breaking up
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v o l u m e 7, n o . 3
CELEBRATING
COLLEGE O F B U S IN E S S R E C E IV E S
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N o r t h e r n m a g a z i n e i s n o w o n l i n e ! Check out web-
only features at northernmagazine.nku.edu. There, you’ll find updates to these articles and additional information exclusive to the web. On the cover: Bud Stross, Jami Patton and Tyler Reid are all smiles after commencement. Visit northernmagazine.nku.edu for a photo gallery of NKU’s commencement.
features
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Celebrating 40 years
The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation invests in the College of Business
NKU alum builds skateboard business
Political science prof provides perspectives on politics and pilsners
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NKU alumna Liza Siegel shares tales from reality TV
NKU professor Jerry Warner helps a department grow
Research from NKU communication professor Andrea Lambert shows that breaking up is, indeed, hard to do
$15 million
40 reasons to love nku
notable norse
donor profile
N EW L E A F PA P E R environmental benefits statement Northern Kentucky University saved the following resources by using New Leaf Reincarnation made with 100% recycled fiber, 50% post-consumer waste, and processed chlorine free.
trees
water
84
18,227
fully grown
gallons
energy
solid waste
greenhouse gases
38
3,987
6,738
million BTUs
pounds
pounds
Calculation based on research by Environmental Defense and other members of the Paper Task Force.
©2006 New Leaf Paper
www.newleafpaper.com
888.989.5323
Man over board
How to break up
faculty profile
n o r t h e r n k e n t u c k y u n i v e r s i t y | fa l l 2 0 0 8 | v o l u m e 7, n o . 3
regulars
Rob Pasquinucci
publisher
CONTRIBUTORS
Deidra S. Fajack
Chris Cole
editor
Director of Alumni Programs
Dionne Laycock ’90
Gerard A. St. Amand
designer
Joe Ruh photographer
Vice President for University Advancement
D. A. Fleischer Margaret Frake Mears Green Vicki Prichard Rich Shivener Kelly Vogelpohl
4 alumni journal 32 class notes 33 alumni on the move 34 northern news
CORRESPONDENCE Northern Kentucky University Office of Alumni Programs 421 Johns Hill Road Highland Heights, Kentucky 41099 phone: (859) 572-5486 web: alumni.nku.edu e-mail: alumni@nku.edu NORTHERN is published four times a year by the Office of Alumni Programs at Northern Kentucky University for its graduates, donors and friends. Copyright 2008, Northern Kentucky University.
NORTHERN
Coming to The Bank of Kentucky Center Cirque du Soleil and the world-famous Lipizzaner Stallions are just two of the nationally known acts coming to The Bank of Kentucky Center at NKU. For more information about upcoming events at the BOK, please visit www. bankofkentuckycenter.com.
Underwood opens The Bank Country music performer Carrie Underwood opened The Bank of Kentucky Center in September, performing to a near-sellout crowd. During the concert, she donned an NKU basketball jersey. Her show was followed within days by humor act Jeff Dunham and several other entertainment events. For more information, visit www.bankofkentuckycenter.com.
Callahan Hall NKU’s newest residence hall is open to students starting this fall. Callahan Hall was formerly the Lakeside Heights Nursing Center. NKU converted the facility to house 460 students beginning this fall. The facility is named in honor of former state Rep. Jim Callahan. The hall also includes the first dedicated space for NKU’s Greek organizations, with five sororities and one fraternity occupying wings of the building.
n o r t h e r n
NKU annexed by Highland Heights NCAA champs Northern Kentucky University officially became part of Highland Heights with an agreement signed this spring. As part of the deal, NKU will purchase the city’s civic center on Johns Hill Road and incorporate the property into the campus sports facilities.
photo book
Photographer Tim Downer has put together a compilation of photos from the NCAA champion NKU women’s basketball team. For more information, e-mail Tim at downert1@yahoo.com.
First entrepreneurship grad When Colin Klayer crossed the stage at The Bank of Kentucky Center as part of Northern Kentucky University’s spring 2008 commencement, he did so as the first-ever Kentucky entrepreneurship degree recipient. “I am very excited about being the first entrepreneurship graduate in the commonwealth,” Klayer said. “The Entrepreneurship Institute and NKU have been so wonderful to me. I am happy to represent them in any way I can.” NKU became the first university in Kentucky to offer entrepreneurship as a major in 2006.
Average high-school GPA of incoming NKU freshmen.
6.283.2.4.03.271.8.3.53 3.28 59 0 83.52.74.03.271.8.3.5 39.35299.5 357902390.35299.5.28 . 13.57.68.9271.839.9439 2 8 13 . 5 7. 6 8 . 9 2 1.5957902390.35299.3.2 .839.29.59570 283 13.52.68.9271.839.94 90.3599.3.28 133.5957902390.35299. 3.52.68.9271.8 35.2857902390.35299.3 9.9433.59573.5
3.08
Norse numbers
14,807 Total enrollment, as of fall 2007. Number of different states NKU students come from.
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Frog bog Jerry Carpenter, professor emeritus of biology at NKU, has always loved frogs. From collecting them in his backyard as a kid through his career as a biologist, the slimy creatures put a smile on his face. This summer’s “Frog Bog” exhibit at the Newport Aquarium features frog photos taken by Carpenter. He hopes the display will help let the public know many species of frogs are in danger because of environmental changes.
Number of different countries NKU students come from. Source: NKU Office of Institutional Research s u m m e r
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pr ox im ity M ay be it wa s th e th e gr ea t of th e ca m pu s, or fri en dl y pr of es so rs , or th e yo u co ul d ba r ne ar by wh er e t th at co m m ise ra te ab ou ar e lo ts ro ug h f in al . Th er e NK U. of re as on s we lo ve ei r W e as ke d al um ni th or ie s as th ou gh ts an d m em ye ar s NK U ce le br at es 40 th is an d ca m e up wi th m ea ns lis t, wh ich is by no co m pr eh en siv e.
n o r t h e r n
CLOSE
CAMPUS
Just miles from downtown Cincinnati and close to Northern Kentucky neighborhoods, NKU is close to home for so many yet provides a world-class education. “I chose Northern Kentucky University because it was close to home, and I could get a part-time job, have an apartment and follow what was certainly a directed path. It took five years, but the experience and memories never fade. The time since passed has been blessed with many rewards. I still encounter classmates who have become customers as well as reacquainted friends,” – Jack Sproehnle, ’80
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DR. DANNY MILLER
GREAT FACULTY
With a small student-to-faculty ratio and caring professors, it’s no surprise that alumni have great memories of their professors. Here’s one response we received: “One thing that I loved about NKU was having Dr. Danny Miller as a professor – he really inspired me to learn, and Dr. Miller made his classes interesting.” – Melanie Miller Inman, ’00
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Billie’s athletics
ATHLETICS
NKU’s sports teams have provided excitement for fans throughout the past 40 years. From the recent NCAA women’s championship to early successes like the 1978 men’s basketball trip to the NCAA tournament, the Norse have been an exciting part of campus life at NKU.
