Reflections 2013 (SVSU) - Fall 2013

The magazine of SVSU

FALL 2013

REFLECTIONS 2013

SVSU FRESHMAN CLASS OF 2013.

THE NEXT 50 YEARS.

notes 64 | class Alumni share job changes and promotions,

DEPARTMENTS 4 | Welcome from the class of ’66 One of SVSU’s first graduates, Henry Hatter, reflects

additions to their families and more.

70 | Spotlight on Student Success Current students are making a difference on

on his “post-SVSU” career.

6 | News briefs President Eric Gilbertson leads off with commenting

campus and in their communities.

72 | aalumna conversation with Jan Botz

on the 50th anniversary and his intention to retire.

18 | The 2000s The fifth in a series of timelines in Reflections2013

The 1974 graduate explains why she is committed to remaining connected to her alma mater.

74 | inRecent her own words alumna Melissa Reinert pays it forward

focuses on a decade of world and SVSU historical milestones.

41 | Profiles Reflections2013 features 10 individuals who have

by supporting Talent. Opportunity. Promise. The Campaign for SVSU.

78 | Last Word Highly-engaged student leader Emily Van Fleteren

mattered and made a difference to SVSU.

57 your knowledge | How’s of svsu history?

serves as president of “Forever Red.”

Receive a complimentary copy of SVSU’s awardwinning souvenir picture book by identifying what famous author donated his archives to the Melvin J. Zahnow Library.

FEATURES 20 | SVSU’s second 50 years Will tomorrow’s students pay for a traditional brick-

58 | Focus on Faculty Geography professor Marty Arford discusses his

involvement with the new Saginaw Bay Environmental Science Institute.

60 | NEWS for and about Alumni Alumni show their Red Pride at events hosted by the

and-mortar college experience when they have the option to watch online lectures for free?

35 | sharing insights & experienceS A fond look back at the who’s who of celebrities,

public servants, dignitaries and entertainers who have added value to the classroom or to the stage— some of them serious, some of them fun, all of them part of our life on campus.

SVSU Alumni Association.

More to Like...videos IN REFLECTIONS2013 WATCH VIDEOS WITH THE LAYAR APP STEP 1: If you have a smartphone or tablet, go to your “App Store” to download the free Layar app.

STEP 2: Look for the Layar icon printed on pages 3, 59, 67 and 72 in this magazine.

STEP 3: When you turn to these pages, hold your smartphone or tablet directly over the page and tap once. (Do not scan the icon.)

Page 3

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Page 59

Page 67

Page 72

We are

Celebrating

Throughout the 2013-2014 academic year, various anniversary programs, activities, events and performances will take place on campus and in the community.

To learn more, visit:

svsu.edu/50

ON THE COVER

Popular author and entrepreneur, arel moodie, was the keynote speaker at this year’s “fresh start.”

Nothing better represents our future than the entering freshman class of fall 2013. The students on our cover are the newest Cardinals, photographed during “Fresh Start” orientation Aug. 23-25. Though we first offered a “welcome weekend” for residential students in 1984, it wasn’t until fall 2005 that “Fresh Start” became a comprehensive, freshman orientation program. The orientation includes academic essentials and tips to be a successful student, an introduction to university services, opportunities to meet faculty, staff and other students and a RED PRIDE welcome to create a sense of belonging. This year, more than 120 Fresh Start Crew (returning student volunteers) helped show why “Fresh Start” is a great way to begin saying “It’s a Great Day to Be a Cardinal!” svsu.edu

facebook.com/svsu.edu

SVSU is proud to be one of Michigan’s outstanding public universities.

Great Education is Pure Michigan.

youtube.com/saginawvalleystate

Be one of the first to view the university’s anniversary video!

SEE PAGE 2 FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE THE LAYAR APP TO WATCH VIDEO.

twitter.com/@svsu

WElCOME LETTER REFLECTIONS2013 SENIOR CONSULTANT Andy Bethune, 1987, B.B.A. EDITOR Jan Poppe, 2001, M.A. MANAGING EDITOR Tim Inman, 1989, B.A.; 1996, M.Ed. WRITERS Angela Bauer, 2010, B.A. J.J. Boehm, 2006, M.A. Ann Branch Justin Engel, 2005, B.A. Tim Inman Jan Poppe Carlos Ramet GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jill Allardyce, 2006, M.A. PHOTOGRAPHERS Tim Inman Michael Randolph VIDEOGRAPHER Dan Goodell CONTRIBUTORS Eldon Graham Eugene Hamilton Marc Peretz Jason Swackhamer, 1997, B.A.; 2004, M.A. Marilyn Wheaton Executive Communication Consultant Paul Chaffee EDITORIAL BOARD Jill Allardyce J.J. Boehm Ann Branch Justin Engel Tim Inman Jan Poppe Carlos Ramet Kevin Schultz, 1992, B.A. Kristen Wenzel, 1993, B.A. REFLECTIONS2013 Magazine is published twice a year. Comments, suggestions and inquiries contact: Alumni Relations at Saginaw Valley State University • 7400 Bay Road University Center MI 48710 (989) 964-4196 CONTACT THE UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS admissions@svsu.edu (989) 964-4200 ALUMNI RELATIONS alumni@svsu.edu (989) 964-4196 SVSU FOUNDATION foundation@svsu.edu (989) 964-4052 CAREER SERVICES careers@svsu.edu (989) 964-4954 CENTER FOR BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT lhaas@svsu.edu (989) 964-7015 CONFERENCE & EVENTS CENTER (Box Office) BoxOffice@svsu.edu (989) 964-4261 DIVERSITY PROGRAMS mtthorns@svsu.edu (989) 964-4068 GRADUATE PROGRAMS gradadm@svsu.edu (989) 964-6096 MARSHALL M. FREDERICKS SCULPTURE MUSEUM mfsm@svsu.edu (989) 964-7125 OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE jap@svsu.edu (989) 964-4310

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Dear Readers: I was born in Flint, Mich., one of 11 children, the first college graduate of my family, one of the first graduates of SVSU, and a charter member of the fledgling college’s alumni association. When you think about the times and the circumstances, you might be somewhat amazed. When you fast-forward almost 50 years and that same man (young at heart) is asked to write a welcome letter for an anniversary edition of the alumni magazine, maybe the reader isn’t amazed, but I am. But perhaps I shouldn’t be, because SVSU has always been about caring for its people.

I have been asked to write about my vision and expectations back then and how these perspectives may have remained with me, or have changed over time. In reflecting on a post-SVSU career that blossomed multiple times, the words “pride” and “aspiration” come to mind. When I was a student, we were filled with enthusiasm and hope. Opportunities abounded, and we had bright futures. The job opportunities may not be as bright now as back then, but SVSU students are still enthusiastic and filled with hope. That is who we were then, and it is who we are now.

When I think back to the group that created the alumni association, I again think enthusiastically of the words we, us and ours. We were one. We may not have had the skills pertaining to policy and protocol, but we had the heart, a common purpose and a vision. When we discussed issues around the table and deliberated, we had confidence and a sense that we were embarking upon a “new beginning.”

Bert Schafer, the first alumni association president, was energetic, knowledgeable and friendly and knew how to get students like me involved. And Roselyn Argyle [secretary] was so easy to talk to and reassured us that we were headed in the right direction. It made sense that Richard Wallace, the economics and business student in the group, would agree to serve as treasurer. Frank Isackson [charter member] taught me to like buttermilk, and we’d go as a group of students to Howard Johnson’s for buttermilk and clams. Can you imagine? A Jewish and an African-American student sharing buttermilk and clams? Now that, you think, is amazing. But it wasn’t! It’s what made SVSU so special.

Our goals were simple: We wanted to demonstrate to future generations that Saginaw Valley students would receive a world-class education and that the classrooms, the campus and the professional staff would be the source of encouragement and aspiration, making the difference. That was true then and the same is true now—is there anything more important?

If I were again a prospective student, I would come to SVSU. I join my charter-class colleagues of 1966 in introducing you to this anniversary issue of Reflections2013. I am immeasurably grateful for this opportunity to do my own reflections on the place that has meant so much to me.

Sincerely,

Henry Hatter Henry Hatter, 1966, B.S.

Henry Hatter (left) graduated in 1966 with a B.S. in chemistry; he also earned a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University.

His career included a senior staff position in industrial and environmental engineering at the Buick Motor Division of General Motors. He also served as a business/education liaison for MSU’s School-to-Work program in the 1990s.

Hatter is married to Barbara J. Hatter; they have three children: Marcus A., M.D.; Kelly Y., microbiologist; and Henry II, skilled tradesman.

Other “family” members include three “Youth For Understanding” exchange students from Denmark, Sweden and Germany who lived with the Hatters over three successive years. The Hatters reside in Clio, Mich.

Also pictured with Hatter are Roselyn Argyle and Richard Wallace, three of the 10 charter members of the SVSU Alumni Association.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 5

from the president

4041 (989) 964-4041 • Midland Line: 695-5325 Ext. edu 349 Wickes Hall • E-mail: erg@svsu.

Eric R. Gilbertson President

Dear Readers: ident of few weeks how and why I remained pres I’ve been asked several times in the past ly lucky. er is clear and honest: I’ve been incredib SVSU for 24 years—a fair question. The answ ilege of s that I haven’t been grateful for the priv And not a day has gone by over these year serving our university. g of the past, is intended to give you a samplin This issue of Reflections2013, like those in to this mplishments that give life and meaning the people and projects, the ideas and acco dn’t be ing place. And, yes, a fun place too. I coul university. This is, quite simply, a fascinat more proud and hope you feel likewise. when we pause to look back, honor and This is also, of course, a special year—a year Fifty effort and generosity made all this possible. remember the people whose imagination, eciate appr s, but it is certainly long enough for us to years is not a long time by some measure ent of contributed to the creation and developm the collective commitment of all those who rous much to dedicated faculty and staff, to gene this extraordinary institution. We owe so to those ghtful board members and volunteers, and benefactors and political leaders, to thou students who made it all worth doing. e or ing backward or allowing too much prid But we dare not spend too much time look who don’t here, and tens of thousands yet to come, sentimentality. There are 10,000 students to know 50 years—or even the last 24. They want really care about what’s happened the last us to ct the tomorrows after that. And they expe what’s going to happen tomorrow and all us looking and moving forward. make things better. That’s their job—to keep from our e briefly to appreciate and draw lessons And so in this anniversary year we’ll paus about ld always be about its tomorrows. Always yesterdays; but the university is and shou tomorrow.

Thanks for caring, and “Go Cards!”

Eric 7400 Bay Road • University Center, www.svsu.edu

6 SVSU.EDU

MI 48710 • USA

NEWSBRIEFS

Marshall M. Fredericks Museum Joins Exclusive Company

Marilyn Wheaton

Of the nation’s 17,500 museums, The American Alliance of Museums has accredited only 1,005 facilities.

Now SVSU’s Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum counts itself among that elite group.

The Washington, D.C.-based alliance’s stamp of approval came March 31, providing SVSU with the highest national recognition for a museum.

“Accreditation is something

the museum board and staff have been committed to for several years,” said Marilyn Wheaton, director of SVSU’s museum. “The means to the end was challenging and time-consuming, but we have all become better museum professionals in the process.”

The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, celebrating the 25th anniversary of its opening this year, is one of 25 facilities accredited in Michigan.

Accreditation is considered the primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability.

This designation from the alliance signifies a museum’s commitment to excellence in governance, collections stewardship, public programs, financial stability, high professional standards and continued improvement.

Br aun Fellows Research Business Performance and Math Studies

Garry Johns

Hong Park

Garry Johns, professor of mathematical sciences, and Hong Park, professor of economics, are the newest Braun Fellows to receive grants to support their research.

Johns said he plans to study how college students learn mathematics and what teaching methods are most effective in reaching them. He will critique existing studies on the subject and show the connections and correlations among items studied in the research.

“I want to find a way to rate or rank existing studies and then use those to prioritize which methods seem to be the most effective for college students,” said Johns, who joined SVSU’s faculty in 1988 and has received the institution’s Landee Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Johns could finish the project

by 2015 or 2016, he said, and record the findings in published articles that he would present at conferences.

Park, meanwhile, plans to use his slice of the fellowship funds to examine how knowledge affects business performance in today’s global economy.

He has developed a questionnaire that includes five areas: organizational structures; organizational culture and environment; knowledge of management practices; leadership; and outcomes of knowledge management. Park will mail the survey to 5,000 U.S. firms and analyze the data compiled from the returned surveys.

“I want to try to understand the nature of the knowledge for the company [and] how that leads to form changes in

company innovation,” he said.

Park, who joined SVSU’s faculty in 1975 and served as chairman of the Department of Economics four times, said he could examine companies such as Facebook and Google.

When the research is finished, he hopes to publish his findings in a book.

The Braun Fellowship was created in 2005 through a $1.5 million endowment from the Saginaw-based Harvey Randall Wickes Foundation. The grant awards recipients up to $37,500 over the next three years to advance their research.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 7

NEWSBRIEFS

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT ON SVSU DIVERSITY EFFORTS SVSU has been selected as a recipient of the 2013 INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only national recognition given to colleges and universities that exhibit outstanding efforts and success in the area of diversity and inclusion.

“Saginaw Valley State University has an

unprecedented number of programs and initiatives in place that provide substantial opportunities for students, faculty and staff from all underrepresented groups. It is apparent that under President Gilbertson’s leadership, diversity and inclusion goals have shaped the character of this university,” says Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

Special Assistant to the President for Diversity Programs Mamie T. Thorns has earned certified diversity executive credentials from the Institute for Diversity Certification; she is the sole designee from a Michigan public university so recognized.

Harmon, Yelkur to lead education, business colleges SVSU in July welcomed two new deans to the campus roster.

Mary Harmon, who since 1991 has served as an English professor and chairperson of the Department of English, succeeded Susie Emond as dean of the College of Education.

Rama Yelkur worked as the international business programs director for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire before succeeding Jill Wetmore as dean of SVSU’s College of Business & Management.

Yelkur earned a doctorate in business administration from Mississippi State University, along with a master’s degree in business administration from PSG College of Technology and a bachelor’s degree from Madras University, both in India.

“When I visited [SVSU], I saw the collegiality of the people in the College of Business & Management 8 SVSU.EDU

and the connections to the regional business community,” she said.

“I’m excited to grow these connections and expand our outreach.”

Yelkur, in her previous role, helped the Wisconsin university both implement an international business major and earn accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International.

Starting in 2008, she also worked as the founding director of the Northern Wisconsin International Trade Association, through which she helped firms seek export markets for products and organized workshops and seminars for businesses.

Harmon received a Ph.D. from Michigan State University and both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Michigan University. Before arriving at SVSU, she worked 23 years in public schools, largely as a high school

Mary Harmon

Rama Yelkur

English teacher.

“I am looking forward to all of us in the College of Education working together to meet current challenges in the field and to prepare our students for success as educators,” she said. “Our state and our nation never have needed good teachers more than they do today.”

One of her longtime colleagues, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Donald Bachand, praised Harmon’s hire.

“This is a critical time for the college,” Bachand said. “It requires strong, knowledgeable and effective

leadership to help it meet important challenges that it is facing. Mary’s distinguished career at both the secondary and university levels has given her the experience necessary to provide the college with the leadership and vision that will be necessary as it copes with the changing landscape of both K-12 education and teacher preparation programs.”

NEWSBRIEFS

R acing Advisor has ‘First Place’ Finish More than a decade of work with student-built, Indy-style race cars recently led to an SVSU professor earning statewide accolades for the effort.

Brooks Byam, the mechanical engineering professor who founded SVSU’s Cardinal Formula Racing program in 1998, was honored in May with the 2013 Carroll Smith Mentor’s Cup during the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers Collegiate Design Series at Michigan International Speedway.

The award is named for legendary racer Carroll Smith and is given by past award recipients.

SVSU over the years has finished in the top 20 in FSAE competitions, including sixth in 2002, eighth in 2005, 14th in 2008 and 18th in 2010.

Byam’s 2013 racing team placed second in the world in acceleration en route to a 51st place finish out of the top 120 international college programs.

Brooks Byam

2013 Cardinal Formula Race Car

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 9

NEWSBRIEFS

Campus Expansion Continues

The new Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum entrance and the Jo Anne and Donald Petersen Sculpture Garden.

Stephen Hocquard arrived at SVSU in 1992 like a painter meeting an empty canvas.

The assistant vice president of planning and construction wasn’t expecting that the college— its facilities Steve Hocquard measuring 940,000 square feet at the time—would experience such growth over the next 21 years.

Ryder Center construction progress as of Sept. 5, 2013.

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By the time crews finish the latest two projects—additions to both the Jack M. Ryder Center for Health & Physical Education and Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum—SVSU’s facilities will measure 2.52 million square feet, or nearly three times the size of the campus when Hocquard first arrived.

“Looking back, it’s been a very good place to be for an architect who likes to be involved in the creation of things,” Hocquard said.

One of the most recent projects officially started June 3 with a groundbreaking ceremony for the $20 million expansion and renovation of the Ryder Center, which will add a fieldhouse, 300-meter indoor track and synthetic infield by May 2014.

The project will also reduce the James E. O’Neill Jr. Arena from 3,500 to 2,400 seats to create a more intimate environment for fans while increasing seating from 4,000 to 4,700 for events such as commencement.

That phase is expected to open in November 2014.

Meanwhile, additions to the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum began with a May 10 dedication ceremony for the new museum entrance and the Jo Anne and Donald Petersen Sculpture Garden. A week later, crews installed Fredericks’ final sculpture, Black Elk: Homage to the Great Spirit, at the facility’s outdoor garden.

