Echoes Summer 2019

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EDITION

ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Contents

IN THIS ISSUE

Introducing Our First All-Digital Issue This summer issue of Echoes is provided in an all-digital format for the first time, enabling us to get the publication into your hands more quickly while being eco-conscious, saving paper. You can download to your e-reader and enjoy it while lounging at your vacation spot of choice. Print lovers, fear not! The fall issue will be back in a printed format, including the Honor Roll of Donors. And those who want to continue reading Echoes online will have that option.

As always, we value reader feedback. Send your comments to Executive Editor Dale Long.

COLUMNS/FEEDBACK 3 22

Message from the President The Bailey Challenge

COVER STORY: SUMMER FUN 4

Keeping the Magic

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THRILL RIDE

MAGICAL JOURNEY

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7 Ups & Downs 10 Reading Time

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10 SUMMER READING

PHOTO GALLERY

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CHILD’S PLAY

LEADING THE WAY

CAMPUS CONNECTIONS 16 Sweet Fruits 17 Changing Seasons 20 Fun in the Sun Back

Parting Shot: Cover Restored Billboard

PUBLICATION CREDITS

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SPECIAL FEATURES

Vice President for Communications and Marketing: Mary Wade Atteberry

Contributing Designer: Chris Denison

Vice President for Institutional Advancement: Steven P. Brady

A Toy Story

Alumni Association President: Kelly (Sullivan) Noel, Class of 2002

Contributing Photographers: Angie Custer, The Gravity Group, The Motz Group, Andy Milluzzi and family

19 Familiar Faces, New Roles 23 Alumni Achievements 26 New Memories

Office of Alumni Relations: Brandon Zollner, Executive Director; Charlie Ricker, Assistant Director; Katie Hoffmann, Assistant Director; Holly Kowalski, Administrative Assistant Executive Editor: Dale Long Contact E-mail: Dale.Long@rose-hulman.edu Creative Director: Traci Nelson-Albertson Staff Writers: Arthur Foulkes, Dale Long and Stacey Muncie Staff Photographer: Bryan Cantwell Multimedia Producer: David Essex Contributing Writers: Herb Bailey and Steve Kaelble

Class Notes/Alumni News Contact: Send alumni news and address updates to alumniaffairs@rose-hulman.edu Echoes is published by: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 5500 Wabash Ave., Terre Haute, IN 47803 Digital copies of this and past issues are available at www.rose-hulman.edu/echoes It is the policy of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to admit students on the basis of their academic ability. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, citizenship status, disability, veteran status or sexual orientation.

From the President

@ROSEHULMANPREZ

Visit www.rose-hulman.edu/echoes to view the video.

BY ROB COONS, PRESIDENT

The Moon & Earth Have Similar Properties I enjoyed the Spring Echoes issue concerning the Apollo program (“To the Moon and Beyond”). There are some alumni that had an important role in the Apollo 11 mission after its return from space. In 1969-70, I worked as a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University on a project supervised by chemistry professor George Morrison. We did the first elemental analysis, through spark source mass spectrometry, of the returned Apollo 11 lunar samples. We found that, basically, the moon is similar to basalt samples on Earth; they come from volcanoes. This makes sense since the latest thinking on the formation of the moon is that it was produced in a collision with an object called Thea. What broke off in the impact coalesced to become the moon. Recent analysis of samples from the moon show the same isotopic ratios of oxygen in moon samples as on Earth samples. I am sure that there may be other Rose alumni who worked on the post lunar analysis from later Apollo missions.

Chauncey is Back and Ready to Travel Once again, this summer we’re encouraging you to take Rose-Hulman’s iconic founder, Chauncey Rose, with you on your adventures. Whether you’re embarking on a much-anticipated vacation or will be staying closer to home, we hope you’ll include a piece of Rose in your summer fun. Email a photo of you and Flat Chauncey to intranet@ rose-hulman.edu, or post on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #FlatChauncey.

Elephant Ears

coons@rose-hulman.edu

Flat Chauncey can be downloaded here.

— John R. Hobbs (CHEM, 1963)

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Cover Story

SMALL WORLD

No Mickey Mouse job for this software engineer

Andy Milluzzi is often in the public areas of the Disney parks and will strike up a conversation with anyone he notices wearing Rose-Hulman gear.

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STORY BY STACEY MUNCIE

Cover Story

SMALL WORLD

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ome days Andy Milluzzi works late, so engrossed in his job as a senior systems engineer that he loses track of the hour. But when he hears the reverberating boom of fireworks overhead, he knows it’s about time to call it a day.

That’s because Milluzzi’s office lies in the heart of Disney World, right behind the Magic Kingdom, and directly below the nightly fireworks display, which often dusts his windshield with pyrotechnic ash. There, tucked out of sight, sits the home base for a multidisciplinary team of engineers that supports the company’s global parks and cruise ships.

“It’s a very, very unique job,” he says. “For a software person, I spend a lot of time in a hard hat.”

The 2012 computer engineering and software engineering graduate is part of a group that works with many animatronics and robotics projects across the spectrum of Disney entertainment platforms. Milluzzi specializes in simulation for new and upcoming attractions, as well as improvements to existing ones. His time is spent in the office, working on software tools, developing features and testing them; traveling to meet with vendors or to other Disney properties; or out in the field integrating his developments into attractions.

Sometimes, he explains, what he does with existing attractions must be done after the park closes for the evening. Whatever it takes to preserve the legendary Disney magic and guest experience.

Growing up, Milluzzi felt that magic when his family took regular trips from northeast Ohio to Orlando.

So even on those late—sometimes very late—nights, it’s never far

Disney has been a part of the lives of Andy Milluzzi and his brother, Tony, a 2016 electrical engineering alumnus, for as long as they can remember.

from his mind that he’s doing what he loves at “the happiest place on Earth.”

“There is definitely more emotion with the job than I expected an engineering job to ever have, because for me personally, it hits home, and I recognize what that means for others.” He adds, “But yet at the same time, it’s one of those things where you still gotta make it happen, you gotta make it safe, you gotta make it exciting—it’s a job.”

Excitement is front and center when it comes to the debut of certain Disney attractions. Milluzzi is not able to speak about projects which haven’t yet opened to the public, but with such a small engineering team at Disney, one can only assume he’s been involved with at least one highly anticipated attraction scheduled to open later this year.

(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

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Cover Story

SMALL WORLD (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

IT’S A SMALL WORLD, AFTER ALL You could say Milluzi’s journey to Disney was a direct connection. Fresh off earning his dual degrees at Rose, Milluzzi was wrapping up his doctorate degree in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Florida when he met Greg Hale through FIRST Robotics. Milluzzi has been involved with FIRST for years, serving as a coach and mentor for teams wherever he’s lived.

In central Florida, Disney is heavily involved in the program, as is Hale. It was just a matter of time before Milluzzi made the acquaintance of the man who also happens to be vice president and chief safety officer for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Milluzzi already had an offer in hand from Microsoft, where he had an internship, but wondered if there might be an opportunity for him at Disney.

Engineering openings at Disney—where turnover is low—are rare, but he decided to take a shot and ask Hale if Disney needed someone with his education, experience and skill set. As it turns out, they did.

As engineers like Milluzzi work behind the scenes nearby, Disney’s nightly parade and fireworks display delights millions of visitors each year.

“THE WAY TO GET STARTED IS TO QUIT TALKING AND BEGIN DOING.” — WALT DISNEY It’s been two years since he joined Disney, and Milluzzi—who is perpetually looking for a fun new challenge—has yet to get bored. That’s partly because his team is always prototyping something.