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Skyline
Tavern
Most NKU students remember a small pub on Johns Hill Road just off campus where they could enjoy a cold libation and good company. Billie’s Skyline Tavern has been a destination for thirsty NKU students for most of the time the university has been open. Teachers, students and local residents shared spots at the bar. “It was a great little hangout. She (Billie, the bar’s proprietor) had those short glasses of draft beer for 35 cents and cheeseburgers and stuff,” said Mark Catton, a 1978 graduate.“I spent more than an evening or two up there. Billie was a fixture, and in the evening sometimes she would play the spoons to a song on the jukebox.”
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TRICIA MACKE
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Greek and
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student life
Greek life and other student organizations help foster lifelong friendships among students. NKU’s Greek organizations are represented with special painted benches on the plaza, and this fall the Pikes will occupy a floor of the new Callahan Hall residential facility.
Adult
education
You don’t need to be 18 and right out of high school to be welcomed at NKU. Classes are designed for busy adults who have careers and families. “I went back to school to complete my undergraduate degree at the age of 40. I was nervous about returning to the classroom after so many years away. But at every turn, I found instructors who were enthusiastic experts in their fields.They were dedicated to excellence and went out of their way to help students. I loved the small class sizes and the individual attention I received. I believe the education I received at NKU was exceptional and prepared me for many new opportunities within my company.” – Julie Laskey, ’04
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SHEREE PAOLELLO
ALUMNI
NKU alumni have achieved great things. One just has to turn on the evening news to see two prominent NKU graduates, TV anchors Sheree Paolello and Tricia Macke. But what most alumni enjoy are the friendships sustained through the years by keeping in touch with fellow graduates.
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the architecture
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architecture OK, admittedly some don’t exactly “love” the architecture. When the faculty saw the first campus building, Nunn Hall, in 1972, some asked when they would be putting the bricks on it and others quipped that it looked more like a factory. Over the years, more buildings sprang up, keeping with the look of Nunn Hall. Recently, the renovation of the lake in the middle of campus and other improvements have helped to soften the look of the architecture.
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GEORGE CLOONEY
George Clooney
Yes, he went to school here. His ties to the region and short time here on campus are something to brag about.
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Campus art
The sundial in the plaza (which is officially called the Gnominium Polaris Nordum) is one of the original trademarks of the university campus.The notch points to the North Star, and concrete numerals make a good spot to sit and study on a sunny day. More artwork appeared on campus, including the minimalist aluminum box by Donald Judd in 1976. In 1991, a large sculpture was dedicated in front of the Applied Science and Technology Center.
Residence
halls
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Although many students commuted to NKU, those who lived in residence halls have fond memories of staying on campus. Jeff Iker, a 2005 graduate who works at NKU, writes he has fond memories of Commonwealth Hall, Norse Hall and having a roommate who worked at Best Buy.
campus
concerts Sly and the Family Stone, Dave Mason, David Crosby, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dolly Parton, Judy Collins, Pure Prairie League and Linda Ronstadt are just some of the nationally known artists who came to campus in the 1970s. Student fees helped fund the concerts, and a committee worked on putting the shows together. “We got them before they were big names,” said Mark Catton, who was on the student committee that helped plan the concerts. Catton was a theatre major and loved the opportunity to plan and set up for the acts. “It was quite the scene. Back then, we ran on a wing and a prayer.” Once, the committee got a call from Sly (of Sly and the Family Stone fame). His band was stranded in Kansas because of airplane troubles. They made it to campus at midnight and wowed the capacity crowd.
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The new events center officially opened this fall, but spring graduates got a sneak peek in May. The arena features 12 luxury suites, two party decks and seats for more than 10,000. The center is the new home of the Norse and will host several entertainment events, including Cirque du Soleil and others.
The Bank of Kentucky
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From the Commonwealth Summer Theatre series to the YES Festival to plays and musicals throughout the year, NKU’s theatre department is a source of pride for the entire community.
Theatre
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Center
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Salmon P. Chase College of Law Chase merged with NKU in 1972, moved from downtown Cincinnati to the Covington campus and then moved to Nunn Hall on the Highland Heights campus in 1982. The school is named after an Ohio senator, treasury secretary (during the Lincoln administration) and Supreme Court chief justice. Many legal employers in the region consider Chase graduates better prepared to step into practice immediately. In fact, 92 percent are employed within six months of graduation!
Famous
guests
BATHTUB RACES
bathtub races Each year, students participated in the “Rites of Spring,� which included bathtub races across the campus lake. Then-President Steely even got into the act, although he circumvented the rules by adding a motor to his tub. When the lake was renovated in 2005, alumni expected to see rusty bathtubs stuck in the bottom. None were found. Today, the lake is home to several campus events and a great spot for quiet study.
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Two presidents, several notable political figures, and famous musicians have all visited NKU in the past 40 years. Some prominent guests include: anthropologist Jane Goodall; authors Kurt Vonnegut, Maya Angelou and Alex Haley; Presidents Gerald Ford and George W. Bush; Dolly Parton; former presidential candidates Bob Dole, John Edwards, Pat Buchanan, Ralph Nader and Steve Forbes; and political commentators George Stephanopoulos, George Will, Mary Matalin, Al Franken and Tucker Carlson.
WNKU
WNKU
Since 1985, WNKU has been the home to NPR programs and great music. The station has a solid audience and has been honored as the best radio station in the region by local publications.
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International opportunities Ever since Professor Jeffrey Williams offered a course that took students to the British Isles to study politics in 1982, NKU has extended its reach across the world. Today, there are opportunities for students to study abroad in more than 30 countries, and the campus is home to students from more than 50 foreign countries.
19 Low cost/ high value One of NKU’s taglines is “Quality Made Affordable.” Generations of students have learned that a quality college education is attainable and affordable by coming to NKU.
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Loch Norse and
the
AmphitheatER
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cheerleaders
Cheerleaders From the Golden Girls to today’s awardwinning group, the NKU cheerleaders are always on hand to stir up the crowd during Norse athletics events.
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Since most NKU alumni live in the tri-state, informal alumni gatherings happen on a weekly basis. But once a year, alumni get a chance to reconnect on campus during a weekend of awards, basketball and social events. This year’s Homecoming in February will be extraspecial as alumni will get their first chance to see the Norse play in The Bank of Kentucky Center.
