Monmouth College Magazine Winter 2013

2011-2012 Honor Roll of Contributors Edition

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

V O L U M E 28 | N um b e r 1 | w inte r 2013

We’re all Scots!

Monmouth’s growing international family s t o r y o n pa g e 1 6

letters

I wanted to let you know that I very much I enjoyed the winter magazine focus on science and business. As a chemistry major, it never occurred to me to take a business class because my dream was to be a scientist. Now, as a research chemist for Stepan Company, I am a member of the business team for the largest segment of the polymers business as an R&D representative. I regularly give project updates to directors, VPs and, occasionally, the CEO himself, so I have learned firsthand that knowing the language of business is just as important as the language of research. I am very excited about the new building and am proud of the progress Monmouth continues to make to best prepare students for the world ahead.

Sarah Crummy Wolek ’01 Arlington Heights, Ill. I just wanted to say how much we are both enjoying

the issue of Monmouth that came this week. We are both pleased with the way the article I wrote turned out. I think the use of the chemical element symbols in the titles of each article was especially clever. There is an interesting coincidence in this issue. Paul White ’61, who is featured on page 24, was my big brother in Sig Ep when I was a pledge in 1958. I plan to get in touch with him.

Thomas S. Davis ’62 Moreland Hills, Ohio I want to congratulate you on the Winter 2012 issue of the magazine. It is truly interesting and informative, and it represents the college in the best way possible by showcasing some of its outstanding graduates. In addition, it tells of Monmouth’s plan for the future and what it hopes to achieve, as well as information about the various classes of years gone by. In the past I have enjoyed the University of Wisconsin’s magazine, and found it very professional and interesting.

Now I think you have surpassed their efforts.

Ruth Kinney ’46 Monmouth, Ill. I received the latest Monmouth College Magazine and have enjoyed reading this edition. It is beautifully done! I enjoyed especially the article about David Byrnes and remember his decision to become involved with automatic payments for college tuition. A big step!

I do, however, have a correction. In the article about David Allison, it is not mentioned that Bow (Milton Bowman) was a member of the biology department when Dave came. Bow joined the staff in the fall of 1959 and was teaching with John Ketterer and Bob Buchholz when Dave joined the staff and it became a four-member department. Those were the days! Lots of majors and lots of good fun in the department.

Carol Macari Bowman ’60 Little York, Ill.

Right: Monmouth students had an international experience within an international experience, visiting this fountain in the Little India section of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during their trip to Southeast Asia (see page 23). P h o t o b y J A M E S GO D D E

campus news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 people. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 clan notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 honor roll of contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

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The cupola and the crest Redesigned Monmouth College logo (also shown above) symbolizes MC’s growth and its progressive spirit

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Quite a guest list Visitors to Robin Johnson’s class have included Sen. Dick Durbin (D.-Ill.) and Iowa governor Terry Branstad

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What will life be like in 2100?

Science faculty comment on predictions for future, including much longer life spans and a space elevator

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‘I will truly miss college’ Moving on from deep connections makes Samantha Jagust ’12 one of many grads with bittersweet emotions

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Hail to the Chief Former Fighting Scots quarterback Alex Tanney’s path to the National Football League has led to Kansas City

on the cover: The international character of the MC community is celebrated each fall with a festival of food, informational booths and entertainment.

Front row: Hirami Wendy Hiraizumi (Japan), Momin Saeed (Pakistan) and Pritesh Chalise ’16 (Nepal). Wearing the green shirt is Meabh Bannon (Ireland). middle row: Ruby Pentsil-Bukari, director of intercultural life (Ghana), Lacie Henderson ’14, international orientation leader (United States), Frida Holm (Sweden), Mohsin Masood, associate dean of students (Pakistan) and Marjorie Blackwell, former faculty member (U.S.).

Back row: Aung Tun ’16 (Myanmar) Yann Larriau-Labree (France), Zephan Knichel ’14 (Canada) and Farhat Haq, professor of political science (Pakistan). Story on page 16. P h o t o b y g e o r g e h ar t ma n n

monmouth | winter 2013

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Monmouth College Magazine

message from the president

Volume 28 | Number 1 | Winter 2013 Editorial Board Molly A. Ball Vice President for Development and College Relations Timothy Keefauver ’80 Vice President for Strategic Planning

A best-laid plan that doesn’t go astray In the last issue of this magazine, we introduced a dynamic new set of guiding principles for Monmouth College titled “Fulfilling the Promise.” The four principles—active learning, citizenship and service, complex problem solving and discerning a purpose in life—serve as a key part of our overall strategic plan by providing a framework for all of our decision making, from curricular offerings to student support systems to campus planning.

Jeffrey D. Rankin Director of College Communications Barry J. McNamara Associate Director of College Communications Lucy Kellogg Thompson ’99 Director of Alumni Engagement Monmouth College Magazine is published by the Office of

Development and College Relations for alumni and friends of Monmouth College. All opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial staff or the college.

We welcome letters about the college or the magazine.

Letters will be printed on a space-available basis and may be edited for length, style and clarity. Send letters, queries or submissions to: Monmouth College Magazine, 700 East Broadway, Monmouth IL 61462-1998, or email jeffr@monmouthcollege.edu. editor Jeffrey D. Rankin Associate Editor Barry J. McNamara COPY Editor Brenda Tooley ART DIRECTOR Nancy Loch Board of trustees Executive Committee William Goldsborough ’65, Charman William Trubeck ’68, Vice Chairman Gerald Marxman ’56, Treasurer Robert Ardell ’67 David Bowers ’60 (Emeritus) Peter Bunce (Emeritus) Karen Barrett Chism ’65 Nancy Speer Engquist ’74 Mark Kopinski ’79 Safford Peacock (Emeritus) Stanley Pepper ’76 Roger Rasmusen ’56 (Emeritus) Jack Schultz Nancy Snowden Mark Taylor ’78 Ralph Velazquez ’79 Richard Yahnke ’66 alumni board Executive Committee Kevin Kaihara ’77, President Jeff Miller ’84, Vice President Jessica Butcher ’94, Secretary contact us Magazine Editor 309-457-2314 jeffr@monmouthcollege.edu eNewsletter Editor 309-457-21 mcnamara@monmouthcollege.edu www.monmouthcollege.edu/alumni/pipeline Alumni Programs 309-457-2316 alumni@monmouthcollege.edu

The principles are intended to serve as a touchstone or guide for us to consult periodically to ensure we are on course.

I like to call them our “North Star.”

While much thought and discussion went into narrowing down dozens of potential principles into just four guiding ones, in the end our faculty, administration and trustees all agreed that the distillation we finally achieved was the right one.

In order to be embraced and consulted regularly, the guiding principles had to be relevant to the intensely personal style of education we provide at Monmouth. Only time would tell whether the strategies we proposed would promote desired outcomes.

Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long for an answer. It came in the form of another written document—this one a standardized satisfaction survey prepared by ACT, which we conduct with our students every two years. The survey allows us to append 30 additional questions particular to our institution. In reviewing the results of this year’s survey, it occurred to me that 13 of the questions, devised by our Assessment Committee to measure how well we address our purposes, were directly related to the four strategies contained in our strategic plan. Even more significant, the responses to those questions strongly affirmed that we are indeed on track with the outcomes called for in the plan.

The survey asks students if they strongly agree/agree, are neutral, or disagree/strongly disagree with a series of statements. Of the seven surveys conducted since we began polling our students in 2000, this year’s series of 13 questions related to the strategic plan all received the highest percentage of “strongly agree/agree” since the survey began.

For example, a question about active learning garnered a 69.1 percent positive rating, compared to 60.7 percent in 2000. Student satisfaction with being prepared for lives of citizenship and service weighed in at 70.4 percent, compared to 59.7 percent in 2000. Helping students develop critical thinking skills saw a jump from 57.3 percent in 2000 to 74.9 percent in 2012. A statement regarding MC’s ability to help students explore their spirituality and purpose in life saw a full 27 percent increase since 2000 in the number of students who agree/strongly agree.

One might argue that these positive ratings aren’t strong enough. Shouldn’t they be 90 percent or higher? Absolutely! But the point is, student satisfaction in all these key categories continues to grow steadily and we will not rest until the 30 percent or more who are currently neutral about the question become strongly satisfied.

In the liberal arts, we are used to discussing theoretical concepts. From my previous career in analytical chemistry, however, I also retain a passion for using data to test theories whenever possible. I’m happy to report that these numbers, obtained through a respected surveying organization over a 10-year period, offer solid evidence that the strategies we have adopted to help our students discover the joy of lifelong learning and a strong purpose in life were chosen wisely.

Athletics 309-457-2322 dnolan@monmouthcollege.edu Admissions 309-457-2322 admissions@monmouthcollege.edu Give to Monmouth College 309-457-2323 www.monmouthcollege.edu/give

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Mauri A. Ditzler President

monmouth | winter 2013

Goldsborough named chair of MC board of trustees

william goldsborough ’65 chairman, Monmouth college board of trustees

William Goldsborough ’65 has been elected chairman of the Monmouth College Board of Trustees.

A retired securities analyst and portfolio manager who also taught economics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Goldsborough has served as an MC trustee since 1985 and on the executive committee since 1995. For the past 22 years, he has chaired the board’s finance and business affairs committee.

Currently a private investor, Goldsborough worked for Lincoln Capital Management from 1977 to 2001, retiring as vice president. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago.

“In addition to the wise financial counsel Bill has provided to the board for more than a quarter of a century, he and his wife, Beverly, have been

quietly making a difference in the growth of the college through a remarkable series of behind-thescenes gifts supporting academics, residential life, the fine arts, financial aid and student recruitment,” President Mauri Ditzler said.

Goldsborough succeeds outgoing chairman of the board David Byrnes ’72, who has served in that position since 2008.

“Under David Byrnes’s leadership, Monmouth made great strides in elevating its academic program and fiscal strength by developing a progressive vision statement, as well as forward-thinking strategic and business plans to guide the college for now and the future,” said Ditzler. “We look for this momentum to continue with Bill at the helm.

His academic and business expertise is matched only by his devotion to his alma mater.”

Admissions is first assignment for retired HP marketing exec Tim Keefauver ’80 Tim Keefauver , a 1980 graduate of Monmouth College and a recent member of its board of trustees, is the new vice president for strategic planning at his alma mater.

“Tim’s specific duties will evolve, based on current needs, but his initial assignment will be to oversee admissions this year and bring in a class that is strong in both quality and quantity,” said President Mauri Ditzler. “During his professional career, Tim was an expert in the areas of marketing and information technology. We look for him to apply those skills to Monmouth, as well as the skills he acquired while serving on the admissions committee on our board of trustees.”

During that stint on MC’s board, which began in 2009, Keefauver said he became increasingly aware of the importance of integrated learning in life, fueling a strong interest in returning to Monmouth to devote more time to making a difference for the college. He retired from his executive position at Hewlett-Packard and stepped down from his position on MC’s board so he could begin tackling goals such as helping to grow the college’s enrollment and articulate the value of a Monmouth ed-

monmouth | winter 2013

ucation. Along the way, he wants to help preserve college’s character, which he described as “amiable, human and grateful to its creator.”

“Monmouth helped the students of my generation find themselves,” said Keefauver. “It raised our standards and opened up new dimensions of thought and possibilities. Ultimately, those are the things that make life more meaningful.”

Keefauver had what some would call the quintessential college experience, studying economics but also taking the time to be involved in organizations that taught him about leadership and helped him grow spiritually.

After graduating from MC, Keefauver earned an MBA in business policy from the University of Chicago. Prior to joining Hewlett-Packard, Keefauver was vice president of technical services for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

When he started his trustee position in 2009, Keefauver said, “The school is notably improved from when I was a student. My hope is that the trajectory of that improvement continues.”

In his new role, Keefauver will have an influence on that trajectory on a daily basis.

Reporting directly to Keefauver is another new staff member, Philip Betz, who became Monmouth’s first director of admissions in the office of enrollment management in July.

For the past seven years, Betz has worked at his alma mater, Pacific Lutheran University, serving most recently as associate director of admission. He was part of a team that recruited three of the four largest classes in Philip Betz PLU’s history.

“The addition of Phil to our enrollment management team continues our emphasis on hiring individuals from strong institutions and from programs that have been successful,” said Ditzler.

In his new role, Betz will be charged with motivating and coaching Monmouth’s staff to help the college reach its enrollment goals. Three new admission representatives were announced shortly after Betz joined the staff. Gavin Halpin ’12 and Gabi Schaerli ’12 are new to the office, while Kara Cozadd is switching from office coordinator to admissions counselor. campus news

tim keefauver ’80 Vice President for strategic planning

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The college’s iconic cupola gets fresh look in logo update

Monmouth

Monmouth College begins its 160th year with a new ™

What college was meant to be.

academic calendar, a newly adopted strategic plan and a new $40 million academic building nearing completion. So what else is new?

How about a new institutional logo?

The college recently unveiled a new mark, featuring a simplified version of the iconic Wallace Hall cupola inside a shield emblem and in the college’s colors, red and white.

“The new design has actually been under development for more than three years,” explained Molly Ball, vice president for development and college relations. “When we began a redesign of admissions publications in 2009, art director Nancy Loch thought that our existing logo looked dated and didn’t reproduce well in small sizes.”

Loch, under the direction of former vice president Don Capener and director of college communications Jeff Rankin, introduced a transitional logotype specifically for those publications, which consisted simply of the word ‘Monmouth’ in the Garamond typeface and the tagline, ‘What college was meant to be.’

“This version was a bit of a trial balloon, but the campus quickly adopted it and began using it on publications, T-shirts and marketing materials,” said Ball. “Meanwhile, we continued to work on a distinctive mark to complement it. Nancy and Jeff came up with several ideas using the shield motif but not necessarily the cupola. When we presented these designs to focus groups of alumni and students, there was a large segment that expressed a strong desire to keep the Wallace Hall tower. So, Nancy and Jeff went back to the drawing board and created a crest that contains a sleeker version of the cupola.”

The new mark or “crest” includes two arched openings under the tower, which in a subtle way suggest the letter “M” for “Monmouth,” she added.

Concurrent with the new logo, the college is rolling out several forwardlooking initiatives, through a new strategic plan, which includes a campus master plan and a first-ever business plan.

“As we enter a new and exciting academic era at Monmouth, it seems fitting that we have a bright, new symbol to reflect our progress and vision,” Ball noted.

After recently receiving final approval from the president’s cabinet and members of the trustees’ executive board, the new logo has begun making an appearance on the web and in print materials, and is adorning new banners that line the front of campus along Broadway.

ABOVE: The new logo emerged through a process involving the examination of MC’s two earlier logos and numerous sketches by the designer.

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campus news

monmouth | winter 2013

Innovative building receiving national attention “Don’t go with passing ideas. Focus instead on what’s not going to change—the mission and vision of the college.” — Mauri Ditzler, President President Mauri Ditzler was a featured speaker at the 24th annual College and University Science and Engineering Facilities Planning Conference in San Diego, Calif., in October.

Ditzler’s remarks kicked off the event, as Monmouth’s $40 million Center for Science and Business addressed one of the conference’s five “big ideas”—the integration of science and engineering disciplines and interdisciplinary space.

“They were interested by our unique mix of science and business,” said Ditzler. “That mix caught a lot of people’s attention.”

Ditzler said he focused his remarks on four key messages: the “long and arduous” process of constructing a lab building; ensuring that the building “fits” its campus; how campuses change during the 8- to 10-year building cycle; and the difference between integrated and interdisciplinary learning.

Discussing the latter message, Ditzler provided an example of interdisciplinary learning using speech and chemistry, which happened to be his two majors in college.

“The intersection of those two disciplines might be giving a speech about chemistry,” he explained, “but in integrated learning, we are more concerned with the commonalities of the disciplines. We’re looking for aspects of one discipline that reinforce the learning of another discipline.

“So when we designed our building, we didn’t want to focus on intersections, such as having biology next to chemistry, and where the two departments touch, that’s biochemis-

monmouth | winter 2013

try,” he said. “We wanted to get all the students and faculty in the building to mix—not just a few. That’s why we put in the Great Room. We imagine them all being together in an integrated learning environment.”

In discussing a building’s fit, Ditzler said it’s important to not simply find “10 good ideas” and try to incorporate them all into the plans.

“If you build a building with those 10 ideas, you won’t be happy with the final product, because some of those ideas fit someone else’s campus, not yours,” he said. “Use the ideas as guides, but find out which ones best fit the focus of your campus. In our case, our driving idea was the focus on the integration of knowledge.”

Since designing and constructing a facility can take up to a decade from inception to completion, Ditzler said it’s important to not let the idiosyncratic demands of a faculty member or two—or even a college president— shape the building’s design.

“Don’t go with passing ideas,” Ditzler told the conference’s participants. “In a given decade, the faculty turnover at many colleges is going to be 50 percent. Focus instead on what’s not going to change—the mission and vision of the college.”

Ditzler noted that college presidents aren’t always around by the time a multi-year building cycle is completed, but quickly added, “This one intends to be.”

A dedication ceremony for Monmouth College’s Center for Science and Business will be held on May 10, 2013, and the building will be in use for the fall semester.

TOP : The construction process for MC’s Center for Science and Business, which will take up part of three calendar years, is almost done, as this photo taken late in the fall semester shows. The building is expected to be completed in early 2013.

ABOVE: President Mauri Ditzler makes a point during his remarks about the building at the opening of the 24th annual College and University Science and Engineering Facilities Planning Conference in San Diego, Calif.

campus news

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College begins ACBSP accredidation process Monmouth College has completed the first step in the process of gaining accreditation for business education from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs (ACBSP), a specialized organization that reviews the quality and integrity of business degree programs.

Monmouth is officially a candidate with ACBSP and expects to be fully accredited in business administration, accounting and international business within the next few years.

ACBSP accreditation is based on an independent evaluation of an institution’s business school or department by a group of professionals. The process was established to instill public confidence in collegiate professional business schools and programs.

“As a candidate for business accreditation, Monmouth’s political economy and commerce and accounting departments will complete self-studies, host academic leaders from top undergraduate business programs and certify that its courses and programs meet or exceed the most rigorous academic standards,” said David Timmerman, dean of the faculty.

Monmouth expands exercise science curriculum Monmouth College is kicking physical education up a notch.

Positive changes to P.E. were approved by the faculty during the past academic year.

In December, faculty approved the addition of an exercise science major. In January, a request to change the name of the department from “physical education” to “kinesiology” was approved.

Kinesiology chair Kari Bailey Shimmin ’97 said it has been a goal of the department to expand its exercise science curriculum. A major step was taken when the college hired assistant professor Sean Schumm, who came to Monmouth last fall after completing his Ph.D. in exercise science at Ohio University.

Adding exercise science will allow Monmouth to better serve the growing number of college students seeking careers in fields related to strength and conditioning, physical therapy, personal training and athletic training.

p h o t o b y g e o r g e h ar t ma n n

More than 180 Boy Scouts from western Illinois and eastern Iowa gathered at Monmouth College in March to hone their skills during a day-long Merit Badge University.

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campus news

PittCon grant provides new chemistry equipment Monmouth College has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Pittsburgh Conference (PittCon) Memorial National College Grant Program to purchase equipment and supplies for its chemistry department.

The grant proposal, which centered upon the addition of 16 Vernier LabQuest data acquisiLaura moore tion systems and several accessory probes, was submitted by associate professor of chemistry Laura Moore.

“This is exactly the right time for us to upgrade our collection equipment,” said Moore. “We are revising our chemistry curriculum and upgrading and expanding our lab equipment in preparation for our move to the new Center for Science and Business in the fall of 2013.”

Moore’s colleague, assistant professor of chemistry Brad Sturgeon, will be the first to use the equipment next fall, while Moore is on sabbatical.

“The Vernier data acquisition systems will allow our students to visualize the data during the data acquisition process,” explained Sturgeon.

“Data collection is important, but it’s not the most interesting or the hardest part of our experiments,” Moore said. “This will allow our students to spend more time thinking about why we did what we did and analyzing the results.”

