M I L L E R S V I L L E U N I V E R S I T Y M A G A Z I N E â– 2012 SUMMER
Costume Shop
celebrates 30 years
Ready to open
WINTER Visual and
Performing Arts Center
The gallery walls are bare. The stage is set. The pianos are tuned. The studio is ready to record. The seats are installed in the performance and concert halls. The new Winter Visual and Performing Arts Center is complete and ready for students, faculty and the community to make it come alive with the excitement of the arts. See page 16 and the next issue of the Millersville Review for more information about the Winter Center.
contents table of
MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
Summer 2012 Vol. 125
No. 4
The Review is published by Millersville University of Pennsylvania of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and mailed free to Millersville alumni, faculty, staff and other friends of the University.
President Dr. Francine G. McNairy
Millersville Review Staff
Amy H. Dmitzak, Executive Editor Patricia Coulson, Editor Janet Kacskos, Campus News Ethan Hulsey, Sports News Steven A. DiGuiseppe ’82, Alumni News Kelly Davis ’95, Class Notes
Contributors Jennifer Ericson Laura Knowles Kelly Smedley ’93 Frost Imaging Linda Forte Creative
Printed by Pemcor, Inc. Alumni Association Jerri Anne Johnson ’76, ’87M, president Lori Dierolf ’91, president-elect Stephen Focht ’70, treasurer Kristin Waters ’05, secretary Jennifer Bertolet ’92, Sandra Brown ’76, Nathan Claycomb ’01, Jenna Craig ’10, William Dewan ’93, Catherine Glass ’53, John Held ’02, Claire Eleanor Heller ’71, Michael Henry ’83, Cassandra Pettis Karamanos ’94, Patrick Leahy ’97, Greg Ortlieb ’09, Daniel Sidelnick ’75, Carroll Staub ’72, ’90M, Patrick Witmer ’81
PASSHE Board of Governors Guido M. Pichini (chairman), Marie Conley Lammando (vice chair), Aaron A. Walton (vice chair), Leonard B. Altieri III, Rep. Matthew E. Baker, Jennifer Branstetter, Governor Tom Corbett, Sarah C. Darling, Rep. Michael K. Hanna, Ronald G. Henry, Senator Vincent J. Hughes, Kenneth M. Jarin, Bonnie L. Keener, Jonathan B. Mack, Joseph F. McGinn, C.R. “Chuck” Pennoni, Senator Jeffrey E. Piccola, Harold C. Shields, Robert S. Taylor, Ronald J. Tomalis, Christine J. Toretti
Closing the gender gap in science and math Millersville engages girls to follow their dreams in science and math with an annual conference featuring positive role models in fascinating careers.
Dressing the part: Actors to average folks The Costume Shop boasts more than 15,000 costumes available for theater productions to Halloween parties.
Millersville University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution.
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Class rings What ever happened to the tradition of class rings? Do you have one?
Cultural Events Center
Schedule of lectures, films, exhibits, theater and musical performances. September 2012 December 2012
Millersville University Council of Trustees Michael G. Warfel ’84 (chairman), Caroline M. Hoffer ’77 (secretary), James P. Argires, Gibson E. Armstrong, Julianne Dickson, Robert A. Frick ’66, ’69M, Kevin F. Harley ’86, Shane P. McGrady (student), William B. McIlwaine, Brian A. Rider ’87, Gerald S. Robinson, John C. Cavanaugh, ex officio.
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Cover Photo Lori Burkholder (Goss) ’89 and Dr. Dennis Denenberg, professor of education emeritus, were the hosts of Fashion and Dance through the Ages, the 30th anniversary celebration for the Costume Shop in May.
10 12 16 17 18 22 25 35
Campus News Campaign Update Faculty Spotlight Sports Alumni Interest Class Notes Why We Give
Review online Experience the digital edition of the Review at: www.millersvillereview.com
Table of Contents Summer 2012 3
Closing the
Gender Gap in Science and Math
By Jennifer B. Ericson
4  Review Summer 2012
A
lthough women have entered every field of math and science and enjoy almost equal representation with men in the fields of biology and medicine, the same cannot yet be said for the fields of chemistry, mathematics, physics, computer science and engineering. In these fields, women in the United States remain significantly underrepresented. In fact, less than 25 percent of mathematicians and computer scientists and less than 11 percent of engineers are women, according to data posted on the National Science Foundation’s website. In an effort to change this trend, for the past 25 years, Millersville University has been encouraging young women to consider science and math careers by hosting the Glenna Hazeltine Women in Mathematics and Science Conference.
Students from area middle and high schools learn about some of the exciting career opportunities in science and mathematics at an annual Millersville conference.
The annual conference attracts 200 young women from regional middle, junior high and senior high schools to Millersville University’s campus for a day to hear presentations given by women who have successful careers in science and math. Twenty-two presenters participated in this year’s conference, representing the fields of biology, chemistry, ecology, medicine, engineering, math, computer science, meteorology and geophysics. A keynote address, which is open to the public, kicks off the conference. This year’s speaker, Dr. Linda VonaDavis ’76, associate professor in both the Department of Surgery and the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at West Virginia University, gave a fascinating account of her career in science. It began at Millersville University and led to graduate research in animal science and nutrition. From there, she transitioned to her current research looking at links between obesity and breast cancer. She explained her research projects in detail, making the science accessible to everyone in the audience. (See page 7 for more about VonaDavis’s research.) Following the keynote address, the students were free to attend their choice of two morning and two afternoon presentations. In addition, guided tours through several science labs on campus were offered. The conference’s goal is simple: to provide young women with role models and encouragement to pursue science and math, explains Charles Wolf, conference founder and retired associate professor of mathematics at Millersville University, who attends the conference each year. He started the conference because too often he saw talented female college students avoid careers in math. As the father of three girls, he wanted to understand why this was happening and change it. Observations from that time, Wolf explains, indicated that girls and boys performed equally well in math until about middle school. That is when for girls, he says, “[interest in math] turned off.” If that was the age when interest in
math and science turned off, then he thought a conference for girls that age might help turn their interest back on. Ultimately, he says, he wanted young women to feel “that it was OK to get into these fields.” Wolf always tried to find unusual role models to invite to the conference, like Captain Colleen Nevius, test pilot with the U.S. Naval Reserve, who gave the keynote address in 1989. Now retired, she returned to the conference last year along with her husband, William Readdy, a retired astronaut from NASA, who became the first man to speak at the conference. One year, Wolf’s oldest daughter, Diane Wolf, an engineer and vice president of General Foods, also presented. Over the years, keynote speakers have included an astrophysicist, engineer, structural geologist, physics professor, atmospheric scientist, and a Nobel Prize winner, to name only a few. The late Gertrude Elion, who won the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1988, spoke at the conference in 1994. All of these speakers and presenters have been exceptional role models. Each year, 50 schools in the region receive invitations to bring four female students and a school representative to the conference for free. Schools use various methods for deciding which students will attend. The most common seems to be that math and science teachers pick the brightest students from their classes. However, this year, one school used a contest. Johanna Gerhart ’88, a gifted support teacher at Daniel Boone Middle School in Douglassville, held a grant writing contest to select students. All applicants had to write a
Dr. Linda Vona-Davis ’76 delivered the conference keynote presentation and shared some of her research on breast cancer.
grant, explaining how the conference would help them and why they should be chosen. Ten students applied. Gerhart says she receives a lot of invitations to bring students to educational events and that selecting which events to attend can be a challenge. Although she graduated from Millersville University, this was her first time attending this conference. “I will be back next year,” she says. She and her students loved it.
Enthusiastic students spoke with Dr. Linda VonaDavis (far right) following her keynote address.
Attending the conference presentations “definitely helped me to make my mind up to be in medicine,” said one eighth-grader. “I want to be a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.” Many attendees were impressed to learn about careers they never knew existed. “[This conference] is really a great opportunity to find out what career options are available,” says Alison Thiemann, math teacher at Lancaster County Christian School. She thinks middle school students are a great audience because so many haven’t yet started to think about their careers. In fact, while walking down the computer science hallway during the tour of labs, one of Theimann’s seventh-graders asked, “What is computer science?” The tour guide was only too happy to answer. An eleventh-grader from Central Dauphin East High School in Harrisburg was thrilled to learn that with her math talent she could pursue careers other than economics, even ones involving music. She attended the presentation titled “Music to Your Ears” given by Linde Clark ’04 (see page 28 for more about Clark’s career), transducer engineer for the Bose Corporation. “I play trombone in the band and sing in the choir. It was nice to see there was something you could do with music and science together,” the eleventh-grader says. Acoustical engineering was a term she’d never heard before and is now the field she plans to enter. She wasn’t the only one to hear an important message about math. Throughout the conference, various presenters stressed the importance of taking math courses. During the keynote address, 6 Review Summer 2012
Vona-Davis used her breast cancer research to illustrate this point. “In all research, you’ll end up with data, or numbers,” she said. Interpreting those numbers requires math. “Take extra math courses, because even if you don’t go to college, you will have better chances at getting a job. Math equals money,” she told the audience. Planning the conference takes an entire year and a committee of 10 faculty members from Millersville University’s School of Science and Mathematics, an administrative manager and a special events director. “The committee members suggest speakers,” says Dr. Natalia Dushkina, associate professor of physics at Millersville and co-chair of this year’s conference. They try to find role models by looking in professional journals and networking with colleagues, explains Dr. Ximena Catepillán, professor of mathematics at Millersville. She has been on the committee since 1993 and its chair since 2000. Presenters must be successful women in their field of science or math. Also, presenters must be within driving distance of campus because the conference budget doesn’t cover travel expenses. This has made it challenging to find presenters in some fields, such as physics, because there just aren’t that many female physicists around. “We usually have more medical and health presenters because there are more of them in the area,” says Catepillán. Since 1995, the conference has been sponsored by the Glenna Hazeltine Endowment, which was established by James Hazeltine, a former member of the University’s Council of Trustees, in honor of his wife Glenna. Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Co., a division of McNeil-PPC, Inc., sponsors the event. Attracting women—and men—into the sciences and mathematics is a national priority. Millersville University’s outstanding programs in these areas were recognized with a
“To see a woman who has ‘made it’ is inspirational to young women.” - Dr. Nazli Hardy, associate professor of computer science significant grant from the National Science Foundation under the S-STEM (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program. Dr. LaVern Whisenton-Davidson, biology professor, oversees the grant (see page 17 for more about Whistenton-Davidson). The $585,000 grant has an enormous impact on Millersville’s ability to provide resources for scholarships and greater opportunities for student-faculty research projects. The S-STEM Program will provide 28 or more scholarships over five years for students who demonstrate financial need in the STEM disciplines (biology, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, mathematics and physics). Dr. Robert Smith, Millersville’s dean of the School of Science and Mathematics, and the only male on the conference committee, believes strongly in the importance of the conference. He expressed concern that some talented women still avoid
careers in math and science. He thinks that errant ideas about image may be one factor in this trend. About 15 years ago, one of his talented female math students told him that “in high school she didn’t want to appear too smart around the boys.” Smith believes that girls often receive subtle messages from society “that being smart is somehow unattractive, and you don’t want to be that.” He points to the popular media, including children’s cartoons in which smart girls are often portrayed as being socially awkward. One refreshing exception, he notes, is the character of Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter movies, who is both smart and popular. Role models, even in fiction, can be influential. Girls and young women receive messages from their families as well about career aspirations. Unfortunately, not all of these are positive. “Some [girls] don’t get any encouragement at all to study math and science,” Catepillán says. Some parents, she notes, “have the mindset that math is hard and so it is reserved for the male.” Dr. Jean Boal, biology professor at Millersville, remembers receiving a similar gender-biased message from her family. When Boal was growing up and indicated that she wanted to be a doctor, her family said, “Girls can’t be doctors.” They suggested she should be a nurse instead. Boal is glad she ignored her family’s advice and made her own path in biology. The advice she gives young women is “Follow what is exciting to you; never mind what anyone says. If it is exciting to you, you’ll do great at it.” Like Boal, Dr. Nazli Hardy, associate professor of computer science at Millersville, ignored the negative messages she received from her family. “To see a woman who has ‘made it’ is inspirational to young women,” Hardy says. As a female role model, “you have to carry on the torch.” Marina Haynes, curator of the Children’s Zoo at the Philadelphia Zoo and conference presenter, agrees. “[Young women] need role models; they need to hear successful women tell them they can do it.”