The grand opening of the new space took place Oct. 5, following the “Saints, Sinners + ’63” gala Oct. 4.

Exterior rendering of the Ryder Center expansion.

NEWSBRIEFS

Senator’s Bill Awards $6 Million for Upgr ades State legislators went to bat for SVSU this summer and scored a win for Wickes Hall.

Gov. Rick Snyder in June signed off on $6 million in support for an $8 million renovation at one of the campus’ oldest facilities. SVSU will fund the remaining $2 million.

Wickes Hall, now more than 40 years old, will benefit from the financial support with mechanical and plumbing upgrades along with asbestos removal.

The facility will add energy-efficient windows and new air ventilation systems.

State Sen. Roger Kahn, a Saginaw Township cardiologist who represents SVSU’s district at the state level, sponsored the bill known as HB 4112.

“I am delighted the necessary upgrades are being made,” Kahn said.

“Some parts of this building have not been renovated in more than 40 years; with decades of constant student traffic, some repairs are long overdue.”

The facility is named after Harvey Randall Wickes, former president of the companies that formed Wickes Corp. in 1941. Five years later, he established the Harvey Randall Wickes Foundation, which was a major donor to the fund drive that helped acquire SVSU’s property when it was purchased some 50 years ago.

Harvey Randall Wickes

Construction crews soon will begin updates to Wickes Hall, now 40 years old.

Wickes Hall sits alone on the campus quad in this early photo of the facility.

Before the Melvin J. Zahnow Library opened, students utilized the university’s library on the first floor of Wickes Hall.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 11

NEWSBRIEFS

Institutional Reaccreditation Process Nears Completion SVSU leaders will spend the fall semester putting the finishing touches on a self-study they hope helps earn the campus renewed accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission.

Marc Peretz, associate provost who also serves as liaison between SVSU and the accrediting agency, said he’s confident the school will submit a first-rate report to HLC before a team of 10 representatives visits the campus in April.

“There’s no question in my mind that we meet the criteria [for accreditation],” said Peretz, a 24-year SVSU employee. “The institution is in very good shape. We have to articulate that clearly and fully.”

Marc Peretz

The university’s selfstudy is due in December.

Peretz said the document’s authors will submit the study digitally, complete with hyperlink-based footnotes that will provide readers with additional documents for detailed research beyond the report itself.

“It’s a very dynamic process,” he said of organizing the self-study.

Peretz said the agency could offer a decision by fall 2014.

The decision would cap months of preparation by SVSU, which assembled a team of 65 employees to prepare for the accreditation process. The school seeks the status once every 10 years.

“The fundamental purpose of accreditation is to make the school better; to take the time and energy to reflect on itself,” Peretz said. “What you hope, as you come out of this, is that you see ways to make yourself better. Even if you’re meeting the criteria [for accreditation].”

He said when HLC gave SVSU the nod 10 years ago, the agency’s representatives suggested

the institution improve in three categories: its general education program, its assessment measures for academic programs and its diversification.

“We have improved on all of those,” Peretz said. “We have made progress in all of those areas, and I think HLC will be very pleased with that.

“Before the HLC team arrives for a nearly threeday stay in April, SVSU will advertise the visit and its purpose to students, staff and faculty.

“They will randomly stop people on campus to talk to them,” Peretz said of the HLC team’s methods during a site visit. “There’s a plan [to inform people] before that.

“We’ll be ready for them.”

two begin terms on svsu board of control A Saginaw Valley State University graduate is one of two new leaders added to the institution’s governing body.

Gov. Rick Snyder appointed John Kunitzer and Dennis Durco each to eight-year terms on the eight-member Board of Control, where they will replace David J. Abbs and Leola Wilson, whose terms expired July 21.

Kunitzer’s appointment makes him one of two board members to possess an SVSU degree; Treasurer Scott L. Carmona is the other. Kunitzer holds a bachelor’s in business administration from the university.

Kunitzer for 15 years 12 SVSU.EDU

John Kunitzer

served as the chief executive officer of Yeo & Yeo, PC, a Saginaw-based accounting firm. He worked for 40 years at the company and remains a principal there, providing accounting, tax and consulting services. The Saginaw resident is a certified public accountant

Dennis Durco

and member of organizations including the American Institute of CPAs and the Michigan Association of CPAs. He also is involved with the Saginaw Hospital Finance Authority, and is a former president of the both The Saginaw Club and the Saginaw

Rotary Club.

Since 2010, Pinckney’s Durco served as director of Eclipse Capital Group, a Sylvan Lake-based commercial real estate finance company.

Previously, the certified public accountant worked as president and chief financial officer at Michigan Orthopedic Services LLC, a Livonia-based business providing orthotic and prosthetic products and services; and as vice president of finance and operations as well as secretary for Self-Guided Systems LLC, a Rochester Hills company that manufactures laserbased navigation systems for unmanned vehicles.

NEWSBRIEFS

REGIONAL BUSINESS EXECUTIVE JOINS SVSU

Dom Monastiere

Dom Monastiere, a retired Chemical Bank-Bay Area chief executive officer, has joined SVSU as executive-in-residence for the College of Business & Management.

“With my banking career and business experience, which stands more than 45 years, I can hopefully bring some expertise and business contacts and be available to serve the college in a variety of ways,” Monastiere said.

Monastiere’s career included his role as CEO from 1987 to 2007 and as executive vice president and chief risk management officer at Chemical Bank’s Midland headquarters for six years. He was recognized by the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame in 2004 and received the Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2008, as well as

the Distinguished Service Award from the United Way of Bay County in 2010.

The Bay City resident is involved in several regional organizations, including the Kantzler Foundation and the Russell and Maxine Smith Foundation, where he serves as board president. He also has a seat on the boards for the SVSU Foundation, Bay Area Community Foundation and Michigan Baseball Foundation.

SVSU Nabs Regional Arts Award

The Saginaw Arts and Enrichment Commission in May named SVSU the recipient of the Great Lakes Bay Regional Arts Award.

The honor is presented to a person or organization that encourages a thriving arts environment in the area.

SVSU received the accolades during the 2013 All Area Arts Awards ceremony at downtown Saginaw’s Dow Event Center. This is only the second time the commission has given this award.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 13

NEWSBRIEFS

Film Director, Climate Scientist Finish Fall Focus Lineup

Mira Nair

Laurence C. Smith

All lectures are open to the public.

Admission is free of charge. For more information, contact the SVSU Box Office at (989) 964-4261.

14 SVSU.EDU

The closing acts for the 2013 Fall Focus lecture series will feature an Oscar-nominated international film director and a climate scientist from UCLA. Mira Nair, a Dow Visiting Artist, directed films including the Amelia Earhart biopic starring Hilary Swank, Amelia, the Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay! and the coming-of-age drama, The Namesake.

The India native attended Harvard University and now lives in New York City. She began her film career as an actress but became recognized for directing award-winning documentaries including So Far From India and India Cabaret. She has worked with highprofile Hollywood actors including Uma Thurman, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Reese Witherspoon, Anjelica Huston and Kiefer Sutherland.

Nair will speak at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 30, in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts.

The appearance will be followed a week later by Laurence C. Smith, a climate scientist who authored a book forecasting how the northern hemisphere will change by 2050.

The UCLA educator tackles a number of profound questions in his 322-page text, The World In 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization’s Northern Future. How will climate change and an ever-expanding global population affect the world?

Which nations will rise and fall in that environment? Smith explores both the geological and societal ramifications.

Smith will speak at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 6, in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall.

Both guests follow a Fall Focus lineup that included appearances from Fidel Castro’s daughter, Alina Fernandez; SVSU faculty members Basil Clark and Byungil Ahn; Abraham Lincoln scholar Allen Guelzo; and musician Eugenia Zukerman.

NEWSBRIEFS

students benefit from Expanded Greenhouse

In April, officials dedicated the 1,500-square-foot expansion of the Arnold & Gertrude Boutell Greenhouse/Sustainability Center. The Boutell Greenhouse will serve as home for the Green Cardinal Initiative, as a laboratory for botany classes, and as space for other research. The facility was made possible by a $250,000 gift from the Arnold and Gertrude Boutell Memorial Fund. Students in the new agriculture studies minor, launched in the fall 2013 semester, will also utilize the greenhouse for coursework and research.

Dennis Gray, assistant professor of biology, looks over the plant life in the Boutell Greenhouse.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 15

NEWSBRIEFS

ATHLETIC UPDATE: swimming added; FOURTH Hall of Fame inductees named May was a big month for SVSU athletics.

First, on May 13, the university’s Board of Control approved the addition of women’s and men’s swimming and diving to varsity status.

The move means the women’s programs will compete in the NCAA Division II league beginning in 2014 while the men will join the competition the following year.

“The university and our department have carefully considered the addition of swimming to varsity status, and we feel the time is right to make this decision,” Athletics Director Mike Watson said at the time. “With the renovations that were made a few years ago to the Gerstacker Regional Aquatics Center, this move only made sense. This addition will also serve as a great benefit to the university in attracting prospective students.”

Two days after the announcement, officials unveiled the fourth class of the Cardinal Athletic Hall of Fame.

The inductees included 1980s-era golfer Michael Erickson; the university’s first basketball coach, Eugene Hamilton; SVSU’s first women’s basketball coach, Marsha Reall; and the 1983 national championship indoor track and field team.

From 1982 to 1985, Erickson competed in four National Association

Women’s and men’s swimming and diving teams will hold meets in the Gerstacker Regional Aquatics Center.

The women are expected to begin competing in 2014 and men in 2015.

16 SVSU.EDU

of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championships. He finished his Cardinal career with the lowest four-year scoring average (77.2) in school history.

He went on to perform successfully as a Michigan PGA professional and competed on the Space Coast and Tommy Armour tours. Mike is head of golf pro at Bloomfield Hills Country Club. Hamilton, now SVSU’s special assistant to the president for government relations, served in 1969 as the first men’s basketball coach; he led that inaugural team to a 13-5 record. He and then-golf coach Bob Becker are credited with selecting the cardinal as SVSU’s mascot.

In 1979, Reall coached the first women’s basketball program. Over six years, her teams earned a 151-37 record, including two consecutive GLIAC league titles in 1984 and 1985. Her 1985 team

NEWSBRIEFS

broke six school records, including best record and winning percentage, most wins, most points, most field goals made and best field goal percentage.

The SVSU indoor track and field team won the second of two consecutive National Championship titles in 1983.

Two 2011 Cardinal Athletic Hall of Fame inductees, Doug Hansen and Ed LaBair, were members of the championship squad. In all, 13 teammates were recognized as NAIA All-Americans.

Ten records set that year remain uncontested.

Michael Erickson

Eugene Hamilton

Marsha Reall

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 17

SVSU & World History

The fifth in a series of timelines celebrating SVSU’s 50th Anniversary.

2002 � SVSU’S FORMULA SAE (SOCIETY OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING) RACE CAR FINISHES 6TH IN THE WORLD.

2000 � LIVING CENTER OPENS. � BOARD OF CONTROL AND FACULTY APPROVE REVISED GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM. • The world celebrates the millennium.

2001 � FOUNDATION SCHOLARS PROGRAM INITIATED. • September 11th becomes an iconic day in U.S. history.

• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) hits Hong Kong. � MERLYN MONDOL, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, RETIRES AFTER 33 YEARS.

� THE HERBERT DOW DOAN SCIENCE BUILDING IS COMPLETED AND DEDICATED.

2003 � STUDENT CENTER, FITNESS CENTER, REGIONAL EDUCATION CENTER AND ZAHNOW LIBRARY ADDITION ARE DEDICATED. • The Human Genome Project is complete. � COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT RECEIVES AACSB-ACCREDITATION.

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03 09 2008 � THE YIEN INTERNATIONAL GARDEN DEDICATED.

2007 � RENOVATED PIONEER HALL OPENS. � BEST-SELLING AUTHOR KEN FOLLETT RECEIVES AN HONORARY DOCTOR OF LETTERS AND ADDRESSES DECEMBER COMMENCEMENT. • Northern Ireland reaches an historic peace agreement.

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� CLINICAL LAB SCIENCE PROGRAM ADDED. • Beijing hosts the Olympics.

2009 � HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT INITIATED. � FALL ENROLLMENT CRACKS THE 10,000 MARK. • Barack Obama is sworn in as 44th president of the U.S.

2006 � BOWLING TEAM WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 � STUDENT RESEARCH & CREATIVITY INSTITUTE LAUNCHED.

• North Korea conducts its first nuclear test.

� EINSTEIN’S FOOD COURT AND “REAL FOOD ON CAMPUS” FACILITIES OPEN. 2004 � OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY MASTER’S DEGREE IMPLEMENTED.

� GERSTACKER FELLOWS CREATED AND FIRST COHORT SELECTED.

• Angela Merkel is named first female chancellor of Germany.

� SVSU’S FOUNDATION MEETS THE $1 MILLION SAGINAW COMMUNITY FOUNDATION KRESGE CHALLENGE. • Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami claim 250,000 lives.

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2010 � MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENERGY AND MATERIALS MANAGEMENT DEGREE INITIATED.

2011 � FIRST NIGHT FOOTBALL GAMES PLAYED IN RENOVATED WICKES MEMORIAL STADIUM.

� $1 MILLION GIFT RECEIVED FROM GERSTACKER FOUNDATION FOR FELLOWS II.

� PLANNING BEGINS FOR DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE.

• Apple debuts the iPad.

• Global population reaches 7 billion.

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2012 � HERBERT H. AND GRACE A. DOW FOUNDATION ENDOWS THE STUDENT RESEARCH & CREATIVITY INSTITUTE.

2013 � PRESIDENT ERIC R. GILBERTSON ANNOUNCES HIS INTENTION TO RETIRE.

� UNIVERSITY NAMED A “MILITARY FRIENDLY SCHOOL” BY VICTORY MEDIA.

� ARNOLD & GERTRUDE BOUTELL GREENHOUSE/ SUSTAINABILITY CENTER DEDICATED.

• Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II is celebrated.

• Pope Benedict XVI resigns, the first pope to do so in 600 years.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 19

Forecasting Our Future:

SvSU's Second 5o Years

20 SVSU.EDU

Imagine you are standing in the Roberta Allen Reading Room on the fourth floor of Zahnow Library, gazing at a panoramic view of the campus courtyard. The year is 2063; what will you see? Will the courtyard be bustling with students between classes? Will “the Zoo,” as we know it, still stand as a housing complex? Will the students surrounding you be reading books, e-readers or something else not yet conceived?

SVSU’s founders could scarcely have imagined all of what comprises today’s campus and college life. As we look ahead to SVSU’s future, we would do well to remember our past.

We would not exist were it not for regional visionaries and philanthropists and their efforts to establish a college in 1963, a time when many thought that higher learning was unnecessary in the “Golden Triangle” of Saginaw, Bay City and Midland. After all, per capita incomes in the region were twice the national average at that time.

Meanwhile, that same year, a precocious freshman named Eric Gilbertson entered college in a neighboring state—dreaming, we guess, not about the tri-cities. Yet just 23 years after SVC’s founding, he made his way to this region and this university, via higher education career stops in his native Ohio and Vermont.

“In some ways, it’s remarkable what hasn’t changed,” he said. “It’s still about human intellectual and personal development. That comes from exposure to and working with highly dedicated scholars and educators. It’s still a very human business.”

Through the contributions of people such as Roberta Allen [former chairman of the board of the Allen Foundation of Midland, Mich.], Melvin Zahnow [one of the incorporators of Saginaw Valley College] and countless others across the alphabet, SVSU became the university we know today. Some of today’s reality resembles earliest predictions; much is quite different, so imagining Cardinal Country 50 years hence can be whimsical, but necessary at a time when much of what has been fundamental to universities is threatened, and when what universities offer never has been needed more.

Does the College of Tomorrow Include Classrooms?

Pundits’ prognostications concerning college and the higher education landscape are almost impossible to escape. Many forecast the demise or drastic downsizing of the traditional brick-and-mortar campus in favor of online teaching and

learning. Many of our nation’s most prominent colleges and universities are collaborating on MOOCs (massive open online courses)—an unknown acronym just a few years ago—and attracting attention far beyond the halls of academe, gaining coverage in popular newspapers, magazines and the like.

Will tomorrow’s students pay for college courses when they can watch online lectures for free? Conversely, will universities pay for professors when they can access teaching content without them? College leaders must carefully consider such questions.

A college president for more than 30 years, Gilbertson has seen the undeniable effects of computers and other devices on education. He views them as learning aids, not replacements for teachers.

“Technology is a means; it’s not an end,” he said. “Nothing has changed more than libraries, for example. Libraries used to be repositories of musty, old books and places you went to meet your date. Now it’s an information center. That doesn’t mean we don’t need human beings. In fact, we need more and better reference librarians. Technology serves us well when it connects people, not when it separates them or makes the experience less intensely human.”

Authors aplenty predict that colleges and universities as we know them will soon become obsolete, arguing who needs a classroom, let alone a dorm room, when professors’ lectures are easily accessible online?

“I think a lot of the people who believe that haven’t really looked in on a class of freshmen lately,” Gilbertson said. “I’m not certain they would do well sitting at home in their jammies typing on laptops.”

Dylan Kosaski, 20, realizes his youth renders predictions for 2063 almost absurd, but the personal reasons the biochemistry major from Stanwood, Mich., chose to attend SVSU sound similar to those expressed by the college-bound of any era.

