WEBB Magazine Fall 2015 edition by The Webb Schools

WEBB M A G A Z I N E

Fall 2015

How Technology is Transforming Health Care IN WEBB WE TRUST

•

EVOLUTION OF THE ALF MUSEUM

•

WEBB TODAY

The impact of

your Webb

$ 2014-15 Fiscal Year

Over 1,500 generous donors gave 1.63 million dollars

Fund Gift

The Webb Schools ranked

1/3 of Webb students receive 1/4 alumni give back annually over $4 million in financial aid

among the 24 smartest

boarding schools

according to Business Insider (Feb. 17, 2015)

However, we trail our peers in endowment and alumni giving

To reach # in alumni participation among our boarding school peers,

1,920

alumni to give we need in 2015-16 (60%)

thank

you!

Every

$500 $100,000

Giftsthan of less than accounted Gifts of less than $500 accounted for more $100,000 total. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4 average financial grants, for aid more thana total. renovated science lab, or two new scholarship endowThatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s average financial aid grants, ments!

Gift Matters

Make your Webb Fund gift today! 909-482-5267 The Webb Fund Office

1 renovated science lab, or 2 new scholarship endowments

www.webb.org/giving 1175 W. Baseline Rd., Claremont, CA 91711

WEBB

Spreading the word. Meet our writers — Debbie Carini is a writer and development professional. She has been

M A G A Z I N E

Fall 2015

FEATURES

2 4 12 20

From the Head of Schools Our Bodies, Our Data In Webb We Trust Evolution of the Alf Museum

WEBB TODAY

26 30 32 34 38 40 42

Students Sports Arts The Alf at Webb Faculty Affil tes Giving and Volunteering

NEWSNOTES

44 48 62 64

Alumni Profi es WSC and VWS News In Memoriam Final Word: Lucy Herrero ’10

affil ted with The Webb Schools since 1999 as a writer for the magazine as well as various campaign and fundraising materials; she is also a successful grant writer for the schools and Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology. She is a contributing writer to the Claremont Courier with the monthly humor column “Out of My Mind.”

John Ferrari has experience as a newspaper journalist and as a writer, editor, communications strategist and public outreach specialist in higher education. He has written feature articles on topics ranging from astrophysics and genetics to theme parks and, of course, the Alf Museum. He also serves as a public affai s officer in the Navy Reserve.

Aaron Severson began his writing and editing career as the editorial assistant for a science journal. He later became a story development executive for film television, and comic book publishing and, more recently, a freelance writer and the founder of the award-winning automotive history website Ate Up With Motor. He has written for The Webb Schools since 2009.

SOCIAL

From the Head of Schools

Looking Out, Over and Beyond

Several times a week, I get up early and hike the beautiful trails in the mountains above the school with my dog. It’s not only good exercise, it’s also good meditation. My dog is excellent company—he keeps

the bears away and never disagrees with anything I say. From the summit on a clear day, I can see as far away as downtown Los Angeles, the adjacent cities beyond Claremont, and clear down to San Bernardino and Riverside. Looking out, over and beyond I have a complete picture of the Webb campus—the football field, the museum, the pool and of course our beautiful chapel. What a sight! It all gets me thinking about our learning community in this unique and truly dynamic part of the world.

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

he view is a reminder of how much things change over a relatively short period of time. Fifteen years ago you would not have seen the 210 freeway down below the Webb campus. Fifty years ago, you would have only seen dirt roads leading to campus, and citrus trees and smudge pots lining the fi lds. Ninety-three years ago, when Thompson and Vivian Webb put a stake in the ground and committed to building a world-class school with nothing but grit, determination, and a vision from his father, you would have seen a barren landscape and only a small town where the LA skyline now exists. My mind of course then races to what this scene will look like 50 or 100 years from now. Like the story of life as told at our venerable Alf Museum of Paleontology, one of Webb’s greatest attributes is its ability to evolve with the times without straying from its core values. Webb’s commitment to honor, leadership and service never waivers, and yet as our environment changes we continue to evolve, adapt and grow. But it’s not just our environment and the landscape around our campus that is changing right now. The world itself is changing. How we function, think, communicate and interact (socially and in business) is changing. And as such, the workplace is changing. It’s not only the magnitude of change that strikes me, but also the pace of this change. For example, members of the class of 2005 will soon celebrate their 10th reunion. That doesn’t seem like a long time ago—but when they graduated, the Internet itself was a novel concept and devices such as the iPhone didn’t even exist. Perhaps even more shocking, as the class of 2010 prepares for its reunion, I am reminded of how dramatically the world has changed in just the past five years. Who would have ever guessed five years ago that Google would have a driverless car, or that Uber and similar companies would upend the transportation industry. And the same is true for the lodging industry, the medical industry, the health care industry (with wearable devices to monitor our every step and more), the fi ancial industry, and much of the retail

In the last issue of WEBB, I wrote about our secret sauce— what is it about this place that makes it so impactful in people’s lives. To my surprise and delight, I had many responses to that piece—the gist being that alumni see Webb’s balance between moral courage and innovative (unbounded) thinking as its greatest asset, and that this balance leads to graduates who make a real diffe ence in the world.

We have also begun to forge important partnerships with other institutions in the region. Our freshmen biology students are working on genomic science with University of California, Riverside’s Campbell Science Learning Lab. This year we will offer an a vanced computer programming course, during the evenings, taught by a professor and students from Harvey Mudd College. And we will also soon introduce an advanced anatomy class, an organic chemistry class and other research-based electives in partnership with local colleges and universities.

I couldn’t agree more with this sentiment. As the world is in the midst of such change, Webb today is on the move. While most schools continue to teach a 20th century mindset, our curriculum is evolving in such a way as to ensure we are graduating leaders for the world stage, people who can think critically, analyze big data, collaborate effect vely with people all over the world, create ideas and prototypes, and ultimately make good, informed decisions based on sound research and diverse input. In short, I mean people who have the entrepreneurial mindset and inner strength to thrive in the 21st century.

When Thompson and Vivian started this school, Europe was the epicenter of the world. The most innovative and highly regarded universities and industries were on the East Coast, as were the vast majority of prep schools. Today, in 2015, everything has changed. The epicenter of the world has shifted to the Pacific Rim and any high-powered colleges and research universities are on the West Coast. In fact, two of the most important hubs of innovative thinking are the Silicon Valley and the greater Los Angeles area. And here we sit on the front porch of it all. My morning hikes are constant reminders of the opportunities before us.

As this edition of WEBB highlights, our faculty has been hard at work evolving our curriculum to ensure we are keeping pace with the world. Since the adoption of The Centennial Strategic Plan just three years ago, we have constructed a new humanities program, reordered and strengthened our science curriculum, ensured our math program focuses on problem solving, expanded our world languages, and broadened our arts electives to include digital media.

If we at Webb have the courage to take full advantage of where we are and who we are, we then have the potential to fundamentally reimagine a dynamic, relevant, engaging high school experience for students here today and for those that will follow tomorrow.

industry. This complete disruption of major sectors of the economy is mind-boggling, and yet it is only just beginning.

Taylor B. Stockdale Head of Schools

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

Our Bodies,

Imagine... today. Have you exercised? Have you stood up and moved around recently? How many steps have you taken? You may have that information at your fingertips, on a fitness tracker—a Fitbit or Garmin, say, or, if you’re a brand-aware Webbie, an UP fitness-band by Jawbone (the company co-founded

Our Data

How Technology is Transforming Health Care

by Hosain Rahman ’93). Or you may have fitness and health apps on your smartphone or smartwatch. Either way, the health data you’re looking at can be uploaded to a web-based service so you can keep track of your exercise and analyze trends over days, weeks and months on your computer.

by John Ferrari

It’s just as well you’re in good shape.

Imagine... again. That pesky

appendix of yours has been acting up, and tomorrow you’re going to have it removed. (Did your heart rate, blood pressure or respiratory rate go up thinking about it? Just checking.) Every surgical sponge used during the procedure includes an RFID—a radio frequency identification tag. You can’t feel it (you’re under anesthesia, after all), but you’re lying on a mat that tracks the RFIDs in the sponges and every other surgical tool, so nothing is inadvertently left inside you when the operation is complete. Good news: the operation is successful. As you leave the hospital, you pick up your prescribed antibiotics. RFIDs in that batch of medication have tracked it from its point of manufacture to the pharmacist and matched it to your prescription, ensuring that you’re getting just what the doctor ordered.

“You always had to go to the doctor—

That takes care of today and tomorrow.

ow imagine the near future, a few years from now. When you pick up a prescription each pill has a tiny RFID; the bottle can track them. At 11:40 a.m. you receive an automated call from your doctor’s office: Did you forget to take your pill this morning? Oops. A month later, a physician’s assistant calls: the data your personal health monitor has been sending the office indicates your triglyceride levels have been elevated for the past week, and your sleep pattern seems to be off. Are you stressed? Binging on potato chips and having trouble falling asleep?

Later, at your regular check-up, you walk right in to your doctor’s office. No need for a nurse to weigh you, or take your pulse or blood pressure: your digital scale and health monitor have been sending that data to the office, too. A few days ago you submitted a blood test, pricking your finger and placing a few drops into a small device plugged in to your smartphone. Your health care provider’s diagnostic system has identified a few environmental and genetic markers that could signal the potential onset of a disease. With your doctor you discuss a few changes to your routine—more moderate exercise, less pasta —and increased health monitoring; she writes you a prescription for a cardiac monitor and a less intrusive blood testing device. “Just slip the cuff over your arm, and you won’t feel a thing,” she promises. “But I’ll know if you’ve been eating too many carbs—don’t make me call you!”

now the doctor will come to you.” Faye Karnavy Sahai ’86

Call it a web of care: a network of smart devices that together measure and track everything from air pollution levels around you to cholesterol levels within you. Before the widespread use of smartphones, this scenario might have seemed far-fetched, or at least far off in the future. But smartphones—and smartwatches, and fitness trackers, and RFIDs—are gateway devices, the leading edge of an expansion of the Internet from a network of people connected via computer to a network of devices communicating with each other, too. It’s called the Internet of Things (or, sometimes, the Internet of everything); one of the most common examples is the potential for your refrigerator to report when you’re out of milk, automatically adding it to the list of groceries that will be waiting for you at the supermarket. As a segment of the Internet of Things, the web of care will be very personal—because it will focus on you. Think of it this way, says Vivian Webb alumna Faye Karnavy Sahai ’86: “You always had to go to the doctor—now the doctor will come to you.” Or at least, the equipment in her office will. Sahai has years of experience with cutting edge medical technology, including a stint as vice president and executive director of innovation and advanced technology with Kaiser Permanente. Now global head of innovation and digital business centers for AIG, Sahai focuses on how technology can be used in risk prevention. In the insurance business, risks include everything from chronic health conditions to natural disasters, so for Sahai the web of care includes autonomous weather sensors and Smart Cities initiatives like London’s networked security cameras, as well as personal health monitors. It’s better to prevent illness or injury than to treat it, from the patient’s point of view as well as the insurance provider’s perspective. While it’s not possible to head off a tornado, or an earthquake, it is possible

to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles, reducing the risks of developing chronic diseases. “When it comes down to it,” Sahai says, “we’re trying to influence behaviors.” It helps that people want to stay healthy. Sahai brings up the Baby Boomers as a potential driver for the adoption of personal medical devices: they are aging, but want to remain independent. The web of care could allow seniors to remain in their own homes longer, and to reduce hospital visits by moving routine health monitoring from the hospital to the primary care physician to, ultimately, the home.

That, says Josh Nickols ’93, is crucial for the health care system. CEO of portable 12-lead ECG system developer InvisionHeart, Nickols explains that currently, clinics and primary care offices refer patients “up the chain” for routine testing and ambulatory care, and hospitals become health care bottlenecks. However, he says, the development of medical testing devices that are smaller, less expensive and easier to use means “more care is being distributed to a system that encircles the hospital.” His company’s 12-lead ECG system is a case in point. You’ve seen ECG devices in hospitals: traditionally, they are cart-based and produce a paper tracing of the heart’s electrical activity. InvisionHeart’s ECG technology is much smaller but still able to produce a high-resolution ECG snapshot, which is uploaded to the Internet for storage and access by the patient’s health care providers. Ease of use is a key feature of next-generation medical equipment intended for use in clinics and offices, reducing the need for highly trained technicians and increasing the value of what Nickols terms “physician extenders”—nurse practitioners and home health care providers, among others. The revolution in small, Internet-connected medical devices has the potential to shift much routine health care from overburdened hospitals and doctors—reducing the

vital communication body mind 84bpm

11 2 c p i

Health

time, expense and paperwork needed from both patients and their primary care physicians to get the information necessary to make diagnoses and health-care decisions.

“As I wrote in The Huffington Post earlier this year, I believe wearables are poised to experience the same transition that mobile phones experienced as we went from feature phones to smartphones.

d spirit

The applications that arise from this transition will be rich and incredible. To take it a bit further, I believe the Internet of Things really needs an organizing principle—one that is less about the ‘things’ and more about the people at the center of those things. As such, at Jawbone, we prefer to talk about the Internet of You. The idea is, that in order for the Internet of Things to live up to its possibilities, it needs to be centered on the user and what they want. Not connecting because we can—connecting because we should.” Hosain Rahman ’93

However, medical testing is not a goal in and of itself: changing behaviors to prevent injury and illness is the goal. How can the web of care help when the desire to stay healthy isn’t enough to prompt a change in behavior? We all know how difficult it can be to get ourselves to the gym, or to get up from our desks as often as we should. “I think the reality is we’re struggling in health care trying to find things that truly change people’s behavior,” says Simon Jones ’86, vice president of health IT product strategy with Blue Shield of California. “If there’s no change in behavior at the end of the day then nothing counts.”

hat’s where design and gamification can play a role. Turning a mundane activity into a game can motivate people to take that extra step, Sahai notes, and most fitness trackers include an element of gamification: setting goals, encouraging users to beat their previous record or ‘high score,’ allowing users to compete with one another, even, in the case of the Apple Watch Activity app, completing a circle. “The best example of gamification right now is what Apple’s doing with the Apple Watch,” says software engineer Faisal Yaqub ’07. Apple’s Activity app presents a user with three circles, measuring calories burned, amount of time spent moving and how often the user has gotten up to take a break from sitting. A user ‘wins’ by completing all three circles each day. The app plays to a checklist mentality, Yaqub says, “but it’s a lot more friendly, a lot more visual. You feel accomplished when you fill those meters.” The first fitness apps, released around 2009, “initially just dumped data,” says Yaqub, who developed the Curl Fitness app. “They were very quantitative... not the most visually stimulating.” Since those first apps, there has been a “progression of abstraction” that Yaqub predicts will continue as devices collect more data—oxygen levels in the body, for example, or sleep patterns. With this and other information, personal health devices will be able to present an overall picture of well-being. At the same time, the devices will be able to give users individualized coaching, and health and fitness tips. “We have all that data but right now we’re not doing much with it,” Yaqub notes. “There’s a lot of cool stuff you can do with that.” Beyond monitoring general health and encouraging users

to stay fit, there are apps that can measure the onset or progression of specific diseases—the ability to walk in a straight line, for example, can be used to track Parkinson’s disease. “The earlier you catch a lot of these diseases, the better you can treat them,” Yaqub says. “Now that information is on your phone.” A system of digital, integrated, easy-to-access health information is still years away. There are, Jones says, “islands of information,” from doctor’s charts and paper records to digital charts. The technology to fully digitize health records is available; what’s needed, Jones says, is an infrastructure allowing people to share information. That’s a tall order: the infrastructure would need to transfer and integrate data between devices and databases that in effect speak different languages, while safeguarding patient privacy. “It’s the Wild West out there with standards” in health care, Jones says.

eveloping and implementing a standardized medical information sharing infrastructure would be costly, but, as Jones points out, “the reality is we’re going to distribute the cost between several billon people across the face of the planet.” And the potential benefits, for patients, health care providers and health insurance providers, are tremendous: a greater ability to emphasize prevention, as well as treatment, and to deliver treatment in a more timely, more effective (and cost-effective) manner. Ultimately, as more health data is collected, it will need

“We are heading for a world where a large number of risks that are inborn or largely influenced by inborn traits can be monitored at home, and interventions made very early.” Paul Billings ’70

to be digitized and analyzed by diagnostic computer programs. Technology can distract physicians, Nickols says, but also has the potential to free up time by automating procedures and analyzing data. “People’s brains are tremendously good at drawing conclusions from big data,” Jones explains, “but they’re also limited in their capacity to do that.” “It’s certainly reasonable to think that as we have more quantitative data available...we will be able to train machines to assist physicians more and more,” says Paul Billings ’70, chief medical officer at genomic testing and analysis company Omicia. “Will that replace some of the functions that doctors currently play? Yes. Will that eliminate doctors? Certainly not.” “In the past you’d go a doctor and they’d check your vitals right away and that’s pretty much all the data they had,” Yaqub notes. Devices and apps that collect health data between visits will create “an ability to see a broader picture of someone’s health or well-being because we have all that data.” As long as

doctors are not overwhelmed by the ever-expanding amount of patient data, routine office visits could take on a more holistic character as doctors have more time to focus on the person, rather than the disease. “It’s what all doctors want to do: you should be treating a patient, not his disease,” Jones says. Still, health care focuses on patients and diseases. “We are heading for a world where a large number of risks that are inborn or largely influenced by inborn

traits can be monitored at home, and interventions made very early,” says Billings. “Some people find that enormously intrusive... there’s a medicalization of their lives.” Billings and Jones predict that health monitoring will not be a one-size-fits-all affair: individuals with chronic illnesses will benefit most from the web of care, perhaps by wearing a specialized personal health monitoring device all or most of the time. At-risk individuals—say, those with a genetic predisposition to certain illnesses—may use specialized smartwatch apps or devices that plug in to a smartphone to collect data on a weekly basis. Still others may simply walk in to a pharmacy, office or clinic once a month to have their vital statistics taken and their health records automatically updated. “It’s kind of like Star Trek,” muses Sahai. She’s speaking about the latest operating room technology, but it applies across the web of care, from Smart operating tables to handheld devices that, like Star Trek’s tricorder, measure vital statistics. “We’re on the cusp of a digital transformation” in health care, says Jones. “The technology already exists.” There are hurdles—privacy issues, standardization, expense and the threat of over-medicalization—but at its best the web of care will connect individuals, technology and health care providers for more effective health care. And while the web of care may reduce the strain placed on our overburdened health care system,

“The earlier you catch a lot of these diseases, the better you can treat them. Now that information is on your phone.” Faisal Yaqub ’07

there will still be room for visits to the doctor’s office, Billings notes: computers can collect and analyze quantitative data, but they can’t replace the human touch, asking questions and interpreting non-verbal cues. “And,” he adds, “simply going to see a professional can be therapeutic.”

