Shipherd's Record spring 2011 by The University of Olivet

SPRING 2011

President’s

UPDATE

Dear Friends,

As I sit down to write to you, I’m reflecting on the past few days which included the Leadership for Individual and Social Responsibility Awards Dinner; the spring meeting of the board of trustees; the dedication of our newest piece of public art entitled, “Opportunity;” Baccalaureate; and Commencement… whew! It was a wonderful series of events where we had the chance to celebrate the accomplishments of our students, honor leaders in the greater community who share our values, and spend time considering how we can create the college of the future that will ensure Olivet endures for the generations to come. Throughout this issue, you’ll get a chance to learn about a variety of the good and exciting things happening on campus. A large portion of this issue is dedicated to highlighting our Criminal Justice Program. It has become a leading academic program in the state and greater region and is attracting an increasing amount of attention, both from strong students interested in criminal justice careers as well as from leading employers in government and industry. As an example of the growing interest in Olivet by prospective students, we were recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the “most popular liberal arts colleges” in the country. This ranking was based on the percent of students who accept our offer of admission and means that, increasingly, students and their families recognize the success potential of an Olivet College education.

Steven M. Corey, Ph.D.

This may in part be due to the increasing preference and desirability of our students by employers. Just last week, I met with a corporate CEO in Lansing who revealed that she prefers Olivet College students for their best internship positions and also has the same preference for Olivet graduates when hiring. She finds that Olivet graduates are more likely to be ready to enter the work environment well prepared, able to think critically and work with a diverse group of other people, more so than graduates of other colleges and universities. I’m also pleased to say this was the second CEO in as many months who told me the same thing about our graduates. For both current students and alums, it’s good to know that the currency and value of your Olivet College degree is high and increasing. As you may be aware, the college has also begun a comprehensive planning process to define and create the Olivet College of 2020 and beyond. On the back cover, you’ll read about the eight key components of the Olivet College we envision for the future. At this point in the process, we have more than 40 percent of the faculty and staff working on cross-college teams to identify potential objectives that, if accomplished, would help us to realize one or more of these key components. In the months ahead, we’ll be looking to involve you in the process of prioritizing and refining our vision and plan for the Olivet College of the future. Keep your eye on your mail and e-mail for your invitation to participate. We can’t do it without you. With best wishes and regards,

Steven M. Corey, Ph.D. President

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS David T. Hayhow, L.H.D., Chair, Okemos The Hon. Judge Denise Page Hood, Vice Chair, Detroit William Middlebrooks, Vice Chair, West Bloomfield Robert M. Lawrence ’57, Secretary, Grosse Ile Stanley Dole, L.H.D., Treasurer, Grand Rapids MEMBERS G. Asenath Andrews ’72, Detroit Sandy Aranyos ’68, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Sandra Boyer ex’85, Ann Arbor Thomas Burke ’82, Carmel, Ind. Nan Casey, East Lansing Dennis Daugherty ’70, Mattawan Robert Ewigleben, Albion Douglas Federau, East Lansing James T. Fitzpatrick ’86, Grand Ledge George F. Francis III, Southfield Rich Hamann ’85, Kalamazoo David E. Hathaway, J.D., Ada Rod Hathaway ’81, Wayland Sharon R. Hobbs, Ph.D., East Lansing Timothy Hodge ’83, D.O., Holt Thomas Hoisington, Lansing Thomas E. Kolassa ’69, Battle Creek David Labrecque ’84, Battle Creek Dean Lewis ’55, J.D., Kalamazoo Jeff Mathie ’88, Olivet Charles McPhail ’64, Houston, Texas Karen (Wilson) Van Hentenryck ’81, South Lyon Jeff Wildern, Charlotte Janet (Stam) Zeaiter ’07, Mechanicsville, Va.

TRUSTEE SPOTLIGHT – DOUG FEDERAU

Doug Federau Hometown: Lansing Now lives in: East Lansing Education: Attended Taft Community College in Taft, Calif.; Ferris State University; and Michigan State University Occupation: Retired independent insurance agent; founder of the Federau Group Community involvement: Member of the Olivet College Insurance Advisory Council, in addition to the college’s board of trustees Hobbies: Caretaker of a 130-year old house and 14 acres of land, and a cabin up north; personal adviser to all of his 16 grandchildren (he has a file on each); fishing; hunting; sailing; and traveling

OLIVET COLLEGE SHIPHERD’S RECORD Shipherd’s Record is named in memory of “Father” John J. Shipherd, who established Olivet College in 1844. The magazine is published twice annually for Olivet alumni and friends.

MAGAZINE STAFF Director of Media Relations and Senior Writer Molly (Reed) Goaley ’05

Director of Publications and Web Services Bruce Snyder

Olivet College Named to U.S. News & World Report’s Most Popular Liberal Arts Colleges

Alumni Relations Marty (Mason) Jennings ’67 Sports Information Geoff Henson

Development Shannon Tiernan Editorial Jackie Bounds Andrew Homer Alisha Horowitz Amber LeClear Christine Moulton ’11 Kathryn McKenzie Nichols Pam Rutyna Linda Jo Scott

12 14 17

CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION

Director of Athletics Heather Bateman

A Rewarding Career Regina Armstrong

Send change of address notices to: Office of Alumni Relations Olivet, MI 49076 (269) 749-7644 mjennings@olivetcollege.edu President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D. Executive Assistant to the President Barb Spencer Vice President and CFO Bill Kurtz Provost and Dean of the College Maria G. Davis, Ph.D. Vice President for Administration Larry Colvin Vice President and Dean for Student Life Linda Logan, Ph.D.

COVER STORY: Olivet College’s Criminal Justice Program Thrives

From Policeman to Professor Mike Sherzer

Helping Tomorrow’s Youth

Karrie McCrary ’07

Olivet’s Candy Man Patrick Fields, Ph.D.

An Astronomer Shifts his Gaze from the Stars to the Earth William Blair ’75, Ph.D.

Departments 2 Around the Square 27 Development 29 Comet Athletics 32 Class Notes

SPRING

2011

Olivet College Named to U.S. News & World Report’s Most Popular Liberal Arts Colleges Olivet was recently named to U.S. News & World Report’s list of Most Popular Liberal Arts Colleges. In an article issued Jan. 25, the publication named Olivet among 233 institutions based on the college’s yield, which is the percentage of applicants accepted who end up enrolling at that institution in the fall. According to the report, a school’s yield is one of the best indicators of its popularity. “It’s nice to have U.S. News & World Report confirm what we and our students have known for some time – that Olivet College’s strong academic programs, combined within an environment of education for individual and social responsibility, is compelling and desirable for students and families,” said President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D. “It’s also a testament to our ability to provide an opportunity for students from a diverse array of backgrounds, skills and experiences to afford a quality private college education.” The figures in the article are from the fall 2009 entering class and show the students who were accepted, the students who enrolled, and the admit yield. The table highlights the most popular liberal arts colleges, which are schools that place an emphasis on undergraduate education and award at least 50 percent of their degrees in the liberal arts. Olivet earned a 30 percent yield for the year.

Cutler Event Center Named Emergency Facility for Eaton County Eaton County recently named the college’s Cutler Event Center as its county-wide emergency facility. In the event of a county- or state-wide emergency, area residents would be able to report to the center for first aid and shelter. A group of more than 20 students who reside in the area were recently trained by the Charlotte Police Department and Michigan State Police as Emergency Medical Technicians, and would serve the needs of victims at the facility should an emergency occur.

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Commencement Held May 21 Olivet recognized more than 160 seniors as part of graduation ceremonies Saturday, May 21 at The Cutler Event Center. During the ceremony, Stanley Dole, Olivet College Board of Trustees treasurer, and Betsy Dole, trustee emeritus, were presented with Doctors of Humane Letters, honoris causa. Residents of Grand Rapids, the Doles are longtime supporters of Olivet College, the United Church of Christ and their community. Betsy served more than 20 years on the college’s board of trustees. She co-chaired the capital campaign during her tenure, which raised $4 million to expand and renovate Burrage Library. She was the first woman to serve as chair of the board from 1992-97, during which time she helped lead the college through a comprehensive transformation. In addition, she founded the Betsy Dole From left: Stanley and Elizabeth Dole, Olivet President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D. Women’s Resource Center on campus. Betsy earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Oberlin College and has received many honors, including the Olivet College Leadership Award. Stanley is a certified public accountant who specialized in auditing non-profit organizations. He continues to advise nonprofit organizations on investment and accounting issues, recently serving as treasurer of several of them. Stanley has served the local, state and national United Church of Christ in many capacities over the years. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Bowdoin College, where he was a Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Michigan. Christine Moulton, of Royal Oak, was the senior class speaker for Commencement. Sarah Augustine, of Bellevue; Casey Eash, of Marshall; Matthew Jenca, of Bath; and Zachary McMunigal, of Linden, were the Baccalaureate speakers. Clair Stevens ’80, J.D., associate professor of insurance and risk management, was also chosen by the senior class to speak as part of Baccalaureate.

More than 160 graduates were recognized during commencement exercises May 21.

Students Team With Alumni for Oral History Project

From left: Christine Moulton; Joanne Williams; Clair Stevens ’80, J.D., Morgan Heintz; President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D.; Kellen Beckwith and Jake Taber. .

Top Five Seniors Recognized

Olivet recognized the best of its student body during Honors Convocation in April. The Donald A. Morris Awards are presented each year to the top five graduating seniors with the highest grade point average, and the professor whom each student deems the most influential in his or her academic career. The 2010-11 recipients are: Kellen Beckwith, of Farmington Hills; Michael Harden, of St. Johns; Morgan Heintz, of Eaton Rapids; Christine Moulton, of Royal Oak; and Ellen Schulz, of Freeland. Beckwith, a mathematics secondary education major, chose to honor Jake Taber, head swimming and diving coach at Olivet. Harden, an environmental science major, selected Leah Knapp, D.V.M., professor of biology. Heintz, an actuarial science major, chose Clair Stevens ’80, J.D., associate professor of insurance and risk management. Moulton, a journalism and mass communication major, selected Joanne Williams, assistant professor of journalism and theatre. Schulz, an elementary special education major, chose to honor Janine Peters, assistant professor of mathematics. The Donald A. Morris Award was named after a former president of the college. Morris served Olivet from 1977-92.

Peters Awarded Livingston Professorship Janine Peters, assistant professor of mathematics and computer science at Olivet College, received the Livingston Professorship award during Honors Convocation in April. The professorship is the highest teaching honor awarded to a full-time, tenured faculty member at Olivet. Peters was recognized by the college community as exceptional in her abilities as an instructor, as well as her commitment to the college’s mission. She sustains engagement of students in the learning

Olivet students in the history seminar are restructuring the college’s history throughout the decades. The students are working to document the college’s past, one alum at a time, in a nontraditional way. The students will be working to create an oral history, a way to share the decades through recollections of those with firsthand experience. Students, who are completely responsible for the development of the project, will be using surveys to formulate a written account of Olivet College history from alumni perspectives. The surveys have been created and distributed to select alumni so they can share everything they remember from their time at Olivet. The questions focus on a range of items, depending on the decade, from major historical happenings to everyday life at Olivet. “It may give us true feedback of what it was like here on Olivet’s campus,” said freshman David Eggelston, who hopes to get a more relatable history, with human feelings. Adviser of the project, Craig Korpela, Ph.D., assistant professor of history and political science, said, “I am anxious to work with alumni and students to provide a more thorough Olivet College history.” Above: Katherine Anne Porter shown with author Sherwood Anderson outside of Dole Hall, during the 1939 Writer’s Conference at Olivet College. Craig Korpela, Ph.D.

process; creates a classroom environment that is characterized by enthusiasm for learning and high expectations; and models life-long learning through continuous professional growth and development. A faculty member since 2002, Peters currently teaches courses in the liberal arts core, the calculus sequence, probability and statistics, geometry, complex analysis and advanced calculus. She is adviser to Helping Hands, the college’s student organization committed to community service projects, as well as the math club. She is also one of the college’s faculty athletic representatives to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Janine Peters

SPRING

2011

Risk Management and Insurance Center Ranked Eighth Largest in Nation The Risk Management and Insurance Center (RMIC) at Olivet College boasts the eighth largest risk management and insurance education program in the United States, according to Risk Management magazine. In an article published in September, the magazine ranked Olivet after Georgia, Temple, WisconsinMadison, Appalachian State, Florida State, Georgia State and Hartford universities. With more than 60 students currently majoring in the insurance field, the RMIC continues to be one of the fastest growing academic programs at Olivet College. In addition to its undergraduate program, the college recently began offering a Master of Business Administration in Insurance entirely online. The RMIC is frequently recognized by national insurance publications. In 2008 and 2009, Risk Management named the RMIC one of the 20 most notable undergraduate risk management programs in the world. The RMIC was also ranked the eighth largest program in the nation by Business Insurance magazine in 2009.

Hastings Mutual Supports Olivet College Hastings Mutual Insurance has supported Olivet’s risk management and insurance program since its inception in the early 1980s. In addition to covering the costs of institute test fees for hundreds of students who have graduated from the program, the company has established an endowed scholarship fund with the college. Having committed $100,000 to this effort, the endowment has already helped advance the education of four students in the past year.

Kolassa Sculpture Dedication In May, a sculpture dedication featuring Olivet President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D.; Tom Kolassa ’69, trustee; and Gary Wertheimer, Visual Arts Department chair and professor of art, was held in the College Square. Kolassa commissioned Wertheimer to create the sculpture, an acorn, which symbolizes opportunity at Olivet College. Wertheimer carved the acorn, outcropping and pedestal from Dakota From left: President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D., Mahogany granite, and the sprout and root were Tom Kolassa ’69, and Gary Wertheimer. created from cast bronze.

Lamplighter OC Opens Near Campus Olivet College and the community are celebrating the opening of a new latenight bar and restaurant near campus. The Lamplighter OC, located at the corner of Main Street and Butterfield Highway, opened for business in the spring. The new establishment is funded by Tom Kolassa ’69 and his business partner, Gary Hart, and employs several Tom Kolassa ’69 Olivet College students and community members.

SWAT Team Training Held on Campus The Eaton County Sheriff ’s Department, in conjunction with the Olivet Police Department, recently held a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team training session on campus. The organizations conducted three SWAT team scenarios utilizing college facilities and employees in order to prepare for real life emergency situations. The first scenario involved acting on a “search warrant” of the Gruen House on Yale Street. The SWAT Team conducts “active SWAT team then proceeded to shooter” drill in Mott. Mott Academic Center, where 4

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they conducted an “active shooter” drill. To make the situation as realistic as possible, employees volunteered to act as “victims” with officers arriving in full entry gear. The Charlotte Emergency Medical Services team was staged at Olivet High School, and was instructed to “respond to the wounded” after the building was cleared. The final scenario of the day involved a “barricaded hostage situation” on the third floor of Mott, which allowed SWAT team hostage negotiators to practice their training. Olivet Campus Safety officers were stationed outside the building to prevent intrusion on the very life-like scenarios. In addition to fostering the college’s professional relationship with area emergency services, the training provided Olivet employees an opportunity to review critical information in the college’s Emergency Action Plan.

Faculty and Staff News and Notes Maria Davis, Ph.D., was promoted to provost and dean of the college in January. She previously served as vice president and dean for academic affairs, as well as Natural and Physical Sciences Department chair and professor of biology. Her new responsibilities include bringing student life, student administrative services, student retention and admissions within the purview of provost. Maria Davis, Ph.D.

Bill Kurtz was promoted to senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) in January. He was named vice president and CFO of Olivet in November 2008, and served as acting president while the college conducted a national search for a chief executive in 2010.

Pam Frayer, former development information specialist at Olivet, received the Esther Schweikert Masters Entrepreneurial Endowment Award in January. Established by Geoff Masters ’62 in honor of his late Bill Kurtz mother, the award is presented annually to an individual in the Olivet College community who has exemplified the entrepreneurial spirit. Frayer, who received a $1,000 prize as part of the award, successfully guided the college’s Phon-a-Thon program to an in-house process. In February, Olivet’s Office of College Relations and Office of Enrollment Management were recognized by the Sixth District of the American Advertising Federation for the college’s 2010 Viewbook. The publication, which is used by the admissions team to recruit prospective students to Olivet, received a Merit ADDY Award from the district in the college/university collateral materials category. Bruce Snyder, director of publications and web services, designed the book, while Molly (Reed) Goaley ’05, director of media relations and senior writer, provided the written content. Karen Chaney, Ph.D., and Ronda Miller have been named associate deans for academic affairs at Olivet. In addition to her new role, Chaney serves as assistant professor of religious studies and ethics and director of the Liberal Arts Core (LAC) program. She will continue to teach and direct the LAC while providing leadership in curriculum and faculty development to the college. Miller currently serves as director of Karen Chaney, Ph.D. Ronda Miller the Gruen and Speare Student Resource Center in addition to her new responsibilities. She will continue to provide leadership in this area while acting on student retention and academic performance issues.

