Reed College Magazine December 2019

‰ december 2019

THE PARADOX OF WILDFIRE THE AMERICAN WEST IS BURNING. CAN WE FIND A WAY TO PREVENT FOREST FIRES WITHOUT ACTUALLY MAKING THEM WORSE?

BY ALEJANDRO CHÁVEZ ’17

Be a part of a Reed student’s education.

Enriqueta Canseco-Gonzalez, professor of psychology

With your Annual Fund gift, you will help to ensure that Reed remains an ineffably intellectual refuge for young minds. You will also directly support Reed’s talented faculty as they shape Reed students into intellectually voracious graduates eager to accomplish great things.

Make your gift to the Annual Fund today at giving.reed.edu.

10

photo by clayton cotterell

Departments

Features 10

Reynolds Presses Come Back Home To Reed

14

By Ben Read ’21 and Sebastian Zinn ’18

By Ann-Derrick Gaillot ’12

Mothers, Fathers, and Writers

18

Acclaimed author Lise Funderburg ’82 spent years trying to make sense of her dad. In her new anthology she asks other writers to do the same.

What the Sentence Can Do

With razor wit and trademark brio, Prof. Jan Mieszkowski takes on literature, philosophy, and the twitterverse.

By Miles Bryan ’13

By Romel Hernandez ryan collerd

12

4 Eliot Circular

Explosive analysis of the 1967 race riots by sociologist Robert Shellow ’51 was suppressed by the White House and forgotten for 50 years. How does it look today?

Parting gift from Oregon College of Art and Craft honors Reed’s cherished history of letters.

12

Bitter Harvest

22

President Bilger Inaugurated.

Reed leads the pack in STEM PhDs. Phytoplankton in a warming world.

In case you missed it.

8 Advocates of the Griffin

28 Reediana

By Alejandro Chávez ’17

News from our classmates.

40 In Memoriam

Honoring classmates, professors, and friends who have died.

Laurel Wilkening ’66, university chancellor and cosmic rockhound Bushra Azzouz ’80, filmmaker helped students find their inner voice Garon Coriz ’08, activist doctor who championed his patients

48 Object of Study

Cover photo by Daniel Cronin

Books, Films, and Music by Reedies

32 Class Notes

The Paradox of Wildfire

The American West is burning.

Can we find a way to prevent forest fires without actually making them worse?

News of the Alumni Association

What we’re looking at in class

Students in Math 113 consider the associahedron.

Reed Magazine december 2019

1

‰

Letter from the editor

december 2019

www.reed.edu/reed-magazine 3203 SE Woodstock Boulevard, Portland, Oregon 97202 503/777-7591 Volume 98, No. 4 REED MAGAZINE editor

Chris Lydgate ’90 503/777-7596 chris.lydgate@reed.edu writer/In Memoriam editor

Randall S. Barton 503/517-5544 bartonr@reed.edu writer/reediana editor

Katie Pelletier ’03 503/777-7727 pelletic@reed.edu class notes editor

Joanne Hossack ’82 joanne@reed.edu art director

Tom Humphrey tom.humphrey@reed.edu

Looking For Jokes In All the Wrong Places What do you get when you cross a supplysider with a comedian? The answer is Yoram Bauman ’95, the world’s first and only standup economist, who killed ’em with jokes about the Laffer Curve in a packed auditorium at Reed last month.

You didn’t really need to know much about economics to enjoy the show. Yoram walked on stage sporting a bright red t-shirt that proclaimed “Capitalism” in the lettering of the Coca-Cola logo—a shirt he described as “80% cotton and 20% irony”—and from then on out, the audience was pretty much putty in his hands.

Yoram majored in math at Reed and wrote his thesis on abelian group structure.

But his most influential intellectual experience was a class in environmental economics taught by Prof. Noelwah Netusil. After graduating from Reed, he went on to earn a PhD from the University of Washington and specialize in environmental economics.

Somewhere along the way, he got hooked on standup comedy and—improbable as it sounds—figured out how to combine these two seemingly irreconcilable disciplines into an unforgettable shtick.

Yoram doesn’t just make you laugh. He also makes you think.

In addition to his career in comedy, Yoram has spent the better part of two decades 2

Reed Magazine december 2019

investigating the economics of climate change, specifically the carbon tax—an idea that has moved from the realm of fantasy into the mainstream of economic thought.

He has written several academic papers on carbon taxes and was the founder of the first carbon tax ballot measure in the USA, Washington’s I-732, which reached the ballot in 2016 (but was rejected by voters, getting 41% of the vote). Comedy, for him, is a medium, a tool by which to communicate important ideas that too often come cloaked in footnotes and functions.

In between wry asides about Baumol’s cost disease and Mankiw’s principles, he explained why free markets are bad at preventing air pollution and why it makes more sense to tax things we don’t like, rather than things we do like—or as he put it, “let’s tax pollution, not potatoes.”

As I walked out of the crowded lecture hall into the dark November night, it occurred to me that by trying to make economics both understandable and entertaining, Yoram had set himself a daunting task. Yet in some ways, the sheer absurdity of the effort is what made it take flight.

Education is a serious business, but it often works best when we’re having fun.

—CHRIS LYDGATE ’90

grammatical kapeLlmeister

Virginia O. Hancock ’62 REED COLLEGE RELATIONS vice prsident, college relations

Hugh Porter director, communications & public affairs

Mandy Heaton Reed College is an institution of higher education in the liberal arts and sciences devoted to the intrinsic value of intellectual pursuit and governed by the highest standards of scholarly practice, critical thought, and creativity.

Reed Magazine provides news of interest to the Reed community. Views expressed in the magazine belong to their authors and do not necessarily represent officers, trustees, faculty, alumni, students, administrators, or anyone else at Reed, all of whom are eminently capable of articulating their own beliefs.

Reed Magazine (ISSN 0895-8564) is published quarterly by the Office of Public Affairs at Reed College.

Periodicals postage paid at Portland, Oregon.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Reed Magazine 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland OR 97202-8138

Mailbox clayton cotterell

Write to us! We love getting mail from readers. Letters should be about Reed (and its alumni) or Reed Magazine (and its contents) and run no more than 300 words; subsequent replies may only run half the length of their predecessors. Our decision to print a letter does not imply any endorsement. Letters are subject to editing. (Beware the editor’s hatchet.) For contact information, look to your left. Read more letters and commentary at www.reed.edu/reed-magazine.

Undressing the U.S. News Rankings

Just a brief note to congratulate you first for addressing persuasively the U.S. News trash, and secondly on your splendid presentation of Pres.

Audrey Bilger. Your journal deserves one of the highest national rankings.

All the best, Bill McGrew ’56 Dover, Pennsylvania Loved your piece on the college ranking data hacking. The whole story from nerdy statistics sleuthing to soulful student quotes captured perfectly what I love about Reed.

Thanks for nailing a great story!

Ginger Jui ’07 Oakland, California

A Passion for Figuring Out the World

I received Reed Magazine this week and put it aside to read the article about President Bilger.

Being a good Reedie, I thought it made sense to do my homework and learn more about her. My plan was to get up early, bake some yummies, and get my house ready for incoming alumnae house guests. As I listened to the rain and waited on some energy given the high humidity level playing havoc on energy level, I grabbed the mag.

I read the Bilger profile first, which gave me so much hope for Reed’s future. I thought, wow she gets it, loved her vision for the Reed community, and she is someone I would enjoy talking with about literature, Oklahoma, the role of women in higher ed, and more. And indeed, after finishing reading the magazine, I read Bilger’s piece “You Guys.”

Then I read through the entire issue. I laughed at the wit in the letters, read the profiles in “What is a Reedie, Anyway?”, looked through the class

“What is a Reedie, Anyway” featured profiles of twelve students in the September issue of Reed Magazine.

notes for names I recognized like we all do starting with the ’80s section, and then read the obits.

I am always struck by the amazing journeys of Reedies. The third or fourth one made me cry because I hope that I can achieve as much as they have. It wasn’t the awards, the degrees, or the accolades. It was the wonder, the giving back, and the passion for figuring out the world that is universal in these alumni stories.

Thank you for doing such a good job capturing Reed, for both looking back and looking forward, and weaving together the common threads.

Mela Kunitz ’87 Portland, Oregon

Twelve from ’19

The Dazzling Dozen!

The six science/mathematics titles have a lot of interest for me, including the economics of beauty and holograms/letterforms, both of which sound intriguing. But what surprised me is how interesting the others are, too. The tribes in eastern Oregon have been making innovative moves for years if not decades. I’m pleased to see a Reed student making a contribution to that continuing process. Song cycles and bicycles might be more math and history, which I would love, but even if not, I would still read with interest. Mia Bonilla and Jeri Brand seem to have picked a combined topic that might be “life as we live it today,” and I would definitely like to see what insights they have to offer. “Class anxiety” is a phrase that I’ve

never encountered but I’m almost galvanized by the possibilities. “Discourse markers” is another phrase that seems to resonate instantly. This woman is onto something and I want to know what. Drums do seem to talk, don’t they?

What an amazing crew! I’d love to meet you all.

Mitch Hoselton ’71 Fort Worth, Texas Back in September of 1967 when I was a new freshman, I met the very nicest people one afternoon. They were two young men who lived in a cross-canyon dorm, and we had a wonderful visit. They had a piece of wire or chromed thing attached with string at either end, so you could bump it on something and hold the strings into your ears and hear the really interesting sounds it could make. One of them even had a stereo, one of those modular things with an amplifier and a turntable, which I only knew about but had never seen or played. At the end of our very pleasant visit, they invited me to come back. Of course, I didn’t remember how to get there, and I was embarrassed to say so, and I never did manage to even try to find it again. But who were you? We had so much fun that day. Also, my name at that time was Leslie Weiss, although it is now Lisa Davidson. I was one of those people with long straight brown hair. Thank you.

Lisa Davidson ’71 Sierra Madre, California december 2019 Reed Magazine

3

Eliot Circular news from campus

lauren labarre

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

We always have way more news than we can ever fit in Reed Magazine. But that doesn’t stop us—we just post it online! Don’t miss these terrific pieces on www.reed.edu: tom humphrey

Destitute Pray. Intrepid journalist Mike Munk ’56 tracked down the story behind an enigmatic Reed artifact painted on a bathmat.

Reed Welcomes Class of ’23.

Incoming class is 393 strong and hails from around the globe.

Celebrating Inclusion (with Muscle).

New mural in sports center celebrates fitness for all types of bodies.

Defying Gravity. Read about the dazzling but tragic career of innovative dancer José Brown ’71, who died of AIDS in 1996.

R . B r u c e H o r s fa l l

Students, professors, alumni, staff, and friends of the college celebrated in jubilant style in October when Audrey Bilger was formally installed as the 16th president of Reed. Shadab Zeest Hashmi ’95 read a poem, “To Ampersand, with Love,” that she wrote in honor of the occasion. Yoon Sun Lee, professor of English at Wellesley College, delivered a stirring keynote address.

Claudia Brant, a dear friend of President Bilger and her wife, Cheryl Pawelski, performed “Sincera,” a song about inspiration, freedom, and the unique power of our fearless words. Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a reception and dinner along with tunes by a jazz trio comprising Nolan Anderson ’20 (guitar), Nikhil Wadhwa ’19 (guitar), and Elihu Knowles ’20 (drums). Dinner led to a dance celebration as one of President Bilger’s favorite bands, NRBQ, brought freewheeling fun to the Quad. Check out www.reed.edu/ audrey-bilger-inauguration-highlights.

nina johnson ’99

Bilger Inaugurated

The Revolution Will Be Livestreamed.

Reed political science major Laura Jedeed ’19 infiltrated a local altright group for her senior thesis.

She explains how rallies, protests, and street brawls feed the alt-right propaganda machine.

Good Eggs. Reedies flock to help the Portland Audubon Society save historic illustrations.

Reed Magazine december 2019

5

Reed Leads the Pack in STEM PhDs Reed is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the percentage of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) majors who go on to earn PhDs in STEM fields, according to a new report on strengthening the nation’s STEM pipeline that was conducted on behalf of the Council of Independent Colleges. Roughly 38% of Reed STEM grads obtained a PhD in the 10-year time frame covered by the report, edging out MIT, Caltech, Harvey Mudd, and other tech schools.

The absolute number of Reed STEM PhDs is smaller than those of traditional engineering powerhouses: 288 Reed grads earned a STEM PhD from 2007 to 2016, compared

6

Reed Magazine december 2019

to 742 from Caltech, for example. But those colleges also have many more STEM majors.

When you look at the percentage of STEM majors who later obtain PhDs in the field— known as the “institutional yield ratio” in higher-ed jargon—Reed vaults to the top of the list.

“This finding illustrates the strength of Reed’s science program and shows the power of doing STEM in the broader context of the humanities,” says President Audrey Bilger. “STEM majors at Reed graduate with a breadth of perspective that few can match.”

The report, titled Strengthening the STEM Pipeline Part II, focused on the role of small

and midsized independent colleges in preparing underrepresented students in STEM. It also revealed that Reed stands at No. 7 on the list for women in STEM, with 18% of Reed’s female STEM grads earning PhDs. (The report excluded Reed and some other small liberal-arts colleges from the lists ranking African American or Latinx graduates with STEM PhDs because Reed produced fewer than 25 PhDs in each of these categories.)

Reed’s unique science program combines outstanding professors who work closely with students on research projects at the cutting edge of their disciplines. Majors include

Sinhyu

leah nash

Phytoplankton in a Warming World nina johnson ’99

biology, biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, environmental studies, math, neuroscience, physics, and statistics. Reed students publish their results in top scientific journals with surprising frequency. Reed also maintains the only nuclear reactor in the world that is run primarily by undergrads.

“We have a long history of students and faculty learning together at Reed College,” says Prof. Jay Mellies [biology 1999–]. “Scientific inquiry involves a lot of trial and error, but gaining new knowledge is exciting, with the realization that there are always more questions to answer.” —CHRIS LYDGATE ’90

If you breathe, thank a phytoplankton. These minuscule aquatic plants— thousands could swim in a single drop of water—are responsible for producing about half the world’s oxygen.

Prof. Sam Fey [biology 2017–], a population and community ecologist and assistant professor, won a $700,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (shared between his lab at Reed and collaborators at Yale University) to study the microorganisms. “They represent a sweet spot for me because of their ecological importance, astounding diversity, and overall beauty,” he says.

Using freshwater phytoplankton and a variety of laboratory environments that vary in their thermal and light properties, Fey and his students will study how phytoplankton populations flourish—or plummet—when facing sudden changes in temperature and light.

Because of their vital role in global ecology and their quick generation time, phytoplankton are ideal for predicting how organisms react to sudden changes in their environment. “We know that environmental variation is omnipresent, and that organisms can respond to that change over their lifetime—for example, the shedding and acquiring fur coats by mammals when the seasons change,” Fey explains. This type of trait adjustment during a single lifetime is known as phenotypic plasticity, and it could play a crucial role

Prof. Sam Fey [biology]

in how vulnerable or resilient different animal and plant populations are in the face of climate change.

To understand how phenotypic plasticity can alter the ecological dynamics of populations, the Fey lab will develop mathematical models that can forecast how phytoplankton respond to drastic changes in light and temperature, and then confront those predictions with actual data.

“Our main end goal is to improve ecological forecasts that predict what a warmer world will look like, and provide a more informed picture of the consequences of our current carbon emissions,” he says.

Fey is excited that students will play an active role in the project. The grant will support senior theses, independent projects, and six student summer research positions over the course of the next three years; it is one of 11 federally funded projects currently under way in the Reed biology department.

—GUANANÍ GÓMEZ-VAN CORTRIGHT ’18

Reed Magazine december 2019

7

Advocates of the Griffin

News of the Alumni Association • EDITED BY CALYX REED ’17 AND KATIE RAMSEY ’04 • More at alumni.reed.edu

lauren labarre

Forum and Function More than 111 alumni visited campus during the second week of September. If this sounds like a big deal, it’s because it is.

The weekend-long Forum for Advancing Reed (FAR) connects alumni to each other and the college, and provides an opportunity to strengthen Reed as a whole.

This year’s FAR kicked off with a reception with President Audrey Bilger, who spoke about the passion she sees in Reedies at every stage of life. Conversation continued throughout the weekend, with alumni from around the nation gathering in classrooms to engage and learn more about important changes happening at

8

Reed Magazine december 2019

Reed, including a fascinating talk on replicating data by Associate Professor of Psychology Michael Pitts. Alumni volunteer groups also met to plan out the year and recruit new alumni to join their initiatives.

FAR attendees worked hard, but like true Reedies, they played that way too. A happy hour at one of Reed’s favorite haunts, Gigantic, saw alumni of all ages enjoying IPAs, intellectual inquiry, and irreverent games.

Weren’t able to make it to FAR this year but still want to engage with Reed? Email alumni@reed. edu to get involved:

Alumni Chapters: host an event for Reedies in your city!

Alumni Fundraising for Reed: Encourage alumni to renew their support of Reed by sending friendly personal emails a couple of times a year.

Committee for Young Alumni (Alumni Board committee open to all): engage with and support young alumni as they fledge Reed’s nest for the world beyond.

Diversity & Inclusion Committee (Alumni Board committee open to all): contribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion work being done in the alumni community, including a survey of alumni of color this year.