In Webb We Trust by Aaron Severson

PA R E N T S DE S C R I BE T H E W E BB E X P E R I E N C E

The Webb Schools have many fans and supporters, but few can match the passion and enthusiasm of Webb parents. Entrusting your children to a private school is a big decision, but Webb parents have witnessed fi sthand the remarkable transformative impact of an innovative curriculum, ethical rigor, and extraordinary educational community.

A group of current and recent parents spoke to us about what their families have found at Webb.

spreading their wings One of the many factors that makes Webb such a formative experience is that it provides an avenue for students to explore their independence in a safe, controlled environment. That prospect can be a little unnerving for parents, especially of boarding students, but the results are rewarding. “I think when we initially explored the concept of sending Josh (’17) to Webb, my wife and I were very hesitant about having him out of our reach and out of our sight,” says Ed Ratinoff ’8 , P ’17, whose family lives in the San Fernando Valley. “We were concerned about whether he would survive. I remember sitting in (director of admission) Leo Marshall’s office and expressing these concerns. He said, ‘Don’t worry about it—everyone has these concerns. In six months, you’ll see a completely changed kid.’ That’s exactly what happened.”

Indeed, the Ratinoffs ere surprised at how quickly Josh found his feet. “He was able to go from a very sheltered eighth grader to someone who is now very selfsuffici t,” Ratinoff s ys. “From the standpoint of attentiveness, his manner, his sense of integrity—it’s all been enhanced since he’s been there. We noticed it the fi st time he came home.” For Denis Yip P ’18, ’19, whose family lives in Hong Kong, helping his children become more self-reliant was a major reason for sending them to Webb. “We wanted Brandon (’18) to be more independent,” Yip explains. “Going to a boarding school will help him tremendously in making his own correct decisions, and by so doing, help him to grow. Webb has a very comprehensive campus where Brandon can study, play sports, and also learn to take care of himself.” This fall, Brandon’s sister Eunice ’19 will have the same opportunity as a VWS freshman.

Stella Leung P ’15, ’19, whose son Marcus ’15 recently graduated from WSC, kept in regular email contact with her son’s teachers and flew in from Hong Kong each year to meet them face-to-face during Parents Weekend. “They know my son well, so when I asked questions, they knew the good and the bad,” she says. “They knew what was going on, particularly his advisor, Dr. (Don) Lofgren.” While their older sons Andrew ’12 and Kevin ’13 were at Webb, Kris and Grace Pandji P ’12, ’13, ’18, who live in Jakarta, Indonesia, came to look on teacher Javier Valera and his wife Estela almost as Andrew and Kevin’s surrogate parents. “We often called Mr. Valera and sometimes his wife to ask about the progress of our kids,” says Kris. “We felt good that there were adults taking care of our kids very well in the U.S.”

Such strong parent-faculty relationships are not limited to the families of boarders. “Our closest connections have been with our children’s advisors,” says Ellen Thompson-Christiansen, whose sons Wyatt ’12 and Andy ’17 have both been day students. “We’ve gotten to know Mr. (Geoff) O ers and his family—they’re just lovely people. I feel confi ent that the teachers at Webb want the best for my children.” That sense of connection and common purpose often extends beyond parent faculty relationships to build bonds between Webb families. “It truly is a community,” says Thompson-Christiansen.

SENSE OF COMMUNITY

“I sometimes will contact Webb families in Hong Kong and in the United States,” Leung says. “We exchange information about the kids’ school life—what they are doing, whether they are doing well, the extracurricular activities. When Marcus was in his senior year, we talked about college applications. Some of the parents shared a lot of their experience with me.”

For many Webb parents, the key to developing that trust is establishing good relationships with teachers and advisors. “We feel really comfortable that Josh is being taken care of on campus even though we’re not there to do it,” Ratinoff explains. “I don’t know if it makes it easier to step back, but there’s plenty of staff o make sure he’s on the right path.”

“We have met great people who are alumni and many parents who share our concerns and feelings,” says Yip. “We also have joined the WeChat social group for Webb China and Hong Kong, which currently has 109 parents who share their pictures and their feelings about their kids. Webb has become part of our family, which we are very proud of.”

common values Shared values are at the heart of any community. For many families, Webb’s emphasis on leadership and personal integrity are as important as its high standards of academic excellence. “What we loved about Webb was the community and how it was based on honor, trust and respect,” says Maha Bouz, DDS, P ’10, ’12, ’13, ’16. “This idea didn’t exist only among the students, but also among the faculty, the parents, and the administrators. It was a community that we all wanted our children to grow up in during their adolescent years.” “Of course, I wanted Wyatt to be challenged intellectually,” Thompson-Christiansen says, “but the school far surpassed my expectations as far as values go. What blew me away was how the kids are competitive, but also welcoming and inclusive—these kids live by the Honor Code. These are values that hopefully my sons will carry with them later in life.” Leung was impressed with the consistency of Webb’s values. “What they say about ethics and leadership is true,” she says. “Marcus was taught about leadership by the faculty and his friends in all his daily life.” Alumni, of course, are among the most demanding judges of Webb’s values and how effect vely they’re conveyed to students. “Our expectations in these regards were high,” says Kim McCloud ’67, P ’95, ’96, who is both an alumnus and a former Webb trustee. “We expected our daughters to benefit from all the facets of Webb’s core values and mission statement and the way those are lived and taught and demonstrated every day,” adds Claire McCloud P’95, ’96, a current trustee and past president of The Affiliates of The Webb Schools. “Our expectations were met and exceeded.”

LE A DI N G - E D G E E DU C AT IO N Naturally, any school ultimately rises or falls based on the strength of its academic program. “From an academic perspective, we really didn’t know what to expect because Webb was a lot diffe ent than when I had gone,” says Ratinoff. “ osh went to a high-quality private middle school and we were hoping Webb would be as good. As it turned out, it was a lot better.” “In terms of the educational environment, we loved the studentto-teacher ratio and felt it would encourage our kids to engage in class discussions and form good relationships with their teachers,” says Bouz. “To us, it represented Webb’s genuine

desire to help our children become students who think creatively and approach questions from a diffe ent perspective.” Yip has been particularly impressed with Webb’s cutting-edge pedagogic approach. “For example, freshmen now have classes that incorporate both humanities and history and classes in integrated algebra and geometry and integrated physics and chemistry,” he explains. “This is very innovative and a great way to learn multiple subjects with a more macro view.” Yip also appreciates the integration of class work and other activities. “What surprised me was that a Webb education is an ongoing process that encompasses all schoolwork, projects and activities,” he says. “In Asia, many kids are swamped with only academic work. Webb encourages the kids to learn via both classroom activities and projects, building their confi ence.”

U N LI M I T E D O P P O RT U N I T I E S

Striking a balance between academics and other activities is a priority for many Webb parents. “In Hong Kong, Marcus was studying in a local school where the syllabus was very tough,” says Leung. “My husband and I felt his life was not very balanced because it was all focused on study. Going to Webb, he can have more work-life balance.” She was especially pleased that Marcus was able to compete in triathlon, something he would never have had time for at home. With four kids enrolled, the Bouz family had the opportunity to see a full range of the activities available at Webb. “Gabriel (’10) served on the Honor Committee and as a senior ambassador while playing football,” says Maha Bouz. “John (’12) starred on the football team and enjoyed being on ASB (the Associated Student Body, Webb’s student government). Nadine (’13) invested her time in community service and also ASB. Anthony (’16) was a day student prefect and did outdoor activities after school. All of them went on international trips over spring breaks, to Belize, Fiji and Macedonia. You don’t find pportunities like that at any other high school in the area.” Of course, one of the most unique and enticing opportunities for Webb students is the renowned Alf Museum. “Brandon is taking Honors Paleontology, which he could not do in other schools,” says Yip. “And his advisor, Dr. Andy Farke, is a well-known paleontologist. What a great combination of school and museum.”

transformative experiences It’s through these extracurricular activities that Webb parents often see the most striking changes in their children. Thompson-Christiansen says her older son Wyatt, who hadn’t been very athletically inclined prior to Webb, “developed into an all-league and school-award-winning varsity football and baseball player.” By contrast, her younger son Andy, who was quite athletic to begin with, developed a newfound interest in the arts. “Andy has become, much to our surprise, very active in the theater program at Webb and has really flourished,” she says. “Now, I see a completely diffe ent side to my son. It’s great how the students find heir own uniqueness or their own talents because they’re not afraid to try something. It’s such a supportive environment.” The Pandji family witnessed comparable transformations in their sons Andrew and Kevin. “When Andrew was in Jakarta, he was a very shy person,” Kris Pandji explains. “By his junior and senior years, he progressed a lot in his ability to have friends and speak up. Kevin was good socially already, but when he was at Webb, he became very good at fundraising—he was head of Junior Fountain—and got better exposure to international friends.” The Pandjis, whose youngest son J.J. ’18 is a sophomore, say those global connections are another Webb strong point. “Webb is very internationally oriented,” Kris says. “The students are from all over the world, so my children will get better international exposure than Indonesian students who study in Indonesia—global education and global friendship connections. The world is getting smaller, so those relationships are very important.”

ENDURING ENTHUSIASM When they’ve seen fi sthand everything The Webb Schools have to offe , many parents opt to send all their children to Webb. “It was something that Andy asked for and something we wanted for him,” says Thompson-Christiansen. “We knew the school and we knew the unlimited opportunities.” For parents like these, being part of the Webb community is a memorable and meaningful era for the entire family. Some parents remain involved for a decade or more, whether as volunteers, trustees, or just supporting Gauls athletics. “I joke to my husband that we’ll probably still go to Webb football games when we’re 80,” Thompson-Christiansen laughs. The Bouz family has been particularly satisfied w th their kids’ time at Webb:

“Each experience was diffe ent, but all were fulfilli g. At the end of their four years at Webb, each of our children has grown up to be the young adults we hoped they would become.”

evolution 20

of the Alf Museum

by Debbie Carini

Anyone who’s ever watched the PBS show, Antiques Roadshow, knows there are hidden treasures to be found in the basement. And for many years, starting in 1936, a cache of significa t magnitude was multiplying in the subterranean reaches of the Jackson Library on the campus of The Webb Schools.

And so commenced the fi st of many milestones in the evolution of what would come to be known as the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology: a nationally accredited museum—the only one of its kind on a high school campus.

But Webb teacher Ray Alf didn’t need an antiques expert to tell him that what he and intrepid students from Webb School of California had been collecting in the hills of Barstow would one day serve as the basis for a priceless treasure trove of natural history.

Today the Alf Museum is once again embarking on a historic effort, his time looking to the future to secure the past.

Alf first spotted a fossil horse jaw at a store in Claremont in 1935 and soon began a tradition of taking students in search of fossils in Barstow, where the jaw had been found. In 1936, Bill Webb ’39 discovered a specimen which turned out to be a new species of fossil peccary (pig). In 1937, during a fossil-hunting expedition in South Dakota, Alf met Professor John Clark from the University of Colorado. The encounter inspired Alf to become a paleontologist; he completed his master’s degree in geology at University of Colorado the following year.

In a comprehensive, 10-year strategic plan that was inaugurated in 2012, the Alf Museum has formulated a road map for achieving even greater success in strengthening its mission, further integrating its research programs and learning experiences, and growing and diversifying fi ancial support. Alf Museum director Don Lofgren, Ph.D., who has overseen more than two decades of revitalization of the structure and displays, as well as formalization of the museum’s status as a world-class institution (including two nationally-recognized accreditations) says now that director of development Harason Horowitz ’02 and collections manager Gabriel Santos are in place, what he’d most like to see is an effort o solidify the fi ances of the museum.

“As the museum grows in capacity and status, it’s vitally important to have the funding that will carry us through the next couple of decades,” he says. An expanded endowment would ensure that effor s to continue to expand operations, staff, and ollaboration with The Webb Schools would continue to flourish, explains Dr. Lofgren. There has not been an endowment campaign exclusively for the museum since the early 1980s.

Many of the goals of the strategic plan have already come to fruition. With the addition of Horowitz as director of development, the Alf Museum now has a dedicated advancement professional who is growing the museum’s donor base, while also working to increase outreach through several effor s including the website and social media. New collections manager Santos will oversee the ever-expanding fossil collection—its use and care—as well as the conservation and accessibility of this scientific t easure that now totals more than 165,000 specimens; the position is funded by a gift that supports staffing, from Alf Museum board member Gretchen Augustyn, who has generously supported several museum initiatives over the years. Another important goal of the strategic plan is to establish the Alf Museum as a research institution of worldwide repute and accessibility. Andy Farke, Ph.D., the Augustyn Family Curator of Paleontology has been tasked with establishing a collections plan. “It’s very common for small museums not to have a collections plan,” says Dr. Farke. “In the early days of the Alf Museum, the intentions were good, but there wasn’t necessarily a focus on the long-term goals of the museum. And there was no real outlook for future care of the collection.” Throughout the past 20 years, staff ave catalogued and organized the assortment of fossils and artifacts in the museum, transforming it from a personal collection to an accredited, scientific esource to be utilized and studied by Webb students, the general public and the scientific community. “Museum standards have changed since the 1930s, and the goals of the Alf Museum have changed as well,” says Dr. Farke.

“We’ve made changes that make our operations consistent with our own professional standards as well as those of others in our fi ld. We’ve turned an informal collection into something that will have longevity.” Dr. Farke elaborated on one process in particular: the documentation surrounding the fossils. “A well-cared for collection goes beyond preserving the fossils— it’s also important to keep the information that comes with the specimen,” he says. For instance, each specimen should be logged with fi ld notes, the GPS coordinates of its location in the fi ld, and photographs. “This extra information can be just as important as the fossils themselves,” says Dr. Farke.

torage capacity at the museum is currently at 90% (though there are plans to expand it with a new system of rolling compactor shelves that turn aisle space into productive storage). In addition to this, Dr. Farke is also considering off- ite storage options for larger trackways, which would involve digitizing and creating 3-D scans of the specimens. He’s also eager for the re-launch of the Alf Museum website, which will feature a more accessible interface for an easier search of the collection. “Unless our specimens are used, they’re not serving their full potential,” he says, citing as an example a researcher from the University of Southern California who recently visited the museum to collect fossil data for his dissertation on the conservation of desert tortoises.

“We’ve made changes that make our operations consistent with our own professional standards as well as those of others in our field. We’ve turned an informal collection into something that will have longevity.”

Dr. Lofgren also addressed another aspect of the strategic plan, digitizing the collection: “On most major museum websites, researchers can access collections which are photographed and catalogued online,” he says. “The system we use now is not online friendly.” The plan is to switch to a program called Specify, software that manages species and specimen data for biological research collections. “Anyone can use it, even a child working on a school paper,” he adds. Dick Lynas ’55, Larry Ashton ’70 and Lance Williams ’97 are Alf Museum board trustees as well as alumni of the program. Lynas has spent more than 5,000 hours volunteering in the museum—updating the database and identifying people in pictures, on peccary trips and in Webb school yearbooks. “For me, as a student, Ray Alf was most inspiring,” says Lynas. “He gave so much to us—he devoted his life to his students.”

But, Lynas explained, “Scientific tandards weren’t as rigorous or thorough in Ray’s time. Don has brought contemporary scientific tandards to the museum and he is enthusiastic about that with the students. Don is here standing on Ray’s shoulders—he’s had a lot of diffe ent goals and he’s accomplished all of them, especially making the physical plant conform to world class standards.” Ashton is chairman of the Alf board of trustees. “On his way to Peccary trips in the Dakotas with Webb students, Ray used to stop at my family’s store in Vernal, Utah,” explains Ashton. He remembers taking biology with Alf in what was once a science lab and classroom on the lower level of the Jackson Library. “That’s where the ‘museum’ was then. There were bottles of formaldehyded ‘samples’—snakes, fish, ea cucumbers, spiders—it looked like a Charles Dickens curiosity museum,” he says. “Fossils were on display, but there wasn’t a lot of room because it was also a classroom.” The current museum structure, a round building designed by famed architect (and Webb parent) Millard Sheets to mimic

Alf’s celebrated time spiral—a swirl of heavy wire along which were marked various events in the history of the planet—was built in 1967. “We actually helped Ray move the fossils from the dreary crawl space of the old Upper Dorm to the new structure,” says Ashton. “It was kind of like the movie Cocoon—we didn’t know what was in the plaster pods we were carrying.” Ashton recalls that Robin Leggewie ’70 crafted many of the original displays. “It was a bare-bones operation. The school supported it with power, water, and insurance, etc., but it was up to Ray to get the money for displays and related items.” The building’s formal dedication was held in 1968. “I was at the dedication with Thompson Webb, (then headmaster) Fred Hooper, Frank Jameson ’41, Al Hastings ’42 (who was the chairman of Webb’s board of trustees), Millard Sheets and Alfred Romer—a famous paleontologist and biologist, we used his textbook in 9th grade,” says Ashton. Throughout the years, Ashton stayed in touch with Alf, and then Grant Meyer ’53 (Alf Museum director, 1977 – 1990). Don Lofgren arrived in 1991. “I remember being in the museum and hearing about the ‘new fella.’ Someone introduced him to me and I thought, ‘who’s this kid? He’s going to fill ay’s shoes?’” One of Lofgren’s fi st moves was to make a peccary trip an auction item at the annual Webb fundraiser. “Miles Rosedale ’69 won it and he took about six friends including me and Gene Gregg ’70,” says Ashton. “I hadn’t been out to Barstow since 9th grade! During the trip I got to know Don better. A couple of years later, he suggested that I join a group going to Montana where we worked to excavate the hadrosaur that was discovered in 1997. Don was exploring new places and expanding beyond the usual places the peccary kids would go.” Ashton also credits Dr. Lofgren with professionalizing the collection. “They used to accept just about anything,” says Ashton. “Don made sure the deaccessioning was done right and that artifacts were sent to museums that could actually use them.”