“I wanted to develop myself, not only in the classroom, but to create my own

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 21

“I wanted to develop myself, not only in the classroom, but to create my own experiences and expand my own horizons.”

Dylan Kosaski, Student Association President

experiences and expand my own horizons,” the Student Association president said. “Moving away from home and doing things for myself really drew me here.”

That draw must continue for SVSU’s continued health.

College 2063: Who Can Afford It? Having the desire to go off to college and having the means to do it often can be at odds.

Today’s college financing model is largely built on borrowing. State and federal support for public colleges and universities, and the students who attend them, has declined dramatically, forcing most students and their families to take out loans to pay for education. This has led many to predict (some rather loudly) that the student loan “bubble” is the next to burst, similar to the mortgage crisis that affected so many,

22 SVSU.EDU

particularly in Michigan.

Gilbertson sees this development as the product of two troublesome trends: the erosion of public financial support and the discussion of a college education as a private benefit rather than a public good.

“There has been a dramatic transformation over the past couple decades,” he said.

“Twenty years ago the state was paying nearly 70 percent of our total operating costs; now it’s about 22 percent.

There has been a dramatic shift in terms of public policy in this state—and other states, too, I might add—in terms of who

pays the cost of higher education. Should it be seen as a social good paid from tax sources, or is it primarily an individual benefit?

“I’ve been dismayed that there has been no [genuine], serious thought given to that shift. No one sat back 20 years ago and said, ‘Gee, let’s have students and their parents pay a much greater share of this.’ It happened because of annual incremental decisions as state legislators and governors tried to balance their budgets. This has led to an unarticulated, undebated public policy shift of fairly dramatic proportions.”

And with dramatic consequences to family finances. Yet many continue to pursue higher education, because desirable job prospects without it are increasingly slim.

Will the Careers of Tomorrow Require College Degrees?

The decline of public support comes at a time when nearly all workforce forecasts point to a college education becoming increasingly indispensable for employment in the years to come.

The Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce is projecting nearly 1.58 million job openings in Michigan from 2010-2020; nearly 69 percent of those require education beyond high school, and one-third will require at least a bachelor’s degree.

Among the current labor force, the June 2013 unemployment rate nationwide for those with at least a bachelor’s degree was 3.9 percent, while high school grads were unemployed at nearly twice that rate at 7.6 percent.

The gap was even wider in Michigan—4.4 percent for those with at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 9.4 percent for persons with a high school diploma.

Education increases earnings, too. In Michigan, jobs requiring only a high school diploma report a median wage around $13 per hour, while occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree report an average wage of $24 per hour.

Of course, such data speaks only to practical benefits of a college degree, not the intangible benefits of being educated. (Gilbertson argues the latter deserves more attention, in his chapter in Presidential Perspectives, “Responding to the Commoditization of Higher Education,”

available online at presidentialperspectives.org.)

As greater Bay City, Midland and Saginaw work together as the Great Lakes Bay Region to improve their collective condition and retain and recruit new businesses, leaders in many walks of life increasingly point to SVSU as a vital element of the region’s prosperity. Similarly, what is good for the region is good for SVSU. “We bear the name of a region,” Gilbertson said. “That isn’t a limiting factor, but it is in some ways a defining factor. We can’t be a captive of a geographic spot on a map, but we draw strength and we draw creative ideas and we draw support from this region and, in turn, we give back to this region.

“The most important way in which we serve the region is the preparation of alumni who will serve the businesses, health care and educational institutions, social service agencies and governments of this region.”

SVSU: Maintaining Our Market Niche Technology, finances and labor demand all will undoubtedly influence SVSU and its leaders in the years and decades to come. Such larger forces are beyond their control, but maintaining what distinguishes SVSU is not.

Kosaski hopes future students enjoy an experience similar to his.

“I personally enjoy the small campus feel,” he said. “I like the idea of going to class and every time you walk from one place to another you say ‘hi’ to someone you recognize, but I also like that at the same time, you’re seeing new faces every day.”

He is also invested in campus traditions such as Battle of the Valleys, through which students raise money for local charitable causes and build school spirit in the process.

“It’s one of our bigger traditions, one that not only students but the community can recognize. Student Association started it 11 years ago. To see that continue to another 50 years or more would be awesome.”

At the governing level, Jeff Martin, public affairs leader for The Dow Chemical Company and chair of SVSU’s Board of Control, says preserving and enhancing the institution’s best features are at the forefront of the board’s thoughts,

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 23

particularly during the pending presidential transition. (See “Presidential Search Advisory Committee, Consulting Firm Selected,” page 25.)

“We want the character of SVSU to remain intact,” he said.

“We want students to receive a quality education; that comes first. At the same time, we want to see growth, perhaps not in terms of enrollment, but in strengthening relationships with our communities, regional employers and organizations to capitalize on all the assets our region has to offer and in continuing to cultivate support from donors.

“We can’t lose sight of Lansing, either. The backing of our legislators is critical. The board has an important responsibility; we need to select a president that can excel in all of these areas. We appreciate the faculty, staff, students

SVSU Board of Control chair, Jeffrey T. Martin with President Eric R. Gilbertson

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and alumni who are serving on the search advisory committee and others who care about SVSU and are sharing their thoughts with us.”

Gilbertson knows the day-to-day demands of running the university soon will fall to someone else, and unanticipated challenges are certain to arise. As he sees it, though, in some ways, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

“I still think the bread-and-butter business of the university—the teaching of undergraduates—is likely to remain an intensely human and social exercise,” Gilbertson said. “We are social beings, and I don’t see that changing dramatically. If it does, then human beings will have to change a good bit, too, and that hasn’t happened much since we were kicked out of the Garden of Eden.”

Presidential Search Advisory Committee, Consulting Firm Selected

President Eric R. Gilbertson has announced his intention to retire from SVSU. On July 11, the SVSU Board of Control appointed members to serve on a presidential search advisory committee and agreed to hire a consulting firm to assist with the search process. The board selected AGB Search, a consulting firm based in Washington,

D.C., that specializes in higher education executive searches.

The search advisory committee is chaired by David Abbs, an SVSU alumnus (1983, B.B.A.) and immediate past chair of the Board of Control. “We appreciate President Gilbertson’s willingness to continue as president until his successor is chosen,” Abbs said. “Our students,

alumni, faculty and staff and our region have benefitted greatly from his leadership. As we celebrate SVSU’s 50th anniversary, I am impressed that Eric has been at the helm for nearly half of the university’s existence—an era which has seen tremendous growth and improvement.”

Joining David Abbs on the committee: • Scott Carmona (1981, B.S.), Board of Control member • Mitzi Dimitroff, community representative who is the owner of RDS Management and a past chair of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce • David Gamez, Board of Control member • Deborah Huntley, dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology • James Jaime (1984, B.A.), a community representative who is the owner of Michigan Pipe and Valve • Dr. K. P. Karunakaran, past Board of Control member and current chair of the SVSU Foundation board • Dylan Kosaski, a biochemistry major from Stanwood and president of the SVSU Student Association • Bob Lane, professor of political science and immediate past president of the SVSU Faculty Association • Joseph Ofori-Dankwa, professor of management and Harvey Randall Wickes Endowed Chair in International Studies • David Ramaker, a community representative who is chairman, chief executive officer and president of Chemical Bank • Elizabeth Rich, professor of English and chair of the SVSU honors program • Linda Sims, past Board of Control member and current member of the SVSU Foundation board of directors • Jenee Velasquez, Board of Control member • Michael Watson, SVSU director of athletics • Leola Wilson, former Board of Control member • Jerome Yantz, Board of Control member

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 25

The world in

2050 Three SVSU professors who teach and research demography, globalization, natural resource demand and climate change discuss the conclusions in The World In 2050: Four Forces

Shaping Civilization’s Northern Future

In the Canadian prairies and the northern United States, agricultural land may produce more because of a longer growing season.

26 SVSU.edu

City dwellers will double in number by 2050, rising from 3.3 billion in 2007 to 6.4 billion.

The world’s rural population will peak at 3.5 billion in 2018 or 2019, then fall to 2.8 billion by 2050.

Africa will triple the size of its cities by 2050.

Asia will expand its urban body from 40 percent today to 70 percent by 2050.

From his third floor Curtiss Hall window, Kaustav Misra can see the SVSU of today, with its carefully landscaped lawns and the peaked roofs of pristine student apartments. But he can also see the world of 2050 on its way.

All he has to do is look in the mirror.

SVSU’s assistant professor of economics says the university’s origins in the everexpanding Kochville Township, coupled with the India native’s own arrival here in January 2011, offer the best evidence of how different the world—and by implication, the campus and the region— will look in less than four decades.

Misra is a product of that sort of demographic shift. In 2001, his pursuit of an education in a more-developed nation led him to leave India for America, where he later accepted a teaching position at SVSU after earning his doctorate at Mississippi State University.

The stories of Misra and SVSU, in this way, are intertwined and emblematic of something larger, he says. The trend they’ve followed, after all, isn’t confined to the growing township outside the assistant professor’s window.

“These are issues [globalization, urbanization] that are going to affect the entire world,” Misra says.

He isn’t alone in this thinking. Such predictions are outlined in The World In 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization’s Northern Future, a book penned by Dow Visiting Scholar Laurence C. Smith.

The scope of Smith’s book—which he plans to discuss in November when he arrives for SVSU’s Fall Focus lecture series—reaches beyond the state of agriculture and urbanization.

The book attempts to forecast how the world will evolve physically, socially and economically from factors including demography, demand for natural resources, globalization and climate change.

Engaged Educators

The science and statistics Smith explores aren’t “wild” by any stretch of

Laurence C. Smith’s presentation at SVSU The World In 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization’s Northern Future

7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall the imagination, experts such as Misra say.

After all, SVSU—in addition to inviting the author of The World In 2050 to campus— employs faculty whose own research invigorates their teaching and validates many of the book’s premises.

“Your most important job is to keep [students] alive in the classroom,” Misra notes on the challenge of communicating scholarship, where humor can play a role.

“You have to teach in a way students feel connected,” he said. “Then, you start bringing concepts to the table.”

Faculty at SVSU have written research papers on urbanization and globalization, sent students home to study the reality synthesized as statistics in Smith’s book, and led study abroad trips providing upclose looks at global evidence supporting the text’s findings.

In fact, SVSU’s faculty and students could play a role in helping the world adapt to the changes Smith forecasts.

information accrued during years of study—along with a two-year, globespanning trip to conduct research—to examine how civilization could be shaped by four factors: demography, demand for natural resources, globalization and climate change.

The latter factor, in particular, could provide SVSU’s home state with some benefits.

To better illustrate the potential local impact of climate change, Smith in his text details how rising temperatures are changing the game in one of the coldest corners of the world.

He describes the evolving diet of residents in Greenland, where melting ice in recent years cut down the country’s seal hunting industry by 75 percent. While one trade suffered, another thrived. Acreage that once offered a bed for icebergs now nurtures fields of green potatoes, radishes and broccoli.

The Earth’s warming, Smith explains, is changing the agricultural landscape, providing “longer growing seasons [that] boost current crops and perhaps allow introduction of new ones.”

Michigan farmers could be among those in an advantageous position, Smith argues.

Among those who agree with him is SVSU’s Rhett Mohler, assistant professor of geography.

Mohler is versed on the topics covered

by The World In 2050. Since completing research for his master’s degree thesis on river channel changes, Mohler has

Farming the Fringes

Smith, UCLA’s vice chairman of geography and professor of earth and space sciences, is a respected climate analyst with a plethora of accomplishments and academic endorsements.

In The World In 2050, he uses the

Kaustav Misra

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 27

continued his study of geomorphology, which follows the kinds of landform changes outlined in Smith’s book.

He deals with demography and climate change in his World Regional Geography and Physical Geography courses.

The Kansas State University Ph.D. says other academics share many of Smith’s ideas, including the prediction that climate change could boost Michigan farming. And given that the Great Lakes Bay Region and the Thumb make up one of Michigan’s largest farming regions, that boost would hit close to home.

“In the Canadian prairies and the northern United States, most likely what you would see is existing agricultural land that might be able to produce a little more because of a slightly longer growing season,” Mohler says. “How long you can have a crop in the ground usually correlates with yield.”

Both Misra and Mohler agree that any gains in agricultural ability won’t result in the expansion of traditional farming, though, because a different force outlined in The World In 2050 is pulling the population in another direction.

The Developing World

SVSU Professor of Geography Evelyn Ravuri says the continued rise of urbanization is undeniable. And, at least

for the foreseeable future, unstoppable.

“You won’t have any population specialists who will disagree with that,” says the Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati who joined SVSU in 2004.

“Urbanization is going to continue to occur in the developing world, even though fertility levels are coming down.

Rhett Mohler displays an aerial photo from space in his office.

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The best jobs and the best lifestyle are in the cities.”

As part of her research, Ravuri has studied U.S. census data and notes that evidence urbanization won’t slow down anytime soon is available on the other side of the planet as well. Ravuri has traveled to more than a dozen countries in the past few years, including countries in Asia. There, some of the oldest cultures are abandoning centuries-old agricultural leanings.

“China, until the late ’80s, had a system where you could not live in a city unless you had city residency,” she says. “It was like a passport to live in the cities. [Chinese authorities] wanted rural people to live in rural areas. But when you have the economic development and growth that

In 2009, Evelyn Ravuri co-led a study abroad trip to Costa Rica. Ravuri is lower left.

occurs, that’s going to pull more people into the cities.”

The migration is under way worldwide, Smith’s book states.

“This urban shift is driving major demographic changes around the globe,” he writes. “City dwellers are projected to roughly double in number by 2050, rising from 3.3 billion in 2007 to 6.4 billion in 2050.”

For example, Smith predicts Africa will triple the size of its cities by 2050 and Asia will expand its urban body from 40 percent today to 70 percent over the same span.

Economics support such a demographic shift, Ravuri says.

“We pave over our farmland, we want our cities to grow,” she says, “because, if

you take a piece of farmland or a building, which one brings more money in?”

The answer is a building, Ravuri says, and it’s likely that will remain the case as long as urban-based consumers can afford residency there.

There’s a danger that cities spreading out over land eventually could displace enough agriculture so that costs for necessities such as food would become too expensive for urbanites, she says.

That’s when consumer demand could reverse the urbanization trend, or at least change the nature of the growth.

“If energy costs go up, if we need to pay more for food supplies, we may have to start infilling; perhaps pulling it back, retracting a little, and having a more dense

population,” Ravuri says. “Cities could become more compact.”

For now, though, cities will move outward, Smith writes. The result will be a receding of the agronomic life.

The urbanization trend is something Ravuri teaches in her World Regional Geography course, which deals with a number of subjects discussed in The World In 2050, including how population growth affects the environment.

“In a global economy, and with globalization and all the issues we hear batted around, it’s surprising not every college student is required to take at least one world geography course, because it deals with the global economy, migration patterns, transportation, environmental issues and so many different things.”

Ravuri also encourages her students to learn things for themselves – through travel because “it lends a more personal feel than just reading something in a textbook.”

Her Introduction to Physical Geography course, meanwhile, explores climate change.

The Pittsburgh native’s research also touches on subjects Smith addresses in the text. Ravuri has authored articles dealing with economic factors leading to migration. In 2009, she led students

SVSU students research wind energy in Pioneer Hall.

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on a study abroad trip to Costa Rica—a visit she says showcased connections between globalization and the environment.

“He brought it all together,” Ravuri said of the topics Smith touches on. “If you came to one of our classes—any of our general education classes—these would all be things we would be reading about.”

WINDS OF CHANGE

At an annual engineering symposium, students demonstrate and exhibit solar energy research projects.

Taylor Rupp (biology major) and Alaina Nunn (biochemistry major) engage in research through the Saginaw Bay Environmental Science Institute. Here they are identifying populations of macroinvertebrates in an effort to assess overall water quality.

30 SVSU.EDU

Smith in his book contemplates how society will continue to seek new energy sources to keep light bulbs aglow, refrigerators cold and vehicles moving.

The World In 2050 imagines a civilization both with more electricity needs and “an assortment of strange new liquid fuels.”

One of the alternative energy sources Smith suggests includes a substitute for producing ethanol. SVSU researched such possibilities in recent years.

Chris Schilling, recently-retired SVSU Strosacker Chair in Engineering, in the 2000s began conducting studies that led to a student-managed project that installed a biomass pellet furnace fueled by dried corn kernels at the Good Neighbors Mission in Saginaw.

His research at one point determined two acres of corn—that same crop still growing near SVSU’s campus today—could heat the average home. And for less than half the cost of electricity.

Smith’s book predicts two of the fastestgrowing energy sectors today—wind- and solar-powered—could play a crucial role in how the world works in 2050.

Mohler is familiar with that theory.

The SVSU geography educator considers the study of land-cover change using remote sensing imagery his academic specialty. This fall, his Remote Sensing course examines the essentials of satellite image and air photo interpretation. Such skills are used to develop maps identifying the best locations for technology dependent on particular environments.

In Mohler’s office are two such maps, provided by the U.S. Department of Energy’s

National Renewable Energy Laboratory, showing wind velocity measurements in Michigan. The printouts display a blend of colors representing different levels of wind rates. Deep red means faster winds while whiter shades indicate buffered speeds.

Not far from SVSU, near Michigan’s Thumb, are the state’s largest patches of red-colored regions, where many wind turbines have been erected in recent years.

“Michigan is attractive for wind [energy],” Mohler says. “There are some real possibilities here.”

He says the state’s advantage is the virtual wind factory surrounding its land. The Great Lakes, Mohler says, provides a perfect runway for air.