HOMECOMING
Construction
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During its 40-year history, NKU has seen tremendous physical growth of its campus. New buildings seem to spring up regularly, resulting in great new spaces for learning and student life.
The refurbished lake area, along with the Eva and Oakley Farris amphitheater, is a scenic, attractive space for outdoor learning and gatherings.
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Despite the fact that NKU has more than 15,000 students, average class sizes remain at 24, and the student-faculty ratio is 14:1.
small
class
sizes
NKU takes its commitment to the community seriously. Faculty, staff and students use their talents to improve the region with service-learning projects. The Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement and Nonprofit Development helps connect organizations in need of NKU’s help.
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summer camps
DR. VOTRUBA
Whether your kids want to swim, act or solve a murder mystery, summer camps offer lots of fun and a chance to expose kids to campus life.
DR. VOTRUBA
NKU has seen remarkable growth and development during Dr. James Votruba’s tenure. His efforts do not go unnoticed in the community. Cincy magazine recently ranked him No. 8 on a list of the region’s 100 most influential people.
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Entrepreneurship
Institute
graduate
programs NKU graduate programs are designed for students who want to further their professional career goals. Most programs are geared to the full-time adult worker who wishes to pursue graduate studies on a part-time basis. Graduate programs offer close-to-home value for anyone seeking an advanced degree.
NKU became the first university in Kentucky to offer entrepreneurship as a major in 2006, and in May Colin Klayer became the first student in the state to receive a Bachelor of Science in entrepreneurship. Through the entrepreneurship major, students develop entrepreneurial skills by learning how to establish new enterprises; grow, manage and maintain them efficiently; and develop the skills necessary to operate entrepreneurially within large, established organizations. The entrepreneurship major also focuses on civic engagement with the business community, particularly small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. Course topics include such things as new-venture creation, new-venture financing and emerging enterprise law. fa l l
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Intramural
athletics DIGITAL PLANETARIUM
SEEING STARS The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation Digital Planetarium is the first laser projection planetarium ever installed on a school campus anywhere. Since opening last summer, the facility has given students throughout campus a chance to see their studies in a new way.
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wi-fi
wi-fi It’s everywhere. On the plaza. At the Skyline Tavern. Even on the TANK bus. NKU students no longer need a cord to be plugged into learning opportunities.
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What better way to blow off steam between classes than with a game of football, soccer or basketball? Intramural sports aren’t just for students – several leagues accept alumni teams or “free agents.” Visit www.nku.edu/~camprec for more information.
log cabin
the
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Despite being surrounded by state-ofthe-art academic facilities, the Columbus H. Gosney Cabin, located behind the Honors House, remains on campus as a reminder of more basic teaching. The structure, found on a 200-year-old historic site, is believed to have served as a one-room schoolhouse. In 1982, the cabin was rebuilt log by log on campus after being donated by the Campbell County Public Parks Corporation.
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Know how to use a scanning electron microscope? NKU students do. They also get the chance to use the latest technology in their area of study.
The Gosney Cabin was rebuilt on campus in 1982.
Hands-on learning
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fight song
Governor Louie Nunn signs House Bill 255 establishing Northern Kentucky State College March 13, 1968. In attendance, left to right, are State Senator Clyde Middleton and State Representatives Ken Harper, Art Schmidt, Carl Bamberger and Leo Lawson.
The 37 founders NKU has a dedicated group of founders to thank for its success today. Many were lured from more established institutions, giving up large offices and a stable environment to help build a new university. The “old” science building was recently renamed in their honor.
38 Do you know NKU’s fight song? Here are the words:
Onward ye Norsemen; win that g a me . F o r t h e Go l d a n d t h e White we cheer! We will win over all, shouting our mighty call That the victory is near! So, onward ye Norsemen; get that ball. Now our glory is near at hand. For when the mighty all fall down, Still the Norsemen stand.
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The
future
NKU isn’t satisfied with 40 years of growth. Plans are underway for more buildings to house more students and faculty. The projections call for more than 25,000 students in the next 10 years. It’s an exciting time to be connected to Northern Kentucky University!
Working and
learning
More than 80 percent of NKU students put in 20 hours a week (or more) working outside of the classroom to pay for their education. This work ethic makes them good employees in the region.
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$15 million –
University’s largest-ever gift will support the College of Business The pursuit of dreams knows no bounds. It isn’t limited to the young, the old, the rich or the poor. It requires a vision and the tenacity to follow them through to their full realization; a profound belief that one person can, and will, make a difference. For students, NKU is a place to nurture those dreams. Students of all ages walk onto campus, backpacks straining under the weight of books and laptops, ready to chase the dream of a college education and the chance for a better life.
L argest - e v er gift to a local uni v ersity matches biggest single-source contribution to any Kentucky public university
Ralph Haile was a dreamer, too. He and his wife dreamed of a Northern Kentucky that prospered financially and provided opportunities for everyone to have a bright and secure future. He dreamed of taking the region to the next level. For nearly 40 years, Northern Kentucky University has been a part of those dreams. And now, many of those dreams will become a reality with the help of a $15 million gift to the College of Business. “Ralph Haile was but one of a handful of people who refused to abandon dreams the rest of us may consider impossible,” said James Votruba, president of NKU, while announcing the gift at the university’s fall convocation. The gift positions NKU to meet critical regional business needs and provides a lasting legacy to the Hailes. “NKU is a beacon on the landscape of Northern Kentucky,” said Timothy Maloney, president and CEO of The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. “This gift makes a bold statement. And there is no more appropriate way to celebrate Ralph Haile’s legacy than to endow and strengthen the resources of NKU to create new generations of leadership for our region.” The gift is historic for our university. It is the largest gift ever to NKU and matches the largest single-source gift to a public university in the Commonwealth.