In April, Olivet’s Office of College Relations was honored with three PACE Awards from the Central Michigan Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Bruce Snyder, director of publications and web services; Molly (Reed) Goaley ’05, director of media relations and senior writer; and members of the admissions staff received a Pinnacle Award, the society’s top honor, for the college’s 2010 Viewbook. Goaley also received a Pinnacle Award for her feature story on outgoing president Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D., which was featured in the spring 2010 issue of Shipherd’s Record. Snyder and Goaley, as well as Geoff Henson, sports information director; Marty (Mason) Jennings ’67, director of alumni relations; and Shannon Tiernan, director of foundation relations and special events, also received Achievement Awards for Shipherd’s Record. In August, members of the academic affairs staff spent the day volunteering at the Eaton Clothing and Furniture Center’s annual “Back to School” event. The program assists low-income families with children in pre-school to high school in receiving personal items, school supplies, a backpack and new shoes. The volunteers included Maria Davis, Ph.D., provost and dean; Nicole Baker, assistant dean for academic records; Lori Britton, certification officer and administrative assistant to the Education Department; Diane Kirkham, administrative assistant to the provost and dean; Dianne Thomas, director of the Betsy Dole Women’s Resource Center; and Norma Curtis, Education Department chair and professor of education.

Tai Apisa ’95

Kurtis McMahan

Lisa Lehman ’02

William “Tai” Apisa ’95 and Kurtis McMahan have been named admissions representatives at Olivet College. In addition, Lisa Lehman ’02 has been promoted to associate director of admissions. Lehman has served as an admissions representative at the college for seven years. She is responsible for recruiting prospective students from west Michigan, as well as organizing the college’s biannual campus visit events. Her new responsibilities include providing leadership to the admissions staff. Apisa will be recruiting from Hillsdale, Jackson, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties. His previous experience includes teaching and coaching at schools in Hawaii and Michigan. Apisa earned a master’s degree in education from Chaminade University of Honolulu in 2005. McMahan will be recruiting from Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, Montcalm and Shiawassee counties. He will also be assisting out-of-state students with the admissions process. McMahan previously served as an admissions counselor for Albion College, from which he earned a bachelor’s degree in 2008.

SPRING

2011

Olivet College’s Criminal Justice Program Thrives Expert faculty, hands-on learning and professional experience are key to program’s success

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Every semester, Phil Reed’s “CJ110: Intro to Criminal Justice” class fills to capacity. But Reed, director of the Criminal Justice Program and assistant professor of criminal justice, has an unconventional way of weeding out the students who are not truly cut out for police work. After introductions are made and the syllabus is handed out, he delves into a slideshow of crime scenes from his 25 years on the force with the Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD). Before he begins, he delivers a disclaimer that anyone who is disturbed by the content is free to leave at any time. And as he clicks through slide after slide of some of the most gruesome encounters he has ever experienced – car accidents, homicides, drug overdoses – the students who were never fully committed to studying law enforcement file quietly out of the room. When the slideshow is complete, Reed tells his remaining students that, however disturbing and uncomfortable, if one truly wishes to pursue a career in police work, one must get used to seeing these types of situations every day. “If you’re going into this line of work, you have to get used to being called in at three in the morning to deal with these types of crime scenes,” he says. “Ultimately, you have to be the voice for the victim.” Though at times gruesome, difficult and even painful to recount, Reed believes it is that element of professional experience he and his fellow faculty members bring to Olivet that makes their program so successful. Even after that first day of CJ110 is over with, the college’s 149 criminal justice majors account for 13 percent of the entire student body, making it the largest

academic program at Olivet. Eight years ago, that wasn’t quite the case. When Reed arrived at the college in 2003 after retiring from the BCPD, the program was struggling. “The college was looking for a campus safety director who could also teach classes, and I fit the bill,” he said. “When I came to Olivet there were only about 38 students in the program. I taught two classes, an intro class and ethics in criminal justice, as well as being the Campus Safety director.” About six months after his arrival, Reed was approached by former president Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D., and Norma Curtis, who was serving as vice president and dean for academic affairs, about taking over the program. “I thought it over, and by 2004 I became director of criminal justice,” Reed said. Students appreciated the new director’s firsthand experience in the field, as well as expanding class options. Reed brought in colleagues from the BCPD to teach new courses, such as crime scene investigation. By the end of his first semester at the helm, enrollment in the program had doubled. “A lot of students were interested in the program, and I knew I was going to need some help,” he said. “I got permission to bring in another full-time faculty member, and I wanted someone who specifically had experience in corrections and probation/ parole, because that wasn’t my expertise.” Reed and Don Walker, Ph.D., who served as Social Science Department chair at the time, reviewed about 30 applications before coming across Regina Armstrong’s resume. “When we interviewed Regina, she clearly stood out as the candidate with the most experience and the most to offer to the Criminal Justice Program,” Reed said. “And after we hired her in 2005, the program nearly doubled in size again.” continued next page

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With Armstrong on board, the faculty members were able to divide the Criminal Justice Program into two tracks – one for those who wanted to major in corrections, and one for those who wished to major in law enforcement. “A lot of students take both tracks at the same time to get a well rounded background in criminal justice,” Reed said. “It is also mandatory that students do internships. We use our professional contacts to help students get internships in probation and parole offices, police departments, various departments of city or county government, law offices, or working with juveniles. The professional experience a student receives is one of the most important aspects of the Criminal Justice Program.” Reed and Armstrong, who now serves as Social Science Department chair and assistant professor of criminal justice, also began working with faculty members from other departments on campus to create interdisciplinary courses in criminal justice. “One of the reasons the program is so successful is because we offer specialty classes with hands-on learning,” Armstrong said. In 2007, they teamed with Susanne Lewis, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, to develop a minor in forensic science. Two years ago, Armstrong worked with Clair Stevens ’80, J.D., associate professor of insurance and risk management, and Carol Breed ’98, J.D., director of the Risk Management and Insurance Center, to develop an insurance claims investigation minor – the only program of its kind in the state of Michigan. “Phil and I were talking about the insurance claims classes and how it would be great to start a program that covered the courses needed to investigate fraud,”

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Armstrong said. “He told me that he knew retired police officers who were hired by insurance companies for that very purpose.” Reed added that academic programs such as the forensic science and insurance claims investigation minors not only benefit the college’s undergraduate students, they provide an avenue for retired officers or other law enforcement professionals to explore alternate career paths. Another way the Criminal Justice Program appeals to professionals is through Armstrong’s Corrections Academy, a 160-hour program mandated by the Michigan Sheriff ’s Training Council for all correction officers working at the county level. Implemented in 2009, the college hosted its fifth academy in May (see page 13 for more information on the academy). With the Criminal Justice Program expanding to accommodate undergraduate students and professionals alike, Reed and Armstrong expressed a need for another full-time faculty member in 2010. “When it came down to advising students, we had to get help from faculty members outside criminal justice,” Reed said. “They offered good advice and were very helpful, but it was not a long-term solution.” Mike Sherzer, a retired lieutenant from the BCPD and former colleague of Reed’s, was hired as a full-time assistant professor of criminal justice at the beginning of the fall semester. Having taught as an adjunct instructor at Olivet in the 1990s, Reed and Armstrong considered him an ideal candidate in terms of both field and teaching experience.

“Mike has worked in a lot of divisions at the BCPD – he’s worked undercover and with a lot of federal agents,” Reed said. “It’s also nice to have his professional contacts when setting up internships.” With Sherzer on the faculty, the Criminal Justice Program has been able to expand its class offerings even further. Having completed the FBI National Academy, Sherzer is currently teaching courses in homeland security and police administration. He and Reed have also initiated the process of bringing a Law Enforcement Academy to campus, a hopeful addition to the Corrections Academy offered by Armstrong. “Ideally, we’d like to offer a Law Enforcement Academy so our students can get certified in-house instead of having to go off campus,” Reed said. “It’s an uphill battle getting the ‘OK’ from the respective governing bodies, but with my expertise and Mike’s expertise, I think we can do it.” In the meantime, the Criminal Justice Program is constantly expanding and adapting to suit the needs of students going out into the workforce. In addition

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to the academies, the faculty would eventually like to see the college offer a master’s degree program in criminal justice, as well as more classes in homeland security, police administration and cold cases. “There are so many avenues to go into with criminal justice,” Reed said. “We like to go with the flow and expand accordingly as things change. In addition

to Regina, Mike and myself, we have more adjunct instructors offering specialty classes now – Jim Armstrong offers his expertise in corrections, Martin Brown teaches crime scene investigations and Paul Davison teaches a new class on medical death investigations.” Armstrong also credits much of the program’s success to its dedicated faculty members. “We have an open-door policy and we make our students feel accepted,” she said. “I think a lot of students major in criminal justice because it’s such a handson field, and because of the instructors we have,” Reed added. “I’m so thankful to be working with partners like Regina, Mike

and our adjunct instructors because they add so much to the program.” Despite the unpleasant side of working in the criminal justice field, these faculty members are obviously doing something right. Even after students graduate, many of them return to visit with their former professors and offer advice to current students. “I love when graduates of our program return to campus to speak at seminar because it keeps that cycle of professional contacts going,” Reed said. “They talk to students about their careers and what they learned at Olivet. They can relate because they were sitting in the same spot a few years ago.”

Mock crime scene investigation

From left: Phil Reed, Criminal Justice Program director and assistant professor of criminal justice; Mike Sherzer, assistant professor of criminal justice; and Regina Armstrong, social science department chair and assistant professor of criminal justice. SPRING

2011

BY JACKIE BOUNDS

Each of the courses taught by Phil Reed, Criminal Justice Program director and assistant professor of criminal justice, center around his real life experience with 25 years in the Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD). A graduate of Hope College and the Kalamazoo Valley Regional Police Academy, Reed earned a master’s degree in public administration from Western Michigan University. He retired as commander of investigations at the BCPD in 2003, where he was in charge of the detective bureau, crime lab,

undercover narcotics and the cold case homicide team. Using that knowledge, Reed prepares his students for what they are going to see, feel and hear on the job. It’s the sense of adventure and authenticity that makes his courses popular among students. Blood, corpses, discarded weapons and yellow crime scene tape are just a few of the images that greet students during his criminal justice introductory class. “The details and photos are meant for teaching, not for shock,” Reed said. “I want

students to know what they are getting into. This class is often a student’s first look at death investigations and it can be squeamish. “The intro class is actually one of my favorites to teach because that’s where I meet the freshmen and sophomores who don’t know much about criminal justice,” he added. “The class ties together police, the courts system, corrections and the whole justice system.” Reed also teaches a class in ethics, where he presents lifelike scenarios. Above: Phil Reed, Criminal Justice Program director and assistant professor of criminal justice.

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“Students learn how they would react in certain situations and how to be ethical when no one’s looking,” he said. “Students have told me they value my approach to hands-on job training. “Another popular course is defensive tactics,” he continued. “I team-teach about pressure points, handcuffs, ground assault and ground escape. A portion of this physical course is also taught to resident hall directors and campus safety staff as strictly defensive tactics.” The way Reed maneuvered into his current position is a story within itself. In 2003, Reed was recently retired when he saw a job posting for the director of campus safety at Olivet College. He liked the idea of working at a beautiful college campus and thought it would keep him busy after retiring. The college staff thought he was overqualified, so they never responded to his application. Reed later followed up with his application and convinced the staff to give him an interview. When he was hired in July, he agreed to teach two criminal justice classes. While learning the rules and regulations of campus security, Reed also learned how to write a syllabus. This is when two decades of real life experiences, filled with his personal stories, became the focus of his classroom material. He admits he never taught a class before coming to Olivet. “Police officer training in-service doesn’t really count,” he said. Reed is now serving as director of the program and teaching three classes per semester. His fellow faculty members include two full-time assistant professors of criminal justice, Regina Armstrong and Mike Sherzer, and three adjunct instructors. “We offer two tracks in the program, one for law enforcement and one for corrections,” Reed said. “Olivet has also

initiated two special criminal justice minors. We are one of few private colleges in the nation that offer a forensic science minor. We partnered with the chemistry program to utilize laboratory facilities to further explore criminal investigations. The other partnership is with the insurance program to offer an insurance claims investigation minor.” Reed is thankful for the foundational work and great vision of his Olivet colleagues, Linda Logan, Ph.D., vice president and dean for student life, and former president Don Tuski ’85, Ph.D. “They had the foresight to create Olivet’s Criminal Justice Program back in 1994,” Reed said. “Sometimes there were only three people in a class, yet they continued to offer the program.” A quick background check on enrollment numbers finds the criminal justice program at an all time high. When Reed taught his first course in 2003, there were 38 students in the Criminal Justice Program. This year, 149 students are enrolled. “What’s exciting for me is how the program has grown with leaps and bounds,” Reed said. “I love my students. I know professors say that, but I really mean it. I love my job. I get to work with smart people every day. It wasn’t like that for me at the police department where I spent my time interviewing criminals.” Reed feels he had a great career in the police department, but he also experienced a lot of heartache. “I’ve seen a lot of death in my line of work, but I’m blessed with a great support system in my wife, Teresa, and my

four children and four grandchildren,” he said. “Some officers don’t have strong support so they turn to other avenues; I am truly blessed with my family. “I remind students that criminal justice is hard work, but I do enjoy it,” Reed added. “Things are tough in Michigan, but jobs are out there. I tell students they need to submit 30 resumes because it’s all in the timing of the jobs. For example, Battle Creek Police Department could be hiring seven officers, but Grand Rapids may have just laid off 22 positions. Timing is everything. “I am extremely proud of our alumni,” Reed added. “We have graduates working in corrections, border patrol, child protective services, probation, parole and law enforcement. We have students going on to military careers, graduate school and law school.” Two of his former students are police officers in Mackinac City and St. Ignace. “I tell people Olivet alumni have the bridge covered,” he said. “Another alumnus recently called to say how grateful he was for his experiences at Olivet. He’s applying that knowledge in his coast guard career based in Marblehead, Ohio. “Working at Olivet has been like a whole new career for me,” he said. “I love my students and enjoy being here. I’ve been humbled to speak at Baccalaureate twice; and that’s a great honor, because it means students voted for me to address them. I feel like they do listen and care about what I have to say.”

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BY PAM RUTYNA

When Regina Armstrong, Social Science Department chair and assistant professor of criminal justice, first began her career in criminal justice, she had no idea that she would eventually combine her passion for that line of work with her passion for education. She also didn’t realize just how similar those two careers would be. When she first graduated from Ferris State University with a degree in criminal justice, she began working with the Lake County Sheriff ’s Department. “I worked in every area there,” she said. “From dispatch to police work to working in the jail.” After only three months on the job, Baker College asked her supervisor if there was anyone available who had a

degree that could teach corrections for them. Since she had a degree, she interviewed over the phone, and got the job. “I never expected to teach,” she said. “It just kind of fell in my lap.” For the next 11 years, Armstrong was an adjunct professor for Baker College, teaching classes at a local high school in addition to her full-time job. However, after only three years with the Sheriff ’s Department, she took a position with the corrections system. At first, she taught at the academy, but then transferred to a maximum-security correctional facility. “I loved and enjoyed working in the prison,” she said. “There’s action all the time and there seems to be something new happening every day. I’m the type

of person who loves de-escalating situations, so this position was perfect for me. I truly enjoyed going to work every day.” Armstrong also worked in a prison for juveniles, ages 14 to 19, who were tried as adults for crimes such as homicide. She began as a lieutenant; was then promoted to captain; then chief of security; and finally was promoted to deputy warden. “I loved working there,” she said. “But I found it to be a sad situation at times. When they turned 20, they would leave to go to a facility for adults. They had missed out on their life and all the opportunities they could have had and I thought it was sad. As a deputy warden, I was on call 24 hours a day and it interfered with my life. I decided I needed a change, which is why Above: Regina Armstrong, Social Science Department chair and and assistant professor of criminal justice, and senior Brad Baker.

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Preparing Officers Properly I applied for a teaching position.” While Armstrong continued to work in the corrections field, she began pursuing a master’s degree in education from Ferris State University. After taking classes here and there for a few years, she graduated in 2005; perfect timing for the next step in her career. When Armstrong’s husband, who was also in the corrections workforce, transferred to Lansing she followed and applied for an assistant professor position with Olivet. What surprised her were the similarities between working with juveniles at the corrections facility and working with normal college students. “The kids at the prison acted just like average teens,” she said. “So I could see a lot of similarities when I began teaching at Olivet. All these kids, whether they are in trouble or not, are very impressionable, and they need a good role model in life.” Armstrong has really enjoyed her time at Olivet the past five years. She teaches criminal law, criminology/ victimology, defensive tactics, probation/ parole, and client relations classes, to name a few. And while she really enjoys her summers off, which is much different than being on call 24 hours, she mostly loves working with her students. “This job truly fulfills me,” she said. “I miss my work in corrections, but I really love working here with the students and helping them. I love seeing them light up.” Armstrong is currently working on her doctorate in public safety/criminal justice and will graduate in two years from Capella University. She hopes to use her doctorate to help bring a master’s program to Olivet in the future. In the meantime, she continues to lead her students down the right path toward their educational goals and finds fulfillment in her role. “I’ve had a great career in the corrections workforce,” she said. “But now, as I get older, I get to pass the torch, so to speak, to my students. I’m very blessed to have this opportunity.”

