though, in a life of firsts, Via found his first choice for his undergraduate degree lacking: “I actually started out at the University of Illinois. There, my Chemistry 101 class had over a thousand people, and you would actually get lectured by videotape. And you had a TA [teaching assistant] in your room. And you took a test in an auditorium of 300 of your closest friends. And it’s just not
the kind of person I am — I grew up in a small town just southeast of Decatur. So I transferred to Millikin.” At Millikin, Via excelled in the James Millikin Scholars Program, where he found faculty who brought their passion for research into the classroom. He remembers Dr. Norman Jensen, head of the Biology Department, “for all the sage guidance and talks we had.” “He was a consummate professor, a great individual and also served a lot through mentoring for those of us looking for preprofessional work.” Dr. Neil Baird, who taught anatomy courses at the time, and Dr. Clarence Josefson, who taught an array of Via’s chemistry courses, were also key mentors. And there was a fourth, a professor who enriched Via’s interests in science — but by way of the humanities.
WRITTEN BY: JEREMY COULTER, CLASS OF 2000
ALU MNI PRO FILE
A LIFE OF FIRSTS When asked about a “day in the life” of a rear admiral, the discussion quickly turns to the U.S. government’s work in combating the spread of COVID-19.
“I think one of the great things about Millikin, which actually we encourage for our kids, is the value of a liberal arts degree versus a hard science degree. Learning more than the sciences, that was where my focus was as a James Millikin Scholar … [and English professor] Dr. Dan Guillory, who we affectionately called ‘Dr. Dan the Renaissance Man,’ he just seemed to know everything about everything. And he was one of those you admired and looked at and kind of thought, ‘Wow, I wish I could be that intellectual when it comes to knowledge and an understanding of the world around us.’” Between his sophomore and junior years at Millikin, Via enlisted in the Navy Reserves, not only to help pay his college expenses but because of what he calls “an appreciation for service.” The following year, he read an article in the Navy’s All Hands magazine that introduced him to Uniformed Services University. There he saw the “perfect spot” to pursue his postgraduation interests in science, medicine and the military. “You know, you show up to the Uniformed Services University, and your classmate to the right of you just got their master’s degree from Harvard. And you’re wondering, ‘Hmm, do I belong here or not?’ Ironically, you start doing your first
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sets of tests and getting 99’s and 100’s on the anatomy quizzes for dissections — you learn really quickly that the education at Millikin was top-notch, and that the professors did a great job.” Looking back on his career, and the path that’s taken him from Millikin transfer student to United States Navy Rear Admiral, Via has advice for the current generation of Millikin students. Part of that advice is the importance of maintaining a work-life balance, which he does with the help of his wife, Terri Freeman Via, Class of 1989. The other is to be open to the unexpected path your career may take. “There’s no one path. And I think, particularly for the driven undergraduate student, it is: ‘I am going to do X, and if I don’t get this, I’m not a success, and what am I going to do?’ [But] there is no one path to be successful in life. And the education [at Millikin] will set you up to accomplish many things. While you may or may not achieve what you thought was the intended target at the beginning, I guarantee you that life’s journey will take you a long ways.
“COVID obviously is a big impact. At 18 different locations, from the Mississippi River all the way to the Middle East in Bahrain, [we are] ensuring that clinics have the ability to do COVID testing on our sailors. … [W]ith the COVID vaccine rollout, we are vaccinating at all of those sites and many branch clinics, so you can even add to that number significantly. Basically vaccinating both sailors and Marines on the Navy side and then beneficiaries to support not only DOD [Department of Defense] but all of those that have served and worn the cloth of our nation previously — making sure they’re vaccinated and taken care of is a big portion of what we do.”
“And don’t forget, [my career path] is representative of all the people I’ve been privileged to work with, who have done so much for me throughout time. None of us get here alone.” 29
WRITTEN BY: KENDALL TRUMP, CLASS OF 2013
F ACU LT Y S PO T LIG H T
CRIMINAL JUSTICE Keyria Rodgers, Director of Criminal Justice
Millikin University professor Keyria Rodgers didn’t set out for a career in teaching and criminal justice when she began attending University of Illinois-Springfield (UIS) on a basketball scholarship in 2005. At the time she wanted to design video games and was working toward a major in graphic design, but remained unsure about pursuing visual arts. MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
Sixteen years later, Rodgers’ career in criminal justice, government and higher-education is accomplished and far-reaching. Professor Rodgers is now director of Millikin University’s Criminal Justice Department and director of the Macon County Teen Justice Program. Additionally, in December 2020, Professor Rodgers was appointed by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker to the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission where she will serve a three-year term.
