ST. MARY’S COLLEGE of Maryland
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FA L L 2 0 1 7
PROVIDING INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Pay it forward
CREATING A SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Pay it forward Pay it MAKING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
SUPPORTING THE ANNUAL FUND
PHOTO BY BILL WOOD
Alumni Weekend: DELIGHTFUL! More than 1,200 alumni returned to campus June 8-11 for a sun-filled Alumni Weekend. Alumni from 1949 to 2017 traveled to campus from as far away as Ireland, Scotland, and Italy. They also came from 34 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to experience the weekend’s events, which included the waterfront crab feast and barbecue, river cruises, and live music at the waterfront. Left to right: Jennifer Cross Graham ’67JC, Skip LeFaivre ’67JC, V Lynn Moore ’92, Bonnie Kangas ’07.
VOLUNTEERING ON CAMPUS
SERVING ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
GENERATING SOCIAL MEDIA
forward MENTORING CURRENT STUDENTS
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE
of Maryland
FA L L 2 0 1 7 , VOL. X X XV III, NO . 3
www.smcm.edu/mulberrytree Editor Lee Capristo
Calendar of Events State of the College Address by President Tuajuanda C. Jordan September 7 @ 4:15 p.m. Auerbach Auditorium of St. Mary’s Hall
Open Studio with Yeon Jin Kim November 15 @ 4:45 p.m. The Artist House
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast January 15 @ 8:00 a.m. The Great Hall
VOICES Reading Series with Kai Davis March 29 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
Natural Science & Mathematics Colloquium Series “Global Warming is Not a Chinese Hoax” September 12 @ 7:00 p.m. Auerbach Auditorium of St. Mary’s Hall
Hawktoberfest October 20-21 Library Dedication October 21 @ 2:00 p.m. Library
“Spring Awakening” directed by Mark A. Rhoda February 28 @ 8:00 p.m. March 1-3 @ 8:00 p.m. March 4 @ 2:00 p.m. Bruce Davis Theater
Presidential Lecture Series with David Sanger April 6 @ 7:30 p.m. Michael P. O’Brien Athletics & Recreation Center Arena
VOICES Reading Series with Joy Castro November 16 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
An Evening to Honor the Legacy of Lucille Clifton March 1 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
Giving Tuesday November 28
Open Studio with Lydia McCarthy and Patrick Brennan March 7 @ 4:45 p.m. The Artist House
“BrouHaHa” by Happenstance Theater Company September 20-21 @ 8:00 p.m. Bruce Davis Theater
Photographer Bill Wood
VOICES Reading Series with James Arthur & Charley Henley September 21 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
Editorial Board Karen Anderson, Michael Bruckler, Lee Capristo, Missy Beck Lemke ’92, Nairem Moran ’99, Karen Raley ’94, Grace Davis ’15
VOICES Reading Series with Elena Passarello October 5 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
Publisher Office of Institutional Advancement St. Mary’s College of Maryland 47645 College Drive St. Mary’s City, Maryland 20686
“Twelfth Night” directed by Holly A. Blumner November 8-11 @ 8:00 p.m. November 12 @ 2:00 p.m. Bruce Davis Theater
Design Jensen Design
VOICES Reading Series with Christopher Merrill December 7 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons VOICES Reading Series with Alan King January 25 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
Writers’ Harvest March 8 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
The Mulberry Tree is published by St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Maryland’s public honors college for the liberal arts and sciences. It is produced for alumni, faculty, staff, trustees, the local community, and friends of the College.
Bay to Bay Service Days April 21-22 Commencement May 12 @10 a.m. Townhouse Green Alumni Weekend June 7-10 St. Mary’s College
Visit St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the public honors college, and find out how we do things a little differently. It’s the St. Mary’s Way. Discover what it can mean for you. • 75 academic programs • 19 varsity athletic programs and more than 100 student clubs • 89% of students participate in internships, international experiences, or undergraduate research
The magazine is named for the famous mulberry tree under which the Calvert colonists signed a treaty of friendship with the Yaocomico people and on the trunk of which public notices were posted in the mid-1600s. The tree endured long into the 19th century and was once a popular meeting spot for St. Mary’s College students. The illustration of the mulberry tree on the cover was drawn in 1972 by Earl Hofmann, artist-in-residence when St. Mary’s College President Renwick Jackson launched the magazine.
Individual tours of our waterfront campus take place throughout the year along with Open Houses:
Copyright 2017 The opinions expressed in The Mulberry Tree are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the College. The editor reserves the right to select and edit all material. Manuscripts and letters to the editor are encouraged and may be addressed to Editor, The Mulberry Tree, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 47645 College Drive, St. Mary’s City, MD 20686. Photographs and illustrations may not be reproduced without the express written consent of St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
“Knocking on the Door of the White House: Latina and Latino Poetry in Washington D.C.” April 12 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
• September 23 • October 14 • November 11
HELP RECRUIT THE NEXT CLASS OF ST. MARY’S COLLEGE SEAHAWKS! Share this tear-off card with a family or friend who has a college-bound son or daughter.
Register at www.smcm.edu/admissions/visit-campus/ Want to learn more? Go to go.smcm.edu/learnmore
CONTENTS FA L L 2 0 1 7
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE OF MARYLAND July 2017 — June 2018
F E AT U R E S
ALUMNI COUNCIL
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
PA G E 8
Executive Board Allan Wagaman ’06, President Alice Arcieri Bonner ’03, Exec.Vice President Ryan McQuighan ’05, Vice Pres. of Operations Angie Harvey ’83, Secretary Thomas Brewer ’05, Parliamentarian Geoff Cuneo ’10, Treasurer Danielle Troyan ’92, Ex-officio President
Chair The Honorable Sven Holmes
Elected Voting Members John Ahearn ’76 Jack Blum ’07 Kelsey Bush ’94 David Cribbs ’74 Donna Denny ’81 Kate Fritz ’04 Chris Holt ’86 Missy Beck Lemke ’92 Molly McKee ’10 Mary Claire McCarthy Moran ’14 Amir Reda ’11 Bobby Rudd ’13 Paul Schultheis ’98 Sara Kidd Shanklin ’11 Edward Sirianno ’82 Amanda Kellaher Walker ’01 Student Member Christian Harris ’18 Chapter Presidents Annapolis: Erin O’Connell ’91 Baltimore: Dallas Hayden ’06 Black Alumni: Nick Abrams ’99 Boston Alumni: Kyle McGrath ’11 D.C. Metro: Matt Schafle ’10 Denver: Alisa Ambrose ’85 New York: Christelle Niamke ’05 Philadelphia: Vacant San Francisco: Micah Benons ’09 Southern Maryland: Cathy Hernandez Ray ’77 Western Maryland: Kristi Jacobs Woods ’97 Staff Dave Sushinsky ’02 Lauren Taylor ’14
Pay it Forward Alumni help the next generation in countless ways.
Vice Chair Ann L. McDaniel Treasurer Mr. John Chambers Wobensmith ’93 Secretary Rear Admiral Tim Heely, usn Retired Trustees Carlos Alcazar Anirban Basu John Bell ’95 Arthur “Lex” Birney, Jr. Cynthia Broyles ’76 Peter Bruns Donny Bryan ’73 John Bullock Peg Duchesne ’77 Susan Dyer Bonnie Glick Elizabeth Graves ’95 Gail Harmon The Honorable Steny Hoyer Captain Glen Ives, usn Retired Lawrence E. Leak ’76 Katharine Russell Danielle Troyan ’92
PA G E 1 2
Oh, the Places You Will Go! [ PA G E 8 ]
Every state in the nation has alumni from St. Mary’s College. Check it out! PA G E 1 6
Fishing is Her (Modeling) Passion Meet Kristy Lewis, the most adventurous assistant professor of biology you may ever meet.
[ PA G E 1 2 ]
Allan Wagaman ’06, Alumni Council President Sharon Phillips ’18, Student Trustee Laura Cripps, hsmc
DEPAR T MEN T S
2
President’s Letter
3
College News
18 Alumni Connection 28 From the Archives
[ PA G E 1 6 ]
C OV E R :
Alyssa Hawkins ’21 (English, Int’l Languages + Cultures – Spanish) is a first-year student and DeSousa-Brent Scholar from Brandywine, Md. Photo by Bill Wood. OPPOSITE:
Detail of Kent Hall from the
College Collection. St. Mary’s College | THE MULB ER RY TR EE | fall 2017 | 1
A
L ET T E R
F ROM
T HE
PR E SIDE N T
PAY IT FORWARD
T
his year, i am kicking off a new initiative for students who are referred to as “first-generation” students – those who are the first in their family to attend college. I am calling the group “I am first. I am an exemplar.” because their journey to this point indicates to me that they are indeed exceptional. In doing so, I am paying it forward, on a debt owed to the spirited, determined, and focused women in my family, for helping me to be the first in my family to attend college. It opened doors to the world for me and I want to offer that opportunity to these students. These first-time, first-year students will thrive at St. Mary’s College, I’m sure. And if statistics hold true, they’ll return for a second year (86% of all St. Mary’s College students do), complete an internship, international experience, or undergraduate research (89% of students do), and become successful St. Mary’s College alumni. Along the way, they’ll be guided by those who came before them – older students who share their experience as orientation leaders, residential assistants, peer mentors. They’ll be inspired and challenged by faculty in their learning and their intellectual growth. They’ll be mentored by staff and alumni who join together to create networks that bridge undergraduate students to post-graduate opportunities and careers. Three aspects of a student’s education at St. Mary’s College are transformational: the location, the community, and the experience. The beautiful waterfront location is an early attraction that remains a touchpoint years after a student graduates. The community, at its optimum, embraces the diversity of the many parts into an inclusive whole. The experience of education – in and out of the classroom – ignites the mind and charges the spirit. These are the factors most likely to transform undergraduate students into successful alumni who appreciate the value of their education. Maya Angelou instructs us: “If you get, give. If you learn, teach.” St. Mary’s College faculty, staff, and alumni all perform a critical role in the success of the institution. It is incumbent upon us all to pay it forward to the next generation, who may be the first generation in their family, of St. Mary’s College alumni.
Tuajuanda C. Jordan, President, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Editor’s Note
T
he title track from darius Rucker’s new album, “When is the Last Time You Did Something for the First Time?” has me thinking about the role I have had with the students who’ve worked for me in the Office of Marketing and Communications. Through the Career Development Center’s Professional Fellowship Program (PFP), I’ve been fortunate to hire talented students who are interested in exploring career opportunities in marketing and communications as well as in videography. Keely Houk ’17 (English, art and art history), wrote a feature for Mulberry Tree (Spring 2017) and designed its groovy ’70s cover (Fall 2016). Kevin Glotfelty ’19 (theater, film and media studies) helped create and produce the College’s new “one-minute major” videos for the website (http://bit. ly/2v1mOTn). The objective of the PFP is that the students gain marketable skills and work experience aligned to their career interests, coached by a working professional in the field. And here’s the delightful twist that Darius Rucker’s song made me realize: while I’ve shared my experience with Keely and Kevin to help them learn new things, such as how to write for an alumni magazine’s reading audience or how to plan and conduct an interview with a professor or organize a photo shoot, they’ve taught me new things as part of the process. Would I have ventured into video without Keely and Kevin? I doubt it. Their confidence and Millennial/Gen Z experience in social media was their means for coaching me. Think for a minute of your own college firsts: was it living away from home, studying abroad, sticking to a schedule to complete your St. Mary’s Project on time, or presenting your research at a national conference with your professor? If you’re still reading this magazine, the memories of those firsts must be good ones. So here is the question for today: when is the last time you did something for the first time?
Lee Capristo, editor
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COLLEGE
NEWS
PHOTO BY BILL WOOD
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY NEWS
Adeline Schlussel ’17 delivered the valedictory address at commencement
Commencement Highlights St. Mary’s College of Maryland graduated 414 students with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees on a soggy Saturday, May 13, outdoors on the campus’ Townhouse Green. PHOTO BY BILL WOOD
The valedictory address was given by Adeline Schlussel ’17 and the commencement address by Neil Irwin ’00, a senior economic correspondent at The New York Times and author of “The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire” (Penguin Press, 2013). He is an alumnus of St. Mary’s College and served as a member of the College’s Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2013. Irwin was presented with an honorary degree from St. Mary’s College’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees Sven Holmes.
MONEY MAGAZINE RANKS SMCM AS A BEST COLLEGE FOR YOUR MONEY St. Mary’s College has been ranked among the “Best Colleges for Your Money” by Money magazine. According to Money, “St. Mary’s College of Maryland is the state’s public honors college. But with a liberal arts focus, a low studentfaculty ratio of 10 to 1, and a high graduation rate, it could easily be mistaken for a selective private school.” The College was also acknowledged in the 2018 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges and named to the 2017-2018 list of Colleges of Distinction.
Hautanen is New Vice President for Enrollment Management After a national search, David L. Hautanen, Jr. has been appointed the new vice president for enrollment management. He joined St. Mary’s College on July 17. Hautanen comes from Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., where he oversaw the development and implementation of enrollment strategies in partnership with academic affairs, athletics, finance, and mission and student affairs that resulted in an enrollment increase of 31 percent between 2013 and 2016. Prior to Merrimack College, Hautanen served in positions of
increasing authority and responsibility at Northeastern University, from senior associate director of admissions in 2002 to director of international recruitment and strategic enrollment initiatives in 2011. Hautanen holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in education, both from the University of Massachusetts.