Olivet College’s Corrections Academy is a 160-hour program mandated by the Michigan Sheriff ’s Training Council (MSTC) for all correction officers working at the county level. Olivet College students are welcome to participate as well. Coordinated by Regina Armstrong, Social Science Department chair and assistant professor of criminal justice, the college hosted its first-ever Corrections Academy in March 2009. This past May, 13 students/officers completed the fifth program of its kind on campus. Individuals can participate in the academy before being hired or within 12 months of hire. Topics covered during the program include: defensive tactics, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator training, first aid, workplace harassment, custody and security, booking and intake, and more. The college currently has partnerships with the Barry, Calhoun, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee and Monroe County sheriff departments for participation in the academy, which costs $800 to attend. According to Armstrong, in-service training through Regina Armstrong Blackboard is also offered as a way for sheriff departments to complete the required 20 hours of yearly training without taking officers away from their jobs. As the academy’s administrator, Armstrong is responsible for: · scheduling the dates of the program each year · handling registration of officers · coordinating invoices and receipts · processing and depositing payments to ensure a profit is made for the college · scheduling rooms and ensuring supplies are available · making sure MSTC requirements are met · hiring instructors and developing contracts · filing all paperwork according to MSTC guidelines · supplying test scores, instructor certificates, and times and dates of each academy to MSTC within seven days of completion For more information on Olivet’s Correction Academy, contact Armstrong at (269) 749-7710.

Officers from Calhoun County participated in the May Corrections Academy.

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From Policeman to Professor

BY LINDA JO SCOTT

If there is one college teaching discipline where practical experience is really essential, it is criminal justice. And Olivet College is very fortunate to have a new professor in this area who is certainly qualified in terms of experience. Yes, Mike Sherzer, who was named assistant professor of criminal justice in August, not only has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Northern Michigan University, a master’s degree in public administration from Western Michigan University and a certificate from the FBI National Academy, but he served with the Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD) for 25 years. During those years he worked in just about every area of law enforcement – as an undercover agent, cold case homicide detective, patrolman and administrator.

He also co-chaired the fallen officers’ memorial at the BCPD, helping to raise more than $375,000 to honor the six Battle Creek officers who had died in the line of duty since 1900. Though Sherzer is new as a full-time professor, he actually began teaching parttime at Olivet back in 1998. At that point he had only three students in his first class, but the criminal justice program has grown tremendously, and he now has up to 35 students in a class. Like anyone successful in the police business, Sherzer is an extremely practical man. He urges students to get minors or even second majors in business or other fields, stressing that these days police officers need to be well read, logical, able to understand cultural differences, and perhaps most important of all, able to communicate. At age 50, it can be difficult to change careers, and Sherzer admits he is having to work hard to prepare his classes, get to know about 100 students and advise 40 criminal justice majors. “It’s a learning curve,” he says, “but I’m enjoying it.” One particularly interesting new course Sherzer has developed is Homeland Security, which explores terrorism, both globally and domestically. “Our students will enter an environment in law enforcement much different than what I walked into 25 years ago,” he commented. “At Olivet College we want to ensure our graduates are as current as possible in the issues facing law enforcement in the United States.” In addition, Sherzer is in the process of developing courses in Police Operations and Police Administration in order to expand the offerings of the criminal justice program, and to meet a growing demand that students will face when they enter the law enforcement profession. Criminal Justice Program director, Phil Reed, who worked with Sherzer for 18 years at the BCPD, feels positive about his new colleague. “He has a good vision of which direction the criminal justice profession will take in the next 10 to 20 years,” Reed said. “He is also highly viewed by his former colleagues as having a lot of integrity, which is an important part of teaching in the criminal justice field.” Mike Sherzer, assistant professor of criminal justice, and senior Hanannah Horn.

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New Criminal Justice Center Houses Expanding Program BY MOLLY (REED) GOALEY ’05 AND SHANNON TIERNAN Olivet College’s Criminal Justice Program now has a building on campus to call its own. Thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation, the college was able to renovate its former art building and utilize the facility as its Criminal Justice Center. With an updated floor plan that includes new electrical wiring, furniture, flooring, technology and a new furnace, the facility is virtually unrecognizable from just a year ago. The building now includes four faculty offices, storage space, three large classrooms, and an area reserved for defensive tactics training and crime scene investigation exercises. The center also houses the college’s Information Technology Services office, freeing up some much needed classroom space in Mott Academic Center.

Fully operational since March, the Criminal Justice Center provides a home base for the 149 students who have declared criminal justice as their major. “When the program first started to expand, we were a little disconnected,” said Phil Reed, director of the Criminal Justice Program and assistant professor of criminal justice. “Faculty and students were in various offices and buildings across campus. Now that we are together in one very nice building there is a sense of cohesiveness. We are able to communicate and work with one another on a consistent basis.” Uses for the facility are endless – to start, criminal justice faculty members plan to expand the correctional officer academies and in-service training opportunities currently offered. The additional space the building provides allows facilitators to run training during the academic year, not just during extended breaks over the summer.

With the goal of bringing at least three new academies to campus over the next few years, the program could potentially bring in enough revenue to cover a number of its annual expenses – including building maintenance and technology upgrades. Priorities include a police academy and firefighters’ academy, which would enable students to remain at Olivet to complete all requirements for law enforcement officer certification in the state of Michigan. As with the other academies, all law enforcement professionals would be welcome to enroll in these, as well. But most importantly, the newly renovated Criminal Justice Center will make this already successful program even more marketable with potential students. Criminal justice faculty members continue to notice increasing interest in their program, with enrollment nearly tripling since 2004. They are confident that the new building will only help to continue this trend.

Adjunct Instructors Add New Elements to Criminal Justice Program Olivet’s Criminal Justice Program prides itself on offering specialty classes taught by experts with years of professional experience. Profiled below are the program’s adjunct instructors, who continuously add new elements to the criminal justice curriculum. JAMES ARMSTRONG Hometown: Saginaw Currently teaches: Corrections, Punishment and Crime; Juvenile Delinquency; Criminal Justice Internships; and Self and Community I Has taught at Olivet: For three years James Armstrong Occupation outside of teaching: Armstrong retired as administrator for the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) Other professional experience: He has previously taught criminal justice courses at Baker College, Davenport University and Ferris State University What he enjoys most about teaching: “It is fun to be in a position to pass on some of the knowledge I have gained over 35 years in the corrections business. The students are a much easier clientele to work with than in my MDOC career!”

Why he believes Olivet’s Criminal Justice Program is successful: “I think Olivet has some very good criminal justice faculty members. Also, the scope of classes and areas of concentration have been broadened. This gives the students more interesting (and also practical) class choices.” MARTIN BROWN Hometown: Southfield Currently teaches: Crime Scene Investigation Has taught at Olivet: For six years Occupation outside of teaching: Sergeant with the Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD) Martin Brown Other professional experience: 18 years with the BCPD and 7½ years as a U.S. Army Military Police Officer What he enjoys most about teaching: “Sharing knowledge and experience, and getting to teach. amazing students with real police work stories.” Why he believes Olivet’s Criminal Justice Program is successful: “Strong leadership at the top.”

PAUL DAVISON Hometown: Grand Rapids Currently teaches: Experimental course in Medicolegal Death Investigation Has taught at Olivet: Since the beginning of the spring 2011 semester Occupation outside of Paul Davison teaching: Medical Examiner Investigator with Kent County Other professional experience: “I was part of a group of medical examiners/coroner investigators from around the country that put together a ‘Guide to Medicolegal Death Investigations’ through the National Institute of Justice. I’m also one of the first board-certified death investigators in the country.” What he enjoys most about teaching: “Being able to share the knowledge that I have gained over the years with new potential death investigators.” Why he believes Olivet’s Criminal Justice Program is successful: “I think it is the instructors who bring a passion for their expertise and want to pass it on to the next generation of criminal justice students.”

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Olivet Prepares Officer for Responsibility in the Field BY MOLLY (REED) GOALEY ’05

A former resident adviser, basketball player and member of Mu Omega Pi, Golfin said that Olivet prepared him to work in his current environment in many ways. He referred to the college’s vision of Education for Individual and Social Responsibility, McKinsey Golfin ’05 noting that when he is in the field he is responsible for the safety of In 2003, Shipherd’s Record featured his fellow officers, as well as his own. a student profile on McKinsey Golfin, a “One special challenge that comes junior from Flint who said that one of his with this job is knowing that you are mother’s major goals for him was to at least working with 100 percent-convicted felons, finish high school. Eight years, one and one slip up could cost you or your bachelor’s degree and a career later, both partners great injury or death,” he said. Golfin and his mother have a lot to be “That’s why it is good to be mentally and proud of. physically ready at all times. Also, within The 2005 graduate earned a degree the department we work with a lot of in criminal justice and began his career as people from different backgrounds and an officer at Macomb Correctional Facility ethnicities. I’m grateful to be well and Emergency Response Team member acquainted with these areas due to for the state of Michigan. His current Olivet’s diversity.” responsibilities range from prisoner intake Golfin added that he was especially and responding to disturbances at the appreciative of Olivet’s personal approach correctional facility, to being on hand in to learning. “My professors were able to case of prison escapes, riots, Amber Alerts, get to know me and vice versa,” he said. missing people, and other emergencies “Learning the material wasn’t complicated within the state. “Some days are quiet and because I was able to get a more hands-on nothing is going on but normal activity,” approach from faculty and staff – Linda Golfin said. “Other days are pure chaos. Logan, Cynthia Noyes and Antoinette You’ll find yourself responding to fights, Gray, to name a few. Then toward the writing critical incident reports and end of my degree, Phil Reed was brought providing emergency medical services in to campus and I was amazed by his and out of the facility. Those are your long experience and knowledge of the field.” days.”

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Golfin was impressed with the direction the Criminal Justice Program was taking – so much so that he didn’t want to leave Olivet. “After meeting with Phil on a regular basis, I knew that he had great plans for the program and I was upset that I was graduating,” he said. “I know they have crime scene investigation and defensive tactics courses at Olivet now, which will equip graduates with valuable knowledge before going to work in the field.” Golfin believes future graduates of the Criminal Justice Program will rely on that experience heavily when they begin to look for jobs. In fact, he has come back to campus to offer advice to students during seminar. “I tell them to stay focused on their goal, which should be to graduate,” he said. “But while at it, they should pick the brains of their professors and learn from them. They should go out into their internships and learn as much as they can, because nowadays if you don’t have experience it’s going to be tough.” Though Golfin has accomplished much in his young professional life, he still believes in setting goals for himself. “I believe it’s important to set short-term and long-term goals to prevent you from getting complacent or burned out,” he said. “My short term goal is to move into some supervisory work, whether inside the prison or as a sergeant or unit supervisor, or as a transfer into probation/parole. Long-term, I might be looking to transfer to the federal department, or even go back to school to study law or teach. I like to make sure I have options available.”

Helping Tomorrow’s Youth

Growing up, Karrie McCrary ’07 continously saw people close to her get into trouble with the law. Originally from Detroit, McCrary was tired of watching loved ones go down the wrong path in life. Even as a high school student, she knew that someday, she wanted to help. “I’ve always had a passion for youth in the juvenile system,” she said. Which is

Karrie McCrary ’07

why she majored in criminal justice and minored in psychology and is well on her way to helping those she is so passionate about. McCrary attended Olivet College because of its smaller size. “I didn’t want to go to the larger colleges, because you’re just a number there,” she said. “I wanted a personal relationship with my professors

BY PAM RUTYNA

and I wanted them to know me. You don’t get that at a bigger college.” While at Olivet, McCrary enjoyed what the Criminal Justice Program had to offer. She was mostly impressed with the hands-on techniques and learning experiences she saw. She said that Phil Reed, Criminal Justice Program director and assistant professor of criminal justice, and Regina Armstrong, Social Sciences Department chair and assistant professor of criminal justice, brought an element of real world experience to every class. “They showed us what criminal justice is like and fully immersed us in it. We took field trips to crime labs, jails, courthouses, you name it, to get an idea of what to expect when we graduated.” The experience she gained at Olivet helped her with not only her internship with Washtenaw County, but in her current role at the Juvenile Assessment Center in Wayne County. “I work in the Substance Abuse Unit, where we provide drug screens on adjudicated and non-adjudicated youth,” she said. “If they self-report the drug use or if they test positive, we will help them get the help they need. “After all my experience with those close to me growing up and what I learned at Olivet, I knew what to expect when I took this job,” she continued. McCrary would like to continue to work in the juvenile system, and recently graduated with a master’s degree in social

work from Wayne State University. She hopes to one day open her own substance abuse center for teenage girls who have been in trouble with the law. “I want to help those teenage girls who have substance abuse problems,” she said. “And if they have children, I want them to be able to bring their children with them to the center. “In Wayne County, we don’t have something like that,” she continued. “There are not a lot of programs or centers in the Detroit area like this. Most of the time, if a teenage girl has a drug problem and has children, she’s usually separated from her kids and can’t be with them.”

“After all my experience with those close to me growing up and what I learned at Olivet, I knew what to expect when I took this job.” - Karrie McCrary ’07 She plans on starting this center with her mother, who is currently earning her bachelor’s degree. McCrary knows she has a long road ahead of her, and knows that it will take a tremendous amount of funding, but she’s up to the challenge. McCrary would also like to take her passion to help youth a step further. While she’s still undecided, she may also return to school to earn her law degree from Cooley Law School. “I’ve sat there with these juveniles in court and I see what they go through,” she said. “I want to help be a voice for them.” McCrary had a dream years ago that she wanted to help those juveniles who couldn’t help themselves. Since then, she has made the necessary steps to make those dreams come true so that the youth of tomorrow will have someone in their corner.

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On the Fast Track BY PAM RUTYNA

Most students, on average, graduate from college in four years. But Melisa (Moore) Rice ’05 decided that four years was too long. So this ambitious spirit worked hard and graduated in three and a half years. In that short time, Rice attended two colleges and had two majors. She originally began at Ferris State University and majored in chemistry. But after taking a Myers-Briggs test during her freshman year, she decided to switch to criminal justice. Her sophomore year brought this Battle Creek native to Olivet College so she could be closer to home. There she enrolled in the criminal justice program. “After taking the test, I decided I was more of a people person,” she said. “The Criminal Justice Program was still fairly new at Olivet, but I liked it because I could connect with people here.” What helped most, she said, was during her junior year, Phil Reed, one of her professors, encouraged her to take an internship at the Calhoun County Circuit Court probation office. “Back when Melisa was attending Olivet there was no requirement for a student to do an internship in criminal justice,” said Reed, Criminal Justice Program director and assistant professor of criminal justice. “I always encouraged students to do internships so they could get a first-hand look as to what they were getting into. Her supervisor at the probation office told me that she was one of the best interns they ever had.” Rice was grateful that Reed encouraged her to take the internship. “This internship helped me immensely,” she said. “I met a lot of Department of Corrections employees there and was able to use my references in that internship to get my first job as a corrections officer with the Van Buren County Sheriff ’s Department.” However, not only did her references from her internship help her get the job, her previous experience with the probation

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office and her time spent at Olivet helped her prepare for her career. “When I started at the sheriff ’s department in Van Buren County, I needed that fundamental knowledge of how it worked,” she said. “I believe I had solid knowledge of what was going on because of my internship. Beyond that, my time at Olivet taught me so much more than just what was in the textbook. Phil Reed brought us to the frontline of criminal justice. “He was very hands-on and brought in deputies to talk with us about the various jobs, we toured jails, etc.,” she continued. “I believe it helped me tremendously to have someone like Phil in my corner.” Rice moved up quickly through the ranks in her career. After six short months at the Van Buren County Sheriff ’s Department, she was hired by the Michigan Department of Corrections and worked at the Gus Harrison Prison in Adrian as a corrections officer. Before getting started, however, she went through the mandatory corrections training program that provided six weeks of classroom work and six weeks of on-the-job training. “When you graduate from the training, you apply to be in probation and parole,” she said. “At the time, you don’t know which one you’ll end up getting. My first job after spending a few months at Gus Harrison Prison was with the Kalamazoo County Probation Office as a drug court agent.” For more than a year, Rice worked with nonviolent offenders in a diversion program for people with persistent drug problems. Then, in the summer of 2008, she was promoted to Calhoun County Parole Officer in Battle Creek. She first began with a generalized caseload. However, the state started

assigning more specific cases to a few select agents, including Rice. She was assigned the gender specific caseload and handled all female cases. “I started with collaborative case management (CCM), which required skills and tools that agents use to work with parolees in order to be successful,” she said. Rice was a standout in this new role

Melisa (Moore) Rice ’05

and was soon recognized for the programs that she began with her parolees, including partnering with nonprofit women’s groups and bringing motivational speakers in to talk to the needs of her female parolees. She was soon asked to train other agents who were moving from generalized to specific caseloads. She helped revamp the CCM into a women’s version, now called CCM-W, which made it unique to women’s special needs. “In 2009, I went

Securing our Borders

across the state training agents CCM and CCM-W,” she said. Less than a year later, Rice moved to yet another area of the Michigan Department of Corrections and is now a department analyst with the Offender Reentry Services Section in Lansing. She serves as a community liaison with the contract manager for the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative (MPRI). “We want to create a seamless transition from the time the offender is convicted, to the time he or she is in prison, to the time he or she is paroled,” she said. “The program provides money for community programming, which might assist a parolee with finding shelter, employment readiness, social support, health and behavioral health and domestic violence help. We want to give them the resources to be successful. “There are 18 MPRI sites across Michigan and I’m responsible for nine of those sites,” continued Rice. “I watch the funding for those sites and monitor the quality of the programs provided.” In the past six years, although Rice has moved up through the ranks in the Michigan Department of Corrections fairly quickly, she doesn’t plan on sitting by and getting comfortable. She continues to move ahead and in the summer of 2012, she will earn her master’s in public administration from Western Michigan University. Of course there will be opportunities for her to continue to move ahead with her current employer, but Rice has her sights set on a different vision: to eventually run her own nonprofit agency. “I want to create a housing nonprofit agency for low-income women with children,” she said. “Through my experience, I know there is such a need for available housing across Michigan. I want to help provide safe, affordable housing that leads to home ownership.” With her ambitious nature, Rice should accomplish that in record time.