Details of the Gift The gift will establish endowed chairs for faculty and support for faculty recruitment, retention and development as well as provide scholarships to support business students and their international experiences. It also will expand NKU’s cutting-edge Finance Investment Program. The college will formally be named The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation College of Business, but the name isn’t the only thing that will change. Through the creation of the first endowed chair for a college of business dean in Kentucky – the Haile/U.S. Bank Leadership Chair in Business – NKU will be able to retain strong leadership for the college in a very competitive market. The dean also will have the resources needed to stimulate programmatic and learning innovations within the college, support faculty and students in their endeavors, and seize unexpected opportunities. In addition, the gift will create three endowed chairs for faculty. “The Haile/U.S. Bank chairs in business will set the tone for excellence in all areas of faculty responsibility – teaching, applied research, service and outreach,” said NKU business Dean John Beehler. “They will serve as inspirational examples to our entire faculty for the pursuit of excellence and provide a strong foundation upon which to build a great faculty through mentoring, collaboration and enhanced faculty recruitment.” Long-Term Impact Recruiting and retaining the world’s best faculty will be a top priority. Excellent faculty members are in high demand, and as a result the cost of hiring new tenure-track professors is rapidly escalating. The gift 22
n o r t h e r n
will strengthen NKU’s ability to attract and retain the best professors – from around the world – by supplementing salaries via endowed chairs and faculty fellowships and providing funding for key faculty development activities. The gift will further help to internationalize the Highland Heights campus through enhanced recruitment of international business faculty and the establishment of additional teaching and scholarly activity with global colleagues, whose perspectives from around the world can be brought back and shared with NKU students. More than a third ($5.5 million) of the gift will go toward endowing student support for scholarships, fellowships and international educational experiences. Enhanced academic and international scholarship opportunities will assist in recruiting and retaining the best business students and bringing a global perspective to all NKU business classes. The Haile/U.S. Bank Foundation International Scholars Program will enable more local students to study abroad, creating a greater appreciation of world cultures, languages and markets. “These graduates will contribute greatly to establishing international relations with others worldwide and to increasing world trade in our region in the future,” Beehler said. “The scholarship program will also help to recruit the best talent to one of our most competitive programs – the International Business Honors Program.” More Investment Needed The Haile/U.S. Bank College of Business currently enrolls more than 2,400 undergraduate students in 14 majors and nearly 350 graduate students in three master’s programs. It boasts 56 full-time faculty. The university is seeking state funding for a new College of Business facility, which, along with a new health innovation center, sits atop NKU’s list of construction priorities. “If our region is to achieve its ambitious Vision 2015 goals, NKU needs these facilities,” Maloney said. But the Haile gift goes beyond a name on an educational program – the lives and legacy of Carol and Ralph Haile will provide an inspiration for every student who walks onto campus with a dream.
Finance investment program The gift will help expand NKU’s cutting-edge Finance Investment Program, which gives students hands-on experience in managing investments.
business students The gift will support business students with increased scholarship opportunities.
faculty The gift will strengthen NKU’s ability to attract and retain the best professors by supplementing salaries via endowed chairs and faculty fellowship activities.
International opportunities The gift will further help to internationalize the campus through enhanced recruitment of international business faculty and scholarly activity with global colleagues.
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NKU alum builds skateboard business
S
whooooosh slap. Swahooooooooosh, cla-click, SLAP! Swahooosh, clickclack CRACK! Those are the sounds of a skateboarder rolling up and down a quarter-pipe ramp. And those sounds mean money for Daren Crigler, a 1996 NKU alumnus who founded Jalapi, a skateboard design company looking to carve a piece out of the multibillion-dollar skateboard industry. Recreational skateboarders burn through as many as two skateboard decks (the wooden platform) a month. Some decks go “soft” from the repeated abuse, and others crack after a long jump. Crigler took his skills and talent as a graphic designer, combined with a love of skateboarding, to create the Jalapi (pronounced Jahlah-pee), which he operates out of a third-floor office in downtown Cincinnati overlooking some of the sidewalks he’d illegally ridden on as a kid. One wall of the office is lined with Jalapi decks – all made from seven layers of Canadian maple veneer. On the other end of the office is a small wooden skateboard ramp to test the products.
Garage boards Jalapi started in his garage, with Crigler building prototype decks with a vacuum bag. The building process involves making a mold for the shape of the deck. Once the shape is finished on the foam block, seven separate maple veneer layers are cut into the shape of the board design. Wood glue is spread between each sheet of veneer, creating layers. With the layered veneers on top of the foam block, a vacuum bag is placed over the top and closed so that it is airtight. Then a vacuum is used to suction the air out of the bag. The bag becomes very tight around the foam and veneers. This causes the veneers to conform to the shape of the foam mold. You leave them in the vacuum bag for about 24 hours. Once the glue has completely dried, you can release the vacuum bag and the finished deck is now concave and works very well as a prototype to send out for production. Today the boards are manufactured for him. Crigler begins the process by sending digital designs to a California manufacturer. Film transfers are then sent to China, where the graphics are created on the boards using heat transfers.
Old becomes new Crigler works as a freelance graphic designer in order to keep a positive cash flow for his board company. He also is actively developing a new clothing line including hats and shirts embroidered with the Jalapi trademark to target the skateboarding market. “Jalapi means the ‘old becomes new and fresh again,’” Crigler says. He began using the word Jalapi as a tag on artwork with a friend. Crigler’s first freelance job grew out of a chance encounter on a senior year NKU field trip. He began a networking relationship
Story Margaret Frake Photo Joe Ruh
with a man who later reviewed his portfolio and offered him his first job. This connection led to future projects such as designing packages for Extra chewing gum and other consumer products. He credits his marketing knowledge to the years he spent learning and experiencing the product design business. Crigler is the sole owner of the board company. He only took out loans for investing and making his product, an electronic skateboard, which he calls a “very cool thing” with a wireless remote that currently has a patent pending. Crigler learned “through marketing... going to shops and tradeshows...that to bring it to market I would need a name established” and would have to start making a niche in the market for such an innovative product. He needs more market testing on the electronic skateboard and is considering entering it into the market as a tool for the industry because “skateboarders are really traditional; they don’t like stuff to change. They’re connected to the roots of skateboarding.... Skateboarding evolves really slowly.” The electronic skateboard technology he invented has been put on the back burner because he says that it is “a very expensive, timeconsuming process” and he’s reluctant to put it out there until the time is right. Crigler sponsors a team of riders consisting of three levels: amateurs, flow (one step below amateurs) and professionals. He provides decks and apparel to the riders who regularly buy his products from their hometown skateboard shops. He says that the kids look up to the riders as celebrities and want to be like them. Crigler encourages his riders to be his salespeople and to promote Jalapi. He says that in order to get shops to pick up your product, you have to sponsor riders, and you have to have a team in order to be a board company. This marketing concept has placed Jalapi in shops as far away as Italy. “Kids won’t let you into the market and won’t buy your stuff if you don’t have guys representing for you.” It’s all about getting kids to recognize Jalapi. He is also pursuing other routes such as sponsoring skateboard events with his riders, yet another technique for getting his name out in the skateboarder world. He is also creating a video of his riders enjoying Jalapi boards and products, and he plans to distribute them to skateboard shops. Crigler’s vision of success is having boards and product all over the world. He recently received his first contract for sole rights for distribution in Italy, which is a huge step in that direction. He hopes to leave the freelancing behind and would like to have a contract in every country in the world. Frake is a senior majoring in management. SEE N ORTHER N MAGAZI N E O N LI N E .
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fa c u lt y
prof i l e
Michael Baranowski
Political science prof provides perspectives on politics and pilsners
Associate Professor Michael Baranowski likes a good beer, spirited debate, Frank Sinatra, snow globes and political science – not necessarily in that order.