Professor Rodgers’ path toward criminal justice began when she asked a gentleman about his role at UIS while picking up her niece from daycare and he replied that he was involved in criminal justice. “I inquired about switching my major and did just that,” said Rodgers. “I took my very first criminal justice class on juvenile delinquency and I was hooked.”
The first case Rodgers attended in court as a sophomore at UIS was a juvenile abuse and neglect case, and she says that witnessing the legal process firsthand changed her view of criminal justice as a whole.
“I promised myself that I would end up becoming one of the people who would speak for those who could not speak for themselves,” - Keyria Rodgers
What began as a major that piqued her interest grew quickly into a passion when Rodgers was offered the opportunity to attend court with a professor, Cheryl Sandberg, who previously was a prosecutor for the State of Illinois. Rodgers says only four students took Sandberg’s offer, but that all four who attended continue to work in the courtroom capacity today.
“It was so different from television. The way the evidence was presented, and how the state prepared their arguments CHAIR, EXCERCISE for this SCIENCE particularAND case;SPORT just seeing all of DIRECTOR, ATHLETIC that action is what TRAINING really hooked me.” Rodgers says that the courtroom experience also helped her find her purpose within her new major. She was emotionally moved by the case and the details of the crime. “I promised myself that I would end up becoming one of the people who would speak for those who could not speak for themselves,” said Rodgers. In 2012, Professor Rodgers was offered the chance to teach at Millikin by Dr. Larry Troy and Dr. Kenneth Laundra. She began teaching a juvenile delinquency class part-time while also working as a truant officer for Macon and Piatt counties. Dr. Troy passed away unexpectedly in September 2012 at 64, and Rodgers remembers the profound impact he had on her as an educator and his vision for the criminal justice program at Millikin. “He told us what his dreams were for developing a criminal justice program here at Millikin,” Rodgers recalled. “Dr. Laundra and I said that we would do what it took to see it through.”
Keeping with Dr. Troy’s legacy, Millikin introduced a criminal justice minor in 2012, and in 2015 the University began offering a criminal justice certificate. In 2017, with the assistance of the Andreas Foundation, Millikin began offering the criminal justice major, which has since grown from a small program of less than ten students to nearly 100 students enrolled in 2021. Outside of her work in government and academia, Professor Rodgers also dedicates her time to veterans, creating a system to monitor progress and survey homeless veterans, focusing on veteran needs and assistance. “The veteran population is still very near and dear to my heart,” said Rodgers. “I’m always going to try to be a blessing and play a part in that particular area.” Her volunteer work with veterans has included both veteran stand downs and professional development training to understand the reality of what military families experience while preparing for deployment. Professor Rodgers will soon be known as Dr. Rodgers on campus. She has been working toward completing her Doctorate of Public Administration at UIS and plans to graduate in May. Rodgers also received her B.A. in criminal justice (2008) and her M.A. in legal studies (2010) from UIS.
L E AR N M O R E
millikin.edu/criminaljustice
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31
A SK T H E E XPE RT S
NURSING IN A PANDEMIC
Adam Hayes Senior Nursing Major
Many have faced challenges and unique changes the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but perhaps none have seen more challenges than those in the medical field. Nurses and Millikin nursing students alike have had to adapt to the current climate and have been tested to their limits. Senior Millikin nursing student Adam Hayes noted many changes within the nursing program at Millikin. “We’ve really had to figure out a different way to study and different way to understand nursing without being in person,” Hayes said. He noted that there are unique advantages amidst the challenges of learning to be a nurse during a time where everything is online.
SUPPORT
TO SUPPORT PERFORMANCE LEARNING, VISIT
millikin.edu/millikin-fund
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
“I’ve definitely switched my attitude to this idea of continuous learning. I think it’s made [this] class of nursing students more versatile.”
Being a nursing student in the time of a global pandemic has certainly not been easy, but Hayes thinks Millikin and the nursing faculty have continued to deliver Performance Learning opportunities while following state and local guidelines. “They’ve created different outpatient opportunities,” Hayes said. “One group of students are going to an outpatient clinic and working with patients who have diabetes to see how they manage their disease, while other people are giving out vaccines during their clinical experience.”
WRITTEN BY: SYDNEY MCREYNOLDS, CLASS OF 2019
Lizzy York Lambdin Class of 2015
Lizzy York Lambdin, Class of 2015, has faced similar challenges in her position at Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants within HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur, Ill.
“Nurses are built on compassion. We are built on human touch ... Having to cover our faces, constantly wearing PPE and attempting to keep a distance does not allow compassion to come easily,” she said.
Rutherford commented that the biggest challenge has been “balancing the financial stability of the organization and [the] long-term service to the community and the needs of our colleagues.”
When one thinks of social distancing, the physical distance comes to mind first and foremost. The emotional aspect of social distancing, especially in professions like nursing, is often overlooked.
