Northern Magazine Fall 2006

Russian performance | Entrepreneurship honored | Fall events

northern kentucky university

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fall 2006

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volume 6, no. 2

hail to nku a presidential visit puts Northern in the national spotlight

cold caves prof goes underground to examine global warming

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NKU students Galadriel Stineman, Tony Gulla and Jenetta Thomas enjoy a spring day on a bridge near the newly redeveloped lake area.

northern kentucky university

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fall 2006

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volume 6, no. 2

features

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Presidential visit puts NKU in the spotlight

University partners with businesses

Anthropology professor trades classrooms for caves to find history – and evidence of possible global warming

NKU alum plays for St. Petersburg

black, gold, red, white and blue

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gone without a trace

NKU professor’s invention could prevent kidnappings and soldier abductions

NKU Office Creates Market Solutions

What lies beneath

From Russia, With Love

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Lincoln Awards

regulars

18 northern athletics 24 northern news 25

alumni journal 32

class notes 33 publisher

CONTRIBUTORS

CORRESPONDENCE Northern Kentucky University Office of Alumni Programs 421 Johns Hill Road Highland Heights, Kentucky 41099 phone: (859) 572–5486 web: alumni.nku.edu

Deidra S. Fajack

Robert K. Wallace

editor

Director of Alumni Programs

Dionne Laycock ’90

Gerard A. St. Amand

Regents Professor of Literature and Language at NKU

Rob Pasquinucci

designer

Joe Ruh

Calendar

Vice President for University Advancement

e-mail:

alumni@nku.edu

photographer

NORTHERN is published four times a year by the Office of Alumni Programs at Northern Kentucky University for its graduates, donors and friends. Copyright 2006, Northern Kentucky University.

Presidential visit puts NKU in the spotlight photography by Joe Ruh

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B y R o b Pa s q u i nucc i

t

here have been times when Regents Hall was buzzing with excitement. During the tense last seconds of a basketball game, or perhaps when special guests come to campus. But those examples hardly come close to the atmosphere in Regents on a Friday afternoon this past May as approximately 2,000 guests waited to hear and see a sitting president make the first-ever visit to Northern Kentucky University.

“This isn’t a blue state, red state thing; it’s a black and gold thing,” said Chris Cole, ’99, ’04, media relations director at NKU. The crowd, which waited in line outside the hall to go through metal detectors before entering the venue, was in place well before Bush’s arrival on stage. The wait gave the group a chance to talk about the day, marvel at Regents Hall, which was decked out for the occasion, and listen as patriotic songs were played on the P.A. system. Cheers erupted when President Bush, NKU President James Votruba and Congressmen Geoff Davis arrived on stage.

“Friends, join me in welcoming the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush!”

Davis announced.

With that introduction and after more applause, cheering and a standing ovation, the president began his remarks.

“The last sitting president to visit (this region) was also a Texan. I don’t know what took the other ones so long,” Bush joked, saying he came to NKU “to make sure that America understands we don’t need to fear the future – because we can shape it.”

The president’s 44-minute speech discussed globalization in a time of war. He also discussed education, encouraging investment in math and science. At one point, he called on Kentucky Senate President David Williams to “make sure they’ve got plenty of money to run this university.”

“I’ve known Williams long enough where I can tell him that,” Bush quipped.

The president emphasized the importance of keeping markets open despite worries that jobs might go oversees or that imports could hurt American business.

“And I can understand people’s concerns about imports coming in from China and imports coming in from India. But I don’t think we ought to allow those concerns to close down markets. As a matter of fact, I feel very strongly that the United States of America must do the right things internally and also open up markets so that we can keep competition in a global way,” Bush said.

Bush said Northern Kentucky benefits from international trade because goods made in the region are sold around the world.

He also touched on the war in Iraq.

“Now, I don’t want to rehash the history of the decision-making that went on in the run up to the war in Iraq. I would just remind people that people in both political parties and people all around the world saw a threat. And I feel strongly that the world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power,” Bush said, touching off another round of applause.

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Outside Regents, about 200 people gathered to protest a range of issues from immigration to the environment to the war in Iraq.

“No matter what your position was on the issue of war in Iraq – and I can understand why good people differ about my decision – but we’ve got to make sure we don’t retreat from the world and allow the good work that has gone on to collapse, so that the enemy is able to gain a safe haven from which to create havoc and launch attacks.

And so, therefore, we have developed a plan for victory. It’s not a plan for retreat – it’s a plan for victory,” he said.

Bush concluded his speech with upbeat comments. “I am optimistic about America.

I’ve got a unique perspective. I am able to see America in a different way from you all.

I am able to see these unbelievable acts of kindness that take place on a regular basis here in our country, people willing to say, ‘I want to serve my country by loving a neighbor,’” Bush said.

As the president left campus, media coverage of his visit and stories from the lucky few who shook Bush’s hand kept the buzz alive, and the event has enhanced NKU’s image in ways that cannot be measured.

“I think President Bush’s visit was a high compliment to NKU,” said former alumni association president John Lucas, ’73, ’79. “It put our institution on the map – not only in our local region, but also into the nation’s limelight in a most positive way.”

““

I think President Bush’s visit was a high compliment to NKU

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former alumni association president John Lucas, ’73, (Chase)’79

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NKU office creates market solutions

F rom T h e L a n e R e p o r t In the not-too-distant future, you could find yourself flipping open your laptop, accessing the web in a Wi-Fi cloud as you ride to work on a Northern Kentucky TANK bus. That “wired� bus can also, in times of crisis, be converted into an emergency mobile command center, part of a fleet that could be dispatched almost instantaneously throughout Northern Kentucky.

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Entrepreneurship program among the best in the country Envisioning this scenario – a collaboration between the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University – and then rolling it out is all in a day’s work on the seventh floor of the Lucas Administrative Center, home of NKU’s Office of Economic Initiatives.

Launched last year and led by charismatic entrepreneur Bob Farrell, the new university enterprise already has fulfilled much of its promise, matching NKU’s cerebral prowess with the business community in partnerships that create market solutions and new products and also deliver real-world learning experiences for students.

Borne of NKU President James Votruba’s desire to discover what kinds of entrepreneurial influences could be forged on campus, the economic initiatives team is engaged in an ambitious program that will build stronger ties with the business community. The goal: creating real economic development by growing existing firms and creating new businesses, as well as energizing the NKU brain trust at all levels – including the student population, which will benefit from being involved in the multitude of partnerships through internships, co-ops and, ultimately, employment with business partners.

“It’s the same formula that we used at SDRC,” said Farrell, speaking of the company he cofounded in the late 1960s. “We brought in University of Cincinnati students in co-operative learning partnerships that would lead to the development of one of the most highly trained workforces in the field in a kind of ‘farm club’ system.”

Farrell, who was recruited a couple of years ago by Votruba from the University of Cincinnati, said a similar program launched on a larger scale at the Highland Heights campus will be extremely effective, where business partners and university assets will be matched through the office’s national network – created by Farrell and staffers that include Assistant Vice President Jan Hillard and Infrastructure Management Institute Director Tim Ferguson.

Ferguson, who came to NKU from New York-based Computer Associates, where he was a research and development executive, said the efforts of the Infrastructure Management Institute – a critical engine for the Office of Economic Initiatives – will focus largely on opportunities to bring university talent into play for information technology clients globally, especially seeking synergies between clients and NKU’s new College of Informatics.

Hillard, who also is a professor of political science, noted that much of the successes the office will enjoy are likely to be found in projects that “lie below the line,” off-radar, where the team’s ability at matching creative talent to market needs will be most effective – and profitable.

“The key to all this is networking,” Farrell said. “In the midst of it all, we position ourselves as partners. There are no turf wars in this office. Instead, by bringing in all parties together we think can provide solutions; we can create a situation in which the whole is much bigger than the sum of its parts.”

The Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute at Northern Kentucky University has been named one of the top 25 undergraduate entrepreneurship programs in the country by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine.

This is the fourth year Entrepreneur magazine has ranked entrepreneurship programs in the United States. This year’s rankings were provided by The Princeton Review, a leading provider of educational services. The Princeton Review surveyed more than 700 undergraduate business schools about their offerings in entrepreneurship. Programs were ranked on mentoring, experiential learning, alumni successes, career prospects and academic programs.

The Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute at Northern Kentucky University is beginning its sixth year offering students from across campus the opportunity to minor in entrepreneurship and, beginning this fall, it will offer the first major in entrepreneurship in the commonwealth of Kentucky. fa l l

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W h at l i e s b e n e at h An t h r o p o l o g y p r o f e s s o r t r a d e s classrooms for caves to find history – and evidence of possible global warming

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Kentucky underground

hen NKU professor Ken Tankersley clambers underground to explore the cold, dark, damp world of a cave, he never knows for sure what he’ll find. Maybe some bats, plump “cave crickets,” a creepy brown recluse spider, centuries-old graffiti or even evidence of sudden, dramatic climatic change.

Regardless of what he might find, Tankersley, who teaches anthropology courses and directs the Native American studies program at NKU, knows caves are a great place to find history in the form of chronologically preserved animal remains buried like a historical file cabinet deep in cave sediment.

“The deeper you go into a cave, the farther and farther you go back in time,” Tankersley said. “I’ve often thought, if I walk just a little faster, I’ll catch up with the people and animals that lived here during the last ice age.”

Tankersley’s journeys help him better understand the earth’s last ice age and can provide clues as to when climatic change might happen again. He also spends time closely examining cave walls to find ancient carvings from Native-American tribes that lived in the region.

His trips do more than provide fodder for interesting lectures.

Tankersley has published books and worked on several films about global climatic change long before a certain former vice president told us about an inconvenient truth. His films have been on Animal Planet, PBS, the British Broadcasting Corporation and, most recently, a prime-time spot on the National Geographic Channel’s Naked Science series this past spring. To get some firsthand experience and understand his take on climatic change, I decided to accompany Tankersley on a cave trip in very rural Jackson County, Ky. For this visit, he was researching Native-American cave drawings, so he brought along two experts, Dewayne and Darla Jackson.The Jacksons are Tankersley’s cousins and fellow members of the Cherokee tribe, and they help him discern and decipher the faint, ancient drawings.

I made the trip on a warm Saturday in May. To get to the cave (called Wind Cave), I followed Tankersley through the winding back roads of Jackson County. Once there, we donned helmets, headlamps, jackets and backpacks and took a trail to the cave entrance. As we walked inside, it got dark. Quickly.

When our eyes adjusted to the darkness, we noticed that it was much cooler than outside. Caves stay at around 50 degrees all year.

The humidity was noticeable, too. Each exhalation released a plume of steam that curled in front of my headlamp. Tankersley is accustomed to the environment but is always wary of the slimy wet rocks and other perils inside caves.

“There are places where you have to cross a deep crevasse. It’s

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called ‘slip and die,’” Tankersley said. “I almost died in front of a film crew once.”

Glancing up at the cave ceiling, we saw tiny droplets of water reflect off our headlamps, giving an almost cosmic appearance. There were giant crickets crawling around the walls of the cave. “They taste good,” Tankersley said.

I didn’t inquire further, but it was good to know I’d have something to eat if we got caught in here for awhile, which can happen when rain water fills smaller cave passages. In a few nooks near the opening of the cave, we saw little piles of leaves, twigs, bottle caps and cigarette packs.

Those were packrat nests, Tankersley said. Packrats collect various items (particularly shiny ones) for nest materials. The furry creatures are an anthropologist’s friend, because materials collected in the nests become fossilized in the rodent’s urine. As we moved deeper into the cave, some passages were very narrow and could be dead ends.

Tankersley made a loud clicking sound with his tongue to listen for echoes.

Caves function as Mother Nature’s sewers, Tankersley said. The perfect humidity and lack of rain, wind or snow mean that fossil bones and plant materials accumulate in caves, in sediment layers, one on top of another, perfectly preserved in chronological order.

While doing research for his most recent National Geographic special, his team used a hand-coring tool to pull samples of fossils of extinct creatures from buried “bone beds.”

“The reason we have a bone bed is that the environment underwent drastic, global climatic change thousands of years ago,” Tankersley said. He believes this is what caused 30 species of “mega mammals” to perish. He also points to jaguar and ermine remains he’s found in Kentucky caves as evidence of past climate change because those animals could not survive this far north now.

On this cave trip, Tankersley was looking for evidence of more recent (and less extinct) mammals – humans. Specifically, he was

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Ancient graffiti covers the walls of caves.

Ta n k e r s l e y a n d Darla Jackson examine items found at the mouth of a cave.

Ta n k e r s l e y a n d h i s C h e r o k e e c o u s i n s e x a m i n e d r a w i n g s i n W i n d C a v e i n C l a y C o u n t y, K y.

P h o t o s c o u r t e s y o f R o b P a s q u i nucc i .

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looking for Native Americans who may have used the caves to practice their religious beliefs, which was illegal in the U.S. until 1978. As our headlamps and flashlights shined on the cave walls, it was clear we weren’t the first people here. “Montello” wrote his name on the wall in 1896.

Couples professed their love on the walls through the ages – from neat turn-of-thecentury cursive writing using a piece of coal to flower-power psychedelic spray paint in the 1960s. But looking closer,Tankersley saw something: fine, swoopy scrawls that could barely be discerned, scored into the damp cave walls. Native-American markings? The more trained eyes of Dewayne and Darla had a look. They quickly confirmed that we looking at Native-American cave writing.

“Excellent,” Tankersley said. He grabbed a camera to document the find. Although he has Cherokee ancestry, he is not as versed on the syllabary (or alphabet) as the Jacksons.

The drawings were almost like one of those “magic eye” puzzles – they became easier to see the less we concentrated.

The professor is also well versed in local lore about the caves. It’s been said that in certain spots in this cave, one can hear what sounds like voices. The sound is merely water running through the cave and echoing off the rock, but it can be unsettling in the dark shadows underground. During our visit, we shut off our lights and listened, but we couldn’t hear anything.

Research from this trip will be part of Tankersley’s lecture repertoire and possibly be part of a future book. His most recent book, Sitting Bull’s Pipe: Separating Myth from History, Rediscovering the Man, Correcting the Myth, takes a detective’s approach to a chapter of American history. He is concerned about Native-American history being misrepresented or downright false. “For example, the stereotype you always hear is, the Indians killed all the ancient mammals (buffaloes, etc.). It’s nonsense, and it’s a very Eurocentric perspective.”

A n i n c o n v e n i e n t t ru t h ?

While caves tell the story of ancient tribes, they also might help us learn about the future of the planet, one that Tankersley fears might include the advent of climatic change that could possibly jeopardize the future of the human race. “What we learn here might help us adapt to future climatic change,” he said. “Literally, our survival may be in the sediments in these caves.”

Climatic change is cyclical and inevitable, according to Tankersley, because of the “wobble” in the earth’s orbit and cosmic ray bombardment the planet receives. But the well-publicized fear of accelerated global warming is something he’s seen firsthand.

“We’re finding bumble bees and mosquitoes in Alaska. The polar bears are dying because their habitat is shrinking,” Tankersley said.

The Naked Science documentary made some pretty scary claims about the earth’s future. A primary concern is a gradual warming of ocean currents near the Arctic. This slows down a global “conveyor

belt” of warm water from below the equator that flows up towards the North Pole. This flow of water, called the Gulf Stream, carries with it warm air – the heat equivalent of one million power stations. This is why England stays relatively warm while, at the same latitude, Canada has ice fields.

Scientists are concerned that, if the flow of warm water stops, Europe’s climate could change drastically, causing crops to fail and limiting the world’s food supply. Although this isn’t going to happen overnight or even during a few winters, human activity could be hastening the approach of climatic change. Like many other scientists, Tankersley said we have to curb our use of fossil fuels and coal to slow this process.

He also advocates more research to study the problem and find possible solutions.

For Tankersley, that will mean more trips underground among the crickets and packrats to see if the past can tell us about our future.

“We’re finding b um b l e b e e s a n d mo s q u i t o e s i n Alaska. The polar bears are dy i n g b e c a u s e t h e i r h a b i tat i s s h r i nk i n g .”