BY JACKIE BOUNDS

Joe Callies ’08 loves the adrenaline rush while working the night shift along the Arizona border to Mexico. “My primary goal is to apprehend people who come to the United States illegally,” said Callies, who is a U.S. Border Patrol Agent near Tucson, Ariz. “I watch and listen and patrol an assigned area in the desert or mountainous terrain,” he said. “Sometimes I work alone, other times with a partner. In the bad areas, we have multiple officers.” Callies physically takes illegal immigrants into custody, collects their personal information in a field report and puts them on a bus to Tucson where they are further processed and deported. He said Border Patrol works together with other agencies including local police and sheriff departments and highway patrol. “We are fighting an uphill battle,” he said. “The vast majority of people are repeat offenders, they just keep getting deported.” Callies served in the Army National Guard while he was a student at Olivet. He spent one year in Iraq before finishing his criminal justice degree. Between his junior and senior years, he completed an internship with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Callies said it was a good opportunity for him to gain career experience. He actually applied for jobs with the ATF and U.S. Border Patrol and received acceptance from both on the same day. “Even though I knew it was less pay, I chose border patrol because I thought it would be more fun,” Callies said. He and his wife moved from Denver to Arizona two years ago and they are still adjusting to the cultural differences.

“My wife is a teacher,” he said. “She only had four Spanish speaking students in five years of teaching. In Tucson, Spanish seems to be the primary language.” Callies said he knows just enough Spanish to do his job on the border. Callies had five months of training at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, N.M., where he learned antiterrorism training, border patrol operations, ethics and conducts, fingerprinting, firearms, immigration and nationality law, and Spanish, and also endured some physical training. He revealed that a typical 10 to 12 hour shift for him involves the detection, prevention and apprehension of terrorists or undocumented immigrants. Callies watches for footprints, follows tracks, monitors ground sensors, and makes observations about the area he is patrolling. “I prefer the night shift because there is more activity along the border,” he admitted. “Undocumented immigrants are on the move at dark.” Callies appreciates the real world approach to law enforcement that he learned from Phil Reed, director of the criminal justice program and assistant professor of criminal justice at Olivet. “Mr. Reed is a straight shooter,” Callies said. “He taught us how to be pragmatic about approaching a situation. We discussed how scenarios are supposed to go, but it doesn’t always work that way. He prepared us for what the criminal justice textbooks and statistics don’t tell you. “I’ve found when you add human interaction into the textbook guidelines, everything becomes a little more interesting,” he added. “The human factor is the loose cannon.”

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The Most Difficult Job BY MOLLY (REED) GOALEY ’05

Students who graduate with a degree in criminal justice enter their professional lives knowing that their job – whether in law enforcement, probation or parole – will never be easy. But for people like Lukas Linn ’10, theirs is arguably the most difficult job in the world. Linn, a native of Harbor Beach, was recently hired as a Children’s Services Specialist for the State of Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS).

Lukas Linn ’10

He works in the Foster Care Division for Kalamazoo County, where every day he must deal with the difficulties of children, for whatever reason, being separated from their biological parents. “Daily routines include doing home visits on children placed in foster homes, writing reports, testifying in court and supervising parenting time,” Linn said. “Parenting time is where the foster family brings the child to the DHS office so the child’s birth parent(s) can spend time learning how to properly interact with their child or children.”

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Thanks to the education and professional experience he received at Olivet, Linn was able to prepare himself for some of the worst days on the job. “The real challenges are a very wide range of things,” he said. “These include removing children from their biological parents, dealing with drug and alcohol addicts, and trying to explain to parents why they are not capable of being the parents to their children. “Olivet’s Criminal Justice Program prepared me for this type of career very well,” he added. “Phil Reed’s classes, starting from day one, addressed the issues of the day-to-day problems we would face in the criminal justice career field. Without Phil’s and Regina Armstrong’s knowledge of the social issues you face in the justice field, I would have been completely blind as to how some people in society act.” Linn chose to apply to Olivet after a campus visit with Reed, who serves as director of the Criminal Justice Program and assistant professor of criminal justice. “I really knew nothing about the school or the program, but Phil explained to me and my family how he could help me achieve my goals,” Linn said. “Phil explained his police background and what he did before working at Olivet. After listening to him, I was sold that this was the right place for me. I also received several scholarships, which made it affordable for me to attend.” Once he began his college career, Linn said it was the relationships he built with Reed and Armstrong, who is Social Science Department chair and assistant professor of criminal justice, that he valued most. “I was able to build these relationships because of the small class sizes,” he said. “It allowed me to work closer with my professors and learn more because they were always there to help. The one-on-one meetings through seminar were of great help, because I was able to see how Phil and Regina not only cared about my grades, but about me as a person. Several times, Phil would come up

and ask how I was doing, or he would stop me in the hall or in his office just to talk.” Linn also gained valuable professional experience through his internship, which Reed said is one of the most difficult, and is reserved for “only the best” criminal justice students. “I participated in what I believe was the greatest internship in the Criminal Justice Program – I worked for a summer at the Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in downtown Detroit,” Linn said. “I had the greatest experience of my life working alongside the special agents of the ATF. I worked with the narcotics division of the office and experienced things one could only see on TV. We would investigate drug trafficking and watch undercover agents buy narcotics from drug dealers. I also worked with the violent crimes division and the explosives/arson unit.” “The internship with the ATF is reserved for students who demonstrate excellence in all requirements,” Reed said. “Luke met all of those qualifications. Not only was he a good student, he is a good citizen and was very deserving of that position.” Though Linn values his current career, he hopes to change tracks when the opportunity arises, and take on the dangerous challenges of working as a special agent with the ATF – just like the ones he worked alongside during his internship. “My experience there was life assuring,” he said. “It assured me that I was more than capable of reaching my career goal of becoming a special agent for the Department of Justice. It also taught me that I was capable of staying relaxed and composed in dangerous situations. Without the joy and experience of working with the ATF, I would have never known if being a special agent was exactly what I wanted to do. I know it may take a few years, but I will get there someday.”

Making a Change

BY ANDREW HOMER, SENIOR

An Olivet native, Brad Baker is a non-traditional student seeking a degree in criminal justice with a minor in insurance claims investigation. Upon graduation, he hopes to be in the corrections line of work, a decision that was made with due consideration to prior experience. In the time leading up to his application to Olivet College, Baker worked for the duration of three years as a glasscutter for Poma, and before then, six years at Guardian Fiberglass. His past employment has contributed to Baker’s vision of his ideal occupation by contrast Senior Brad Baker to those previously retained. Factory work made him aware of the expectations that preside over a place of industry, and it reinforced his resolve for wanting to return to more socially altruistic work. Baker’s interest in criminal justice is rooted in previous work experience at Starr Commonwealth, where he was in a position to help young people in need. Starr is a boarding school for troubled youth, wherein the focus is to instill stronger practices of good character for those who were led astray. This parallels the professions of corrections and probation in the respect of helping troubled individuals toward behavior more beneficial to their decisionmaking skills. Baker also chose to study insurance claims investigation for two main reasons. With it, he would still be able to help people, and as Olivet College’s Risk Management and Insurance Center is nationally ranked among the best, the employment opportunities for one such occupation after graduation are promising. Baker believes the experience would facilitate a greater opportunity to reach out and help people who are facing trouble in their lives.

Along with the philanthropic aspects, the curricula of both disciplines also share a trait of the instructional methodology. On both programs, Baker remarks, “I enjoy the real life experience that the instructors bring to the classroom in both programs. They have a vast amount of real life experience that they use to demonstrate the book learning of class.” And, with the help of certain opportunities, Baker has already had the chance to make use of those teachings. Currently, he is participating in an internship with the Calhoun County Correctional Facility, which has further illustrated for him that he chose a correct discipline of study. There, he is being given a chance to apply the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom. And in addition to the internship, Baker works part-time for Olivet’s Campus Safety office. In this position, he helps to make the lives of students, as well as faculty and staff, more at ease throughout the day. While there’s an air of authority in security, Brad does not perceive himself as presiding over his fellow students, but more as a peer they can rely on for help. Making an occupation transition at the age of 38, Brad cites his motivations in providing a better lifestyle for his family and wanting to make a more profound, positive impact on people’s lives. “I have the opportunity to extend my abilities, and also to demonstrate to my kids the importance of an education,” he said. After graduating, Baker hopes to secure a job in one of his fields of study; preferably in the probations and parole field.

STUDENTS IN THE NEWS A total of 71 students from the college’s Greek organizations spent a day serving Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery (LARRI) of Munster, Ind. Jan. 29. The students cut cement floors and laid drain tile in an effort to repair homes destroyed by flooding from September 2008. This was the largest off-campus service project of its kind at Olivet, and the first to involve all of the college’s pledge classes. In March, the Olivet College Chamber Singers were invited to sing during mass at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. Under the direction of Timothy Flynn, Ph.D., Performing Arts Department chair, Music Program director and assistant professor of music, the ensemble sang “Adoramus te Christe” and “Jesu Rex Admirabilis” by Palestrina, in alternation with the Gregorian chant, “Jesu Dulcis Memoria.” This is the second time the Chamber Singers have been invited to sing at Holy Name Cathedral, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Chicago. They also performed last fall and sang two motets by Palestrina, “Panis Angelicus” and “O Gloriosa Virginum.” The singers include: Jeremy Adams, a senior from Novi; Kellie Carden, a senior from Lansing; Samantha Daily, a freshman from Marshall; Cameron Eldridge, a freshman from Nashville; Mark Gouba, a senior from Novi; Kayla Green, a senior from Mason; and Emily Pieri, a senior from Cedarville. Senior Zachary McMunigal, an insurance and risk management major from Linden, was selected for a highly competitive National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices (NAPSLO) summer internship this past year. Because of his exemplary performance with the Great American Specialty Excess and Surplus Lines Insurance Company in Cincinnati, and the Benchmark Management Group in Chicago, he was one of six students nationwide to be invited to the NAPSLO Annual Convention held in Atlanta Oct. 11-14. Activities at the convention included a reception with the NAPSLO Board of Directors, networking opportunities with NAPSLO members from Bermuda, the United Kingdom, United States and other countries, and an interview with the organizations Internship Committee. As a result of the interview, McMunigal was selected for an additional three-week NAPSLO internship in Bermuda for summer 2011.

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kept coming. Finally, he told them to give him six months to research the subject and determine if there was enough material to teach a course. What Fields discovered was a wealth of information, from the history of chocolate, to its health benefits, to

Patrick Fields, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology

BY MOLLY (REED) GOALEY ’05

If life is truly like a box of chocolates, Patrick Fields, Ph.D., would be able to tell you all about it – for Fields had no idea that he would ever become an expert on the subject. Like Charlie Bucket receiving the key to Wonka’s factory, his foray into chocolate came unexpectedly. What started as a simple interest soon took on a life of its own, and now Fields, whose daytime job is assistant professor of biology at Olivet, can claim his title as the college’s very own “candy man.” Fields planted the seeds for his second career as a chocolate expert years ago while earning his doctorate at Michigan State University (MSU). His colleagues were looking for ways to draw in more undergraduate majors to the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology and Fields suggested they offer a few special topics courses. It was a strategy he had seen success with in the Paleontology Department at the University of California, Berkeley, where

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he earned his master’s degree. He also told his colleagues about a course on chocolate offered by Berkeley’s Botany Department. “I had never taken the class because there was a two-year waiting list,” he said. “But I was intrigued. So I shared these models with the people at MSU… and they didn’t go for it.” But a few years later in 2000, a former fellow graduate student, then working at MSU, remembered Fields’ suggestions. “She was teaching courses for the Alumni Lifelong Education Division,” Fields said, “and they were always looking for new topics. She said, ‘Pat, you should teach a class on chocolate.’ I told her that I wasn’t an expert on chocolate – that I liked it and knew a little bit about it, but I wasn’t really a pro. She kept asking and I kept saying no.” Soon after, Fields got a call from the director of the program, who also asked if he would teach a course on chocolate. Although Fields kept refusing, the calls

chocolate in culture, romance and literature. In the spring of 2001, he offered an initial two-session class, which was immediately doubled into a foursession class, and Fields has since taught courses on chocolate at the University of Michigan and Kellogg Community College, as well as an exploratory course here at Olivet. He has also given more than 100 lectures and taste testing workshops to various groups in Michigan, Idaho, Wisconsin and Indiana. “I vary the content depending on what people want, but I usually end up giving an overview of chocolate and then an emphasis on whatever they would like,” Fields said. “I’ve given lectures on the chemistry of chocolate, I’ve talked to librarians and children about chocolate in literature and children’s books, and I’ve spoken to a lot of health groups. Every presentation is a little different.” Because of his vast knowledge of all things cocoa, Fields is no stranger to publicity. Students in his biology courses have all heard the rumors – that their teacher is not only a renowned chocolate aficionado; he is the subject of many news articles, radio programs and even a TV show. “Sometimes a student will raise his hand and say, ‘I heard you were on television,’” Fields said. “And I tell them truthfully that I had about three and a half minutes of fame on the Food Network show, ‘Unwrapped.’ When they asked to interview me I agreed on the condition that they would come to

Chocolat acts Chocolatee Fun FFacts FROM “DOC CHOC”

Olivet’s campus. My only request was that somewhere in the segment they tell people they were filming from Olivet College, and they did so very kindly. Many of our faculty members were in it and there was an equal amount of

students, so my audience of tasters was roughly a 50/50 mix.” Fields stays current in his expertise by reading all the new books on chocolate and following trends in the industry. “The latest trend in the last couple of years is that Americans are becoming more aware of dark chocolate,” he said. “Companies are starting to offer a lot more dark chocolate products, which they simply didn’t offer before. Forty years ago, the big companies said Americans didn’t like dark chocolate. In fact, it is becoming difficult to find much variety in milk chocolate anymore.” A true scientist, Fields is also intrigued by chocolate’s effects on the human body. “As a biologist I find interest

in what chocolate does for the body chemically and the history of chocolate in human behavior,” he said. “We can go back to Montezuma II, the last leader of all the Aztecs, who ruled when Cortes came to pillage the new world. It is said that he drank 50 golden goblets a day of the chocolate drink xocolatl before visiting his harems, and never used a goblet more than once. “At the same time,” Fields continued, “Montezuma used to brag that his warriors could drink one cup of their chocolate mixture, march all day on no other food, and still fight and win a battle. So from back then, we can say that’s the oldest documented evidence of two common values for chocolate today – one is the association with romance and love, and the other is the association with health benefits.” Like most chocolate connoisseurs, the more Fields learns about its benefits the more he becomes hooked. Though he has been studying the subject for nearly a decade, new information is constantly presenting itself. “Part of what has kept me going in this is there is always something new and different to learn about chocolate,” Fields said. “I sincerely thought when all this started that I’d offer a couple of classes and that might be the end of it. I never conceived that it would go anywhere, or continue on for years!” Patrick “Doc Choc” Fields hosts alumni gatherings with chocolate themes.

· Conquistador Hernan Cortés was perhaps one of the first entrepreneurs in the new world, having set up cocoa plantations in order to sell the seeds for gold. · The Latin name for the cocoa plant is theobroma cacao, which translates as “Food of the Gods, that we call cacao.” · The Aztec version of hot chocolate, xocolatl, was made from ground roasted cocoa beans mixed with hot water and chili peppers, to hide the bitterness. · Chocolate comes from the roasted seeds of a small tropical tree. Its flowers are pollinated by insects called biting midges. · There are more than 500 naturally occurring chemicals in cocoa seeds. This chemical complexity is why artificial chocolate doesn’t taste much like the real thing. · Americans eat about 12 pounds of chocolate per person per year, while the Swiss eat nearly 23 pounds. · Milton Hershey left his entire fortune to the Hershey School for orphans. · Snickers is the best-selling candy bar in the United States. · The earliest archaeological remains showing any traces of chocolate are about 4,000 years old and come from what is now Guatemala. They consist of pot shards containing chemicals that come from the pulp surrounding the cacao seeds. Scientists conclude that natives used the pulp to make a mead-like beverage. · The oldest chocolate factory in the United States was established in 1764 by James Baker and John Hannon. The Baker’s Chocolate company is still in business today. · The chocolate candy bar was not invented until 1875, when Daniel Peter combined cocoa powder with Henri Nestle’s condensed milk to make a chocolate solid. Before that time, everyone drank their chocolate. · Saucers for cups were invented to hold the spoon after stirring hot chocolate. People did not need spoons to drink tea or coffee, only chocolate. · About 490 billion Oreo cookies have been consumed since they were first introduced in 1912. That’s enough that if regular Oreos (not “Double Stuff”) were stacked up, they would reach from the Earth to the Moon and back more than six times.