Twenty nine students graduated from the Master of Arts in Teaching program on June 2. The commencement address was delivered by Elias Vlanton, a retired journalist and teacher from Prince George’s County, Md., who mentored more than 100 low-income students successfully through college. MAT graduates Austin Gore ’16 and Margaret McCoy Padukiewicz were this year’s cohort speakers.
St. Mary’s College | THE MULB ER RY TR EE | fall 2017 | 3
SMCM Welcomes Five New Trustees St. Mary’s College of Maryland welcomed five new trustees this summer: Anirban Basu, John Bell ’95, John T. Bullock, Susan L. Dyer and Bonnie Glick. Appointments are for a six-year term. Anirban Basu is chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group Inc., an economic and policy consulting firm in Baltimore, Md. Basu has advanced degrees from Georgetown University, Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, University of Maryland, College Park; and University of Maryland School of Law. John Bell ’95 is a managing director and head of Americas Account Management for Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York City. Bell has served as vice president of the St. Mary’s College Foundation since 2014, after joining the board in 2012. He has served as chairman of the board of the Edgewood Center for Children & Families and was a founding sponsor of the GLBT History Museum in San Francisco (see page 10). Bell earned an executive education certificate in governing for nonprofit excellence from Harvard Business School. John T. Bullock was elected to the Baltimore City Council in November 2016. He is a lecturer in the department of political science at Towson University. As a political analyst, Bullock is a regular contributor for media outlets including ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates, as well as Maryland Public Television. Bullock earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Hampton University, his master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a doctorate degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland – College Park. Susan L. Dyer is a strategic consultant at Leap Second Consulting and chairman of the board of advisors at Maga Design. She has more than 30 years’ experience as a recognized leader and expert in information technology strategy, design, development and delivery of large-scale business and scientific systems. Previously, Dyer was chief information officer for the Naval Air Systems Command, and led the technical development and delivery of the Navy’s ERP system. Bonnie Glick serves as senior vice president of Meridian International Center, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., focused on global leadership. Prior to that position she worked for 12 years at IBM. She also served 12 years as a U.S. diplomat in the Department of State. Glick earned degrees from Cornell University, Columbia University, and the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. The new board members replace outgoing trustees Gary Jobson, Molly Mahoney Matthews, Michael P. O’Brien ’68, who were recognized for their years of dedicated service on May 14.
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Green and Weitzel Honored with Order of Ark & Dove The Order of the Ark and Dove citations were awarded to Bonnie Green ’74 and Harry Weitzel, Jr. The Order of the Ark and Dove citations were originally created in 1972 by President Renwick Jackson to honor those individuals who have given distinguished service to St. Mary’s College. Bonnie Green has served the Board of Trustees or the College’s Foundation Board for 20 years. As executive director of the The Patuxent Partner-
ship, she was recognized as providing a critical link between the College, the Patuxent River Naval Air Station and its contracting community, in particular regarding the College’s efforts in the STEM fields. (See more on Green’s support on page 10.) Harry Weitzel, Jr. has been a member of the Board of Trustees or the College’s Foundation Board since 1992. Weitzel was recognized for his dedication to the College, by providing business acumen and financial expertise, and serving as a valuable ambassador on the College’s behalf to an extensive network of stakeholders.
CollegeVideo Earns APEX Award St. Mary’s College of Maryland has been awarded an Award of Excellence in the 2017 APEX Awards in the category of Electronic Media – Video Media for its “Join our Momentum” campaign video. The video was produced to promote the College’s $2.5 million building campaign and its successful completion. The national 2017 APEX Awards are based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content, and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence. Carolyn Curry, vice president of institutional advancement and Lee Capristo, director of publications,
led the College’s effort in partnership with Creative Communications Associates from Troy, NY, who was contracted to film and produce the video. The company’s president, Ed Sirianno ’82, is an alumnus of St. Mary’s College. Watch the video at https://bit.ly/2wPrUnS
PRESIDENT’S NEWS
Julie Croteau ’93 Earns President’s Trailblazer Award
P
resident Tuajuanda C. Jordan presented the 2017 President’s Trailblazer Award on April 8 to the first woman to play NCAA men’s baseball, Julie Croteau ’93. This notable first garnered national media attention when Croteau made the St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s Division III team as a first-year student.
Croteau was also the first woman to coach an NCAA Division 1 team (University of Massachusetts) and was one of two women ever to play in a Major League Baseball sanctioned winter league (Hawaiian Winter League). She also played first base in the inaugural season of the female professional baseball team the Colorado Silver Bullets. Following her professional playing career, Croteau was the television host of Rockies Weekly, the official magazine show for the Colorado Rockies and provided pre-game
A new St. Mary’s Award was presented at the annual Awards Convocation on April 28 to the student run philanthropy, hawkTHON, whose “actions and deeds epitomize the St. Mary’s Way,” according to President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, who created the award. The group fundraised $18,340.25 through a dance marathon, a 71% increase over the previous year’s total. The funds went to Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C. On behalf of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, President Tuajuanda C. Jordan was given the River Champion Award on June 4 by
reports for the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s. She also served as a television commentator for the World Series and All Star Games for Major League Baseball. In 2004, Croteau coached the United States Women’s National Baseball Team, which captured Gold at the 2004 World Cup in Canada. In 2006, Croteau was tapped to be the manager of the Women’s National Team which also captured Gold in Taiwan. In addition to her many on-field accomplishments, Croteau served as an associate director for develop-
President Jordan poses with Julie Croteau ’93 (right) and her family at President's Trailblazer Award event.
ment for Major League Baseball; worked as a wealth advisor for Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns; and made an appearance in the major motion picture, “A League of Their Own.” Croteau majored in philosophy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and completed a graduate degree in exercise and sports studies at Smith College on a full academic scholarship. She lives with her family in Walnut Creek, Calif., and is director of BeWell Communications at Stanford University. President Tuajuanda C. Jordan spoke at the dedication of the Slave Cabin at Sotterley Plantation and Museum on April 21. Her talk was titled “The Realization of a Dream Unimagined.” Read the transcription at www.smcm.edu/president.
the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association during its annual “A River Affair” celebration. The celebration took place on the State House lawn overlooking the St. Mary’s River. This is the seventh year for the event and fifth year of the award, which is given to individuals or organizations that are instrumental to the work of the Watershed Association.
On April 20, President Tuajuanda C. Jordan presented “Speaking Louder than Before” to an audience at the NAVAIR facility at Patuxent River, Md. Read the transcription at www.smcm.edu/president.
There are now three trailblazer award recipients. Trustee Donald “Donny” Bryan ’73, the first African-American student to graduate from St. Mary’s College’s four-year program was the first recipient in 2015 followed by president emeritus Edward T. “Ted” Lewis, whose leadership over the course of 13 years took St. Mary’s College from a generally unknown average college to a nationally recognized public honors college.
conference in Baltimore, Md. on April 14. Read the transcription at www.smcm.edu/president. On June 13, President Tuajuanda C. Jordan was a panelist for the third biennial International Leadership Association Women and Leadership conference held in Rhinebeck, N.Y. The international panel of four distinguished women explored power and influence in politics, education, business, nonprofit and community.
“Can Nehru Save the World?” was the question posed by President Tuajuanda C. Jordan to members of Project Kaleidoscope at their St. Mary’s College | THE MULB ER RY TR EE | fall 2017 | 5
FACULTY & STAFF NEWS Karen Leona Anderson, associate professor of English, continues to garner positive reviews of her poetry collection, “Receipt: Poems” (Milkwood Editions, 2016). In The Collagist, reviewer Michelle McMillan-Holifield calls the work “a seasoned work, marinated in music that is rich and fresh.” Anderson also earned two grants.
Farewell and Welcome
Bob Paul (front) and Wes Jordan (rear) with Helen Daugherty at Commencement.
As the spring semester drew to a close, we bid best wishes to Bob Paul, who taught biology for 40 years; to Wes Jordan, who taught psychology for 35 years and simultaneously served as Dean of Admissions for 10 years; to Curt Raney, who taught sociology for 43 years; and to Jorge Rogachevsky, who taught Spanish for 30 years.
As the fall semester drew nigh, we welcomed 14 new tenure-track faculty to campus:
Bob Paul will continue his work with the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association and continues his term as chair of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. Wes Jordan plans to move to Oregon with wife Seri Wilpone to be closer to family. Curt Raney died suddenly on August 22, 2017. See page 27.
Emily Clare Casey, art history Torry Scott Dennis, psychology and neuroscience Gina Fernandez, psychology Cassie Gurbisz, environmental studies Maria Ximena Guzman, Spanish Argelia Gonzalez Hurtado, Spanish Soo Bin Jang, educational studies Ellen Kohl, environmental studies Kristy Lewis, biology Sarah Lynn Malena, history Leah Mazur, theater, film, and media studies Jessye McDowell, digital media/ animation Shanen Sherrer, biochemistry Janna Thompson, educational studies
Jorge Rogachevsky will travel to his home country of Argentina and eventually he and wife Julie Avis plan to move to England.
6 | St. Mary’s College | T H E M U LBERRY TREE | fall 2017
Katy Arnett ’00, professor and director of teacher education at St. Mary’s College, recently had published “Access for Success: Making Inclusion Work for Language Learners” (Pearson Canada, May 2017). The book is the first educational text of its kind to integrate principles and theories about universal design for learning and language learning with practical strategies to address the diverse needs of today’s language learners in Canada. Arnett co-authored the book with Renée Bourgoin, faculty associate and an honorary research associate at the Second Language Research Institute of Canada (L2RIC) at the University of New Brunswick. Angelene Colas, public safety officer, was among 11 law enforcement officers to receive an officer of the year award at the 17th annual law enforcement appreciation day on May 9, sponsored by the St. Mary’s County Department of Aging & Human Services, along with Triad/ SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together). Colas, who has worked at the College since 2015, is the senior officer on the evening shift, is one of two officers certified in rape aggression defense (RAD) and like all the public safety officers
Kelly Arnett ’00 (top), professor and director of teacher education at St. Mary’s College. Liza Gijanto (bottom), associate professor of anthropology.
on campus, she is certified in CPR/ first aid. She was nominated for the award by Tressa Setlak, director of public safety. Liza Gijanto, associate professor of anthropology, was awarded the highly-competitive Howard Foundation Fellowship in April 2017 for her project: “Emancipation and Commerce: The Gambia Colony and American Plantations in the Age of British Abolition.” The $33,000 fellowship for the 2017-18 academic year supports Gijanto’s research on the nature of the impact of the Atlantic trade on the Gambia River. Gijanto was one of only eight recipients nationwide and the sole recipient in the field of archaeology.
THE ST. MARY’S WAY
Susan Grogan (top), professor of political science, Elizabeth Leininger (middle), assistant professor of neurobiology, and Frances Titus (bottom), fiscal ass0ciate II, were all recognized at the College’s annual Awards Convocation.
Susan Grogan, professor of political science, received the Homer L. Dodge Award for Excellence in Teaching on April 28 at the College’s annual Awards Convocation event. The award was established in 1985 by the late Norton T. Dodge, faculty emeritus, to recognize faculty accomplishments. Elizabeth Leininger, assistant professor of neurobiology, received the Andy Kozak Faculty Contribution to Student Life Award at the same event. The Kozak award was established in 2011 by Don Stabile, professor of economics, in honor of his economics colleague, the late Andy Kozak. Frances Titus, fiscal associate II, received the Joe Carroll Memorial Staff Award. The award was established in 2012 by the Staff Senate to recognize non-exempt staff who dedicate themselves through exceptional integrity and service.
Katharina von Kellenbach, professor of religious studies, and her colleague Matthias Buschmeier (literature, University of Bielefeld) were awarded a prestigious grant for over €500,000 (about $600,000) by the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZIF) at the University of Bielefeld for the 2018-2019 academic year. Titled “Felix Culpa? Guilt as a Culturally Productive Force,” the research group will be in residence at the ZIF in Bielefeld to exchange theoretical perspectives on the notion of ‘productive guilt’ and to pursue individual projects in a variety of cultural contexts ranging from white guilt in the United States to the Turkish denial of the Armenian genocide, from religious healing rituals in Mozambique to the reception of Syrian refugees in Germany as negotiation of different kinds of guilt.
Louis Hicks, professor of sociology and lead editor of “The Civilian Lives of U.S. Veterans: Issues and Identities” (Praeger, 2016) received a positive review from Choice Reviews. The review states: “Although veterans often feature in highly dramatic news stories about active shooter events, PTSD, homelessness, or VA healthcare inadequacies, surprisingly few texts of academic caliber focus on current issues surrounding veterans. A noticeable exception is this two-volume set edited by Hicks (St. Mary’s College of Maryland), Weiss (Univ. of Southern California), and Coll (Texas State Univ.), which offers 30 articles on an array of social topics ranging from higher education, employment, families, and healthcare to more timely issues of media portrayal, suicide, immigrants, LGBT and women veterans, and the Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program.”