Baranowski is the political science coordinator at Northern Kentucky University, but that title hardly does him justice. This reformed, self-assessed “problem child” is now in his seventh year at NKU and lays it all out on the table. He speaks openly about his hobbies, his past, his thoughts on the 2008 presidential election and why popular American-made lagers like Budweiser are little more than metallic swill. And he does it all with no apologies. “It’s all by design,” he said. “I put it all out there.” Baranowski chose to study political science in college because it maximized his opportunities to argue. Not completely reformed, he made obnoxious comments in class, attacked his professors for being Communists and argued other peoples’ grades on their behalf. With all the makings of an attorney but none of the desire, Baranowski followed the path to teach. “Law school never appealed to me; I always liked the academic environment,” he said. Being a politician was out of the question as well. “I have too many skeletons in the closet; I’d be out early,” he said. “If I were elected president, the first thing I’d do is demand a recount,” he said, referencing an old William Buckley quote. Rigel Behrens, a 2007 NKU graduate and friend of Baranowski, doesn’t think he’d make a good politician either. “He doesn’t scheme enough; he’s not a good enough liar,” Behrens said. “I’d vote for him, though.” Baranowski seems to pride himself on a dynamic teaching style, trying to provide students with a comfortable environment. Another former student, Jessie Rumsey, who met Baranowski in 2006 when she was an aide to the department, said she once commented on his lecture delivery. “He said he tried to approach each lecture as a comedy routine, a failed comedy routine, perhaps, but a comedy routine nonetheless,” she said. He tries to present material that may not be the most exciting but that is still important in a way in which students will take a vested interest. “Politics and political science affect students everywhere,” Baranowski said.“Kentucky budgetary issues and policies have caused an increase in NKU tuition. NKU students have been, are and will serve tours in Iraq. Politics and policy matter to them.” Baranowski gives students, and anyone who is interested, a sneak peek into his life by his website, www.sallymundo.com/michael. The site includes a list of books he’s currently reading; a very 26
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Story Mears Green extensive, well-researched chart of his favorite beers; what music he’s listening to; and a catalog of his snow globe collection, which is in his Founder’s Hall office. The snow globe collection began as somewhat of a joke. While supervising a student trip to Washington, D.C., some students suggested Baranowski bring a snow globe to his former wife as a present. “It snowballed from there,” he said.“Students started bringing them back from vacations, and I’d pick them up on my own trips. I have one rule: I or someone else has to have traveled to the place; no ordering off the Internet. That’s cheating.” Though his teaching style and lecture delivery bring some laughs, Baranowski does not promise an easy “A.” His requirements for
assignments and other coursework are non-negotiable, some might say anal-retentive. “I’m so open, but there are boundaries,” he said. “I’m not your buddy Mike; I have boundaries, and the class is serious.” His wife and colleague in the political science department, Dr. Kimberly Weir, sees both sides of Baranowski. “He’s a very kind, diplomatic and judicious person,” she said of her husband. The couple met when Weir joined the department at Northern. They married in 2004 in Philadelphia because that’s where they got to know each other. “We’ve really broadened each other’s horizons because we’re so different,” Weir said. “He didn’t have a passport before we got married, but we’ve traveled overseas together. I’m a vegetarian; he isn’t. He opened my eyes to good, imported beer. People think we spend all of our time together because we work together, but we don’t.” Weir said she and Baranowski exchange teaching ideas and bounce things off one another, and it’s nice to have someone who is in your line of work to share things with. “He’s got a competitive side that drives me crazy sometimes,” she said.“He won’t play Scrabble with me because he knows he can’t beat me.” Weir credits Baranowski with being an effective instructor as well as a good friend and husband. “He will take the time to listen to all sides and evaluate every angle. He’s extremely knowledgeable and is always learning new things for his own benefit. He’s well versed in many arenas.” One area Baranowski pays a lot of attention to is American foreign policy. This is playing a huge role in who he likes for the upcoming presidential elections. Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton don’t have much substantive differences between them, and in a February interview, he correctly projected Senators John McCain and Obama facing each other in the November general election. “Technically I’m a registered Republican, but I’ve moved more toward the center,” he said. “National security and foreign policy are critical to me, and on that basis I feel more comfortable with McCain.” He said McCain’s plan for the Iraq conflict would minimize damage, but he feels more comfortable with Obama for social issues and the economy. Though he’s always been concerned with his surroundings, he hasn’t always been in a position to influence others and have his opinions heard. A Cleveland, Ohio, transplant, he attended Catholic school until he was asked not to return for failing too many classes, being a class clown and “general poor behavior.” Then he was a student at a boarding school for what he terms “problem children.” “I always had a problem with authority,” he said. “I got along with my parents reasonably well, but I was a problem child. I’m contrary by nature. They’d say ‘stop.’ I’d go. I’d zig when they wanted me to zag.” The Grand River Academy in Austinburg, Ohio, accepts high school boys who are not experiencing success in their current academic setting. By his own admission, Baranowski was unsuccessful in his academic pursuits, questioned institutions and organizations, and needed to be away from civilization for a while. The academy provided the straightening out he needed and is one of the only institutions he still respects and is fond of. After one quarter in college, skipping a lot of his classes, Baranowski spoke to a recruiter and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. “I knew it would make my mom mad, so I signed up,” he said. For someone who didn’t like authority and structure, joining the Armed Forces might seem like an odd move, and it was. He said he found the experience very useful in that it made him appreciate that authority and structure in certain circumstances can be helpful. His unit was deployed to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm, but he didn’t see much action. He worked with the mechanics from a truck company and spent a lot of time
basking in his own smell. “It was incredibly boring punctuated by moments of intense fear.” After coming home, he reenrolled in school and earned a political science degree from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, and a master’s and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Kentucky. “I’d say his strength as a political scientist is his analytical mind – he has an ability to break down problems, think about the pluses and minuses of different approaches, and combine them to come up with new ways to study or approach questions,” said Scott Peters, who met Baranowski in 1993 at the University of Kentucky. Peters is an assistant professor in the department of political science at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. “I think he’d like to be Bill James, the guy who has led the statistical revolution in baseball,” Peters said. “But his true passion is football, so maybe he’d like to be the Bill James of football – or the Steelers’ general manager.” The rest, as they say, is history. Or, in this case, political science. If you’re interested in talking about politics, his favorite president Teddy Roosevelt, his ever-expanding snow globe collection, or what makes a good beer, join his Roosevelt Society, a political science discussion club. “I call it the Roosevelt Society because Teddy was my favorite president, and I figure everyone can find a Roosevelt they like,” he said. Baranowski is not a complex man. He shoots from the hip; his students know what to expect; and he is honest. He’s competitive and anal retentive but also patient and kind. He still takes issue with authority and big institutions but has learned that articulating those questions instead of acting out produces more desirable results. Perhaps this problem child has grown up a little. Green recently graduated from NKU. www.sallymundo.com/michael
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nota b le
nor s e Liza Siegel
Surviving a suite reality NKU alumna shares tales from reality TV Story Rich Shivener
Reality-show stars are Liza Siegel’s surrogate siblings. She’s spent several birthdays with the casts of Survivor and The Apprentice, consoling them, listening to them, and, most importantly, studying them.