Theresa Alderman Rutherford, Class of 1990
“Nurses must be able to connect with their patients on a personal level, build good rapport with their colleagues, critically think in times of urgency and place emphasis on a multidisciplinary team approach,” Lambdin said. “Being able to offer human touch is one of the important ways to show patients that we are here both physically and emotionally.”
CEO of HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur, Ill. and 1990 Millikin graduate Theresa Rutherford has seen the challenges of COVID-19 in many aspects of the hospital setting, but has maintained that patient care is “first and foremost of [her] focus.” Rutherford can attest to the challenges throughout the hospital not only on the floor, but also from the administrative side.
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She notes that while COVID-19 is part of all hospital’s new “normal” routine, most are excited and preparing to move forward. “I’m excited for us to start growing,” she said. “The physicians in the community appreciate [that] we have all lived through COVID-19 and want to collaborate for exceptional quality, high reliability and ease of access to care for the communities we serve.” Those working in the medical field have arguably taken the brunt of the physical and emotional havoc this pandemic has wreaked on the world. The challenges faced in the medical field during times like these are immeasurable, but those on the frontlines continue to adapt to these changes daily.
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ALU MNI LE G ACY
Courtney Schudel Sophmore Art Therapy Major
In January, a video capturing various Millikin scenes and students in 1933 quickly began gaining attention on social media.
The footage, taken by then-student Fred Schudel, features what appears to be fraternity pledge activities, bits of the freshman/sophomore scrap and general campus life. It was posted by Fred’s grandson, Mike Schudel, who has been converting his grandfather’s 16 mm film.
Frederick Schudel 1933
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
Helen Ruth Chodat 1935
WRITTEN BY: ALYSE KNUST
ALU MNI LE G ACY
SCHUDEL FAMILY LEGACY
Frederick Schudel attended Millikin between 1930 and 1933, then went on to graduate from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Though not a graduate himself, he married a Millikin alumna, Helen Ruth Chodat Schudel, Class of 1936.
Fast forward 80 years, and Fred and Helen’s great-granddaughter, Courtney Schudel, is now a Millikin student. A sophomore pursuing a BFA in art therapy, Courtney is always thinking about the history and legacy she shares with the greatgrandparents she never knew. Courtney hadn’t heard of Millikin University prior to her own college search. When she first learned about the University at a college fair in St. Louis, her interest was piqued because Millikin offers a rare undergraduate art therapy major. As they approached the MU booth, Courtney’s dad, the aforementioned Mike Schudel, said,
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“We have a lot of family history at Millikin. My grandparents and several other ancestors went there.” The rest, as they say, is history. After visiting campus (her first time to Decatur), Courtney knew Millikin was the place for her. “It just felt right.” And so did pledging Pi Beta Phi sorority. Despite never before considering Greek life, Courtney decided to go through recruitment. “After the first or second night, I knew I wanted to go Pi Phi.” At the end of the week when Courtney called home to tell her family of her intentions to pledge, her father recalled that her great-grandmother had mentioned being in a sorority. When Courtney asked which one, he couldn’t remember specifics, except that she lived in “that big white house on Fairview.”
“I got immediate chills,” Courtney reminiscences. “It was one thing knowing my great-grandmother was a Pi Phi, but even better was that I chose Pi Phi, and they chose me without that knowledge. It meant the connection was more than just my legacy status.” Courtney is also paving her own way at Millikin as a member of the Honors Program, an executive board member of Alpha Lambda Delta national honors society, and a gallery watcher at Kirkland Fine Arts Center. She is also pursuing a minor in psychology.
Through it all, Courtney is constantly aware of the “spiritual connection” she has on campus. “Since watching my great-grandfather’s films, it’s hard not to think about it when I am in certain places on campus, like walking in front of Shilling, or sitting in the living room of the Pi Phi house. I always wonder, did they walk where I am walking or sit right where I am sitting now?” DO YOU HAVE A LEGACY STORY YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
Please email alumnews@millikin.edu or call Alyse Knust, senior director of alumni and donor engagement, at 217.424.3769 to let us know about how Millikin has become part of your family’s tradition.
Students who are carrying on the Millikin tradition in their family are eligible for an Alumni/Legacy Scholarship!
LEARN MORE AT millikin.edu/alumnilegacy-scholarship
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ALUMNI/LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP
We want to reward you for continuing your family’s Big Blue legacy at Millikin University! Students with a parent, grandparent or greatgrandparent who attended Millikin are eligible to apply for our Alumni/Legacy Scholarship. This $1,000 annual scholarship is renewable for four years, and scholarship recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress to remain eligible e ach year.