Monmouth’s proposal was one of 13 selected for funding from 59 proposals received for consideration. What might have helped distinguished MC’s proposal, Moore said, was “the learning that will take place with this new equipment” and the fact that the college is matching the $10,000 grant with money from an equipment endowment fund established by the late William LeSuer, a 1942 MC graduate. “Putting some of our own money up showed that we’re serious about this proposal.”

monmouth | winter 2013

Caterpillar chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman said a

lack of political leadership has affected states such as Illinois.

“I happen to think we’re witnessing a dearth of great leadership around the world,” Oberhelman said as he delivered Monmouth College’s 20th annual Wendell Whiteman Memorial Lecture last spring.

Oberhelman urged those in the audience at Dahl Chapel to write to their government representatives and let them know of their dissatisfaction. Oberhelman began his career at Cat in 1975 and, among other positions, worked for the Peoria, Ill.-based construction giant in Japan and South America. He was elected CEO and a member of the board of directors in 2010 and became chairman later that year. Former MC board chairman Lee Morgan, who was Caterpillar’s CEO in 1992, delivered the first Whiteman Lecture.

China was another topic Oberhelman talked about at length. He recalled living in Japan during the early 1990s, when the Japanese were buying up real estate all over the United States.

“We all thought the world was going to be owned by Japan,” he said. “Today, everyone thinks China will own the world. I predict it won’t work out that way.”

Looking back 20 years, Oberhelman said Cat had one office in China. The company monmouth | winter 2013

now has 17 factories in China, with nine more under construction. He said the growing population there and in countries such as Brazil and continents such as Africa should be seen as opportunities.

“Who wants to live in a shrinking environment? Growth means opportunities.”

Oberhelman said Caterpillar exports products to China and “we have a large market inside China, as well. We should all go after them (as customers) in any way we can.”

He spoke against trade barriers, pointing out 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside the United States.

“What we decided to do is take the Caterpillar business model to China, like we did everywhere else,” Oberhelman said. “Contractors need more productivity. That’s the Caterpillar business model. So it (business) is coming to us quite nicely.”

Caterpillar had a record-breaking year in 2011, with sales and revenue of $60.1 billion, an increase of 41 percent from 2010.

Oberhelman said “the only competitive advantage any country has is its education system.” He said there’s work to be done in the United States in that regard.

“We get thousands of applications each

Although Oberhelman attended Millikin University, he had ties to several MC students from the 1970s who hailed from his native Woodstock, Ill. Reunited at the Whiteman Lecture were, in back, from left: Bill Murschel ’75, Joe Svoboda ’75, Oberhelman and his high school friend, Marty Smith. In front, from left, are: Gary Voss ’75, Ray Gillen ’76 and Don Gladfelter ’77. The latter two met Oberhelman during his visits to friends at Monmouth College. p h o t o s b y g e o r g e h ar t ma n n

year for production jobs,” Oberhelman said.

“We reject 60 percent of them,” most often due to poor reading and math skills or failing the drug test.

“Think about the cost to society when 60 percent of society can’t get a job, because of lack of preparation,” Oberhelman said. “We’ve got to work on our competitive advantage.

Everywhere I go in the world, I see people wanting to work. We’ve got some work to do.

Again, we need some leadership.”

Editor’s Note: This story was written by John Pulliam of GateHouse Media.

campus news

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Doug Oberhelman Caterpillar chairman and CEO

Whiteman lecturer Oberhelman outspoken on need for new leadership

Midwest Matters poll: Work, unions and clout addressed

States included in the Midwest Matters poll were Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.

While most Midwesterners

still support the concept of labor unions, they are less sympathetic to public employee labor collectives, according to a new MC poll.

The poll, which sampled the opinions of 500 registered voters in eight Midwest states, indicated that residents of America’s heartland believe public workers are generally better compensated than their counterparts in the private sector and that their unions have too much influence over elected officials.

Another major finding of the college’s second annual opinion poll on Midwest attitudes is that Midwesterners oppose measures designed to rescind collective bargaining rights and enact right-to-work laws. Those

two initiatives, successfully advanced by Republican governors in the Midwest, set off a firestorm of political rancor and set the stage for the region to be the deciding battleground in the 2012 presidential election.

In gathering data, a professional polling service made random calls to voters in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. The Monmouth College/ Midwest Matters Initiative survey has a margin of error of + /- 4.38 percent.

“It is ironic that the future of unions and the entire labor movement is being decided in the region where they once set a standard for the nation,” said MC political science lecturer Robin Johnson, who helped create the poll.

“Most Midwesterners seem to be conflicted about these issues and most haven’t formed firm opinions.”

In a reflection of the political polarization in the nation, opinions on the survey ques-

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poliical science

Other key results include:

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Midwesterners think the nation and region are still headed in the wrong direction,

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Midwesterners mostly believe the economy in the region is unchanged,

• •

although there is some improvement from the first Monmouth poll, taken one year ago.

although more believe economic conditions are improving than last year.

Unemployment is still the leading issue of importance in the Midwest, although opinions are divided on whether the economy will be able to produce good jobs for American workers.

Opinions are mixed on whether or not there is such a thing as a distinctive Midwest work ethic.

•

Most Midwesterners still believe people can succeed through hard work,

•

Midwesterners believe corporations have more political power than unions

but most feel Americans are not as willing to do so.

by a 2-to-1 margin.

tions were sharply divided by partisan affiliation. Gender, income, education and age were also important variables.

“The results are significant for both the future of work and the union movement coming into the 2012 presidential election,” said Johnson. “But the more important elections may be in 2014, when several Republican governors who initiated anti-union legislation will be seeking re-election.”

Johnson said that both the 2012 and 2014 elections will involve battles for control of state legislatures, where debates over the role and influence of unions will be settled.

“The Midwest will play a critical role in determining the outcome of the political and policy battles over the role of labor unions in society,” he predicted.

monmouth | winter 2013

Political science class goes straight to the sources Monmouth students in lecturer Robin Johnson’s Citizenship class, Politics and Government in the Midwest, benefited from a series of special guests during the spring semester. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin Robin Johnson (D-Ill.) joined them in person, while Iowa governor Terry Branstad and Midwest authority Richard Longworth, a senior fellow for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, spoke to them via Skype.

Branstad serves as chairman of the Midwest Governors Association (MGA), and one of his priorities in that role is renewing the Midwest brand. That dovetails nicely with the college’s Midwest Matters initiative, which was unveiled in the fall of 2009.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was a special guest in political science lecturer Robin Johnson’s class, Politics and Government in the Midwest. Durbin discussed such issues as the prices of higher education and gasoline. He also noted that Illinois is “reflection of what’s happening in the country.”

tion with MGA staff in Washington, D.C., I had small groups of my students design scripts for videos on “What It Means To Be A Midwesterner.” That’s how we got the attention of Gov. Branstad, and he gladly accepted the invitation to speak.”

A 1980 Monmouth graduate, Johnson said his class been defining the Midwest as a region and a people and “even challenging the whole notion that the Midwest really exists. Our ‘What It Means To Be A Midwesterner’ project emerged from discussions with Gov. Branstad, who suggested that soliciting videos on this topic from college students throughout the Midwest could be a valuable next step. Gov. Branstad and the MGA want to make the Midwest ‘cool’ and appealing to young people.”

Durbin, the assistant majority leader (also known as the majority whip), discussed several issues with Johnson’s class, including the high prices of gasoline and higher education.

The Springfield resident told the class that Illinois is “a reflection of what’s happening in the country. It’s a big piece of real estate with a big cross-section of the population. There are areas of southern Illinois that are south of Richmond, Va., on the map. They grow cotton there. It’s the South. By the time you get to the top of the state, you’re very much in the North.”

A subject very much on the minds of students is the cost of a college education. A graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, Durbin reported that it costs $50,000 a year to go there today, and $150,000 for the three-year course of study.

“It’s scandalous, and I’ve told them so,” he said. “Their students may never be lawyers, but there’s one thing they will be, and that’s deeply in debt.”

Longworth told the students that the Midwest has been in decline for 30-40 years, and that it can only come back if states learn to work together as a region. He was pleased to hear that Johnson’s class is using his book, Caught in the Middle: America’s Heartland in the Age of Globalism, as a textbook.

“My Citizenship class this semester examined the Midwest region from a variety of perspectives including political, economic, cultural and demographic,” explained Johnson. “In collabora-

monmouth | winter 2013

“I wish there were more colleges like Monmouth and more professors like Robin Johnson and more students like you discussing this important topic,” Longworth told the class of their focus on the Midwest.

He cited the lack of a unified effort as a factor in his reply to a question from Charrina Crawford ’12 about needing to look outside the region for bio-related jobs.

“Individual states have their own bio plans,” Longworth said. “If we took those resources and merged them together, we’d really have something. We could pool financial resources, which would promote venture capital, helping to get a cluster of big companies started. We’ve got a long way to before we can attract bio employees and keep them here.”

Longworth provided advice on how to prosper in this age of globalization.

“Try to get overseas experience,” he said.

“That will help you find out how the rest of the world works. What are they doing better than we’re doing? It’s your life, and this is your challenge for the next 40-50 years.”

political science

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Monmouth College faculty research appearing in professional journals Their work didn’t all wind up on the cover like associate professor of mathematics and computer science Michael Sostarecz (left), but several Monmouth College professors added to the growing list of faculty members whose research has drawn the attention of peerreviewed journals. Other recent examples include chemistry faculty Audra Goach Sostarecz and Brad Sturgeon, biology professor James Godde and sociology and anthropology professor Petra Kuppinger.

Throwing darts at a water balloon

gave Michael Sostarecz an opportunity to be represented on the cover of a leading peer-reviewed scientific journal.

An explosive image captured by Sostarecz with MC’s high-speed camera was used on the cover of the June 22 issue of Cell, the leading research journal for cell biology. It symbolizes a mitochondrial rupture, a research focus that is part of a larger project on the gene p53 led by Ute M. Moll, professor of pathology at Stony Brook University School of Medicine.

“While I was a graduate student, I took images of exploding water balloons for fun with Penn State’s high-speed camera,” said Sostarecz. “I put one of the images on my website, where it has sat for about 10 years.”

In early May, Sostarecz was contacted by Moll, who was looking for potential cover art to accompany her soon-to-be published research.

“She thought the image on my website represented her scientific findings of a protein destroying a mitochondria cell,” said Sostarecz. “The journal liked the idea but wanted a color image. I mentioned that our high-speed camera was a color camera with better resolution.”

He added, “I am excited and honored to have one of my images appear on the cover of such a prestigious research journal.”

It wasn’t the first time Michael Sostarecz had been in the news in 2012.

He and his wife, assistant professor of chemistry Audra Goach Sostarecz , co-authored a peer-reviewed article accepted by the Journal of Chemical Education.

Titled “A Conceptual Approach to Limiting Reagent Problems,” the paper was presented by Michael at the national American Chemical Society (ACS) conference in San Diego.

Interdisciplinary cooperation was the key to the project, the professors said. The content of the talk was tested in Audra’s Analytical Chemistry class and “was very well-received by the students,” reported Michael.

Audra also had independent research published, collaborating with Colorado State University’s Debbie Crans on an article in the December 2011 issue of Chemistry and Biodiversity. Titled “Gel Formulation Containing Mixed Surfactant and Lipids,” the article’s byline includes several of the professors’ students.

The research findings concerned the synthesis and analysis of a drug-delivery system for a cancer drug.

“This collaboration has led to one of our students, Noah Hendricks ’10, doing summer research at Colorado State and attending grad school there,” said Sostarecz. The other MC student involved was Mitch Johnson ’12.

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people

BRAD Sturgeon also involved students in his research, which was published in Chemical Research in Toxicology and the Journal of Physical Chemistry.

The articles are an outcome of the Research Corporation Grant that Sturgeon received.

Benjamin Battenburg ’12 and Blake Lyon ’11 were cited on both articles— “Nonphoto-chemical Base-Catalyzed Hydroxylation of 2,6-Dichloroquinone by H2O2 Occurs by a Radical Mechanism” and “Revisiting the Peroxidase Oxidation of 2,4,6-Trihalophenols: ESR Detection of Radical Intermediates.”

JAMES Godde was published in Cell and Bioscience, a weekly online journal.

Titled “Breaking Through a Phylogenetic Impasse: A Pair of Associated Archaea Might Have Played Host in the Endosymbiotic Origin of Eukaryotes,” his article attempts to answer a question about the origin of eukaryotes, which has been a topic of intense debate among scientists.

“I originally set out to write a review paper about chromosomal proteins (histones) in archaea,” said Godde. “A review paper basically summarizes the opinions of other authors. But as I read about the impasse on this issue among scientists, my paper morphed into a new hypothesis. Nobody else had made these connections.”

monmouth | winter 2013

Fasano says ‘God particle’ discovery has significance for Monmouth College Sociology and anthropology professor PETRA Kuppinger has had a pair of rather diverse items published this year—a chapter in the book Women, Leadership and Mosques: Changes in Contemporary Islamic Authority and an entry in the Encyclopedia of Consumption and Waste: The Social Science of Garbage.

Titled “Women, Leadership, and Participation in Mosques and Beyond: Notes from Stuttgart, Germany,” Kuppinger’s chapter came out of a small workshop she attended three years ago at Oxford University. The organizers wanted to address a lack of literature and debate about women and leadership in contemporary Islamic contexts, mosques and theology at large.

“My chapter probes into the complex roles of women in German mosques and, increasingly, other pious groups that meet in diverse public spaces or venues,” said Kuppinger. “I argue that leadership in a Muslim minority society is not limited to theological issues, but very importantly also includes elements of cultural and religious mediation and translation.

Women in these contexts critically engage both mainstream German society and also the established patterns and structures of local mosques that often reflect patriarchal cultural elements.”

monmouth | winter 2013

Physics professor Chris Fasano has mixed emotions about the discovery of the Higgs boson, also known as the “God particle.”

The subatomic particle, which physicists hypothesize is the source of matter in mass, was theorized in the 1960s by Peter Higgs. Its discovery was announced last summer at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland, the world’s largest and highestenergy particle accelerator, which was constructed to help discover it.

On the one hand, said Fasano, “It would’ve been more fun if they hadn’t found it. Some of our greatest scientific discoveries have come when things don’t turn out like we thought.”

Fasano referenced a famous quotation by physicist Enrico Fermi: “There are two possible outcomes: if the result confirms the hypothesis, then you’ve made a measurement.

If the result is contrary to the hypothesis, then you’ve made a discovery.”

Because a confirmation closes the door to further inquiry, Fasano said, he is “a little sad” that this quest has ended.

“Searching for this particle has driven some really beautiful experiments and beautiful theory for the past 40 years,” he said. “It’s kind of like the Olympic athletes we watch.

They spend their time training to win a gold medal. When they do win that gold medal, now what?”

As is so often the case, the destination turns out to be the journey. But on the other hand, Fasano said there is still a bit of traveling to do.

“The game is not over. Scientists will still need to detail this unstable particle’s properties, what it decays into and how likely it is to decay.”

Fasano was upbeat when asked about what the particle’s discovery will mean for physics and in market applications, even though he said he couldn’t formulate an exact prediction.

“Let me use a couple of stories to illustrate my point,” he said. “In the late 1980s, scientists were doing work with charge-coupled devices. The idea was to build a better particle

detector. But what happened is that these CCDs are now in the heart of every digital camera. Scientists didn’t set out to do that.

The same thing happened with MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging). Scientists weren’t really trying to come up with a new medical technique. They just wanted better physics, but it led to a development that’s become part of our daily lives.”

What scientists will be able to do because of the Higgs boson discovery is similarly uncertain, said Fasano, although he believes the way a “stunning” amount of data has been handled in the process will have effects on the world of high-speed computing. What is clearer, he said, is the need for scientists to have an open line of communication with businesspeople who can help market their discoveries.

“That’s Monmouth College’s connection to this story,” said Fasano. “A while back, the National Science Foundation came up with a program that would help scientists start their own companies. But it hasn’t worked as well as they thought, and I think it’s because

monetizing a discovery is not in the language or culture of scientists.

Fostering communication between people with entrepreneurial skills and people with scientific skills is a really good idea, and that’s the main thrust behind our new Center for Science and Business at Monmouth College.”

Although a lot of dirt has been moved at its construction site, the center, which is scheduled for completion in March, does not feature a 17-mile tunnel like the Large Hadron Collider. But it will feature crossdisciplinary connections and collaboration between faculty and students. These connections, Fasano insists, are vital for turning the scientific discoveries of today into the useful products and technologies of tomorrow.

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New developments in development MC’s development staff moved to a

new location north of the main campus one year ago in April, and now there are several new faces in the new facility.

Nicole Olin ’11 was hired in January to serve as assistant director of alumni programs. Olin will focus on event planning, especially Homecoming weekend festivities.

She will also coordinate alumni gatherings.

In February, Marnie Dugan ’95 and Paige Halpin ’09 began new positions.

Dugan is the assistant director of external relations, while Halpin is associate director of development in the Chicago area “We are excited about the new external relations position,” said associate dean of students Michelle Merritt ’89 of Dugan’s role.

“Marnie will focus on programming that reaches, serves and engages students and alumni, such as our successful Scots Connection career and leadership conferences.”

Halpin will manage relationships with approximately 125 prospective donors and will focus primarily on identifying, cultivating and stewarding gifts between $1,000 and $5,000, with a secondary emphasis on gifts of up to $10,000. She reports to MC’s director of principal gifts, Steve Bloomer ’83.

“Paige distinguished herself as an engaged student at Monmouth,” said Bloomer. “Now she will apply her talents toward setting positive conditions for enhanced alumni and college involvement in the Chicagoland area and toward increasing alumni membership in the Annual Fund and 1853 Society.”

In March, Cindy Robinson was hired as alumni relations coordinator. She is responsible for helping to plan and staff major alumni events such as Golden Scots.

Robin Borgione came aboard a month later, joining the staff as assistant director of development research and donor relations.

She performs the critical role of overseeing MC’s prospect research and management system. Borgione will develop and implement a plan for strategically identifying and researching prospects who have the capacity to provide significant philanthropic support to the college.

In other development office news, Hannah Maher was promoted to associate director of annual gifts.

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Connell, Cordery receive prestigious Hatch Awards The recipients of two of the three 2012 Hatch Academic Excellence Awards were named last spring.

Professor Mike Connell , chair of the department of political economy and commerce, received the Hatch Award for Distinguished Service at the May faculty meeting. History professor Stacy Cordery received the Hatch Award for Distinguished Scholarship and Research during Scholars Day activities in April.

In a letter to Cordery, the Hatch Award Committee commended her “published work, reviews, newspaper articles and other materials. … We were immensely impressed with the scope, quality, quantity and also broad reach of your scholarship.”

“I am thrilled for Stacy with the publication of her book on (Girl Scouts founder) Juliette Gordon Low and the fantastic national reception it has received,” said David Timmerman, dean of the faculty.

The Hatch Award for Distinguished Service is awarded to “individuals and groups that do especially noteworthy work for the institution.” In addition to chairing one of the college’s largest departments with “competence and grace,” Connell has a lengthy docket of advisees and supervises a half dozen internships every year in addition to teaching some of the largest classes on campus.

Widely respected for his wise counsel, Connell has frequently been tapped to serve on search committees and strategic planning intiatives during his 19 years on campus. He was part of the original Curriculum Review Task Force and has chaired Faculty Senate.

“Mike Connell is a tireless worker with a deep commitment to Monmouth,” said Timmerman.

“I particularly enjoyed working with him last summer with a faculty committee that researched and constructed a proposal for our new 4-4 curriculum. He is a clear thinker who is able to express his thoughts clearly, concisely and cogently.”

McMillan honored by University of Illinois Ken McMillan , Pattee Professor in Political Economy and Commerce, was presented with an Award of Merit by the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) Alumni Association during the 41st ACES and Paul A. Funk Recognition Award Banquet. The award is given annually to College of ACES graduates who have made significant contributions to their chosen profession and to the human sciences and food and natural resources industries.

McMillan, who was the chief speechwriter for the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, was the founding president and has been a board member of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation since 1987.

Draxler named an NEH Fellow Assistant professor Bridget Draxler was named an NEH Fellow and was one of 16 academics who attended a National Endowment for the Humanities summer seminar at the University of Missouri on Jane Austen and her contemporaries.