“The wind blows harder when there’s nothing in the way, and out on the water, there’s nothing to stop it,” the assistant professor says. “The same could be said of this area in the Saginaw Valley.

“In places to the south and east, and out on the Thumb, for example, where the land is relatively flat and there’s nothing to stop the wind, there’s quite a bit of potential.”

As with Schilling’s work, SVSU has experimented with real world applications for wind and solar research. In 2009, four students built a wind and solar charging station used to power an electric golf cart on the campus. The initiative involved installing four solar panels that generated 800 watts, along with a 12-foot-tall wind

turbine that produced 400 watts with the help of 46-inch-long blades.

The Great Lakes Debate

The Great Lakes could contribute as a valuable resource in other ways by 2050, Smith writes.

The book contemplates how climate change will wear on the world’s water supply even more than it does today.

The author points out how some solutions to the problem could involve large-scale engineering projects that replenish dry regions with water from wetter regions miles and miles away. He cites specifically a $62 billion, decadeslong re-engineering of China’s river networks to send water from south to north.

The World In 2050 recalls how leaders in the past have considered similar projects that targeted the Great Lakes as a source for drier

Rachel Peterson (medical laboratory science major), examines a water sample that will be assessed quantitatively for water clarity.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 31

Laurie Reed, SVSU physics lecturer, will host Smith in one of her fall meteorology classes to discuss climate change. Of Smith’s research, Reed comments, “People don’t want to hear this stuff, but he’s very correct when he says that the subjects of resource management and climate change must be accepted and discussed and not swept under the carpet.”

corners of the United States.

Mohler says that while the Great Lakes remain an exceptional resource for the states sharing a shoreline with the water, the potential environmental hazards attached to undertaking such a large-scale engineering project likely would outweigh the benefits.

“There’s obviously going to be strong opposition to that kind of thing, so it’s anybody’s guess as to who wins out,” he writes.

Economically, however, the lakes could benefit Michigan, SVSU’s Misra says.

As the world population booms, it further strains the water supply. The Great Lakes, which hold 21 percent of the planet’s fresh water, could place further importance on Michigan and the region and its “blue gold.”

“The water demand is going to be there,” Misra says of the future. “If we play that game well, we could earn money, not from gasoline, but from water.”

Scientists caution a careful balance of exploration and conservation.

Improving water quality is key to the

32 SVSU.EDU

real value of the Great Lakes; value that is both economical as well as related to the quality of life of residents and visitors, experts say.

The new Saginaw Bay Environmental Science Institute, housed at and led

by SVSU, is focused on the Saginaw Bay watershed. The institute’s work is geared toward water quality issues and restoration efforts.

“We find ourselves surrounded by a natural laboratory, and the Saginaw Bay Environmental Science Institute was developed to provide enhanced opportunities for research and education focused on this rich environment,” says Deborah Huntley, dean of SVSU’s College of Science, Engineering & Technology.

“Students and faculty from biology, chemistry and geography are actively engaged in multidisciplinary projects that serve the region while enhancing student learning and research,” she adds. “The institute draws upon a tradition of water quality research at SVSU and fosters collaborations with many community and regional partners.”

The Baby Boom Boon

Ravuri said beginning in the 1950s warmer states such as Florida and Arizona experienced an increase in population when older citizens relocated there to escape the chillier temperatures of northern America.

Soon, the opposite effect could send those southern crowds back north if the warmer states continue to grow downright hot, the professor maintains.

“We see that in Michigan already in coastal regions around Lake Michigan,” she notes.

If such a migration builds momentum, one particular demographic—the Baby Boom generation—could boost the state’s falling population, she said.

“They’re the real wild card,” Ravuri says of those born in the years immediately after World War II. “If Florida, Arizona and California—and maybe some of those mountain states—become too dry or hot and air conditioning doesn’t do it for them, we could see the Baby Boomers come here.”

Of Smith’s research, Reed comments, “People don’t want to hear this stuff, but he’s very correct when he says that the subjects of resource management and climate change must be accepted and discussed and not swept under the carpet.”

SVSU students built a wind and solar-charging station used to power an electric golf cart on campus.

She says that trend could begin within 10 years.

“The fattest part of that Baby Boom was born in 1955, and they’re still in their 50s right now,” Ravuri says. “They’re not mobile right now. Once they get into that retirement age, we may see some movement here.”

Their presence also would cause spin-off migration from younger demographics that work in the service industries that typically locate near older residents, she says.

The combination could help Michigan slow, stop or reverse the population decline the U.S. Census Bureau has documented since the 1980s, the professor says.

The drain has proven bad enough that Michigan was the only one of the 50 states to experience a decline between 2000 and 2010, when the state experienced a net loss of 54,804 residents.

“I think we’ll see us go into the positive numbers in the next couple of decades, though,” Ravuri says.

Accepting the Science

SVSU educators who have read Smith’s book agree its 322 pages document findings in line with modern science and economics.

“Nothing in [the book] is wild by any stretch of the imagination,” Mohler says.

“It’s all the state of the science as it is right

now. It really summed up things I teach in my classes.”

He acknowledges there is some contention in political circles over whether climate change is, in fact, happening. But Mohler says many of Smith’s findings are largely accepted in scientific circles.

“In any scientific debate, it’s no debate whatsoever,” Mohler says. “Knowing the climate is changing, mostly to get warmer, is simply a matter of measuring.”

Lawmakers aren’t the only solution to the problems Smith’s book poses, Misra says.

He has a hand in one of the university resources dedicated to finding innovative answers to tomorrow’s questions. Misra serves on the committee for SVSU’s grantawarding Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Student Research and Creativity Institute, which in 2009 dedicated $9,777 to a student project that created the wind and solar-charging station used to power an electric golf cart on campus.

“There needs to be research dedicated to finding solutions, and I think both the public and private sector should engage in this endeavor,” Misra says.

“There’s so much at stake.”

Laurence C. Smith’s SVSU presentation, “The World In 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization’s Northern Future,” is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 33

George W. Bush

Jennifer Granholm

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John Engler

Special Guests

SharE Insights & Expertise Since its inception, SVSU has stayed true to its mission of serving as a cultural, educational and intellectual resource to the region, in part by arranging for prominent and distinguished guests to visit campus and share their insights and expertise. We take a fond look back at the who’s who of celebrities, public servants, dignitaries and entertainers who have added value to the classroom or to the stage—some of them serious, some of them fun, all of them part of our life on campus.

From the realm of statecraft and public service (sometimes known as politics) governors, senators, aspiring office holders

and their fellow travelers—even ambassadors and prime ministers—have graced our halls and elevated our thoughts with sometimes soaring rhetoric. The campus was first visited by a governor in 1967; but who would have thought that within three short years former Canadian prime minister John Diefenbaker would also offer a commencement address—or that as recently as 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient David Trimble, the former first minister of Northern Ireland, would be meeting with students? George Bush fils and Rosalynn Carter both visited campus on the way to the White House; Michigan governors Romney, Milliken, Blanchard, Engler and

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 35

Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray

Granholm either spoke at graduation ceremonies or held public forums, with Governor Blanchard personally bringing greetings from the state at the installation of SVSU’s third president, Eric Gilbertson, in 1989. And James P. Churchill (no relation to Winston) came as well. Currently a United States federal judge, the Imlay City native was quoted as saying: “Vote for me on April 5 [and] I’ll work hard for you in the years to come.” He won election that year.

The swift and the strong have also made appearances to enthusiastic crowds. Barry Sanders and the Detroit Lions started training on campus in 1996, with the team maintaining its summer camp at SVSU until 2001. Isaiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons held training camp at the

36 SVSU.EDU

Ryder Center in the waning years of the Bad Boys’ era from 1991 to 1992, and basketball great Bill Walton visited as well—not to block shots or score like a machine but to give a motivational speech on dedication, perseverance, flexibility and teamwork. Popular entertainers have also “kicked it up a notch” at the Ryder Center and elsewhere on campus.

Country music legend Neal McCoy performed “No Doubt About It” and other hits in 1998, and Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray rocked the Ryder Center in 2002. And who can forget pop punk band Plain White T’s and their number one hit song “Hey There Delilah”? Ludacris came as well, rapping to nearly 5,000 fans in a sold-out concert.

Public intellectuals promoting their latest tomes and

Maya Angelou

providing provocative ideas to thoughtful students have also been well represented. Many of these renowned public policy analysts and noted historians have visited under the auspices of the Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists program, which was established in 1996. The roster of Dow Visiting Scholars and Artists has included then-serving Secretary of State George Mitchell, presidential historian Michael Beschloss, and former administrator of the Soviet Space Program, Sergei Khrushchev. Often centered around a theme, the Dow Visiting Scholars symposia was reorganized a mere 10 years ago on the occasion of the university’s 40th anniversary celebration when Sergei Khrushchev, the son of Nikita and an eyewitness to the origins of the Cold War, inaugurated the lecture series

“1963: Why It Still Matters.” Khrushchev was joined that year by other distinguished Dow Scholars, including former Virginia governor L. Douglas Wilder and Taylor Branch, the Pulitzer Prize winning historian of the civil rights movement. Since then, other public intellectuals examining the issues of the day have included Laurie Garrett, Michael Ruse and Walter Isaacson, to name a few.

Internationally acclaimed authors and poets have often spent time on our campus either as Dow Visiting Artists or as award recipients of the SVSU Board of Fellows Triennial Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Prize. Hailed as a global Renaissance woman, Maya Angelou visited in 2004 and taught students “why the caged bird sings.” Chilean novelist Isabel

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 37

Gladys Nilsson

Robert Edsel

Allende visited the following year, offering a dazzling lecture on her life and a sobering discussion with students on the overthrow in 1973 of the government of her uncle, Chilean president Salvador Allende. Best-selling novelist Ken Follett has made public presentations on campus on two occasions: in 2004, when he dedicated his archives at the Melvin J. Zahnow Library, and in 2007, when he received a standing ovation following his commencement address. The list goes on and includes three-term poet laureate Robert Pinsky, who received the Roethke Memorial Poetry Prize in 2008; historian and biographer James Bradley, who authored Flags of our Fathers; and philanthropist and art preservationist Robert Edsel, whose book, The Monuments Men, will soon be turned into a film starring George Clooney and Cate Blanchett.

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Vítěslav Černoch

Practitioners of the fine arts have made SVSU a destination as well. With two first-rate galleries on campus, the university has come a long way from the days when local artists exhibited their nudes in the lobby of the ’68 Building, which served as the first public space for art at SVSU. In more recent decades, Gladys Nilsson, a founding member of the Chicago Hairy Who, spoke on the “Pursuit of Amuse” and exhibited her work in the University Art Gallery, as did Judy Baca, public muralist extraordinaire whose community arts project in the 1970s culminated in the world’s longest mural, “The Great Wall of Los Angeles,” at some 2,400 feet. Other famous artists, such as Paul Zweitnig-Rotterdam, have exhibited at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in conjunction with the university’s 50th.

May Phang

James Bradley

Now in its 20th season and also part of the anniversary celebration, the Rhea Miller Concert Series has treated local lovers of classical music to the highest standards of international quality, bringing outstanding soloists to SVSU such as pianist May Phang, guitarist Javier Calderón, and violinist Vítěslav Černoch.

But the past, as they say, is merely prologue. The university is already engaged in presenting a dynamic arts, lecture and educational season in fall 2013, with luminaries such as Eugenia Zukerman, Mira Nair and Laurence C. Smith still on the docket.

(See news article on page 14.) As part of our mission of serving as a resource for economic understanding, the university will host a “50th Anniversary Economic Summit.” Andrew Liveris, president, chairman and chief executive officer of The Dow

Judy Baca talking with art faculty Mike Mosher.

Chemical Company, will offer the keynote address at the Oct. 25 lunchtime presentation. And for those who seek a bit of lighter fare—some grand entertainment to escape the more unsettling issues of the day—the Music and Theatre departments will make use of a full orchestra, a large student ensemble cast of some 30 or more singers and dancers and approximately 150 costumes in the most elaborate production ever at SVSU: Mel Brooks’ “The Producers,” Nov. 20-24 in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts.

No one can predict what the future will hold, but of this we can be certain: SVSU will continue to host vibrant speakers, stimulating scholars, exciting entertainers and distinguished diplomats, not only during the 50th anniversary celebration this fall, but for decades to come.

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SVSU’s 50th Anniversary Economic Summit & Luncheon

keynote address Andrew Liveris Thursday, Oct. 25 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Curtiss Hall Banquet Rooms For tickets call the SVSU box office (989) 964-4261

Andrew N. Liveris, an advocate for the criticality of manufacturing to the long-term health of a nation’s economy, will offer the keynote address at SVSU’s “50th Anniversary Economic Summit” Thursday, Oct. 25. The luncheon is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Banquet Rooms in Curtiss Hall.

Liveris is the president, chairman and chief executive officer of The Dow Chemical Company, a $57 billion global specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics company based in Midland, Mich. He is also the author of Make It in America: The Case for Re-inventing the Economy, a book that was hailed by the New York Journal of Books as a “must read for policy makers and forecasters of economic trends.” Brief, clear and written in a highly personalized style, Make It in America presents a comprehensive set of practical policy solutions and business strategies that have implications for the Great Lakes Bay Region.

Liveris’ 37-year career with The Dow Chemical Company has spanned roles in manufacturing, engineering, sales,

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marketing, business and general management. A native of Darwin, Australia, Liveris joined Dow in 1976 in Australia and spent a large portion of his career in Asia where his formative roles included 14 years in Hong Kong, general manager for the company’s operations in Thailand and president of all AsiaPacific operations. Liveris became a member of Dow’s Board of Directors in 2004 and was named CEO later that same year. He was elected chairman of the board in 2006.

As SVSU and the Great Lakes Bay Region become increasingly globally connected, Liveris’ argument for revolutionizing the U.S. economy has particular relevance, especially as we look ahead to the next five decades of economic development.

SVSU PROFILES Beginning with the fall 2011 issue, Reflections2013 counted down to the fall of 2013— our 50th anniversary—with five issues representing the five decades of SVSU’s history. In that edition two years ago, we informed our readers that we would offer 10 profiles in each issue of various people who have made a difference to the SVSU community. We intentionally avoided calling them the “top 50” simply because there are so many more than that who have mattered and made a difference to this institution.

We have tried to offer a variety of profiles running the gamut from well-known historical founders to recent alumni. Our faculty profiles have included “senior” and “junior” professors, and our staff members have showcased virtually every department and division on campus. These profiled individuals, photos of whom are shown on this page, are featured friends from across town as well as from around the world.

To them all, we say “thank you” for being a part of this amazing place.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 41

Remembering SVSU PROFILE

James E. O’Neill Jr.

The Epitome of Civility

Guest author Gene Hamilton is SVSU’s special assistant to the president for government relations.

Gene has served in many roles since he started at the university in 1969, the same year he met Jim O’Neill in Lansing.

J

ames E. O’Neill Jr. was called “Jimmy” wherever he went—in his hometown of Saginaw, in Lansing—just about any place.

He preferred “Jimmy” because

titles and status meant nothing to him. I recall fellow legislators, lobbyists and clerks greeting him as “Jim”—it was rare for anyone to address him as Representative O’Neill.

O’Neill was a schoolteacher in Hemlock, Mich., in his early years. He was also the principal of Hemlock Elementary School until 1966 when he decided to run for the Michigan House of Representatives.

O’Neill won that election and 13 more, serving until his retirement in 1994.

Probably because of his penchant for education, he served several years as the chairman of the Education Committee and, fortunately for SVSU, on the powerful Capital Outlay Committee.

On Nov. 4, 1994, O’Neill stood on a stage at center court of the “James E. O’Neill Jr.” arena in the Ryder Center.

More than 500 people had gathered that evening to honor his years of service to the Saginaw area and, in particular, to SVSU. At the celebration, it was announced that during his tenure in the Legislature, SVSU had undergone construction projects totaling nearly $100 million.

O’Neill enjoyed jokes and often poked fun at himself. In his dedication remarks, he suggested that maybe his name was displayed in removable tape and would be replaced by the name of someone more important upon his death. When

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someone shouted that his name was on the floor in paint, a former legislative colleague came to the stage with a power sander. The audience laughed and applauded as “Irish Jimmy” doubled up in laughter. In 1995, when he joined SVSU as the adviser for government relations, he was asked to pose for a photo for the directory. He mailed the photo to me with a note attached, reading, “Would you buy a used car from this man?”

O’Neill was a friend to all who came his way and was loved by all. My heart and the hearts of many in attendance at the January 1994 State of the State address were warmed when Gov. John Engler sought him out as he entered the House chamber that evening. The Republican governor embraced the long-time leader of House Democrats and thanked him for his friendship. No one was surprised by this expression of affection because it was well known that respect and love for O’Neill trumped all partisan divisions. One could say that O’Neill was the epitome of civility in a political environment where civility was often rare.

O’Neill’s imprints are all over the SVSU campus and embedded in the hearts of all who knew him. His spirit and memory are inspirations to those of us who continue with his legacy. And nobody has threatened to remove his name from the center circle of the James E. O’Neill Arena, with or without a power sander.

One could say that O’Neill was the epitome of civility in a political environment where civility was often rare.