Julia A. King, professor of anthropology, received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to help fund a two-day conference in May 2017 which brought together participants from a previous NEH-funded Collaborative Research Grant entitled “The Lower Potomac River Valley at Contact (ca. 1500-1720 AD).” King was instrumental in a second grant from NEH, of $240,000, to St. Mary’s College of Maryland, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR), Chesapeake Conservancy, and the state-recognized Rappahannock Tribe of Virginia, to trace the history and development of the Rappahannock Indians in early American history (200-1850 AD). The grant was one of 245 humanities projects from across the country awarded a combined $39.3 million from the NEH. This research is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. NEH supports
research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Ellen Kohl, assistant professor of environmental studies, with collaborators Priscilla McCutcheon and Tanisha Stanford at the University of Louisville were awarded funding from the Antipode Foundation to host a conference titled: “Let Justice Roll Down Like Waters: The role of spirituality in African American Environmental Activism in the U.S. South.” The conference will explore the complicated connections between spirituality and environmental activism among African Americans in the U.S. South. The conference will be held at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky in March 2018. The Antipode Foundation is a UK registered charity that publishes Antipode: A Radical Journal of Geography, a peer-reviewed scientific journal released five times per year by Wiley-Blackwell, typically focusing on social justice issues. Libby Nutt Williams, professor of psychology, co-wrote an article with Jairo Fuertes of Adelphi University, titled “Client-Focused Psychotherapy Research,” which was published in the 125th anniversary section of Journal of Counseling Psychology.
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8 | St. Mary’s College | T H E M U LBERRY TREE | fall 2017
MENTORING CURRENT STUDENTS
VOLUNTEERING ON CAMPUS
Pay it PAY IT FORWARD – SERVING ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
GENERATING SOCIAL MEDIA
CREATING A SCHOLARSHIP FUND
PROVIDING INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
MAKING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
SUPPORTING THE ANNUAL FUND
it’s a familiar expression to describe an action made by the beneficiary of a good deed to pay that good deed to another.
Pay it forward
Pay it
The concept isn’t new: in a letter written by Ben Franklin dated April 25, 1784, to a Benjamin Webb, Franklin expressed his intention to help Webb with a loan of money. In return, Franklin asked that Webb help some person in the future who may need financial assistance:
Pay it forward “When you shall return to your country, you can not fail of getting into some business, that will in time enable you to pay all your debts. In that case, when you meet with another honest man in similar distress, you must pay me by lending this sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the debt by a like operation, when he shall be able and shall meet with such another opportunity, I hope it may thus go through many hands before it meets with a knave that will stop its progress.”
St. Mary’s College | THE MULB ER RY TR EE | fall 2017 | 9
PAY IT FORWARD
O
n wikiHow.com, the action is posed as an opportunity: How can one ordinary person—you or anyone—make a positive difference in this world? One way is the practice “paying it forward.” While the steps might be simple, the outcome could create a sense of luck and good will that changes the world. Here are the steps: Be attentive wherever you are for opportunities to help someone. Do something nice for someone you don’t know (or don’t know very well). Spread the word. Pay it forward. St. Mary’s College alumni take these steps in myriad ways. Here are a few examples of how they are paying it forward to the next generation of graduates. To them and to the countless others like them, we say thank you!
Liz Lewis ’07 (political science, economics) is regional deputy director, Africa division, for the International Republican Institute. She works with political science professors Sahar Shafqat and Matt Fehrs, who run the College’s Washington Program, to place students in summer internships as part of the program. Lewis also hosts microinternships during the year. Patrick Martin ’18 (student-designed in peace & conflict studies, anthropology) interned with Lewis last summer, where he wrote briefing reports on news coming out of Africa and analyzed elections in African countries for voting trends and political party history. Martin says that Lewis “was able to give me relevant work and projects, allowing me to learn and grow, helping me see where my interests were.” He also credits Lewis for advising him on factors to consider for a graduate degree. “Working at IRI really opened the door for future career opportunities,” he says. “The skills I gained at IRI have made my resume more competitive. … IRI, the professors [Shafqat and Fehrs], Liz, and the Washington Program really boosted my credibility in the job market.” At press time, Martin was being vetted for a position with Navy Security/Intelligence at PAX. I am also being considered for an internship with AFROCOM, studying insurgences and piracy in Africa, as well as writing country files for the Directorate of Intelligence. 10 | St. Mary’s College | T H E MU LBERRY TREE | fall 2017
with St. Mary’s College students in Washington, D.C. who wanted to learn about careers with J.P. Morgan and brought his hiring team from Delaware to campus to conduct interviews. This year alone, Lum hired three SMCM graduates: Genia Gavin ’17 (economics), Bennett Fletcher ’17 (economics), Tally Aumiller ’17 (student-designed in social marketing and design). Nazat Dowla ’14 (economics), mentored by Lum, recently completed a two-year operations analyst development program at J.P. Morgan and is now enrolled in the MBA/MPP program at University of Maryland-College Park. John Bell ’95 (public policy) is managing director of Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York City. After serving on the College’s Foundation Board from 2012-2014, Bell joined the College’s Board of Trustees this summer (see page 4) and since 2013, he has sponsored a student’s summer internship at the GLBT Historical Society Archives and Museum in San Francisco, California. For Elena Gross ’12 (art/art history), the internship was a springboard to a master’s degree at California College of the Arts, which led to her current job as gallery associate at San Francisco’s Fraenkel Gallery. Leslie Walker ’13 (anthropology, ILC-Spanish) is project manager of the public education initiative for the American Anthropological Association in Washington, D.C. He has a master’s degree in applied anthropology from the University of South Florida. He has hosted microinternships for SMCM students at the AAA and has come to campus to speak to students about his career path.
St. Mary’s College students interested in learning about careers with J.P. Morgan have been hosted by Morgan Lum ’96 at the Washington, D.C. office.
Bonnie Green ’74 (social science) earned the Ark & Dove Award this past spring for her countless efforts on behalf of the College (see page 4). In 2012, The Patuxent Partnership, for which she is executive director, made a $1M investment to grow and expand the College’s physics department, including applied physics.
Morgan Lum ’96 (economics) is managing director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Newark, Delaware. He was a student and mentee of Asif Dowla, professor of economics and Hilda C. Landers Endowed Chair in the Liberal Arts. Lum has met
Nick Abrams ’99 (economics) is president and CEO of AJW Financial Partners, LLC in Columbia, Md. For his alma mater, he’s a Foundation Board member, president of the Black Alumni Chapter, a mentor to the Black Student Union, a regular participant in the Bookbag to Briefcase event sponsored by the Career Development
J.P. MORGAN HOSTS STUDENTS
Peg Duchesne ’77 (human development) is a College board member and former alumni association president and has loaned her business experience to Professor Elizabeth Osborn’s SOCI 323 class on entrepreneurship. Her mentorship of the “Hire Hawks” team, who continued to meet and work after the class ended, were first round semi-finalists in the Southern Maryland CrabPot entrepreneurial pitch contest in April 2017.
Center and Office of Alumni Relations to help graduating seniors network and get ready for the workplace. Dallas Plugge Dean ’60JC is a retired fifth-grade teacher and has been an ardent supporter of the College. In 1996, she established the Edward T. Lewis Faculty Development Fund. She’s been a champion of the College’s educational studies and Master of Arts in Teaching programs and created, in 2014, the Dallas P. Dean Master of Arts in Teaching Scholarship Endowed Fund and the Dallas P. Dean Educational Studies Current Fund.
Brian Jobe ’13 (psychology) hosted a St. Mary’s College intern this summer at Kennedy Kreiger institute in Baltimore, Md., where he is works. Jobe has a PhD in child and family therapy. Jack Saum ’89 is president and CEO of Beltway Companies, with 10 locations across Maryland. With his wife Jeanne Brady Saum ’88, they established a scholarship and internship experience for St. Mary’s College students from Baltimore. Two former interns, Dante Chestnut ’13 (economics) and Tygee Shakir ’15 (political science), are now full-time employees. (See Mulberry Tree Spring 2016 for full story).
Will Frye ’11 (religious studies) is a systems engineer for Amazon Web Services in Seattle, Wash. Prior to Seattle, Will worked as an IT specialist for the Navy at Patuxent Naval Air Station in Southern Maryland. Since graduation, he has mentored St. Mary’s College students and continues to do so from Seattle. Professor of Educational Studies Katy Arnett ’00 married her former students Lizi Pinkus ’14, MAT’15 and Ben Baker ’14 on July 15, 2017, in the Garden of Remembrance. Why? “They asked me because, coming from different family faiths, they wanted a ceremony that was more secular. And somehow, as they were discussing the plans to get married at SMCM, they wondered about having someone important to them from SMCM marry them. And humbly, they both thought of me!” Ben Wyskida ’99 (student-designed: communications/ media studies and environmental studies) is a political strategist and communications expert and just became CEO of a New York City-based social change agency, Fenton. He’s worked with President Tuajuanda C. Jordan on strategic communications and organized and emceed the campus celebration of life for Joanne Klein, professor of theater, film and media studies, who died on October 25, 2016. Corinne “Cori” Wentworth ’12 (mathematics) is a cost analysist at Tecolote Resarch, Inc. in Arlington, Va. She has been an active recruiter of SMCM graduates.
FROM INTERN TO EMPLOYEE Jack Saum ’89 (left) of Beltway Companies, provides scholarship, internship and employment opportunities to select SMCM students. MENTORING YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS College Trustee Peg Duchesne ’77 (left) mentors young entrepreneurs in Professor Elizabeth Osborn’s class. Jack Dent ’83 (social science) is a human resources manager for Pathways, Inc. in California, Md. He regularly hosts microinternships and recruits on campus. Rachel Solomon ’17 (psychology) is his latest Seahawk hire. Lena Castro ’15 (political science) does the marketing for Portland Stage in Portland, Maine. She actively recruits SMCM students in theater opportunities.
Geoffrey Cuneo ’10 (history) regularly recruited St. Mary’s College students to intern and to work for Aflac Insurance. This spring, he joined Raley Watts O’Neill Insurance and Financial Services but continues to connect current students with work and network opportunities. Edie Cimino ’99 (political science, public policy studies) is an attorney and deputy district public defender for Maryland’s District 4 in Leonardtown, Md. She hires up to three interns per semester who get a taste of what it’s like to work as an attorney and specifically as a public defender. According to Simon Sinek, a leadership expert and author of several books including, most recently, “Leaders Eat Last,” individuals are most satisfied when they find a job where they love their coworkers. His advice: “You want go somewhere where you feel like it’s your second family.” It would seem that St. Mary’s College alumni, by paying it forward to the next generation of graduates, are offering the opportunity for them to “join the family.”
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uNITED STaTES OF St. Mary's College
Wa 151
OR 70
ME
MT ND M N ID SD 2
21
12
WY 7
NV Ca
27
413
67
VN TH
4
NE 9
28
42 27
WI
Ia 22
28
NY 247
MI 45
IN IL 33 84
Pa
OH 79
WV
422
MD
Ma
187 CT
61
NJ
141 DE
8,579 118
75 Va 926 M KY CO 25 25 O 158 KS NC 40 8 289 TN 49 SC a OK 118 G 13 aZ NM R a 7 M a 85 37 L 124 S 31 L 8 TX a F 22 164
UT
L
aK
394
23
HI 26
Oh, the Places You Will Go!
D
id you know that St. Mary’s College alumni live in all 50 states (and around the globe)? Of the 14,000 alumni on record in 2017, about 60% (8,500) live in Maryland and 40% (5,500) live in other states or countries. We thought it would be fun to give a cross-country snapshot of the places they live and work.
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RI 42
Alabama
Alaska
Dawn DeCarlo ’86 (biology) is director of the Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Medicine. She treats patients with decreased vision that cannot be corrected medically or surgically. Dawn is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and chair of its Low Vision Section. She earned a concurrent doctor of optometry and master’s degree of physiological optics from UAB Medicine. She completed a second master’s degree, in public health, and is currently a doctoral student in vision science. Dawn has received National Eye Institute funding to study age-related macular degeneration as well as pediatric vision impairment. Through her research, she hopes to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the accommodative systems, attention and reading abilities of children with permanent vision impairment.
Captain Barkley Lloyd ’83 (social science) lives in Anchorage and after he retired in 2012 from the Coast Guard as chief of operations for Alaska, the North Pacific, and Arctic Ocean, Barkley became president and CEO of Alaska Clean Seas, a nonprofit cooperative based in Anchorage and Prudhoe Bay, providing hazardous material spill prevention and response, emergency firefighting support, and Arctic wildlife response services to 11 member companies. In 2017, he was awarded Contractor of the Year for Safety Performance from Alaska’s Senator Lisa Murkowski, Governor Walker, and oil and gas industry professionals.
Arizona Carol Pacey ’90 (biology) lives in Tempe and has two careers. By day, she’s a scientist with an M.S. in mariculture who teaches young children about native Arizona fish through Marsh Education. She created the program and has presented it to more than 30,000 children since 2008. By night, she’s a radio programmer for RadioPhx.org co-hosting her own music and talk radio show, “The Hay Girls Show,” which draws from her Americana/folk/ rock band, Carol Pacey & the Honey Shakers.
California Sara Helms McCarthy ’99 (economics and mathematics) is an associate professor of economics at Birmingham’s Samford University. She also coordinates Samford’s Brock Scholars Program, the honors program for the Brock School of Business. The competitive program assists students in designing their own majors, completing undergraduate internships and fellowships, both of which inform their senior honors projects (sounds like St. Mary’s College!). Sara earned her PhD in economics from the University of Maryland College Park.
Nandi Crosby-Jordan ’91 (psychology) is a professor of sociology at California State University, Chico. She earned her master’s degree in Africana Women’s Studies from Clark Atlanta University and her PhD in sociology from Georgia State University. She has been on the Cal State Chico faculty since 1999, where she holds a joint appointment in sociology and multicultural and gender studies.
