Fall 2013 MOORESTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL
Among Friends 2012-13 Annual Report
Pursuing the Ph.D. Erika Richardson Hall ’03
Mission Statement Moorestown Friends School is a community rooted in Quaker values and dedicated to the pursuit of educational excellence for a diverse student body within an academically rigorous and balanced program emphasizing personal, ethical and spiritual growth. Fall 1987, revised May 2011
Contents
Fall 2013
Photo Essay
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From the Head of School
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Notes from Pages Lane
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Fox Tracks
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Alumni On Campus 12
Quaker Central
13
Alice Paul Merit Award
14
Service Award 16
Young Alumni Award 17
Pursuing the Ph.D. 18
2012-13 Annual Report
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Class Notes
27
In Memoriam
35
MFSnapshot
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Moorestown Friends School 110 East Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057 (856) 235-2900, www.mfriends.org Published By The Development Office Editor, Director of Marketing and Communications Mike Schlotterbeck Managing Editor, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Kat Clark
Erika Richardson Hall ’03 is one of many MFS alumni who are pursuing or have completed Ph.D. degrees in recent years. Learn more about this trend and read capsule profiles of six more alumni beginning on page 18.
Graphic Design Alison Judah ’86, Hypno Design
Assistant Director of Development Beth Stouffer
Photography Kat Clark, Curt Hudson, Josh Miller, Mario Morgado, Mike Schlotterbeck and Josh Shagam
Director of Parent and Alumni Programs Christine Schantz Palumbo ’05
Head of School Larry Van Meter ’68
Director of Annual Giving Kristy Embrack Searles Development Office Staff Sue Giacchetto, Michelle Wartenberg
Director of Development Stephen Zakroff
Moorestown Friends School admits students without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, or sexual orientation. All photos are identified from left to right unless otherwise indicated. FALL 2013
About the Cover
Printed on recycled paper. AMONG FRIENDS
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Photo Essay - First Day of School
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A Message from the Head of School
In this issue of Among Friends, you will find profiles of seven alumni who have received—or are about to receive—their Ph.D. degrees. In a world of increasing specialization, advanced degrees are now necessary for many positions and careers. Fortunately, at MFS we prepare our graduates well for college and for postbaccalaureate study. One of the profiles is of Erika Richardson Hall ’03, who will soon receive her Ph.D. from the prestigious Kellogg School at Northwestern University. She plans to become a business school professor—and she will be a good one! Long ago, when I was in business school (I recently had my 25th reunion at Dartmouth’s Tuck School), I would have welcomed a professor as “tuned-in” as Erika. A product not only of MFS but of Rancocas and Westfield Friends, Erika is poised and self-confident, and she embodies the critical thinking emphasized in Quaker education. When I got together with her in Chicago last fall, I learned about her research focus on organizational behavior in the ground-breaking area of understanding the intersection of gender and racial stereotypes. Her research is high-level, nuanced, and significant. Her career path, as with the others profiled, has been greatly influenced by outstanding teachers at MFS. More than one MFS Ph.D. has told me that the best instructors they ever had were not in college or grad school, but right here at Moorestown Friends. The individual attention they received from those teachers was important. But even more important was the passion those teachers brought to their craft. For MFS faculty, teaching is a calling, and they are committed to making the material engaging and meaningful. We like to talk about “Great Kids, Going Places” at MFS, and we are indeed proud of our students and their accomplishments. But we mustn’t forget that Great Kids need—and deserve—Great Teachers.
Warm Regards,
Larry Van Meter ’68 Head of School
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Notes from Pages Lane Editor’s Note: This newly designed “Happenings” department takes its name from Pages Lane, the road that bisected the Moorestown Friends School campus prior to the construction of Stokes Hall in 1986.
April 10 Prominent actor, psychologist and poet Dr. Michael “Mykee” Fowlin presented to students at Community in Action Day which featured a variety of activities on topics of diversity, multiculturalism, tolerance and cooperation.
April 18 The 15th Annual Science & Engineering Expo was hosted by the Science Department. Above: Upper School students designed and demonstrated trebuchets for younger students.
April 15 Award-winning writer, poet and anthologist Paul Janeczko offered workshops for Middle School students. The Maine resident has published over 40 books and edited numerous poetry anthologies for children and teens. 4
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@ Moorestown Friends Alumni
@ mfsfox FALL 2013
Notes from Pages Lane
May 3
May 4
Len Shapiro ’60 and his wife Pat visited MFS to dedicate McShap Path in honor of their parents. The McShap Path connects the Main Campus to Hartman Hall and the Greenleaf Building. Joining Len and Pat were School Committee Clerk Naoji Moriuchi ’94 and Head of School Larry Van Meter ’68.
Whitty Ransome ’63 and niece Tracy Ransome ’98 were two of the many participants in the Alumni vs. Varsity match on Alumni Weekend which celebrated 55 years of lacrosse at MFS.
June 8
May 31 Alumni attending the annual Camden Scholars Luncheon included from left: Sonia Mixter Guzman ’02, Tiffany Taylor Jenkins ’97, Fannie Mixter ’03, Jeron Stephens ’12, Tiphinnie Brown ’08, Julian Austin ’91, Gaby Martinez ’09, Lorenzo Gibson ’12 and Deidre Comegys Gordon Wilson ’82.
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MFS English Teacher Scott Hammer ’99 was selected by the Class of 2013 to be their Commencement speaker: “Though one of the benefits of teaching is that I always get to feel like I’m making a difference in my students’ lives, you have made a great difference in mine…”
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Notes from Pages Lane Zekavat Summer Sabbaticals
Two teachers traveled internationally this summer thanks to a grant from the Zekavat Summer Sabbatical Endowment at Moorestown Friends School. .
The Gambia and Sierra Leone Jake Greenberg, Middle/Upper School History Teacher Jake Greenberg visited two countries in West Africa rarely toured by Americans - The Gambia and Sierra Leone. The curricular focal point of his trip was to research the role of Africans in the Atlantic Slave Trade. “I conducted interviews and found amazing artifacts and documents,” said Greenberg. “It has sparked several good ideas about how to enhance my curriculum to teach this concept.” Greenberg visited important cultural and historical sites such as James Fort, Kunte Kinte Island (of Alex Haley’s Roots fame), two national museums, Janjanbureh’s slave dungeon, and others. Greenberg’s host, a good friend who is the U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Officer, organized a trip up-country in The Gambia with the U.S. Ambassador to celebrate Ramadan with Provincial Governors and local Chiefs. “It was a phenomenal experience to see the interior of the country in this way,” said Greenberg. He helped organize and lead team-building games that the Embassy group ran for middle and high school students at the local public schools that were both challenging and very fun. Concluded Greenberg: “It is a journey that I will never forget, but more importantly, I feel invigorated and excited to deepen the level of understanding in my classroom about an often misunderstood and underrepresented continent in history.”
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Jake Greenberg worked with a U.S. embassy team in a town in The Gambia called Janjanbureh. They spent a morning with over 150 local students, playing team building games and discussing the importance of attending school for later success in life.
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Notes from Pages Lane Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Erick Pérez, Lower School Spanish Teacher Erick Pérez immersed himself in Brazilian culture, art and language in and around the city of Rio de Janeiro. He explored the Arcos da Lapa neighborhood, known for its architecture. This included a visit to the “Escaderia Selaron,” the 250 steps composed of mosaic tiles created by Chilean artist Jorge Selaron. Pérez also visited the art deco Christ the Redeemer statue which, at 99 feet high, is the fifth largest statue of Jesus in the world. It is located on the mountain of Corcovado, 2,300 feet above sea level. “Being up there I was inspired by wonderful views of the city of Rio and I was able to sketch some great panoramic views and turn them into works of art,” he said. Pérez learned a great deal about the Guarani language. He interacted with and interviewed locals in rural areas of Rio, many of whom are impoverished. This included visits to local schools. “I visited classrooms and interacted with students,” he said. ”I got to explore their teaching methods and the challenges that the education system is facing in these sections of Brazil.” Pérez also spent a day performing community service in the Xerem region, three hours outside Rio. He visited The Umbrella Organization Orphanage which provides aid and basic education to homeless children and adolescents. “This trip helped me to reaffirm that learning languages and learning about cultures opens new doors of discovery that connect an understanding to caring, learning and sharing with others who are different than ourselves,” said Pérez.