Ken Tankersley

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BY

RO B E RT

K . WA L L ACE Wall ac e is R eg en ts Prof ess or of Li ter atu re an d La ng ua ge at N KU

F rom Russia, W ith Love N K U a l u m p l ay s f o r S t . P e t e r s b u r g

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Anna Polusmiak was

of Paganini in three successive performances with the Cincinnati

just one of nearly

Symphony Orchestra in Music Hall under the baton of Paavo

1,400

graduates

of

NKU’s class of 2005 lined up in the back hall-

Järvi.

• Then, this past June, she traveled to Russia to play Prokofiev’s Second

ways of the U.S. Bank Arena waiting for the cer-

Piano Concerto with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. The concert

emony to begin. Wearing a black cap and gown

was in the lovingly restored 18th-century hall known as the State

and bright smile, Anna looked like any other

Academic Kapella. This performance was Anna’s prize for winning

graduating senior.

the Louisiana competition in November. Her father and teacher,

But within a year she would dazzle audi-

Sergei Polusmiak, artist-in-residence at NKU, accompanied her on

ences in three countries with virtuoso piano

the trip.

performances that would win her awards and

garner the attention of world-renowned con-

Kentucky: Karen McKim of the Corbett Foundation and NKU professors

ductors. Not bad for her first year out, a year in which many grads would

John Alberti, Rudy Garns, Bill McKim and I. We joined a nine-day land

be happy to land a job and find an apartment. Polusmiak is already living

tour arranged by the competition sponsors in Louisiana and spent three days

up to the Regents Award she received as the 2005 graduate with the high-

in Moscow before arriving in St. Petersburg on the morning of Anna’s June

est potential for advanced study and professional excellence. Here are some

17 concert. Highlights in Moscow included visits to the Kremlin, the Push-

highlights:

kin Art Museum, and the Moscow Circus as well as seeing 10,000 people

• In November 2005 she won first place in the Louisiana Interna-

Traveling separately to Russia were five “fans of Anna” from Northern

lined up outside the Cathedral of Christ the Savior to see a relic of the arm

tional Piano Competition, for which she won a trip to St. Peters-

of St. John the Baptist on tour from the Serbian Orthodox Church.

burg, Russia.

We got our first glimpse of Anna when she and her father entered

• A few months later, Anna played two concerts with the Nether-

the courtyard of the Kapella as we were waiting for the doors to open. Her

lands Symphony Orchestra as the prize for having won two awards

performance was spectacular – perhaps even more so than when she played

at the Third International Competition for Young Musicians in

Rachmaninoff in Music Hall. To my ears, Prokofiev’s Second Concerto is

Enschede, the Netherlands. On her way to the concerts in the

even more technically demanding and musically rewarding than the Rach-

Netherlands, Anna played a concert with the Kharkiv Symphony

maninoff Rhapsody. Playing it well requires exceptional memory, technique,

Orchestra in her native Ukraine.

delicacy, strength, quickness, alertness and stamina. From the first to the

• Later in April, Anna played Rachmaninoff ’s Rhapsody on a Theme

last, Anna was in complete control of her instrument while also interacting

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exquisitely with the sounds of the orchestra as conducted by Josh Zona.

Despite her poised appear-

ance, Anna faced some challenges preparing for the event, as she recorded in her journal. When she and her father arrived at the St. Petersburg airport, no one was there to meet them. Fortunately they both speak Russian and were able to make the necessary phone calls. At night, according to her journal, it was hard to fall asleep because it was still very light outside.

Then, her first concert rehearsal was suddenly canceled when Vladi-

mir Putin needed the orchestra to accompany Jose Carreras, who came to Russia for a surprise visit. With only one rehearsal left, Anna wrote she was “beginning to worry that the concert is not going to happen.” The remaining rehearsal was scheduled for 10 a.m. on the day of the concert. This was different from an American rehearsal in that there was to be a 45-minute break after the first 75 minutes and then a 15-minute break after the next 30 minutes and then one more hour of rehearsal.Waiting during the breaks made the rehearsal quite exhausting, and it did not help that the piano was not in tune (it did get tuned for the concert). Even so, Anna wrote, the rehearsal went pretty smoothly in spite of the fact that the conductor did not speak Russian and the orchestra knew very little English. He used mainly musical terms that everyone understood, and when he started again in the middle of a movement he would have Anna translate the number of the measure in the score.

Anna “felt exhausted when the rehearsal was over.” She wanted to

practice, “just to go over the piece one more time,” but when she got to the practice room she realized that this would be “completely useless.” She

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“decided that it would be wiser to go home, sleep and then come two hours before the concert and have a long time to warm up. I did fall asleep easily but did not wake up as I planned.” (That is one reason why she looked so fresh and rested when she appeared in the courtyard of the Kapella while we were waiting for the doors to open.) Because the concerto was the last piece on the program, Anna “felt rather relaxed and was not too nervous before going on stage. (Usually when I am performing I don’t feel nervous, but there is a strong feeling of excitement and even danger.) The audience was not too huge, but there were more people in the hall than I anticipated.”

Anna Polusmiak’s professional

success during her first year as an NKU alumna gave our Northern Kentucky group the inspiration to go on an unforgettable journey into a Russian culture with many mysteries we will never fully understand. Once we entered the Kapella, however, and heard the Philharmonic begin to play, and Anna play with them, we shared the same sonic world with every individual in the hall. We listened with open ears to sounds of music that are truly universal.This is a world in which NKU’s Anna Polusmiak is already making her mark. Her exceptional musical talent that we have seen develop year after year on the stage of Greaves Concert Hall is now becoming known not only across the river but also around the world.

Later in 2006 Anna will return to Russia for the two remaining activi-

ties that have resulted from her victory in the Louisiana International Piano Competition: a solo recital at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and a recording session in Moscow for a solo CD to be produced by Classical Records.

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Even tho u gh te mper atures are co oler , things heat up on the NKU ca mpus in the fall . Check out NKU’s fall sports teams as they kick, run and spike their way to victory. Or, check out the campus as it continues to grow!

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NKU vs. Xavier.

Watch the Norse in pre-season action vs. the Xavier Musketeers at the Xavier University Cintas Center. A pregame reception for alumni will be offered. For more information, visit alumni.nku.edu.

For more information about any event listed here, or for other events, visit http://nkuconnections.nku. edu or call 859.572.5220 and ask for the appropriate department.

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NKU Honor Choir. $5 general public / $3 NKU students, faculty, staff and seniors.

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Meet the author. NKU, UC and Xavier University are collaborating to bring Reza Aslan, the Iranian-American author of No god but God to Northern Kentucky/ Greater Cincinnati. The universities have joined forces to enlighten students, faculty, staff and community members on the religion, politics and contemporary culture of the Middle East. For more information, contact International Programs at 859.572.6908.

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Women’s basketball. Watch the Norse take on Midway College. 7 pm, Regents Hall.

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NKU Volleyball competes in the GLVC tournament. Times to be announced.

Cincinnati vs. NKU at UC 7 p.m. (exhibition)

Azmari Quartet. Greaves Concert Hall. 8 pm. $10 general public / $7 NKU students, faculty, staff and seniors.

Contact the NKU music department for more information at 859.572.6399.

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Men’s basketball. Watch the Norse take on Quincy University. 7:45 pm, Regents Hall.

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The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

A dynamic study of the dark sides of charisma and influence, this is the coming-of-age story of several young women at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in 1930s Edinburgh, Scotland. Contact the NKU box office for more information. 859.572.5464 or boxoffice@nku.edu. The show runs through Nov. 5.

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Black & Gold Day is an open house for college-bound high-school seniors interested in exploring their options at NKU. We encourage parents to attend, too. A campus tour by current NKU students is also included. Reservations are required. To RSVP, go online at visit.nku.edu or call the Welcome Center at 859.572.1400.