After all, Disney attractions aren’t mass produced, so the team rarely builds the same thing twice.

According to Milluzzi, though, generating new ideas and solutions isn’t the biggest challenge. Quite the contrary. Oftentimes, he confides, there are too many ideas because everyone working there has an uncommon emotional investment in the work and many express a desire to do things the way they believe Walt Disney himself would want them done.

“That’s definitely a challenge in terms of trying to incorporate everyone’s ideas and getting everyone’s thoughts, and that definitely affects timelines on projects,” he says.

Eventually, they stop talking and start doing. Because they know that their work keeps the Disney magic vibrant and delightful for millions of visitors each year.

Milluzzi says that even on the toughest days, he feels grateful for the opportunity to be a part of that magic.

“It is a job,” he says, “but you have to remember the context of it. I might be having an incredibly hard day or be struggling with something, but there’s gonna be some Make-a-Wish kid whose wish is going to be to come ride or experience what I worked on. I am incredibly privileged to have this role and to literally go to Disney World every day.” n

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Cover Story

SUMMER FUN

UpUp & Away Wooden Roller Coasters Give Riders a Variety of Thrills STORY BY DALE LONG

THE VOYAGE HOLIDAY WORLD & SPLASHIN’ SAFARI SANTA CLAUS, INDIANA

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Cover Story

SUMMER FUN

What Makes for a Thrilling Ride?

Key elements for a thrilling roller coaster riding experience are: THE THEME Every ride tells a story AIRTIME HILLS Feeling like you’re being lifted from your seat EXTREME BANKING The track tilts to 90 degrees or more while going through a turn RIDE LENGTH This can vary depending upon the amount of space allotted in a park for each particular ride SPEED Another variable depending on the height of the first hill and position of the vehicle along the ride INVERSIONS Going upside-down and 360 degree around in a barrel roll OTHER FEATURES Tunnels (some underground), dueling tracks, crossovers and interactions with other rides

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any people attend amusement parks each summer to experience the rush of excitement that results from the thrilling drops, twists and turns, and brief out-of-yourseat moments within each adventurous roller coaster ride.

Before desiring to do it all over again.

Elements of aerodynamics, the laws of motion, mechanics and sensory perception unite with engineering and physics to give riders of all ages incredible experiences they can’t get anywhere else in the world.

“Every roller coaster has special elements that create an unforgettable riding experience,” says Crystal (Hurtle) Meyer, a mechanical engineer with The Gravity Group. The Cincinnati, Ohio-based company is pushing the limits of science and engineering so that wooden coaster technology continues to delight riders.

One of its design projects, the Switchback roller coaster at ZDT’s Amusement Park (Seguin, Texas), takes riders nearly straight up into the sky, before stopping (thankfully) and going backward for the rest of the 2,215-foot trek .

Riders travel up to 67 mph down a 66-degree first drop and blaze through three 90-degree banked turns while riding

SWITCHBACK ZDT AMUSEMENT PARK SEQUIN, TEXAS

“ The best designs have the rider wanting to go back in line and doing it all over again.”

— Crystal (Hurtle) Meyer (ME, 2015), Engineer, The Gravity Group

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Visit www.rose-hulman.edu/echoes to view the video.

The Voyage at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari (Santa Claus, Indiana), one of the longest wooden roller coasters in the world.

Mine Blower at Fun Spot America (Kissimmee, Florida) offers a zero-gravity inversion loop at speeds up to 49 mph.

Not to be outdone, the Dueling Dragons at Happy Valley park (Wuhan, China) has riders in two coasters racing side by side with several twists and numerous airtime moments before determining a winner.

“Wooden coasters just have a different sound and feel,” says Meyer, a 2015 mechanical engineering alumna. “Besides the speed, the banking and other elements built into each ride, there’s the sounds of the coaster on the track, the flexibility of the wood, the sights of being surrounded by these massive wooden structures. Each and every ride is unique because the wood conforms to the outdoor conditions.”

SUMMER FUN

Visit www.rose-hulman.edu/echoes to view the video.

MINE BLOWER Fun Spot America Kissimmee, Florida

Also adding to each experience are the special themes the Gravity Group team creates that surround each ride. Oscar’s Wacky Taxi at Sesame Place (Langhorne, Pennsylvania) is led by Sesame Street’s Oscar the Grouch character; Roar-O-Saurus at Story Land (Glen, New Hampshire) has a custom dinosaur train front; and Kentucky Flyer, which opened earlier this summer at Kentucky Kingdom (Louisville, Kentucky), takes people on a wild airplane-themed ride.

“These themed rides tell a story that adds to the riding experience.

It feels like they’re taking the rider somewhere special,” says Meyer.

Enhancing the family entertainment experience has become the focus of Meyer and other engineers at The Gravity Group. They are now creating ride vehicle restraints that allow parents to ride alongside their children, who are 40 inches or taller in height. And, of course, safety precautions are paramount to any new design.

“Amusement park owners need to make each day at the park enjoyable for the entire family. Roller coasters used to be targeted for teenagers and adults, but families with younger children want to enjoy the fun, too,” Meyer says. “We need to find ways to accommodate everybody. We want everyone to have a fun day at the park.” n

Inside some of the most unique wooden roller coasters.

SWITCHBACK

ZDT’s Amusement Park / Seguin, Texas Lift Height: 64 feet First Drop: 56 feet Ride Length: 2,215 feet Maximum Drop Angle: 87 degrees Maximum Banking: 104 degrees Maximum Speed: 41 mph Special Features: Nine airtime moments, two crossovers, backward drop in middle of ride

HADES 360

Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park / Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Lift Height: 136 feet Total Elevation Difference: 160 feet First Drop: 140 feet Ride Length: 4,746 feet Maximum Drop Angle: 65 degrees Maximum Banking: 110 degrees Maximum Speed: 60 mph Special Features: First wooden coaster corkscrew, longest underground coaster tunnel, first 110-degree wooden coaster banking

THE VOYAGE

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari / Santa Claus, Indiana Lift Height: 159 feet Total Elevation Difference: 173 feet First Drop: 154 feet Ride Length: 6,442 feet Maximum Drop Angle: 66 degrees Maximum Banking: 90 degrees (3 times) Maximum Speed: 67 mph Special Features: 24.2 seconds of airtime (wooden coaster record); one of the longest wooden coasters in world; eight underground tunnel experiences

DUELING DRAGONS

Happy Valley / Wuhan, China Lift Height: 106 feet First Drop: 103 feet Ride Length: 3,650 feet Maximum Drop Angle: 56 degrees Maximum Banking: 90 degrees Maximum Speed: 55 mph Special Features: World’s largest dueling and racing wooden coaster, five racing sections, seven dueling sections, 15 airtime moments

MINE BLOWER

Fun Spot America / Kissimmee, Florida Lift Height: 83 feet First Drop: 82 feet Ride Length: 2,289 feet Maximum Banking: 115 degrees Maximum Speed: 49 mph Special Features: Zero-gravity inversion, 12 airtime moments

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Cover Story

RELAXING TIME

Relax this Summer with a Good Book or Two...

S ummer is a perfect time to get away

to your favorite spot on

the beach, at the pool or under a shade tree ( just a few suggestions) and dive into a really good book while sipping your favorite summertime beverage. To help you get started, members of the Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts faculty offer a few suggestions covering a variety of literary genres.

So jump in—we hope these make a big splash!