By fourth grade, Dr. Linda Vona‑Davis ’76 knew she wanted a career in science. She came to Millersville University to become a high school biology teacher and left with skills she now regards as the root of her career. Teaching science led her to pursue research. At West Virginia University, she earned a master’s degree in animal science and then a Ph.D. in animal nutrition. She now serves on the faculty at West Virginia University as associate professor in both the department of surgery and the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. Her early research involved the effects of diet on sheep and cows. Now her research focuses on studying links between diet and breast cancer in humans. “We’re all animals, so it wasn’t a huge stretch,” Vona-Davis says. During her keynote address, Vona-Davis explained that all scientific research starts with a hypothesis. Hers was that a diet high in fat would accelerate breast cancer growth. To test this, she looked at mice. Vona-Davis compared two groups of mice who had been genetically engineered to develop cancer of the mammary glands. She fed a normal diet of no more than seven percent fat to one group and a diet containing 60 percent fat to the other. Using ultrasound, she monitored cancer growth in both groups and found that not only did cancer grow faster in the mice on a high-fat diet but it also metastasized to the lungs faster in this group, she explained. “We know that obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer development,” she said. “Fifteen percent of breast cancers and 20 percent of cancer deaths in adult women are directly attributable to obesity.” Vona-Davis’s next research project will address the possibility of cancer being reversed by switching to a low-fat diet. Vona-Davis is also studying human breast cancer cells by growing them in a petri dish and observing how they change and move in response to hormones that she adds to the dish. In an interview after the conference, she explained that fat tissue produces hormones such as leptin. When leptin is added to the petri dish, the cancer cells grow faster and “actually move toward the leptin.” They are attracted to it, she explains. She is now working on a project that applies this knowledge to help breast cancer survivors, who follow a strict diet and exercise regimen for 12 weeks. “We are going to look at the levels of leptin in their blood,” she says. She hopes that their levels of leptin will drop as they lose weight. In addition to her research, Vona-Davis also teaches cancer cell biology courses. She attributes her success as a teacher to her education at Millersville University. “That training gave me an edge… It made me a better teacher,” she says. “In many respects, the teaching I do is more rewarding than the research. When you are doing research, you don’t have a good thing happen every day, but in teaching, you can,” she says. Teaching, she adds, “sustained me and built who I am.”
Review Summer 2012 7 .
Performers don period costumes from the Cotume Shop at Fashion and Dance through the Ages a fashion show held at the Ware Center.
Dressing the part: Actors to average folks by Laura Knowles The magic of costuming transforms, creates the character and gives the actor, dancer or maybe just a regular, everyday person the opportunity to be someone else—if just for a few hours.
Priscilla Kaufhold, director of Millersville’s Costume Shop, makes last-minute alterations backstage at the fashion and dance event, which celebrated 30 years of the Costume Shop.
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There is a place where you can indulge your favorite fantasy and transform yourself into a pirate, Roman emperor, 1920s flapper, Renaissance royal, swashbuckling Musketeer, Queen of the Nile, fairy princess, baseball player or even Marilyn Monroe. That place, of course, is the Costume Shop at Millersville University. Whenever anyone walks into the shop for the first time, the reaction is almost always the same—wow! With rows and rows of costumes spanning the centuries, the Costume Shop is a dream come true for anyone who wants to dress up for Halloween, outfit characters in a play or musical, create an image for an advertising campaign or hold a special event. “Our costumes are rented by high schools, colleges, local theater, dance companies, ad agencies, educators, reenactors, and people who want to dress up for a Halloween party or masquerade,” says Priscilla Kaufhold, director of the Costume Shop. The racks are filled to the brim with thousands of costumes—too many to count, says Kaufhold, but she estimates more than 15,000. “And it keeps growing, with donations of costumes by alumni, theater companies and other benefactors,” says Kaufhold, adding that there is barely enough space for them all. “We just make room.” Each year, the Costume Shop outfits about 75 theater productions, and creates all-new costumes for four to five new shows. The new costumes get added to the Costume Shop’s massive collection. “Sometimes, amazingly, someone puts on a show that calls for new costumes, or maybe we need to supplement with costumes in different sizes,” says Kaufhold, who has been at Millersville since 1984. Before 1982, the costume department at Millersville University was like that at most other university theaters. There were costumes from shows done over the years, and some others that had been donated. Then came the dramatic expansion of the costume collection with the donation of more than 10,000 costumes from the Loeb Costume Collection. The collection was a gift to the University from Jean Loeb of Lancaster, a veteran costumer of local productions. Loeb had acquired the extensive collection in 1975 primarily from the
inventory of Wass & Son of Philadelphia, one of the leading costuming companies on the entire East Coast for more than a century. Loeb’s gift set the wheels in motion for Millersville’s Costume Shop to become one of the largest collections in the area, and well beyond. Kaufhold’s staff of two employees and about seven students loves being there. Most are theater majors who take the time to learn where the costumes are located in seemingly overwhelming rows of outfits. The collection is arranged by time periods and types of costumes. Often costumes become the rage because of films or TV shows. Pirates were big after Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Mad Men has spawned a new desire to dress up like 1960s ad execs and their perfectly accessorized wives and mistresses. The Sopranos inspired gangster looks and Jersey glitz. With films like Pride and Prejudice and Emma, the rush was on to don Edwardian dresses with empire waists and pretty hats with flowers. “I’d have to say that my favorite period is the Victorian era. I just love the gorgeous dresses with full skirts,” says Kaufhold. To mark its 30th anniversary, Kaufhold and company celebrated with, what else, but a fashion show! “Fashion and Dance through the Ages” joined the Costume Shop and Kinetics Dance Theatre at the Ware Center in May for a lively cavalcade of costumes and a display of dance through five centuries of costumes, music and dance. It was an entertaining production with costumed dancers in Queen Elizabeth I’s court dancing to the minuet or doing a playful jig, moving on to the one-time “scandalous” waltz, where men and women were in each other’s arms. This presentation showcased the changes in social dance styles and the changes in musical trends and clothing fashions throughout the 20th century. Kaufhold understands the magic of costuming better than most. It transforms, creates the character and gives the actor, dancer or maybe just a regular, everyday person the opportunity to be someone else—if just for a few hours. For more information about the Costume Shop, call 717-872-3767 or email costumeshop@millersville.edu. Review Summer 2012 9
Then & Now:
IT’S 2012:
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CLASS RING IS? By John Duffy
H
as the long-standing tradition of a class ring to commemorate graduation gone forever?
Once a universal symbol of accomplishment that commanded respect, opened doors and set one apart as a graduate, the class ring has lost its luster among newer graduates. By most accounts the tradition of the class ring in America began at West Point in 1853. Thirteen years later the 42 graduates of the Virginia Military Institute paid $5 a piece for theirs, roughly half a month’s salary in the Army at the time. While the class ring grew in popularity through the first half of the 20th century, it really wasn’t until after World War II, when college admissions climbed dramatically and high school life became the epitome of youth culture, that the class ring became universal. Sales of high school class rings peaked in the 1970s, with their college counterparts not far behind. A recent Chicago Sun-Times article speculated that as few as 10 percent of students bother purchasing a ring to symbolize the accomplishment of graduation. Why is this? Depending on who you ask, the answer could be economic, cultural or simply due to bad marketing choices. College ring sellers blame themselves. In order to stem a slide in sales, they offered an ever-growing number of options beginning in the 1980s, ways for each student to personalize his or her ring. But that a la carte approach backfired in the long run, they say. With so many choices to personalize, the ring quickly lost its unifying symbolism. 10 Review Summer 2012
These days one can purchase a ring depicting virtually any college or university at Wal-Mart for as little as $200, or purchase one from a licensed vendor for more than a thousand dollars. To counter the downward trend, Balfour—one of the top ring sellers in North America—created a manual to help college administrators revive the tradition of a “ring culture” on campus. Central to the plan is encouraging institutions to choose one ring with only the most basic of possible variations: a philosophy that parallels colleges and universities where class rings remain popular. For many, it may just come down to a question of money. Dr. Michael Gumpper, economics professor and director of Millersville’s Center for Economic Education, thinks the ring is simply no longer the status indicator it once was. “As important as a college education still is to a financially rewarding career, it is simply not the unique achievement it was 30 to 50 years ago.” In the United States, college enrollment between 1970 and 2009 has more than doubled. Yet the amount of debt students have taken on to pay for that first degree has doubled in just 10 years. And, while still only 20 percent of Americans hold college degrees, Gumpper says, “It may simply not be as special anymore.” While he is unaware of any research regarding ring sales and what they mean to the larger economy, Gumpper says some ordinary rules still apply. “There is always an additional, intangible value that people buy every time they purchase a product. If that nonmonetary value of the college ring has diminished, it is hard to justify the purchase just based on the value offered by its price.”
And considering the consumer choices desirable to young people today, a ring could easily be disregarded in favor of an iPod for the beach or a new laptop for that summer internship. There are far cheaper ways to brag about your alma mater. Gumpper notes, “If people want to announce what school they went to, they can buy a $2 sticker and put it in the back window of their car.” Steve DiGuiseppe ’82, who has worked for Millersville for 21 years, has seen the class ring tradition wane over the years. But DiGuiseppe, who is assistant to the vice president for alumni and community relations, still wears his class ring on special occasions. “What can I say? I’m all about class pride.” Even his high school ring comes out of the drawer on occasion. DiGuiseppe feels the decline in ring sales echoes a decline in identifying with one’s graduating class. “There is less a sense of class identity, of affinity with people who you may have graduated within a given year,” he explains. In planning reunions and other events, the decline in esprit de corps began in the late 1960s, he says. “It makes things really difficult sometimes.” At Millersville today, the purchase of class rings is virtually nonexistent. According to the University Store, only 28 Jostens (Millersville’s ring vendor) class rings were bought by the 2012 graduating class of about 1,100 students. To those alumni who have class rings tucked away in jewelry boxes, trunks in the attic or who wear theirs, the class ring still holds great sentimental value. And, by its very nature, it is also uniquely personal.
Such characteristics make class rings more traceable than other personal items. Take the case of an investigation last summer. Police from Bucks County, Pa., contacted Millersville’s alumni office for help in tracking down a possible crime victim. Following a rash of burglaries, a 1982 Millersville State College class ring was among the recovered items. The alumni office started with just the facts: It was a ring belonging to a female, who graduated from Millersville State College in 1982 and the initials were inscribed inside the ring. The police were able to locate the rightful owner who had not seen the ring in a while, but had noticed some other jewelry missing. Apparently, the family had been on vacation when the theft took place and police were able to connect yet another burglary to the suspect under arrest. And the ring was returned to its rightful owner. The Internet offers numerous websites to reunite rings with their owners. Take www.classringfinder.com. The number of rings reported lost is five times greater than the number of found rings. But even before the Internet, people have recognized the significance and value of a ring. A Snapper article from 1959 reported that a ring and a note from an “honest person” was received at the college. The anonymous sender asked that the ring be returned to its rightful owner. Dr. William Duncan, then the college registrar, used the engraved initials inside the ring to trace and return it to its owner. It belonged to a young man who, after changing his flat tire along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, left the ring in the restroom of a Howard Johnson’s where he washed up. Another lost ring found.
is this your ring? The alumni office has a 1979 Millersville State College ring, which belonged to a member of the Marauders football team. Coach Gene Carpenter’s rallying call for “Pride” is part of the ring. For more information, contact Kelly Davis in the alumni office at 800-681-1855 or 717-872-3352 or email: mualumni@millersville.edu.
Review Summer 2012 11
Commencement
2012D
Above: Dr. Nadine Garner (center in blue gown), director of school counseling at Millersville, poses with master’s degree candidates. Below: Commencement marshals Dr. Richard Frerichs ’64, ’69M and Dr. Ralph “Doc Rock” Anttonen prepare to lead the faculty and graduates into Pucillo Gymnasium, where the graduate ceremony was held.
12 Review Summer 2012
uring Millersville University’s spring commencement ceremonies in May, bachelor’s degrees were presented to 1,128 undergraduate students, and 266 individuals received their master’s degrees as friends, family, faculty and staff shared in celebrating this momentous event. Dr. Kathryn A. Gregoire, who recently retired as chair of Millersville’s Alexandra Wachman ’10, ’12M was among the 19 individuals who earned Master of social work department, was the keynote Science degrees in Emergency Management. speaker for the graduate commencement ceremony on May 11. “With this degree comes well-deserved respect for your area of expertise, and with that recognition comes higher expectations of your performance and increased responsibilities,” Gregoire explained. “Now it is your turn to provide for others, to pay it forward.” President Francine G. McNairy also extended her warmest congratulations and best wishes to the graduating class in pursuing their hopes and dreams. “Wherever you call home, use what you have gained during your time with us to seize the opportunity to live the life you dream of,” she said.
O
n May 12, the newest graduates gathered at Biemesderfer Stadium to receive their diplomas. James E. Nevels, founder of The Swarthmore Group, an independent investment firm headquartered in Philadelphia, was the keynote speaker. In his remarks, he spoke of the importance of creating a personal brand based on who you are and what you can do. Nevels, who serves as the non-executive chairman of the board of The Hershey Company and deputy chairman of the board of directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, also chaired Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission, which oversaw the turnaround of Philadelphia’s school system. “Business is personal. We want to work with people who we trust, like and can build future growth together. Your words, your actions, your enthusiasm, your skills, your commitment to family and community are your brand,” said Nevels. Through personal experience, Nevels explained that having “the right teacher, the right school and the right learning program makes all the difference in creating aspiration and building personal confidence. In other words, a good education is the greatest gift any of us can ever receive.” During the commencement ceremony, Millersville presented three honorary doctoral degrees. The recipients, James E. Nevels, William J. Reuter and Carlos Graupera, were recognized for their outstanding contributions as leaders in business, banking and public service. Reuter is the chairman and chief executive officer of Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc., a financial services holding company with approximately $14 billion in assets. Reuter has held leadership roles in numerous professional and community service organizations throughout Maryland. He has also served as vice president, director and chairman of the Maryland Bankers Association. Graupera is the executive director and chief executive officer of the Spanish American Civic Association (SACA) in Lancaster. With Graupera at the helm, SACA has steadily grown to meet the needs of the Latino and Lancaster communities. Graupera also serves on the Board of Trustees of Fulton Bank and La Academia Partnership Charter Schools.