In time, says Ashton, the Alf became a functioning “real world” museum with outreach programs to public schools, and renewed interest for Webb students.

adaptable to new technology; now we have to ask ourselves, what’s next? How do we engage the global audience and let them know about the excellent facilities we have here?”

“More than 90% of the fossils at the museum were found by Webb students,” explains Ashton. “Under Don’s and Andy’s leadership, high school students are now presenting professional papers at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology annual meetings—with scientists and Ph.D. candidates.”

Bill Baldwin joined the Alf Museum board in 1993; he was interested in the architecture of the building. Now he is a Webb parent (Marcus ’16) and a leader of the strategic plan.

Lance Williams ’97 only knows of the “lore” of Ray Alf. Don Lofgren was his teacher at Webb. He joined the Alf board in 2011. “The fi st thing I did as a student at Webb was take an intro to paleo course,” says Williams. “I experienced a peccary trip within a month and I immediately became interested in the

“When I fi st came on board in the 1990s, the museum looked like it did when I was 10,” says Baldwin, who grew up in the area and went on fi ld trips to the museum. “What Ray Alf did in his day was revolutionary, but it had reached a static point. We are now taking that revolutionary spirit and moving forward. The outreach and influence of the Alf Museum will continue to expand.” To that end, the board has divvied-up responsibility for each component of the strategic plan and committees are working diligently to insure its success. Even as the board looks to the future, Dr. Lofgren continues to explore the past: from millions of years ago to not-so-distant bygone times. He is working on a biography of Ray Alf; their paths crossed in 1991 when Dr. Lofgren fi st arrived at Webb. Dr. Lofgren conferred with Alf, who was still living on campus, on a weekly basis for several years.

‘applied science’—being out in the fi ld. By the time I was a senior, I was working on a special project in the Museum Studies program; the museum was in the process of accreditation and I learned a lot about what it takes to run a museum—caring for the displays, storage, writing a grant. That made me want to continue my involvement, even after I graduated.”

illiams sits on the board of a family foundation, the Snite Foundation, and both through them and on his own has made several major gifts to the museum, beginning with leadership grants to fund the renovations of the Hall of Footprints and the Hall of Life. As The Webb Schools approach The Centennial in 2022, the Alf Museum is also looking to the future. “Today we are in a place where we can really look forward,” says Williams. “We’ve made the museum user-friendly, easily

“The history of the museum is unique,” said Dr. Lofgren. “Ray was a nationally-recognized sprinter when he arrived on campus and he caused quite a stir. This is the story of how he became an inspiring teacher and in the process, guided the museum to national prominence.” The evolution of the Alf Museum is an ongoing process, and a credit to The Webb Schools and the faculty and students who have contributed so greatly to its transition from “the little museum on the hill” to a world-class institution. Today, Alf scientists circle the globe in search of fossils and the “documents of life.” Excursions during the past 10 years have included trips to Mongolia, China and Madagascar. A trip to Argentina is planned for 2016. Of the Alf’s continued expansion of outreach, research and reputation, Baldwin acknowledges the obvious, “Who’s not proud to walk into that museum?”

students

Today

WEBB

Commencement

2015

On Saturday, May 30, The Webb Schools graduated

100 seniors from the Class of 2015, sending off scholars and athletes, artists and scientists, inquirers and leaders to futures bright with promise.

Webb Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ Fall 2015

n the morning, 53 Vivian Webb School

seniors gathered on Faculty Field to receive their diplomas at the 32nd commencement exercises of the school. Susan Xiong ’15 was valedictorian; she spoke of the significan e of the Webb community: “Webb is a community, in the truest sense of that word. We have a group of faculty that is way more than just our teachers: they are our mentors, coaches, supporters, weekend company, and above all our role models and anchors. We don’t often think of how people here have become integral to our identity. I didn’t quite realize until I looked back to my freshman self. When I composed an image of myself—before I had seen the world through the lens of a debater, before I had joined ASB and learned the language of social justice and compassion, before I had seen the view from the top of Yosemite—I realized how much I have changed. For each of these changes I can associate a name—a student’s or a faculty’s. They have decided to share the most significa t parts of their identities with us.” Stephanie Ho ’04 addressed the group as an alumna who has achieved success as a manager of corporate development at MGM Studios, involved with operations strategy and implementation, mergers and acquisitions, and fi ancial oversight for new business departments and ventures. Ho also elaborated on the supportive nature of a Webb education:

“

The one thing every graduate remembers after leaving this campus is that there’s really no place like Webb. Each of you have been gifted this very unique education and social experience, and while you may not realize it now, you will later in life realize how much of an impact Webb has made on you as an individual. Webb has molded you into the women you are today, and the values and character you’ve developed here will transfer into the women you

”

will become. She continued:

“You will leave here with some lifelong friends and what Webb has taught you; and that is how to form and voice your own opinions, to stay driven and committed to improve, to test your boundaries, to play to your strengths but work on your weaknesses, and to strive for success, however you choose to define t. You’ll take all of these things with you as you step out on Baseline Road and you will find out hat you are well ahead of the game.” In the late afternoon 47 young men from Webb School of California were handed their diplomas and traditional bibles on Alamo Lawn at the 93rd commencement exercises of the school. The Webb Schools • Webb.org

WEBB

Today

students

Raymond Tang ’15 delivered his valedictory speech, entitled “Yay! Graduation” with aplomb as he addressed the fact that even though he may have been selected valedictorian, he did struggle with one activity at Webb—cross country: “Running is hard, especially hard for me. At fi st, it was difficult to bear the astonished stares of passersby, wondering why a runner was a full mile behind the pack. But something clicked as I continued running, even though I hated it with a passion. Soon enough, I had accustomed myself to running in last place and though I still tried to run as fast as possible, last place became a sanctuary for me. With no one to chase me and no one but myself to push me ahead, running transformed from excruciating torture to meditation.”

“

It’s easy to mistake everything in life for a

cross-country race. Life is NOT a race, and if we

go at our own pace, then we will enjoy it more,

just as I did in cross country.

”

Blair Maffris, ebb’s long-time art teacher who delivered his speech as the fi al act of a 35-year career at The Webb Schools, conjured the image of the boys’ Grand Canyon senior trip as a metaphor for a rite of passage: “When you hiked the canyon, how many of you slipped or stumbled? “In life, you all will slip, and sometimes, you will stumble and make wrong decisions. Faced with what seemed like endless switchbacks, how many of you doubted your ability to continue on (the hike) but overcame your doubt simply by carrying on? How many of you reassured another hiker who was struggling Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

more than you, or encouraged someone with a kind word, or helped another on the trail and found that it somehow made your load feel lighter? As men, throughout life, we will always be works in progress. Work at being good leaders, good mates, and good fathers. Take the experiences, examples, and knowledge that you have learned at Webb and put them to good purposes. Throughout your lives, especially rekindle the Grand Canyon memories and lessons learned from the hike, for they will serve you well.” Head of Schools Taylor Stockdale bestowed a traditional bible on each student as they graduated and in his remarks, explained the meaning behind the tradition: “Thompson Webb, and his father Sawney Webb before him, placed an emphasis on the classics, especially those works of ancient and sacred literature that helped shape Western civilization. Of these, the bible was preeminent. It’s meaning is not the same for all people, but within its pages can be found examples of moral courage, or what we have long termed ‘honor.’ So as we send you forth from the Webb nest, as we have done for 90-plus years before, we impart this gift as a remembrance of Webb traditions and the virtues that will always characterize the mission of these great schools.” In addition, Stockdale presented the following year-end teaching awards: The Jean E. Miller Excellence in Teaching Award, which was established and endowed by the Affil tes in honor of Vivian Webb School’s second headmistress to recognize a teacher who has made an outstanding impact on The Webb Schools and has served the schools for more than three years, was awarded to English teacher Andy Dahlstrom; The Laurence McMillin Excellence in Teaching Award, which was established by David Loo ’79 to honor his beloved Webb teacher and for the purpose of providing faculty members in their fi st three to five years of teaching with resources to cultivate their skills and to strengthen their affil tion with The Webb Schools, was given to media arts teacher Jonathan Capone. Earlier in the day Christina Duron ’08, mathematics teacher, was recognized with the Thompson and Vivial Webb Award and Michael Kozden, world language department chair, received the Demetriades Prize.

Les Dinosaures of the Alf Museum

here’s always excitement in the air during a field trip to the Alf Museum, but for 18 students of Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles, the adventure was magnifique thanks to the efforts of Webb’s French 3 and French 4 classes. The Webb students led tours and staffed e ucational stations, presenting all of their materials in French to enthusiastic and curious fi st graders. According to French teacher Emmanuelle Remy the Webb students spent many months prior to the tour in preparation for the young visitors—receiving an overview of the museum through the use of a scavenger hunt, and intensive instruction of a particular activity. On the day of the actual tour, each Webb docent presented his or her topic utilizing a variety of exhibits on display in the museum, including the fresco, the wall prints, casts of dinosaur footprints, reproductions and prints of animals. After explaining his or her particular station, each Webb docent then led the Lycée youngsters through an activity that was linked to the presentation theme.

“Our Webbies did very nice work,” says Remy. “They had to observe how the French fi st graders reacted to their exposés, and to the education activity, in order to assess how they were helping the children.” According to Remy, the fi st graders and their chaperones discovered the museum with attentiveness, and eyes and ears wide open; during free time, the Webb guides happily and handily fi lded questions from the group. “Ma partie préférée était après que toute la classes soit partie, je suis restée à parler seule avec les enfants. Je les ai aides,” says Taylor Leonard ’15. “My favorite part was just after the tour was over, when I was on my own with the students to speak with them and to help them.” “The overall experience was a huge pedagogical and linguistic success for both groups,” says Remy. “Our French visitors not only enjoyed the tour, but left the Webb campus with a desire to return soon and repeat the event with additional French students from LILA.”

The Webb students also enjoyed their experience. “J’étais heureuse parce que j’utilisais le français dans une situation réelle,” says Alexis Helgeson ’16. “I was happy because I was using French in context.”

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

WEBB

Today

gaul athletics

Their Webb sports teams make a big impression on new league

Champ

A move to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) proved transformative for Webb’s athletic teams as the Gauls 2014-2015 teams posted seven league championships and 15 of 23 teams finished in first or second place in league play. The WAC is a high school athletic league that is part of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section. It is an amalgamation of the Express League and the San Joaquin League. “We made the move so our students could have a better experience,” says athletics director Steve Wishek. “We knew we could be more competitive, but this year was beyond our expectations.”

Of special note, Wishek says the VWS Tennis team (which last captured fi st in league play in 1986) went all the way to the semi-fi als of CIF where they fi ished in the top four; WSC soccer went to the fi als of the state regional tournament, which included teams from the LA City Section, the Central Section and San Diego; and WSC basketball recorded the fi st league championship in school history. Individual athletes also garnered accolades. The following were named League MVPs in their respective sports: Daniel Crisostomo ’15 - WSC Soccer Megan Kotrappa ’16 - VWS Tennis Ricky Gonzales ’15 - Football Adrian Hui ’15 - WSC Swimming Deepak Tummala ’17 - WSC Tennis Hailey Arteaga ’16 - VWS Softball

Seven teams fi ished in their respective top slots: VWS Tennis, WSC Cross Country, WSC Basketball, WSC Soccer, WSC Tennis, WSC Golf and VWS Softball (for the fi st time in 22 years). Of the 23 teams the school fi lded, 19 qualified or CIF playoffs

In addition to League MVP status, these athletes also celebrated the following achievements: • Crisostomo ’15 was All-CIF, voted top athlete of the San Joaquin League

and earned an athletic scholarship to the University of California, Irvine, one of the top 20 teams in Division I soccer, • Kotrappa ’16 only dropped one set in league tennis play; she went 6-0

through every match until the last game, • Arteaga ’16 was named (for the second year in a row) to the All-CIF team

for girls softball and helped lead the undefeated-in-league-play VWS team to its fi st league championship since 1993, Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

• Hui ’15 graduated as the Division 3 CIF Champion in the 50 meter freestyle.

mpionship Season In other highlights of the season, Lindsay Powell ’16 and David Albers ’16 were named USA Water Polo Academic All-Americans; brothers Albert ’18 and Max ’15 Zhang were coed badminton league champions for boys’ doubles, and Gonzales ’15, Josh Hong ’16 and Will Martinez ’16 were wrestling league champions. Both the WSC and VWS track and fi ld teams took second place in league competition with several athletes cited for record-breaking performances. Dylan Wensley ’17 was named Prep League MVP for Field Events and Chris Hernandez ’15 garnered Prep League MVP for Running Events. And, Yukimi Hiroshima ’17 qualified or CIF Prelims as an individual becoming the fi st VWS girls’ cross country runner to do so in nearly 10 years. “We’re excited to consolidate the gains we’ve made and continue on as one of the top athletic programs in the Western Athletic Conference,” says Wishek. The move to the new conference put Webb in the spotlight: “We’ve been doing the chasing the last couple of years,” says Wishek. “Now we’re the school that’s inspiring the competition.”

For more information about Webb’s 2014-2015 sports season, and all Webb sports news, visit www.webb.org/athletics Follow Webb athletics on Twitter: @WebbSports

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

WEBB

Today

the arts

express y 32

sing dance play create paint leap laugh draw act recite compose interpre

Webb Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ Fall 2015

Performing

A r ts C a l e n d a r

2015-2016

yourself

et mold develop vocalize

F all Play

Art Cafe

Candlelight Concert

D ance Show

Art Cafe

Spring Concert Spring Musical

Peter and the Starcatcher Play by R ick Elice based on a novel by D ave Barry and R idley Pearson N ovember 4-6, 2015 7:30 p.m. L iu/Cheung Theater

D ecember 4, 2015 8:00 p.m. Art Studio

display write sketch

O rchestra and choirs D ecember 13, 2015 2:00 p.m. L iu/Cheung Theater January 22-23, 2016 7:30 p.m. L iu/Cheung Theater March 11, 2016 8:00 p.m. Art Studio

April 17, 2016 2:00 p.m. TBD

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim May 5-7, 2016 7:30 p.m. L iu/Cheung Theater Parents, alumni and friends are welcome. Check the website for details.

The Webb Schools â&#x20AC;˘ Webb.org

the

ALF WEBB At

News from the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology at The Webb Schools

Embarking on

a New Era by Harason Horowitz â&#x20AC;&#x2122;02

Solving the mysteries of the past to better understand the dynamics of the future is one of the primary endeavors of the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology. But discovering, collecting, researching and preserving millions of years of scientific heritage is a daunting undertaking. The Alf collections not only serve as a rich repository of knowledge but they inspire a community of critical thinkers. Their preservation ensures that current and future scientists, as well as generations of visitors, will always have access to them. The board of trustees of the Alf Museum recognizes a vital link between long-term fi ancial security and the ability to preserve the past for the future. The remarkable collections are a result of hard work, tenacity and generosity by many people over the years. These contributions have helped make the Alf Museum the renowned institution it is today. A robust endowment ensures that the Alf Museum will continue to thrive in its work to inspire scientific uriosity, provide unique educational experiences for The Webb Schools Webb Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ Fall 2015

community and the public, and research access to its world-class collections of fossils to scientists worldwide. Investing in the endowment enables the museum to achieve the larger strategic goals set out by the board of trustees, and it is why the museum has launched a new campaign for the endowment, the fi st since the early 1980s. By increasing the endowment from $4 million to over $7 million, the museum plans to modernize and transform the way it operates not only as a museum but also as a research facility. The fi st important goal is to improve and expand the physical footprint of the Alf Museum. Because peccary trip successes result in more than 1,000 new specimens annually, the collections will soon exceed 170,000 specimens, bringing current facilities to over 100% capacity. In addition to expanding the limits of

collections storage, improvement in handicapped access to the exhibits, and additional parking for visitors and office space for staff a e needed. Another objective focuses on outreach and communications. With world-renowned paleontologists and students making considerable scientific ontributions, it is time to capitalize on that success and increase public visibility. A digital presence with a new virtual museum tour and online experience, will allow the Alf Museum to share its valuable resources with visitors, students, and researchers from around the globe. As the only accredited museum of paleontology on a high school campus, the Alf Museum’s mission has always been closely intertwined with that of The Webb Schools. Through better integration of the opportunities the museum provides, Webb students not only have a greater appreciation of the Earth’s history, but also have the chance for advanced classwork, more

research institutions, programs, and fellowships, which brings exciting ideas and opportunities to the museum. These improvements require additional staffing and expertise to complete—a goal in and of itself. This September, Gabriel Santos joined the staff as a ollections manager, and in the summer of 2014 the Alf Museum hired a director of development, Harason Horowitz ’02, to tackle the marketing and development goals. Hiring a fossil preparatory specialist is an important step towards accomplishing the human resources goal. The Alf Museum’s board of trustees has thrown their support behind the endowment initiative and pledged over $800,000 toward the $3,000,000 goal, the largest campaign in the history of the museum. Special thanks to the board’s campaign chair, Michelle Plyley P ’12, for her dedication and success. The Alf Museum has come far since the renovation of the Hall of Life in 2011. The discovery of baby duck-billed dinosaur “Joe” made an international splash. In addition, the publication of the research paper describing “Joe,” written by a team which included three Webb students and Dr. Andrew Farke, resulted in worldwide news coverage. From groundbreaking discoveries to the naming of new species, the Alf has greatly exceeded its original status as “the little museum on the hill.”

fi ldwork, and original research. In line with this objective, all students now

take an evolutionary biology course, with a section dedicated specifically to paleontology. With more advanced coursework options, a required freshman

By expanding its staff and w th the launch of this endowment campaign, the Alf Museum will be able to look towards the future with full confi ence that its history and legacy are secure. With the help of our friends, we aim to put the Alf Museum on the cutting edge and ensure that the vision of Raymond Alf is preserved as strongly as his treasured fossils. At the Alf, the past deserves a future. If you’re interested in helping the Alf become the world-class institution

trip and more optional trips throughout the year, paleontological study has

we know it is, we hope you’ll join

been blended into the Webb curriculum.