“Basically, the plan is to create a digital timeline on historical literature, using Austen’s Northanger Abbey as a sample, but ultimately creating a curriculum guide for faculty to use as a template for students to do similar projects,” said Draxler, who directs Monmouth’s Communication Across the Curriculum program. “My goal is to help faculty use digital tools to help students organize and present archival research on historical literature.”

monmouth | winter 2013

Books

Matchlocks to Flintlocks: Warfare in Europe and Beyond, 1500-1700

By William Urban, Lee L. Morgan Professor of History and International Studies Hardback, 304 pages, $50.00 Frontline Books (UK) This is the 15th book on European

political and military history by 45-year history professor William Urban . A followup to his 2007 work, Bayonets for Hire, Matchlocks to Flintlocks is the fourth book Urban has published through Frontline.

Urban looks at the development of warfare in the two centuries between the French invasion of Italy in 1494 and the Austrian victory over the Turks that culminated in the Treaty of Peterwardein in 1718. That development explains the book’s title, as the standard infantry weapon in 1500 was a matchlock, and the flintlock had been introduced by 1700.

“Military technology was changing, but everything else was, too,” said Urban. “This is not just a ‘shoot ’em up’ account. The readers most likely to enjoy this book will be those who are eager to learn more about a somewhat familiar subject—warfare—but to see it in unfamiliar places and perhaps from a different point of view.”

“The book fills a significant gap in the military history of the early modern world,” wrote Colorado College history professor Dennis Showalter in the foreword. “The specific subject of early modern warfare has been fragmented at best, at worst mined for data supporting broader constructions. (This) is a story of war, and the persons and institutions that waged it, during the two key centuries when warriors became soldiers and soldiers became servants of the state.”

Showalter praised Urban’s willingness to tackle “a somewhat neglected period and a much wider geographical area than is normally the case. This is a very useful book.” monmouth | winter 2013

Tell Everyone I Said Hi

I Will Shoot Them from My Loving Heart

By Chad Simpson ’98 Soft Cover, 138 pages, $16.00 University of Iowa Press

By Won Moo Hurh ’60 Soft Cover, 196 pages, $35.00 McFarland & Company

Chad Simpson ’98 was recently named the winner of the 2012 John Simmons Short Fiction Award, one of two 2012 Iowa Short Fiction Awards announced by the University of Iowa Press.

The short fiction awards are given to a first collection of fiction in English and are administered through the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. The honors are national in scope and have been given since 1969. The John Simmons Short Fiction Award was created in 1988 to complement the existing Iowa Short Fiction Award.

Tell Everyone I Said Hi is a collection of 18 stories that “roam the small-town playgrounds, blue-collar neighborhoods and rural highways of Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky to find people who’ve lost someone or something they love and have not yet found ways to move forward. Poignant, fresh, and convincing, these are stories of women who smell of hairspray and beer and landscapers who worry about their livers, of flooded basements and loud trucks, of bad exes and horrible jobs, of people who remain loyal to sports teams that always lose.”

Simpson’s work has appeared in McSweeney’s Quarterly, Esquire, American Short Fiction, The Sun and many other print and online publications. He is the recipient of a fellowship in prose from the Illinois Arts Council and scholarships from the Bread Loaf and Sewanee writers’ conferences. He teaches at Knox College, where he received its prize for distinguished teaching in 2010.

Nearly 1,000 English-language books have been published about the Korean War, but Americans wrote most of them. The few books written in English by Korean soldiers only describe the events of the war with little in-depth reflection on the soldiers’ subjective feelings about the war itself until now.

I Will Shoot Them from My Loving Heart, by former South Korean soldier Won Hurh ’60, gives a personal and cross-cultural perspective on the Korean War. In the spring of 1950, the 17-year-old Hurh dreamed of studying law at Seoul National University. His life changed forever on June 25 when North Korean forces invaded his homeland. After less than three months of training, Hurh was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army of the Republic of Korea and sent to the front, where the casualty rate for such junior officers could reach 60 percent.

Hurh describes his wartime experiences while also providing a social and psychological exploration of the absurdity of war in general. From his time at the front to his leaving Korea to study at Monmouth College, Hurh gives a vivid description of the “forgotten war.”

After Monmouth, he furthered his studies at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, receiving a Ph.D. in sociology and ethnology.

From 1965 to 1969, he was a professor of sociology at Monmouth, then moved to Western Illinois University, where he is now a professor emeritus.

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Dane Feenstra

Jessica Bingham

Nick Munson

They’re jolly good post-baccalaureate fellows Despite leaving the commencement stag e with diplomas in hand, a few lucky MC graduates get to postpone their goodbyes to the school they love. Students who receive one of the college’s distinctive Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships stay for an extra year to engage in administrative, research and creative projects with faculty mentors.

Music major Dane Feenstra ’11 and theatre major Nick Munson ’11 took advantage of this opportunity during the 2011-12 academic year and are being followed by Jessica Bingham ’12.

“I will be working in the art gallery with assistant professor of art Tyler Hennings, creating informational packets for the art department’s incoming and current students and also helping with tours,” said Bingham. “I wanted to do the program so that I can be a positive influence on younger art students while building my portfolio for graduate school.”

“This program is a great example of a win-win for the graduate and the college,” said dean of the faculty David Timmerman. “The projects are always fascinating. It is wonderful to see students take the next step right here on campus.”

Feenstra studied opera with assistant professor of music Tim Pahel.

“I would meet with him once a week, and we would discuss the readings and video clips from operas,” said Feenstra, who also wrote a paper that laid out his plans for an opera workshop he conducted during the spring semester.

Accountants dig numbers, and there was one that was really music to their ears last spring—58.8.

That’s the percentage of accounting students who were headed to graduate school, as 10 of the 17 majors from the Class of 2012 continued their studies in the fall. It’s also the highest percentage that longtime accounting professors Frank Gersich and Judy Peterson can remember at MC. “This whole class has been exceptional—they really have a passion for learning,” said Peterson.

The majority of the students are headed to one of two schools—Northern Illinois University or the University of Illinois-Springfield. Attending NIU are Dennis Barr, Ky Claeys, Nick Flemming and Bradley Winkler. Springfieldbound are Sean Gould, Michael Howard, Kim Litchfield and Bobby Murray. Melissa Mekus is attending Western

Feenstra, who is now pursuing his master’s degree in music at the University of Iowa, sees the post-baccalaureate program as a good opportunity for students who are unsure about whether they want to attend graduate school.

Munson combined his interest in theatre with his other creative talents.

“Working with Nick was a great benefit to the program,” said his mentor, Janeve West. “He headed up the press and PR for two productions, which not only gave him some excellent experience, but allowed the faculty to turn their focus to other topics.”

Illinois University. Joe Hnojsky is the other grad school student.

“Today, getting a master’s— whether it’s an MBA or a master’s of science in accounting or taxation—can be a wise decision,” said Peterson. “Although the accounting discipline, by and large, is one of the stronger career paths in this uncertain economy, it still helps to have this additional credential.”

Howard received a fellowship to attend grad school and is interning for the auditor general in Springfield. While interviewing for that position, he said he discovered just how well prepared he was at Monmouth compared to the other candidates.

Peterson noted that students often discover later on the advantage of a master’s degree and return to school. That means the 58.8 percent figure could increase over time for Monmouth College’s accounting graduates of 2012.

Accounting major majority now in grad school

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monmouth | winter 2013

Students see Hawaii’s beauty, inner-city poverty Students who traveled to Spain, Southeast Asia and Bulgaria are

profiled in the cover spread of this issue, but it might have felt a bit “foreign” for other MC groups who traveled in the U.S. in 2012.Their trips took them to Hawaii and Louisville, Ky. Two students—Joe Florio ’13 and Justin Frye ’14—spent the entire semester in Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Dr. Teri Ott, Kathleen Forrest, Jacob McLean Nick Mariano and Corbin Beastrom are pictured in Louisville, Ky.

“Biology” isn’t the first word that comes to mind when the subject is Hawaii, but biology professor Ken Cramer makes a compelling case to change that thinking.

Biology professor Ken Cramer and two students pause to reflect while gazing out at the Pacific Ocean during their 12-day trip to Hawaii.

monmouth | winter 2013

“There’s such a variety of ecosystems,” said Cramer, who led a 10 students on a trip to “the Big Island,” along with philosophy and religious studies professor Hannah Schell . “On the east side, Hilo’s annual rainfall is around 200 inches, making it one of the wettest cities in the world. On Mauna Kea, where there are several observatories because there’s such a clear view into space, it often gets below freezing. In the middle of the island, there are near-desert conditions. We also saw a fog forest supported by condensation, not precipitation.”

“The highlight of the trip was the perpetual beauty that is Hawaii,” said Dillon Harris ’14. “When I thought I’d seen all I could see, we encountered a new, amazing sight that left us at a loss for words.”

The marine ecosystem is important, too, and Cramer said a snorkeling excursion enabled him to witness “by far, the largest diversity of fish I’ve ever seen—needlefish, puffer fish, yellow tangs, angelfish, parrotfish. We saw spinner dolphins in the bay, and they put on a performance, as if on cue. The students enjoyed that.”

The five students who accompanied the Rev. Dr. Teri Ott to Louisville were also exposed to a new environment through their participation in a poverty immersion program in the city’s Portland district.

The group spent its nights in an old, renovated church building. For 10 hours each day, though, that building was off limits, and the group “walked the streets,” learning about their surroundings and engaging in community service.

“We were always safe,” stressed Ott. “We lost our sense of insecurity with the neighborhood after the first day.”

Those feelings quickly turned into compassion and admiration for the “amazing people” they encountered.

“This week was eye-opening and stressful, and I had the time of my life,” said Jacob McLean ’14. student news

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Bangladesh

Bulgaria

Canada

China

the Congo

India

Iran

Japan

Kenya

e

s t o c S

l l A

nm

o

h ut

C

ege l l o

Connec ts to th e W or ld In 2007,

we published a magazine cover story about Monmouth College’s increasingly global focus in academics and the increasingly global influence of its graduates. At the time, a war was raging in Iraq, Europe’s financial crisis was still on the horizon and China was only beginning to emerge as an industrial powerhouse. On the homefront, Monmouth College had just adopted a sweeping new curriculum and was trying to determine how best to integrate study-abroad programs into the academic mix.

M

W e’ r

Stories by Barry McNamara

o

A lot has transpired in seven years. Many of MC’s international faculty members mentioned in the article have relocated or retired, as have some of the foreign-based alumni who were profiled. The attention of the United States has switched from fighting foreign wars to fighting a domestic debt crisis. Monmouth College’s new curriculum is working well, with students increasingly pursuing study-abroad options.

Despite the inevitable changes, it is clear that globalization (economic, cultural and educational) is and will remain a dominant issue for our generation. It is a topic we will likely revisit from time to time.

In this issue, we profile four Monmouth alumni—two of them natives of Asia and two from America—who are making a difference on the world stage. We also look at how some current students are learning about the world through MC’s increasing opportunities for foreign travel. Finally, we check in on some recent graduates, one of whom pursued the traditional route of foreign service through the Peace Corps, while another group is getting its feet wet in international business through a less-traditional avenue of a novel Facebook app.

Jeff Rankin Editor

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we’re all scots

monmouth | winter 2013

Myanmar

Nepal

Pakistan

Philippines

Malaysia

Spain

Syria

Tanzania

Fujita, fast-rising entrepreneur, gets national notice When Hiroyuki Fujita ’92 reached college age in Japan, he knew he wanted to study in the United States.

“I thought, ‘There will be more opportunities in the U.S. as compared to the Japanese structure, where you don’t deviate from your track. It would be more free in the U.S. There, it would be up to you to make your life.”

His appetite for American higher education whetted by a two-month exchange program at the University of California-San Diego, Fujita ultimately decided on Monmouth College, majoring in physics and mathematics. He recalls working with faculty members such as Charles Skov, Raj Ambrose, Lyle Welch and Richard Cogswell. For one summer and fall, he participated in an off-campus study program at Oak

Ridge National Laboratory, doing research in solid-state physics.

Today, Fujita is president and CEO of Quality Electrodynamics, a developer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art radiofrequency antennas that are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. One of the world’s largest suppliers of these products, QED ships throughout the globe.

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Fujita’s company has grown from seven employees at the end of its first year in 2006 to more than 100. Three years ago, Forbes placed QED 11th on its list of the 20 most promising companies in America. Additionally, QED has been called one of America’s fastest-growing private companies by Inc. magazine, which also named Fujita one of its Top 10 Asian

Entrepreneurs in America. In 2010, Fujita founded eQED, a solar energy-related electronics development and manufacturing company.

Years after leaving his native country to attend college, Fujita once again had to choose between Japan and the U.S. after receiving an unexpected phone call.

“I was about to leave for a trip to Japan and Korea on a Saturday. I had been invited to speak in Tokyo, and 300 people were registered for the event. On Friday, I was notified during a meeting that I had a call from the White House. I said, “I’ll take it.’ They were calling to invite me to attend the State of the Union Address that Tuesday as a guest of the president.”

For a moment, Fujita was rattled.

continued on page 25

Hiroyuki Fujita, founder, president and CEO of Quality Electrodynamics, poses in his company’s manufacturing plant. Fujita started a medical technology manufacturing business in 2006 that was recently ranked among the top 20 most promising companies by Forbes Magazine. p h o t o c o u r t es y o f t h e P l a i n D ea l er / La n d o v

monmouth | fall 2012

we’re all scots

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Sparked by MC experience, Shawver enjoyed international career

After 33 years in international education, David Shawver ’70 is taking some well-deserved time off.

For parts of five decades, Shawver— the son of legendary MC chemistry and education professor Ben Shawver—has been a teacher and administrator in Asia and Africa. In 2012, he retired from his most recent post as director of the International School of Tanganyika in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

While helping others learn, what insight has Shawver gained from his experiences?

“In these days of the global economy and a shrinking world, the United States needs a competitive economy focused on free markets around the world,” said Shawver. “Education is one of the pillars of the American economy and a valuable export industry that is not always understood or has a high profile.”

According to Shawver, there are about 6,000 international schools offering English language education to almost 3 million students. The schools employ about 277,000 staff and have a collective annual fee income of $28 billion.

“Increasing population and urbanization means more demand for top-quality international schools, which prepare students for American tertiary education,” said Shawver. “The world has its challenges—environmental, economic, etc. But recent studies such as that of Steven Pinker’s indicate that the world is becoming a more peaceful and interlinked entity.”

Shawver’s first overseas post was teaching English to Kurdish children in Iran while in the Peace Corps. However, that was not his first trip abroad.

“My career in international education was sparked by participating in a Monmouth College program in India in 1969,” said Shawver, who majored in philosophy and was interested in Indian traditions. “I had the opportunity to travel with a retired official to many of the great temples of South India. It was a unique experience that encouraged my interest in other civilizations.”

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we’re all scots

David Shawver ’70 accepts Monmouth College’s Distinguished Alumnus Award at the 2012 President’s Homecoming Gala. He was honored for his successful career in international education. P h o t o b y g e o r g e h ar t ma n n

Some of Shawver’s other MC memories include working with others to increase student awareness of the issues involved in the Vietnam War. Monmouth is also where Shawver met his wife, Amy Vickers Shawver ’70, whose teacher certification adviser was none other than Ben Shawver. The couple met at a presentation about an offcampus program in Washington, D.C. After graduating magna cum laude, Shawver joined the Peace Corps along with Amy. He then furthered his studies at McGill University in Canada, earning his master’s degree in philosophy in 1974 and a Ph.D. in ethics in 1979, specializing in the social development of children.

Later that year, the Shawvers moved to Zaire, where David taught high school social studies at the American School of Kinshasa. He held that job for four years before embarking on an administrative career at schools in Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China and, ultimately, Tanzania, where Shawver discovered that several of his students were the children of Brent Chism, son of MC graduates Stan ’63 and Karen Barrett Chism ’65.

“Amy and I are grateful to Monmouth College for its help in preparing us for a career that has taken us to many parts of the world and enabled us to participate in its incredible beauty, growth and diversity,” he said.

Although there are international schools in almost every country around the world, the Shawvers repeatedly chose schools in “remote” locations that offered opportunities to explore a wide diversity of world cultures.

The summary of his accomplishments at each of those schools essentially reads the same—increased enrollment and upgraded facilities. He helped to triple the number of students at the American International School of Guangzhou in China, where he served as director from 1998 to 2007 and where he became acquainted with MC graduate Tom Ulmet ’64, who was head of a distinguished international school in Shanghai.

“Between Guangzhou and Hong Kong is the world’s largest concentration of light manufacturing,” reported Shawver.

continued on page 25 monmouth | winter 2013

Kassim working tirelessly to help Malaysia reach its potential

Hamzah Kassim ’76 received the

college’s highest honor—induction into the Hall of Achievement—at the 2012 President’s Homecoming Gala. Kassim has been extensively involved in improving business and economic conditions in his native Malaysia for the past 15 years.

P h o t o b y g e o r g e h ar t ma n n

“Education has always been the main instrument of social and economic mobility, and many of us are beneficiaries of the Malaysian governmental student-sponsorship initiative from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s,” said Hamzah Kassim ’76, this year’s recipient of MC’s Hall of Achievement honor. “I believe liberal arts education is crucial to helping us navigate a complex and ever-changing global landscape.”

Prior to his visit to campus to receive the honor, Kassim said, “I hope I can help to inspire students who want to pursue careers that enable them to serve others while developing communities for sustained growth.”

That has been Kassim’s mission in his native country, as he’s used the education he received at Monmouth, Texas Christian University (MBA) and England’s Aston University (Ph.D.) to help improve conditions in Malaysia.

Over the last 15 years, Kassim has led a number of large and complex governmental advisory assignments in Malaysia and the region on merger integration, business transformation, economic and institutional reform and large-scale

monmouth | fall 2012

IT transformation across several industries, which involved working with ministers, CEOs, board members and other key stakeholders.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been driven by a sense of purpose to make Malaysia and the world a better place,” he said. “Hence, I have become deeply involved in working with the government of Malaysia to develop the right institutions to support economic growth and national prosperity.”

In 1998, Kassim was appointed to serve as a board member of Danamodal, an institution set up by the Malaysian government to restructure the banking sector in response to the country’s financial crisis of 1996-97. In 2006, he was the consulting advisor to the National Implementation Task Force, charged with overseeing the implementation of the Malaysia Economic Plan project.

Three years ago, Kassim was appointed by the prime minister to serve as a member of the eight-member National Economic Action Council, which was tasked to develop an economic transformation model for Malaysia aimed at making the country into a high-income

economy by the year 2020. Kassim’s work on this successful task force led to his two-term appointment by the prime minister on the Review and Operational Panel to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Apart from serving on those two economic councils, Kassim has been appointed as a member of the Higher Education Entrepreneurship Council.

Kassim’s counsel has been sought by at least one other nation, but variables can be beyond his control.

“I am sad about what is happening in Syria with the tragic loss of lives,” he said. “Just two years ago, I was advising President Bashar al-Assad and his cabinet on the need to undertake economic reform, using Malaysia as a model of successful economic change in the Islamic world, but vested political interests were a major barrier to change.”

Currently, Kassim is CEO of The iA Group, a management, technology and human-capital consulting firm he cofounded in Malaysia, with offices in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. He was a

continued on page 24 we’re all scots

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Students benefit from ‘invaluable’ Fulbright Institute in Bulgaria

Enjoying a Bulgarian sunset at their hotel in Pravets, Monmouth’s Fulbright participants included, from left: Joseph Hasenstein, Kaylin Smith, Bren Tooley, Sara Frakes

and Lukas Devlin.

P h o t o b y o g n ya n s t efa n o v

Four MonmouTH students who participated in the 2012 Fulbright International Summer Institute (FISI) in Bulgaria in August left Fulbright Commission organizers calling for more, according to Bren Tooley , MC’s associate dean of academic affairs.

Getting a head start on their academic year were Lukas Devlin ’13, Sara Frakes ’14, JoE Hasenstein ’13 and Kaylin Smith ’13. The group, which was accompanied by Tooley, who was a Fulbright instructor at the institute, returned from its two weeks abroad immediately prior to the start of the fall semester.