Top, left: Excitement was in the air as the 1,128 undergraduate students made their way to Biemesderfer Stadium for the Saturday morning ceremony. Top, right: Following James E. Nevels’s keynote address, he along with William J. Reuter (above, left) and Carlos Graupera (above, right) were presented with honorary degrees from Millersville University. Below: One student decorated her cap representing the Class of 2012. Below left: Brittani Davis ’12 chaired the senior class gift committee. Below right: The new graduates, including these sorority sisters, took pictures around campus after the ceremony.
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Campus News New additions to the arts at Millersville Director of the Winter Center Laura Kendall has joined the University as director of the Winter Center. She served as director of arts programming and as an adjunct faculty member at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. Additionally, she was the assistant director of community engagement and learning at the Lied Center for Performing Arts and the director of family theater and programs at the Lincoln Community Playhouse, both in Lincoln. Kendall holds a master’s degree in marketing, communication and advertising, in addition to a bachelor’s degree in theater from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
Family Arts Collaborative Millersville University will soon be offering a new, multifaceted arts initiative, entitled the Family Arts Collaborative. Overseeing the program is Barry Kornhauser, who joins Millersville University after more than 30 years with Lancaster’s Fulton Theatre. With the Ware Center and the new Winter Center, Millersville wanted to expand its children and family programming, and it was the perfect fit. Kornhauser will also oversee a family series starting in the fall at the Ware Center; he will be developing programs in the arts, as well as a summer arts camp. In addition, Kornhauser will work alongside Millersville University students to bring the arts to a variety of disciplines and with local agencies to help at-risk youth. Kornhauser has been playwright-in-residence and director of theatre for young audiences at the Fulton’s Family Theatre, where he has taught theater arts from preschool through university level. He is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College, where he majored in anthropology, psychology and education special studies.
14 Campus News Summer 2012
Frances Moore Lappé
Gary Hirshberg
Sustainability Conference in September The Civic and Community Engagement and Research Project at Millersville University will hold its 2012 International Policy Conference September 27-28. The conference theme is “Stewards of Sustainability” and will feature the three pillars of sustainable development: economic development, social equity and environmental preservation. Speaking on Thursday, September 27, will be Frances Moore Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet and activist, and Gary Hirshberg, chairman of Stonyfield Farm, who will present the keynote address at Millersville’s Gordinier Hall. A Sustainable Business Expo will be held Thursday from noon-6 p.m. in the Student Memorial Center. Participants will have the opportunity to talk with and purchase products from businesses that represent sustainable practices, products or services. The Stewards of Sustainability Conference is free and open to the public. Online registration is requested. To register, or to view the full conference schedule, visit millersville.edu/ ccerp/events/IPC/2012/. The conference mission is to promote the importance of sustainability in the community and to increase student awareness and understanding through discussion and exploration.
After the Olympic flame is extinguished Location is not only important when buying a house or renting an apartment, but it is also the basis of research being conducted by Dr. Jeffrey W. Wimer, Department of Wellness and Sport Sciences at Millersville University. He is examining how the location of Olympic stadiums and the large-scale infrastructures necessary to support the games influences wellness endeavors long after the games have ended and the fans have gone home. “Factors such as air pollution, access to medical services, even the natural environment all play a role in health,” said Wimer. “What is less known is the public health legacy of hosting an Olympics—how is one’s life altered, either positively or negatively, by living near an Olympic venue?”
“The promised benefits of new jobs and increased tourism all build enthusiasm leading up to an Olympiad, but research is sparse when it comes to knowing much about the public health residues after the flame has been extinguished,” stated Wimer.
The 2012 summer Olympics were centered in London’s East End, which was an area once known for landfills, overcrowding and high crime. Much of the location was rehabilitated to support the thousands of athletes and millions of visitors in ways similar to how a run-down area in Atlanta was transformed into Centennial Park for the 1996 games. Like Atlanta, London officials are planning several sustainability projects for
Dr. Jeffrey Wimer at Red Square in Moscow, Russia (above), and in Copacabana Beach (left).
after the games and anticipate the regeneration efforts will help improve the lives of people who live there. As part of his research, Wimer visited Moscow in June, the host city for the 1980 summer games boycotted by the United States due to the former Soviet Union’s incursions into Afghanistan. He also toured Barra da Tijuca, a neighborhood located 50 minutes from Rio de Janerio, which will host most of the venues for the 2016 summer games. While in Rio, Wimer also attended the United Nations conference on sustainability known as Rio+20 representing the nongovernmental organization Servicios Ecumenicos Reconciliacion y Reconstruccion headquartered in El Salvador. In past years he has traveled to the host cities of previous Olympics including Berlin, Mexico City, Munich, Barcelona, Atlanta and London. Wimer explained, “Renewing urban areas in the name of Olympic prosperity is not seamless. In fact, it sometimes creates unintended effects such as gentrification, a term used to describe low-income residents being displaced by more affluent people who are able to pay higher rent and expensive mortgages necessary to live in the renovated properties.” In Rio for instance, Wimer said, “Brazilian slum areas known as favelas are located along the major highway route between the swimming venue and the future site of the Olympic Village. Many favela residents already have been affected by the government’s continuing effort to clean up the future Olympic city.” Wimer is using his international research to provide his students with a frame of reference for understanding the multiple complexities that comprise wellness and sport sciences. The focus of his current research is predicting ways in which post-Olympic environments both facilitate and create barriers to healthy lifestyles.
Campus News Summer 2012 15
Campaign Update
Visual and Performing Arts Center opens Millersville University’s newest campus performance space and focus of musical and cultural activities is ready to open. The Charles R. and Anita B. Winter Visual and Performing Arts Center is named for Dr. Charles Winter and his wife Anita. The Winters have been longtime benefactors of the University and contributed a major gift in 2008 to the renovation and expansion of Lyte Auditorium into a visual and performing arts center. Dr. Winter is a worldrenowned medical surgeon who practiced for more than 40 years in Lancaster County. The Winter Center promotes an appreciation for the arts on campus and in the region, using
Director Laura Kendall in the new performing and visual arts center.
state-of-the-art technology to provide the optimal experience in education and entertainment. Among its features are concert, performance and recital halls; classrooms; music library; recording studio; piano lab; faculty offices and more.
Total Goal: $85 million; $82.5 million raised (as of 6/30/12)
By campaign priority—Dollars raised to date are expressed in millions, except for Health & Wellness.
Library
Visual and Performing Arts Center
Scholarships
Student-Faculty Research
Equipment
Community & Civic Engagement
Global Partnerships
Health & Wellness
Unrestricted gifts of $1.4 million are included in the total, but not represented in the eight priorities below.
$20.8 M
$20.7 M
$19.7 M
$8.3 M
$4.7 M
$4.3 M
$1.7 M
$863,000
16 Review Summer 2012
Campus News Summer 2012 16
Faculty Dr. LaVern Whisenton-Davidson
Spotlight
Biology Professor
Next time you get bit by a mosquito, it’s good to know that someone is trying to keep those annoying and dangerous pests from multiplying so quickly. Millersville University biology professor Dr. LaVern WhisentonDavidson is involved in researching the roles of hormones in ovarian development and metamorphosis of mosquitoes, which could help scientists understand how to slow the rapid reproduction of mosquitoes. Whisenton-Davidson’s research in insect biochemistry, endocrinology, and neuroendocrinology is intended to determine if there is a better and environmentally safer way to keep mosquito populations under control. As Whisenton-Davidson points out, mosquitos multiply at such a fast rate that new generations are able to develop a resistance to insecticides. That means that every time humans think they have the pesky insects under control, new generations burst forward with resistance to insecticides. Whisenton-Davidson’s research in insect biochemistry, endocrinology, and neuroendocrinology is intended to determine if there is a better and environmentally safer way to keep mosquito populations under control. “Mosquitos carry many of the world’s most dangerous diseases,” says Whisenton-Davidson. That includes malaria, yellow fever, Rift Valley fever, West Nile virus, several forms of encephalitis and dengue fever. Dengue fever is a tropical disease that is also known
as breakbone fever and can develop into the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever. “I was recently on a cruise to the Bahamas, and we were not allowed to stay overnight because of an outbreak of dengue fever,” said WhisentonDavidson. “Mosquitos typically bite at night.” As a biologist and researcher, Whisenton-Davidson has broken through some of the stereotypical boundaries for both women and African-Americans. From the time she was a young girl growing up in St. Louis, she was fascinated by both science and math. She wanted to learn how things worked, how life developed and why nature followed certain patterns. Her high school role model, also an African-American woman, who taught advanced biology, fostered her inquisitive mind. That led Whisenton-Davidson to become the first in her family to go to college. She studied biology at Morningside Methodist College, then received a Ford Foundation Fellowship to earn her master’s and doctoral degrees in biology at the University of Notre Dame. She also did post-doctorate studies at the University of North Carolina. That was where she met another
Millersville University faculty member, who encouraged her to apply for a position at Millersville. She has now been at the University for 25 years. As a professor of biology and researcher in insect biochemistry, endocrinology and neuroendocrinology, she teaches courses in General Biology, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Endocrinology and Comparative Anatomy. Her students have been involved in research on in vitro assay to monitor the ecdysone-producing activity of the autogenous mosquito, isolation of the egg development neurosecretory hormone in Aedes aegypti, and immunocytological study of neurosecretory cells in Aedes aegypti. Throughout her studies and career, Whisenton-Davidson has never let her gender or race deter her. “I never saw it as a roadblock. I just went toward my goals and didn’t think about how women, much less AfricanAmerican women, are not supposed to excel in math and science,” she said. Whisenton-Davidson hopes that she can be the kind of role model her high school teacher was, encouraging Millersville students to consider careers in math and science. Many of her students are young women who work on research projects and can see the future for women in the sciences. Whistenton-Davidson is active in her church, Bethel A.M.E. Church in Lancaster, as a stewardess preparing communion, and she also serves on the Internal Review Board at Lancaster Regional Hospital. “I think I felt most validated as a researcher when I was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation for my research on mosquitos,” said Whisenton-Davidson. “That’s when I truly felt the respect of my colleagues.” Faculty Spotlight Summer 2012 17
Coach Gene Carpenter named to College Football Hall of Fame
O
n Saturday, July 21, in South Bend, Ind., Lt. Col. Steve Carpenter stepped onto the stage of the College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony and sat down next to legends of the game like Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry. Host of the evening and national TV personality Charles Davis asked Steve about his father, Dr. Gene A. Carpenter, who passed away in 2009, and about his motto, “The Difference Pride Makes.” “My dad was an old Marine,” said Steve. “The Marines used to say, you do what’s right and you do it right. They also stressed citizenship. My dad looked at his 220 wins and the fact that he had all the championships, and quite frankly he did it with less than six scholarships when other teams in the division had 35. But he valued the fact he could impact players. He used to say that true wealth is measured Some of Coach Carpenter’s not by the dollars in your pocket, but memorabilia on display during the by the number of lives you’ve touched. Hall of Fame events in South Bend. Achieving a more purposeful life is more valuable than any paycheck, any award and any dedication. As I sit up here tonight with these gentlemen, I have to think that long after these buildings come crashing to the ground and even our own lives come to an end, the values and standards that my dad and these coaches have taught to generations of players, that’s what’s going to endure. That’s the difference pride makes.” With that statement the world came to know what Millersville fans already knew: Coach Carpenter, with 220 career wins from 1970 to 2001, belonged among the most renowned coaches and athletes in the history of college football, honored forever with a plaque in South Bend. Carpenter’s widow Sandra, sons, daughters and even one granddaughter were on hand to see Steve receive the Hall of Fame navy blue blazer and ring on behalf of his father. In addition to the family, Millersville was represented by current Marauder football coach Greg Colby and athletic director Peg Kauffman ’87, ’92M. Among the alumni attending were Dave Garrett ’80 and Bill Lauris ’64, retired faculty member. “One of the greatest highlights of my life was seeing Coach Carpenter’s name and plaque enshrined alongside the all-time greats of college football,” said Garrett. “I was like a kid in a candy shop as I walked around the College Hall of Fame, looking at the memorabilia of the players and coaches that have made college football what it is. And to get to rub shoulders with a few of this year’s inductees during the ceremony was pretty cool too. Coach Carpenter impacted my life, and the lives of so many others, in ways that go way beyond football or wins and losses.” Sandy Carpenter also reflected on her late husband’s life. “He always said he got paid to do something he loved,” she said. “He always thanked his family, which he loved, his outstanding coaching staff and the young men that played for him. He was so proud of what they accomplished on and off the field.”