Erick Pérez studied the history of Rio’s architecture at the Museu De Arte Do Rio.
Pérez visited the “Escaderia Selaron,” a gigantic work of art with over 250 steps consisting of thousands of mosaic tiles that Chilean artist Jorge Selaron collected from around the world.
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Notes from Pages Lane Two New Administrators Hired
Christine Palumbo and Kat Clark
Gregory Paw and Tom Heitzman
Two New Trustees Appointed Two new trustees were appointed to the Moorestown Friends School Committee. Gregory Paw A partner with Pepper Hamilton LLP, Gregory Paw is an experienced trial lawyer, a former Deputy U.S. Attorney and past director of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently a member of Pepper Hamilton’s White Collar Litigation and Investigations Practice Group. He also is a member of the firm’s Business Integrity Practice Group. He played a key role in the development of the Freeh Report on the Sandusky scandal at Penn State. Paw was the director of New Jersey’s Division of Criminal Justice, in the Office of the Attorney General, from February 2006 until June 2008. Before that, he was a prosecutor for nine years with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and was Deputy U.S. Attorney from 2005 until 2006. He also served with the U.S. Justice Department from 2004 to 2005 as an advisor to the Iraqi government on criminal cases against Saddam Hussein and other former senior regime members. Greg and his wife Patty live in Shamong with their two daughters, Caroline, a 9th grader at MFS, and Katie, who is in 7th grade at MFS. Tom Heitzman The Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Whitesell Construction Inc., Tom Heitzman is a leader in the southern NJ and southeastern PA commercial real estate market as a builder, owner, and property manager. He was recently elected Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) for a two-year term commencing in January 2013. Heitzman has served on that board since 2004. He is a Director with Whitesell Construction and a Trustee of New Jobs Business PAC based in Trenton. Heitzman joined the MFS Assets Committee in September 2012. He and his wife Evan Whitesell Heitzman are the parents of two sons; Thomas is a junior at MFS. They live in Moorestown.
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Director of Parent & Alumni Programs Christine Schantz Palumbo ’05 In August, the Development Office announced the hiring of Christine Schantz Palumbo, a member of the MFS class of 2005, to replace Matt Nierenberg who departed for a leadership gifts postition at his alma mater, George School. Palumbo is a graduate of Barnard College, with a B.A. in economic history. She was a substitute teacher at MFS during 201011 and then joined SuperMedia Inc. as a field marketing manager where she was responsible for regional market intelligence plan development and the coordination of strategies for multiple sales divisions in the Philadelphia and Harrisburg markets. Palumbo will work with parents and alumni on a wide variety of school programs and events. Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications Kat Clark This newly created position will add a second full-time employee to the Marketing & Communications Office (along with Director Mike Schlotterbeck). A skilled writer, editor, photographer, and graphic designer, Clark also has a background in video production. She was previously the Communications Associate at North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka, IL. She earned her B.A. in English literature and studio art at Swarthmore College. She has worked for the Art Institute of Chicago, Mobsters on The Biography Channel, and the Chicago Taskforce on Violence Against Girls & Young Women.
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Fox Tracks
Noelle Smith ’14 Named Lax All-American
Noelle Smith ’14 was named an Academic All-American by U.S. Lacrosse for displaying exemplary lacrosse skills, good sportsmanship on the field, and representing high standards of academic achievement in the classroom. She was one of only nine juniors in South Jersey to receive the honor in 2013.
Alumnae vs. Varsity Girls Lacrosse Game On May 4, during Alumni Weekend, an alumnae vs. varsity lacrosse game was held to celebrate 55 years of lacrosse at MFS. First Row: Whitty Ransome ’63, Carol Kiyo Moriuchi ’71, Kitty Taylor Mizuno ’63, Pat DeCou LaMountain ’63, Lisa Thomas Martin ’84, Alison Judah ’86, Nicole Edmund, ’86, Julia Graham Slater ’86, Nancy Chiyo Moriuchi ’73 and Mary Tomlinson Bauer ’54. Second row: Wayden Ay, daughter of Mari Edmund, Mari Edmund ’94, Tracey Ransome ’98, Sarah Edwards Beeson ’96, Michelle Marinucci Niewood, Janet Stevens ‘77, Helen Hagstoz Reynolds ’61, Morgan Burgess ’08 and Louisa Wright Khanlian ’63. Back Row: Former Girls Lacrosse Coach Heidi Schwartz Brunswick, Jen Harris ’03, Paige Martin ’08, Katie Stutz ’09, Alex Burris ’11, Ally Shaffer ’10, Emily Hummel ’07 and Ann Stouffer ’07.
Boys Lacrosse Alumni Game On June 7, a boys lacrosse alumni game was held. Founding former coach Steve Yingling helped gather a large group of former players, family members and friends. Seated: Michael Woodley ’12, former Assistant Coach Kevin Rider, Matt Gaiser ’12, Andrew Shinn ’11, Galen Spencer-Linzie ’11, Tim Yingling ’09, former Boys Lacrosse Coach Steve Yingling, Greg Yingling ’11, Tim Latimer ’13, Nick Cook ’11, Ethan Carilli ’13 and (kneeling) Glenn Smyth, Jr. ’08. Standing: Kyle Whittall ’12, Kyle Shivers ’13, Harrison Krohn ’11, Kyle Koste ’11, Matt Tamburri ’11, John Latimer ’11, Cliff Burgess ’12, Joe Fillipone ’11, James Masiejczyk, Adeola James ’13, Mike Murray ’08, Buck Smith ’10, Joseph Murray, Robert Rodgers, Spencer Krohn and Jake O’Donnell ’11. FALL 2013
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Fox Tracks Baseball Team Advances to South Jersey Final Coach Ron Obermeier’s baseball team captivated the school community with an exciting playoff run to the NJSIAA Non-Public B championship game in the spring. While the team fell to state champion Rutgers Prep 7-3 in the title game at Rowan University in Glassboro, heroics and drama marked the team’s run to the sectional final. After receiving a first round bye, the second-seeded Foxes shut out perennial power Sacred Heart of Vineland 3-0. In the semifinals, it took extra innings for the host Foxes to dispatch defending state champ Marist 3-2. In the ninth inning, a grounder by Spencer Bard with the bases loaded plated sophomore C.J. Eni to set off bedlam on the field. Hundreds of Foxes fans, including two fan buses, traveled to Glassboro for the South Jersey final to create a partisan atmosphere for MFS, but the Rutgers Prep bats proved to be too much.
A large throng of MFS supporters attended the final on June 4.
Coach Ron Obermeier prepares the team for the NJSIAA Non-Public B South championship game vs. Rutgers Prep. 10
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Fox Tracks 2013 MFS Baseball by the numbers: Record
17-5
Runs Scored
48
163
Runs Against
First team All-League Selections:
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(Seniors Spencer Bard and Colin Gregory, junior Steven Mannion and sophomore Adam Quaranta)
Senior Spencer Bard was a First Team All-Friends League selection and was selected to the Burlington County Carpenter Cup team. He also won the Walton Scholarship from the Burlington County Times awarded to the outstanding county athlete in 2012-13.
Second baseman Adam Quaranta ’15 was a First Team All-Friends League selection.