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Lo o k i n g a h e a d to D e c e m b e r Nov. 30-Dec. 10 The Crooked Inspector. The crooked officials of a small town, having learned that an undercover government agent is being sent to investigate them, quickly move to cover up their misconduct just as word is brought to them that a suspicious individual has been staying at the local inn for the past two weeks....A classic comedy of errors and mistaken identity, Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector takes a humorous and satirical look at human greed, stupidity and governmental corruption in this Wild West interpretation. Contact the NKU box office for more information. 859.572.5464 or boxoffice@nku.edu.

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Gone Without a Trace NKU professor’s invention could prevent kidnappings and soldier abductions

By Rob Pasquinucci

Turn on the news on any day and you are likely to hear about children being kidnapped or soldiers in the Middle East being captured.

Here are some recent headlines and statistics:

An internationally recognized Northern Kentucky University researcher/professor is trying to find ways to prevent these problems. For the past seven years, Dr. Mark Rajai, associate professor of engineering in NKU’s Department of Physics and Geology, with

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the help of his students, has been working on a device that will alert parents when their child has been abducted or wandered off too far.

This device could also be used on the battlefield to alert commanders when soldiers are missing from their posts. Rajai envisions a James Bond-like scenario where the soldier would swallow a microchip during an abduction that would serve as a transmitter and also alert commanders that something has happened. They could then track the solider and captors through GPS devices.

“If the criminal gangs and terrorists in Iraq and all other trouble spots in the world would be deprived of future kidnapping options, maybe the ongoing bloodshed would stop and peace in the Middle East would have a chance,” Rajai, who was born in Iran, says.

He originally developed this technology to track missing children.

“I was especially troubled and shocked at the statistics involving missing children in this country,” Rajai says.“Despite an industry effort to combat these figures, the United States continues to have one of the highest disappearance rates in the world. Unfortunately, there has never been an effective and inexpensive way to combat

child abductions.”

In 1999, Rajai developed the “Guardian 2000” that received extensive international media attention, serving as a breakthrough in child-protection technology. Rajai has spent the past seven years fine-tuning the initial device and believes that his new state-of-theart product called “Multi-Protector 3000” will improve security for troops and others working in dangerous parts of the world and will help give parents peace of mind when their kids are out.

To protect intellectual property rights and for security reasons, Rajai will not reveal the details, but he says it uses an intelligent tiny microchip and a frequency that does not need any kind of licensing. It will work anywhere in the world. The device will not only prevent all sorts of abductions in the first place, but it will also help locate those who have been abducted no matter where they are. The tiny device – about as small as a dime – will cost only about $50.

Rajai, who has spent his entire career inventing devices to save the lives of children, Alzheimer patients and the elderly, is so saddened by these senseless killings and the destruction happening in the Middle East that he is willing to offer his new invention to the government without material compensation.

“For about $50 (per person), each soldier, diplomat, journalist and whoever that might be in danger of abduction could be fitted with this tiny device, and future kidnappings could be prevented,” Rajai says.

James Meyer, a senior electronics engineering major, has worked with Rajai on the Multi-Protector 3000 and appreciates how it can prevent child abductions. “I was looking for a senior project to complete my B.S. degree in engineering,” Meyer says. “Being a father of four small children, I quickly identified with the fear of my own children being abducted.

This is the worst nightmare for any parent, and there has not been a solution. I am just happy to be part of this effort to save children.”

a l umni in

NKU and Chase alumni gathered in Washington in September and had a chance to reconnect with their alma mater in the nation’s capital.

Group photo of NKU and Chase alumni, along with NKU representatives at the Washington gathering. Those who attended included: Sarah M. Abdow, Jared A. Barlage, J. David Bender, Ryan D. Breitenbach, Deidra S. Fajack, Sean M. Farrell, Dennis Hornabach, Maria A. Longi, David MacKnight, Brigham A. McCown, Telly McGahr, Gregory M. Mecher, Ralph Miller, Brandon Neukam, Janet L. Oliver, John Porter, Mac Riley, Kortue C. Sammy, William A. Sanders, Gerry St. Amand, Paul J. Steenen, Julie R.Taylor, Gail Wells, James B. Wager and Todd J. Zinser

J. David Bender, president, NKU Alumni Council, and Chris Klein, student intern, in Geoff Davis’ office.

Sarah Abdow, Washington NKU Alumni Chapter contact.

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Lincoln Awards

The 2006 Northern Kentucky University Lincoln Awards honored four community leaders who are great examples of citizenship and lifelong achievement: R.C. Durr, John and Jane Domaschko, and former NKU President Leon Boothe. Here is more on these outstanding honorees:

R.C. Durr

R.C. Durr, like the legend for whom the prestigious Lincoln Award is named, began life in a humble, rural community. Despite his wealth and personal advancement, he never strayed from his adoration of the earth and his fellow man, which was nurtured in a

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loving home on a farm in Atwood, Ky. Attending school in Kenton County, Durr graduated in the last class of Independence High School, where he enjoyed playing basketball. His aunt gave him $500 to attend college in Georgetown, but he used the money to purchase a car and go to work.

He was the successful bidder on his first highway project in 1949. Today, R.C. Durr Company has become one of Kentucky’s largest, most successful heavy construction and highway contractors. The company was responsible for building some of the state’s largest railroads, interstates and parkways.

Always motivated to undertake a new challenge in the business world, Durr has not limited his efforts to the private sector; instead he’s been active in community building endeavors. He has devoted a significant amount of his personal time, talent and trea-

sure to improving the lives of countless citizens throughout Northern Kentucky.

As a community builder, Durr has recognized the importance of learning from and preserving the past while looking forward. In his quest for a better future, Durr has focused on such critical issues as education, health and wellness.

His personal financial donations made possible the long-term success of the Dinsmore Homestead, located near Belleview, Ky. It is here where the history of the region is told through original letters and belongings left behind by presidents, ambassadors and some of our nation’s leading industrialists of the 19th century.

He also provided the resources that made the Durr Agricultural Center possible in Kenton County and the new Durr YMCA possible in Boone County.

Durr has always been a generous sup-

porter and contributor to many schools and various organizations, and he continues to be supportive, showing concern for others and their needs. He served on the Northern Kentucky University Foundation for several years, and he was one of the founders of the Northern Kentucky Industrial Park at Florence, Ky. In 2005 Durr and the leaders of The Bank of Kentucky pledged $6 million for the construction of the events center at NKU, called The Bank of Kentucky Center.

Today, Durr spends his leisure time at his farm, raising cattle and thoroughbred horses.

And he shows no interest in slowing down as he still offers his leadership and community spirit to the region.

John and Jane Domaschko

The story of Jane and John Domaschko is a real love story – actually, two love stories.

One, of course, is the bond they have with each other. Another is the love they share for helping others.

Both have given countless hours to many organizations in Northern Kentucky. Their leadership has improved the quality of life for many Kentuckians, especially in the areas of education, health, the arts, public television and much more.

“John and Jane are a leadership couple,” wrote one Lincoln Awards nominator. “They help and support each other. Their friendship and leadership are treasured by many.”

Married when they were 20, after John had finished his first undergraduate degree in economics at the University of Cincinnati, they spent the next three years in Germany while John served in the army.

Upon their return, John returned to UC to earn a degree in accounting. One of his professors thought so highly of him that he asked John to join him in his accounting business, which John helped build into a very successful accounting firm with high-caliber clients such as the Cincinnati Bengals.

John was young when he sold his business. From that point on, except for John’s periodic provision of consulting services to area businesses, Jane and John have focused a large part of their time and efforts on social issues, volunteer work and philanthropy.

For years Jane served the Northern Kentucky Children’s Home in several capacities (including former Junior Board chair) and was involved in her children’s schools from Northern Kentucky Montessori to Summit Country Day School to Notre Dame Academy. She now continues her involvement in education by serving on the Board of Trustees of Thomas More College, the Thomas More College Foundation and the Kenton County Library Foundation.

She also serves on the board of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation and chairs the grants review committee, an important and prestigious position that directs resources to areas of need in the Greater Cincinnati metro area. That grew from her involvement on the Northern Kentucky Fund Board, of which she is still a part, and she also serves on the St. Elizabeth Foundation Board and Carnegie Arts Center committee.

She is known for “compassion, … intelligence and [a] warm smile,” wrote another nominator.