18 Sports Summer 2012
“The Difference Pride Makes.”
MOTTO OF DR. GENE A. CARPENTER
The Carpenter family at the induction ceremony: (l. to r.) granddaughter Amanda Henderson, daughter Jodie Henderson, sons Scott and Gene II, widow Sandy, daughter Julie Leach and son Steven. Scott is a major and Steven is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army.
Dave Garrett ’80, Sandy Carpenter and Bill Lauris ‘64 show their Marauder pride.
Anderson takes her place in history Four-year stay as a Marauder
“My relationship was always contentious with her,” Millersville track and field distance and head cross country coach Andy Young said with a wry smile. “She’s a very competitive and hard-headed person, but that served her very well as a distance athlete many times.” Young was commenting on the career of one of the most decorated athletes Millersville University has ever seen, Elicia Anderson. The threetime NCAA Division II All-American wrapped up her senior track and field season this spring with a second consecutive appearance at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. Anderson’s brilliant career in Black & Gold saw her become just the second runner in school history to earn All-America honors in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. She finished in the top three at a PSAC Championship event six times and won three PSAC Championships to
go along with school records in five events. With her college career finished, Anderson’s name is now mentioned among the greatest athletes to ever come through Elicia Anderson stands on a familiar spot on Millersville. That the award platform. Left: She trained under the includes her name watchful eye of Coach Andy Young. being mentioned in the same sentence as former mentor and teammate Priscilla Jennings. To Anderson, that may be the biggest part of her legacy. “I always thought my former teammate Cilla Jennings was one of the best athletes at the University,” Anderson said. “She was my inspiration, and I remember looking up to her, wondering how she got to be as good as she did. I never even thought I would run times comparable to hers. I remember that I looked at her as an idol because she was not only an amazing runner, but also an amazing person. I loved how she worked hard to get to where she was.” Anderson broke three of Jennings’ school records, and similar to her own relationship with Jennings, how her own younger teammates remember her in the future will have the biggest impact on the legacy she leaves. “I think of how cool it would be for someone on the team to think that about me,” said Anderson. “I would love to be an inspiration for someone else like she was for me.” Young believes some of the younger women on the track and cross country teams could take a lesson from Anderson. He also thinks the comparison between Anderson and Jennings runs deeper than their times on the track. “They have a similar background in that they didn’t believe in themselves at first,” said Young. “I think Elicia may have picked some of that up from Priscilla.” There was a time in Anderson’s career, as Young recalls, when being mentioned in the same breath as Jennings would have been a long shot. The three-time PSAC champ’s career started to flourish with a win at the Raleigh Relays in the 10,000-meter run during the 2011 outdoor season. Anderson had never run the event before and did not want to, until Young pushed her into it. After that win, it all seemed to click. “That was the point where she started to believe she could do some more serious stuff,” Young recalled. “She had a good cross country season [in 2010], but winning a race like that is a very different experience, and I think that was the point where she realized, ‘Wow, I actually am really good at this, and I can do some other stuff,’ so I think that was kind of her pivotal time.” For Young and the rest of the Millersville track and field followers, it was quite the experience to watch Anderson grow before their very eyes over the course of her career. Sports Summer 2012 19
UPDATE
sports
BucklinWebber does it again After leading the women’s tennis team to its first postseason berth in five seasons, Millersville tennis coach Shari Bucklin-Webber was named PSAC East Coach of the Year. It was a rare back-to-back for Bucklin-Webber, who was named PSAC Coach of the Year in men’s tennis just one year ago.
Plowman posts impressive season Junior Melissa Plowman dominated PSAC East competition in the spring, posting a 5-1 PSAC East record at No. 1 singles. Twice Plowman was named PSAC Melissa Plowman East Athlete of the Week, and she landed on the All-PSAC East Singles team for the second season in a row, becoming the first Marauder since Christy Lilli in (2005-07) to be named AllPSAC East in back-to-back seasons. Plowman also teamed with senior Samantha Prager as Millersville’s No. 1 doubles team, and its 13-6 record made it the first Millersville duo to be named All-PSAC East since the conference began recognizing doubles teams in 2006. 20 Sports Summer 2012
Ashley Henderson
Caitlin Shannon
Katie Moatz
Trio of Marauders named All-PSAC
Mia Hall’s first season as lacrosse coach produced two 40-goal scorers in Ashley Henderson and Caitlin Shannon. The duo ranked in the top-20 in the PSAC in scoring, and they were named All-PSAC Third Team along with senior defender Katie Moatz.
Rare double In a span of just a week, baseball junior Mark Royer and softball freshman Sarah Bertoni both pulled off the rare feat of pitching nohitters. Bertoni’s came on March 20 in a 7-0 win over Philadelphia. It was her first collegiate victory, and she was just one walk and two errors from a perfect game. Bertoni claimed PSAC East Pitcher of the Week honors for her performance. Similarly, Royer came within two errors and a hit batsman of a perfect game in an 11-0 win over Lincoln on March 27. It was the baseball team’s first no-hitter since 2007. Royer won PSAC East, NCBWA Atlantic Region, NCBWA Division II and d2baseball.com Pitcher of the Week awards.
Mark Royer
Sarah Bertoni
Strong spring for Marauder golfers The spring campaign was a rebirth for the men’s golf team. The season looked lost after weather limited play and the team posted a last-place finish at the PSAC Championships in the fall. The Marauders rebounded, however, winning the Eastern University Invitational and Messiah Invitational in March and April. The team also posted a second and third in the spring, and senior Shane Henry earned his first career tournament victory at the Dr. Edwin B. Cottrell Invitational on March 31-April 1. Henry’s win was Millersville’s first individual win since 2009, and the two team wins were the most in a season since 2007-08. Shane Henry
Breakthrough season for Johnson and Seiders After losing standouts Derek Kline and Corey Phelan to graduation in 2011, few knew who would fill the void at first base and in the outfield in 2012. Redshirt sophomore Dan Johnson and redshirt freshman Dan Johnson Kurt Seiders were up to the challenge. Johnson, who had just three career at-bats entering the season, led the team in hitting (.340), doubles (12), slugging percentage (.473) and total bases (71). He was named All-PSAC East First Team and Kurt Seiders also performed in the classroom, earning Capital One Division II Academic All-District 2 First Team honors with a 3.83 GPA as a mathematics major. Seiders joined Johnson as an All-PSAC East First Team selection, becoming the first Marauder freshman since Eric Eckert in 1997 to land first-team honors. Seiders was at his best against the PSAC East, leading the team in eight offensive categories against divisional foes. No other player in the PSAC hit better against the league than Seiders, who batted .423.
Baseball returns to the postseason Millersville’s playoff hopes came down to the final day of the regular season, but the Marauders reached the PSAC Tournament for the second year in a row and for the third time in five years under Coach Jon Shehan. The last time the baseball team made back-to-back postseason appearances was in 1974-75.
The Program puts field hockey through “Judgment Day” Few coaches would say it is a joy to watch their athletes struggle. In that regard, count head field hockey coach Shelly Behrens among the majority after this spring, when she put her team through “Judgment Day,” run by The Program, a group of former military personnel and collegiate athletes. The goal for Behrens was simple—to push her 7-11 team of a year ago over the top. After a 2011 season during which Millersville lost six of 11 games by one heartbreaking goal each, the Marauders head coach was searching for an extra edge. She found it with The Program, a leadership and team-building group under the direction of former United States Army infantryman Sam Cila and former U.S. Women’s National Ice Hockey team member Gen Richardson. Cila understands the need to rise above adversity. His hand was amputated to save his life after being wounded. Those life challenges haven’t stopped the Purple Heart recipient, as he competed in the 2010 Ironman World Championships. But make no mistake: The Program does not guarantee that the Marauders will win an NCAA championship, a PSAC championship, or even that the team will be .500 next year. As Behrens said, it “makes good teams that much better. It made us better.” The two-day training session paid immediate dividends. Behrens shared the story of a redshirt senior defender who refused to quit during a challenging exercise, even when she was encouraged by Cila to make it easier on herself. “Emily ‘Manny’ Manwiller was awarded [The Program’s] shirt, and that’s something you earn,” Behrens said. “After they did these routines and push-ups, very military-like over and over, Sam [Cila] says to Manny, ‘That’s all right, just go to girl push-ups,’ and she refused. ” Several members of the team showed tremendous fight throughout the exercises, according to Behrens. But what was most important to the Marauders head coach was that the leaders she chose as captains for this coming year were some of the biggest to step up. It gave her a good feeling to know she had made the right choices in terms of team leadership. The Marauders need every edge to climb to the top of a brutally tough PSAC Eastern Division. Behrens’ philosophy as a coach is not only to have a winning culture, but also to spread it to the farthest reaches of the team. The Program went a long way toward establishing that mindset for the Marauders. “It gives me goosebumps thinking about what I watched those players do,” Behrens said. “Any one of them could have stopped, given up. I’m not sure this is for everyone; it’s not a Kumbaya type of moment where we hang out and say ‘Let’s go do The Program, won’t that be fun?’! But I think it’s for me.”
Sports Summer 2012 21
Alumni Interest Alumni & Friends travel the globe Reservations are available for several exciting destinations with the PASSHE Alumni and Friends Travel Program, which is open to all state system alumni, retirees, faculty, staff and friends. There are two travel partners for 2013: Grand Circle Travel and Cruisin’ Inc./Main Line Vacations. Grand Circle is operating the French river tour in April, while the other five programs are being handled by Cruisin’ Inc. (www.alumnivacations.com or 800-506-7447).
The schedule for 2013 includes: Southeast Asia Land & Cruise—Jan. 21-Feb. 10: A 21-day trip including Bali, Bangkok, Singapore and Angkor Wat, Cambodia. France: Cruising Burgundy & Provence to the Cote d’Azur—April 29-May 11: 13-day river cruise-tour aboard a private Grand Circle river ship exclusively for American travelers, featuring Paris, Lyon, Avignon, Arles and Nice. For more information, call 800-866-3275, option 1. Germany—June 23-July 6: Land trip including three days in Marburg to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Philipps-Universität Marburg Study Abroad Program (see below for more details). San Francisco and Wine Country Delights—August 9-16: Land trip including Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Ravenswood Winery, cooking class, V. Sattui Winery, Domaine Carneros and more. Mosaic Masterpiece—Sept. 18-29: Oceania Cruises with ports of call including Cartagena, Malaga and Seville, Spain; Gibraltar, U.K.; Casablanca, Morocco; Lisbon, Portugal. Guests will be treated to specially designed signature menus, engaging lectures, culinary demonstrations and more. Splendors of South Africa & Victoria Falls—November 3-15, 2013: Land tour including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Victoria Falls and more.
Looking ahead to Marburg & Germany: June 23 – July 6, 2013
Start and finish in Frankfurt and enjoy overnight stays in Marburg, home to the Philipps-Universität Marburg Study Abroad Program, operated by Millersville University and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of this highly-regarded educational program. Other highlights are Düsseldorf, the once-divided metropolis of Berlin, Nuremberg, Munich and the Black Forest. Also included: cruise on the Rhine, first-class Eurocity train ride from Düsseldorf to Berlin, visit to Bach’s Thomaskirche in Leipzig, romantic Rothenburg, Munich’s Marienplatz, woodcarving demonstration in the Black Forest, Heidelberg Castle and King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein Castle. Price (per person/double occupancy): $3,519 plus airfare (approx. $1,400 from Philadelphia) and taxes (price subject to change).
22 Alumni Interest Summer 2012
UPCOMING EVENTS Presidential Farewell After nearly 40 rewarding years of a professional career in public higher education, Dr. Francine G. McNairy will retire in January 2013. She has been at Millersville for more than 17 years, and president since 2003. The Office of Alumni Engagement and the Millersville University Alumni Association are hosting President McNairy on her “farewell tour” to several locations this fall. Alumni and friends are invited to attend these events. Camp Hill, Pa. - West Shore Country Club Tuesday, September 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m. York, Pa. - Blue Room, Valencia Ballroom Wednesday, September 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m. McLean, Virginia - Maggiano’s Little Italy— Tyson’s Corner Monday, October 22, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Philadelphia, Pa. - Hyatt at The Bellevue Monday, November 12, 6-8 p.m. Newark, Delaware - Newark Country Club Wednesday, November 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Additional details on reservations for these receptions are available online at www. villealumni.com (click on Events) or by calling the alumni office at 800-681-1855.
ALUMNI EVENT REGISTRATION
For event information:
Call Millersville University’s Office of Alumni Engagement at 800-681-1855 or 717-872-3352, or email: mualumni@millersville.edu.
To register for an event online: www.villealumni.com Click on Event Calendar; locate the event and click Register.