“They were outstanding young ambassadors for the college and exemplary representatives of U.S. college students,” said Tooley, who noted it was the first time a group of undergraduate students has been accepted into FISI as a cohort.

“They impressed their Fulbright Institute instructors and the Fulbright Commission staff deeply. In fact, as one of the Fulbright Commission’s coordinators for FISI said to me, ‘Next year, if you have students like this, bring 20 with you, not four.’”

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Established in 2002, FISI is an annual summer program run by the BulgarianAmerican Fulbright Commission. Most of the institute’s intensive courses are one week in length, but a few of them spanned both weeks, including a course on Bulgarian culture. Students took up to three courses each week.

“The classes were informative and entertaining and served as a forum for discussions with people from incredibly varied backgrounds and cultures,” said Hasenstein. “As important and meaningful as the classes were, I found that the most interesting experiences we had were outside the classroom.”

Frakes agreed.

“To meet and study with people from all over the world is an absolutely amazing experience,” she said. “I came back to the U.S. with a completely new view of the world. Even though the world is so diverse, we can still come together and get along.”

Tooley was the driving force behind Monmouth’s participation in FISI. In 2010, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Bulgaria, teaching and conducting research at the University of Veliko Turnovo. She

co-taught a FISI course with her Veliko Tarnovo colleague, Ludmila Kostova.

“I loved my time in Bulgaria as a Fulbright Scholar, and it was a delight to be able to bring four MC students with me when I returned,” said Tooley, who plans to return next year with more students. “I hope this will be the students’ first experience of Bulgaria— which is a beautiful, complex, historically multi-layered country—not their only experience.”

Hasenstein, for one, sounds like he might be a repeat visitor.

“My experience in Bulgaria was invaluable,” he said. “A highlight would be the connections made with a group of Bulgarians who became informal tour guides for Luke and me. They took us to a nearby monastery, then we hiked up a trail in the mountains surrounding our resort. The views were amazing.”

Smith, who took a course in which she read English-language novels and short stories written by Bulgarians about Bulgaria, also has an interest in returning to Bulgaria. Devlin is exploring internships and business opportunities in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe. monmouth | winter 2013

Coverdell advises Chinese students on higher education

Travis Coverdell ’92 poses

outside his Suzhou High School, one of the oldest high schools in China. It also has one of the oldest Confucius Centers.

Coverdell called his job “amazing,” but he’s not ready to settle down just yet. “Lately, I’ve been preparing for a new career by studying Chinese history, I plan to study for a master’s degree while living in China, then return to the U.S. to teach at a university,” he said.

In a middle-school classroom in Collinsville, Ill., circa 1983, Travis Coverdell ’92 caught the “international bug.” Now, almost 30 years later, he lives and works in China, helping a new generation of students see the world.

Last summer, Coverdell started a new position as head of counseling for the A Level Centre, located in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and administered by England’s Dulwich College. Previously, he was with Dipont Education, a private network of high schools and counseling centers in China. Both businesses focus on advising students on the college and university options available in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia.

“The new job I have is very similar to the senior college counselor job I had last year,” said Coverdell. “The U.S. is the No. 1 choice for the vast majority of students these days. We assist them in their college searches, as well as the preparation of their application packets, all the way through to their acceptances and even their departures for college.”

Coverdell’s educational path has followed a long, winding road that has its genesis in middle school.

monmouth | fall 2012

“Growing up in Collinsville, I never imagined I would someday be living and working in China,” said Coverdell, who began studying foreign languages after his international interested was piqued.

“Traveling to other countries these days is like traveling to another state when I was in high school. China, and the rest of the world, has changed greatly since then. Technology, in particular, has made our world much smaller. These days, students can research programs around the world or contact schools directly in another country. Everything from the Internet to Skype allows us to learn about other countries and languages, as well as contact people there.”

Coverdell had hoped his foreign language background would be a factor in his first post-Monmouth experience. Instead, his career took a turn to an emphasis upon sign language, which is widely recognized as a distinctive language in its own right.

“I ended up getting a job at an elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa. I was working with hearing-impaired children, so it covered a couple of my interests from Monmouth, working in

education with kids and using sign language, which I took at Monmouth as an independent study class.”

From there, Coverdell joined the Navy, putting his foreign language skills to use as a Chinese translator while stationed in Hawaii. He worked as an admissions counselor at Huntingdon College, before taking “a leap” and finding a job teaching English at a university in China.

Now, he says, he gets “the opportunity to help students from China get into colleges around the world. Without help, they might possibly miss out on educational opportunities. Being able to do that for other kids makes me really enjoy my job.”

As for his own choice of where to go to college, Coverdell said he was influenced by his older brother, Jeff Coverdell ’90.

“I really liked the small classes and personal attention from the teachers,” said Coverdell, who majored in psychology. He said he particularly remembers his involvement with Sigma Phi Epsilon, the theatre program and the psychology department. we’re all scots

21

Chorale brings down the house in Catalan region of Spain

The Monmouth College Chorale performs during its trip to Spain last May. Chorale members will also be on the move in 2013, as they head to New York City to sing in Carnegie Hall.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Tim Pahel, director of the Monmouth College Chorale, tweaked the old adage slightly during his ensemble’s overseas trip at the end of May. When in the Catalan region of Spain, he had the Chorale sing what the Catalans would, and the result was a powerful, emotional experience for the audience and for his students.

“We gave four performances, and the third one was in Lloret de Mar, which is about an hour away from Barcelona,” said Pahel. “We sang in front of a full house of about 400 people in an old, beautiful church. The crowd was very enthusiastic, and we got three standing ovations.”

Pahel said he’d been told by longtime Knox College professor Jorge Prats, who was also part of the trip, that “If we learn a song in Catalan and sing it, the audience will get really excited, because they have such a strong attachment to their culture.”

Reported Pahel, “They had a great reaction. They leapt to their feet at the end of the song. As I looked at our students for the last two songs, about half of them were crying.”

Mary Schuch ’12 tried to elaborate.

“I can’t even begin to explain how moving it was to

perform for that audience.

The people were so warm and welcoming, and it was obvious they enjoyed our music. Jorge told us they would love the song L’emporda, but until then we had been performing for mixed groups of tourists and Catalans. But this post-mass performance was packed and the energy was indescribable. The Catalan people are so proud of their culture.

L’emporda became our anthem for the trip.”

Schuch was one of 34 Chorale members on the trip.

Other Monmouth faculty members who traveled were music lecturer Carolyn Suda, who directed the nine-person orchestra, and assistant professor of modern foreign languages Michael Harrison, who served as a tour guide and even joined the Chorale in their performances.

Harrison, who met with the participating students over the course of three class sessions prior to departure, said, “For me, the highlight of the trip was seeing so many students fall in love with Spain. To see them awestruck at the natural and human-made beauty around every corner thrilled me, and it inspired me to seek out as many opportunities as I can to share even more of Spain with students in the future.”

Collecting leeches (and bites) in Malaysia

Biology professor James Godde is flanked by, from left , Adelaide Columnas, Rebecca Isaacs and Zachary Owens.

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Three students got their hands dirty, and then some, during a Summer International Research Trip (SIRT) to Southeast Asia.

Biology professor James Godde led the three-week trip, accompanied by Rebecca Isaacs ’13, Zachary Owens ’13 and Adelaide Columnas ’14.

The students had to cope with the fierce heat and humidity of the Malaysian jungle and, in the course of research projects focused on the jungle’s biodiversity, countless encounters with bloodsucking leeches. In fact, they actually sought out the little creatures.

“The leeches suck on the mammals of the region,” explained Godde. “The idea was to collect the leeches, and then by running a PCR

(polymerase chain reaction) on their DNA, learn more about which creatures live there.

From what I’ve read, DNA remains in the leeches’ systems for about a month, so we’re able to study all the mammals they’ve encountered during that time.”

By the end of their five days and four nights in the jungle, Godde’s group had collected 120 leeches, which were subsequently stored in a freezer in MC’s biology lab. During the college’s SOFIA (Summer Opportunities for Intellectual Activity) program. Godde oversaw five students who conducted the DNA research.

Godde and the students also collected leech bites, about a dozen per person. The small wounds would bleed for about 45 minutes, as

monmouth | winter 2013

Heilman recently concluded two-year Peace Corps commitment

Perhaps the career of David Shawver ’70 will serve as a model for a Monmouth graduate who matriculated 40 years later—Harrison Heilman ’10.

Just as Shawver’s career in international education began with Peace Corps service, Heilman had his own Peace Corps experience, concluding a 27-month commitment in the Philippines on Nov. 16.

Heilman isn’t sure what will come next, but a year-long contract to teach English in Japan, Korea or China is a possibility. So is enrolling in the master’s program in public health at Western Illinois University.

“The staff in Manila asked me why I chose Peace Corps,” he said. “I found it strangely difficult to reply, other than say ‘I am still young and still think that I can change the world.’

I wanted to serve while I was still idealistic and not bogged down by the weight of experience and reality.”

Beyond his idealistic outlook, Heilman also prepared for the experience by tailoring his majors (political science, Spanish and international studies) to match the requirements of participation in the Peace Corps.

But when it comes right down to it, Heilman said, “Very little can truly prepare you for Peace Corps service. It is a unique experience. I studied Spanish in college, but I speak Tagalog at site. The fact that I previously learned another language has helped with my acquisition of Tagalog.”

He continued, “Humans are humans no matter where they live. Monmouth may not have taught me how to be successful in the Peace Corps—I firmly believe nothing short of service can do that—but it empowered me to address problems critically and find solutions by combining

leeches inject an anti-coagulant when they pierce the skin.

The Malaysia stage of the trip that Godde referred to as SIMS (Singapore to Indonesia to Malaysia and back to Singapore) was certainly the hardest part.

“The jungle was tough, I’m not going to lie,” said Godde. “We had 60-pound packs, and it was tough hiking. If the trails had been graded, they would have been ‘advanced’ or ‘difficult.’

But I didn’t hear any complaints from the students. It was a big adventure for them.”

As a safeguard, park rangers knew which “jungle hide”—a type of hut on stilts—the group planned to stay in each night. Proximity to boat traffic on nearby rivers was also a plus.

monmouth | winter 2013

information from many classes. I really appreciate the fact that I learned in a liberal arts environment. It positively affected the way I approached service.”

Heilman lived in the town of Basud in the Camarines Norte province, about 350 kilometers southeast of Manila.

He traveled extensively within the country to places like the Mayon Volcano and Boracay Island.

“During my first few months at site, I had the opportunity to visit a place called Donsol, Sorsogon, and was able to swim with whale sharks,” he recalled.

While visiting such sites has been memorable, Heilman said the real highlight was his daily work. He served a small, rural school near the ocean, where he was required to teach four hours a day with a Filipino teacher.

“I was not assigned to my school by accident,” said Heilman. “Based on my experiences and my background in sports, I was sent to Dominador Narido High School to help develop its library, athletic program and remedial reading program. I have truly enjoyed the interaction with my students. This past year, more than double the number of students went to college than in the previous year.”

After crediting faculty member Ken McMillan for his help with Heilman’s various positions in student government and another professor, David Suda, for teaching him Russian, Heilman added, “Countless teachers, students, staff members and friends in the town itself made my Monmouth experience special. Each of them, in their own little way, changed my world for the better.”

And, through Heilman, those countless individuals are helping to make a positive impact half a world away.

While the field research in Malaysia was all about “roughing it,” Singapore was more about being pampered.

“We loved the food there,” said Godde. “(Psychology professor) Kristin Larson took students to Singapore on the last SIRT, and she said, ‘You’ve got to try the chilli crab.’ And we finally did, and it was really good.”

While the biology part of the trip occurred in the wilderness areas of Malaysia and Indonesia, Singapore has its own distinctive biological features. Godde reported that it’s one of just two places in the world to have a rainforest within its city limits. In Indonesia, Godde and his group delved into the politics of national parks, which was another key

Harrison Heilman said the

stock answer “I am still young and still think that I can change the world” is as good a reason as any for why he joined the Peace Corps, serving 27 months in the Philippines.

objective of the trip.

“People live on the slopes of Mt. Merapi, which is very active,” he said. “During the last evacuation notice in 2010, people didn’t leave because they didn’t trust the government. So they stayed, and 300 died during the eruption.”

This research was the primary focus for Isaacs, who also gathered information from the Taman Negara park in Malaysia. Columnas’ focus was Eastern religion, and she valued her exposure to the predominantly Muslim culture of the region, as well as her visits to several Buddhist temples.

“This was all research that we can’t do stateside,” added Godde of SIRT, which is funded by donor support.

we’re all scots

23

Start-up company Books & Circle aims to tackle common campus issue

By Jennell Oddo ’13

right: Arjun Subedi is founder and CEO of Books & Circle, a start-up company that also involves Subedi’s countryman, Bishnu Bista, and brothers Tyler Morrow and Ben Morrow.

Four recent Monmouth graduates have partnered for a start-up company that is not only entrepreneurial but international in scope.

Arjun Subedi ’10 and Bishnu Bista ’11, both natives of Nepal, put their heads together with American brothers Tyler Morrow ’10 and Ben Morrow ’11 to establish an online marketplace for used books called Books & Circle.

The company eliminates the “middleman” traditionally encountered when purchasing books by enabling students to buy them directly from their peers on campus.

The idea originated from Subedi, who, while majoring in business and economics at Monmouth, saw the problem that the cost of textbooks created.

He decided to tackle the issue last fall while enrolled in an MBA entrepreneurship program at Loyola University in Chicago.

“I was working more on creating ideas than focusing on my MBA,” he said. “So I dropped out of the program after the first quarter and focused my energies on the start-up.”

Subedi created a network of engineers in his native Nepal, and “designed every function in detail. We weren’t sure about what we were making and how the final product would look, but I was thrilled to see my ideas turning into actions.”

A little more than a year ago, Subedi met up with Tyler Morrow in Chicago. “We talked about doing something on our own,” Subedi explained. “We got strong support from the Morrow family. We kept on working hard and finally were able to release our product in August.”

Subedi is the founder and CEO, Ben Morrow is the director of marketing, Tyler Morrow is the director of development and Bista serves as the director of product development.

According to the National Association of College Bookstores, the average student spends $667 on books per semester and $267 extra in other non-tuition related fees and expenses. Linked with Facebook, Books & Circle connects students with other students on campus who have books they want to buy or sell. The company does not make any

KASSIM continued from page 19 former executive director/partner of the international firm Ernst & Young, vice president of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and a member of the global management team at PA Consulting Group.

“As partner at Ernst & Young, my role was to lead business transformation, economic change and public policy practice,” he said. “These three areas continue to be my passion and the basis of my work in Malaysia and other parts of the world through the United Nations and regional agencies.”

His work in Malaysia has led him to interact frequently with political leaders, business people and policy analysts from around the world. In 2010, for example, he discussed the

24

we’re all scots

money from the transactions, and instead acquires its funding from advertisements on the website. By using this new company, students are able to see the current list price of their textbooks and can then create their own desired selling price.

Currently, the company’s headquarters are in Chicago, while the tech hub is in Nepal. Books & Circle has eight interns promoting the website at MC and 15 at Illinois State University. As of midautumn, more than two dozen colleges had begun to use the site, and its followers are growing by the day.

“We can’t thank Monmouth College enough for how we were taught and the importance of learning how to think,” said Ben Morrow. “When we’re in group discussion, we can accomplish so much because we understand each other and the background of why we reach the conclusions that we do.”

Future plans for the company include being present on every campus in the U.S., reaching one million users by January 2013 and having an international customer base.

emerging economic ascendency of Asia with the American ambassador to Malaysia on national television. In 2008, Hamzah was honored by the king for his contributions to the nation, receiving a federal governmental award and the honorific title of Datuk (analogous to the British model, an equivalent of knighthood).

In Southeast Asia, Kassim reported, countries like Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia hold “great potential” for international institutions of higher education.

“With the Asean market in 2015 representing 700 million people, many of them under the age of 30, education is now and will continue to be one of the fastest growing industries in the region,” he said. monmouth | winter 2013

David Shawver (left) is pictured in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with, from left, Karen Barrett Chism, Stan Chism, MC biology professor James Godde and Godde’s wife, Trudy.

SHAWVER continued from page 18

“Today’s iPads and Barbie dolls pour into U.S. stores from these factories. Our challenge was to provide a top-quality education for the children of the business managers of the investment pouring into China.”

Shawver said those international school students from many different nationalities in turn provide employment for American teachers, use American instructional materials, attend university in the U.S. and buy American products.

“Amy and I were part of the rapid growth of international schools supporting the global economy,” said Shawver of his career success.

“Probably what I am best known for among my international school colleagues is building and helping lead international school organizations.”

Those organizations include ACAMIS (Association of China and Mongolia International Schools), AISA (Association of International Schools in Africa) and EARCOS (East Asia Regional Council of Schools).

“I was involved with campus building because international schools

FUJITA continued from page 17 “Everything was lined up for the trip. What was I going to do? I said, ‘Let me check my schedule, and I’ll get back to you.’ I made a big mistake. I quickly called them back and told them ‘I’ll be there.’”

In recent years, the First Lady’s private box has been used at presidential speeches to honor people who illustrate themes and ideals being promoted by the president. Fujita was in demand by the White House because he had come to the U.S. as a student and stayed to build companies.

Others seated with the First Lady that evening were astronaut Mark Kelly (the husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords) and San Antonio mayor Julian Castro, who would later give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.

“The entire experience of touring the White House, watching the State of the Union and attending the post-event reception was very special,” said Fujita. “It’s something that’s not going to happen again in my lifetime.”

After graduating from Monmouth, Fujita began his graduate studies in physics at Case Western Reserve University. While still writing his dissertation, he was hired by Picker monmouth | winter 2013

were doubling and tripling in size as global business boomed. In each country, I needed to learn what was possible.

Those were great experiences.”

Shawver was asked how fulfilling it must be to provide improved educational opportunities.

“The children in these schools are tomorrow’s leaders. They become multilingual and are able to function on a global basis. They’re known and studied as ‘Third Culture Kids.’ I was delighted that my own children experienced this cultural diversity, too.”

Shawver is spending the current academic year in Tunisia, where he says he is “learning more about another cultural area—the Mediterranean. It is a great place to live, with the additional advantage of ready access to Southern Europe.”

Beyond the current year, Shawver’s focus remains global.

“I don’t have fixed plans for the future,” he said. “However, there is still much of the world left to learn more about.”

International. He spent the next seven years solidifying his reputation in the medical imaging industry, including two years at Picker and stints as a director at USA Instruments and General Electric.

While doing various research assignments at that point in his career, he felt he wasn’t being stretched enough. What he was wanting, it turned out, was to be an entrepreneur. Born out of a Case office space seven years ago, QED continues to grow at a rapid rate. Its annual revenue has seen an increase of 2,882 percent from its first year.

“We are making antennas that listen to the body,” Fujita said. “We receive signals from the body, and then we transform the signals into images that doctors can see to diagnose physical conditions.”

Of his company’s remarkable growth, Fujita said, “I know what research we have to do and what we have to do to make a company. I had been trained thanks to my industry experiences. I knew about company structure, and we kept adding to it one by one.”

Fujita is yet another example of a Monmouth graduate who has integrated science and business in his career, and he believes the college is on the right track with its intentional blending of the two disciplines.

“It’s going to be an interesting and exciting program,” he said of the experiences that students will have in MC’s new Center for Science and Business. “I wish I’d had the opportunity to study in it while I was at Monmouth.”

When choosing a college, Fujita was attracted to the opportunities for intimate, intellectual discussions with professors, as opposed to “classes with 300 other students. ...

Monmouth’s campus was a peaceful, beautiful place, not crowded, like I was used to in Tokyo.”

Fujita will be back on Monmouth’s campus in March to deliver the Whiteman Lecture.

Case has also honored him with its Outstanding Recent Alumni Award. Fujita is an adjunct professor in physics and radiology there and, in addition to various board appointments in the community, he serves on the advisory board of the university’s Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence. The founder of Kyocera, Kazuo Inamori is one of Fujita’s chief inspirational role models as an industrialist and philanthropist.