Please contact Harason Horowitz ’02

Through the expansion of our collections and a commitment to scientific inquiry, the Alf Museum has established itself as an international research institution. Through digitizing the collections and publishing our own research, the museum can share its accomplishments and inspire researchers across the world. This opens up meaningful collaborations with other

at (909) 447-7077 or hhorowitz@webb.org

The Past Deserves a Future Campaign.

for more information.

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

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A love of the past, presents the Alf with a very big step into the future.

G 36

abriel Santos began work on September 1 as the Alf Museum’s fi st ever collections manager, an endowed position funded by a generous gift from board member Gretchen Augustyn and family. Gabe will work closely with Augustyn Family Curator of Paleontology Dr. Andy Farke to catalog, organize and care for the ever expanding collection of scientific lly significa t fossils. Now that the size of the collections exceeds 165,000 specimens and the research program has reached international prominence, it was important to have a collections manager like Gabe. Projects that he will be implementing include expanding the collections storage capacity by 40% (currently it is near 100%) and moving the collections databases into Specify, a state-of-the-art system that ensures the museum’s fossils will be documented and accessible to a broad audience.

Gabe was born and raised in Southern California and spent much of his childhood roaming around museums and watching episodes of Bill Nye the Science Guy. He had an early fascination with fossils and spent hours playing with dinosaur figures, imagining how they might have lived. After high school, Gabe studied biology as a premed student at University of California, Irvine. After graduating in 2010 he rediscovered his love of fossils during a trip to the Amercan

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

Museum of Natural History in New York. Soon thereafter, he began volunteering at the Dr. John D. Cooper Paleontological and Archaeological Center in Santa Ana. His career was decided in 2012 when he was promoted to curatorial assistant. Over the next three years Gabe served as project manager for a National Science Foundation Collections Improvement Grant and the Talega Eocene Bonebed Project, lead preparator for the Bonita Canyon whale site, content manager for Cooper Center social media, and creator of the center’s annual National Fossil Day event and educational YouTube channel. In his free time, Gabe is fi ishing his master’s thesis at California State University, Fullerton, a research project centered on a local site that preserves the fossilized remains of animals that lived in a rainforest 45 million years ago. Gabe is also active in the study of hippo-like fossil marine mammals known as desmostylians which lived along the ancient shores of Southern California.

Alf

raymond m. Alf museum of paleontology

the Webb schools

Student presentations set for international paleontology meeting A group of Webb seniors will present the results of their museum research projects at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference, to be held in Dallas, Texas, this October.

No Bones About It:

Don’t Miss the Event of the Era! Join old and new friends of the Alf Museum at the 23rd Annual Peccary Society Dinner on Friday, October 23, 2015. Come for a drink at the cocktail reception on the museum’s front steps, followed by a delectable dinner on the lower fi ld. This year marks the return of special guest speaker Dr. Kevin Padian, curator of paleontology at UC Berkeley’s Museum of Paleontology and president of the National Center for Science Education. You will also have a chance to meet the Alf Museum’s new collections manager, Gabriel Santos, and new science faculty member, paleontologist Dr. Jessie Atterholt. Proceeds from this event are the primary source of fi ancial support for our operating budget; contact Harason Horowitz ’02, director of development, for more information about sponsorship levels. Single tickets are $150, and table sponsorship levels range from $750 to $15,000.

The annual conference attracts over a thousand professional paleontologists from around the world, to discuss the latest research in the fi ld. Cliffo d Shen ’16, Naomi Buday ’16, Clarissa Ylagan ’16, Jesslyn Homidan ’16, and Kate Lofgren ’16 will be presenting their work on 33 million-year-old coprolites (fossil dung) from Montana, and what the coprolites say about the ecology and preservational history of the area. Matthew Paik ’16 will present his work on small bones and teeth from 75 millionyear-old rocks from Utah, including many fish, amp ibians, and lizards that lived alongside the dinosaurs of the area. Finally, Megan Kotrappa ’16 will present results from her work looking at the anatomy of the inner ear in a small fossil mammal (multituberculate) from Southern California. The students have been working on their projects for the past year, in collaboration with Alf Museum director Dr. Don Lofgren and Dr. Andy Farke. In many cases, the research reflects multi-year effor s drawing upon findi gs from several years of Webb graduates.

We are humbled by the dedication of the Peccary Society and look forward to seeing you at the event. Laudate Deum!

Off to Argentina! Have you ever wanted to walk in the footsteps of our planet’s biggest inhabitants? Argentina was home to the largest dinosaurs known, and the Alf Museum is on the trail! Augustyn Family Curator Dr. Andy Farke is organizing a paleontology and natural history themed tour of Argentina, scheduled for spring break 2016, March 27 - April 6. Destinations include: • The Ischigualasto Formation at the Valley of the Moon, where some of the oldest dinosaur fossils have been discovered. • Punta Tombo, home to rheas, penguins, elephant seals and more. • Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, one of the most important fossil collections in the world. • O ther cultural and natural history wonders of Argentina. Excluding international airfare, the trip costs $5,325 (double occupancy). For more details, or to reserve your spot, please contact Andy Farke (afarke@webb.org).

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

WEBB

Today

fa c u lt y

Maffris &Sittig Their tenure at Webb is a combined 50-plus years. They’ve left indelible marks at the school—from an observatory to the vibrant “Lead Singers” sculpture gracing the grounds of the Susan A. Nelson Performing Arts Center. But most of all, they will be remembered for the immeasurable ways they have

contributed to the lives of generations of Webb students, teachers and staff. n May 9, 2015, retiring teachers Steve Sittig and Blair Maffri were lauded at a celebration where the tributes poured forth from alumni, friends and family members.

Head of Schools Taylor Stockdale kicked off the afternoon event by honoring Sittig, who earned his B.A. from California State University, Fullerton, an M.A. in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and also completed doctoral coursework in philosophy of religion at the Claremont Graduate School. He previously taught at St. Lucy’s Priory High School in Glendora and at Pasadena City College. Sittig and his wife Carol are the parents of two Webb graduates Alyssa ’07 and Dylan ’09. Sittig joined the Webb faculty in 1996 as a chemistry and physics teacher. He also served as dean of faculty from 2005 to 2008, interim chair of the Science Department, and a varsity and JV coach for tennis, softball, volleyball and baseball. He was a long-time, beloved VWS advisor and also the Chapel Council advisor. For all of this good work Sittig was twice the recipient of Webb’s prestigious Perry Teaching Award. “One of Steve’s lasting contributions on campus, as most everyone knows, is the Webb Observatory, which he built in 2000 using plans designed by his father,” explained Stockdale. “It is a special place for him and for all of us on campus. It is a remarkable resource to have anywhere, but evermore remarkable on a secondary school campus. We are grateful for his drive and ambition to get it built and to make sure it is used.” Cori McGinley ’16, a member of the Chapel Council, shared her appreciation of the “Sittig-ian” method.

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

“A few times I’ve attempted to understand and replicate the Sittig-ian way of being: the endlessly patient and compassionate leader devoted to the pursuit of knowledge. And while I’ve yet to discover the path to this Nirvana-like existence, I’ve realized that Mr. Sittig simply loves being a teacher. He loves to share his knowledge and love of learning with every Webb student, even when answering the exact same questions asked every year by every incoming class. He has dedicated so many years, thousands of hours in the fi ld and in the classroom, and countless breakthrough moments to the craft of education. If you look to any alumni, they will all be able to trace back to those moments with Mr. Sittig— in the classroom, in Barstow under the stars, or in Sunday Chapel,” said McGinley. “In short, Mr. Sittig is an outstanding teacher, mentor and role model. He is, and will always be, our guiding star.” Sittig also received accolades from Alumni Council president Rahmi Mowjood ’90, and both of his children. Stockdale then presented Sittig with a framed photograph of the Vivian Webb Chapel and mounts for a DSLR camera to fit onto the eye pieces of the Observatory’s Celestron telescope. In his remarks about Maffris Stockdale praised Webb’s longtime art teacher for encouraging the creativity and artistic talents of more than 2,000 students in his 36-year career at the school: “That’s about half of all those who have ever graduated from Webb. Now that’s influence!”

Stockdale continued, “Beyond this influence in the classroom, of course, he has done so much more. He has chaperoned our senior boys on more Grand Canyon trips than probably any other faculty member in our history. He’s coached the WSC varsity soccer team, taken countless surf trips, and led a remarkable number of weekend trips out to Joshua Tree for hiking and star-gazing. For all of his outstanding dedication and good work, he has been recognized with both the Jean E. Miller Award and the Perry Teaching Award.” Maffris eceived his B.A. and M.A. from California State University, Fullerton. Outside of his work at Webb, as a professional artist Maffris as received numerous commissions for artwork throughout Southern California and has also taught art at Cal State Fullerton, Rio Hondo College, and elsewhere. He and his wife Nancy are the proud Webb parents of Chris ’96 and Kevin ’00—and to further cement Blair’s connection to Webb, Kevin is married to VWS alumna Vicenta Arrizon Maffris ’00. Diane Um ’17 spoke of her teacher’s dedication to his students and to his craft. “He has always been there to be an understanding and open person to talk to, and he has also been someone who listens to your frustrations and helps you to laugh it off ” explained Um. “It wasn’t really until this year, that I had grown even more attached to Mr. Maffris hrough Art Café. Planning, setting up and running Art Café with art club has led me to understand Mr. Maffris mo e. Watching him paint the display walls, move them, and then make sure everything runs smoothly has shown me that not only is he someone who respects and appreciates hard work, but he embodies the characteristics himself. Because of him, not only has the art program at Webb become so important to me, but he has also been able to show the community how important it is to have a little imagination and creativity in the world.” Mowjood ’90 and Nancy Maffris lso shared their recollections of Blair’s time and devotion to Webb. Stockdale presented Maffris w th a framed photograph of the Vivian Webb Chapel and a walking stick carved and sculpted from an olive branch that was taken from a tree on campus. “May this walking stick see you through many excursions and adventures,” said Stockdale. The event was followed by a barbecue on the quad.

To view more pictures of the celebration, go to http://bit.ly/MaffrisSittigGallery

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

WEBB

Today

affiliates

Jenny Kong -

NO TITLES 40

Meet the 2015-2016 president of The Affi ates of The Webb Schools: Jenny Kong P ’15, ’18. “When Webb calls I’ll help out, but I don’t need a title,” she says. “I just like to be involved. It’s so rewarding.” That’s the spirit of Webb’s parent volunteers, and the reason why, since her daughter Elisa ’15 entered Vivian Webb School, Kong has taken on volunteer roles that range from hosting international students to serving as class representative for the Class of ’18.

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

o ining the Aff il iate s was a natural progression, and Kong has taken a special interest in strengthening Webb’s sense of community, not only among students but among parents as well. L ast year T he Affil tes held Webb’s annual fundraiser during Parents Weekend for the fi st time, boosting attendance and giving parents more opportunities to come together as members of the Webb community. Kong says she’d like to continue that trend by encouraging local Webb families to open their homes for Webb parent social events, during Parents Weekend and beyond. “My backyard is Webb,” Kong says.

“ My home is always open. I’m so grateful to Webb, and that’s a small way I can give back.”

Parents are a vital part of the Webb community and can participate no matter where they are, keeping in touch with the schools and networking with other parents. “Webb is a place where you can try diffe ent things,” she notes—and that goes for parents as well as students. Parents build Webb’s student community by helping with everything from dances and athletic events to Theme Week. Local and long-distance parents can strengthen Webb’s parent and alumni community, too, connecting with them at events and over the phone.

The Affil tes is the parent organization at Webb whose purpose is to further the interest of Webb and the Alf Museum. This vital organization promotes fellowship among members and assists the schools and museum as needed for special events, athletic and arts programs as well as many other programs. For information on becoming an active member with The Affil tes, or for any other parent questions or information needs, please contact Anne Stewart, director of parent relations and special events at astewart@webb.org or (909) 482-5245

ong recalls that when she, her husband Lawrence and Elisa were considering high schools, academic rigor was a consideration—but so was the school’s environment. After all, Kong says, “high school is where you find ou who you are.” The Webb community, built on relationships and mutual respect between teachers and students, encourages students both to be themselves and to challenge themselves.

As Elisa heads off o New York City and Columbia University, Kong’s younger daughter Isabella ’18 is continuing at VWS as a sophomore. It’s a tribute to the appeal of the Webb community, Kong says, that Isabella is campaigning to become a boarding student. “She’s begging me!” Kong laughs. She understands the appeal—after all, it’s what drew her to volunteer. “It isn’t just for my kids,” she explains. “It’s for the friends they meet, and the parents and families that I meet. If I didn’t volunteer, how would I meet all these wonderful people?” Kong is looking forward to a great year with The Affil tes and encourages parents to meet wonderful Webb people, too. For information and to connect with the parent community, check The Affil tes webpage: webb.org/parents/affil tes.

Affiliates Meeting Calendar Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. O ctober 13, 2015 Unbounded Days Discussion with Tracy Miller November 10, 2015 Executive Meeting only

January 12, 2016 Young Alumni share their college experience

February 16, 2016 Executive Meeting only

March 8, 2016 Special Parent Education guest speaker

April 12, 2016 Interested parents can also contact: Anne Stewart, director of parent relations and special events, at astewart@webb.org or (909) 482-5245.

Hector Martinez, director of college guidance will update us on the highlights of this year’s college admission season

May 10, 2016

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner — join us as we celebrate a terrific year

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

WEBB

Today

giving and volunteering

In Recognition

LEADERSHIP DONORS • Gifts for the period July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015 (Does not include pledges)

H E A D’S C I RC L E Founders Circle ($500,000 or more) Mr. & Mrs. Blake H. Brown ’68 Anonymous Gold Patron ($250,000 to $499,999) Mr. Ming Chung Liu & Ms. Yan Cheung Anonymous Blue Patron ($100,000 to $249,999) Mr. & Mrs. C. J. Peter Bennett ’40 Mr. & Mrs. David J. Kahm ’90 Mr. Junsheng Zhang & Ms. Likun Jin Anonymous Patron ($50,000 to $99,999) Mr. Wei Fan & Mrs. Jing Chen Mr. Michael He & Mrs. Livia Zhang Mr. & Mrs. Louis M. Mayberg ’80 Estate of Lillian & Merrick Pratt ’42 Mr. & Mrs. R.J. Romero Mr. Hua Yang Mr. Li Tian Yang & Mrs. Wei Yi Chen Anonymous

Principes Society ($25,000 to $49,999) The Ahmanson Foundation Mr. & Mrs. William M. Bauman Mr. William M. Bauman ’82 Mr. & Mrs. Loren Borstein Dr. Daniel Gluckstein & Dr. Akemi Chang Dr. & Mrs. James E. Hall ’59 Mrs. Penny J. Holliday Mr. Chao Jiang & Mrs. Meng Yu Mr. & Mrs. David Loo ’79 The Mindich Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Paul M. Reitler ’54 Mrs. Valerie A. Romero Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Rose Dr. & Mrs. Stephen Shafer ’62 Mr. Lance C. Williams ’97 Pioneers Society ($10,000 to $24,999) Mrs. Gretchen J. Augustyn The Augustyn Foundation Trust Mr. & Mrs. Bruce P. Baganz BHP Billiton Petroleum Matched Giving Mr. Jianming Bi & Mrs. Kuihua Wang Mr. & Mrs. Michael M. Chang ’92 Mr. Alvin & Mrs. Lily Chen Mr. & Mrs. Richard H. Clark Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Clarke ’63 Kenneth J. De Nault, Ph.D. ’61 Mr. & Mrs. Sameer P. Dholakia ’91 Mr. Sanjiv Dholakia ’87 & Ms. Melissa Barnes Dholakia ’87 Mr. & Mrs. Jim Drasdo ’63 Mr. Chih Fang & Ms. Tina Lin Mr. & Mrs. Ayad Fargo Mr. & Mrs. Chip Greening ’62 Mrs. June Greening Ms. Ying Gu Mr. & Mrs. Ronald P. Hagander ’66 Mr. & Mrs. Wayne L. Hanson ’59 Mr. & Mrs. Terry Henn Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