Alumni association award recipients Three individuals were honored at Millersville University’s annual Honors and Awards Convocation on April 28. These three awards Bill Martin, George Stein and Trish Doll received the alumni association’s top are sponsored annually by the Millersville awards from MUAA president Jerri Anne Johnson ’76, ’87M (far right). University Alumni Association (MUAA). Patricia DeGrandis Doll ’82 has been to the Advancement of Learning Fund program and worked named the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. with the University’s annual fund campaign, the Millersville Doll has distinguished herself as a successful entrepreUniversity Foundation Board and the Noonan Endowment neur, businesswoman, volunteer and humanitarian. She Fund Committee. Stine retired from Millersville in 2004. founded Publicity Works, an award-winning advertising and Stine and his wife, Dr. Helen Stine ’64, have worked to keep marketing agency, which represents a local, national, and alive the legacy of George’s parents, Clyde and Pauline Stine, international roster of clients. She lives by her philosophy: with a special endowment. In addition, George and Helen “Success is not built on what we accomplish for ourselves; its have established an endowment in their own names. foundation lies in what we do for others.” Her love for music William Martin ’81 has been named the 2012 Outstandwas the impetus behind her 2009 Save Our Strings initiative ing Volunteer Service Award recipient. Martin served as the to protect and preserve classical music in the schools. As a president of the MUAA from 2009-11. He has been an active result of this effort, the school district reversed a budget-cut member of the alumni board of directors for a number of decision, saving the program and teachers’ jobs. Doll credits years, now serving as an ex-officio member. He previously Millersville University for her passion and life’s work. served as chairman of the MUAA’s Student Advancement Dr. George F. Stine, Millersville faculty emeritus, was Committee, where he helped advocate the positive influnamed the Honorary Alumni Award recipient. Stine literally ences of Millersville students and alumni in area busigrew up on Millersville’s campus; his father, Clyde Stine, nesses. One of his most rewarding efforts was increasing was a faculty member and dean of men for 22 years. In the amount of athletic and legacy scholarships, providing 1966, George Stine joined Millersville as assistant dean of assistance to deserving students. Martin also supported two men and a faculty member of the sociology and anthropolseparate funding measures for the campaign library renovaogy department, was one of the founding members of the tion. He served as an advisor to the Millersville University sociology department and played a significant role in the Council of Trustees. He serves as an alumni representative gerontology program at Millersville by offering courses and to the Millersville University Foundation Board of Direcsupervising student internships at local retirement comtors. He is employed at R.R. Donnelley as a manufacturing munities. Stine chaired the Millersville Employees Dedicated manager.
Option
C
Set your cell phone timer to leave home or work and arrive around 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12, at Bube’s Brewery in Mt. Joy. The MU After Work Club is a new series of events sponsored by the Millersville University Alumni Association and occurs on the second Wednesday of every other month. The event offers alumni a very casual atmosphere to mix and mingle. There is no cover charge, but reservations are encouraged. Door prizes will be awarded.
Look for upcoming events on the alumni Facebook page or website at www. villealumni.com. Come out…eat, drink and join in on the alumni fun! Sept. 12 - Bube’s Brewery, Mt. Joy Nov. 14 - The Fireside, Strasburg Nov. 14 - Dukes Riverside Bar & Grille, Wormleysburg Jan. 9 - Brickyard Restaurant & Sports Pub, Lancaster
Alumni Interest Summer 2012 23
Watch your mail for the complete schedule of Homecoming events.
New credit card for alumni Effective March 1, 2012, the MUAA selected the Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU) to offer MU/ PSECU Visa® credit cards to its 60,000 alumni members. All Millersville University alumni—regardless of home residency— are eligible to be members of PSECU. As a not-for-profit, member-owned and federally insured financial institution, PSECU provides credit cards and a full array of convenient, electronically delivered financial services at no or low cost. A portion of the proceeds from this credit card program helps support the mission of the association and the University through research grants, scholarships, construction projects, and alumni and student events. Not only can you show your MU pride, but you can also enjoy great benefits, such as a low 9.9% Annual Percentage Rate (APR), no annual fee, no cash advance fee and no penalty rate increases. Your rate stays the same even if you’re late on a payment. The promotional transfer rate of 2.9% APR is good through December 31, 2013, and PSECU does not charge a balance transfer fee. Moving high-interest balances to the MUAA Visa can mean significant savings to you. Help support your alma mater by choosing the new Millersville University Alumni Association/ PSECU Visa credit card! To order, call PSECU at 800-237-7328 (ext. 3872) or go online, www.psecu.com/muaa.
24 Alumni Interest Summer 2012
New MUAA board members The Millersville University Alumni Association held elections on April 14, which resulted in 10 alumni being named to its board of directors. These alumni will serve two-year terms, which began on 7/1/12 and will end on 6/30/14. The newly elected board members include: Jennifer Bertolet ’92, Arlington, Va.; Sandra Brown ’76, Lancaster; Nathan Claycomb ’01, Strasburg; Jenna Craig ’10, Lancaster; William Dewan ’93, Lancaster; Catherine Glass ’53, Millersville; John Held ’02, Hatboro; Greg Ortlieb ’09, Bridgeport; Dan Sidelnick ’75, Lebanon; and Carroll Staub ’72, ’90M, Millersville. Board members include Lori Dierolf ’91 (president elect), Stephen Focht ’70 (treasurer), C. Eleanor Heller ’71, Michael Henry ’83, Jerri Anne Johnson ’76 (president), Cassandra Karamanos ’94, Patrick Leahy ’97, Kristin Waters ’05 (secretary) and Patrick Witmer ’81. Newly elected MUAA board members: The alumni board Seated (l to r): William Dewan, Carroll Staub and Greg Ortlieb. consists of 19 voting Standing (l to r): Catherine Glass, Sandra Brown, Dan Sidelnick, Nathan Claycomb and John Held. members and meets Not pictured: Jennifer Bertolet and Jenna Craig. quarterly.
Students veterans group re-established The Student Veterans’ Association at Millersville University provides an opportunity to show support and appreciation for students and community members who are serving, or who have served, the country through military service. This organization welcomes anyone who would like to foster a positive environment for Millersville student veterans. The group meets monthly and is planning social, community-service, and informational activities. Contact Joe Ocheskey at 717-872-3769 or Joe.Ocheskey@ Millersville.edu to get involved.
HOCKEY FANS:
Alumni enjoyed the hockey game on Saturday, March 17, when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penquins took on the visiting Worcester Sharks. Photos below, left to right: Patrick Maynard ‘94 with his wife and daughter; David and Audrey with their mom Becky (Beardslee) Jachimowicz ‘88; Barbara ’05 and Forrest ’05 Jacobs; Rob Kennedy, Diane (Jachimowicz) Kennedy ‘91, Patricia Dean ‘58 and Christopher Jachimowicz ‘86.
class notes • 1950s
Class Reunions for 1952 & 1957 scheduled for October 13, 2012, at Homecoming Weekend. • Henry W. Bell ’58, Mount Joy, was inducted into the Manheim Central Hall of Fame. A basketball and baseball coach, he was a two-time L-L League Coach of the Year and produced 27 consecutive winning baseball seasons.
• 1960s Class Reunions for 1962 & 1967 scheduled for October 13, 2012, at Homecoming Weekend. The Class of 1962 will also host a Meet & Mingle event on Friday, Oct. 12. • Frank E. May ’61, Wilmington, Del., serves as the president of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Delco chapter. • Richard L. Frerichs ’64, ’69M, Millersville, was awarded the distinction of master school board director for his service on the Penn Manor school board. • Janet E. (Capriotti) Kilbride ’64, Conshohocken, retired from Arcadia University in July 2011. • Thomas A. Irwin Jr. ’66, Altoona, was presented the 2012 Respected Citizen Award from the Central Blair Recreation and Park Commission. He also serves as president of the board of the Gloria Gates Memorial Foundation. He retired from
Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School after 30 years of teaching. • Joan L. (Frick) Debakey ’68, ’78M, Lancaster, retired from the Solanco School District after 24 years of teaching. • Charles F. Reinhart Jr. ’68, ’71M, Lancaster, and his wife Erna authored Jimmy Stewart: On the Air, a book about the actor’s radio career. • James Madgey ’69, ’73M, Philadelphia, retired from the School District of Philadelphia as a director of school support after 35 years. He is now the director of accountability for Accelerated Learning Systems, a company operating 19 charter high schools in Florida.
• 1970s Class Reunions for 1972 & 1977 scheduled for October 13, 2012, at Homecoming Weekend. • Annamary Sikorsky ’70, Lancaster, retired in 2010 after 40 years as a librarian from the Hempfield School District. • Kenneth B. Marzinko ’71, Lancaster, retired from the School District of Lancaster, where he served as facilitator of the homeless student project. • James A. Richards ’71, Villas, N.J., was named to the Board of Trustees of the East Lynne Theater Company. He is the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Cape May. • Craig S. Riley ’71, Sarasota, Fla., returned from an aroundthe-world trip after three decades of many site-specific
Commencement 1962: Fast-forward 50 years Members of the class of 1962 gathered to take part in the spring commencement exercise and spent time reminiscing at a luncheon following the ceremony. We were pleased to have them back on campus to begin celebrating their 50-year anniversary as alumni of Millersville University. Above, l-r: Frank Bergman, Joyce Weaver Nolt, Dolores Rehrer Nelson, Zaferula Valudes Yelagotes, President Francine McNairy, Yvonne Lambert Toney, Gary Bell and Herta Rasch Clements.
extended journeys to over 50 countries worldwide. • Dennis G. Beamenderfer ’72, ’78M, Lancaster, retired from the Octorara Area School District in 2007. He serves as an usher at Penn State University’s Beaver Stadium. • David B. Kyle ’72, ’76M, New Columbia, retired after more than 22 years as a UniServ representative for the Pennsylvania State Education Association. Previously, he taught industrial arts/technology education at Milton Hershey Area Senior High School for 17 years. • Robert F. Miley ’72, Warrington, was inducted into the William Tennent High School (Bucks County) Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement and athletic contributions. • Laurence M. McKenna ’73, Wayne, appeared in his latest show, “Burt & Me,” this summer at the Gretna Theatre in Mt. Gretna. It will also run at the Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick, Maine. The
show features 20 classic hits of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. • Katherine E. (Wool) Ledzinski ’74, Lititz, retired from the Pequea Valley School District after teaching math for 36 years. • Monica (Spadoni) Matthews ’74, Ambler, retired from the Cheltenham Township School District after 37 years of teaching. She was in the first class of music education graduates at Millersville. • Donald H. McCarty ’74, Conshohocken, was named Susquehanna Bank’s Market CEO in the Greater Delaware Valley market. • Thomas J. Sellinger ’74, Cloverdale, Va., retired from Norfolk Southern Corp. after 36 years of combined railroad service with Penn Central, Conrail and Norfolk Southern Corp. • Thomas J. Wisnieski ’74, Gulfport, Miss., was named
Class Notes Summer 2012 25
class notes medical center director for the Department of Veterans Affairs North Florida/South Georgia healthcare system. • Scott G. Patton ’75, Downingtown, retired from Upper Merion Area High School after 35 years of teaching. He works for the Boy Scouts at the Florida Seabase, teaching and leading scouts in the scuba program. • Joan M. (Zimmerman) Stone ’75, Lewistown, retired from Mifflin County School District in June 2011. • Susan (Kline) Zavacky ’75, Crossville, Tenn., retired after 36 years as assistant librarian and librarian of the Legislative Reference Bureau at the Capitol in Harrisburg. • Barbara A. (Smedley) Hutchinson ’76, Lititz, is the new rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Shippensburg. • Brian E. Worrell ’76, Wernersville, has qualified as a member of Prudential’s 2012 Million Dollar Roundtable. • Patrick W. Hallock ’77, Strasburg, retired from Pequea Valley School District after serving 35 years in education, the last six as superintendent. • Richard H. Huss ’77, Westminster, Md., retired after 35 years in the Carroll County Public Schools, most recently as principal of Freedom Elementary School. • Samuel L. Brelo ’78, Springfield, Mo., completed his Doctor of Ministry from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. • Melode (Cain) Forsha ’78, Lancaster, retired from the Solanco School District after 34 years of teaching.
26 Class Notes Summer 2012
• Lori J. (Litchert) Whitehaus ’78, Hummelstown, retired from the Harrisburg School District after teaching English as a Second Language for 33 years. She is expanding her homemade soap business, Willow Creek Soaps. • Deborah T. (Capasso) Bowe ’79, Lititz, was presented the Golden Apple Award by the Archdiocese of Harrisburg. She is a middle school teacher at Our Mother of Perpetual Help. • Nancy J. (McKeever) LaSlavic ’79, Mesa, Ariz., was chosen as a semifinalist for the Rodel Exemplary Teacher Initiative, which identifies teachers with a track record of extraordinary student achievement in highpoverty schools. She teaches third grade in the Mesa Public Schools.