James E. O’Neill Jr. (1920-2002) Education: • 1951 – CMU • 1958 – University of Michigan, master’s degree in education administration Career: • Teacher, Saginaw County Public Schools • Principal, Hemlock Elementary School • 1966–1994: Representative, Michigan House of Representatives Professional Accomplishments/Awards: • 1984 – Received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from SVSU • 1995 – Honored at Catholic Schools Hall of Fame • 2000 – Named chairman of the Saginaw County Vision 2020 • 2003 – James E. O’Neill Jr. Memorial Lecture Series established by

SVSU and Field Neurosciences Institute in his memory Philanthropy: • 1991 – Established the James E. O’Neill Jr. Scholarship at SVSU • 1999 – Received Donor Certificate from SVSU for 10 consecutive years of charitable giving

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Remembering SVSU PROFILE

William A. Groening JR. My Greatest Accomplishment

By late 1963, Saginaw Valley College had been established through a private charter at a cost of $250,000. In order to secure the financial future of the fledgling four-year institution, an area fundraising campaign was initiated, led by two early pledges of $1 million each from the Harvey Randall Wickes Foundation and the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. An additional $2 million would be needed as a condition to make SVC a public institution. The chairman of the board at that time, William Groening, explained in a 2005 interview what happened next:

W

e got the college started with 100 students in the fall of ’64; then we decided the next step was to see if we could raise the other $2 million because we couldn’t touch the Dow and Wickes pledges. We appointed Bill Edwards, manager of a local TV station, as our chairman of the campaign.

One day, about the first of April [1965], Sam [Marble] called me and said he just had a call from Bill Boos [state representative from Saginaw]. He said, “Would you like to go to Lansing with me to have breakfast with Bill tomorrow morning?” I said, “yes.” At the breakfast, Bill reached into his pocket and pulled out a bill that he would introduce to the Legislature, establishing what he called Saginaw Bay State College. He couldn’t use the name “Saginaw Valley” because it already existed. There were conditions, one of which was we had to have the $4 million of private money by the 30th of June.

We made a lot of contacts. I remember one that Bill Collings [recently retired president of Dow Corning] and I made to the Strosacker Foundation. Jim Arnold [president of the Strosacker Foundation] called and asked how the campaign was going. I told him it was slow and he asked, “Would $100,000 help?” I said, “It sure would.” After that, the money started flowing in.

On the 29th of June, we were still $300,000 short. On June 30, I had to go to New York with Carl Gerstacker [chairman

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of The Dow Chemical Company] on Dow business. When we came back, about six o’clock, I was getting off the plane and a man came out and said, ‘’Here is a letter for you.’’ It was from Sam Marble and it said, “We’re over the top, and we’re having a celebration at the Bancroft Hotel [in downtown Saginaw]. Your presence is obligatory.”

Sam and I went to Lansing on July 22 for the signing ceremony to establish the college. Gov. [George] Romney was very supportive of our efforts. After the meeting, he said to us, “Come into my office and we’ll talk about your board of control.” We had 12 on the board but Michigan colleges had to have eight. So that meant we were going to have to reduce the number.

I wrote up biographical information and he appointed eight: two from Midland, Dorothy Arbury and myself; from Saginaw, Maurice Brown and Mel Zahnow; Jean Treadway and Charles Curtiss from Bay County; Judge Wade McCree from the Detroit area; and Herbert Fox, assistant superintendent of schools in Alpena.

In the early days, there was great concern whether we’d make it. It wasn’t very smooth sailing at all, but the problems became more solvable as we went along.

I didn’t realize at the time that this was the greatest accomplishment in my life.

Of all my extracurricular projects, SVSU was the most rewarding.

Virginia and William Groening attended the dedication of Groening Commons in 1997.

William A. Groening (1912-2008) Education: • 1936 – University of Michigan (J.D.) Career: • 1937 – Joined the legal department of The Dow Chemical Company • 1951 – Promoted to Assistant General Counsel • 1968 – Promoted to General Counsel • 1971 – Elected Corporate Vice President • 1972 – Elected to Dow Chemical Finance Committee • 1961 – 1977: Director and Corporate Secretary, Dow Corning Corporation Professional Accomplishments/Awards: • 1963 – First Chairman of the Board of Control, Saginaw Valley College • 1965 – Re-elected Chairman of the Board of Control when SVC became a state college • 1974 – Received an Honorary Degree [Doctor of Law] from SVSC • 1977 – Elected to SVSU Foundation Board of Directors Philanthropy: • Rotary Club of Midland • Director, Catholic Family Services of the Diocese of Saginaw • Director and President, Midland Area Board • 1990 – Established scholarship now known as William & Virginia Groening Memorial Scholarship • 2001 – 25-year SVSU donor certificate

Groening Commons

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 45

Remembering SVSU PROFILE

Rhea E. Miller A Long-time Friend in Rhea

Guest author Marc Peretz is associate provost and former chair of the Department of Music. He joined SVSU in 1989.

R

hea Miller was a longtime friend of SVSU who generously donated to the university. As a former music teacher and supervisor of music for the Saginaw Public Schools, Rhea had a special interest in the education of musicians and music teachers. She wanted to provide some support for the music program at SVSU but was unsure about the best way to do so. In 1992, Albert Beutler, executive director emeritus of development and SVSU Foundation, suggested to Miller that she meet with the fairly new chair of the department of music, who arranged a luncheon meeting at the Saginaw Club. This was my introduction to Rhea Miller, a woman whom I came to know as intelligent, gracious and thoughtful.

Miller asked me what was lacking in the education of our music and music education majors, and I told her that our students would be significantly impacted if they could hear outstanding professional musicians in live performance. A musician herself, Miller knew how important it is for aspiring musicians to have this kind of experience, and over the course of lunch we developed the idea for the Rhea Miller Concert Series. The series would bring to campus the finest musical artists who our students would not otherwise have the opportunity to hear in live performances.

The focus of the series would be on those performers who came from the

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upper Midwest. Miller funded the series, and three performances a year were presented during its first two seasons.

I met with Miller a couple of times a year at her home, where she always provided generous portions of Miller Ice Cream—the successful family business— to her guests. During one of these visits, toward the end of the second year of the series, I told her that we’d only be able to have two concerts the next year, because of increased costs. She responded that she wanted to schedule four concerts per year and consequently increased her funding for the series. To this day, the Rhea Miller Concert Series presents four concerts per year in a wonderful recital hall that bears Miller’s name.

At another of our meetings, Miller asked me what else the Department of Music needed to make it competitive with other programs in the state, and I told her that we were in need of music scholarships. When she asked why, I told her that when band directors at our sister colleges wanted an oboe player, for example, they would simply offer a promising student a scholarship.

When our band director wanted an oboe player, he could only pray that one might just walk through the door.

Miller got the point, and she arranged for the Department of Music to become a beneficiary of her estate, which eventually would fund up to 32 music scholarships per year.

Through Rhea Miller’s generosity, for 20 years the university has been able to present one of the premier chamber music series in this region of the country—at no cost to its audiences—and to impact the lives of numerous music and music education majors, enabling them to fulfill their dreams of an SVSU education.

Rhea Miller (1897-1997) Education: • Eaton Rapids High School • 1919 – Albion College, B.A. (music); 1924 – University of Michigan, A.B. Career: • 1926 – Moved to Saginaw County to teach vocal music and piano in the Saginaw public schools • Served as music supervisor in the Saginaw schools for 13 years and for 26 years as director of music education Professional Accomplishments/Awards: • 1988 – Received an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from SVSU • 1992 – Received the university’s Distinguished Service Medallion • 1998 – SVSU named new concert hall “Rhea Miller Recital Hall” Philanthropy: • 1995 – Established Rhea Miller Concert Series • 1996 – Established Rhea Miller Music Scholarship Program • 1998 – Estate contributed a grand piano to SVSU Rhea Miller Recital Hall

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 47

Remembering SVSU PROFILE

Herbert D. “Ted” Doan Engineering a Vision

Guest author Eldon Graham is director of SVSU’s engineering technology management program. In this article, he reminisces about his relationship with Ted Doan at The Dow Chemical Company and then subsequently about his connection to Ted through the university.

I

worked with Ted Doan on several projects during the time I was an engineer at Dow (1946–1970).

He was always interested in what research people were doing.

He’d go out of his way to find out and encourage them. He had a phenomenal memory for names, usually calling each person by their first name.

Doan was born in Midland and spent his life working on behalf of the company and the Midland area community. He was an unpretentious person who exemplified the Midwestern values of hard work, generosity, humility and genuine concern for others.

Starting in the 1950s, Doan talked about a regional university and the need to attract students as well as produce graduates for companies such as The Dow Chemical Company to hire.

He started pushing more aggressively for the sciences at SVSU in 1964, after the institution was formed. A science advisory committee met over the years and submitted three proposals [to the state] for an engineering program; all were turned down. Doan concluded that it wasn’t going to happen by committee and then suggested that a person be hired; that’s when I joined the university in 1970. With Doan’s

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vision, we started with the engineering technology program. He felt that the practical application of this program would do well to serve our students and help us in the big picture; and he was right. That program began in 1974. And in 1981, we began offering the four-year engineering program.

Doan seemed always to be a part of the university, but usually in ways that were behind-the-scenes. He was instrumental in helping secure funds for the Pioneer Hall of Engineering and Technology. That construction began in 1978.

When the Herbert Dow Doan Science Building was dedicated in 2001, Doan was so pleased with the recognition from the building being named for him.

Remember, he was a very humble man, so he didn’t like a lot of the accolades.

Still, he was very pleased. He invited a proverbial “who’s who” of national university presidents, industry leaders and scientists from coast to coast. Their attendance was an indication of the respect they had for him. They had come to our campus to recognize their friend, Ted Doan.

I think when Doan passed away in 2006, everyone who knew him thought they had lost a personal friend.

Herbert D. “Ted” Doan (1922-2006) Military Service: • Army Air Corps (meteorologist, WWII) Education: • Cranbrook Academy (High School) • 1949 – B.S., Cornell University Career: • 1950-1953: Dow Chemical Analyst • 1953-1956: Dow Chemical Executive in Charge of Research • 1956-1960: Dow Chemical Manager, Chemistry Department • 1960-1962: Dow Chemical Executive Vice President • 1962-1971: Dow Chemical President and CEO • 1964-2005: Michigan Molecular Institute Founder and Chairman • 1971 – Founder, Doan Associates • 1974 – Founder, Doan Resources Corporation Professional Accomplishments/Awards: • 1963 – Involved in the founding of SVSU (then SVC) with his father, Leland I. Doan • 1966 – Received an Honorary Degree [Doctor of Science] from SVC (first granted) • Co-Chairman of Governor Engler’s Venture Capital Task Force • President of the Michigan High Technology Task Force • Served on the National Science Board and on the Board of the Office of Technology Assessment in Washington • 2001 – Herbert Dow Doan Science Building named in his honor at SVSU Philanthropy: • 1987 – Became major supporter of SVSU • 1995 – Major contributor to Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum • 1996-2006: The Herbert H. and Grace A Dow Foundation: President and Chairman from 1996-2000; Chairman from 2000-2006. During his tenure, $5 million was granted to SVSU: $2.5 million for the Dow Visiting Scholars & Artists Endowment and $2.5 million for the Regional Education Center • 2005 – Major contributor to the Promise for Tomorrow Campaign (through Herbert & Junia Doan Foundation); served on Campaign Steering Committee

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 49

Remembering SVSU PROFILE

Fr ank “Muddy” Waters A Coach’s Legacy of Fairness

F

rank “Muddy” Waters was a strong believer in fairness.

Whether it was the way he coached and mentored his players, or how he directed a department, fairness was a key part of his philosophy of coaching and of life.

As a coach, Waters believed in allowing his players to “vote” on training rules. “You can’t expect players to follow rules they don’t own,” he would say. One year, he had to dismiss seven starters before a game against No. 1-ranked Northern Michigan for violating team rules. Waters’ team upset NMU; but what made him most proud was that the seven who were disciplined rushed onto the field after the game and carried some of their teammates back to the locker room on their shoulders.

Waters believed in principle. In 1956, well before passage of the Civil Rights Amendment, Waters’ Hillsdale College team earned a post-season invitation to play in the Tangerine Bowl. When bowl officials informed him that his AfricanAmerican players would not be allowed to participate, he asked his team to vote on whether to accept or decline the bid. Every player voted to withdraw from the game, demonstrating his philosophy of fairness on a national level.

Although his run as the Cardinals’ head football coach lasted only five seasons (1975 through 1979), Waters embraced the challenge to build a football program from scratch. Former Board of Control member Charles B. Curtiss was instrumental in convincing his SVC colleagues that starting an athletic program that included a football team was the best method to place the school “on the map.” In fact, when driving to Saginaw for his job interview, Waters

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Muddy Waters at his First Axe Bowl Victory on Nov. 12, 1977.

got lost and stopped at a gas station for directions; the attendant mistakenly sent him to Delta College. After finally reaching the right destination, Waters quipped to the board that his experience that morning was “exactly why you need to hire me!”

Water’s first challenge at SVSU was to establish a sports tradition. He had been at Hillsdale College where in his 20 seasons as head coach (1954-73) he compiled a record of 135-46-5. “My dad left Hillsdale because he was going to be able to build a football program the way he wanted it built,” his son, Frank “Murky” Waters, said. “Saginaw Valley gave him that opportunity. It wasn’t easy. He came here and there was no tradition, no upperclassmen.” According to Murky Waters, his father “always thought

Saginaw Valley was the toughest job he ever had because the program started from nothing.”

By the time of the first SVSU home game, the field had barely been completed. It had bleachers, but no press box. Reporters sat on the top row of the bleachers for the game and wrote on notepads pressed against their knees. Worse yet, there was no proper weight-training equipment for his players. Waters led a community effort and, helped by Saginaw Steering Gear and the local UAW members, purchased new Nautilus equipment for the team.

“Muddy was always innovative with different things,” his son said. “If there was a way to help the [SVSU] team he would find a way to make it happen.”

Frank “Muddy” Waters (1923-2006) Education: • The Choate School (college preparatory) • 1949 – Michigan State University Career: • 1950-1953 – Teacher, Football Coach; Walled Lake High School • 1953 – Teacher, Football Coach; Albion High School • 1953-1973 – Head Football Coach; Hillsdale College • 1975-1979 – Head Football Coach; Saginaw Valley State University • 1976-1979 – Athletic Director; Saginaw Valley State University • 1980-1982 – Head Football Coach; Michigan State University

Professional Accomplishments/Awards • 1957 – NAIA Coach of the Year • Michigan Coach of the Year (8 times) • 1992 – Michigan Sports Hall of Fame • 1997 – Hillsdale College Athletic Hall of Fame (inaugural class) • 1999 – Recipient of the Distinguished American Award by the Michigan Chapter of the National Football Foundation • NAIA Football Hall of Fame • 2000 – College Football Hall of Fame • 2003 – MSU’s Duffy Daugherty Award • 2009 – Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame (posthumously) • 2010 – Inaugural Class, SVSU Athletic Hall of Fame (posthumously)

Waters loved the game of football.

He earned four letters as a halfback and fullback at Michigan State University from 1946 to 1949. In a 1947 contest versus Santa Clara, when no other Spartan backs could effectively gain yardage on the wet field, Waters was able to set a singlegame rushing record with 31 carries.

Following the game, MSU All-American Johnny Pingel, who was an assistant coach, looked at Waters and said, “Nice game, ‘muddy’ …”—and the nickname stuck.

At SVSU, he compiled a record of 2526-2 and led the Cardinals to its first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in 1979. He also served as athletic director and, according to Murky Waters, “. . . was able to build a program that included scholarships for basketball, men and women, scholarships for track and wrestling and bowling.”

In 1980, Waters returned to his alma mater as head coach for three seasons. He retired from coaching following the 1982 season and passed away Sept. 20, 2006.

Waters believed in legacy. But if he were alive today, he would certainly not measure his contributions in terms of victories, championships or coach-ofthe-year awards, which were plentiful.

“Muddy was more about preparing young men for the future,” Murky Waters said.

“He knew the majority of his players weren’t going into the NFL. If they were going to succeed it was going to be in the classroom.”

As Waters would often say, “If you do things the right way, you will win.” That sounds like a fair way to describe a man who started something from nothing at SVSU and in more ways than one built winning traditions.

Muddy Waters at MSU as a running back in 1947.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 51

SVSU PROFILE

Sue Vititoe

Someone to be Reckoned With Guest author Marilyn Wheaton is the executive director of the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum.

I

first met Sue Vititoe in 1986 when she joined the Board of Directors of the Concerned Citizens for the Arts in Michigan and I was the executive director at that time.

I knew instinctively that she was a woman to be reckoned with. Her passion and compassion regarding community activism and the arts was obvious from that first encounter.

Years later, in 2006, when I was being interviewed for the position of director of the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, I asked Sue, as chair of the Board of Advisors, what was the number one priority for the museum. With profound determination she responded: “Accreditation!” So, it is likely no surprise that she was the first person I called when we received word on March 31, 2013, that the American Alliance of Museums had awarded accreditation to the museum. Sue’s sigh of relief was palpable. “This is the best news I’ve had as museum board chair. Accreditation moves the museum to a new level of public trust and accountability,” she proudly said.

Sue was first elected to the museum board in 1999 and became chair in 2003. Under her leadership, we have accomplished much. Obviously, Sue views the accreditation as our crowning achievement. But we would not be accredited were it not for many initiatives, strategic planning, programs,

events and exhibitions that we have conducted and offered under Sue’s tenure.

If behind every great man is a woman, then it is also fair to say that behind every great woman is a man and her family. Sue and Bill Vititoe now split their time between Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.; Seattle, Wash.; and Amelia Island, Fla. A little bit of the museum is in all three communities, as the Vititoes proudly display works of Marshall Fredericks. When not travelling to and from, Sue and Bill enjoy being with their three grandchildren, golfing, gardening, attending fundraising events and, of course, working on museum business.