John’s early causes included the Covington Latin School (involved since graduation, former board chair and former chair of the Alumni Association); KET Authority Board (chair); Northern Kentucky Montessori (former board member, president and treasurer/secretary); UC Foundation; Forward Quest (member of college of visionaries and editorial board); and St. Charles Care Center (former board member and chair of the finance committee). These involvements led to the Kenton County Airport Board (former board chair), which owns and operates the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport; OKI Regional Council of Governments (former board member); the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce (former board member);Vision 2015; and the St. Elizabeth Foundation (chair).

The Edgewood, Ky., couple have two children and one grandchild.

Leon Boothe

As president of Northern Kentucky University from 1983 to 1996, Dr. Leon Boothe left a legacy that has created one of the most dynamic universities in the Midwest.

Most are aware of his achievements as leader of NKU, but what many may not know is how much he continued to contribute to NKU and the larger community after he stepped down from the presidency.

While president of NKU, Boothe’s leadership was instrumental in expanding the physical plant, enhancing the university’s reputation and approving a proliferation of academic programs created to serve the needs of the community’s students and workforce.

In turn, thousands of NKU graduates have contributed immensely to the development of the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati economy, culture and way of life.

Beyond campus, one of Boothe’s chief causes has been his work to raise awareness and support for the elderly. As a board member for the Senior Services of Northern Kentucky, his vision and compassion helped launch the organization to meet the needs of this growing population.

Boothe served on the SSNK’s board from 1996 to 2005. During his tenure, he participated in numerous committees. He was a member of the executive committee and held the office of secretary of the board.

Using the leadership skills he honed at NKU, Boothe arranged meetings between the SSNK and community leaders, convincing them to financially support such programs as Meals on Wheels along with transportation and wellness initiatives.

To show their appreciation, members of the SSNK honored him by naming their Leadership Award “Leon E. Boothe.”

“Dr. Boothe makes a lasting impression on everyone he meets,” wrote one nominator.

“He has a gift for bringing people together to collaborate on projects or advocate on issues that improve the quality of life in our community.”

Added the nominator: “He does this, not seeking praise and glory, but rather because it’s the right thing to do.”

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ATHLETICS Preseason favorites Northern Kentucky University has been picked by league coaches as the preseason favorite to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division title.

NKU, which finished 17-11 last season, received 36 total points and six first-place votes to earn the favorite’s role. The Norse (12-7 GLVC last season) return three starters and nine letterwinners.

NKU opens regular-season action Nov. 17 in the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic against Ferris State, an NCAA Division II Tournament participant last March. The Bulldogs are members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The following night, NKU will meet Wayne (Mich.) State, which is also a member of the GLIAC. NKU competes in the Great Lakes Valley Conference,

which competes with the GLIAC for berths in the eight-team NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region field.

NKU begins GLVC play Nov. 30 when Quincy - another NCAA Tournament team last season - visits Regents Hall. Two days later, defending regional champion SIUE comes to Highland Heights to meet NKU in a GLVC showdown.

Northern Kentucky University has been selected as the preseason favorite in the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division by the league’s women’s basketball coaches.

NKU (27-5 overall last season, 16-3 GLVC) received 36 total points as the favorite to repeat as GLVC East champion.

The Norse, who return five starters and 11 letterwinners from last season, collected six first-place votes.

Four golfers earn all-American honors The 2005-06 National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team includes four Northern Kentucky University women’s golfers.

NKU’s Deanna Feilen, Bianca Hutton, Alicia Lawrence and Lindsey Oldiges each earned All-American Scholar honors. More than 370 women’s golfers were recognized with this prestigious honor from the NGCA. The criteria for selection to the NGCA All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent in all college athletics. The minimum cumulative GPA is 3.5, and studentathletes must have competed in at least 50 percent (Division I) or 66 percent (Division II and III) of the team’s regularly scheduled rounds during the year.

Feilen, a senior political science major, is from Fort Thomas, Ky. Hutton, a junior international studies/marketing major, is from Helsinki, Finland. Lawrence, a sophomore marketing major from Williamstown, Ky., is the two-time defending Northern Kentucky women’s amateur golf champion. Oldiges, a senior from Cincinnati, is a marketing/business major.

Those four golfers helped NKU earn a berth in the NCAA Division II East Regional this past spring.

Correction

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NKU’s Alicia Lawrence is one of the 2005-06 NGCA All-Americans.

An item in the last issue of Northern listing recent NKU student-athletes who have won NCAA scholarships neglected to include Kim Keyer-Scott, who won a $7,500 scholarship in 2005 and is continuing her education at Florida Gulf Coast University this fall.

NO R T H E R N NKU to offer online Master of Arts in Education

Northern Kentucky University has announced it now offers a Master of Arts in Education degree entirely online.

The M.A.Ed. program was developed for online delivery by seasoned, full-time faculty members from NKU’s College of Education and Human Services to help certified teachers improve effectiveness as documented through learning outcomes and test performance. The program will be responsive to the needs of individual teachers and school districts and will provide opportunities for teachers to craft projects that directly impact their specific classroom challenges.

The M.A.Ed. is a 30-credit-hour (12 courses) program with a specialization in gifted and talented. The program can be completed from the convenience of a home computer via the Internet within 20 months by taking six to nine credit hours each semester. Full-time enrollment is also available to complete the curriculum sooner.

For admission details and additional information, e-mail dl@nku.edu, visit dl.nku.edu or call (859) 572-1500.

Nursing grant announced Congressman Geoff Davis has announced that Northern Kentucky University is the recipient of an Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship Grant through the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the healthcare industry needs nearly 118,000 registered nurses throughout the country, especially in specific areas of the medical industry and rural areas.

The grant that NKU’s Master of Science in Nursing program received will help master’s degree candidates with the costs of tuition.

The total award amount was $52,341 and will be made available to students in the Master of Science in Nursing program provided that they commit to work in an area facing a medical shortage or in a rural area.

NE W S Faculty b ookshelf

M i r a cle Collapse

The 1969 Chicago Cubs

As a Chicago Cubs fan, NKU education professor Doug Feldmann knows there seem to always be forces at work against his team that lead to its demise. Take the 1969 Cubs team: as the team entered the final month of the season, it held a large lead in its division. But, during a game against the Mets in Shea Stadium, a black cat ran onto the field and literally stared manager Leo Durocher right in the face.

“The Cubs lost that night, and the slide began from there,” Feldmann says. The book documents the 1969 season game by game and tells the story of how one of the most talented Cubs teams raced to an early division lead and seemed certain to claim a pennant, only to crumble by season’s end. The team lost the division to the Mets, who went on to win the World Series that year.

This is Feldmann’s fourth baseball book. He’s written about the 1935 Cubs and the Cardinals of 1934 and 1985. He grew up on the north side of Chicago. His father, a Cardinals fan, went on to play professionally for the White Sox minor-league team.

Feldmann also played as an undergraduate at Northern Illinois University. When not teaching at NKU, he spends time scouting for the Cincinnati Reds. For more information, visit www.nebraskapress.unl.edu.

K a s k er

In Kasker, anthropology professor Sharlotte Neeley Donnelly takes us to the future, where an anthropologist named Shandra Trax must save Kasker nomads from removal and genocide by an imperial government that wants access to valuable flashstones. To help her save the Kaskers, she asks ex-husband and pilot DiomedesDonly to get her to Kaskerland.

This is Donnelly’s second book and first science fiction piece. She also wrote Snowbird Cherokees and served as a consultant on a film of the same name. The book is an ethnographic study of Snowbird, N.C., and is a study of the Cherokees who live there.

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NE W S Inferior no more Contest gives improved lake new name: Loch Norse

J. David Bender and Olivia Birkenhauer

The Bank of Kentucky Center groundbreaking Not long after a groundbreaking ceremony in May, trees and brush were cleared where, in a relatively short time, the Norse will find a new athletic home. Photos of construction progress are available online at www.nku.edu/~athletics/.

After undergoing a $2.4 million privately funded renovation, the lake in the center of campus is inferior no more, and after a web-poll of alumni, students, faculty and staff members, it has a new name to go with its new look.