ALAN JERN Assistant Professor of Psychology:

“Algorithms to Live By” Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths Griffiths, a computational cognitive scientist, combines computer science, psychology and useful life advice in an entertaining and illuminating way. If you want to know how understanding some of the landmark algorithms in computer science can help you to make better decisions and give you some insight into how our minds work, I highly recommend this book.

REBECCA DYER Associate Professor of English:

“ Heart of Darkness” Joseph Conrad Conrad’s classic novel provides an often witty and satirical depiction of Europe’s exploitative quest to claim more and more land in Africa. Remarkably, English is Conrad’s third language and the universal themes of this novel led screenwriter John Milius and director Francis Ford Coppola to adapt it as the film “Apocalypse Now,” set during the Vietnam War. 10

SARAH SUMMERS Assistant Professor of English:

“ Little Fires Everywhere” Celeste Ng Ng’s novel starts with a house burning down. The remainder of the book is a character-driven exploration of the events that led to the fire. The novel focuses on two families, anchored by two very different mothers, and explores the tensions between insiders and outsiders in Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Ng’s description of suburban life is vivid and resonated with my own experience. Note: Later this year, the book will be made into a limited Hulu series, starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.

Cover Story

RELAXING TIME MICHAEL KUKRAL Associate Professor of Geography:

“The Pioneers” David McCullough

PATRICIA CARLSON Professor of American Literature:

“65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science!”

McCullough’s latest epic featuring American history covers the exploration and settlement of the Ohio River Valley in the late 1700s as America acquired the Northwest Territory. He allows the reader to walk in the footsteps of these early American frontier settlers who built schools, and churches, and laid out public lands for the first land-grant universities.

“65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math!”

JULIA WILLIAMS Professor of English

“The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America”

Eric and Natalie Yoder

Erik Larson

The father and middle school daughter team has written a series of short, narrative puzzles for fourth- through eighth-grade readers. Each one- or two-page story is a real-world scenario.

Solving the mystery encourages quick thinking, close attention to detail and analytical reasoning. Reading four or five of these makes a nice bedtime story, while also being perfect as an engaging family activity for a long car trip.

This non-fiction book recounts the planning and construction of the Chicago World’s Fair, where the first Ferris wheel was built, while also exploring the crimes of H.H. Holmes, who rivaled Jack the Ripper of the United Kingdom for brutality. You can’t beat technology and murder!

JESSICA LIVINGSTON Associate Professor of English:

“Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms and Other Threats of Toxic Tech” Sara Wachter-Boettcher

This is a must-read book for all users of technology, especially tech designers.

Wachter-Boettcher delivers several examples of flawed designs and connects the arrogance and blindness of these efforts to the lack of diversity in the Silicon Valley. The story of “Fatima” examines the only woman on a team developing a smartwatch that failed because the male-dominated team ignored her research and developed a product based on stereotypes. The chapter “Built to Break,” makes the argument that Facebook, Redditt and Twitter’s problems were built into their structure. Wachter-Boettcher urges us to demand more from our tech products and suggests that, contrary to Mark Zuckerberg’s motto to “move fast and break things,” we “slow down and fix stuff.”

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Cover Story

RELAXING TIME

COREY TAYLOR Associate Professor of English: CAROLINE CARVILL Professor of American Literature:

“Black Leopard, Red Wolf”

“ Rules of Civility” “A Gentleman in Moscow”

Marlon James Set in a fictional African nation beset by warring kingdoms and full of witches, monsters, shapeshifters, and other memorable human and superhuman characters, James has created a fully realized world that utilizes well-known fantasy tropes and yet remains completely unique.

It’s an epic quest narrative, punctuated by sarcastic humor and extreme violence.

Amor Towles DALE BREMMER Emeritus Professor of Economics:

“ Long Road to Mercy” David Baldacci This new mystery series centers on Atlee Pine, who is the sole FBI agent responsible for the northern portion of Arizona that includes the Grand Canyon. After a mule ride to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, a tourist from the Washington D.C. beltway has disappeared and the mule he rode is found viciously slaughtered.

The book has everything: brutal serial killers with no remorse, visits to the maximum security penitentiary in Colorado, descriptions of northern Arizona vistas, a determined FBI agent with a dedicated secretary, and suspicious government officials pursuing their own agendas.

I recommend reading anything by Amor Towles. “Rules of Civility” follows three friends through the year after their meeting (1938) in New York. Meanwhile, “A Gentleman in Moscow” tells the story of a Russian count placed under house arrest in Moscow, in the Metropol Hotel, in 1922. I learned a lot about Russia and history while reading this book.

TIMOTHY GROSE Assistant Professor of China Studies:

“China’s Forgotten People: Xinjiang, Terror and the Chinese State” Nick Holdstock This is a valuable introductory text on contemporary Xinjiang, China’s far northwestern autonomous region. Drawing upon news reports, scholarly works and interviews of Uyghurs, Holdstock argues that the Chinese Communist Party’s invasive anti-“terrorism” measures have deepened Uyghur discontent.

He challenges facile generalizations of Xinjiang and urges observes to resist the temptation to connect sporadic violence to shadowy terrorist organizations.

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STORY BY STEVE KAELBLE PHOTOS BY ANGIE CUSTER

A TOY STORY

Alumni Feature

CHILD’S PLAY

Creative Alumni Duo Still Kids at Heart

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Alumni Feature

CHILD’S PLAY

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HE “TOY STORY” MOVIES MAY HAVE REVEALED THAT TOYS HAVE A SECRET LIFE OF THEIR OWN, BUT IT’S THE CREATIVITY OF MICHAEL GRAMELSPACHER AND RORY SLEDGE THAT BRINGS TODAY’S TOYS TO LIFE THROUGH SOUNDS, LIGHT AND MOVEMENT. The 2001 graduates have turned their urge to invent things into a career devising many popular, technology-rich toys like the Lil’ Gleemerz creatures, Mattel Inc.’s 2018 Girls Toy of the Year.

The Imaginext Jurassic World T-Rex toy, marketed by Fisher-Price, and the Yellies! voice-activated spider toys, carried by the Hasbro brand, also were developed by SG Labs, the duo’s St. Louis area-based enterprise.

Gramelspacher, an electrical engineer and Sledge, a computer engineer, were the creators behind the playful interactivity of the Lil’ Gleemerz line of electronic furry friends.

“We came up with the idea of a light-up, interactive tail—something with a long tail that has lights in it,” explains Gramelspacher.

With their experience and engineering backgrounds, the pair knew technology was coming around to the point where that kind of concept—and the toy’s ability to play games and respond to sounds—could be produced cost-effectively. What kind of tail? Well, what animals are known for their long tails?

“We interpreted it as a ring-tailed lemur,” Gramelspacher says.

The inventors sent their concept to their contacts at Mattel in 2017, and the company thought the idea was a winner. Designers there transformed the original lemur appearance into more of a fantasy character, but the final result retained the light-up tail and interactive game concepts at the heart of the invention.

Lil’ Gleemerz ended up on several lists of last year’s hot toys.

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The toy idea flow can work in both directions, according to Gramelspacher. “We approach companies with an idea. Sometimes they’re just drawings or more typically we’ll build a prototype,” he says. In other situations, a toy company might contact the inventing community with a specific need, such as toys designed to coincide with the future release of a kid-oriented movie.

“Most of the major toy companies have an open innovation policy,” Gramelspacher says.