In 2010, Sue received the university’s Distinguished Service Medallion, the most prestigious service award given to a friend or supporter of the university. I could not then, nor now, think of anyone more deserving.

Susan Hoover Vititoe Education: • 1956 – Straughn High School, Straughn, Ind. • 1960 – Indiana University, B.A. in English, Science and Home Economics • 1968 – Ball State University, M.A. in Clinical Psychology Career: • 1961 – Apprentice program for Vogue Company and later, fashion consultant for Baer, Styx & Fuller Co. • 1962-1969 – English, science and home economics teacher • 1971 – Completed the accredited docent program at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City Professional Accomplishments/Awards: Sue and Bill Vititoe have separately and collectively received many awards and honors. One of which Sue is particularly proud is SVSU’s 2010 Distinguished Service Medallion.

Volunteerism: • 1971-2012 – In New Jersey, Sue served on the board of Morris County Museum of Arts and Sciences. In Michigan, she served on the boards of the Michigan Council for the Arts, The Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan Opera Theatre, Detroit Historical Society and Orchestra Hall.

In Chicago, she served on the Women’s Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and chaired the International Film Festival. In Seattle, Sue served on the boards of the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Symphony and Susan Komen Cancer Foundation.

• 1999-present – Board of Advisors, Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum; 2003-present - Chair • Sue and Bill serve on the advisory board of the Pacific Science Center

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Poonam Kumar Learning in Class and Online

W

hen Poonam Kumar first logged on to the Internet in the 1990s as a student researching a doctorate of education program, she had no idea how much of a role the World Wide Web one day would play in classrooms across the planet.

“I didn’t think about that at the time,” the India native says now. “I didn’t know how it would change our lives. I didn’t know how big it would get.”

It got big. Now—less than two decades later—Kumar is in charge of developing SVSU’s Internet-based education. The Midland resident in May became the institution’s first director of online and hybrid learning.

“I was teaching in India and realized that the traditional one-size-fits-all did not work for some students,” she says. “That motivated me to pursue a doctorate in education [University of Memphis], and then I gradually moved toward the field of technology.”

When she arrived at SVSU’s campus in July 2002 as an associate professor in the College of Education, there were no online-only courses. Since then, Kumar has pushed the new medium and pioneered the school’s earliest Internetbased curriculum.

“I was one of a few to initiate the idea along with colleagues,” she says. “We started offering these [online courses], and then slowly, other faculty members became interested.”

Kumar helped create the school’s first exclusively-online degree program, the College of Education’s E-Learning degree.

She says her life at home showed her the potential for using the Internet as a tool at work. As a parent of two—a college graduate and a high school junior—Kumar has witnessed the

importance of technology to those in the traditional college-aged demographic.

“I can relate to their passions, their concerns and their expectations,” she says. “My children have taught me a lot about that.”

Kumar admits one of the chief challenges of her new job will be finding a niche for distance learning at an institution that prides itself on personable student-teacher relationships. Yet she knows online learning and personal interaction need not be at odds. “Teaching [through technology] is the method, not the goal. Learning will always be a social experience.”

“We are moving toward online education 3.0, which is going to be highly personalized, contextualized and will continue to transform how we think about teaching and learning,” she says.

Kumar says she is looking forward to guiding the institution forward as the Internet continues to shape the world—both inside and outside of the classroom.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 53

SVSU PROFILE

Cale Wassermann

Achieving a Defining Moment as a Unit

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ithout question, everyone understandably would hope to avoid an encounter with “sudden death.” But Cale Wassermann actually has fond memories of his experiences with it.

That’s because Wassermann was coaching his Cardinal soccer team in the 2012 NCAA “Elite 8” national tournament when All-American Zach Myers scored with 54 seconds to go in a suddendeath, double-overtime match versus tournament host Northeast Oklahoma State University. Along with enabling the men’s soccer team to continue advancing to the national championship game, the victory, in Wassermann’s view, was a defining moment for his program and for the university.

54 SVSU.EDU

“Before I arrived here to coach in 2010, our men’s soccer team had not achieved that level of success, even back when I played,” said Wassermann, 2007, B.A., whose collegiate soccer career began at SVSU. During a summer 2001 campus visit prior to his senior year in high school, the Birmingham Groves product fell in love with SVSU. He signed with the Cardinals and started playing for the SVSU soccer team in 2002.

Since his hiring as coach, the Cardinals are 39-14-10 (.698), finished the 2012 season as national runner-up and have won back-to-back GLIAC championships.

The program’s success last season resulted in a slew of individual and team honors (see box at right).

A key to the team’s season was a hard-fought win at home against Northwood University; the winning goal was scored with 30 seconds to go in the second (again, sudden death) overtime, marking the first time that Wassermann had defeated SVSU’s GLIAC rival during his coaching career. That victory was the first in a 10-game winning streak that ended with a heart-wrenching 3-2 loss to Lynn University in the national championship match in Evans, Ga., on Dec. 1.

Wassermann notes that the players in his program follow a motto of “Everything we do is as a ‘UNIT’”—which represents the change that Wassermann initiated in the culture of the program.

After accepting the assignment, his first priority as coach was to raise expectations for the level of work ethic and team chemistry that are necessary to compete for championships.

“All the success that we’re having is especially meaningful to me personally,” he said, “because it’s happening at my alma mater. That makes me feel even more proud to be a part of it.”

To watch video clips of the season, including that NCAA national title match, go to svsucardinals.com/sports/msoc/index.

Men’s Soccer 2012 Season Accomplishments • GLIAC Champions (back-to-back) • GLIAC Tournament Champions • Midwest Regional Champions • 7 All-GLIAC selections (Lamb, Savage, Wise, Myers, Clarke, Vasold, Walega) • 4 All-Region selections (Lamb, Savage, Wise, Myers) • 2 Academic All-Americans (Myers, Wise) • 2 NSCAA All-Americans (Myers, Wise) • Ryder Center Athlete of the Year (Myers) • NSCAA National Player of the Year (Myers) • GLIAC Coach of the Year (2011 and 2012) • Midwest Regional Coach of the Year • NSCAA National Coach of the Year • NCAA National Championship runner-up

Vanessa Brooks Herd Providing a Safety Net

S

Students Brandon Kolka and Jenna Mahlon join Mike Heron and Vanessa Brooks Herd at a screening of “Man of Steel.”

ince the 1930s, Superman has been known as the superhero who is “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.” In addition to his super powers, Superman has another quality that most people miss: He was a foster child.

But that super detail is foremost in the mind of Vanessa Brooks Herd, who is the project manager for a $310,344 grant that allows SVSU to provide support services to eligible students who were part of the foster care system. Herd, who is also an associate professor of social work at SVSU, said the three-year grant from the State of Michigan’s Department of Health & Human Services supports life-skills training for former foster youth, such as teaching them how to manage relationships, money and time.

SVSU is one of six Michigan universities to be awarded this type of grant. “Ours is unique because we’re one of two programs that does not operate from the financial aid or admissions offices,” Herd said. “Our focus is on the holistic perspective of social work—we want to help make the quality of the students’ lives better.” Essentially, that involves three areas: training mentors, responding to emergencies and providing transportation.

While most programs simply cover tuition, Herd said SVSU’s grant provides students with necessary services after they arrive on campus. “Foster kids can’t call a parent when they need help,” she said.

“So the 11 participants in our program are paired with student mentors who are trained to provide one-on-one support.” In addition to the student mentors, one full- and one part-time “life skills coach” are each on call after hours to help students who have no one else to turn to, Herd said.

Herd described the experiences of “Brandon,” who had an opportunity to apply for an internship. But he had nothing formal to wear, nor did he own a car. “So our grant covered the cost to buy a suit, and we drove him to his interview,” Herd said. Clearly, without this program in place, Brandon would have missed an opportunity that might be readily available to other students who have more resources.

“The only thing we offer is support, so we better be stellar at heading off a crisis for each of our participants,” Herd emphasized, adding that the goal is to “push them and transition them into responsible adulthood, which is more liberating than just giving them a scholarship.

“We don’t want to enable them, nor do we want to parent them,” Herd said. “We’re their safety net.”

Which could come in handy for super individuals who routinely leap tall obstacles.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 55

SVSU PROFILE

Pamela Forbus Seize the Moment

O

pportunity doesn’t always knock; sometimes you have to make your own opportunity. That’s a lesson Pamela Forbus, 1987, B.B.A., learned at SVSU. Forbus says that “at SVSU, I learned that you need to seize the moment.

Opportunities—to learn, make friends, have an impact—aren’t always obvious.

When you are fully engaged you will be surprised at what is right in front of you.”

Forbus has seized—or created—many opportunities that have led to her success as the vice president of strategic insights for Frito-Lay North America.

Attending SVSU was another such opportunity.

The daughter of educators, Forbus grew up in a Detroit suburb. When researching colleges, she included SVSU because her mother, Patricia Hoover, had recently completed her Master of Arts in Teaching at the Macomb campus.

“I was torn in high school about my future career path,” Forbus said.

“I wanted to study art and design, but because we were in a recession at the time, I also wanted a traditional college degree that had more promising job opportunities. Given our family financial situation, I applied to schools where I could commute and to schools where I might want to go but would need scholarship support, including Saginaw Valley. Ultimately, I narrowed my career goal to marketing and advertising—a way to blend academics, art and leadership. I was awarded a fullride residential leadership scholarship from Saginaw Valley. Since SVSU had a good business school, combined with the fact that I really wanted the dormroom college experience, I chose to attend SVSU.” 56 SVSU.EDU

It proved to be a good choice for Forbus, who ran track, made lasting friendships and took advantage of opportunities to work at local advertising agencies. To balance work and school, Forbus took many night courses.

“I loved night classes,” she said, adding with a laugh, “because I could sleep in; but more importantly it was the professors who were often people who had worked in industry and had great real-life experiences to share.”

Upon graduation, Forbus landed a job at Young & Rubicam, a well-known global advertising agency. After 12 years on the agency side, Forbus shifted to the client side, seizing an opportunity to join Frito-Lay in 2000.

“My husband is a Texan who I met while working at the Y&R field office in Dallas,” she explained. “He moved north with me, but always longed to get back to Texas!”

When an opportunity developed, the family made the move. “I started working on contract projects for Frito-Lay, and within seven years I was leading the insights function.”

Although she is undeniably successful, Forbus acknowledges that it hasn’t always been easy.

“I’ve had personal and professional bumps along the way, and the lesson I learned is to be sure to surround yourself with people who believe in you. I’ve been lucky to have people in my life who saw more potential in me than I saw in myself. Now I work hard at doing the same for others.”

That desire to help people succeed is manifested in Forbus’ support of SVSU. “I want to give back,” she said. “I’m proud of my school and my degree, and I’m grateful for the chance I was given through the scholarship. If my contributions can help give someone else a chance, it’s the least I can do.”

’00s Decade

hoto P Historical

Contest

As part of SVSU’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2013, a historical photo contest will be included in Reflections2013 magazine. If you can correctly provide the answer to the trivia question that accompanies each photo, a complimentary copy of SVSU – A Seasonal Portrait will be sent to you (a drawing will determine the winner if multiple correct answers are received).

Submit your contest entry via e-mail to

alumni@svsu.edu

by Dec. 2, 2013

For a chance at winning a complimentary copy of the souvenir picture book, Saginaw Valley State University: A Seasonal Portrait, name this famous author who in 2004 donated his archives consisting of more than 60,000 items to the Zahnow Library, including materials related to two best-sellers: Eye of the Needle and The Pillars of the Earth; and in 2007, was granted an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from SVSU. Read more about noteworthy visitors, performers and experts who have visited SVSU through the years in the story on Page 34.

<<

CONTEST RESULTS FROM SPRING 2013 ISSUE

We again stumped our readers with a photo showing some 200 well-wishers who braved a steady morning drizzle Aug. 4, 1994, to witness groundbreaking ceremonies for a multipurpose structure that today is Curtiss Hall, Groening Commons, the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts, the Rhea Miller Recital Hall, and the Performing Arts Center.

Though the formal portion of ceremonies was held indoors, President Eric Gilbertson, SVSU Board of Control Chair Thomas E. Rush, Governor John Engler, and Senior Architect David Lawrence stepped outside during a downpour to officially turn the earth that signified the beginning of the facility’s construction that took two years to complete.

Saginaw Valley State University: A Seasonal Portrait is on sale in the SVSU bookstore. For information on how to purchase a copy of this hard-bound book of striking images of the SVSU campus, go to svsu.bncollege.com.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 57

FOCUS ON FACULT Y

Marty Arford Let’s start with the new agriculture studies minor. What is your involvement, why is the program important, and how will our students benefit?

I got on board about 18 months ago when [Deborah] Huntley [dean of the College of Science, Engineering & Technology] approached me about teaching a soil class and then serving on the committee to develop the agricultural studies minor.

I was on the steering committee, and now I chair it. What’s exciting about the program is that it was driven from the outside. The agriculture business community stated a real need for all sorts of professionals with an “ag” background.

There are so many opportunities for our students, and not just the obvious ones, like family farmers. Marketing, economics, accounting, communications, international business, technology—these are just a few examples of ag-related jobs our students could pursue.

Tell us about the transfer agreement with MSU. That’s the exciting second part of the program. Our students can stay here and get the agricultural minor, or take two years of classes at SVSU and transfer to MSU to complete a degree in agriculture studies.

You are involved as a geographer with the new Saginaw Bay Environmental Science Institute?

Yes. David Karpovich [H.H. Dow Endowed Chair of Chemistry] has encouraged a variety of university teachers and researchers to work together on fresh water research. The geography work will involve geo-spatial techniques, including GIS [Geographic Information Systems] and remote sensing [using satellite imagery] to follow land use change and soil erosion [conducted by Andrew Miller and Rhett Mohler, assistant professors of geography].

My own work will be focused on the northern part of the Saginaw Bay; it’s about the history of the watershed more so than the study of the water quality.

Why should we care about the history of the Saginaw Bay? Ah, good question. Using the lake sediments to reconstruct the history of the environment allows us to learn things about past climate change and vegetation changes.

Where there are shifts in vegetation types, it’s the result of something; that “something” is either human or climate; and so the bigger picture of understanding past climate change helps us predict future climate change.

Why is the institute important?

Wow, the better question is on how many levels it’s important. SVSU’s leadership role allows for a permanence that hasn’t existed before. Frankly, other universities have come into the Saginaw Bay to do research, but they move on. Because this is “home” for us, we have an opportunity to do longterm work in the Saginaw Bay with various partners. Our students will also reap the benefits of the field experience and of being part of the research. This is the ultimate out-of-the-classroom way to learn while at the same time making a difference in our region.

You have been with SVSU since 2005.

What’s the experience been like?

Frankly, when I came for the interview I didn’t know much about SVSU, or even Michigan for that matter. Yet during the interview, I got a real sense that people truly liked their jobs, each other and this university. They were passionate about undergraduate education and that resonated with me. Teaching at SVSU has been great. I find the students are respectful and work really hard; there isn’t a sense of entitlement that you see at some schools.

I also find them very responsive to getting involved in the field work.

Tell us about your international work.

Most of my research has taken place in Costa Rica; in fact, that work led to my Ph.D. thesis. I look at pollen and charcoal and in the Costa Rica research, I was able to construct an 8,000-year history of the area that showed evidence of corn agriculture 5,500 years ago and a long-term drought that had not previously been documented.

OK, the big question. How is geography NOT the memory many of us have about memorization and making maps out of salt dough?

(Laughs).

New research vessel for the Saginaw Bay Environmental Science Institute.

58 SVSU.EDU

For Arford’s answer, scan page 59 with the Layar app on your smartphone or tablet for his video.

Launch the LAYAR app, and hold your smartphone or tablet directly over the page and tap once. (Do not scan this icon.) For more instructions see page 2.

Martin Arford is an associate professor of geography. He is involved with SVSUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new agriculture studies minor, works with the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Saginaw Bay Environmental Research Institute, does international research on lake sediment analysis to reconstruct the long-term history of the environment around the lake and is passionate about convincing people that geography is not about memorizing the names of rivers and state capitals.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 59

CATCHING UP WITH ALUMNI

60 SVSU.EDU

Roberta Morey Roberta Morey, 1981, Master of Arts in Teaching

Some hobbies help us relax.

Some hobbies energize us. And some hobbies, as Roberta Morey has discovered, lead us down roads we never would have imagined. We caught up with Roberta to talk about her experience at SVSU and the transition from teacher to published author.

Roberta Morey with her granddaughter, theatre major, Cassidy Morey.

Roberta, you were a teacher for 27 years.

Did you envision being an author?

No! I’d spent my entire career teaching, mostly 4th grade. After I retired in 1988, I thought I’d relax and spend time with my family.

And then?

I had a collection of old Saginaw postcards that I kept in an album.

And I thought that since I enjoyed looking at them, others might too.

You know, the Internet helps when you get an idea. So I did a little research and found Arcadia Press, which publishes books on local and regional history. I contacted them, and they thought a book of postcards was a good idea.

Saginaw in Vintage Postcards was published in August 2004. Then I did two more books with Arcadia, in 2006 and 2011. Now I’m working on my fourth book, Legendary Locals, which should be published at the end of the year.

You had already been teaching for several years when you became an SVSU student. What brought you here?

When I was working, teachers were required to complete a certain number of credits to maintain certification. I had started a master’s program at another university, but it wasn’t working out well.