• 1980s Class Reunions for the 1980s decade featuring 1982 & 1987 scheduled for October 13, 2012, at Homecoming Weekend. • Jennifer K. (Perry) Engle ’80, Lancaster, received the 2012 Women of Influence Community Achievement Award. Her firm is JKE Marketing and Communications. • Jan L. Graybill ’80, Orefield, was selected as the 2012 Honorary Inductee into Millersville University’s chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, an international economics honor society. • David Manwiller ’80, ’84M,
50 never looked so good These ladies, who graduated between 1982-84, celebrated their 50th birthdays in Avalon, N.J.! Back left to right: Maureen (Reilly) Elliott ’84, Kelly (Werner) Adams ’84, Lori “Spark” (Sparkenbaugh) Palmer ’83, Heidi Higgins, Carol “Cos” (Cosgrove) Flannery ’83, Lisa Ross ’83; second row: Peggy (Gallen) Schaffer ’83 (middle), Sue (Werner) Bufe ’82, Beth (Cook) Johnson ’83, Kim (Smith) Motter ’83; kneeling: Peggy (Sheibly) Shover, Jody (Kilmer) Hogman, Deb Nunemaker ’84, Sue (Carpenter) Steckbeck ’83, Georina (Rapino) Spengler ’83, Dee Rankin ’83. Camden Wyoming, Del., retired after 32 years as a special education SMD teacher and high school football coach for the Caesar Rodney School District. • Sharon E. (Hall) Charles ’81, Austin, Tex., received a master’s degree in counseling from St. Edward’s University, graduating summa cum laude. • Robert F. Klersy ’82, Zionsville, observed his 25-year anniversary of pastoral ministry with the Evangelical Congregational Church. He is the longest-serving pastor of Hosensack (Grace) Evangelical Congregational Church. • Francis J. Haefner Jr. ’83, Lancaster, was named senior vice president of commercial lines underwriting at Donegal Insurance Group. • Michael E. Kyle ’83, Omaha, Neb., is cohost of the syndicated the Todd N Tyler (TNT) Radio Empire. • Barry W. Bealer ’85, Lansdale, was inducted into the CEO Hall of Fame Society. He is the cofounder of Really Strategies.
• John W. Brubaker Jr. ’87, Manheim, was inducted into the Manheim Central Hall of Fame. He is an industrial arts teacher, defensive coordinator of the football team and also served as boys track head coach for 14 years.
• 1990s Class Reunions for 1992 & 1997 scheduled for October 13, 2012, at Homecoming Weekend. • Philip L. Hostetter ’90, Lancaster, received an ADELANTE award for contributions to educational excellence. He is a dual enrollment coordinator and counselor for arts and humanities at McCaskey High School. • Jaclyn M. Fowler ’91M, Drifton, was appointed to a three-year term on the State Board of Private Academic Schools. She is the vice president of MMI Preparatory School in Freeland, Pa.
Daniella Singleton (left) with her mentor Maureen Fisco ’92.
Mentor a Millersville student “My mentor always encourages me to try out for things and to follow my dreams. I have learned so much from my mentor. Maureen has shared portions of her life with me that I will look up to for the rest of my life,” said Daniella Singleton about her mentor, Maureen Fisco, class of 1992. Since 2003, the Millersville Mentoring Alliance Program (MMAP) has been engaging students in meaningful, fun and mutually supportive mentor• Marc P. Dobb ’92, Bernville, was appointed vice president of Lehigh Valley Financial Group. • Kevin L. Giffhorn ’92, Mount Airy, Md., launched e-Notebook, an iPad application, which allows students to electronically organize their class notes. He is a National Board Certified math teacher at Liberty High School. • Robert D. Goshen ’93, Marietta, directs the York City Police Department’s Downtown Neighborhood Enforcement Unit. He is a sergeant with the department. • Dean M. Radinovsky ’93, Woodside, N.Y., displayed his artwork entitled “For the Forest” at the Red Raven Art Company in Lancaster. He also had a solo showing entitled “The Paintings of Chapel Americana” at Saint Peter’s Church in New York City. • James G. Fredericks ’95, Bristow, Va., received a Ph.D. in
ing partnerships with Millersville alumni, faculty/staff and community members. The goal of mentoring is to help prepare students for citizenship in an increasingly diverse world, stimulate their passion for learning and encourage them to develop their full potential in all areas of life. The MMAP is currently seeking mentors for the 2012-2013 academic year. Mentors commit to attending a training session in early fall and
entomology from the University of Delaware in May 2012. • Cynthia K. (Calabria) Fuhrer ’95, Lancaster, was named Susquehanna River project manager by the Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area. She also serves on the board of directors for the Lancaster County Coalition for Smart Growth. • Jeremy A. Haugh ’95, Charlottesville, Va., is a command judge advocate of the U.S. Army’s JAG School. He completed the Baltimore Marathon while pushing his 8-year-old son, who suffers from a neurological disorder, in a stroller. • Gina M. Ciallella ’96, Swedesboro, N.J., earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Neumann University in May
meeting face-to face with their mentee at least 10 times during the academic year. If you are interested in becoming a mentor to a Millersville student, or would simply like to learn more, visit the MMAP website at www.millersville. edu/mmap. Click on “Get Involved” to complete an online mentor application. Or, contact the MMAP staff at 717871-5361 or mmap@millersville.edu.
Several Millersville women’s basketball alums assisted Coach Mary Fleig with her summer camps in June. Among the alumni were Tina (Klotzbeecher) Thomas ’91 and Kristin Schneider ’94. Pictured (l-r): Alyssa Thomas, Tina (Klotzbeecher) Thomas ’91, Alexia Thomas, Darlene Newman ’84, Kristin Schneider ’94 with her niece Emma Schneider and Mary Fleig.
Class Notes Summer 2012 27
Combining two passions:
science and music
When Linde Clark ’04 spoke at Millersville’s Women in Mathematics and Science Conference (see feature story on pages 4-7) earlier this year, her message to young girls was they don’t have to give up their personal life to pursue a career in math or science. “When girls think about going into science, they have an overwhelming feeling they will have to donate their entire life to the profession,” said Clark. “You can tie your profession directly to your interests.” Clark certainly practices what she preaches. Growing up, she was really into music—particularly the acoustics that were part of the numerous concerts she attended. She turned that passion into a career that led her to Boston-based Bose Corporation, one of the world leaders in sound technology. The daughter of Dr. Richard Clark, chair of Millersville’s meteorology department, she received a degree in physics from Millersville and then decided to focus on acoustic technologies. “I chose Penn State because they are one of the few colleges that offer a stand-alone degree in acoustics.” This made Clark highly marketable, and she was quickly recruited by Bose upon graduation. She has been with the company for six years, working with the transfuser technology group. “My job is to design speakers for any application at Bose,” Clark explained. “They will come to me asking to design a speaker that fits into a certain enclosure with this much sound output and distortion.” Clark has designed speakers for cars, headphones and home entertainment systems. She recently designed a bass speaker for the Corvette. “After I design it, we build a prototype in the lab and do acoustic measurements,” Clark said. “It’s a little different than a pure research role. We do have constants.” One of the best aspects of Clark’s 28 Class Notes Summer 2012
Linde Clark ’04
job is the “birds of a feather” environment at Bose that attracts a lot of like-minded people into the same profession. “People were drawn to the company for the same reason I was,” Clark said. “They are into music and concerts.” The first year she was working for Bose, Clark participated in the “Bud Jam”—a program that requires employees to form bands within the company and play three songs. “The first year I participated with a Grateful Dead cover band,” said Clark. “The next year I formed my own band and played three songs I had written.” Clark said the group gelled so well, they decided to continue to play together. Taking the stage name Black Marmot, the band has been together for four years and performs at local venues around Boston. “We also played at the Bose auditorium and came back to Lancaster and performed downtown at the Ware Center,” Clark added. The band just released their second album, suitably titled “The Everyday Speaker.” Clark has successfully managed to find a career that supports her interests and hopes to encourage others to find a meaningful balance between work and play. “What is your passion? If you like biking, you can work for a company that designs bikes. Same for instruments,” said Clark. “There is science behind everything.”
2012. She is the supervisor of student services for Delaware County Technical Schools. • Jennifer L. (Dise) Hagey ’96, Harleysville, works in her family’s business, Transportation Services, Inc., and Hagey Coach and Tours, a school bus and motor coach company. • Kevin M. Stumpf ’96, Hummelstown, was named general manager of Hershey Entertainment. • Karl H. Blank II ’97, Philadelphia, was promoted to lieutenant in the Philadelphia Fire Department. • Brian J. Poliafico ’97, Haddonfield, N.J., joined XL Insurance as assistant vice president of risk engineering for the newly formed construction business unit. • Latinia (McKinney) Shell ’98, ’00M, Lancaster, joined the faculty of West Chester University as an assistant professor in the Department of Counselor Education. • Stephen R. Sohonyay ’99, ’07M, Mount Joy, was named acting principal of Lancaster’s Reynolds Middle School, where he has worked as a teacher and assistant principal.
• 2000s • Evelyn O. (Perales) Hernandez ’00, East Petersburg, received an ADELANTE award for contributions to educational excellence. She teaches English as a Second Language at Washington Elementary School in Lancaster. • Jill C. (Hess) Long ’00, Lancaster, was nominated for Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. She is a first-grade teacher at
Millersville’s Philadelphia 2012 graduates New Millersville University graduates who call Philadelphia their hometown were invited by the City of Philadelphia to participate in Mayor Michael Nutter’s third annual “Toss Your Caps” event, which celebrates one of his priorities—to increase the number of Philadelphians who graduate from college.
Salisbury Elementary School and also serves as the Envirothon advisor. • Paulina Melin-Catepillán ’00, Brooklyn, N.Y., was named assistant director of alumni relations, development and external affairs at the Teachers College of Columbia University. • Steven Todd Stewart ’00, Holtwood, was named 2012 Secondary Education Green Teacher of the Year for Harford County Public Schools in Maryland, where he teaches middle school science. He has completed the requirements to become a national boardcertified teacher in early adolescent science instruction from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. • Jeffrey S. Ratcliffe ’01, Hatboro, received a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from Temple University. • Adam J. Shoffner ’01, Morgantown, joined DundeeWealth US, LP, in Berwyn, as manager for regulatory and financial administration.
• Jonathan P. Kasitz ’02, Coatesville, was named an associate of RETTEW. He is a client account manager in the company’s oil and gas division. • Emily Lunde-Habash ’03, Wilmington, N.C., graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a master’s degree in secondary science education. • Sean P. Campbell ’04, ’09M, Mountville, received the Learning Matters Rotary Teacher Impact Award for Lancaster County for 2011. He is a thirdgrade teacher at Fritz Elementary School. • Brianna L. (Glenn) Carter ’04, Shrewsbury, received an Ed.S. in administrative leadership from Walden University. She works for the Baltimore City Public School System. • John Sowizral ’04, Lebanon,
was named 2011 Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies Outstanding Secondary Level Teacher of the Year. He teaches seventh-grade history at Cedar Crest Middle School. • Natalie Shaak ’05, Philadelphia, is assistant director of fraternity and sorority life at Drexel University. She led the team, which was recognized by hazingprevention.org and Zeta Tau Alpha fraternity for its innovation in hazing prevention and education. • Destinee (Shank-Otto) Deely ’06, Center Valley, serves as the education coordinator at the Allentown Symphony Association. • Kelly (May) Clouse ’07, Florence, S.C., received a master’s degree in education in 21stcentury teaching and learning, summa cum laude, from Wilkes University in May 2012. • Jolanda Dranchak ’07, Minneapolis, Minn., was named curriculum integrator for Anoka Middle School for the Arts. She previously worked at Excell Academy for Higher Learning and also taught at the middleschool level at the American School of Kuwait. • Zachary F. Fletcher ’08, Spring City, was named assistant principal at Warwick High School. • William D. Hesse III ’08, Carlisle, received a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Penn State University. • Ashley N. Wallace ’08, State College, was granted certification from Lycoming College for secondary education: chemistry. She also earned a master’s degree in atmospheric chemistry
from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. • Abby E. Brubaker ’09, Lancaster, was co-recipient of the 2011 Second Annual Walmart Project Foresight Competition award for the project “Collegiate Eye Care,” aimed at educating college students about the importance of regular eye exams and providing that service at various universities. She attends Salus University’s Pa. College of Optometry. • Shannon Fowler ’09, Reinholds, joined Sands & Co. Real Estate of Wyomissing as a real estate agent.
• 2010s • Brittney L. Brown ’10, Millersville, was hired by Solanco School District as a second-grade teacher at Clermont Elementary School. • Amy E. Curry ’10M, Hellam, was named director of the Morris County Historical Society. • Lula A. Defersha ’10, Philadelphia, was named DrugFree Communities program coordinator for the Coatesville Youth Initiative program of the Brandywine Health Foundation. • Michael A. Charnick ’11, Mertztown, is a full-time forecaster at AccuWeather’s State College office. • MaryBeth E. Fisher ’11, Landisville, is serving as a teacher’s aide and project coordinator at Highland Park Elementary School, Roanoke, Va., as part of the Brethren Volunteer Service.
Class Notes Summer 2012 29
class notes
Rosa Nely Zavala ’11 married Marco Lopez Contreras on 8/8/11, in Moroleón Guanajuato, Mexico.