That doesn’t mean anybody and everybody can submit a toy concept, but the companies know great ideas aren’t limited to the minds of their in-house design teams. SG Labs collaborates with long-time partner Bang Zoom Design on many concepts, including the T-Rex and Yellies toys. “We’ve been doing this for over a decade and have fairly close relationships with toy companies, and know the kinds of things they’re looking for.”

The key to success for SG Labs is coming up with concepts that are new, different, fun and technologically feasible. For instance, Speech Breakers is a Hasbro game that features voice-jamming technology.

The beauty of the toy creation business is that Gramelspacher and Sledge get to focus their attention on the things they do best and enjoy the most—concept creation—and let other people handle the rest of the details. The alumni duo’s toy design lab includes a full model shop with 3D printing technology.

Partners such as graphic designers assist with the creative concepts, and integrated circuit manufacturers provide components that deliver the required functionality at an affordable price point. The business partners know from experience what a particular computer chip can do, and what it can’t.

This would seem to be the perfect career situation for engineers who love the thrill of creating something, really anything.

“I had no idea I would be in the toy industry,” Gramelspacher admits. “I just wanted to invent. I didn’t know what.” n

HIGH-TECH TOYS FOR HER

Michael Gramelspacher and Rory Sledge spend a seemingly disproportionate amount of time these days designing toys with the potential to land in the hands of young girls.

There’s nothing inherently “girlish” or “boyish” about the technology built into Mattel Inc.’s popular Lil’ Gleemerz toy line, for example, but it’s marketed toward girls.

Alumni Feature

CHILD’S PLAY

Why? Because, in general, girls tend to stick with physical toys longer than boys, according to Gramelspacher.

Boys make the move to such things as video games at a younger age.

“The toy-buying time for girls is longer than for boys,” says Gramelspacher.

The toy business is similar to the fashion industry, according to Gramelspacher. “There’s a spring season, a fall season and a holiday season. It changes all the time,” he says. Projects developed by the alumni duo this summer aren’t likely to hit the store shelves until the spring or fall of 2021, though there’s an outside chance a product could arrive as early as Christmas 2020, if the stars all align.

Gramelspacher and Sledge try to mix up the types of toys and their potential users as much as possible. “It’s a little bit of everything; we try to diversify,” Gramelspacher says. They’ll work on at least a few dozen toy creations a year. “We’re looking for new big things to add to what’s out there now,” he adds.

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Faculty Feature

FOOD SCIENCE

Know Your Fruits, Vegetables & Berries?

It’s not uncommon to see shoppers closely examine the condition of the fruits and vegetables at the grocery store or farmer’s market.

Look beyond the outer layer, though, and you might uncover some discoveries you didn’t know about those nutritious and delicious items that are a staple of summer meals.

For instance, did you know that the biological makeup of corn, tomatoes and green beans reveals that they’re actually fruits, not vegetables?

Even more bewildering is the fact that strawberries and raspberries aren’t really berries at all. Yet, a banana is.

Peter Coppinger, associate professor of biology, provides a rather simple definition of fruits and vegetables: If the object comes from a flower, it’s a fruit. If not, it’s a vegetable.

“One of the most frustrating things about being a dad and biologist is having to look at my children’s farm books and see a page that states ‘these (bananas and strawberries) are pictures of fruits,’

and another page says ‘these (corn, tomatoes and beans) are vegetables’,” he says. “That’s not true. Corn is a fruit. Each kernel came from an individual flower. It’s the same thing for beans and peanuts. They both came from a flower.”

Meanwhile, according to Coppinger, a strawberry is derived from a single flower with more than one ovary (the dimples that are scattered across its skin), making it an aggregate fruit, and definitely not a berry. True berries are simple fruits that stem from one flower with one ovary and typically have several seeds. That puts tomatoes, kiwis and bananas in this group.

“Uncovering these mysteries of biology just blow my students’ minds,” says the plant biology specialist. He enjoys helping people understand science concepts found in everyday life, and is frequently featured on a Terre Haute television station’s “Clearing Up The Science” segments.

Click the video below to learn more (but prepare to have your mind blown).

Visit www.rose-hulman.edu/echoes to view the video.

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Stamper Promoted to Provost, VP of Academic Affairs Rick Stamper’s rise among America’s leading engineering educators continues with his appointment as Rose-Hulman’s new provost and vice president for academic affairs. In his new role, the 1985 mechanical engineering alumnus will be responsible for academic strategy development as well as representing the academic face of the institution externally.

Stamper is well prepared for these responsibilities. During a 20-year career on the Rose-Hulman faculty, he has served as professor of mechanical engineering and engineering management, head of the engineering management department, the interim associate dean for professional development responsible for Rose-Hulman Ventures, the dean of faculty, and the interim vice president of academic affairs.

Campus News

IN BRIEF

“Over the years Rick has formed deep connections with our alumni and friends, and has been successful in helping Rose-Hulman develop key external relationships,” says Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons. “Rick is genuinely committed to the culture and mission at Rose-Hulman and brings dedication, experience and a depth of understanding of our current state that can successfully help walk us through the coming years.”

Stamper replaces Anne Houtman, who is now president of Earlham College.

Stamper was recognized in 2004 as the Board of Trustees Outstanding Scholar; was named the Dean’s Outstanding Teacher in 2006; and was recognized in 2012 as one of America’s “Best 300 Professors” by The Princeton Review. Prior to entering the classroom, Stamper gained extensive industry experience and holds two patents for an adaptive halo orthosis device he developed.

Synthetic Turf Giving Football Field a New Look A new synthetic turf football field is being installed at Cook Stadium this summer to further enhance the institute’s outdoor facilities. It will provide more flexibility for athletic practices, intramural and club sport events, other campus activities and academic projects, while also bringing in additional revenue.

This project has received philanthropic support from alumni and other donors.

The new synthetic turf field will be used for the first time during the 2019 football season, with a celebratory unveiling planned during Homecoming on Oct. 5.

The field composition has a unique fiber blend for long-lasting durability, comfort, ease of care and optimal performance. It also will be an asset that helps Rose-Hulman continue to attract outstanding student-athletes to the football and other athletic programs.

For the first time, the football program will be able to practice on its competition field.

Baseball, soccer and softball varsity practices can use the field when weather and field conditions require. The new field also will allow revenue-generating camps onto campus.

The football team is scheduled to open the season Sept. 7 at home, hosting the University of Mount Union (Ohio), starting at 7 p.m.

Teens Have Summer STEM Fun with ‘Project SELECT’ More high school students than usual have been on campus this summer with the launch of a new immersive summer program for rising high school juniors who are interested in learning and having fun with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Project SELECT was modeled in part on the institute’s successful Operation Catapult program, now in its 52nd year, for high school seniors.

The week-long residential experience, from June 23-29, had students working together to complete hands-on projects under the mentorship of Rose-Hulman professors.

The projects in air quality monitoring, measurement of biopotentials, and examining the synthesis of polylactide in plastic products showcased how science and engineering principles can be applied to solve challenging problems.

Parents have clamored for an expansion of Operation Catapult or a similar offering into earlier grades.

Learn more about the program here.

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SUMMER 2019

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Campus News

IN BRIEF

‘The Rose Show’ Highlights Student Ingenuity

Welcoming Our New Alumni

Technological solutions for a variety of complex and commonplace tasks were featured in this year’s Rose Show, as students from seniors to those in their first year showcased ingenuity, creativity and problem-solving skills that will make them tomorrow’s leaders in science, engineering and mathematics.