Mr. & Mrs. John F. Holliday ’84 Mr. M. Clarence Huang ’49 Dr. F. Gard Jameson, Jr. ’71 & Dr. Florence Jameson Ms. Jennifer Keller Mr. Wai Hung Lee & Ms. Stella Leung Dr. Bin Li & Ms. Jie Gu Mr. Mingluo Li & Mrs. Weihong Mo Mr. Mason Liu & Mrs. Xiaoli Guan Mr. & Mrs. Deron Marquez Mr. & Mrs. Kimball P. McCloud ’67 Mr. Roger J. Millar ’61 Mr. Thomas M. Mitchell ’62 Mr. David C. Myles ’80 Mr. & Mrs. Douglas F. Myles Dr. Mary W. Rose Mr. & Mrs. Miles R. Rosedale ’69 Mr. Tom Rosenfeld Mr. & Mrs. Edwin G. Schuck, Jr. Dr. Robert P. Stecher ’74 Mr. & Mrs. Gordon M. Steel ’63 Mr. & Mrs. Richard C. Stoker ’56 The Hon. & Mrs. John A. Sutro, Jr. ’53 Mr. & Mrs. John V. Trefethen ’62 Mr. Michael Vincent & Mrs. Jessica Govias-Vincent Estate of Frederick E. Whyte ’57 Mr. Zhuoshi Zhou & Ms. Lei Liu Mrs. Tammy Zipser Anonymous Founders Society ($5,000 to $9,999) Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Adler Dr. Mark A. Anton ’74 Drs. Shashank & Shital Arya Mr. & Mrs. R. Larry Ashton, Jr. ’70 Mr. & Mrs. William Baldwin Mr. Timofey Belyaev & Mrs. Alena Belyaeva Dr. & Mrs. Paul Brailsford Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. Callander ’71 Mr. Leroy L. Carver, III ’70 Mr. & Mrs. Alex H. Castro Mr. & Mrs. Peter Chen ConocoPhillips Mr. & Mrs. Crawford Cooley Mr. & Mrs. Hany Fangary Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Fidanque, Jr. ’58 Mr. & Mrs. Dodd Fischer ’61 Mr. & Mrs. Dana B. Fisher, Jr. ’67 Mr. John Fuelling & Dr. Andrea Brault Fuelling Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Garcia Mr. Xing Yang Ge & Mrs. Juan Du Mr. & Mrs. Mark K. Glasser Mr. & Mrs. Jack Greening, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Douglas C. Gregg, Jr. ’66 Mr. & Mrs. Philip Guardia Mr. & Mrs. Daniel M. Guggenheim ’56 Mr. & Mrs. H. Earl Hoover, II ’52 Dr. & Mrs. Aamir Z. Jamal Mr. & Mrs. Sherwood Kingsley ’58 Mr. Gang Li & Ms. Hong Wang Ms. LiFang Klar Lin Mr. & Mrs. Zhenhong Lin Mr. Pingsheng Liu & Mrs. Jing Zhou Mr. Xiong Liu & Mrs. Yuxian Zhang Mitsubishi Cement Mr. & Mrs. James Moore ’62 Dr. & Mrs. L. J. Patrick Muffler ’ Dr. Daniel Newman & Dr. Kristin Hubner

Mr. & Mrs. John P. Norton ’74 Dr. Sunghyuk Park & Dr. Byoungchan Choi Mr. & Mrs. Donald J. Plyley Mr. & Mrs. Edward J. Ratinoff ’8 Dr. & Mrs. Michael J. Rosenthal Mr. & Mrs. Bruce S. Ross ’64 Mr. R. Bruce Rule ’62 & Mrs. Janice Brody Mr. & Mrs. Brian R. Scherer Mr. Allyn Scheu Mrs. Kathleen Sharpe Dr. & Mrs. Charles Steinmann Mr. & Mrs. Taylor B. Stockdale Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Terris Mr. & Mrs. Ralph T. Thompson, Jr. ’64 The Laney Thornton Foundation Mr. & Mrs. W. Laney Thornton ’63 Mrs. Mary H. Tollenaere Mr. & Mrs. Yoho Tsutsumi Mr. & Mrs. Todd Wagner Mr. Qunbin Wang & Prof. Cuihong Cai Drs. Hongsheng Wei & Lynn Wang Wells Fargo Foundation Educational Matching Gift Program Mr. Guobin Wu & Mrs. Xiujuan Jiang Mr. Weitong Xing & Ms. Li Zhang Dr. Paulino Yanez & Dr. Blanca Viramontes-Yanez Dr. Yunsong Yang Mr. Denis Yip & Ms. Iris Li Mr. Ralph D. Young, III ’63 Friends ($2,500 to $4,999) Mr. Regis Abersek & Prof. Lisa Sullivan Dr. & Mrs. Bikramjit Ahluwalia ’94 Mrs. Monica Atiyeh Whitaker ’96 & Mr. Benjamin Whitaker The Harry G. & Pauline Austin Foundation Mr. John A. Baer ’74 Mr. & Mrs. Blair R. Brown ’79 The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Dr. & Mrs. Michael Chai Mr. Arthur S. Chang ’99 & Ms. Jasmine Cheng Mr. Jimmy C. Chang ’98 Dr. & Mrs. Chatchawin Charoen-Rajapark ’78 Mr. Deog Sang Cho & Mrs. Yun Hi Park Mr. Nels Christiansen & Ms. Ellen Thompson-Christiansen Mr. Anthony F. Crocker ’70 Mr. & Mrs. Dean G. Davidge ’61 Dr. & Mrs. Tong Fei Mr. Junping Feng & Mrs. Yaping Kang Ms. Jenna Z. Gambaro ’95 Mr. Hongchuan Gao & Mrs. Lei Liu Mr. Pascal H. Goddard ’67 Mr. Igor Gukov & Mrs. Svetlana Gukova Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Guntert, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Makoto Hiroshima Mr. & Mrs. Minjeong Hong Mr. Wei Huang & Mrs. Hong Zeng Mr. Byoung Suk Hwang & Mrs. Eun Young Rim The Ingraham Memorial Fund Mr. Sang & Dr. Elizabeth Jeung Mr. Lixin Jia & Mrs. Wei Gao Mr. Haoran Jiang & Mrs. Li Li Mr. Yong Sa Jun & Ms. Junee Dong Joo Lee Dr. Hang-Bong Kang & Mrs. Jae Yeon Park Dr. & Mrs. Abid Khan Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Kidd Mr. & Mrs. Kelly Kidwell Mr. Brent Lee & Ms. Jinhyun Ann

Mr. Keating Leung ’98 & Ms. Selene Chau Dr. Ronald Liskanich & Dr. Gloria Stevens Mr. Keith W. Loring ’46 Dr. David Mirkin ’66 & Mrs. Karen Piacentini Mr. Timothy C. Moore ’59 Mr. David Myung & Mrs. Lucia Kwon Gerald Oppenheimer Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Gerald H. Oppenheimer ’40 Mr. Minho Park & Mrs. Soohee Lee Mr. Se Girl Park & Ms. Hyun Kyung Shin Dr. Sun Kyu Park & Dr. Myung Ja Chung Mrs. Janet Rogers & Mrs. Beverly La Belle Col. & Mrs. John S. Rogers, USAF (Ret.) ’59 Mr. Dzmitry Sapazhkou & Mrs. Larisa Sapozhkova Ms. Ina Shum ’90 & Mr. Ka-Hay Yip Dr. John R. Stevens ’52 Mr. & Mrs. Chad Stewart Mr. Richard Tang & Mrs. Lisa Song Dr. & Mrs. Elias A. Tarakji Mr. & Mrs. Albert V. T. Walsh ’00 Mr. Changyuan Wang & Mrs. Jia Liu Mr. Gang Wang & Mrs. JianRu Bai Mr. Yu Wang & Mrs. Hong Song Mr. Yuchun Wang & Ms. Bing Duan Mr. & Mrs. Brian R. West Dr. & Mrs. James Williams Mr. & Mrs. Rodney Wilson Mr. Andrew Wu ’89 & Mrs. Scarlett Chen Mr. Dong Wu & Mrs. Xuemei Shi Mr. Fei Xu & Mrs. Yu Fu Mr. Guozhong Yang & Mrs. Qiaozhen Lv Mr. Bin Yu & Mrs. Yongmei Wang Mr. Bin Yu & Mrs. Zhangying Ye Mr. Edward Zheng & Mrs. Carol Peng Mr. & Mrs. Peter F. Ziegler ’63

Pacesetters — Classes of 1999-2003 Minimum Gift $250 Usman S. Ali ’02 Arthur S. Chang ’99 Boris T. Chang ’00 Kathy P. Chen Liu ’99 Patty P. Chen ’99 Jihoon Choi ’99 Marcus B. Dey ’00 Mrs. Kelly (Smith) Fayne ’00 Alexander L. Gordon ’02 Shinkun Kim ’99 Matthew M. W. Lauria ’01 Matthew D. C. Lim ’99 Sandeep Madhavan ’99 Amanda F. Morris ’02 Caleb B. Morse ’03 Nirav J. Shah ’99 Hayes Shair ’00 Anthony D. Shin ’99 Daniel J. Smith ’03 Daniel B. Suhr ’02 Albert V. T. Walsh ’00 G. Gregg Webb ’99 Geoff ey C. Winssinger ’00 — Classes of 2004-2008 Minimum Gift $100 Tommy C. Adams ’04 Diana Zhou Akelman ’04 Lexus M. Beaman ’08

James E. K. Chang ’04 Phillip Chen ’08 Charles K. Clark ’04 Stanley T. Eosakul ’04 Lisa M. Gluckstein ’08 Wilbert H. Habos ’04 Emily F. (D’Amico) Hammett ’05 Stephanie G. Ho ’04 Christian R. Holmes, V ’05 Cynthia Ip ’08 Thomas Y. Lane ’07 George Le ’04 Riley T. Lewis ’07 Bassil G. Madanat ’04 Heidi K. Marti ’06 Donald S. Mitchell ’04 Pilar T. Mitchell ’04 John P. Morgan ’05 Tommy C. W. Ngan ’05 Michael R. Nuss ’04 Michelle Pastrano-Bower ’07 Nicholas J. Phelps ’06 Gabriel A. Romero ’08 Alexandra E. Schuck ’08 Nihar J. Shah ’04 Scott M. Shiokari ’05 Kathleen M. Terris ’06 Katharine W. Wang ’04 Jack Wiese ’06 James G. Withey ’04 Thomas K. Yu ’06 — Classes of 2009-2014 Minimum Gift $50 Brooke E. Bauman ’12 Nancy E. Blayney ’09 Gabriel J. Bouz ’10 Ari K. Chalian ’12 Saro G. Chalian ’10 Scott Chung ’10 Alexis M. De La Rosa ’11 Devon V. R. Doherty ’10 Chauncy K. Henn ’11 Lexington B. Henn ’09 Madison M. Henn ’13 Annisa Herrero ’13 Lucia Herrero ’10 Ali M. Holakoui ’10 Sean P. A. James ’11 Emily E. Kan ’11 Madeleine J. Koski ’09 Andy Lee ’11 Ken Liu ’10 Marcos N. Lopez ’13 Jeannine D. Mulko ’09 Juli E. Nokleberg ’10 William S. Ponty ’12 Dakota D. Santana-Grace ’11 Sean S. Sasaki ’09 Brent A. Silver ’10 Drew A. Silver ’12 Chloe M. Soltis ’13 Kevin M. Terris ’09 Mitchell G. Todd ’09 Davis Tsui ’13 Noah M. Woodward ’10 Samuel J. Woodward ’12 Qi Y. Wu ’11 Bryan A. Yokote ’09

Thank You

The 2014-2015 Webb Fund campaign ended a fantastic year with a new record for alumnae giving:

204 Vivian Webb School alumnae made a gift last year! The Webb Fund fi ished strong with great results: • More than 1,500 donors • $1.63 million raised • 77% parent participation • 27% alumni participation

For more on last year’s giving, see the Stewardship section of the Head of Schools Report. Thank you to all who made a gift last year and to our dedicated volunteers who help us year after year: alumni and parent class agents, the Alumni Council, The Affil tes of The Webb Schools, and the Board of Trustees. A full donor listing by class will appear online in the 2014-15 Annual Report. www.webb.org/annualreport

The 2015-16 Webb Fund campaign has begun. To make a gift, visit webb.org/giving, or contact director of The Webb Fund, Danielle Gordon at (909) 482-5267 or dgordon@webb.org.

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

NewsNotes From

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for

the

alumni

o f T he Webb School

alumni spotlight

J e n n Lo u i s

’89

If you’re looking for something delicious, you’ll want to be sure to follow Jenn Louis ’89 on Twitter and Instagram. The executive chef/co-owner

(with husband David Welch) of Portland eateries Lincoln Restaurant and Sunshine Tavern, as well as the owner of Culinary Artistry, a full service catering business, and the author of a new cookbook, Pasta by Hand, Louis says her online interactions provide great formats for reaching a larger audience—especially when it comes to sharing mouth-watering photos of tantalizing dishes such as cucumber, celtuce (also called stem lettuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce, or Chinese lettuce), fermented tomatillo, cured duck breast, and mustard crema.

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

Louis has appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, and her work has been featured in various publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Bon Appétit. Louis was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs” in 2012, and her sophisticated, seasonallyfocused cooking style has earned her nominations as a semifi alist for the James Beard Foundation Award of Best Chef: Northwest in 2010 and 2011.

can be great, but also very stressful,” she says. “We’re a success because we stay focused on quality and consistency, and we communicate a lot with the staff ”

She was in the restaurant business just a short time—1-1/2 years—when she decided to set out on her own with the catering business she still runs today, Culinary Artistry.

Mario Batali, who Louis describes as “a great colleague,” wrote the foreword:

Louis makes all the pastas in her restaurants from scratch, so it was a natural progression to write her fi st book, Pasta By Hand, which features more than 65 recipes for rustic, handshaped pastas including pasta typical of each Italian region: corte (short), lunghe (long), ripiene (stuffed) and gno chi.

“Like any craft, I worked for several years at honing it,” she says. “I learned as I went along—sometimes the hard way.”

“In all my years of traveling similar roads doing similar-minded research to Jenn’s, I have never encountered such a magnificent single-topic cookbook as Pasta by Hand.”

Not only was she cooking, she was ordering food, hiring a staff, ttracting clients, and putting together a business structure.

In addition, Louis is always busy with public relations work on television, in magazines and online.

“Whether you work for someone or learn on your own—it’s a high learning curve,” says Louis. “Everyone’s experience lends strength to what they do.”

The Northern Chefs Alliance, a culinary think tank with a mission to educate and affect po itive change in the restaurant industry, invited Louis to St. Johns in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, to celebrate northern foods and explore the region’s wild ingredients as well as fundraise for the St. Johns Farmers Market. She is also traveling to Vietnam on a trip hosted by Red Boat Fish Sauce to learn more about using those ingredients in her cooking.

discover

“There is a lot of opportunity open to me,” said Louis. “For example, I meet a lot of international chefs through my research —it just comes with the territory.”

As a busy chef and business owner, Louis says her team is everything. “One weak link causes a lot of stress everywhere,” she explains. “The restaurant business is 100% powered by human beings. If your dishwasher doesn’t show up, that can cause a lot of stress.”

Louis travels at least one week per month to new flavors, culture and products, then returns to her restaurants to share with her staff. According to a frequently cited study by Ohio State University on restaurants, 60% do not make it past the fi st year, and 80% go under in five years. “A lot of restaurants go out of business because they’re expensive to run and have no corporate structure. A business must have solid business understanding and foundations, it is not just about cooking food. Also, relying on human beings

And another book is in the works with a publication date sometime in 2017. For more information about Louis, her restaurants, recipes, favorite foods and scrumptious photos, follow her on Facebook, Instagram: @jennlouis or Twitter: @jennlouisPDX. Her websites are jennlouis.com, lincolnpdx.com, and sunshinepdx.com.

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

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NewsNotes

22 and a half minutes with Larry

Price ’61

Hunting for the Building Blocks of Matter

hysicist Larry Price ’61 seeks answers to big questions within the smallest of things. After earning his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1970, he taught physics at Columbia University, where he had previously done postdoctoral work in elementary particle physics. In 1978, he joined Illinois’ Argonne National Laboratory, eventually becoming director of the High Energy Physics Division. Much of Price’s work has involved particle accelerators and colliders, which use collisions of high-energy charged particle streams to create and hopefully observe the short-lived subatomic particles that complete and extend what physicists call the “standard model.” In those collisions, particle physicists seek to better understand how our universe really works.

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

Q&A What attracted you to the study of physics?

From an early age, if I was asked what I wanted to be, I tended to say “engineer.” The physics teacher at Webb, a dynamic and gifted man named D. Murray Alexander, told me that as an engineer, I would be applying existing knowledge to solve problems, but if I pursued physics, I would get to discover new knowledge. That idea stuck with me. How did you make the transition to Argonne National Laboratory?

I enjoyed teaching, but also was discovering the bane of the professor’s existence, at least in my fi ld: It was hard to be effect ve on experiments at distant colliders and also meet a regular teaching schedule. You were involved for many years in the ATLAS experiment, a multinational program involving the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) outside Geneva, Switzerland. What is ATLAS?

ATLAS is a “general purpose” detector placed at one of the four points around the LHC’s 17-mile circumference where proton beams are made to collide. The detector is designed to measure and identify the many particles that emerge from a collision of two protons and, in later analysis, determine if new and interesting particles or phenomena are present in any of these collisions.

a diffe ent mechanism. So, the Higgs discovery was the one with the most suspense because it was the fi ale of a 45- or 50-year “manhunt.” What’s next for you professionally?

I’ve recently fi ished an assignment in the office at the Department of Energy that provides funding for the majority of particle physics research in the U.S. It was a way to be active in the fi ld and also give back to a funding process that has supported my research for 40 years. I now live in Oregon—mostly in Sisters, but also in Portland, where I have grandchildren. I hope to do some teaching at a local college or university. I missed out on a lot of teaching in those years at Argonne and now plan to catch up.

What can we learn from these experiments?

The goal of particle physics is to learn what are the most fundamental constituents of matter and the forces or interactions of those particles. Sometimes a theory that includes the known interactions of already-observed particles can only be constructed by adding new particles that have never been seen. All new particles discovered for the last three decades decay quickly, so their existence has had to be deduced by examining particles in their fi al states and guessing what original particles they may have come from.

What do you like to do outside of work? What do you read? (I’m curious if you read science fiction or find it exasperating.)

I read a lot of science fiction hile at Webb and in college, but as I became actively involved in the process of scientific research, I found science fiction ess and less interesting. I do read popular books by scientists and a lot of history and biography. I have been very active in the Unitarian Universalist Church and I love to walk and be outdoors. I had the privilege of joining Webb’s 2014 Peccary Trip to Mongolia and hunting for dinosaur fossils there.

This is the challenge for experimenters like me. Theoretical predictions must always be confirmed by xperiment!