Girls Tennis Captures Burlco Open On September 20, the MFS Girls Tennis team captured the Burlington County Open for the first time ever. In a competition perennially dominated by Moorestown Township, the youthful Foxes were undaunted, capturing titles at first singles (freshman Grace Kim), second singles (freshman Jess Ferber), third singles (junior Katie Teitelbaum) and first doubles (sophomores Erin Chen and Paige Hurley). Coach Mike Bodary expects the team to be a major factor in the postseason this year. The 2013 MFS varsity girls tennis team: Molly Fischer, Katie Teitelbaum, Paige Hurley, Erin Chen, Coach Mike Bodary, Jess Ferber, Lilla Butterworth, Grace Kim and Lara Repholz. FALL 2013
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Alumni on Campus
BlackRock Exec Serves as Cum Laude Speaker Melissa Maquilan Radic ‘00 • Vice President, BlackRock • B.S., Princeton University
“There are few other places that I know of that have such a small tight-knit community that will know you so well and have such an impact on you…”
On May 15, 18 students were inducted into the Cum Laude Society and the National French and Spanish honor societies. This year’s Cum Laude and World Languages Banquet keynote speaker was Melissa Maquilan Radic ’00, CFA, a Vice President with BlackRock’s Financial Institutions Group. BlackRock is an American multinational investment management corporation and the world’s largest asset manager. Radic is responsible for fund sales among insurance company clients and financial advisors throughout the Southeastern U.S. She received a B.S. in Engineering in Operations Research and Financial Engineering from Princeton University in 2004. At MFS, besides being inducted into Cum Laude as a junior, and the National Spanish Honor Society in 10th grade, Radic earned the Senior Social Studies Prize and the National Association of Biology Teachers Award. She was Clerk of the Agenda Committee in 12th grade, as well as being President of the Religious Life Committee. She played in the instrumental ensemble throughout high school and capped off her tennis career at MFS as captain. She also worked on the yearbook, serving as Editor her senior year. “There are few other places that I know of that have such a small tight-knit community of people that will know you so well and have such an impact on you,” she told inductees. “If you don’t realize it today, you’ll definitely realize when you leave what a special place you have at MFS… and it’s just not all the academics but it is the community that we build together.” Prior to assuming her current responsibilities in 2007, Radic served as part of the internal sales support team in the Strategic Alliances Group responsible for covering variable annuity platforms
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across U.S. insurers. Her service with BlackRock dates back to 2004, including her years with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, which merged with BlackRock in 2006. Radic encouraged inductees to pursue their passions and to not be fearful of changing career course. Radic advised students: “Continue to be introspective. If you realize that the trajectory you are on is not what interests you, not what drives you, it’s never too late to change paths. You can change and move to something different and make sure it’s something you’re really passionate about.”
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Quaker Central
Quaker Educator Lynne Brick Leaves Lasting Imprint on Students and Colleagues The family of Lower School Quaker Educator Lynne Brick celebrated her retirement at the Dinner Among Friends. Michael Brick ’02, Adam Brick ’99, Lynne Brick, holding Dylan Brick, Landon Brick, and their parents Scott ’95 and Michelle Brick. For 19 years, Lower and Middle School Quaker Education Teacher Lynne Brick was a key figure in the growth and development of the MFS Quakerism and Religious Studies curriculum. She gracefully tackled the challenge of teaching to a wide age range, from 3-year-olds to sixth graders, and instilled the Quaker values integral to an MFS education. Brick retired at the end of the 2012-13 school year. She leaves behind an entire generation of current and former students who were fortunate enough to benefit from her knowledge and wisdom – whether it was a lesson from the “I Care” Cat, learning how to settle into Meeting for Worship, or a story told with great expression and emotion, followed by a recap and discussion. “I loved working with young people,” said Brick. “They are still innocent but have a sense of spirituality. You never know what they will say, do or interpret, and that’s fun.” At the Dinner Among Friends, Brick was honored with a Minute of Appreciation, which was read by Retired Associate Head of School Barbara Rose Caldwell, who is a close friend of Brick’s. Said Caldwell: “You don’t really replace someone like Lynne because she is not just doing a job, but living it. To say that she will be missed is an understatement.” Brick worked closely with current Chester Reagan Chair for Religious and Quaker Studies Priscilla Taylor-Williams. Whether speaking to students, to faculty/staff at orientation, or to the MFS coaches, the two functioned at a high level, expertly describing the issue at hand. In most cases, this involved helping people realize the importance and context of Quaker values in the environment in which they were learning, teaching or working. “We developed
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a teamwork approach, which strengthened my own learning and spiritual journey,” said Brick. Taylor-Williams marveled at the impact Brick had on her students on an everyday basis. “Lynne helped make stories come alive in the classroom,” she said. She went on to say that Brick “had to seize the moment with her students and make something happen. She balanced Quaker history and thinking with kids’ everyday life.” Brick also played a leading role in the development of the Examined Life program, which grew out of the 2004 Strategic Plan. “Lynne recognized the need to provide support for our faculty and staff,” said Taylor-Williams. “If you’re expecting teachers to connect to Quakerism and the Examined Life in their classrooms, they need to understand it and receive support and professional development.” Brick first became involved in the MFS community as a parent and volunteer, before being hired to take the place of her predecessor Lynn Sinclair, who was the first to serve in this position. Brick’s sons Scott ’95, Adam ’99 and Michael ’02 are all alumni. She enjoyed the family and collegial connections made possible by being a teacher and a parent. “The combined support of colleagues, who in many cases are your children’s teachers, was special,” said Brick. “Those conversations allowed me to make very real connections.” As she enters retirement, Brick is looking forward to spending more time with her grandsons Landon and Dylan. She plans to become more active in Medford Monthly Meeting and will volunteer in the local community.
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Alice Paul Merit Award
Alice Paul Merit Award:
Deborah Miller Hull ’63 Business and Friends Education Leader “Our schools are one of the best avenues we have as a religion to promote our values and have an impact on society.”
Deborah Miller Hull ’63 • Former President and CEO, Medcases Inc. • Former President and CEO, Ovid Technologies • Chair, Earlham College Board of Trustees • M.Ed., West Chester University • B.A., Earlham College
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Combining business acumen and a keen understanding of consensus building, Deborah Miller Hull ’63 has served in leadership roles in Friends education for over 30 years. In recognition of her vast service to the advancement of Friends education, she was presented with the 2013 Alice Paul Merit Award at the Dinner Among Friends on Alumni Weekend. Hull is currently serving her second term as Chair of the Earlham College Board of Trustees and has also served on the Friends Central School Board of Trustees since 1981, for many years as Chair. “Our schools are one of the best avenues we have as a religion to promote our values and have an impact on society,” said Hull. She is the daughter of the late Moorestown Friends Social Studies Teacher G. MacCulloch Miller, a convinced Quaker, and Carolyn Pickett Miller, a birthright Quaker. She also is the granddaughter of the great 20th century Friends leader, Clarence Pickett, who served as Executive Secretary of the American Friends Service Committee from 1929 to 1950. “I spent almost every year of my life connected in some way to Friends education,” said Hull. “Some of the things I learned from MFS were to think for myself and form my own opinions and viewpoints through sports and mentors like (legendary MFS coach) Floss Brudon, we learned to compete and win, but to not sacrifice sportsmanship.”
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Alice Paul Merit Award
Expecting to teach, Debbie got a master’s of education degree from West Chester University in counseling. However, unexpected opportunities led Debbie to become interested in medical libraries, and as an entirely new field emerged, the online information industry. Her career blossomed, and she worked in various capacities at BRS Information Services, served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at the Institute for Scientific Information, and served as General Manager of ERM Computer Services. She joined the start-up Ovid Technologies in 1990 and helped grow the company from 25 employees to 450 in a 10-year period. After running the company for 10 years, she helped usher it through the process of going public in 1994 and subsequent sale to Wolters Kluwer in 1998. Following her time at Ovid, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Medcases Inc., until April 2004. Throughout her career, she has always managed to carve out time to dedicate to Friends education. Top: Many friends and family joined Deborah Miller Hull at the Dinner Among Friends. Above: daughter Sandy Laber, husband Reagan Hull ’62, Deborah Miller Hull ’63, friend and former Friends Central Head of School David Felsen, friend Beverly Wilde and Whitty Ransome ’63. Right: Deborah Miller Hull (far left) was a leader on the field hockey team during her Upper School years. FALL 2013
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Service Award
Tom and Debbie Whitesell Honored for 30 years of Leadership and Service
Tom and Debbie Whitesell with daughter and former MFS Science Teacher Tracey Whitesell ’86 and her husband Terrance Huettl. Current MFS grandparents Thomas and Deborah Whitesell received the Alumni Association Service Award at the Dinner Among Friends on Alumni Weekend. They were honored for over 30 years of leadership as parents, alumni parents and grandparents at MFS. “When you’re involved in something that you love and care about, time flies,” said Deborah. Currently there is a Whitesell grandchild enrolled in each division at MFS – Michael Huettl is in third grade, Elizabeth Huettl is in seventh grade in the Middle School, and Tom Heitzman is a junior. The couple helped to organize some of the school’s first Parent Council Auctions. In addition, the Whitesells have supported all of the school’s capital campaigns from the 1990s to the present, and Deborah served on the MFS School Committee from 1990 to 1995. The Whitesells are well known in South Jersey for their generous support of organizations such as the Burlington County YMCA, Family Service of Burlington County, Burlington County Community College and the Virtua Healthcare System. Their tradition of involvement with MFS has been passed down to the next generation. Daughter Tracy taught earth science in the Middle School from 2007-13 and her family is active in the Friends Meeting. Son-in-law Terrance Huettl, Tracy’s husband, served on the Master Plan Committee in 2006. Daughter Evan Heitzman has initiated a wonderful partnership with MFS by bringing the YMCA Camp Connections, a summer day program for children with special needs, to the MFS campus. Son-in-law Tom Heitzman recently joined the School Committee (see page 8).