When Fujita presents his Whiteman Lecture, he might deliver the following message, which he shares with his employees: “I tell them to take one step at a time, and to always keep climbing the mountain. Nothing happens overnight.” we’re all scots

25

Now that Dec. 21, 2012, has come and gone and predictions of doom associated with the Mayan calendar didn’t come to pass, our world figures to keep moving right along. But as we think ahead several decades, what will it look like?

Five Monmouth College professors have some ideas about what the future might hold.

They were asked to respond to five recently presented “game-changing” predictions by theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, author of the book Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100. Kaku’s predictions include the development of intelligent machines, a space elevator and a “replicator” that can create anything from almost nothing.

Looking ahead 100 years is not an exact science, as we learned from a series of predictions made in 1900. In some cases, the fearless

forecasters’ sights weren’t set high enough, such as “The American … will live [an average of] 50 years instead of 35 as at present.” Today’s data on aging shows that Americans live on average 78 years.

In other cases, the bar in 1900 was set too high: “Mosquitoes, house-flies and roaches will have practically been exterminated … a university education will be free to every man and woman … there will be no C, X or Q in our every-day alphabet.” That brings to mind a vision of 2,000 Monmouth Kollege freshmen attending an outdoor konvokation (we didn’t kwite make it).

But Kaku might be on to something with his predictions, which he based on interviews with more than 300 of the world’s top scientists. He didn’t speak to biology professors Ken Cramer or James Godde in formulating his future scenarios, but they offered their thoughts about two of his “game-changers”— fusion and space-based power, and stopping the aging process.

Average age of 150?

“I’m not so sure about the ‘stop,’” James Godde said. “Slowing it down sounds more attainable.”

Just as the human life span grew substantially in the 20th century, Godde believes it could make another big jump by 2100. In fact, he said, 150 could be the new 100.

“I can see—as long as everything else is OK with the planet—that living to 100 could be a common thing,” he said. “Our life expectancy is 70-something right now, so to make it to 150 might be possible. There’s got to be some limit, though.”

That limit, Godde said, comes from our body’s imperfections. Even as developments such as genome sequencing give scientists a better understanding of what makes us tick, there are simply likely to be too many factors that need to be controlled in order to extend life indefinitely.

“You can fix things that reproduce during your lifetime,” said Godde. “The cells that get damaged, you can fix that. But the body walks a tightrope. It only has so much time and resources to fix things.”

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life in 2100

Godde continued, “Scientists want to develop ways to fix things better than the body does naturally at present, but there are three billion base pairs of information in our genomes. It would be tough to constantly scan all that information and look for red flags.”

Godde questioned what we might do with all those extra years, anyway.

“It would be ideal to be young longer than to be old for a long time. Maybe it will become normal to have kids in your 40s or 50s. That might be attainable.”

Godde’s vision for the future within Kaku’s predictive framework is for personalized medication.

“You know your DNA sequence from Day 1,” he said. “While there are medicines out there that work for most people, for some people that particular medicine offers horrible results. Personalized medicine is in the future. It will lead to less sickness and longer lifespans.

“However,” Godde concluded, “Things wear out. Forever is a tough thing to shoot for.” monmouth | winter 2013

Run by fusion power?

“Forever” is also the incorrect answer to how long our planet’s fossil fuels will last. For several decades, mankind lived as if fossil fuels would never run out but, fortunately, we are beginning to see the light in the way we see with light.

In fact, Kaku writes, “New forms of energy are desperately needed. … By 2019, fusion power becomes a major player. That is when the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) becomes operational in southern France.”

“People have been talking about nuclear fusion for 50 years, and it never happens,” countered Ken Cramer . “I think the author is overly optimistic that ITER will be operational by 2019. … It is going to take an incredible amount of energy to get it started, and then they’d have to upscale it.

“Solar and wind are more competitive,

price-wise. We need to replace fossil fuels, but I’m just not confident we will. They are so convenient, and we’re so addicted. … We’re taking oil from ever more extreme places. The margins are getting smaller and smaller. It’s taking more and more energy to extract these materials.”

What Cramer sees happening in the short run is demand for oil exceeding production, and prices going up exponentially.

“What’s going to happen is that people will be priced out of the market,” said Cramer, likening the situation to a scene from the movie Soylent Green, when a spoonful of strawberry jam cost $150.

“Change won’t really occur until people’s wallets are affected,” he said. “When gas is $7 or $8 a gallon, behavior will change.”

While nuclear fusion might be many more years away than some experts predict, Cramer is hopeful that another development might progress faster.

“Right now, a battery-operated car like a Nissan Leaf can run 60-70 miles on a charge in ideal driving conditions,” he said. “A few decades ago, computers were extremely large, but they’ve gotten smaller and smaller and more powerful. I hope that’s what will happen with battery power—that the batteries can get progressively smaller and that they’ll store more energy. Maybe several years from now, that same car will be able to go 500 miles on a charge.”

Another area in which advances can be made is solar energy.

“We have so much wasted space in areas where there is lots of sunlight, like roadsides,” said Cramer. “People will say, ‘Oh, you can’t have solar panels all along the road, they’re an eyesore. But we got used to telephone poles.

We don’t even think about those anymore.”

Cramer also doesn’t think “eyesore” when he sees a wind turbine but, rather, “jobs.” He hopes that a wind farm outside of Monmouth will be operational before the end of 2013.

What is ‘the replicator?’

“Theoretical physicists are

my people,” said physics professor Chris Fasano , “but they will say almost anything.”

Fasano was asked to comment on the “replicator,” which Kaku says will be made possible through a “nanobot,” a molecule-sized robot that can arrange molecular bonds in the same way ribosomes work in our bodies.

Fasano calls the science “not forbidden,” i.e., theoretically impossible, but adds, “I wouldn’t buy stock in it.”

He continued, “An example of something that is ‘forbidden’ is going faster than the speed of light. You can’t do that. What this involves—starting with coal and placing atoms the right way so that you end up with a diamond—is theoretically possible. However, it took nature 4.5 million years by trial and error to get to where we are now. Doing this type of work is tremendously hard and complicated. Even if it were possible, would it be economically feasible to do it? Would it be better to take carbon and monmouth | winter 2013

apply this complicated process and make diamonds, or should we just go out and mine diamonds? These are not trivial questions.”

Fasano is bullish on the future, but not quite the way Kaku has in mind.

“The manipulation of matter at the microscopic level will happen,” he said. “You’ are going to see materials that can be designed to do what you want, to have the properties you want. The tiles on the space shuttle are an example of this—a beautifully-engineered material.”

Fasano continued, “We may not be able to create anything we want, but we’ll create interesting things we want.”

Micro-machines will become more mainstream, Fasano predicted.

“For example, if you have a clogged artery, a micro-machine will be able to go in and Roto-Rooter it out. There are already examples of this, and we will create smaller and smarter micro-machines. This is definitely a science that is viable and on the horizon.”

Fasano also spoke about engineering materials through biological processes. “I read an article about how, pound-for-pound, spider silk is stronger than steel. The problem is, you can’t get enough silk. But genetically-engineered silkworms could produce it … A lot of these developments are very exciting to think about. But making anything you want out of nothing? I don’t think so.” continued life in 2100

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Life in 2100 continued from page 27

increase in Intelligent machines?

Also skeptical is assistant professor of mathematics and computer science Logan Mayfield , who was asked his reaction to Kaku’s prediction of the rise of intelligent machines. While painting an optimistic vision, Kaku also refers to incorrect predictions made in the 1950s that by 2000, we would have “mechanical maids, butlers and companions,” similar to the robot Rosie from The Jetsons.

When thinking about artificial intelligence, Mayfield suggests our fascination is shifting away from robotics toward the type of technology that allows cars to parallel park themselves and toward voice and image recognition.

Speaking specifically about automatic parallel parking, Mayfield said, “Most people would be astounded by the amount of work that goes into developing something like that. And it’s a far step from a self-driving car to the research that would be needed for the type of robotics we commonly imagine.”

In his article, Kaku also suggests man “merging with our robotic creations.” While Mayfield doesn’t see that happening in the literal sense, he said that man is, in fact, merging with machines through such technology as pacemakers and artificial limbs developed for veterans, explaining, “They are synched up with the electrical system in their bodies, allowing them to manipulate the fingers on their hands.”

Where Mayfield sees the largest area for widespread, accessible developments is in the area of voice-enabled technology.

“The Siri technology on the iPhone is just going to keep getting better and better,” he predicted. “There are probably people who can afford it who already have that technology in their homes—you’d walk in and say, ‘Lights on,’ and that type of thing. This technology will become more affordable, so it will become more commonplace, and the quality will improve.”

He added, “It’s just like the way we learn; we make mistakes, but the more we do something, the more we learn and the better we become at it. That is what is happening with the communication between humans and machine. The quality will increase at a high rate.”

Similarly, Mayfield said, we should also see rapid developments in translating languages and in image technology. “The intersection of voice-enabled capacity and improved computer vision will come together to help us achieve some sci-fi movie-type things.”

Mayfield didn’t address whether we will ever see the “Beam me up, Scotty” technology from Star Trek, but he did say that parts of the series’ futuristic vision are coming true.

“In Star Trek, they talk to computers. Well, what do you think we’re doing right now with voice-enabled technology? And as computers get smaller and can be in more places, you’re going to see this kind of communication become even more ubiquitous.”

what is A space elevator?

Skepticism abounded from faculty

about Kaku’s “game-changing” ideas, but not from all of them. Assistant professor of physics Ashwani Kumar said he is “very optimistic” about Kaku’s prediction of a space elevator by 2100.

The idea of building a space elevator was formulated in 1960 by Russian engineer Yuri Artsutanov and revised several times in the years that followed.

But the idea went largely unnoticed until 1979, when Arthur Clarke used it as the centerpiece of his novel, The Fountains of Paradise.

The main technological challenge was a lack of strong-enough materials, but now we have materials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene that are much stronger than steel. Kaku reported that the new hurdle to clear is producing mass quantities of graphene, which he called the “strongest substance known to science,” and which also happens to be extremely light. He wrote, “We can only produce millimeter-sized portions of this pure carbon,” but

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Kumar has learned from his communication with Purdue University nanoscientist professor Yong Chen that much larger units of graphene are now being produced.

“That’s pretty good, actually,” Kumar said.

“The problem is what we call ‘grain-boundary’—the area where two pieces of this substance come together. The mechanical properties are significantly reduced when they are placed side by side.

“But,” he continued, “recent simulations show that we can fold graphene ribbon in certain ways to enhance its mechanical properties, thereby compensating for grain-boundary effect.” He said it is also interesting that during the past decade alone, scientists have been able to produce graphene from a size not visible to our naked eyes to 30-inch (diagonal) sheets useful for making touch screens.

On a whiteboard in his office, Kumar illustrated how the elevator would work. The nonrocket launch structure would be linked to a “geostationary” satellite that remains in a fixed location above Earth at all times due to its 24hour orbit time period. This occurs roughly

22,000 miles into space. The space elevator would not require a dramatic, fiery launch, but rather a simple nudge up the “beanstalk.”

Kaku points out that putting humans into space now is a costly endeavor, with a price tag of approximately $1 million per pound to travel to Mars. The space elevator would greatly reduce the cost, assuming that creating miles upon miles of graphene is possible and not cost-prohibitive. Kumar said the price could drop as low as $500 per pound to reach space.

“If built, this would be the largest manmade structure ever conceived with a height of about 22,000 to 30,000 miles,” said Kumar. “In order to build this, a rocket would be needed to lift the initial cable spool into space.

“Conceptually, the space elevator is possible,” he said, before adding another prediction. “I’m very optimistic it could be developed within the next 100 years. Space tourism will be reality in the next 20 years, initially for wealthy and healthy people, and then for the masses.”

Kumar would actually prefer that it be developed even sooner. “Before I die, I would love to be in space once,” he said with a grin.

monmouth | winter 2013

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Graduates experience bittersweet emotions

President Ditzler congratulates Samantha Jagust.

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monmouth | winter 2013

Jubilant Brittany Forney, an elementary education major, shows she is ready to take on the world. p h o t o b y da n N o l a n

Regional director of admission Peter Pitts and his son, Dan Pitts

Pres id infor ent Mau m r mem ation sy i Ditzler, s b berg er Patte tems st af e Seth r and he Shallen- f r son Shal , lenb erge r

Professor emeritus Jeremy McNamara and his grandson, Sean McNamara

R

ather than raindrops from the sky, emotions poured out during Monmouth College’s 155th commencement exercises.

Storms predicted for that afternoon never materialized over campus, but the forecast of a bittersweet mix of joy and sadness was right on target, as 250 graduates celebrated their milestone accomplishment while also realizing that their days as college students were now behind them.

Tears appeared in the midst of smiles as the graduates made their way through a line of faculty.

Professors wished former students the best of the luck, while the graduates expressed gratitude to faculty, many of whom had become mentors and friends.

“It was very emotional for me,” said Samantha Jagust ’12 of that final walk through the faculty line.

“Leaving Monmouth College was one of the hardest things I had to do in my life because I never had a deep connection with a place before. I honestly believe that if I would have pursued my education at any other institution, I would have not developed the relationships I have today, and it wouldn’t have been so hard to say goodbye. The professors and staff genuinely care about your success. I will truly miss college, but I know I took advantage of every opportunity thrown my way.”

A handful of graduates expressed their feelings about Monmouth’s faculty on stage during the ceremony, as they congratulated five professors who had received promotions and/or tenure.

One of them, summa cum laude graduate Quinton Guerrero ’12, said of Michael Sostarecz, “To know that someone loves you and cares for your success and well-being is to know peace and comfort. … Being here today to announce his promotion to associate professor, I can finally give back just a little of the help and love I’ve received.”

Also promoted to associate professor was Audra Sostarecz.

Her colleague in chemistry, Brad Sturgeon, received tenure. Promoted to full professor were Hannah Schell and Tim Tibbetts.

Another professor, Rajkumar Ambrose , closed his 26-year career at Monmouth as one of the ceremony’s featured speakers. He offered the students nuggets of wisdom and advice, mined from his 54 years in higher education.

“You and I have one thing in common,” he told the graduates in a speech he titled “The Journey Continues, the Quest Persists,” which came from an Introduction to Liberal Arts theme. “Both of us are saying farewell to the college we love, the college which has given us so many opportunities to grow, the college which we will always cherish.”

Rather than offering the students a traditional graduation blessing of love, luck and laughter, Ambrose cited a Franciscan benediction for blessings of anger and foolishness:

Rajkumar ambrose

“May God bless with you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom and peace among all people. May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can really make a difference in this world, so that you are able, with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.”

— Rajkumar Ambrose

monmouth | winter 2013

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20 12 Monmouth’s 2012 summa cum laude graduates: Lauren Bergstresser KY ClaeYs Mary Grzenia Quinton Guerrero Danica Rogers Ian Smith Wesley Teal Colleen Zumpf

Lauren Bergstresser

The other featured speaker was Alex Holt ’12. Part of his message to his classmates was that their education at MC had prepared them to go out into the world and help provide solutions to the biggest issues of our time.

Holt’s words were inspiring, and so was his personal story. Holt did not attend college immediately after his high school graduation in 2007. During his gap year, as he worked odd jobs, he received a Facebook message from a Monmouth student who had heard Holt played the bagpipes and encouraged him to come to campus to audition for a Pipe Band scholarship. Holt did just that, eventually serving as president of the Associated Students of Monmouth College and being named MC’s Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois.

AT TOP: The Monmouth College Chorale, including some seniors performing for the last time, sings A Flame of White and Crimson. ABOVE LEFT: John Pagan poses for a photo. ABOVE RIgHT: Matthew Verner looks ahead to the future with a smile.

Jonathan Welty ’12 provided the official welcome for the ceremony, which also included the honoring of a pre-college teacher who had been nominated by the Class of 2012.

Quinton Guerrero

Andrew Drea ’12 introduced this year’s recipient, Stephen Steele, his journalism teacher at Taylorville (Ill.) High School.

“Mr. Steele taught us to look at the world from a variety of perspectives and to refrain from dividing the world into black and white viewpoints,” said Drea. “He expected us to be aware of the world around us and often quizzed us on current events to ensure that we were reading the news and knew the issues we faced.”

Danica Rogers

Colleen Zumpf

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Jessica Avila ’12, senior class president also addressed the class, closing with words of wisdom from Mother Teresa: “People are often unreasonable, irrational and selfcentered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. … In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”

Andrew Drea introduces his high school journalism teacher, Stephen Steele, whom he nominated for this year’s Pre-College Teacher Award.

monmouth | winter 2013

"We kind of like the guy..." — K ansas City Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel

Tanney’s NFL career on hold in Kansas City Former Fighting Scots quarterback Alex Tanney ’ s time in the NFL was put on hold

following an injury in the Kansas City Chiefs’ final preseason game at Green Bay on Aug. 30.

Tanney—who saw his first preseason action in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field—suffered an injury to his throwing hand in his first series, cutting short his debut and placing him on the Chiefs’ injured reserve list. While not on the final 53-man roster announced the next day, Tanney does stay under contract with the Chiefs and is undergoing treatment for the injury. The move has allowed Tanney to attend functions with the team, but he will not be allowed to practice or play this season.

The path to the NFL for the 2011 Monmouth graduate has been full of twists and turns since he completed his collegiate career. After spending the winter and spring at a training facility in Florida, Tanney was invited to attend a mini-camp in Pittsburgh, but instead took the Buffalo Bills up on their offer to attend their mini-camp. His chances with the Bills took a blow when they signed veteran Vince Young at the opening of the camp.

Tanney then received an offer from Kansas City to attend their OTAs and landed a contract offer.

Near the end of the Chiefs’ training camp, head coach Romeo Crennel was quoted in a blog by Chiefs Insider Justin Looney: “We kind of like the guy a little bit, so that’s why we keep him. If we didn’t like him and we didn’t think he had ability, we’d let him go.

He’s an unproven guy, but we like some things about him and he’s still trying to learn the system.”

In the game against the Packers, Tanney was officially 0-for-1. He had a 41-yard pass play called back by a holding penalty. p h o t o b y M i k e R o emer monmouth | winter 2013

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WINTER SPORTS REVIEW: Scots win conference, reach first-ever NCAA tourney WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: The two-year Fighting Scots career of Haley Jones ’12 featured two very similar starts to the season. But the differences at the end were night and day.

A year ago, Jones and her new teammates rebounded from a shaky start, eventually reaching the Midwest Conference championship game. A heartbreaking overtime loss denied them their first-ever title and an opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament. But the Scots broke through that barrier this season, with Jones scoring 16 points and dishing out eight assists to complement junior Zipporah Williams’ 20 points in a 75-67 titlegame win over Carroll.

In the semifinal, Marla Willard ’14 posted a career-high 25 points and grabbed 12 boards as Monmouth blitzed Lake Forest 76-62.

The reward for the program’s first-ever MWC title was a matchup against the University of Chicago.

The Maroons entered the

NCAA tourney unbeaten and ranked No. 2 in the nation.

The Scots battled the Maroons hard for 40 minutes, eventually falling 75-68. Jones, who was the Scots’ lone representative on the AllMWC team, finished her career with a 17-point performance. The sharpshooter averaged 15.7 points per game, third-best in the league.

Also averaging double figures for the Scots were Williams (12.0) and Willard (11.5). The

post players placed third and second in the league, respectively, with rebounding averages of 8.8 and 9.1.

“We came a long way,” said Melissa Jones Bittner ’03, who won MWC Coach of the Year.

“There were moments this season when I questioned whether our defense was good enough.

Then at the end of the season we found our niche and got into a good defensive groove.”

A long way is right. For the second consecutive December, MC lost to St. Norbert by at least 30 points to fall to 2–3 on the year. But they recovered to match last year’s win total of 16, with one major distinction—MWC champions.

Fueled by 127- and 118-point performances against Knox, the Scots came within one total point of netting their highest-ever scoring average. The 127 points against Knox ranked seventh all-time in NCAA Division III women’s basketball history.

The women's basketball team poses with its hardware after winning the Midwest Conference championship to advance to the NCAA tournament.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Did coach Todd Skrivseth do a good job of turning around the Fighting Scots in his first season on the bench?