Crosby-Jordan received “Outstanding Teacher” award in the 2015-2016 academic year.
Colorado Michael Bournia ’88 (mathematics) worked in the banking business after graduating from St. Mary’s College, but in 1994, he and his wife Lynn decided to take over his grandparents’ farm in Colorado. Bournia Family Farms in Iliff produces corn, alfalfa, and wheat.
Florida Carrie Coffey ’01 (biology) s an associate veterinarian in Stuart, Fla. She taught elementary school after graduating from St. Mary’s College, then earned a master’s in education at the Johns Hopkins University before changing course and pursuing her degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Florida.
Carol Pacey ’90 hosts her own talk radio program “The Hay Girls Show.”
Brian Doss ’97 (psychology) is an associate professor of psychology at University of Miami, Coral Gables. He was valedictorian of his class at St. Mary’s College. He went on to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology at UCLA, completing his PhD there in 2004. His research focuses on effects of couple therapy and online relationship interventions such as www.OurRelationship.com.
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uNITED STaTES OF St. Mary's College
H aw a i i
Lieutenant Colonel Eric Hiu ’94 (history) is chief of plans for Headquarters, U.S. Army Pacific based in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was commissioned as an infantry officer in 1995 from the U.S. Army Officers Candidate School. His previous assignment was chief of NATO Plans and Regionally Aligned Forces for U.S. Army Europe in Wiesbaden, Germany. A former director of concepts and doctrine at the U.S. Army War College (USAWC), he was responsible for coordinating and contributing to the USAWC’s response to Army, Joint, Multi-Service, and Allied publications related to doctrine and future concepts. Earlier in his Army career, he was a light infantry platoon leader in Hawaii, commanded two infantry companies in Korea and served as an instructor at the Infantry Captains Career Course. Eric has served as an operational planner during campaigns in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Eric received his M.S. in international relations from Troy University in Alabama. He is married to the former Katherine McDaniel and has four children, the oldest of which is a fourth-generation officer in the United States Army stationed in Colorado.
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Illinois
Michigan
Erin Sines ’97 (student-designed) lives in Chicago and works as program director for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, dedicated to addressing some of the world's most pressing social challenges, including over-incarceration, global climate change, nuclear risk, and significantly increasing financial capital for the social sector. Erin leads the Foundation's global reproductive health and anti-corruption programs. She was formerly a policy analyst at the Population Reference Bureau. She earned her master’s degree in public health from Columbia University.
David Cabrera ’95 (biology) is chief of staff for the Office of the Chief Scientific Officer at Van Andel Research Institute Graduate School in Grand Rapids. He provides scientific leadership support in strategic planning, policy setting, faculty liaison & review and has a special interest in pharmacology/neuroscience/ GPCR research. His previous role there was a science policy and administrative manager and a health science policy analyst and scientist for the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. He has a master’s degree in marine biology from College of Charleston. He and wife Amy Hill Cabrera ’95 (psychology) live in Wyoming, Mich.
Louisiana Karen Peterson Yochim ’58HS is a prolific author of Cajun mysteries. With titles like “Mean Bayou,” “Cajun Payback,” “Pitchfork Murder,” “Menace,” and “Swamp,” aren’t you intrigued to learn more? Karen lives and writes in Arnaudville.
Missouri Daniel Summers ’03 (biology) is a staff scientist in the Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine. He studies the underlying genes responsible for neurodegeneration. His research has helped him be successful in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health as well as the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Daniel earned his PhD in cell biology and anatomy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and did a post-doctoral fellowship at Washington University. Rachel Allen ’14 (biochemistry) is a lab technician for Abengoa Bioenergy in St. Louis. She performs quality control analysis on samples from the ethanol generation process and wastewater treatment facility. Abengoa applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in the energy and environment sectors, generating electricity from renewable resources and producing drinking water from seawater. A member of the WiSH
(Women in Science House) community at St. Mary’s College, Rachel organized and executed several “Math Girls” days to encourage middle school girls in math and science.
Montana Katelynne Cowart ’15 (economics) is one of 21 alums to call Montana home. She moved to Bozeman as an AmeriCorps intern on a joint assignment with Montana Conservation Corps and the U.S. Forest Service Region 1. She’s now working at Montana State University as a student services coordinator and studying for her master’s degree in public administration. She says Bozeman is a true college town and a beautiful mix of “city living” in a natural setting.
New Jersey Dakim Gaines ’09 (biology) is an MD/PhD student at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, part of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School of Rutgers University. His area of focus is molecular pharmacology. As a St. Mary’s College student, he was a multicultural achievement peer program mentor and a tour guide for the Office of Admissions.
New Mexico Caron Ellzey Inglis ’99 (psychology) is a school psychologist with Los Alamos Public Schools. She is also youth resource advocate with the Los Alamos Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, working with high school teens and their families. She previously worked as an independent educational consultant and behavior analyst in North Carolina. Caron earned her PhD in psychology from Syracuse University.
Katelynne Cowart ’15 is one of 21 alums to call Montana home.
Rhode Island Cadence Willse ’09 (political science, history) is a PhD candidate at Brown University, where she has been since 2012, earning a master’s degree in urban education policy and another in political science before embarking on a doctoral degree there. She has been a predoctoral fellow with the Population Studies & Training Center at Brown, where she did demography research. Katherine Dibbern ’06 (art/art history) is the communications lead at Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, Newport and as a caseworker, providing financial education and assistance to military families. She has an MBA from University of Maryland University College and is currently pursuing her Accredited Financial Counselor designation.
Vermont V Smiley ’06 (art/art history, English) was working in upscale Seattle restaurants when she started V Smiley Preserves, a jam company that sweetens exclusively with honey in 2013. She moved home to her family’s farm in New Haven in 2015, where she blogs about the process of creating seasonal spreads. Check it out at http://vsmileypreserves. com/shop.
Wyoming Kelly Samuels ’14 (biology) and her brother Warren “Sam” Samuels ’09 (history) work together at the Journeys School, a K-12 independent school that is part of the Teton Science Schools in Jackson Hole. Kelly is a middle school science teacher and Sam is director of admissions.
St. Mary’s College | THE MULB ER RY TR EE | fall 2017 | 15
Fishing is Her (Modeling) Passion BY LEE CAPRISTO, EDITOR WITH MAUREEN MONK ’16, MAT ’17
K
risty Lewis, assistant professor of biology, is a collaborator on a project funded by a National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program Synthesis Grant. The project, titled “Community Cohesion and Recovery after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill,” examines a community’s ability to selforganize and mobilize after a major disruption such as the oil spill occurring in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Lewis’ two-year award is part of a larger overall NAS award directed by principal investigator So-Min Cheong at the University of Kansas Center for Research. Lewis is the key scientist driving the ecological analyses, while also working closely with collaborator Jacob Model of Stanford University. Together they have developed a comprehensive database of social and ecological data called the Community Response Inventory. Lewis and collaborators are now developing the statistical models to assess the association between the presence of local nonprofits, density of those networks, and how the ecological health of the system drives the ability of nonprofits, and thus communities, to respond to oil spills.
Kristy Lewis was 30 years old when she took Calculus 101. The path to professorship for some is a trajectory launched as the undergraduate degree is completed, carrying straight through a master’s degree to the doctoral program, thesis, post-doctoral fellowship, all aimed at securing a tenure-track teaching position. For Kristy, that trajectory might be likened to the launch of the metal ball in a pinball game, with the past 16 years being played out careening amidst the hammers, flippers, and bells of the game. Her adventurous spirit and pluckiness are contagious: she is proof that anything is possible when you’re not afraid to try. She loves fish and fishing. As a child, Kristy spent summers with her dad in Key West, Florida, and much of that time on a boat in the water. She graduated with a biology degree from 16 | St. Mary’s College | T H E MU LBERRY TREE | fall 2017
Shorter University in Rome, Georgia, not far from Peachtree City, Georgia, where she grew up. Her first job as a biologist was working for three years on commercial fishing boats in Alaska. Hired as a contractor by the National Marine Fisheries Service, her assignment aboard fishing vessels was to record each catch as it was hauled in. Think of the Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” here
and you’ll have a pretty good picture of Kristy’s experience: on deck in survival gear with clipboard and pen in 40-foot seas, sub-zero temperatures, working days, nights, weekends, during the fishing season. The collection of these data makes Alaska one of the best managed fisheries in the world, and the fishermen among the most invested in supporting the role that scientists play on their ships. During night-shift musings with the first mate onboard the Artic Enterprise, Kristy came to realize that she wanted to be a professor. With no teaching experience, the next immediate step was to head back to Georgia and teach biology at her former high school in Peachtree City. She did that for four years and learned, she says, that as a teacher, “it is my job to explain to students why they need to learn something, even when the topic appears to be unimportant in the long run. My hope is that students will find the drive and motivation to persevere through the harder or less interesting parts of science that we all have to tackle at some point in our educational journey.” After four years in front of the classroom, Kristy returned to the role of student, working on a master’s degree in environmental studies – conservation biology and management from Prescott College in Arizona. Her graduate work led her back to the Alaskan fisheries, this time as a marine biologist based in Seattle, Washington, charged with training the field biologists going aboard commercial fishing vessels (like she’d done on the Artic Enterprise and other vessels). “This could have been my job forever,” Kristy notes. “People said I was crazy to leave after a year and a half.” But leave she did, because she became interested in the fisheries ecology research of James Cowan, a professor at Louisiana State University and he
Becca Hammersla ’17 (biology) spent the summer as research assistant to Kristy Lewis. With Kristy’s help, she expanded her knowledge of food web modeling using the program Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) that she used in her St. Mary’s Project. A large portion of her summer was spent further developing her coding skills in the R statistical coding language that she learned as a bio major. Becca’s research identified additional data sets from ecosystem restoration projects in coastal Louisiana that will be used in a broader multivariate analysis with hundreds of other variables. “We are summarizing fish, shrimp and oyster populations along Louisiana coastal basins in the Gulf of Mexico and assigning those data with Census zip codes. One of the challenges is that fish don’t live in zip codes, so we have to find ways to make the data sets work together.” Is there a fun aspect of the work? Becca says yes. “There’s a real sense of success with manipulating this huge data set when the right code produces the right output,” she says. “That’s when we do our ‘R’ output dance!”
Kristy’s first job as a biologist was working for three years on commercial fishing boats in Alaska.
invited her to be part of his lab while she pursued her doctoral degree. Once in Baton Rouge, she learned that LSU doctoral candidates must declare a minor along with their dissertation. Kristy decided on experimental statistics and thus found herself taking Calculus 101 as a 30-year old, in a class of freshmen undergraduates. “But at this point in my life, I finally knew what I wanted to do and what I needed to know to do it,” says Kristy “Applied Linear Statistical Models” (McGraw-Hill, 2004) is her most frequently-read book. “After avoiding math for all those years, now I’m a quantitative ecologist. I do ecosystem modeling. It’s kind of crazy!” Fourteen years after finishing her undergraduate degree, Kristy earned her PhD in oceanography and coastal science in 2014. She is the first in her family to graduate from college. Her expertise in ecosystem modeling, of fisheries in particular, is what Kristy brings to the NAS grant project. She’s carrying out complex multivariate statistical analyses in partnership with Jacob Model, a talented quantitative sociologist at
Stanford University. Together, their data research, collection, and modeling support the project led by So-Min Cheong at the University of Kansas Center for Research. The project’s planned research uses environmental data in combination with community-level social and economic data to generate novel insights on community impact from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The combination of environmental data with sociological data is what makes their research specifically what the NAS was looking for, as it fills an important research gap in social capital and community resilience literature by bringing attention to organizations and nonprofits, and helps develop community skills to mobilize and coordinate response to a major environmental disaster. Kristy teaches biology, ecology, and mentors several St. Mary’s Projects. She is the faculty adviser to the oyster restoration project in the St. Mary’s River and is working with students to produce a manual for oyster monitoring. Thanks to Maureen Monk ’16, MAT’17, who contributed to this article.
This fall, Becca starts a master’s degree program in marine ecosystems and society at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in Key Biscayne, Fla.
Becca Hammersla ’17 and assistant professor of biology Kristy Lewis review data on fish, shrimp and oyster populations The research reported in this magazine was supported by the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under award number 200007629.The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Gulf Research Program or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
St. Mary’s College | THE MULB ER RY TR EE | fall 2017 | 17
ALUMNI
CONNECTION CLASS NOTES 1950s On May 11, 2017, Ann Brittingham Suthowski ’57JC, of Salisbury, Md., was recognized by the Wicomico County Commission on Aging for her unselfish dedication to Wicomico County and to the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art (www.wardmuseum.org). Ann volunteers approximately 275 hours yearly to the museum which is recognized as one of the finest small museums in the country.
1970s Nancy Kreitzer ’74, of Lexington Park, Md., is the new executive director of Community Mediation of St. Mary’s County, a nonprofit organization whose trained volunteers help resolve nearly any type of conflict for free. Nancy has 30 years of experience with the federal government. Her last position was with the U.S. Department of Agriculture where she served as director of the appeals, litigation and legal liaison staff for the Risk Management Agency. More recently, she spent five years with the Maryland Judiciary, as regional director of the Maryland District Court’s Alternate Dispute Resolution Office. She has been a volunteer with the St. Mary’s County Community Mediation Center for the past four years.