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“When you’re involved in something that you love and care about, time flies.” – Debbie Whitesell
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Young Alumni Award
Brian Turner ’98 Honored for His Work in Camden Brian Turner ’98 • Assistant City Solicitor Camden, NJ • Attorney in Private Practice • J.D., Rutgers University, Camden • B.A., Rutgers University, Camden
Brian Turner was presented with his award by his mentor, Director of Multicultural Affairs Karen Washington. Camden attorney Brian Turner ’98 was the recipient of the 2013 Young Alumni Award at the Dinner Among Friends on Alumni Weekend. He was recognized for his socially conscious community work. Turner, an Assistant City Solicitor and attorney in private practice in Camden, came to MFS in ninth grade as a Camden Scholar from Bonsall Family School. Bonsall, in Camden, is one of the most challenged middle schools in the State of New Jersey. Today, he is working to create a better future for students at Bonsall and throughout the Camden Public Schools, as a member of the Camden Board of Education, which became an advisory board following the recent State of New Jersey take-over of Camden Public Schools. “Although I don’t know everyone in the room, I still feel a connection to each and every one of you because that’s the type of place Moorestown Friends is,” he said at the Dinner. Turner also showed his appreciation for former boys’ basketball coach Sam Washington: “He finds a way to show up at every single thing that has happened to me that has meaning, since high school — he’s been there.” A four-year varsity basketball player at MFS, highlights of Turner’s playing career at MFS include scoring 47 points in one game, as well as achieving a boys record in total number of points scored – 1,931. He garnered All-Friends League and second-team All-Parochial B honors. Brian went on to Davidson College in North Carolina, and achieved early success on the Wildcats men’s basketball team, but was drawn back to Camden, where he transferred after sophomore year.
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As a senior at Rutgers, Brian won the Wilbur “Pony” Wilson award, which annually goes to the top men’s basketball player in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. His senior year he averaged 22 points and 9 rebounds a game for the Scarlet Raptors. He set the school record for three-point field goals in a season (72) and ended his career with 951 points in just two years at Rutgers. He earned a B.A. in sociology in 2002 and went on to obtain his law degree from Rutgers in 2006. As an MFS alumnus, Brian has returned to coach basketball during the 2006-07 season, attends the Camden Scholars annual luncheon, and has also served on the 2011 Strategic Plan’s Diversity/ Community Working Group. Turner was also on the founding board of the Charter School for Global Leadership in Camden, before resigning to join the Camden School Board. In the 30 years since the Moorestown Friends Camden Scholars Program evolved from the “A Better Chance” Scholarship Program, a number of scholars have returned to Camden and communities like it as agents for change in the fields of health, social service, education, law and public service.
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Pursuing the Ph.D.
Pursuing the Ph.D.: Increasingly, MFS grads pursue their studies to the Ph.D. level
Fields of Study for MFS Alumni Who Pursue Ph.D. Degrees: American Studies Bioethics Biological Anthropology
Examining trends in MFS academic accomplishments after high school graduation, there is a strong uptick in the number of MFS graduates who now pursue their interests to the doctoral level. While it might be speculated that the recent economic downturn caused students to stay in graduate school longer due to the depressed job market, this trend in advanced study started as far back as the late 1980s and has been on a steady upward trajectory. As seen on the list at right the fields are quite varied. In addition to the alumni profiled in this article, MFS aspiring Ph.D.s are currently enrolled at doctoral programs at universities including UC Berkeley, UCLA, Georgetown, New York University Institute of Fine Arts, the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), University of Maryland, University of Colorado, Washington University, Lehigh University, Columbia University, Stanford University, the University of Delaware and the University of Michigan. Looking back 20 years, approximately one-third of MFS alumni have enrolled in some type of graduate program after college. Previous to that, MFS grads pursuing further study were both fewer in number, and, for the most part, concentrated in the areas of medicine, pharmacy, law or other pre-professional degrees. Both the number of students continuing their studies and the range of interests they are pursuing have greatly broadened. These profiles feature just a handful of the MFS alumni who have recently completed or are currently enrolled in academic doctoral programs. While some of the recently-minted Ph.D.s are teaching and doing research at institutions including Harvard Medical School, Yale Medical School, the University of Arizona, UC Santa Cruz, SUNY Albany, Mt. Holyoke, Skidmore College and more, others are government or private sector research scientists, working in the curatorial field, or are active in public policy organizations.
Chemical Engineering Chemistry Chinese Literature Cognitive Psychology Computer Science Economics English Entomology Ethnic Studies European History Film and Media Studies International Relations Geochemistry Marine Science Materials Science Mechanical/Industrial Engineering Molecular and Cellular Pathology Neuroscience Quaker Studies Slavic Languages and Literature Social Work Statistics
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Pursuing the Ph.D.
Raj Singh ’87 • Director of Interoperability Programs at the Open Geospatial Consortium
• Ph.D., Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology • B.A., Brown University
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Raj Singh ’87 is representative of the leading group of MFS alumni who pursued Ph.D.s beginning with the late ’80s classes and growing to the present. He and classmate Anne Blood, a neuroscientist, kickstarted a trend which by the mid ’90s had as many as five Ph.D. candidates emerging from each small class at MFS. Singh has been the Director of Interoperability Programs at the Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. for eight years. His position involves setting international standards for the mapping and spatial data used by the military, Google Earth, and other organizations. His work aids humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, especially when many organizations need to come together quickly. “My job is like a diplomat: it’s a negotiation process about what people should do,” said Singh. While a Ph.D. student in Urban Studies and Planning at MIT, Singh’s dissertation topic was similar to the work he does now. “More than anything, [a Ph.D.] gives you the confidence to tackle tough problems,” said Singh. Singh, who was raised Quaker, said that his time at MFS also enhanced his ability to problem solve. “[Former English Department Chair] Chuck Boothby’s 5-paragraph essay [assignment] helped me through tough writing assignments and mental blocks, until I was able to develop a writing style of my own. Just like in sports or jazz, you can’t innovate without a firm grounding in the fundamentals. “[Former Arts Department Chair] Rich Marcucci fostered my love of architecture (I remember designing an architecture independent study elective with him), which probably helped lead me years later to urban design and my masters and Ph.D. in urban planning. “[Former Science Teacher and Computer Science Coordinator] Bill Smith created the first programming class — writing code in BASIC on the Apple IIe. I remember having to drop French so I could take it. Being able to marry programming with mapping and urban design turned out to be central to my career so far.” Perhaps most importantly, said Singh, “The friends I made at MFS are still my closest friends.”
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Pursuing the Ph.D.
Steven Edmund ’02 • Logic Facilities Technology Development Engineer, Intel (Hillsboro, OR) • Ph.D., University of Michigan • M.S., B.S., Bucknell University
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Steven Edmund ’02 recently received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, where he studied the conversion of hydrocarbons into synthesis gas for use in fuel-cell vehicles, emissions treatment and chemical synthesis. While in school, he developed expertise in high temperature catalysis that led to a collaboration with Ford Motor Company and other organizations. “The choice to enroll in graduate school seemed rather straightforward at the time,” he said. “I was simply not finished learning… pursuing a Ph.D. was a way to fill in the details and take time to explore and teach myself. There are few opportunities in life where you can be paid to learn and grow, developing and trying out new ideas on the cutting edge of science.” Edmund is currently a Logic Facilities Technology Development Engineer at Intel’s Hillsboro, OR campus. He works with a group that “produces some of the largest quantities of the purest water found on earth.” This pure water is used to support the development of remarkably fast microprocessors. Of his work with Intel, Edmund writes: “What is striking about the semiconductor industry is the juxtaposition of scale. You have massive infrastructure with millions of square feet of buildings, all to produce a microprocessor with features less than 1/1,000th of the size of a human hair.” At MFS, Edmund benefited from teachers’ ability to work with him on specific skills. “I benefited greatly from the personalized attention… Tim Clarke was a wonderful physics teacher. A group of us were constantly in his classroom working on our wooden bridges, conqueror-of-thehill competition cars, robots, air cannons, rockets, anything we could.” In addition, “[Math Department Chair] Michael Omilian was a wonderful math teacher, excellent at reducing the concepts down to a simple description that we could understand.” Edmund also appreciates the life skills he picked up outside of the classroom. “[Leading] auditorium lightroom and sound taught me the fundamentals of project management, scheduling, personnel, and production… The values at MFS are lifelong. A strong commitment to social justice and to civic involvement have stuck with me in life, as has a love for long moments of silence in the midst of a busy day.”