You’d get a positive reply from several sources, including Midwest Conference playoff qualifier Carroll, which lost both of its games against Monmouth.

Skrivseth’s first squad ultimately posted a 7-16 record and placed eighth in the league, MC’s highest finish in three seasons. The upward trend could continue, as Skrivseth was able to work on his first full recruiting class. That new talent will join a nucleus that figures to include double-digit scorers Kendall Cox ’13 (11.1 points per game) and Michael DeDecker ’13 (10.9). DeDecker and Cox combined for 47 points in a season-ending victory over Knox, which saw the Scots make 14 of 17 three-pointers in the first half. Brent Burrows ’14 and Cody Hillier ’14 came on strong to wind up with averages of 6.9 and 6.2 points, respectively.

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WOMEN’S SWIMMING: Five school-record performances helped the Fighting Scots to their best-ever Midwest Conference finish, a third-place showing under new head coach Alex de la Pena.

Erin Willhite ’15 and Erica McAloon ’13 sped to new MC marks in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, respectively, and they teamed with Kendra Kuehl ’13 and Dani Gordon ’14 to set the new 800-yard freestyle relay record. Senior Krysta Sparks ’12 owns the new 100-yard butterfly mark, while diver Clarissa Hensby ’15 set a new points record.

Sparks added Monmouth’s highest finish at the meet, taking second in the 200-yard butterfly. Third-place finishers for the Scots included Sparks in the 100-yard butterfly, Willhite in the 50 free and Rachel Holm ’12 in the 200-yard butterfly.

MEN’S SWIMMING: Due to a small roster, the six-member men’s team fell back a spot from last season to place fifth at the MWC meet, but the margin was slim. The Scots missed a third-place finish by just 30 points, and were only five points out of fourth.

The Dunn brothers led Monmouth’s swimmers at the meet, each recording a second-place finish. Brett Dunn ’14 was runner-up in the 400-yard individual medley, while Josh Dunn ’12 was second in the 100-yard freestyle. Josh added third-place finishes in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly, and Gabe Baginski ’14 placed third in the 200-yard freestyle. monmouth | winter 2013

SPRING SPORTS REVIEW:

Men’s tennis, golf place second

MEN’S TENNIS: The success of the Fighting Scots' runner-up season in the Midwest Conference can be described in many ways, but perhaps the best is “Grinnell 5, Monmouth 4.” That’s how close the Scots came to stopping the Pioneers’ streaks of 12 South Division titles and 47 divisional match victories.

“That’s probably as close as anyone has come to beating them in the last 10 years,” said MC coach Chad David Johnson Chris Utterback Braun of the match, which was played in Grinnell.

A week after that close result, Grinnell won its ninth consecutive MWC team title, again having to defeat the Scots. The score was 5-2, with Monmouth leading the two matches that weren’t completed. The Scots wound up 14-11 in head-to-head competition.

In the regular season meeting vs. Grinnell, Chris Franco ’14 and Tyler Lampe ’12 gutted out a tough 9-8 doubles win, but freshman Parker Featherston ’15 and Chris Utterback ’12 fell 9-7 in what turned out to be the pivotal match. David Johnson ’14 and David Stewart ’14, who won at No. 1 doubles, each won their singles matches, but it was not quite enough to upset the Pioneers.

Johnson continued his winning ways at the MWC Championships, taking the No. 2 singles title, while Utterback won at No. 5 singles. They became just the third and fourth Monmouth players to capture singles titles in the history of the program.

Speaking of history, Utterback capped his career with the third-most combined victories (106), while Lampe finished eighth on the all-time list with 86. But watch out for Stewart and Johnson.

With 77 and 76 wins, respectively, and with two seasons still remaining, “The Davids” may completely rewrite Monmouth’s record book. Adding a Midwest Conference team title seems like a very possible revision, too.

SOFTBALL: Coach John Goddard’s squad might not agree that 2012 featured one of the Midwest’s most beautiful springs. The final day of the Midwest Conference crossover event was rained out twice, forcing the completed games to be scratched from each team’s league record. Precipitation returned two weeks later, and the Scots didn’t learn their playoff fate until a doubleheader between Lake Forest and Illinois College was finally able to be played four days after what was scheduled to be the last day of the regular season.

Fortunately, that LFC-IC result went Monmouth’s way, allowing the Scots to take second place in the South Division and advance to the MWC playoffs. There, they staved off elimination but ultimately fell 7-6 to Carroll to finish

third in the league with an overall mark of 18-18.

Four Scots made the All-South Division team, including four-time honoree Lauren Bergstresser ’12, who earned her second Player of the Year honor, hitting .306 and stealing 11 bases. Sommer Foster ’14 joined her on the squad by posting team highs of five homers, three triples, a .631 slugging percentage and a .379 average. Selected to the team for the second straight season were third baseman Caitlin Lingle ’14 (.328, 4 HR, team-high 28 RBIs) and outfielder Brooke Twohill ’12 (.333).

Alyssa Edler ’15 tied with classmates Skyler Johnson for best ERA (2.81) and Taylor Smith for most wins (6).

BASEBALL: The Fighting Scots split with South Division foes Grinnell and Illinois College, but four losses to Knox, including a trio of heartbreakers, kept them out of the Midwest Conference playoffs for just the second time in the last 13 years. Their division mark was 4-8, with an overall record of 12-22.

The Prairie Fire rallied from a five-run deficit to post a 12-inning win and, the following weekend, staged a four-run rally to win 11-8. Throw in a Monmouth loss in a 3-2 pitching duel, and it’s easy to see how close the Scots came to reaching the postseason. Switching just two of those outcomes would have leapfrogged the Scots into a second-place South Division finish.

Zach Myers ’12 paced the team in ERA (2.25) and saves (5), while Luke Gschwendtner ’12 posted an ERA of 2.75 while leading the way in wins (3) and consecutive consonants. Offensively, Mitch Johnson ’12 topped the Scots in average (.328) and RBIs (19). Caleb Ruyle ’12 belted two homers and drove in 18 runs. monmouth | winter 2013

MEN’S GOLF: Coach Dave Ragone’s team got hot at the end of the season, winning three straight invitational titles.

Unfortunately, the Midwest Conference Championship wasn’t one of them, as the Fighting Scots settled for a second-place tie, 14 strokes behind defending champion Carroll.

Monmouth won back-to-back events hosted by Illinois College on two different courses and also triumphed at the ScotFire Invite, defeating Carroll in the process. During the spring season, the Scots’ four lowest rounds were 292, 299, 300 and 301. But at the MWC meet, the Scots couldn’t get four golfers going at the same time, carding a three-day score of 316– 309–314–939.

Sean McNamara ’12 earned his first all-conference honor, placing third to cap a string of four straight top 10 finishes in his final four meets. Cory Fell ’13 and Britt Bothast ’13 placed sixth and 10th, respectively, to also earn All-MWC honors. Senior Ben Olson’s strong season included medalist honors and a second-place finish at the two Illinois College meets.

Sean McNamara

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Four Scots throwers qualify for national competition

Imagine an NFL team having its entire offensive line selected to the Pro Bowl. Or maybe all the members of a baseball team’s starting rotation being picked for the All-Star Game.

That was the bounty of talent present among the throwers on the Fighting Scots women’s track team, which sent an incredible four athletes to the NCAA outdoor track championships.

ABOVE: Monmouth College women's throwers

Amanda Streeter, Allison Devor, Kayla Corzine and Raven Robinson all qualified for the national

outdoor meet last season. Three of them were indoor or outdoor All-Americans.

inset: Due in part to his efforts working with the throwers, Brian Woodard was named the Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

Four Fighting Scots earned All-American honors in indoor or outdoor track. Three of them came from Monmouth’s incredibly deep and talented group of women’s throwers, led by Allison Devor’s pair of top-eight finishes in the hammer throw ( fourth) and shot put (seventh). Indoors, Raven Robinson ’14 and Amanda Streeter ’12 turned in All-American performances in the shot put ( fifth) and weight throw (eighth), respectively. Devor ’13 also qualified to compete at the national meet in the indoor shot put and weight throw, while Kayla Corzine ’13, Robinson and Streeter made the outdoor shot put field. Streeter also qualified in the hammer. Combined, the four women qualified for nationals in 10 events.

Assistant coach Brian Woodard ’97 receives a lot of the credit for helping to develop MC's throwers, and that credit was broadcast to a larger audience when Woodard was named the Midwest Region’s Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year by the USTFCCCA. “Coach Woodard has done an outstanding job with all our throwers, not just this year, but for the last 15 years,” said head coach Roger Haynes ’82. “He defines what hard work and dedication are all about.

It’s a very fitting honor for him that is long overdue.”

Haynes was also an award winner, capturing three of the four Midwest Conference Coach of the Year honors as his teams again won all four league meets. It was the eighth straight year that Monmouth swept the titles, with the longest streak belonging to the Fighting Scots men, who have captured 13 consecutive indoor championships.

Speaking of the men’s team, James Wilson ’15 also brought home an All-American honor, placing eighth in the outdoor long jump (23'9½).

That came on the heels of his MWC title in the event.

Wilson was also part of the Scots’ record-setting 4x100 team, which qualified for nationals and won the league meet in an MWC-record time of 41.66. He was joined by Andre Taylor ’12, Kiante Green ’14 and Eric Brown ’14. They lowered their time to 41.59 at nationals, but missed a spot in the finals by .23 of a second.

Other athletes who qualified for an NCAA meet but did not bring home All-American honors were Green in the 100- and 200-meter dash, hurdler Logan Hohl ’12, pole vaulter Brock McAnally ’12, long jumper Mackinsey Marquith ’13 and high jumper Emily Tysma ’14.

Streeter also set an MWC record, launching the hammer 163'9. However, the school record belongs to Devor, who earned one of her AllAmerican honors with a throw of 179'7. She also set the weight throw record of 60'1¼ during the indoor season.

Robinson established Monmouth’s new shot put records of 45'10 indoors and 46'2¾ outdoors. The latter mark was ranked No. 1 in the nation at one point of the season. Streeter (discus) and Corzine (outdoor shot put) added MWC throw titles.

The men’s squad didn’t have as many outstanding throwers, but it did have one shining star, as DeAndre Smith ’13 won the shot put and weight throw at the MWC indoor meet and doubled in the shot and discus outdoors. He and Green were named Most Outstanding Performers at both meets. Other MOPs included Streeter, two-time outdoor champ Devor, pole vault champion McAnally and distance runners Rachel Bowden ’13 and Jake Barr ’13. Bowden won the mile run and now owns MC’s records in that race (5:05.74) and the 800 (2:15.93).

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1930

1962

1948 Patricia Hofstetter was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Whittier (Calif.) High School. The award was given to the retired municipal court judge by the WHS Alumni Association and Educational Foundation.

1967 Jack Koch of North Palm Beach, Fla.,

Mary Johnson of Monmouth celebrated her 104th birthday on May 31, 2012.

She continues to live just a block from Monmouth College.

1950

Arturo DeVitalis of Pensacola, Fla., facilitates “The Quest for Authentic Manhood” for civilian and military men in his church.

1952

Joan Thompson Peart of Orange, Calif., is a self-employed speech pathologist working with students with learning challenges or speech/language disorders.

1956 The Rev. Carolyn Copeland Wharton of Grand Rapids, Mich., has retired after 32 years of ordained ministry. She is currently studying Arabic and working with Arabicspeaking students in an ESL program.

1959 Margarey Knapp Nixon retired from a

30-year career as a church secretary and moved to Seaford, Del., where she helped open a branch of Love, Inc., a referral agency that connects people in need with churches and agencies that can help.

1961 Tom Bollman of Monmouth was profiled in a recent article for the determination he has shown in overcoming the loss of both of his legs. Diabetes claimed one of his legs in 2001 and, a year later, complications from a foot injury took the other. Today, Bollman walks more than a mile a day. He ‘s trained for the shot put in the Senior Olympics with assistance from Glenn Brooks ’61 (see below) and Ralph Whiteman ’52.

Glenn Brooks of Los Angeles, Calif., recently returned from a two-week United Service Organizations (USO) tour to Diego Garcia, a small island in the Indian Ocean which houses a U.S. Navy base. Brooks played bass for the Paris Escovedo Project, whose leader called Brooks “an old school guy (who) brings great energy. ... A cool cat.”

Judson ’64 and Lynda Stewart Grove of Mount Airy, N.C., who met at Monmouth College, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 10. Judson has spent the last 16 years as a self-employed aviation consultant, and Lynda is a homemaker.

Betty McClure Salisbury was kept close to her home in Harrisonburg, Va., by back surgery last year, but she has recovered well.

She and her husband have returned to working with their service organizations and to taking Life Long Learning classes.

monmouth | winter 2013

Jerry Greer of East Moline, Ill., and his wife are a team couple for United Marriage Encounter, helping present weekends in the U.S. and abroad. Greer is a retired high school counselor at United Township High School in East Moline.

is an anti-aging consultant, teaching people how to look and feel at least 10 years younger.

Leon Kraut of Freeport, Ill., retired from the Boy Scouts of America last year. He now tutors in the Freeport school district.

1968

Joan Rezner Gundersen has been honored with the Episcopal Women’s History Project Adelaide Teague Case Award for advancing the project’s goals through both leadership and scholarship. The author of seven books and more than two dozen articles on women’s history, Gundersen left the world of academia after 30 years to join the staff of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

1969

Mark Goodman of Atlanta, Ga., has been awarded the Paul C. Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Science applied to Nuclear Medicine. A member of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, where he is a professor and chair of imaging science, Goodman was described as “a visionary in the field of nuclear and molecular imaging.”

Jay Van Cura of Riverside, Ill., sings in an a cappella duet throughout Chicagoland.

Gretchen Wright Moore ’64 has headed up the support organization for the DeKalb/Sycamore area community symphony orchestra since her retirement from Northern Illinois University. Her efforts came to fruition this year when the Kishwaukee Symphony Associates were recognized with the 2012 Orchestra Guild of the Year award from the Illinois Council of Orchestras. in WealthCounsel’s video campaign. He was a second-place finisher in the competition for creating a lasting legacies video.

1980 Carl Forkner of Mesa, Ariz., retired in a 2011 after a 28-year career as an officer in the U.S. Navy. A Ph.D. candidate in higher education administration, Commander Forkner spent his last five years as an assistant professor in international security studies at the Air War College in Alabama.

He recently published an article titled “University of Delhi: A Look inside Indian Higher Education” in the Global Education Journal.

He currently works as a senior analyst with Wikistrat, a geopolitical strategic studies company. He also is an independent consultant on leadership and education in the Phoenix area.

1982

Cindy Pierce Mackinnon of Lewisville, Texas, has started her eighth year of private math tutoring.

1972 Sherm Smith of Irvine, Calif., is president and CEO of Chambers Group, Inc., which has been recognized as one of the top 200 environmental firms by Engineering News-Record (enr.com).

1985 Jeff Clawson brings more than 25 years of city government experience to his new position as city manager in Princeton, Ill. He was most recently the city administrator in Fairfield, Iowa.

1973 Tim Brinker of Glen Ellyn, Ill., has retired after 24 years as a fifth-grade teacher at Westfield School.

1986 Kellie Kohler-Estes has started a new position as the vice president for development and donor relations with the Trinity Health Foundation in Moline, Ill.

Scott and Deborah Drain Crawford live in Linn Creek, Mo. Deborah has published her first children’s book, Iggy’s Island, and has also written for young adults. She has run a successful cosmetics company for the past 23 years.

1975

Sandi Cook Harmon recently celebrated her 25th year as director of the Lutheran Preschool and Day Care Center in Monmouth.

Dave Kall of New Port Richey, Fla., reports that he’s been sailing around the Caribbean for four years in his own boat. His adventures can be followed at svelysium.net/blog.

Louis Pavone of Bloomingdale, Ill., a managing partner at Loss & Pavone, was one of 12 finalists from a field of approximately 2,500 WealthCounsel estate planning attorneys, who had the opportunity to participate

Alisa Yeast Ramer of Monmouth received a Distinguished Service Award from the Monmouth-Roseville Hall of Achievement along with her husband, Leo Ramer. The couple was honored for service and leadership in promoting musical programs for area youth and for helping develop the interest and talent of hundreds of young musicians.

William Stris ’66 of Valley Stream, N.Y., received the Silver Bullet Award for effective school board service from the NassauSuffolk School Boards Association.

continued

clan notes

39

Between his squat, bench and dead lift, Dan Cotter ’88 lifted a total of 1,360 pounds during the American Powerlifting Federation and Amateur American Powerlifting Federation’s Chicago Summer Bash in July. His efforts helped raised approximately $40,000 for the Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth program. Over the past 10 years, Cotter has raised close to $250,000 for the organization.

MC roommates Robert Crawford ’06 and Josh Estrada ’06 have founded Google Chicago Recruiting, which was expected to grow into the second largest group of recruiters outside the company’s California headquarters by the summer of 2012. Previously, Crawford and Estrada worked together for the recruitment firm Allegis Group Services, coleading a national effort for AT&T.

1989

Gregory Ketcham, University of Illinois chaplain and director of the St. John’s Catholic Newman Center, has been named the 2012 winner of the Father John P. Smyth Award, given annually by Sports Faith International to an outstanding Catholic athlete or coach interested in pursuing a religious vocation. Ketcham played football at MC and at Quincy University before entering seminary to become a priest.

graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Nelson owns Maple Ridge Veterinary Clinic in Geneseo, Ill.

Brad Nahrstadt of Buffalo Grove, Ill., has started his own law firm. He is one of the owners and is a managing partner of Lipe Lyons Murphy Nahrstadt & Pontikis Ltd. in Chicago. The firm concentrates on tort defense and commercial litigation matters.

Ill., completed her master’s degree in health administration from the University of St. Francis. She is the laboratory outreach coordinator at SwedishAmerican Healthsystem in Rockford.

1990 Sandi Walton has been hired as office manager for the Janesville (Wis.) Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

1996 Cheri Lydic Gipson of Cameron, Ill., is

a speech therapist at OSF St. Mary’s Medical Center.

1998 Scott Bayer of Naperville, Ill., was named the new head wrestling coach at Batavia High School, where he also teaches history.

Jennifer Eyre has been appointed principal at Monmouth’s Harding Primary School, and she will also serve as Title One director for the Monmouth-Roseville school district.

She most recently held the position of assistant principal of response and intervention.

Currently enrolled in a doctoral program through Concordia University, Eyre is obtaining superintendent certification.

Matt Nelson received the Dr. Erwin Small First Decade Award at the 129th Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association (ISVMA) Annual Meeting. The prestigious award is given annually to one veterinarian in the state who has graduated from veterinary college in the last 10 years and who represents high standards of professionalism and leadership in ISVMA programs. A 2002

40

clan notes

Michelle Kommer Reef has been named the new volleyball coach at Eureka College. Reef coached the past 10 years with the Prime Time Volleyball Club in Champaign, Ill. She also had a four-year stint as coach at Urbana High School.

2000 Brooke McGee Gundstrom of Byron,

2001 Matt Fotis has left the University of Missouri to take a full-time teaching position at Albright College in Reading, Pa. Among his many career accomplishments to date, Fotis is the only playwright to have three of his plays presented in one year at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival since the center was founded in 1971.

2002 Sudipta Roy of Chicago, Ill., reported

that he became a naturalized U.S. citizen on April 23. “This is one of the happiest days of my life,” he wrote. “I cannot express my feelings in words.”

Jason Vana of Monmouth is president of Ignite Student Ministries. He also runs his own graphic design and marketing business (jasonvana.net) and works part-time at Carl Sandburg College.

2004 Rob Purlee has taken a position on the basketball staff at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio.

2006

Evan Harrison of Roseville has been named a financial representative for Country Financial.

2007 Megan Hamilton is an account executive and assistant to the sales team at WEEK/ WHOI in Peoria and is an assistant track coach at Peoria Notre Dame High School.

Maj. Chris Heatherly ’94 recently completed an assignment with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, which included a 12month deployment to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Prior to that deployment, he served as the intelligence planner in the G5 plans section, helping to develop the operational blueprint for the entire task force. In Afghanistan, Heatherly was reassigned as the Regional Information Fusion Center (RIFC) chief, leading a team of 120 military and civilian personnel. “We routinely shared our analysis with the larger U.S. intelligence community and coalition partners,” said Heatherly, whose family recently moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he is an instructor at the Command and General Staff College.