A look inside the Class of 2019:

An annual campus event, the May show highlighted such future technology as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, cloud computing, robotics, electromagnetics and software programming. The projects were completed during the school year, mostly for external clients. More than 100 projects were reviewed by a group of professional engineers, including several alumni.

31 BACHELOR OF SCIENCE CANDIDATES

One of the Best in Show projects was an automated early breast cancer detection system that reduces testing time and is more accurate, while also providing a more user-friendly experience. Also honored was a humanrobot collaboration system for the workplace environment, featured in a paper presented at the 2019 Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence’s Spring Symposium on Autonomous Machines and Human Awareness at Stanford University.

GRADUATES (26 MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREES; 10 MASTER’S DEGREES)

457 FALL, WINTER, AND

SPRING BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE GRADUATES

PARTICIPATING AS POTENTIAL SUMMER OR FALL DEGREE COMPLETIONS

36 GRADUATE-LEVEL DEGREE 35 STATES REPRESENTED AMONG GRADUATES

28% PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE STUDENTS RECEIVING BACHELOR’S DEGREES (HIGHEST PERCENTAGE IN RHIT HISTORY)

9 OTHER COUNTRIES REPRESENTED:

Faculty, Staff Honored for Teaching & Service As part of this year’s Commencement festivities, several faculty and staff members were recognized for their teaching skills, research and scholarly pursuits, and service to the campus community. Board of Trustees Chair Niles Noblitt (BSBIOE, 1973; HD, 1996) noted that “one of Rose-Hulman’s greatest strengths is that its faculty and staff work together in support of our educational mission.”

Featured honorees were:

BRAZIL, CHINA, GERMANY, INDIA, IRAN, PANAMA, SOUTH KOREA, TAIWAN AND THAILAND

91% PLACEMENT RATE AT COMMENCEMENT

$73,084 AVERAGE

DEAN’S OUTSTANDING TEACHER

ACCEPTED STARTING SALARY (nearly $5,000 higher than last year)

TRUSTEES’ OUTSTANDING SCHOLAR

TOP EMPLOYERS

Bill Butske, Mathematics

Thomas Adams (ME, 1990), Mechanical Engineering

(HIRING THE MOST ROSE-HULMAN GRADUATES):

PRESIDENT’S OUTSTANDING SERVICE

Mark Crosby, Electrical and Computer Engineering

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Hyung-Jung Chang, Communications and Marketing

SHINING STAR

Kelli Lloyd, Enrollment Management

EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE AWARD

Adams

COLLINS AEROSPACE, ELI LILLY AND COMPANY, MILWAUKEE TOOL, NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY-CRANE, EPIC, HONEYWELL, EDGILE, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, DIGITAL MANAGEMENT INC. (DMI), HONDA, TEXTRON AND NORTHROP GRUMMAN

Paula Clingerman, Lori Essig, Nancy Helsper, Lisa Norton and Patty Trifone, Enrollment Management Keep track of the latest Rose-Hulman news here.

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2019

New Roles for Familiar Faces

Alumni News

Homecoming OCTOBER 4TH -5TH

ZOLLNER REACHING OUT AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS Brandon Zollner is a familiar face now greeting alumni, family members and friends as the new executive director of alumni relations. He is overseeing an office that works with the Alumni Association and collaborates with other alumni and campus groups to build alumni volunteerism and engagement.

Zollner

Zollner has spent the past six years as a key member of the institute’s advancement team, serving as director of corporate and foundation relations and assistant director of the comprehensive Mission Driven Campaign for Rose-Hulman that is raising $250 million through 2020.

At Rose-Hulman, Zollner has been working with alumni affiliated with some 30 corporate partners to develop relationships that have generated millions in annual contributions from corporate and foundation sources. He has assisted with gift prospect identification and solicitation, managed volunteer and campus campaign committees, and coordinated public relations efforts for all aspects of the fundraising cultivation process.

“Brandon has developed strong relationships with our alumni and has the skills and institutional knowledge to extend the capacity of the Office of Alumni Relations to meet their evolving needs and expectations,” says Steve Brady, vice president for institutional advancement.

TIEKEN PROMOTED TO DIRECTOR OF CAREER SERVICES AND EMPLOYER RELATIONS After serving students, alumni and corporate recruiters on an interim basis, Scott Tieken has been promoted to director of career services and employer relations. He has been a member of the career services operations for seven years and had been interim co-director of the office since 2018.

Hope You’re Planning to Attend Homecoming— October 4-5 Here are some of the activities planned this year:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 Alumni Golf Outing / Check-in 8:15 a.m. / Shotgun start at 9 a.m.

1874 Heritage Society Luncheon / Noon / Mussallem Union Alumni Swim Meet / 6:30 p.m. / Sports and Recreation Center Pep Rally and Queen Coronation / 8:30 p.m. / SRC Bonfire, following Pep Rally / IM Fields Graduates of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Party / 9:45 p.m. / SRC Fieldhouse

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 Rosie’s/ROTC 5K, Fun Run/Walk / 8:30 a.m. / Cook Stadium Academic Department Open Houses / 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Alumni Soccer Game/ 10 a.m. / Intramural Field Alumni Baseball Game / 10 a.m. / Art Nehf Field Tent City/ Noon to 2 p.m. / Cook Stadium parking lot Homecoming, Football Game vs. Franklin Grizzlies / 2 p.m. / Cook Stadium Rose-Hulman Ventures Open House / 4-6 p.m. / South Campus

CLASS REUNIONS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4

Tieken

Tieken has worked with students, alumni, employers, academic departments and the administration to implement successful programs that continue providing Rose-Hulman graduates with employment and graduate school opportunities to meet their career aspirations.

Tieken and staff members have traveled to California, Washington, Oregon and Texas to expand full time, co-op and internship work opportunities in a variety of career fields. His office also implemented new software tools to link employers with students and alumni throughout the school year, while continuing to organize three career fairs and other campus-based corporate recruitment activities annually.

Tieken joined Rose-Hulman in 2005 and was associate director of admissions/coordinator of transfer students in the Office of Enrollment Management until 2012.

15th, Class of 2004 / Mussallem Union 30th, Class of 1989 / Saratoga 45th, Class of 1974 / Terre Haute Country Club 50th, Class of 1969 / Hulman House 55th, Class of 1964 / Mussallem Union 60th, Class of 1959 / Mussallem Union

SATURDAY REUNIONS 10th, Class of 2009 / Terre Haute Brewing Company 20th, Class of 1999 / Mussallem Union 25th, Class of 1994 / Hulman House 35th, Class of 1984 / Mussallem Union 40th, Class of 1979 / Mussallem Union Golden Gala 50+ Reception / Mussallem Union

Click here to find out more about Homecoming.

NOTE: ALL REUNIONS BEGIN AT 6 P.M.

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Photo Album

IN FOCUS

Fun in the Sun

Spring and summer bring campus to life each year, allowing its residents and visitors to explore the wonders of nature, and enjoy the beauty of the institute’s 1,300 acres. There’s lots of opportunity to socialize while swimming in Speed Lake, taking a stroll along the perimeter road and admiring the variety of wildflowers along Lost Creek. Alumni recall fondly the friendships they formed and the great times they had across campus. More memories were made this spring and summer.

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Photo Album

IN FOCUS

ECHOES

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SUMMER 2019

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BY PROFESSOR EMERITUS HERB BAILEY

With this this electronic Echoes being new territory for all of us, I wanted to offer a special summer bonus problem that features the logic-based challenge. It is not easy. But, after all, you have all summer to come up with a solution!