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Pursuing the Ph.D.
Erika Richardson Hall ’03 • Ph.D. Candidate - Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management
Erika Richardson Hall ’03 is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She is a member of the Management & Organizations department, which focuses on the dynamics of organizations and the people within them. In her work, she researches the psychological factors that affect how people within organizations choose to hire underrepresented minorities and women. Specifically, Hall evaluates the prejudices underrepresented minorities confront in both organizational environments and teams. She believes that her MFS teachers had a significant impact on her career choices. “In [former History Teacher] Mike Levy’s elective on Malcolm X, he encouraged us to think critically and thoughtfully about race and prejudice in ways that we had not thought of before. Further, [Science Chair] Barbara Kreider encouraged us to think critically about the practical implications of science. For example, in her class on the science of beauty and cosmetology, she explained fascinating ways in which the human mind processes and conceptualizes something as beautiful. These electives cultivated my interests in humans’ psychological attraction to certain job candidates based on the candidates’ demographic backgrounds.” In addition to building relationships with teachers, Hall made lifelong friends at MFS. Recently, she visited classmate Fanny Mixter’s kindergarten class at Pride Charter Elementary School in Camden, where she read to and danced with students. “Her creative ideas for spreading knowledge to her students helps me cultivate ideas for teaching the MBA students at my school.” Last October, Hall had lunch with Head of School Larry Van Meter during his visit to Chicago, where they discussed the school’s strategic mission in the context of what she has learned in her Ph.D. program. In the future, Erika plans to become a management professor at a business school.
• B.S., University of Maryland
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Pursuing the Ph.D.
Jennielle Jobson ’07 • Ph.D. Candidate - Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai • B.S., University of Pennsylvania
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Jennielle Jobson ’07 is a second-year doctoral candidate in Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Jobson specializes in genetics and genomic sciences and currently works in a laboratory that focuses on gene therapy—the introduction of genes into specialized tissues in order to prevent and cure genetic and autoimmune diseases. “I am broadly interested in translational research, or the transformation of theoretical research into its practical applications,” she said. “One major career option I am considering is pharmaceuticals, where I can work in a research division developing large molecule drugs.” Looking back on her experience at MFS, Jobson reflects on her relationship with [Science Chair] Barbara Kreider, who was her chemistry teacher for three years. “She encouraged and reinvigorated my interest in science... she enabled me to envision career options in the sciences. She nominated me to participate in several programs, including the Women in Engineering Day at Lockheed Martin and the Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology at Rutgers University.” Jobson credits these opportunities with leading to her study of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. She was also strongly influenced by [Science Teacher and former Middle School Dean of Students] Tina Corsey, who served as a personal mentor. “Mrs. Corsey reached out to me and became deeply invested in my personal development, allowing me to confide in her about personal issues and helping me to feel a sense of belonging at MFS. She worked to cultivate safe spaces for me, as a student of color, where I could be myself, bond with other minority students, and feel comfortable enough to excel academically.” Overall, Jobson believes that her experiences at MFS emboldened her personally and professionally. “The small and nurturing community at MFS ensured that I received individual attention from my teachers, who tracked and encouraged my intellectual and personal development. Extracurricular opportunities allowed me to mature and build the confidence to take leadership positions and succeed in my undergraduate and graduate pursuits.”
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Pursuing the Ph.D. David Sheffield chats with Science Department Chair Barbara Kreider in 2007.
David Sheffield ’07 • Ph.D. Candidate - Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University • B.S., Brown University
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David Sheffield ’07 is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers University. He studies particle physics and works on the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider — the goal of which is to search for the Higgs boson, extra dimensions, and particles that could make up dark matter. Sheffield is currently searching for a specific type of supersymmetric particle. After completing his Ph.D., he plans to remain in academia studying accelerator physics. “What excites me about particle physics is that we’re trying to figure out what the fundamental constituents of the universe are and how they behave,” said Sheffield. “Last year, physicists discovered the final fundamental particle predicted by the Standard Model, which has been an incredibly successful theory but one that was always known to be incomplete. We know that more exists out there and many models attempt to explain what it is. “Also, colliding protons at incredible energies in a vacuum with lower pressure than the surface of the Moon, surrounded by components colder than intergalactic space, and detecting the results with a machine built from nearly twice as much iron as the Eiffel Tower is pretty cool in and of itself.” Sheffield decided that he wanted to become a physicist when he was still in Upper School. At MFS, “[Physics Teacher] Tim Clarke and [Science Dept. Chair] Barbara Kreider had the most significant impacts,” said Sheffield. “They did a very good job of providing a rigorous background in physics and chemistry.” He notes that the physics and math classes he took at MFS prepared him “very well” for undergraduate courses. His other science classes at MFS served as the basis for his understanding of other scientific areas of study. “They gave me a good foundation for understanding the chemistry, biology, etc., that I encounter in reading about other fields of science. The same is true for other subjects, [such as] history.”
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Pursuing the Ph.D.
Julie Martin ’08
Julie Martin ’08 is currently in her second year at the Social Psychology Ph.D. program at Duke University. Her field focuses on how individuals’ thoughts, emotions and behaviors are influenced by the implied, imagined or real presence of others. Specifically, she studies the importance of perceived belonging for mental and physical health. This past year, she conducted research on how people respond to interpersonal rejection emotionally, cognitively and behaviorally. “All of my teachers at MFS were excellent educators, but I’m especially grateful for my sophomore year English teacher, Debra Galler. She gave me confidence in my writing skills and encouraged me to express myself. Being able to clearly convey your ideas and findings to others in writing is a critical skill for any researcher or student, so I’m very thankful for the English instruction I received at MFS.” Martin states that her research into psychological well-being helped increase her appreciation for her time at MFS. “There was a strong sense of community and acceptance,” said Martin. “It was a very positive place for me to learn and grow as a person, and I’ve made deep, longlasting connections with people who I met there. I carry the Quaker values of equality and kindness with me as guiding principles in my everyday life.” With three years left at Duke, Martin is unsure of whether she wants to go into academia or industry. Ultimately, though, she wants to be “doing research that has a positive impact on people’s lives.”
• Ph.D. Candidate - Social Psychology, Duke University • B.A., Lafayette College
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Pursuing the Ph.D.
Jamal Jones ’04 • Ph.D. Candidate - South Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago
Jamal Jones ’04 is a student in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. His program emphasizes text-based studies of the histories and cultures of South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia. “Because of the textual focus of the program, language study is very important here,” said Jones. “The department houses faculty and students who work in a variety of South Asian languages, including Bangla, Hindi, Malayalam, Pali, Tamil and Telugu. I work on medieval Indian literature — particularly texts from south India written in Sanskrit and classical Telegu.” After completing his Ph.D., Jones would like to complete translations from Sanskrit and classical Telegu literature and work in a teaching or advising position at the university level. For Jones, three subjects at MFS were particularly influential in developing the passion necessary for his current endeavors. “Mr. [Peter] Larson, who taught American English junior year, and Mrs. [Katy] Rinehart, who taught both English and Creative Writing senior year, gave indispensable training. The drafting process emphasized in Mr. Larson’s class is the real work of writing. The combination of analytical and creative writing under Mrs. Rinehart’s influence has been important for translation. “In Spanish, Sra. [Dorothy] Talavera and Sr. [Frank] Console taught me how to learn a language and led my first experience abroad (to Spain in 2004). “Finally — and this is rather far afield — Mr. [Andrew] Newman’s Molecular Biology elective was formative for the sheer rigor of it.”
• B.A., University of Chicago
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Social Media
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Class Notes 1940 Jane Walton Steber writes: “Still here on earth – 90 years young.”