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
SUBMIT YOUR MILLIKIN APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION. In order to be considered, you must first apply and be admitted to Millikin. Submit the free admission application at
millikin.edu/apply
WRITTEN BY: ALYSE KNUST
Regional Alumni Clubs In 1919, Millikin area alumni groups began to take hold. Just 18 years after the University’s founding, and six after the Alumni Association itself was established, Chicago and New York became the first active regional alumni clubs. The area organizations were closely connected to the Alumni Association and comprised of alumni luncheons, dances and even produced alumni publications tailored to each city. Popularity and organization of these regional clubs has ebbed and flowed over subsequent years. However, with a renewed sense of purpose when the pandemic paused many in-person alumni activities, the 2020-2021 Alumni Association has diligently worked to officially re-establish these important area alumni resources.
Support MU in a way that works for you.
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As of spring 2021, newly chartered Alumni Clubs exist in Chicago, Indianapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, Bloomington-Normal and Decatur. In December, these regional clubs hosted virtual Cookie Parties via Zoom to kick off their charters and commemorate the famous on-campus Cookie Party tradition. Each region’s unique event was hosted by the area’s volunteer alumni co-chairs, featured games/trivia, raffle prizes and were attended by special guests, President Jim Reynolds and his wife, Sue. When the Reynoldses hit the road this coming fall on a presidential tour to meet alumni and friends of Millikin all over the country, these active alumni cities will be first on their list. Additional plans are underway for Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York group launches by the end of summer 2021.
Alumni Clubs offer a great support system for everyone, from recent graduates acclimating as new professionals, all the way to retirees reconnecting to the alma mater they love. Alumni Clubs host social and networking events maintained and supported by regional alumni leaders with basic support from both the Alumni Association and the Alumni and Development Office.
L E AR N M O R E
DON’T SEE A REGIONAL ALUMNI CLUB NEAR YOU? CONTACT US AT:
alumnews@millikin.edu WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR ALUMNI WHO WANT TO CHARTER A NEW CLUB!
Choosing the right method to make a charitable gift to Millikin depends on your personal circumstances and intended impact. While all gifts help fulfill the University’s mission, different gift assets or structures may also help you fulfill your own financial and philanthropic goals.
GIFTS MU CAN PUT TO WORK TODAY
GIFTS ARRANGED NOW, FULFILLED LATER
GIFTS THAT EARN INCOME FOR THE DONOR
» CASH & CREDIT CARDS
» BEQUESTS
» CHARITABLE GIFT
» STOCKS, MUTUAL
» RETIREMENT PLAN
FUNDS OR OTHER SECURITIES
» IRA ROLLOVER
OR LIFE INSURANCE BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION
For more information, or to discuss your philanthropic goals, visit millikin.edu/give or contact the Office of Alumni and Development at 217.424.6383. Our staff can provide confidential service to you, without obligation. Let us help you plan your Big Blue legacy today. S PRIN G 2021
ANNUITY
» CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST
millikin.edu/give 37
CLAS S NO T E S
1990
1970
Gregory Sanders, Class of 1975,
of Venice, Fla., retired after 21 years working for the National Institute of Standards and Technology as a computer scientist. Dr. Sanders’ work focused on metrics and techniques to evaluate machine translation systems, as well as the evaluation of computer systems in automatically identifying and recounting events in video recordings. This work was awarded Department of Commerce Silver and Bronze Medals. During this time, Dr. Sanders also served as author or co-author of more than 20 scientific publications.
Kemi Curry Price, Class of 1978,
of Phelan, Calif., is applying her nine-year passion for genetic genealogy to solving crimes. In the state of New Mexico, she helped solve the first cold case using genetic genealogy and has assisted in two cold cases with the Bernalillo County Second Judicial District. Dr. Price is a site medical director for AltaMed Health Services in Pico Rivera, Calif.
Leann Williamson, Class of 1985, of Lawrenceville, Ill., marked her 28th year of teaching in 2020, all with Community Unit School District #20 in Lawrenceville. She was also accepted into the Daughters of the American Revolution. She is a member of the Alliance Chapter NSDAR in Champaign, Ill., as well as an associate member of the Francis Vigo Chapter NSDAR in Vincennes, Ind. Patrick Leitgeb, Class of 1986,
Julie Allison, Class of 1991, of
David Phipps, Class of 1987, of
Jack Pugh, Class of 1991, of
Mattoon, Ill., is the owner of Phipps Wealth Management LLC in Mattoon.
Class of 1980, of Roxana, Ill., retired.
Carrie Hug, Class of 1984, of
Alexandria, Va., works for the federal government in Washington, D.C.
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
1990, of Springfield, Ill., is legal counsel for Teamsters Local Union No. 916 in Springfield.
Chicago, published the article “Financial Lessons for Small Businesses — Taught by a Pandemic” in Brainz Magazine. The article includes stories from her time at Millikin, including memories of Dr. David Marshall’s accounting classes. She is the founder of Watch Her Grow, a company providing expert financial services to women-owned businesses.