When I came to SVSC, which it was called then, I found smaller classes with great instructors. I can’t think of one I didn’t like. I knew that this was the place I wanted to be.

As a working mother, was it difficult to fit classes into your schedule?

Having SVSU so close, I was able to take classes in the late afternoons and during the summer. I was glad to have that option.

Do you make it back to campus very often?

I come to campus to see my granddaughter Cassidy [Morey, a theatre major] perform in theatre productions. The campus has certainly grown. When I was taking classes, Wickes Hall was the place for everything—registration, classes … it was all held in Wickes.

There wasn’t much else out here at the time, maybe one or two buildings. I remember picking strawberries in the field where the football stadium is now.

You’ve been a supporter of SVSU for 24 years. Why? I give back to SVSU because I’m happy to be an alumna, and I want to help other SVSU students.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 61

SAGINAW VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION GOLF OUTING

Now in its 16th year, the Alumni Association Golf Outing has raised more than $73,000 to benefit students at SVSU. The 2011 outing raised in excess of $10,000.

The SVSU Alumni Association established the golf outing in 1996 as a way to raise money for the university. In the early years, the outing was named for Athletic Director Bob Becker, and proceeds from the Bob Becker Open funded the Bob Becker Scholarship for Female Athletes.

Renamed the SVSU Alumni Golf Outing in 2010, the event has supported the Alumni Endowed Scholarship since that time. Today, SVSU Athletics again benefits from the event, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the men’s and women’s basketball programs.

President Eric R. Gilbertson, Jack Werner, 1998, B.B.A., John Kunitzer, 1973, B.B.A.

Terry Lutz 1985, B.B.A., Steve Walch, Kevin Schultz, 1992, B.A., Linda Lutz.

In 2013, the Alumni Endowed Scholarship supported 18 students with $1,000 awards. Many of these students would not be financially able to attend SVSU without the support of this scholarship.

Sandy Ouillette, Marge Arbour, Sylvia Tuckey, Sue Kirchman, 1987, B.S.N., 1993, M.S.N.

Eric Ciszewski, Doug Wortley, 1993, B.A., Dave Kowalski, 1979, B.B.A.

Cardinal Alumni Recruiting Distinguished Students

Cardinal Alumni Recruiting Dedicated Students

The SVSU Alumni Association, in partnership with SVSU Admissions, offers this new program designed to involve Cardinal alumni in recruiting SVSU students. If you’re interested in becoming an alumni-admissions ambassador, please contact the SVSU Alumni Association at (989) 964-4196 or visit svsu.edu/cardsprogram to learn more.

62 SVSU.EDU

SVSU Alumni & Friends Night at the Great Lakes Loons, June 24, 2013.

SVSU Alumni Association Executive Committee

Terry Lutz, president, 1984, B.B.A. Shawnette Markey, vice president, 1999, B.A. Joe Biskner, secretary, 1983, B.S. Keith Wenzel, elected executive committee member, 1990, B.B.A.

Board Members

Barbara Appold, 1998, M.Ed., 2001, Ed. Spec.

Claudia Arellano, 2006, B.A., 2009, M.S. Terianne Carey, 2011, M.B.A. Richard Gill, 1981, B.S. Lisa Haines, 1993, B.A., 2004, Teacher Cert.

Clayton Johnson, 2004, B.S. David V. Kowalski, 1979, B.B.A. James M. Maher, 1982, B.S. Cindy Morley, 1980, B.A., 1990, M.A. David Murphy, 1975, B.A., 1986, M.B.A. Josh Ode, 2001, B.A. Melissa Reinert, 2009, B.B.A., 2011, M.B.A. Jan Sternberg, 1981, B.S. Marcia Thomas, 2001, M.B.A.

Other

Andrew J. Bethune, 1987, B.B.A., Executive Director SVSU Foundation Emmie Busch, 1989, B.A., Coordinator of Scholarships and Development Communications Kevin Schultz, 1992, B.A., Director of Alumni Relations 2013 Alumni Association Board

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 63

svsu.edu/alumni

SVSU Alumni red pride giving society

The gifts you choose to make in any amount will be counted each year toward your giving level:

PRESIDENTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SOCIETY....................................................$1,000 or above Founders Society.......................................................$500 - $999 University Society.....................................................$250 - $499 Gateway Society...........................................................$100 - $249 Spirit rock SOCIETY...................................................$50 - $99 cardinal forever Society...................................grads within 5 years - you choose

Email your alumni news to: alumni@svsu edu.

Mail to SVSU, Alumni Relations, 7400 Bay Road, University Center MI 48710 This edition of Red Pride Class Notes includes examples of several billboards that feature our alumni.

1970s 1980s Michael Finney, 1979, B.B.A., is the president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Prior to accepting this position, he was president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK and president and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise in New York.

64 SVSU.EDU

Gala Bank, 1980, B.A.; 2002, M.Ed., was named aquatics director for the Dow Bay Area Family Y. Cynthia Morley, 1980, B.A., is the new program director for the Child Advocacy Center, an extension of the CAN Council Great Lakes Bay Region.

GUIDE TO DEGREES Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) Bachelor of Professional Accountancy (B.P.A.) Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (B.S.E.E.) Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) Education Specialist (Ed.S.) Master of Arts (M.A.) Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Master of Education (M.Ed.) Master of Science (M.S.) Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (M.S.O.T.)

Steve Brady, 1981, B.B.A., was inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame on May 21, 2013.

Vicki Rupp, 1983, B.S., has been with The Dow Chemical Company for 30 years. She joined Dow after graduating from SVSU, starting her career in research and development. In 2000, she moved to an environmental health & safety director role for Dowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Global Performance Chemicals Business. In 2004, she became global director, regulatory affair

and remediation. In January 2013, Vicki accepted her current position as global director of service management.

Bob Stafford, 1985, B.B.A., is the new Midland community president for Chemical Bank.

Alice Gerard, 1985, B.S.N.; 1991, M.S.N., is the president and CEO of McLaren Bay Region; she has held that position since 2006.

That coffee habit you have doesn’t seem like much: a few dollars here, a few dollars there.

But those dollars add up. Fast.

Change a habit.

Imagine if you gave up just one or two cups of coffee (or soft drinks) each week and contributed to SVSU’s Annual Fund instead. In no time, those small contributions would add up to a robust gift. And that gift would provide scholarship support for SVSU students, helping change their lives.

Just a small change in your coffee habit can add up to much more than a hill of beans.

Change a LIFE. Ray Stover, 1988, B.B.A., joined MidMichigan Health in 1990 as an accountant. Since, he has steadily moved up the organizational ladder. In 2005, Ray was named chief financial officer, and in 2008 he became the president and CEO of MidMichigan Medical CenterGladwin. This past July, Ray added the Clare Medical Center to his role of president and CEO. Wendy Bird, 1989, B.A., was named the Mike Leprino Family Foundation Endowed Teaching Chair 2013-2015 at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colo.

1990s

Joy Butora, 1991, M.B.A., was promoted to vice president of asset management for Ventas Inc. Laura Yockey, 1991, M.B.A., is the new Saginaw community president, senior lender for Chemical Bank and also serves as senior lender for the Bay City and Owosso Community Branches.

Matthew D. Miller, 1992, B.A., authored Eli’s Tears, a novel that was published in December 2012.

Support the SVSU Annual Fund Make a Gift Online: foundation.svsu.edu, click on the Give Now button

Chris Pryor, 1995, B.B.A.; 2000, M.Ed., is pastor of Victorious Believers Ministries in Saginaw. He has held this position since 2010 when he was named successor to his father, Bishop Marvin C. Pryor.

VBM includes a 50,000-square-foot multipurpose building that houses an administrative and worship center as well as a Family Life Center.

Bridget Sadenwater, 1997, B.A., served on the 2013 Midland County Youth Leadership Steering Committee, which helped plan and implement the Midland County Youth Leadership conference in April 2013.

Cathy Stinson, 1997, B.A., was awarded in May the 2013 Professional Service Award by the Michigan Association of Teachers of Children with Emotional Impairment.

2000s

Jill Allardyce, 2006, M.A., raced in the 2013 Boston Marathon. She ran her Boston qualifying time of 3:34:03 in the 2012 Grand Rapids Marathon.

Jessica Bentoski, 2004, B.S., owns a Saginaw pediatric dental practice.

After graduating from SVSU, she obtained her D.D.S. in 2009 from the U of M’s School of Dentistry and then secured a pediatric specialty in December 2011.

Bill Nestle, 2000, B.A., was named head coach for Capac High School’s varsity football program in May. Aaron Wirsing, 2001, B.B.A., is the new vice president of accounting for Isabella Bank’s Mount Pleasant office.

Rhonda Westphal, 1998, M.A., was named director of the Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center.

She is the first female director in the center’s history.

Kevin Green, 2003, B.A., was named superintendent of the Genesee School District.

Brian Sheridan, 1999, B.S., has opened Level Eleven physical therapy in Kochville Township.

Matthew Johnson, 2003, B.B.A., received the 2013 Dalton Institute Dissertation of the Year Award for Exploring the Effects of SocioCultural Issues Discussions and Social Perspective-Taking on College Students’ Civic Identity.

Jennifer (Lubinski) Mittelstadt, 2003, E.Ed., was named Middle School Teacher of the Year by the Anchor Bay school district in southeastern Michigan.

Jared Morningstar, 2005, B.A., was named Creative Writing Teacher of the Year (Touchstone Award) by the Michigan Council of Teachers of English in 2012 as well Michigan’s High School English Teacher of the Year. He was also named one of the top 14 high school English teachers in the nation for 2012.

Natalie Pretzer-Lin, 2007, B.A., co-authored an article with George Puia, Dow Chemical Company Centennial Chair in Global Business. “The influence of lifestyle advantages on inbound foreign direct investment: An exploration and research agenda” was published in Alternative Quarterly Journal of Economics in Armenia in July 2013. The paper was also presented at an invitation-only conference in Yerevan, Armenia, hosted by the Alternative Center for Education, Policy Research, and Economic Analysis.

Matthew Stedry, 2008, B.P.A., CPA, was promoted to manager of the Saginaw office of Andrews Hooper Pavlik PLC.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 65

Connect with Cardinals through NetCommunity NetCommunity is for SVSU grads only. This free community allows alumni to register for events, search for other alumni and classmates, expand their business network and receive alumni communications. Register today: Go to

alumni.svsu.edu and select “Alumni Community”

Kara Kinzer, 2008, B.S., was promoted to head coach of the women’s basketball team at Schoolcraft College in March 2013.

Caitlin Chojnacki, 2011, B.S., was named assistant director of fitness, wellness and instructional programs at the University of Maine.

Kim Oberski, 2009, B.S., received her Doctor of Osteopathic degree from MSU in May 2013 and has begun her three-year family medicine residency at McClaren Bay Region in Bay City.

Brad Koch, 2011, B.S., and Jesse Vollmar, 2011, B.S., announced that their technology startup, FarmLogs, has received $1 million in venture capital funding.

2010s

Lindsey Pearsall, 2011, B.A., was promoted to deposit sales and service manager of the downtown Midland office of Wolverine Bank.

Gary Abud, 2010, M.A.T., was selected by the Michigan Department of Education as the 2013 Teacher of the Year.

Andrew Licht, 2010, B.B.A., earned his Certified Public Accountant license and was promoted to senior accountant at Saginaw based Yeo & Yeo CPAs. Nikki (Salerno) Fetterhoff, 2011, B.S., has completed her second year of medical school at MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

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Katie Tausch, 2011, B.S., received the Saginaw Medical Federal Credit Union scholarship.

She is enrolled in medical school at MSU. Alyssa Gorlitz, 2012, B.A., graduated summa cum laude with a degree in criminal justice.

She now works in Oakland County for Children’s Protective Services.

Burk Foster, former SVSU ombudsman, poses will Jill Allardyce, 2006, M.A., at the expo of the 2013 Boston Marathon. They both participated in the Boston Marathon, Burk for the fifth time and Jill for the first.

Launch the LAYAR app, and hold your smartphone or tablet directly over the page and tap once. (Do not scan this icon.) For more instructions see page 2.

In the spring issue of Reflections2013, we shared with our readers a sample of one of our regional billboards. We are offering an abbreviated highlight of our billboardfeatured alumni and invite readers to learn more about these proud Cardinals by going to iam.svsu.edu to read their stories and/or to view their videos.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 67

Jordan Garland, 2012, B.A., is enrolled in SVSU’s M.B.A. program. She received a graduate assistantship and is working for the Center for Business & Economic Development on its economic summit, part of the university’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Zach Myers, 2013, B.B.A., spent the summer playing for a semi-pro soccer team in Detroit; at SVSU, Zach was named soccer “National Player of the Year” and All-American.

He is exploring career options in marketing and management.

Zachary Rivard, 2012, B.B.A., was hired by Tri-Star Trust Bank as the operations assistant in the Saginaw office.

Hailey Kimball, 2013, B.A., was named Outstanding Student

by SVSU and received the King Scholarship from the MSU School of Law.

Joseph Tibbits, 2012, B.A., was assigned to the state police post in Flint in April.

Andrew Northrop, 2013, B.S.W., is pursuing his master’s degree in social work. He plans a career in medical social work in trauma and crisis intervention.

SVSU RED PRIDE

Jackie Gibson, 2013, B.S.W., is researching graduate school programs for a master’s degree in social work.

Hannah Mize, 2013, B.S., received a graduate assistantship at MSU where she plans to complete her doctorate in analytical chemistry.

Mary Lockhart, 2013, B.S.W., has accepted a position with the Disability Network of MidMichigan in the Nursing Facility Transition program.

Driving your SVSU Red Pride is only part of what buying an SVSU license plate does. It also supports your alma mater’s Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund. $25 of the $35 charge comes back to the university to support scholarships ($10 on annual plate renewals).

For more information, go to michigan.gov/ documents/orderform_svsu_16226_7.pdf

Obituar ies... our Condolences Annie Bland, 1983, B.A. - Feb. 1, 2013

Joseph Martin, 1973, B.S. - May 3, 2013

Kenneth Connelly, 1988, B.B.A. - June 6, 2013

Diana McCrie, 1982, M.A.T. - July 7, 2013

Penny Crawley, 1996, B.A. – July 15, 2013

Billie-Lu Opsomer, 1977, B.A.; 2005, M.A.T. - May 14, 2013

Sally Finzel, 1980, B.A.; 1987, M.A.T. - April 5, 2013

William Sides, 1984, B.S. - May 25, 2013

Susan Grueber, 1989, M.A.T. - June 18, 2013

Kay Simon, 1979, B.B.A. - April 1, 2013

Daniel Kelley, 1979, M.A.T. - May 16, 2013

Kimberly Solosky, 1986, B.B.A. - April 25, 2013

Frederick Knochel, 1970, B.A. - May 16, 2013

Andrea Ursuy, 1971, B.A., 1975, M.A.T. - July 9, 2013

Sue Konsdorf, 1974, B.A. - May 18, 2013

Robert Ursuy, 1976, B.B. - July 7, 2013

Mark Lampman, 1987, B.B.A. - June 26, 2013

Harry Weston, 1982, M.A.T. - Feb. 7, 2013

Joyce Lefevre, 1983, B.A. - June 27, 2013

Emeline Wilson, 1977, M.A.T - July 16, 2013

Nathan Luna, 2002, B.A., - July 18, 2013

Andrew Zelno, 1996, B.S.W. - April 15, 2013

Email your alumni news to: alumni@svsu.edu. Mail to SVSU, Alumni Relations, 7400 Bay Road, University Center, MI 48710

68 SVSU.EDU

Engagements and weddings ... congrats Kerrie Dhyse, 2004, B.A., is engaged to Edmund Cross.

Elizabeth Schafer, 2006, B.A., is engaged to Ryan Gravilla.

Michelle Sawyers, 2009, B.S., married Steven Thomas Hudson on Oct. 26, 2012.

Kim Oberski, 2009, B.S. and Nick Wagner, 2004, B.A.; 2007, M.A., were married on June 1, 2013. (photo) Heather Rutledge, 2010, B.S., is engaged to Peter Makar.

Ellen Windy, 2010, B.A., is engaged to Edward Camehl. They are planning a May 2014 wedding.

Kelly Jessop, 2011, B.S.W., and Josh Lewis, 2011, B.A., were married in October 2011.

Daniel Witucki, 2011, B.A., is engaged to Courtney Bowker.

Jessica Bruman, 2012, B.S., and Steven Gould, 2012, B.P.A., are engaged to be married.

Amy Raetz, 2013, B.S.N., married Brett Benner in September 2013.

Kim Oberski and Nick Wagner

baby cardinals Calista, 2005, B.A. and Brian Harmon, 2006, B.A., welcomed Brett Douglas Harmon on April 3, 2013.

Tori Otstot, 2008, B.A., and her husband, Adam, welcomed Cassidy Claire Otstot on April 26, 2013.

Molly Doan, 2010, B.A., and Edward Wendling welcomed Edward Joseph Wendling on June 9, 2013.

Josh, 2011, B.A., and Kelly Lewis, 2011, B.S.W., welcomed Landon James Lewis on Dec. 29, 2012.

Email your alumni news to: alumni@svsu.edu.

Mail to SVSU, Alumni Relations, 7400 Bay Road, University Center, MI 48710

Edward Joseph Wendling

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 69

spotlight on student success

SVSU has taught me to dream big.

Bethany Thrun

Most of our student features start at the beginning of the SVSU journey and advance to the present. Because of the amazing summer nursing student Bethany Thrun has just had, we thought we’d start in 2013 and work our way back.