Marriages • James Madgey ’69, ’73M and Ted Bywalski, 3/8/12. • Polly Pearce ’72 and Frederick Salomon ’84, ’99M, 12/27/11. • Susan Kropinski ’79 and William Haas, 7/4/08. • Stacey L. Shearer ’98 and George Bancroft Jr., 9/10/11. • Melissa M. Deets ’00 and Daniel Berryman, 3/10/12. • Kelly Wells ’01 and Josh Hummel, 12/31/11. • Pamela Sheridan ’02 and David Knepper ’03, 10/3/10. • Heather E. Choppin ’04 and Trampas Jones, 6/12/11. • Kathryn F. Casella ’05 and Robert Fithian, 10/28/11. • Destinee Shank-Otto ’06 and Kevin Deely, 10/8/11.
Births • Shain (Artz) de Manincor ’91 and husband Joseph, a son, Collin Joseph, on 1/16/12. • Victoria (Harris) Grosser ’95 and husband Jeremiah ’00, a
30 Class Notes Summer 2012
son, Ryan James, on 1/5/12. • Nicole L. (Goffice) Schmidt ’96 and husband Steve, a daughter, Ashtyn Raina, on 2/9/11. • Michael Betsko ’97 and wife Heather R. (Bomberger) ’00, a son, Rylan Hunter, on 3/21/12. • Melissa (Shipe) Paup ’97 and husband Bryan, a son, Cooper Reese, on 5/24/11. • Christopher L. Corea ’98 and wife Jeanette, a son, Marcello Lewis, on 3/27/12. • Sarah (Joseph) DiIorio ’98 and husband Wesley ’98, a daughter, Isabella Fahey, on 3/23/12. • David W. Longabaugh ’99 and wife Chelsea, a son, Charles William, on 10/12/11. • Jennifer (Koch) Marney ’99 and husband Daniel, a son, Andrew James, on 4/12/12. • Michael G. Mancini ’00 and wife Gina, a daughter, Melinda Layne, on 1/10/12. • Scott Mackaro ’01 and wife Jessica N. (Paxton) ’06, a daughter, Victoria Celeste, on 1/14/12. • Jennifer L. (Heil) Ryan ’01 and husband Sean, a son, Braden Michael, on 2/11/11. • Margaret E. Sayago ’01 and husband Jesse O’Neill, a daughter, Calla Sayago O’Neill, on 11/1/11. • Benjamin Abeles ’01 and wife Cynthia S. (Lehman) ’03, twins, Thomas Benjamin and Jocelyn Amanda, on 11/5/11. • Christopher A. Potter ’04 and wife Jaclyn (Hice) ’06, ’09M, a son, Declan Charles, on 11/22/11. • Lauren (Leshak) Espenshade ’06 and husband Troy ’06, a son, Cole Michael, on 11/24/11. • Kristiann (Webster) Rizzo ’09 and husband Jack, a daughter, Grace, on 2/3/12.
Richard “Ricky” Hutchins ’09 married Christina Stango on 9/17/11, in Mount Pocono, Pa. A number of Millersville graduates were in attendance including groomsmen Adam Lauver ’09 and Matthew Hudacs ’10. Ricky attends the New York Film Academy, working towards his M.F.A. in acting for film. Christina is a doctor of clinical psychology, working with adults with psychiatric and intellectual disabilities. The couple resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Eric Brobst ’07 and Gretchen Coleman ’08 were married on 9/17/11, and held their reception at Millersville University. The wedding party included matron of honor Jennifer (Myers) McHenry ’08, best man Michael McHenry ’07 and groomsmen (to the far right) Miguel Guadarrama ’08 and Tom Knier ’08.
Dominic “DJ” Manderachi ’05 and Kristen Maze ’06 were married on 10/22/11, in Norristown, Pa. Left to right, back row: Steve Richards ’06, Andrew Adams ’05, Randi (Stern) Martin ’04, Cameron Martin ’04, bride Kristen Maze Manderachi ’06, groom DJ Manderachi ’05, Jordan Bush ’07, Keri Kotsur Nafus ’06, Krista Dankiw ’05 and Matt Maze ’11. Front row: Doug Leister ’06, Joe Madden ’06, Becky Wieand ’05, Nadine Owsiany ’08, Linda Spangler ’74M, Bert Spangler ’74M and Kate Czar ’05.
Forecasting happily ever after Meteorologists Brian Edwards ’08 and Ashley Wallace ’08 were married on 3/31/12, in Hawley, Pa. The wedding provided a wonderful occasion for Millersville alumni and faculty to reconnect and talk about (what else) the weather and other things. Back row: Kate Houdeshel ’08, Ben Ogle ’08, Sarah Ogle, Jeannie Sikora, Sepi Yalda (meteorology professor), Richard Clark (chair of Department of Meteorology), Suren Yalda-Clark, Ashley Wallace ’08, Brian Edwards ’08, John Aston ’08, Robert Bayer ’08, Todd Sikora (meteorology professor), Chris Valentine ’08, Danielle Williams ’08 and Ashley Thomas ’08. Front row: Shawn Gindhart ’08, Thomas Bartlett ’09, Tiffany (McLaughlin) Bartlett ’09, Jacqui Bellerby ’08, Drew Sweeney ’08, Laura Ames ’08, Geoff Baum ’08. Also in attendance: Matt Matash ’08, John Feerick ’03, Lauren (Schmitt) Kirby ’06, Steve Kirby ’06, Joe Bleacher ’09, Deb Haines ’08, Mandy Moran ’09, Steve Johnston ’09.
Katie Petermann ’02 married Steven L. Breit on 9/16/11 at Lauxmont Farms Sunken Garden, Wrightsville, Pa. Katie works as an account executive for WPMT Fox 43 TV, and Steven is a defense attorney in private practice in Lancaster. Also pictured are Breit’s son Peter and daughter Julia.
In the Job Market? u! o y r o f fit a bene
The Millersville University Alumni Association has a new FREE benefit for you. A webinar (live and recorded) portal features top career experts and hiring managers on topics including: • Job Searching with Social Media • Networking for Career Success • LinkedIn Profiles and Your Next Job • Developing Your Personal Brand • Job Seeker Tips, Ideas and Best Practices Plus, ongoing discussions following the webinar, PDFs of presentations; recordings of webinars and more – all free to alumni. Call Millersville University’s Office of Alumni Engagement for more details at 800-681-1855.
Heather Choppin ’04 and Trampas Jones were wed on 6/12/11, in Billings, Montana. They reside with their cat and horse on a small farm near the Beartooth Mountains in Montana.
class notes Deaths • Edna (Spangler) Lachman ’25, New Providence, died on 4/3/12, at the age of 103. She retired from Fulton Bank. She was active in the Chester County Fire and Police Association for 21 years. • Ruth (Mobley) Grove ’27, Red Lion, died on 8/21/11, at the age of 105. She taught in oneroom elementary schools in York County and was a member of Penn Mary Chapter 72 Order of the Eastern Star. • Helen (Hostetter) Petre ’28, Willow Street, died on 3/16/12, at the age of 103. She taught following graduation, and then assisted her husband, Rev. W. Ridgway Petre, in his pastoral endeavors at the United Methodist churches in Millersville and Mount Joy. • Dorothy (Emenheiser) Mirtz ’30, York, died on 12/29/11, at the age of 101. She retired from the Suburban School District after teaching third grade for 28 years. She was a soloist for Grace United Church of Christ for 50 years and Temple Beth Israel for 44 years. • Lillian (Colyer) Hall ’32, Marysville, died on 11/19/11, at the age of 99. She retired from the Susquenita School District after 25 years and was an organist for two churches in Marysville. • Jane (Gray) Smith ’33, Lancaster, died on 3/9/12, at the age of 98. She was a high-school librarian at West Lampeter, Phoenixville and Manheim Township before teaching library science and supervising the Training School Library at Millersville State
32
Teacher’s College. In 1953, she created the position of supervisor of School Libraries for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She was an accomplished violinist and a charter member of the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra until she was 85 years old. • Dorothy (Nissley) Elmer ’34, Lancaster, died on 4/20/12, at the age of 98. She taught elementary school in various one-room schools in the Washington Boro area. • Genevieve (Mann) Diller ’35, Lancaster, died on 3/11/12, at the age of 97. She was an elementary school teacher and speech therapist for the School District of Lancaster. She served as the president of the Board of the Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic, where she was the first speech therapist on the clinic’s staff. She was the first woman to hold the position of president of the Occupational Development Center’s board of directors. • Norvin T. Whitmore ’40, Valetie, N.Y., died on 2/15/12, at the age of 94. He retired in 1980 as vice president emeritus of Erie Community College, North Campus, in Buffalo. He was also a retired lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, where he served 21 years. He was active in establishing Millersville’s wrestling team and also played halfback for the football team. • Jeanne G. (Frey) Terry ’41, Englewood, Fla., died on 1/4/12, at the age of 91. She taught school for 30 years in Patchogue, N.Y. • Alice R. (Barnes) Shaner ’43, San Jose, Cal., died on 3/25/12, at the age of 90. She retired as an adult-education art teacher
Class Notes Summer 2012
Remembrances • Dr. Secunderabad N. Leela, associate professor of economics emerita, on 6/20/12, in her native India. She joined Millersville University in 1969 and retired in 1996, and received international recognition for her research on population dynamics. • Dr. Betty Finney died in Lewes, Del., on 7/7/12, at the age of 86. She retired in 2001 as professor of psychology emerita from Millersville University after 33 years, having served several years as chairman of the Department of Psychology. She dedicated her life to service and volunteerism and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Mental Health in America in 2010. Finney co-founded Psychological Associates of Lancaster in 1970 and served on the boards of Hospice of Lancaster County, Lancaster Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse and the United Way. She was one of the founders of the Betty Finney AIDS House. She received numerous honors and awards in recognition of her outstanding service and community involvement, including Millersville’s Honorary Alumna Award in 2006, the Distinguished Civic Leadership Award in 2009 and, most recently, the University’s Commission on the Status of Women recognized her many contributions to the University. Donations can be made in her memory to Millersville University for the Psychology Department Service Award.
just before her 87th birthday. • Patricia “Pat” (Wilson) Woerner ’45, Clear Brook, Va., died on 4/28/12, at the age of 87. She was a teacher at Willow Street Elementary School. • Mary Rachel Hoover ’46, Strasburg, died on 3/29/12, at the age of 87. She retired from Lampeter-Strasburg School District, where she was a highschool librarian for 15 years. Previously, she was a high-school librarian in the Ephrata School District for 21 years. She was a member of the Cloister Book Club for 50 years and participated in Life Style Writers, where she wrote poetry and short stories. A scholarship in her honor is awarded to a Millersville University junior specializing in reading in the School of Education. • Ira L. Henly ’48, Ephrata, died on 3/6/12, at the age of 84. He taught industrial arts at State
College and Clearfield high schools. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. • Charles J. Thum ’49, Spring City, died on 6/7/11, at the age of 86. He was employed for 28 years as a draftsman for Bethlehem Steel until its closing, and then for the FMC Company until his retirement. • Charles Pasquale “Pat” Maio ’50, Omaha, Neb., died on 4/26/12, at the age of 89. He retired from Omaha Public Schools as a music teacher. He was a U.S. Army veteran. • Dale K. “Dusty” Miller ’50, Wycombe, died on 1/3/12, at the age of 90. He taught science for 25 years at The George School in Newtown, where he designed and constructed the Alternative Energy Center, which served as a prototype for third-world countries. He was invited by the Peace Corps to go to Lesotho and Sierra Leone to share his
environmental and educational expertise. • Donald L. Roberts ’50, Palmyra, died on 1/29/12, at the age of 84. He retired from RCA in 1986 after serving 33 years in various engineering, administrative and management positions. He was a one-time president of the Lancaster City School Board and a member of the Lancaster County Vocational Technical Advisory Board. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. • Joan (Herr) Burns ’52, Landisville, died on 5/6/12, at the age of 81. She was a teacher for the School District of Lancaster for nine years and St. Anne’s Catholic School for 24 years, retiring in 1994. • Gloria (Brosius) Peffley ’52, Millersburg, died on 1/7/12, at the age of 81. She began her teaching career in the Downingtown School System in 1952. She retired from the Norwich (N.Y.) City School District in 1992 and returned to Pennsylvania. • John L. Herr ’52, Lancaster, died on 3/13/12, at the age of 81. He retired from Reynolds Junior High School, where he taught math for 30 years. He was also the Junior Hi-Y advisor and head wrestling coach. He was a track and field official for more than 40 years. He also served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. • John E. Legg ’52, Wayne, died on 3/15/12, at the age of 87. He taught industrial arts for more than 30 years in the Upper Dublin School District. He was a decorated World War II veteran. He flew a B-17 in the European Theater and was shot down over Berlin. Held in POW camps in Poland, Bavaria and Germany,
he was freed by General Patton’s Third Army in 1945. • Geraldine (Herr) Rapp ’52, Strasburg, died on 4/29/12, at the age of 81. She taught in the Lancaster City School District and later in the LampeterStrasburg School District for 17 years. Geraldine was the director of the Strasburg-Heisler Library for 23 years. • Phyllis (Dissinger) Detz ’55, Lemoyne, died on 4/29/12, at the age of 101. She retired after 40 years in teaching as a librarian with the Susquenita and West Shore school districts. She authored the book On This Day: An Anthology of Poetry and Prose for Every Day of the Year. • Emma Sue (Kreider) Schulmeister ’56, Lititz, died on 1/12/12, at the age of 77. She retired as a teacher from the School District of Lancaster. • Sylvia (Warren) Hardman ’57, Mechanicsburg, died on 1/14/12, at the age of 76. She was a school and public librarian. She retired from Sears in Camp Hill in 1997, after 40 years of service. • Barbara S. Williams ’57, Allentown, died on 3/29/12, at the age of 76. She retired from the Lindenhurst (N.Y.) School District after 20 years as a teacher and reading consultant. • M. Kathleen “Kass” (Kendig) Herr ’59, Lancaster, died on 2/1/12, at the age of 74. She retired from the School District of Lancaster after teaching 40 years. She was a member of the Senior Orchestra at the Lancaster Recreation Commission. • William H. Horst Sr. ’59, Mt.