Patricia Folkerts Paustian,
of Springfield, Ill., is director of special education and central region network capacity coach for school improvement for the Illinois MTSS Network in Sterling, Ill.
Robert Scherschligt, Class of
of Baldwinsville, N.Y., retired as audit partner after more than 33 years with KPMG. He plans to use retirement to reconnect with friends and colleagues, dote over his 6 1/2 year old daughter and visit his adult children who work in the nursing profession in Chicago and Raleigh, N.C.
1980
Cynthia Knight, Class of 1985,
Christopher Bullock, Class of 1990, of Mt. Zion, Ill., is vice president/ general manager of Capitol Radio Group in Springfield, Ill. He oversees the operation of seven radio stations.
Warrensburg, Ill., is EMS clinical coordinator at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur. Jack oversees more than 600 EMS providers, staffing 31 first response and ambulance transport agencies. He holds certifications as a trauma nurse specialist, emergency communications registered nurse and emergency medical technicianparamedic and lead instructor.
Amy Neuendorf Besser, Class Joseph Guin, Class of 1988, of Hawthorn Woods, Ill., rebranded his firm, Guin Financial, as Compass Financial Partners to coincide with his 30th year in business.
of 1994, of Decatur, was promoted to chief financial officer of Decatur Foundry in July 2020. Decatur Foundry is a gray and ductile iron foundry with more than 100 employees.
Alisha Doeden Betka, Class of
1998, of Champaign, Ill., was named the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s 2021 Nurse Educator Fellow. The fellowship awards well-qualified faculty at institutions of higher learning in recognition of outstanding commitment to nursing education, scholarship and the profession. Betka received a doctorate of nursing practice degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2019. She is a visiting clinical instructor in the College of Nursing on the Urbana-Champaign campus of the University of Illinois.
CLAS S NO T E S
2000
Blaine Long, Class of 2002, of Mount
Pleasant, Mich., is the representative chair of the School of Rehabilitation and Medical Sciences and director of the Athletic Training Program at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant. He oversees programs including the Undergraduate and Graduate Physician Assistant Program, Nutrition and Dietetic Sciences Program and the RN-to-BSN Program.
Ryan Preci, Class of 2007, of Evansville,
Ind., married Corey Pressler on Dec. 4, 2020. Corey is a civil engineer for the Indiana Department of Transportation. Ryan is a high school counselor and district high school counselor specialist for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation and Harrison High School.
Kelsy Whitney, Class of 2013, of
Feeding Hills, Mass., is manager of quality and operational excellence at Eastman Chemical Company in Springfield, Mass. She is responsible for maintaining the quality management system for a cGMP, ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949:2016 manufacturing site.
Bailey Russell Wood, Class of 2013, of Sycamore, Ill., married Jason Wood on Nov. 6, 2020. Bailey is a catheterization lab nurse at Northwestern MedicineKishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb, Ill. She was named the Outpatient Nurse of the Year for 2019. 2010
Jacqui Rogers, Class of 2010, of
Lexington Park, Md., was elected president of the Maryland College Personnel Association.
Meg Schleppenbach Bates, Class of 2003, of Oak Park, Ill., was appointed the inaugural director of the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative at the University of Illinois’ Discovery Partners Institute in Chicago. The collaborative is a new statewide initiative to study and solve issues in the cradle-to-career, education-toworkforce pipeline.
Tara Witt, Class of 2004, of Austin,
Texas, is a post-conviction attorney for the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs (OCFW) in Austin. The OCFW works on behalf of clients sentenced to death in the state of Texas.
Courtney Brombosz, Class of 2011, of New Haven, Conn., is research and education librarian at Yale University’s Cushing/Whitney Medical Library. She supports undergraduate medical students through instruction, outreach and collaboration, with an emphasis on supporting first-generation students, lifting up voices that have been silenced and combatting racism in health care. Joseph Flamm, Class of 2013, of
Cobden, Ill., married Alison Hardison on Jan. 30, 2021. The couple welcomed their daughter, Liliana “Lily” Kay Flamm, on June 23, 2020.
Jenna Eaker, Class of 2017, of
Bloomingdale, Ill., is an account manager at Paylocity in Schaumburg, Ill.
Rebecca Fonseca White, Class
of 2017, of Terre Haute, Ind., married Aaron White on May 28, 2020. Aaron is an instructional designer at Indiana State University. Rebecca is an elementary music teacher at Carolyn Wenz Elementary School in Paris, Ill. Rebecca and Aaron are pictured with daughter Harper White.