1942 Robert L. Smith was sorry to miss the reunion luncheon and the friends who were there. He sends warm wishes to all.
1943 Anne LeDuc writes: “My busy life includes working for my Episcopal Outreach Committee, George School Capital Fund (Campaign to Improve Athletic Facilities,
including a new Recreation & Sports Center) and my book club.”
aging by the minute! But still love my life and am a proud Quaker!”
1945
1948
Ann Richie Ratliff would love to see the changes on the MFS campus. She writes: “Many changes in the last 70 years. Finally retired from nursing two years ago and am enjoying family and reading.”
Mary Goodnow Meyer spent two weeks in New Zealand visiting friends who are potters. She writes: “Sunny weather, lots of sheep, wine vineyards, hills all about, beautiful Tasman Bay – gorgeous!”
Mary Hilton Stow writes: “I’ve always been grateful to have had 13 years at such a fine school. If I had remained in Moorestown, all three of my children would have been educated there. As for now, I am
Ann Stokes is supporting whistleblowers Bradley Manning, Thomas Drake and others by writing to senators, newspapers and putting bumper stickers on her car.
Class of 1953 - 60th Reunion
Alumna Enjoys “A Great Walk Through A Distant but Wonderful Past.” Lydia Stefanov Demko ’53, who grew up in Slovakia, wrote this note about her 60th reunion: “First, I would like to thank all those who helped to organize the Reunion weekend and made it a great success. I was greatly impressed with all the growth and additions to the school. It’s hard to describe how I felt walking the corridors of the school and peering into classrooms where I acquired real knowledge of English and all the other subjects that helped me get to college and prepared me for the future. “It was very gratifying to meet with my classmates. Sally McAllister Ganger did a great job organizing and informing us. However, we are getting somewhat older and even this trip was not very easy for some of us. Hopefully, we can meet more often in the future. “Why was this Reunion so important to me? Let me start at the beginning. My parents and I arrived in the United States on July 1, 1950. We came on a troop transporter from Hamburg, Germany to New York, after spending five years in refugee camps. Our sponsors were the Quakers, Lydia Stefanov Demko’s 1953 and Mr. and Mrs. (Ken and Clarissa) Cooper picked us up in Philadelphia and brought us to their Yearbook photo lovely home in Moorestown. We were their guests for about three nights, and then the Friends Committee found us a small furnished apartment in the house of Mrs. Yetter on Central Ave. where we lived for several months. Our next move was to a house on Linden Street where we rented the second floor. By this time, with the help of some wonderful people, my father had a job with a civil engineering firm in Mt. Holly. And, again, the Moorestown Quakers stepped in and brought us furniture, kitchen utensils, bedding, etc. And as if this generosity weren’t enough, they asked my parents to register me at MFS, with a full tuition scholarship until I graduated! This was a great gift that I will never be able to repay. “I wish to thank my classmate and dear friend Thalia Little Putney for driving me around Moorestown to the houses where my parents and I lived. It was amazing how kind and helpful all the present owners of these homes were – they let us inside their homes and allowed us to take pictures. It was a great feeling and I only wish my parents could have been there with me. “So, let me thank again the Reunion organizers for giving me this opportunity to come back to MFS and to my first home in the United States. It was a great walk through a distant but wonderful past. “May the good Lord bless and keep you all in His loving hand.”
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The former home of Ken and Clarissa Cooper, who first hosted the Stefanov family in Moorestown.
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Class Notes Mary Rose Caldwell Schlatter writes: “David and I continue to enjoy life in Williamsburg, VA – both my brother Bill Caldwell ’46 and sister Margaret Caldwell Karb ’49 live about two blocks away. Our four children live in California, Nevada and Florida. Happily, we can travel back and forth from time to time.”
1952 Sallie Knorr Stewart turned 79 on May 4.
1953 See reunion photo at left.
1954 Missy Medl Kjellenberg writes: “Wake up everyone in the Class of 1954 – our 60th reunion is next May 2014! ” Members of the Class of 1953 celebrated their 60th reunion during Alumni Weekend. Seated: Sally McAllister Ganger, Mary Ricketts, Lydia Stefanov Demko, Carol Dickerson-Kauffman; Standing: Thalia Little Putney, Lou Matlack, Gordon Bennett, Harold Walter and Nora Janney Dunfee.
1956 Wick Hollingshead is the Governor of the Society of Colonial Wars in New Jersey.
1957 Fred Homer took care of many Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls and a couple of Red Tails this past winter. Sugaring season was quintessential. “I love springtime in Vermont,” he noted. Charlotte Gregg Simpson writes: “Hello MFS from sunny Brierfield, AL. Update: three children, eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren. Y’all are not forgotten – God bless one and all!”
Members of the Class of 1958, family and friends gathered at Sandy Bray Wasson’s home on Alumni Weekend to celebrate their 55th reunion. Seated: David Wasson, Harold Megee ’57, Arthur Evans ’58 and Rowland Ricketts ’57. Standing: Sandy Bray Wasson ’58, Rochelle Lario Towers ’58, Saundra Griffith Nottingham ’58, Sigrid Schwarz Kunz, Bonnie Griffith Jamison ’59, Mary Lynn Ricketts and Edward Jamison ’57. Others who returned to Moorestown for the reunion from the Class of 1958 included Warren Nelson and Walter Staats.
Carol Thum Scout has been in an electric wheelchair for two and ½ years and needs ramps all over. She sends regards to everyone.
1958 See reunion photo at left.
1959 1949 Molly Wood Logan writes: “Many friends are just moving to continuing care retirement communities and we are so thankful that we did it ten years ago. It was the best move we could have made. Both of us are slowing down a bit but still do our New England drives to see family twice a year – June and November. This spring we went to Montreal for our granddaughter’s 28
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graduation from McGill. A big ‘hi’ to all the 49ers reading this.”
1951 Jane Scull Michelfelder writes: “Carl and I are still enjoying our retirement life in Virginia. Our volunteering for hospice and involvement in our church seem to keep us very busy.”
Ingrid Lehfeldt Briody and her husband Steve are retired and live in Stilwell, KS one-third of the year, in Hutchinson, MN another third and one-third of the year on cruise ships. She writes: “We have been blessed with a rich Christian life. If anyone ever drives into Kansas or Minnesota, or wants to go on a cruise with us, please get in touch.”
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Class Notes
Ingrid Lehfeldt Briody ’59, far left, and her family. William Archer ’61 as the Moorestown Town Crier.
1963 See reunion photo on page 30. After leaving MFS in the tenth grade, Chuck Hurley moved to Wilmington, DE, and later attended Dickinson College. He was a political staffer and highway safety officer, and retired as CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in 2010. Marion Lev Schorr writes: “Things are great out here in San Diego. Anyone coming out this way, give us a call – would love to see you!”
1964 Members of the Class of 1968 during Alumni Weekend: Renee Kaufman, Larry Van Meter, Phil Elbertson, Eric Jones and Jonathan Tomar. The class also gathered at Akira in Moorestown. Attendees included: Lyle Manheimer, Laurie Mitchell, Susan Stapler Kelemen, Wally DuBois, Ann Moser Trenka and Diana Santor Kornhauser. Connie Hofberg Ford was sorry to miss the reunion and writes: “Hard to believe lacrosse has been at MFS for 55 years.”
1961 William R. Archer is the Town Crier mascot for the Historical Society of Moorestown.
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Barry Brown writes: “I will always treasure my years at MFS. Lots of fond memories, experiences and teachers of life-long value. Both of my daughters are teachers.” Frederick Wehle and his wife Liz are “double Dels” having met at the University of Delaware in 1962.
Trixie Sanborn Meteyer is still working but plans to retire soon. Her fourth grandchild was due in July and she is planning trips to Maui and Scotland this year. “Looking forward to our 50th MFS class reunion!” Peter and Bonnie Greenfield Reagan are retired physicians and are very active with volunteer work and with their family. They have taken recent trips to Myanmar, Colombia and the Middle East.