Nebo, died on 10/17/11, at the age of 74. He retired from the Solanco School District, was active in his community and helped to transport residents of Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community. • Don J. Konschnik ’59, Silver Spring, Md., died on 12/7/11, at the age of 75. He taught middleand high-school industrial arts and drafting classes for 36 years in Montgomery County schools in Maryland. Don was a member of Phi Sigma Pi and Iota Lambda Sigma honor fraternities while at Millersville. • Ronald L. Trimmer ’60, York, died on 12/23/11, at the age of 74. He served the York City School District for 34 years as a history teacher and school administrator. He retired as principal of Hannah Penn Middle School. • Charles “Charlie” E. Graby ’61, ’69M, Willow Street, died on 5/21/12, at the age of 72. He was a technology education teacher for the Solanco and Manheim Township school districts. • Elaine J. (Mitzel) Harrington ’61, Delta, died on 3/28/12, at the age of 85. She was an educator and psychologist in Pa., Md. and Florida schools, retiring from the Capitol Area Intermediate Unit #15 in 1988. • Kenyon E. Jones ’61, West Pittston, died on 1/20/12, at the age of 78. He taught industrial arts at Madison High School (N.J.) in the mid-1960s. He then worked for the Ford Motor Company and was executive director of FLM Parts (N.J.). He was also national director of maintenance for the Hertz Corporation in New York City. He served in the U.S. Navy.
• Ardine K. (Herring) Fisher ’63, Wernersville, died on 7/30/11, at the age of 69. She retired from the Pine Grove Area School District in 2006 after teaching elementary school for 21 years. • Carl C. Seldomridge ’63, Lewes, Del., died on 3/14/12, at the age of 74. He retired from Prince Georges Community College (Md.) after serving as registrar for 20 years. He then became a real estate associate in Washington, D.C., specializing in historic homes in the Georgetown area. • Sandra “Sandy” (Houser) Bicksler ’64, Queenstown, Md., died on 5/15/11, at the age of 67. She retired from Anne Arundel County Schools in 2008 after more than 30 years of service as a teacher and library administrator. She was teaching at Stevensville Middle School at the time of her death. • Paul R. Martin ’66, Honey Brook, died on 2/18/12, at the age of 73. He retired from Goodhart Sons, Inc., of Lancaster. • John Frederick Rylke ’67, Punxsutawney, died on 4/27/12, at the age of 67. He retired from the Punxsutawney Area School District after teaching and coaching football for almost 30 years. In 1966, he was the Millersville football team’s sole representative to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. • Barbara A. (Newlin) Eckert ’68, Mount Joy, died on 5/1/12, at the age of 65. She was an active member of Donegal Presbyterian Church, where she was a Stephen Minister and taught Sunday school. • William J. Gladstone ’69, Wayne, died on 3/9/12, at the age of 64. He was the vice
Class Notes Summer 2012 33
class notes president of Judge, Inc., a professional services firm in Conshohocken. He started his career as a math and science teacher at East Norriton High School and also worked for Stauffer Foods, Aramark Corp. and Mrs. Paul’s Kitchen. “Big Bill,” as he was affectionately known by his co-workers, was an avid boater and fisherman. • Emma Elizabeth Herr ’70M, Lancaster, died on 1/27/12, at the age of 78. She retired from Warwick School District in 1995 after teaching vocal music and first and second grade for 30 years. She played the clarinet in the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra for 30 years. She also played clarinet and saxophone in various musical performances at the Fulton Theatre. • Eugene C. Potten ’70, ’83M, McAdoo, died on 3/18/11, at the age of 63. He was an industrial arts teacher for 36 years in the Hazleton Area School District, where he also served as president of the teachers association. He was most recently employed by Conyngham Builders. • Karen L. Stevens ’70, Lititz, died on 3/13/12, at the age of 64. She served as librarian for Valley Elementary School in Bensalem for 30 years. After her retirement, she was a volunteer librarian for Londonderry Private School in Harrisburg. She was also an accomplished seamstress and an award-winning quilter. • Lewis J. Matt III ’72, Jefferson, died on 3/12/12, at the age of 66. He retired from the Department of Corrections at SCI Greene. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, he operated White Buck Farm Jams and Jellies. He was also an avid
34
model railroader and hunter. • Marilyn (Hemstreet) Smith ’72, Harrisburg, died on 1/23/12, at the age of 60. She retired from Derry Township School District and spent most of her career as a special education teacher for the Capitol Area Intermediate Unit. She was active in the Special Olympics of Harrisburg. • Mary Ann (Reighard) Keesey ’74, Elizabethtown, died on 3/2/12, at the age of 62. She retired from the Donegal School District in 2011 after teaching math for 40 years. She served as National Honor Society advisor, math department chairperson and member of the Donegal Education Association Scholarship Committee. • Karen (Datko) Auman ’77, Jonestown, died on 3/11/12, at the age of 55. She worked at the family machine shop. Each summer, she painted at Cazenovia College and was a member of multiple art groups, including Penn’s Woods Painters and MidAtlantic Porcelain Artists. • Muriel (Lockwood) Shetromph ’77, ’83M, East Petersburg, died on 1/19/12, at the age of 77. She retired from Ephrata Senior High School after serving 20 years as a school nurse. Prior to that, she worked in the emergency room at St. Joseph’s Hospital. • Paula P. Alspach ’78, Lancaster, died on 3/1/11, at the age of 56. For many years, she worked in the medical office of Dr. Robert Good in Leola. She loved animals, especially her Labrador Retrievers. • Michael J. Yuhas ’78, New Philadelphia, died on 11/28/11, at the age of 57. He was employed as a mechanic by
Class Notes Summer 2012
PPL Electric. • John F. McLaverty ’79, Havertown, died on 11/23/11, at the age of 53. He was director of environmental health and safety at Foamex. • Douglas MacInnes ’80, Trout Valley, Ill., died on 5/22/12, at the age of 53. He worked in the computer programming field for 10 years before making a career change to be a stay-at-home dad. • W. Dwayne Bomberger ’84, Mountville, died on 4/22/12, at the age of 51. He was the manager of Cozee Court Lodging. • Eva (Brazill) Stankard ’84, Leola, died on 1/17/12, at the age of 54. She had a 33-year nursing career and worked at Lancaster General Hospital. She was dedicated to helping those in need by donating money, new clothes and food to many shelters and food banks. • Gail A. (Graver) Huber ’86, ’90M, Conestoga, died on 5/10/12, at the age of 48. She was a guidance counselor for Manheim Township and Eastern high schools. • Mary Lou (Gicas) Jenkins ’87M, Millersville, died on 3/13/12, at the age of 72. A certified clinical psychologist, she was semi-retired from her private individual and family therapy counseling practice in Lancaster. • Lisa Kay Weidman ’89M, Philadelphia, died on 4/8/12, at the age of 48. She was vice president of communications and marketing at Philadelphia Biblical University. She also was a Crossworld missionary in Brazil and served as director of mobilization. • Robin (Powell) Snyder ’92, Lebanon, died on 1/13/11, at the age of 50. She was a neonatal
nurse at Hershey Medical Center. • Karen L. (Collins) Coyle ’99M, Willow Street, died on 2/21/12, at the age of 58. She served as a reading specialist and mathematics instructor for IU 13. • David B. Graver ’99, Lancaster, died on 2/17/12, at the age of 55. He worked as a control room operator at PPL for 29 years. He served in the U.S. Army and was a jump master at the Maytown Sport Parachute Club. • Lillian (Gill) Bennett ’02, Lancaster, died on 2/3/12, at the age of 81. She retired from the former St. Joseph’s Hospital as a receptionist. She was the owner of Creative Notions Gift Shop. • Ryan M. Diehl ’05, Pottstown, died on 5/19/12, at the age of 33. He worked for several local television stations as a cameraman and photographer. Most recently, he was employed as a tire sales manager for Firestone Tire in Trooper. • Joshua J. Long ’09, New Cumberland, died on 4/3/12, at the age of 25. He worked for the R & L Construction Company, Lemoyne, and was an accomplished fly fisherman. • Mario-Angelo F. Russo ’11, Millersville, died on 5/18/12, at the age of 29. He was recently accepted to California State University, Northridge, to continue his graduate studies. He was a band member in such acts as Mario Speedwagon, Elf Blizzard and Lloyd Christmas.
Joseph ’90 and Elizabeth ’91 Garner
give
Why we
Keeping History Alive Alumni Joseph and Elizabeth Garner have many reasons for donating their time, energy and financial support to Millersville University, but one reason stands out above all others for the Lancaster County couple. “Millersville is where we met. Without Millersville, we wouldn’t be together,” says Liz (Lafferty) Garner. As students in 1987, they both lived in Harbold Hall; their relationship blossomed from passing hellos to romance. Joe ’90 majored in economics, and Liz ’91 earned her degree in history. After Joe completed his MBA in finance and accounting from the University of Pittsburgh, the couple married in October 1991. Not only did Millersville University play a vital role as matchmaker for the young couple, but it led to Joe’s position with the Pennsylvania Department of Commerce in Harrisburg, then to his current position as director of research for Emerald Asset Management in Lancaster. Emerald Asset Management is an investment management company that specializes in investing in small and mid-sized public companies and institutions nationwide. Millersville has been well-represented in the company over the years, with several alumni in leadership positions and a number of students gaining valuable experience with internships. Liz’s Millersville education enabled her to land a fascinating position as an archivist with the Pennsylvania State Archives. Personally, she has spent many hours researching the origins of their historic 1873 Georgian Federal home in Marietta, then putting that knowledge to work to restore the home based on old photographs, drawings and plans. She even uncovered a few archeological artifacts on the property, such as an old ash pit filled with oyster shells and
bits of glass and china. Her authentic patriotic decorations in honor of Marietta’s Bicentennial celebration captured the grand prize. Joe has been an active member of the Millersville University Foundation Board of Directors, serving as chair. He continues to be active as a member of the investment committee. Despite this commitment to Millersville University over the years, the Garners wanted to do more. “We wanted to see our efforts help a student who needed an extra hand financially,” said Joe. “We wanted to make a difference.” As a portfolio manager, Joe has made provisions for the education of the couple’s three children. It is part of the reason the Garners want to help other students at Millersville. “Neither of us came from privileged backgrounds, and we realize that our donation can mean all the difference to a student going to college or not being able to go,” said Joe. “We want our gift to provide access to an affordable education.” When the Garners decided to set up an endowment for a scholarship, they both felt strongly that it should honor Liz’s mother. Therefore, the Charlotte Montgomery Lafferty Award will go to a student majoring in history with an emphasis in applied history, and who meets select academic standards. “When I was a teenager, my mother often took me to the Lancaster Historical Society and Philadelphia City Archives to research our family history,” said Liz. “It made history come alive for me and led to my career as an archivist and researcher. We want to give a Millersville student that opportunity.” Focusing on applied history and its meaning in understanding our lives and where we come from was important to the couple. “[Applied history] is not just about dates,” said Liz. “It is about people and ideas, putting it into context to understand the how and why.” In addition, the Garners are making annual gifts to support students who will receive the scholarship this fall. They hope to meet the students and see the impact of their donation. “We like the idea that the endowment will go on forever, outlasting the two of us,” said Joe. “We will be helping future generations of students.” Why We Give Summer 2012 35
Non Profit Org.
Office of Alumni Engagement Millersville University P.O. Box 1002 Millersville, PA 17551-0302 Address Service Requested
Watch your mail for the complete schedule of Homecoming events.
cultural events SCHEDULE INSIDE READ IT QUICK, BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS! Cirque-Tacular is just one of the events happening at Millersville University in the fall. Cirque-tacular circus company, features special performers including a solo aerialist acrobatic body balancing, juggling, magic and illusion.
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