University. Examples of his firm’s work at St. Mary’s College include Schaefer Hall, the Townhouse Crescent and the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics and Recreation Center. Gabe resides in Waverly, Pa. with his wife, Lisa Chaney Hodge ’93 and their children, Aidan, age 20, Cohen, age 17, and Lydia, age 13, and three dogs.
1980s In June, Elaine Szymkowiak ’81 [1a], and her husband Michael Smith ’76 visited Erich Hetzel ’78 and his wife Janice who live in Bermuda. The foursome and Cindy Myers ’78 watched the Louis Vuitton Cup, the sailing competition that leads to the America’s Cup. The group ran into Tucker Thompson ’98, public host of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Series. In 2000, Tucker sailed in the America’s Cup in New Zealand and now is a veteran sailing commentator having done more than 100 presentations. Erich and Janice hosted some of the most recent Seahawk sailors, Kyle Burgess ’17, Lizzie Dennison ’17 [1b], as well as two who were sailing in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup —Markus Edegran ’16 on Next Generation USA team, and Mackenzie Cooper ’18, sailing for Bermuda on TeamBDA. Ron Orlando ’83, of Athens, Ga., co-chaired the 37th International Symposium for the Separation of Proteins, Peptides and Polynucleotides (ISPPP) in Philadelphia July 19-21. A professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and chemistry, he has been a member of the University of Georgia’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center since January 1993. With over 30 years of experience with mass spectrometry, he has focused his research on the identification, characterization, and quantitation of proteins and their posttranslational modifications. His lab develops mass spectrometry based techniques for a variety of uses. Ron also is the current editor-in-chief for the Journal
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1a
1b
2
of Biomolecular Techniques; the founder and chief executive officer of GlycoScientific, LLC.; and co-founder of Photochem Technologies. Michael Nichols ’85, of Catonsville, Md., is the new president of Next Parking LLC, a Chicago-based company specializing in the investment and management of parking facilities across the United States. He joined the company in 2008 with over 18 years of diverse operational and sales experience in the parking industry. Michael started managing Next Parking’s parking portfolio, facilitating parking acquisition and performing fee-based parking consulting for clients. He most recently was executive vice-president. In addition, Michael also is the chief executive officer for the Millennium Parking Garages with 9,200 spaces in downtown Chicago.
1990s An “Un-Memorial” [2] was held April 28, 2017 at the College’s Bruce Davis Theater in honor of the late Joanne Klein, long-time St. Mary’s College professor of theater, film, and media studies. The event was hosted by Ben Wyskida ’99 and included a play honoring Joanne written by Elizabeth Pickard ’95 and A. Lorraine Robinson ’92. The play featured nine 1990s alums and was attended by current students, alumni, faculty, staff and community friends. Gabriel Hodge, AIA ’93 has been promoted to the role of principal at the architecture firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. Gabe joined the firm’s WilkesBarre, Pa. office in 1998 and has contributed to a wide range of academic, cultural and residential projects, including Historic St. Mary’s City’s St. John’s Site Museum and libraries at Williams College and Marywood
Calvin Schermerhorn ’98, of Tempe, Ariz., has been promoted to professor in the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies at Arizona State University. His areas of expertise are capitalism, slavery, the American Civil War and African American history. He has published three books. His most recent book, “The Business of Slavery and the Rise of American Capitalism 1815-1860,” was a finalist for the Harriet Tubman Prize awarded by the Lapidus and Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library. His next book, “Unrequited Toil: A History of United States Slavery,” will be published in 2018 and will give a thematic overview of African American slavery from the American Revolution to Reconstruction. Ben Wyskida ’99, of New York, N.Y., is the new chief executive officer at Fenton a communications firm with offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Fenton is known as the social change agency and supports progressive advocacy organizations, foundations and socially responsible businesses. Ben also is a member of the board of directors of the Stonewall Community Foundation which supports New York City’s LGBT community.
2000s Nathan Bresee ’01, of Germantown, Md., has been promoted to the position of partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Jackson & Campbell P.C. A 2007 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Nathan joined Jackson & Campbell P.C. in 2013. He previously had an active trial practice in Silver Spring, Md., focused on civil litigation involving tort and insurance coverage matters. A member of Jackson & Campbell’s real estate and general litigation practice groups, he concentrates primarily on complex commercial and real estate litigation in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Carrie Hughes Peery ’01 [3] has created “bumpbows,” a fun maternity accessory for momsto-be looking to smooth, soothe, or accessorize their baby bumps. The idea behind bumpbows started after a conversation with a coworker complaining about her ‘popped’ belly button. Carrie, the mom of three, went home that night, did some googling and couldn’t find a product that addressed the issue. She then began to bring her idea into reality, and bumpbows –
which are made in the USA of medical grade materials and are hypo-allergenic, latex-free, soft and flexible – were born! Not only do they provide relief from popped bellybuttons, but they also make a perfect accessory for gender reveals, maternity shots and more. For additional information, please check out www.bumpbows.com. Melissa Emminger Fritschka ’03, of Alamosa, Colo., works remotely for the School of Public Health at the University of Colorado. She manages the integrated nutrition education program in 12 Colorado districts. This program, funded by food stamp education money, works in four underserved regions of Colorado to address childhood obesity by providing hands-on nutrition education in a classroom setting for pre-K-5th grade and by facilitating hands-on cooking & nutrition education for parents and adults. Carrie Grisham Friend ’05 is the upper school psychologist for St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. She earned her master’s and her doctorate degrees in clinical psychology from George Washington University.
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Hanna Gribble ’05 [4], of Ellicott City, Md., had her third novel, “Steel Blood,” published in July by Dog Star Books. Hanna, who writes under the pen name J.L. Gribble, says this book, the third in her Steel Empires urban fantasy/ alternate history series, draws heavy inspiration from her time in Professor Beth Charlebois’ Shakespeare class at St. Mary’s College. Andrew Gross ’05, of Baltimore, Md., after almost eight years in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, has left active duty and accepted a position as an associate at the Towson, Md. law firm Bodie, Dolina, Hobbs, Friddell and Grenzer P.C. Alex Hutt ’05, of Boonsboro, Md., recently received the 2017 Advocate for Justice award from the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. The award is given to the employee who best exemplifies the core mission, vision and values of The Office of the Public Defender. Alex, a public defender since 2011, is an assistant public defender for Frederick and Washington Counties. Debbie Lee ’05, of Albuerque, N.M., is a facilitator/mediator with over 10 years’ experience in the stakeholder and public engagement field, focusing on the facilitation of highly technical and complex policy issues. She has joined WEST, Inc. as the program manager for the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program. The Program involves federal, state, and local agencies; tribal governments, non-profits, and academic institutions who are committed to conserving and recovering endangered species in the Middle Rio Grande Valley ecosystem while providing for existing, ongoing
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and future water development and management activities. Joshua Ballew ’07 is assistant professor of mathematics and statistics at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. He completed his PhD in applied mathematics at University of Maryland, College Park in 2014. Carly Harvey ’07 [5], of Washington, D.C., sings the blues as a solo artist, as part of the acoustic blues duo Carly & Sol and with her blues ensemble Kiss & Ride. Carly & Sol won the D.C. Blues Society Battle of the Bands in the solo/duo category and competed in the 2017 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn. Carly, who has been named “D.C.’s queen of the blues” by WPFW 83.9FM, has released an international crossover album, “Among the Stars,” an extended play “Y.A.M.W.A.O,” and recently a U.S. single, “Love Me like a Man.” She’s currently collaborating with Italian producer and composer Taste of Dream on an album and celebrating her engagement to her partner, Sol Root. Check out her music at www.carlyharvey.com.
Mallory Kwiatkowski ’08 owns Everyday Rosé Events, a Baltimore, Md., floral business she started in summer 2015. Initially focused on floral design workshops and flower bars, her business has grown to include wedding and event planning services featuring locally sourced florals. With a last name that means flowers in Polish and a strong creative streak, Mallory is making her dream come true one flower at a time. Check out her website www. everydayroseevents.com. Elizabeth LeBlanc ’08, of Washington, D.C., was recently named a country director for Afghanistan Policy and Strategy at the Pentagon. Last year, she spent six months at Resolute Support Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, and received the Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service. In May 2015, she received her masters of art in security studies with a concentration in U.S. national security policy from Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.
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2017 ALUMNI AWARDS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS Mark Fedders ’74, is the 2017 recipient of the Society of Distinguished Alumni Award which recognizes alumni who have gained distinction through significant accomplishments in their chosen profession. Mark’s profession was law enforcement and he stood out professionally because of his inspirational leadership, selfless service and the willingness to go above and beyond. He spent ten years with Sherriff’s Office in St. Mary’s County, Md., followed by twenty-five years as an F.B.I. special agent and finally in “retirement” as a volunteer reserve police officer for Maryland Department of Natural Resources and as reserve police office coordinator for much of the state of Maryland. He got involved with the Alumni Association after he moved back to Southern Maryland. He volunteered to help with events including Alumni Weekend, Governor’s Cup, and Hawktoberfest, New Student Move-In Day, and Spring-Break-A-Sweat. In 2012, he joined the Alumni Council. Three years later he moved up to the executive committee as parliamentarian, spearheading significant revisions to the by-laws to improve council operations. He also served as chair of the governance committee and represented the council on the Board of Trustees’ buildings and grounds committee. Mark’s passion for public service stayed with him throughout his life. His love for his alma mater – especially the students, alumni and “the St. Mary’s Way”– was a huge part of his life and character. Sadly, Mark passed away in September 2016 after an extended illness. It is a loss that still reverberates both in the local community and within the alumni association. Matt Fedders ’08 accepted the award for his father.
Adrienne Patterson ’08 learned to sail while growing up in Southern California. She moved to the East Coast in 2004 to attend St. Mary’s College of Maryland and continue her successful pre-collegiate sailing career. As a Seahawk sailor, Adrienne was named the school’s 2007 Woman Athlete of the Year as well as the Quantum Female Sailor of the Year and won the Women’s International Championship. For the past seven years, she worked as a sailing director at
Key Biscayne Yacht Club in Florida and was selected by the U.S. Optimist Dinghy Association to be a Team U.S.A. coach. In April, Adrienne moved back to Southern California and is the junior sailing director at the Balboa Yacht Club. The dinghy association has asked her to be on the coach’s council to help develop curriculum for all youth sailors and junior programs. Adrienne is most excited about bringing the enthusiasm for sailing she had growing up to a new generation of youth sailors.
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Krystle Wagemann ’08, of Baltimore, Md., has joined the Maryland office of Oak Ridge Associated Universities, a consortium of 121 research institutions that partner with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry. As a recruiter, she works to place individuals in research, internship, scholarship, and fellowship programs located at more than 350 laboratories, centers, offices and universities nationwide. Krystle previously worked in the Johns Hopkins University Career Center where she helped connect students with employers.
2010s Nora Fallon-Oben ’10, of Clinton, N.Y., has finished her second year as an assistant coach for the Hamilton College women’s lacrosse program. The program finished this year with a 12-6 record, made it to the second round of the NCAA Division III women’s lacrosse championship and ended the season being ranked #14 on the final 2017 Intercollegiate Women Lacrosse Coaches Association top 20 poll. Clare Nicholls ’10 [6], of Baltimore, Md., held an exhibit of her contemporary textile art at Stevenson University’s School of Design in January-April 2017. Her show entitled “Crossed Threads” featured 20 hand-woven pieces. She also gave a campus lecture and demonstration on different weaving structures and how they relate to garments throughout history. Clare uses a loom to create most of her art. The photo shows a weft-faced handwoven wool tapestry called “untitled (labyrinth study).” Clare works at the Maryland Science Center as the DIY manager for The Shed, a maker
space which is described as part workshop and part laboratory. Meghan Wilmore ’10 spent a semester abroad at the Institut d’Etudes politiques de Paris studying political science. After graduation, her first overseas job was as a contracts assistant for Koniambo Nickel SAS in New Caledonia, a French territory in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Since December 2011, Meghan has lived and worked in Paris. In 2015, she earned her master’s degree from Ecole Normale Superieure. She is a senior mobile applications analyst for GoPro and tweets about all things data at https://twitter.com/ Meg_Wilmore. Chris Adams ’11, MAT ’12, of California, Md., was one of three St. Mary’s County, Md. educators recognized by the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) as 2017 outstanding mathematics teachers of the year. Chris received the award while teaching at Esperanza Middle School but in the fall will be teaching math at Great Mills High School. He also taught math for teachers at St. Mary’s College during spring 2017 semester.eceived a Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant to Australia from the U.S. Dept. of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Singer will be conducting an ethnographic project investigating electronic waste and sustainable practices in Adelaide, South Australia. Singer is currently a PhD candidate in anthropology at Purdue University. Nathan Beall ’11, of St. Mary’s City, Md., graduated from Yale’s Berkley Divinity School in 2014 and is an ordained Episcopal priest. He is the assistant to the rector at Trinity Church and Episcopal campus minister at
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St. Mary’s College. He also has been teaching religious studies at the College since fall 2015. Nathan lives in an intentional Christian community next to the Kate Chandler Campus Farm. Dave Chase ’11 and Mark Snyder ’12 work for U.S. Congressman Ruben J. Kihuen, a Democrat from Nevada’s 4th congressional district. Dave started working for the Congressman in 2015 as his campaign manager and became his chief of staff in January. He is the Congressman’s senior advisor on all policy and political issues, helps craft the Congressman’s message and manages the office operations, budget and staff in the Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, Nev. offices. Mark joined the Congressman’s staff in January, following five years of work for former U.S. Congressman Steve Israel, a Democrat from New York’s 3rd congressional district. As Congressman Kihuen’s legislative director, Mark oversees a legislative team that tracks and advises on all bills before Congress. He also handles all committee work on the Financial Services Committee and helps write and craft legislation sponsored by the Congressman.