1968 See reunion photo above. AMONG FRIENDS
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Class Notes
Visit www.mfriends.org and click on “Support MFS”
Class of 1963 Enjoys 50th Reunion Butch Chase kindly summarized the Class of 1963’s 50th Reunion weekend: “This year’s Alumni Weekend was a very special occasion, celebrating our 50th Class reunion. Debbie Miller Hull was honored as this year’s recipient of the Alice Stokes Paul Award for years of service to Quaker education at the Dinner Among Friends on Friday night. On Saturday, following a luncheon which honored our class, there was a tree dedication in memory of Elizabeth “Betsy” Harman Johnson and seven other deceased classmates, including Johanna Edel, John Lewis, Mark Murphy, Bob Magee, Maks Lawnicki, Frank Lovett and Bill Phillips. During Alumni Weekend, members of the Class of 1963 attended a Tree “The weekend culminated with our 50th Reunion Dedication ceremony in memory of their classmate Betsy Harman Johnson and party at the Riverton Country Club. Thirty-six of our other classmates who predeceased her. classmates attended at least part of the weekend festivities. It was great to see such a turnout, especially since so many came from great distances. Those coming from out of state included: Bill Atkinson (NC), Steve Balaban (PA), John Blair (WA), Dave Campbell (CA), Ross Corotis (CO), Mike Denbo (NY), Ed Graff (MD), Ginna Howitz Hackney (VA), Debbie Miller Hull (SC), Chuck Hurley (MD), Jeff Keleman (NM), Betsey Dickson Kennedy (CA), Tina DeCou Krutsky (UT), Pat DeCou LaMountain (MA), Bob Landgraf (MI), Ron Luber (PA), Richard Mason (VA), Kitty Taylor Mizuno (CA), Whitty Ransome (MD), Fred Richardson (PA), Michael Sirotta (NY) and Bill Wilhelm (MA). The New Jersey contingent included: Wendy Ries Brunt, Barbara Silberstein Cianci, Eric Clever, Gretchen Capehart DeCou, Ross Hagstoz, Louisa Wright Khanlian, Marilyn Johnson Lippincott, Reg Raban, Hartley Severns, Patty Loney Sidelsky, Janet Savage Sleeper, Gary Smith, Dick Tomar, and Butch Chase. “Finally, as a class we should be proud, coming together and donating a Class Endowment Gift of over $35K.” – Butch Chase ’63
Members of the Class of 1963 celebrated their 50th reunion during Alumni Weekend. Front: Reg Raban, Ed Graff, Ron Luber, Whitty Ransome, Patty Loney Sidelsky, Tina DeCou Krutsky, Ginna Howitz Hackney, Dick Tomar and Wendy Reis Brunt. Back: Hartley Severns, Richard Mason, Louisa Wright Khanlian, Kitty Taylor Mizuno, Pat DeCou LaMountain, Butch Chase, Bill Atkinson, Debbie Miller Hull, Ross Corotis, Chuck Hurley, John Blair, Mike Denbo, Dave Campbell, Bob Landgraf, Bill Wilhelm and Gretchen Capehart DeCou.
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Class Notes
Class Notes
Make a Gift Online to the Annual Fund for MFS
Members of the class of 1982: Fred Young, Jodi Gellman-Wallach and Keith Hockenbury.
The Class of 1973 at their 40th reunion. Seated: Kathy Andreola Mullin, April Davis Bird and Nancy Chiyo Moriuchi. Middle: Betsy Mastran Small, Debbie Metzger Czajkowski, Toby Lubarr Spector, Debbie Scoblink King, Bob Barnett, Bob Hazelwood and Escamillio Davis. Back: Joe Corcoran, David Roberts, Bob Rosenthal and Ollie Read.
1973 Chiyo Moriuchi wrote about the Class of 1973’s gathering at Kathy Andreola Mullin’s home: “We had a great turnout on May 4. Everyone had a wonderful time catching up. A couple of us commented on what a happy, well-adjusted group we seemed to be. Kathy was amazingly kind and generous to host us at her beautiful home. We also enjoyed a special message that was sent by our favorite teacher Dick Tyre, courtesy of Richard Lappin.
1974 Carla Zimmerman Reiss writes: “I now live in Manchester, NH and have had a long career in product design, especially children’s toys. My husband of 30 years, Steven, is also an industrial designer. I received my B.F.A. in Environmental Design from Rochester Institute of Technology and did additional studies at Rhode Island School of Design and University of the Arts.”
1977 From Chris Evans: “Imagine my surprise when I received the Spring 2013 Among Friends with the cover story regarding Intensive Learning, and then noticing that the boy standing next to Mr. Caughey FALL 2013
looked familiar...’Hey, that’s me!’ I shouted out to my wife, Alison. I certainly do remember the trips to Camp Ockanickon, Project Moorestown, and the City Project trips to Philadelphia. They were all great learning experiences, from what I can still recall of them. While I was not able to graduate from MFS, I did spend my senior year in Caracas, Venezuela, then graduated there and came back to New Jersey. I have been living in Central Jersey for about 30 years now, and have three teenage children. I am a CPA, and lead a fairly busy life (especially from February to April every year).”
1982 Keith Hockenbury moved to Southern California in January 2012 for a new job as Academic Solutions Architect for West Coast University in Anaheim. Tim Johnson ’63 finished the school year in New Jersey and joined Keith in June 2012. Just before the final move, they attended Keith’s 30th MFS reunion and reconnected with friends. In December, they settled in San Clemente, CA with a view of the Pacific Ocean a couple of miles away. Keith’s sister Robin Hockenbury Simpson ’78 lives about 20 miles away.
Gary Kanefsky ’82, Warren Sedar ’82 and Steve Walsh ’83.
Steve Walsh reports: “In July, Warren Sedar ’82 took his bi-annual visit to New Jersey from San Francisco. We had a get together and it was good to play ‘catch up’ and revive some old memories.”
1988 In her first three years as head coach, Amanda Stevenson Hudson has guided the Friends School of Baltimore varsity girls lacrosse team to three straight Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B finals. The team won the title in 2012 and this year fell to Park School in the championship 15-12. During those three seasons, Friends is 43-9. Hudson played collegiately at the University of Maryland. Nancy Polutan was married to Laurent Teulieres in a civil ceremony at the Mayor of Cherry Hill’s office in February. See photo on page 32.
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Class Notes doing well and Mom and Dad are head over heels in love with their bundles of joy.
1991 Don Orth, Director of Technology at Hillbrook School in Los Gatos, CA, co-authored an article in NAIS’s Independent School magazine entitled “The Strategy for Digital Citizenship.”
1993 See reunion photo on page 32.
1994 Tara Smith, now Tara Pierman, married Greg Pierman on July 20. The ceremony took place on the campus of Duke University, where Tara attended college. Brandi Toatley ‘94 was in attendance. Tara writes: “We are making our home in Philadelphia with our 6-year-old son, Nigel. Hi to everyone in the class of 1994, and we’ll see you at our 20-year reunion next year!”
Larry and Margaret Van Meter had lunch with Haverford College soon-to-be graduates Gaby Martinez ’09 and Lauren Hawkins ’08 this spring when the Van Meters were on campus for a Haverford Corporation Meeting.
1996 Jim Bonder, the NJSIAA high school boys soccer coach of the year in 2011-2012, coached the East Coast Selects team that attended the 2013 Costa Daurada Cup in Spain.
2000 Rob Moose is the founder and member of a chamber music group called yMusic. They recently finished recording a second album and are planning an early 2014 release. They did the tracking in Vermont at Phish’s private studio.
2003 Fanny Mixter is currently working as a kindergarten teacher at Pride Charter School in Camden.
2005 Kernika Gupta celebrated her engagement to Vishal Patel on June 15 in South Jersey. See photo on page 32. Cornell Woodson graduated from the University of Vermont with a master’s degree in education. He writes “Congrats to the Camden Scholars class of 2013!” He is now a Program Administrator at New York University.
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Classmates and friends of Brian Turner ’98, recipient of the 2013 Young Alumni Award, at the Dinner Among Friends. Brian Turner, Sheree Woods, Duran Searles ’99, Rachel Melroy ’98, Tracy Ransome ’98, Janice Baiada Lovequist ’98, former faculty member and Varsity Boys Basketball Coach Sam Washington and former Boys Varsity Basketball Coach Ryan Winkelspecht ’98.
2009 Sophia Demuynck graduated from Smith College in May. During her senior year, she captained the field hockey team to its largest number of wins in five years. She received the Sarah Pokora Award for the highest individual G.P.A. in the entire athletic department, while completing a
double major in neuroscience and sociology. Her senior thesis, titled “Holding a Piece of the Earth: Gendered Space, Field Hockey Embodiment and the Politics of Getting Low,” was a magnum opus that explores the spatiality, portrayal, and history of field hockey in the United States. After her Smith graduation, she joined the Americorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps). AMONG FRIENDS
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Class Notes Alexandra Friedman graduated from American University in the spring with a bachelor’s degree in communications. She enrolled this fall in a graduate program at the University of the Arts, London College of Fashion in England.