Siegel, 50, is a consulting psychologist on the set of these wildly popular TV shows. She’s always been a listener. “My mom tells me that when I was in the second grade I would take my little brothers into the other room to calm them down if they were upset,” she says. “My first term paper in ninth grade was on the ego and the id. I am just a nerd.” And a determined one, it seems. As a single mother of one, she managed to graduate from NKU in ’84 with top honors. “My daughter, Penni Lane, who was six at the time, actually attended some of my statistics classes with me and would write down the formulas in her own notebook,” she remembers. Siegel’s observations over the years have given her enough credibility to land a few gigs with major networks. The Apprentice, NBC’s brainchild of three years, influenced her to write Suite Success. The book draws many examples from the reality show, chronicling actions of some larger-than-life contestants. “The defining moment,” she explains of her book,“was probably in casting where we give 50 finalists a huge battery of psychological tests and then interview people for an hour about their life history.
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“What we noticed was that a very similar personality profile kept coming up over and over,” she adds. “The people who were successful both in business and in life had profiles of someone who is extroverted and friendly, high energy, optimistic and doesn’t get down or cry over spilled milk.” Not too long ago, Liza, who lives in Tiburon, Calif., was spending countless hours with the contestants of Survivor: China. The country was muggy during the six-week trip, and it was difficult to navigate with the language barrier, she says. Like other Survivors, the losers – people who are voted off – are sequestered on location until the show is over. The show’s apparent impact on them is a telling story, Siegel says. “Survivor contestants go though a much more profound experience that can often be life changing,” she says. “Because they are going without food and shelter for up to 39 days and they are in an unusual social group dynamic, it often teaches people some very profound lessons.” Liza likes her “me” time with her husband, Tony, and Penni Lane. But she doesn’t get much of that. She’s always eager to do another reality-show stint for an extended amount of time. “We are often in places that don’t have running hot water; we sometimes live on generator power, often don’t have Internet or TV, and mostly what we do is talk,” she says of Survivor. “Still, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” What does Tony think? “It’s like being married to a sailor,” he says. He can relate.Tony, an officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, travels regularly, so he doesn’t have many qualms with his wife’s demanding career. The two often wind down for two weeks after their trips, shutting off the world as they catch up socially and mentally. “It’s not been easy,” Tony says with a chuckle. “I can tell you that.” Shivener is a 2006 NKU English graduate.
d onor
prof i l e Jerry Warner
Building biology NKU professor helps a department grow
Story Vicki Prichard In 1976 Dr. Jerry Warner was among a half dozen other new hires to the NKU Department of Biological Sciences. “We felt we helped build the department,” Warner says. Warner, who has since retired, went on to serve as department chair from 1990 until 2005. During retirement, Warner remains a builder; he’s taken up furniture making and has set up a shop in his home. While at NKU, Warner encouraged his colleagues to try their hand at fundraising and found they were successful. The biology department faculty manned a phonathon that ran four to five nights and contacted all biology alumni. “We would go through the list and pick people we had a connection with when they were students, and by cherry-picking like that the response was good,” Warner says. The phonathon continues. Each fall the biology faculty and students contact alumni, friends and the local healthcare industry for contributions to support the department’s undergraduate research program. They raise between $8,000 and $10,000 annually. And over the years Warner has joined his students in supporting the NKU Foundation. He enjoyed working on the phonathon. “It’s a good opportunity to make contact with people you hadn’t talked to in awhile and encourage everyone to give back,” Warner says. Dr. Larry Geismann, also a former NKU biology department chair, says that much of the success of the biology department annual fundraiser can be attributed to the strong relationships the biology faculty have developed with students over the years. He said biology graduates who had applied to medical school would thank him for his help once they learned they’d been accepted. “I told them, ‘You can thank me years from now when I call on you,’ ” Geismann says. Prichard is the director of NKU development communications.
D r. J e r r y Wa r n e r h e l p e d b u i l d t h e b i o l o g y department. Now he’s building furniture, including the rocking chair he’s standing by here.
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i llustration dionne laycock
Research from NKU communication professor Andrea Lambert shows that breaking up is, indeed, hard to do Story Kelly Vogelpohl Sarah and John were NKU sophomores and had been dating for one year, took several classes together, had mutual friends and hung out all the time. John decided he wanted to see other people and told Sarah how he had been feeling. Sarah was upset and did not understand why; she thought everything was going great. John told her that he wanted to have a “true college experience” and he reassured her that “it wasn’t her; it was him.” A few weeks later, John started to text and call Sarah again, and the string of mixed messages and confused feelings began. The text messages and the phone calls got to be more frequent, and Sarah was beginning to think they would get back together, but John had no intentions of doing so. Most people, especially college students, can say they have been in this predicament. How can this situation be avoided? Andrea Lambert, Ph.D., an undergraduate and graduate communication professor at NKU, conducted a study to prove there is an effective way to break up with someone and have a positive reminder of the person and the relationship. We can’t take your call right now... Avoidance, although it sounds cruel, is one way to end a relationship and to maintain goodwill between the two parties. This is not to say that all communication is just cut off; there needs to be a “break-up talk” before the avoidance method can be considered. If the couple sits down and talks about breaking up, but one person does not want to accept it, the avoidance method will begin. Just as with John and Sarah, he told her how he felt; she did not want to end the relationship, and John began to distance himself from her. The avoidance method allows the person doing the breaking up to cut off ties in the relationship, and the person being broken up with forms his or her own reasons and opinions about why the relationship ended. If the contact and communication between the two parties becomes less frequent, the person who wants out is sending the message. However, it is up to the other person to interpret the message his or her own way. John wanted a “true college experience,” and Sarah wanted to stay together. John was trying to communicate to Sarah that he wanted to end their relationship; Sarah was communicating that she wanted to stay together. “Perceived seriousness of the relationship is more important than the length,” Lambert said. The explanation behind this is that the two people in the relationship may view the seriousness differently. One may see this person as “the one” and the other may not feel as strongly. Regardless of how long the relationship has lasted, the avoidance method allows the person who felt the relationship was serious not to have any negative will toward the other person.This is because the excuses and the exact reasoning for the breakup were not communicated. This method may seem as if it is the easy way out, but in reality no one wants to be remembered badly or to have bad memories. Because the person being broken up with believes what he or she wants, there is no bad memory of a break-up talk.