Foster-Scholz Club Steering Committee: connect to other Portland Reedies who are forty or more years out of graduation by planning local events at Reed.

Reed Career Alliance (Alumni Board committee open to all): coach recent and mid-level graduates on career development, work on a podcast project demystifying the idea that alumni have linear career paths, or join the legal network.

Reunions 2020 Class Committees (Calling all 0s and 5s!): collaborate and plan a great Reunions class event.

Boles Earns Babson Award

Liss Earns Distinguished Service Award

Reed Lawyers in Motion The Reed College Legal Network is gaining momentum. With a mixer both in the spring and during the Forum for Advancing Reed in September, Reedies in the legal field were able to connect and network in real time.

And thanks to an updated online Alumni Directory, which now includes a legal referral directory, even more Reedies can connect with lawyers and other professionals in the legal field. (Check out the networks dropdown from the main search page.) Email alumni@reed.edu to get involved.

The legal network established the Legal Education Access Fund (LEAF) and hopes to enable more people interested in the law to pursue careers in law. Funding is available to current students with financial need for LSAT registration fees and prep courses, as well as law school application fees. Interested in giving to LEAF? Simply note LEAF in the Reasons for Giving section of your donation at giving.reed.edu.

I give to LEAF because I want to encourage Reedies to not only take the LSAT, but to prepare for it with quality materials that can really improve test scores, and expand options at competitive law schools. —DARLENE PASIECZNY ’01

This summer, Jan Liss ’74 was awarded the Distinguished Service Award during the annual Foster-Scholz Club Reunions luncheon at Reunions 2019. Jan is the executive director of Project Pericles, a non-profit organization dedicated to incorporating civic engagement and social

nina johnons ’99

lauren labarre

This year’s Babson Award for Outstanding Volunteer was awarded to Sandy Boles ’90. The award, named for volunteer powerhouse Jean McCall Babson ’42, is given to volunteers who make a substantial difference to the college and to the alumni community, and Sandy has done just that. She served as an oral history project volunteer, spent four years on the alumni board executive committee, and has been the president of the alumni association, among other activities. When Reed or Reedies ask, Sandy answers. She’s a natural connector and always attracts a community of Reedies, no matter where she lives. Congratulations, Sandy!

responsibility into higher education. Jan has volunteered for Reed in a wide variety of roles: serving on the Alumni Fundraising for Reed Steering Committee, being a stalwart AFR volunteer for the Griffin initiative, an alumni board member, an admission and career network volunteer, and an alumni trustee. Her work has positively impacted Reed and the world around it, and will continue to do so for years to come.

We’re Growing! New Chapters Sprout in Austin and Denver The Alumni Chapter Leadership Council (CLC) is pleased to announce two new official chapters of the alumni association: the Austin denver (Texas) and Denver (Colorado) chapters were approved during the Forum for Advancing Reed in September. They join established chapters in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Europe, New York, Portland, Rainier/Seattle, Southern California, •

and Washington, D.C. From book clubs that discuss the new Hum 110 curriculum to museum visits and Thirsty Third Thursdays galore, the alumni community is thriving thanks to dedicated members interested in building the Reed network.

To learn about events in your area or for more information on austin how to host an event in your city, visit alumni.reed.edu.

•

MALS—Because One Thesis Wasn’t Enough Graduate work in a rigorous program that is both flexible and diverse? You must be talking about the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies at Reed College! Reed’s own unique graduate program in the liberal arts and science is a substrate for intellectual

meandering and meaningful discourse.

This interdisciplinary program in the liberal arts is taught by Reed’s renowned faculty and enables students to take a range of courses not available in traditional graduate programs. More at reed.edu/MALS.

Nomination Nation The nominating committee of the board of directors of the alumni association proposes the following nominees to serve terms on the alumni board beginning July 1, 2020: Nominee for Alumni Trustee: Lisa Saldana ’94 Nominee for President: Melissa Osborne ’13 Nominee for Vice President: alea adigweme ’06 Nominee for Secretary: Dave Baxter ’87 Nominees for At-Large Director: Sirius Bonner ’05, Shirley Gibson ’94, Liz Gilkey ’01, Peter Miller ’06, and Laramie Silber ’13 Nominees for Nominating Committee for 2019–20: Jinyoung Park ’11 (past president, chair), Melissa Osborne ’13 (president), Wayne Clayton ’82, Claire Dennerlein Manson ’02, and Sebastian Pastore ’88 Please find additional details on the nominees and petition process on alumni.reed.edu.

december 2019 Reed Magazine

9

REYNOLDS PRESSES COME BACK HOME TO REED Parting gift from Oregon College of Art and Craft honors Reed’s cherished history of letters.

BY BEN READ ’21 AND SEBASTIAN ZINN ’18

Lost and venerable fragments of Reed’s history of letters—including several presses that once belonged to Prof. Lloyd Reynolds­ [English and art 1929–69]—have recently been donated to the college by the Oregon College of Art and Craft (OCAC), which closed its doors in May.

10 Reed Magazine december 2019

The gift includes two Vandercook proofing presses, eight cabinets laden with 384 different drawers of lead type, a board shear, a gold foil stamper, two guillotines, cast-iron nipping presses, an exposure unit to make polymer plates, flat files, and many small tools for both bookbinding and letterpress printing.

“This gift will make a huge impact on the studio art program,” says Prof. Gerri Ondrizek [art 1994–].

Reed’s tradition of letters begins with Prof.

Reynolds, who founded the calligraphy program and made it a central part of community and campus life for decades, inspiring generations of students to pursue the art and science of letterforms (including some who

became renowned typeface designers).

Prof. Reynolds’s artistic interests were not confined to calligraphy, however—he was also fascinated by engraving, typesetting, printmaking, and bookbinding, and assembled an impressive collection of letterpress equipment in his Graphic Arts Workshop.

Both Reynolds and his students were part of a larger Portland community of book artists. Reynolds also taught at the Museum Art School (now the Pacific Northwest College of Art), and he had a public access TV show, à la Bob Ross, on PBS. “The whole book arts program at OCAC was birthed out of Reynolds’s calligraphy program,” says Prof.

Barbara Tetenbaum [art 2019–], Reed’s new

photos by clatyon cotterell

Profs. Barbara Tetenbaum and Gerri Ondrizek in the print and letterpress studio with historic equipment.

visiting professor of book arts and printmaking, who taught bookmaking and printing at OCAC for 26 years.

In 1984 the Reed faculty voted to cut calligraphy from the formal curriculum, downgrading the for-credit program into an extracurricular, adjunct program. The decision caused an uproar, as one professor remarked, “I’m sorry to say that I think we— the faculty itself—will be paying for yesterday’s faculty decisions for a long time to come.”

Meanwhile, Reynolds’s letterpress equipment percolated into the wider community, eventually landing at OCAC. “This little community of book artists in Portland swaps, sells, and gifts presses to one another,” says

Prof. Ondrizek. “The equipment and the processes don’t change, just the identity of the artists and craftspeople.”

This craft community faces uncertainty going forward. The Museum of Contemporary Craft closed in 2016, and OCAC, one of the last remaining craft-focused degree programs in the country, closed in May. But there’s a silver lining to the story: Reynolds’s presses are coming home to a Reed that is ready for their arrival.

For years after the 1984 decision, calligraphy and letters at Reed lay forlorn but not forgotten. But starting in 1998, Prof. Ondrizek began acquiring letterpress equipment piece by piece to teach courses in typography and

book arts. Since then, many Reed students have done letterpress and book making for their thesis projects; several alumni have gone into the field and have returned to teach specific skills like bookbinding and letterpress printing in her studio art courses.

In 2012, Cooley Galler y Director Stephanie Snyder ’91 and Gregory MacNaughton ’89 collaborated to found the Calligraphy Initiative, an effort to revive calligraphy by holding a regular “Scriptorium.” Scriptorium serves as a center of community where students, staff, faculty, alumni, and local enthusiasts come together twice a week to “make something beautiful with their own hands,” as Greg puts it. Physics major Oona Sullivan-Marcus ’19 started as a sophomore and fell in love with letters. One of Reynolds’s former students, Jacqueline Svaren ’50, comes every week, and she and Oona have become fast friends. Oona recalled one of her favorite memories from Scriptorium: “We were learning how to make a pen out of bamboo, and Jaki told me that she has always loved using a bamboo pen and walnut ink because the act of writing feels like putting the tree back together.” Last year Oona won a Presidential Summer Fellowship to go to the Society of Scribes and Illuminators in London and study the foundational script, an experience from which she produced a book that she handwrote and bound herself.

Last year, the Poetry Foundation headquarters in Chicago featured an exhibit of broadsides designed as a collaboration between Prof. Samiya Bashir [creative writing 2012–] and local Latinx womxn-owned press Letra Chueca.

Reynolds was the first professor at Reed to teach hands-on art courses and art history at the same time. The Reed art department continues this legacy as a single department that includes both art history and studio together. Ondrizek has ambitions to create new spaces for the book arts to thrive. She and Tetenbaum have been collaborating for many years, and Ondrizek aspires to establish a center where visiting artists can print their chapbooks and broadsides on the historic and irreplaceable Reynolds presses.

Reed Magazine december 2019 11

MOTHERS, FATHERS, AND WRITERS

Acclaimed author Lise Funderburg ’82 spent years trying to make sense of her dad. In her new anthology she asks other writers to do the same.

BY MILES BRYAN ’13

Lise Funderburg can’t drink coffee in public.

Soda either. When she forgets and steps out onto the sidewalk with a drink, she quickly finds herself tossing it into the nearest trash can. She can’t help it; the act is automatic.

This instinct comes from her father, an impossibly colorful and domineering black man who propelled himself out of the Jim Crow South to a successful real estate career in Philadelphia through sheer force of will.

He died over a decade ago, but his commandments still echo in her ears: stand up straight; answer questions promptly; never drink outside.

In her 20s and 30s, she headed straight to her therapist’s office when she heard that echo, determined not to be defined by the trauma of her childhood. But in recent years, she has started to see those inheritances as something else: clues.

In her new collection, Apple, Tree, she enlists a group of other writers to join her in a bit of autobiographical detective work, asking them to “consider that space between the apple and the tree, to make meaning of it.” The resulting essays range from funny to sweet to sad, but the writers, under her guidance, are united in seeking to understand their parents—and see themselves anew in the process.

Lise traces the arc of her career back to her time at Reed, but she almost never made it there. She spent her freshman and sophomore years at Tufts University in Boston.

Tufts was fun, but she knew she was missing something in her intellectual life. She spent a semester in London and then came to Reed as a temporary transfer. Arriving on campus was an epiphany. She never went back.

At Reed she took classes with Prof. Sam Danon [French 1962–2000] and studied

12 Reed Magazine december 2019

literature with the legendary Prof. Bill published in 1994. The book was widely Lankford [English 1977–81] (the two praised—the New York Times review called it “an example of how we can talk about became so close that she visited him a year after her graduation when he was termi- race with feeling, humor, and dignity”—and nally ill). The Hum 210 conferences led by has since been widely adopted in college Prof. John Tomsich [histocourses around the world. In ry 1962–99] fostered a sense the years since, she’s writof intellectual curiosity that ten for the New York Times, still guides her. Those discusNational Geographic, and sions taught her to approach Oprah Magazine, among her subjects with context other outlets, and won first and a cool head. Useful prize for a narrative nonficadvice for dealing with a tion story from the American fiery Voltaire speech, or an Society of Journalists and elusive father.

Authors. She’s also a lecturReed also gave her someer in creative writing at the thing else: affirmation as an University of Pennsylvania outsider. She missed the and teaches at the Paris seminal bonding experience Writers’ Workshop. of Hum 110 and never lived In 2003 Lise’s father, Apple, Tree: Writers on Their Parents.

Edited by Lise Funderburg ’82 in the dorms (though she did George, got sick, and she University of Nebraska Press, live in a Reedie commune up began balancing caretak2019 the hill named “Roots, Rock, Contributors: Karen Grigsby ing duties alongside freeReggae”), so “to be in a place lance writing assignments.

Bates, S. Bear Bergman, Kate Carroll de Gutes, Leland where being an outsider was Soon, though, those lines Cheuk, Lolis Eric Elie, Carolyn valued was pretty great.” She began to blur, and she startFerrell, John Freeman, Lauren Grodstein, Jane Hamilton, was also an outsider in a way ed to write about her dad as Susan Ito, Mat Johnson, that was not always appar- Donna Masini, Daniel well. Lise’s 2008 memoir, Mendelsohn, Marc Mewshaw, ent to her classmates: as a Pig Candy, chronicles her Laura Miller, Kyoko Mori, Ann black woman who can pass father’s decline and death Patchett, Dana Prescott, Lizzie Skurnick, Avi Steinberg, for white. Lise was one of just from prostate cancer. George Angelique Stevens, Clifford two black students on cam- Thompson, Shukree Hassan could be loving and cruel in Sallie Tisdale, and pus during her years at Reed, Tilghman, equal measure: he was easy Laura van den Berg. and occasionally other stuwith gifts, but not standing dents, perhaps mistaking her up straight or beginning an for white, would make racist comments in answer with “um” resulted in swift and often front of her. After growing up in a mixed- brutal disapproval. Another writer might race neighborhood of Philadelphia, Reed have dwelled on the small-t trauma, but Lise was an “instructive shock to the system,” is more interested in understanding why she says. her father was the way he was. Much of his obsession with discipline, she came to real ize, stemmed from the impossible standards Questions about racial identity led Lise to he was held to as a black man operating in a her first book, Black, White, Other: Biracial white-dominated world. “No drinking soda Americans Talk About Race and Identity, on the street” may have sounded crazy to a

ryan collerd

Philadelphia teenager in the 1970s, but in rural Georgia in the 1930s a black person drinking outside—even just a soda—could wind up on a chain gang. His severity was, at least in part, meant to protect his children. “The more I came to understand my father, the more forgiving I felt,” she says.

In Apple, Tree, she asks twenty-five writers to take on their parents. The writers—including Ann Patchett and Daniel Mendelsohn— tackle subjects like family resemblance, dealing with dementia, and eating rituals.

The essays are page-turners. Kyoko Mori writes about her father, a manufacturing executive who prioritized womanizing and playing rugby over spending time with his family. Mori defines herself by how different she is, but also comes to realize she’s adopted some of her father’s narcissism as a tool to protect her against self-doubt. Laura van den Berg writes about a fascination with psychics she shares with her mother. “My mother and I want a key to the future,” she writes.

“If we know, we think we can prepare.”

In a review, National Public Radio calls Apple, Tree a “sweet, smart collection, and —it has to be said—a perfect gift for a parent you love.”

In her introduction, Lise cites an email she received from one of the essay authors, John Freeman, during the writing process.

When writing about family, he said, “love is in clarity, not sentiment.” That clarity is on display in the essays that make up the book. Armed with an intellectual curiosity nurtured in Hum 210 discussions, Lise is not afraid to dwell in the thorniest places between parent and child, and that courage pays off.

The book is a reminder that trying to escape the influence of our parents is an impossible task. The only thing we get to decide is what we make of it.

Miles Bryan is a reporter and podcast producer based in Philadelphia.

Reed Magazine december 2019 13

BITTER HARVEST

Detroit was one of 164 cities where race riots broke out in 1967, a phenomenon the Kerner commision sought to understand.

14 Reed Magazine  december 2019

AFP via Getty Images

Explosive analysis of the 1967 race riots by Robert Shellow ’51 was suppressed by the White House and forgotten for 50 years. How does it look today?

BY ANN-DERRICK GAILLOT ’12

Throughout 1967, American cities combusted as a series of riots spread around the country.

Cities from Tampa to Sacramento erupted in violence, with two of the most destructive occurring that summer in Newark and Detroit. “So, last week, the ‘long hot summer’” of Negro discontent began,” declared the New York Times. The article concluded that the uprisings, part of a civil rights fervor creeping up from the South, were the fault of lawless young black men with no real political aims.

“The riots appeared to have no specific objective in furthering Negro rights other than the immediate one of protest against police ‘brutality,’” it surmised. Before the year was out, more than 76 people would die in riots that convulsed 164 cities. President Lyndon B. Johnson convened a commission headed

by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner Jr. to understand what happened and suggest ways to make sure it never happened again.

The Kerner Report and its warning that the nation was moving towards “two soci-

eties, one black, one white—separate and unequal” were considered stark, even radical, by the standards of the time.

What no one knew was how much it had been watered down.

That August, social scientist Robert Shellow ’51 had just returned to Maryland after a year working in Italy when he got a phone call—out of the blue—inviting him to dinner at the White House. “That’s how it started,” he says.

At that dinner, the leaders of the commission offered him a job of a lifetime: deputy director of research. He would be responsible

Reed Magazine december 2019 15

BITTER HARVEST CONTINUED for analyzing the mountain of data compiled by the commission. Floored and flattered, he didn’t hesitate to accept. “It was a pretty heavy experience, being invited by members of the White House, and they were turning their attention to me,” he remembers.

“I said eventually, ‘But why me?’”

He was highly qualified for the job. He was an expert in the sociology of policing and police-community relations, with extensive experience doing research and an unfailing curiosity. But he would later learn several prominent social scientists had already turned the offer down, worried that if the final report were whitewashed, it could ruin their reputations. “I was naïve,” he says.