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BY ALISHA HOROWITZ

I William Blair ’75, Ph.D. (photo by Will Kirk, Johns Hopkins University). Author’s note: William Blair, Ph.D., graduated from Olivet College in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in physics and math. He says that earning these degrees in the context of a liberal arts education made a difference in his long-term career path. Though he did take “hard science” courses, he says that the broad perspective of a liberal arts education, along with good communication skills, and a multidisciplinary approach have served him well and made a difference in his career. Dr. Blair also says that the idea of “lifelong learning” is a concept that definitely came out of his time at Olivet. In May 1998, the college honored him as a “Distinguished Alumnus.”

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In the fellowship hall of Babcock Presbyterian Church, Dr. William Blair prepares to give his sermon, “The Creation Connection.” It’s the second delivery that morning. He tests the microphone and then walks among the audience of about 30 people, stopping to chat with parishioners. “Didn’t you come to the first service?” he asks a woman, who is dressed all in pink, down to her flip flops with bright flowers. “You’re double dipping,” he says, smiling. Blair is standing in for the pastor on this sweltering summer July day in Baltimore to deliver a talk he gives each year on a topic he cares passionately about. “As an astronomer and a person of faith, I am highly attuned to the awesome complexity, enormity and mystery of God’s creation,” he begins. “I won’t hold one up here today, I’ll let you use your imagination, but you may have seen me use rolls of toilet paper to illustrate the concept of time,” he says. Blair makes a rolling motion with his hand as if holding a roll. He goes on to explain that if each sheet in a roll of toilet paper were to represent 10,000 years, then all of

human history would fit on one sheet. A 1,000-sheet roll would represent 10 million years. But it would take 450 rolls of toilet paper end-to-end to get back to the formation of the Earth, some 4.5 billion years ago. Blair uses this point to illustrate that God cared for creation a long time before humans were around. “As Christians, it is our duty and responsibility to care for God’s creation. The Christian church as a whole needs to wake up to this call and re-establish its ‘creation connection.’ Maybe it can start right here at Babcock. Maybe it can start within each of us,” Blair concludes. Blair’s fear that people might not survive for the equivalent of even one more sheet of toilet paper is propelling him to speak out about the health of the planet. It’s a story that he tries to share as often as the life of a busy astronomer will allow. William Blair has been an astrophysicist and research professor at Johns Hopkins University for the past 25 years. But in recent years, he’s found a new passion that has brought him closer to Earth. He became interested in climate change issues in 2007, when he attended a talk by Dr. Nathan Lewis, a professor of chemistry at Caltech. Although Lewis focused on world energy needs rather than global warming, Blair immediately grasped the staggering ramifications of what would happen if people continued to try to fulfill these needs using fossil fuels. Given the projected growth of the world’s population, he understood the system would not be sustainable. “But adding in the impacts on climate change goes way beyond a ‘sustainability’ issue for me and turns it into a moral crisis as well,” he says. The ever-curious scientist, Blair began educating himself on the science behind climate change. He recognized the urgency of the situation. “We should have been doing this stuff 20 years ago. We’ve just dropped the ball.” He took his newfound interest seriously enough to consider changing careers and moving from the study of the universe to the Earth sciences.

When Blair speaks, he rarely stays still. He throws his arms up in the air to emphasize a point or taps his fingers on the table, his thick gold wedding band with three embedded diamonds sometimes clicking against the wood. The boyish Blair looks younger than his 57 years, with expressive brown eyes that often widen when he emphasizes a point. As he sat in his office one FUSE Project, JHU day recently, discussing his work, swirls of color exploded onto a computer screen—all images from space. Nearby, another computer rotated through nature photographs of forests, sunsets and mountains that Blair had taken on his many work trips to telescopes in Arizona, Chile and Hawaii. The ever-present tug of space and nature. Blair’s office walls are covered neatly with colorful posters of nebulae. One poster, which he has had since his college days at Olivet, shows a lenticular cloud against a bright blue sky with the words “God is Subtle,” printed underneath, a quote by Einstein. Shelves bulging with mementos and books line the walls. Family photos of his wife of 33 years, Jean (Shaffer) ’75, and children, Amy and Jeremy, are tacked on a bulletin board above one of his two desks. He and Jean adopted Amy from South Korea and Jeremy from India as infants more than 20 years ago. Blair walked his daughter down the aisle at her wedding last year. A group photograph shows Blair, wearing one of his signature plaid shirts, and colleagues from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer project, or FUSE. The eight-year $225 million FUSE project was developed, managed and operated by Hopkins—the largest and most complex astrophysics mission

ever operated from a university setting. Blair first served on the FUSE project as head of mission planning and later as chief of observatory operations. “Heading up FUSE was tremendously challenging, but tremendously satisfying,” he says. FUSE analyzed farultraviolet light by spreading it into a spectrum, a technique known as spectroscopy. The instrument complemented the Hubble telescope because it observed farther into the ultraviolet. One of the most significant findings gleaned from FUSE’s 65 million seconds of data was evidence that our Milky Way galaxy is surrounded by a huge, very hot, but very tenuous, halo of gas. Blair was

exceptionally skilled at coordinating such a large project, says Jeffrey Kruk, a principal research scientist who ran the technical side of FUSE. “It can be a little like herding cats. Everyone involved is already doing their own thing. Bill is good at gently beating them about the head and shoulders,” Kruk says. When the FUSE project was winding down in 2007, Blair started looking for new opportunities, and began seriously to consider changing career tracks and moving to the Earth sciences. He says he was able to consider the change because he was at a crossroads in his career, and his longlatent interest in environmental issues and his Christian obligation to work toward justice spurred him on. In 2008, Blair volunteered to be part of an initiative at Hopkins to explore how to reduce the university’s carbon footprint. It seemed perfect in light of his recent interest in global warming issues. As part of a new task continued next page

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continued from pg. 25 force, the university formed three working groups. Blair coordinated part of one working group’s effort to define what other colleges and universities were doing. He also organized three campuswide speaker forums. At the same time, Blair looked into a master’s program in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, thinking that he might need some “street cred to

Intergovernmental panel on climate change, 2007

switch tracks.” His wife Jean, who is a librarian, told him to go for it. Blair realized, however, that at the rate it would take him to complete the degree while continuing his regular job, he might be retired by the time he got through. Instead of changing tracks, Blair decided to continue his work as an astronomer and stick with his selfeducation approach. He particularly wanted to address what he perceived to be some of the “intentional misinformation on the global warming side and to try to get down to the basics of the problem.” From his research and reading about global warming and climate change, he put together a presentation on the science behind climate change, highlighting it in a straightforward way, and calling it “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Blair started taking “his mini Al Gore thing,” as he calls it, on the road whenever

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possible, speaking at libraries, schools, senior centers, churches and any place else that would have him. He tailors each presentation to his audience. Blair averages one, sometimes two, presentations a month, depending on the time of year—quite a challenge to fit into his busy life as an astronomer. In some ways, Blair considers it to his advantage that he is an independent voice on this issue. His independence gives him more credibility, he says. “Many in the general public mistakenly believe that unless 100 percent of scientists believe global warming is real, then it must not be true,” Blair says. However, as he explains, that isn’t how science works. “The worst part is the political aspect, the intentional misinformation to cause confusion,” he says. Blair keeps his presentation simple, describing the greenhouse effect and the consequences of carbon emissions. He even throws some astronomy into the mix, and talks about Venus, the closest planet to Earth and the same size as Earth, but with a carbon dioxide atmosphere 100 times denser. On Venus, things have reached a different balance point than on Earth, but not one that is anywhere close to supporting life forms. Julian Krolik, a professor in physics and astronomy at Hopkins, attended a research seminar that Blair gave to his colleagues at Hopkins in 2007 called “Framing the Global Warming Discussion: The Role of Non-Specialist Scientists.” While typical seminars generally attract only about 20 attendees, more than 60 people showed up to Blair’s. Krolik wanted to learn how a colleague presented such technical material to a general audience. He had also been considering creating a new course for undergraduates on the physics

of human energy use. Blair’s talk strengthened his resolve to make it happen, and he developed the course and has taught it twice since attending the lecture. “He stepped out to the plate and got out there and did it,” says Krolik. Besides encouraging others to reduce energy consumption, Blair takes his own message to heart. Whether it’s dragging the recycling bins from his church over to his house every Thursday night for the recycling pick-up or turning off the lights in his building at work, he keeps looking for ways to make a difference, however small or large. Recently while filling his tank at a CITGO gas station, Blair found himself staring at an overflowing trash bin. He loaded his car with the casually discarded items of fellow drivers and took them home to be recycled. “Why throw that stuff in the landfill?” he asks. “The thing that people like about him is it’s a calling,” says Janet Jones, associate pastor at Blair’s church. “He even evangelized the minister,” she continues. Blair convinced the minister to get an energy audit done for the church, set out boxes for recycling and do away with bottled water. “He asks, ‘Where can we start?’ He meets people where they are,” says Jones. Blair, however, takes a humble view of his efforts and stops short of saying that he is pursuing his calling. “Coming from a religious perspective, ‘calling’ is a strong word. If it was truly a calling, wouldn’t I drop everything else I am doing and go do that thing?” he asks. However, spending some time with Blair makes clear that faith is an essential part of this man, both in his role as environmental educator and as astronomer. One day in his office, he describes one of the Hubble telescope’s most famous images, often referred to as “Pillars of Creation.” It shows three smoldering gas pillars towering like giants among the stars. “The view you’re seeing is one light year across,” says Blair. “How does that not impact you that this is all created somehow? How can you not be awed by that?”

Charitable Contributions From Your IRA BY LARRY SCHWEITZER ’79, J.D. The 2010 Tax Act retroactively reinstated the ability to make a “qualified charitable distribution” of up to $100,000 directly to a charitable organization from your individual retirement account (“IRA”) if you are at least 70½ years old. Although this provision initially expired Dec. 31, 2009, Congress made it retroactive from Jan. 1, 2010 through Dec. 31, 2011, although a distribution for 2010 had to be made by Jan. 31, 2011. A “qualified charitable distribution” means the payment of an otherwise taxable amount by a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA trustee directly to a qualified charitable organization. If you make a qualified charitable distribution to a charitable organization, the amount is federal Larry Schweitzer ’79, J.D. income tax-free to you, but you are not entitled to an itemized charitable deduction on your individual income tax return. There are several tax advantages of making qualified charitable distributions from your IRA. As indicated above, the qualified charitable distribution is not included in your adjusted

gross income, and therefore, the phase-outs for itemized deductions and personal exemptions, the 50 percent limitation on charitable deductions, and passive losses for real estate will not be affected.

Be a Hero, Leave a Legacy

Gift Supports Olivet’s Fine Art Collection

Whether it’s in support of your church, local animal shelter or alma mater, your favorite nonprofit can benefit when you include us in your will or estate plan. By establishing a planned gift at Olivet College, for example, you could endow a scholarship, revitalize your academic program or support an athletic team. The sky is truly the limit. If you haven’t spoken with a professional about your will or estate plan, it’s never too early to start. If you have, and if Olivet is included in your plan, please contact us immediately so we can begin your membership in the Legacy Society. Ed Heator ’80 Director of Planned Giving (269) 749-6691 eheator@olivetcollege.edu www.olivetcollege.edu

“If you make a qualified charitable distribution to a charitable organization, the amount is federal income tax-free to you.” The qualified charitable distribution counts as a required minimum distribution, but you do not have to pay federal income tax on the distribution. The qualified charitable distribution is treated as coming from taxable amounts first, thus allowing nondeductible contributions to continue to grow in your IRA and be taken tax-free from your IRA at a later date. Finally, the qualified charitable distribution reduces your taxable estate (if you have a large estate that may be subject to estate tax). This strategy can be a useful tool and smart move for many taxpayers 70½ years old and older. Please contact Ed Heator, director of planned giving, at (269) 749-6691 or eheator@olivetcollege.edu for assistance.

With support from the family of the late Richard A. Vedder II ’83, including Sandra Boyer ’85, trustee, Olivet was able to properly equip its art vault in the new Reithmiller Blackman Art Building. Family members who contributed include: Richard and Annette Vedder, Laura Vedder ’82, Eric and Polly (Vedder) Rapp, Suzanne (Moses) Vedder Family, Jim and Jan Moses, Michael ’82 and Lori (Sanders) ’83 Vedder Family, Brad and Sandra (Vedder) ’85 Boyer Family, Phyllis (Vedder) Windiate, John Windiate ’83, Kathy Windiate, Tom Vedder and Mary Varga, James ’77 and Diane Vedder, Steve ’79 and Lisa Vedder, Jane (Vedder) Jones, Richard Vedder ’83 Peter and Jamie Jones Family, Scott and Lisa ( Jones) Moore Family and the Jennifer ( Jones) Campbell Family. The new vault contains the college’s Mary Armstrong Collection of Art. Started by Milton Horn, artist-in-residence at Olivet from 1939-47, the collection has grown to 230 pieces valued at approximately $1 million. Some of the finest works include Klee water colors, a Toulouse-Lautrec lithograph, a Rouault colored intaglio, two Goya intaglios, a Kathe Kollwitz lithograph self portrait and a Richard Diebenkorn lithograph.

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Development

NEWS

15th Annual Leadership Dinner Olivet College recognized some of Michigan’s finest leaders as part of its Leadership for Individual and Social Responsibility Awards Dinner Thursday, May 19 in the college’s Cutler Event Center. The 2011 honorees are leaders in their chosen professions and reflect the college’s vision of Education for Individual and Social Responsibility. They include: Rev. Mike Fales ’75, director of service learning and campus ministries at Olivet; Carol Goss, president and CEO of the Skillman Foundation; and Joan Jackson Johnson, Ph.D., director of the City of Lansing Human Relations and Community Services Department and owner of East Lansing Center for the Family. Program sponsors for the event included: Barnes & Thornburg, LLP; Brian Benner; From left: David Hayhow, Board of Trustees Chair, Carol Goss, Sandra (Vedder) Boyer Rev. Mike Fales ’75, Joan Jackson Johnson, Ph.D. and Olivet ’85; Chartwells Dining President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D. Service; George and Elaine Francis; Rod ’81 and Amy Hathaway; David Hayhow; HUB International/Tom Kolassa ’69; David ’84 and Sonya Labrecque; Robert ’57 and Sarah (Engle) ’56 Lawrence; Dean ’55 and Jeanene Lewis; Linda Logan, Ph.D.; William Middlebrooks; Public Affairs Associates; Trane Commercial Systems; Keith and Karen (Wilson) ’81 Van Hentenryck; Wells Fargo Bank; Ahmad ’05 and Janet (Stam) ’07 Zeaiter and Timothey Hodge ’83, D.O. Contributing sponsors were: Thomas ’82 and Rhonda Burke; Stanley and Betsy Dole; Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital; Maner Costerisan; Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc.; and Jeff and Elizabeth (Larson) ’90 Wildern.

Riethmiller Blackman Art Building Offices Named With a passion for the arts and education at Olivet College, three individuals now have their names displayed on the art professors’ doors in the Riethmiller Blackman Art Building. Rev. Grafton “Mac” Thomas ’37 suggested that part of his sister’s estate be included in the financing of the art building; therefore, a donation was made in memory of Barbara (Thomas) Broberg ’39, who majored in languages and music at Olivet. Helen (Rounds) Rowan ’45, an art major and lifelong artist now living in Connecticut, is one of the donors with a gift from her husband, author Roy Rowan. The third donor, Major Jiles B. Williams, retired from the United States Air Force and gave to Olivet, as well as other educational institutions, to encourage others to attain a college education. He is a lifelong friend of Don Rowe, professor of art at Olivet College since 1968.

Douglas Federau, trustee, recently made his last matching gift toward the Federau Challenge in support of the Risk Management and Insurance Center. In addition to Federau’s support, the challenge brought in 46 gifts from corporations, foundations, alumni Doug Federau and friends for the college’s successful insurance and risk management programs. With a grant from the State Farm Foundation, Olivet has established an endowment for the financial planning program. The endowment will support recruitment and retention efforts. Nick Glaser ’07 was named director of Annual Fund in January. He is responsible for the strategic management and coordination of all giving efforts for the college’s Annual Fund. Glaser previously served as an admissions Nick Glaser ’07 representative at Olivet. During his tenure, he was instrumental in helping the Office of Enrollment Management meet 2010 enrollment goals. He also has previous experience as management assistant for Enterprise Leasing Company of Detroit. Olivet was able to renovate its former art building thanks to a grant from the Towsley Foundation. The facility now serves as the college’s Criminal Justice Center.