Breakup by association? Lambert notes that it is crucial for each person to have his or her own interests and activities while still in a relationship. If both people are together all the time and have the same friends, when a breakup occurs there is added stress on mutual friends to decide which way to go. If both people have separate friends and a few separate interests, then the support system when the breakup occurs will be there without friends having to decide which side to be on. “If both people in the relationship want to satisfy good communication after the breakup, a break-up talk is best,” Lambert said. For example, if two people were friends before they began to date and they both want to maintain that friendship, “talking allows the air to be clear of any misunderstandings.” In a survey taken of 228 students at a large university, Lambert found that people are more satisfied with a talk rather than avoidance. Communicating to each other that a breakup is necessary allows the exact reasoning and feelings to be shared, but it could also allow negative will to set in. If goodwill seems to be what both people in the relationship desire, then avoidance may be the way to go. Now both parties are responsible for their own reasoning and actions in the future upon meeting one another again. While 61 percent of people in a sample taken in 1985 by researchers Wilmot, Carbaugh and Baxter said they are friends with an ex-partner, it is clear that we are becoming “serial monogamists,” according to Lambert. “We find ourselves dating the ‘same’ people over and over again. We find characteristics or behaviors in someone that we date, and we tend to go for those same types of people.” After a relationship has ended, we look back at our own behaviors and try to change them, whether the behaviors are being too clingy, too needy or even too distant. We do this for our partners as well, but because we are becoming serial monogamists, we fall into a similar trap with new partners. Every relationship is different because different people are involved, and many factors play a role in whether the break-up strategy should be avoidance or confrontation. A key element to remember is that breaking up happens all the time for several different reasons. It is how the couple handles the breakup that determines whether the post-relationship will be a friendship or an assortment of mixed messages and confusion. Our fictional characters, Sarah and John, continued to text message and call each other for a few more weeks, and finally Sarah stopped the communication. Because John communicated his feelings to Sarah and then began the avoidance method, Sarah was able to form her own response to the breakup. Both are in new relationships, and neither has negative will toward the other. Vogelpohl was an intern and a PR major at NKU. She graduated in May 2008.
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a l u mni
journal
Far from home, but close to NKU No matter where you go, you’re likely to find NKU alumni proud of their college experience. Twice this year we’ve been to the Big Apple, New York City, to meet with a group of NKU alumni. You’ll read about some of these folks in an upcoming issue because we’re really proud of their accomplishments in theatre and other performing arts. We’ve established an alumni group in New York for them to gather and reminisce about their NKU days. We’ve also established groups in Columbus, Atlanta and Louisville. Please e-mail us (alumni@ nku.edu) or call (859) 572-5486 for information about joining these groups. Closer to home, we were excited to see The Bank of Kentucky Center filled with graduates for the first on-campus graduation in many years. The new facility will also be the new home for NKU athletics events and several nationally known entertainment acts. Make plans now to attend some of these events this fall, and we hope to see you all November 8 when a new era of NKU basketball begins as the Norse take on the Louisville Cardinals. We have a special alumni reception planned for that evening. Details are listed below, or visit alumni.nku.edu. (top right)NKU alumni gather in New York City. In this photo, left to right: Tracy Weiler, Elizabeth Sorrell, NKU Assistant Vice President for Development Don Gorbandt, Jackie Golsch, Jamie Buckner, Angel Wuellner, Aaron Lavigne and Director of Alumni Programs Deidra S. Fajack. (bottom right) Alumni and friends at the Columbus Crew game in August. From left to right: Gina Hemsath, Nathan Logan, Jeff Taylor, Gennifer Taylor, Logan Taylor, Dan Riorden, Noah Taylor, Corey Holben, Andrew Holben, Sara Holben, Bo Drake, Deborah Drake, Boston Drake, Deidra Fajack, Mark McCauley, Katie McCauley, Angela McCauley and John McCauley.
Upcoming alumni events
Oct. 26
ThrU
See art from NKU alumni at the main gallery of the NKU Fine Arts Center. Open until 5 p.m. weekdays.
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NOv. 8
Celebrate NKU’s 40th anniversary and the opening of The Bank of Kentucky Center as the Norse take on Louisville Saturday, November 8. Women’s game - 5:30 p.m.; men’s game - 8 p.m. Join alumni on the party deck at The Bank of Kentucky Center! For more information, visit alumni.nku.edu. Homecoming 2009. Celebrate NKU and connect with alumni February 6 and 7 on campus. Events include the Alumni Awards Banquet, the annual Chili Cookoff, basketball games and a party after the game. Details coming soon. Visit alumni.nku.edu.
feb.
6&7
Class Notes 1970 Nancy Kremer,
president and CEO of the St. Luke Hospitals, received an award from the Northern Kentucky University Rho Theta chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of nursing. She is also vice chair of the NKU Board of Regents.
Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants for outstanding patient care and professionalism. Staab now works as a public information officer for the city of Mesa, Ariz. He also works part time as a news anchor for KTAR radio in Phoenix. Kevin and his wife, Barbara, live in Phoenix. Kevin
1988 Nicholas E. Gressle was the editorial
1974 Bruce Lunsford, a Democratic candidate
for the U.S. Senate, won Kentucky’s Democratic primary election May 20. 1978 Franco R. Benedict worked on oil rigs
for two years in southeast Asia. He has also lived and worked in Singapore, various parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, the South China Sea, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines. For the past 19 years, he has been working in the telecommunication industry, spending the past seven years in West Virginia, working from home the past two. Thom as Christian Donnelly has
cartoonist at The Northerner 1986-1988. He currently is a senior implementation director with LPK, a brand design agency in Cincinnati, and has several published illustrations as a freelance illustrator, namely the artwork for the John Thompson Piano series. He has been married to his wife, Lesley, for 11 years, and they have two children, Ben, 8, and Molly, 4. 1989 Suzanne Fitzpatrick (previously a writer on 7th Heaven and The Nanny) is working on the new film script Dream Thief in L.A.
1991 Denise S. Barone published her first novel,
been busy working as an anthropologist, attorney and athletics director. He has taught both anthropology and law part time at NKU. Donnelly recently became the athletic director at Walnut Hills High School. His daughter, Bridgette, graduated in 2008 from NKU. Following his graduation at NKU he received his master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Kentucky and his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati.
Fantasy Daze, October 1, 2007, and is in the process of publishing her second novel, House of Wacks.