“What reputation? What reputation could I possibly sully?”

Born in Milwaukee a few weeks before the Great Depression, Shellow fondly remembers braving bitter Wisconsin winters in only a sweater on the mile-long walk back and forth to school. His mother was a psychologist, while his father, a Russian immigrant, worked as a bookkeeper. He had little interest in college until his older brother told him about an intellectually rigorous school he had visited while stationed in Portland with the navy. He applied to Reed and, against his expectations, got in.

A slow reader, he struggled to keep pace with his assignments at Reed, but was nevertheless fascinated by the expanded world of experience and thought he was discovering. He found shepherds—Prof. Stanley Moore [philosophy 1948-54] and Prof. Monte Griffith [psychology 1926–54]—who guided him through his studies and led him to major in psychology. “Reed taught me not to be afraid of ideas. It gave me an important sense of the sweep of history,” he says. With Prof. Fred Courts [psychology 1945–69] he wrote his senior thesis about the relationship between auditory stimuli and visual acuity. “I was able to get a soundproof room at the University of Portland, and the good friars who were there used to store their beer there, so I was able to do my research and share some of the beer with the brothers,” he remembers. Four years later he had his PhD. In 12 years, he was working at the White House.

16 Reed Magazine december 2019

Robert Shellow ’51: “We did what we were supposed to do.”

On the Kerner Commission, Shellow and his team of scientists dug into the data. And what they began to learn turned against the popular narrative that the riots were the apolitical roilings of chaotic young black men. Another widespread theory held that Russian operatives had played a part in sowing discontent.

“Sound familiar?” he jokes—the FBI quickly disproved it. With enough time, the team could offer the commission a thorough and incisive report on the meaning of what happened in summer 1967. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t have that time. The Commission and its lawyers soon tired of scientists’ painstaking deliberations and demanded a draft by the end of November.

In their report, titled The Harvest of American Racism, the scientists asked whether the disturbances should be called “riots” at all. They took a careful look at the participants, dispelling the myth that all rioters were black and all counterrioters were white, and that rioters were poor, uneducated young men devoid of political aims or concerns. Most controversially, they examined how improper police responses could actually exacerbate the chaos and violence, while also noting that officers “often take the brunt of much hostility that might more logically be directed at the larger society and its less visible institutions.” Indeed, some of the uprisings erupted in response to cases of police brutality in black and Latino communities. They concluded that, until America’s white power structures were meaningfully opened, violence and racial unrest would not only continue, but get worse:

There is still time for one nation to make a concerted attack on the racism that persists in its midst. If not, then Negro youth will continue to attack white racism on their own. The harvest of racism will be the end of the American dream.

He never could have expected what was about to happen. The Commission’s executive director, David Ginsburg, deemed the draft “politically explosive” and fired Shellow’s staff. His time working with the Kerner Commission petered to a close.

“I thought, ‘Well, what the hell do they want? We did what we were supposed to do,’” he says, remembering that time. “There were a lot of very unhappy team members and it was a very fraught situation. I turned

Photo by Mel Finkelstein/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

National Guardsmen and protestors in Newark, N.J. Eleven died and hundreds were injured during the riots.

studies turned down by government powers.

“Now they have spent billions upon billions of dollars on this cockamamie war which is not controlling anything, but has made many careers and many millionaires, if not billionaires.” From there, he continued in social science for a few years until, out of work, he returned to his high school job, auto mechanics, for a time. He then started and ran security consulting companies until he retired in 2006.

His work on Harvest, ever relevant, suddenly became prescient as, in 2014, protests and riots erupted in Ferguson, Missouri, after white police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager. Four years later, the public could finally read it, published by the University of Michigan Press along with recollections of the experience from Shellow and fellow analysts from his team.

Going forward, analyses and criticisms of the Kerner Commission report can finally include this once-hidden piece.

Looking back on the report, Shellow has no illusions that the contemporaneous release of Harvest could have altered the course of American history. But the experience continued to inform his work and perspective on America, helping him recognize that no social attempt to improve society can exist without a strong political element aiming to thwart it. The threat of failure and suppression is no reason to

SHELLOW’S TEAM CONCLUDED THAT, UNTIL AMERICA’S WHITE POWER STRUCTURES WERE MEANINGFULLY OPENED, VIOLENCE WOULD NOT ONLY CONTINUE, BUT GET WORSE. my attention to the task at keeping them from going to the press.”

When the Kerner Commission finally released its report in 1968, it included Harvest’s data but omitted his team’s careful analysis of the disturbances as a response to American racism, as well as their recommendation for major overhauls of policing and a national reckoning with the country’s antiblack racism. The report still pinpointed racism and inequality as the root causes of the riots but had been stripped of Harvest’s politically inconvenient teeth.

Following Harvest’s rejection, Shellow went on to work as the assistant to the public safety director in Washington, D.C., teach at Carnegie Mellon, conduct a study on the Chicago transit system, and spend some time working at the National Institute of Drug Abuse. There he worked on a report that found that drug abuse was not a major, direct cause of crime. That report, too, was rejected and suppressed as the nation pivoted to the War on Drugs. “I find that really the par for me, they didn’t want to hear it,” he says about having multiple critical

abandon the effort. “I think without Reed College I probably wouldn’t have followed this trajectory,” he said. “[Reed] kind of tells you, ‘You can do that and risk things.’”

Over half a century after Harvest was left to collect dust in the LBJ Presidential Library, its vision of a broken, enduringly racist nation continues to prove true.

Ann-Derrick Gaillot is a freelance writer based in Missoula, Montana, where she lives with her partner, Miles Jochem ’12, and their dog, Sappho.

Reed Magazine december 2019 17

WHAT THE SENTENCE CAN DO With razor wit and trademark brio, Prof. Jan Mieszkowski takes on literature, philosophy, and the twitterverse.

BY ROMEL HERNANDEZ

Ontology. Epistemology. Nietzsche. These are, let’s agree, some of the weightier topics in the field of philosophy. So how is it possible that Prof. Jan Mieszkowski [German and comp lit 1997–] has earned almost 16,000 followers on Twitter by ruminating on them in 280 characters or less? By turns wry, oracular, and ironic, Mieszkowski has become Reed’s most prolific social media influencer—without ever using a hashtag.

The answer may come down to his remarkable ability to make intellectual discovery fun.

Prof. Mieszkowski doesn’t take himself too seriously, yet he has serious intellectual credentials. He holds degrees from Yale and Johns Hopkins, has lectured around the globe on a wide range of topics, and has written numerous articles and three

18 Reed Magazine december 2019

books, including his latest, Crises of the Sentence, published this year. He has taught literature and philosophy at Reed since 1997, during which time he has helped launch a new comparative literature program; mentored dozens of senior thesis students, many of whom have gone on to careers in academia; and dazzled an entire generation of first-year students with his eclectic, entertaining Hum 110 lectures.

“I make lots of jokes,” he says of his playful approach to both teaching and scholarship. “But my students never doubt for a moment what we’re studying is serious and important.”

clayton cotterell

Reed Magazine  december 2019 19

WHAT THE SENTENCE CAN DO CONTINUED Mieszkowski crackles with ideas. In Crises of the Sentence, he draws from a vertiginous array of sources—Derrida to Dickens, Hegel to Hemingway—to explore what a sentence is, and how it has been used, both as a powerful tool and as a force that is ultimately beyond our control.

Unlike many scholarly works of literary criticism, his book is both erudite and engaging: “Even the inexperienced wordsmith occasionally has the sense, if only briefly, of having gotten a sentence just right,” he writes. “For the most part, however, writing is a mixture of anticipation and disappointment. . .”

Mieszkowski might never have written Crises of the Sentence or his previous book, Watching War, an acclaimed Crises of the Sentence. study of how battlefield spec- University of Chicago tatorship has shaped modern Press, 2019. perceptions of war since the Napoleonic era, had he not been a professor at Reed—or more specifically, a professor teaching Hum 110.

“I never would have been able to write with the same breadth if I hadn’t been working closely with colleagues from other disciplines and getting the chance to learn how they think,” he says. “Being at Reed is what made it possible.”

In the lecture hall, he is energetic and engaging, zooming through his notes as he makes points and connects concepts while suggesting questions for students to ponder. He wrapped up a recent Hum 110 lecture on the book of Genesis by drawing a relatable parallel between the Tower of Babel During a Hum conference about sacred spacand being a Reed freshman: “Try to learn to es in ancient Egypt, he directed the students speak an academic language that is actually to rise from their chairs and join him in a open to difference, a language that doesn’t reverent procession through the thesis tower have to be the only tower to the sky,” he told room in the Hauser Library. “Analysis?” he the students, urging them to maintain open asked simply when they returned to class. minds. “This would be a language in which “He always asks the right questions,” says every sentence and every word would always Daniel Carranza ’12. “I remember a class be open to other possibilities, to other ways about Emily Dickinson when he asked us to of speaking. In short, this other alternative consider her poetry by taking out the dashwould be to embrace another language that es or rearranging the lines. He just has this is not afraid of ‘babble.’” amazing, genuine curiosity about so many In the classroom he takes a different tack, things. You can tell he’s having fun, and that rarely going on at length, speaking up mainly makes learning fun for his students, too.” to pose questions that refine or gently rediCarranza found Mieszkowski so inspirrect the conversation or to make wry asides. ing, in fact, he switched majors to German

20 Reed Magazine december 2019

literature and asked Mieszkowski to be his senior thesis advisor; today he is a grad student at the University of Chicago.

Mieszkowski himself seemed destined to be an intellectual from a young age. He grew up the son of professors—his father, a Polish refugee who escaped the Nazis, taught economics, and his mother, a New England Yankee, taught literature. He majored in literature at Yale, where he socialized with an artsy, intellectual crowd that included Prof.

Peter Rock [creative writing 2001–] and former President John Kroger, who remain close friends.

After earning his doctorate at Johns Hopkins, he joined the faculty at Reed,

clayton cotterell

drawn by the college’s reputation as an intellectual powerhouse. He has flourished as both a popular teacher and a prolific scholar.

A passing conversation with Prof. Libby Drumm [Spanish 1995–] led them to spearhead a move to create a comparative literature major in 2015. Both believed students would be interested in a major with an interdisciplinary and international approach to literary studies, an alternative to more traditional majors that stressed a single national canon such as English, Spanish, or German.

“Within 24 hours of that first conversation I had an email in my inbox from Jan with an outline of what a program might look like,” Drumm recalls. “He’s no-nonsense and easy to work with because he always stays focused on the ideas.”

The comp lit program was up and running within a year and has proven to be a big success, with 13 seniors expected to graduate in 2020.

“I feel lucky to be at Reed, which has given me so much freedom and so many engaged and excited students,” Mieszkowski says. “Every day I go to class and think to myself, ‘If this is the new generation, maybe the future is going to be OK.’”

Reed Magazine december 2019 21

THE PARADOX THE AMERICAN WEST IS BURNING. CAN WE FIND A WAY TO PREVENT FOREST FIRES WITHOUT ACTUALLY MAKING THEM WORSE?

BY ALEJANDRO CHÁVEZ ’17 • PHOTOS BY DANIEL CRONIN

OF WILDFIRE

daniel cronin

THE WEST IS BURNING. Wildfire has always been a fact of life in the dry, vast terrain west of the Rocky Mountains, but in recent decades, this intermittent phenomenon has become a routine disaster. The Eagle Creek Fire—sparked by a teenager setting off fireworks—raged through the Columbia Gorge in 2017, devastating 50,000 acres and raining ash down on Portland. Last year the Camp Fire decimated the California town of Paradise, killing 86 people, destroying thousands of structures, and wreaking damage estimated at $16 billion. This year the inferno returned with a vengeance: the powerful Diablo and Santa Ana winds fanned the explosive Kincade, Tick, Getty, and Easy wildfires in California, prompting massive evacuations and stretching responders to the breaking point. The risk of fire grew so intense that PG&E shut off power to millions of customers for days on end in an effort to stop downed transmission lines

24 Reed Magazine december 2019

Prof. Ramirez surveys the forest after a controlled burn at the Sycan Marsh.

from sparking new ones. By November, the United States had seen over four million acres of forest succumb to a wall of flame.

The frightening intensity of the western wildfires come as no surprise to Prof. Aaron Ramirez [biology–environmental studies 2018–], who studies how climate change, drought, and fire interact to shape the ecology of our forests in the 21st century. For decades, he says, the federal government pursued a misguided policy of suppressing forest fires—a policy that has in some cases actually made them more intense.

The story of fire suppression in the United States began in the late 19th century, after massive forest fires polluted watersheds and threatened the supply of commercial timber. In response, the U.S. Forest Service decided to suppress any and all wildfires—the logic being that if you stop small fires, then larger fires will not occur.

In reality, Ramirez says, “fire is a natural

part of these ecosystems, and suppressing it can have dire consequences for the health and resilience of the forest.” Historically, every so often, a lightning strike would start a fire that burns through the understory—the part of the forest closest to the ground—but would not kill the larger trees, which survive the blaze. This is especially true in the “dry forests” that thrive on the east side of the Cascade Mountains and in dry, lower elevations on the west side. Unfortunately, suppressing small fires in these forests creates a thick understory, choked with shrubs and small trees that are ready to burn. The thicker the understory, the more likely it is to fuel a devastating, high-intensity wildfire that destroys even the oldest and tallest trees.

This cycle of small fires that rejuvenate the forest and prevent catastrophic fires is not universal. Some forests, like the coastal rainforests in the rain-soaked mountains

daniel cronin

Ariel Patterson ’20 collects branches and soil samples to understand how forests respond to fire and drought.

“ FIRE IS A NATURAL PART OF THESE ECOSYSTEMS, AND SUPPRESSING IT CAN HAVE DIRE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE HEALTH AND RESILIENCE OF THE FOREST.” —PROF. AARON RAMIREZ near the Pacific Ocean, may go for a thousand years without a natural fire. But when you take a forest in Eastern Oregon, which historically burns every seven to 14 years, combine it with a century of fire suppression, and subject it to a rapidly warming climate, you turn it into the arboreal equivalent of a time bomb.

Five Reed students with helmets are dangling from climbing ropes in a northern red oak that stands near the Hauser Library and Paradox Lost. These aren’t seniors trying to get their last P.E. credit in order to graduate; they’re biology majors learning how to

climb trees to conduct canopy research— the technique of collecting data from the upper reaches of the forest.

Canopy research is a proud tradition in Reed’s biology department. Biologist Steve Sillett ’89 is a pioneer of the field and climbed Douglas-fir trees for his senior thesis with Prof. David Dalton [biology 1987–]. Some years later another student of Dalton’s, Eliza (Gould) Eisendrath ’98, climbed the old-growth Douglas-fir trees for her senior thesis.

For Ramirez, canopy research is a natural outgrowth of his interest in forest ecology. After earning a PhD from UC Berkeley in integrative biology in 2015, he worked as

previous pages: Biology professors David Dalton and Aaron Ramirez, Ariel Patterson ’20, postdoctoral researcher Hannah Prather, and Mahalia Dryak ’20 stand in the charred forest of the Sycan Marsh.

a postdoctoral researcher tracing the connection between climate change, drought, and fire in the Sierra Nevada forests, collaborating with the U.S. Geological Survey, the Nature Conservancy, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

When he moved to Portland and saw firsthand the immensity of the trees that grow in the Pacific Northwest, he knew he was going to need some new techniques for getting the samples from these woody goliaths. “One walk through a forest dominated by Douglas-fir trees that are 250 feet tall will make you realize how special this place is,” he says. “And how techniques developed for other forest types won’t work!”

Prof. Ramirez and his students employ an approach to doing science known as “translational ecology.” Translational ecology, as he explains it, “is a process of doing, a science that incorporates the people who might one day use and benefit from your work.”

For his research, that means working with natural-resource managers and others trying to conserve our forests.

Last year, for example, Indra Boving ’19 did her thesis in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, which is working to manage forests in eastern Oregon by reintroducing more frequent fires as a way to prevent catastrophic fire and restore the natural resilience of these forests. Their technique is to thin the understory by chopping down the small trees and shrubs that cluster under the canopy of the “legacy trees”— the biggest and oldest trees. Partnering with the US Forest Service and local tribal communities, the agency then intentionally sets fire to the forest during the rainy season to clear out the understory and give the legacy trees some breathing room.

For her thesis, Indra looked at how these intentional fires affect the hydraulic function of trees—their ability to transfer water from their roots to nourish their leaves. She used samples from various plots of land— some had been thinned, some had been burned, and some had been left alone— to see which strategy yielded the healthiest and most resilient trees.

Reed biologists are also working on

Reed Magazine december 2019 25

WILDFIRE CONTINUED

ON TOP OF THE WORLD. Edward Zhu ’19 climbs a 200-foot Douglas-fir to see how tall trees react to rising temperatures.

ways to predict the effects of wildfire without actually having to set one. To this end, Ramirez and his students built the ingenious Tree Toaster 9000, a recycled laboratory oven that they use to heat the branches of trees to simulate the effects of fire. Their experiments with the Tree Toaster allow them to better predict the kinds of impacts fire will have on the forest.