I also give occasional lectures on particle physics and the hunt for the Higgs boson. I spoke to Webb students in May 2015.

What’s been the most exciting discovery in which you’ve been personally involved?

What has been the most lasting impact of your time at Webb?

One was the discovery in 2012 of the Higgs boson. The fi ld associated with the Higgs has a special role: it gives mass to the other elementary particles. The Higgs particle was one component of the standard model that desperately needed experimental confir ation—or disproof. Right up until the announcement of the discovery, people as prominent as Stephen Hawking were betting that the Higgs would not be discovered and that its function was fulfil ed by

The thought that physics could be the work of a lifetime probably tops the list. But closely related is a love of learning that was important both professionally and in all of life. Add to that the lifetime friendships ... Oh, you said just one impact!

Larry Price ’61 resides in Oregon with his wife Martha Lussenhop.

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

NewsNotes

Events and Highlights

Alumni, par ents and fri ends r econn ect o n c a m p u s a n d at r e g i o n a l e v e n t s

Find more event photos at www.webb.org/alumnievents

INT ERN ATION AL

Seoul

Beijing

Incoming students and their families enjoyed dinner at the R itz-C arlton with Head of S chools T aylor S tockdale and his wife Anne.

Hong Kong

Shanghai

Paul L ai ’87 and D avid Kahm ’90 co-hosted a reception for alumni and parents with T aylor S tockdale at Azure R estaurant and Hotel.

C urrent Webb families and new students with their families enjoyed dinner with director of institutional advancement Joe Woodward and T aylor S tockdale in S eoul and S hanghai.

Senior Dinner at Webb

Head’s Reception for Leadership Donors

Barstow

In May, alumni and friends enjoyed the annual Peccary T rip to Barstow.

T he C lass of 2015 was welcomed into the alumni community at the annual S enior D inner, hosted by the Alumni C ouncil.

Silicon Valley

O ver 20 alumni gathered in Menlo Park. T hanks to regional rep S ameer D holakia ’91 and his wife L aura for hosting. Webb Magazine • F all 2015

In May, members of the Head’s C ircle, L eadership S ociety and Pacesetter’s C lub gathered at the home of T aylor and Anne S tockdale for a donor reception.

Council Corner Hello alumni! The 2015-16 school year is well underway with a new group of

March Madness in Culver City

freshmen embarking on the first steps of their Webb journey and the Class of 2016 starting their last year on campus.

Alumni in Los Angeles gathered at Kay ’n Dave’s Cantina.

This also means that Alumni Weekend is just around the corner. There is a full schedule of events planned, including the second annual Alumni Awards ceremony on Saturday, October 24. Thank you to all who participated with your online nominations. Our alumni community has many notable and successful individuals, and we had a very competitive pool of nominees this year. Nominees are kept in the running for up to 4 years, so be sure to send in your thoughtful nominations for 2016. Looking back on the 2014-15 year, I wish to offer a b g thank you to all the volunteers who make our alumni community so strong and resourceful—class agents, reunion chairs, guest speakers, internship hosts, on-campus volunteers, regional representatives and members of our Alumni Council and board of trustees. There are so many of you who work so hard for Webb—thank you all! Speaking of the Alumni Council, I want to take this time to recognize three of our departing members—Julia Marciari-Alexander ’85, Bikram Ahluwalia ’94 and Jose Govea ’74; and welcome our newest member Bob Connolly ’89. There are many ways for you to stay connected to your alma mater. Check out the online community at webb.org/alumni, join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups, and follow @WebbAlumni on Twitter to keep up with the latest news and events.

•

Upcoming Alumni Events Dec 2

Webb 15, Philadelphia

Dec 3

Webb 15, New York

Dec 17 Jan 8 Mar 24

I look forward to seeing all of you during Alumni Weekend! Rahmi Mowjood ’90

College Webbies Holiday Party Alumni vs. Students Basketball Game Webb Fund March Madness Celebration

April 29 -May 1

Alumni Peccary Trip, Barstow

2015-2016 Alumni Council

Check the online calendar for more alumni events.

www.webb.org/alumni

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

NewsNotes T H E W E B B SC HO O L S 1953 • Members of the Class of 1953 enjoyed a recent reunion in Sonoma. Good food, good wine and lots of good cheer were shared by all. Bob Fass from the alumni office visited with news from campus. Those in attendance included: Tom Ussher, Jack Sutro, Cleve Baker, Scotty Evans, Benny Benjamin, Wicks Stephens, Sam Neff, Ron Rohrer, Jim Willis, and special guests Norm Blackburn ’52 and Michael Murray ’52. - 1, 2

Look for Arthur “Mickey” Wertheim’s latest book, W. C. Fields from Burlesque and Vaudeville to Broadway: Becoming a Comedian, (2014) Palgrave MacMillan, to be followed by vol. 2 in 2016.

1960 • It was great to see the Ripley brothers on campus. Bill stopped by with his brother Sandy ’66. - 3 1963 • Wade Bray celebrated his 70th birthday in June with a surprise party in Brighton, Mich., organized by his wife Marilyn. Sam Nigh wrote “Ode to Wade” for the occasion, which Tom Butterworth recited to the group. The ode has the tone of many of Ramsay Harris’ football or senior poems. - 4, 5

Tom Butterworth shared a photo from June of 1963, taken in the parking lot of the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. From left to right: Chuck Bell, Erik Beavers, Dale Boller, Geoff Adams. - 6 1967 • Charles Ensey is still working hard at 65. He was promoted to vice president, investments at Wells Fargo Advisors. Starting his 30th year as an advisor and last year was his best year!

Daniel Fisher, Harason Horowitz ’02 and Marcelo Lombardi ’94 met for dinner in Ann Arbor, Mich. Dan is the curator of the University of Michigan’s Museum of Paleontology; Marcelo is the new head coach of the women’s water polo team, and Harason was on the road visiting supporters of the Alf Museum. Peter Huisking is a volunteer with the Red Cross at the Soldier Centered Clinic of Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center at Ft. Huachuca, Ariz. He started volunteering after an unfortunate setback. “The voters of Congressional District 2 in Arizona failed to rehire my boss, Congressman Ron Barber, by 167 votes out of 220,000 in the November election (recount took until mid-December), so all of us on his staff were ‘released.’” He enjoys working with the Red Cross: “It is great helping soldiers again.” 1969 • Jordan Ryan joined The Carter Center on June 1, 2015 as vice president for peace programs. A not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. Ryan served 24 years with the United Nations in developing countries and postcrisis settings. Most recently, he was assistant administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and director of the UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, serving at the assistant secretary-general level. - 7 1970 • Bill Fraim gave director of development for the Alf Museum Harason Horowitz ’02 a private tour of the AcuSport factory in Ohio. Bill took over the company as CEO and has guided it down a successful path, including a 200,000 sq. ft. renovation and an automated inventory sorting system that rivals Amazon. - 8

In July, 25 members of the Class of 1970 gathered in Las Vegas to celebrate their 45th reunion. Rob Gilmore and Jim Sylvester traveled from Texas; Roy Carver, Bruce Hantover, Edward Herbert, Stephen Lillie, Kirkwood Reynolds and Marc Wilson came from the Pacific Northwest. The class enjoyed catching up, letting loose and a delicious steak dinner at the Andiamo Italian Steakhouse. Kudos to the reunion committee for a memorable weekend: Mickey Novak, Larry Ashton, Joe Thomas, Marc Wilson, Tony Korody, Randy Davies, Steve Lillie and Rob Gilmore. Looking forward to the 50th! - 9 9

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

1972 • David and Gigi Ditz hosted a Webb dinner party at their Portland condo with Nancy and Dodd Fischer ’61 and Toni and Chip Greening ’62. The power of the Webb alumni network is alive and well in Portland. David and Gigi also joined staff member Bob Fass for dinner at Lincoln Restaurant owned and operated by chef Jenn Louis ’89. 1973 • Harry Higbie is enjoying life in Chicago as an application developer, and took the time to share his Webb memories—and a great Ray Alf impersonation— with Alf Museum’s Harason Horowitz ’02. 1974 • A big thank you to Jose Govea for his 10 years of consecutive service on the Alumni Council. Jose stepped down from his member-at-large position on June 30, but he remains on the committee for the Latinos of Webb affinity group, which he cofounded in 2013. 1976 • The New York Press Association named Michael Heller the 2014 Photographer of the Year for his work with the Sag Harbor Express in Sag Harbor, N.Y. This was the second time in four years that he received the honor. He also received first place awards for his photos in the Spot News and Sports Action categories. Recently Michael was honored for 25 years of active service as a volunteer firefighter with the East Hampton Fire Department, and received training and his NASCAR certification to be a pit road firefighter at Pocono Speedway in Pennsylvania. - 10, 11

1977 • It was nice to see Manny Castro back on campus in May. He and Norma Carlson from the Development Office did some catching up. - 12 1978 • Russell Beckley celebrated his 15th wedding anniversary with his wife, Louise, on July 1. “We have a 10-year-old son, Nathaniel, and I keep busy with work as a hospitalist for the Everett Clinic at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Wash. I recently passed the board exam in clinical informatics, and work part-time as a physician informaticist for Providence Health and Services, the third largest not-for-profit health system in the U.S. Along with a huge group of coworkers at Providence, I am trying to realize the potential of our electronic health record system. Challenging work so far.”

51 12

Andy Sharp and Michael Chang ’92 attended our alumni event in Silicon Valley. - 13 1979 • Eric Pauwels has been appointed senior vice president and general manager commercial operations, Americas at PTC Therapeutics. Eric is responsible for the commercial strategy, organizational build out and launch of Translarna, the first and only small-molecule compound for the treatment of patients with serious life threatening genetic diseases. In April, Eric enjoyed seeing David Loo, Blair Brown, Paul Goodfellow and Adrian Kingshott in NYC . - 14 1983 • Michael McDermott caught up in Paris with classmate Justin Thomas. The pair were joined by their families and celebrated Justin’s 50th birthday at the Standard Athletic Club. - 15

Ed Ratinoff and his son Josh ’17 enjoyed a campus visit during Sophomore Career Evening. - 16 Dennis Weber lives in Copper Canyon, Texas. In November he launched General Counsel News (www.generalcounselnews.com), a web-based publication focused on general counsel, c-level executives and private practice attorneys. The new publication offers legal vendors and law firms numerous digital marketing opportunities to reach these exclusive audiences. He also operates www.ExpertsByEmail.com, a legal site designed to help expert witnesses and consultants market their services to litigators throughout the U.S. When he isn’t working, he and his wife, Jami keep busy taxiing their four kids all over the place for volleyball, soccer, football and karate! 1984 • Tom Kendall and Nicholas Corwin visited Webb in June. - 17

It was nice to see Jeff Luhnow and his daughter Lizzy on campus. Jeff was in town for an Astros-Angels game, and Lizzy was visiting colleges. WSC baseball coach Jeff Stodgel enjoyed chatting with Jeff about Webb baseball and the Astros. - 18 18

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

NewsNotes 1985 • Mark Lee is an architect based in Los Angeles. His firm, Johnston Marklee, has completed work throughout the U.S., Europe and South America, and specializes in spaces for art and cultural institutions. Recent projects include the Menil Drawing Institute, the first freestanding American museum dedicated entirely to drawing, which broke ground on March 27, and a new master plan for the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. In addition to his architectural practice, Mark teaches design studios at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. - 19

Thank you to Julia Marciari-Alexander for her three years of service on the Alumni Council. She stepped down as a member-at-large on June 30. Earlier this year, Julia was a featured speaker at TEDx Baltimore. Inspired by the event’s theme “Collisions,” Julia, the executive director of the Walters Art Museum, spoke about the collision between art and people that occurs when we look at art, whether it’s in a museum or even on our cell phone. You can watch Julia’s TEDx talk on YouTube. 1986 • Robert Fukuda attended the retirement celebration for Blair Maffris in May. He also caught up with Art House. - 20

Coleen and Hector Martinez are excited to have their son, Benjamin, join the Webb freshman class of 2019. He joins his brother, William ’16, who is now a senior. Coleen says time goes by so quickly!

In June, Mark Shpall returned to the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s (HGSE) Conference “Improving Schools: The Art of Leadership.” Mark attended the conference last year, and this summer was invited to co-facilitate a national cohort of Jewish school educators and leaders. The HGSE program helps heads of school, principals, and other school leaders to develop and refine their leadership skills, efficacy and their ability to support teacher development and student achievement. Mark is the dean of students, director of community programming and the AP Government teacher at de Toledo High School (formerly New Community Jewish High School) in West Hills, Calif., where he has taught for the last 13 years. Mark’s son, Sam, finished his first year at Northeastern University in their architecture program, his daughter Sophie is a junior at dTHS, and his youngest, Shaun, is a 4th grader. - 21

Howard Stern, Charles Keagle and Norm Carnick enjoyed the 4th of July fireworks at the Museum of Science in Boston. - 22 1987 • John Scalzi has signed a $3.4 million, 10-year deal with publisher Tor Books that will cover his next 13 books. His work includes a series called Old Man’s War and the Hugo-award winning Redshirts. Three of his works are being developed for television, including Redshirts and Lock In. 1989 • Bob Connolly joined the Alumni Council on July 1. He’ll serve as a member-at-large for a three-year term. Bob’s been an active volunteer for many years, serving as a guest speaker for Sophomore Career Evening, a Webb@Work internship host, and an Unbounded Days host for a group of current students. Welcome aboard!

Tim Sun met up with David Kahm ’90, Mike McDermott ’83 and Michael Kwon ’87 in Hong Kong. - 23 1990 • Andrew Kirschner’s restaurant, Santa Monica Yacht Club was featured on Zagat’s “The 20 Best Things We Ate Around LA (So Far) in 2015” and was named one of the top 25 hottest restaurants in LA by Los Angeles Eater. His first restaurant, Tar and Roses, is still a Santa Monica favorite among local foodies.

1991 • After nearly 8 years at Toyota Financial Services, Jennifer Ishiguro joined Gateway One Lending & Finance, LLC, an auto finance company headquartered in Anaheim, Calif., as chief legal officer. She still lives in Hermosa Beach with her husband Warren and 9-year old daughter Elise.

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

Alumni Take Part in Summer Global Leadership Program Summer students had a chance to learn from our 2015 alumni participants who gave keynote addresses, sat on panels and opened their businesses up for tours and dynamic learning experiences. Gl obal L e a d e r s h ip In a keynote address to the Global Leadership students, Alyssa Sittig ’07 spoke about the power of connections. She stressed the importance of real relationships versus virtual ones. “Connections teach you about yourself,” and they “expand your sense of what’s possible.” A content marketing manager at LinkedIn, Alyssa graduated with a B.A. in political science from UC Berkeley.

E ngi ne e r i n g Dr. Edward Tangchitnob ’00 gave a tour of his medical offices and operating room at the Center for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, and hosted a lunch and lecture on robotics surgery. Dr. Tangchitnob, an attending physician and surgeon at Citrus Valley Health Partners, specializes in the innovative Da Vinci robot from the Intuitive Company. He holds a degree in biomedical engineering in addition to his medical doctorate, and did a fellowship in minimally invasive robotic surgery at Scripps Health in La Jolla, Calif., before establishing his practice in Glendora, Calif.

E nt rep r e n e u r s h ip Joseph Lifschutz ’05 and Tommy Ngan ’05 hosted a fi ld trip to their shop in downtown Los Angeles to show the students exactly what it takes to start, run and grow a small business. Joseph and Tommy are the founders of Ice Cream Lab, which revolves around molecular gastronomy. They utilize liquid nitrogen as the style of preparation to instantly freeze diffe ent natural ingredients into ice cream. The fi st outlet opened in 2013 in Beverly Hills, and their company has grown to four locations in Southern California.

Col l eg e Pr e p a r a tio n /Yo u n g Alu mni C ollege P anel A young alumni panel hosted by director of college guidance Hector Martinez focused on the ins and outs of the college application process, what college is really like and how to have a fulfilli g college experience. L-R: Anthony Shin ’99, assistant director of college guidance, Josh Vincent ’14 (Babson College), Annisa Herrero ’13 (Columbia University), Lauren Shue ’13 (Bryn Mawr College), Miya Wensley ’13 (University of Southern California), Ari Chalian ’12 (Occidental College) and Hector Martinez. Assisting with the Summer Programs as Summer Fellows were Emily Stewart ’11, Seraphina Oney ’12, and Daniel Hernandez ’13. We also enjoyed having Kevin Chen (son of Hubert Chen ’87) and Erika Yip (daughter of Ina Shum ’90) in the Junior Scholars Program. To read more about the Summer Global Leadership Program, visit www.webb.org/summer.

Y The Webb Schools • Webb.org

NewsNotes

World Cup 1

Webb at the

This summer we enjoyed all of the Facebook posts from alumni who attended the Women’s World Cup. Webbies attended all stages of play, from group stage games to the semi-finals and the exciting final when the USA beat Japan to become the only country with three Women’s World Cup titles. Norm Carnick ’86 and his daughter witnessed the USA’s victory over Germany in the semifi als in Montreal and Annie Lai ’86 stood in BC Place Stadium as Team USA received their third star after the fi al match in Vancouver. Miya ’13 and Dylan Wensley ’17 attended multiple group stage games and the round of 16 game between Canada and Switzerland. Along with Annie, other Webbies were at the fi al game: Christine Carr ’84, Summer Swee-Singh ’07, Becky Hsia ’05, and Ben ’05, Mollie ’08 and Sarah Mackenzie. Steve Shenbaum ’88 has worked with the US Women’s National Team the last 4 years on leadership and team building. He attended The Players’ Tribune VIP athlete event in Los Angeles on July 14. Steve is on the advisory board for The Players’ Tribune, a new venture started by Derek Jeter to help athletes share their stories on a platform controlled by the athlete. Go to: www.theplayerstribune.com.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

6 Ben ’05 and Sarah Mackenzie (far left) looking on as USA played Japan Summer Swee-Singh ’07 before the final match Summer with the official Women’s World Cup trophy after the final Becky Hsia ’05 and her mom waiting for the final match to begin Annie Lai ’86 with the post final celebration behind her Miya ’13 and Dylan Wensley ’17 with their aunt outside the Canada versus Switzerland game Steve Shenbaum ’88 with USWNT members Christie Rampone, Shannon Boxx and Christen Press

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

Congratulations to Eiko Sakamoto, who was inducted into the Georgetown University Athletic Hall of Fame on March 7. One of only two female inductees this year, she was chosen for her standout performance as a student athlete on the women’s tennis team from 1991-1995. Eiko lives in London, with her husband and their son. 1993 • Jonathan Kelber and his wife Julie welcomed a baby girl, Vivian Violet Kelber, on January 13, 2015. Many thanks to Jonathan for hosting a summer intern at the CSUN Oncogene lab. This is Jonathan’s third year as a Webb@Work host. See page 58 for more details - 24

1994 • Many thanks to Bikram Ahluwalia for his two years of service on the Alumni Council as a member-at-large. Bikram’s term ended June 30.