SUM M ER PRO BLEM 1 A cylinder with a radius of two centimeters and height of eight centimeters is full of water.

A second cylinder with a radius of four centimeters and height of eight centimeters is empty. If all the water is poured from the first cylinder into the second cylinder, what will be the depth of the water in the second cylinder?

Q

SUM M ER PRO BLEM 2 In the figure shown, ‘Q’ is the point of intersection of the diagonals of one face of a cube whose edges have a length of 10 units. ‘R’ is a vertex of the cube.

Find the length of QR.

SUM M ER BO N US PRO BLEM Albert and Bernard just became friends with Cheryl and they want to know her birthday.

Cheryl gives them a list of 10 possible dates as follows: May 15, May 16, May 19, June 17, June 18, July 14, July 16, August 14, August 15 and August 17.

Cheryl then tells Albert, but not Bernard, her birth month. She also tells Bernard, but not Albert, the day of her birth. Albert and Bernard then make the following statements in the following order.

ALBERT: I do not know when her birthday is, but I do know that Bernard also does not know.

BERNARD: Before Albert made the above statement I did not know, but now I do know.

ALBERT: I know now.

When is Cheryl’s birthday?

R

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SO LUTI O N TO SPRI N G BO N US

C

The side lengths of the triangle are each 10.

The enclosed circles are tangent to each other and to the sides as shown. Find the circle radii r. Angles DEA and GBF are 30 degrees. Thus the distance AB is 2 r + 2 r sqrt(3) =10.

E Solving gives r = 5/(1+ sqrt(3)) ≈1.83 A

D

F

G

CO RRECTI O N TO SPRI N G PRO BLEM 2 There was a slight typographical error in the problem as published. Many readers may have caught it.

However, the problem should be: Let A = x2 - 6x - 6 and B = x2 + 4x – 60. Find all possible values of x such that AB (not AB) = 1.

SPRING & SUMMERS SOLVERS’ NA MES APPEARING IN FALL ISSUE

Send your solutions to Herb.Bailey@rose-hulman.edu or to: Herb Bailey, 8571 Robin Run Way, Avon, IN 46123.

Alumni should include their class year and email address. The condensed production timeline between the spring and summer issues has caused us to wait until the fall issue to publish the names of all alumni and friends that correctly solved the spring issue problems.

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B

70s Darryl D. Huyett (CE, 1972) has concluded a 24-year tenure on the board of directors with the Terre Haute Regional Airport Authority. He retired after a professional career with the Indiana Department of Transportation and Terre Haute-based Wabash Valley Asphalt.

Gregory L. Henneke (CE, 1975) has been appointed

by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett to the board of directors for the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority.

Greg is a senior executive vice president with American Structurepoint.

Richard A. Petke (CS, 1976) is associate registrar and clinical adjunct faculty member at Bastyr University’s campuses in Kenmore, Wash., and San Diego, Calif.

80s Kedar D. Murthy (CHE, 1984) is chief commercial officer with Boston Materials Inc., a Northeastern University spinoff that designs and manufactures supercomposites, a new class of lightweight and tough carbon fiber composites.

He spent more than 10 years as vice president and general manager with Lehigh Technologies in Boston, Mass., and Atlanta, Ga.

90s Clinton T. Filipowicz (ME, 1990) is senior vice president of operations with Unifrax, a global supplier of specialty products for industrial, filtration, automotive and fire protection applications. He has more than 25 years of experience in leading manufacturing sites throughout the world with SC Johnson and Dow Chemical.

Anthony (Tony) S. Locker (EE, 1995) is vice president of product management with Tripp Lite, a global manufacturer of power and connectivity solutions.

The patent-holding engineer has more than 20 years of experience in the electrical industry.

Craig F. Cutforth (EE, 1996) is a technical program manager with Google’s payments team, based in Boulder, Colo.

Jason B. Wibbels (CHE, 1996) is the global director of operations with Zinpro Corporation, an Eden Prairie, Minn.-based producer of trace minerals for animal nutrition. He will manage all manufacturing, warehouse, sourcing and safety operations for the company. He has more than 20 years of manufacturing leadership experience.

Joshua W. Knoefler (CE, 1997) has been promoted to a key account manager with Burns & McDonnell, based in the San Diego, Calif., area.

John P. (J.P.) Roehm (CE, 1997) has started a three-year term on the board of directors with the American Wind Energy Association, representing more than 1,000 member companies. He is president and chief executive officer with Indianapolis-based Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives LLC. Brian L. Wessel (CE, 1997) is president and general manager with Cives Steel Company’s Midwest division operations, based in Wolcott, Ind. He has had a variety of roles since joining the company after graduation.

Bradley J. Garrett (ME, 1998) is vice president of the customer experience center with Indianapolisbased VMS BioMarketing. He formerly was a member of the management team with Allegion and Delphi.

Joseph L. Miller (CE, 1999) has been promoted to vice president of water resources and municipal services with Indianapolis-based Banning Engineering. He spent more than 15 years as a project engineer and manager with the company.

an employee of the firm since 2013, following nearly 11 years at Rolls-Royce.

Charles T. Clancy (CPE, 2001) is vice president for intelligence programs with MITRE. He is an expert in wireless security, including 5G, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, and has led groundbreaking programs in spectrum security and cryptographic authentication. Clancy has been executive director of the Hume Center for National Security and Technology at Virginia Tech and led research programs at the National Security Agency.

Alumni Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

Joshua J. Crumley (MA/ ECON, 2003) has been promoted to chief of staff with AmeriTrust Group Inc., a national specialty nichefocused commercial insurance underwriter and administration services provider. He has been with the company for 13 years in a variety of roles, including vice president of operations and analytics, after joining as an actuarial analyst.

Walter (Walt) H. Flood IV (CE, 2003) has been selected to the board of directors with the American Concrete Institute, a trade organization. The ACI Fellow is an assistant engineer and project manager with his family’s testing and inspection business in Chicago.

Daniel F. Conley (CE, 2005) has been appointed to the Terre Haute Regional Airport Authority’s board of directors. He also is vice president of operations with Terre Haute-based Wabash Valley Asphalt.

00s

Aaron R. Roberts (CE, 2005) earned an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He lives in Houston, Texas.

Jamie E. (Funk) Miller (CPE, 2000) is now an enterprise project manager for Indianapolis-based Corteva Agriscience after working with Dow AgroSciences.

Stacey L. (Otts) Foerster (CHE, 2007) has been promoted to core manufacturing representative with Dow Chemical Company.

Jonathan W. Walls (CE, 2000) is vice president of operations with Dallas-based The Brandt Companies, after overseeing the construction of the Christus Shoreline Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Emily N. (Albert) Allensworth (CHE/BCMB, 2008) gave the graduate address for Millikin University’s MBA Commencement. She also has been promoted to lecithin operations manager with Cargill Inc.

Mark O. Caswell (ME, 2001) has been promoted to chief executive officer of KSM Consulting, an Indianapolis based technology, data and management consulting firm.

He is leading the organization into new phase of growth.

Caswell has been president since September of 2018 and

Sean P. Feeney (BE/SE, 2009) is director of cloud engineering practice with Nerdery, a team of software architects and specialists who partner to develop information technology operations for clients.

Ryan J. Mendonça (ME, 2009) is a clinical applications analyst with the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. He previously was an associate manager and senior consultant with Accenture’s business and technology delivery division.