2008 Sara Tuttle Scruggs of Schaumburg, Ill., completed her master’s degree in social work from Aurora University in 2010.

Carly Wolf of Oswego, Ill., who completed her CPA certificate in 2010 and her master’s in business administration from Aurora University in 2011, works for Caterpillar, Inc.

2009 Laura Gluba of Altona, Ill., is a resi-

dence service director with Community Living Options in Galesburg.

Jake Virgo is currently working toward his Ph.D. in physical therapy at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago. Research he conducted as a senior at Monmouth was recently published in the Journal of Psychological Inquiry (JPI). Titled “The Role of Nitric Oxide in Consolidation and Long-Term Memory in Rats,” Virgo received the JPI’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research for this work.

2010 Annie Lane returned from India in June after spending a year doing volunteer work, including three months at a girls school in Anupshahr. As a Monmouth student, Lane spent time in Italy, England, Scotland and Romania.

2011

Amanda Rush is a consultant for Sogeti USA in Chicago, Ill., where she develops applications for clients using a variety of tools. Her area of specialty is mobile applications, particularly Android.

2012

Michael Fenton of Bradley, Ill., has joined the Bourbonnais Herald/County Market as a reporter.

monmouth | winter 2013

MC alumni made up most of the wedding party at the nuptials of Kayla Winbigler ’11 and Greg Jones ’09. Bridesmaids were, from left, Laura Graff ’11, Kim Dwyer ’12, Andrea Winbigler, Jennifer Erickson ’10 and Katie Jones. Groomsmen were, from left, Brian Jones, Neil Mecagni ’10, Ryan Harvey ’10, Joel Johnson ’08 and Nate Harroun ’10.

Six MC graduates were in the wedding party of Janella Johnson ’12 and Chris Springer ’ 07 (to bride’s left). They include Josh Reschke ’07 (far left), Andre Jackson ’07 (seated to bride’s right), Elyse Lambert Stichter ’06 (top), John Carroll ’07 (kneeling), Joe Freitag ’07 (fourth from right), Mark Lakis ’08 (far right).

Megan Hamilton and Jon Manley

Four alumni were part of the wedding ceremony for Hayley Townsend ’08 and Russell Bold ’06. At the far left are Gianna Sagert ’08 and Melinda Fry ’03. Rachel Bold ’10 is next to the bride, and Alex Townsend ’14 is the second groomsman from the left.

1960 2004 2007

Dottie Mertz and Lynn Swinger December 29, 2011 Stacey Feiden and Steven Desjardins

May 15, 2010

Megan Hamilton and Jon Manley July 28, 2011 Megan McGuinness and Michael Haddad February 25, 2012 Katherine Taylor and Eric Paullin October 22, 2011

2008

Abigail McLaughlin and Ian Van Anden

June 16 2012

Hayley Townsend and Russell Bold ’06 July 16, 2011

Anna Bradac and Walker Filip

Jennifer Koerner and Matthew Trone

monmouth | winter 2013

Abigail McLaughlin and Ian Van Anden

2009 Kellie Thomas and David Wunderlich October 8, 2011 2010 Jennifer Koerner and Matthew Trone June 23, 2012 2011 Anna Bradac and Walker Filip ’10 October 8, 2011 2012 Janella Johnson and Chris Springer ’07 June 23, 2012 clan notes

41

Samuel Bolon

Natalie Welty

Kevin and Ryan Johnson

1994 1995 1999 2000

Addison Troha

Paige DeCrane

Felicia Tank Fechtmeister and Steve

Kathryn Kelley

DeAnn Nelson Spring and Jason ’97

Desmond Slee

Benjamin Jozefiak

a son, Caleb Steven

July 25, 2012

a son, Sadler Edward Nelson

May 7, 2012

Tamara Leodoro Gallagher and Dustin ’98

a daughter, Clarissa Marie November 4, 2010

Wendy Erlandson Anderson and Jeremy Leah Lazarus Kelley and Kevin Julie Larson Martin and Adam

a son, Cohen Leith July 9, 2012 a daughter, Kathryn Grace October 8, 2011 a daughter, Laikyn Marie April 25, 2012

2002 Laura Jo and Justin Morrow 2003 Jaime Cortelyou DeCrane and Adam ’02

a son, Matthew Gilbert June 6, 2012 a daughter, Paige Madison a son, Benjamin Thomas

March 7, 2012 March 21, 2012

a son, Benjamin James Micheal a daughter, Addison Grace

February 22, 2012 May 9, 2012

a daughter, Natalie Rose

February 17, 2012

Lindsey Whately Jozefiak and Troy ’04

Caleb Fechtmeister

2004

Janette Larkins Schultz and James Tasha Sleister Troha and Matt

2005 Elizabeth McKenna Welty and Anthony ’06 2006 Jaque and Matt Gohlinghorst

a son, Clay William August 8, 2012 identical twin sons November 15, 2011 Kevin Richard and Ryan Dean Lindsay Clark VonHolten and Blake a daughter, Khloe Renee April 2011

Kristin Chmielewski Johnson and Richard ’01 Clarissa Gallagher

Matthew Morrow

42

clan notes

2008

Katherine Davis Perry and Dane Sara Tuttle Scruggs and T.J. ’07 Shannon Hess Slee and Jordan ’09

MC

Todd Skrivseth, men’s basketball coach, and Sarah Wendi Bolon, assistant professor of political

economy and commerce, and Lenard Kate Zittlow Rogness, assistant professor of communication studies, and Colin

a son, Briar Dane Joshua August 8, 2012 a son, Mason Gage April 13, 2011 a son, Desmond Patrick February 29, 2012 a son, Tyler James May 16, 2012 a son, Samuel Harvey July 13, 2012 a son, Finbar Patrick July 24, 2012

monmouth | winter 2013

scotlight

Leadership, integrity keys to Spaulding’s music industry success

By Barry McNamara

Spaulding’s advice to today’s students

How closely is the study of government and philosophy related to the selling and promoting of music? Perhaps, one would think, about as closely related as Snoop Dogg is to Michael Bublé.

But Ron Spaulding ’86, who majored in both subjects, showed how they all tie in together during a recent visit to campus.

President of INgrooves/Fontana, an independent music distribution company in Universal City, Calif., Spaulding has experienced a career in the industry that included work not only with the aforementioned artists, but also Metallica, Chickenfoot, NWA, Master P and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, to name a few.

“The courses in government gave me a good idea of the way our country is structured and, in relation to that, how organizations can be structured,” said Spaulding, who came to Monmouth from Jerseyville,

A break in his professional career came while he worked as a regional sales manager for JCI Records in Minneapolis, as the position “created a platform for a lifetime in sales.”

That led to a really big break—his nineyear career at Priority Records. From 1991 to 2000, the company’s sales grew from $20 million to $300 million while he served in various sales capacities.

Next came work with Warner Music Group, Elektra Entertainment and, later, WEA (Warner, Elektra and Atlantic) Distribution. In October 2007, he joined Fontana Distribution as executive vice president and general manager. Earlier this year, the Print-ready pds for Brandt Co company was purchased by INgrooves.

Spaulding and his staff fund, create and execute sales and marketing for more than 100 independent music labels and many recording artists. ron spaulding ’86 President of INgrooves/Fontana

“The most important thing for a person is to build strong relationships.

Business is a web of relationships—relationships with your peers, your superiors and your subordinates. It’s critical how you manage them, because they affect how you will be perceived and directly influence performance results. We are tethered to social-networking devices, so it’s even more important to build strong, integrity-based relationships. That transcends so many things in the world of business and, really, in life.”

Ill. “So these courses gave me an inward look at organizations. From philosophy, I’ve learned how to think about things in different ways, from different perspectives.”

As a high school senior, Spaulding had “interest in and from” schools of various sizes, but what drew him to MC was former admission representative Irma Allen.

In addition to his double major, Spaulding was active as a wrestler and as a member of Alpha Tau Omega.

“Greek life was an integral part of my experience,” he said. “It helped me to cultivate lifelong friendships and showed me the importance of building relationships.”

Ultimately, he said, relationships are what really matter, both professionally and personally. monmouth | winter 2013

When asked about career highlights, he replied, “The launch of No Limit Records, which experienced phenomenal success in a short period of time and helped mature the success of the hip-hop genre was exciting. Our growth at Fontana has been rewarding, and it’s been the culmination of years of experience.”

While speaking to the college’s Entrepreneurism class, Spaulding said, “Our company’s international opportunities continue to grow and we plan to foster exponential growth in the next five to 10 years overseas. The recognition that artistic material is intellectual property deserving protection is growing in places like China. That means there is great opportunity there.” clan notes

43

Deaths

In memoriam: Poling was chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company Harold “Red” Poling, one of Monmouth College’s most successful alumni, died May 12, 2012, at the age of 86.

The 1949 graduate was the former chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company. He chaired Monmouth’s board of trustees several times during his 18-year tenure on Monmouth’s board.

Red was respected by all for his leadership, his passion for being the low-cost producer and his genuine affinity for people.”

Poling’s name will live on at Monmouth College thanks to the lead gift he and his wife, Marian, made in 1992 to transform the former Carnegie Library into a central administrative building, Poling Hall. A decade later, the Polings pledged a $3

million gift to Monmouth College to enhance international studies.

That gift led to the creation of the college’s center for intercultural affairs and the hiring of a director of intercultural life.

The Poling Room, which is the centerpiece of the department of political economy and commerce’s classroom space in McMichael Academic Hall, is also named in his honor. Red and Marian, who survives, were married for 55 years.

Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford, said in a statement, “Red Poling was

an extraordinary leader who had a profound impact on Ford Motor Company and everyone who worked

with him. With a list of accomplishments that spanned 43 years, including leading the company through a remarkable turnaround during the 1980s and 1990s,

1935 Nadine Knights Dodge, 97, of Rancho Bernardo, Calif., died March 16, 2012. An English major at Monmouth, she was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years.

1937 Frances Bryson Morgan, 98, of Xenia,

Ohio, died March 23, 2012. An English major at Monmouth, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi and Crimson Masque, she continued her education at the University of Illinois Library School. She served as head of the technical services department at the Green County Library in Xenia. Following her 1979 retirement, she worked as a cataloger at the library in Xenia’s Memorial United Presbyterian Church until her death. Morgan’s family had many ties to Monmouth, as her parents and four grandparents, including legendary

44

clan notes

Poling first attended Monmouth College during World War II as a cadet in the Navy’s V-12 program. Upon his discharge from the service, he returned to Monmouth and completed his undergraduate degree in economics and business administration. Entering graduate studies at Indiana University, the Detroit native obtained a summer internship with the steel division of Ford and later joined the company as a cost analyst in the steel mill.

profesor Russell Graham, were all alumni.

Her great-grandfather, David Graham, donated the original 10 acres of the current college site, and her great aunt, Fanny Thomson, was a founder of Pi Beta Phi. Survivors include a son, William Gerry ’64.

1938 Marian Stanton James, 94, of Sun City, Arizona, died Jan. 19, 2012. She majored in music and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. James taught music in several rural schools in the county before marrying Frederic James ’39 in 1940. During their 59-year marriage, they lived in 11 towns, with James teaching music and leading choirs while her husband served various churches. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by three brothers who

He was elected a company vice president and president of Ford Europe in October 1975 and two years later was appointed chairman and CEO of Ford Europe. In 1979, Poling became executive vice president of the corporate staffs and a member of the board of directors, and the next year he was named executive vice president of North American Automotive Operations. In 1985, he became president and chief operating officer of Ford, and he was elected chairman and CEO of Ford in 1990.

“Red, in his leadership role at Ford, possessed an inordinate analytical skill and keen sense of sound business judgment,” said, Donn Denniston ’60, whose 30-year career at Ford overlapped much of Poling’s. “He was firm and yet was relentless in demonstrating an acute degree of fairness. Few, if any, working under the Ford Oval umbrella were more highly respected or effective in leading Ford through turbulent times. Red was not only a formidable force in the boardroom, but as well on the golf course, truly one of his passions.”

In recognition of his outstanding leadership in the automotive industry, Poling was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1999. He was also one of the five charter inductees into Monmouth College’s Hall of Achievement, the highest honor it bestows upon its graduates.

attended MC—Carter Stanton ’34, Donald Stanton ’36 and Jonathon Stanton ’44.

Marcena Hill Smallwood, 95, of Alexis, Ill., died May 23, 2012. She graduated with a degree in mathematics and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta. Almost two decades later, Smallwood returned to college—Monmouth and Western Illinois University—to earn certification in special education, which she taught for 34 years in Aledo, Ill. She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Harold Smallwood ’40.

1939 Marjorie McCulloch Anderson, 93, of

Knoxville, Ill., died March 12, 2012. The Monmouth native graduated at age 20 with a degree in chemistry and was a member of Kappa Delta. She also earned a degree in

monmouth | winter 2013

medical technology from Northwestern University and worked on the staff of the newly-opened Mayo General Army Hospital in Galesburg, Ill. She later had a 20-year career as the chief laboratory technologist for the Galesburg Red Cross Blood Center.

1940 The

Rev. Robert Caldwell, 96, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Feb. 15, 2012. An English major, Calwell received his master’s degree from Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary in 1944. Calwell served churches in West Virginia, California and Iowa and received an honorary degree from Monmouth in 1957. He is survived by his wife of 69 years.

Lucile Leonard Hill, 92, of Raymore, Mo., died April 2, 2012. She majored in music.

During World War II, Hill served in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve as a control tower operator in Cherry Point, N.C., earning the rank of sergeant. She taught private piano lessons in her home and was the founding concertmaster of the Warwick (R.I.) Civic Orchestra. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Donald Hill ’47.

1941 Mary Sandstrom Detrick, 89, of Burl-

ington, Iowa, died Feb. 1, 2012. She attended Monmouth for one year before completing her degree at Western Illinois State Teachers College. A homemaker, she helped her husband on their Biggsville, Ill., farm before moving to Burlington in 1985.

David Kryzanowsky, 90, of Rockville, Md., died Jan. 18, 2012. He majored in mathematics and was a member of the tennis team and Theta Chi. In 1942, he volunteered for the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1963. Kryzanowsky served as a Russian linguist. After retiring in 1970, he worked for the CIA for nine years.

Frank “Bill” Lindell, 99, of San Jose, Calif., died April 26, 2012, about three months shy of his 100th birthday. He majored in chemistry and practiced children’s dentistry.

Bette “Baker” Smith Vandeveer, 92, of Bernardsville, N.J., died July 25, 2012. She majored in English and was a member of the synchronized swim team. While enlisted in the Naval Officers Training Program during World War II, she was assigned to the decoding department, where she received her nickname. She was preceded in death by two siblings who attended MC, Henry Smith ’40 and Margaritha Smith Hamilton ’45.

1942 Samuel McClelland, 92, of Mercer, Pa., died April 3, 2012. He served in the Air Corps during World War II and was a real estate broker. McClelland, who also developed a Howard Johnson’s Restaurant & Lodge along I-80 outside Mercer, was a past recipient of his local chamber of commerce’s Man of the Year honor. He was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years.

Mary Fernald Schrenker, 91, of Roseville, Minn., died April 20, 2012. A chemistry major at Monmouth, she survived an explosion at an ammunition factory during World War II, losing both hands in the accident. She

monmouth | winter 2013

worked hard to rehabilitate herself, eventually marrying and raising two children.

1943 Catherine

Wiley Hamilton, 90, of Evanston, Ill., died March 31, 2012. A member of Pi Beta Phi, her initial stint as a Monmouth student lasted two years. She ultimately completed her degree in education in 1966, and earned her master’s degree from Western Illinois University. Hamilton taught in the local area, as well as in McHenry, Ill., and Bolivia. She was also house director on the campuses of Ohio State University, the University of Florida and the University of Illinois.

Robert McKeighan, 91, of Yates City, Ill., died May 31, 2012. He attended Monmouth until enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1942.

McKeighan piloted 35 bombing missions out of England during World War II. Following the war, he farmed in Knox County and was in business with his father and brother with McKeighan Seed Co. He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years.

Robert Swenson, 91, of Denver, Colo., died Jan. 10, 2012. A history major, he spent his entire career of 40 years at Ideal Cement Company in Denver, working his way up to treasurer of the company.

1944 Mary

Work Conner, 88, of Brevard, N.C., died Feb. 13, 2012. While at Monmouth, she studied biology and was a member of Kappa Delta. She completed her studies at the Children’s Hospital School of Nursing in her native Colorado. Her first husband was killed in battle in World War II, and Mary and her second husband were married 58 years.

They lived in Michigan before moving to North Carolina in 1980.

Burns Errebo, 90, of Draper, Utah, died June 19, 2012. He studied physics at Monmouth and was a member of Alpha Tau Omega before completing his degree from Oklahoma University. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he was an attorney in the oil industry, concluding his career as a member of general counsel for Mobil Oil in Denver, Colo. Survivors include his sister, Melba Errebo Cordell ’48.

Stanley Speer, 90, of Aledo, Ill., died April 2, 2012. He also attended Western Illinois University prior to serving in the U.S. Army in the Philippines during World War II. Speer dedicated his life to farming the Sunbeam area of Ohio Grove Township.

1945 Robert Crum, 88, of Dallas City, Ill., died May 24, 2012. He attended Monmouth and the University of Illinois before being drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. Upon his return, he farmed. Survivors include his wife of 50 years.

John Gould, Jr., of Lutz, Fla., died May 8, 2012. He majored in philosophy and was a member of Crimson Masque. He earned his master’s degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1946. Gould was a retired Protestant chaplain for the New York Department of Mental Hygiene.

Sydney Conwell Hosford, 88, of Dallas City, Ill., died Jan. 4, 2012. She majored in Spanish and was a member of Kappa Delta. She worked as a secretary for five months in the Pentagon, and was an executive secretary for six years at Sheaffer Pen Co. From 196376, she taught kindergarten at Dallas City Elementary School.

Rose Mary Marshall, 88, of Grand Marais, Mich., died July 11, 2012. A member of Crimson Masque and Kappa Kappa Gamma, she completed her studies at the University of Iowa School of Journalism. A newspaper editor and publisher, Marshall also authored several books, including The Dynamics of Freedom and Russia.

Lucille Schelling Owen, 86, of Prescott, Ariz., died Sept. 3, 2011. She majored in speech and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta. Owen earned a master’s degree in education from Northern Illinois University. She taught English and served as a high school counselor in Naperville, Ill. She also lived in San Diego, Calif., for 24 years, working for the city in secretarial positions. Her late husband, Richard Owen ’46 was the son of two Monmouth alumni and was one of four brothers who attended MC. Two of Lucille and Richard’s children, Steven Owen ’66 and Jean Owen ’72, also attended Monmouth.

1946 Grace Walker Smedberg, 88, of Belmont, Calif., died Feb. 5, 2012. She majored in English and was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She was a teacher, specializing in special education, English and physical education.

1947 John

Taylor, 86, of Houston, Texas, died March 3, 2012. He majored in business administration and had a successful sales career, especially in residential real estate in the 1960s in Houston. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rosalie Wright Taylor ’46.

Paul Watson, 91, of Peoria, Ill., died July 22, 2012. An Army Air Force veteran, Watson began his five-year military service in 1940 and was a first lieutenant and navigator aboard a B-26 in the European theater. After receiving his degree in chemistry from Monmouth, he worked for 36 years at Northern Regional Laboratory in Peoria. Watson was precided in death by his wife of 61 years, Marjorie Elliott Watson ’42.

1948 Beverly Russell Fritz, 86, of Rio, Ill., died March 30, 2012. After teaching in Rio for four years, she worked in accounting for 20 years in Rio and Altona.

Carol Conlon Johnson, 85, of Roseville, Ill., died April 1, 2012. Survivors include her husband of 64 years and a daughter-in-law, MC staff member Wanda Johnson.