They also devised the BioBasecamp, a one-of-a-kind mobile laboratory that allows Reed students to do novel research in remote field sites. Starting with an Airstream Basecamp trailer, Ramirez installed solar panels and an impressive array of lithium-ion

26 Reed Magazine december 2019

batteries to power all the lab equipment needed to perform crucial measurements— and even conduct experiments—in the field, without having to rush back to campus every time they need to peer through a microscope or measure the rate of water flow through a plant’s stems. “My hope for the BioBasecamp is that it allows students to take the lid off their creativity and design field-based projects that are difficult, if not impossible, for others to replicate,” he says.

In the darkness of an October Monday, hours before dawn, Ariel Patterson ’20 heads on a

five-hour drive out of Portland to the Sycan Marsh Preserve in southern Oregon, about an hour northeast of Klamath Falls. “It’s so beautiful,” she says. “It is just miles and miles of forest, ponderosa pine, and lodgepole pine.”

Those trees are the reason she came to Sycan. Her thesis will build on Indra’s by looking at samples both from pine trees and from the surrounding soil, which contains rich communities of bacteria, fungi, and protozoans that maintain a complex symbiosis with the trees. Ariel uses a sterilized spoon to collect soil samples from various depths and distances from the base of the trees. Back in the lab, she will extract DNA

daniel cronin

hannah prather

Students measure the rate of water flow through a plant’s stems in the BioBasecamp, a one-of-a-kind mobile laboratory.

from the samples to create a larger colony that she can study.

The tree samples are trickier: she climbs a ladder and collects branches from trees that have experienced burns, carefully selecting branches that sprout from the same height, measure 15 cm long, and are mostly straight, and places them in bags to ensure they don’t dry out. Later, back in the lab, she will subject them to different levels of simulated drought. These simulations will show how the hydraulic systems of the trees react to the drought stress that is becoming increasingly common as a result of climate change.

Ramirez’s passion for his research has inspired his students to undertake some incredible projects. Edward Zhu ’19 climbed more than 200 feet to the very tops of Douglas-fir trees to test a hypothesis that the tallest trees in a forest are the most vulnerable to climate change. If this is true, it may be harder for the giant trees that now define the Pacific Northwest to thrive in a warmer, drier future.

Edward looked at Douglas-fir trees in Powell Butte, a nature park in the Portland city limits. He compared trees of average height (roughly 100 feet tall) with the tallest trees (more than 200 feet tall) to see if either was more vulnerable to drought. This required climbing to the tops of the trees and cutting off branch segments to bring back to the lab and subject them to simulated drought conditions. What he found was that the tallest trees were indeed more sensitive to the effects of drought. This information was shared with Portland’s Parks and Recreation, and Ramirez and the students are currently working to figure out what it means for the future of Portland’s urban forest.

Maia Shideler ’20 is developing some methods using lichens as indicators of old-growth forest health as part of a larger experiment that is currently being done in the Ellsworth Creek Preserve in southwestern Washington by The Nature Conservancy to figure out how to take a

forest that’s been subjected to severe logging and return some of the important qualities found in old-growth forests.

Purna Post-Leon ’20 and Claire Brase ’20 are studying how living close to humans changes the physiology of urban trees.

Specifically, they are looking at how things like thethe urban heat-island and air pollution affect the water use of urban trees compared to more natural forests in the Sandy River Gorge.

Ramirez also teaches a field-based forest ecology and natural history course titled Leaves 2 Landscapes that takes students into the field to learn about the magnificent trees of the Pacific Northwest. The students also do independent translational ecology projects like planting blister-rust resistant sugar pine seedlings into the forests around Ashland. This semester, the students are developing their own science-based management prescription for a patch of forest managed by The Nature Conservancy. The prescription the students come up with will be implemented by the Conservancy—from the trees they mark for removal to the way they recommend the use of fire Looking to the future, Ramirez hopes that the environmental studies program at Reed will contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex cycles of drought and wildfire—and yield, in time, the seeds of change.

Alejandro Chávez lives in Berkeley, where he works remotely in tech and bikes around looking for cool beer and interesting food.

Reed Magazine december 2019 27

areil zambelich for reed magazine, 2013

Reediana Books. Music. Film. Send us your work!

EDITED BY KATIE PELLETIER Email reed.magazine@reed.edu

The Invention of Yesterday

By Tamim Ansary ’70 The Invention of Yesterday, the new book by Destiny Disrupted author Tamim Ansary ’70, offers a goal both noble and intriguing: Tamim sets out to write a history of humanity that focuses on the connections between civilizations and the ideas that flow through them. To that end, his guiding metaphor is the constellation, individual points of light representing human ideas, narratives, and understandings that form into a guiding myth for a “people,” but are also seen as different constellations/guiding myths by other cultures. With sky chart in hand, then, he takes the reader on a journey through the human timeline of multiple civilizations and explores the ways that universal factors of environment, tools, and language play into the interpretations of these same “stars.”

This makes for a fascinating thesis propelled

by Tamim’s breezy surveys of those cultures themselves. The Invention reads like an enjoyably written world history course book that takes steps to emphasize the connections between the various civthe flourishing Olmec, Toltec, and ilizations of the world rather than Mayan empires of Central America. their differences. The reader is As the book proceeds through taken through our collective greatthe timeline to the 20th and 21st est hits—humans spread out from centuries, this surveyor’s approach Africa, philosophy flourishes in to world history continues, but Greece, the Chinese construct the now in service to the idea that Great Wall—but each one is now humankind is rushing toward a seen as a line formed between the “singularity” through our rapidThe Invention of universal factors of tool use, lan- Yesterday: ly accelerating invention of, use A 50,000-year History guage, and environment, and how of, and dependence on tools. As of Human Culture they take different shapes dependwe hurtle from steam engines to

By Tamim Ansary ing on the culture and time from computers, Tamim argues that PublicAffairs, 2019 which they are viewed. our tools will eventually become The reader, then, may expect to self-aware and form environments see new interpretations of our shared devel- and ideological constellations of their own. opment emerging. Tamim makes sure to The thesis, again, is rife with potential, and expand our perspective to include cultures explored through the mileposts of the Cold too-often neglected by mainstream works of War, the Gulf War, and 9/11. By the end, it is history: the Nok culture of sub-Saharan Africa, unclear how a singularity would factor into

28 Reed Magazine december 2019

Tamim’s schema, a fact he owns up to and ascribes to our living in an “era of worldwide incoherence.”

Tamim offers a conclusion consistent with the guiding principles of the book: he appeals for us to understand the full context of human development—to view this “sky” as our shared heritage—and use it to navigate to understanding, and therefore future peace.

Sometimes, the hurtling pace of the book comes across as more suited to introducing these ideas than delving deeply into them. But there are certainly many insights to be found in these pages, and the casual style Tamim uses to lead us through his star chart of human history makes for an easy-going and conversational read and much to consider when the book is closed.

—TY BANNERMAN

Just a Girl: Growing Up Female and Ambitious Female pioneer Lucinda Jackson ’73 struggles to succeed in the male-dominated work world. She battles sexist torment in girlhood, in jobs, in academia’s science cliques, and in the halls and corner offices of Fortune 500 companies—and, eventually, she overcomes shame and self-blame, learns to believe in herself, and becomes a champion for others. This memoir points the way to a brighter future for women everywhere. (She Writes Press, 2019)

Tunes from the Aurora Violin Manuscripts Vivian Williams ’59 issued a 2 CD set of Tunes from the Aurora Violin Manuscripts. The Aurora Colony, was established in 1856 about 20 miles south of Portland. The tunes include waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, schottisches, mazurkas, and gallops, as well as a march, a Tyrolienne, a Polonaise, and an Esmeralda. Thirteen of the tracks were arranged for a typical 19th century quadrille band consisting of two violins, cello, clarinet, flute, and cornet. Vivian says, “I’m really pleased with how it turned out. Of course, the project will never pay for itself, but the point is to get the music out there -- this is really unique and interesting stuff.”

(Voyage Records, 2019)

Ruth Werner ’82 has released a seventh edition of her massage education book, which is used in schools all over the world.

This comprehensive resource is brimming with details on hundreds of diseases and disorders. (Books of Discovery, 2019)

Adapted from the Foreign Affairs Oral history project, John Cushing ’67’s memoir covers his childhood in Hawaii, his education at Reed, his service in the Peace Corps, and his years as a teacher in Japan, Iran, and Tacoma. It then describes his career as a Foreign Service Officer.

A New World Begins: The History of the French Revolution

This historical novel, the third

by Alan Mussell ’68, is set in Acre, in present-day Israel, and plunges into the dark recesses of friendship and love. (Independently published, 2019)

Troy Shinbrot ’78 has written a readable and attractively presented textbook on fluid flow in biological systems that includes flow through blood vessels, pulsatile flow, and pattern formation. It bridges the divide among biomedical engineering students between those with an engineering and those with a bioscientific background by offering guidance in both physiological and mathematical aspects of the subject. (Oxford, 2019)

A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology

Four Continents and Three Islands

Shades of Deception, a Novel

Flow and Form

In the first full-length account of the events of 1789 and the years that followed for general readers in more than 30 years, Jeremy Popkin ’70 integrates recent research on women’s roles in the revolution and the movement’s contributions to the struggle against slavery; he also shows how revolutionary journalists and politicians created both modern democracy and modern anti-elitist populism. (Basic Books, 2019)

Sustainability: A Love Story and The After-Normal: Brief, Alphabetical Essays on a Changing Planet.

Nicole Walker ’93 has published two books about climate change.

Sustainability (Ohio State Press, 2018), which won a Nautilus Award for Lyric Prose, asks how we can get it together to save the planet when we have a hard time getting it together to save ourselves. In The After-Normal (Rose Metal Press, 2019), she collaborated with Australian writer David Carlin on tiny, focused essays that illustrate the immediacy of climate change, one letter at a time.

Echo of Distant Water: The 1958 Disappearance of Portland’s Martin Family In December 1958, Ken Martin, his wife Barbara, and their three young daughters left their home in Northeast Portland to search for Christmas greens in the Columbia River Gorge and never returned. The Martins’ disappearance spurred the largest missing persons search in Oregon history and the mystery has remained perplexingly unsolved to this day. In this well-researched nonfiction account, JB “Benji” Fisher ’94 works to piece together what happened—which some believed was murder. (Trine Day, 2019)

Reed Magazine december 2019 29

REEDIANA Shine of the Ever By turns tender and punk-tough, Claire Foster ’06’s latest is a literary mixtape of queer voices out of 1990s Portland. This collection of short stories explores what binds a community of queer and trans people as they negotiate love, screwing up and learning to forgive themselves for being young and sometimes foolish.

(Interlude Press, 2019)

Just Us Three (film) A new film by Christopher Beeson ’98 tells the story of his sister and her two sons, all of whom have been surviving on various forms of social security disability benefits for 20 years. It is about the interconnections between mental illness, physical disabilities, and alcohol and drug abuse.

I Know You Remember The second young adult novel by Jennifer Graham ’01 (published under the name Jennifer Donaldson) is a gritty young adult thriller about girlhood friendship, longdelayed homecomings, and the complexities of loss. Ruthie returns to her hometown to discover that her best friend Zahra has gone missing. She’ll stop at nothing to find her. (Penguin Razorbill, 2019)

Latinx Environmentalisms: Place, Justice, and the Decolonial Sarah Wald ’01 coedited a volume that builds on insights of environmental justice scholarship as well as critical race and ethnic studies to map the ways Latinx cultural texts integrate environmental concerns with questions of social and political justice.

Sarah is an associate professor of environmental studies and English at the University of Oregon. (Temple Press, 2019)

Forging the Franchise: The Political Origins of the Women’s Vote In her new book, Dawn Teele ’06 demonstrates that the formation of a broad movement across social divides, and strategic alliances with political parties in competitive electoral conditions, provided the leverage that ultimately tranformed women into voters. Dawn is an assistant profesor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania.

(Princeton University Press, 2018)

Be My Hands Jessica Gerhardt ’11 released her debut album, a five-song EP that explores growth in loving more genuinely and deeply through the trajectory of a relationship. Her experiences at Reed academically, spiritually, and interpersonally provided much inspiration for the lyrics and music of the songs.

Captured at Sea: Piracy and Protection in the Indian Ocean Jatin Dua ’03 tells the story of contemporary piracy in the Indian Ocean, illuminating the lives of ordinary Somalians that for so long have lived in the shadow of a globalized system of trade, protection, and economic hegemony. (University of California Press, 2019)

30 Reed Magazine december 2019

The Rhetoric of Medicine In this unique collaboration between a classicist and a neurosurgeon, Prof. Nigel Nicholson [classics 1995–] and Dr. Nathan Selden explore problems that confront medical professionals today by examining similar problems faced by physicians in ancient Greece. This framework provides illuminating entry points into challenges faced by the practice of medicine, enabling readers to understand more clearly their shape and operation in the modern context—as well as their possible solutions. (Oxford University Press, 2019)

Festschrift for Prof. Steve Wasserstrom Celebrates His Extraordinary Career All Religion is Inter-Religion

Kambiz GhaneaBassiri and Paul Robertson ’06. “When Steve’s former students gathIt is rare for professors at small liberal ered to honor him, they did so by critically arts colleges to have the sort of impact on engaging his ideas rather than idolizing him their fields that Prof. Steve Wasserstrom or remarking on his charisma,” Kambiz notes [religion 1987–] has had on the study of in his introduction. religion. One reason for this is that faculThe festschrift begins with an essay Steve ty at small liberal arts colleges proudly put once casually shared with GhaneaBassiri teaching before research—and in this partic- when they were preparing to coteach a course ular, Wasserstrom is no exception. called “Theories and Methods But he has also published two in the Study of Religion.” He field-changing books. In 1995 thought it would be useful in Between Muslim and Jew won a bringing GhaneaBassiri up to top honor from the world’s largspeed on his teaching philosoest association of religion scholphy. GhaneaBassiri was blown ars—the Award for Excellence away; he knew that Wasserstrom in Historical Studies from the wrote and researched for his own American Academy of Religious ends, but he couldn’t believe such Studies (AAR); and it has been a superb essay was languishing recently reissued in the Princeton unpublished. “The number of All Religion Is Inter-Religion: Legacy Library of Princeton these unpublished manuscripts Engaging the Work of University Press. He soon fol- Steven M. Wasserstrom on Steve’s shelves and hard drive Edited by Paul lowed with another book that also is mind-boggling,” he says. He Robertson and Kambiz GhaneaBassiri changed the discipline, Religion began to think of what might be bloomsbury, 2019 after Religion: Gershom Scholem, done with the piece.

Contributors: Anne Mircea Eliade, and Henry Corbin at The essay, “Nine Theses on Albert ’98, Andrew Eranos (1999). So momentous was the Study of Religion,” puts Berns ’02, Jeremy Brown ’01, Dylan Burns his book that the same year a panel forth the idea that all religion ’03, Michael Casper ’06, at the 1999 AAR annual meeting is inter-religion, meaning reliKirsten Collins ’14, Prof. Kambiz was devoted to it and its implica- GhaneaBassiri, gion is always relational. There Greg Given ’10, Ruchama tions for the study of religion. are no clear boundaries between Johnston-Bloom ’02, “There seems to be an inverse religions. That is why the term Sam Kigar ’06, Paul relationship between the impor- Robertson ’06, Noah religion is useful. It captures Salomon ’99, and tance of religion in the world and as the scholar’s object of study Jeremy Walton ’99. the ability of the academy to talk the ways specific religious traabout it,” notes colleague Prof. ditions have historically develKambiz GhaneaBassiri [religion 2002–]. oped in relation to one another. Embedded “This was where Steve’s ideas came in and in the concept of religion are specific reliproved groundbreakingly useful. Religion, gions, such as Judaism, Buddhism, or Islam.

Steve suggests, is not sui generis but rather It is plural, never singular, which is not the it’s a distinctive medium for people to talk to same thing as saying there are many differand relate to one another as well as their pasts.” ent kinds of, say, Christianity or Buddhism.

To celebrate Wasserstrom’s extraordinary Rather, Wasserstrom observes that systems career and mark his 30th anniversary at Reed, of belief do not exist in and of themselves, in 13 of his former students as well as religion isolated categories. They exist among people. scholars from around the world convened a Given this, he reconsiders religion as faith conference and contributed essays to a fest- and posits that the role and responsibilischrift, All Religion Is Inter-religion: Engaging ty of religion scholarship is to make sense the Work of Steve Wasserstrom, edited by of the complex relations humans have

Prof. Wasserstrom in 1993.

Prof. Wasserstrom’s former students and fellow scholars contributed essays to a book engaging his ideas on the study of religion. maintained—both past and present—by appealing to the gods.

The conference given in Wasserstrom’s honor was organized around this provocation, and the festschrift follows suit. The idea that “all religion is inter-religion” forms the connecting thread and thesis of the essays, and each writer explores Wasserstrom’s theories through the lens of their own subfield and expertise.

To close the conference, Wasserstrom delivered a private talk to his current and former students and colleagues titled “Nine Riddles,” which the festschrift also includes as an epilogue. While “Nine Theses” argues for how religion should be taught, the riddles are a check on scholarly certainty. How could anyone ever know how religion ought to be studied? Nonetheless, he encourages his colleagues to continue the work. He says, “In so doing if you are very, very lucky (as I have been), you can make your students your teachers.” —KATIE PELLETIER ’03

Reed Magazine december 2019 31

Class Notes

These Class Notes reflect information we received by September 15.