1980
to Bloomington, Ind., last fall. Chris is the supervisor of Autochemistry Laboratory at Covance, Inc., in Indianapolis, and he is working on his MBA at Amberton University. His wife, Amy, is working on her doctorate in science education at Indiana University. They have two children, 7-year-old Galen and 3year-old Addy.
Jeannine O. Kreinbrink
currently manages the cultural resources section for N&E Environmental Solutions, a local consulting company. 1981 received national recognition in July 2008 as a Distinguished Spencer
H.
Cole
1993 Rose Anne Bertram is a nurse in the ER at
St. Luke Hospital East. She walked 13.5 miles at the Flying Pig Marathon May 4. Christopher Nare and Amy TrauthNare (’96) moved from Ft. Worth, Texas,
B r i g i t t e J. N i e n a b e r S c h u b e rt is
currently working for Paycor as a PC specialist and is a volunteer with the Humane Society at
St. Paul’s Church in Florence, Ky. Schubert lives in Elsmere with her husband of 11 years, Ronald, her 4-year-old son, Collin, and two Norwegian Elkhounds, Kato and Brea. 1994 Stacy Durbin Gish is the new executive
director of the Kentucky High School Speech League, Inc., the foundation of speech education in the commonwealth. Troy Hitch’s company, BIG FAT BRAIN, was
featured in Time magazine, and he recently won three Webby Awards in NYC for web design. 1996 Tim Rutherford and his wife, Sara, welcomed
their first child, Lucy, September 20, 2007. Ryan Stewart Shadle is working on his M.A.
at NKU in the integrative studies program. He is currently working for Cincinnati State as a writing instructor. He is also a part-time consultant for a local nonprofit called InkTank. He is a mentor to third graders at Oyler School in Price Hill, serves as a volunteer writing instructor at the Urban Appalachian Council, and is leading a writing group at the Drop Inn Center in the Men’s Recovery Group as well. 1997 Robin R. Cozone Pelfrey is a registered
nurse and works in telemetry. 1998 Eija T. Chiaramonte is currently working
as a researcher at Procter & Gamble and lives in West Chester, Ohio. Johnny Gardiner finished his run of Timon
in The Lion King and moved to the tour of Jersey Boys. 2000 Jessica Enderle Deters is the assistant
director of admissions for NKU and has the opportunity to share her NKU experiences with many prospective students and families. Justin Glaser finished the national tour of
Annie and is returning to NYC.
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Class Notes 2001
2006
John West finished his tour of The Producers
Jennifer D. Stansbury Koenig received her
Brian Bailey just joined the national tour of The
after two years, and now he is back in NYC.
MPA from NKU in 2004 and is currently working as associate director in the Office of Curriculum, Accreditation and Assessment at Northern Kentucky University.
Wizard of Oz. He is in the ensemble and plays the scarecrow.
2007
teacher at Ryle High School and is currently working with the Green and Healthy Schools initiative.
2002 Jamie Buckner is a production manager in film,
and he worked on the films War of the Worlds, The Departed, and the recently finished Julia & Julia. 2003 Penny Clark served as the administrative
assistant to the Campbell County School District for 41 years and retired July 2008. Penny took her first college course in 1965, and she graduated 38 years later from NKU. Cassandra Marie Childers Haney works
for The Bank of Kentucky. In January of 2007, she had her first child, William (Liam) Connor Haney.
AL U M N I
Patrick M. Bass is a disabled retired veteran Karen (Luebbers) Enderle is an algebra
O N
Shawn Fehrenbach is a graduate student in
the department of anthropology at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa studying archaeology. Currently Shawn is on a summer internship at the Missouri University Research Reactor, conducting compositional analysis (using neutron activation) of ceramics from the site of Angkor Borei in Southern Cambodia.
of the U.S. Army. He retired in 2007 as assistant principal and middle school teacher of Grace Academy for medical reasons. In 2007 he became a licensed ordained chaplain. He plans to maintain a busy retirement volunteering with the Greenview Baptist Church, Boy Scouts and numerous veterans’ organizations. He has been married for 12 years and has two children, Kyla Mae, 10, and Patrick Tyler, 8. Denise Devlin started touring the nation in
September with Seussical: The Musical. In May, she also starred in the Northern Kentucky Symphony production West Side Story.
Erin Rachelle Martin reported that she is the
first vice president of SunTrust Bank in Atlanta, Ga.
Roderick Justice is the
Sarah Peak is finishing the national tour of
associate artistic director of Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati.
The Wedding Singer before returning to NYC.
T H E
M O V E
Polar garbage woman: Clair Von Handorf Honors Program graduate Clair Von Handorf (2000) has done some serious traveling in the past year. From November 2007 to February 2008, she was at McMurdo U.S. Antarctica Station. “My official job title was ‘solid waste technician,’ which translates into ‘garbage woman,’ but what better place to work with rubbish than where bugs and rats don’t exist?” Von Handorf said, noting the “summer” temperature ranged from 30 above to 40 degrees below zero F. Von Handorf returned home to spend the summer in the White Mountains of New Hampshire working at a back-country campsite on the top of Mt. Garfield, spending 10-11 days at a time with no access to roads, cars, etc. “I smell pretty bad by the end of each stint, but it’s awesome,” Von Handorf said. In this photo she’s demonstrating how one can make a splint out of just about anything, an important skill when civilization is far away. She currently is training for another season in Antarctica and has documented her travels on her blog: www.walkwithbeauty.blogspot.com. SEE N ORTHER N MAGAZI N E O N LI N E .
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Scheu shines in West Side Story NKU alumna and current graduate student Andrea Scheu ’07 played the role of Anita in this summer’s production of West Side Story at the Aronoff Center. The Cincinnati Enquirer called the production “one of the theatrical pleasures of the summer” and Scheu’s performance “very good.”
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The mission of this association shall be to promote the general welfare of Northern Kentucky University; create and maintain an active interest among alumni in extending the influence of the university; initiate and support activities that further the interests of the university, its students and alumni; and provide means of perpetuating friendships among alumni centered on activities of the university.
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Connecting and celebrating NKU alumni and the university.
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First date Kentucky
Post
photographer
Joe Munson caught this moment between
Frank
Decker
and
Tracy Reinstatler on campus back
in
1984.
The
moment
turned out to be more than j u s t s o m e c o l l e g e fl i r t i n g . W e looked up Frank, and it turns out he and Tracy are married and have a son. “We met in t h e fi n e a r t s b u i l d i n g , a n d t h a t photo was literally me asking h e r o u t f o r o n e o f o u r fi r s t dates.
A
local
photographer
happened to take that shot as he was walking the campus back in the ’80s,” said Decker.
nonprofit organization u. s. postage NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY Office of Alumni Programs 421 Johns hill road Highland Heights, KY 41099
PAID burlington, VT permit no. 540