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Scott Johnson ’12, of Nassau, Bahamas, is working to save the Bahama Oriole. Scott is science officer for the Bahamas National Trust. His first birding project was after high school when he worked in Michigan on the Nature Conservancy’s Kirtland’s Warbler Project. He met biology professor Jordan Price there who encouraged him to come to Maryland, home to another Oriole, and to St. Mary’s College.
Northwestern University in the fall to pursue a master’s degree in audiology.
Andrew Klontz ’12 moved to San Francisco in 2014 and for two years was the assistant men’s lacrosse coach at Dominican University of California. He also worked as a high school lacrosse program director and served as head coach for multiple national teams comprised of players from the Washington, D.C. area, California, Texas, Oregon and Canada. His national U15 team won the 2014 Dick’s Tournament of Champions. In 2015, he joined the new 101 Lacrosse in Petaluma, Calif. as its director of operations and in 2016 he cofounded 101 San Francisco and became its director of operations. Andrew is also the head lacrosse coach for the Town School for Boys and coaches U12 (fifth and sixth grade) players.
Stefano Muscatelli ’13 and Tori Eskay ’13 [7], from Baltimore, Md., came back to campus for Spring Break-a-Sweat ostensibly so Tori could play in the alumni women’s soccer game. However, as can be seen in the photo, Stefano had other plans and yes, she said yes! Stefano is in his fourth year of medical school at the University of Maryland and Tori has just started the physician assistant graduate program at George Washington University.
Anna Shaull ’12 graduated fromTowson University in May 2017 with a B.S. degree in speech-language pathology and audiology. She will enter
Maurielle Stewart ’12 has been re-elected to her second term as the Ward 4 council member on the Cheverly, Md., Town Council. In January, she finished serving as a special assistant to NASA’s general counsel and has joined The American Security Project, a non-partisan national security think tank as a fellow.
Abby Vandegrift ’13, of Rehoboth Beach, Del., received her graduate degree in occupational therapy from Towson University and works as an occupational therapist at Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, Del. Alex Cha ’14, of Frederick, Md., recently graduated from American University with a master’s degree in game design. As part of a project for
the course “Designing Health Games”, he created “Cardio Copter,” a spin cycle-based gaming therapy for Parkinson’s disease patients. In the game, physically challenged patients use their pedaling to guide a helicopter through a virtual city, controlling the helicopter’s altitude by pedal speed. Alex submitted “Cardio Copter” to the Games4Health contest where it earned an award for best commercialization. You can watch a short YouTube video about “Cardio Copter” at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vqoWeiV54Cc. Nicole DeAngeli ’14 and Erin Knutson ’15 have been selected as 2017 National Science Foundation fellows. The program recognizes outstanding graduate students in STEM who are pursuing research-based graduate degrees. Both Nicole and Erin are pursuing doctorates; Nicole in neuroscience at Dartmouth College and Erin in physics at Tulane University. Assigned to Dartmouth’s Bucci Lab, Nicole is researching the role of two cortical areas, the retrosplenial cortex and postrinal cortext, in learning and memory. Her interest in behavioral neuroscience research began when she took a St. Mary’s College class, “Drugs, Brains, and Behavior,” taught by Wes Jordan (professor emeritus of psychology) who earned his doctorate at Dartmouth. Erin’s research is in the field of quantum information and nonlinear optics at Tulane’s Glasser Lab. Her group’s research aims to improve understanding of the fundamental physics surrounding quantum states of light. While an undergraduate, Erin did atomic physics research as part of a collaboration between the College and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division and presented her research to the
Division of Atomic Molecular, and Optical Physics national meeting of the American Physical Society. Kayleigh Doherty ’14, of Phoenix, Ariz., has been awarded a four-year doctorate position funded by the Dutch Research Council. She will work on a project titled “Towards Professional Epistemic Justice: Medicine and Finance” at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The project’s goals are to identify instances of injustice within the medical and financial sectors and work towards an understanding of how individuals can be harmed in their capacity to know things
about the world due to the prejudice of others. Crista Kowalski ’14, of Hagerstown, Md., works as an animal care staff member of the Humane Society of Washington County, Md. (HSWC). Recently she deployed to Ohio with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to evaluate over 100 dogs involved in dog fighting and worked with a team on improving the dogs’ behavior to enhance their chances of being adopted. She’s now applying the knowledge she gained in Ohio to help HSWC’s shelter dogs. Crista plans to become a certified animal behaviorist.
2017 ALUMNI AWARDS OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNUS Brian Grant Simmons ’09, received the 2017 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award which recognizes alumni who have graduated in the past decade and have attained prominence through exceptional career achievements and dedication to public service. Grant’s passion is rock climbing. After college, he started climbing in southwestern U.S. which led him to climb in Patagonia, South America where a chance meeting brought him back to the U.S. and a job with the Atlantic Climbing School, Maine’s premier climbing guide service. A talented writer, he wrote and published the “Rock Climbs of Acadia Guidebook” about Acadia National Park. It’s considered the premier Acadia guidebook. Grant also published a Rakku app and created and maintains a Facebook page and website all about rock climbing in Acadia National Park. He is considered a climbing expert at the relatively young age of 30 and is a certified American Mountain Guides Association single pitch instructor and rock guide as well as a certified wilderness first responder. Today he works for the International Mountain Climbing School in North Conway. N.H. and professionally splits his time among Bar Harbor, Maine, North Conway, and Patagonia, South America. His sister, Stephanie Simmons ’05, says Grant’s personal mantra is the belief that everyone “is better served and is a more functional member of society while exploring and experiencing the outdoors.”
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nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital; Matt is a neurologist doing a fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. They live in Roslindale, Mass.
MARRIAGES
at The Field School and is pursuing his master’s degree in audio engineering at American University. John Deamond ’06 and Kate Julia Braun ’07 [3] were married June 18, 2016 in Burtonsville, Md. The bride’s sister, Jessica Braun ’00, and Kate Wersan ’07 were in the wedding party. Nathan Barker ’07 officiated the ceremony, and Tyler Sinclair ’08 performed the ceremony’s music. Meredith Epstein ’08 and Guy Kilpatric ’09 grew and arranged the wedding flowers and Yang-Yi Chen ’09 was the wedding photographer. The couple honeymooned in Key West, Fla. John is an instructional lab coordinator in visual and performing arts at Montgomery College; Julia is a deputy project manager at Elevation Greenroofs. They live in Burtonsville, Md.
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Susan Hanna ’07 and David “Tug” Peterson [4] were married May 27, 2017 at Lost Creek Winery in Leesburg, Va. The wedding party included bridesmaids Kate Meyer Jakuta ’07 and Giselle Rahn ’07. A ring bearer (and future Seahawk) was Connor Birdsong, Susan’s godson and the son of Missy Honza Birdsong who attended St. Mary’s College. Guests included George Jakuta ’05, Kim Williams Politz ’07 who made the wedding cake and cupcakes, and Nathan Foster, a St. Mary’s College assistant professor of cognitive psychology. Susan teaches first grade in Montgomery County, Md. and Tug works for the Department of Energy. They live in Wheaton, Md.
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DE LISA CAROL PHOTOGRAPHY
YANG-YI CHEN ’09
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DANIELLE SCHUH
CHRIS NEWKUMET OF NEWKPHOTO
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Wes Lanich ’05 and Kate Northfield ’06 [2] were married Oct. 8, 2016 in Washington, D.C. The ceremony was officiated by Darrion Siler ’07. The bridal party included the bride’s sister and maid of honor Elizabeth Northfield ’08 and Audrey Hamilton ’08. During the ceremony Jessica Fitzwater ’05 performed in the string quartet which played pieces arranged by Joshua Barnett ’08. St. Mary’s College’s Ben Click (professor of English) kicked off the ceremony with a series of readings he chose specifically for the occasion. The reception music was performed by friends of the couple including Nathan Graham ’06, Audrey Hamilton, Joshua Barnett, and Darrion Siler. Kate is the orchestra personnel manager at The Juilliard School in New York City; Wes is a Washington, D.C. area musician who teaches
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NEAL KREUSER
Heidi Coxon ’04 and Jay Merrill [1] were married July 18, 2015 in Chestertown, Md. Jessica Kemp Sohn ’04 and Karyn Sailstad Wolstenholme ’07 were bridesmaids. Wedding guests included Julie Roberts Harrison ’04, Mike Harrison ’04, Michelle Toussaint Adams ’04, Zach Adams ’05, Andrew Sohn ’06, and Sarah Marks Witow ’08. The couple honeymooned in Costa Rica. Heidi is the associate director of admissions for Mount Holyoke College; Jay is an assistant director of admission at The Northfield Mount Hermon School. They live in Northfield, Mass.
MARESA PATTERSON
& UNIONS
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Heather Starrett ’07 and Kris Murphy [5] were married May 20, 2017 at Annmarie Sculpture Gardens, Solomons, Md. Guests included Robin Larkin Buck ’06, Alison Ulino ’06, Alfred Gundry ’07, and John Michael Gudger ’07. The couple is planning a honeymoon “food and brew trip” this fall. Heather works in marketing and creative services for WorldTravelService; Kris is a chef. Last year, they purchased their first home in Indian Head, Md. Caitlin Ward ’07 and Matthew Schrettner [6] were married Sep. 12, 2015 in Charlottesville, Va. Wedding guests included Nick Iliff ’07, Matt Fafoutis ’09, Madeline Eberhardt Fafoutis ’08, and Katie McLaughlin Garber ’08. The couple honeymooned in Aruba. Caitlin is an intensive care unit registered
Mattie Farrar ’08 and Andrew McLean [7] were married April 15, 2017 in a small backyard wedding in Tucson, Ariz. Family and close friends including Christina Haramis ’08 were in attendance. The couple is planning a September honeymoon in Stone Harbor, N.J. Mattie is a program quality engineer for Raytheon; Andrew is the founder and chief executive officer for SeL Instrument Corporation. They live in Tucson, Ariz. Erin Adams ’09 and Salim Perez [8] were married May 6, 2017 in Baltimore, Md. Keba Walker ’09 was a bridesmaid and Binwi Ngwa-Suh ’09 was a guest. Erin is senior manager of the Enrollment Center for Calvert Education Services. Salim is a Connexus administrator for Connections Education. The couple lives in Baltimore. Brandon Smith ’09 and Jason Constantino [9] were married April 29, 2017 in Baltimore, Md. The ceremony was officiated by Kathy Orellana ’09. Wedding guests included 2009 alums Megan McDounough, Katie Siguenza Sushinsky, Tiffany Hauck Johns, Jacqueline Caminiti, Niki Novak, Seth LaShier, Kalada Nemieboka, Claire Tolbert Abramoff, Brianna Hughes, Morgan Barr, plus Richard Barr ’07 and Dave Sushinsky ’02. Brandon completed his residency in pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and is now a fellow at Johns Hopkins. Jason is a project leader for the Boston Consulting Group. The couple looks forward to enjoying married life in their new home in the Patterson Park neighborhood of Baltimore.
JILL CHRISTINE DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY
KRR PHOTOGRAPHY
(ONCE LIKE A SPARK) PHOTOGRAPHY
TRANS4MATION PHOTOGRAPHY
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Christopher Bradley ’10 and Anna von Gohren ’10 [10] were married June 6, 2015 in Mechanicsville, Md. The wedding party included 2010 alums Anna Winship, Faith Koleszar and Neil Hawbaker; and the groom’s brothers, Rick Bradley ’08
SUSIE & BECKY
ERIC HEISLER ’00, CHASING LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
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Human Services and Chris is an economist for the Department of Labor and Industry. They live in Helena, Mont.