The lobby area of the new Criminal Justice Center 28

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BY GEOFF HENSON 1,834 To most people, this number has no meaning at all. To Olivet College senior men’s basketball player Michael McClary, of Bellaire, the number represents how many points he ended his illustrious career with. He finished as Olivet’s all-time scoring leader, and there are many people who believe the record may never be broken. They have good reason to believe because the previous record of 1,642 points by Mike Maciasz ’72 stood for nearly 40 years. McClary’s senior season capped off an incredible career at Olivet. This year, he broke the single-season scoring record with 676 points, a 26.0 per game average. McClary also scored 43 points against Trine University on Jan. 18 to break the single-game scoring record. For his efforts, McClary was named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s (MIAA) Most Valuable Player and earned first-team All-MIAA honors for a second consecutive year. During the 14-game league schedule, he averaged 26.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Other postseason honors for McClary included first-team National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-America honors, first-team DIII News All-American, second-team D3hoops.com All-America, and first-team NABC and D3hoops.com All-Great Lakes Region. To top the year off, he played in 2011 Reese’s Division III All-Star game, which was played prior to the DIII National Championship game in Salem, Va. In the game, he led his team to a 92-81 win, scoring 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Probably the most fitting number was 50. Not only was it the jersey number McClary donned during his four years at Olivet, but it was the final total number of double-doubles that he had in the Comet uniform. “It was a pleasure to coach Mike,” said Olivet Head Coach Gene Gifford. “To have an outstanding player and a person like him be the leader of our program and the face of our program, I’m very proud of the way he represented Olivet College basketball and Olivet College.” The rise to the top of the scoring ladder was a steady climb during McClary’s four years at Olivet. As a freshman and sophomore, he played with his older brother, Brandon, who was the Comets’ leading scorer. In each of his first two seasons, McClary earned secondteam All-MIAA honors. He combined to score 624 points during those two years. Last year, playing without his brother beside him for the first time, he just missed the single-season scoring record with 534 points and topped the league in rebounding at 11.0 per game. McClary’s basketball career is likely not over. He has interest in playing semi-professional basketball overseas. McClary got his first taste of it by being a member of the D3hoops.com/Sport Tours International All-Star Team. This group played four games against international competition in London and Paris from May 21-30.

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Comet Sports NEWS & NOTES Five new head coaches joined the Olivet Athletic Department for 2010-11. Jeff Kavalunas and Karen Lutzke were in their first season as head men’s and women’s cross country coaches. Both also

Jeff Kavalunas

Karen Lutzke

serve as head track and field coaches. In addition, Rich Hulkow made his debut on the football sidelines and Lynnette Moster on the volleyball court during the fall. Nicole Burford completed her first season as head women’s basketball coach. Other new administrators in the Athletic Department are Korey Heppeard as assistant athletic director for facilities and Karine Walters ’07 as assistant athletic director/senior woman administrator. Amanda Cox began duties as an assistant athletic trainer. During the fall, the men’s soccer team posted a 12-7-1 record for its third straight season with more than 10 wins. Seniors Ethan Felsing, of Mason; Matt Manning, of Charlotte; and Mike May, of Mason; and sophomore Matt Garza, of Saline, earned first-team

Matt Manning

Matt Garza

All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) honors. Garza was a second-team All-Central Region selection, while May was a third-team All-Region choice. May finished his career as Olivet’s all-time leader with 84 points and 22 assists.

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The women’s soccer team finished the 2010 season with a 13-5-2 overall record, with the 13 wins being the third most in school history for a season and the most since 1999 when the Comets had 14. Individually, junior Lizzy Julian, of Mattawan, earned first-team All-MIAA honors. She tied for the league lead with 17 goals, including six game-winners. The volleyball team had a 12-15 overall record. With the 12 wins, Olivet reached double Lizzy Julian figures in wins for only the fourth time in school history and the first time in 25 years. Senior Nick Glass, of Flint, earned first-team All-MIAA honors in football. He led the Comet defense with 73 total tackles and was second in the league with five interceptions. Felsing along with volleyball player Ellen Schulz, of Freeland, and women’s soccer player Justine Zachos, of Charlotte, Justine Zachos were named to the 2010 Capital One Academic All-District IV teams. Felsing and Schulz earned first-team honors, while Zachos was a second-team selection. The men’s swimming and diving team finished in third-place at the 2011 MIAA Championships. Seniors Kellen Beckwith, of Farmington Hills; and Rafe Maxwell, of Bay City; sophomore Joel Knight, of Battle Creek; and freshman Cody Sanders, of Battle Creek, were All-MIAA selections. Beckwith, a Kellen Beckwith four-time All-MIAA selection, won the

100 and 200 backstroke, and was second in the 200 individual medley. Maxwell successfully defended his title in the 200 butterfly. Knight placed third in the 200 butterfly, fourth in the 100 butterfly and sixth in the 100 backstroke. Sanders was the runner-up finisher on both the one- and three-meter diving boards. The women’s swimming and diving team placed sixth at the 2011 MIAA Championships. Crystal Jager Junior Caitlin Lohr, of Holland; and sophomore Crystal Jager, of Hamilton, earned All-MIAA honors. Lohr was second in the 50 freestyle and fourth in the 100 freestyle. Jager placed second in the 100 breaststroke, fifth in the 200 breaststroke and seventh in the 200 individual medley. Her times broke the school record in all three events. Beckwith and Lohr competed at the 2011 NCAA Division III National Championships. Beckwith earned honorable mention All-America honors with a 16th-place finish in the 100 backstroke. At a banquet the night before the first day of the championships, Beckwith received the Elite 88 award for the second straight year. The award is given to the student-athlete competing at each of the championships with the highest cumulative grade point average.

Brandon Brissette

Jeff Therrian

The wrestling team captured the team title at both the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional and Mid-States Conference Tournament. Brandon Brissette and Jeff Therrian were named

Comet Sports NEWS & NOTES Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year, respectively, at both tournaments. Sophomore James Myers, of Wintersville, Ohio; and junior Trevor Tyler, of Roscommon, won regional titles and advanced to the 2011 NCAA Division III National Championships. Myers secured All-American honors with a sixth-place finish in the 165-pound bracket.

James Myers

Trevor Tyler

The women’s lacrosse team completed its first season as a varsity sport. The Comets defeated Davenport University twice, 12-10 and 1312, for their only wins in 10 games. Leading Olivet in scoring was senior Veronica Maidens, of Arcadia, who scored 24 goals.

Veronica Maidens

Support the Olivet College Comet Club Objective To promote Olivet College athletics To provide financial support for Olivet’s intercollegiate athletic programs. To enhance the competitiveness of Olivet’s athletic programs by providing funds for use by the Athletic Department. Administration The day-to-day operations of the Olivet College Comet Club are overseen by the athletic director, assistant athletic directors, and assisted by the Olivet College Comet Club board members. The tracking and receipting of memberships will be administered by the Office of Institutional Advancement and copies of all correspondence will be sent to the Athletic Department. Par ticipa tion articipa ticipation If you would like to become a member and help support the Olivet College Comet Club, contact the Athletic Department at (269) 749-7592 or via e-mail at cometclub@olivetcollege.edu.

Olivet College Comet Club memberships enhance the club’s ability to provide support to the current athletic programs at Olivet College, as well as continue to fund the functions of the club. Your support will allow Olivet College athletes to remain competitive in their areas, and continue to fund future activities. Each year the Comet Club board will identify specific needs within the Athletic Department to target as projects. Membership Levels: Red - $50-249 Newsletter, e-newsletter Comet Club keychain White - $250-499 Newsletter, e-newsletter Comet Club keychain Comet Club logo item Comet - $500-999 Newsletter, e-newsletter Comet Club keychain Comet Club logo item Two tickets to home athletic events Champion - $1,000 and up Newsletter, e-newsletter Comet Club keychain Comet Club logo item Four tickets to home athletic events Two tickets to Comet Club Dinner

If you would like to become a member of the Olivet College Comet Club, contact the Athletic Department at (269) 749-7592 or via e-mail at cometclub@olivetcollege.edu.

New Comet Athletics Website

2011 VARSITY FOO TB ALL SCHEDULE FOOTB TBALL

Stay tuned this summer for a new look to the Comet Athletics website, complete with highlight videos of competition, enhanced statistics, scrolling results and studentathlete bios.

Sept. 3 Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Nov. 5 No v. 12 Nov

CORNELL COLLEGE (Iowa) @ Elmhurst @ North Central @ Wheaton @ Adrian KALAMAZOO (Homecoming) @ Albion TRINE ((Athletic Athletic Hall of Fame Fame)) @ Alma HOPE

1 p.m. 2 p.m. TBA TBA 6 p.m. 2 p.m. 1 p.m. 1 p.m. 1 p.m. 1 p.m.

CAPS denote home game SPRING

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1920s

Bob Ball ’63 writes editorials for the Royal Oak newspaper, a job he started eight days after graduation. He retired from his full-time position at the newspaper in 1998. Bob is president of the board of the Hillsdale County Senior Services Center, a nonprofit organization. He travels to Tucson, Ariz., where he has a condominium. Bob’s wife, Clara, passed away in January. Their daughter, Bethany Landsman ex’94, lives in New York with her husband and two children. E-mail Bob at bobball@chartermi.net.

Frances (Friend) Collins ’28 celebrated her 104th birthday on Feb. 20. She lives in Florida, near her daughter and son-inlaw, Nancy (Collins) ’57 and Jack Fieldman ’56.

1930s Larida (Scott) Petersen ’31 celebrated her 101st birthday on Jan. 23, with her sons and their families. Larida stays active with daily walks and visiting friends and family.

Frances (Friend) Collins ’28

1950s Richard Mitchell ’57 retired in 1999 from the History Department at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He continued to teach occasionally in the Study Abroad program until 2008. In April 2010 he chaired a session dealing with Roman politics and Roman law in Salt Lake City, where he was presented with a collection of published and unpublished essays edited and introduced by one of his graduate students. Richard is a member of the college’s Academic Committee and Athletic Hall of Fame. He and wife, Cynthia (Martin) ’58, continue to travel. E-mail Richard at rmitchll@illinois.edu.

1960s Marilyn (Purse) ’60 and William “Cliff” ’60 Dean celebrated their 50 wedding anniversary July 16, 2010. In attendance at the anniversary party were Jerry Kjos ’59 and Dr. George Rock ’57. The Deans have two daughters and two grandchildren. th

Charles Schepel ’60 retired as an interim minister. He and wife, Marion, a retired nurse, moved to a continuing care retirement community in Carmichael, Calif., where they are close to their daughter, Kim, and her family. E-mail Charles at chuckschepel@world.oberlin.edu. Owen ’60 and Judy (James) ’63 Whitkopf celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Aug. 6, with a family vacation in the Upper Peninsula. Mike Morse ’61 and wife, Carolyn (Erbes) ’62, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 26, 2010. Eighty friends and family members were in attendance, including Jan Mike ’61 and Carolyn (Erbes) ’62 Morse (Somers) ’61 Klump and husband, Bob, best friends of the Morses for more than 50 years. Testimonials were given by son, Chuck, daughter, Michele, and one granddaughter. Mike is a retired minister. They live in Gaithersburg, Md. E-mail Mike at mike.morse@comcast.net. 32

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Fred Douglas ’63, who has worked in broadcasting for many years, started at the college’s radio station, WBSD. After Olivet he delivered the news in Allegan on the former WOWE radio station before moving on to WKZO (now WWMT-TV) as a reporter, and then WOWE news director in radio and television in Kalamazoo. Later he worked for Consumers Power Company (now Consumers Energy), but after five years returned to WKZO and helped convert the station to a 24-hour Fred Douglas ’63 news format. Since 1994, Fred has worked for Lindal Cedar Homes, where he is senior vice president, designing and selling cedar homes for the international company. Gene Grimley ’63 is president of Phi Lambda Upsilon, the national chemistry honor society, with tens of thousands of active members across the United States. He will hold the position for four years. The society is present in 73 colleges and universities, including Elon University in Elon, N.C., where Gene has taught chemistry since 1987. Gene earned his doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Iowa. E-mail him at grimley@elon.edu. Larry ’64 and Mary Martha (Potts) ’65 Melendy were honored for their years of service to the Hastings community with the Hastings Exchange Club Book of Golden Deeds Award during the annual Mayor Exchange Club luncheon. Both are retired teachers from the Hastings Area Schools and have lived there for 44 years. E-mail Larry and Mary Martha at 3mlmel@cablespeed.com. Tom Appel ’65 visited Cuba in November 2010, on a humanitarian mission. The trip was organized by a philanthropic foundation that provides medical and school supplies around the island. E-mail Tom at tappel1864@aol.com. Terry Connon ’65 and his company, Audio Visual Connection, Inc., has been the supplier of audiovisual rental equipment and staging services to the Hilton Carillon Park Hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla., for three years. In July 2010 the hotel was recognized, for the third year in a row, as the number one Hilton property of all 293 Hiltons located in North America, Central America and South America. E-mail Terry at tconnon@tampabay.rr.com.

Elaine “Hammy” (Hamilton-Kipp) Glass ’66 and husband, Brian, walked the entire Appalachian Trail, beginning in Georgia March 15, 2010, and ending in Maine in October. It was a wonderful experience, even with all the challenges of changes in weather. E-mail Hammy at brawny1@comcast.net. Tony Kruzman ’67 retired from Bloomfield Hills Schools on June 30, 2010, after 41 years as a teacher and principal. He is now an instructor at Oakland University in the education department and supervises student teacher interns for Oakland. Ann Mackenzie ’67 was recognized among the nation’s most elite healthcare marketing professionals in the 2010 Aster Awards Competition. Mackenzie Design Studio and the Healthcare Foundation won gold awards three consecutive years (2008, 2009 and 2010), in Healdsburg, Calif. With the 2010 award they received two gold recognitions in the competition out of 3,000 entries, and placed in the top 5 percent of the nation. The award-winning materials helped raise more than $14 Ann Mackenzie ’67 million for healthcare in northern Sonoma County and helped save the local hospital, bringing it to profitability. Ann and husband, Jack, live in Cloverdale, Calif. Ann’s website is http://www.amackenzie.com. Dave Price ’68 is athletic director at Plainwell High School. He started his career as head football and softball coach and assistant wrestling coach at Stevensville-Lakeshore High School. Dave is married to Randi (Nelson) ’70. E-mail Dave at dprice@plainwellschools.org. Mary (Widmayer) Girou ex’69 retired from Bay City Public Schools in June 2007, having taught in the elementary schools for 27 years. E-mail Mary at mgirou@yahoo.com.

1970s Alhasan Ceesay ’71, M.D., recently published his fourth book, “Country for President, Tribe and Party.” Portions of the sales of the book will support the village self-help health organization, NGO and Manding Medical Center at Njawara village. There will also be scholarships for those studying medicine and agriculture who are willing to return to serve the rural parts of Africa after their training. E-mail Alhasan at Alhasanceesay@hotmail.com.

Althea (Ellis) Reid ’72 directed the cantata “Glory” at St. Stephens Missionary Baptist Church in Ontario, Calif., on Dec. 4 and 5, 2010, to nearly 3,000 guests. Althea earned a master’s of music at the New England Conservatory of Music. While serving as musical ministry director of Covina Assembly of God, she worked with Brentwood Music to develop “Glory,” a Christmas cantata featuring diverse music styles ranging from classical to hip-hop and jazz. Althea and husband, Richard Reid, a master jazz bassist, and two sons, Damion and Darius, moved to Covina, Calif., in 1977. Rose (Thornton) McKinney-James ’73 has been named to the new governmental affairs team to help the Nevada System of Higher Education respond to legislative strategies and challenges for 2011. Rose is the managing principal of Energy Works LLC, a public policy and advocacy firm in Las Vegas. She serves on the board of directors of the Energy Foundation, the American Council for Energy Efficient Economy, MGM Resorts International, Employers Holdings Inc., Toyota Financial Savings Bank, Three Square and the Smith Center for Performing Arts. She is chair of the board of directors for Nevada Rose (Thornton) Partners. Rose graduated from the McKinney-James ’73 Antioch School of Law. She and husband, Frederick James, CPA, have two sons, Erick and Avery. E-mail Rose at foursolar@aol.com. Janice (Baird) Armstrong ’74 won first place in the 2009 ForeWord Reviews’ Book of the Year Awards for “Owe It To the Wind: Three Lives, Two Loves, One Pact.” The sequel to the book, titled “Truly Everything,” is a finalist in ForeWord Reviews’ Book of the Year Awards for 2010. Janice is married to Bill Armstrong ’75. Their daughter, Chelsea, is a junior at Olivet College. E-mail Janice at quiltedchocolate@sbcglobal.net. Michael Murphy ’74 retired after 35 years of teaching history and coaching in Homer. He and wife, Terry, also retired, live in Coldwater. E-mail Michael at mcm316@hotmail.com. Marshall Hughes ’76 was given the Kenneth A. MacDonald Award for Theater Excellence for “his innovative and inspirational work at Roxbury Community College,” in Roxbury Crossing, Mass. That work included bringing together Perkins School for the Blind students and sighted counterparts for the group of fairies in a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” E-mail Marshall at marshall_hughes@verizon.net. Barron “Barry” Evans ’77 is the global customer engagement advisor for Eli Lilly & Company in Indianapolis. Previously he was the senior director of consumer multi-channel marketing at Merck & Co. in Philadelphia. E-mail Barron at barronevans@hotmail.com.