The Class Notes deadline for the next issue is December 15.

Class Notes are the lifeblood of Reed Magazine.

While a Reed education confers many special powers, omniscience is unfortunately not among them; your classmates rely on you to tell us what’s going on. So share your news! Tell us about births, deaths, weddings, voyages, adventures, transformations, astonishment, woe, delight, fellowship, discovery, and mischief.

Email us at reed.magazine@reed.edu. Post a note online at iris.reed.edu. Find us on Facebook via “ReediEnews.” Scribble something in the enclosed return envelope.

Or mail us at Reed magazine, Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland OR 97202. Photos are welcome, as are digital images at 300 dpi. And don’t forget the pertinent details: name, class year, and your current address! Class notes will be available online in pdf form in our digital magazine.

EDITED BY JOANNE HOSSACK ’82

1950 70th Reunion

Edward Kessler writes, “2020 will be the 70th anniversary of my graduation from Reed, and I wonder whether or not any of my classmates are still alive since, to my knowledge, I was the youngest member of my freshman year.” How about it, class of ’50?

1959

Vivian Williams has finally issued the 2-CD set of Tunes from the Aurora Violin Manuscripts. “This is the latest of four book/CD combos of tunes from 19thcentury dance music manuscripts—two from Oregon, one from Idaho, and one from Scotland—that my late husband Phil Williams ’58 and I published via our Voyager Recordings and Publications company,” Vivian writes. “The book had just been finished and the CD was in the planning stages when he passed away in 2017, and it was obvious that the project had to be completed.” Vivian is really pleased with how it turned out. “Of course, the project will never pay for itself, but the point is to get the music out there—this is really unique and interesting stuff.” (See Reediana.)

1960 60th Reunion

“With a burst of energy in my 80s, and an embarrassing willingness to toot my 32 Reed Magazine december 2019

own horn,” Tom Rosin has landed a few new publications in the past couple of years: an article, “Dining Across the Decades in Rajasthan, India: A Culminating Feast on a High of Religious Holidays,” in Anthropology and Humanism (Winter 2018); a book chapter, “Thinking Through Livelihood: How a Peasantry of Princely Rājput.āna Became Educated and Activist Rural Citizens of Rajasthan, India,” in The Impact of Education in South Asia; Perspectives from Sri Lanka to Nepal (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018); three entries, “Family Type and Cycle,” “Adaptations (Rajasthan & Gujarat, India),” and “Rural Rajasthan,” in the Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World, second edition (Bloomsbury 2019); and a review in The Book Review (July 2019).

Tom is finishing two more projects that have been presented at recent conferences; intriguingly, he also mentions an unpublished manuscript, “Entangled: A Tale of Research and Romance in a Rajputana, India Transformed.”

1962

Steve Shields, Carol Hurwitz, and Bill Jarrico ’61 (coming from Walnut Creek, California; Scarsdale, New York; and Pacoima, California, respectively) had a mini reunion on a five-night cruise originally scheduled to go to Cuba. The

cruise was diverted to Nassau, the Bahamas (a few days before the hurricane came through), after cruising to Cuba was canceled by the Trump administration; nonetheless, a good time was had by all.

1965 55th Reunion

Yeah, somehow there’s a chunk of time missing from the ’60s . . .

1966

A big chunk of time . . .

1967

John Cushing has published a memoir, Four Continents and Three Islands. (See Reediana.)

Bill Jarrico ’61, Carol Hurwitz ’62, and Steve Shields ’62 have a mini reunion in Nassau.

En garde! Alan Ridley ’70 competes in the National Fencing Championships.

1968

Alan Mussell has completed his third historical novel! (See Reediana.)

1969

Plastics! Can you imagine life without them? Historian Susan Strasser’s article in the Guardian, “Never Gonna Give You Up: How Plastic Seduced America,” covers the advance of plastics and disposability into our consumer culture, from Bakelite in 1907 to Disneyland’s all-plastic Monsanto House of the Future in 1957 to today’s world of ubiquitous (and planet-choking) synthetic materials. Find it at theguardian.com.

Dedie (Uunila) Taylor writes, “My husband, Lonn Wood Taylor, died June 26. He met many of you at alumni colleges, at chapter events in DC, and at reunions. He always said he ‘wasn’t smart enough’ to go to Reed but he was smart enough to marry a Reedie. Of course, he was smart enough. Because of his health we missed our 50th reunion this year. But I will be there in 2020, and look forward to seeing many of you.”

1970 50th Reunion

“I hope the critical skills I learned in Hum 110 are still evident in my writing,” says Jeremy Popkin, whose history of the French Revolution was published this year. (See Reediana.)

Alan Ridley qualified to fence in the National Fencing Championships and July Challenge this year in Columbus, Ohio. More than 5,400 competitors from 48 states and 20 nations competed in 94 events over 10 days in what was the largest edition of the tournament in USA Fencing history. Alan competed in the Veteran Men’s Epee category and placed 16th of 33 fencers after beating the number 5 seed but losing to number 1 and number 3. He was pleased and somewhat surprised at his performance and outcome, which he credits to his coach and trainers; also, it helped that two more coaches and other teammates were there to cheer him on. Afterwards he visited relatives in Wisconsin and visited two Frank Lloyd Wright–designed buildings: the Johnson Wax headquarters, and Wingspread, the Johnson family’s amazing personal residence.

1971

National Public Radio airs first broadcast in April; all things not considered until May.

1972

Congratulations to Moira Zucker, who has been named the 2019 Democratic Woman of the Year for California’s 66th Assembly District. Moira worked for her assemblymember, Al Muratsuchi, and has edited the Beach Cities Democrats’ newsletter for over 20 years.

1973

Just a Girl: Growing Up Female and Ambitious is the title of Lucinda Jackson’s recently published memoir. She notes, “Reed is mentioned favorably in the book as one place I was allowed to be ambitious—free from overt sexism and harassment.” (See Reediana.)

Eduardo M. Ochoa authored a chapter, “Nurturing Democracy through Regional Stewardship: The Case of CSU Monterey Bay,” in the book Democracy, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship in Higher Education: Reclaiming Our Civic Purpose, edited by William V. Flores and Katrina S. Rogers (Lexington Books, 2019).

1974

Patty Hearst captured by Symbionese Liberation Army. Did they take your class notes, too?

1975 45th Reunion

Patty Hearst captured by FBI. Class notes still missing.

1976

Sue Kingston retired this September from her position as Assistant Dean and Executive Director of Faculty Compensation for Stanford’s School of Medicine.

Sue’s father, Floyd “Tim” Kingston ’51, regarded his Reed experience as one of the best times of his life—but Reed wasn’t a match for Sue, who left after two years for a stint in general aviation.

In the ensuing years, she earned a bachelor’s in business and a master’s in comparative culture, moved to Tokyo and back to the States, and rose to the position of West Coast partner-in-charge of the expatriate tax practice at KPMG. After 23 years in accounting, she decided to switch it up and joined Stanford in academic medicine; her 12 years there included a certificate from Stanford’s two-year novel writing program. She and her husband of 36 years, Paul Petach, have settled in Gig Harbor, Washington, and look forward to enjoying all the wonders of the Pacific Northwest.

(And she’s started her second novel as the first one has been shoved in the bottom drawer.) “Looking back, Reed may

not have been the right college then, but the experience fueled a curiosity that led to successful careers in multiple fields in the 45 years since.”

1977

Congratulations and best wishes to Chip Zukoski, the new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Southern California! “Dr. Zukoski brings to USC extensive experience overseeing professional schools, the arts and humanities, and the health and medical sciences,” said USC president Carol Folt.

1978

At the wedding of a mutual friend, Dave Gallison and A’Nova Ettien ’01 found an immediate sense of connection apart from their alma mater: they were both sporting the very latest in inflatable-technology therapeutic footwear.

Comparing fracture notes was only the beginning of much pleasant conversation, and they are pleased to report that their fashionably matching boots did not keep them off the dance floor.

James Douglass Haley commemorated the Apollo 11 moon landing on its anniversary with a digital photograph taken of the video installation projected against the Washington Monument at night. The photograph was part of

Eduardo Ochoa ’73 with retiring presidents of Hartnell College (Will Lewallen, left) and Monterey Peninsula College (Walt Tribley, center), with Holly Byers Ochoa ’73 in the background.

Dave Gallison ’78 and A’Nova Ettien ’01 show off their matching boots.

Apollo 11 video installation projected against the Washington Monument, by James Douglass Haley ’78.

Reed Magazine december 2019 33

Class Notes

The Gulf of Mexico watershed meets the Chesapeake Bay watershed meets David Berrigan ’83.

a group exhibition at the District of Columbia Arts Center from July 26 to August 17.

After a protracted delay, Troy Shinbrot’s book Flow and Form has finally appeared! “A nice coffee-table book for the nerdishly inclined, it gives examples of fluid mechanics in biology.” (See Reediana.)

John Weber wrote us this summer: “I’m delighted to share the news that Leila Whittemore ’80 and I will be moving to Eugene this fall, where I will be the incoming executive director of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon! It is a wonderful museum, and we look forward to coming back to Oregon after 26 years away.”

Michael Tippie ’80 reunites with his daughter, Julia Marisol, and meets her husband, Ezra.

Mike Magrath ’84 and Matt Giraud ’85 enjoy a summer evening at Vashon Island.

1979

Merridawn Duckler’s story “Next Year In” is the winner of the first-ever Jewish in Seattle magazine short fiction contest!

Find it at mag.jewishinseattle.org.

1980 40th Reunion

John Orlowsky went to Portland in September for the ALS Walk in honor of Reed alumnus Jack Griffith ’83.

In the past year, Michael Tippie has married his longtime partner, Katryn Bain, and made trips to Costa Rica and Spain with her; moved to the East Bay to be close to the center of the universe for biotech; finally gotten some traction on the biotech company he’s running, Lipidomics; continued life science investing activities with his small investment firm, Alignment Ventures, as well as ONAMI; made progress as a competitive sweep rower for East Bay Rowing, in Oakland; and had the pleasure of reuniting with his youngest daughter, Julia Marisol, originally from Guatemala, after an excruciating 10-year absence and a trip through family law up to the Washington State Supreme Court. What a year!

1981

RIP Bob Marley.

1982

Janet Bonar is still teaching at Solent University in Southampton, UK, in mechanical and manufacturing engineering. “I have just been appointed to the Board of Governors for Solent, which is exciting and a bit daunting!”

In October, Pam Ronald returned to Sweden to receive an appointment as an honorary doctor of the Swedish

34 Reed Magazine december 2019

University of Agricultural Sciences, more than 30 years after receiving her first Swedish degree, an MS in physiological botany from Uppsala University. Earlier this year, Pam also received the American Society of Plant Biologists’ annual Leadership in Science Public Service Award, for her contributions to the national and international dialogue on agricultural production and plant science leadership.

Ruth (Beckhard) Werner’s textbook A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology has reached edition #7! “This text is a mainstay of massage therapy education and is used in schools all over the world. Previous editions have benefited from the help of Reed winter externs, the wonderful Nathan Martin ’16 and Calyx Reed ’17.” (See Reediana.)

1983

David Berrigan rode the Allegheny Gap Trail from Pittsburgh to DC!

1984

Daniel Kim and Barbara Kim ’86 have been working as volunteers in several refugee shelters for asylum seekers in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, for the last 18 months. “We have also temporarily hosted over 100 refugees in our home—assisting them to

travel the final leg of their journey to their sponsors in other states. We have been and continue to be very busy providing for the needs of these people after they have gone through the trauma of having to flee their home countries, losing everything in the process, and then the further trauma and dehumanization inflicted by our government agencies of Customs, Border Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Any fellow Reedies who might be interested in helping, please contact either of us.”

Paradox cofounders Mike Magrath and Matt Giraud ’85 were caught on camera on Vashon Island one weekend evening this summer.

1985 35th Reunion

Calvin and Hobbes make their debut.

1986

Shep Doeleman, the director of the Event Horizon Telescope project, will receive the American Astronomical Society 2020 Lancelot M. Berkeley–New York Community Trust Prize for Meritorious Work in Astronomy. Bestowed annually since 2011 by the AAS and supported by a grant from the New York Community Trust, the Berkeley prize includes a monetary award and an invitation to give the closing plenary lecture

at the AAS winter meeting, often called the “Super Bowl of Astronomy.”

Heather (Bell) Redman was named one of Puget Sound Business Journal’s eight Directors of the Year for 2019.

Heather is cofounder and managing partner of the Seattle venture capital firm Flying Fish Partners.

1987

Britain’s Order of the Garter opened to women.

1988

Gita Ghei’s daughter Rajni Schulz ’23 started her Reed odyssey this fall!

Guests at Rajni’s high school graduation party included several representatives of Olde Reed: Jan Louise Kusske ’71, Hayley Bush ’88, and Gita’s mom Johanna Ghei ’57.

1989

Too busy playing with your Game Boy to write a class note?

1990 30th Reunion

We write things down sometimes— letters, words—hoping they will serve us and those with whom we wish to communicate.

1991

Letters and words, calling out for understanding.

1992

Jeremy Faludi ’95 shared an example of his new home’s bike culture: one of five or six (!) rows of bike parking in Delft’s train station.

Happy 50th birthday to Will Swarts!

Celebrants converging to mark Will’s half century included Mark Reynolds, Grant Raddon, Sara Lane, Susan Abramson ’91, and Kathleen Galek.

1993

Catalina Claussen was honored in the United Kingdom in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards for her young adult novel, Diamonds at Dawn. This sequel to her award-winning debut novel Diamonds at Dusk was selected as a finalist in the young adult category. One of the reviewers commented, “Read the first book called Diamonds at Dusk and loved it. This is even better.”

In August, Katherine Paul began serving as the Virginia and William M. Spencer III Curator of Asian Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Douglas Spink sent us an update: “Having failed to die this spring of my terminal (stage 4) metastatic melanoma diagnosis this spring, I’m living a second life on time stolen from the abyss.

There’s so many things I’ve given up as purely in the past—because terminal cancer—that are now reborn into my life. Humbling, beautiful, frightening, ineffable. Additionally, I’ve become actively engaged in a syncretic biotechnology startup—as unexpected as it is illuminating. Despite decades of hatred and violence directed at my family and

me by bigots and rogue law enforcement revanchists, I’m blessed to be able to continue my community activism and outreach at a scale and level of effectiveness I could never have dreamed imaginable in earlier years. Love truly transcends . . .”

In the past year, Nicole Walker has published two books about climate change. A professor of English and director of the MFA program at Northern Arizona University, Nicole lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, with her husband and two kids.

(See Reediana.)

1994

Benji Fisher’s recently published book Echo of Distant Water is a new look at an old Portland mystery. (See Reediana.)

Reedies celebrate the high school graduation of a Reedie-to-be!

Clockwise from top left: Gita Ghei ’88, Jan Louise Kusske ’71, Hayley Bush ’88, Gita’s mom Johanna Ghei ’57, and Gita’s daughter Rajni Schulz ’23.

Happy 50th to Will!

From left: Mark Reynolds ’92, Grant Raddon ’92, Will Swarts ’92, Sara Lane ’92, Susan Abramson ’91, and Kathleen Galek ’92.

Diamonds at Dawn, by Catalina Claussen ’93, was a Wishing Shelf Book Awards finalist.

Benji Fisher ’94 recently published a new book about an old Portland mystery.

1995 25th Reunion

Ben Davis is now working in the Seattle office of Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC as managing director of research, equity, and factor strategies.

Reed Magazine december 2019 35

Class Notes Jeremy Faludi recently started a new job as professor of green product design at Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands. “So far, it’s an amazing candyland of creativity and sustainability! And holy cow, the bike culture! Any Reedies in the area (including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, etc.), come say hi.”

1996

David Devine became a Canadian citizen on August 16. Present were several friends, including his boyfriend Ken. David has been active in both provincial and federal politics since moving to Canada in 2009; he is looking forward to voting in his first federal election this coming October.

Amanda Wilcox has been promoted to full professor in the classics department at Williams College.

1997

Congratulations to Dr. Steve Mansoor, one of only two recipients of the Gilead Sciences Research Scholars 2019 Cardiovascular Comorbidities award! The Gilead Sciences Research Scholars Programs provide up to $130,000 in financial support to junior faculty researchers for a 2-year period.

1998

Christopher Beeson’s documentary feature film Just Us Three debuted at the Reel Recovery Film Festival at the University of Colorado Denver in September. (See Reediana.)

Patricia Bennett enjoys bringing up her two kids, Arabella, aged 10, and Atlas, aged 8, while earning a living as an event painter in Maryland. Recently she painted at the Bhutanese Archery Festival. One of her recent paintings is at the Embassy of Qatar, and another is hanging on the energy trading floor of Constellation Energy.

Andrea Karyn Lambert married Jessica Michelle Johnson on June 26, 2019, at the Washoe County Clerk’s office in Reno, Nevada.

1999

As an exercise in optimism, Leslie Good began to prepare for old age by knitting herself a shawl. She plans to spend the winter season hunting for rhinestone brooches.

2000 20th Reunion

Pope John Paul II gives blessing to Pokémon franchise.

36 Reed Magazine december 2019

2001

Jennifer Graham’s second young adult novel was published in October. (See Reediana.)