2012 Val Demuynck attends Wesleyan University. This summer, he taught at the Kibera School for Girls in the Kibera section of Nairobi, Kenya. Karan Hiremath, a current student in the Jerome Fisher Management and Technology Program, received $30,000 in funding from the University of Pennsylvania for his new web and mobile feedback platform. The platform, GreenVote, allows occupants of a building to provide management with valuable information about comfort levels throughout the building. The feedback helps optimize energy efficiency as well as comfort, and GreenVote is currently being tested in Penn Engineering and Wharton buildings.
Young alumni gathered at the Triumph Brewing Company in Philadelphia on May 13. The gathering was organized for the dual purpose of having a social networking evening for the Classes of 1995 through 2008, and also to hold focus groups and conduct a survey about impact of the Quaker dimension at MFS on recent graduates. The focus groups were facilitated by retired Associate Head of school Barbara Caldwell and current Assistant Head of School and Academic Dean Chris Kimberly as part of the data-gathering for the accreditation process with the Friends Council on Education, to assess the school’s Quaker identity. Seated: Mara Cutler Katsikis ’99, Liz McKenna ’01, Jennifer Briones ’08, Molly Kreider Viscardi ’02 and Sonia Mixter Guzman ’02. Standing: Larry Van Meter ’68, Ann Stouffer ’07, Katie Kellom ’05, Duran Searles ’99, Cory Colijn ’06, Jackiem Wright ’00, Scott Hammer ’99, Adam Serlin ’02, Matt Riggins ’99, Matt Cutler ’01, Richard Hendrickson ’07, Luke Van Meter ’05, Josh Washington ’04, Courtney Morris ’95, Wilbur Briones ’96, Lauren Beetle ’96, Lee Porter ’95, Fanny Mixter ’03, Jeff Croshaw ’98, Max Friedman ’05 and Jen Harris ’03. Ian Scott ’98 is hidden behind Jen Harris.
Commencement Joy
Class Notes received after September 3 will be printed in the next issue of Among Friends. Kailey Burgess ’13 (right) is pictured prior to Commencement with sister Morgan Burgess ’08, brother Cliff Burgess ’12 and mother Janet Stevens ’77. 34
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In Memoriam
Georgia Saks Craig mother of Joan Craig ’75
Jack Rosenberg father of Harold Rosenberg ’75, Joan Rosenberg ’77 and Anne Rosenberg ’74, grandfather of Ryan Flynn ‘06 and Evan Flynn
Dean Cucinotta ’84 brother of Thomas Cucinotta ’83
Joy (Barbara) Dauerty Seher ’39 sister of Charles Dauerty ’42 and James S. Dauerty ’41
Pauline Brown Cutting ’49 sister of William Brown ’54 and Mary Lou Brown Auchter ’48
Nancy “Nan” Stickney MFS Lower School Director, 1973-1983
Louis Corner Clelland, Jr. ‘41
Molly Webster Parker ’39 sister of Elizabeth Webster Bolster ’49 and the late E. Kessler Webster ’40 and Theodore Webster ’41
Noah Darnell Thomas son of Janet Sawyer Thomas ‘67, nephew of Stephen Sawyer ‘76 and Martha Sawyer Deluca ‘66, brother of Rachel Thomas ‘06, grandson of Warren and Florence Sawyer, and the late Ruth Darnell Sawyer
Ethel Georgine Hughes Pechin ‘32
Harold “Hap” Walter ‘53
Bernard Perrier stepfather of Carrie Oliver Boxer ’92
E. Kessler Webster ’40 brother of Elizabeth Webster Bolster ’49 and the late Theodore Webster ’41 and Molly Webster Parker ’39
Elizabeth Dunn Mutch ‘42
Fred Rudolph husband of Phyllis Rosenthal Rudolph ’54 Ernest L. Ransome III father of Leslie Ransome Hudson ’67, Jane Ransome Bromley ’72 and Elizabeth Ransome ’69, grandfather of Kristen Bromley Fitzgerald ’97 and Lauren Bromley Hooven ’99
Cynthia Carpenter Wilson ’43 sister of Jane Carpenter Post ’51 and Charlie Carpenter ’52 Dolores Zbikowski mother of Nancy Zbikowski Gifford ’71
Mary Elizabeth Gaunt Rhoads mother of David Rhoads ‘56 and Ruth Rhoads Engler ‘58
Editor’s Note: Full obituaries are found on the MFS website. “In Memoriam” lists the passing of the following: alumni; immediate family of alumni (father, mother, child, spouse, sibling); current parents; current and past faculty and staff; spouses, partners and children of current faculty, staff and administration; current and former trustees; and spouses and children of current trustees. Notices will include any of the deceased’s relatives who are MFS alumni. To locate full obituaries on the MFS website, click on the News section of the site and select “Obituaries” in the submenu. Alumni that do not have access to the Internet may contact Director of Marketing and Communications Mike Schlotterbeck at 856-914-4434 to request that a hard copy of an obituary be mailed to your home. FALL 2013
AMONG FRIENDS
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MFSnapshot
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AMONG FRIENDS
FALL 2013
Congratulations MFS Class of 2013!
Maraina Adams - Hamilton College Jacob Adamson - Colby College Marissa Adibi - University of Delaware Chukwuebuka Anayo - Savannah College of Art & Design Cailean Balter - University of Delaware Spencer Bard - Massachusetts Institute of Technology Emiko Borne - Berklee College of Music Lauren Brown - Skidmore College Matthew Brown - Johns Hopkins University Kailey Burgess - Parsons The New School for Design Ethan Carilli - University of St. Andrews Lauren Carney - Rochester Institute of Technology Ashleigh Cartwright - Columbia University Aseeli Coleman - Smith College Clyde Cooper - Wesley College Olivia Costanzo - Boston University Caroline Cramer - New York University Tia D’Costa - Ohio Wesleyan University Kayla D’Oyen - Drew University Aviana Duca - Johns Hopkins University Brett Eiffes - Boston University Aaron Ferber - Cornell University Melissa Finnerty - Moore College of Art & Design Margaret Fischer - George Mason University
Lauryn France - Rutgers University Odeymarys Garrido - Bryn Mawr College Kaelee Geertgens - Parsons The New School for Design Colin Gregory - Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Sarina Gupta - The College of New Jersey Eric Harkaway - University of Miami Austin Harris - New York University Taylor Hart-McGonigle - The College of New Jersey Benjamin Herman - George Washington University Liana Hershey - Franklin & Marshall College Alexander Hines - Boston University Logan Horn - University of Delaware Nicole Hovatter - Clemson University Alexander Howard - Belmont University Andrew Jaffe - University of Chicago Adeola James - Wesley College Shanelle Jones - Clark University Reena Karasin - Tufts University Joseph Kiernan - University of Pennsylvania Kaitlyn Koste - Pennsylvania State University Scott Krasner - University of Vermont Claire Langlotz - Northwestern University Timothy Latimer - Saint Joseph’s University
Ari Levine - Brandeis University Randall Love - Saint Joseph’s University Lauren Lowe - Drexel University Sarah Master - Brown University Samantha McCabe - Elon University Larissa Morgan - Villanova University Anne O’Donnell - Marist College Kyle Price - University of Pittsburgh Emily Purcell - Bucknell University Miranda Remington - University of Tampa Natalie Respond - University of Delaware Nathan Riggins - Bucknell University Tevin Rivera - Philadelphia University Vincent Salvano - New York University Daphni Sawyer - Cornell University Daniel Schmetterling - University of Pittsburgh Samara Shabel - University of Mississippi Kristina Shah - Boston University Trinh Son - American University Simone Stanley - Howard University Samuel Stern - Salisbury University Luke Timber - Lafayette College Rachel Weiss - Pennsylvania State University Vashti Williams - Goucher College
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Cinnaminson, NJ Permit No. 81 110 East Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057-2949
Burlington County Open Champs!
The Girls Tennis team captured the Burlington County Open tournament for the first time in school history.
The 2013 MFS varsity girls tennis team: Molly Fischer, Katie Teitelbaum, Paige Hurley, Erin Chen, Coach Mike Bodary, Jess Ferber, Lilla Butterworth, Grace Kim and Lara Repholz.