CLASS NOTES SUBMITTED OCT. 1, 2020-FEB. 28, 2021
SHARE YOUR NEWS ONLINE AT millikin.edu/alumni S PRIN G 2021
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ME MO RIALS
T RUST EE EMERI T US MEMORIALS Tom R. Dickes
of Marathon, Fla., Nov. 11, 2020. Tom served for nearly two decades on Millikin’s Board of Trustees.
FAC U LT Y & S TA F F MEMORIALS James F. Kettelkamp
Class of 1959, of Taylorville, Ill., Feb. 2, 2021. In addition to being an alumnus, James served at Millikin University for 30 years as an admissions counselor, director of admissions and dean of admissions.
SUPPORT
MEMORIAL GIFTS CAN BE MADE IN HONOR OF LOVED ONES AT:
millikin.edu/memorialgift
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
Belinda Jo “Lindy” Droll
Class of 1974, of Decatur, Oct. 19, 2020. Belinda taught in the English department from 1979 to 1984 and from 1988 to1998. She also served as director of the Writing Center while she was at Millikin.
Marilyn Yokel
of Normal, Ill., Dec. 13, 2020. Marilyn taught in the School of Education as an adjunct faculty and lecturer from 2003 to 2018.
AL U MNI ME MO RIALS
ALUMNI MEMORIALS John F. Regan Jr., Class of 1933, of Decatur, Dec. 31, 2020. Anne Harp Peabody, Class of 1941, of Falls Church, Va., Oct. 27, 2020. Ralph E. Wyne, Class of 1943, of Peoria, Ill., Feb. 17, 2019. Edith Ridgley Kiser, Class of 1945, of White House, Tenn., Oct. 31, 2020. Emily Greenberg Engelhardt, Class of 1946, of Decatur, Feb. 12, 2021. The family suggests memorial gifts be made to the Kirkland Fine Arts Center at Millikin University, in care of the Alumni & Development Office, 1184 W. Main Street, Decatur, IL 62522. Richard Lichtenberger, Class of 1946, of Ocala, Fla., April 18, 2020. Phyllis Bowen Stiehl, Class of 1946, of Urbana, Ill., Nov. 12, 2020. Grant Wilcox Bramel, Class of 1947, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jan. 15, 2019. Howard Dan Cordtz, Class of 1947, of Santa Fe, N.M., May 4, 2019. Lois Sager Kuehn, Class of 1947, of Longmont, Colo., April 22, 2020.
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B. Richard “Dick” Templeton, Class of 1950, of Coraopolis, Pa., Sept. 2, 2019.
Dorothy Eickhoff Brooker, Class of 1953, of Mt. Pulaski, Ill., Feb. 5, 2021. Robert Lee “Bob” Broverman, Class of 1953, of Shelbyville, Ill., Oct. 7, 2020.
Betty Ann Belshaw Weiss, Class of 1948, of Signal Mountain, Tenn., Nov. 9, 2020.
Edward Mattes Woare, Class of 1950, of Decatur, Dec. 13, 2020. The family suggests memorial gifts be made to Millikin University, Edward M. Woare Scholarship, Alumni & Development Office, 1184 W. Main Street, Decatur, IL 62522.
Mary Louise “Weezie” Irish Wilcox, Class of 1948, of Decatur, Dec. 24, 2020.
James Oscar Dryden, Class of 1951, of Soldotna, Alaska, Jan. 17, 2021.
Robert Clark Culp, Class of 1949, of Bellevue, Wash., Feb. 6, 2020.
William Alfred Hayes, Class of 1951, of Monticello, Ill., Jan. 14, 2021.
Juanita Peifer Pensinger, Class of 1949, of Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 11, 2020.
James Lewis “Jim” Monahan, Class of 1951, of Fort Myers, Fla., Oct. 26, 2020.
Lois “Cindy” Jackson Pfile, Class of 1949, of Houston, Texas, Dec. 3, 2020.
Glenn H. Ross, Class of 1951, of Rockford, Ill., March 3, 2019.
Harriet Pope Burgett, Class of 1950, of Latham, Ill., Oct. 11, 2020.
Rita Frey Sullivan, Class of 1951, of Springfield, Ill., Nov. 26, 2020.
Barbara Weeks Traub, Class of 1953, of Bloomington, Ill., Nov. 29, 2020.
George Franklin Kuhns, Class of 1950, of Decatur, Sept. 18, 2020.
Mary Ann Gibbs Hamilton, Class of 1952, of West Chester, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2020.
Jerome C. “Jerry” Imming, Class of 1954, of St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 8, 2021.
Arthur “Art” Monroe, Class of 1950, of Amarillo, Texas, Nov. 2, 2020.
Richard Edmund Hellmann, Class of 1952, of Alpharetta, Ga., Dec. 30, 2020.
Bob Sefton, Class of 1954, of Evanston, Ill., Feb. 3, 2021.