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SUMMER 2019

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Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

10s

Abigail K. Bennett (CHE, 2010) has been promoted to manager of manufacturing excellence operations with Outokumpu, based in Mobile, Ala. Daniel R. King (BE, 2010) is senior global product manager with Philips, an international supplier of health care products and services. He spent more than seven years as a product manager with ACell Inc.

Emma E. Barrasso (EP, 2011) received the outstanding leadership award among MBA graduates during the University of Michigan’s School of Business Commencement.

Matthew B. Etchison (MSEMGT, 2014) has been named to Salesforce.org’s Higher Education Chief Information

Send news and photographs to alumniaffairs@rose-hulman.edu

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Kendal J. Rosenbaum (CE, 2015) is a staff engineer specializing in forensics and building envelope restoration with Arsee Engineers Inc., in Fishers, Ind.

Nicholas (Nick) A. Birch (ME, 2014) was among 20 Indiana residents selected to participate in the 2019-20 Mitch Daniels Leadership Fellows program, designed to help build a network of young innovators and leaders. He is founder and chief executive officer with PropelUp, an Indianapolis-based startup that’s developing the skills for a high-tech workforce.

W E WA NT YOU R NE W S !

BE: Biomedical Engineering

Caroline A. (Andersen) Milton (BE, 2011) has become a certified health coach and owner of The Transformation Table, which develops corporate fitness programs to increase employee retention and reduce workplace injuries from fatigue and stress.

Russell L. Webster II, (CE, 2013) has been promoted to project engineer/project manager with Indianapolis-based Weihe Engineers, after serving six years as a designer.

Rebecca C. Bowermaster (BE, 2011) is associate biometrics resource lead for Roche Molecular Solutions, based in Oro Valley, Ariz.

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Officer Innovation Council, a global consortium of universities. He is CIO of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana.

Erika (McGuire) Broadnax (BE, 2013) has been promoted to a technical support team leader with National Instruments, where she has worked since 2017. She earned a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Tulane University.

Jonathan R. Krotz (EE, 2010) is vice president of cybersecurity and information risk management with PJT Partners, an independent bank based in New York City.

BCMC: Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

Emily N. Meyer (CHE, 2011) is a senior chemical engineer with Burns & McDonnell’s operations near Chicago.

She has worked for the company since graduation.

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BIO: Biology

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BIOE: Biological Engineering

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CE: Civil Engineering

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CHE: Chemical Engineering

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Joe Kaltenthaler (ME, 2016) is a solution architect with Lev, an Indianapolis-based information technology and services company. The former Robert E. Orr Entrepreneurship Program Fellow also is president of Five Loaves Two Fish, a faith-based non-profit organization.

Christopher A. Lui (EE/ME, 2016) has started the Leaders for Global Operations graduate program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, after being a systems engineer with Collins Aerospace for three years.

Abigail E. (Williams) Sego (BE, 2016) is a project manager with Indianapolis-based Thomas Medical Inc. after spending more than two years in a variety of roles with BNSF Railway.

Zachary J. Silva (EE, 2017) has been promoted to a research and development microwave and sensor engineer with the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M.

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CHEM: Chemistry

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CPE: Computer Engineering

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MAJORS KEY CS: Computer Science

ECON: Economics EE: Electrical Engineering EMGT: Engineering Management EN: Environmental Engineering EP: Engineering Physics MATH: Mathematics ME: Mechanical Engineering OE: Optical Engineering PH: Physics SE: Software Engineering

In Memoriam Gibson Flew High as Mechanical Engineering Mentor Dedicated educator and pilot/aircraft owner J. Darrell Gibson, 85, died May 17, 2019, in Cory, Ind. He was a mechanical engineering professor on campus for 44 years, before his retirement in 2015, and established a scholarship fund to support current and future mechanical engineering students. Away from the classroom, Gibson was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, and spent several summers at the NASA Langley Research Center (Va.) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Calif.).

Edward T. Mabley (ME, 1947), 94, died April 18, 2019, in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. He managed Ford Motor Company’s heavy truck product development division and had an instrumental role in the company’s first global vehicle program, the 1986 Cargo truck. Mabley was known throughout the automotive industry as “Mr. Heavy Truck.”

William T. Maddock (CHE, 1947), 96, died May 24, 2019, in Broomfield, Colo. He spent 36 years with Marathon Petroleum, retiring in 1984 as manager of major projects and engineering in the refining division. Maddock also formerly served as a Rose-Hulman trustee.

Robert G. Stater (CHE, 1951), 89, died April 21, 2019, in Schenectady, N.Y. He retired after working as a nuclear engineer at General Electric Company’s Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.

Harold R. Booher (EE, 1960), 81, died May 18, 2018, in Baltimore, Md. He was the first senior executive director of Manpower and Personnel Integration

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(MANPRINT) for the Department of the Army. His career in the federal government also spanned service with the U.S. Patent Office, Department of the Navy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Kenneth H. Miller (MA, 1963), 77, died March 20, 2019. He retired as a programmer analyst with the Boeing Company.

John M. Warnke (ME, 1964), 75, died March 15, 2019, in Poway, Calif.

Charles P. Morgan (EE, 1967), 73, died April 23, 2019, in Frankfort, Ind. The former Rose-Hulman trustee founded C.P. Morgan Communities, an Indianapolis-based builder of mostly entry-level homes. Later, he acquired Southeastern Aluminum Products, a nationwide business that manufactures and distributes shower doors.

Thomas W. Stephens (CHE, 1972), 68, died April 12, 2019, in McCordsville, Ind. He earned doctorate degrees in biochemistry from Indiana University and Rice University.

Jeffrey P. Ausman (EE, 1980), 61, died March 26, 2019, in Marion, Iowa. He worked with Rockwell Collins for 39 years, retiring earlier this year as a senior engineering manager.

Paul L. Grush (CS, 1983), 57, died May 13, 2019, in Grabill, Ind. He was employed with Raytheon and Logikos/Software Consulting Specialists.

Timothy S. Curtis (EE, 1986), 55, died March 17, 2019. He was a vice president with Heartland Controls in Stilwell, Kan. David L. Jones (EE, 1987), 70, died March 18, 2019, in Montezuma, Ind. Kelby V. Ridenour (ME, 1993), 47, died May 6, 2019, in Portland, Ore.

CLASS NOTES

Edward W. Chu (CPE, 2005) married Robyn Liska on Sept. 29, 2018, in Washington, D.C. The couple resides in New York City. He is a software developer with Rockerbox Inc.

Benjamin (Bennie) T. Waters (BSSE, 2011; MSEMGT, 2014) married Catherine Bates on Jan. 26, 2019, in Indianapolis, where the couple resides. He is a software engineer with Software Engineering Professionals in Carmel, Ind.

Alumni News

Weddings Bradley A. Herbig (BSCHE, 2012; MSCHE, 2013) married Lindsey Citron on May 25, 2019, in Philadelphia, Pa., after meeting through the dating website Coffee Meets Bagel.

Brad earned a doctorate degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering from University of Pennsylvania. He is a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, based in Philadelphia.

Lauren T. Mayfield (EE, 2018) and Kameron S. Baker (ME, 2018) were married May 4, 2019, in Crystal Cove State Park in Southern California. The couple met on campus Oct. 24, 2014, during their freshman year. “Rose has a very special place in my heart. It’s awarded me a fantastic degree, wonderful friends and now my husband,” says Lauren. She is a field applications engineer with Texas Instruments. Kameron is an associate with ArcelorMittal. They live in Mission Viejo, Calif.