Great turnout from 1994 and 1996 at the Silicon Valley event in May. L-R: William Bradshaw (who has relocated to the Bay Area after five years in Brazil), Adam Hershmann ’96, Tony Chen, Jina Kim ’96 and Raj Kelekar. - 25 Eddie Chai and his wife Lisa welcomed son Wesley on April 16, 2015. - 26 Amanda Gresham Hammerman co-hosts a weekly internet radio show, “Mighty Mouth Blues,” broadcasting live from Puget Sound, Wash., 7-10 pm Pacific Time. Periodically the show goes outside the studio to broadcast live from music venues. Funds from these activities support the performance-based program United by Music North American, a non-profit that Amanda and her mother, Barbara founded to help those with developmental challenges. Gina Way married Court Orsborn at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on May 30, 2015. Webbies in attendance included bridesmaid Jeanette Tsai, Kevin Lee ’93 and Mark Kanok ’91. - 27 1995 • In August 2014 Molly (Wray) Halligan transitioned into a new job as a process improvement consultant for University of Colorado Health. “It has been extremely interesting observing patient care and helping identify ways to improve and become more efficient. My son Oliver has started kindergarten and my daughter Josie is loving preschool and dance. I look forward to my 20-year reunion in October! Hope all you Webbies are doing well.”

55 28

Verhan Henderson welcomed a baby boy, Kamal Nathaniel Henderson, on March 25, 2015. - 28 1996 • Brian Zipser and wife Margaret welcomed their son Eli on March 28, 2015. - 29 1997 • Emily and Dack LaMarque welcomed son Vaughn Hudson LaMarque on May 5, 2015. - 30

Kunal Shah and his wife Jaimelynn are the proud parents of Taj Gautam Shah, born on January 7, 2015. He’s a happy kid who is lucky to share part of his name with his Pappa (grandfather). Taj has already won the attention of the family, especially his older sister Maya. He’s looking forward to joining the Webb Class of 2033. - 31 Lisa Shonnard Sipprell and husband Jeff welcomed baby girl Madeleine Fox Sipprell on March 25, 2015. - 32 1998 • Congratulations to Melinda Chan on the birth of her son, Parker Jake Malen, born on January 25, 2015. - 33

Alex Rivas married Angela Buck on June 19, 2015 in Maryland. Todd Wagner and Danny Shapiro were groomsmen. Thatcher Woodley and his wife Michelle welcomed their second son, Oliver, on June 1, 2015. 1999 • Cassandra Bailey is working in Oslo, Norway, for FMC Technologies. In May, she met up with Julia Salas Woertink for a weekend in Barcelona. - 34

Patty Chen and her husband Patrick welcomed a baby girl, Adalyn Eliana Chen, on May 16, 2015. - 35

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

NewsNotes Congratulations to Kathy Chen Liu and her husband, Yu. In December, they welcomed their daughter, Kirsty, who joins big brother, Kyle. - 36 Nirav Shah and his wife Anuja welcomed their first child, Ayan, on May 28, 2015. He weighed 4 lbs. 3 oz. and measured 17 3/4 inches long. - 37 2000 • In April, the White House announced that Caroline Adler was promoted to the role of special assistant to the president and communications director to the first lady. Caroline’s promotion comes after more than two years as deputy communications director to the first lady, leading the communications strategy for the First Lady’s Joining Forces, Reach Higher and Let Girls Learn initiatives as well as international travel. In 2011, Caroline was the VWS commencement speaker.

Kelly (Smith) Fayne and her husband Zach welcomed baby boy Ethan Alex Fayne on February 11, 2015. - 38 Albert Walsh ’00 and his wife Jordan Shay welcomed their daughter Eliza Shay Walsh on May 23, 2015. - 39 2001 • Matt Lauria and his wife Ashley welcomed baby boy Weston Matthew Lauria on February 12, 2015. - 40 2002 • Emily Carrigan Henner and her husband Jon welcomed baby girl Marilyn Marie Henner on December 14, 2014. “Arriving over two weeks before her due date, Marilyn has continued to demonstrate a strong (but exceptionally charming) personality since birth. Her hobbies include playing on her Fisher-Price music mat, staring at sunbeams, and helping her parents increase their work efficiency (during naps).”

2003 • Lauren (Martinez) Epp writes, “On July 7, 2014, I married the most amazing man, Clinton Epp. I met Clinton at Amanda Hedges’ wedding in 2010 when I was a bridesmaid and Clinton, her husband’s cousin, was a groomsman. Clinton and I became inseparable and in July we celebrated our first year of marriage. Not only are Amanda and I best friends (going on 17 years), but we are now family and share the same last name.” - 41 2004 • Stephanie Ho was the commencement speaker at the 32nd VWS commencement ceremony in May. “Graduates, you’ve spent your time at Webb preparing for this moment. And now you have another four years to find out more about yourself—your skillset, what drives your passion, and what your real purpose is. It’s something that you love, that’s challenging, and that’s stimulating, and something you can take pride in. And while you discover this purpose, I want you to remember a few other important things—have fun, stay humble, and most importantly, be thankful.” You can hear Steph’s speech in its entirety on YouTube. - 42

Michael Nuss and Autumn Starkey were married on August 23, 2014 at Silvan Ridge Winery in Eugene, Ore. In attendance were classmates Michael Baier, Joe Ko, Bart Bleick and Will Habos. They live in Pasadena, Calif. - 43 2005 • In addition to having her own law practice in Los Angeles, Noreen Barcena is the newsletter editor for the Mexican American Bar Association.

Christopher Erlinger is living in Columbus, Ohio, working on his Ph.D. in Classics. “My dissertation is on eunuchs and castration in Greek and Roman literature. In April, I got married to Allison, who is working on a master’s degree in library and information science.” Classmate Danny Elghazi and his cousin Maddie Gaumer ’15 attended the wedding. - 44, 45 Emily D’Amico married Tom Hammett on March 21, 2015 in Huatulco, Mexico. Emily has also gone into business for herself to pursue a passion for health and pilates. She’s opened three Club Pilates studios in Orange County. In May she joined the Alumni Peccary trip to Barstow with Micol Issa and Thea Hinkle. “After the Peccary trip, I can personally vouch for what alumni have been saying for years. It was so easy to pick up with everyone right where we left off! I’m already excited to see everyone at our 10-year reunion.” - 46 Thea Hinkle is now living in New York. She started a new job at Body Labs and will be making the world’s most advanced technology for digital body models.

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

Sophomore Career Evening

What is arthroplasty? How do you design a video game? What’s it like to work at the largest talent agency in Los Angeles? Last April, sophomores met with alumni to hear first-hand about a wide range of industries and career options at the

16th Annual Sophomore Career Evening. t

Med icine & Ps ycho l og y: Hiro Sasaki ’83, Nirav Shah ’99 and Vivian Wang ’06 talked about their careers in the medical and mental health fi lds. H iro is a clinical psychologist at Associated Therapists specializing in individual, couples and family therapy and the chair of the psychology department at University of the West. N irav is an arthroplasty surgeon at the C enter for O rthopaedic S pecialists and specializes in hip and knee replacements. Vivian is an internal medicine resident at Ronald Reagan UCL A Medical C enter. - 1 Techno l og y & Gam ing: Johnson Lightfoote ’08, Edman Urias ’10 and Ed Lin ’93 presented on working in the gaming industry and the technology used to create games. Johnson and E dman work for NHN E ntertainment, Korea’s largest online gaming company. Johnson works on game optimization and E dman is a localization specialist, making sure each game translates well to each country and market in which it is sold. E d is general manager at D irect2D rive, a division of AtG ames, a digital retail store for video games. - 2 Brand ing & D e si gn: Joe Ko ’04 and Jennifer Tong ’90 outlined their work designing consumer products. As creative director at Predicate and consulting creative director at C aseology, Joe specializes in branding and product design. Jennifer is the design director at Agron, the offic l licensee of Adidas America. -3 Busine ss & F in ance: Nihar Shah ’04 and Ed Ratinoff ’83 discussed their experiences in two very diffe ent sectors of the business world. N ihar is the chief legal officer and co-founder of O nPACE E nergy S olutions, a company that provides fi ancing platforms for renewable energy projects. E d is a managing partner at James Investment Partners where he specializes in real estate investment. - 4 The Law: This topic was covered by Nick Lee ’98, Pilar Mitchell ’04 and Julia Villasenor ’03. N ick, an intellectual property lawyer at Arnold & Porter, has represented matters for G oogle and G eneral E lectric. Pilar is an associate attorney representing insurance carriers, self-insured employees and public entities in worker’s compensation litigation for Michael S ullivan & Associates. Julia is an attorney development coordinator, part of the H R team, at S kadden Arps, one of C alifornia’s largest corporate law firms. - 5 E n te rtain men t: Jesse Albert ’82, Ben Dey ’00 and Jenna Gambaro ’95 spoke about the exciting world of entertainment. Jesse is a producer at Xpansive Media, an adjunct professor at the USC S chool of C inematic Arts and a N ew Media council board member at the Producers G uild of America. Ben and Jenna work for C reative Artists Agency, one of the top entertainment and sports agencies in the world. Ben is an agent and Jenna is a business affai s executive. - 6

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If you are an alumnus/a interested in Sophomore Career Evening or other mentorship opportunities, contact director of alumni relations Laura Wensley at (909) 482-5277 or lwensley@webb.org.

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The Webb Schools • Webb.org

NewsNotes

Webb@Work Internships

Now in its third year,

the Webb@Work program had a busy summer with over 70 internship and shadow day offerings and several summer job placements. A big thank you to the alumni and parents who participated in the program. Here are a few highlights: 1

Joy Lin ’13 (Washington University in St. Louis) conducted pancreatic cancer research with Dr. Jonathan Kelber ’93 in his Oncogene Lab at CSU Northridge. Joy studied the impact of certain proteins on healthy and cancerous cells. This is Dr. Kelber’s third year as a Webb@Work host. His lab is leading the pack in breast cancer research with the identification of a critical cancer gene called PEAK1. The results were recently published in the Public Library of Science, and Alec Hou ’13 (Georgetown University), who interned there last summer, is one of the contributing sources. 2

Alison Wang ’12 (Boston College) and Yiwa Lau ’12 (Beijing Film Academy) interned with Emmy-award winning producer Kip Konwiser ’81. Kip’s company Konwiser Bros. is developing a documentary film The Disrupters about STEM education for students in America.

1 2

Ivy Yeung ’13 (University of Chicago) interned at Capital Group Companies in downtown Los Angeles with Todd Wagner P ’17, ’19.

We are now seeking opportunities for Spring and Summer 2016.

If you have an internship program at your company, or if you can create an internship opportunity for a Webbie, please contact Laura Wensley in the Alumni Relations Office at alumni@webb.org or (909) 482-5277.

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

Rebecca Hsia is a captain in the United States Army stationed at Joint Base Lewis McCord in the Seattle area. She is also a fiery member of a women’s roller derby team, the Bettie Brigade, comprised of Army and Air Force personnel. Look her up if you are in Washington. Prepping for their 10-year reunion, Mimi Issa, Thea Hinkle, Jen Liu, Emily D’Amico Hammett and Cooper Johnson ’06 had a blast on this year’s Alumni Peccary Trip in Barstow, catching up and reliving the good ’ol peccary days. - 47 Walter Pettus completed his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Wisconsin Madison in May. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Wright Laboratory at Yale University. His group is pursuing some of the largest unsolved questions of fundamental nuclear, particle and astrophysics using novel detector technologies. Walter’s main focus is dark matter and his primary experiment is DM-Ice, a direct detection dark matter experiment operating a mile and a half under the ice at the South Pole, a detector he helped deploy. “As a senior member of the group, there’s a lot of mentorship to be done and knowledge to hand down. I’m learning a great deal and growing as a scientist through the experience.” - 48 2006 • Joon Woo Choi is in Seoul working at Polaris Shipping, a Korean-based shipping company. He enjoys getting together with other Webbies in the area and hopes to organize another Webb gathering. “I regularly meet with other Webbies residing in Korea, mostly people from classes of 2006-07. A couple of years ago I gathered and hosted a dinner party for recently graduated Webb students and alumni—around 20 people attended—for a meet and greet.”

Maggie Matthews married James McMillan on March 14, 2015 in Palm Springs. Maggie and James met in Wisconsin. In attendance were Michael Wiefels ’82, Alex Matthews ’03, Gauri Gadgil, Sarah Lewis, Katie (Pourroy) Dahl (wedding party), Zach Calucchia and Jordi Baron. - 49

Brittany Loya is a business development specialist at the British Consulate General in Los Angeles. “My position is within their international economic development division, ‘UK Trade & Investment.’ I promote international trade and foreign direct investment between the United Kingdom and the Western United States. More specifically, I oversee the economic development within the aerospace, advanced engineering and agricultural technology sectors between both countries.” Jeff Taylor married Cecily Keppel on April 11, 2015 in Del Mar, Calif. Class members in attendance included Katie (Pourroy) Dahl, Paco Valera and Heidi Marti. Jeff’s brother, Chris Taylor ’07, was also on hand at his big brother’s big day. Jeff is a senior associate at Gurtin Fixed Income Management, LLC. - 50 2007 • Patrick Hong graduated from NYU in 2013 majoring in operations research after finishing military duty in Korea for 2 years. He’s now studying towards a master’s degree at University of Pennsylvania.

Juliana Whitney made the Las Vegas Business Press “40 Under 40 Rising Stars” list in 2015 for her work in her self-started non-profit, That Adopted Girl Inc. She started That Adopted Girl Inc. to raise awareness about foster care, adoption and related issues such as youth homelessness, addiction and mental health. She is currently working on her MBA at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 2008 • Christina Durón is the 2015 recipient of the Thompson and Vivian Webb Excellence in Teaching Award. She joined Webb’s faculty in 2013, and completed her first year as a full-time teacher in the math department where she teaches Integrated Math 2 and Precalculus. She is also the assistant JV girls basketball coach. - 51

It was great to see Cynthia Ip and Rosie Lewis ’09 at the Silicon Valley event in May. Cynthia is in her second year at Stanford, where she’s working on a dual graduate degree: an MBA from the Graduate School of Business and an M.A. from the Graduate School of Education. - 52

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

NewsNotes 2009 • With the help of family friends, Sheena Amin started Shanti Charities, a non-profit organization that brings safety and first aid education to local communities. As a basic life support instructor, Sheena teaches underprivileged communities basic first aid skills. She also writes for Elite Daily, where she shares thoughts related to her experiences teaching and volunteering. 2010 • Ken Liu is enjoying his job at PwC Strategy in New York, where he has worked for a year. PwC Strategy is a global strategy consulting firm. 2011 • Sean James graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in computer science in May 2015. He is living in Sunnyvale where he works as a GPU software engineer at Apple in Cupertino.

After graduating from Hamilton College in May, Chris Jusuf began interning for Congressman Steve Knight. He’s involved in everything from responding to constituent concerns to researching and creating reports. Previously, he interned for Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and worked for The Roosevelt Group, a lobbying firm in DC specializing in defense and military affairs. “I’m a political junkie so I figured a career in government would be most fitting for me. So far, it has not disappointed.” At a recent NFRW event at the Capitol Hill Club, Chris met Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. - 53 After winning Duke University’s STEAMy Summer Challenge as a sophomore, Rebecca Lai interned at Microsoft as a program manager, founded a 3D printing club at Duke, and worked on several virtual reality applications in her free time. This summer, she was in the Bay Area interning at AltspaceVR, a small virtual reality start-up, where she worked on user-interaction and user-experience design.

Brittany Lamon-Paredes graduated from Wellesley College in May with a B.A. in political science and anthropology. Next up, she’s attending the University of Tennessee College of Law as a Dean’s Scholar. - 54 Lauren Taflinger graduated from the University of Richmond in May. She graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in dual majors, political science and leadership studies. This summer she worked in DC with the Department of Justice. 2012 • Marley Crean is studying abroad in Vienna, Austria. This past summer, she interned at the Redlands Symphony and taught private guitar lessons to kids.

Congratulations to Tim McGinley, who was awarded a full scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley by the Cal football program. Now in his senior year, Tim has been one of the student equipment managers since his freshman year. - 55 2013 • Shae Wang is a junior at Northwestern University, where she’s the director of a business plan competition and involved with the tech/startup scene. “I’m also head of business development at a Northwestern student startup, part of an accelerator where I’m building my own startup (in stealth mode), and am in the process of becoming a self-taught data scientist. During college, I produced a short film that won best picture at the DC Asian Pacific American film festival, competed in business pitch competitions at 1871, and am currently working with two series-A startups (in Chicago and San Francisco).”

2014 • Congratulations to Gabe Gosney, who received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. His transfer to USNA from Pitzer College comes after diligent work and careful consideration. “I feel as though the curriculum offered at the academy both academically and militarily is more conducive to the type of career I am pursuing. My year at Pitzer was tremendously rewarding and it prepared me well for the challenge I will face as a midshipman.”