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and Scott Bradley ’16. Tony Quick ’10 and Emily Hagan ’09 did the readings and Dan Kircher ’10 officiated. Eric Heisler’00 was the photographer. The couple honeymooned in Iceland and Scotland. Anna is an evaluator for the Department of Public Health and
Emily Myron ’10 and Stuart Iler [11] were married Oct. 8, 2016 in Durham, N.C. Fellow 2010 alums Katie Zdilla and Sheena Chaudhary were bridesmaids. Wedding guests included 2010 alums Andrea Barnes, Stacey Meyer Boccher MAT ’11, Emily Fawcett, Larissa FomumMugri, Emily Hagan, Liz Kohlway, Anna Winship, Anna von Gohren Bradley, Chris Bradley, and Sarah JordanCrowe, plus Colin JordanCrowe ’09 and Sara Rubinstein ’08. The couple will honeymoon in New Zealand this fall. Emily is a project manager at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; Stuart is a doctoral student at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. They live in Cambridge, Mass. Minh Nguyen ’10 and Andrea Vo [12] were married June 6, 2015 in Los Angeles, Calif. The wedding party included best man Adel Chergui ’10 and groomsmen Ian Prince ’10 and Dan Glassberg ’10. Kara Benton Skipper ’10, Christian Skipper ’09, Joanne Buchbinder ’10, and Thomas Montgomery ’10 were wedding guests. The couple honeymooned in Tahiti. Minh and Andrea have moved to Los Angeles, Calif., to begin their fellowships in pediatric cardiology and pediatric emergency medicine, respectively. Kevin Turek ’10 and Alexandra Payton ’12 [13] were married Oct. 22, 2016 at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Kingsville, Md. and held their reception at Water’s Edge Events Center in Belcamp, Md. The wedding party included the bride’s sister
and maid of honor Stephanie Payton ’14, bridesmaids Brittany Creeden Miller ’11, Hallie Colegrove McCarthy ’12, and Carly Legg Wood ’12, and groomsmen Shane Eyler ’10, Matthew Miller ’11, and Brendan McCarthy ’11. The couple took a Caribbean cruise for their honeymoon. Kevin, a University of Maryland medical school graduate and Alexandra, a Virginia Commonwealth University medical school graduate, are both doing their residencies at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; Kevin in psychiatry and Alex in pediatrics. Jaclyn Fiackos ’11 and Jeremy Seidl [14] were married April 21, 2017 in Clarksville, Md. Wedding guests included Anna Kasicky ’10, Katie Kasicky Magruder ’04, Harper Denhard ’09, and Susan Signorelli ’12. The couple will honeymoon in Mexico in November. Jaclyn is a kindergarten teacher in the Howard County, Md. public school system; Jeremy does accounting for Broadway Services in Baltimore, Md. They live in Catonsville, Md. Antigone Ada Grillakis ’11 and Theodore Wesley Peck ’11 [15] were married June 18, 2016 in Tinos, Greece and honeymooned in the Greek islands. Antigone is a doctoral student at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Ted is an economist at the Bureau of Economic Analysis. They live in Silver Spring, Md. Megan O’Hern ’13 and Robert Crook ’13 [16] were married June 4, 2017 in St. Mary’s City, Md. Wedding guests included Sarah Minkoff ’12, 2013 alums Simone Campbell, Leanne Gradijan, Sarah Platt, Christiana Sabett, Alyssa Weber,
Jonathan Weber, plus Greg Flanigan ‘14, Michael Gill ‘15, Robert Brunger ‘15, and Caroline Brunger ‘16. Megan is an archivist for History Associates, Inc. in Rockville, Md. Robert is a 4th-grade teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools. They live in Ellicott City, Md. Caiti Sullivan ’14 and Jake Quaytman ’14 [17] were married June 17, 2017 at Fort McHenry National Park in Baltimore, Md. Wedding guests included Carly Legg Wood ’12, and 2014 alums David Wood, Andrew Gear, Chris Adams, Mike Wharburton, Victoria Cain, and Patrick Meade who gave a toast. The couple honeymooned in Charlottesville, Va. Caiti is communications manager at Future Harvest CASA; Jake is beginning his third year as a medical student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. They live in Baltimore, Md. Maddie Hook ’15 and JD Garris ’16 [18] were married June 10, 2017 in Frederick, Md. The wedding party included Nina Haller ’17, the groom’s sister Betsy Garris ’17, Kayla Waring ’17, John Chalk ’16, Jay Mazjanis ’15, and Hannah Hafey ’15. The couple took a honeymoon cruise to Bermuda and the Bahamas. Maddie is a high school counselor at Brunswick High School; JD is the director of youth ministries for Faith United Methodist Church and education coordinator for the Maryland Sheriff’s Youth Ranch. They live in Boyds, Md.
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BIRTHS& ADOPTIONS
To Nicole Lewis Dardaris ’92 and Ted Dardaris, a son, Elijah James [1], born Jan. 16, 2016. Eli joins big brother Jesse, age 8. Nicole is the vice president of human resources for the Baltimore County Employees Federal Credit Union. Ted is pursuing a degree in elementary education. The family lives in White Hall, Md. To Becky Banwarth Thur ’99 and Steve Thur ’00, a daughter, Alexandra Marietta [2], born Oct. 11, 2015. Alex, sporting her Seahawk gear at 10 months, joined big sister Ashleigh, age 11, big brother Aidan, age 9 and Becky on the trail up Mt. Washburn in Yellowstone National Park in a photo taken by Steve. The family lives in Columbia, Md. To Erin Carmany ’01 and EJack Chu, a daughter, Darcy Elizabeth [3], born May 18, 2016. Darcy joins big brother Brendan Thomas, age 4. Erin is a fundraiser for Conservation International; Jack is a lawyer for Siemens Government Technologies. The family lives in North Potomac, Md.
To Courtney Russell Hedrick ’02 and Nick Hedrick, a son, Matthew Winslow [4], born Jan. 15, 2017. Courtney teaches math at Dulaney High School, a Baltimore County, Md. public school; Nick is a senior project manager for Ulliman and Schutte Construction. The family lives in Monkton, Md.
To Heidi Coxon Merrill ’04 and Jay Merrill, a son, John “Jack” Lenord Merrill V [8], born April 14, 2017. Heidi is the associate director of admissions for Mount Holyoke College; Jay is an assistant director of admission at The Northfield Mount Hermon School. They live in Northfield, Mass.
To Kim Gurski Myers ’02 and and Mike Myers, a son, Easton John [5], born Dec. 14, 2016. Kim works for Under Armour as the FMS-Project 20/Twenty global trade compliance manager; Mike is a network engineer for UIC. The family lives in Severna Park, Md.
To Sarah Raley-Dale ’04 and Mark Dale, a daughter, Alora Golden [9], born June 17, 2017. She joins big sister Zara, age 2. Sarah and Mark both work for Naval Air Systems Command; Sarah as a financial analyst and Mark works in operations. The family lives in Valley Lee, Md.
Alice Arcieri Bonner ’03 and Shawn Bonner welcome a daughter, Hadley Hayes [6], born March 13, 2017. Hadley joins big brother Grayson, age 2. Alice is a lawyer and executive vice president of St. Mary’s College Alumni Council; Shawn is a defense contractor. The family lives in Baltimore, Md.
To Sarah Cullison Gray ’04 and R. Scott Gray ’05, a son, Declan Alaric [10], born July 1, 2016. Sarah is an assistant professor of chemistry at Armstrong State University; Scott is a senior implementation consultant for Desire 2 Learn, an education technology company. The family lives in Savannah, Ga.
To Shannon Schmidt Croisetiere ’04 and Jeff Croisetiere ’04, a daughter, Lillian Coco [7], born Feb. 11, 2017. Lillian was welcomed by her aunts Kelly Schmidt ’03 and Megan Schmidt ’05, and her uncle Greg Croisetiere ’09 home from his studies in China. Shannon and Jeff own and operate Solar Tech Inc. which installs solar electric and solar thermal systems. The family lives in Lexington Park, Md.
To Brian Jennings ’06 and Erin Del Collo ’07, a son, Kent Abraham Jennings [11], born March 13, 2017. Brian is a political research consultant; Erin is a project supervisor at P.E.O. International. Kent’s name was inspired by the College’s Kent Hall. The family lives in Des Moines, Iowa.
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To Patrick Bernhardt ’07 and Courtney Kutchins Bernhardt ’08, a daughter, Ada Kutchins Bernhardt [12], born May 18, 2017. Patrick is an associate at the law firm WilmerHale; Courtney is a senior research analyst for Environmental Integrity Project. The family lives in Washington, D.C.
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To Caitlin Ward Schrettner ’07 and Matthew Schrettner, a son, Walden Henry [13], born May 26, 2017. Caitlin works in the ICU at Massachusetts General Hospital as a registered nurse; Matt is a neurologist doing a fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The family lives in Roslindale, Mass.
SWEET ME PHOTOGRAPHY
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To Nicole Chaplin Lewis ’08, MAT ’09 and Thomas Lewis, a daughter, Josepheanne Elate [14], born March 15, 2017. Nicole teaches U.S. history at Stephenville High School and is an adjunct professor for Ranger College teaching U.S. and world history. Tom is an automotive technician. The family lives in Tolar, Texas. To Allie Zerhusen Alexander ’09 and Ryan Alexander ’10, son, Hudson Thomas [15], born April 16, 2017. He joins big sister Sawyer, age 2. Allie teaches at Greenspring Montessori and Ryan works for Morgan Stanley. The family lives in LuthervilleTimonium, Md. To Chelsea McGlynn ’11 and Kevin Votruba McGlynn, a daughter, Tamsin Saoirse [16], born March 15, 2017. Nicole teaches U.S. history at Stephenville High School and is an adjunct professor for Ranger College teaching U.S. and world history. Tom is an automotive technician. The family lives in Tolar, Texas.
MEET YOUR ALUMNI COUNCIL ALICE ARCIERI BONNER ’03 Alice Arcieri Bonner ’03, is the Alumni Council’s vice president of operations. She works as a staff attorney for the Future Care Health Management Corporation and lives in Baltimore’s Federal Hill neighborhood with her husband and two children. Alice’s first role on the Alumni Council was as the president of the Baltimore Alumni Chapter where she planned events to engage the alumni community in and around Baltimore. She says, “Being a member of the Alumni Council has enabled me to be aware of new developments that affect undergraduates, graduates and the entire SMCM community.” Alice was a political science major, a member of the programs board and studied abroad at the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Oxford, England. She also worked in the Career Center which gave her a real appreciation for important roles alumni play as mentors and providers of internships and employment opportunities. She explains, “Alumni involvement goes a long way toward giving current and prospective undergraduates the same high quality education from which we all have benefited so much. It’s also important to financially support SMCM on an annual basis, no matter how small the contribution may be. Not only will financial giving help the institution we love, but it will also increase SMCM’s standing in the academic community.”
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ALU M N I
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2017 ALUMNI AWARDS HONORARY ALUMNA Beth Byrd, former associate director of Alumni Relations, is the 2017 recipient of the Honorary Alumni Award which recognizes friends of the College whose untiring efforts on its behalf have been significant and noteworthy. She began her relationship with St. Mary’s College in 1991 as a faculty spouse when her husband Jeff Byrd joined the biology department. She started working at the College in 2007. For years, the Byrds have been honorary parents to the women’s basketball team, rarely missing a game. The players are frequent guests at the Byrd home. Beth and Jeff’s mentorship was highlighted after Jamie Roberts ’11 tragic death. They consoled her classmates and family members and ultimately played a role in encouraging the Roberts Family to name the Jamie L. Roberts Stadium. As one of the Staff Senate’s original members, Beth devoted many hours outside of her normal duties helping to improve the morale and quality of life for staff employees. In alumni relations, she used her planning and organizational skills to help make hundreds of alumni events on and off campus a success. Beth is enjoying spending time at their Delaware beach house and with her grandchildren.
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2017 ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIPS The 2017 alumni scholarship competition saw 16 applications for the legacy scholarship, 25 for the post-graduate scholarship, and 13 for the doctoral scholarship. The legacy scholarship awards $2000/year to an incoming or current student related to a St. Mary’s alum and is renewable each year the recipient maintains a cumulative 3.0 GPA. Both the post-graduate and doctoral scholarships are one-time awards; $2500 for post-graduate and $5000 for doctoral. The deadline for submitting applications for the 2018 alumni scholarship competition is April 15, 2018. More information can be found at http://www.smcm.edu/alumni/ scholarships/. ALUMNI LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP Lydia McPherson-Shambarger ’19, of Annapolis, Md., is this year’s legacy scholarship recipient. Her legacy link is her sister, Genevieve McPhersonShambarger ’16. When Lydia learned her sister was going to attend St. Mary’s College, Lydia’s first thought was “Who would want to go to such a small school in the middle of nowhere?” Her views quickly changed as she visited her sister on campus, met her professors and enjoyed the waterfront. However, the moment she went from just liking St. Mary’s to loving it was the first time she was in the River Center and looked up at the wall completely covered with “All American” plaques for sailing. For Lydia, that “sealed the deal.” Today she describes the College as “the perfect school hidden among the farm fields of Southern Maryland.” Lydia is majoring in environmental studies and public policy, is a member of the varsity sailing team, a participant in the St. Mary’s River Project, and an orientation leader.
DON STABILE ALUMNI POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP Abby Rowlands ’10 is this year’s post-graduate scholarship recipient. After graduation, she worked for a year at Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute as a research assistant and then moved to San Francisco, Calif., to work as a staff research scientist at the University of California San Francisco. Since April 2013, Abby has worked at the Northern California Institute for Research and Education, spending three years as a laboratory manager before becoming a contracts and grants specialist. But it was her volunteer work in an outpatient psychosis clinic at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center that prompted her to pursue the goal of becoming a nurse. Beginning this fall, Abby will be pursuing a nursing degree through the master’s direct entry program at Johns Hopkins University. Her ultimate goal is to become an advanced nurse practitioner by later pursuing a doctorate program specializing in acute care.
DON STABILE ALUMNI DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIP Kathryn “Kati” Peditto ’15, this year’s doctoral scholarship recipient, started out as a psychology/systems engineering major at George Washington University before transferring to St. Mary’s College for her junior year. As a second-year doctoral student in Cornell University’s human behavior and design program, Kati’s research focus is on using architecture in healthcare facility design to promote peer support for adolescents undergoing cancer treatment. In 2016, Kati completed the Ullman Cancer Fund’s 4K for Cancer, running 4,000 miles in 49 days from Baltimore, Md., to San Francisco, Calif. Along the way, she met young adult cancer patients during hospital visits and learned first-hand how healthcare design can impact a cancer patient’s treatment journey. Kati says, “What started simply as an honors education at St. Mary’s was much more: it paved the path for me to use my expertise and experience to honor the powerful legacies of many people that I have met along my own journey.”