Loch Norse was the overwhelming winner with more than 628 votes. The name speaks to the Nordic theme on campus and ties in with Victor, NKU’s Viking mascot.

Other possibilities included Lake Legacy, with 234 votes, Lake Valhalla, with 223 votes, Lake Odin, with 163 votes, and Lake Superior, with 107 votes. The voters included 705 students, 348 alumni, 127 staff and 89 faculty members.

The new facility features a bridge and waterfall along with an amphitheatre and terraced seating. The lake was formally dedicated Sept. 6.

Former NKU student receives $25,000 grant Keith Schneider, professor of entrepreneurship at Northern Kentucky University and director of the Northern Kentucky Innovation Center, announced recently that Amy Miles, president of Biologics International, will receive a $25,000 grant to develop and produce a new line of skincare products.

Miles is Schneider’s former student.

Miles applied for the grant through Schneider’s Innovation Center, which is a partner of the Office for Economic Initiatives at NKU. “Two years ago I enrolled in the organizational leadership program at NKU after discovering I could take classes via the Internet without interrupting my normal work week,” Miles said. “Before meeting Professor Schneider, I was unaware of the Kentucky Innovation Network and the opportunities and grants that were available.”

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Miles owns a manufacturing facility in Florence, Ky., that produces raw ingredients for the pharmaceutical, personal care and cosmetic markets but says her true love is selling finished skincare products.

As part of a class project at Northern, she developed a skincare line called “Made for Me” to be marketed over the Internet and in day spas. Schneider suggested that she consider submitting it for a grant proposal sponsored by the Kentucky Innovation Network.

“Biologics’ award is a testament to how well the (Fifth Third Bank) Entrepreneurship Institute is preparing students for the real world,” Schneider said. “This grant is a great example of how the many economic development aspects of NKU are collaborating to benefit the greater good of the Northern Kentucky community. The entrepreneurship institute, the Innovation Center as part of the NKU Office for Economic Initiatives, and our partner, the Northern Kentucky E-Zone, were all contributors to the success of Biologics’ grant application,” Schneider said.

NKU partnering with schools in Spain and Japan NKU recently announced partnerships in Asia and Europe to promote student exchanges.

NKU and Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan, announced an exchange agreement in June. NKU and EOI (Escuela de Negocios/ School of Industrial Organization) of Spain also agreed to exchange faculty and students in each school’s master’s programs. NKU joins the University of Portland and MIT in partnering with EOI.

University’s f ounding f aculty h onored Old Science Building renamed “Founders Hall” “We came from across the nation to build a university,” begins a plaque that will soon adorn Northern Kentucky University’s Founders Hall. “We arrived to find little more than concrete buildings in muddy fields, but we were pioneers, and we were ready for the challenge.”

Those founders, who arrived in the muddy fields of Highland Heights nearly 40 years ago and who have helped build the university into one of the most respected in the region, were honored Aug. 18 in a special ceremony preceding NKU President James Votruba’s annual Fall Convocation.

“This university’s founding faculty created all that makes NKU such a wonderful place – excellent academic programs, a strong dedication to students and a commitment to the region we serve,” said Votruba. “These have become the hallmarks of Northern Kentucky University, and it’s time to honor the founders who charted such an ambitious course. They came here, stayed here and put students at the center of the life of this university. For that, we are all grateful.”

The event was held in front of Founders Hall (formerly NKU’s Old Science Building). A 10-minute dedicatory video honoring the founders was unveiled at the Fall Convocation in Greaves Concert Hall (Fine Arts Center). The video was completed by NKU students, who conducted hours of interviews with 28 of NKU’s founding faculty and did all of the videotaping and editing. The four hours of interviews are to be housed in NKU’s Schlachter Family Archives, located in Steely Library.

New Chase dean named Dennis R. Honabach has been named dean of Salmon P. Chase College of Law. “Northern Kentucky University is honored to welcome Dennis Honabach to the Chase College of Law,” said Gail Wells, NKU vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Dean Honabach has a strong record of success in administration, scholarship, teaching and public engagement. I am confident that he will provide extraordinary leadership for NKU’s Chase College of Law as we work together to achieve multidimensional excellence across the full breadth of the mission of the college.”

Honabach comes to Chase from Washburn University School of Law, where he served as dean and professor.

At Washburn, Honabach has overseen the development of Washburn’s Business and Transactional Law Center, Center for Excellence in Advocacy and Children and Family Law Center.

Honabach received his J.D. from Yale University in 1973 and his A.B. in economics from Bucknell University, cum laude, in 1970.

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NEWS

Coming back to NKU Su e H o d g e s M o o r e n a m ed NKU’s V P f o r p l a n n i n g , p o l i c y and budget

After graduating from NKU and working here in 1977, Dr. Sue Hodges Moore recently returned as vice president for planning, policy and budget.

She returns to a university that’s quite a bit larger than when she left and one that continues to grow. Part of her job is to make sure future plans line up with future budgets. Her division also has responsibility for providing data and analysis to support executive decision-making and coordinating the university’s strategic planning process and accountability system.

Prior to coming to Northern, Moore spent 11 years at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, the statewide policy board that coordinates change and improvement across the commonwealth’s colleges and universities. She began her tenure at the CPE just prior to the passage of The Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997. Her service included work in all areas of the council’s responsibilities including finance, academic affairs, policy research, accountability and distance learning. She was named executive vice president in 2001 and served as interim president in 2002-03.

Moore’s 28-year career in postsecondary education includes work at a wide range of public postsecondary institutions. She began her career here at NKU in 1977 and has served on the staff at the University of Louisville, East Carolina University and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

After completing her baccalaureate degree at NKU, she went on to earn a Master of Business Administration from Xavier. In 1994, she received her doctorate degree in education administration from the University of Louisville.

Moore is married to Ron Moore, executive director of health information technologies at the University of Louisville. They have an 11-yearold daughter, Aubrey.

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Reza Aslan scheduled to visit NKU Nov. 13 NKU and two local universities want to enlighten students, faculty, staff and community members on the nature of Islamic culture by bringing Reza Aslan, the Iranian-American author of No god but God, to the area during International Education Week in November Aslan will appear at NKU Nov. 13 for a discussion on “The Religion, Politics and Contemporary Culture of the Middle East” in the University Center’s Otto Budig Theater at 2 p.m.

Though it is the fastest-growing religion in the world, Islam is largely misunderstood in the West. One of the factors fueling tension in the Muslim world, Aslan says, is the inevitable progression toward modernization and reform. In his view, the Sept. 11 terrorist attack was not primarily a clash with the West. It was an attempt by militant Islamic extremists to use the West as a polarizing force to galvanize support in a century-old struggle with Muslim moderates over the future of Islam.

New Career Development director Keley Smith-Keller was recently named the new director of the NKU Career Development Center. She joins the Career Development Center at NKU with 10 years of experience in the career development field.

Previously the director of a career center at The University of South Dakota, SmithKeller has coordinated career development services for a variety of groups, including prison inmates and special-needs adults as well as university students. She earned her doctorate in adult and higher education in 2005 from The University of South Dakota.

She is a licensed professional clinical counselor through the state of Kentucky, and she is also a master career counselor.

Smith-Keller said alumni who need career help should stop by her office (room 230 in the University Center).

“We can help with your résumé (M-F 10 a.m.-1 p.m. open hours – no appointment necessary), help you get into our job referral system (for free) or help you to get career counseling,” Smith-Keller said.

Oh, and her first name is pronounced “Kelly.” Her mother picked the unusual spelling to help her stand out with “Smith” as a last name.

J. Patrick Moynahan named vice provost J. Patrick Moynahan has been named NKU’s vice provost, effective July 1.

Moynahan, interim dean of NKU’s College of Informatics, came to NKU in 1990 after 20 years in journalism. He has also served as associate professor and assistant professor of journalism, chair of the Department of Communication, adviser to the school’s student newspaper and dean of the College of Professional Studies.

“I can’t wait to get started,” Moynahan said. “This opportunity enables me to apply

what I have learned as a faculty member, department chair and dean to broader challenges within the university’s strategic agenda.

I have had the good fortune to work with a lot of talented and creative faculty and staff, who have given me a wide variety of perspectives and a wealth of ideas to bring to the task.”