After graduating, Rozi Harris spent 5 years managing book projects in the publishing industry in Portland, followed by 12 years on the iPhone product design team at Apple in Cupertino, California. She has now joined forces with her husband to run a small firmware and product development consulting firm in San Francisco. Rozi got married in December 2018 and had a baby boy in January 2019. “This note is inspired by the consistent lack of notes from ’00–’01. Hopefully this will encourage more of you to send updates. Are you out there?”

Sarah D. Wald is coeditor of a new book, Latinx Environmentalisms: Place, Justice, and the Decolonial. (See Reediana.)

2002

Dan Harris-McCoy and Kim Harris-McCoy ’03 just made six years in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dan is now associate professor of classics at the University of Hawaii, and Kim is managing a large team at HMSA, a local nonprofit health insurance company. Their son Miles just started second grade. In their spare time, they enjoy doing community service and fix-it projects around the house. “It would be great to meet up with any Reedies traveling to the Aloha State!”

2003

This month, the University of California Press will publish Jatin Dua’s book on contemporary piracy in the Indian Ocean. (See Reediana.)

Ryan Moran and his partner, Maile Arvin, recently welcomed Lilinoe ArvinMoran into the world. Maile and Ryan both work at the University of Utah, where Maile teaches in history and gender studies and Ryan teaches history.

They have enjoyed settling down in Salt Lake City after living in La Jolla, California; Tokyo; Hanover, New Hampshire; Santa Cruz, California; Tokyo again; and Riverside, California, over the past several years.

2004

How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot! / The world forgetting, by the world forgot. / Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d.

2005 15th Reunion

Julie Corbett graduated from Oregon State University’s Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine with her DVM degree in June of 2019. She is excited to be living in Portland again with her partner and 4-year-old son, and is spending her intern year working for a nonprofit emergency animal and specialty hospital while considering a residency.

2006

Vera Alcorn and Rob Fishel ’03 announce their marriage! They tied the knot in the chapel at Reed with a handful of friends and family in June 2019.

Paul T. Baker started this fall as an assistant professor in the physics

clockwise from top left: Rozi Harris ’01 and family enjoy the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, July 2019.

Andrea Karyn Lambert ’98 and Jessica Michelle Johnson are now Mrs. & Mrs. Lambert!

Julie Corbett ’05 is a doctor of veterinary medicine.

Bhutanese Archery Festival 2019, a live painting by Patricia Bennett ’98.

Claire Foster ’06 is smoking on the beach.

department at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania (just outside of Philadelphia). Since graduating from Reed, Paul has bounced around the country, doing his PhD at Montana State and working as a visiting professor at SUNY Geneseo and a postdoc at West Virginia University. “I’m excited to start the next phase of my life, but I wistfully observe that the distance between me and the nearest Doug fir keeps growing.”

Claire Foster is having a busy year. “I collaborated with Facebook and Google on two recovery initiatives that support access to treatment and peer support for people coping with addiction. As a queer, nonbinary trans person who has been in recovery for more than 12 years, I’m grateful to share my story on such large platforms. Both of the videos that featured me have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times—so the message is getting out there.” Foster has worked in recovery advocacy for a few years; his writing to support the cause has been read on the floor of the Senate and can be found on the shelves in the Library of Congress. Foster also writes fiction and just published his second short story collection, Shine of the Ever. “The title story in Shine of the Ever started out as my senior thesis, a novella written under the patient eyes of Peter Rock [creative writing 2001–] and Maxine Scates [creative writing 1989–2006]. The novella and I have both changed a lot in the last 13 years. In case you missed it, I’ve transitioned and I now use he/they pronouns. I go by my last name but I’m still using my old byline.” (See Reediana.)

Catherine Liggett and husband Carlos Moreno are ecstatic to welcome their first child to the world, Gabriela Renée.

She was born on August 13th at home in Seattle.

Just in time for the centennial of the 19th amendment, Dawn Teele has published a new book, Forging the Franchise: The Political Origins of the Women’s Vote.

(See Reediana.)

2007

Well, it’s happened again . . . nothing!

2008

Josh Lingerfelt has joined North Carolina law firm Brooks Pierce as an associate in their Greensboro office. Josh and his wife, Sadie McCleary (not a Reedie), moved to Greensboro in early July to be closer to Sadie’s family in Winston-Salem.

Visit us for a great selection of holiday gifts, including these hand-thrown mugs from Deneen Pottery—available in the store and online.

bookstore.reed.edu To receive your mug in time for the holidays, please order online by December 12 (ground shipping), December 18 (3 day shipping), or December 22 (next day shipping).

Class Notes

Cate Mingoya shared the work she’s doing as director of capacity building at Groundwork USA. For the past year she’s led a five-city partnership called Climate Safe Neighborhoods.

In this partnership with Groundwork Trusts in five cities across the country and NASA Develop, they’ve digitized redlining maps from the 1930s and pulled together a slew of climate data to examine the relationship between historical state-sanctioned housing segregation and modern-day community risk of extreme heat and flooding—there’s a strong one. Coordinators in each city are using these data to organize residents and nonresident stakeholders to intervene in local planning processes and budgetary cycles.

Residents will seek the implementation of mitigation measures to help protect their neighborhoods from the social, health, and financial impacts of the heat island effect and flooding.

Their website at groundworkusa.org/ climate-safe-neighborhoods/ features two of their five cities—the other three, as well as details on their partnership with NASA, are coming soon. Scroll all the way through for interactive maps, eye-popping bar graphs, profiles of atrisk neighborhoods, and to learn what Groundwork Trusts are doing to help residents organize for change.

Alok Amatya’s PhD dissertation, “Resource Conflict Literature: Reading Indigenous Struggles,” has received the David John Ruggiero Dissertation Award from the University of Miami Center for the Humanities. Alok’s dissertation, which brings together works centered on India, the Niger Delta, and the Arabian Peninsula, identifies “resource conflict literature” as a genre of global literature and media that addresses neocolonial conflicts over oil, minerals, and other natural resources. The committee was impressed by the extent to which Alok’s dissertation proposed a new field of study, rather than simply building on existing ones. Alok is also coeditor of a forthcoming special issue of Modern Fiction Studies on “Literature of Extraction.”

2009

2011

Molly King graduated in June with her PhD in Sociology from Stanford University, where she researched demographic inequalities in knowledge. This fall, she started as an assistant professor in sociology at Santa Clara University.

Dr. Jeannette Tenthorey of Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has been named as one of 15 “exceptional early career scientists” by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and will receive eight years of financial 38 Reed Magazine december 2019

support through its Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program. In the first four years of the Gray fellowship, Jeannette will study guanylate-binding proteins, a family of proteins believed to be part of the natural defenses, or innate immunity, of mammalian cells. By dissecting the rapid evolution of these proteins as they encounter bacterial challenges, she hopes to find out how specific mutations enable cells to withstand assault or to counteract efforts by bacteria to evade ever-changing defenses.

2010 10th Reunion

In June, Jessica Gerhardt released her debut album, Be My Hands, under her own name. Following the EP’s release, she went on her first tour, playing on both the West and East Coasts, and was privileged to see a few familiar Reed alumni at her Portland tour date at The Library at Growler’s Taproom in July.

Additionally, after five years Jessica recently stepped down from her position as the full-time Director of Youth Ministry at St. Bede the Venerable

Catholic Church in La Cañada, California, to create more time and space in her life for music, art, and freelancing. She continues to share music and to give speaking presentations in both religious and secular venues.

2012–14

Thirty squirrels escape from Tokyo zoo; 38 recaptured. Good job, squirrel catchers!

2015 5th Reunion

Did Pizza Rat steal your class note?

2016

Was it delicious?

2017

Nico Terry and Emily Allen ’19 are moving to State College, Pennsylvania, where Nico will start graduate school in mathematics and Emily hopes to join the campaign(s) in 2020. If you’re reading this in Centre County, drop them a line!

2018–19

I do what I like, I do, I do.

clockwise from left: Beth Raby ’06, Jenn Hubbs ’06, Vera Alcorn ’06, Elena Rose Vera ’05, Terry Boyarsky ’70, Ross Donaldson ’06, Rob Fishel ’03, Mont Chris Hubbard ’06, and Monica Toth ’05 came back to Reed for Vera and Rob’s wedding.

Josh Lingerfelt ’08.

Catherine Liggett ’06 and husband Carlos Moreno welcome Gabriela Renée.

Molly King ’09 gets her PhD in sociology.

After her Portland debut, Jessica Gerhardt ’11 is surrounded by Reedie fans wearing her band T-shirt: Matthew Lambert ’12, Jessica, Jamison Loos ’11, and Kyle Lu ’11.

Meet Lilinoe Arvin-Moran, new arrival for Ryan Moran ’03 and his partner, Maile Arvin.

EVENTS AT

More than 200 public events each year.

Senior Theatre Thesis Concert December 5–7 Blackbox Theatre Tickets: reedcollege.eventbrite.com

Beyond Borders: Carols, Hymns, and Lullabies with the Reed Chorus & Collegium Musicum December 8 Kaul Auditorium Free

STIMULATE YOUR INTELLECT.

Portland Baroque Orchestra: Gender Roles in Handel Operas February 16 Kaul Auditorium Tickets: pbo.org

Portland Baroque Orchestra: Comedy, Delight, and Drama March 15 Kaul Auditorium Tickets: pbo.org

Alumni Holiday Party

Portland Gay Men’s Chorus: “Reflections”

December 14 Kaul Auditorium Tickets: alumni.reed.edu

March 21 & 22 Kaul Auditorium Tickets: pdxgmc.org/concerts-tickets/

Winter Dance Concert December 14 & 15 Greenwood Theatre Tickets: reedcollege.eventbrite.com

Spring Dance Concert May 8 & 9 Greenwood Theatre Tickets: reedcollege.eventbrite.com

Senior Dance Thesis Concert February 6–8 Greenwood Theatre Tickets: reedcollege.eventbrite.com

Western Early Keyboard Association Recital: Julia Brown, Harpsichord February 15 Performing Arts Building Tickets: wekaweb.org

ALL EVENTS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (EXCEPT THE ALUMNI HOLIDAY PARTY) JOIN OUR MAILING LIST AT events.reed.edu.

In Memoriam EDITED BY RANDALL BARTON Email bartonr@reed.edu

University Chancellor and Cosmic Rockhound Laurel Wilkening ’66 June 4, 2019, in Arizona.

Prominent planetary scientist and a leading expert on comets, asteroids, and meteorites, Laurel also blazed a trail as an educator, becoming the first woman to serve as chancellor at UC Irvine.

She was born in Richland, Washington, and raised in Socorro, New Mexico, where her father worked on the first atomic bomb and later taught college physics. Laurel always had a passion for science. She majored in chemistry at Reed and wrote her thesis on copper carbonyls with Prof.

Arthur Scott [chemistry 1923–79]. She went on to get her doctorate in chemistry at UC San Diego, where she examined the first lunar rock released from quarantine after Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

Laurel taught cosmochemistry and planetary science at the University of Arizona, where she became the director of its Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, served as vice president for research and dean of the graduate college, and was instrumental in establishing the department of gender and women’s studies. She also met her future husband, Godfrey Sill, a Carmelite friar working on his doctorate.

She went on to become the first woman provost at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she was also vice president for

academic affairs. In the ’80s, she spent a year as a scientist working on a proposed NASA mission to Halley’s comet that fell victim to budget cuts.

In 1993, Laurel headed to UC Ir vine, becoming its first woman chancellor and succeeding in her goal of moving it into the ranks of America’s top 50 research universities. She spearheaded the creation of University Research Park, a national model for collaboration between the private sector and university researchers.

Laurel was revered among planetary scientists. She authored two books, scores of scientific articles, and edited a definitive text on comets.

She served on numerous scientific bodies, including the Space Policy Advisory Board, the National Commission on Space, the Meteoritical Society, and the Planetary Society.

Despite her leadership posts, Laurel found teaching the most gratifying part of her career, and she loved the university environment.

“Academia works by people talking to each other face to face,” she said. “At Reed, I learned how to communicate with people, learned to stand on my position if I believed in it.”

Laurel was a lifelong Reed supporter, and served on the board of trustees. She also made a generous gift that was instrumental in restoring the Reed canyon.

After retiring in 1998, she returned to Arizona, where her husband ran a vineyard. He

died in 2007. Laurel is survived by her brother, Wes Wilkening.

Her name lives on, however. In 2013, an asteroid discovered by astronomers at the University of Arizona was officially named (75562) Wilkening in her honor.

Filmmaker Helped Students Find Their Inner Voice Bushra Azzouz ’80

June 13, 2019 in Portland, Oregon.

Documentary filmmaker Bushra Azzouz taught for decades at Portland’s Northwest Film Center, giving voice to hundreds of aspiring filmmakers. One of the outreach projects she led was in Eddyville, a rural Oregon town, where she had middle-school students interview the oldest members of their families, mining for memories of the place. As a filmmaker, it was not industry shifts from film to video that concerned her.

“The truth is,” she said, “I’m not interested in technology, but in storytelling.”

Her own story began with her birth in Mosul, Iraq. She grew up in Lebanon and moved to the United States, where she majored in theatre at Reed.

“I wanted to be as far away as possible from everything I knew,” she said. “Even the eastern 40 Reed Magazine december 2019

United States were too close, and I liked the fact that I had to look up Oregon on the map.”

Bushra’s budding interest in contemporary

theatre was met with an insistence on familiarity with Shakespeare, which she had barely read.

After writing her thesis, “La Celestina: Mosaics,”

she discovered that she was short half a credit.

She enrolled in a film class at Portland State University taught by Andries Deinum, who had cofounded the school’s Center for the Moving Image in 1969. It opened her eyes to film as another language.

She spent five years making a 70-minute documentary that explored the life of contemporary Native American basket weaver Nettie Jackson as well as the documentary process.

That film, And Woman Wove It in a Basket, won awards at two Native American festivals and was screened at the Museum of Modern Art. While making the film, Bushra earned a graduate degree in documentary film production

at San Francisco State University. She was still making final edits on her film when she became a faculty member at the Northwest Film Study Center.

Bushra’s other films include No News, her reflection on the events of 9/11 that drew on the long history of cyclical violence her family endured in the Middle East; Women of Cyprus, a study of Cypriot women trying to reunify their war-torn island; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Prison, portraying the production of Shakespeare’s comedies by inmates at the Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla, Oregon.

In her personal life, as in her films, Bushra devoted herself to giving voice to the

marginalized and the powerless. She worked on projects committed to community media, organic food production, indigenous land rights in Borneo, children, and homeless youths.

“Teaching students film is giving them a voice,” she said of her years of teaching aspiring filmmakers. She was also a lead mentor for the Film Center’s Project Viewfinder, which collaborated with organizations like Outside In and New Avenues for Youth to give Portland’s young homeless the opportunity to share their perspectives through film. She is survived by her husband, Andy Larkin, and her two brothers, Bashar and Haydar.

Activist Doctor Was Champion For His Patients Garon Coriz ’08

July 13, 2019, in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico, from a rock-climbing accident.

Physician, activist, and rock climber Garon Coriz had recently moved back to the pueblo where he grew up to serve the community as a doctor. But a tragic climbing accident robbed him of the chance.

“We have lost the voice of a Native American who was compassionate, articulate, and a family physician who advocated for his patients, most of whom were disadvantaged,” said physician Kathie Allen.

Garon grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and at Kewa Pueblo (formerly Santo Domingo Pueblo), and wrote about the trials of growing up a mixed-race child to a Native American mother and a white father. Children on the pueblo teased him, calling him “white buffalo,” while school children in Albuquerque “fabricated tales to get me in trouble; my word was tossed aside.”

When he lived with his mother, the love of pueblo family members helped protect him, and he credited his “brilliant Caucasian attorney for a father” for getting him through tough times in Albuquerque.

As a star basketball player at Albuquerque Academy, he was heckled. Later, when he was admitted into medical school, some people commented that was only because of affirmative action.

Garon quoted novelist and filmmaker Sherman Alexie, who said, “I used to think the world was broken down by tribes . . . black and white. By Indian and White. But I know this isn’t true. The world is only broken into two tribes: the people who are a**h­­oles and the people who are not.”

Pueblo elders often reminded Garon, “Don’t forget about us, your people.”

“With the knowledge gained from many years of schooling, and wisdom earned navigating the tough, narrow line between the ‘native world’

and the ‘white world,’ I see ways to help my people,” Garon said.

At Reed, he majored in biology and wrote his thesis, “Formation of Filaments by H-NS and Ler,” with Prof. Jay Mellies [biology 1999–].

“Whether in academics or athletics, if Garon got knocked down, he would immediately get back up, never complained, and would just try that much harder,” Mellies recalled. “After graduating from Reed, and embarking on his career, he became an inspiration to many people, and to me. It quickly became apparent that Garon was teaching me a lot more than I had taught him. Garon made a difference in the lives of his patients, the members of his tribal community, those who championed causes, for example, Bears Ears National Monument, those he met while traveling, anyone who had the good fortune to intersect with his journey.

Garon was a true ‘helper,’ and I am devastated that he is gone.”

Will Brown ’08, visiting assistant professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, remembers playing basketball with Garon at Reed.

“Garon was a tremendous player—smart, fiercely competitive, and lethal at offense and defense, to the point that he pretty much dominated every team that crossed his path.” Will said.