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Olivet Couples - Polly and Mike Bodjanac Growing up in the First Congregational Church of Royal Oak, it was the dream of Polly Falberg’s mother that at least one of her four children would attend a Congregational college. Church member Marie Opdyke ’16 was an Olivet College graduate and encouraged the family’s decision to send one of the children to her alma mater. Her application was sent and accepted, and in the fall of 1977, Polly entered Olivet College. Meanwhile, in the Upper Peninsula, Mike Bodjanac had been recruited by five different colleges to Polly (Falberg) ’81 and Mike Bodjanac ’81 play football. It was regular phone calls and visits from coaches Cilibraise and Amato that helped Mike decide that Olivet College was the school for him. Mike pledged Phi Alpha Pi, and Polly Soronian, their first year. The couple began dating their sophomore year after Polly asked Mike to the Soronian Christmas dance. One of their greatest memories of Olivet was during the fire of the Phi Alpha Pi House in 1979. Polly sat atop Mike’s shoulders removing fraternity composite pictures, mounted up very high in the Chapter Room, and handing them out the windows, while the house burned. It was no doubt a very dangerous stunt, yet preserving years of pictorial history seemed paramount to personal safety at the time. Mike and Polly graduated in May of 1981, married in July and moved to Green Bay, Wis. They have been married almost 30 years and have been members of Pilgrim Congregational Church in Green Bay for 27 years. Polly is currently enrolled in the Lay Ministry Training Program offered through the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. They have three children: Christopher, a 2009 graduate of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Amanda, a senior at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh College of Nursing; and Charles, who attends Southwest High School. E-mail Mike and Polly at okachee@new.rr.com.

Marie (Rennick-Prue) Butler ’78 retired Jan. 1, 2011, after more than 30 years working for the state of Michigan. Starting in 1980 Marie worked for the unemployment office. From 1984 to 2009, she was a caseworker in Albion, Battle Creek and Jackson. Beginning in March 2009, she was the departmental analyst for the Department of Human Services in Lansing. Marie has three children, two grandchildren and two step-grandchildren. She and husband, Gary Butler, are celebrating 34 years of marriage in June. E-mail Marie at butlergm12@hotmail.com. Mark Dabiero ex’78 was inducted into the Melvindale High School Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 17, 2010. Mark has been active in the Melvindale community for years and began a scholarship fund in 1998 to assist a graduating student-athlete at his high school. Mark is president and owner of Lasting Impressions in Westland, a company specializing in promotional products and advertising. E-mail Mark at dabber@liteam.com.

1980s

Mark Dabiero ex’78

Rick Beyer ’80 is the president of Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia. He formerly served as vice president of Trimble Navigation Ltd., a company that develops global positioning systems. Rick served on the Olivet board of trustees, beginning in 1994, becoming chairman in 2000 and elected trustee emeritus in 2007. E-mail Rick at mail@rickbeyer.com. Ramona Kime ’80, Ph.D., is now a full-time associate professor of music at Olivet, having taught at the college since 1984. She teaches all private piano lessons and piano classes and serves as accompanist for all choral ensembles and student and faculty recitals. Ramona also teaches courses in music theory, aural skills and string instrumental methods. She earned her master’s degree in piano performance from Michigan State University and her doctorate in piano pedagogy and music education from the University of Oklahoma. E-mail Ramona at rkime@olivetcollege.edu. Linda Hoover ’81 was inducted into Constantine High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 25, 2010. A 1977 CHS graduate, Linda earned numerous varsity letters in basketball, tennis, track and volleyball. While at Olivet Linda was voted most improved player in field hockey, and, as a senior, received the Debra Tighe Memorial Award as the outstanding physical education major. Linda is a member of Olivet College’s Athletic Hall of Fame. For 32 years she has worked as a Michigan High School Athletic Association official. E-mail Linda at lhoover@marshall.k12.mi.us. Stuart Blacklaw ’82 is vice president for instruction at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor. Stuart earned his master’s in telecommunication arts from the University of Michigan and a doctorate

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in higher education leadership from Capella University. Stuart and wife, Cindy, live in Ann Arbor. E-mail Stuart at sblacklaw@wccnet.edu. Vern Hazard ’83 was inducted into the 2011 Vicksburg Athletic Hall of Fame on March 26. In high school, Vern participated in baseball, basketball and football, winning five varsity letters. In 1991, he returned to Vicksburg High School to coach football and baseball. At Olivet he earned seven varsity letters. Vern works for Flippen Group in Texas where he and daughter, Alexandria, live. E-mail Vern at vern.hazard@flippengroup.com.

Vern Hazard ’83

Larry Vallar ’84 is the vice president for enrollment management at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia. Larry previously served as vice president for enrollment management at Olivet from 2006 to December 2010. E-mail Larry at lvallar@wju.edu.

Gary Tietz ’86 returned in February, having served one year, from helping to rebuild Afghanistan’s agricultural sector. He helped villagers increase yields with improved subsistence farming techniques. Gary is an enforcement investigations and analysis officer for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in Grand Rapids. Greg Cook ’88, Ph.D., has been the professor of chemistry and biochemistry at North Dakota State University since 1996 and became chair in 2009. On April 28, he received the Odney Award, established by the family of the late Robert Odney, to recognize outstanding faculty teaching. Greg earned his master’s degree and doctorate at Michigan State University. He was a National Institutes of Health fellow at Stanford University. Greg and wife, Lisa (Waltz) ’88, live in Fargo. E-mail Greg at gregcook@mac.com. Laura (Rutter) Ash ’89 was named business manager of GalesburgAugusta Community Schools in July 2010. Laura worked on the Olivet Community Schools’ district payroll while a student at the college. After graduation, she assumed the position of business manager. Since that time she has worked for Revitalization Group in Battle Creek, in the Friend of the Court’s office in Kalamazoo, with Coldwater Community Schools and Mosaica Education, and for a management company for charter schools. In 2003, she received her master’s degree in central office administration from Central Michigan University. E-mail Laura at ashla1976@yahoo.com. Loren Partlo ’89 is currently the Regional Education Services Specialist for the Department of the Navy, Navy Recruiting Command in Michigan and Indiana. Additionally, he coaches boxing at a Detroit public school. Prior to working with the Navy as a civilian, Loren served in the Army for

almost 12 years, flying helicopters and crewing a tank during the Gulf War. He retired his commission in 2001 as a senior captain. He then worked in public education as a high school and middle school principal for six years before taking a position at West Point Military Academy, where he taught within the Department of Physical Education and was a primary boxing instructor and assistant director for the Boxing Department. While a student at Olivet, Loren taught karate from 1985-89. Loren and wife, Margaret (Mueller) ’89, have three children, Ashley, 17, Erik, 15, and Megan, 14. E-mail Loren at Loren.Partlo@navy.mil.

1990s Nate Gross ’94 is the head wrestling coach at Petoskey High School. He and wife, Stephanie, both teach in Petoskey Public Schools. They have two children, Eero Thomas, 9, and Raija Emily, 7. E-mail Nate at nategross@hotmail.com. Sherri Ter Molen ’94 is working on her doctorate in communication media arts and studies at Wayne State University in Detroit. Sherri and husband, Hugh Hoebbel, live in Oak Park. E-mail Sherri at commresearch@me.com. William “Tai” Apisa ’95 is an admissions representative at Olivet College. Before moving to Marshall in 2010, Tai lived in Hawaii, where he taught and coached at Nate Gross ’94 Kamehameha and Nanakuli Schools on Oahu. He also has experience teaching in Michigan. Tai earned his master’s degree in education from Chaminade University in Honolulu. He and wife, Christina (Pratt) ex’95, are the parents of four sons: Tailepeu’a “Tai,” 16, Lekoa “Koa,” 12, and twins, Tuiasosopo “Tui” and Manu’a “Manu,” 10. E-mail Tai at wapisa@olivetcollege.edu. John Fulmer ’95 became the new State Farm agent in downtown Coldwater Oct. 1, 2010. John began his career as a counselor at Starr Commonwealth in Albion before joining State Farm in 1997. He lives in Marshall with wife, Molly (Giesen) ’94, and four children: Noah, 12, Calvin, 11, Nathan, 9, and Regan, 8. E-mail John at john@calljohnfulmer.com.

Get Involved in Olivet’s Alumni Council Are you interested in helping shape the future of Olivet College alumni initiatives? Would you like to help decide who receives Distinguished Alumni Awards and Alumni Council Scholarships? Now is the time to get involved. Contact Marty (Mason) Jennings ’67, director of alumni relations, at mjennings@olivetcollege.edu or (269) 749-7644 for more information.

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Ann Marie Chamberlain ’97 is teaching social studies at Turning Point Academy in Charlotte, N.C. E-mail Ann Marie at redwinglady97@yahoo.com. Stacey Locke ’97 is working on her master’s in rehabilitation counseling at Michigan State University. For 14 years she has been working for a non-profit rehabilitation agency and is on the board of the Michigan Rehabilitation Association. She is also a site supervisor for an AmeriCorps team that is providing financial education for people with disabilities. She is an advocate at the state and federal level for legislation that supports people with disabilities in gaining and maintaining an independent living style. E-mail Stacey at lockesta@msu.edu.

Scott Barry ’99 was named a full-time Major League umpire in March. He received a promotion to the big leagues after working regular-season Major League games as a Triple-A callup umpire in recent years. Scott has been a professional umpire since 2000 and began calling Spring Training games in 2006. He made his Major League debut June 4, 2006, in Detroit, and has been called up to the Majors each season since. He also served as an umpire in games played in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., during the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Scott will wear No. 87 and be a part of John Hirschbeck’s crew, alongside Wally Bell and Laz Diaz. Scott is married to Christine (May) ’01, a resource room teacher at Quincy High School. They have two sons, Cameron, 5, and Alex, 4. E-mail Scott at sabarry@charter.net.

2000s Lisa (Chase) Lehman ’02 is the associate director of admissions at Olivet College. She had served as an admissions representative for seven years. Lisa and husband, Travis ’03, have two sons, Brody, 3, and Bryce, 1. E-mail Lisa at llehman@olivetcollege.edu.

Scott Barry ’99 From left: Stan Freeman ’57, Ed Heator ’80, Olivet President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D., and Olivet trustee Sandy Aranyos ’68 at the Jupiter alumni social in February.

Upcoming Alumni Events July 7, 2011 Sept. 7, 2011 Sept. 17, 2011 Oct. 14-16, 2011 Oct. 29, 2011 Dec. 3, 2011 Dec. 15, 2011 Jan. 15, 2012 February 2012

Minneapolis area alumni social Inauguration of Olivet’s 27th President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D. Traverse City area alumni social Homecoming Athletic Hall of Fame Day Southwest Michigan area holiday social Detroit area holiday social Lansing area annual social – hosted by 1970s alumni Florida socials

For more information, or, if you are interested in hosting an alumni event, please contact Marty (Mason) Jennings ’67, director of alumni relations, at mjennings@olivetcollege.edu or call (269) 749-7644.

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Elliott London ’03 is the seventh grade science and eighth grade social studies teacher at Olivet Middle School. Prior to teaching at Olivet, Elliott taught in the Maple Valley School District for six years. Elliott’s wife, Jen (Dobbins) ’03, teaches second grade at Ferns Persons Elementary School in Olivet. They live in Marshall with daughter, Elizabeth, 4. E-mail Elliott at londone@olivetschools.org. Yolanda Greene ’04 is working in patient accounts at Carolinas Healthcare System. She is in the graduate program in technical and professional writing at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. E-mail Yolanda at yolandagreene30@gmail.com. Christopher Cook ’05 is finance park manager for Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan. Chris earned his master’s degree in business from Cornerstone University. E-mail Christopher at christophercook712@gmail.com. Cody Francis ’05 is the varsity football coach at Hopkins High School. He is on the teaching staff and has assisted in coaching football, middleschool basketball and junior varsity softball. E-mail Cody at codyfran@hpsvikings.org.

Brenetta (Dukes) Horst ’74 Brenetta (Dukes) Horst ’74, recently retired after 35 years of award winning service with the Detroit Public Schools. Working as an instrumental music instructor of orchestra and band, Brenetta founded one of the largest middle school marching bands in the Detroit metropolitan area and served as music director of the Detroit Public Schools All City Marching Band, which participated in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, Calif., in 2001. In January 2001, Brenetta received a Member Emeritus award from the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, Brenetta (Dukes) Horst ’74 in recognition for her many years of service to music education in Michigan schools. Later in her career, she moved into administration. She received accolades from students, parents, staff and fellow administrators for her caring ways, and for making a difference in people’s lives. During her time at Olivet, Brenetta hosted a radio show for WOCR, called Inspirational Time. She was always amazed at the number of students who would call in. “I think that is what encouraged me – encouraging others,” she said. She also says her inspirational talent comes from her mother, who always encouraged people to do their best and better.

Joli (Schlabach) Hensley ’05 works in the marketing department for the First Community Federal Credit Union in Parchment. She and husband, Chad, have a son, Gage, 1. E-mail Joli at joli.hensley@yahoo.com. Kelly (Murphy) Parker ’05 is the art education coordinator at the Art Center in Battle Creek. She supervises 60 instructors, creates more than 70 classes each semester and works with area school teachers, community leaders and families to promote art. E-mail Kelly at kparkerartcenter@yahoo.com. Edward Jones ’06 is teaching ninth grade physical education at Inkster High School. He coached baseball for the last three years. E-mail Edward at ejones@chalk.inksterschools.org. Matthew Powers ’06 is the general manager of the Plainwell Applebee’s Restaurant. Matthew and wife, Jessica, live in Kalamazoo.

Beth Shunkwiler ’06 won the Ms. Michigan U.S. Beauties 2011 contest in January and will be competing in the national contest in Chicago in July. She is also involved in multiple community events and charities in southwestern Michigan. Beth and husband, Ted, live in Saint Joseph. E-mail Beth at shunkwiler_10@hotmail.com. Nichole (James) Wilson ’06 is an operations finance manager at Dowding Industries in Eaton Rapids. Husband, Ben Wilson ’06, works in student support services at Olivet Middle School. E-mail Nichole at njames1116@yahoo.com and Ben at wilsonb@olivetschools.org. Beth Shunkwiler ’06

Josh Beischer ’07 is a guard at the Calhoun County Correctional Facility. He is also training in jiu jitsu and won a tournament in October.

James Biggs ’07 is assistant football coach and recruiting coordinator at Olivet College. He also manages the Marshall Activity Center. E-mail James at jbiggs84031@yahoo.com. Matthew Oladele ’07 earned his Master of Divinity from the Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Mo., May 15, 2010. He is the director of the mission, Christ to the Villages, in his native country of Nigeria. E-mail Matthew at mshola@lycos.com. Todd Stafford ’07 is teaching ninth grade physical science, is the assistant varsity football coach and was just promoted to assistant athletic director at Travelers Rest High School in South Carolina. E-mail Todd at tstaffor@greenville.k12.sc.us.

Matthew Oladele ’07

Courtney Mich ’08 earned her master’s in physician’s assistant studies on Aug. 6, 2010, from Central Michigan University. She passed her boards and is working at Doctor’s Approach Dermatology and Laser Center in East Lansing. E-mail Courtney at courtney.mich@gmail.com. Mitch Powers ’08 received his master’s degree in counseling from Adler School of Professional Psychology. He is in his first year of the Doctor of Clinical Psychology degree program at Adler. He and wife, Carey Lee Burton, live in Chicago. E-mail Mitch at mpaow1804@yahoo.com.

SPRING

2011

David ’64 and Nancy ( Jacobs) ’62 Young David and Nancy met while students attending Olivet College in the early 1960s. Nancy was a member of Sigma Beta and Dave of Phi Alpha Pi. They were married in August 1963, and have had, and look forward to continuing, a rewarding and productive life together. Nancy graduated in 1962 with a degree in education. She taught elementary school for more than 20 years, and spent several satisfying years in adult education. She retired from the Grand Rapids Public School System in 2001. David graduated in 1964 and worked for General Motors/ Delphi Corporation in Grand Rapids and Coopersville for 37 years. He enjoyed various assignments in manufacturing supervision and human resources, retiring in 2002. David ’64 and Nancy (Jacobs) ’62 Young David and Nancy were blessed with a daughter, Rebecca (Becky), and a son, Todd. They also have several grandchildren and great grandchildren, and their expanding family is a joy that was never anticipated while on the Olivet campus. David and Nancy have second careers as owners/operators of Young Farms. Their 200-acre agricultural farm in Coopersville, where they currently reside, produces corn and soybeans. Their 600-acre tree farm is in Crystal Falls with a modest second home. The farm’s northern hardwood maple and oak trees produce lumber for buildings and the furniture industry, and the pine, poplar, spruce and balsam trees produce lumber for the paper and fiberboard industries. David and Nancy’s future plans center around supporting members of their extended family, their church, Olivet College and local health care facilities, as well as pursuing their hobbies. Nancy does quilting, crocheting and knitting, while David loves his antique tractors (mostly John Deere). Olivet College brought this couple together, furthered their educations, and prepared two young adults to embark on a wonderful life journey. David and Nancy will always be grateful to Olivet. David and Nancy would love to hear from their former classmates. E-mail them at youngcoop@aol.com.