Jane Quinby Lowell, 85, of Lakewood, Colo., died Feb. 29, 2012. The great-granddaughter of Ivory Quinby, one of Monmouth College’s earliest benefactors, she grew up in Quinby House, which was deeded to MC by her parents to be used as a president’s house.

continued clan notes

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Lowell attended Monmouth for two years, studying history and joining Kappa Kappa Gamma. She completed her degree at Colorado University, where she met her husband of 61 years. Survivors include a sister, Anne Quinby Dyni ’56.

1949 Betty Hickman Diers, 84, of Roseville,

Ill., died May 21, 2012. She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, with whom she farmed east of Raritan, Ill., for more than 50 years.

Charles Lauder, 87, of North Oaks, Minn., died July 15, 2012. A Navy veteran of World War II who served in the South Pacific, Lauder graduated with a degree in biology. Also a graduate of the St. Paul College of Law, he worked as an attorney for 3M for 39 years in the intellectual property division.

1950 Robert Hofbauer, 83, of Elk Grove Village, Ill., died June 12, 2012. He graduated with a degree in economics and business administration and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and the baseball team. Hofbauer served in the Army during the Korean War. Survivors include his wife of 56 years and a sister, Dolores Hofbauer Leppin ’55.

Lois Jackson Shirer, 83, of Monroeville, Pa., died Feb. 14, 2012. She graduated with a degree in biology and was a member of Kappa Delta.

Charles Richey, 89, of Ventura, Calif., died Feb. 25, 2012. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, including a post at Guam. He then attended MC, where he majored in business and was a member of Theta Chi. Richey was an accountant and owned several businesses. He was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas Richey ’42.

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Katherine Dixon Richey ’52.

1951 Marylin Larson Bretzke, 83, of North-

field, Minn., died April 15, 2012. A member of Pi Beta Phi at Monmouth, she also attended the University of Minnesota. Her career in volunteerism included assisting in the establishment of Averyon Homes, a series of homes for people with special needs.

Eleanor Calsen, 83, of Moline, Ill., died Aug. 8, 2012. After majoring in Spanish at MC, she had a long career at Deere & Co. Calsen was preceded in death by a sister, Marcia Calsen Bryan ’52.

Margaret Tomlin Fosse, 81, of Wichita, Kan., died Jan. 13, 2012. She studied economics and was a member of Kappa Delta. Survivors include her husband of 61 years, Richard Fosse ’52.

Rita Fredenhagen Harvard, 82, of Naperville, Ill., died June 15, 2012. A member of Kappa Delta, she majored in physical education and taught for two years in Dixon, Ill. Returning to her native Naperville, she served as a secretary/treasurer of two businesses for a total of 28 years. Harvard was also very involved in civic efforts, receiving several person-of-

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the-year awards. “Perhaps she’ll be most remembered for her contributions to the city’s downtown landscape: a nearly oneacre oasis that bears her maiden name— Fredenhagen Park,” read part of her hometown obituary. Harvard was a trustee at Monmouth College for seven years and at North Central College for 28 years. “If Naperville had a queen, it would be Rita Harvard,” said one of her fellow North Central trustees.

Survivors include a daughter, Susan Castagnoli Krokosz ’75.

years of her undergraduate degree at Penn State College. Survivors include a brother, Walker Robb ’51.

1952 Carolyn Mochel Brewer Hertz, 81, of

Donald Kettering, 81, of Monmouth, died April 2, 2012, after a courageous battle with cancer. A veteran of the Korean War, he attained the rank of sergeant. An economics major, Kettering spent his career in Monmouth, working at the college, Brown Shoe Co. and Martin and Clark Co. Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Phyllis Lanphere Kettering ’58, and a daughter, Laura Kettering Everly ’88.

Princeton, Ill., died March 16, 2012. She studied home economics at Monmouth before receiving a master’s degree in education from Northern Illinois University. She taught at Wyanet (Ill.) High School for more than 25 years.

Jeanne Wriedt Plzak, 82, of Warner Robins, Ga., died April 21, 2012. She majored in psychology and was a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., for many years.

1953 Ruth Marshall Hare, 80, of Macomb,

Ill., died March 18, 2012. She graduated with a degree in home economics and was a member of Kappa Delta and the cheerleading squad. She was an extension adviser in McDonough County and taught home ec at Northwestern High School for 19 years. Survivors include her husband of 58 years.

Paul Stevenson, 80, of Roseville, Ill., died March 7, 2012. He graduated with a degree in psychology and was a member of the football team and Theta Chi. Stevenson received his master’s degree from Western Illinois University and spent his career in education as a teacher, coach and, for 21 years, a principal at Roseville Elementary School.

Survivors with ties to MC include his wife, Janet Maginn Killey Stevenson ’66, a sister, Lorna Stevenson Chesnutt ’51, and a grandson, Jason Myers ’06.

1954 Victor Atchison, 79, of Lake Oswego,

Ill., died Jan. 9, 2012. He majored in speech, communication and theater arts and was a member of Crimson Masque and Theta Chi. Atchison was vice president of MC’s student body and received Crimson Masque’s Best Actor Award as a junior and senior. Following graduation, he was a radio announcer for the Galesburg Broadcasting Co. before entering the armed services, where he served as a radio operator. Atchison worked for MC for nine years, first in admissions and then in development. He left Monmouth in 1966 for the University of the Pacific, where he received a master’s degree in communication arts. Atchison’s career took him to several colleges and universities in administrative positions, including Ripon, Bradley and Lewis & Clark College, which is where he was working at the time of his retirement.

Dorothy Robb Kiel, 80, of Venice, Fla., died Feb. 28, 2012. She studied English at Monmouth before completing the final two

1955 Arthur Doty, 78, of Antioch, Ill., died Jan. 23, 2012. He followed several family members to Monmouth, including his father, Warner Doty ’24, majoring in chemistry. A member of the swim team and Crimson Masque, he co-owned and operated Chicago Ink & Research Co. in Chicago. Survivors include a brother, Charles Doty ’59.

Robert Purlee, 80, of LaGrange, Ill., died April 22, 2012. He majored in physical education and was a member of the football and basketball teams, the same programs for which his son, David Purlee ’78, and grandson, Rob Purlee ’04, would later play at Monmouth. He received a master’s degree in education from the University of Illinois and was a combat veteran of the Korean War, receiving numerous citations during his service. Purlee spent his career in education in several Illinois communities, teaching and coaching in Fairview, Williamsfield, Abingdon and Roseville and serving as superintendent in Thompson and Toluca. In 1982, he retired to Florida, where he was an adjunct professor at St. Petersburg Junior College and a realtor. Other survivors include a daughter, Julie Purlee Heath ’79, a son, Steven Purlee ’83, daughters-in-law Joela Blender Purlee ’78 and Leslie Bornberg Purlee ’84, and a granddaughter, Sami Purlee Bast ’06.

1956 Carl

Schmidt III, 78, died Aug. 14, 2012. He majored in speech, communication and theater arts and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon. He owned and operated a Money Mailer franchise for many years.

1957 Genevieve Doty, 77, of Monmouth, died March 18, 2012. A Monmouth native, she majored in art and, in 1970, received her master’s degree from Western Illinois University. She taught in Streator, Ill., and St. Louis before returning to Monmouth, where she taught at Harding Elementary School and worked in the library media center. She was also the children’s librarian at the Warren County Public Library. Survivors include a brother, William Doty ’57.

1958 Mary Kay Bishop Lindsay, 77, of Racine, Wis., died Jan. 25, 2012. She majored in elementary education and is survived by her husband of 55 years, Robert Lindsay ’57.

Harold Sanders, 75, of Pittsburgh, Pa., died Feb. 6, 2012. He majored in business admin-

monmouth | winter 2013

istration and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon. His career in hospital administration spanned three decades at five facilities, including Monmouth’s and Loyola University Hospital in Chicago. Survivors include two brothers, Eugene Sanders ’55 and Warren Sanders ’60.

1959 Dorothy Finlay Frazier, 75, of Quincy, Ill., died March 23, 2012. She studied music and was a member of Kappa Delta. Frazier completed her degree at Culver-Stockton College and taught elementary school in Taylorville, Ill., for many years, retiring in 1974. She was preceded in death by a sister, Ruth Finlay Carwile ’42.

Mary McCreight Means of Davenport, Iowa, died Jan. 21, 2012. She taught junior high family and consumer science for 35 years and was in the first class of recipients of the Happy Joe’s Golden Apple Award for teaching.

1960 Richard

Brown, 77, of Auburn, Ind., died Oct. 19, 2011. A member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, he studied business. Most of his career was spent in accounting, including 30 years at General Motors/EDS, mostly in Saginaw, Mich. Following his retirement, he lived in India and Greece, while his wife of 52 years, Karen Johnsen Brown ’59, who survives, was employed by the CIA.

Charles Hild of Fremont, Calif., died May 30, 2012. He majored in business administration, was a member of Theta Chi and was a three-sport athlete.

1962 Donald Stevenson, 71, of High Point,

N.C., died Jan. 10, 2012. A chemistry major, he went on to earn a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Wisconsin in 1967. He had planned to teach college-level chemistry but instead began a lengthy career at DuPont in both research and development and sales and marketing. He then changed his life’s path, obtaining a master’s degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary and serving as pastor at two churches, including one in High Point. Survivors include a brother, Rodney Stevenson ’68.

Tamara Frazier Thompson of Hayden, Idaho, died March 9, 2012. She majored in English and education and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was an elementary school teacher for many years. Survivors include siblings Blair Frazier ’60 and Cynthia Frazier Moore ’71 and her husband of 49 years. She was preceded in death by her parents, Eldon ’39 and Barbara Blair Frazier ’38.

1964 William Rieckhoff, 69, of Edina, Minn., died Aug. 1, 2012, from leukemia. A retired realtor, Rieckhoff was a psychology major and a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon.

1965 Marcia

Lohner of Hinsdale, Ill., died June 11, 2012, of cancer. She graduated with a degree in French and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Co-founder of Language Quest, a second-language program provider for children, she was instrumental in assuring the long-term success of the small business. Survivors include a sister, Virginia Lohner ’63. She was preceded in death by a brother, Paul Lohner ’60.

1966 Barbara Nance Rice, 67, of Tulsa, Okla., died May 8, 2012. A member of Kappa Delta, she completed her undergraduate degree in elementary education at the University of Illinois. She later received her master’s degree in education from Northeastern State University. Rice taught for 20 years in Tulsa elementary schools.

1967 David Smith, 76, of Dunlap, Ill., died

March 1, 2012. Prior to studying at MC, he was a radar technician in the U.S. Air Force.

Smith majored in biology and was a member of the golf team. A 1969 honors graduate of the University of Illinois College of Dentistry, he was a dentist in Peoria for 31 years.

1972 John

Kritzer, 66, of Kensington, Conn., died June 10, 2012. He served in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam before obtaining his bachelor’s (history) and master’s degrees from Monmouth and Bowling Green State University. Kritzer was employed at the Aetna Insurance Co. until his retirement. He was preceded in death by his mother, Ruth Moffet Wiles ’41. Survivors include a sister, Martha Kritzer Harvey ’65.

1979 Michael Cratty, 57, of Galesburg, Ill., died March 12, 2012. Two nights earlier, he was recognized by Costa Catholic Academy for his 25 years of commitment to the organization’s auction. Cratty was an auctioneer for years with Adkisson Auction Services, and his main job was owner of Cratty Insurance.

Survivors include his three children, who all attended Monmouth—Sean Cratty ’03, Debra Cratty ’06 and Mark Cratty ’12.

1988 Steven Patrick, 45, of Duluth, Minn.,

died Aug. 14, 2012, after a battle with cancer.

He participated in Alpha Tau Omega and soccer at Monmouth and majored in business administration. During his professional career, he owned the Original Coney Island,

worked for Lake Superior Investments and was a self-employed day trader.

1990 Daniel

Nauert, 43, of Sugar Grove, Ill., died Jan. 30, 2012. A business administration major, the former all-state baseball player pitched for the Fighting Scots and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon. At the time of his death, he was chief operating officer at JVM Realty.

2009 Bryant “B.J.” Luxmore, 25, of New Windsor, Ill., died June 10, 2012, while serving in Afghanistan. An Army infantryman, Spc. Luxmore was fatally wounded after his unit encountered enemy small arms fire in Panjwai. He had been in the Army for 14 months, and his unit from Fort Stewart, Ga., deployed in March 2012. Luxmore was a member of the baseball team during his two years at Monmouth. Survivors include a grandmother, Marcia Hickok Johnson ’51.

2013 Tommy Hoerr, 21, of Peoria, Ill., died

June 9, 2012, in a vehicular accident. A defensive lineman, Hoerr played in four games last season for the Fighting Scots. He had just completed his junior year as a business major. The Fighting Scots football coaches established the Tommy Hoerr Memorial Fund in remembrance of their fallen player. It will benefit a senior student from Brimfield High School who enters Monmouth College as a freshman with a GPA of 2.75 or higher, has involvement in at least two extracurricular activities and proof of community involvement and active volunteerism.

Word has also been received of the following deaths: MC Nellie Spitz, 89, of Iowa City, Iowa, wife of late history professor emeritus Doug Spitz, died June 25, 2012. Doug taught at MC from 1957 to 1986, and Nellie taught nursing at Carl Sandburg College for 15 of those years. The couple was married for 56 years and had four children, including Maria Spitz ’87.

1938 Julian Winthrop of Port Hueneme, Calif., died Jan. 19, 2012.

1948 Janet McCosh Hellstrom, 83, of

Bettendorf, Iowa, died Oct. 25, 2009.

1956 Orville Meeker, 84, of Washington, Iowa.

1957 Nancy Huston O’Brien of St. Charles, Mo.

1987 Sherry Higbee, 60, of Keokuk, Iowa.

we welcome news and photos related to your career, awards, reunions or travel with your MC friends, and any other information of interest to your classmates or alumni. We also welcome announcements and photos of alumni weddings, civil unions and births, as well as alumni obituaries. Digital photos should have a minimum resolution of 300 pixels per inch. Please include a photo caption with full names that clearly match faces, class years, date and location. Submit your news online at monmouthcollege.edu/alumni/updates, by e-mail to alumni@ monmouthcollege.edu, or by mail to Monmouth College Magazine, Attn: Alumni Programs, 700 East Broadway, Monmouth IL 61462-1998. We reserve the right to reject images for any reason, especially those with low resolution and those that require purchase from a photo gallery website.

Submissions will be published at the discretion of the editors on a space-available basis.

monmouth | winter 2013

clan notes

47

the last word by Bren Tooley

Monmouth’s once and future Malaysian connection In the early spring of 2011,

I visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to participate in the Triennial South Asia EducationUSA Conference and College Fair.

Malaysia

In addition to the state department events, I hoped to meet Monmouth College alumni from the 1970s and 1980s who had returned after graduation to Malaysia and built highly successful professional lives. I knew we had alumni who were involved in international banking and finance, in the petroleum industry, in government and in education. I knew that Malaysian alumni had warmly and graciously welcomed small groups of Monmouth students and faculty on study-abroad trips to Southeast Asia in the recent past. What I didn’t know was what a kind, lively, outgoing and generous alumni community I would find!

The dynamo behind the Monmouth alumni community in Malaysia is Fadzlullah Shuhaimi bin Salleh ’77. Shuhaimi welcomed me with a dinner at his home, at which I met his wife and several of his children. He organized a small dinner for a group of Monmouth alumni at the hotel, and a large alumni gathering at a lovely restaurant at the end of my visit.

Through Shuhaimi, I met Noraini Yahya ’76 and Abdul Rashid Majid ’76, Dr. Hamzah Kassim ’76, Dr. Mohamad Pauzi Zakaria’ 80 and many more. Dr. Pauzi presented findings from his recent research trip to Antarctica at the gathering. As a member of an international research team, he studied the effects of airborne pollution on the Antarctic environment.

Noriani has recently retired from a senior position at an international bank in Kuala Lumpur. Rashid has recently retired from a senior administrative position in the oil industry. Dr. Kassim (see page 20) is currently CEO

of iA Group and is involved in high-level consultation in the fields of economic development and education for the Malaysian government.

Sandra Pragas ’88 also welcomed me with great kindness and enthusiasm. Her MC memories are centered upon the education department and particularly the mentorship of emerita professor Esther White. In fact, after Sandra’s return to Malaysia, she welcomed Dr. White to the city of Penang in 1992.

These are only a few of the many Monmouth alumni I met during this trip. I am grateful to all of them for their hospitality and interest in the college. Rusli Nayan ’78 deserves special mention for his thoughtful and very well-informed advice about presenting Monmouth as an attractive college destination for Malaysian students and for his exceptional kindness in taking the time to meet and talk face-to-face several times during the course of my stay.

Monmouth College experienced two waves of students from Malaysia. The first wave arrived in the 1970s, sponsored by what was then known as the MARA Technological Institute (and is now Universiti Teknologi MARA).

The second wave arrived in the 1980s, sponsored by the Sabah Educational Foundation. It is my hope that we can establish new connections with prospective students and parents in Malaysia (and with educational counseling centers such as the State Department’s EducationUSA advising center, MACEE) that will lead to new generations of Malaysian students at Monmouth.

ABOVE: Pictured at a 1975 cookout for Malaysian students at the Epley home are, from left: Mat Lasa Hitam ’77, Wan Salleh ’77, Abdul Rashid Majid ’76, Professor Dean Epley, Harun Othmann ’77, the Rev. Paul McClanahan (chaplain), Zulkifli Abidin ’77, John Epley (son of Dean), and Mohd Husin Ab Rahman ’77.

It was through the efforts of the late sociology professor Dean Epley that a community of Malaysian students first arrived on the Monmouth campus more than 40 years ago. Prior to joining the Monmouth faculty in 1970, Epley served as a Fulbright Lecturer at the MARA Institute of Technology in Malaysia.

Many of the students at MARA, who had only experienced professors from the United Kingdom, found they enjoyed the more relaxed teaching style of their American professor. Furthermore, the colleges in Malaysia were mostly twoyear schools, making it difficult for students to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Epley encouraged Malaysian students to join him at Monmouth by taking advantage of Malaysian government scholarships that paid for attending college in the United States. Soon, Malaysians began arriving at Monmouth in numbers— at one time 45 were enrolled at the college.

The Epley family served as their surrogate family, allowing them to prepare native dishes in their kitchen and even housing students during breaks. Sadly, Professor Epley died of a sudden heart attack in 1977, and without his guiding influence the flow of new Malaysian students soon died as well, until a second group began enrolling in the 1980s.

editor’s note : In addition to serving as Monmouth’s associate dean of academic affairs and director of its grants program, Bren Tooley recently added to her duties the job of coordinator of international recruitment. An inveterate world traveler, who has taught in eastern Europe as a Fulbright lecturer and regularly presents papers at international symposia, she now can be found representing Monmouth at college fairs around the world.

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the last word

monmouth | winter 2013

on

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, 2 013 0 1 the

new

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ins beg

Please plan to attend this momentous event in the new academic era of monmouth college.

Center for Science and Business Dedication Ceremony Friday, May 10, 2013 Afternoon and evening activity details will be announced closer to the event: Tour of Building Ceremony Reception o ff i ce o f de v e l o pme n t a n d c o l l e g e re l at i o n s 3 0 9 -4 5 7 - 2 2 3 1

The final beam for the Center for Science and Business was lifted into position on April 26, 2012.

Classrooms and labs will open Fall 2013.

Mark ’79 and Debbie Kopinski

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International Exploration

When four MC students decided to explore an opportunity for international scholarship by participating in Bulgaria’s Fulbright International Summer Institute, they didn’t realize the experience would include cave exploration. In addition to participating in an intensive series of courses and academic discussions, the students and their adviser, MC associate dean Bren Tooley (who served as a Fulbright instructor), had an opportunity to take in the natural beauty of the Bulgarian countryside, including a visit to the spectacular Saeva dupka cave, near the village of Brestnitsa.

From left are Kaylin Smith, Joseph Hasenstein, Lukas Devlin, Sara Frakes and Tooley. For more about the trip see page 18. Photo by ognyan stefanov Monmouth College admits students of any race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to Monmouth students. Monmouth College does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, military service, marital status, sexual orientation or other factors as prohibited by law in administration of its educational programs, admissions policies, scholarships and loans, athletics and other school-administered programs.