NKU Provost Gail Wells noted Moynahan’s reputation among NKU’s faculty and staff. “Pat’s demonstrated excellence in these positions and his commitment to the broader university community are well known to all who have worked with him,” she said.

As vice provost, Moynahan will work with Wells and the NKU Council of Deans to advance the university’s strategic plan. He will assist in leadership of NKU’s curriculum, instruction, research and scholarly activity as well as public engagement and information technology.

Prior to his service at NKU, Moynahan worked as night city editor, city editor and assistant managing editor at The Kentucky Post from 1984 to 1991. He has also worked as executive sports editor at The Sunday Courier & Press (Evansville, Ind.) and as sports editor at The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Ky.). He has been a member of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Press Association, College Media Advisors Ethics Committee and Race Relations Council of Greater Cincinnati as well as the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars NKU liaison and faculty member and vice president for operations of the Northern Kentucky Interfaith Commission.

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2006 NKU ALUMNI AWARDS NOMINATIONS Know an alumnus who’s been successful in his or her chosen field or made significant contributions to the university or the community at large? Why not nominate him or her for the NKU Alumni Awards? The awards committee is meeting soon to decide who will be honored at a banquet during the 2007 homecoming weekend. The awards committee may contact alumni who are nominated for additional information. Please include a letter of support. The deadline for receipt of nominations is december 1 .

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outstanding Young Alumnus/A Award Recognizes alumni who have graduated within the last 10 years who have contributed to enhancing life at NKU or the greater community or who have distinguished themselves through professional accomplishments.

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Distinguished Service Award Recognizes alumni who have contributed time, talent and effort to enhance the quality of life at NKU or who have made significant contributions in making their community a better place to live.

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Outstanding Alumni awards One alumnus/a will be selected from each college within NKU to receive this award. Please specify the person’s major or which college this person attended while at NKU. NKU’s colleges are: Arts

and Sciences; Business; Education and Human Services; Informatics; School of Nursing and Health Professions; and Chase College of Law. The College of Professional Studies underwent a reorganization to become the College of Informatics, acquiring some majors from other colleges and transferring some majors to their own schools of specialization.

Faculty/Staff Strongest Influence Award This award goes to a faculty or staff member whose teaching, counseling or advising had a strong and lasting impact on the life or career of the nominating alumnus. The individual should be currently working at NKU or be retired, and the award can be given posthumously. Please submit a letter of support not exceeding 300 words.

NOMINEE______________________________________________________________________________________________________

please circle award:

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE STRONGEST INFLUENCE

YOUNG ALUMNUS/A Outstanding Alumnus/a

(specify which college or major) ________________________

________ SIGNED________________________________________________________________________________________________________ YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION_______________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Deadline for receipt of nominations is december 1, 2006

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Please send nominations to: Office of Alumni Programs Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY 41099

N O TA B L E

NOR S E More than skin deep

NKU alumnus Chris Heiert markets a billion-dollar brand for P&G

Chris Heiert wants to know you. And your skin. Especially if you are one of the millions of women around the world who purchase (or consider purchasing) Olay® products, because he’s the associate marketing director for Olay in North America (P&G dropped the “oil of ” moniker about six years ago).

We visited the 1992 NKU finance major in his office at the P&G world headquarters in downtown Cincinnati. Olay products and proposed advertisements share space on his desk with copies of Cosmopolitan and Glamour. Like any savvy marketer, Heiert knows his consumer, and in Olay’s case, that means knowing the women who spend billions on skincare products each year.

What’s it like to market a product to women?

There are a lot of times where it is actually an advantage for me, since I didn’t have to “unlearn” things I would have been told my entire life if I were a woman. A big part of my job is research. I have to talk to our consumer – at the store, in her home, in focus groups and one-on-one. I have to stay in touch with her on a regular basis. Our consumer first comes to us in her mid-20s when she sees that first line or wrinkle, and it’s my job to see that she stays with us and uses our entire line of products.

How did you get this great opportunity?

My case isn’t typical. Normally, P&G recruits right out of college. In many cases the students

we hire have already worked for us as coops. I never co-opped for P&G but did work in a candy boutique during college. About seven years ago, I was working for Mercantile department stores when they were changing ownership. I was looking for a new challenge and started talking with P&G. They liked my retail experience, since most everything P&G sells is through the retail channel. I was hired as assistant brand manager for Olay.

You have a stressful job leading one of P&G’s big brands. How do you keep your life in balance?

I have a wife and two kids at home, and I make them a priority. I make sure the people I work with know my schedule and the importance of me getting family time. I also work hard at

developing a great team of people around me allowing all of us to enjoy a good work and life balance.

What would you tell NKU students who want to join you at P&G? As I said, my case wasn’t typical. We hire about 50 NKU graduates each year, and most of them have co-opped for us during school. I believe for students to be highly marketable to any company, they need to begin finding internships or co-op opportunities early in their college career and be able to clearly demonstrate how their experience would be relevant. I also encourage not just getting involved with extracurricular activities but leading clubs and student organizations on campus.

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alu mni

journal

We recently held several events that brought generations of alumni together. The Alumni Association hosted a group of past NKU Alumni Association presidents for dinner and a performance of The 1940s Radio Hour at NKU. The group was also briefed on the progress of the new student union and our fundraising progress for the alumni reception area.

We would like to encourage all alumni to participate in supporting this new alumni project.

We also sent several groups of incoming NKU freshmen off in style to events in Louisville and Maysville. These events are chances for alumni to meet incoming freshmen (and their parents) to give them a sense of what the future holds at NKU and as alumni. NKU had record-high enrollment of more than 14,200 students this fall, so we’re happy to welcome them to the “family.”

We have a full schedule of alumni events and programs available to you. Please visit alumniconnect.nku.edu for more information on all of the upcoming programs!

new location for alumni office

We’ve moved! The NKU Office of Alumni Programs is now at 421 Johns Hill Road (the former Northern Kentucky Educators’ Federal Credit Union location). We’re right next to the parking office and across the street from the now-closed Skyline Tavern.

stay connected

Make sure you keep us up to date with your current address and news so we can stay connected.

You can update your information at alumniconnect. nku.edu (note: no “www”) or give us a call at (859) 572-5486. We’d like to hear about what’s new in your life.

Please send us a class note and include a picture; we want to see your smiling face along with your children. If you have a new baby, please let us know so we can send you a Baby Norse bib. Support NKU by wearing your Norse gear, which can be purchased online at www.lids.com or by stopping by the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati locations. NKU merchandise can also be purchased at Steve and Barry stores in the area, and, of course, our on-campus bookstore.

We hope to see you back on campus soon!

Don’t forget to stop by and visit with us at our new location on Johns Hill Road.

Deidra S. Fajack, Director, Alumni Programs and Licensing 32

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gatherings top left: Marianne Osburg Schwartz, ’77, signed copies of her book at the Kentucky Haus. Her book, called Momisms: The Wit and Wisdom of My Mom, was featured on page 29 of the last issue of Northern. top right: Billie Clark, ’93, Kim Vance, ’94, ’05, and Olivia Birkenhauer, ’81, at move-in day on campus. above: Marketing alumni at a Florence Freedom game gathering. left: Alumni handed out water to incoming freshmen during move-in day.

Class Notes A lumni the

on

move Ann Holstein ’02

Ann Holstein (speech/ communication) of Ft. Wright, Ky., has recently been appointed by Governor Ernie Fletcher to serve as a member of the Statewide Advisory Council for Vocational Rehabilitation for the state of Kentucky. She has also been appointed to the Statewide Independent Living Council for the state of Kentucky.

The governor selects members after soliciting recommendations from representatives of organizations representing a broad range of individuals with disabilities and organizations interested in individuals with disabilities.

The Statewide Advisory Council for Vocational Rehabilitation reviews, analyzes and advises the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation on eligibility, including order of selection, extent, scope and effectiveness of services provided by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and activities that affect or potentially affect the ability of individuals with disabilities to achieve rehabilitation goals.