Donald Keefer Slocum, Class of 1950, of Broomfield, Colo., Nov. 9, 2020.
Eleanor Siewert Ramsey, Class of 1952, of Jenera, Ohio, Nov. 13, 2020.
Lois “LoLo” Traeger Thompson, Class of 1954, of Sandpoint, Idaho, Feb. 8, 2020.
Joan Uhl Stauder, Class of 1950, of Willowbrook, Ill., Nov. 10, 2019.
Allen “Lee” Slater, Class of 1952, of Windsor, Ill., Jan. 3, 2021.
Evalyn Campbell Baldwin, Class of 1955, of Edmond, Okla., Jan. 31, 2021.
Joyce Martin Moore, Class of 1947, of Decatur, Dec. 28, 2020. The family suggests memorial gifts be made to Millikin University, Alumni & Development Office, 1184 W. Main Street, Decatur, IL 62522.
Howard Martin Brown, Class of 1953, of Decatur, Jan. 21, 2021. Barbara Jean Corzine Humphrey, Class of 1953, of Taylorville, Ill., March 12, 2020. Donald Lewis Myers, Class of 1953, of East Alton, Ill., Jan. 1, 2021. Phyllis Nelson Schmidt, Class of 1953, of Normal, Ill., Nov. 19, 2020. Chester Canfield Strohecker Jr., Class of 1953, of Arthur, Ill., Sept. 22, 2019.
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AL U MNI ME MO RIALS
Marilyn Cole Butler, Class of 1955, of Green Valley, Ariz., Sept. 12, 2020.
Marshall B. Sutton, Class of 1957, of Palatine, Ill., Sept. 10, 2019.
John P. “Jack” Dougherty, Class of 1960, of Decatur, Nov. 26, 2020.
K. Dean Hudson, Class of 1965, of Morton, Ill., Dec. 22, 2020.
Marlene Price Lattner, Class of 1955, of Arlington Heights, Ill., Dec. 15, 2020.
Joseph Eugene “Gene” Wolanin, Class of 1957, of the Village of Belvedere, The Villages, Fla., Dec. 3, 2020.
Robert Hackl, Class of 1960, of Savoy, Ill., Nov. 13, 2020.
Sharon Rothe Knepper, Class of 1965, of Jerseyville, Ill., Aug. 9, 2020.
Benjamin William Reed Jr., Class of 1955, of The Villages, Fla., Jan. 4, 2020.
Patrick Ryan III, Class of 1955, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Oct. 16, 2020. Ann Alliene Hoogestraat West, Class of 1955, of Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 7, 2020. William M. “Bill” Bailey, Class of 1957, of Cedarburg, Wis., Feb. 14, 2021. Judy Beaman, Class of 1957, of Clinton, Ill., Nov. 16, 2020. John William Dieterich, Class of 1957, of Santa Fe, N.M., Dec. 21, 2019. Leo H. Higar Jr., Class of 1957, of Decatur, May 18, 2019. Jay B. Middleton, Class of 1957, of Ballwin, Mo., Jan. 28, 2020. Donald John Morris, Class of 1957, of Buffalo, Ill., Sept. 1, 2020. Jack M. Standerfer, Class of 1957, of Mahomet, Ill., Dec. 25, 2019.
MIL LIKIN MAGA ZIN E
Doris Hogg Crothers, Class of 1958, of Norridge, Ill., Jan. 14, 2021. David M. Diehl, Class of 1958, of Decatur, Dec. 16, 2020. Susan Goerisch Groszmann, Class of 1958, of Forest Grove, Ore., Nov. 6, 2020. Robert Dean Hill, Class of 1958, of Belleville, Ill., Oct. 29, 2020. Larry D. Mabry, Class of 1958, of Vandalia, Ill., June 10, 2020. Rodney Borcherding, Class of 1959, of Decatur, March 2, 2020. Donald Dean Cushing, Class of 1959, of Pleasant Ridge, Mich., Jan. 8, 2021. Earl Olan Hamilton, Class of 1959, of Urbana, Ill., Oct. 30, 2020. Robert R. “Coach” Miller, Class of 1959, of Mattoon, Ill., Jan. 26, 2021. Beverly Delucas Plourd, Class of 1959, of Copperas Cove, Texas, Oct. 13, 2019. Donald Gene Cosgrove, Class of 1960, of Fort Worth, Texas, Oct. 5, 2019.
Dale E. Brown, Class of 1961, of Decatur, Nov. 24, 2020. Sheri Denman Chancey, Class of 1961, of Jacksonville, Texas, Oct. 13, 2020.
Edward Laurence “Larry” Thomas, Class of 1965, of St. Louis, Mo., Sep. 5, 2020. Larry W. Foltz, Class of 1966, of Prentice, Wis., Jan. 17, 2021.