IN MEMORIAM Mary Elaine Fairbank Twigg ’44JC, of Gwynn Oak, Md., died March 8, 2017, at age 91. Born in Hollywood, Calif., she was the daughter of a banker/ motion picture investor and a civic activist. When her father lost his money during the Depression investing in talking-picture technology, the family moved to Catonsville, Md. Mary Elaine also attended Johns Hopkins University. With husband Austin Twigg, she raised a family of six children. She taught kindergarten for 16 years at Dickeyville Day Nursery School and then was named the school’s executive director, a position she held until she retired in 1999. Inseparable during their 67-year marriage, Mary Elaine and Austin Twigg died within 48 hours of each other. Mary Elaine is survived by her sons, William, Charles, Austin IV, and Jonathon; her daughters, Susan and Mary Twigg-James; nine grandchildren; and a great-grandson. Maxine Slyder Angle ’45JC, of Henrico, Va., died June 3, 2017, at age 92. Maxine studied voice at the Peabody Conservatory and art at the Maryland Institute College of Art, both in Baltimore, Md. She had a long career with the Royal Insurance Company. A member of First English Lutheran Church in Richmond, Va., Maxine enjoyed singing and sang with several Richmond, Va. area groups. She is survived by her sons John and George; seven grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. Laura Jo Muessen Hill ’50JC, of North Webster, Ind., died May 18, 2017, at age 86. She was a professional artist. She founded
the Indiana Wildlife Artists and was its former president. Laura is survived by her husband, James S. Hill; her daughters Jo Anne Kinnaly, Betty Jane Zubritsky, Kim Rene Marcadis, Ronda Kay Hill, and Robin Lynn Snyder; and sons James Warren Hill and William Matthew Hill. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
a division sales manager for a South Carolina food company; started a home inspection company and a floor and carpet cleaning company; and after he moved to Tennessee, established a real estate team to welcome new homeowners to the state. JD is survived by his children, Lindie Dordal Karow and Matthew; his brother Paul; and his four grandchildren.
Gail Copenhaver McAuliffe ’57HS, of Potomac, Md., died April 2, 2016, at age 77. She was a lifelong resident of Montgomery County, Md., where she raised her four children and supported her late husband of 50 years, James, throughout his legal and judicial careers. Gail is survived by her children, James III, Robin McAuliffe Minturn, Thomas, and Fiona; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Brian William Young ’93, died June 11, 2017, at age 45. He received his law degree from University of Baltimore School of Law in 1997, the same year he was admitted to the Bar of the Court Appeals of Maryland. Brian was first and foremost a loving, devoted and dedicated father to his two sons, Jonah, age 9 and Garrett, age 11. He had a love for books, poetry, photography, motorcycles, Jeopardy, camping, and fishing. In addition to his sons, Brian is survived by his wife Amy; his parents Joan and Bill; and his sister Elizabeth.
Mary Ann MacNeal Flickinger ’60JC, of Aiken, S.C., died Feb. 10, 2017, at age 75. While raising a family in Edgewater, Md., she was active with the American Heart Association, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and the Cape St. Claire United Methodist Church. She and her husband of nearly 55 years, Dave, relocated to Aiken, S.C. to be near their son Scott. In addition to her husband and son, Mary Ann is survived by her daughter Mollie Rose Flickinger McCormick and four grandchildren, including Brendan McCormick ’21, an incoming first-year student. John “JD” Allan Dordal ’67JC, of Gallatin, Tenn., died Feb. 17, 2015, at age 67. Born in Washington, D.C., he grew up in Oxon Hill, Md. He completed his bachelor’s degree in marketing and business administration from the University of Maryland. He worked as a district manager for Ford Motor Company and
Benjamin Louis Staisloff ’14, of Annapolis, Md., died March 21, 2017, at age 27. An expert hiker, he completed the northern half of the Appalachian Trail, the entire length of the Pacific Crest Trail and in summer 2016, the Camino de Santiago in Portugal and Spain. Ben was a talented musician and played guitar in venues across the country. An English major and poet, his poem “Sir” was a winning entry in the Poetry for the Mind’s Joy project and can be found at the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center. For the past three years, Ben had pursued his passion for sustainable farming, working on farms on both the east and west coasts. Ben is survived by his parents, Michele and Richard; and his siblings, Zachary, Hannah, and Emma.
Holly Blankenship ’20, of Mechanicsville, Md., died July 17, 2017, at age 24. Holly was a psychology major who transferred to St. Mary’s College from the College of Southern Maryland in spring of 2016. Holly worked at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown, Md., as a nurse practitioner. She completed boot camp volunteer training on January 26, 2017, for MedStar and shared her time and talents in many areas at hospice, including visiting and preparing meals for the patients.
FACULTY & STAFF Charles "Curt" Raney, associate professor of sociology, died from complications during surgery on Tuesday, August 22, 2017. Curt joined the faculty in 1974 and retired this past spring after 43 years of teaching courses in sociological theory, sociology of deviance and sociology of religion. For many years, he served as College representative to the Faculty Advisory Council of the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Curt is survived by his wife, Dale Louise Raney ’81 and three grown children: Aaron, Adam, and Rachel. Philosophy Professor Emeritus Henry Rosemont, Jr., died July 2, 2017. Henry joined the faculty in 1977 and retired in 2001 as the George B. and Willma Reeves Distinguished Professor of the Liberal Arts Emeritus. He was the first holder of the Reeves Endowed Chair, established in 2000. At St. Mary’s College, he was formative in the creation of one of the only philosophy programs in the country to offer an undergraduate curriculum including courses in both East Asian and South Asian philosophies and religions. He
was a two-time Fulbright Senior Lectureship awardee, teaching philosophy and foreign literature at Fudan University in Shanghai, China. In retirement, he continued to teach at Fudan University and also at Johns Hopkins, and Brown. Henry is known for his translation with Daniel Cook of “Leibniz: Writings on China” (1994), and for his translations with Roger Ames of “The Analects of Confucius” (2003) and “The Chinese Classic of Family Reverence: A Philosophical Translation of the Xiao Jing” (2010). His last book, “Against Individualism” (2015), critiqued Western individualism and posited a Confucian-based model of roles and relationships as a healthier way to practice democracy and strengthen community in the U.S. He wrote or edited 10 other books and more than 70 articles. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, JoAnn, and five daughters: Dawn Smith, Kathleen Denaro ’94, Constance Rosemont, Genevieve Yellin ’95, and Samantha Healy ’93. Sandra “Sandy” Robbins, died Thursday, July 27, 2017. She was an office associate II for the faculty in Kent Hall. She began her career at St. Mary’s College in 1995. One of her favorite experiences during her employment was when she was able to go to The Gambia in Africa with other staff/students from the College. She was a member of the St. Mary’s County Camera Club and several of her photographs are displayed in Kent Hall. Sandy is survived by her husband, Chuck; her son, Robert D. Scholten of Milton, Fla; and daughter, Rachel N. Hawkins of Leonardtown, Md., by five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
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F RO M
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ARCHIVES, PRIMARY SOURCES AND PHOTO EVIDENCE: A TWO-PART FROM THE ARCHIVES EXERCISE By Kent Randell, College archivist and assistant librarian
When archivists talk about value, in addition to informational value, we also talk about evidentiary or evidential value: What evidence about the organization and functions of the body that produced the record or records is contained within the record itself?
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In addition to teaching a bi-annual class titled “Introduction to Archives and Information Science,” I frequently talk to students about what archives are in classes within majors as varied as history, art, theater, and English, as students investigate archival primary sources. I introduce students to what types of records in archives, as well as why they are collected, arranged, described, and maintained. Along the lines of evidence – what human activity is this record documenting, and what can I learn from it as a viewer or researcher?
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Two great trees behind Calvert Hall have recently come down due to advanced age and safety concerns. As our thoughts are turning to the landscape of this place that we all love, included in this article are eight photographs of Calvert Hall. Can you put these photographs in chronological order, from oldest to most recent? The only fact you need to know is that Calvert Hall suffered a catastrophic fire in 1924. Students in my classes are given this same exercise. If you would like to participate, e-mail me, archivist Kent Randell, at kdrandell@ smcm.edu with “photo exercise” in the subject and let me know, in what order, you place these photographs. And more importantly, also let me know what clues you used for your evidence-based decision. We will discuss the results in the next Mulberry Tree.
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ST. MARY’S COLLEGE
of Maryland
FA L L 2 0 1 7 , VOL. X X XV III, NO . 3
www.smcm.edu/mulberrytree Editor Lee Capristo
Calendar of Events State of the College Address by President Tuajuanda C. Jordan September 7 @ 4:15 p.m. Auerbach Auditorium of St. Mary’s Hall
Open Studio with Yeon Jin Kim November 15 @ 4:45 p.m. The Artist House
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast January 15 @ 8:00 a.m. The Great Hall
VOICES Reading Series with Kai Davis March 29 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
Natural Science & Mathematics Colloquium Series “Global Warming is Not a Chinese Hoax” September 12 @ 7:00 p.m. Auerbach Auditorium of St. Mary’s Hall
Hawktoberfest October 20-21 Library Dedication October 21 @ 2:00 p.m. Library
“Spring Awakening” directed by Mark A. Rhoda February 28 @ 8:00 p.m. March 1-3 @ 8:00 p.m. March 4 @ 2:00 p.m. Bruce Davis Theater
Presidential Lecture Series with David Sanger April 6 @ 7:30 p.m. Michael P. O’Brien Athletics & Recreation Center Arena
VOICES Reading Series with Joy Castro November 16 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
An Evening to Honor the Legacy of Lucille Clifton March 1 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
Giving Tuesday November 28
Open Studio with Lydia McCarthy and Patrick Brennan March 7 @ 4:45 p.m. The Artist House
“BrouHaHa” by Happenstance Theater Company September 20-21 @ 8:00 p.m. Bruce Davis Theater
Photographer Bill Wood
VOICES Reading Series with James Arthur & Charley Henley September 21 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
Editorial Board Karen Anderson, Michael Bruckler, Lee Capristo, Missy Beck Lemke ’92, Nairem Moran ’99, Karen Raley ’94, Grace Davis ’15
VOICES Reading Series with Elena Passarello October 5 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
Publisher Office of Institutional Advancement St. Mary’s College of Maryland 47645 College Drive St. Mary’s City, Maryland 20686
“Twelfth Night” directed by Holly A. Blumner November 8-11 @ 8:00 p.m. November 12 @ 2:00 p.m. Bruce Davis Theater
Design Jensen Design
VOICES Reading Series with Christopher Merrill December 7 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons VOICES Reading Series with Alan King January 25 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
Writers’ Harvest March 8 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
The Mulberry Tree is published by St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Maryland’s public honors college for the liberal arts and sciences. It is produced for alumni, faculty, staff, trustees, the local community, and friends of the College.
Bay to Bay Service Days April 21-22 Commencement May 12 @10 a.m. Townhouse Green Alumni Weekend June 7-10 St. Mary’s College
Visit St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the public honors college, and find out how we do things a little differently. It’s the St. Mary’s Way. Discover what it can mean for you. • 75 academic programs • 19 varsity athletic programs and more than 100 student clubs • 89% of students participate in internships, international experiences, or undergraduate research
The magazine is named for the famous mulberry tree under which the Calvert colonists signed a treaty of friendship with the Yaocomico people and on the trunk of which public notices were posted in the mid-1600s. The tree endured long into the 19th century and was once a popular meeting spot for St. Mary’s College students. The illustration of the mulberry tree on the cover was drawn in 1972 by Earl Hofmann, artist-in-residence when St. Mary’s College President Renwick Jackson launched the magazine.
Individual tours of our waterfront campus take place throughout the year along with Open Houses:
Copyright 2017 The opinions expressed in The Mulberry Tree are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the College. The editor reserves the right to select and edit all material. Manuscripts and letters to the editor are encouraged and may be addressed to Editor, The Mulberry Tree, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 47645 College Drive, St. Mary’s City, MD 20686. Photographs and illustrations may not be reproduced without the express written consent of St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
“Knocking on the Door of the White House: Latina and Latino Poetry in Washington D.C.” April 12 @ 8:15 p.m. Daugherty-Palmer Commons
• September 23 • October 14 • November 11
HELP RECRUIT THE NEXT CLASS OF ST. MARY’S COLLEGE SEAHAWKS! Share this tear-off card with a family or friend who has a college-bound son or daughter.
Register at www.smcm.edu/admissions/visit-campus/ Want to learn more? Go to go.smcm.edu/learnmore
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE of Maryland
Non-profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #10001 Leonardtown, MD
FA L L 2 0 1 7
PROVIDING INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Pay it forward
CREATING A SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Pay it forward Pay it MAKING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
SUPPORTING THE ANNUAL FUND
PHOTO BY BILL WOOD
Alumni Weekend: DELIGHTFUL! More than 1,200 alumni returned to campus June 8-11 for a sun-filled Alumni Weekend. Alumni from 1949 to 2017 traveled to campus from as far away as Ireland, Scotland, and Italy. They also came from 34 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to experience the weekend’s events, which included the waterfront crab feast and barbecue, river cruises, and live music at the waterfront. Left to right: Jennifer Cross Graham ’67JC, Skip LeFaivre ’67JC, V Lynn Moore ’92, Bonnie Kangas ’07.
VOLUNTEERING ON CAMPUS
SERVING ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
GENERATING SOCIAL MEDIA
forward MENTORING CURRENT STUDENTS