Holstein is the director of professional services for Gateway Rehabilitation in Florence, Ky. She is also a freelance writer for various Northern Kentucky community publications, and she focuses on senior issues and interests.

1975 Gregory P. Noll (business administration) reports that after 25 years in the financial services field, he took a position with Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate, Inc., and now is managing the Crestview Hills Town Center.

1976 Gary Eith (political science). Lakeland Community College has named NKU alum Dr. Gary Eith as dean of business technologies. Eith served as interim dean in this position for the last year and is the former dean of community learning for the college. He joined Lakeland in 1989.

1978 John Nienaber, Jr. (public administration and Master of Business Administration ’88) retired from Fifth Third Bank after 17 years in commercial lending.

The bank had previously recognized Nienaber as the Cincinnati “Commercial Manager of the Year.” John has begun a new career with Park National Bank in Florence, Ky., as a commercial lender. Nienaber lives in Lakeside Park with his wife, Jerryl, a 1979 graduate of NKU.

1982 Cam-Thuy M. Vu (Pham) (accounting) writes that he survived Hurricane Rita and is rebuilding his home. He enjoys fishing in the ’gator country.

1987 Lee Ann Weller (theatre) is moving from Dallas, Texas, where she was the production manager for Dallas Summer Musicals for 10 years. During that time she worked on more than 125 touring Broadway musicals. She has a Master of Fine Arts in stage management from Southern Methodist University and worked all across the country as an opera stage manager. She has just joined the staff of the University of Colorado at Denver’s College of Arts and Sciences as the events manager.

1988 Julie Hagen (accounting) .Barnes, Dennig & Co., Ltd., certified public accountants and business advisors, welcomes Julie E. Hagen, CPA, to the firm as a senior tax manager. She will focus on

serving the firm’s clients in a variety of industries in the areas of tax compliance and consulting.

1990 James Baldridge (accounting). The banking firm of BB&T has promoted Jim Baldridge to senior vice president. Baldridge, who joined the bank in 2000, is a team director in BB&T’s wealth management division based in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Cold Spring, Ky., native received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Northern Kentucky University. Baldridge also is a graduate of the Southeastern Trust School at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. Keith Sherman (journalism) has completed Avery Dennison’s Global Operations Leadership Development program, a management development program, and he accepted the position as the shipping/receiving supervisor in its Hamilton, Ohio, facility.

1991 Kelly Harper (international studies and history) was recently named OCEA Educator of the Year. Harper has been in the field of cooperative education for more than nine years working at both Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and Northern Kentucky University. While working with students in business, liberal arts and science, she has facilitated more than 1,500 co-op placements. Harper served as the first non-Ohio school representative to be president of OCEA in 2004-05.

1992 Dave Hatter (information systems) was recently appointed to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s national advisory council. He will serve on a volunteer group of appointees to help support the organization’s mission: to maintain and strengthen the economy by aiding, counseling and protecting the interests of small businesses and by helping families recover from national disasters. Hatter is founder of Libertas Technologies, a Covington-based Internet consulting firm.

1994 Dale Shaw (education middle grades, education middle grades master’s ’99) recently passed the national boards and has become a national board-certified teacher. She currently trains

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Class Notes A lumni the

on

move

Roderick Vesper, ’95 Roderick Vesper is literally on the move, training for the LIVESTRONG challenge in Philadelphia. He’ll ride 100 miles and raise money to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research.

“While I am only required to raise $500 to participate in the event, I have set a goal of $15,000. I know it is a lofty goal, but cancer is a disease that impacts so many that I want to do everything that I can to contribute to the cause of the Lance Armstrong Foundation,” Vesper writes.

He is doing the ride in memory of his mother, who died of cancer when she was 48. For more information or to help Roderick, visit www.livestrongchallenge. org/06PA/vesper.

Photos courtesy of Leigh Patton, The Cincinnati Enquirer.

teachers district-wide (K-8) in the writing workshop curriculum and teaches seventh grade at Highland Middle School in Illinois. She also is an adjunct writing instructor at Southwestern Illinois College.

1995 Stephen Knipper (political science) and his wife, Stephanie (a 1994 NKU grad), have two children, Zachary (3) and Grace (2). Knipper is founder and president of C4K, an organization designed to assist future political leaders. He is also running for the Erlanger City Council in fall 2006.

1997 Kristi Schwalbach (accounting) is Covington Catholic High School’s new director of finance. She is a certified public accountant who spent the past six years working at Great American Insurance in Cincinnati.

2000 Shannan Boyer (speech communication): Downtown Cincinnati public relations agency Wordsworth Communications has added a member to its senior management staff. Senior Account Executive Shannan Boyer has been promoted to the position of account supervisor at the agency.

She joined Wordsworth as an account coordinator

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in 2003, was subsequently promoted to account executive later that same year and achieved the position of senior account executive in 2005.

2001 Emily Hastings (speech communication) now works for NKU’s Cooperative Center for Study Abroad.

“I’ve been working for CCSA two years now and have had the opportunity to share my experiences with students, encouraging them to study abroad, and have even done some more traveling myself. The most recent trip was hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru,” Hastings writes.

2002 Angela Duncan (accounting) reports: “For the past three years I have been working as an assistant director of admissions at Queens University of Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C. I will pursue my M.A. in college student personnel at Bowling Green State University beginning this summer.”

2003 Sylvia Corcoran (anthropology) writes that she married anthro alumnus Asa Helm. She is working in human resources and attending NKU’s Master of Business Administration program.

2004 Lindsay Hunter (political science) has been elected 2006-07 Student Bar Association president at the Chase College of Law. Other Chase students elected to SBA officer positions include Sarah Bailey (vice president, day division); Andrew Schierberg (vice president, night division); Anne BennettCook (secretary); Elaine Griffith (treasurer); and Bryan Butler (American Bar Association/Law School Division representative). The SBA acts as the official advocate of the Chase student body and sponsors social, professional and community service programs and events.

David Adam Riley (philosophy) recently began a position with Deloitte Consulting LLP in Atlanta, Ga. He now works as an analyst in Deloitte’s human capital service area after having completed graduate work in human resource development at Vanderbilt University.

2006 Rodger Biddle (criminal justice) is working as a senior communications consultant for Cincinnati Bell.

Send us your class notes Please fill out this form and mail the entire back cover to the return address listed on the back page. You can e-mail class notes, photos and announcements to fajackd@nku.edu. grad. year:___________________________________________________________ MAJOR(s):_____________________________________________________________ name:________________________________________________________________ address:_____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ check if this is a new address phone: (

)_ __________________________________________________

e-mail:_______________________________________________________________

professional title:________________________________________________ occupation:__________________________________________________________ employer:_ __________________________________________________________ business address:__________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ business phone: ( business fax: (

)_________________________________________ )____________________________________________

interests / hobbies:_________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ please list any schools you are attending or have attended since graduating from nku and your degree: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ accomplishments / awards:_________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

spouse’s name:______________________________________________________

A lumni

at

occupation:__________________________________________________________

tallstacks

employer:_ __________________________________________________________ business address:__________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

From left to right: Jennifer Roose, Thom Roose, Jeff Rose and Lee McGinley at an NKU alumni gathering during the recent Tall Stacks festival in Cincinnati.

business phone: (

)_________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ check if spouse is an nku grad if so, grad year:_____________________________________________________ major(s):_____________________________________________________________

N EW L E A F PA P E R environmental benefits statement

children’s names & birth dates:___________________________________

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

______________________________________________________________________

please give us a brief update on yourself or a classmate for class notes in the next issue of northern:_______________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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a nother presidential visit

p h o t o b y J o e r u h / c o u r t e s y o f t h e nku a r c h i v e s

A l u m n i m i g h t r e m e m b e r t h e fi r s t t i m e N K U h o s t e d a U . S . p r e s i d e n t o n campus. It was Oct. 21, 1978, and former president Gerald Ford was on campus to stump for congressional candidate Larry Hopkins. In the photo above, the president is seen talking with NKU President A.D. Albright and Public Relations Director Robert Knauff. During his trip to NKU, Ford blasted the administration of the man who beat him, Jimmy Carter. At the time of his visit, Ford also was still mulling over another presidential run in 1980.

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