Robert Edward “Bob” Collier, Class of 1961, of Rittman, Ohio, Nov. 4, 2020.
Robert L. “Bob” Weihl, Class of 1966, of St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 30, 2020.
James A. Dellert, Class of 1962, of Decatur, Oct. 15, 2020.
Charles E. Hicks, Class of 1967, of Effingham, Ill., Dec. 5, 2020.
Ken Selby, Class of 1962, of Decatur, Nov. 20, 2020.
Phyllis Woosley Justice, Class of 1967, of Lovington, Ill., Dec. 4, 2020.
Charles W. “Chuck” Stevens, Class of 1962, of Fountain Hills, Ariz., Oct. 1, 2020. Robert E. Weber Jr., Class of 1962, of Lawrenceburg, Ind., Dec. 13, 2020.
Claus Lowell Tanner, Class of 1967, of Mount Pulaski, Ill., Sept. 9, 2019. Randy Burnell Buse, Class of 1968, of Lincoln, Ill., Jan. 7, 2020.
Larry E. Hoffman, Class of 1963, of Centralia, Ill., Oct. 9, 2020.
Robert Allan Schwob, Class of 1968, of Lake Mary, Fla., Aug. 28, 2019.
Virginia Williamson Bauer, Class of 1964, of Decatur, Oct. 16, 2020.
Robert A. Spaulding, Class of 1968, of Bloomington, Ill., March 3, 2020.
John H. Sutton, Class of 1964, of Lincoln, Ill., Feb. 12, 2021.
Daniel J. Hritsuk, Class of 1969, of West Chicago, Ill., May 24, 2019.
James Allan Bohnsack, Class of 1965, of Plano, Texas, Sept. 13, 2020.
Ellen M. Matson Nowickas, Class of 1969, of Prospect Heights, Ill., Oct. 3, 2020.
AL U MNI ME MO RIALS
Phyllis Westphal Pence, Class of 1969, of Springfield, Ill., Oct. 11, 2020.
James F. Schell, Class of 1976, of Decatur, Dec. 11, 2020.
Brian Young, Class of 1969, of Mason City, Ill., June 20, 2020.
John Michael Betscher, Class of 1979, of Decatur, Nov. 14, 2020.
Neal Stanley Frederiksen, Class of 1970, of Kirkwood, Mo., Jan. 15, 2021. The family suggests memorial gifts be made to Millikin University, Alumni & Development Office, 1184 W. Main Street, Decatur, IL 62522.
Doug Wellenreiter, Class of 1979, of Goshen, Ind., Nov. 17, 2020.
Helen Billick Henderson, Class of 1970, of Niles, Mich., Oct. 30, 2020. Daniel A. Cahill Jr., Class of 1973, of Decatur, Oct. 17, 2020. Terry Max Jayroe, Class of 1973, of Decatur, Oct. 24, 2020. Sandra Duncan Laffey, Class of 1973, of Clinton, Ill., Feb. 21, 2020. Marcia Spinner Mendenhall, Class of 1973, of Manhattan, Ill., Nov. 8, 2020. Wayne LeRoy Peterson Sr., Class of 1974, of Houston, Texas, Jan. 5, 2020. Nellie Snyder Templin, Class of 1974, of Colorado Springs, Colo., Jan. 6, 2021.
Kathleen “Kathy” Biever Michals, Class of 1982, of Austin, Texas, Nov. 29, 2020. Steven M. Oliver, Class of 1983, of Fort Myers, Fla., Dec. 15, 2020. Lee Ann Winkleblack Beane, Class of 1986, of Forsyth, Ill., Nov. 23, 2020.
Brian D. Foster, Class of 1996, of West Columbia, S.C., March 4, 2020. Nathan Robert “Nate” Jarosy, Class of 1996, of Villa Park, Ill., Dec. 24, 2020. Jeseca L. Estell, Class of 2002, of Bloomington, Ill., on Nov. 28, 2020. Michelle R. Hanson, Class of 2002, of Bloomington, Ill., Dec. 3, 2020. Paulette Nash Harvey, Class of 2004, of Rochelle, Ill., Feb. 17, 2021.
D’Arline Fabian, Class of 1986, of Huntersville, N.C., Nov. 21, 2019. Terry Lee Callahan, Class of 1987, of Fowler, Ill., Jan. 7, 2020. Keith Allen Michaels, Class of 1988, of Edwardsville, Ill., Dec. 22, 2020. Diana Lucille Sills, Class of 1989, of Lake Forest, Ill., March 1, 2019. Linda Parker Taylor, Class of 1989, of Bethany, Ill., Aug. 14, 2020.
MEMORIALS SUBMITTED OCT. 1, 2020-FEB. 28, 2021 Share your news online at millikin.edu/alumni
S PRIN G 2021
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