If you received an email from Bethany this summer, her sign-off read, “Wishing you a summer similar to paradise.”

That’s what Bethany’s experienced. She spent four weeks this spring at Griffith College in Dublin, taking such nonnursing electives as Gaelic, Irish History and Irish Literature; at the end of the month, she managed backpacking with a friend. Within three days of returning home, she headed to Yale University where she was one of five resident assistants (R.A.s) for their Summer Institute for the Gifted, a college preparatory experience that brings teens from around the world to the Ivy League campus. She calls both experiences “life changing.”

“Hectic” and “paradise” didn’t stop there. As the institute wrapped up Aug. 11, Bethany drove back to campus where she began R.A. training Aug. 12. Pine Grove is her resident community.

When asked what she gained from the study abroad and the Yale experiences, and what she expected to gain from the SVSU R.A. experience, Bethany says that lessons and

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expectations are many: how to work through your fears to find success; how to help others achieve goals; how to get someone to a better place and, maybe most importantly, not only how to inspire, but to be inspired. She says all of those lessons will make her a better student, R.A., friend and ultimately, nurse.

At SVSU, Bethany is a President’s and Foundation Scholar, Residence Housing Association president, Southeast Community Council adviser, and First-Year Orientation leader. She has been involved in Student Association, National Residence Hall Honorary, Forever Red and Michigan Organization of Residence Halls Association. Her honors have included Resident Life/RHA Student of the Year, Student Life Rising Leader Award, Student Association Representative of the Year and Great Lakes Association of College and University Residence Halls Student of the Year Nominee—all, by the way, in 2012.

The Garden City native who plans to graduate in 2015 has already set her sights on her career. First, she would like to be an emergency room nurse in triage and then, the president of the American Nurses Association. She says she hopes it doesn’t sound like bragging: “It’s just that SVSU has taught me to dream big.”

“Spotlight” Students Take Another Bow need pic of Rusty Myers

Two students featured in the spring edition of Reflections2013 have earned awards for their achievements.

Theatre major Rusty Myers received the Voice and Speech Trainers Association Scholarship for outstanding vocal performance at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Washington, D.C.; he also earned the Society of American Fight Directors Intensive Fellowship.

Sarah Lewan earned the Outstanding Community Impact Award from Michigan Campus Compact, a Lansingbased organization promoting the state’s college students to be civically engaged citizens. The nursing major created a non-profit group from her dorm room that raised funds for 350 mosquito nets to protect families in Africa from malaria.

Marcia Shannon, assistant professor of nursing, and nursing student Andrea Winne presented at the 24th International Nursing Research Congress in July in Prague, Czech Republic. The conference was sponsored by Sigma Theta Tau International Society of Nursing.

Terrance Moore

Terrance Moore could be a “poster child” for what happens to hard-working, opportunity-seeking Cardinals who decide to take advantage of the many leadership, development and career-enhancing possibilities available at SVSU. He knows that when opportunity knocks, you have to hear it and willingly open the door. And that he has done.

The criminal justice major from Royal Oak says that from day one “I knew I wouldn’t take college for granted.” He joined Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity his freshman year, noting that in doing so, he met mentors and fraternity brothers who had his best interests at heart. And, quite literally on day one, Terrance says that when the resident assistant assembled the new freshmen for a “meet and greet,” he said to himself, “I’m going to [become an R.A.].” He was an R.A. for the following three years.

Terrance is also a founding member of the SVSU chapter of National Society of Leadership and Success, a new registered student organization; it is a by-invitation RSO designed to develop leadership skills through access to speakers, service projects and goal-setting. Though not a veteran himself,

Terrance has been vice president of the Cardinal Military Association. “I think this is sometimes an overlooked group and getting involved was my opportunity to help make our veteran students aware of university resources.”

Terrance is proud of his many and varied campus activities that also include membership in the CJ Society, Brazilian Jijitsu Club, Club Red Ambassador, Student Conduct Board, and Sigma Alpha Pi; he also volunteers for Relay for Life and Valley Nights.

Most recently, his accomplishments included a career-centered recognition. He is now working part-time as a corrections officer for the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Department and part time as a Youth Care Specialist for the 10th Circuit Court. When he graduated from the Sheriff’s Academy in May, he was selected first in his class and received the highest academic achievement award.

Upon his anticipated graduation in winter 2014, Terrance wants to pursue his master’s degree in public administration with the hopes of ultimately becoming a chief of police or a county sheriff.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 71

Launch the LAYAR app, and hold your smartphone or tablet directly over the page and tap once. (Do not scan this icon.) For more instructions see page 2.

Past and Future In Jan’s video, we asked her to share her thoughts on how different – and similar – the university is now compared to its beginnings 50 years ago.

She also shares why she thinks alumni need to stay connected, or get reconnected, to their alma mater. The 2 1/2 minute video is available for viewing.

A Conversation with

Jan Botz

We sat down with Jan, it’s probably not surprising that she choose Yien International Garden for her photo.

She speaks often and fondly of Dr. Yien, whom she considers a mentor, supporter and friend.

72 SVSU.EDU

You were a student in the early 1970s. What was the experience like?

I had a great college experience and education. Like most students in the 1970s, I was local and commuted. Still, we got involved with things like student government and the Valley Vanguard [student newspaper]. Learning was such an engaged experience. The professors were at [then-named] SVC because they were passionate about teaching. I love the fact that this sort of dedication hasn’t changed since I was here. There still are no classes taught by graduate assistants; that’s pretty amazing and is an important way SVSU has remained true to the core mission of the institution.

You no longer live in the region, yet you still come to campus occasionally. Why? I feel it’s very important to be connected to SVSU. This certainly isn’t the campus and college I attended in the 1970s, but that’s all the more reason to be on campus for various activities. I have so much pride in what SVSU has become. I loved what we were when I was a student, and I love who we are now. Being part of the present is as much fun as reminiscing about the past.

You recently made a gift to the anniversary campaign that is the largest single alumni gift in the university’s history—$1 million. Please tell us about it.

Let me first say that I am blessed to be able to give this gift. I had a long, wonderful career with Dow Corning Corp. and, after retiring, several more years at the University of Notre Dame. That helped put me in the position to make this pledge.

I’d like to share with readers two things. First, making a conscious effort to give is important. Not everyone can give large gifts, but just about everyone can give some gift. For me, it was a sense of responsibility to help students [who were] like me. I truly feel that as alumni we have a duty to help those students who follow us.

The second thing I want to share is that gifts at a certain level can really be personalized to represent the donor’s interests. I was a liberal arts major who had a challenging and productive corporate career. I would like similar opportunities open to current SVSU students. At the same time, I think it’s important to find ways to connect with business leaders so they can appreciate the contributions employees with liberal arts degrees can make to their organizations. The Botz Liberal Arts Fellowship Program will offer events, workshops and scholarship support to introduce liberal arts students to opportunities in business and to help businesses see the value these students will bring to their firms.

You encourage alumni to stay connected or get connected to their alma mater. Why? For most of us, college was the time when we figured out who we were and what we would do with our lives. There’s probably no other period in our lives that is so critical to shaping us as adults. I would say, if this institution—whether it was called SVC, SVSC or SVSU—did that for you, then make the time to find ways to stay connected.

Coming to campus for programs or events is a simple way to support our university. Getting involved in mentoring students, or working with interns and co-op students, are other great ways to get connected. And, of course, either a pledge to the Annual Fund or a multi-year donation to create a scholarship are all ways to “pay it forward.”

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 73

YOUNG ALUMNI PROFILE

Melissa Reinert Melissa Reinert, 2009, B.B.A.; 2011, M.B.A., made her first gift to SVSU while she was still a student. In addition, she supports the university by serving on the Alumni Association’s Board of Directors. Melissa is employed by Dow Corning Business & Technology Incubator in new business development.

What motivated you to come to SVSU? Though cost was an initial factor, it was really the atmosphere. SVSU was probably in the middle of my campus tours and, once I came here, nothing compared, either before or after.

Did you have scholarships coming into SVSU? I had the Foundation Scholarship and participated in the Foundation Scholars program. Following my first year, I applied for scholarships every year and I received several.

You’re paying back student loans, yet you still manage to make gifts to the university.

What prompts that?

SVSU gave me so many opportunities as an undergrad and as a graduate student—the chance to travel abroad, to build my leadership skills, to engage in the community and to find internships that were perfect for me. Plus, I built lasting relationships with faculty and administrators. I would hope for all of those things for a current student.

I know scholarships from alumni helped support my education and I want to do my part for other students. Plus, I work for a company that matches my donations; I really can’t see why someone who works at a company that is willing to match gifts wouldn’t give. It’s a missed opportunity for everyone involved.

What made you want to serve on the alumni board?

Even though I do financially contribute, I don’t have the means to make the gifts I’d like to. So by giving my

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time through board service, I hope I can compensate for what I’d like to contribute financially someday.

Being this involved makes me appreciate what private support does. It makes me understand the importance of being a more significant donor.

If I can influence just a few more alumni to donate as I have, it could make a huge difference in scholarships. I serve as the chair of the scholarship and awards committee, so I directly see the impact of our dollars. Last year, we awarded 18 students $1,000 scholarships. It’s very energizing for me to lead this committee, to read applications of current students and to select the people we think will be great alumni.

How did SVSU prepare you for your profession?

I came here for the social work program because I knew that was really strong. Then, through a job and a required economic course, I decided I really liked the marketing and economics and business, so I switched my major.

I joined the business organizations on campus and I linked in with internships.

I began working at Dow Corning before I finished my M.B.A. I feel very fortunate to have my position, due in large part to SVSU Career Services. SVSU helped me discover business opportunities and build my leadership skills and Career Services really prepared me to get the job. I spent hours with the office before my interview, practicing with people, videotaping my interview, rewriting my cover letter, writing references and putting together portfolio information that I could give to a prospective employer. I even tested a couple of my outfits. My Dow Corning interview was five hours long; Career Services prepared me for it.

I’ve always been in good hands here.

That’s why I give back.

I’ve always been in good hands here.

That’s why I give back.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 75

A $25 Million Effort to Attract and Retain Talent, Provide Opportunities for Students and Fulfill the Promise of our Region.

SVSU’s campaign website highlights donor stories, provides campaign news and helps the community learn how to get involved: svsu.edu/campaign.

Dear Friends: Last spring we launched our 50th anniversary campaign to the public. The response has been very positive, and we are grateful to the individuals and organizations that have made gifts to the campaign. Many of these gifts are already making a difference in the lives of SVSU students.

All who offer private support to SVSU understand the importance of a college education and the value of an educated workforce. As state support has declined, the cost of attending college has become more expensive for students and their families.

Yet the media continue to question the value of a college degree.

The American Community Survey, a nationwide survey cited by the U.S. Census Bureau, reported in October 2012 that the difference between worklife earnings for those with a high school diploma and those with a college degree is about $1 million. Based on these numbers, the key to success isn’t simply going to college, it’s finishing college. For many college students, financial difficulties interrupt the path to graduation. Very often, the key to finishing college is private scholarship support. Securing private support to help students graduate is a top priority of Talent. Opportunity. Promise.

The Campaign for SVSU. By promoting student success, we strengthen SVSU’s ability to better the lives of people and help build a better region and stronger Michigan.

We hope you will join us in celebration of SVSU’s first half century and help secure its future through a gift to Talent. Opportunity. Promise.

Campaign Recognition Gifts will be recognized in various ways. A permanent monument acknowledging all donors will be installed on campus to commemorate the anniversary campaign. Those committing major gifts to the campaign ($2,500 and above) will be recognized as members of the 1963 Society: $1 million and above .........Visionary Circle $500,000-$999,999 ............Investor Circle $250,000-$499,999 ............Sustainer Circle $100,000-$249,999 ............Talent Circle $50,000-$99,999 .................Opportunity Circle $25,000-$49,999 .................Promise Circle $10,000-$24,999.................Scholar Circle $5,000-$9,999......................Mentor Circle $2,500-$4,999......................Advisor Circle

Naming and Recognition Opportunities For as little as $1,000, you or someone special to you can be recognized on campus. Gifts can be made over a period of up to five years.

Academic and Campus Naming Opportunities • Colleges • Academic facilities • Academic program support • Campus facilities and living areas • Cultural programs Athletic Complex Naming Opportunities • Field house facilities • Outdoor athletic complex • Facilities for individual sports

Sincerely, Campaign co-chairs

Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Naming Opportunities • Museum facilities • Jo Ann and Donald Petersen Sculpture Garden displays and sculpture presentations • Endowments

D. Brian Law

76 svsu.edu

John Decker

Herbert Spence, III Jenée Velasquez

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS How much of the school’s budget is publicly funded?

Only 21 percent of the university’s general fund budget comes from public sources. Twenty years ago, 65 percent of this budget was publicly funded, with 30 percent of funding coming from tuition and fees. Today, tuition and fees account for over 76 percent of the general fund budget.

What is the current endowment value?

The current endowment is valued at more than $60 million, most of which is restricted to specific uses. The size of the endowment is reflective of a young, emerging institution.

What are the greater priorities of the campaign?

The campaign will enable SVSU to invest in talent and increase scholarship assistance. We are also asking for support of the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, and we are offering dedication and naming opportunities through the Ryder Center renovation and expansion project.

How can I give?

Gifts can be pledged over time.

Estate giving is also encouraged.

How will the campaign advance SVSU academically?

It will enhance the quality of faculty, so vital to a teaching institution, by supporting their research and academic accomplishments. It will also enhance the quality of the students and continue to make SVSU a school of choice, and it will encourage a lasting culture of learning and civic involvement.

Retired Chemistry Professor Offers Matching Gift

A

n SVSU faculty member for nearly 30 years, Dr. Peter Moehs made a difference in the lives of chemistry students. Now the professor emeritus is asking others to join him in making a difference in the lives of future SVSU students. In support of the campaign, Dr. Moehs has made a commitment to match gifts to the Francis X. MacKenna Endowed Chemistry Student Research Award, up to a total of $10,000.

Dr. Moehs served in the College of Science, Engineering & Technology from 1969-1998. After retirement, he established the Francis X. MacKenna Endowed Chemistry Student Research Award to advance chemistry and higher education, and to honor the memory of his uncle, Francis X. MacKenna.

The award funds chemistry projects that will eventually lead to publication in refereed journals. Recipients of the award generally participate in an on-campus co-op research experience with a faculty mentor for a full academic year.

“I know SVSU students to be dedicated people, willing to work hard to achieve their goals, but often struggling to balance employment with the need to find the hours necessary to devote to in-depth research opportunities—opportunities that enhance their education and career prospects, and often lead to significant research results,” said Moehs.

At this time, the fund has grown to more than $16,000; since Dr. Moehs announced the matching gift challenge, nearly $1,400 has been contributed to the fund.

“It is my hope that people will recognize SVSU’s 50th anniversary with gifts to the campaign and the Francis X. MacKenna fund,” Moehs said.

What will be different at the completion of the campaign?

The university believes the campaign will result in attracting and retaining talent critical to the future of this region. More students will be able to obtain degrees thanks to private scholarship support.

What is the campaign timetable?

Although the initial emphasis is on our 50th anniversary in 2013, the campaign will extend through the next five years.

Anyone with additional questions can contact the SVSU Foundation at (989) 964-4052.

Forever Red Encourages Students to Support SVSU In recognition of SVSU’s 50th anniversary and the campaign, Forever Red, the student-alumni networking organization, has launched the Student Giving Campaign.

During the fall semester, students and registered student organizations (RSOs) are challenged to support the campaign, with a goal of raising $25,000.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 77

The Last Word

Emily VanFleteren I t is such an honor to serve as president of Forever Red during the 50th anniversary celebration and to let other proud Cardinals know how much this university means to me and what opportunities SVSU has given me.

When I was looking to apply to a university during my junior year of high school, I toured many different schools. SVSU was the first one my mother and I visited.

The minute I stepped foot on the SVSU campus, I felt comfortable and felt at home but continued to visit a variety of schools.

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After each other campus tour, I compared that institution to SVSU. Every time, no other school came close. Today, I still think of SVSU as home. There was and still is something about the people and the sense of community on this campus that made it a perfect fit for me. It is also the place that has made me the proud Cardinal I am today.

I am looking forward to meeting many returning alumni during this fall’s anniversary celebration, as well as hearing their stories about what the campus was like “back then.” Right now, SVSU is all I could

have asked for, and it continues to impress me daily. I couldn’t feel more excited to be a student at this time, celebrating this milestone year with the university and with friends of SVSU. I know that so many of the alumni who have also been shaped by this institution share the pride I have and will continue to have in my university. I am proud to be a student today, an alumna tomorrow and a Cardinal forever, and I would not choose to have it any other way.

“SVSU is all I could have asked for, and it continues to impress me daily.”

Editor’s Note: Emily is a physical education major, with English and athletic coaching minors. Her highly engaged life at SVSU has included being a Foundation Scholar, orientation leader, tour guide, peer advisor and resident assistant. She is a member of National Residence Hall Honorary, the Residence Hall Association and National Society of Leadership and Success. In Academic Year 201213, Emily was selected Michigan Student of the Year by the Michigan Organization of Residence Hall Associations. She is president of Forever Red, a pre-alumni group designed to bridge the gap between students and alumni, creating an early sense of Cardinal pride and connection. — JRP

Emily VanFleteren, far left, is among peer advisors who mentor other students; in the front row are Haley Duke, Jadrianna Sobczak, Megan Potts; back row are Dylan Kosaski, Luke Sheppard, Eric Davis.

REFLECTIONS2013 MAGAZINE 79

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