“His overwhelming talent and brash on-court persona made him feared and despised by our opponents. He was also a beloved teammate: loyal, encouraging, and funny as hell, with a loud cackle that erupted often during warm-ups and road trips.”

After graduating from medical school at the University of New Mexico, Garon finished his residency at the University of Utah Family Reed Magazine december 2019 41

In Memoriam Medicine Residency, where he was an outspoken advocate for those underrepresented in medicine. He mentored Native American students who shadowed him in the clinic and opened the eyes of coworkers with his holistic approach to medical care—making his ICU rounds with a local shaman healer. Garon was also a passionate advocate for rural patients addicted to opiates.

After his residency, he practiced in rural Salina, Utah, working for the North Sevier Medical Clinic with Intermountain Healthcare.

He spent a summer in Ecuador and another in Peru, providing medical care to indigenous people in the Andes. He protested attempts to cut the size of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah and pushed to protect the land’s sacred uses to Native Americans, maintain public access, and restrict mining and fracking.

“That cause was foremost to him, partly because my grandparents were from that area and Garon learned to love southeast Utah,” his father, Scott Borg, said. “He did a lot of presentations on Bears Ears and other environmental issues.”

“Finding a balance between my tribal culture and the dominating world culture continues to be a bear I must wrestle daily,” Garon wrote.

Having recently returned home, Garon was planning to work at a clinic on the pueblo.

Garon logged nearly 300 peaks in his summit log, including Grand Teton, South Sixshooter, Bears Ears, and Mount Rainier. He spent much of his time climbing steep towers and classic walls in the desert, but visited Alaska in 2017 and climbed Ham and Eggs on Mooses Tooth.

His father, acknowledging his own fear of heights, said he often feared his son might experience some catastrophe while climbing. “I’ve been trying to get him to stop climbing but he couldn’t be deterred. He’s been climbing since he was three years old. He loved it. He was doing the thing he loved when he died,” Borg said.

In addition to his father, Garon is survived by his mother, Nora Coriz, and a brother, Dion Coriz.

Shirley Ann Berenson Mark ’44

July 30, 2019, in Portland, of natural causes.

Born in Portland to Max and Florence Berenson, Shirley went to the University of Washington and Reed. In 1944, she met Danny Fromer—on leave from the army—at a dance at the Jewish Community Center. They married and had three children, Eileen, Marty, and Jim. Danny died in 1982, and two years later, Shirley met Louis Mark in Palm Springs, California. They married later that year and spent many happy years together, dividing their time between Palm Springs and Portland, until Lou passed away in 2013. Shirley’s life revolved around family and friends, and she loved taking her children and grandchildren on cruises.

42 Reed Magazine december 2019

Jean Pecore Wever ’47 August 7, 2019, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Jean was born in Washington, D.C., attended schools in Portland, and started at Reed when she was 16. Majoring in biology, she wrote her thesis, “A Preliminary Report on the Distribution of Alkaline Phosphatase in Triturus torosus,” advised by Prof. Frank P. Hungate [biology 1946–52]. At Reed, she met and married Robert Charles Wever ’50. Their daughter Sara was born while they were living in Texas, and Mary was born while they were living in Hawaii. In 1960, the family moved to Salt Lake City, where Jean taught special-needs students. When the family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, she earned a second bachelor’s degree in art from Arizona State University.

To be near children and grandchildren, Jean and Robert returned to Salt Lake City in 1990.

Jean was an avid gardener and enjoyed genealogy. She is survived by her daughters, Sara Louise Wever and Mary Wever Moore.

Arthur Lezin ’49 July 6, 2019, in Bend, Oregon.

Born in Los Angeles, A r t h u r g re w u p i n Seattle. He earned a BA in economics at Reed, where he wrote his thesis, “Certain Social and Psychological Aspects of Industrial Relations,” advised by Prof. Maure L. Goldschmidt [political science 1935–81].

He made lasting friendships with students and faculty at Reed, where, he said, “I was encouraged, more accurately required, to think critically and express myself clearly.”

After graduating, he got a job selling diamonds in Switzerland. That didn’t work out, but he did meet Alice, who worked for Swissair and would become his wife and fellow adventurer. Their courtship took off, and they were

married within months. Arthur quit his job and the couple toured Europe for three months in his Porsche.

Arthur spent much of his career serving the U.S. Agency for International Development, an arm of the State Department, which began almost by accident when a former college buddy told him about it. In 1962, the Lezins and their six-week-old daughter, Nicole, left for Guatemala, where Arthur began an assignment as an assistant program officer, planning and managing foreign assistance programs in developing countries. So began a tour of duty that took the Levins, and eventually two other children, to Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Pakistan, Burundi, Zaire, Mauritania, and Haiti, with several years spent in Washington, DC. “The challenge was how to make a significant impact outside the government,” Arthur said of his work. “We channeled assistance and training—growing food, vaccinating children, educating girls—directly to the people of the country. To say the recipients of our work appreciated our efforts would be an understatement.”

The gratitude he and Alice felt from the people is part of why he worked in USAID for 25 years.

He wrote a book, From Afghanistan to Zaire, chronicling much of his service career, illustrated with his own black-and-white photographs.

In 1982, he took a sabbatical from USAID to pursue a master’s in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Hoping to establish a more stable lifestyle, for a time, he took a job as the assistant to the president at Reed. But before long, he took another foreign service assignment and moved to Pakistan.

After retiring to Bend, Oregon, Arthur pursued his passion for fly-fishing, which eventually was replaced with games of bridge and Boggle. He had a quick wit and was an avid photographer and a prolific writer, publishing multiple articles and two books, including A Case of Loyalty, a memoir about the successful battle his father waged to clear his name following his discharge from the U.S. Navy at the height of McCarthyism.

He is survived by Alice, his wife of 57 years, and his children: Nicole, Katya, and Ben.

Mary Lou Hershey Scioscia ’49 June 5, 2018, in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

Born in Toronto, Canada, Mary moved with her family to the United States in 1929. In 1946, she married Frank Scioscia, and they lived on the West Coast for 20 years before moving to Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.

A quiet woman with a bountiful outpouring of goodwill, Mary got her master’s in psychology from Columbia University and worked as an English teacher. She was especially gifted at igniting a love of reading in young adults who had previously struggled and not yet realized

that reading was something to love.

Books and reading stories were integral to Mary’s life. She and Frank founded both the Dobbs Ferry Bookstore and the Riverrun Bookstore. A valued member of the Hastings Literature Club, she was on the board and served as president of the Friends of the Library. Her book Bicycle Rider, illustrated by Ed Young, is still enjoyed by young people and has been excerpted for literature textbooks. Mary also published several books of Indian folk tales, illustrated by her daughter-inlaw Saradiya Dasi. She was involved in the Dobbs Ferry and Hastings Historical Societies.

She is survived by her four children, Louisa Stephens, John Scioscia, Charles Scioscia, and Virginia Vazirani.

Myron Joe Floren ’50

December 31, 2017, at his home in Clackamas, Oregon.

Joe’s early life in Oregon City was permeated by the subdued mood of the Great Depression. For a time, before moving to Northeast Portland, his family lived with his grandparents on their farm near Carver, Oregon. After graduating from Jefferson High School, Joe started at Reed. He went on to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. In 1950, he married Marjorie Daum ’51, and two years later a daughter was born.

Joe worked as a writer and editor for the Blue Mountain Eagle and then was hired by the Hillsboro Argus as its farm editor.

Four more daughters were born in Hillsboro.

The family moved to Portland after Joe was hired to manage the communications department at Tektronix, where his award-winning annual reports spurred requests for classes on his no-nonsense approach to effective business communication. He developed a consulting business teaching classes for businesses and government agencies nationwide.

After Joe and Marjorie divorced, he married

Olga Ferdinandus and they moved to Waldport, where Joe continued consulting and wrote several books on effective writing. Olga died in 1998, and a few years later Joe married Anne Mount Hay. They lived on Orcas Island, Washington, where he pursued photography and volunteered to promote low-income housing, nature preservation, and the arts. Joe is survived

by Anne; his five daughters, Terese, Brooke Ann, Gillian, Celia Heron, and Marcia Waugh; and his brother, Don Floren.

HONOR THEIR

Memory IN THE SPIRIT OF REED

Barbara Weeks Shettler ’50

April 12, 2019, in Portland.

Barbara came to Reed upon graduating from Portland’s Grant High School. She would long carry fond memories of the beautiful, well-used inter ior o f the old library, where she wrote her thesis, “The Historical and Theoretical Background of the Junior College with Implications for the State of Oregon,” with Prof. Harold Bernard [education 1947–50] advising. Barbara learned to folk dance and waltz in the old SU. “The Reed experience probably helped give me the courage to take on leadership positions in almost all my activities,” she said, “and it taught me to study and analyze more effectively.”

After graduating, she taught in an elementary school in Portland. She met her husband, Richard, at a young adults gathering at First Presbyterian Church. They moved to Orange County in Southern California until the smog and soaring population got to them. After her children were raised, Barbara earned a master’s degree in special education at Portland State University and managed a resource room for learning-disabled students for eight years.

Barbara delighted in being a Reedie and devoted many hours supporting the college and outreach projects. She served on the FosterScholz steering committee, chairing it for two years, and received the Distinguished Service Award in 2013. She also served on the National Alumni Board, Barbara enjoyed folk dancing, opera, international travel via Elderhostel, and trips to the Oregon coast with friends and family.

She is survived by her husband, Richard; her sons, Larry and Cliff; and her daughter, Linda Humphreys.

Edward Gammon ’51 July 2, 2019, in Fresno, California.

Edward grew up on the Oregon coast in Yachats, where he developed his love for nature and the outdoors. When he moved to Portland to attend Reed, he took up serious rock climbing, hiking, skiing, and outdoor adventures.

He wrote his thesis, “A Problem in the Calculus

Honor your professors and classmates with a gift to Reed in their name. You can make Reed possible for the next generation.

giving.reed.edu

In Memoriam of Variations,” with Prof. Lloyd Williams [math 1947–81] advising. Continuing his education, he earned two master’s degrees, one at the University of Oregon and another in statistics from UC Berkeley. He completed his formal education with a PhD from Stanford University.

Prior to teaching linguistics at California State University, Fresno, Edward worked as a researcher and developer for such companies as Lockheed and Northrop. He met his wife, Lotte, on a Sierra Club hike while living in Southern California. He taught his children to ski on Mount Hood and kayaked on the Kings River. As a family, they traveled and lived around the world while Edward studied and presented academic papers. After retiring, he spent time in his garden, learned ancient Greek, and rediscovered his love for singing. Edward is survived by his children, Michael and Ruth.

the cardiologist-on-call for three U.S. presidents.

Leonard’s life was centered on giving to and caring for his local community and the community of Jews around the world—especially Israel, which he and his wife, Dolly, deeply supported.

Leonard was a devoutly religious man and an observant Jew who prided himself on treating clergy of all religions without charge. He was a leader in his synagogue, served as president of the Jewish Federation of Portland, and was a board member of many charitable organizations.

He is survived by his wife, Dolly, and their three children, Michelle, Ken, and Jerry.

Anna Bozarth Payne ’53 June 6, 2019, in Happy Valley, Oregon.

Leonard M. Goldberg ’51

July 5, 2019, in Portland, from complications of dementia.

Glen H. Cole ’54

August 11, 2019, in Eugene, Oregon.

With a double major in art and anthropology, Glen wrote his thesis, “A Study of the Tlingit Boxes of the Rasmussen Collection,” with his advisers, Professors Lloyd Reynolds [English and art 1929–69] and David French [anthropology 1947–88]. He went on to get both his master’s degree and a PhD in archaeology at the University of Chicago.

An anthropologist and professor, Glen developed an interest in Africa in the late ’50s, when he worked with the University of Chicago in Ismailia in northeast Egypt, known as “the city of beauty and enchantment.” He became the curator of prehistory at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, and he did a lot of anthropological work in Africa. He also worked with the Smithsonian Institute on the Arabian Peninsula and with the Uganda Museum on the specific problem of transitional industries.

Glen remembered Reed College generously in his estate plans.

Jo Tice Bloom ’55

June 18, 2019, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, of heart failure.

Having skipped grades while growing up in Portland, Leonard started at Reed when was only 16. He lived at home, returning to campus most evenings to study in the library. A biology major, Leonard wrote his thesis, “A Study of the Effect of Thiocyanate and Thiourea on the Stored Iodine Content of the Thyroid Gland of the Frog (Rana pipiens)” with Prof. Frank Hungate [biology 1946–52] advising. Leonard earned his MD from the University of Oregon Medical School, married Dolly, and did his residency program at Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco. The couple returned to Portland to raise their family.

During his 60 years as a physician, Leonard became chief of cardiology at Portland’s Emanuel Hospital, where he mentored many young doctors and nurses and was chosen as

44 Reed Magazine december 2019

Anna spent her childhood in Virginia and California before following in the wake of the migration of some of her aunts and uncles to Redmond, Oregon, during World War II. She was one of five finalists in the Miss Oregon Pageant.

At Reed, she studied literature and theatre and was introduced to a handsome medical student at a college dance. She married Roy Payne in the chapel, and the couple danced together for the rest of their lives.

Anna worked as an executive secretary for the Oregon Academy of General Practice and created a welcoming home in Milwaukie, Oregon, where she and Roy raised four children. She did volunteer work in health education and politics, and served on the Health Education Advisory Committee for the state, on the Clackamas County Budget Committee, and on the Board of Equalization. She loved to cook. Sunday dinners were as much about sustenance of the soul as of the body, and the cast of characters varied widely.

The Payne home at Cannon Beach was an important place of both contemplation and celebration for Anna, family, and friends. She was active in politics and with the Oregon Medical Association Auxiliary, and inspired many young people to community engagement. Anna was an amazing seamstress who often wore her own handmade designer-style fashions. After Roy retired from his medical practice, they enjoyed years of travel. He preceded her in death. Anna is survived by her children, Bruce Payne, Ginger Payne Keller, Roy Payne, and Clare Symmons.

She was born Nancy Jo Fostvedt in Los Angeles, but from childhood she disliked the name Nancy.

She preferred “Jo” and later legalized it. After her parents’ marriage failed, her mother married Fred Tice. Jo found the ideal father in her new stepfather and legally adopted his surname.

Jo finished her public-school education in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago and then started at Reed, the alma mater of her mother, Opal Weimer Tice ’22. Years later, the Opal Weimer Tice Memorial Scholarship was established, requiring recipients to have participated through all levels of the Girl Scouts. Although, Jo was only at Reed for a year, she said, “It was a thrill to discover that my mind, my intellect, was valued for its achievements and for its iconoclasm. Not until I reached graduate school many years later did I find a similar intellectual environment.”

She finished her undergraduate work in education at Northwestern University and taught at secondary schools for two years in eastern Oregon. She was overtaken by a desire for graduate studies in something else, and choosing American history as her subject, earned both a master’s degree and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In 1968, she married John Porter Bloom ’44, a graduate of Reed’s Army Pre-Meteorology Program.

Jo did residencies at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, Bowie State College, and the University of Maryland, and was awarded a

Fulbright-Hays lectureship at Kabul University in Afghanistan. She lectured at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, California State University, Sacramento, the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, and New Mexico State University.

She retired in New Mexico, a place she had loved as a 17-year-old Girl Scout participating in the “Dirty Diggers” summer program of notable Sante Fe archaeologist and ethnologist Bertha Dutton. Shepherded all over northern New Mexico and Arizona, teenage Girl Scouts examined ruins and met Pueblo and other Native Americans. Jo helped edit a book on Dutton’s Dirty Diggers. She reviewed and edited books and wrote articles on historical topics that appeared in at least a dozen journals.

In 1992, Jo wrote a letter to Reed Magazine saying: “Buildings may change. The Doyle Owl may disappear and reappear. The library entrances may change. But the intangible, the challenge to the intellect, the lack of social graces and maturity on the part of freshmen, the mental exercise, the Honor Code, the delight of fantastic discussion, the joy of learning—these do not change.”

She is survived by her husband, John, and her three children, Katherine, Susan, and John.

George Richard Wallman ’55 February 8, 2019, in Portland, Oregon.

An early computer whiz, Richard may not have graduated from any school except elementary, where we were classmates. He failed at the University of Chicago—where he had been admitted prematurely after his second year at Portland’s Lincoln High School—and then attended Reed for a few semesters. Among his Reedie friends were Karl Metzenberg ’54 and Keith Mills ’60. He remembered working with Paul Allen in Seattle and later served for four years in the U.S. Air Force in Japan.

For some years, Richard was a computer consultant in Tustin, California, and then returned to Portland to continue that work. He is survived by three of his four children, one of whom, Ilyeana Wallman, lives in Portland, and many grandchildren.

As his childhood friend, I remain impressed that in the seventh grade, Richard introduced me to quality science fiction and its practice of intellectual imagination. Always a maverick, Richard had a warm generosity and enjoyed his family, friends, and good food, usually followed

by Armagnac, his favorite drink. In recent years, following the death of his beloved wife and troubled son, he continued to host traditional holiday dinners, made frequent visits by train to Southern California, and assisted in fireworks displays in the Bay Area. I miss him and our lively dinners at Portland restaurants. —Contributed

by Michael Munk ’56.