Share Your News

Adam Lawrence spent the summer after his first year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute doing business development at a coding bootcamp in the Los Angeles area. “We educated students with industry-relevant skills so they could either join a startup, or start their own and get funding from VC firms we’ve partnered with.”

Send an update and photo to alumni@webb.org or mail to 1175 West Baseline Road, Claremont, CA 91711.

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

The Alumni Office wants to hear from you!

FO R M E R FAC U LT Y, STA F F & F R I E N D S We enjoyed seeing Ray Broadhead, head of school at The Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tenn. and his wife Leone on campus in July. This was their first time visiting Claremont. Ray was previously the assistant head at Brooks School in Mass. - 56 Amy Brotschul sent a photo of her with her son, Severin, Sadie Kingsbury with her son Jake, Margaret Lofgren with her daughter Anne, and Hector Martinez and son Benjamin, while they were all faculty kids on the Webb campus. This fall, Anne and Benjamin are freshmen at Webb and Severin is a ninth grader at West Nottingham Academy in Colora, Md. where his dad, Stephen Brotschul, is headmaster and Amy teaches French. - 57 John Heyes, who taught at Webb from 1972 to 1999, attended the alumni gathering in Silicon Valley. John lives in Los Gatos in the Santa Cruz Mountains and taught English at the Harker School until his retirement in 2013. He enjoyed reconnecting with Faye Karnavy Sahai ’86. - 58 Juli James is on the founding leadership team as dean of students and director of global initiatives/service learning at Keystone Academy in Beijing, China. It was great seeing her and another former faculty member Wendy BradleyTerwilliger, and Wendy’s husband Sean in Beijing. - 59

It was nice to see the Kingstones on campus. James and Sarah ’07 are at Shawnigan Lake School, a boarding school on Vancouver Island. James has been the director of university guidance but left at the end of the 2014-2015 school year to take a job teaching English at West Point Grey Academy. Sarah remained at Shawnigan, where she teaches Social Studies and English and coaches rowing. Jo-Anne is now the deputy head of school at Crofton House, an all-girls independent school in Vancouver, British Columbia. Greg Lawson attended the retirement celebration for Blair Maffris in May. Greg was a member of Webb’s faculty from 1990 to 2005. He is now the assistant head of school, student affairs at the Harker School in San Jose, Calif. - 60 Taylor Stockdale met up with former coach Dan Pride for dinner. Also in attendance were faculty members Don Lofgren, Blair Maffris, Rick Duque and Brian Caldwell. Rick Duque had this to say, “Coach Pride is the exact same Coach Pride as when he left. Still loves this place. Still loves hearing about the athletes, teachers and staff that he came in contact with while here. He has officially retired from coaching. He has coached football and JV girls basketball since returning to his hometown of Ironton, Ohio. He will still stay busy as a teacher’s aide for a young man with autism.” - 61

61 57

Teachers of Webb Survey 61

The Alumni Council is gathering stories and memories about the teachers of Webb for the school archives. Please share your recollections with a story of a favorite teacher, coach or staff member. Take the “Teachers of Webb” survey: tinyurl.com/teachersofwebb

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

In Memoriam After a brief battle with brain cancer, Jeff Nelson passed away on May 13, 2015. Jeff, he husband of head emerita Susan Nelson, was a lifelong educator who served as athletic director at Foothill Country Day School for 26 years. He built a legacy of love and respect among hundreds of youth and families whose lives he impacted. An expert model boat and train builder, an avid sports fan, golfer and tennis player, Jeff as also a devoted family man with a big heart and a fabulous sense of humor. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons Max ’95 and Damian ’97, grandson Rivers and brother Alan.

Mollie Wilson, wife of former faculty member Gordon A. Wilson, passed away on June 13, 2015, a month shy of her 105th birthday. Mr. Wilson, who died in 1974, served as a master teacher for 30 years, teaching English, the classics and ancient history. He also served as dean, assistant to the headmaster, and leader of the school orchestra. He was a talented musician and played the organ in the Vivian Webb Chapel as well as the viola with such groups as the Claremont Civic Symphony and the Pomona College Orchestra. Following his teaching career, Mr. Wilson served as a trustee for five years. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson raised their five children on campus and their sons, Gordon ’59 and Tom ’65, attended Webb. When Mr. Wilson passed away, Mrs. Wilson endowed the Gordon A. Wilson Scholarship Fund in his memory and the Gordon A. Wilson Award in Music. 1940 C. J. “Peter” Bennett ’40 passed away on June 26, 2015. After Webb, Peter went on to study photography and received a degree in photojournalism from Stanford University. He served in WWII for the U.S. Navy and was involved in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He received the Purple Heart for an injury he suffe ed at Okinawa. After the war, he became a cattleman and oilman and lived a rancher’s life. Those who knew him describe him as the most humble and generous man they’ve ever known. He is survived by his wife, Juanita, and three children: Alysam, Hank and Scott. Two of his grandchildren are current Webb students: Sydney VWS ’16 and Spencer WSC ’17. James S. Brown III ’40 died on January 19, 2015. At Webb, James was an outstanding athlete, adept at baseball and horseshoes. He was also involved in the dramatics club and gymkhana. He received a degree in physical science from Stanford University. During WWII, he was a second lieutenant in charge of a bomb disposal unit, becoming a captain before entering the reserves. Apart from his military career, James was vice president of Union Oil Company in California.

Webb Magazine • Fall 2015

1941 J. Randolph Elliott ’41 passed away on June 22, 2015. Randy dabbled in a variety of activities at Webb, ranging from tennis to drama and helped lead the school’s fi st Lincoln Debating Society. After Webb, Randy enlisted in the U.S. Army as a cryptographer and served at bases in the U.S. and overseas. He received his law degree from Stanford in 1951, began work as an associate counsel at Pacific L ghting Corp. and was promoted to corporate secretary. In 1967, he joined California Portland Cement Co. as vice president and general counsel. He was named president and CEO of Statex Petroleum in 1973 and retired in 1983. Randy was a dedicated alumnus, serving as a trustee from 1972 to 1976 and as board president during 1973-74. The Elliott family has deep ties to Webb: Randy’s sons Steven ’72 and David ’73, his grandson Riley ’08, his cousin Richard ’41, and nephews Toby ’63, Kenneth ’65 and Douglas Meservey ’68 are all graduates. The Elliott family also has strong ties to The Webb School in Bellbuckle, Tenn., which Randy’s father, nephew and uncle all attended. 1942 J. Brent Henshaw Tanner ’42 died on August 22, 2004. He attended the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and studied languages. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard, rising through the ranks from operations officer to district commodore. Later he went on to be one of the founding commodores of the San Diego Association of Yacht Clubs. 1947 Graham L. Sterling ’47 died on February 12, 2009. Graham was an honor committeeman and played football and basketball at Webb. He graduated from Occidental College and Stanford Law School. During the Korean War, he served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. He later practiced corporate fi ance law for O’Melveny and Myers before co-founding his own firm, eating and Sterling. He also taught fi ance at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and farmed 560 acres of alfalfa on his ranch with his wife of over 30 years.

A celebration of life 1951

1961

Richard S. P. Hsi ’51 passed away on December 5, 2014. Born in Shanghai, China, he immigrated to the United States in 1950. Along with his cousin, James Wang ’51, Richard only attended Webb for one year, but made quite an impression on the other students. He loved to play tennis and volleyball. As a loyal peccary man, Richard accompanied Dr. Alf on numerous trips and took many pictures of peccary trips as a member of the camera club. After Webb, Richard graduated from Pomona College with a degree in chemistry and then received his doctoral degree in organic chemistry from MIT. He spent 37 years as a radioisotopic synthetic and organic chemist for the Upjohn Company before retiring as a senior scientist in 1997.

Gerald “Jerry” Johnson, Jr. ’61 died peacefully on March 12, 2015 with his wife, Shelley by his side. He had suffe ed from the complications of several illnesses, and his health had been a challenge for some time. At Webb, Jerry was an honor committeeman, a varsity letter winner in football and baseball, and editor of the Blue & Gold. After Webb, Jerry attended Harvard University, Columbia Law School and the New England Conservatory of Music. An avid singer, he performed in many principal roles on the stages of the Lamplighters and many local and regional opera companies. His wife shared with us that Jerry’s time at Webb was deeply important to him, and he spoke of his classmates often.

1952

1965

James M. Perry (Carr), Sr. ’52 died on May 15, 2015. Jim was known for his loud voice and good humor at Webb. An avid sports fan, he was the sports editor for Blue & Gold and a member of the ski club. Jim earned a degree in business administration before putting his entrepreneurial skills to good use in the oil, restaurant and airline industries. He had a passion for travel which began early as he was the fi st baby under the age of one year to fly across the English Channel.

James L. Beebe III ’65 died on October 1, 2014. As a child, he was active in 4-H and enjoyed barrel racing with his horse. He earned a degree in theatre arts from the University of La Verne, where he met his wife of 42 years. He became an ordained minister and received a doctor of divinity degree from Science of Mind College.

1957 E. Avery “Pete” Crary ’57 died on April 5, 2015 from esophageal cancer. Always an active member of the Webb community, Pete served as class agent for 15 years and helped coordinate numerous reunions. As a student, he was a stellar athlete, most notably on the track and intramural soccer teams. His brother, Oliver ’59, also attended Webb. Pete graduated from Georgetown University and obtained his J.D. from Southwestern Law School. He worked for Meserve, Mumper and Hughes for 50 years and was a partner for the last 43 years. He had a passion for sailing and enjoyed racing various types of sailboats. Pete was involved in his church, having served as a deacon and a member of the vestry and weekly Bible study group. He was also proud of his work with Stephens Ministry.

While preparing for their 40th reunion, the class of 1965 received the sad news that Frank R. Clark ’65 has passed away. While at Webb Frank played rugby and tennis, and was a member of Block W. Lawrence “Larry” M. Miller ’65 passed away on November 6, 2008. While attending Webb, Larry was very involved in athletics and writing. He played basketball, baseball and football, and contributed to Blue & Gold, Sage and El Espejo. After Webb, he joined the U.S. Army, served in the Vietnam War, and earned the Purple Heart. He received a degree in political science from UCLA and began a career with the U.S. Forest Service in personnel management that would last until his retirement in 2005. He loved to write and share stories about everything from his childhood to his current thoughts and ideas. He was a proud family man and enjoyed living a simple and honest life. 1966 Ronald LaSelle ’66 died on March 4, 2014 in Grand Junction, Colo. He was a long time resident of Craig, Colo. While at Webb, Ron played football and tennis. He is survived by his older brother Rush ’61.

The Webb Schools • Webb.org

Final Word By Lucy Herrero ’10 stanford ’14

Radical Freedom in the Rocky Overburden

ince my very fi st peccary trip nine years ago, I have spent every summer on a dig. I have had the opportunity to participate in both paleontological and archaeological fi ldwork, ranging across four continents and spanning 155 million years of time. I recently returned from my sixth fi ld season with the Alf Museum in the Kaiparowits Formation, Utah. During this trip, I thought about what has continued to draw me towards the field—in some ways, I feel almost addicted to it. I anticipate fieldwork the entire year, and I never feel quite as content as when I am on a dig.

I want to put forward a somewhat unusual hypothesis to explain this: I believe that the Alf Museum program offe s an opportunity for students to experience a kind of radical freedom. This year in our remote fi ld camp, we did not have text, email, or any Internet capabilities. For the duration of the excavation, we were forced to temporarily abandon all ties to our regular lives, including our friends and family. This creates a unique situation in which we are challenged to exist in a liminal space that both replicates society yet occurs outside of it. We are always constrained by our lived experience, but for the length of the trip, we do not have the ability to situate ourselves in relation to what is happening at home or in other parts of the world. Our actions are only informed by the knowledge we possess and the experiences that occur as the excavation unfolds. Because of this, it can feel like the excavation takes place in an alternate reality. The days seem impossibly long, yet race by, one after another. Without a constant barrage of technological stimuli, we are affo ded the opportunity for intense introspection. Things that seemed important fade away in the face of day-to-day survival in a strange place. We come to depend on each other to meet our basic needs and for companionship. In this sense, peccary trips allow us to create our own microcommunity guided by a defi itive aim: to discover and excavate fossils. In the quarry, each person is assigned a specific ask: to remove rocky overburden from an area,

“When we work together towards a singular goal, we strengthen our sense of community and establish a clear sense of purpose.”

to further expose an existing bone, to trench around another. We can measure our progress by how much dirt we move and how many bones we take out. Because of this, it is easy to gain a sense of accomplishment; we can see the changes in the quarry happening before our eyes. When we work together towards a singular goal, we strengthen our sense of community and establish a clear sense of purpose. In the fi ld, our purpose becomes evident through the process. The act of excavation requires that we constantly frame our actions in relation to the objects that we uncover. These specimens have not been seen for millennia, and when they are fi ally revealed, we are tasked with constructing a hypothesis about what they are and how to proceed exposing them. Thus, the process of excavation is reflexive; it necessitates that we create meaning for the objects we are working with, which at the same time gives meaning to our own actions. Once an object has meaning, we have the potential to create knowledge. When we are able to understand the relationships between the fossils and their environment, we can draw larger conclusions about what life was like in the past. The Alf Museum programs have played a vital and transformative role in my life. Through the peccary trips, I have been able to develop many practical skills that have been indispensable to my fi ldwork with other institutions. But more importantly, I believe that the peccary trips teach us how to live. They show us how to survive and adapt in radically diffe ent environments; they train us how to establish a sense of purpose, create meaning and produce knowledge. Ultimately, I believe the peccary trips function as necessary pattern interruptions that reveal what I value most. I strive to carry these lessons with me wherever I go, and whenever I feel anxious or uncertain about the future, I try to recapture the sense of belonging and peace I feel in the fi ld. I have been immensely privileged to have the time and access to resources to be able to participate in this kind of work, and for that, I will be forever grateful to the Alf Museum.

Calendar & Credits

A D M I N I S T R AT I O N Taylor B. Stockdale Head of Schools Peter Bartlett Director of Student Life

Executive Editor Joe Woodward

Donald L. Lofgren, PhD Director, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology

Editor Vivian Pradetto

Leo G. Marshall Director of Admission and Financial Aid Hector Martinez Director of College Guidance

Contributors Lexus Beaman ’08, Debbie Carini, Andrew Farke, John Ferrari, Danielle Gordon, Harason Horowitz ’02, Don Lofgren, Aaron Severson, Laura Wensley

Brian Ogden Dean of Faculty

Design Michael Stewart • Stewart Creative

Janet K. Peddy Director of Finance, Planning and Operations

Photography Phil Channing, Andrew Farke, Don Lofgren, Don Milici, Nancy Newman, Scott Nichols

Theresa A. Smith, PhD Director of Academic Affairs

Printing Dual Graphics

Joe Woodward Director of Institutional Advancement BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2015-2016 Paul M. Reitler ’54, Chairman of the Board Claire H. McCloud, Vice Chair, Secretary Sanjiv P. Dholakia ’87, Vice Chair R. Larry Ashton ’70, Chairman, Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, ex officio William M. Bauman ’82 Blake H. Brown ’68 Jenna Z. Gambaro ’95 Wayne L. Hanson ’59 Janel Henriksen Hastings, PhD ’87 John Holliday ’84 Ming Chung Liu David Loo ’79 Christina Mercer McGinley, PhD ’84 Roger J. Millar ’61 David Myles, PhD ’80 Mickey E. Novak ’70

Janet K. Peddy, Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary, ex officio RJ Romero Miles R. Rosedale ’69 Mary A. Schuck Taylor B. Stockdale, Head of Schools, ex officio LIFE TRUSTEES

Nondiscrimination Policy– The Webb Schools admit students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the schools. The Webb Schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law in administration of their educational policies, tuition assistance, athletic, and other school-administered programs, or any other basis in law.

Memberships National Association of Independent Schools; Western Association of Schools and Colleges; Boy’s Schools: An International Coalition; National Coalition of Girls’ Schools; California Association of Independent Schools; College Entrance Examination Board; Educational Records Bureau; National Association of College Admissions Counselors; Council for Basic Education; Council for the Advancement and Support of Education; Council for Religion Hugh H. Evans Jr. ’49 in Independent Schools; National Association of Principals of Anne Gould Schools for Girls; and the Cum Laude Society. H. Earl (Bud) Hoover II ’52 Publication Information Murray H. Hutchison Webb magazine is the official publication of Webb School of California, Robert Stragnell, MD Vivian Webb School, and the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology. Published for families, friends and alumni by The Webb Schools.

Volume 18, Number 2

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Matriculation - C LA S S

Babson College, MA Barnard College, NY Boston College, MA Boston University, MA Brandeis University, MA Brown University, RI Carnegie Mellon University, PA Centre College, KY Claremont McKenna College, CA Colorado College, CO Columbia University, NY Concordia University, CA Connecticut College, CT Cornell University, NY Dartmouth College, NH Emory University-Oxford College, GA Emory University, GA Fordham University, NY Gap Year

2015

One or more students are attending these colleges and universities:

Georgetown University, DC Gonzaga University, WA Harvard University, MA Harvey Mudd College, CA Johns Hopkins University, MD Loyola Marymount University, CA Montana State University, Bozeman, MO Mount Holyoke College, MA New York University, NY Northwestern University, IL Pitzer College, CA Pomona College, CA Rice University, TX Scripps College, CA Sewanee - The University of the South, TN Swarthmore College, PA Trinity University, TX Tufts University, MA University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

University of British Columbia, Canada University of California, Davis, CA University of California, Irvine, CA University of California, Los Angeles, CA University of California, San Diego, CA University of California, Santa Barbara, CA University of California, Santa Cruz, CA University of Chicago, IL University of Colorado, Boulder, CO University of Hawaii, Manoa, HI University of Puget Sound, WA University of Redlands, CA University of San Diego, CA University of Southern California, CA Wellesley College, MA Whittier College, CA Willamette University, OR