SHIPHERD’S

RECORD

Rod Sanders ’08 is an account executive for Rock Executives, an independent marketing firm north of Chicago. He meets with small businesses throughout the city, consulting them on ways to keep expenses down. E-mail Rod at rodsanders37@yahoo.com. James Boyd ’09 earned an associate degree in claims insurance. He worked as an intern for Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance, One Mutual in Frankenmuth. In the spring of 2009, he was hired full-time by the agency. E-mail James at james.boyd@fmins.com. Jean Paul Cortes ’09 recently traveled for five weeks throughout Europe with his brother, Yoshi. He is now a wildlife biologist in the Sequoia National Park in California. E-mail Jean Paul at eagleboycortes@gmail.com. Steve Davis ’09 placed 43rd, out of 109, in the Molokai2Oahu Race, a 32-mile crossing from Oahu to Maui, on July 25, 2010, in Hawaii. Steve

Steve Davis ’09

took second place in his division and third in all stock paddleboarding. Stand-up paddling and paddleboarding champions from around the world competed. Steve is working at Maui Harley Davidson. Sabrina Foskett ’09 earned her master’s degree in social science from the University of Michigan in 2010. She is the investigative children’s protective service specialist for the Department of Human Services in Traverse City. E-mail Sabrina at Sabrina.foskett@yahoo.com. Kelly Schulze ’09 started her graduate studies in archaeological conservation and principles of conservation at the University College London in the fall 2010. She will continue to a Master of Science Conservation for Archaeology and Museums, a two-year course. E-mail Kelly at km.schulze16@gmail.com. Emily (Mason) VanDorpe ’09 is a wellness analyst at Kellogg Company in Battle Creek. E-mail Emily at Emily.vandorpe@kellogg.com. Kyle Zabel ’09 is a business and commercial insurance manager at Mid-Valley Insurance in Saginaw. E-mail Kyle at kylezabel@yahoo.com. Travis Stickler ’10 was recently promoted to assistant manager at Kmart in Marshall.

Remembering Loel (Burket) Schuler ’43 BY KATHRYN McKENZIE NICHOLS Excerpts from original story printed in the Monterey County Herald Longtime Pacific Grove, Calif., resident Loel (Burket) Shuler ’43, who died after a short battle with brain cancer, is remembered by those who knew her well as a woman of diverse talents — whether it was exploring the byways of far-flung Alaskan villages, helping thousands of Monterey Peninsula children discover the world of theater, or writing stories of her life. Loel, who was 89, is remembered best as one of the founders of the Children’s Experimental Theatre in Carmel, a nonprofit organization that engaged generations of youngsters in acting and stagecraft during after school and summer programs, and its adult counterpart, the Staff Players Repertory Company. For more than 40 years, Loel tirelessly taught theater, directed and acted in local productions and designed costumes, even for other theater groups’ plays. Although she was known for her theater work, her life included a variety of adventures, some of which she recounted in her memoir, “Alaska in the Wake of the North Star.” After graduating from Olivet with a bachelor’s degree in English literature, Loel served as sales manager for the University of Chicago Press. She met her physician husband, Dr. Robert Shuler, at the University of Chicago, and after World War II they moved to Seattle, where she worked for the University of Washington Press. They moved to Alaska in 1949, where Robert served as administrator of the Alaska Native Service Hospital in Mount Edgecumbe, later going into private practice in Juneau and in Sitka until his death in 1971. One of the great adventures of Loel’s life was traveling on the freighter USMS North Star II as it wound its way along the northernmost Alaskan coast, delivering supplies to outlying villages on an 11,000-mile journey that took three months. She traveled alone aboard the freighter in an era when that was rare. Even more unusual: she was pregnant with her daughter Barbara, something she didn’t reveal to her fellow passengers. The journal she kept on the trip became the basis of her memoir, published in 2005 by Hancock House. In the early 1960s, after more than two decades in Alaska, Loel moved back to the Lower 48, settling with Barbara and her son Mark in Pacific Grove, which she noted was quite similar to temperate southeastern Alaska. After retiring from the Children’s Experimental Theatre in the early 2000s, Loel turned her attention to literature and writing, producing her memoir and numerous stories about her early life. Donations may be made in her memory to Olivet College. To donate, call the Office of Institutional Advancement at (269) 749-7630 or e-mail advancement@olivetcollege.edu.

MARRIAGES Ruth Fischer ’79 and Michael Meyer, May 14, 2011, Arlington, Kan. E-mail her at RuthFischer34357@yahoo.com. Allison Shakinis ’06 and Cory Grinnell, Oct. 16, 2010, St. Charles Church, Coldwater. Erica (Anderson) Knowlton ’06 was matron of honor and Katie Reed ’06 was a bridesmaid. E-mail Allison at ashakinis@hotmail.com. Eric Bryan ’07 and Lauren Siedlik ’10, July 17, 2010, Indiana. Rev. Mike Fales ’75 officiated. Olivetians in the wedding party were Kenny Ashley ’07, Tony Hall ’08, Jeff Wright ’08, Lisa Egelkraut ’09, Kalee Redder ’09, Krystal Marcus ’10 and Morgan Heintz ’11. E-mail Lauren at laurenbryan1@yahoo.com. Leon Hilaski Jr. ’07 and Jaime Morrison ’08, May 8, 2010, Wayland United Methodist Church, Wayland. Olivetians in the wedding were Cal McNamara ’08, Abbie Utburg ex’08 and Jaclyn Mummaw ’09. E-mail Jaime at wjaimersw@yahoo.com. Eunice Oladele ’07 and Fayehun Victor Adesanya, Jan. 8, 2011, Nigeria. Matthew Oladele ’07, brother of the bride, gave her away. E-mail Eunice at aeoladele@gmail.com. Todd Stafford ’07 and Leah Ebel, June 12, 2010, Holland. They honeymooned in Mexico and live in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. E-mail Todd at tstaffor@greenville.k12.sc.us. Tony Hall ’08 and Stephanie Shepherd ’08, June 5, 2010, St. John Vianney Catholic Church, Shelby Township. Rev. Mike Fales ’75 participated in the ceremony. Olivetians in the wedding party were Kenny Ashley ’07, Eric Bryan ’07, Jon Hanson ’07, Levi Mason ’07, Sean McMahon ’08 and John Mullen ’09. Eunice Oladele ’07 and Fayehun Victor Adesanya

Deyan Kozhuharov ’08 and Katelyn Harmon ’10, July 10, 2010, First Congregational Church, Battle Creek. Hristo Kozhuharov ’07 was best man for his brother. Other attendants were Craig Jenkins ’05 and Celeste Gruber ’10. E-mail Deyan at Kozhuharov_jr@hotmail.com and Katelyn at kkozhuharov@hotmail.com. Mitch Powers ’08 and Carey Lee Burton, Aug. 21, 2010, Intercontinental Hotel, Chicago. Elizabeth Putney ’08 and Arek Chachaj, June 5, 2010, Bridge Street Chapel, Grand Ledge. E-mail Elizabeth at elzbthputney@gmail.com. Dan Reed ’08 and Aryn Perkins ’09, Aug. 21, 2010. Katie Reed ’06 was maid of honor and attendants included Molly (Reed) Goaley ’05, Erica (Anderson) Knowlton ’06, Nicole (Gregory) Durga ’09, Sarah Fitzpatrick ’09 and Corey (Green) Misko ex’07. Kyle Vanderlaan ’08, Matt Hartig ’09 and Jim Pinckney ex’10 were also in the wedding. E-mail Dan and Aryn at aperkins77@aim.com. Ben Chee ’09 and Sarah Hutchinson, July 17, 2010, Lake Shore Inn, Muskegon.

SPRING

2011

BIRTHS

Doris (Morton) Blackerby ’48, May 16, 2010, Reading, Pa.

Chris ’96 and Laura (Schryer) ’03 VonAllmen, Koen Paul, July 8, 2010. He joins brother, Luke, 5. E-mail Chris at Christian.vonallmen@jackson.com.

Elizabeth (Keiper) Hutchins ’48, March 31, 2011, Houston, Texas.

Melissa (Sobie) Casarez ’02 and husband, Jeremy, a son, Zachary, March 31. He joins brothers, Antonio, 5, and Connor, 4. E-mail Melissa at mcasarez@olivetcollege.edu. Kristi (Barker) ’03 Koenig and husband, Jeff, a son, Nathan Jeffrey, Feb. 20, 2011. E-mail Kristi at kristikoenig@yahoo.com. Tyrai Thomas ’03 and wife, Erica, a son, Tyrai Jr., May 22, 2010. E-mail Tyrai at tyraithomas@gmail.com. Ethan ’04 and Jaime (Stenz) ’05 Smith, a son, Karter Joseph, March 14, 2010. E-mail Ethan and Jaime at stenziepoo12@hotmail.com. Zachary Casarez

Donna (Paulsen) Visnaw ’48, March 11, 2010, Grayling. Jane H. Decker ’49, June 28, 2010, Riverside, Calif. She is survived by husband, Henry Decker ’48. Bernard Shakin ’49, Nov. 1, 2010, New York City, N.Y. Dwight Ross Smith ’49, Nov. 26, 2010, East Lansing. His wife, Virginia (Boyko) ’49, died in 2002. Lee E. Hendershot ex’50, Nov. 17, 2010, Hillsdale. David E. Davis Jr. ex’53, March 27, 2011, Ann Arbor. John N. McKenzie ’54, Oct. 26, 2010, Port Huron. Roy Schreck ’56, May 7, 2011, Fremont. Lou Flanigan ex’62, July 1, 2010, New Orleans, La. Virginia (Hamilton) Fryer ’62, Feb. 2, 2011, Birmingham.

Joli (Schlabach) Hensley ’05 and husband, Chad, a son, Gage, May 4, 2010. E-mail Joli at joli.hensley@yahoo.com.

Norman Geoffrey Masters ’62, Dec. 1, 2010, Oro Valley, Ariz. He is survived by sister, Barbara (Masters) Brummel ’57.

Erin (Trelstad) ’07 Fredericks and husband, Michael, twin sons, Charlie Alexander and Lucas Ryan, April 30, 2010. They join sister, Hannah, 4. Michael is associate professor of mathematics at Olivet College. E-mail Michael at mfredericks@olivetcollege.edu.

Cathy Rieman Axe ’64, Feb. 7, 2011, Detroit.

Stephanie Thompson-Bradtke ’07 and husband, James Bradtke, a daughter, Sandra Marie, Feb. 1, 2010. E-mail Stephanie at stephaniemariebradtke@yahoo.com.

Nancy Rivers ’65, May 16, 2011, Milford, Conn.

Jeremy ’09 and Jessica (Pletz) ’09 Drosha, a son, Mason, April 3. E-mail Jessica at jdrosha@olivetcollege.edu.

Terry Robert Sober ex’64, March 3, 2011, Lansing. Wayne J. Newman ’65, Dec. 9, 2009, Weidman. Jim Carothers ’66, Feb. 27, 2011, Clyde, Ohio. Diane Ouding ’66, June 3, 2010, New York City, N.Y. Jon Head ’70, May 19, 2011, Wellesley, Mass. Sandra (Starkey) Jansen ex’70, Nov. 4, 2010, Mt. Pleasant.

IN MEMORIAM

Betty (Fulkerson) Hanson ’77, April 10, 2010, Pennfield Twp.

Reber G. Nelson ’35, July 18, 2010, Fremont.

Marianne Woods ’77, Dec. 17, 2010, Macomb, Ill.

Evelyn (Wilson) Scher ’35, Feb. 23, 2011, Homosassa, Fla.

Robert Mooradian ’78, Jan. 22, 2011, Saint Robert, Mo.

Gordon Poor ’36, July 25, 2010, Takoma Park, Md.

Kemp Luchie ex’07, July 13, 2010, Mt. Pleasant.

Evelyn (Rundquist) Bedell ’37, July 7, 2010, Snohomish, Wash.

Corey Hodges ex’08, Nov. 22, 2010, New Orleans, La.

Marjorie L. (Brown) Gingras ex’37, Nov. 4, 2010, East Lansing. John A. Vary ’37, Nov. 1, 2009, Ormond Beach, Fla. He is survived by wife, Loretta (Brown) Vary ’36. Ruth (Yotter) Thomas ’38, Jan. 17, 2011, Northport. She is survived by husband, Grafton “Mac” Thomas ’37. Shirley (Rosenberg) Watson ’39, Feb. 18, 2011, Grand Blanc. Robert Dersch ’40, March 23, 2010, Royal Oak. Lou Foster ’40, March 11, 2011, Vero Beach, Fla. Donald Green ’40, Dec. 29, 2010, Port Austin. Eleanor (Morse) Todd ’41, Aug. 17, 2010, Armada. Loel (Burket) Shuler ’43, Jan. 22, 2011, Pacific Grove, Calif. She is survived by brother, Philip Burket ’52. David E. Eaton ’44, Oct. 29, 2010, Lansing. His wife, Erminie (Stripe) Eaton ’44, died in 2005. He is survived by daughter, Mary Eaton ’69. Barbara (Thompson) Foley ’44, Oct. 25, 2010, Albert Lea, Minn. Ruth (Beardsley) Oberholtzer ’45, Aug. 12, 2010, Elm Grove, Wis. 40

SHIPHERD’S

RECORD

FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE Beatrice Campbell, Dec. 31, 2010, Olivet. “Bea” worked at Olivet College and, during the 1930s and 1940s was the administrative assistant to President Joseph Brewer. Al Gilmour, May 21, 2011. From 1958-67 Al was the dean of students, director of admissions and administrative assistant to President Gorton Riethmiller. During Commencement 2010, Al was awarded the degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. Richard Hill, Jr., July 25, 2010, Lake Odessa. Richard was the husband of Georgina (Fry) ’91. Marjorie Ann Jillson, June 3, 2010, Sterling Heights. She was the great-great granddaughter of William Hosford, one of the founding fathers of Olivet College, along with Father John Shipherd. She is survived by niece Marjorie Seymour ’76. Darryl Parsell, August 24, 2010, Lansing. He was the son of Stu Parsell, football coach during the 1960s at Olivet College, and Cecilia, Olivet College’s nurse.

BY SARAH (ENGLE) LAWRENCE ’56

Five or six years ago Berry (known to many as Bob) learned So they formed the non-profit Cooperative for Education about the Guatemala Literacy Project through a program at his (commonly called CoEd) and started spreading the word that local rotary club. He learned that these children deserved some help. Guatemala has the next to lowest The Guatemala Literacy Project literacy rate in the Western was born. And rotary was involved Hemisphere and also that two young from the beginning, providing funds brothers, Jeff and Joe Beringer, from to purchase textbooks. The brothers’ Cincinnati were doing something about plan was to provide textbooks to it. Several years ago, Jeff, in his first students in Basico grades 1-3 year volunteering in the Guatemala (comparable to our 7- 9 grades) City schools, realized that the on a basis that would be selfgovernment did not provide funds to sustaining. Students would pay an buy teaching materials for use in the annual book rental and after five classroom after grade six. All he had years, the school would have was a chalkboard and chalk. Teachers enough funds to replace the books. were expected to write all their lessons Now, 14 years later, there are 191 From left: Bob ’57 and Sarah (Engle) ’56 Lawrence, on the board so the students could schools in the textbook program daughter, Sue, and granddaughter, Erin. copy them into a workbook and thus and several schools have been able create their own textbooks. There were no printed books in the to purchase their third set of new books. The plan is working. classroom and no school library. And Jeff learned that the children Over the years, 369 rotary clubs throughout the U.S., of the central highlands – primarily the descendants of the Canada and the Cayman Islands have raised funds to support indigenous Mayan people – had even fewer educational the program and each year in February, a group of about 45 opportunities. Their families were very poor and most made their Rotarians travel to Guatemala to visit the schools and deliver living farming the steep mountain hillsides. The schools there were books. This was Bob’s fourth year taking the trip and my second. poorly equipped and many teachers had no more than a high And, because neither of us speak Spanish, we took along our school education. As a result children dropped out of school and granddaughter Erin (who does speak Spanish), to help us became parents at an early age. dedicate the school we are sponsoring this year in honor of Jeff enlisted his brother’s help and together the two of them Berry’s mother, Myra, who will celebrate her 100th birthday searched for a way to make a difference for these children of the July 2, 2011. highlands. They realized that the only way these children could “escape the circle of poverty” was through education.

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