Carol Gilson Rosen ’60

August 19, 2019, in Ithaca, New York, from a heart attack.

A native Los Angeleno, Carol studied mathematics at Reed, where she met her husband, David Rosen ’60.

Completing a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Columbia University, she pursued graduate work in Italian and Romance philology at UC Berkeley and received a PhD in linguistics from Harvard University.

Carol taught at Cornell University from 1978 until her retirement in 2010. In addition to supervising Italian language instruction at the university, she regularly taught historical and comparative Romance linguistics, an old discipline renewed by current theoretical approaches.

Her research was based in relational grammar— a framework she helped create—and focused on the Romance language family, especially Italian.

Carol sought to build a theory of universal grammar that was free of Anglocentrism, and to discover how to best reveal and explain the regularities that run through the world’s languages.

She was the first American to serve as vice president of the Società di Linguistica Italiana.

Romance Languages: A Historical Introduction, coauthored with Ti Alkire (Cambridge University Press, 2010), was among her many publications.

Politically active, with an interest in animals and the environment, Carol succeeded Carl Sagan as faculty advisor to Cornell Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. She once got up in the middle of the night to post bail for a student activist and was herself arrested while trying to save Redbud Woods from being turned into a Cornell parking lot.

Carol is survived by her husband, David, and her brother, David Gilson.

Sally Hoffman Wiskemann ’63

July 17, 2019, in San Antonio, Texas.

As a child, Sally moved with her family to the West Coast from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Reed with a master’s in teaching and said, “Being a Reedie opened opportunities within and beyond my chosen profession.”

After returning to Pittsburgh, she met her husband, Ed Wiskemann. They had two children, moved about, and ended up in San Antonio, Texas, where Sally worked for more than 20 years at the Institute of Texan Cultures, rising from volunteer to director of volunteer services. For over 40 years, she participated, volunteered, and performed with her chorus in the annual Texas Folklife Festival.

Sally’s love of music was boundless: she sang barbershop with the Sweet Adelines, directed the Fiesta City Chorus, and broke into song at any opportunity. A voracious reader, upon retiring

from ITC she worked with a close friend to create the Low Vision Resource Center’s Owl Radio, a station for the print-impaired. She served on the board, read on the air, and worked passionately to further the station’s mission of bringing news and entertainment to those who have difficulty reading newspaper print.

Sally traveled around the globe, was well informed on important issues, and stood strongly for her beliefs, with particular interest in empowering women. She is survived by her daughter, Jean Bolling, and her son, Marc Wiskemann.

David Casseres ’65

August 29, 2019, in San Francisco, California, from complications of Parkinson’s disease and COPD.

David was born in San Jose, Costa Rica, and grew up in Washington, D.C., Belgrade, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, and Los Angeles. He attended the California Institute of Technology before transferring to Reed, where he majored in literature and wrote his thesis, “Cicero,” advised by Prof. David Ray [English 1964–68].

Defending Reed against charges of ivorytower intellectualism, he countered, “The greatest advances in human knowledge have come from ivory towers, and it is not true that a dis-involved scholar contributes nothing to the revolutionization of human culture. Much revolutionary thought begins in the tower and indeed could not begin elsewhere.”

After graduating, David worked as a technical writer at the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, California, before beginning a 23-year career at Apple Inc. as a senior software engineer. He worked on the implementation of AppleSearch, a client-server information retrieval application, and established a project to make full-text searching a feature of the Macintosh OS. Using SearchKit, he also implemented an API for automatic summarization of text, which he presented at Mac World in San Francisco.

Following Apple, David worked as senior mobile director at Edmodo, an educational communications platform provider, developing their initial iPhone/iPad applications, which have been the most-downloaded iOS educational applications to date. David’s final contributions to the field he loved were as a software engineering author at Apple, from 2015 to 2018, when his illness no longer allowed him to work.

Outside of work, David wrote poetry and prose, sang and played guitar and flute, earned a pilot’s license and flew small planes, sailed the Pacific on a catamaran, learned several languages, and enjoyed cooking and baking bread. He is survived by his wife, Cheryle Oku; his daughter, Hanae Casseres; and his sister, Marisa Casseres Schaer ’65.

Reed Magazine december 2019 45

In Memoriam David Kobos ’66

July 25, 2019 in Oregon City, Oregon.

David played matchmaker to Portland’s love affair with coffee, bringing specialty coffee beans to the city in the early ’70s. He built a thriving business serving a taste-conscious clientele ready for gourmet—whether in their mugs or on their tables— and became the dean of independent bean entrepreneurs.

Born in Salem, Massachusetts, he grew up in an immigrant Polish family. His aunt and grandmother ran a restaurant on the wharf, and his father grew fresh vegetables in the backyard garden.

“Between the restaurant and the garden, I had the best of two worlds in getting a food education,” he recalled. “I really developed a taste for ethnic foods through my grandmother, who was a great cook.”

David attended Harvard University to study medicine, but ended up earning a degree in Russian history with a minor in Slavic languages.

After receiving a master of arts in teaching from Reed, he taught U.S. and Russian history at Milwaukie High School in Oregon, where he was Mark Hoyt’s favorite teacher.

“He had the ability to make history come alive,” Hoyt recalled. “He had a brilliant mind and the ability to take complex historical facts and communicate them in a way that was easily understood.”

After three years, David left Milwaukie to join Teachers, Inc., a socially conscious teaching project in New York City. It was there he met his future wife, Susan Kryewinske, who was also a teacher.

The school was between Chinatown and Little Italy, and the couple enjoyed cooking together and exploring New York’s ethnic neighborhoods for new foods and cooking ingredients.

They married and honeymooned climbing Mt. St. Helens. A few years later, they decided to start a family, but didn’t want to raise children in New York City. David persuaded Susan that 46 Reed Magazine december 2019

they should move to Portland and open a retail store that carried high-quality coffees, teas, culinary spices, and the kitchen tools they wanted to use. Combining a $17,000 loan from the Small Business Administration with $6,500 of savings, they opened their first store in Portland’s Water Tower retail mall in 1973. For 43 years, they operated and expanded the Kobos Company into a retail and wholesale coffee and cookware business.

David graduated from the Owner/President Management program of the Harvard Business School, was a member of the Reed College alumni board, chaired the Carus school board, and served as president of both the Water Tower Merchants Association and the Skidmore Old Town Merchants Association.

Deemed “the consummate host” by his friends, he enjoyed growing his own vegetables (more than 100 varieties), baking bread, and treating guests to fresh-baked walnut walkaways. Visitors to the house would be serenaded by the geese, chickens, and sheep that roamed the three-acre farm. As he prepared the dinner, David discussed farm stories he was writing, recited a favorite poem, or counted down the days until the next Ducks game.

“People want fresh ingredients, no chemicals, and no preservatives in their food today,” he said.

“We’re simply giving them the kind of food my grandmother taught me how to cook.”

David loved Faulkner and believed wealth was the richness of his business and personal relationships. He is survived by his wife, Susan; his children, Adam, Nora, and Julia; and his siblings, Donald and Tricia.

Dale G. Harvey ’67

July 23, 2019, in Kalispell, Montana.

Dale was the youngest of eight children born to Fred and Ger tr ude Har vey in Bainville, Montana. The Harvey clan moved west when the town plunged into the middle years of the Great Depression. After a brief stint in Charlo, they planted themselves in the Flathead Valley—a place Dale would call his true home for the rest of his life.

After graduating from high school, he earned his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Montana and then his MA from Reed. He settled happily into a career of teaching and married Nancy Ettinger. They had three children, Russell, Andrew, and Renee.

Dale taught in Alaska, California, and Oregon, but following the death of his parents, he moved his family back to Kalispell, where he became a professor at the newly founded Flathead Valley Community College, where he taught literature until retiring in 1997.

Dale loved Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and Ernest Hemingway above all others, but Robert

Frost, Edgar Lee Masters, and Dylan Thomas held special places in his heart. Theater and music brought him lifelong joy, and he loved building and fixing nearly anything with an engine that predated computers. Horses and cats were his confidants, and his dogs were a part of the family.

He leaves behind his sons, Howard Russell and Andrew Dale, and his ex-wife and dear friend, Nancy.

John D. Loft ’73

August 5, 2019, in Long Beach, Indiana.

John’s career in social science research spanned more than 40 years, and he was widely recognized as a leading survey research expert among medical organizations, clinical providers, and patients.

Having grown up in Nebraska, John hadn’t seen much outside of Omaha when he arrived, sight unseen, on Reed’s campus, and initially he suffered from culture shock. Majoring in sociology, he wrote his thesis, “Religion, Occupation, and Marital Decision-Making.” Reed marked a significant turning point in his life, opening new horizons, and his advisor, Prof. James Inverarity [sociology 1971–73], was influential in guiding him to graduate work at the University of Chicago.

John credited Reed with giving him the intellectual interests and openness to the many different perspectives that undergirded his career. He worked as a principal scientist at RTI International, directing its Chicago office, and was the author of numerous articles, monographs, and books.

In 2007, he married Annie Malone and became a loving stepfather to her three daughters.

An avid traveler, John loved deep conversations. He was a devoted yogi, and, for more than 20 years, a student of meditation. These practices became his life support during his illness and beyond. With a devotion that was incredible, John’s wise counsel and gentle spirit were treasured by those who knew him.

Kim Ferris ’79

June 11, 2019, in Prosser, Washington.

Kim was a senior research scientist at Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington. He came to Reed with a bachelor of science degree from the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture. A chemistry major at Reed, he wrote his thesis, “Studies of Lithium Iodide and Phthaloyl Chloride in Ether Solvents,” and went on to earn both an MA and a PhD in chemistry from Princeton University.

He is survived by his wife, Karen.

Robert E. Burney III ’81 July 10, 2019, in Portland.

Robert went to Portland’s Lincoln High School and majored in biology at Reed, where he wrote his thesis, “Malaria: An Increasingly Important World Problem,” with Prof. G. Frank Gwilliam [biology 1957–96].

In his youth, Robert had a passion for cycling.

After graduating from Reed, he competed in the 1983 Pan-American cycling trials and the 1984 Olympic cycling trials. He married Tanya Burney, and they had two children, Robby and Ross. The couple divorced while Robert was in law school.

He earned his JD at Lewis and Clark Law School in ’91 and practiced personal injury litigation.

The following year, he met the love of his life, Liza Burney, and they married a year later, living happily together with the boys, their dogs, and Robert’s large bicycle collection.

After some years practicing law, Robert turned his focus to financial services and insurance and ran his own company. He is survived by his wife, Liza; his sons, Ross and Robby; his mother, Virginia; his father, Robert; his brother, Charles; and his sister, Jessica.

Grant Gawaine Stipek ’86 June 16, 2019, in Bremerton, Washington.

Grant grew up in Seattle and, after graduating from Roosevelt High School, worked aboard a cruiser and an Alaskan crab-fishing boat. After traveling on his own through Europe for four months, he started at Reed.

Grant decided he wanted to write his thesis on Frank Lloyd Wright and spent his senior year at Taliesin West, the architect’s laboratory outside of Phoenix, Arizona. He wrote his thesis, “Frank Lloyd Wright’s Concept of Organic and His Ideal in Man,” with Prof. Charles Rhyne [art 1960–97]. While at Taliesin, Grant met the CEO of Cassina—an Italian company that manufactures furniture designed by the world’s great architects—who offered Grant a job following graduation. When he graduated from Reed, Grant turned down an opportunity to attend University of Oregon’s Graduate School of Architecture and went to work in Cassina’s research and development department.

Grant envisioned building furniture with plastic-framed bases. After two years in Italy, he returned to Seattle and began six or seven years of research while developing his concept and obtaining patents in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and a half dozen European countries.

He financed his enterprise by working in the summers for his uncle aboard a commercial salmon fishing boat in Alaska, and in 1995, he moved to Portland to begin building the business.

Within a year, Grant contracted an illness that would remove him from his dream. During this time, he lived for four years with his parents in Hansville, Washington, and another 18 years in a Bremerton apartment.

Grant is survived by his father, Robert Stipek; his stepmother, Emily; and his siblings, Brian Stipek and Gwendolyn Styke.

Rachel Brownell ’07

March 12, 2019, in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.

Born on a sun-filled autumn morning, Rachel was a protective sister to Carrie and loved to draw, dance, read, and play. As a child she was unable to write a word and let it sit alone on the page. When she became a teacher, she loved teaching students to read and the experience of watching unknown words becoming known.

At Reed, she majored in French and wrote her thesis, “The Construction of Identity through Structure and Content in the Fiction of Anne Hébert,” advised by Prof. Ann Delehanty [French 2000–]. Rachel worked in Philadelphia, first as a reading interventionist at Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School and then as a special education teacher at Mastery Charter Schools.

“Rachel Brownell was and is a student I will never forget,” said Prof. Delahanty. “I loved working with her for a variety of reasons—she had an incredible wit, an outspoken personality that lit up every classroom that she was in, and a tenacity that is rarely found in any of us. Rachel was unconditionally supportive of me as a teacher.

She took every opportunity to express her gratitude for any help that I gave her, to proclaim loudly to the entire class how reasonable my expectations were (this was a truly wonderful aspect of her personality—she was Olde Reed through and through and would not allow her classmates to get away with complaining at any assignment no matter how long), and to ask me how I was doing even when she might have had struggles of her own. When I wrote to check in with her a couple of years ago, she wrote back with full-hearted enthusiasm and support for the work we are doing at Reed. Her dedication and devotion to her friends was always so apparent to me. She was a wise soul who sought to do her best work, no matter what.

It’s appropriate that she was a French major since she was one of those students who possessed an inexpressible je ne sais quoi that made it a pleasure to work with her. I am so grateful that I had a chance to work with Rachel as her thesis adviser and to get to know her as a person. I am sorry

that the world will miss having her supportive and loving presence.”

Rachel is survived by her parents, Bruce Brownell and Mary Chris Legato Brownell; her sister, Carrie, and her beloved nephew, Jude.

PENDING Robert N. Walsh ’44, Jane Hartwell Stevens ’46, Josephine Pesman Chanaud ’49, Virginia Sacrisen Rausch ’50, Robert Wells Ritchie ’57, Max Deen Larsen ’68, John A. Comstock ’70, Robert Wollheim ’70, George Lappas ’73, Chelsea E. Spooner ’92, John Joseph (Ian) Quinn ’01

Reed matters.

When you make a gift in your will or trust, you influence the future of Reed.

“The college’s service will be for every citizen. Its influence is not for a day, nor a year, nor decades only, but for centuries, as a source, a promoter of high intelligence and inspiration to the body politic, a provider of the highest forces of civilization.”

—Thomas Lamb Eliot, Trustee, 1910

Contact Kathy Saitas in the office of gift planning to discuss creative and mutually beneficial ways to make a difference at Reed.

503/777-7759 giftplanning@reed.edu reed.edu/legacyplanning

Reed Magazine december 2019 47

Object of Study

What they’re looking at in class

Positive Associations In standard arithmetic, multiplication is associative: the product ab times c is equal to a times the product bc, or, as an equation, (ab)c = a(bc). 1 It follows that the product of any ordered list of numbers is independent of the way in which we group pairwise multiplications. As any adept kindergartener will inform you, this is a fine and important conclusion to draw, but it needn’t be the end of the story. Students in Math 113: Discrete Structures consider the number of ways in which a list of n + 1 symbols can be parenthesized (with n­ – 1 pairs of well-matched parentheses). If n = 2, there are two ways, (ab)c and a(bc), and if n = 3 there are five ways: ((ab)c)d, (a(bc))d, a((bc)d), a(b(cd)), and (ab)(cd ). In general, the number of ways is given by the nth Catalan number,

( )

2n 1 Cⁿ = n+1 n

(The symbol ( 2nn ) is a binomial coefficient representing the number of ways to choose a committee of n from a group of 2n people.)

The Swiss mathematician Leonard Euler wrote down an equivalent formula in 1751, but the proof would not appear until 1758 and included contributions from Christian Goldbach and Johann Andreas von Segner. (The Mongolian mathematician Mingantau had also discovered the formula by 1730.)

Associativity didn’t get much additional attention until Jim Stasheff and Dov Tamari revisited its basic premises in the 1950s and ’60s. They discovered a polytope (a higherdimensional analogue of a polyhedron) called the associahedron whose vertices correspond to parenthesizations, and whose edges encode single applications of the associative law (ab)c = a(bc). This geometric generalization of one of the oldest laws in algebra appears in wild and unexpected places, including homotopy associativity of loop spaces, type A cluster algebras, higher category theory, and scattering amplitudes in string theory.

—KYLE ORMSBY [MATH 2014–]

1

48 Reed Magazine december 2019

Standard multiplication is also commutative, ab = ba, but that won’t play a role in the current narrative.

S AV E T H E DAT E Registration opens in February!

Does your class year end in a 5 or 0?

Volunteer for a class committee and help plan your class event at Reunions 2020.

Email alumni@reed.edu to get involved.

reunions.reed.edu

REED COLLEGE

3203 SE Woodstock Boulevard Portland, Oregon 97202-8199

Periodicals Postage Paid Portland, Oregon

lauren labarre

KEEP US POSTED. Hayden Henderson ’20 (environmental studies), Anesu Ndoro ’20 (anthropology), and Elizabeth Kim ’22 (English) present research at the inauguration poster session.