Sadie M. Geerligs (OE, 2012) married Joshua Waycaster on Oct. 27, 2018, at Southern Bleachery in Taylors, S.C. The couple lives in Greer, S.C., and she is an associate product manager with AFL, a company that specializes in fiber optics telecommunications systems.

Rosebuds Eric J. Gappa (MA, 1996) and wife, JoAnn, welcomed their third child, Elesha Jo Charlie, Feb. 28, 2019, in North Judson, Ind., where Eric is a mathematics teacher at North Judson-San Pierre High School for 12 years.

Matthew D. Brandt (ME, 2004) and wife, Ashley, had a son, Dietrich John Francis, Jan. 7, 2019, in Chesterfield, Mo. The family lives in St. Charles, Mo. Matt is industrial products sales manager with DEMA Engineering Company.

Brett D. Bueltel (EE, 2008) and wife, Abby, had their second child, Brayton Matthew, Feb. 20, 2019, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Brett was recently promoted within Hazen and Sawyer to associate and electrical discipline group leader for the company’s Midwest region.

Eliza R. (Brock) Marcum (SE/CS, 2008) and husband, Keith A. Marcum (SE/CS, ’08) had their second child, Fiona, March 9, 2019. The family lives in Nashville, Tenn., where Eliza is a principal software engineer with EAB Global Inc. and Keith is a security engineer with Github Inc. David A. Hormuth (BE, 2010) and wife, Jamie, welcomed their second son, Elliot Simon, April 14, 2019. The family lives in Austin, Texas. David is a research associate in the Center for Computational Oncology at the University of Texas.

Emily (Emma) Dosmar (BE, 2011) and husband, David P. Pick (SE, 2011), had a daughter, Eleanor (Ellie) Tamar, March 14, 2019, in Chicago. Emily is an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Rose-Hulman, while David is director of software engineering with Fast Radius.

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DOWN MEMORY LANE

Mahogany Flame

Ceremonial Mace Adds to Commencement Day Splendor

Rose-Hulman Academic Seal engraved in brass, set into a poplar wood ring.

STORY BY ARTHUR FOULKES PHOTOS BY BRYAN CANTWELL

4’ tall

List of all deans of students and their signatures.

Made from wood of four trees that stood outside the student union.

Maple, Birch, Oak and Poplar Pedestal created in mahogany with Academic Seal inlaid in brass.

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F

or as long as anyone can remember, the Grand Marshal leading graduating seniors across campus to their Commencement ceremony carried a simple black walking stick with an engraved golden knob at the top.

While an impressive cane (engraved with an 1889 date), the walking stick’s simple appearance hardly matched the ornate and imposing maces commonly used at graduations on other campuses around the world. Nor did it seem equal to the symbolism of leading seniors who had just completed four years of a demanding STEM education at one of the nation’s top engineering schools.

That’s why Erik Hayes, the dean of students and vice president for student affairs, approached campus Facilities Operations staff early this year with his idea that they create a ceremonial mace equal to the splendor and significance of a Rose-Hulman graduation day.

The mace was completed in time for Hayes (BSME, 1997; MSME, 2001) to carry it as he led the Class of 2019 on their final walk across campus this year. The mace measures about four feet in height and is made from the wood of four stately trees that stood for many decades outside the Mussallem Union but had to be removed for recent renovations.

“Their creativity and craftsmanship is second-to-none,” says Hayes, who, as dean, has served as Grand Marshal at each graduation since taking office in 2015.

William Mobley (top) and Tom Mobley (right) contributed their woodworking skills to the design and assembly of the new mace.

The mace was crafted by Tom and William Mobley and Chad Shaffer of the Facilities Operations team. They used wood from the four trees (maple, birch, oak and poplar) and also mahogany for the engraved flame at the top.

The mace also features seven brass rings near the top, four of which are engraved with the signatures of the only four people to serve as deans of students at the institute: Ralph Ross, Jess Lucas, Pete Gustafson and Hayes.

In addition to the Mobleys and Shaffer, several other people had a role in creating the mace, including long-time machine shop technician Mike Fulk, who milled the rings, Hayes says. Alumni Sarah (Waite) Reeves (ME, 1999), Cleve Koehler (ME, 2002) and Drew Lyons (ME, 2004) helped with the engraving, and Mechanical Engineering Technician John Guess added some of the woodworking.

In addition to Commencement Day, the mace will be used to lead first-year students across campus during their matriculation ceremony each fall. The rest of the year, the mace will rest in a wooden base emblazoned with the school seal. The walking stick previously gripped by the Grand Marshal will remain on campus as a part of institute history, Hayes says.

Hayes says he wanted the new mace to honor the students, staff and faculty who have come before us, but he also likes that its creation involved the skills of so many people with deep ties to the institute.

“When it’s all said and done, there’s really not a thing I would change about [the mace],” he says.

“Everyone just did a perfect job.”

Check out the video below to learn more about the mace.

Visit www.rose-hulman.edu/echoes to view the video.

ECHOES

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SUMMER 2019

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PARTIN G SHOT

Clabber Girl Billboard Restored to Past Glory Like the double-acting baking powder it promotes, the large billboard on institute property celebrating Terre Haute as the home of Clabber Girl Baking Powder has risen again to welcome visitors to the city.

Rose-Hulman and Clabber Girl Corporation worked since late last fall to restore the beloved Indiana landmark and its clock, with the assistance of Wabash Valley professional artist Becky Hochhalter. She repainted the sign with the same colors and images as the original .

Visit www.rose-hulman.edu/echoes to view the video.

President Robert A. Coons noted the institute’s strong commitment to restoring the sign that has such a cherished history.

The 44-foot-long billboard along U.S. 40 — the Old National Road — on the eastern edge of Terre Haute has welcomed visitors to the city for more than 80 years.

It is believed to be the oldest billboard in existence in Indiana and, with its large clock, one of the first electric billboards in the country.

The restored clock will now be able to be set by remote control, allowing for more ease in resetting during the change to daylight saving time each fall and spring.

Rose-Hulman took over ownership of the sign in the fall of 2017 as part of the institute’s purchase of more than 1,100 acres of property from the Hulman family, founders of Clabber Girl, including the southwest corner of U.S. 40 and Hunt Road on which the billboard sits.

“We appreciate our association with the Hulman family and the Clabber Girl Corporation. It seemed like a natural

fit for us to continue the legacy of the Clabber Girl Baking Powder billboard,” Coons said.

Clabber Girl Baking Powder is the top-selling baking powder brand in the United States, according to the Clabber Girl Corp., which has its headquarters in downtown Terre Haute. The private holding company has produced the baking powder since 1899. In the 1930s, Anton “Tony” Hulman Jr. developed a national sales campaign, including roadside billboards, in hopes of making the baking powder brand a household name. The Hulman family sold the company earlier this year.

The campus celebrated another milestone in the Mission Driven campaign as it surpassed the $175 million mark. Alumni, faculty, staff and students cheered along with (pictured) Tom Dinkel (Campaign Co-Chair), Steve Brady (Vice President for Institutional Advancement), Robert A. Coons (President), Anna Braun (graduating senior), Cary Laxer (Emeritus Professor of Computer Science) and Jeff Harrison (Campaign Co-Chair). The Mission Driven campaign is intent on providing the resources to help support faculty and students through a transformative education that leads to smarter technologies, better medicine, new space exploration and so much more.

For more information on the Mission Driven Campaign, visit rosedriven.com.

To be a part of the next milestone, support the campaign at rose-hulman.edu/give.

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